Even Now & Ever After are two very good books by Karen Kingsburry!
Even Now:335 pages & Ever After 324 pages
Even Now Series

Back Cover or Even Now:
Shane Galanter-a man ready to put down roots after years of searching. But is there a woman from long ago who still has his heart?
Lauren Gibbs-a successful international war correspondent who gave up on happily-ever-after years ago-when it was ripped from her. She's never looked back, but one question still haunts her: Why is Life so Empty?
Emily Anderson-a college freshman raised by her grandparents discovers a love story whose tragic ending came with her birth. Now she is drawn to search for the mother she's never met.

A young woman seeking answers to her heart's deepest questions. A man and woman separated by lies and years of separation...who have never forgotten each other.

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS?
Emily, has been raised by her grandparents, but she still longs to know her parents...so the search is started. Go with Emily as she searches for the two lives that created hers. Lauren, a woman who thinks her baby is dead. Shane, a man who thinks he's love didn't want him anymore. Will they get together in the end? Or will their years of separation keep them apart?
This one is a Tear Jerker...so keep Tissues Handy :)


EVER AFTER's Back Cover:
In this moving sequel to Even Now, Emily Anderson, now twenty, meets the man who changes everything for her: Army reservist Justin Baker. Their tender relationship, founded on a mutual faith in God and nurtured by their trust and love for each other, proves to be a shining inspiration to everyone they know, especially Emily's reunited birth parents.
But Lauren and Shane still struggle to move past their opposing beliefs about war,politics,and faith. When tragedy strikes, can they set aside their opposing views so that love-God's Love- might win, no matter how great the odds?

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS?
Thought #1- GRAB TISSUES!!!!!!
You know how I said the first one was a tear jerker??? Well this one tops it!! I won't tell you why you need the tissues, but i'm just warning you ahead of time, so you don't end up like me, with out them. This is a wonderful story about Love, and Faith. Karen Writes it so that you are sucked in so deep you don't even realize that your 'just' reading a book. When reading this, I felt like I was Emily, Going through her romance, her heartache, her joy...not to mention her victories on the Soccer field! lol, I promise, if you read this book, you will enjoy it...unless you absolutely HATE to cry...but I still recommen it!
~Rae Byuel~
Visit Karen Kingsburry's Website... www.KarenKingsburry.com
To buy these books, CLICK HERE, for $10.19

Pearl By Lauraine Snelling
349 pages...
#2 in the Dakotah Treasures series


Back Cover:
THE NEWSPAPER AD OFFERED AN ESCAPE FROM HER FATHER"S MATCHMAKING SCHEMES...
Ruby Torvald has turned Dove House, and the scandalous inheritance her father left to her and her sister, into a respectable establishment. Her newest boarder is Pearl Hossfuss, a twenty-two-year-old schoolteacher from Chicago. Hiding scars within and without, Pearl has given up hope that any man would want to marry her. Her father has his own ideas, insisting she marry his clerk, a widower with five children.
So Pearl Flees to Dakotah Territory in response to an ad requestiong a teacher fro the town of Little Missouri. She finds teaching in this rural setting rewarding add interesting-even more so when she makes the acquaintance of an intriguing yound carpenter, Carl Hegland. But just as her future begins to look brighter, news arrives that her father is coming to take her back to Chicago.

When disaster threatens, will these lovely "jewels of the West" be forced to abandon teir dreams?

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS?
Pearl is 22 years old, and has been through a lot in her life time. She lost her Mother, and has gotten severly burned on her neck from boiling water. Her father has Pretty much 'forgotten' her, meaning, he doesn't pay that much attention to her, as he used to in years past. Leaving her to do basicly what she wishes. But one night he decides that she needs a Husband, So he brings home one of his clerks, even though the man is not Violent, he is a bore. They have nothing in common, so Pearl tries everything possible for her father to break off the engagement. But to her father, they made a bond, and a bond is not to be broken. So she does the only thing left to do...she runs away, and heads for Little Missouri for a teaching posistion that was advertised for in the newspaper. Thinking herself ugly, and an old-maid, she doesn't realize love when it comes knocking on the door of her heart. Will she find the love she's always wanted? Or will her scars have her push him away?
Would be a VERY good Christmas Gift!!!
~Rae Byuel~

Purchase now, PEARL for $10.39!!

OOOPS I forgot Ruth!!!! Yikes!!!
Ruth by Lori Copeland
285 Pages
#5 in the Brides of the West 1872 series

Back Cover:
WANTED:
Women with religious upbringing, high morals, and strong sense of adventure, willing to marry decent, God-fearing men. Applicants may apply by mail. Must allow at least two months for an answer.

Spunky, young Ruth Priggish is on the run from and eighty-year-old suitor. Faced with the prospect of marriage to the persistent old codger, Ruth throws caution to the wind and heads for Wyoming Territory, where freedom and independence await. Her only hope is to seek help from an unwilling protector: Dylan McCall.
U.S. Marshall Dylan McCall is trying desperately to get to Wyoming before winter sets in. But when he finds himself saddle with a stubborn spitfire who won't take no for an answer, his job- and his heart- are at stake.

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS?
Great Book! One of my favorites out of all 6!
Ruth, Ruth, Ruth...thats what you want to say when you start reading this...or What are you thinking! Is another thought that came to mind as I read this. But in the end, you are so glad she decides to

"throw caution to the wind"

Multiple things happen along the way, that leave Hope in charge of protecting, and not Dylon McCall. When Dylon gets seriously wounded, His only chance is Hope. (the stubborn spitfire...) But while healing his wounds will she also heal the whole in his heart?

I totally forgot that I hadn't Posted about Ruth...oh well, I am now! ;)
~Rae Byuel~

If You would like to Purchase Ruth, Click this Link For $ 11.04, also if you click the link, you can 'Look inside' the book. Would be a Great Christmas Gift!

Ruby by Lauraine Snelling
320 pages
# 1 in the Dakotah Treasures series

Back Cover:
THE LETTER PROMISED A MUCH-NEEDED BEQUEST...
"My dearest daughters,
I must beg your forgiveness for the long time between letters. I am sure you must have thought I passed on from this world, but life here in the West has been a myriad of experiences, and not all of them good. I attempted gold mining, with some small success, and finally parlayed that into a legacy that I can pass on to my two treasures. While I had hoped to be able to send for you before now, the sad news is that I am dying. I have enclosed tickets for the two of you to come and claim you inheritance, and God willing, if you come quickly, I will have a chance to see your sweet faces before I pass on into the next life..."

Ruby Torvald sets out on a daunting journey with her young sister, Opal, to hopefully see their long-lost father once more and claim the promised inheritance. But instead of the treasure they expected, the sisters discover something most shocking.

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS?
Ruby and Opal work for a family in New York. Ruby is the governess there. But when the letter from her father comes, they must leave right away, for young Opal has never set eyes on her father before. (other than @ birth) But when they reach Little Missouri, in the Dakotah territory, they find something, that even in their wildest dreams they could not have imagined. The Dove House, which is what their father owns, turns out to be a Saloon. And when Ruby's dad dies, she turns things around for the better. But when Opal starts forgetting her manners, will she doubt herself, and start running back to New York? Or will she stick it out on the Frontier?
Then two men come into her life. Captain McHenry, a man she can get along with all the time, and Rand Harrison a man that can make her blood boil at the littlest things. Which one will she end up choosing?

Buy it now @ Amazon.com for only $10.39

~Rae Byuel~

Patience by: Lori Copeland
318 pages
# 6 in the Brides of the West series 1872 (last one!)

Back Cover:
WANTED:
Women with religious upbringing, high morals, and strong sense of adventure, willing to marry decent, God-fearing men. Applicants may apply by mail. Must allow at least two months for an answer.

Patience Smith only intends to wear Lenore's wedding dress for a few minutes, but when a kidnapper snatches Patience away in case of mistaken identity, she finds herself lost in the mountains of Colorado. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she escapes he kidnapper and stumbles onto an abandoned mining dugout and a lonely orphan. Patience has found herself a gold mine! Now if she can just get Denver City sheriff Jay Longer to help, she can mine the gold that will mean a whole new future for Patience and the rest of the mail-order brides.
But Jay has plans of his own, and someone is trying to keep them away from that gold.

Can Patience and Jay work together, escape outlaws, and strike gold? And can they do it all without losing their hearts in the process?

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS?
Ok, so this is the last one of the Brides of the West series, Let's just say I'm sad to see them go. :(
So there is Patience, and Jay. They have NEVER liked each other. Always fighting or just trying to stay away from each other to avoid it.
You next question...Why was Patience in Lenore's Wedding Dress in the first place? Well, you see Lenore and her Fiance's families have been feuding for a LONG time, but they want to get married in spite of it all. But Lenore's Family has forbidden her to have dress fittings! and Patience is just her Size! (that takes care of Why)
When Patience gets kidnapped, and stumbles across the cabin w/the little boy in it. Her life takes a drastic Change. For the Better. Patience starts taking care of Wilson(little boy in cabin) and when he tells her of the Gold in the mine, Patience will stop at nothing to get it, to help; her, Wilson, and the rest of the mail-order brides. The only thing is...Everyone thinks the Mine is haunted. And Jay is the only person that will help, because he promised not to come back w/out her!
Ok, I can't say anymore with out giving away more of the story...I've done enough of that already..:) But remember when I said this was the last of the Brides of the West series?!?!? Well, technically it is, but they may come back in 'Men Of The Saddle' series!!! I looked up the first book, and I think Mary is in it! I'll start looking for them @ the Library!
~Rae Byuel~

If you would like to Purchase Patience Click this Link For only $11.04
Or if you would like to Purchase all Six! Click this Link

His Holiday Heart By: Jillian Hart
216 pages
The McKaslin Clan: Series 3 Book 8

Ok My parents picked this up at the store...I had no clue as to how many were in the series, and then I head to Amazon.com... WOW! is all I can say.. If I'm readin this right, i think there are multiple series, 3 to be exact, Not to mention the new Historical Series...which still has McKaslin's in it. the first series has 5 books, the second has 4 books and the third has 8, and the new Historical Series only has 2 for now....

Back Cover:
A MONTANA SCROOGE WITH A SECRET CRUSH
What can make a grumpy "ther-is-no-Santa-Clause" kind of man smile? The sight of quirky Lucy Chapin. Something about the woman creates warm and fuzzy feelings within confirmed bachelor Spence McKaslin. So he'll just have to ignore her. Hard to do, since they're working together on a Christmas program for hospitalized children. THe time with lovely Lucy soon has Spence thining twice about spending his life alone. Because his heart is open to giving and receiving.

The McKaslin Clan: Ensconced in a quaint mountain town overlooking the vast Montana plains, the McKaslins rejoice in the powerful bonds of faith, family...and forever love.

A Penny for My Thoughts?

Great Book!! Even though it's the 8th one in a series! lol :) For those of you that know me, you know that this is a common occurance (me readin a series out of order) Mostly because I love to read, so when I have a book, I have to read it...then go back and get the other ones. Unless it makes no sense to me because I haven't read the one before it...but this is not the case with Jillian Hart. This book could be a Novel, and you wouldn't miss a beat, Unless u just like to hear about the other people in books.
Jillian Shows, how Love and the CHRISTmas spirit, can change a person's outlook on life. Now Spence's Mother, ran out on his father and took the family savings when times got rough. This ruined Spence's intake on a Happily-ever-after. But with the help of his Grandmother, Step Mother, and 6 sisters...He starts running into Lucy more, like at holiday get-togethers. Then they end up in the same group for the Hospitalized Children's group. Lucy isn't sure Spence is the one, she had gone through a near wedding experience before, so she was extra careful now. Can Spence shield his melting heart? Can Lucy take a chance on possibly getting hurt?
You'll have to read the book :)
Buy it now @ Amazon.com for only $5.50!!!

Visit Jillian's Website for the titles from the rest of the series

~Rae Byuel~

Hope by Lori Copeland
275 pages
#3 in the Brides of the West Series 1872

Back Cover:
WANTED: Women with religious upbringing, high morals, and a strong sens of adventure, willing to marry decent, God-fearing men. Applicants may apply by mail. Must allow at least two months for an answer.

Mail-order bride Hope Kallahan is not amused when her stagecoach is waylaid by a bunch of bumbling outlaws. The Feisty beauty is puzzled by the oddball in the group- the disarmingly kind Grunt Lawson. She doesn't know that Grunt is really Dan Sullivan, the government agent sent to infiltrate the gange on what was supposed to be his last assignment.
Together, Hope and Dan learn that no matter what happens, God works everything together into a plan that's bigger and better than all their hopes and dreams.

A Penny for my Thoughts?

This one actually takes place about a week before June, but ends after it. (confusing right?) Well this one goes very smoothly until Hope gets kidnapped. But as soon as they stop the Stage, things completely turn around! lol, just thinking about some of the things that Hope does, makes me laugh. The first night at the Outlaws hide out, she stands in the doorway because she refuses to sleep in the pigsty they call a cabin! for like 16 hrs. Talk about stubborn.
The Outlaws all think that she is a politician's daughter, and are hoping to get money out of her 'father'. But Grunt knows that she isn't who they hope she is, because he has seen the politician's daughter before at a dance.
So his cover isn't blown, Dan starts being brutly mean to Hope, but Hope doesn't notice. Will he save Hope by helping her escape or will her let the game continue? I don't know, (ok well actually i do) but you have to find out for yourself.

Rae Byuel

Buy Now @ amazon.com $9.37!

Waiting for Daybreak, a novel, by: Kathryn Cushman
315 wonderful pages


Back Cover:
TWO WOMEN, HOW FAR WILL THEY GO TO PROTECT THEIR DREAMS FOR TOMORROW?
PAIGE WOODWARD is out of options...so when a dream opportunity arises at a brand-new pharmacy, Paige chooses to keep quiet about her past to ensure she'll land the job. After all, she needs the money to pay for the treatment that can save her mother's life.

CLARISSA RICHARDSON feels alone. She wants desperately to honor the memory of her grandmother by running a successful pharmacy...but that vision comes to a screeching halt when her grandfather hires Paige, the too-perfect new girl who seems to be hiding something.

TODAY SEEMS DARK AND PAINFUL, BUT EVERY TOMORROW BRINGS THE HOPE OF SOMETHING NEW. IF THEY CAN JUST KEEP...
WAITING FOR DAYBREAK

A Penny for my Thoughts?
Ok, I got this book for my birthday a couple of months ago, and at first I thought there wouldn't be any romance or anything (and you know how I like that) but I started to read it, and I just couldn't put it down. I kept turning the pages to see which Girl (Clarissa or Paige) would end up 'winning' in the end. and towards the 6 or so chapter, a couple of guys (eligible) come waltzing into the picture. Both liking Paige, but Clarissa likes Cory, and Paige doesn't! Not to mention Tony, who is so smitten, I kept thinkin of him like how the Owl off of Bambi describes Twitter Patted animals...They're walkin on air, and all of a sudden, they loose their head! That's what Tony did, in like 2 min of seeing Paige.
If you want a page turner, I strongly suggest getting Waiting for Daybreak!!!!!

Buy it now @ amazon.com for only $11.19

~Rae Byuel~

The Truth Seeker, By Dee Henderson
336 pages
#3 in the O'Malley Series

Back Cover:
WOMEN ARE MISSING...
Amy Ireland disappeared twenty years ago without a trace. For U.S. Marshal Quinn Diamond, it's a case that has never closed. He's still searching- determined to learn the truth.
THEY ARE TURNING UP DEAD...
Lisa O'Malley is a forensic pathologist; mysteries are her domain. She has worked crime scenes in Chicago for years. Examining a sea of evidence, the connections between victims are so faint that they fade into ill-defined wisps as she searches for a pattern.
LISA O'MALLEY IS RUNNING OUT OF TIME...
The threads are pulling Lisa's and Quinn's cases together. And where they intersect there's a killer who will stop at nothing to see his secret remained buried.
AND NOW SHE'S MISSING TOO...
Quinn wanted Lisa's help. He never planned to put her in danger. She didn't expect him to invade her heart... or his God to change her life. And while Lisa understands death and darkness all too well, she's about to discover love and the Resurrection.


A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS?


Lisa works in the morgue, Quinn works as a U.S. Marshall. The first mark against Quinn was the fact that she was the 4th O'Malley he had asked out. But just because you don't like the timing they have, doesn't mean you won't fall for them. When Quinn's personal case is running parallel with Lisa's case. Women showing up w/the same MO's (Mode of Operation), Can Lisa stop trying to stay away from Quinn long enough to get his help? Or will that be too long?
Quinn, being older that Lisa, is ready to settle down, but when he asks Lisa out as the fourth O'Malley, he'll soon learn that girls just don't like that. lol. (am I right girls?)
It's a great book. You get used to Lisa's sense of humor towards the middle of the book. And Quinn ends up being like a Prince Charming at the end. The perfect mixture of Romance, Mystery, and Faith!

Buy it now @ Amazon.com For only $11.19!

~Rae Byuel~

This month the CFRB group is touring the Book called Leaps of Faith by Various Authors.

Check out the YouTube Video.
Visit the Leaps of Faith Website.



Leaps of Faith contains 15 stories that cover the spectrum of the SF genre, showing the positive relationship between science and religion.

Space Exploration: High Hopes for The Dead,” shows Christian evangelism though faithful example of Luke “High Hopes” Kittery, a member of a band of space explorers for whom every trip is potential suicide. “Quantum Express” examines the soul’s fate when the body is destroyed and reassembled through teleportation. In “God’s Gift,” faith is the key to preventing insanity brought on by a new method of interstellar travel. “Leaps of Faith” highlights the new industry of space search and rescue though the intrepid nuns of Our Lady of the Rescue. In “Confirmation,” harvesters of an exotic space fuel suspect they’re harvesting intelligent life--or perhaps the angels themselves.

Encountering Alien Life: “Lost in the Translation” chronicles a monk’s evangelism to a species for which death results in corporeal rebirth. In “Lost Rythar,” ministers bring the Word of God to long-forgotten human colonies. In “Sometimes We Lie,” a native born being tries to spread an ancient human faith. Fr. Wren wonders if a sentient tree-creature can marry into the Catholic Faith in “The Convert,” while Fr. Travener faces persecution by ministering to sentient androids in “Comprehending It Not.”

Hard SF: An astrophysicist finds the face of God in the stars in “The Smile.” God is a proven fact in “The Faith Equation,” leaving the question of the role of belief. “The Relics of Venice” combines genetic engineering and love to create a miracle.

Time travel: By: In “Tampering with God’s Time,” time travelers find they cannot change the timeline, but are themselves change as they encounter Christ personally, while in “Moses Disposes,” King Solomon deliberately uses time travelers to bring the Bible to future generations in an idiom they can understand.

My Two Cents Worth:
It was a good book, I'm not so into the SF types of books, (as y'all probably know;)
I have to say that it was well written.
Leaps of Faith contains 15 stories exploring space, time and faith. Can an ancient religion bring hope to first-line explorers for whom each trip is potential suicide? What does it mean when a physicist finds God's face in the stars? Is there a "saint gene" and can it be reproduced to create miracles? What happens to your soul when your body is shattered into quantum elements and reassembled on another world? How will the Christian faith transform alien thoughts and traditions?
Read as time travelers seeking to change Biblical history and space travelers harvesting "angels" are brought to faith by their experiences. Experience tender romance and heart-pounding adventure. Laugh at the foibles of man.
A 2002 EPPIE finalist for Best Electronic Anthology, Leaps of Faith promises the best in Christian sci-fi.

Purchase Leaps of Faith @ Amazon.com For only $12.99

Check out these other member blogs this week for more info.