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I received the Prolific Blogger award from Angie @ Never a Dull Moment Thank you so much Angie!

A Prolific Blogger is one who is intellectually productive… keeping up an active blog that is filled with enjoyable content.

1. Every winner of the Prolific Blogger Award has to pass on this award to at least seven other deserving prolific bloggers. Spread some love!

2. Each Prolific Blogger must link to the blog from which he/she has received the award.

3. Every Prolific Blogger must link back to This Post, which explains the origins and motivation for the award.

4. Every Prolific Blogger must visit this post and add his/her name in the Mr. Linky, so that we all can get to know the other winners. (Click here for the Mr. Linky page.)



I Pass this Award on to:

Diane @ Orange to LA

Carman @ A Sequence of Continuous Delights

Julie @ One Rainy Afternoon

Jen @ So many books....so little time

Christy @ Southern Sassy Things

Lori @ Some of my Favorite Books

Fee @ Oranges to Apples



I received this award from Renee @ Black 'N Gold Girls Book Spot

And I'm Passing it on to all of my Followers! So don't forget to pick it up before you leave!

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I've decided, to add something new to my blog. It's an About Book: posting! Instead of all you ever get being reviews (and I know I'm not always faithful with getting them done regularly) I'm going to be doing 'about' reviews of new releases and things...So you know what's out there, and Maybe you can decide 'Hey that sounds like a great book', or you might ask me to review (actual) that book for you in more detail (or more of that author).
I'm trying to make my blog more interesting for you followers and readers. If there is any suggestions you have, please let me know! And now onto our First About Book:Post!





Swinging on A Star by Janice Thompson
#2 in Weddings by Bella (To read 1st few pages click photo)

Bella Rossi's life is nearing perfection. She's got the perfect guy, she's running a successful business, and she's about to plan her most ambitious wedding yet; a Renaissance-themed fairy tale come true, complete with period costumes and foods, horse-drawn carriages, and even a castle.

There's just one hitch. The best man just happens to be Brock Benson, Hollywood's hottest and most eligible bachelor. Oh, and did we mention he's staying at the Rossi house to avoid the paparazzi?

With all the pressure surrounding this wedding, Bella's not sure she's going to make it through. Add her starstruck sister, her feuding aunt and uncle, and a trio of large, sequined church ladies with even bigger personalities, and you've got a recipe for disaster--and a lot of laughs.

This hilarious romantic comedy is sure to delight both fans and new readers alike.


Read my Review of the 1st book in this series by > Clicking Here <

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Using Random.org, I put all of your entries into a list, and then click the random button, and #13 came up! So Congratulations to Inthehammockblog!

Here's the list I made, and you can see #13...
1Rene
2Inthehammockblog
3Emma
4Robin
5Katy (A Few More Pages)
6Destrella
7Pixie13
8Ashley (ibreath2read)
9Ashley (ibreath2read)
10Katy (A Few More Pages)
11Katy (A Few More Pages)
12Cathikin
13Inthehammockblog
14Katy (a few more pages)
15Katy (a few more pages)
16Renee
17Ashley (ibreath2read)

Thank you all for entering, and I promise there will be other giveaways!
Rae Byuel

(If there is no response in 48 hours, I'll be picking another winner..)
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A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist

Back Cover:
In 1860's Seattle, redwoods were plentiful but women scarce. Yet a man with a wife could secure 640 acres of timberland for free.
Joe Denton doesn't have a wife, though. His died before she could follow him to Seattle, and now the local judge is threatening to take away his claim. In desperation, he buys himself a Mercer bride- one of the eastern widows and orphans brought to the Territory by entrepreneur Asa Mercer.
Anna Ivey's journey west with Mercer is an escape from the aftermath of the Civil War. She signed on to become a cook-not a bride. When she's handed over to Denton, her stubborn refusal to wed jeopardizes his land. With only a few months before she loses all he holds dear, can he convince this provoking, but beguiling, easterner to become his lawfully wedded wife?

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHST?
All of Anna's relatives are dead, casualties of the Civil War...and Now she wants nothing to do with the confederates that killed her family. And now her boss is trying to make passes at her, and she needed to get away...That's when she saw Mercer's add for widows and orphans, and how they could make a new life for themselves in Seattle.

Joe's wife died before she could get to Seattle, and now someone wants to take the land he's already work on, and cleared....There's one way that this would not matter....To have his dead wife's Death certificate...Problem...They've been burned. Next chance to keep his land...Get Married, and Quick!
So Joe Pay's Mercer $300 for a bride that he's never met...and that he thought he would never like...all he thought he would do, was provide a roof over her head, food, and anything else she required...but he never figured on having Anna Ivey for his Mercer Bride!

When Mercer contracted Anna to go to Seattle, he just had her sign on as a cook for some lumberjack...she had no idea that she was supposed to be a bride.
Will she be able to do her job, and not fall for her new boss? And will Joe be able to woe this beautiful woman to be his wife before he loses his land?

I have to say this is one of the best books, she's ever written! I just love re-reading this book!
And remember to Leave a comment to win a copy of this wonderful book...that's autographed!
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Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist

Back Cover:
Essie Sprecklemeyer is the last woman anyone in Corsicana, Texas, expected to wee with a man on her arm. Independent and outspoken, she's known more for riding bicycles in outrageous bloomers than for catching a man's eye.

And the last man who seems willing to give her a second glance is Tony Morgan, newly hired at Spreckelmeyer's oil company. The disinherited son of an oil baron, Tony wants most to restore his name and regain his lost fortune- not lose his heart to this headstrong blonde. She confounds, contadicts, and confuses him. Sometimes he doesn't know if she's driving him toward the aisle for the end of his rope.

That's how life is...
Deep in the Heart of Trouble!

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHST?
A Great sequel to Courting Trouble...where Essie has resigned her life to being an old maid, running her bicycle company...where she teaches others how to ride and race.
Tony Morgan, he's handsome, he's in Texas, and he's broke. What more could you want right?
Well, he would want his family back...His Step brother has taken over his families business, and kicked him out of the city...leaving his sister and mother there, at the mercies of his brother.

But as Tony and Essie start to get to know each other, they realize there are things in their pasts that they should tell each other, but would that tear apart their relationship? Or make it stronger?
Their's Tony's family, and what they do for their family buisness...and then there is Essie's Past mistake that would shake anyone's relationship at first.

And then Essie becomes a detective, and realizes that everyone has problems...but that doesn't mean you can't love someone for who they are, and not their family!


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Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist

Back Cover:
Whether it's riding bikes, catching snakes, or sliding down banisters, Essie Spreckelmeyer just can't quite make herself into the ideal woman her hometown-and her moter- expect her to be. It's going to take an extraordinary man to appreciate her joy and spontaneity-or so says her doting oilman father.

Sadly such a man doesn't appear to reside in Corsicana, Texas.

It's 1892, the year Essie's thirtieth birthday, and she decides the Lord has more important things to do than provide her a husband. If she wants one, she needs to catch him herself. So she writes down the names of all the eligible bachelors in her small Texas town, makes a list of their attributes and drawbacks, closes her eyes, twirls her finger and ...picks one.

But convincing the lucky "husband-to-be" will be a bit more of a problem.

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS?
As Essie tries to convince her "Husband-to-be" there happens to be a new guy in town who starts to work for her father. And he causes her to make some mistakes that will possibly make it so that her plan of picking a husband more difficult than she ever thought possible.
See most of the men in Texas, don't really want her for a wife, because she rides a bicycle, catches snakes, and wears the Biggest obnoxious hats ever thought of by women.

But when her "husband-to-be" shows up with his Bride...and they start creating their own family...she's on the hunt for a new husband. And that's when Travis shows up in town....The only thing is, He's trouble with a capital T!

Unfortunately this is one of those books, that if i say much more, you would have no reason to read the book....It's a great book, and it keeps you turning the pages to see what Essie will think of next!



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The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist


Back Cover:

Five Rules for Proper 19th-Century Ladies


Speak Politely. Even when you're the only respectable woman around, protesting San Francisco's decadent surrender to gold fever.


Dress Modestly. Wear your sunbonnet at all times. Ensure nobody sees your men's boots muddies by the city streets.


Remain Devoted to Family. Protect your siblings from the temptations that surround them, even against their wishes.


Stand Above Reproach. Most difficult when a captivation man turns out to be a saloon owner.


Rise Above Temptation. No accepting gifts. No bestowing favors. No impeachable behavior...well, maybe just one...little...kiss?


When the Rules become increasingly difficult to uphold, can Rahcel Van Buren remain a beacon of virtue in a city of vice?


A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS?

When Rachel Van Buren's Father dies just off the coast of California, leaving Rachel the sole provider and protector for her two siblings.

The only problem is...she's the only Sunbonnet in town ( That's what the miner's call respectable women.) And the only place for them to live is a little shack out back of a Saloon...a Shack without a door! Leaving Rachel wondering how she was going to be able to raise Lisa and Michael as proper individuals.

Rachel is nothing by trouble for Johnnie Parker, starting, when she came waltzing into his saloon demanding he give the young man his money back...From that moment on she was a thorn in his side.

In exchange for Johnnie's shack, Rachel would clean his saloon, and cook...And Johnnie thought he could get used to this treament....Until she started closing down his saloon during the day so she could clean it...and that was just the begining to what she would do to that saloon, and to Johnnie.

The only problem is, her siblings aren't as bent on staying proper as she was...her brother wanted to work in the saloon...and her sister didn't care if she were respectable...in fact she rather enjoyed the attention the men gave her....

Will Rachel be able to enlist Johnnie's help? Or will she lose her heart to him?

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A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist


Back Cover:

Do You Believe in Love at First Fight?


Any ship arriving from England means good news for Virginia colony farmers. The "tobacco brides" would be on board-eligible women seeking a better life in America, bartered for with barrels of tobacco from the fields.


Drew O'Connor isn't stirred by news of a ship full of brides. Still broken-hearted from the loss of his beloved, he only wants a maid to tend his house and care for his young sister.


What he ends up with is a wife- a feisty redhead who claims she is Lady Constance Morrow, daughter of an Earl, brought to America against her will. And she wants to go straight back to England as soon as she can. She hasn't the foggiest notion how to cook, dares to argue with her poor husband, and spends more time working on mathematical equations than housework. What kind of a wife is that? Drew's Christian forbearance is in for some testing.


Headstrong and intelligent, deeply moral but incredibly enticing, Constance turns what was supposed to be a marriage of convenience into something most inconvenient, indeed.

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS?

I love this book, I actually love all of Deeanne Gist's books, but this is a great read. Her Characters are so alive, and you find youself transported to their life. All of a sudden your there with Drew Picking and Planting Cotton, and with Constance washing the dishes in the stream.


Constance was on board a vessil on it's way to America to say good-bye to her uncle...the only problem is that she never got off...that is until it came into port in America. This is where she was sold as a tobacco bride...only the man that paid for her, also lost her in a card game, making her Drew O'Connor's bride.


When they're forced to get married by the governor, only they made an agreement that it would only be a marriage of convience.


Drew couldn't believe the predicament he was in, he was married -to a redhead of all things- and she didn't know how to do anything. She couldn't clean, cook, the only thing she could do was sew and do mathematical problems. What good would that do her in the colonies of America?


Follow these two wonderful characters through the trying problems of colony life...and how they go from fighting...to tolerating eachother!

Don't forget about the giveaway that's going on through out this whole week!





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This week I'd like to welcome Deeanne Gist to Caffeine & Romance, Thanks for being here today Deeanne.
Thanks for having me, Rae. Caffeine & Romance is such a fun blog. I love that you spotlight one author for an entire week. That way the reader gets a more rounded picture of each work. That’s especially beneficial for authors like me whose books differ in themes, moods, time periods and locales!


1. Are you a full time writer, or do you do something else as well?
I’m a full-time writer and work an eight-hour day, but those days are also full of many other things besides writing. Email correspondence, blogging, social networking, PR, research, phone calls, etc. Once I take care of those administrative duties that need to be done, I hunker down and write.
Of course, real life sometimes interferes. My husband and I just recently became empty-nesters…in theory, at least. The four kids are still a big part of our daily lives, though.


2. I've Read a great deal of you books, and they are all in my 'Favorite' section of my bookshelves, But what is your inspiration for them?
I have always been fascinated with obscure historical tidbits about our country that we never learned about in high school. I find them in time-line books or in articles somewhere. Then I play the “what-if” game.


3. Do you have a favorite Time Period to write in? If So Why?
Not really. The premises in my books are driven by something intriguing that happens in our history. Those don’t always occur in the same time and location. So I research the time period and location surrounding the event I’ve chosen. I’ve found that by the time I spend an entire year in one particular time period, I’m usually ready for something new and different.


4. Do you have a Favorite series/book? Why?
If you’re asking about my own books, then no. Each one is different, and the characters are so individual in my mind. It’s like someone asking which child do I love the most. But if you’re asking about books written by someone else, then I do have some favorites.
My all time favorite book (which, ironically, isn’t a romance) is To Kill A Mockingbird. My all time favorite romance author in the secular industry is LaVyrle Spencer--her historicals. In the inspirational genre, I think Francine Rivers is at the top of her craft and I enjoy her books very much.


5. From reading your stories, I know that Faith is a big part of them. Would you like to Share your testimony?
I was introduced to Christ at the same time I learned about Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. One by one, the imaginary entities fell to the wayside, making way for the One and Only. I committed my life to Christ at the age of 9 while eating a bowl of Fruit Loops. (Which is still my favorite cereal!) Ever since, my faith has been an important part of everything I do.


6. What's The Hardest part of writing books?
The first draft and the time limitations are the hardest things for me to cope with. When I have an idea for a book, I visit the location and do extensive research on the history. The history is fascinating and there’s always tons more neat stuff than I could possibly include in the book. I have to just pull the plug on the research and start writing.
And then there’s the ever-present publishing deadlines that are necessary in order to meet my commitments to Bethany House, my publisher. In order to publish a book a year, I have to have the manuscript ready in time to meet the editing and printing deadlines.


7. What's the Easiest?
I love going to work in my Porky Pig slippers. And I love hearing from my readers.


8. What's Next for you? Are you currently working on a Book? And would you like to share a little bit of it with our readers?
I’ll have two books published in 2010. The next one is titled Beguiled. It is a contemporary romantic suspense and will come out February 1st. I am co-writing it with a crime fiction novelist, J. Mark Bertrand.
Beguiled, is about a spunky dogwalker in Charleston who becomes the prime suspect in a series of robberies targeting her clients. Between the Charleston Police Department and an ambitious news reporter, she is caught in a complex web that puts her life in danger and threatens everything she holds dear.
My historicals always come out in June. 2010 will be no different. Maid To Match is about two servants in 1898 who fall in love while employed at Vanderbilt’s chateau in North Carolina. Problem is, all servants at Biltmore House must remain single or they lose their job.


9. How was it to work with another author on a book?
Neither of us had ever collaborated before, and we soon discovered that our first plan – to have me write one chapter from the heroine’s point of view, then have Mark write the next from the hero’s – wasn’t going to work. The story had other ideas, so we listened. Eventually we hit on the strategy of building the book up in successive drafts. Mark wrote a draft, which I then re-wrote, and we went back and forth like that until we were happy with the result. Afterward, our editor said, “That’s how most collaborations work.” Now he tells us!


10.What's Your Favorite form of Caffeine?
Peppermint mocha, extra mocha…or chocolate of any kind.


11. Anything else you would like to tell our readers?
I have a very active online community and would love for your readers to become a part of it. If they go to my website (http://www.iwantherbook.com/) then they can click on the “Blog” tab to participate in our online discussions. I upload new posts every Monday. We also have a Chat Room where my readers discuss not only my books, but other books they are reading. If they would like to contact me privately, they can click on the “Contact Dee” tab. Those emails come directly to me and I answer every single one.


Thanks for Spending time With C&R, I had a wonderful time!
Thanks for the opportunity, Ray. I enjoyed it.




Check Back this whole week for Reviews Of Deeanne's Books, and I have a new, 10 Random Things Post Coming this month!

ALSO, Ms. Deeanne has donated an autographed Copy of A Bride in the Bargain For a Giveaway this week....I'll be taking the comments from every post, and doing Random.org.


To Qualify:

1) Must be a follower

2)Leave a comment about which ever post(s) that you are commenting on.

3)Leave your e-mail in your post so I have a way to contact you.....

4) Must be a US Resident

For Extra Entries in the drawing....

-Make comments on each post....

-post a link on you blog, and post the link on my blog...



G.R.I.T.S.



Kansas Weddings by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Back Cover:

After losing her parents in a fatal accident, Marin Brooks must step into their shoes to care for her brother, John, who has Down Syndrome. Marin refuses to place him in an institution, despite the urgings of family and friends. Philip Wilder helps disabled individuals gain independence, but Marin isn't interested. Will God help these two caregivers reconcile their differences?

Carrie Mays, who is about to receive a large inheritance, doesn't want people to look at her and see dollar signs-she wants to be loved for being herself. Rocky Wilder has always dreamed of having money, but now that he has become a Christian, all he wants is to follow the path the Lord has laid out for him. Will these two find common ground?

Following her drug-related arrest, Angela Fischer is out of rehab and in God's family, but she still feels alone. Her newest Christian friend, Ben Atchison, can't seem to forgive her past and thinks she'll always be an addict. Will Ben allow his heart to trust Angela-and the God who promises to make her new?


A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS?

I love Novella's! They're sometimes the greatest books to read...especially when all the stories are related to each other! And in this case....They are! Now here's what I thought of each story!


Dear John:
When Marin's parents are suddenly killed in a car accident, her life is turned upside down. She now how to run the family business, and take care of her 30 yr old brother with Down Syndrome. This isn't how she pictured her life, Fresh out of college just being hurled into the business, and having the responsibilities of taking care of a family.

Then she comes across the add for New Beginnings. A place that helps people with disabilities to gain Independence, and freedoms. But can she talk the owner into 'babysitting' her older brother instead of enrolling him in the program? Or will she be able to get over her fear of letting John really live his life? Instead of being worried of what other people will think of him, and ultimately her.



Philip Wilder....Here's a guy with a great burden and passion for what he does! And it all started when he watched his brother (Rocky Wilder from section Story) Pick on a Boy and his sister...and through that event he started New Beginnings. And now this beautiful woman, comes asking him to hide her brother from the world while she's off at work. But will he be able to convince her that Independence is what best for her brother? And just maybe that She's what's best for him?


That Wilder Boy:

Rocky Wilder has had an interesting past. He was the bully at school, and eventually he became a thief. But that all changed when he became a Christian, now he wants to do whats right and acceptable to God. So for now he's a gardener, but he aspires to be more...but without the funds, he's not going to get very far.

Carrie Mays, A wealthy 25 year old, who doesn't want people to only see her money...in fact she wants the opposite. She would rather give away all her money and live a simple life with only the necessities, than have people not really see her. Then one day when out on her lunch break, she meets Rocky. And he doesn't even realize who she really is, only that she's an attractive girl, that he wouldn't mind getting to know better.

But will Rocky's Pride of being able to provide for a family, and Her not wanting people to love her for her money Drive a wedge between these two love birds? Or will it strengthen their relationship?



Promising Angela:
Angela has made some mistakes in her past...and one of them happens to be using an illegal drug, and getting caught...Or was that one of the best things that ever happened to her?
Fresh out of rehab, and New into the Family of Christ, Angela is determined to change her life around, and to start living the straight and narrow.

Ben's been hurt by drug abuse before, and can't go through the repercussions of it again. Not after seeing what it did to his cousin Kent. But will his heart listen, when he tells it that they need to stay away from Angela...Or will he be able to trust God when he promises to make someone a new creature?


These are all very well written stories. And I couldn't put down the book! I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to know what to read. A nice thing about it is, that it is a novella, so if you know you don't have enough time to read a full length Novel, but you want to read something, you can pick this up, and read just one story at a time. I can't wait to get a hold of some more of Ms. Sawyer's writings!


To Learn More about Kim Vogel Sawyer, and what else she's written visit her website: LINK




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Butterfly Blessings is giving away a signed copy of The Country House Courtship By Linore Rose Burkard
Giveaway ends, Jan. 13th.... all you have to do is leave a comment, be a follower, post about it, and live in the US....so head on over and enter!
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