Book Review: Lonestar Sanctuary by Colleen Coble

Allie Siders and her daughter Betsy have experienced several tragedies in their lives. They need to escape a danger that threatens them and the only person who can help them is at the Bluebird Ranch in Texas hill country. Little did Allie know that she would discover so much more at the Bluebird Ranch than just assistance and a sanctuary. And even in such a beautiful sanctuary, Allie could not escape the danger. Rick Bailey, the ranch foreman and the one person who can help Allie and Betsy, was in for a surprise when Allie and Betsy showed up at the ranch. He was forced to reconcile his past and make good on a promise.

Even though this story is dubbed a Western Romance, Colleen Coble has added an element of danger and suspense to the story line. At times, the suspense had me on the edge of my seat and even a little scared.

I would have liked to have seen more development of the storyline reference Allie's past and her connection to the Bluebird Ranch. Once it was realized, I wanted to dig deeper into that aspect of the story. Also, while I understood Allie and Rick's relationship was thrown together out of necessity, I never quite believed in the realness the relationship took as the story progressed.

Overall, Lonestar Sanctuary was a good read and I have really enjoyed the Colleen Coble books I have  read. Colleen adds the element of suspense to the Christian Romance genre that most authors do not have and so it makes her stories stand out a bit from the crowd.

Book Review: This Time by Rachel Hauck (e-book)

This Time is an e-book written by Rachel Hauck from the early days of her writing career. It is one of my favorite stories written by Rachel. The story is about a love lost from years gone by that has been given a second chance...but will it be different this time around? Retired NFL player Burke Benning returns home and is reunited with his first love, Belle Jamison. For Belle, his return uprooted her life and made her confront feelings she has buried for years. After all, he inflicted the ultimate pain, something not so easily forgiven or forgotten.

This story made me feel hope that all wrongs can be righted and that something you believe is gone forever can come back to you. Rachel created good characters in Belle and Burke. When reading their stories, you feel a comfort when they are together and look forward to the next time they meet up or run into each other knowing that each time they do, a little more of the wall is chipped away that looms between them.

I recommend anyone who has an e-reader of some sort to purchase this book and enjoy the story of Burke and Belle as they discover what this time around holds for them. You can purchase a copy here.

Book Review: Along Came a Cowboy by Christine Lynxwiler

In recent months, I have been reading stories about cowboys and bull riders. I think it may have something to do with the real live bucking bull that I won a few months ago. Cowboys are hot, right? :-)

One book I have read recently is Along Came a Cowboy by Christine Lynxwiler. Rachel Donovan, small town chiropractor and Jack Westwood, ex bull-riding rodeo star are thrown together on a project. Rachel, however, doesn't trust cowboys and a cowboy-Jack-is. As you can imagine, there is conflict and flirtation and chaos while working on this project together. Why does Rachel so dislike cowboys? One cowboy from her past broke her heart, can another cowboy from her past capture her present and future?

Right from the start, Christine caught my attention giving just the slightest indication that Rachel had a secret. I was intrigued to find out what that secret was and how it would play out in Rachel's life. I love how Christine divulged just enough information to keep you looking for more. The book comes across as light-hearted and fun, yet also deals with real-life issues and struggles. I liked that the book wasn't just full of romance and fun and good times, but the characters lived real lives with real issues and were forced to overcome pasts and lean on God and His plans for the future. And if you are worried the story is too serious...it will sure to delight and comfort and make you chuckle.

Oh, did I mention I read the entire book in one day? Must mean a good book, eh? :-)

Book Review: The Flowering Cross by Beth Ryan, Illustrated by Renee Graef

The Flowering Cross is a Children's book about Love mostly. All the treasures found in this book bring you back to one thing...LOVE. The Flowering Cross shares with children how their everyday actions can symbolize the one true action of Love, Jesus dying on the Cross for our sins so that we may live eternally with Him. Katie is a bright-eyed six-year-old girl who sees the goodness in her neighbor that everyone else has overlooked. As demonstrated by her parents, she too showers Papa Jack with the love he deserves. This book is written especially for the season of Easter and provides instructions for your family on making a Flowering Cross for the holiday. Throughout the book, the author has placed Faith Imprints which are nuggets of opportunities to teach your children about Jesus and what He did for them. This is a great book to add to your collection if you have elementary age school children in your home.

The author, Beth Ryan, captures the light of life through the eyes of a young girl who loves the world and people around her. There is a strong spiritual message of God's love for us through His Son, Jesus, and how as children, they too can share that love with the people in their world. The spiritual message is enhanced with the Faith Imprints found at the bottom of most pages that provide opportunities for parents to teach valuable lessons. Renee Graef brings sunshine and colors of spring to the story through her illustrations.

I would recommend this book for families looking to enhance their Easter traditions and experiences and I will be sharing this book with my nieces and nephews this Easter season and making a flowering cross with them.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Movie Review: Valentine's Day (2010)

Valentine's Day (2010)


I had been wanting to see Valentine's Day since I first saw the previews for the movie. Now, usually I stay away from all things Valentine-related. But this movie had so many actors/actresses that I really enjoy watching, Julia Roberts to name one. The idea of so many A-list actors in one film intrigued me. I wondered how they were going to pull that off. I say pretty well.

Without giving away anything to the movie, in case you haven't seen it, here's just a few things I liked about it and one thing I didn't like.

The movie portrayed all types of relationships or lack of relationships from young to old. It was neat to see all these different people's lives and how they each approach the over-rated holiday we call Valentine's Day. In some of the stories, it wasn't necessarily obvious how it was all going to turn out in the end.

The one aspect I did not like was the storyline for two of the most good-looking men in the film. It was disappointing to see how it turned out for them.

Sushi Review: Thai Thai House (West Melbourne, FL)

Thai Thai House - 215 Palm Bay Rd NE

Earlier this week, my cousin came in to town unexpectedly and so we decided to go for some sushi and a movie. I picked Thai Thai House on Palm Bay Rd because it is a new place and had heard good things about it.

The atmosphere was nice...very simple yet tasteful decor. It's a small place and you may feel crowded when you first walk in....but we never really noticed the other people sitting around us.

The sushi was really tasty and fresh and priced well. The chef was creative in his presentation of each roll. The one thing I would have liked better was for the waiter to have brought out all four rolls at once. I like to switch around as I eat sushi. Instead the waiter brought out one roll at a time. But, his waiting skills were top notch.

We ordered the J.B. Roll, Volcano Roll, Spider Roll and Dragon Roll. All rolls were really good. I always order at least one roll with cream cheese in it and the Japanese Bagel Roll happens to be my favorite cream cheese roll. My favorite of the night was the Volcano Roll. It comes out with baked fish piled on top and warm. It was melt in your mouth yummy! And the award for the Best Presentation goes to the Dragon Roll. The chef made a dragon out of the sushi roll.


All in all, it was a good sushi experience and I would definitely recommend Thai Thai House on Palm Bay Rd for a sushi night out. One last thing I would like to mention, the rolls seemed larger than normal to me. So four rolls was a bit much for two people. My parents certainly enjoyed the leftovers later though.

The Ride That Won Me a Real Live Buckin Bull!!!

A few weeks ago, I took my nephew to the Professional Bull Riding competition in Tampa. I entered a contest where you make a prediction on a particular bull rider's score that night. If they draw your name and announce it prior to the ride AND you end up having the right prediction, you win a $9000 bucking bull with championship bloodlines. I entered and they did not draw my name. My nephew was disappointed.

When I got home, I found out you could enter the same contest online. So I did. I mean, what are the odds really that your name would get selected AND you would actually predict the right score. The score is half the rider's performance and half the bull's performance. So unpredictable. Who is to say the bull rider could even stay on the bull for a full 8 seconds. I received an email a few days before the Oklahoma City Express Classic PBR event on Friday, February 12, 2010 that said I was selected for the ride of the night and if the rider got the same score that I guessed I would win a bull. The score I guessed was 84.75. It was actually the same score I used a few weeks ago in Tampa. I put absolutely no thought into my guess the first time or the second time I entered. I just randomly picked a number out of my head.

I worked that weekend and so I didn't even remember to check the scores on Saturday to even see if I won. Monday morning, I received another email stating that I had won the ride of the night and that I now was the proud owner of a real live bucking bull that will compete in the 2013 "minor leagues" of bull riding for a million dollar payout. SAY WHAT?!?!?!?!?!

Seriously, what are the odds that you could actually win this contest??? Lesson learned: always be prepared to win whatever the prize is if you enter a contest. LOL! I actually believe that God wanted me to have this bull. And so my goal now is to find out why. I have until Sept 2011 to make plans...and that is when I have to take over possession of my bull.

Below is a video of the night in questions event....if you advance to 8:38 minutes:seconds...you can see the ride that won me a buckin bull!!! And if you watch through the replay of the ride, they even announce my name as a winner! I AM A WINNER!!!! I already knew that cause God loves me but now I am the proud parent of a sweet little nasty rank buckin bull!!! Hopefully that sucker will win some money!!!!