Announcing the winner of Kaydie!

We have confirmation of our winner of a copy of Kaydie by Penny A. Zeller! (My apologies for not doing this yesterday but my computer was in the shop and I just got it back this afternoon. )

Thank you to all who visited my blog and left comments at https://lynnadavidson.wordpress.com/2011/05/09/interview-with-penny-zeller-book-giveaway/

My dear husband drew a name out of the basket, and I am pleased to extend CONGRATULATIONS TO LAURA BEST! Laura, your book will be on its way to you from either Penny Zeller herself, or from Whitaker House publishers.

In her reply to my email, Laura wrote: “That’s great! I’m so thrilled. Can hardly wait to read it!”

Thanks to everyone who read the interview and those who participated in the contest. I will be doing more book reviews and author interviews as soon as I can get them together – have some in the works now, so please stayed tuned. 🙂

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: Black Dog Dream Dog by Michelle Superle

This is a book I received from Library Thing in exchange for a review.

Book: Black Dog Dream Dog

Author: Michelle Superle, illustrated by Millie Ballance

Genre: children’s fiction

Pages: 32 (Paperback)

Price: $12.95 CDN

Released: December 14, 2010

Publisher: Tradewind Books

My rating: Even though this book was written for children, it is a wonderful heart-warming story that put a lump in my throat a couple of times. Easy to read and its characters come across as very real.

Eleven-year-old Samantha wants a dog. Well, a bigger dog. She has a little West Highland terrier, but she wants a BIG dog. Do dreams really come true? In her backyard one afternoon there appears a very big, very friendly, black dog that Sam thinks is magic because he makes her feel peaceful inside. The problem is that Sam knows her mother does not like large dogs and will not let her keep it. What is she going to do? She can’t hide him forever.

In the meantime there is Stella, an elderly lady who wakes one morning in a nursing home. She is missing her much loved dog but cannot speak to tell anyone. Also, living in the nursing home means not taking pets along.

Samantha and her mother visit the nursing home with their small pet where they find the residents love dogs. Maybe this is where the big one will belong, Samantha thinks. Her best friend helps her scheme and plan about what to do with the loveable stray before her mother finds out, but things start going all wrong. Through it all there is a surprise waiting for Sam.

This is a ‘can’t-put-it-down-until-having-read-the-whole-thing’ book. A very wonderful, captivating read written for young readers but anyone could enjoy it. I did!

Have you read this book yet? Would you like to read it or not, and why?

You can find Black Dog Dream Dog on my BUY THE BOOK! page.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: Flourish – by Catherine Hart Weber, PhD

This is a book I received from Library Thing in exchange for a review.

Book: Flourish: Discover the Daily Joy of Abundant, Vibrant Living
Author: Catherine Hart Weber, PhD
Genre: Christian living, “self-help”
Pages: 299 (paperback)
Price: $14.99 US; $16.99 CDN
Released: October 1, 2010
Publisher: Bethany House
My rating: Not an easy book to read; clinical, has some good points when you can finally get to them, but not a book I would recommend for anyone truly wanting to live in God’s steps.

I obtained this book as an advance reading copy from Library Thing. I thought it would be a good read to encourage someone who may sometimes grow weary and lack enthusiasm in life, but I found it very hard to get interested in this book. Catherine Weber came across in a clinical manner much of the time, which made parts of the book rather boring and hard to get through. Also, I was disappointed in how much she stressed the finding of joy to be so much work. Missing was the ingredient of the fact that a Christian should be walking in the spirit and less in the soul – meaning letting God lead rather than focusing on what “I” can do. Even though she does mention living in the Spirit, she then makes it dependent upon human effort. Although she made good points, she kept moving away from our Source of joy, and I was not impressed with the frequent name dropping and her repetitive use of the word languish. Even though it was not all disappointing, I would not urge anyone to purchase this book as I’m sure there are more Christian focused volumes out there than this one, and ones that are easier to read.

Have you read this book yet? If not, why do you want or not want to read it? If so, what do you think of it?

You can find Flourish: Discover the Daily Joy of Abundant, Vibrant Living on my BUY THE BOOK! page.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: Snow Day by Billy Coffey

HAPPY SPRING, EVERYONE!

It has been two weeks since I last posted to my blog, but ‘life’ happens and I just didn’t get anything written. Today I will make up for that with a book review and more to follow. Stay tuned! 🙂

As we are entering Spring in this part of our world, I would like to introduce to you a book that I think you would enjoy regardless of the season.

Book: Snow Day
Author: Billy Coffey
Genre: adult fiction; inspirational/Christian
Pages: 195 (hardcover)
Price: $18.99 US; $20.99 CDN
Released: October 2010
Publisher: Faith Words — Hachette Book Group
My rating: An easy book to read, enjoy, and think about long after ingesting the last word on the last page.

It was on Twitter that I learned of this novel and its author, Billy Coffey, around the time the book was being released. Having heard wonderful things about it, I had to purchase a copy for myself. I was not disappointed.

This fictional story of faith starts and ends (except for the epilogue) on one snowy December day in a small town in Virginia, USA. The reader gets to live that day through the eyes and life of one man, Peter Boyd. Peter is a family man and factory worker whose life has been going along as usual, except that when we meet him he has grave concerns for his future. Because of the unstable economic climate there is rumour of possible upcoming lay-offs, and he is worried about his job. The decision he makes to take the day off work on a stormy winter day just before Christmas is a decision that changes his life. Through Peter’s wanderings and ponderings, God subtly teaches him things that give him a fresh new outlook and a deeper understanding of his own faith.

I was drawn in as, chapter by chapter, Billy Coffey took me on a journey with his main character. Each chapter tells its own story from the comedic to the heart-wrenching. In Peter’s neighbourhood and the lives of the people he encounters in it, and through his interactions with his young family, God brings to his attention lessons he has to learn. We get to observe through Peter’s eyes other people’s struggles and conflicts, how they deal with them, and the impact they unknowingly have on Peter.

I am quite a visual person, so as I was reading I could see each scene as Billy creatively described it. He writes in a very descriptive manner, including natural conversations between the characters, making this a pleasant and thought-provoking read.

Snow Day is a first novel for Billy Coffey, but one can hope it will not be his last. I encourage you to look for this book and make it an addition to your personal library.

You can find Snow Day listed on my BUY THE BOOK! page.

Watch for an upcoming interview with Billy Coffey.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Just a little Foxy!

This is a quick post while waiting for the February 14th draw. (Read post of January 26.) I hope you have left a comment there to be in the running for Laura Best’s book Bitter, Sweet.

In the interim I am writing, and reading, and thinking about what I will say in my review of the book I read just last night.

Right now I want to mention something neat that happened yesterday. My husband and I were on our way home from church and dinner, and upon driving up the road to our house we slowed to turn into our driveway. But, we stopped instead because, to our surprise, there at the end of our driveway stood — a red fox! A beautiful, bright-eyed, healthy-looking fox! Unalarmed, it just stood there looking at us a few moments. Then, seeming to realize we were going to turn in, it calmly strutted out of our way and trotted up the hill by our yard. The people in front of us turned and drove back to watch this gorgeous animal, and another van also stopped when they realized we were watching something. The fox must have found an interesting little critter to its liking because not long after that it was on the side hill digging, with its back end up and head and shoulders hidden in the snow. Amusing. It mattered not to the fox who was watching.

Gotta love rural/country life! Here I have the privilege to see all kinds of wildlife, including eagles nearly every day, and also hawks, many other birds, white-tailed deer, foxes, coyotes, and other animals. Yes, I love God’s creation!

What do you like about where you live?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: Bitter, Sweet by Laura A. Best

Book Reviewed: Bitter, Sweet
Author: Laura A. Best
Genre: Young Adult; historical fiction
Pages: 144
Price: $10.95
Released: October 2009
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing, Halifax, NS
My rating: Great read for young adults and adults of all ages

In December 2009 I read Bitter, Sweet by Laura A. Best. Her book was released in October of that year and late in November I purchased a copy at a local bookstore the day Laura was doing a book signing. It was a pleasure to meet her in person. I urge you to take the opportunity to meet authors when they are putting themselves out there to meet the public at book signings.

This week I re-read Bitter, Sweet and I must say that I enjoyed it even more the second time through.

Laura based her story in Dalhousie Road, Nova Scotia, Canada, in the 1940’s after World War ll, and captured a glimpse of the history of rural Nova Scotia sixty years ago. The family she created comes alive with interesting authentic dialogue and cleverly written point of view that holds the reader’s attention. I was drawn in right from the first words in chapter one.

The Burbidge family of six moved around a lot, but then finally settled into an old house in a secluded area. They struggled to get by, especially when the father went away to work and soon stopped sending money home. With him not in the picture anymore, and their mother becoming very ill, the four children have to learn how to survive and stay together should they end up alone. Their mother teaches well her older daughter, Pru.

Laura wrote in a way that lures the reader emotionally into the lives of this family whose story is told mainly by Pru. I found I was dismayed by the actions of one child, annoyed by the attitude of a nosy overbearing neighbour and disappointed by a trusted adult who turned out to be untrustworthy in a time of need. I felt the desperation of the children and sided with them in their trying situations.

Without giving away the story – in case you haven’t yet read Bitter, Sweet – I will hint that the challenges of life touched by those who had gone before added an interesting dimension to the story. There are unexpected twists and the reader is left with unanswered questions to answer however one wishes, and not in a disappointing way.

I encourage you to add Bitter, Sweet – by Laura A. Best – to your library. It has received much attention since its debut and is a book well worth reading – twice!

You can find Bitter, Sweet listed on my BUY THE BOOK! page.

Watch for an upcoming interview with Laura A. Best.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book reviews & author interviews

It has been almost two weeks since NaNoWriMo ended and I have not added to my story yet. It was so much writing jammed into that month that I lay my pen down and have not picked it up to continue. I do plan to do that, though, the story is still playing in my head. And the PiBiIdMo ideas are waiting to be filled out into complete stories, as well.

Although Christmas is two weeks away and I have TONS of things to do, now I am thinking about books and authors. I have MANY books to read, some older ones and now lots of newer ones (mostly YA) have been added to my waiting reading stash. But something that has been working around in my mind, besides writing book reviews of some of the books I read, is to attempt interviewing authors. I have a few authors in mind whom I would like to interview after I read their books. I think it is great promotion for them, assuming people actually come here to read our conversations. 🙂 And I do believe in helping with that promotion.

What do you think of these ideas? Would you like to read my book reviews and interviews of authors?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂