The power of fiction, the beauty of words, and the God who made us to wield them for His glory.

The Lady in Residence (Allison Pittman) – Review + Giveaway

Can a Legacy of Sadness be Broken at the Menger Hotel?

Young widow Hedda Krause checks into the Menger Hotel in 1915 with a trunk full of dresses, a case full of jewels, and enough cash to pay for a two-month stay, which she hopes will be long enough to meet, charm, and attach herself to a new, rich husband. Her plans are derailed when a ghostly apparition lures her into a long, dark hallway, and Hedda returns to her room to find her precious jewelry has been stolen. She falls immediately under a cloud of suspicion with her haunting tale, but true ghost enthusiasts bring her expensive pieces of jewelry in an attempt to lure the ghost to appear again.

In 2017, Dini Blackstone is a fifth-generation magician, who performs at private parties, but she also gives ghost walk tours, narrating the more tragic historical events of San Antonio with familial affection. Above all, her favorite is the tale of Hedda Krause who, in Dini’s estimation, succeeded in perpetrating the world’s longest con, dying old and wealthy from her ghost story. But then Dini meets Quinn Carmichael, great-great-grandson of the detective who originally investigated Hedda’s case, who’s come to the Alamo City with a box full of clues that might lead to Hedda’s exoneration. Can Dini see another side of the story that is worthy of God’s grace?

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The Seamstress (Allison Pittman) – Review + Giveaway

A beautifully crafted story breathes life into the cameo character from the classic novel A Tale of Two Cities.

France, 1788
It is the best of times . . .

On a tranquil farm nestled in the French countryside, two orphaned cousins―Renée and Laurette―have been raised…

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First Line Friday – The Seamstress (Allison Pittman)

Welcome to First Line Friday hosted by Hoarding Books! I have another historical fiction read this week, and if you’ve ever read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, you’ll have a hint of what’s in store. Allison Pittman has taken a character who makes a brief, but so very touching, cameo in the…

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Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Meant To Get To In 2017…

Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday, reader friends. How’s 2018 treating you so far? It’s been a scorcher where I am in New South Wales, Australia, with temps ranging from 39-45C over the last few days (that’s 102-111F), so I’ve been hibernating in the air-conditioning and playing match referee/crisis counsellor to my house-bound children. Fun. 😳 Thankfully it’s cooled down a little today!

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Top Ten Tuesday – Characters Who Are Great Leaders

Happy Tuesday everyone! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic from the girls at The Broke and the Bookish is an interesting one: Characters Who Would Make Great Leaders. I don’t know about you, but there are certain types of people or roles that naturally come to mind with the word ‘leader’. I think of presidents and prime ministers, I get a movie reel of Ronie Kendig‘s characters running across my mind’s eye. (I’ll just pause and let you enjoy that for a moment 😉 )

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Top Ten Tuesday – Reformation Reads

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! Today marks the 500th anniversary of the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, so while many may be gearing up for Halloween festivities, our family has spent this month getting to know some of the people—both well-known and lesser-known—who played significant roles in the Protestant Reformation. I’ve already mentioned this in last week’s Word Nerd post, but if you’re interested, you can find the series of brief (~6 min) podcasts we have listened to each evening this month at www.desiringgod.org/stand. The official topic this week with

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The Weekend Book Buzz – 26/27 August 2017

Wha—? How is the end of August already?! The year is speeding by. And it’s been a busy week here, now that we all seem to have been restored to health and hubby’s back is mending nicely. Time to get some of those reviews done to make room for all the fabulous books still to come!

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