Friday, April 30, 2010

Flashback Friday #8 - Prom Memories



It's spring. And for many high schoolers, that means PROM!
Share your prom memories. Did your school have a junior prom or just a senior prom? What did you wear? Was there a party after the prom? Did you go with a date or with friends, and if it was a date, was it a one-time date or a boyfriend/girlfriend scenario? Did you go to more than one prom (like, being someone's date at another school or year.) Where was your senior prom held? Any particular songs come to mind when you think of prom? As always, pictures are great!
Just to clarify, the questions are simply to give you a springboard for your post; don't feel obligated to answer them all or to answer only those questions!

I forget how international blogging is, and apparently Prom is a uniquely American event! But if you live elsewhere and had some other traditional event in your high school, feel free to share and link your memories!

MY FLASHBACK
This will be relatively short and sweet. I went to my senior prom almost exactly 31 years ago, on May 4, 1979. I only know the date because I kept the ticket with my pictures! I went with my boyfriend, who was a year older than I was. Like many high schoolers back then, ours was an on-again, off-again relationship, and we were in an "off-again" period for his prom the year before, much to my disgust at the time! (Oh, the angst of being a teenager! I'm so glad that's behind me!)

I wore a dress that one of my sisters had worn as a bridesmaid. It was not as flamboyant as some bridesmaid dresses. It was solid peach, the bodice had little pleated tucks all across the front, and it was floor-length. Peach is not my best color, but my folks saw no reason to spend money on a dress when there were perfectly good bridesmaid dresses available. I didn't have a chance to scan one of the pictures my parents took, but you haven't missed much!

We went out to dinner - I can picture the steak restaurant but have no idea what it was called. Then we drove to the prom, which was held at the Astro Village Hotel (across from Astroworld). Limousines were not commonly rented for proms; I'd guess only a very few seniors arrived in a limo.

I remember virtually nothing about the prom itself - just a vague memory of tables, getting a picture made (I have no idea where it is!), and of course, dancing. Which I was not very good at because this was the first dance I'd ever been to and I'm not super coordinated.

The big "tradition" after the prom were breakfasts. (They called them that even though it was 1:00 or 2:00 am!) I figured that wouldn't be an option for me; my parents would think it was ridiculous to stay out even later than the prom ended. (Yet another flashback where it looks like I had really mean parents! Not mean, just conservative and way too sensible!) But two parents from our church, whose son graduated with me, hosted a breakfast at their home for all the church kids, and wonder of wonders, I got to go. I guess I probably got home at 3:00 in the morning, the latest I'd ever been out!

It was fun, but I think most of the fun was just knowing I was a senior and this was one of the rites of passage!

Okay, now it's your turn! Post your prom memories and link up here!




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First - Just Like You

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!


Today's Wild Card author is:


and the book:


Just Like You: Beautiful Babies Around the World

Zonderkidz (March 9, 2010)

***Special thanks to Pam Mettler, Associate Director of Public Relations, ZonderKidz for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:




Marla Stewart Konrad is keenly interested in global issues and has a special concern for the well-being of children. Her career as a speechwriter and communications professional has taken her to numerous countries in Asia and Africa. She lives near Toronto, Canada, with her family, and is the author of several books for children.



Product Details:

List Price: $15.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (March 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310714788
ISBN-13: 978-0310714781

Please Click the Button to Browse Inside the Book:





MY THOUGHTS:

This is a precious and beautifully illustrated book that shows the universal love between parent and child. Children will see that while the cultures and customs may be different, each parent loves the child God has given them, a child who is beautiful and special Just Like You. This would make a wonderful gift for a baby shower or first birthday.



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Thursday, April 29, 2010

2010 Christy Award Nominees Announced!

The 2010 Christy Award nominees were announced today, and I am glad I'm not the one choosing the winners! Some stellar books have been nominated! (I guess that's not surprising since it is an award, after all!) I've read over half of them and each of those titles is linked to my review. And I've had the amazing privilege of meeting and interviewing several of these, and those authors' names are linked to the post featuring that interview.

The ceremony announcing the Christy Award winners will be held June 26 at the Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel in St. Louis, just prior to the opening of the International Christian Retail Show, also in St. Louis. Ooh, that would be fun to attend!

Here are the 2010 nominees:

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills (Tyndale House Publishers)
How Sweet It Is by Alice J. Wisler (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group)
Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus (Barbour Publishing)

CONTEMPORARY SERIES, SEQUELS AND NOVELLAS
Who Do I Talk To? by Neta Jackson (Thomas Nelson)
The Hope of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall (WaterBrook Press)
Daisy Chain by Mary E. DeMuth (Zondervan)

CONTEMPORARY STAND-ALONE
June Bug by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House Publishers)
The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson (Thomas Nelson)
Veiled Freedom by J.M. Windle (Tyndale House Publishers)

FIRST NOVEL
The Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry (Moody Publishers)
Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent (Tyndale House Publishers)
Scared by Tom Davis (David C. Cook)

HISTORICAL
A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick (WaterBrook Press)
Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group)
The Swiss Courier by Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey (Revell/Baker Publishing Group)

HISTORICAL ROMANCE (four nominees, due to a tie)
Beyond This Moment by Tamera Alexander,
A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist - review slipped by me but I loved it!
The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen (all Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group)
The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander (Thomas Nelson) - missed posting the review, but it was great!

SUSPENSE
Intervention by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan)
Lost Mission by Athol Dickson (Howard Books)
The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir (Multnomah Books)

VISIONARY
By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson (Marcher Lord Press)
The Enclave by Karen Hancock (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group)
Valley of the Shadow by Tom Pawlik (Tyndale House Publishers)

YOUNG ADULT
Beautiful by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma (Thomas Nelson)
The Blue Umbrella by Mike Mason (David C. Cook)
North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson (WaterBrook Press)


So if you're making out your summer reading list, this list would be an excellent place to start!


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Flashback Friday PROMpt




It's spring. And for many high schoolers, that means PROM!

Share your prom memories. Did your school have a junior prom or just a senior prom? What did you wear? Was there a party after the prom? Did you go with a date or with friends, and if it was a date, was it a one-time date or a boyfriend/girlfriend scenario? Did you go to more than one prom (like, being someone's date at another school or year.) Where was your senior prom held? Any particular songs come to mind when you think of prom? As always, pictures are great!

Just to clarify, the questions are simply to give you a springboard for your post; don't feel obligated to answer them all or to answer only those questions! Post your flashback tomorrow and come back here to link it up.


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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Spring's Renewal

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Spring's Renewal

Avon Inspire (April 2010)

by

Shelley Shepherd Gray



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Since 2000, Shelley Sabga has sold twenty-six novels to numerous publishers. She has written a seven book contemporary series for Avalon books. She also published The Love Letter, a western for Avalon. Five Star Expressions published Suddenly, You in February of 2007. This novel is a historical western set in the mountains of Colorado.

Shelley has written nine novels for Harlequin American Romance. Cinderella Christmas, her first novel with them, reached number six on the Waldenbooks Bestseller list. Her second book with them, Simple Gifts won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice award for best Harlequin American Romance of 2006. The Mommy Bride, was chosen by Romantic Times Magazine as one of their TOP PICKS for May, 2008.

Under the name Shelley Shepard Gray, Shelley writes Amish romances for Harper Collins’ inspirational line, Avon Inspire. HIDDEN and WANTED the first two novels of her ‘Sisters of the Heart’ series, were chosen to be Alternate Selections for the Doubleday/ Literary Guild Book Club. FORGIVEN, book 3, has received glowing reviews. Avon Inspire will release four novels by Shelley in 2010.

Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelors and masters degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio and writes full time. Shelley is married, the mother of two teenagers, and is an active member of her church.


ABOUT THE BOOK
Tim Graber arrives in Sugarcreek to help his aunt and uncle with spring planting. At first, Tim doesn't fit in with his many cousins and their crowded lifestyle. But when he meets Clara Slabaugh, the local school teacher, he understands why the Lord brought him to Sugarcreek.

Clara is shy and quiet. Scarred from a fire when she was small, Clara has resigned herself to living alone and caring for her mother, who tells her that no man will ever see past her scars, and that Clara needs to keep teaching in order to make ends meet.

Her father passed away years ago, and her mother depends on her. But the scars mean nothing to Tim. He appreciates her quiet nature and her wonderful, loving way with children. Yet Tim has a sweetheart back home in Indiana. As these two hearts struggle to determine their path, tragedy strikes, and every other worry seems insignificant in comparison.

Though they now face a life they never imagined, will Tim and Clara have the faith to step out and risk everything for a chance at true love?


If you would like to read the first chapter of Spring's Renewal, go HERE.

MY THOUGHTS:
This is a tender and sweet story. It's easy to stereotype and think that an Amish woman wouldn't struggle as much emotionally with disfigurement from a fire. After all, the Amish emphasize plain dressing and downplay vanity and individualism for the sake of the community. But just like we Englischers long for acceptance and unconditional love, Clara, too, wishes someone would see beyond her scars to the person inside. But since her mother has repeatedly and bluntly told her that no one would want to marry her, she has begun to believe that herself. The scars on her heart, though hidden from view, are just as painful as those on her face. Will Clara experience Spring's Renewal?


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Randomly Speaking

Neither rain nor snow nor migraines shall keep me from playing the Random game! I'm heading into my headache doctor's office first thing this morning to get an IV injection. She said sometimes people get in a continuous cycle of headaches, which are basically rebound headaches. I don't care what they're called, I just want them gone!



1. Have you ever been so lost that you were really afraid?

If I have, I'm afraid I have lost the memory! (har dee har!)

2. Have you ever been to an island?

Many times: Galveston Island, Padre Island, South Padre Island. We also vacationed once on Sanibel Island (Florida).

3. Are you more of a thinker or feeler?

Feeler. I'm a thinker about some things, but on the personality tests I'm a pretty strong feeler. Sensitive to others, hate conflict, loyal, tend to take things more personality.

(I thought about answering, "I think I'm a feeler!")

4. Do you tend to see issues or situations in life as black and white or shades of gray?

Mostly black and white. A few gray, like this question.

5. If you were stuck on an island, what book would you hope to have with you (Let's pretend the Bible is already there, so you can't say that.)

How To Excape a Deserted Island

6. What are you most afraid of?

Persecution. Drowning or other slow/painful deaths. Snakes. Walking alone, especially at night. Is that enough mosts?!

7. Would you rather lose all of your old memories or never be able to make new ones?

I'd probably prefer never to make new ones.

8. Pretend I'm looking at a scrapbook page about you. There are three spaces for you to drop in individual pictures. What are those pictures of, and why did you select them?

A picture with my husband and one with each of my kids. Because those are my favorite people.

9. If you were re-doing your wedding, what would you do differently? (If you're single, tell me one thing you would do if you were planning a wedding OR huge party.)

Don't even get me started. The videographer. Almost 22 years later, I still get aggravated. I had looked at some of his previous work and he seemed like he would do a good job. Then the mic fell off the camera, falling from the balcony to the first floor so part of my man's best friend singing is cut off. Then there were some aspects of our reception that he apparently had never encountered (yeah, right!) and he completely missed taping them. Like cutting the cake and our first bites. And tossing the bouquet. Then he typed the wrong date on the label.

10. Tell me one thing you know/believe about forgiveness.

It's amazing, especially when I'm the recipient. And it's challenging, especially when I'm the granter!

11. You're waiting in a doctor's office. What is your favorite way to pass that time?

Read a book - I always have one with me. Or play a game on my iPhone. I also like to watch people.

12. If there were a clone of you in a parallel universe what is one way you hope she/he would be the same as you and one way you hope she/he would be better?

The same - love to help/serve others
The different - more self-confident


If you've never done this meme, there's no time like the present! Head on over to 2nd Cup of Coffee to link up and visit other participants.


And be sure to come back here tomorrow to get the prompt for Flashback Friday!






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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Ransomed Dreams

Start making your summer reading list now. An upcoming book needs to be on it!

Ransomed Dreams
by Sally John
Tyndale House Publishers
July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4143-2785-3
Softcover/$13.99/384 pages


PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY:
Sheridan Montgomery leads a charmed life as the wife of Eliot, U.S. ambassador to Venezuela. But an attack on their lives cripples Eliot, and they retreat to a remote Mexican village. As Sheridan quietly cares for her husband, she sees her dreams slipping away. Luke Traynor shatters their reverie when he arrives to tell Sheridan of her father’s heart attack and the evidence implicating him in a conspiracy. Sheridan returns to Chicago to untangle the web of her father’s past and is forced to confront her feelings for Luke, a trail of deceit, and the truth about her marriage.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
When the going gets tough—or weird or wonderful—the daydreamer gets going on a new story. Sally John has been tweaking life's moments into fiction since she read her first Trixie Belden mystery as a child.

Now an author of more than fifteen novels, Sally writes stories that reflect contemporary life. Her passion is to create a family, turn their world inside out, and then portray how their relationships change with each other and with God. Her goal is to offer hope to readers in their own relational and faith journeys.

Sally grew up in Moline, Illinois, graduated from Illinois State University, married Tim in 1973, and taught in middle schools. She is a mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother. A three-time finalist for the Christy Award, she also teaches writing workshops. Her books include the Safe Harbor series (coauthored with Gary Smalley), The Other Way Home series, The Beach House series, and In a Heartbeat series. Many of her stories are set in her favorite places of San Diego, Chicago, and small-town Illinois.

She and her husband currently live in southern California. Visit her Web site at www.sally-john.com.

MY THOUGHTS:
I really enjoyed this book. While the precipitating factor may vary, many will be able to identify with Sheridan and Eliot as they cope after life takes a sharp detour. Realistic struggles are portrayed in this novel and marriage vows are tested as Sheridan wrestles with her new reality and thinks, "I didn't sign up for this." With some additional family drama added in regarding her father's past, this book kept me eagerly turning pages to see how it all resolves.

You can preorder Ransomed Dreams from Amazon or ChristianBook.com.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ARC free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their Blogger Review 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


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Who Pillfered My Body?

I want my body back.

The one I lived in the first 35 years of my life, not the past ahem-teen years. The one that was stick thin no matter what I ate. The one that didn't have a variety of pills to take. And the one that didn't hurt.

Because that body has betrayed me.

You know those Bible verses that talk about the church being like a body? Such as this one? Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:4) Well, I wish my body would pay attention to Colossians 3:15: . . .since as members of one body you were called to peace!

It's enough to give me a migraine.

Which I had today. And yesterday. And 6 other days in the last 12 days or so. My doctor changed the preventative medicine I take at bedtime around the first of the year because the one that I was on can accelerate osteoporosis. Not that I've ever experienced anything like that. And the first couple of months were blissfully almost headache-free. Then it all went downhill. (Yes, I have an appointment with the doctor this week.)

Of course, the rest of my body isn't helping. The GI doctor that I saw for a follow-up visit last week told me I needed to lose some weight. (As Gomer Pyle frequently said, "Surprise, surprise, surprise.") One of the side effects of that new anti-migraine medication? Weight gain. So I'll exercise. . .oops, exercise triggers my migraines. Well then, I'll just decrease my calorie intake. . .oh yeah, skimpy, delayed, or skipped meals trigger my migraines.

Oh, and the GI doctor also gave me a better medicine for my reflux. Which has to be taken on an empty stomach an hour before breakfast. (See above paragraph about the effect of delayed meals!)

I'm also about to start an osteoporosis pill, which fortunately is only once a month since it also has to be taken on an empty stomach (which also means no other pills) after which my body must remain in its full upright and locked position for 45 minutes. The days I have to take the bone pill and the reflux pill, I'll be lucky to get breakfast before lunch!

Getting old can be a real pill!



(BTW, this is intended as a tongue-in-cheek humorous post. No comments, please, from advertisers or spammers dispensing medical opinions/advice.)


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Monday, April 26, 2010

The Anonymous Bride

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Anonymous Bride
Barbour Publishing, Inc. (April 1, 2010)

by

Vickie McDonough


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Award-winning author Vickie McDonough believes God is the ultimate designer of romance. She loves writing stories where the characters find their true love and grow in their faith.

Vickie has had 18 books published. She is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and is currently serving as ACFW treasurer. Vickie has also been a book reviewer for nine years.

She is a wife of thirty-five years, mother of four sons, and grandmother to a feisty four-year-old girl. When not writing, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and traveling.

ABOUT THE BOOK
How many brides does one man need?

It's been years, but Luke Davis is back--older and wiser--and still alone. Returning as Lookout's new town marshal, Luke is determined to face the past and move on. He flippantly tells his cousin he'd get married if the right woman ever came along. But then he discovers that the woman who betrayed him is now a widow, and all his plans fall at his feet.

Rachel has carried her guilty shame for eleven years. Her marriage to James Hamilton was not what Luke or the town thought it to be. Now James is dead, and her long-time love for Luke is reignited with his return to town. So when three mail-order brides appear, she panics.

Could they possible find love a second time?

Rachel begs his forgiveness, but Luke finds he has none to give.

And then the brides arrive. Three of them--ordered for Luke through newspaper ads by his incorrigible cousins. The only place in town for them to stay is Rachel's boardinghouse. And none of the ladies is willing to let Luke go. When choosing a bride becomes a contest, the chaos that ensues is almost funny.

When the mayor forces Luke to pick a bride or lose his job, will Luke listen to his heart that still longs for Rachel or choose one of the mail-order brides?

Will Rachel find the courage to tell Luke that she loves him? Or take an anonymous part in the contest for his hand?


If you would like to read the first chapter of The Anonymous Bride, go HERE.

MY THOUGHTS:
This is such a fun book. Marshal Luke Davis is in quite a pickle when three women show up in town claiming they've answered his advertisements for a bride. Only problem is, his ornery cousins were the ones that placed the ads! The only woman he ever wanted to marry was Rachel, but she betrayed him and married another man. Now she's widowed and running the only boardinghouse in town, which means it's also where the town leaders have arranged for him to take his meals. Being around her makes him long to recapture what they lost, but he's not sure he can ever forgive her for breaking his heart. Rachel has her hands full with her lively and disobedient daughter, the never-ending chores that accompany managing the boardinghouse, and guarding the secret shame that took her away from Luke all those years ago. How can she ever hope to win him back, especially when the three brides arrive and take rooms in her boardinghouse? The desperation and determination of the three to begin a new life with Luke results in some amusing situations. And Rachel's daughter Jack Jacqueline antics will make you smile and sigh with exasperation all at the same time.


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Glaen Probes Relationships - With Giveaway

UPDATE Thursday, 12:35 pm

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
1
Timestamp: 2010-04-29 17:35:26 UTC

Congrats to Sara! Email me your address and the book will be on its way!

* * * * * * *

A unique book has been written to provide insight into relationships and what makes them work. . .and what doesn't.

Glaen by Fred R. Lybrand
The Barnabas Agency, February 2010
ISBN: 978-0-578-04652-5/softcover/171 pages/$14.99
Website: www.glaen.com
Blog: www.glaen.wordpress.com


ABOUT THE BOOK (from the publicist):
In a world where love is romanticized by vampires and far-off adventures of undying love-at-first-sight, audiences don’t always have the opportunity to read stories that reflect God's design for love. Author Fred Lybrand takes an in-depth look into relationships and dating, plus a little common sense for the real day-to-day world, in his latest book, Glaen.

Lybrand has chosen a unique and effective way to present his knowledge of human relationships and romance by creating a storyline that allows readers to walk alongside believable characters as they discover and explore an exciting and more effective way to relate to those with whom they will share life’s most intimate relationships. Having spent more than twenty-four years as a pastor, Lybrand is deeply involved in caring for people, and he wants others to know the freedom that can be found in relating to others truthfully and without pretense.

Glean introduces the character of Annie Hughes just as she suffers the loss of one of life’s foundational relationships—her parents’ marriage. As a graduate student, Annie suddenly finds herself at a loss to understand how any relationship finds and maintains lifetime staying power, especially a relationship as intimate as marriage.

When Annie meets her professor new writing professor, a rather unconventional teacher named Glaen, her life is set upon a path of both self-discovery and the exploration of romantic relationships. She begins this class with the intention to help others but quickly learns that she must first develop a teachable spirit, and her own faith proves to be the pivotal starting point for her journey. Annie then begins to honestly explore how men and women relate to one another as God designed them to do.

Lybrand’s character development of Annie Hughes allows him to outline several foundational truths. Using Annie’s “research” and “journal” entries as the vehicle to present thought-provoking ideas to the reader, Lybrand first uncovers the lies of a secular world-view and then counters those lies with the truth of God’s design for the marriage relationship. These observations are made even clearer as the reader observes Annie’s interaction with other couples and friends who are in the process of dating and considering marriage. As she questions her friends’ choices, she also takes an honest look at the relationships she is developing within her own life.

Annie’s discoveries are both simple and profound, and truth itself proves to be the foundation upon which all relationships hinge. The discovery that truth can only operate effectively within a relationship when people relate to one another without pretense and unrealistic expectations proves to be life-changing for the characters in many ways.

The life changing principles found in Glaen are the gems Lybrand wants readers to take from the story and experience in their own lives and relationships. Thus, Glaen is a book that demands a second reading, as those who read its story will want to go through it again and highlight and examine the truths Annie uncovers throughout her journey. This book will serve as a great teaching tool for parents to use with their children as well as for church leaders guiding couples who are seeking a more satisfying marriage relationship.

Click here to read an excerpt.

Glaen is available at Amazon and other bookstores.

MY THOUGHTS:
This is an interesting book written in an unusual style. I guess I'd call it fictional non-fiction: a fictional setting is used to communicate "real" truths. As Annie searches for information about relationships, she studies the lies that culture promotes and identifies a countering truth for each. Both serial dating and courting are examined and problems of each are identified. The importance of honesty is emphasized; many pre-marriage relationships lack this quality as each individual tries to woo or manipulate the other. This book would be a useful tool for a high school or college group discussion.

GIVEAWAY!
The publicist has provided an additional copy for me to give to one of you. Leave a comment on this post by 12:00 noon CDT Thursday (4/29) and I will draw a winner. US residents only please. If you don't have a blog, you must include an email address to be included in the drawing.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from The B&B Media Group as part of their Blogger Review 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Saturday, April 24, 2010

TSMSS - Save a Place for Me

I was so touched by the memories and stories folks shared for yesterday's Flashback Friday regarding their early grief experiences. Though the relationships differed - grandparents, children, parents, friends -- a common thread was the comforting assurance we who are believers have in Christ: death is not the end, but the beginning. The words of Matthew West's newest song are absolutely beautiful; we say goodbye for just a short while. Save a Place for Me, I'll be there soon!


Join us at Amy's for more songs!


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Friday, April 23, 2010

Ever Wondered Why You Say It?

I am such a word geek. So I jumped at the chance to review this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers on the origins of many words and phrases.

WHY YOU SAY IT
Webb Garrison
Thomas Nelson Publishers
ISBN: 1595552995

ABOUT THE BOOK (from the publisher):
Are you at the end of your rope? Wouldn’t it be nice if someone would throw you an olive branch at the eleventh hour instead of passing the buck?

Why You Say It explores the history of these and over six hundred other common and uncommon phrases in an intriguing and entertaining way. Have you ever wondered what rhubarb and angry mobs have in common, why we call them red-letter days, or what loaded for bear actually means? With delightful insight into how our language grows and changes, Why You Say It is intellectually stimulating and easy to read.

MY THOUGHTS:
While it's unlikely that one would sit down and read this book from cover to cover, it is a useful and fun resource explaining where some of our common words and phrases originated. I was already familiar with some of them, such as the handwriting on the wall (from the book of Daniel), nit-picker (from the old days of carefully picking through one's hair to pull out nits, or lice), and bite the bullet (from Civil War days when an injured soldier was given a bullet to bite while they amputated an injured leg with no anesthesia). Others were new to me, and a couple were even eye-openers! Words and phrases are grouped into chapters by their common denominator or origin, such as entertainment, sports, transportation, etc. An index in the back enables the reader to quickly locate a specific word/phrase.

Why You Say It can be purchased from the publisher or from Amazon.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson through BookSneeze, their Blogger Review 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


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Flashback Friday #7 - Grief



I've had our bloggy friend Lidna on my heart as she is grieving the loss of a dear friend. And while I don't want this to be a gloomy or painful Flashback Friday, I thought it would be interesting to reflect on how we experienced grief in our early years.
How old were you (approximately) when you attended your first funeral? Did your parents shield you from death and grief or was it viewed as a natural part of life? Did you experience any significant loss(es) in your growing up years? What were your early impressions of death and dying? And while I do not intend this in any irreverent way, are there any amusing memories associated with a death or funeral? If you have kids, how have you handled this subject with them? Feel free to share as vulnerably or as shallowly as you want!
As always, the questions are simply suggestions to prompt your memory and give you a starting point. You don't have to answer them specifically, but you are welcome to. I know there are likely some tender memories on this subject, and most of our FF's will be more lighthearted, but both our fun and our serious memories have made us who we are today.


MY FLASHBACK:
I think I was 5 or so when I attended my first funeral. It was for my great-aunt, and I just remember being absolutely horrified and grossed out that my aunt (who was the niece of the deceased) kissed her during the walk-by at the end of the funeral. As time went on, I realized that was her normal response - I think she's kissed the dearly departed at every relative's funeral I've attended!

When I was in upper elementary school, my maternal grandfather died. (My mom always thought it was ironic that he was a fiercely patriotic lawyer and he died on the day Watergate became news, June 17, 1972.) My grandparents' house was kinda big and I remember being a little scared that he would be laid out on a bed in one of the bedrooms. When we did go to the funeral home, my eye twitched or something and I thought his hand moved. Scared the daylights out of me! I remember having that feeling a lot at funeral homes - thinking that a hand moved - until I became an adult. That was also the time I discovered that I hate having the family enter formally while everyone watches; I tend to get a nervous laugh when I'm self-conscious, and I bit the inside of my cheeks the whole way to the pew trying to look properly sober!

My maternal grandparents were not warm & fuzzy types so my grandfather's death didn't particularly affect me. The first deaths that I remember personally impacting me occurred when I was in junior high. A couple at our church had a baby girl that died a day or two after she was born. That was the first time I had ever seen a tiny casket. She looked like a little doll lying there. Then our youth minister's baby died of SIDS on his four-month "birthday". I absolutely adored that little baby and had gotten to hold him a lot, so that was an impactful experience. That was the first I had ever heard of SIDS (which they just called crib death back then).

My family has always been pretty matter-of-fact about death. We went to a church that had lots of old people and my folks generally took me with them to visitations and funerals unless I was at school. And my paternal grandmother always joked about her "burial robe"; she was in a nursing home and had a brand-new robe, and she thought was so pretty that she wanted to be buried in it. She was buried in a regular dress, of course! The fact that death wasn't a taboo topic of conversation made it not nearly as creepy. (Except for the seemingly twitchy hands!) I do remember hating Abide With Me and thinking it was only written for funerals because that's the only time I ever heard it, and it was always played excruciatingly slow on an organ. Now I think it's a beautiful hymn.

When I was in college, the dad of 2 of my closest friends died. That one was very hard, not only because of my friends' grief but because he and his wife had been very involved in the youth and I was close to the whole family. The night before he died was when I discovered Psalm 116:15, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. At the time, I knew that his death at age 51 from lymphoma was premature, as opposed to someone dying at 75 or 80. But he was my friends' dad, for goodness sake, and 51 was no spring chicken to my 20-year-old way of thinking! His wife was 46 when she became a widow. What an eye-opener it was when I hit my mid-forties and realized just how very young they both had been!

I have always been grateful that my parents took me to so many funerals when I was a child, as it made me so much more comfortable with the whole experience. When I was in college, I was amazed how many of my friends had never been to a funeral and then a grandparent died and they were freaked out by the whole experience. So I was very intentional that my kids would not be like that. They both attended funerals when they were in elementary school - funerals of elderly people that we knew through church with whom they had a special relationship. And I've also made it a point to take them to a visitation if one of their friends experiences a loss so that they understand the importance of providing support. I will never forget the time a couple of years ago when I took my girl to a visitation for her friend's grandfather. The girl's face absolutely lit up when we walked through the door. Her grandparents' friends were there and her parents' friends were there, but she knew my girl had come just for her.

I know I'm weird, but I read obituaries (side effect of being a nurse) and I like funerals. (Even more now, since I don't think the hand moves!) Especially funerals of believers. Viewing the deceased person's body is such a testimony to the fact that the physical body is indeed just a shell and they are no longer there. And I am a strong believer in weaving the gospel into the service since there are generally some non-Christians in that captive audience. On the other hand, a funeral of a non-believer is a whole 'nother experience and probably the most heartbreaking thing I have ever witnessed.

What a comfort to know that we do not grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. (I Thessalonians 4:13)




Post your Flashback Friday on your blog and link up here!





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Thursday, April 22, 2010

Blood Ransom

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Blood Ransom
Zondervan (April 1, 2010)

by
Lisa Harris


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning author Lisa Harris has been writing both fiction and nonfiction since 2000 and has more than fifteen novels and novellas in print. She currently lives with her family in Mozambique, Africa, where they work as missionaries.

From Lisa:

Have you ever noticed how God often uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things? In writing Blood Ransom, I wanted my heroes and heroines to be ordinary people, faced with extraordinary circumstances. Chad and Natalie’s lives were changed not only through the challenges they faced, but also through their reliance on God. And when they set off on their journey to the capital to save Joseph’s family, they never imagined that God would call them to a task that was beyond the scope of their own power.

But while this story is fictional, the issue of a modern day slave trade is very real. It is estimated that there are currently more than 27 million slaves on the world today from Africa, to Eastern Europe … to the United States of America. The fact is, we don’t have to travel around the world to see people hurting and exploited. They’re real people we pass every day, living in our neighborhoods, and attending our churches and schools. They’re empty and broken, searching for freedom and hope in an often hopeless world.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Natalie Sinclair is working to eradicate the diseases decimating whole villages in the Republic of Dhambizao when she meets Dr. Chad Talcott, a surgeon on sabbatical from a lucrative medical practice now volunteering at a small clinic.

Meanwhile, things are unraveling in Dhambizao. Joseph Komboli returns to his village to discover rebel soldiers abducting his family and friends. Those that were too old or weak to work lay motionless in the African soil. When Chad and Natalie decide to help Joseph expose this modern-day slave trade---and a high-ranking political figure involved in it---disaster nips at their heels.

Where is God in the chaos? Will Chad, Natalie, and Joseph win their race against time?

Romance and adventure drive Blood Ransom, by Lisa Harris, a powerful thriller about the modern-day slave trade and those who dare to challenge it.


If you would like to read the prologue and first chapter of Blood Ransom, go HERE.


MY THOUGHTS:

I wasn't sure if I'd be able to "get into" this book, but that uncertainty was quickly dispelled. This is an engrossing and suspenseful book. It's sometimes hard to wrap my mind around the absolute corruption and greed that drives some in power to exploit others as well as the lengths to which they will go to assure their deeds remain under the radar. Blood Ransom was an excellent depiction of this.


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Flashback Friday Prompt #7



I've had our bloggy friend Lidna on my heart as she is grieving the loss of a dear friend. And while I don't want this to be a gloomy or painful Flashback Friday, I thought it would be interesting to reflect on how we experienced grief in our early years.
How old were you (approximately) when you attended your first funeral? Did your parents shield you from death and grief or was it viewed as a natural part of life? Did you experience any significant loss(es) in your growing up years? What were your early impressions of death and dying? And while I do not intend this in any irreverent way, are there any amusing memories associated with a death or funeral? If you have kids, how have you handled this subject with them? Feel free to share as vulnerably or as shallowly as you want!

As always, the questions are simply suggestions to prompt your memory and give you a starting point. You don't have to answer them specifically, but you are welcome to. I know there are likely some tender memories on this subject, and most of our FF's will be more lighthearted, but both our fun and our serious memories have made us who we are today.

I promise that next week's Flashback Friday won't be this grave! (Sorry. I couldn't resist!)


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FIRST - Love Will Keep Us Together

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!


Today's Wild Card authors are:

and the book:

Miracle Girls #4: Love Will Keep Us Together: A Miracle Girls Novel

FaithWords (April 30, 2010)

***Special thanks to Miriam Parker of Hachette Book Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Anne Dayton graduated from Princeton and has her MA in Literature from New York University. She lives in New York City. May Vanderbilt graduated from Baylor University and has an MA in Fiction from Johns Hopkins. She lives in San Francisco. Together, they are the authors of the Miracle Girls books, Emily Ever After, Consider Lily, and The Book of Jane.

Visit the authors' website.

Product Details:

List Price: $9.99
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: FaithWords (April 30, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446407585
ISBN-13: 978-0446407588

MY THOUGHTS:

This is the second Miracle Girls book I've read. (My review of A Little Help From My Friends is here.) This is a great series, and I enjoyed this final installment as the four friends experience their senior year in high school and make plans for college. Their ups and downs are realistically portrayed, and I especially love how Riley wrestles with what being a Christian really means and how that impacts her daily life, her future, and her interactions and relationships. I heartily recommend this book for teens. My girl absconded with it the moment I finished reading it!

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:


The whole world has gone maroon. The bricks are maroon, the dress code is maroon, and even our peppy tour guide’s hair is dyed a deep maroon. -

“Hi, I’m Kiki, and I’m a real student here.” She grins from ear to ear as she walks backward across the giant lawn. “Welcome to the home of the Harvard Crimson.”

Pardon me. The whole world has gone crimson . The parents and prospective students around me press forward, following after our tour guide, but I slowly edge toward the back, hoping the rest of my family doesn’t notice.

The Great McGee Family College Tour is finally winding down, and not a moment too soon. We started off last week at Duke, then drove up to see Johns Hopkins, Penn, Princeton, Columbia, and Yale. This morning we got up early to do MIT, and if I can survive a little longer, we’ll check Harvard off the list and only have Cornell to go. Dad and I talked Mom out of Dartmouth. Way too much snow.

I thought it would be fun to tour colleges, but I didn’t realize everybody was going to ask me the same question again and again: “What do you want to do with your life, Riley?” Or sometimes they stick to, “What’s your passion, Riley?” And I haven’t figured out how to answer them. Somehow, “I have no earthly idea” doesn’t seem to be what they’re looking for.

“We are now entering the famous Harvard Yard.” The group falls silent, almost reverent, and Kiki stops on the other side of the crimson-bricked archway and waits while we file through. As she recaps the history of the university, which involves a bunch of dead white guys—just like every other school, Mom spies me slouching low at the back of the crowd.

“Isn’t this beautiful?” She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. “I could really see you being happy here, Riley.” I nod because it’s easier than trying to explain. “Did you know the Latin word veritas on the seal”—she holds out a brochure for me—“means truth?” She flips the brochure open and starts paging through photos of students sitting under autumn trees.

I put my pointer finger over my lips, then point at Kiki. Mom nods and jogs back to my brother, Michael, who has Asperger’s syndrome, or high-functioning autism. Mom and Dad have done a ton of work to help him with his social skills, but he’s still prone to legendary meltdowns. After the scene he caused at MIT this morning, she’s been watching him like a hawk.

“This really seems like a good one.” Dad comes up behind me in a sneak attack. I glance across the group and see Michael pulling on Mom’s hand, trying to get over to a statue of a seated man. “These kids seem like your kind of people.”

Dad and I look around the yard at the students hauling mattresses and carrying plastic crates stuffed with junk. A group lounges on the steps of one of the historic buildings, drinking from eco-friendly metal thermoses.

I shrug and pull my short hair into a pathetic ponytail. Not my best look, but it’s sweltering today.

“Do you like it better than Princeton?”

I try to avoid his stare, but he follows my eyes until I give in and focus on him. In the weak afternoon sunlight, I notice that the gray patches at his temples are spreading through his warm brown hair, like two silver streaks down his head.

“I don’t know. Princeton was fine.” Princeton is Ana’s thing, her dream. All I could think about the entire time I was there was, How did she choose this school? How did she know it was for her? Is there a feeling you get? Is it like how I knew about Tom?

Kiki climbs a few steps up to an old brick building and claps excitedly. “Massachusetts Hall is special for two reasons.” She beams at our group and holds up one finger. “First, it’s the oldest building on campus, dating back to 1720.” Everyone in our group oohs, and Mom whispers something to another mother. “And”—Kiki makes eye contact with the prospective students in her pack—“it’s a freshman dorm! Let’s go take a look, shall we?”

We walk in a tight-knit pack up the stairs and down the third-floor hallway. Loud music pours from the rooms, the beats clashing. Finally we stop at a dorm room with two neatly made beds and two tidy desks with crimson folders emblazoned with the Harvard seal. I realize there’s nothing real about this room or this choreographed moment, like almost every moment of every college tour we’ve taken. How am I supposed to get a feel for the campus with these phony experiences?

As Kiki begins explaining dorm security, I slip out of the room and try to collect my thoughts. This is merely a minor case of butterflies, nothing more. I’m sure everybody gets them when touring colleges. I’ll call Ana, and she’ll talk me through this.

I rummage through my purse, searching under all the brochures and school spirit junk until my fingers find my phone’s smooth edges.

Wait, I can’t call Ana. She loved every second of her college tour. When she came back from the East Coast a few weeks ago, she couldn’t stop talking about Princeton’s amazing science labs. Plus, she already knows beyond a shadow of a doubt she wants to be a neonatal surgeon. She had open-heart surgery as a baby and has always felt called to follow the path of the doctors who saved her life.

Zoe would totally get it. I scroll through my contacts, all the way down to Z .

But maybe it isn’t fair to call Zo. Her parents are doing a little better, but money is still tight. She didn’t get to go on a college tour this summer, and I’m not really sure there’s any money put aside for her education. I’d be a jerk to call and complain.

I scroll back up to Christine. She’s headed to New York next year to become a painter. All she’s ever wanted is to get out of Half Moon Bay. We’ve always understood each other in that way.

But as I’m pressing the button for her name, I remember that today is Tyler’s birthday and she was going to surprise him with a scavenger hunt through town.

That leaves one person. I find his name and quickly punch the button. “Pick up, pick up,” I chant quietly. A voice in my head reminds me I shouldn’t be calling my ex-boyfriend, the only guy I ever loved, the one who went off to college and left me behind, but I try to quiet it. All these months I’ve been strong and not e-mailed him, not called him, but I don’t have anyone else right now.

“Hey there.” Tom’s deep voice is a little scratchy, like he just woke up, and it sends a shiver down my spine. The guys at Marina Vista still sound like chipmunks. “How… What’s up?” he asks.

Technically the breakup a few months ago was mutual—technically. I want to talk to him, but it’s just as friends. He’s already gone through the whole college application process, so he’ll help me get my head on straight.

“I hate Harvard.” A woman glares at me as she passes down the hall. I lower my voice. “Well, I don’t hate Harvard—that’s not it. My parents love it, and the teachers all love it. Actually, everybody loves it except me.”

“What are you talking about?” He yawns loudly.

“I’m on my college tour, standing in the hallowed halls of Harvard right now. Well, a dorm hallway anyway.” Two girls pass me, talking loudly. “They want me to go here, but it doesn’t feel right.”

“So don’t apply. You’re not like everybody else.”

I bite my lip. It’s such a Tom thing to say and exactly what I need to hear. After months of not talking, he still knows how to make me feel better. Tom always put the Miracle Girls on edge, but they never got to see this side of him, the big heart hidden inside his chiseled chest.

The noisy tour group pours out of the dorm room, and Kiki ushers them toward the exit at the end of the hall, pointing at some posters on the wall. Mom spots me on the phone and motions for me to rejoin the group.

“It’s funny that you called,” Tom says. “I actually wanted to tell you something.”

The tour group files into the stairwell. Dad lingers for a moment, frowning, and then goes with them.

“I’m transferring to UCSF and moving back to San Francisco.”

“What?” I press my finger to my ear, trying to block out the noise in the hall. That can’t be right. I’ve just gotten used to him being in Santa Barbara, which isn’t that far, but far enough for him to feel really and truly gone from my life.

“Santa Barbara wasn’t working out, and now I can live at home and save some cash.”

My heart begins to pound.

“I miss my old friends, you know—crazy blond girls who call me out of the blue and stuff. I miss… talking.”

My pulse drums loudly in my ears.

Mom peeks her head back in the door and widens her eyes at me. “You’re missing everything!”

“I—” I wave at Mom. “I’ve got to run, but I’ll call you later.” I snap the phone shut before he can respond and chuck it back into my purse. He’s coming back? I lean my head against the wall to keep it from spinning.

“Riley!” Mom plants her hands on her hips.

“Coming.” I jog over to her lingering in the stairwell. I file in at the back of the group and wind down the few flights of stairs with Mom hot on my heels. I can’t think about Tom now. I’ll deal with that later, once I’m back home and I’ve had time to wrap my mind around the fact that he isn’t gone, that his voice almost sounded like it used to before we drifted apart.

We re-enter the Harvard Yard, the sun stinging my eyes, and Kiki yammers on and on about the different types of architecture, pointing out stuff like Doric columns and neoclassical facades.

It’s not that Harvard isn’t beautiful. The campus is historic and hallowed and dripping in ivy, and there’s no question that it’s one of the best colleges in the country. If I went here, I’d get a great education, have opportunities I’d never get anywhere else, and meet all kinds of new, fascinating friends….

My mind flashes to Half Moon Bay, the faces of the Miracle Girls.

I can’t believe that in a year this is going to be my life. This could be my freshman dorm, but looking out over this crowded lawn, I can’t picture it. I try to imagine myself lounging in the courtyard, heading to fascinating lectures, eating in the dining hall, but my brain refuses. The only life I can imagine is at Marina Vista, hanging out with the girls, being close when Michael needs me.

Mom grins at me as Kiki explains how the meal plans work.

They think I want to go to Harvard, but I don’t. They think I’m excited about this, but I’m scared out of my mind. They think they know the real Riley McGee, but even I haven’t met her. They think I have it all figured out, but I’m totally lost.

So much for veritas .

Copyright © 2010 by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt







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Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Another Random Dozen!


If it's Wednesday, it must be time to join Lidna at 2nd Cup of Coffee for some RaNdOm FuN!

1. Ever had any run-ins with the "library police?"

I wouldn't call it a run-in, but I did discover a majorly overdue book a few years back and had to pay about $10.00, I think.

2. Do you have a special organizational plan and place for wrapping paper, gift bags, etc., or do you just purchase whatever you need as you give gifts?

Yes and yes.

3. Have you ever been in (first-hand witness) a natural disaster?

I was just a month old when Hurricane Carla came through Houston. But I don't remember it! My parents stayed put and didn't evacuate. We lost some shingles off the roof but that was it.

4. What's your favorite Barry Manilow song?

Wow. Music can sure dredge up the memories. Most of his songs were so sad and poignant, and I can feel all the emotions just listening to these songs. High school. Boyfriend angst. Insecurity. Double dates. This isn't even Flashback Friday and I just got transported 30 years in the past! I guess this one was my favorite:


But this was another good one!



5. What's the best costume you've ever worn?

Costumes mean creativity, of which I have little. Costume parties make me break out into a sweat. But one year in college I was Mary Poppins for a Halloween party. Which basically involved a white shirt, a longish skirt, a black shawl, and a hat with a flower in it. And I kept my heels together with my feet pointing sideways as much as I could.

6. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?

The thesaurus.

7. What's your favorite breakfast food?

Every morning I eat a bowl of this:


But if I had a chef to fix and clean up breakfast, I'd have eggs, bacon or sausage, and fruit. With an occasional waffle.

8. Have you ever purchased anything from an infomercial?

Nope. I've always hated infomercials.

9. Have you ever crawled through a window?

Actually, yes. In the earlier days of our house remodel, the one usable bathroom was at the opposite end of the house from our bedroom. One had to go through the entry hall to get from one to the other. When the entry hall was retiled we couldn't walk on it for 24 hours. So we went out through the garage and crawled through a bedroom window. Fortunately, the bottom of the window was just a foot or so above the ground! I remember that when my man handed me our less-than-a-year-old boy through the window, I thought, "we need a picture!"

10. Do you believe in love at first sight?

No. I believe in attraction at first sight, which may bloom into love.

11. How man pairs of jeans do you own?

Three.

12. If someone were going to bake a cake to honor/represent you, what would it be? (Think creatively, like Duff and Crew on "Ace of Cakes.")

A delectable, classic, and traditional chocolate cake!



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