Miracle in a Dry Season
by Sarah Loudin Thomas
Publisher: Bethany House
Pub. Date: August 5, 2014
ISBN: 978-0764212253
Pages: 304
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

I'm trying my best to get caught up with writing reviews before Christmas Eve. I received Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas a few months back and I'm just now getting around to writing the review for it.

The novel centers on Perla Long, along with her daughter Sadie, settling in the small town of Wise, West Virginia in 1954. She hopes they can keep their haunting past behind them and restart their lives without the two residents asking too many questions about them. The sleepy town is suffering from a long drought and the farmers are praying for rain, well, they're praying for a miracle. 

Perla never planned on falling in love again, but that is exactly what happened when she met Casewell Phillips. Once she confessed her past to him, he practically shuns her; judging her for her past sins. Despite being adjusted to his life as bachelor, he does care deeply for Perla and her daughter. It will take faith in the Lord to help guide Phillip to understand what Perla has been through.

Stuck Together
Trouble In Texas, Book 3
by Mary Connealy
Publisher: Bethany House
Pub. Date: June 3, 2014
ISBN: 978-0764209161
Pages: 320
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Several years back I had joined a book club where I was sent a new Christian romance once a month. This is when I was exposed to several new authors, including Mary Connealy. So as you can probably imagined I was excited to sign up to review the third installment in the Trouble In Texas series earlier this year. Though I did read the book, a few things came up and I haven't gotten around to writing this review until today.

Stuck Together centers on a Tina Cahill, a young woman who is determined to shut down the saloon in Broken Wheel at any cost, but her picketing outside the saloon hasn't gotten anybody's attention. Well, Vince Yates has noticed her protest, but he would rather not get involved in her self stuck pursuit.

Vince has enough trouble on his shoulders when his parents and sister that he never knew shows up in town looking of his help. His father is a schemer, his mother's health is failing and his sister is love struck with one of his best pals. Of course the one thing he doesn't need right now is to fall in love with Tina!

Bachata Dance Mastery System
Studio: DancyCrazy.com
Release Date: April 24, 2007
Retail: $97.00
ASIN: B000P2XNK2
Running Time: 274 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

As someone with two left feet, I have never heard of the dance called Bachata. After doing a quick Google search, I learned that it originated in the Dominican Republic and now the dance is used all over the world. Dancing has never been my thing, but I was looking for some low-impact exercises and became interested in learning how to dance.

For the last few days, I have been trying out the Bachata Dance Mastery System from DancyCrazy.com. This set features 3 different discs - Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced. There is a male and female instructors, whom give step-by-step instructions on how to Bachata, so if you don't know anything about dancing, like me, then you're good to go.

Everyone knows who Arnold Schwarzenegger is but do you know the whole story behind the man?

Now available available for the first time on digital HD download is the classic documentary Pumping Iron!

From Gold's Gym in Venice Beach California to the showdown in Pretoria, amateur and professional bodybuilders prepare for the 1975 Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe contests in this part-scripted, part-documentary film.

Five-time champion Arnold Schwarzenegger defends his Mr. Olympia title against Serge Nubret and the shy, young, deaf Lou Ferrigno, whose father is his coach; the ruthless champ psyches out the young lion.

Sardinian Franco Columbu competes in the lightweight class; at home in Italy he solves a tight parking problem by lifting the car into place. Joe Weider is the marketer; Mike Katz and Ken Waller go for the title of Mr. Universe. Bodybuilding and a celebrity-to-be go mainstream.

Special Features:

• Still Pumping: Success in bodybuilding is a mental challenge as well as physical. In these newly recorded interviews, Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about the will power and focus you need to become a champion, and the mental attitude that has shaped his career.

• The Hard Science of Bodybuilding: Arnold Schwarzenegger and top bodybuilders give insights into the sport of bodybuilding and tips for building the body of your dreams. 

Pumping Iron (plus bonus content) Available Today: http://www.vudu.com/movies/#!content/611872/Pumping-Iron-plus-bonus-content

Tinhorn's Daughter
by L. Ron Hubbard
Publisher: Galaxy Press
Pub. Date: October 20, 2014
ISBN: 978-1592123438
Running Time: 123 minutes
Buy Link: Audio, Paperback, Kindle

Review:
 
While audiobooks have been around for decades, I didn't really start listening to these types of books until I was introduced to the Stories from the Golden Age series from Galaxy Press. This series features the short stories from the 1930s and 1940s by author L. Ron Hubbard. Galaxy Press has been adapting these stories into audiobooks for a whole new generation to enjoy. The stories are also being released on Kindle and paperbacks.

The western audiobook Tinhorn's Daughter was released just a few a months back and features the voices of Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson), Corey Burton, R.F Daley, Jim Meskimen (who also directs) and Tait Ruppert. The two-disc audiobook also features the short story When Gilhooly Was In Flower.

Tinhorn's Daughter first appeared in the December 1937 issue of Western Romances and centers on a man named Sunset Maloney, who is trying to fight back against the cruel land-stealer Slim Trotwood in the Big Sky country of Montana. While Slim may look like just another gambler, he has been stealing the Puma Pass lan from the homeowners. Sunset is known for his fast shooting  and he plans on taking Slim down that is until he meets the tinhorn's daughter, Betsy. Now blinded by love for his enemy's daughter, his trail for justice will be a lot harder than he thought it would be.

Description:

James Patterson brings the fifth and final book in the bestselling Witch & Wizard saga to a head by exposing the nature of power-and what it means for the heroes that have it.

Whit and Wisty Allgood have fought and defeated their world's most pernicious threats: the evil dictator, The One Who Is The One, as well as his wicked father and son. But just as the heroic witch and wizard start to settle into their new roles in governance, a deadly crime wave grips their city, with all signs pointing to a magical mastermind every bit as powerful and heartless as The One. Now the siblings find themselves persecuted as the city turns against all those who possess magic. They're questioning everything, including each other and their abilities. Can they confront the citizens' growing hostility and their own doubts in time to face the new enemy barreling toward their gates?


Billy's Thoughts:

Murder at the Mikado
A Drew Farthering Mystery
by Julianna Deering
Publisher: Bethany House
Pub. Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0764210976
Pages: 366
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

One of my guilty reading pleasures is reading Agatha Christie mystery novels, so I was more than exciting to read "A Drew Farthering Mystery" series by Julianna Deering, which the plots of her books are inspired by the mystery novels of the 1930s. After reading Rules of Murder and Death by the Book, I was more than excited to read the third installment, Murder at the Mikado. Technically, I did read the book back in July, but a few things came up and I never got around to writing the review. Therefore, I reread the book recently, so I could refresh my mind before writing this review.

Drew Farthering, a young man who loves a good mystery, is once again the main character. It seems that murder just follows him wherever he goes. His ex-actress-girlfriend, Fleur Landis, seeks his help. Though she is now retired from acting, she is still connected to her troupe's production of The Mikado. The star of the show has been murdered and Fleur happens to be the police's number one suspect, though she convinces Drew that she is innocent of the crime.