The Breath of Dawn
By Kristen Heitzmann
Publisher: Bethany House
Pub. Date: November 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0764210426
ASIN: B008B9HQL8
Pages: 448
Buy Link: http://amzn.to/VkkqTX
Blog Tour Link: http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/breathofdawn

Review:

The Breath of Dawn is book three of the series that started with A Rush of Wings and Still of the Night. I have only read A Rush of Wings, in which I wasn't the biggest fan of at the time. I hesitated before I signed up to review the third book from Litfuse Publicity Group and Bethany House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Even though I hadn't read second book, I still figured out who was who and what was what. In the third entry, Morgan Spencer had a wonderful family and a successful business, but every thing changed the moment his wife died, leaving him as a widowed father to a two-year-old daughter, Livie. His daughter is his entire life, until fate changes things once again for him.

No Safe Harbor
by Elizabeth Ludwig
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0764210396
Pub. Date: October 1, 2012
Pages: 336
Buy Links: http://ow.ly/eh4Xf
Blog Tour Link: http://litfusegroup.com/author/ELudwig

Review:

Set in the year 1897, Cara Hamilton thought that her twin brother, Eoghan, was deceased until she gets an unexpected letter from him, in which he urges her to come find him and warns her to trust no one. She boards the ship called the Servia and travels across the Atlantic Ocean from Ireland to America.

When Cara arrives in New York, she meets a stranger named Rourke Walsh. She takes refuge at a boardinghouse where she befriends most of the women whom are living there, all except Deirdre. Why would a woman that hardly knew her, hate her so much? There has to be here than meets the eye about this woman. Cara is determined to learn more about Deirdre, especially when she catches Deirdre prying in her room.

I wasn't even aware that Colbie Caillat had a Christmas album out until I stumbled upon it at my local Walmart today for ten dollars. Colbie has bubbly music that can cheer me up on a bad day, so I had to buy it.

Colbie sings several classic holiday songs, such as Sliver Bells, Santa Baby, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and Winter Wonderland. There are duets with Brad Paisley, Gavin Degraw, Justin Young, and Jason Reeves. There are four new songs that are catchy, Christmas in the Sand, Every Day is Christmas, Mistletoe and Happy Christmas.

Maven and I have been together for nearly 20 years, and much of her story has not been told. I have many folders of outtakes, random scenes, and character notes. But the time has come, now that I am looking at retirement in 4 or 5 years, to get this stuff organized and written.

I’m learning to outline. Outlining “ain’t no crystal stair” as Langston Hughes wrote, but I’ve got my rope, and my pitons, my hammer and just in case, a vial of fairy dust and a magic wand in my climbing boots. I'm facing a sheer cliff of unknown story, with only a promise of what lies beyond.

My pitons are those 3x5 cards I have hated since that disaster of my first research paper in eleventh grade—I think it was about Odgen Nash. But I have a secret weapon: Larry Brook’s story architecture (http://www.storyfix.com). I can write down my random notes and thoughts on my cards and then organize them as I figure out the plot points and pinch points. I’ve tried spreadsheets (Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method and Ywriter) and various other tools, but the paper cards lend themselves to being carried in my purse and then typed into Scrivener, and from there, turning into scenes.

What started out as the beginning of my debut novel will now likely be the beginning of book four, which has no working title as yet. Stuff happens after the end of Through the Veil, and I’m still working out when it happens and to whom. But forcing myself to make an outline for book two, working title That Darn Maven, has allowed me to get some parameters established and make some rules to corral if not herd these cat-like story bits. Another working title is After Midnight, where I’ll be exploring some of Fiona’s point of view instead of always following Maven.

Almost Amish
By Kathryn Cushman
Publisher: Bethany House
Pub. Date: July 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0764208263
ASIN: B0073UN96W
Page: 336 

Review: 

Julie Charlton is a wonderful wife and mother, but something is missing from her life. What she needs is some excitement and adventure. Luckily, her sister-in-law, Susan, got picked to be on an upcoming reality series and she gets to bring someone with her. That person happens to be Julie. And they also get to bring their families with them.

What is the reality series about? Well, the participants leave their modern lifestyle and move to the Amish country, where they have to live simple. That means no technology of any kind, except for the cameras that are filming their every move.

My original intent was to write separate reviews on the first four Twilight movies, but why waste my time when I could write one post about the most overrated film franchise of all time.

I recall reading the first book by Stephenie Meyer when it was originally released. I read it and thought it was average at best. I tossed the book into the closet and never thought about it again until I saw the first film advertise. Probably like most readers, I bought the other books in the attempt to eventually read them, but I have never opened any of them to page one yet.

One of my hobbies is collecting DVDs (in which I have way too many of) and of course I bought Twilight when it was released. I recognized Kristen Stewart from the Cold Creek Manor and The Messengers, but I never heard of the majority of the cast, except for Peter Facinelli and Elizabeth Reaser. I had forgotten most of the book's plot, so the movie was basically new to me. For the most part the movie was mediocre at best. Similar to what I did to the book, I tossed the DVD onto a shelf and forgot about it until I saw the advertisements for New Moon a year later.

In New Moon, the Cullens have very little screen time, giving Taylor Lautner a bigger role and a new haircut. I like the werewolf mythology, but the movie has Bella pining for Edward for entire the entire 130 minutes. What was up with the time? It would have been slightly better if it was under 90 minutes, because nothing happens!

Question of the week: Mix’n'Match: The bookish gods are giving you free hand, you can pick any one character (book, TV series/movie, play etc) and inject them into a different novel of your choice. Which character and series would you mix’n'matc