A Bluebonnet Lake
Texas Crossroads Series
by Amanda Cabot
Publisher: Revell
Pub. Date: October 21, 2014
ISBN: 978-0800734343
Pages: 384
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:
 
I guess you can say that this week is going to be "review catch up week" for me in my attempt to finish to clear off  clear off all the books that are piled up on my desk before Christmas Eve, which isn't going to be an easy feat as there is less than 10 until  Dec. 24th.

A Bluebonnet Lake, book one in the Texas Crossroad series, arrived in bookstores back in October from Revell. As you can tell from the artwork, this has a contemporary setting. I'm more of a fan of historical settings, but I'm starting to like romances set in modern times.

The book centers on Kate Sherwood, a young woman who has taken the marketing world by storm. She finds herself checking into the Rainbow End, a Texas Hill Country resort! The last thing she ever wanted to do was to find herself in a place like this, but she made a promise to her grandmother that she would stay there. Fifty years back, her grandparents spent a a week at the resort and Kate promised her grandmother that she would visit the resort one day.

Courtesy of Bestof Bridge Holiday Classics by The Best of Bridge 2014 © www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher  permission.

Description: 

Now available for the first time, the definitive collection of holiday recipes from the ladies of Best of Bridge.

For two decades thousands of families have made Best of Bridge recipes part of their holiday celebrations. These fans and new ones will enjoy the tried and true tradition of Christmas Morning Wife Saver on Christmas morning, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes accompanied by Beef Tenderloin with Peppercorn Sauce for a dinner with family or company, and Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Squares for their neighborhood cookie exchange.

These classic recipes come from Best of Bridge fan favorites as well as new recipes which are sure to become instant holiday classics. The best holiday-worthy roasts and other special entrees for celebrations are here, along with fabulous recipes for holiday brunches and lunches, buffets and pot lucks, as well as festive libations and holiday cookies and squares.

What makes this collection extra special are the two chapters devoted to Leftovers and Food Gifts. Fortunately those sumptuous holiday repasts usually have leftovers. This handy chapter includes incredible recipes for transforming those unused portions into another delicious meal. Nothing says "happy holidays" more than a gift of home-made-from-scratch food. From homemade toffee to seasoned nuts and preserves the Bridge ladies provide a huge cache of gift giving ideas.

Billy's Thoughts:

 
From Elizabeth Byler Younts, the author of Promise to Return, comes the exciting sequel, A Promise to Cherish, from Howard Books. I enjoyed reading the first book in the series, so I eagerly signed up to review the sequel. Unfortunately, a few things came up and I'm just now getting to writing this review.

A Promise to Cherish centers on a nurse named Christine Freeman, who is working as the member of the Civilian Public Service unit at the Hudson River State Hospital (a mental hospital) in 1945. After being sexually assaulted by an old acquaintance (Jack), she learns that she is pregnant. Too make matters worse, she is fired from her job. She tries to get help from her parents, but they just want to send her to a home for unwed mothers.

The Device
Director: Jeremy Berg
Starring: Angela DiMarco, David S. Hogan, Kate Alden
Studio: Image Entertainment
Release Date: December 16, 2014
Retail: $27.97
ASIN: B00NC9TSY0
Running Time: 90 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on DVD this Tuesday December 6, 2014 from Image Entertainment is the scifi-drama The Device. The film is directed by Jeremy Berg and stars Angela DiMarco, David S. Hogan and Kate Alden. Special Features include an audio commentary with the writers, producers and director Jeremy Berg, an audio commentary with the cast and an audio commentary by Tracy Torme, screenwriter of Fire In The Sky and Intruders.

The Device centers on sisters Abby (played by Angela DiMarco) and Rebecca (played by Kate Alden), who both returns to their family's cabin, a place they haven't been to since the time Rebecca disappeared when they were younger. They never planned on returning to the cabin, but at the request of their late mother, they have returned here to scatter their mother's ashes in the forest and the nearby lake.


The sisters discover strange markings on the ground, which they presumed was from some sort of crash years ago. Abby finds a mysterious black orb and takes it back to her fiance Calvin (played by David S. Hogan), who think it may bring them into lots of cash if they they sell it. They return home the next day along with Rebecca and odd occurrences begin to happen, all of which is connected to the strange orb. Bizarre dreams haunt the sisters and Calvin begins to act differently, almost if he is interacting with the orb. Could the orb be connected to extraterrestrial beings?

Courtesy of EasyEveryday Slow Cooker Recipes by Donna-Marie Pye, 2014 © www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission.

Whether cooking for two or serving a crowd, this book makes easy work of creating delicious, soul-satisfying slow cooker meals.

In this gorgeous, full-color book with more than 80 photographs, there are 200 recipes to explore and experiment with, featuring the best of North American regional cuisine, as well as globally inspired dishes from cultures around the world.

Each recipe is created with convenience in mind with a good balance of those that require a few extra minutes of preparation versus others where all the ingredients can be added at once.

Most of the recipes serve from four to eight people and can be adapted to every slow cooker size. There are also many recipes that will suit any family from chapters such as Meals for Two and Big-Batch Dinners. With a bit of advance planning the inspiring recipes in Double-Duty Dinners will turn tonight's dinner into tomorrow's feast, simultaneously banishing that dreaded remark, "...That again?"


Billy's Thoughts:

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Emily!

How many books do you read in a week? How many hours do you spend reading a day?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

  

My Answer: 

I could read a book a day if I wanted to, but in reality I read two to three books a week.

While dancing has always been popular, it has become more mainstream thanks to reality shows like Dancing With The Stars and You Can Think You Can Dance. Now it seems everyone wants to learn to dance like the pros, which isn't easy if you have two left feet (like myself).

Studios have been taking advantage of the dancing popularity by releasing dancing cardio workouts. These programs are great for people that are already fit and have some sort dancing experience, but if you are like me, then you're going to need a program that starts with the basics, so you can learn each move step-by-step.

For the past few weeks, I have been reviewing several "learn to dance" DVDs from DanceCrazy.com, including the Ballroom Dance Mastery System 7-disc set. The set includes:

Beginning Waltz: A Step-By-Step Guide! Volume 1
Studio: DanceCrazy.com
Release Date: February 23, 2007
Retail: $39.95
ASIN: B000NDEWHQ
Running Time: 63 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Yep, it is time once again for another dancing workout DVD review. If you don't follow my blog regularly, then I'll give you a little update. Due to my bad knee, I shouldn't be doing high intensity exercises, so I have been trying out a few dancing DVDs.

The Waltz first became a dance during the 16th Century and continues to be one of the most popular dances today. If you're not a dancer, like me, then you've probably don't know too much about the Waltz, except for what we have seen in the movies and on Dancing With The Stars.

DanceCrazy.com has been releasing dancing workouts to DVD for several years. I've been trying out the Beginning Waltz: A Step-By-Step Guide! Volume 1 for the last few weeks. The 63-minute DVD features a male and a female instructors, whom guides you step-by-step through the basic Waltz steps.

The DVD is broken down into these sections: