SHIP'S LOG

What I spied from the deck of me ship

March 12-March 18th

Ahoy Mateys! Welcome aboard, find yerself a nice spot on the deck and enjoy.

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Dog, Dogue De Bordeaux, Mastiff, Bordeaux, Burgundy

BOOKS:

This past week I had the pleasure of reading this great little novella by Gina Welborn. Six Little Sunflowers is a very well-written story build around a very unusual tradition. I will never look at Leap Year Day the same way again. Take my word for it, you will truly enjoy this tale.....added bonus: Gina's wonderful sense of humor.

About the author:

Gina Welborn loves watching The Goldbergs, playing Super Mario Bros with her middle child, and baking anything sweet and tasty in desperation not to hear her children say, "Chef Mom, you've been chopped!"

Years ago, Gina worked at a news radio station scripting copy until she realized how depressing human tragedy was. Thus she fell in love with writing romances and now only thinks "It is time for a dead body?" when she's at a lull in her newest manuscript. (Disclaimer: Dead bodies are not found in Gina's writing.) Gina is a 2009 ACFW GENESIS historical romance finalist and a 2007 RWA GOLDEN HEART® inspirational finalist. She writes lighthearted historicals featuring spunky heroines and wild-at-heart heroes.

For eleven years, this Oklahoma-raised girl lived in Virginia with her youth-pastor husband and their five Okie-Hokie children before they headed back to Oklahoma. Gina is a lifetime member of the National Corvette Museum and a founding member of Southwest Oklahoma Corvette Club. She currently serves on the American Christian Fiction Writers Foundation Board. She is a member of ACFW and RWA. Two of her Barbour anthologies -- Mistletoe Memories and Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection -- are ECPA best-sellers. She can be contacted via her website www.ginawelborn.com or through the Steve Laube Agency.

About the book:

Celebrate Leap Year with a boy and a girl and a not-so-simple proposal… February 29, 1908 - Wichita, Kansas - "The Sunflower State" Hotel chambermaid Félicie Richmond wants nothing more than to be the calligrapher for Wichita’s prestigious Carey Hotel. She invests in a new wardrobe to look the part, but days before her job is to begin, an electrical fire damages the dress shop. Félicie envisions one way out: the Leap Day tradition whereby a bachelor who refuses a marriage proposal must purchase the rejected lady a new dress. Finding a few stuck-in-their-ways bachelors guaranteed to refuse her proposal will be easy. Three dresses should do. Figuring out how to overcoming the humiliation of proposing marriage to multiple bachelors…. Easy-going fireman Carpenter Yeary has no need for a wife, not with all the little ol’ ladies in his church determined to find him one. When a strange woman proposes, Carp knows she’s after a free dress. In a moment of mischievousness, he accepts her proposal, but after their private conversation is overhead, “Carp’s getting married!” spreads like wildfire, and soon his precious church ladies have a wedding planned. For Carp and Félicie, the only way out is to convince the each other to call off the wedding…before love has time to bloom.

My review:

So much fun!

First of all, I had no idea this tradition existed....too funny. This was a very fun, fast-paced read. Gina's natural humor comes through and makes this such a great story. I highly recommend this book, or any other books by Gina, to those who enjoy fun and feisty reads.

Check out this and other books by Gina on her Amazon page:

GINA WELBORN

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Popcorn, Movie, Pop, Corn, Snack, Film, Tickets

MOVIES & TV

One of my favorite movies is Eight Below. I don't watch it often, because it is a very emotional movie for me. It stars Paul Walker, a good actor who shall be missed. This movie has the most amazing dogs in it...they truly steal your heart. I am a big "dog movie" fan...if there is a dog in it, I usually give it a look-see. If you watch Eight Below, be prepared for an emotional roller coaster.

Another favorite is Snow Dogs. This movie is hilarious. It will keep you smiling throughout the entire movie. These dogs are gorgeous creatures and so smart. It stars Cuba Gooding Jr and James Coburn....very funny. Unlike Eight Below, the tears you shed watching Snow Dogs will be from laughing. I highly recommend both movies. Here are the links to their IMDb pages:

EIGHT BELOW SNOW DOGS

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NEWS:

Good Friday Day of Prayer is this coming Friday...March 25th. If you have a prayer that you wish the Guidepost's OurPrayer group to lift up for you, simply click the link below. For forty years, OurPrayer has set aside Good Friday as a special Day of Prayer. Volunteers are waiting to lift up your prayers. I have volunteered for this group for many years now and it is truly a blessing.

DAY OF PRAYER

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Blog, Leave, Texts, Blogger, Blogging, Report, Opinion

BLOGS:

The Write Stuff

This week I'd like to introduce Eileen Hinkle Rife's blog THE WRITE STUFF. Eileen is a wonderful author who has a lot of great insights. I enjoy her blog posts...so much honesty...and her love for the Lord truly shines through. Stop on by and say hello.

About Eileen:

As a child, I loved writing and telling stories. Walking to school every morning, I created characters, then talked to them as I ambled down the road. One Sunday after church, a neighbor approached me and said, "Who were you talking to the other day on your way to school? Why you were going on at a great rate!" A shy child, I was embarrassed that my neighbor had witnessed my dream world. My creative spirit was not daunted, however. I grew up continuing my writing efforts, first through poetry and short stories, then through drama, which I not only enjoyed crafting, but also acting out on stage. Receiving good reviews on my acting ability I considered majoring in drama during college, but God had another idea in mind.

Full-time for the Lord

After I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior when I was eight years old, I knew I wanted to serve God somewhere, somehow. Sensing the Lord's leading to enter full-time Christian ministry as a senior in high school, I was led to Southeastern Bible College in 1973 where I received a B. A. in Christian Education and met and married my college sweetheart who was also preparing to serve the Lord full-time. During the last 35 years, I have worked to put my husband, Chuck, through graduate school, received a minor in English from Liberty University, completed graduate hours in counseling from Liberty Theological Seminary, birthed babies, helped my husband enter a professional counseling practice, homeschooled my three precious daughters, and served in our local church and community, all the while dabbling here and there with my writing and speaking.
As a homeschool mom in 1999, I sensed God leading me to pursue my passion for writing/speaking. Chuck had been talking with me over the preceding years about teaming up with him to conduct marriage seminars. My oldest daughter had left for college in 1997, and while I still had two other daughters to navigate through homeschooling, I realized the empty nest loomed ahead. The time seemed right to test the writing/speaking waters.

You can check out her blog here:

THE WRITE STUFF

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Cooking, Cook, Coffee, Figures, Funny, Chef'S Hat, Cup

SHIP'S GALLEY:

Here's another easy idea!

CARAMEL EGG STUFFED EASTER CROISSANTS

All you need: some croissant dough and caramel Cadbury Eggs.

Roll up an egg and bake.

Simple and it looks so yummy!

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GIVEAWAY!!!!

Gina Welborn has graciously offered to give away 2 digital copies of Six Little Sunflowers. So, if you wish to be one of those lucky winners, simply comment below. 2 copies = 2 winners! And since they are digital, anyone may enter!