CHAPPY DEBBIE'S WEEK-IN-REVIEW!

SHIP'S LOG

               What I spied from the deck of me ship

                          April 9th-April 15th 

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

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                              BOOKS:                                           

MEET THE AUTHOR

DEBBIE LYNNE COSTELLO

This week I wanted to introduce you to a great author, Debbie Lynne Costello. She is truly a blessed writer and has become one of my favorite authors.

Debbie Lynne Costello has enjoyed writing stories since she was eight years old. She raised her family and then embarked on her own career of writing the stories that had been begging to be told. She and her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina. She has worked in many capacities in her church and is currently the Children's Director. Debbie Lynne has shown and raised Shetland Sheepdogs for eighteen years and still enjoys litters now and then. In their spare time, she and her husband take pleasure in camping and riding their Arabian and Tennessee Walking horses.

I truly enjoyed reading Deb's books, SWORD OF FORGIVENESS and SHATTERED MEMORIES.

Here are the descriptions of each book and my review for each:

SWORD OF FORGIVENESS

DESCRIPTION:

After the death of her cruel father, Brithwin is determined never again to live under the harsh rule of any man. Independent and resourceful, she longs to be left alone to manage her father's estate. But she soon discovers a woman has few choices when the king decrees she is to marry Royce, the Lord of Rosencraig. As if the unwelcome marriage isn't enough, her new husband accuses her of murdering his family, and she is faced with a challenge of either proving her innocence or facing possible execution.

Royce Warwick returns home after setting down a rebellion to find his family brutally murdered. When all fingers point to his betrothed and attempts are made on his life, Royce must wade through murky waters to uncover the truth. Yet Brithwin's wise and kind nature begin to break down the walls of his heart, and he soon finds himself in a race to discover who is behind the evil plot before Brithwin is the next victim.

MY REVIEW:

What a debut!

Well, if her future novels even slightly compare to this one, Debbie Lynne Costello will be among my favorite authors. Sword of Forgiveness is a wonderful tale.... Life kept getting in my way. All I wanted to do was sit and keep reading....
I've always said that if a story causes me to touch my hand to my chest and make me sigh, it is a winner! This tale had me doing this and much more....laughing, crying, cheering (Go Thor!) and relating to a lot of what was said concerning forgiveness. Sure, you have knights, damsels in distress (and causing distress) and plenty of adventure. But, what I took away from this tale was that God forgives us all, no matter what our past holds. There is no sense in denying it or fighting it, just give it to Him and ask for His forgiveness....He will forgive, just as He has promised.
Sword of Forgiveness will keep catching you off guard....boy will it ever! Great job, Debbie Lynne, great job! I look forward to future books written by you.

SHATTERED MEMORIES

DESCRIPTION:

The Charleston earthquake has left destruction like nothing Doctor Andrew Warwick has ever seen. On a desperate mission to find the lady who owns his heart, he frantically searches through the rubble, where he finds her injured and lifeless. After she regains consciousness, the doctor’s hopes are quickly dashed as he realizes she doesn’t remember him. Things only get worse when he discovers she believes she’s still engaged to the abusive scoundrel, Lloyd Pratt. Now Drew is on a race with the wedding clock to either help her remember or win her heart again before she marries the wrong man. 

Waking in a makeshift hospital, Olivia Macqueen finds herself recovering from a head injury. With amnesia stealing a year of her memories, she has trouble discerning between lies and truth. When her memories start returning in bits and pieces, she must keep up the charade of amnesia until she can find out the truth behind the embezzlement of her family’s business while evading the danger lurking around her. 

MY REVIEW:

Chills and Thrills!

I absolutely loved this book! After reading Sword of Forgiveness, I couldn't wait for Debbie Lynne to write another book. Now that she has, I am tickled pink! Once life finally allowed me to sit down and read Shattered Memories, I couldn't put it down. Being in an earthquake myself, I was totally enthralled by this story. Debbie Lynne has done a fantastic job recreating a time in history and weaving a story that captures the fears and faith of those who experienced this terrible disaster. I love Drew and Olivia's story....a tale of hope, loss, fear, faith and love. One last thing....the Epilogue gave me chills. (in a good way)

CHECK OUT DEBBIE LYNNE'S AMAZON PAGE HERE.

                               MOVIES & TV

CASTLE

Each night between 7pm and 9pm, the Butler and the Maid sit down together and watch a series on dvd. We are currently watching the Castle series....I still need to purchase seasons 6 and 7. This series, especially the earlier seasons, is so funny. We enjoy shows where you have to figure out who the bad guys are and this show has a few twists and turns that sometimes keeps you guessing....other times, it's quite easy. I love the banter between Castle and Beckett.....one of my favorite tv couples. 

Check out the Castle series HERE.

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NEWS:

BlankiesByJackie

For my news this week, I wanted to let everyone know about my daughter's etsy shop. Jackie Ramsdell can make and create the most adorable and gorgeous crocheted items around. Hop over and check out her Etsy shop to see what she's made.....

https://www.etsy.com/people/jackieramsdell

You can also find Jackie on Facebook....https://www.facebook.com/BlankiesByJackie/?fref=nf

Here are just a few of her projects....

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A HANDMADE TREASURE, SEARCH NO FURTHER, JACKIE DOES SPECIAL ORDERS ALL THE TIME!

BlankiesByJackie

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      BLOGS: 

  

This week I wanted to tell you about the blog The Seekers. It's a great blog with a lot to offer.

This is the blog of the Seekers, thirteen published Christian writers. We are all contest winners and finalists who randomly collided on the road toward publication. When we met in August of 2005, NONE of us were published. In six short years the Lord has brought all our God given dreams to pass. We are Golden Heart finalists and winners,RITA finalists, Carol Award finalists and winners. Genesis Award finalists and winners, and Christy Award finalists.  

With 13 authors sharing on this blog, you know that there will always be something that will peak your interest. Here is a list of the authors:

*Glynna Kaye* Julie Lessman *Missy Tippens *Ruth Logan Herne* Cara Lynn James *Mary Connealy *Janet Dean *Tina Radcliffe *Pam Hillman *Myra Johnson *Debby Giusti *Sandra Leesmith *Audra Harders 

HEAD OVER AND CHECK OUT THIS BLOG.     THE SEEKERS

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                           SHIP'S GALLEY:

RECENTLY MY DAUGHTER AND SON-IN-LAW HAVE GONE VEGAN, SO I WANTED TO SHARE A RECIPE THAT I FOUND..............VEGAN BLUEBERRY PANCAKES!

Not only are these delicious, but they’re low fat and super healthy too. Besides being vegan, part of the reason these are so good for you is that no oil is used in the recipe. You can eat a big stack of them, guilt free!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup graham flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons wheat germ
2 teaspoons baking powder (aluminum free)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup almond milk or other plant-based milk (+ additional tablespoons as needed)
1/2 cup frozen bluberries (optional – no need to thaw)

Instructions:

1. Mix the flours, wheat germ, and baking powder in a medium sized bowl.

2. Add the almond milk and vanilla.

3. Combine with a wire whisk or a fork. Add additional milk a tablespoon at a time to achieve proper consistency. Batter should be fairly thick, but thin enough to drip from the whisk.

4. Add blueberries, and gently mix them in with a large spoon.

5. Preheat non-stick frying pan for 2-3 minutes, at medium temperature.

6. Spoon batter into frying pan, making pancakes about 3” wide.

7. Turn down the heat a bit if necessary, to avoid burning the outside before the inside is cooked. Use your finger to test “done-ness”: the pancakes spring back when pressed.

8. The batter tends to thicken as it stands. Add additional almond milk or water to remaining batter, one tablespoon at a time, to maintain the right consistency.

9. Time to eat! Makes 10-12 small vegan blueberry pancakes, to serve two happy people.

If you have any leftovers, you can always freeze them. They toast up nicely for a quick, easy breakfast anytime. You can also make up a double batch just to have some extras around!

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GIVEAWAY!!!!

Debbie Lynne has graciously offered to give away a copy of reader's choice of paperback or ebook of either SHATTERED MEMORIES or SWORD OF FORGIVENESS to one of my commenters. So, if you wish to be in the drawing, just leave a comment below. (US residents only for paperback) Winner will be announced in my next blog post.

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THE WINNER BE........

                                

CONGRATULATIONS to SUSAN P. for winning LIKE NEVER BEFORE! 

SUSAN, PLEASE SEND ME A PM ON FACEBOOK WITH YOUR ADDRESS, SO THAT I CAN GIVE IT TO MELISSA! 

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Come back next week, Mateys, to see who wins one of Debbie Lynn's books!

 

Have a blessed week!