Category Archives: Contemporary

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Eagerly Anticipated Books from My Summer Reading List

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This is a weekly theme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and my first time participating. Though my reading list seems to only grow longer the more I read, here are the ten books I most look forward to reading next.

top_ten_summer_reads

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley This has been on my list for awhile. A blogger I enjoy and an author I admire both recommended it. I can’t wait to see for myself.

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare I can’t tell if I’ll be embarrassed for my infatuation with this series in ten years. At present I am hooked on the romance and snappy dialog Clare consistently delivers.

Shadows by … Continue reading →

Review: Pie by Sarah Weeks

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Pie by Sarah WeeksPIE
Sarah Weeks
Scholastic
Published October 1, 2011

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Beloved Aunt Polly’s death leaves Alice miserable and the small town of Ipswitch floundering. Her world-famous restaurant serving free pies must close, but as the will is settled, everyone wonders who will get Polly’s award-winning pie crust recipe? No one is more surprised than Alice when Aunt Polly’s attorney presents her with Lardo, her aunt’s grumpy cat and sole inheritor of the coveted recipe. News ricochets through town. In its wake a mysterious villain vandalizes Polly’s shop and catnaps Lardo (in case the rumors that the recipe is tattooed on the feline’s enormous … Continue reading →

Many Thanks for Your Support

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An Anniversary Celebration and a Chance to Support a Valuable Mission

In March, to celebrate the anniversary of The Story Sanctuary, I held an auction to raise money for Christian World Mission in Chile to provide funds for school children. Four book boxes went up for auction on ebay. Through a combination of that ebay auction and word-of-mouth, all four boxes were sold, raising a total of $150 for Christian World Mission. Yay!

The Giving Continues…

Two of the boxes were donated back to The Story Sanctuary for use as giveaway prizes.

Drama_with_flare Romance_w_flare

These boxes are packed with tasty snacks and other fun goodies as well as at least three clean YA novels. Sign up quick because this giveaway ends Sunday!

a Rafflecopter … Continue reading →

Review: Deep Green by Trisha Haddad

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Deep Green by Trisha HaddadDeep Green
Trisha Haddad
Eternal Press
Published November 16, 2013

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When terrorists seize control of a cruise ship, a Good Samaritan tosses Leah overboard and helps her escape on a lifeboat with several other survivors. Leah and three men reach a small deserted island after several days at sea. One man volleys lewd comments at Leah. Another moves to dazzle her with his intellect. The last, a young, reserved Arabic man named Musir only seeks to protect Leah from the others. As the four prepare to make the island their home, Leah tries her best to navigate between the four men, avoiding conflict … Continue reading →

Review: We Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt

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We Are the Goldens by Dana ReinhardtWe Are the Goldens
Dana Reinhardt
Wendy Lamb Books/Random House Children’s Books
Published May 27, 2014

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Fifteen year-old Nell has always been comfortable in her older sister’s shadow. She and Layla are intertwined. Nell begins her first year of high school, delighted to share her school days with her sister again and thrilled by the interest of a handsome boy. Then she begins to sense something strange in Layla. Her sister is pulling away. Keeping secrets. And try as she might, Nell can’t understand why.

Desperate not to lose their closeness, Nell pursues Layla, being supportive and loyal. Earning her way … Continue reading →

Author Interview with Laura Anderson Kurk, Author of Glass Girl

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Several months ago a friend recommended two fantastic novels for my reading and reviewing pleasure: Glass Girl and its sequel Perfect Glass. These novels follow Meg’s journey through the terrible grief of losing a sibling and the discovery of a healing love in the wild, heart-of-gold cowboy Henry. As I read, I devoured not only the marvelous tale but the emotional trek of each character through the sorrows and joys of loss and love. Today, Laura Anderson Kurk answers my burning questions about her creative process, reading recommendations and more!

A story is often inspired by a question. What question inspired you to write Glass Girl and Perfect Glass?

Glass Girl by Laura Anderson KurkThis is a great way to look at story genesis! In 2010, when I first began working on Glass Girl, our country was seeing … Continue reading →