A Bride’s Journey to the Colorado Territory (Frontier Legacy Brides book 2) review

via A Bride’s Journey to the Colorado Territory (Frontier Legacy Brides book 2) review

Fueling the Muse—How to Mentally Prepare for “The Novel”

Source: Fueling the Muse—How to Mentally Prepare for “The Novel”

I’ve Moved

I have a new web home on a wordpress self hosted site.

Find me by clicking on my name.

Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

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IF you’ve found me here, please go to my real blog, Diana Lesire’s Blog Home in my Heart at http://www.pencildancer.com  WordPress causes me pain.

Diana

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Review: The Rhythm of Secrets by Patti Lacy

I am loving Lacy’s literary style fiction. The Rhythm of Secrets didn’t disappoint this reader. Where other writers may have fallen short with this surprising tale Lacy’s unique twist of descriptive phrases brought this tale to life.

The story itself is unusual, inspired by a true story that begins in New Orleans, 1940 with a teenager as the heroine. We follow her through the mistakes made in a flash of false love, life changes and finally the facing of who she really is.

The Rhythm of Secrets is the perfect title. Lies are woven with the measure of beats until they become the main character’s musical score.

Lacy has even included the music of the book on her website, www.pattilacy.com This is a book to read and savor and yet not put down. I stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish it because the last third of the book would not let me go to bed.

Back cover copy:

Sheila Franklin has masqueraded as the precocious daughter of an avant-garde parents in colorful 1940s New Orleans, a teen desperate for love and acceptance, and an unwed mother sent North with her shame.

After marring Edward, Shelia artfully masks her secrets, allowing Edward to gain prominence as a conservative pastor. When one phone call from a disillusioned Vietnam veteran destroys her cover, Shelia faces an impossible choice: save her son and his beloved…or imperil Edward’s ambitions.

Inspired by a true story, The Rhythm of Secrets intermingles  jazz, classical, and sacred music in a symphony trumpeting God’s grace.

Reveiw: Masquerade Marriage by Anne Green

The front cover captured my attention with these words: 

A Secret List, A Fugitive Warrior, One Life-Saving Option….

How could anyone resist?

Masquerade Marriage takes place in Scotland in 1796. I’ve read many books in this time period and often find myself yawning by chapter three. Not so with this treasure by Greene. 

The characters are fresh, there is a lot of action, danger and I found myself having to read just one more page. Another pleasure in reading this book is learning about Scotland during that time. Greene has presented enough setting details and information about the warring communities in a way that is not lecturing. She has included it as a part of the story and you won’t find yourself skipping over those parts. And if you do run into a word you aren’t familiar with there is a glossary in the front of the book. Give it a quick read through and you’ll have no trouble understanding what the words in the story refer to.  

I’d recommend picking this one up. It’s a great book to read on a cold winter day.

Here’s the back cover copy:
 

A Secret List

Top protect his loved ones and escape the dark fate of his brothers, a noted warrior abandons his identity. Hiding from relentless soldiers who want him dead. Brody MacCaulay vows to protect the woman he loves more than life, more than freedom, more than Scotland. But his presence throws her into danger.

A Vow Honored

To escape an arranged marriage to an abusive noble, a Lowland Lady weds a stranger to save his life. But vows spoken do not make a marriage, especially when Megan MacMurry holds a different love inside her heart.

A Sacrifice Made

An outlaw, and with a price on his head, Brody condemns himself to a life of heartbreak without Megan. Wanting her desperately, knowing he can’t have her, he heads alone to a certain death….

THE DIGITAL STORY OF NATIVITY – ( or Christmas 2.0 )

Go Ahead–Light up!

Neurotheology–ever heard of it?

I hadn’t, not until my friend Jen mentioned it to me last week. She heard about it on NPR. 

Andrew Newberg has made it possible through neurotheolgy to explore what happens when a person prays or meditates. Newberg is a neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania and author of several books, including How God Changes Your Brain. 

 
 Newberg has been injecting a dye and taking photos of brains after people pray or meditate for over ten years. He’s discovering what Christians knew all along. When you pray you are in the presence of God. It turns out that when you pray, the parietal lobe lights up from the dye like the sun or is that the SON? 


The parietal lobe is the part of the brain is responsible for giving us the orientation of space and time. The light that shows bright on the scans indicates the parietal lobe activity decreases. So the light from the dye, means that part of the brain is inactive or dark. Huh? 


Does that mean when we pray we leave and go to God? I think it might, not physically of course but part of us leaves behind the things of this world for His world. 


Newberg has yet to fine tune his findings. So far it seems it doesn’t matter what faith you believe in as long as you are believing in something to make your brain go inactive.


I want to believe this is more proof that God exists for those who need scientific proof. 


So my suggestion? Hit your knees and light up your brain.

December 18–Try!

Through mybooktherapy I found reverb10.com. 
Every day in December there is a writing prompt encouraging you to describe something that occurred in 2010. 

Even if you aren’t a writer it’s a fun thing to do, jot down your reactions in a journal and you’ll have an encapsulation of your past year.


OR


Just think about each prompt for a moment, go back and cherish a few memories of the year or consider the lessons you may have learned. 


Today is TRY–What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it? (Author: Kaileen Elise)

Next year I’d like to try living a bit more like my husband. No, I don’t want to lay brick and work outside from dark to dark! Ed, is quick to say yes to anything new; while I have to examine everything from what could go wrong to how much will I like this or hate it? 

Next year I’d like to find myself saying YES! to at least 3 things without thinking about. Now that I’ve written it he’ll see this on my blog and I’ll have to do it. That’s okay. I may find out that I have fun!
Maybe this?

This year I wanted to try rollerblading. I didn’t do it. To afraid of breaking a bone. Sad isn’t it? I love to roller skate but roller blades just seem out of my ability and deductible range.