Finding Ever After

This was a fitting conclusion to the tale.

Abigail starts off in hiding and longing for Christian.

There is much more of Lacey's story this time, which effects and is important to Abigail being able to fulfill her destiny.

There is intrigue, surprise, and happy ever after, but not until the heroine's journey goes through some perilous moments.

A delightfully clean read. I hope that Ms. Niedfeldt writes more stories set in this world.


AMAZON

The magical story continues in this sequel and final resolution to Ending the Rain: A Fairy Tale.

Fairy tales end with a kiss . . . But that is really only the beginning.
Abigail has found true love, but will she ever be able to secure her happily ever after? Having fled to the northern kingdom, her fate seems uncertain as she endeavors to hide from the soldiers that continue to diligently search for her.

Just as she is getting comfortable in her new life, an important document is suddenly discovered, forcing Abigail to choose between the comforts and security of her new home and the chance to fight for her destiny. Will she have the courage necessary to do what it takes—even risk her life—to reclaim what is rightfully hers?

After all, "happily ever afters" don't just happen. You have to fight for them.

Ending the Rain

This isn't a fairytale retelling but an original story involving coming of age, love, and finding one's true destiny isn't necessarily dictated by what's on a stone but what's in a heart.

I read this for book club otherwise I might not've found this charming tale, which is well worth the read.

Ms. Niedfeldt has done a wonderful job of creating a lovely world for her characters. There is magic, there are knights, and a delightful finishing school.

I enjoyed following Abagail's journey through friendship and love. By her side is faithful Lacey. Abigail must traverse the precarious pitfalls of first crushes and love, fitting into a new school, and discovering the at-first-frightening school teacher is an ally she needs.

Well done Ms. Niedfeldt. I enjoyed it so much, I bought the second book to finish the tale.


AMAZON

Once upon a time . . .

Having grown up in a small village, Abigail always expected to lead an average, ordinary life. But when her dreams come true and she is accepted to Poppy Seed Academy's prestigious finishing school, she soon learns that her destiny is anything but ordinary. Suddenly finding herself overwhelmed by feelings of fear and inadequacy, it will take the help of both a dashing, young soldier and a wise, old teacher for her to be able to gather the courage necessary for her to become the person she needs to become.

An original fairy tale about a young woman who is willing to risk everything - including the dreams of her heart - to save the kingdom she loves.

It's a Twin Thing

This book is an atypical read from Ms. Armstrong.

If you've been following her for any length of time, you'll know that she often talks about her miracle boys and the crazy things they say.

This cute book of quotes from her twin boys can be read on a lunch hour.

Enjoy. 


AMAZON

Two things are better than one. Peer into life with Thing 1 and Thing 2, hilarious identical twin boys affectionately nicknamed after Dr. Seuss’s classic characters in The Cat in the Hat. This journal-style book is part memoir, part comedy, and has finally been published due to popular demand. Featuring over 230 humorous vignettes, it’s guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.

My Stroke of Insight

I read this book following my father's stroke and, though his stroke was of a different nature, I found this book immensely helpful in understanding what a stroke is, how it works, and how to care for a survivor afterward.

The fact that Dr. Taylor could recall her stroke with such clarity and defined herself as wounded rather than deficient helped me see how to interact with stroke survivors and grateful that some of the tactics she encourages came to me naturally.

This book is full of understandable information that you can apply immediately when you're face to face with stroke.

I recommend it to anyone who wants to gain insight to the workings of the brain even if you never think you'll need to apply it to stroke for yourself or a loved one.

AMAZON

The astonishing New York Times bestseller that chronicles how a brain scientist's own stroke led to enlightenment

On December 10, 1996, Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven- year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist experienced a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. As she observed her mind deteriorate to the point that she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life-all within four hours-Taylor alternated between the euphoria of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace, and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized she was having a stroke and enabled her to seek help before she was completely lost. It would take her eight years to fully recover.

For Taylor, her stroke was a blessing and a revelation. It taught her that by "stepping to the right" of our left brains, we can uncover feelings of well-being that are often sidelined by "brain chatter." Reaching wide audiences through her talk at the Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference and her appearance on Oprah's online Soul Series, Taylor provides a valuable recovery guide for those touched by brain injury and an inspiring testimony that inner peace is accessible to anyone.

A Year of Biblical Womanhood

I read this for book club, otherwise I don't think I would've ever picked it up.

However I'm glad I did. I liked the premise and the set up of the book - diving deep in to the Bible to determine who a biblical woman is and how does that look in the modern age.
Each month had a different theme with principals and tasks to understand and apply the Bible to everyday life.

I liked the Bible stories and the adventures the author had in her attempt to be a Biblical woman. Some of my favorites were Chip, the pie meltdown, the tent in the front yard, and the monastary. I also appreciated her husband's journal entries.

The idea brought up questions regarding my own spiritual progress in terms of the Bible. I liked that she changed over the course of the year.

Only one question remained:
What was the obsession with her hair?

AMAZON

New York Times Bestseller. With just the right mixture of humor and insight, compassion and incredulity, A Year of Biblical Womanhood is an exercise in scriptural exploration and spiritual contemplation. What does God truly expect of women, and is there really a prescription for biblical womanhood? Come along with Evans as she looks for answers in the rich heritage of biblical heroines, models of grace, and all-around women of valor.

What is “biblical womanhood” . . . really?

Strong-willed and independent, Rachel Held Evans couldn’t sew a button on a blouse before she embarked on a radical life experiment—a year of biblical womanhood. Intrigued by the traditionalist resurgence that led many of her friends to abandon their careers to assume traditional gender roles in the home, Evans decides to try it for herself, vowing to take all of the Bible’s instructions for women as literally as possible for a year.

Pursuing a different virtue each month, Evans learns the hard way that her quest for biblical womanhood requires more than a “gentle and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:4). It means growing out her hair, making her own clothes, covering her head, obeying her husband, rising before dawn, abstaining from gossip, remaining silent in church, and even camping out in the front yard during her period.

See what happens when a thoroughly modern woman starts referring to her husband as “master” and “praises him at the city gate” with a homemade sign. Learn the insights she receives from an ongoing correspondence with an Orthodox Jewish woman, and find out what she discovers from her exchanges with a polygamist wife.  Join her as she wrestles with difficult passages of scripture that portray misogyny and violence against women.

Belize!

Our 20th Anniversary Trip to Belize was awesome!

After two planes and two hours of driving across Belize, we arrived at Chaa Creek Resort in the rainforest/jungle. The resort is stunning and they upgraded us to a jacuzzi suite which we took full advantage of.

We spelunked in the ATM (Actun Tunichil Muknal). I don't have any pics because you aren't allowed to bring cameras after a person dropped their camera on one of the skulls in the sacred part of the cave. If you're interested in what I experienced you can check out National Geographic's epidode of the Crystal Maiden or check out this link: https://youtu.be/BJAwvSrzdRM or watch the video below.  It's a pretty good representation of what we did and the highlight of the trip for me. Though I did wonder how my husband was going to fit through some of the spaces.

At the resort they have over 70 Mayan sites, hiking trails, butterfly farm, and canoes. We did it all, including some relaxing.

We visited the Mayan ruins of Xunatunich and could see over the border to Guatemala. We got there when it opened and had the place to ourselved for 30 minutes before anyone else showed up so no photo bombers!

Then it was on to the Belize Zoo where they have 37 native animals. Here's the tapir their national animal.  

We took a 14 seater airplane to the caye and sat right behind the pilot!

And then we spent two days at Mahogany Bay chilling on their private island beach because all the scuba and snorkel dives we planned were cancelled due to strong currents. This was our only disappointment as Belize is said to have some of the best reefs in the world and part of the reason I picked the location for our anniversary. I hope we'll be able to go back and try again. Instead I got a massage. 

I'm super grateful for this handsome husband of mine. He makes our life beautiful and supports my artistic side. Happy 20th! 

Inevitable

YA paranormal romance is a little outside of my genre, but I found the hook intriguing. The smell of lemons means death, definitely grabbed my attention.

Jayne is a high school girl who wants a normal life, not to See people's deaths. Poor Jayne. She wants to do so much good and change her visions but doesn't understand how to. Add on top of her troubles a serial killer who's trying to make her his next victim. 

There are many relatable themes for teens and adults throughout the story. 

It's a clean read. No language. A few simple kisses. There is underage drinking. 

Ms. Heiner did a nice job of weaving together entangling elements to keep the reader captivated and wanting to know what happens next. 

AMAZON

The future is not ever in motion.

It's all a lie: the thought that the future can be changed. Jayne knows. She's been cursed to watch how the people around her will die, and no matter what she does, she can't change it. That includes Aaron, the handsome English boy who transferred to her school mid-semester and has eyes only for her.

But then a serial killer takes up residence in Jayne's town . . .

And she's on his list.

Finding a way to alter the future has never been more critical.

The first book in the Goddess of Fate series, Inevitable is a suspense novel with a hint of the paranormal. Fans of Bella Forrest will enjoy this new take on an unfamiliar mythology. Romance, magic, suspense - the perfect book to escape into!