Thursday, July 28, 2011

BOOK REVIEW: The Lady of Bolton Hill

The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden takes place in Baltimore, Maryland in 1867. The two main characters are Clara Endicott and Daniel Tremain who become very good friends even though they are from different sides of the tracks. They have one common love, the love of music, piano playing and Chopin.

Clara’s father was a very well known upper class Reverend at Bolton Hill. Daniel’s father was from the lower class east side of Baltimore and he worked in the steel mill until the day he died. A boiler blew up and took his life even though Daniel tried his best to save him. This made life difficult for Daniel because he was now responsible for him mother and sisters’ welfare and safety.

Daniel coaxed Clara into meeting him the night of his father’s funeral to play music with him at the Conservatory. She was his only ray of hope, his only way of escaping reality. Clara had to break the news to Daniel that her father was sending her to England.

After Clara left for England and was not returning his letters, Daniel made it his life long mission to make Alfred Forsythe the owner of the steel mill to pay for his father’s death. Daniel became a very wealthy powerful man who also had powerful enemies. Clara became a journalist who provided a voice for the underprivileged finding herself in trouble and difficulties including landing in jail.

Will Clara and Daniel ever find each other again or will Clara be disappointed in the man she finds? Will Daniel’s enemies ever turn against him? Will Clara help Daniel Tremain and Alfred Forsythe work through their past differences using her journalistic abilities? Find the answers to these questions along with many others in this wonderful novel, The Lady of Bolton Hill.

This is a very well written book that kept me on the edge of my seat wanting more. I recommend this to anyone who likes a fast paced book!

You can listen to an interview with the author, Elizabeth Camden, and read an excerpt from the book here.

I received this book free from Bethany House a division of Baker Publishing Group as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

until next time... nel

Friday, July 22, 2011

Greetings from Panama City Beach

We are having a wonderful time.  The kids are having a blast.  Thought I would share a few pictures with you.  The sunsets have been awesome, how can anyone not believe in God?  This week has gone by too fast, we will head home Saturday morning.  All I can say is it has been wonderful, nothing like making memories...
She just thought she had to be buried.







This is the Sea Screamer that we rode on.





until next time... nel

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Missing Hodgepodge....

We are on the road again.  In Arkansas then off to Florida on Friday.  We are taking the grandkids with us, making memories!   Please remember my daughter Janice in prayer.  She is wearing an Event Monitor for her heart for 14 days and she has a Tilt test scheduled for Monday.  Please pray that the doctors can figure out what is going on and she will begin to feel better.  This has been going on for almost 4 weeks.  Also praying that with the kids gone for a week she will be able to get some much needed rest.

until next time... nel

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Summer Hodgepodge...


It is that fun time of the week again - Wednesday Hodgepodge.  If you would like to join in click on the button above and just hop to it!  Joyce does a fantastic job of picking our brains and making us think.  It is a great way to make new friends, so what are you waiting for?  Oh wait you need to read my answers first, you know you want too!
Here they are:

1.  What is the most useful book in your house?
I would say the Bible, other than that I would have to say the little book I have my account numbers, user names and passwords written in.  This poor little brain can't always remember them.

2.  What's worse being too hot or too cold?
I would have to say too hot.  You know there is only so much you can take off and get by with it.  You can always add more clothes if you are cold, so yeppers I would have to say too hot.

3.  Share something that made you smile this past weekend.
We went to the office supply store and my hubby bought me a laptop.  I am sooo excited and I was definitely smiling.

4.  How do you like your hamburgers?  Or don't you?
I love them grilled.  We have been adding a little dry Ranch salad dressing mix to them and oh are they ever good!  Then put a little Miracle Whip, tomato and onion and sometimes cheese,  mmm good!

5.  What's your summer beach read?  
I just finished an e-book titled Stealing Jake, working on The Boy Back From Heaven, and I have two more in shipment from publishers.  I love to read!

6.  How was your birthday celebrated when you were a kid?
I remember having a couple of parties with friends from school but usually it was just family.  We usually had a cake and ice cream and I got to choose what supper was.  In teen years I usually had a sleep over in our basement with 5 or 6 girls from school.  Fun Times!

7.  What's something that is totally uncool that you love anyway?
Wow, this is a hard one.  Okay I am going to fess up, I enjoy the soap Days of Our Lives.  Yes I know, but it has been one of those that I grew up with.  I have watched it off and on my whole life I guess.  Enough said....  lolol.

8.  Random Thought...
I have so many thoughts it is scary sometimes, but my main thought has been on my daughter this week.  She had her Echo and Stress Test done and Praise The Lord they did not show any problems, besides a mildly prolapsed valve, nothing to worry about.  She found all of this out Saturday and of course being a holiday weekend they did not discuss it completely.  He did say that they would schedule her for a Tilt Test, because they had to find out what was going on.  However today she received another call and the cardiologist told her to make an appointment with her GP because her thyroid levels had dropped and it needed to be checked first, and could possibly be causing all of her problems.  Bless her heart, not long ago she started attending church again, an answer to prayer, and now this is happening.  I just pray that this is the root of her problems and they can correct it with medicine and life will be good!  Praying and Believing!

until next time... nel

Saturday, July 2, 2011

This says it all...

I seen this on facebook and I just wanted to share...





I think this about says it all!   Have a wonderful 4th of July and be safe!

until next time... nel