Chasing Mona Lisa and a Contest!

Chasing Mona Lisa
by
Tricia Goyer
and
Mike Yorkey

MY THOUGHTS:
This book is an action-packed thrill ride across France! I loved every minute of it. I can always count on Tricia Goyer's historical novels to be fascinating, historically correct, and inspiring. Add in the fast-paced adventure of Mike Yorkey and you've got another winner. This book is a follow on to the Swiss Courier, but you definitely don't have to read that book to know what is happening in this one (but read that one -- it's a fabulous book, too).

Like Swiss Courier, I'd love to see this book made into a movie.

Read what others are saying about the book -- here's the schedule of posts
http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13449999

ABOUT THE BOOK:
It is August 1944 and Paris is on the cusp of liberation. As the soldiers of the Third Reich flee the Allied advance, they ravage the country, stealing countless pieces of art. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable one of all, the Mona Lisa, as a post-war bargaining chip to get him to South America. Can Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler rescue DaVinci's masterpiece before it falls into German hands?

With nonstop action, Chasing Mona Lisa is sure to get readers' adrenaline pumping as they join the chase to save the most famous painting in the world. From war-ravaged Paris to a posh country chateau, the race is on--and the runners are playing for keeps.

Read an excerpt, watch a video and find out more here. http://www.triciagoyer.com/historicalfiction.html#ChasingMonaLisa

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Tricia Goyer is the coauthor of The Swiss Courier as well as the author of many other books, including Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights, both past winners of the ACFW's Book of the Year Award for Long Historical Romance. Goyer lives with her family in Arkansas. For more about Tricia and her other books visit www.triciagoyer.com




Mike Yorkey is the author or coauthor of dozens of books, including The Swiss Courier and the bestselling Every Man's Battle series. Married to a Swiss native, Yorkey lived in Switzerland for 18 months. He and his family currently reside in California. For more about Mike and his other books visit www.mikeyorkey.com





Win an iTouch SPY Pack in the Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway from @triciagoyer @mikeyorkey!

Chasing Mona Lisa is the continuing tale of Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler (first introduced in The Swiss Courier). This time the due are on a relentless quest to save the most famous painting in the world - the Mona Lisa. You can help Gabi and Eric with your very own spy pack when you enter The Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway!

One passionate protector will receive:

• iTouch (The must-have device for any spy. Camera, Maps & Music.)


• Starbucks Gift Card (For all those late nights.)


• Moleskin Notebook (For those important notes.)


• Invisible Ink Pen (Don’t want anyone reading those important notes.)


• Chasing Mona Lisa by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey (Great handbook and intriguing tale for any spy-in-training!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on January 31st. The winner will be announced at the Chasing Mona Lisa Facebook Party on 1/31. Tricia and Mike will be hosting an author chat (on Facebook and Live from Tricia's website) and giving away their books and a Book Club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club AND a LIVE Author Chat for your group with Tricia and Mike.)



So grab your copy of Chasing Mona Lisa and join Tricia and Mike on the evening of the 31st for an author chat, spy training (do you know how to pick a lock?) and lots of giveaways.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity Group for providing a book for this review.

The Shadow of Your Smile -- And a Giveaway!

The Shadow of Your Smile
by
Susan May Warren

MY THOUGHTS:
Susan May Warren has done it again! She has written yet another book that tears at your heart while providing hope in God's ultimate grace. The Shadow of Your Smile is the latest in her Deep Haven series, but it stands alone -- you don't have to read the rest of the series to understand the story.

Imagine waking up from an accident and believing you are a college student once again -- even though you graduated 25 years ago! That is exactly what happens to Noelle in the midst of a crisis in her marriage and her life. Not only does she not recognize the man who calls himself her husband or the family he says she has raised, she doesn't want to acknowledge the person she has become.

This is a story of forgiveness, redemption, and learning to find the true person God created. I love the questions it leaves the reader asking long after the final page is read!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage.

After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember?

Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of thirty novels with Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill and Summerside Press. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Carol Award.

A seasoned women’s events speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice. You can find her online at: www.susanmaywarren.com.

Sometimes love requires a little forgetting ... Come back to Deep Haven and find out what's been happening in your favorite quaint hamlet. If you're new to the Deep Haven series - this is the perfect book to start with - each book in the series is a stand alone story.

ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY!

Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)

• The entire set of Deep Haven Books

The winner will be announced on 1/30/12 on Susan’s blog,www.susanmaywarren.com/scribbles-blog

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity Group for providing an electronic book for this review.

Inspired Design

Inspired Design
By
Roxanne Hughes Packham
and
Hannah Packham

MY THOUGHTS:
This is an amazingly beautiful book! The photographer, Mark Lohman, has done a fabulous job of taking photos that make me want to reach out and touch the beautiful tablescapes and room details the Packhams have designed!

The book is full of simple and elegant design ideas, but is in no way stuffy. It is created to help the reader create a hope that is welcoming and inviting to both the family and the guests who visit. In the author's note at the beginning of the book, Roxanne Packham promises "to inspire you to create a home that touches the soul of those within, as well as all who walk through its doors; to share ideas that create beauty, warmth and passion, as I have with hundreds of clients; and to speak from my heart what my family heritage and love of design has taught me."

Page by page, the authors describe and demonstrate the basic design concepts of both masters of the craft and members of their own family, linking heritage indelibly with design. In addition, they add in advice on how to make special occasions memorable for all in attendance -- both from the perspective of a beautiful setting and by proper event planning and hospitality in the 'little things' that makes a huge difference. In all aspects, the event is designed to make all attendees feel special. I especially liked the idea of the Blessing Tea.

This is a fabulous book with wonderful ideas that are simple to implement on every single page! A perfect wedding shower or house warming gift.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Drawing from a rich family history and her own collection of acclaimed designs, California-based interior designer Roxanne Packham has joined with her teenage daughter Hannah to create Inspired Design (Inspired Design Publications, 2010), an idea-provoking book filled with stunning photographs, treasured family traditions and a plethora of truly inspirational tips for creating a warm and welcoming home, not just throughout the holiday season, but every day to follow.

Whether seeking unique ways to entertain for the upcoming holidays, celebrate with friends, begin new family traditions or showcase the family history, talents and passions in the home’s interior design, the Packhams have shown the way. In doing so, they have utilized the beautifully structured pages of Inspired Design to reveal the classic truth that any home is made more beautiful when it is filled with love, joy and the determination to make those who enter it feel welcomed.

Decorating for the holidays can be a daunting task, whether it is in preparation for family or for a spouse’s office party. Roxanne offers simple ideas for making your home welcoming and comfortable for guests. Hannah is able to offer, from a teen’s perspective, ways of getting the entire family involved in holiday preparations while teaching your children the art of hospitality. With today’s busy, high-tech lifestyle, these are important lessons we often overlook.

With a desire to celebrate the beauty of home and family, the mother-daughter duo has skillfully melded their own store of family memories and candid observations with photos of impeccably designed interiors to remind the reader of the home’s power and ability to change lives. Their purpose in writing Inspired Design is straightforward: “To inspire you to create a home that touches the soul of those within, as well as all who walk through the doors.”

Borne on the wings of their earnest prayers, Inspired Design is far from being just another photo-rich book on interior design. Instead, it is a beautifully rich hospitality book focused as much on what visitors entering the home will feel as on what they might see. Once their collaboration on the book was finished, this mother-daughter duo knew they had found their calling. To continue the work they had begun, Roxanne and Hannah founded Inspired31.org, an organization devoted to inspiring teenage girls, mothers and others to find and follow God’s plan for their lives. Along with funding Inspired31.org, sales of the book go straight to Heart of Hope (a ministry that advocates for orphans and at-risk children in Romania) and other selected charities. The Packhams’ unified mission is to change lives one heart at a time.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Roxanne Hughes Packham is an acclaimed California-based interior designer, whose classic designs grace homes from San Diego to San Francisco. Born into a family of gifted artisans, including renowned silversmiths Allan Adler (her grandfather) and Porter Blanchard (her great-grandfather), Packham is a graduate of the University of Southern California, The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and the Paris Fashion Institute. Additionally, she studied French at the Sorbonne and French culture and literature at the Cité Universitaire in Paris. Roxanne operates her interior design business through a home studio during the hours her children are in school. She makes her home in Southern California with her husband Scott and children Justin and Hannah.

Continuing her family’s long tradition of design excellence, Hannah Packham’s interests include classical ballet, skiing and modern dance. She has participated in mission trips to Costa Rica and Romania and in 2010 was selected to participate in the Rotary Leadership Conference. Miss Packham lives at home with her family in Southern California.