Deborah Vogts's Blog, page 63

Recommended Reading ~ A Noble Masquerade

A Noble Masquerade, by Kristi Ann Hunter

Lady Miranda Hawthorne acts every inch the lady, but inside she longs to be bold and carefree. Entering her fourth Season and approaching spinsterhood in the eyes of society, she pours her innermost feelings out not in a diary but in letters to her brother's old school friend, a duke--with no intention of ever sending these private thoughts to a man she's heard stories about but never met. Meanwhile, she also finds herself intrigued by Marlow, her brother's new valet, and although she may wish to break free of the strictures that bind her, falling in love with a servant is more of a rebellion than she planned. 

When Marlow accidentally discovers and mails one of the letters to her unwitting confidant, Miranda is beyond mortified. And even more shocked when the duke returns her note with one of his own that initiates a courtship-by-mail. Insecurity about her lack of suitors shifts into confusion at her growing feelings for two men--one she's never met but whose words deeply resonate with her heart, and one she has come to depend on but whose behavior is more and more suspicious. When it becomes apparent state secrets are at risk and Marlow is right in the thick of the conflict, one thing is certain: Miranda's heart is far from all that's at risk for the Hawthornes and those they love. Buy the book HERE.

Kristi Ann Hunter graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Computer Science but
always knew she wanted to write. Kristi is an RWA Golden Heart contest winner, an ACFW Genesis contest winner, and a Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award for Excellence winner. She is a founding member and the coordinator of the Regency Reflections blog and lives with her husband and three children in Georgia. Find her online at www.kristiannhunter.com.

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes.Have a great weekend! 
Savory Southwest Biscuits
Green Bean Medley
Featured Author, Suzie Walker, shares her recipe for Autumn Harvest Bake.

Coloring Books for Relaxation

As a girl, (and a mom and grandma) I have always enjoyed coloring.Now, it seems to be the popular thing to do.
But the coloring books are much more complex.
And it's better to use colored pencils rather than crayons.My daughters and I received coloring books for Christmas this year, and we're enjoying them immensely. How about you? Do you color?

Recommended Reading ~ Keeper of the Stars

Keeper of the Stars, by Robin Lee Hatcher

Forgiveness is the only cure for heartbreak. But can Penny forgive the man she holds responsible for her brother’s death?

When her mother died from pneumonia, Penny Cartwright was heartbroken. But now, after burying her younger brother just 12 years later, she is devastated. Anger, guilt, and sorrow cloud Penny’s mind, and the last thing she wants is to be reminded of her pain—but that’s exactly what happens when a stranger comes to town.

Trevor Reynolds has been chasing fame for more than a dozen years, but his musical career can’t get off the ground. While on the road, an accident kills his young drummer, Brad Cartwright. Trevor wasn’t behind the wheel, but he still blames himself . . . and so does Brad’s sister, Penny. Now Trevor finds himself in Kings Meadow, determined to follow through on his final promise to his friend.

Still feeling the pain of Brad’s death, Penny and Trevor must learn that forgiveness is the only thing that can heal their hearts. And if they do forgive, something beautiful may rise from the ashes of heartbreak. Buy the book HERE.

Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Winner of the Christy, the RITA, the Carol, the Inspirational Reader's Choice, and many other industry awards, Robin is also a recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards from both Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. She is the author of 75+ novels and novellas with over five million copies in print.

Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies. Her main hobby (when time allows) is knitting, and she has a special love for making prayer shawls. A mother and grandmother, Robin and her husband make their home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with Poppet, the high-maintenance Papillon, and Princess Pinky, the DC (demon cat). Robin is active on her Facebook Author Page where she loves to interact with readers. See more here: www.robinleehatcher.com

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes. This weekend, our daughters will perform at The Backroom Gallery-Cody's Cafe in Independence, MO. Learn more HERE. 
Cherry-Pistachio Biscotti
Baked Barbecue Chicken

Featured Author, Gail Kittleson, shares her recipe for Homemade Noodles.

Christmas Crafts

This past Christmas, my youngest daughter and I stayed busy with several crafts--something I always enjoy, but haven't done in quite a while. 
The season began by making a Christmas Tree Skirt from burlap, using my own pattern and trimmed with crochet lace. It's simple and perfect for our tree and decorations.
Next, Abbey designed homemade Christmas Cards for our lady's church group to finish and hand out to residents at an assisted living residence in our area.
One of my most treasured projects included making a rag doll for our granddaughter. 
This is a doll pattern that I used for each of our daughters, so it was extra special to me and the girls. I really enjoyed making this doll and her clothes.
Our holiday crafting ended with a finale Twelve Days of Christmas Tea Party. See a special post about the tea party HERE. I hope to do more crafting through the year. What about you? Do you enjoy any special crafts? 

Recommended Reading ~ Until the Dawn

Until the Dawn, by Elizabeth Camden

A volunteer for the newly established Weather Bureau, Sophie van Riijn needs access to the highest spot in her village to report the most accurate readings. Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie knows no better option despite a lack of permission from the absent owners.

The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover a local woman has been trespassing on his land.

Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There's a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark and the Vandermark family history are no longer content to stay in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail? Buy the book HERE. 


Elizabeth Camden is the author of seven books and a RITA and Christy Award winner. With a master's in history and a master's in library science, she is a research librarian by day and scribbles away on her next novel by night. Elizabeth lives with her husband in Florida. Visit her website at www.elizabethcamden.com.

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes.Tonight The Vogts Sisters will perform at The Artichoke Sandwich Bar in Wichita, KS.Learn more HERE. 
Sesame Chicken
Zesty Pizza Sauce

Featured Author, Ane Mulligan, shares her recipe for Six-Layer Eggnog Cake.

Favorite Books 2015

Well, I'm right on track with my reading schedule--twenty-two books for the year--the exact same number that I recorded for the last three years! How crazy is that?!!!
This past year I've concentrated on reading books that have been sitting on my bookshelves for a LONG time. I did manage to read a few new books, but most of them were older ones. 
Here are my Five Star Picks from 2015 (not necessarily published in 2015 and in no certain order)
A Surrendered Heart, by Tracy Peterson and Judith Miller Playing for Pizza , by John GrishamAn Uncertain Choice, by Jody HedlundA Cowboy's Touch, by Denise Hunter The Trouble with Cowboys , by Denise HunterA Worthy Pursuit, by Karen WitemeyerHow to Catch a Prince, by Rachel HauckLizzy and Jane, by Katherine ReayFancy Pants, by Cathy Marie Hake
And my one SIX Star Pick goes to To Win Her Favor, by Tamera Alexander. Congratulations, Tammy, for putting out one of your best books yet! 
I'm looking forward to more reading in 2016--beginning with Pride and Prejudice--which my daughters have been dinging me to read for years! I'm finally doing it and LOVING it so far! 

Recommended Reading ~ At Love's Bidding

 At Love's Bidding, by Regina Jennings

After helping her grandfather at their Boston auction house, Miranda Wimplegate discovers she's accidentally sold a powerful family's prized portrait to an anonymous bidder. Desperate to appease the furious family, her grandfather tracks it to the Missouri Ozarks and makes an outlandish offer to buy the local auction house if they promise not to sell anything until he arrives.

Upon their arrival, however, they discover their new business doesn't deal in fine antiques, but in livestock. And its manager, ruggedly handsome Wyatt Ballentine, is frustrated to discover his fussy new bosses don't know a thing about the business he's single-handedly kept afloat. Faced with more cattle than they can count--but no mysterious painting--Miranda and Wyatt form an unlikely but charged partnership to try and salvage a bad situation getting worse. Buy the book HERE. 


Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a history minor. She is the author of A Most Inconvenient Marriage, Sixty Acres and a Bride, and Caught in the Middle, and contributed a novella to A Match Made in Texas. Regina has worked at the Mustang Newsand First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She now lives outside Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with her husband and four children and can be found online at www.reginajennings.com.