Deborah Vogts's Blog, page 81

Book Preview ~ The Covered Deep

The Covered Deep, by Brandy Vallance


Bianca Marshal is an incurably romantic bookworm from Appalachia who’s holding out for the perfect husband. She doesn’t want much, just that he be (1) a true believer in Jesus Christ (2) devastatingly handsome with a slightly wild look in his eyes (3) brilliant and humorous like Mark Twain (4) a foreigner, possibly a disgruntled duke (5) able to quote Bible verses AND Shakespeare (6) a more than capable kisser, and (7) adore her completely.Finding a man that meets the requirements of “the list” in the foothills of the Appalachians has proven impossible. Bianca’s mama insists that there’s no such thing as a perfect true love, and that Bianca’s ideal man is pure fiction. On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, Bianca discovers a devastating statistic. Her chance of marrying is now only eighteen percent. But the “S” word—spinsterhood—is not something she’s willing to accept. She’s going to prove the statistics and her mama wrong. Bianca wins an essay contest that propels her into a whirlwind search for the perfect romantic hero. Via the opulence of London and the mysteries of the Holy Land, Bianca’s true love will be revealed, but not without a price that might be too heavy to pay. Purchase the book HERE. A completely incurable romantic, Brandy Vallance adores history and frequently has to be told at museums that it’s closing time. She loves to travel, plays the cello, and thinks all teacups should be bottomless. In 2011, she fulfilled a lifelong dream and went to England, Scotland, and Wales. Being a complete Anglophile, it was difficult to bring her home. Bribes may have been involved.Brandy fell in love with the Victorian time period at a young age, loving the customs, manners, and especially the intricate rules of love. Since time travel is theoretically impossible, she lives in the nineteenth century vicariously through her novels. Unaccountable amounts of black tea have fueled this ambition. Brandy hopes to avoid a similar fate as the writer, Honoré de Balzac, who met his death via caffeine poisoning. At this point, the balance may not be tipped in her favor. Brandy’s love of tea can only be paralleled by her love of Masterpiece Theater Classics, deep conversations, and a good book.Brandy’s novels explore the hard questions, real emotions, and the complicated areas in life. She endeavors to represent the high calling of storytelling in a true and honest way, following wherever God leads. At the end of her career as a writer (which won’t be anytime soon) Brandy wants to be able to feel that she’s written as authentically as possible. She also wants to be able to reread the stories she’s written and find they still make her laugh and cry.Brandy has been changed with the writing of each novel. She once heard a quote, “We write best what we seek most to understand.” Believing this to be true, she feels blessed to be able to explore her own questions, and honored to explore the questions of others. Along the complicated road called life, Brandy hopes the romances she writes will make someone’s journey a little easier. She looks forward to all the stories to come. Learn more about Brandy and her writing HERE.

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes. May you have a safe and happy Halloween.
Apple Recipes to Share
Baked Potato Soup
Monster Cookies

Colors of Fall

Thought it was time to share some more fall colors with you. Pictures taken by our youngest daughter. 

Book Preview ~ Miracle in a Dry Season

MIRACLE IN A DRY SEASON by Sarah Loudin Thomas

It’s 1954 and Perla Long’s arrival in the sleepy town of Wise, West Virginia, was supposed to go unnoticed. She just wants a quiet, safe place for her and her daughter, Sadie, where the mistakes of her past can stay hidden. But then drought comes to Wise, and Perla is pulled into the turmoil of a town desperately in need of a miracle.

Casewell Phillips has resigned himself to life as a bachelor…until he meets Perla. She’s everything he’s sought in a woman, but he can’t get past the sense that she’s hiding something. As the drought worsens, Perla’s unique gift divides the town in two, bringing both gratitude and condemnation, and placing the pair in the middle of a storm of anger and forgiveness, fear and faith. Purchase the book HERE.

Sarah Loudin Thomas grew up on a 100-acre farm in French Creek, WV, the seventh generation to live there. Her Christian fiction is set in West Virginia and celebrates the people, the land, and the heritage of Appalachia. Her first novel, Miracle in a Dry Season, releases August 2014 through Bethany House. Sarah is represented by Wendy Lawton of Books & Such Literary Agency.

A graduate of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC, Sarah once dreamed of being a marine scientist. But her love for words won out and she has spent much of her career in public relations and marketing. She currently oversees fundraising and communications for a Christian children’s home in Black Mountain, NC.

Sarah and her husband Jim live in the mountains of Western North Carolina with Thistle–the canine equivalent to a personal trainer pushing them to hike, run, and throw sticks. Sarah is active in her local church and enjoys cooking and–you guessed it–reading. Learn more about Sarah and her writing HERE.

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes. Enjoy your weekend! 
Chocolate Caramel Bars

Spiced Applesauce Muffins
Featured Author Carrie Turansky shares her recipe for Coronation Chicken Salad

Vogts Sisters at Murphy's Landing

 Last week our daughters, The Vogts Sisters, had a photo shoot with photographer, Angelyn Hobson, for their upcoming album. 
The pictures were taken at Murphy's Landing, a lovely cabin used as a Bed and Breakfast. I've held a number of writer retreats there in the fall, so was thrilled when Portia granted us permission to use their place for our album pictures. 
The property has a large pond on several acres, also used as a hunting lodge.
The cabin has a beautiful front porch, which made an excellent setting for pictures.
Some of the shots taken will be used as Abbey's senior pictures. 
I'll share Angelyn's photos when we "unveil" the album toward the end of the year. We're eager to see how the professional shots turned out! 
What do you think? Isn't this place gorgeous?!!

Book Preview ~ Tried and True

Tried and True, by Mary Connealy

Kylie Wilde fought in the Civil War dressed as a boy and now she's homesteading as a man. But she makes one lousy man! When land agent Aaron Masterson comes to inspect her claim, he immediately realizes she's a woman. She begs him not to tell, but can he in good conscience defraud the U.S. government, even if she really did serve in the war?

Aaron is interested in the little spitfire from the moment her long hair falls from her cap, but when he tells her of his plan to stake his own claim, farther west and up in the mountains, she draws away. Kylie's focus is to "prove up" her homestead, sell it for a profit, move back east, and live the rest of her life in civilization.

But all Kylie's future plans are put in jeopardy when someone tries to burn her out. Who would attack her way out here? Aaron and Kylie suspect it's the local land baron--but Gage Coulter denies any involvement. He does suggest a way for Kylie to stay safe, though--marry him! More attacks scare Kylie near to death, and she can't face living on her own any longer. Should she tie her fortune to Gage or Aaron? Either choice will put an end to her dreams of a civilized life. And what if marrying doesn't stop the attacks after all? Buy the book HERE.

Mary Connealy is an awardwinning, bestselling author known for her fun and lively historical romantic comedies. An author, teacher, and journalist, Mary lives on an eastern Nebraska ranch with her husband and enjoys spending time with her four daughters and two grandchildren. Learn more at www.maryconnealy.com.

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes. Do you have fun plans for this weekend? Share with us in the comments below! 
Baked Mexican Egg Rolls
Cornbread Pudding
Featured Author Amanda Cabot shares her recipe for Summer Pasta Salad.

Our Emma Bug

 Our little granddaughter is almost 19 months old. We hadn't seen her for 8 weeks and my, how she'd grown! 
She's always hungry and talks up a storm. Two of her favorite things to say: "What's That?" and "Go, Go, Go!" 
Our hearts melt when she calls us by name: "Papa" "Gammaw" "Mimi" and "Abbaw"

We just want to hug her all the time! 

Book Preview ~ With Every Breath

With Every Breath by Elizabeth Camden

In the shadow of the nation's capital, Kate Livingston's respectable life as a government worker is disrupted by an encounter with the insufferable Trevor McDonough, the one man she'd hoped never to see again. A Harvard-trained physician, Trevor never showed the tiniest flicker of interest in Kate, and business is the only reason he has sought her out now.

Despite her misgivings, Kate agrees to Trevor's risky proposal to join him in his work to find a cure for tuberculosis. As Kate begins to unlock the mysteries of Trevor's past, his hidden depths fascinate her. However, a shadowy enemy lies in wait and Trevor's closely guarded secrets are darker than she ever suspected.

As revelations from the past threaten to destroy their careers, their dreams, and even their lives, Trevor and Kate find themselves in a painfully impossible situation. With everything to lose, they must find the strength to trust that hope and love can prevail over all. Buy the book HERE. 

Elizabeth Camden is the award-winning author of five books, including Against the Tide, which won a RITA Award, a Christy Award, and a Daphne du Maurier Award. With master's degrees in history and 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. Learn more at www.elizabethcamden.com.