Wordless Wednesday

You Tube Tuesday

My evaluation is actually today (instead of last week), so I decided to play some songs to get me moving...


Mercy Me--Move





Natalie Grant--Beauty Mark





Wish me luck and pray hard because this new evaluation system is nuts.

Refuge on Crescent Hill by Melanie Dobson

Moving home after a recent job loss was supposed to reassure Camden Bristow but what she finds is an empty mansion 150 years old. What happened to the house she played in as a child, the bedtime stories that told of secret passageways and runaway slaves, and all those family memories?

When antiques start disappearing and footsteps are heard, Camden wonders what really happened here . . . at Crescent Hill? Who still has access to the house? And for what purpose? As she works to uncover the past and present mysteries harbored in her home, Camden also uncovers secrets about her family that could change the town--and her life--forever.

About the Author:Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of The Black Cloister; Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana; and Together for Good. A former corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family, Melanie has worked in the fields of journalism and publicity for more than  eighteen years. She and her family live in Oregon.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Kregel Publicationsas part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.


Title:  Refuge on Crescent Hill
Author: Melanie Dobson
Format:  Trade Paperback
Genre: Christian Fiction / Suspense / Hint of Romance
Source:  Review copy provided by Kregel Publications for an honest review.
Published: Kregel Publications / 2010 / ISBN: 978-0-8254-2590-5 / 272 pages / $13.99
Buy the Book: Kregel Publications / Amazon
Read An Excerpt: Refuge on Crescent Hill
Find the Author Online: Melanie Dobson / Blog /  Email

Special Note:   Refuge on Crescent Hill will be available on Amazon Kindle FREE for one week starting October 31!


Why I Read this Book:  When I first saw the tour posted by Kregel and read the brief synopsis, I knew I had to read this book.  After all, history tied in with a suspenseful mystery surrounding a house?  All things I love to read!

What I Liked: Despite the odds against her--no job, no income, and a town threatening the only thing she has left--Camden decided to (grudgingly at first) trust in God and let Him work everything out for her good.  It's always a hard lesson, no matter how many times you have to learn it, but Camden was able to over-come the obstacles placed in her path through her faith in God's help. 

I also enjoyed reading the history about Crescent Hill and hoping that the characters were able to find the treasure to save the house or that Alex would be able to get grants or something to preserve the historical significance since there were hidden tunnels used in the Underground Railroad.  (Seriously, how cool would it be to find out your house has underground tunnels and that they played a significant role in history??  How awesome!)

What I Didn't Like:  I hated the hopelessness that several of the characters were feeling--like everything is lost and that there's no reason to fight anymore.  I've felt that way many times in my life and it's heart-breaking when someone else (either real or imagined) has to go through the same thing.

Overall Impression: Great book!  I couldn't put it down because I wanted to find out what happened next in the story.  If you enjoy suspense with a little bit of history, you'll love Refuge on Crescent Hill.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Let me know what you think!  Happy Reading!

You Tube Tuesday

In honor of my observation today under our new "peer evaluation" system, I figured this would be rather apropos. Enjoy!

Darth Vader






UPDATE:
My observation/evaluation has been moved to next Tuesday. Oh the excitement and stress. I can hardly wait.

Wordless Wednesday

You Tube Tuesday

Sesame Street: Cookie Monster in the Library

Some days I feel like the librarian and other days like Cookie Monster...I think we should always have cookies while reading.

Women of Faith Conference--Tampa Style

It's hard to believe that in a couple of days I'll be at the Women Of Faith Conference here in Tampa!  I'm sure you've noticed the Imagine banner on the side bar of my blog, but in a couple days I'll be there live!  Thanks to the people at BookSneeze, I was one of the bloggers chosen to attend this conference as long as I  blog and tweet about my experiences at the event.  Thank you Booksneeze!  Here's a preview of the event:



If you don't already have tickets to the Women of Faith Conference, you can purchase your tickets here.  Let me know if you're going and maybe we can meet up during one of the breaks over the two day event.  I'll be tweeting from @DynamicU, so those of you with Twitter accounts can reach me there, or just follow along in my Twitter sidebar here on the blog. 

After looking at the line-up of people, I'm really excited.  I mean, Natalie Grant AND MaryMary are going to be there?!  Talk about rockin' out.  Plus, Lisa Harper, Shelia Walsh, Nicole Johnson, Angie Smith, and Luci Swindoll will be speaking too.  What a great group of women to learn from over the two day time period.

I'm sure there will be many surprises in store, so you'll have to follow my tweets and check back after the event for a recap, if I don't see you there!

Wordless Wednesday



You Tube Tuesday

Since the movie just opened here this past weekend, here's the official music video. Enjoy!

Courageous by Casting Crowns