My Mother's Quilts - Win a Friendship Quilt! #MyMothersQuilts #FlyBy

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My Mother's Quilts: Devotions from a Legacy of Needlework by Ramona Richards - Lately I've been reading this charming book of devotional thoughts based on the stories behind handmade quilts. There are beautiful photos of these heirloom quilts throughout, and for each quilt story there is a Scripture, a prayer, and a life lesson. Ramona Richards introduces the book with a little background on her mother's love of quilting, and how she had not only made many beautiful quilts herself but had also collected heirloom quilts and the stories behind them. Each devotional tells about a quilt and its pattern, and the personal story behind it, warmly and affectionately told, in a conversational style. The lessons are practical and encouraging, yet thought-provoking as well. For me, the color photos of the quilts were a feast for the eyes, and brought to mind my own experience in appreciating the artistry of quilts made my mother, aunts, and grandmother.

Keep reading for a little more information about the book and the author, and the link to a wonderful contest offer. There are many wonderful prizes up for grabs, including one of the quilts featured in the book!

From the publisher:

A quilt is love that serves a purpose.

Inspired by thirty family heirloom quilts, each devotion depicts the enduring legacy of faith, family and tradition. Rich, personal, sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, each reading provides a lesson and encouragement from the faithful women who crafted the quilts.

Full-color photographs of each quilt show the style and artistry of each beautiful work. The quilts, sewn by several generations over more than one-hundred years, are as unique and lovely as the hands that created them. The oldest was buried during the Civil War to keep it safe and the author's mother created the newest in the last years of her life.

About the author:

Ramona Richards is an award-winning editor, speaker, author of nine books, and a frequent contributor to devotional collections. An avid live music fan, Ramona loves Nashville, which she's called home since she was ten. Sensing her mother was near the end of her life, Ramona documented her mother's stories and lessons behind each family quilt. These stories form the devotions in My Mother's Quilts. Find out more about Ramona and her books by visiting her online at RamonaRichards.com.

Purchase My Mother's Quilts at Amazon or at ShopBetterBooks.com

Now for the Contest!

Win one of the quilts featured in #MyMothersQuilts by Ramona Richards. Also up for grabs: loads of other prizes including quilting hand warmers, coloring books, and 25 signed copies of Ramona's book. Winners will be emailed after the contest ends on June 30, 2016. Click the image to get started! (Or follow this link: Win This Friendship Quilt! Contest Landing Page)

Please note that this contest is hosted by the author/publisher and not by Just A Second. They are overseeing the drawing and assume full responsibility for all aspects of this contest, including prize notification and fulfillment.

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Wordless Wednesday - Rain

This post is linked at Wordless Wednesday, hosted by Life at Rossmont.

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Teaser Tuesdays - Dawn at Emberwilde

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jenn at Books and Beat. To play along, just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title and author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers! 

She did not relish the idea that her future had essentially been decided for her based on the mere contents of a letter, and being told that the opportunity was advantageous heaped insult on an already sore wound. For if she did have a family, why had it taken them so long to learn of her existence?

~Dawn at Emberwilde (A Treasures of Surrey Novel) by Sarah E. Ladd, at 5% on my Kindle

But this home and these people - her relatives - were unlike any she had interacted with before. She drew a deep breath to calm her taut nerves. She was grateful to her aunt and uncle, but a small voice in her head whispered words of caution. She and Lizzie were definitely far from Fellsworth, and very far from home indeed.

~Dawn at Emberwilde (A Treasures of Surrey Novel) by Sarah E. Ladd, at 11% on my Kindle

Here's the blurb:

Isabel Creston never dared to dream that love could be hers. Now, at the edge of a forest filled with dark secrets, she faces a fateful choice between love and duty.

For as long as she can remember, beautiful and free-spirited Isabel has strained against the rules and rigidity of the Fellsworth School in the rolling English countryside. No longer a student, Isabel set her sights on a steady role as a teacher at the school, a safe yet stifling establishment that would enable her to care for her younger sister Lizzie, who was left in her care after her father's death.

The unexpected arrival of a stranger with news of unknown relatives turns Isabel's small, predictable world upside down, sweeping her and her young charge into a labyrinth of intrigue and hidden motives.

At her new family's invitation, Isabel and Lizzie relocate to Emberwilde, a sprawling estate adjacent to a vast, mysterious wood rife with rumors and ominous folklore - along with whispers of something far more sinister. Perhaps even more startling, two handsome men begin pursuing Isabel, forcing her to learn the delicate dance between attraction, the intricate rules of courtship, and the hopes of her heart.

At Emberwilde Isabel will discover that the key to unlocking the mystery of her past may also open the door to her future and security. But first she must find it - in the depths of Emberwilde Forest. 

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

What I'm Reading - June 13, 2016

This post contains affiliate links. 

This weekly reading list meme is hosted at Book Date. Join in to see what others are reading and maybe get some ideas of what to read next! I also link up with Tales of a Pee Dee Mama for D.E.A.R. Monday (Drop Everything And Read).

I finished reading . . .

From This Moment by Elizabeth Camden - A touch of a detective thriller and a bit of a mystery combined with this historical romance. Loved it! (Read my full review HERE.)




I'm currently reading . . .

 The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy - just working away slowly at this lit study with my daughter.




Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent - very interesting reading, but seems like I might have to keep track of a lot of characters.




Dawn at Emberwilde (A Treasures of Surrey Novel)by Sarah E. Ladd - I'm a few chapters into this one for an upcoming review.




My Mother's Quilts: Devotions from a Legacy of Needlework by Ramona Richards - I'm enjoying this book of devotional thoughts inspired by heirloom quilts, and will be sharing more information about this book and a FlyBy promotions giveaway later this week.




Next on the stack...

The Pharaoh's Daughter: A Treasures of the Nile Novel by Mesu Andrews
Charity's Cross (Charles Towne Belles) (Volume 4)by MaryLu Tyndall
Lady in the Mist: A Novel (The Midwives) by Laurie Alice Eakes

  

   

  
On my blogs last week . . .

Here on Just A Second:

Scripture and a Snapshot - Psalm 104
Recent Reads - From This Moment
Wordless Wednesday - Graduation
Teaser Tuesday/First Chapter First Paragraph - Lady of Ashes

And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Homeschool Weekly - Wrap It Up Edition
A Homeschool Coffee Break Book Review - The Glass Castle
Virtual Refrigerator - More Doodles
Summer Menu Suggestions
From the High School Lesson Book - Graduation

What are you reading?

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Scripture and a Snapshot - Psalm 104

Praise the LORD, my soul.

Lord my God, you are very great;

you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

The LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment;

he stretches out the heavens like a tent

and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.

He makes the clouds his chariot

and rides on the wings of the wind.

~Psalm 104:1-3~

Scripture & a Snapshot is hosted by A Glimpse of Our Life.

Let Us Grow is hosted by Let Us Walk Worthy

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads - From This Moment

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From This Moment by Elizabeth Camden - I loved this book, which has elements of a detective thriller or mystery intertwined with the historical setting romance. It takes place in 1897 Boston, where the celebrated London artist and lithographer Stella West has set aside her usual fashion and flair to work at City Hall in hopes of finding clues to her sister's mysterious death. Stella believes her sister was murdered, and is unwilling to let anything deter her from getting to the truth. Nobody seems willing to help her, or even cooperate with her, until she meets Romulus White. Romulus is the publisher of a respected scientific magazine, and is well-connected in Boston society, and he has been pursuing her for years in hopes of bringing her on board as an artist for the magazine. Stella is resistant, but she does need his help, and they both unwillingly recognize that the attraction between them is very strong. They develop a friendship, but Romulus doesn't want a serious relationship, especially with a woman that works for him.

Their troubles multiply when Stella continues to run into brick walls in her investigation, and when Romulus's magazine is threatened with legal action that could ruin him. Romulus feels that the magazine is the only thing he's ever been successful with, and will do whatever it takes to keep it running. Stella finally has a breakthrough as she hunts for answers about her sister, but will either one of them be able to focus on anything but their own concerns so they can work together? And when Stella's life is in danger, will Romulus be able to get to her in time?

Unusual, quirky, and flawed characters; and an exciting but well-researched story add up to another winner from Elizabeth Camden!

By the same author: Until the Dawn, Into the Whirlwind

From the publisher:

Stella West's artistic talent made her the toast of London, but when her beloved sister dies under mysterious circumstances she abandons everything and heads for Boston. With single-minded determination she fights to pierce the ring of secrecy surrounding her sister's death. Upon meeting Romulus White, a publisher with connections into every important power circle in the city, she quickly realizes he could be a valuable ally in navigating Boston society.

Romulus has been pursuing Stella for years to create art for his magazine. Her luminous illustrations are the missing piece he needs to propel his magazine to the forefront of the industry, and he will stop at nothing to get her on board.

Sparks fly the instant they join forces, but Romulus is unsettled by the unwelcome attraction he feels toward Stella, fearing she might be the one woman who could disrupt his hard-won independence. He may have finally met his match in Stella, but is helping her solve the mystery of her sister's death worth the risk to his publishing empire?

Visit the Baker Publishing Group for info on where to buy.

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Wordless Wednesday - Graduation

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For more about our homeschool commencement exercises, see From the High School Lesson Book - Graduation

This post is linked at Wordless Wednesday, hosted by Life at Rossmont, and at Sometimes Wordless Wednesday, hosted by Tots and Me . . . Growing Up Together!

 

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/