Teaser Tuesdays: September 9, 2014

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. 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!

"Forget it," I snapped. "I am not chasing around after this mythical chess set! People are trying to kill me, or at least involve me in murders, don't you get it?"

The Eight by Katherine Neville, page 151

Aaron had a family reunion in the jail. If he'd've known, he'd've brought more food.

Tried and True by Mary Connealy, page 113

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Recent Reads: Lady of Quality

Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer - I enjoyed my introduction to Georgette Heyer so much that I quickly grabbed another of her novels to read while on vacation last week. In this lighter romance, Miss Annis Wychwood is nearing 30 years old and thinks she is well past the age of falling in love, despite having received several offers of marriage. She is not interested in living with her brother and his family, however, so she establishes her own household in the resort town of Bath. On the journey there, she meets a young runaway heiress, Lucilla Carleton, and befriends her. In doing so, she finds she must deal with the young lady's guardian, Mr Oliver Carleton, who has a reputation for being quite uncivil and outspoken. As one might expect, the two come into conflict often, but also have a strong mutual attraction. Annis finds that acting as sponsor to a vibrant girl has many rewards but is also a much bigger responsibility than she had anticipated; and when she realizes that Mr Carleton is courting her, she must consider whether she is ready to accept his offer of marriage and the accompanying adjustments to her independence.

By the same author: The Toll-Gate

(Book #37 in the 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge)

©2008-2014 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: The Toll-Gate

The Toll-Gate by Georgette Heyer - It wasn't all that long ago that I learned about Georgette Heyer, and that she is considered an inventor of the Regency romance. I'd heard her name, but hadn't read any of her novels, so The Toll-Gate was my introduction to her stories.

Captain John Staple is the hero, a man who enjoys adventure and has nerves of steel. He becomes bored with a relative's dreary house-party and decides to leave early and on his own. But arriving at a toll-gate on the moors late at night, he finds a young boy tending the gate alone, and obviously scared. John stays to help out, but when the boy's father doesn't return he becomes suspicious that something else is afoot and stays on to unravel the mystery. In addition to the challenge of discovering what happened to the gate-keeper, John is induced to stay in the area because of the beautiful young woman he meets - Nell Stornaway, granddaughter of the local squire. Some mysterious trouble is brewing in her household as well, and John wonders if the problems are related.

This was a charming Gothic-style Regency romance, and a quick read, even though the period dialogue takes quite a bit of getting used to!

(Book #36 in the 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge)

©2008-2014 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: September 6, 2014

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

~Romans 15:13~

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

The Weekend Brew is hosted by My Freshly Brewed Life.

©2008-2014 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: August 31, 2014

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,

"therefore I will hope in him."

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

to the soul who seeks him.

~Lamentations 3:21-26~

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

The Weekend Brew is hosted by My Freshly Brewed Life.

©2008-2014 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/

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch #154

I always feel like I'm a little late for the weekly Chat on the Farmhouse Porch hosted by Everyday Ruralty. But I don't think I am. Let me just refill my coffee and then I'll answer the questions that Patrice has put to us this week.

This week's questions:

1. Please tell me something you have done recently that was really fun.
2. Do you worry about any issues regarding food/food quality/food production?
3. Have you painted any of your walls with colors other than white, beige, or tan?
4. What is your favorite way to have a hamburger?
5. Please finish this sentence. If I could, I'd like to play __________________________. (This could be a musical instrument, a part in a play - use your imagination.)

My answers:

1. Well, there hasn't been anything "big" lately, but I have a lot of fun doing everyday things. Things like going out for coffee with friends, going to music practice, even hanging out with the other moms and homeschool meetings. I'm looking forward to doing some fun things next week while on vacation!
2. I don't really worry about it, but I am paying more attention to how many additives are in the food. I'm trying to do more baking and 'from scratch' cooking, but I'm not exactly the crunchy-granola type and I don't like cooking that much, so that's a challenge. 
3. Any walls I've painted are something other than white, beige, or tan! Some of the rooms here we haven't painted (yet!!) and those are the ones that are still bland off-white. In my living room, there's wallpaper and a dark green wall. My kitchen and dining room have red/tan checkerboard wallpaper. My bathroom is bright green with a darker green sponged pattern. The upstairs bathroom is turquoise. My daughter's room is sage green, and my sons' room is a medium blue. The family room is the room we're working on painting - it's a light green. We also tried out a deep golden yellow in the stairwell, and liked it so that is probably what I'll put in the hallways and entry as well, and maybe even in the dining room someday.
4. I love burgers cooked on the grill, well-done, and with bacon and cheese. Sometimes I put just barbecue sauce on, but most of the time I put on mayo, ketchup, and mustard.
5. If I could, I'd like to play guitar! I learned to play when I was a teenager, but have rarely picked up a guitar since, so I've forgotten most of it.

Visit Chat 154 at Everyday Ruralty to join in!

©2008-2014 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/

WWW Wednesdays: August 27, 2014

Should Be Reading hosts this weekly update on what we're reading, what we recently finished reading, and what's next. 

• What are you currently reading?  I started The Toll-Gate by Georgette Heyer and am enjoying it greatly! Still reading The Eight by Katherine Neville. I've still got A Stand At Sinai by Hope Auer on the go, but I haven't picked it up in several days.       

  

• What did you recently finish reading? Just finished Michal by Jill Eileen Smith last night. (Read my thoughts about this book HERE.)

  

• What do you think you'll read next? I still have Deep & Wide by Andy Stanley and Enough ready to go.

      

What are you reading? Anyone can join in this link-up by answering these three questions. Visit Should Be Reading for this week's link-up.

©2008-2014 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/