Once Upon a Prince

Book Review

Watching royalty has never really interested me. Seeing what Kate looks like with a baby bump is not really news in my mind. I am really not into fairy tales so Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck was a pleasant surprise. The whole storyline seemed ridiculous to me – Handsome prince meets American girl and falls in love? Yeah, right. I was definitely wrong. This was a delightful book.

The first thing Hauck did was to develop her characters through descriptive writing. Susanna Truitt, the heroine is loveable, classy and funny in a self-deprecating way. Hauck gives Susanna a family – mother, father, and younger sister – that are equally endearing. And Prince Nathaniel is down-to-earth, sensitive, and genuinely caring. It does not hurt that both Susanna and the prince are very attractive people. And they both had a deep faith and a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.

As the story unfolded, I really wanted them to be able to get together. I would try to figure out how Hauck could make this happen. Even when things looked really bleak because of royal rules, regs and laws, I was hoping there would be a way for them to marry. It was so obvious they belonged together.

Truthfully, I also completely enjoyed getting to know the villains in the story – maybe the wicked stepsisters? Lady Margaret and Lady Genevieve fill this role nicely. The paparazzi were also there, obnoxious, as one would expect them to be, fulfilling their role of harassing the royals.

Besides completely enjoying the story and the characters, I loved reading the descriptions of life in a palace; and I could imagine what it must have been like for Susanna and her sister to take up residence in a palace as a guest of the queen. The Kingdom of Brighton seemed like it would be a lovely place to take up residency.

Hauck has written a book that is just plain enjoyable. Her ability to bring her characters to life and make the different settings feel the reader is there visiting in person, give this story many layers to peel back and relish. I definitely recommend this book. I received the book from the publisher in return for a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Book

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess---just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn't going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.

The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon's Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family's tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna's aid under the fabled Lover's Oak, he is blindsided by love.

Their lives are worlds apart. He's a royal prince. She's a ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel's coronation.

It's the ultimate choice. His kingdom or her heart? God's will or their own?

About the Author

Rachel Hauck is the bestselling author of Carol Award winner "Sweet Caroline", and RITA Finalist "Love Starts With Elle", and of the critically acclaimed fiction collaboration with multi-platinum country artist Sara Evans, "The Songbird Novels". She lives in sunny, though sometimes hurricane plagued, central Florida with her husband and their ornery pets. Rachel earned a degree in Journalism from Ohio State University and is a huge Buckeyes football fan. She is the past President of American Christian Fiction Writers and now sits on the board as an Advisor.

Find out more about Rachel at: http://RachelHauck.com

Rachel Hauck is celebrating the release of Once Upon a Prince with a fun "Royal Wedding" Giveaway and connecting with readers at her May 28th Facebook Party.

One "royal" winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 27th. Winner will be announced at the "Once Upon a Prince" Facebook Author Chat Party on May 28th. Connect with Rachel for an evening of book chat, wedding trivia, laughter, and more! Rachel will also be sharing a sneak peek at the next book in the series and giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Once Upon a Prince and join Rachel on the evening of May 28th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!

Pastors' Wives

Book Review

As a pastor’s daughter, I identified strongly with Lisa Takeuchi Cullen’s book Pastors’ Wives. I understand the dilemmas of living in a pastor’s household, beginning with the sense of not fitting in anywhere. So, admittedly I begin reading this story with an agenda.

Pastors’ Wives is about life in an American mega church, specifically from the perspective of three of the pastors’ wives. Up front, I must say that this is a good story. However, it did continually raise different emotions and really made me ponder over the issues that were raised by Cullen. I have never belonged to a mega church – and to be honest, I do not think that I want to. The first thing that set me up to question was the extravagance. I’ve heard the argument that God deserves the best; but is it really necessary to fulfill the ministry of a church by commissioning a duplicate of the stunning chandelier in the Metropolitan Opera house to be the North Star in the mega church Christmas extravaganza? Or have a professional quality worship team complete with smoke machines? Would mega churches be possible if they operated on low budgets, using the money brought in to further the gospel message and reach out to needy people? I honestly do not know; but the profligacy bothers me.

The part that struck a chord with me – why should pastors’ families be so far down the list of priorities? There are three wives. Candace is the wife of the senior pastor and in her younger days when she had two small boys was angry at the demands put on her husband. Now with her children grown, she has a well furnished and decorated office at the church and is instrumental in making decisions at the church. She seems to have no empathy for the younger wives. Perhaps, going back to her past would be painful for her and raise questions about her whole belief system.

Ruthie was new, her husband recently hired. She is talented and is drawn in as an unpaid employee and begins to question the fact that her husband is always busy and rarely home. Ginger is Candace’s daughter-in-law and has a tarnished past. For all purposes, she was a single parent and my heart went out to her. I was thrilled that Ruthie and Ginger were able to affect change that was positive for themselves and for their families. None of the main characters are evil. Cullen seems to have insight into how the system works. She shows clearly that this is a culture that damages ministerial marriages and families.

Pastors’ Wives is a good story; but there are parts of the book that evangelical Christians may not agree with.  Anyone interested in how mega churches really work will find the book fascinating. Cullen does an excellent job developing the characters of the pastor’s wives, from super-perfect Candace, to free spirit Ruthie, and to insecure Ginger.

I do recommend this book. I believe it raises important issues that need to be examined. I received a copy from the publisher in return for a review. All opinions are my own

About the Book

What's it like when the man you married is already married to God? asks Pastors' Wives, an often surprising yet always emotionally true first novel set in a world most of us know only from the outside.

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen's debut novel Pastors' Wives follows three women whose lives converge and intertwine at a Southern evangelical megachurch. Ruthie follows her Wall Street husband from New York to Magnolia, a fictional suburb of Atlanta, when he hears a calling to serve at a megachurch called Greenleaf. Reeling from the death of her mother, Ruthie suffers a crisis of faith---in God, in her marriage, and in herself. Candace is Greenleaf's "First Lady," a force of nature who'll stop at nothing to protect her church and her superstar husband. Ginger, married to Candace's son, struggles to play dutiful wife and mother while burying her calamitous past. All their roads collide in one chaotic event that exposes their true selves. Inspired by Cullen's reporting as a staff writer for Time magazine, Pastors' Wives is a dramatic portrayal of the private lives of pastors' wives, caught between the demands of faith, marriage, duty, and love.

About the Author

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen was a longtime staff writer for TIME magazine. She now develops TV pilots for production companies and recently sold her first pilot for "The Ordained" to CBS. Born in Japan, Cullen lives in New Jersey with family.

Find out more about Lisa at http://lisacullen.com.

It Happened At The Fair

Book Review

In 1893 the city of Chicago was host to a World’s Fair. I was aware that this event had happened; but I knew little about it. It Happened At The Fair is a novel by Deeanne Gist set at this time and place. One of my favorite parts of the novel was the beautiful illustrations that portrayed different venues and exhibits. Also, Gist’s detailed descriptions of the event give you a front row seat, covering the restaurants, exhibits and even the landscaping of this tribute to American ingenuity. I found the entire extravaganza of this World’s Fair to be fascinating.

The book tells the story of a young farmer who had invented an automatic sprinkler system and a woman who was a teacher of the deaf. The inventor needs to decide if he will stick with the girl back home or choose the lovely teacher. I could see right away which way he should go and fortunately, in the end, he did see things my way and chose the right woman to marry.

The love story was sweet; but I loved the historical details of this well-researched book. Not only is it an interesting account of the Chicago World’s Fair; but the author also touches on fire fighting and prevention during this time period. When a fire breaks out at the fair; it becomes obvious that firemen are tragically handicapped. I checked on dates and found the Great Chicago Fire had broken out in 1871, just 22 years earlier. Fire fighting and prevention were a big deal in this city. The book also showcased the cutting edge methods of teaching the deaf in the late 1800’s that to me seemed harsh. Gist also mentions the national financial panic occurring at the time of the fair, which had parallels with today.

This story is good and there is much to enjoy. For me, after completing the book, I felt like I had visited the Chicago World’s Fair. Rather than presenting boring historical details, Gist brings you right into the setting. I found this fascinating. I received this book from the publisher in return for a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Buy the Book for $12.11

About the Book

A transporting historical novel about a promising young inventor, his struggle with loss, and the attractive teacher who changes his life, all set against the razzle-dazzle of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

Gambling everything, including the family farm, Cullen McNamara travels to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with his most recent invention. But the noise in the Fair's Machinery Palace makes it impossible to communicate with potential buyers. In an act of desperation, he hires Della Wentworth, a teacher of the deaf, to tutor him in the art of lip-reading.

The young teacher is reluctant to participate, and Cullen has trouble keeping his mind on his lessons while intently watching her lips. Like the newly invented Ferris Wheel, he is caught in a whirl between his girl back home, his dreams as an inventor, and his unexpected attraction to his new tutor. Can he keep his feet on the ground, or will he be carried away?

About the Author

Deeanne Gist---known to her family, friends, and fans as Dee---has rocketed up bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere with her very fun, very original historicals. She has received numerous RITA nominations, two consecutive Christy Awards, and rave reviews. Deeanne has a background in education and journalism and a degree from Texas A&M. She has written for People, Parents, and Parenting. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and has four grown children. She has a very active online community on her website at IWantHerBook.com and at Facebook.com/DeesFriends. 

Deeanne Gist is celebrating the release of It Happened at the Fair with an iPad Mini Giveaway and a Live Author Chat Webcast event {5/22}!

  One "fair" winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini
• A $25 iTunes gift card

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 21st. Winner will be announced at the "It Happened at the Fair" Live Webcast Event on May 22nd. Connect with Deeanne for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Deeanne will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of It Happened at the Fair and join Deeanne and friends on the evening of May 22nd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 22nd!