Freda's Voice

Hello friends!!! Another year gone, and no I'm not getting any older... lol. I have been keeping my age while reading. Here is what I read in 2009. (Keep in mind my blog started in August.) Ones in Italic , not a fan. Ones in bold , fan. Ones untouched, on-the-fence. 1. The Servant of the Bones - Anne Rice 2. The Girl Who Stopped Swimming - Joshilyn Jackson 3. Julie & Julia - Julie Powell (Also saw film) 4. Tea Time For The Traditionally Built - Alexander McCall Smith 5. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tough Times, Tougher People - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Amy Newmark 6. The Society of S - Susan Hubbard 7. The Year of Disappearances by Susan Hubbard 8. Knockout Entrepreneur - George Foreman with Ken Abraham 9. My Name is Will - Jess Winfield 10. Busy People's Fast & Frugal Cookbook 11. Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella 12. Mistress to the Merciless Millionaire - Abby Green 13. Afraid - Jack Kilborn 14. Murder in the Magicks Club - Byron A. Lorrier Esq.

About Book: Meet Kathryn Borel, bon vivant and undutiful daughter. Now meet her father, Philippe, former chef, eccentric genius, and wine aficionado extraordinaire. Kathryn is like her father in every way but one: she's totally ignorant when it comes to wine. And although Philippe has devoted untold parenting hours to delivering impassioned oenological orations, she has managed to remain unenlightened. But after an accident and a death, Kathryn realizes that by shutting herself off to her father's greatest passion, she will never really know him. GIVEAWAY: THANKS TO ANNA & Hachette Book Group, I HAVE 5 COPIES, OF THIS FABULOUS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY! RULES: Open to US (SORRY EVERYONE) SORRY NO P.O. BOXES All comments must be separate and have a valid email. Mandatory: Must comment and leave email, good for one entry. NO EMAIL, NO ENTRY. For extra entries, leave separate comment for each: +1 Be a follower of my blog. +1 Blog or tweet con

Book Description: Strictly Sundays is a special occasion cookbook designed for and by a family chef. Joe Fitzpatrick has been working wonders in the kitchen and on the grill for decades – now you can too. Serve real food that fills the belly, satisfies the soul and wins the day. Any day. Not just Sunday. For more information visit the book website: http://strictlysundays.com/ About Author: JOE FITZPATRICK is the only real estate agent who also holds membership in the Washington Trucking Association. Trying unique combinations, whether at work or in the kitchen, comes naturally to Joe with wondrous results. He has tested his culinary skills on the world’s toughest critics--his family. Still they beg for more! Joe continues to cook on Sundays for his high school sweetie, Vickie, married 32 years, their three children, and their two grandchildren. He has lived all his life in the Puget Sound area of Washington State, loves golf, but has greater success puttering in the kitchen.

Hosted by: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com * Grab your current read. * Let the book fall open to a random page. * Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. * You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given. * Please avoid spoilers! My Teaser: Monte was a terrifying sight, his shirt and pants blooded from Flora's injuries. And after trotting eleven miles in two hours in that blazing mid-afternoon, he was red-faced, exhausted, and sweat-soaked. ~Page 58 , The Cost of Dreams by Gary Stelzer

Full Description: When ace reporter Elsa Eldridge is assigned to profile a local religious cult leader named Tyrell, she doesn't expect to fall under his spell. But Tyrell's charismatic personality, muscled body and piercing gaze make him hard to resist, and soon Elsa is enamored. But all isn't what it seems. And what Elsa doesn't know could make her regret the day she ever laid eyes on this spiritual seducer. Before long, cracks show in Tyrell's glossy veneer. There's the intense possessiveness that threatens to burst into violence; the not-even-trying-to-hide-it womanizing; and the rumors about his private life. Lawsuits from former lovers dog him; an ex claims he committed the ultimate sin. But through it all, Elsa is drawn as if by some mystical force into his world. Every time she succeeds in breaking away, he brings her back into his snare. Can Elsa find the strength and courage to stand up to the man she lusts after? What's the truth behind the whi

About Book: Over five million listeners tune in to hear Yolanda Adams's Points of Power, a segment in her daily radio show that inspires people by applying biblical truths to present-day realities. In her first book, Yolanda Adams transfers that winning segment into a reader's delight. In this highly accessible manual for daily living, she shares stories from her and others's personal experiences, showing readers how to access God's love and grace in their modern world and troubles. By revealing how Yolanda and other human beings have transcended the world's difficulties, POINTS OF POWER empowers readers to face trouble with confidence in the God who never fails. http://theyolandaadamsmorningshow.com/ GIVEAWAY: THANKS TO VALERIE & HATCHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE 5 COPIES, OF THIS FABULOUS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY! RULES: Open to US & CANADA SORRY NO P.O. BOXES All comments must be separate and have a valid ema

Full Description: From the publisher of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies comes a new tale of romance, heartbreak, and tentacled mayhem. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters expands the original text of the beloved Jane Austen novel with all-new scenes of giant lobsters, rampaging octopi, two-headed sea serpents, and other biological monstrosities. As our story opens, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon. Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels? This masterful portrait of Regency England blends Jane Austen's biting social commentary with ultra-violent depictions

About Book: In the hustle and bustle of today's busy world, sometimes it's hard enough to hear yourself think, much less take a minute to stop and listen for the voice of God. But learning to recognize God's voice and the many ways in which He speaks is vital for following His plan. This devotional; drawing from How to Hear From God, Knowing God Intimately, and The Power Of Simple Prayer shows the reader through a daily reminder, how God speaks through their own thoughts and feelings, their dreams, and the words of other people. For more information: www.joycemeyer.org/heargod.htm GIVEAWAY: THANKS TO VALERIE & HATCHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE 5 COPIES, OF THIS FABULOUS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY! RULES: Open to US & CANADA SORRY NO P.O. BOXES All comments must be separate and have a valid email. Mandatory: Must comment and leave email, good for one entry. NO EMAIL, NO ENTRY. For extra entries, leave separate comment for each: +1 Be a fo

What Really Matters by Dawn Meehan In the hustle and bustle and commercialism of Christmas, take time to remember the real reason why we celebrate - the birth of Christ, our Lord and Saviour. May you all have a blessed Christmas! I had a VERY long day with the kids doing little but fighting. By the time we left for church, we were all short tempered, snapping at each other, and not at all in the Christmas spirit. Thankfully, once at church, we calmed down. Things were put in perspective for us. We sang Christmas songs and began to smile at one another again. The kids didn't fight once while we were there. Well, they did use their battery operated candles as light sabers for a minute, but we'll forget about that part. I never sent out cards (sorry to all my family and friends). It just didn't happen this year. I don't think I ever completely finished my shopping, but it's a little late now. Several items I ordered online have been back ordered. I just realized

Rules: * Grab the book nearest you. Right now. * Turn to page 56. * Find the fifth sentence. * Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/ *Post a link along with your post back to http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/ Page 56, Sentence 5: She was never too smart.

All Decked Out For Christmas by Maureen Lang One of the reasons so many of us love the holiday season is that it's just so...pretty! Twinkling lights, shiny ornaments, packages that glisten with bows and fancy wrapping. Our houses are trimmed with wreaths and glowing trees, and the neighborhood lights up the night with strands of icicles and glimmering reindeer. Even we get decked out for the holidays! Chances are most of us will attend at least one party this season, and if we don't usually don clothing or jewelry with a bit of sparkle, now's the time to take a chance with something that reflects the holiday. Smiles are another reason this season is such a popular one. They accompany that familiar greeting-Merry Christmas! Smiles go with the gifts we give and with the gifts we receive. Smiles go with the old Christmas carols and classic movies we watch every year. The holiday season is a time when everything can seem amplified. But what if we're all decked out

Full Description: When a terrible storm whisks Grandpa and Grandma off the road on Christmas Eve, it scatters their grandchildren’s presents all across Mother Goose Land. Their search for the lost gifts leaves them empty-handed but with hearts overflowing with love. But what will Grandpa and Grandma tell their grandkids when they arrive without presents? A knock on the door leads grandparents and grandchildren on an exciting Christmas adventure, a night filled with music, magic, and the best gifts of all—gifts of the heart. Featuring lush illustrations by painter Marilyn Brown, Gifts of the Heart brings generations together around a timeless message of love and generosity. ©2009 About Author: To learn more about Karen Boes Oman and to preview the book, visit her website: http://www.timetobreathe.com My Take On The Selection: Besides being a truly beautiful illustration of Christmas, the author has created a book that every child would enjoy, and parents too. It's a p

Magnificat by Anna Joujan Holy. Holy. Holy is the Lord. The familiar catch of breath. The sting in the eyes. And the tears begin to flow with the falling rain. Or do the tears fall with the flowing rain. What is it in these words that I whisper that wrenches at my heart so? Why does Mary's prayer touch the core of my being, so many centuries after it was spoken? I think it must be because I know that she was just a girl, just a human being, with a woman's heart like my own. And so, when I hear her wondering words, I can feel with her the emotion she must have felt. To bear the son of God-what wondrous mystery, what glorious honour! And she was, like me, just a young woman-much younger, in fact, than I am now. And so, no matter how often I hear the story and read her words, it still has the power to bring abrupt and unsought tears. What a gracious God, to work wonders with such frail and faulty creatures as us! __________________________________________ Anna G. Joujan

Full Description: During a particularly painful time in her life, Sarah Zacharias Davis learned how delightful–and wounding–women can be in friendship. She saw how some friendships end badly, others die slow deaths, and how a chance acquaintance can become that enduring friend you need. The Friends We Keep is Sarah’s thoughtful account of her own story and the stories of other women about navigating friendship. Her revealing discoveries tackle the questions every woman asks: • Why do we long so for women friends? • Do we need friends like we need air or food or water? • What causes cattiness, competition, and co-dependency in too many friendships? • Why do some friendships last forever and others only a season? • How do I foster friendship? • When is it time to let a friend go, and how do I do so? With heartfelt, intelligent writing, Sarah explores these questions and more with personal stories, cultural references and history, faith, and grace. In the process, she delivers wisdom for

Full Description: A classic and an original Westmoreland story from New York Times Bestseller BRENDA JACKSON. Delaney’s Desert Sheikh When a mix-up forces Delaney Westmoreland to share her vacation cabin with irresistible sheikh Jamal Ari Yassir, they both get an unexpected lesson in passion. Seduced by a Stranger Johari Yassir wants adventure—not marriage to a stranger in her homeland. Handsome stranger Rasheed Valdemon offers her a whirlwind romance. What will happen when she realizes she’s been seduced by her husband-to-be? ©2010 Publication date: 01/01/2010 About Author: Brenda Jackson was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She is married thirty-seven years to her high school sweetheart, Gerald, and have two sons, Gerald Jr. and Brandon. She is a member of the First Coast Chapter of Romance Writers of America. She began my writing career in the eighth grade at Northwestern Junior High School. She began her professional writing career began in 1994 when she signed on with Ken

About Book: You don't have to be a student of geography or cartography to have an interest in the world around you, especially with globalization making our planet seem smaller than ever. Now you can IM someone in Alaska, purchase coffee beans from Timor-Leste, and visit Dubai. But what do we really know about these lands? WHO OWNS THE WORLD presents the results of the first-ever landownership survey of all 197 states and 66 territories of the world, and reveals facts both startling and eye-opening. You'll learn that: --Only 15% of the world's population lays claim to landownership, and that landownership in too few hands is probably the single greatest cause of poverty. --Queen Elizabeth II owns 1/6 of the entire land surface on earth (nearly 3 times the size of the U.S.). --The Lichtenstein royal family is wealthier than the Grimaldis of Monaco. --80% of the American population is crammed in urban areas. --The least crowded state is Alaska, with 670 acres per perso

A Soggy, Jolly, Holly Christmas by Melody Carlson One of my most memorable Christmases started out as a natural disaster. But isn't that a bit how a pearl is formed? An oyster's soft easy life is disrupted by the invasion of sand, but something good comes out of it. When I was eight, we experienced the worst flood in recorded Oregon history. It was only a few days before Christmas when our streets became shallow rivers and the governor proclaimed a state of emergency. My sister and I assumed the flood was simply our new water-world playground and didn't understand the seriousness of washed out bridges and downed power lines and submerged homes. But when we realized this flood was about to nix our usual three-hour trek to our grandparents' home near the coast, we were not happy. Naturally, our mom, a single parent, protested the sensibility of holiday travel (most of Oregon's rivers were involved in the flood). But Christmas at Grandma's house was our favori

Hosted by: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/?s=Teaser+Tuesdays * Grab your current read. * Let the book fall open to a random page. * Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. * You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given. * Please avoid spoilers! My Teaser: Without time to contemplate the bitter coldness now swiftly stealing over her body, or how far she ventured from the antechamber that led back into the Sub-Station and precious oxygen, or to note the horrified expressions on the faces of both Mrs. Jennings and Miss Steele, Elinor grasped the sea scorpion with both hands, crushing its carapace between her protective gloves, tugging mightily to dislodge it. Still the thing clung, its claws firmly embedded in her neck. ~ Page 233 , Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen &a

Sponsor site: http://callapidderdays.com Original post: http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2009/09/fall-into-reading-challenge.html First book finished; http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-name-is-will-by-jess-winfield.html My Name Is Will by Jess Winfield Second book finished; http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2009/10/twenties-girl-by-sophie-kinsella.html Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella Third book finished; http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2009/10/afraid-by-jack-kilborn.html Afraid by Jack Kilborn Fourth book finished; http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2009/10/one-scream-away-by-kate-brady.html One Scream Away by Kate Brady Fifth book finished; http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2009/11/tamed-by-laird-by-amanda-scott.html Tamed By A Laird by Amanda Scott The last book finished; http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2009/12/how-to-score-by-robin-wells.html How To Score by Robin Wells This was a lot of fun. I think I will do it again next season if the challen

This will be the first Reader's Challenge I sign up to. Maybe you'd like to join along?? It is hosted by http://mybookdragon.blogspot.com/ Rules: 1. Comment there with a link to your POST about the challenge -They'll get a participant list going. 2. read at least six books 3. comment with links to your reviews (if you review) at mybookdragon. 4. Just relax - read whatever you'd like or use this time to catch up on challenge books. 5. Do a wrap-up post at the end of March 6. Comment back there with your wrap-up link My six: 1. Lucifer Rising by Barbara Fifield Review: http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2009/12/full-description-when-ace-reporter-elsa.html 2. Beautiful Mess by Diamond Rio http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2010/01/beautiful-mess-story-of-diamond-rio.html 3. A Good Talk by Daniel Menaker http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2010/01/good-talk-daniel-menaker.html 4. The Basic Book of Digital Photography by Tom Grimm & Michelle Grimm http://fredasvoice

Calling Elizabeth ... HELP! by Tricia Goyer Mary, the mother of Jesus is one of the most well-known women of all time. She was also a teen mom facing an unplanned pregnancy. This Christmas we will see evidence of Mary's story all around us. And as you hear it through Christmas songs and Christmas shows think of three things: 1. Mary was signed up for a big task she wasn't prepared for. 2. Mary no doubt faced criticism from people around her. 3. Mary found someone to turn to - a friend who could help Mary to succeed in her new role. It was Mary's older cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth played an important part in Mary's life. We know this because the book of Luke begins by telling us Elizabeth's story first. Elizabeth was the wife of a priest. She was very old and had no children, but God blessed her in her old age by allowing her to get pregnant. After Elizabeth's story comes Mary's story ... another surprise pregnancy. Can you imagine what a shock that w

The Answer by Susan May Warren Whos, Here, we are Whos here, smaller than the eye can see. Whos here, we are Whos here, I'm a Who and so is she... I've always wanted to live in a musical. When I was a kid, I loved Oklahoma , Sound of Music , West Side Story . I seriously thought that, if the moment was right, maybe the stars aligned, people would break out into song and dance. I was sorta right. Because in my house, one needs to be able to talk in movie lines and song lyrics to effectively communicate. At any moment, someone might break out with a quip from the Princess Bride , or Finding Nemo . They might sing Tomorrow from Annie , or My Favorite Things like Julie Andrews. But, most recently we've found ourselves speaking in "Suess"... It's suppertime, son, and the time is near To call far and wide the sneetches who hear Just the sound of their bellies, the whir of their gear The Gurgles and Burbles that give them great fear Tell them a