Tag: First Line Fridays

FLF 6.23.17 | Promise Me This

Published on by Amanda Tero12 Comments
I stood at my bookshelves for a while, deciding which book to pull for this First Line Friday. I landed on Cathy Gohlke’s Promise Me This which is a Titanic and WWI story. This one I got through Tyndale Rewards program (basically, you earn points then spend them on books–if you sign up with my link, they’ll give you a bonus 25 points!). You may read my full review of the book here. For now, I’ll just share the first line.

“The great ship returned late from her sea trials beyond 
the shores of Carrickfergus, needing only her sea papers, 
a last-minute load of supplies, and the Belfast mail 
before racing to Southampton.”
(Promise Me This by Cath Gohlke)

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Also, be sure to hop along to all of these other blogs and see what First Lines they have to share!
Please note that I may not fully endorse all of the books that these bloggers read or the content in these blogs.
Rachel – Bookworm Mama
Lauraine – Lauraine’s Notes
Andi – Radiant Light
Robin – Robin’s Nest
Kathleen – Kathleen Denly
Trisha – Joy of Reading
Jeanette – CJane Read

Threads of Suspicion | Review and First Line Friday

Published on by Amanda Tero13 Comments

This was my first Dee Henderson book to read. Given that I enjoy a taste of suspense, I thought I might like it and I was right. There was the perfect balance of “regular life” with the suspense of Evie being a detective on a cold case. The entire plot of Jenna had me intrigued. I was kept guessing as to what the answer to her disappearance was. I felt like I journeyed along the quest with Evie and David.

I really appreciated the spiritual content. David had a simplistic earnestness about him, and his testimony was realistic and Biblical. Evie’s prayers were sometimes a little too familiar (like calling God “Dad” and chatting with Him something like, “I don’t have time to talk right now, but I’ll catch up later, okay?”). Yes, God is not just a “great judge sitting up in heaven,” but we are to reverence Him. That seemed to be a little lacking. There was one character that was debating the question of salvation. I’m unclear as to whether or not she actually accepted Christ. It appeared that she just took a step that direction (which I don’t have a problem with; it just wasn’t 100% clear to me).
The romance was very little in this book. Evie and David were co-workers, yet were not love interests. I was afraid a love triangle might happen (which I don’t like), but it didn’t. Evie and Rob were a great pair and David and Maggie a great pair. I actually appreciated Evie’s struggle with her relationship with Rob (as in, she didn’t have relationship problems; she just had to decide why she was hesitant to say a hearty “yes!” to him). It was very realistic—not all of the “romance is nothing but rosy” viewpoint. There were some kisses mentioned as well as hugs, but they were all casual. I don’t recall any of the feelings explored. So, in short, I liked the romance aspect in this book (shockers!).
Now…the writer in me…this was a dialogue-driven book. If I were to give a guesstimate, it appeared that about 80% of the book was dialogue. Given that they were talking through a case, it was interesting. The downfall was that I didn’t really feel that I was “in” the characters. I didn’t really know them. I realize that this is my critique as a writer, so it would be injustice to knock a star for that. I did enjoy the read. I just had to shut off my writer’s brain for the narrative.
Overall, this leaves me waiting to get my hands on another Dee Henderson novel.
*I received this book from Bethany house and happily provided my review*

You may order the book here.

NOW FOR THE FIRST LINE…

“As Governor Bliss came to the podium, Lieutenant Evie Blackwell 
dug her hands into her coat pockets, grateful the January cold would 
keep this press announcement on schedule and limited to twenty minutes.” 
(Threads of Suspicion by Dee Henderson)
Have you read any Dee Henderson books?
What is your favorite of hers?
Or are you not a reader of suspense?
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Also, be sure to hop along to all of these other blogs and see what First Lines they have to share!
Please note that I may not fully endorse all of the books that these bloggers read or the content in these blogs.
Rachel – Bookworm Mama
Lauraine – Lauraine’s Notes
Andi – Radiant Light
Robin – Robin’s Nest
Kathleen – Kathleen Denly
Trisha – Joy of Reading
Jeanette – CJane Read

First Line Fridays | 6.9.17

Published on by Amanda Tero14 Comments
A few years ago, I won a Civil War fiction book in a giveaway. I started reading it on a sick-day…and finished reading it the same day.
That book…
My review of it is here. And you may get it on Amazon here. 😉
Annnnd… the day after reading Where Can I Flee? I started and finished book two.
And that review is here. And Amazon link here. 😉
NOW for my #FLF book:

I cannot, cannot wait until I can get my hands on Out of the Ashes (you can pre-order it here). Since I’m friends with the author now (that happened after I had finished her first two books–when I barely knew who this author was…), I was able to swipe the first line!! 😀 😀 Connections are great. 😉 Here it is!! 
The sound of his pounding feet on hard ground and 
rustling grass filled Frank’s ears. Even though he was
 breathing heavily, he still charged ahead. Just a little further.
(Out of the Ashes by A.M. Heath)
To find out more of this upcoming release, watch the book trailer!

If you’re on Goodreads, you can add the book to your shelf and follow author A.M. Heath. She also has a fun bookish blog that you can start following. I know she’d appreciate it! 🙂
*and no, she didn’t pay me to say any of this* 😉 
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Also, be sure to hop along to all of these other blogs and see what First Lines they have to share!
Please note that I may not fully endorse all of the books that these bloggers read or the content in these blogs.
Rachel – Bookworm Mama
Lauraine – Lauraine’s Notes
Andi – Radiant Light
Robin – Robin’s Nest
Kathleen – Kathleen Denly
Trisha – Joy of Reading
Jeanette – CJane Read

First Line Fridays | 6.2.17

Published on by Amanda Tero11 Comments
Happy June!! To me, the very first weeks of June (not mid-June) seems like the official start of summer as I wrap up teaching, have my students’ music recitals, and then summer camps begin. Unfortunately, summer usually isn’t as much of a reading time for me as life tends to get busier. What about you? Do you read more or less in the summer?
My first line this week is from book one of a super sweet series that you absolutely must read: A Time of Grace trilogy by Alicia G. Ruggieri. I actually liked books two and three better than book one, so you just have to read all three. 😉 Here are my reviews of books one, two, and three.

“She tucked a piece of gold behind her ear, nervously twisting
the whisper-thin strands from the root to the tip.”
(The Fragrance of Geraniums by Alicia G. Ruggieri)
What is one of the sweetest books you’ve read?
And what’s a first line for this week?
~*~*~
Also, be sure to hop along to all of these other blogs and see what First Lines they have to share!
Please note that I may not fully endorse all of the books that these bloggers read or the content in these blogs.
Rachel – Bookworm Mama
Lauraine – Lauraine’s Notes
Andi – Radiant Light
Robin – Robin’s Nest
Kathleen – Kathleen Denly
Trisha – Joy of Reading
Jeanette – CJane Read

First Line Friday | 5.26.17

Published on by Amanda Tero22 Comments
Happy Friday!! I’m trying not to bombard everyone with “The Secret Slipper” but since it released yesterday, why not use that first line? Makes my job of figuring out which of the 350 books on my bookshelves to choose from easier (I’ll do that next week). 😉

The first line of “The Secret Slipper” is…

“Another grave. This time, a short one.”
(“The Secret Slipper” by Amanda Tero)
And I do promise… it’s not a morbid story. 😉 Today is the last sale-day for Kindle copies of both “The Secret Slipper” and its prequel, “Befriending the Beast.”
Commercial over. ;P 
What is the newest book that you’ve read?
And… do you have a first line handy??
~*~*~
Also, be sure to hop along to all of these other blogs and see what First Lines they have to share!
Please note that I may not fully endorse all of the books that these bloggers read or the content in these blogs.
Rachel – Bookworm Mama
Lauraine – Lauraine’s Notes
Andi – Radiant Light
Robin – Robin’s Nest
Kathleen – Kathleen Denly
Trisha – Joy of Reading
Jeanette – CJane Read

First Line Friday 5.19.17

Published on by Amanda Tero30 Comments
Happy Friday again!! Yesterday, I worked on the first stages of moving into a new bedroom. For the first time, I was able to pull out all of the books I’ve acquired the past three years and have them all in one place! Yeah…I counted up to 350 books (oh wait…I did forget about those that I was lending to friends). 
Which are now, mostly, temporarily shelved. My daddy built me a bookcase (these are closet shelves here) and once the glue dries, the books are in their new home! 🙂 
I pulled together the books I’ve not yet read… *insert scared emoji*
Approximately 130 books! :/ I could read solid a month and not catch up! This pile just may take me years. Have you read any of these books?
And then I counted up the most books from one author… Janette Oke wins!
Last but not least, I had a little fun with my current book infatuations: Civil War and medieval. 
Okay, okay, so FIRST LINE FRIDAY! Yeah, took me long enough! ;P I’ll be honest, perusing through all of those books, I didn’t stop long enough to find a first line. So I thought I’d change the rules. *gasp* 😉 Today, you can choose the first line. See any of my books that you’d like to know the first line for? Just comment and I’ll try my hardest to reply this weekend! I have a graduation I’m pianist at so my time isn’t all free. 
And while you’re at it…why not share a first line from your bookshelf?

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Also, be sure to hop along to all of these other blogs and see what First Lines they have to share!
Please note that I may not fully endorse all of the books that these bloggers read or the content in these blogs.
Rachel – Bookworm Mama
Lauraine – Lauraine’s Notes
Andi – Radiant Light
Robin – Robin’s Nest
Kathleen – Kathleen Denly
Trisha – Joy of Reading
Jeanette – CJane Read

First Line Friday 5.12.17

Published on by Amanda Tero13 Comments
Happy Friday! Today’s FLF, I’m featuring the first line from a new favorite: Paige Torn. I absolutely have to get my hands on book two!

First line:
“Living in Texas can be awesome. Or awful.”
Paige Torn by Erynn Mangum
You may see my review here.
And… about the book…
Everyone knows they can count on Paige Alder. But between volunteering at church, putting in overtime at work, and helping her best friend plan an anniversary party, she’s lucky to grab a cheese stick for dinner. Paige can’t even remember the last time she had a few minutes to relax or dig into God’s Word. Then she meets laid-back Tyler, an attractive, Jesus-loving guy. Will he be able to help Paige get her priorities on track?
Your turn! Share a first line!!
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Also, be sure to hop along to all of these other blogs and see what First Lines they have to share!
Please note that I may not fully endorse all of the books that these bloggers read or the content in these blogs.
Rachel – Bookworm Mama
Lauraine – Lauraine’s Notes
Andi – Radiant Light
Robin – Robin’s Nest
Kathleen – Kathleen Denly
Trisha – Joy of Reading
Jeanette – CJane Read

Behind the Scenes | Giveaway, Blog Tour, FLF

Published on by Amanda Tero14 Comments

Happy Friday! I’m here with another book for review and First Line Friday. 😉

behind-the-scenes
 
First Line:

“Pressing her nose against the glass of the carriage window, Miss Permilia Griswold felt her stomach begin to churn as she took note of the throngs of people lining Fifth Avenue.”


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Also, be sure to hop along to all of these other blogs and see what First Lines they have to share!
Please note that I may not fully endorse all of the books that these bloggers read or the content in these blogs.
Rachel – Bookworm Mama
Lauraine – Lauraine’s Notes
Andi – Radiant Light
Robin – Robin’s Nest
Kathleen – Kathleen Denly
Jessica – A Baker’s Perspective

Trisha – Joy of Reading

BehindtheScenes_mck.inddAbout the Book

Book: Behind the Scenes  

Author: Jen Turano  

Genre: Inspirational Historical Romance  

Release Date: April, 2017

To order your copy, click here.

Miss Permilia Griswold may have been given the opportunity of a debut into New York high society, but no one warned her she wasn’t guaranteed to “take.” After spending the last six years banished to the wallflower section of the ballroom, she’s finally putting her status on the fringes of society to good use by penning anonymous society gossip columns under the pseudonym “Miss Quill.”

Mr. Asher Rutherford has managed to maintain his status as a reputable gentleman of society despite opening his own department store. While pretending it’s simply a lark to fill his time, he has quite legitimate reasons for needing to make his store the most successful in the country. When Permilia overhears a threat against the estimable Mr. Rutherford, she’s determined to find and warn the man. Disgruntled at a first meeting that goes quite poorly and results in Asher not believing her, she decides to take matters into her own hands, never realizing she’ll end up at risk as well.

As Asher and Permilia are forced to work together and spend time away from the spotlight of society, perhaps there’s more going on behind the scenes than they ever could have anticipated. . . .

My Review
Another laugh-out-loud read!! I don’t always find authors to be humorous, but Jen Turano has it down. I got many strange looks from my family when I just couldn’t hold back a giggle (or ten). 

I would say that Behind the Scenes is definitely a character-driven novel. I fell in love with Permilia, Gertrude, and yes, Asher and Harrison (here’s hoping the next in the series is about Gertrude!). All of the characters were very well developed and interesting. I loved how Turano leaked out what they were doing and consistently made changes in their character growth and trust (or distrust) of others.

The plot seemed a little scattered at times because there was SO much going on between the main threat presented, family relationships, etc. It was all very interesting, it just seemed that occasionally the main threat was forgotten for a while (and, seeing as it was dangerous, how could one forget it?).

This was a very clean book. I would say it is Christian, because it definitely speaks of God, but it didn’t strike me as having a solid message woven throughout the entire story—more in the latter half. Also, I’m not 100% sure that I fully endorse some of the thoughts presented (such as, “Follow God, hope for the best”—this is probably me being slightly nit-picky).

There was romance, of course, but it was comical. I didn’t find it to be extremely emotional-driven. There were a few times of flutters and such, but honestly, I don’t remember any extreme detail of emotions and kisses (which is a personal plus here).

Due to the era, there was a bit about the suffrage/progressive movement. I personally don’t fully agree with the movement, but I did find it to add historical accuracy.

All in all, this was a super enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to book two in the series.

*I received this book complimentary of the author and Celebrate Lit, and happily provided my review.*

About the Author

jen-turano

Jen Turano, author of nine books and two novellas, is a graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in clothing and textiles. She is a member of ACFW and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. Visit her website at www.jenturano.com.

Blog Stops

April 27: The Scribbler
April 27: Genesis 5020
April 28: Back Porch Reads
April 29: Bookworm Mama
April 29: Karen Sue Hadley
April 30: Radiant Light
April 30: Bigreadersite
April 30: Lane Hill House
May 3: Book by Book
May 5: Baker Kella

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jen is giving away a $25 Barnes and Noble Gift Card and the four books: After a Fashion, In Good Company, Playing the Part, Behind the Scenes!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!


http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4664b04910/

Spurgeon Gems | FLF 4.27.17

Published on by Amanda Tero12 Comments

My choice for #firstlinefriday is a book I stared on Sunday, Spurgeon Gems. You can get it for free on Kindle and I definitely think it’s worth it!

Since this is just a book full of random quotes, I’m choosing one of my favorites (I have highlighted not quite half the book… a lot of great stuff in there!).

“Do not begin until you have prayed! 
Begin, continue and end everything with prayer, 
but especially begin with prayer.”
(Spurgeon Gems, Charles H. Spurgeon

First…
Pull a book from your shelf and share a first line!

Then…
Be sure to hop along to all of these other blogs and see what First Lines they have to share!

Please note that I may not fully endorse all of the books that these bloggers read or the content in these blogs.
Rachel – Bookworm Mama
Lauraine – Lauraine’s Notes
Andi – Radiant Light
Robin – Robin’s Nest
Kathleen – Kathleen Denly
Jessica – A Baker’s Perspective

Trisha – Joy of Reading

Princess Prayers | FLF and Book Review

Published on by Amanda Tero9 Comments

Here I am, combining two things in one post again. 😉 But really, this is a great and cute book to feature for First Line Friday…

“Good morning, Lord, it’s time to rise.
The sun is shining bright.
I’ve got my day ahead of me.
Please help me do what’s right.”
(“Princess Prayers” by Crystal Bowman)

Amazon has a beautiful preview of the book here (oh, and you can buy it there too 😉 ).

Now, before I do my review, there are these other lovely participants of FLF… Please note that I may not fully endorse all of the books that these bloggers read or the content in these blogs.

Rachel – Bookworm Mama
Lauraine – Lauraine’s Notes
Andi – Radiant Light
Robin – Robin’s Nest
Kathleen – Kathleen Denly

My Review
What little girl doesn’t love princesses?
And what is sweeter than cuddling with your little princess (be it daughter or sister) with adorable poems?

“Princess Prayers” is part of The Princess Parables series (“I Can Read” books) and features artwork from the various other princess stories. The poems go from “My Morning Prayer” to daily life, to scary stuff (like storms), and ends with “My Nighttime Prayer.” Each of the poems are two stanzas long, have wonderful rhythmic flow, and truths that girls are able to apply to their everyday lives.

I loved reading through these poems/prayers with my youngest sister (and she loved them too). They are very easy to read and flow well (I have a hard time with some poetry just not flowing). I was also thrilled to realize the depth of these poems. Many Biblical truths are incorporated in the poems such as God never leaving, God loving us even though we sin, God taking away our fear. One poem reminds me closely of Psalm 139, where we can go nowhere from God’s presence. The poems are strengthened by having a Bible verse at the bottom of each poem (I prefer KJV and am not sure what translation these are in). 

*I received this book from BookLook Bloggers and was happy to provide my review in return*