Pumpkin Seed Exploration

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Phew!  It's been a while since I've posted!  We've been very busy, moving, starting new jobs and schools and all the fun that comes with a new city and a family.  We are settled now and excited for our new adventure.  We kicked off the fall season in our new home by carving pumpkins and, for the first time, baking pumpkin seeds. It was so much fun, though I think the kids had more fun baking the seeds than eating them.  Regardless, we had a blast!  Sometimes it's just the little moments that make the greatest memories.

The Glass Kitchen Giveaway

This book was amazing. I couldn't put it down. My review will come soon, but until then enter to win!!

Catching Air

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Author: Sarah Pekkanen
ISBN: 978-1-4516-7353-1
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Pages: 331
Perfect for: Book Clubs & A day at the beach.

Synopsis:
A chance to run a B&B in snowy, remote Vermont—it’s an offer Kira Danner can’t resist after six soul-crushing years of working as a lawyer in Florida. As Kira and her husband, Peter, step into a brand new life, she quells her fears about living with the B&B’s co-owners: Peter’s sexy, irresponsible brother Rand, and Rand’s wife, Alyssa…who is essentially a stranger.

For her part, Alyssa sees taking over the B&B as the latest in a string of adventures. Plus, a quiet place might help her recover from the news that she can’t bear children. But the idyllic town proves to be anything but serene: Within weeks, the sisters-in-law are scrambling to prepare for their first big booking—a winter wedding—and soon a shy, mysterious woman comes to work for them. Dawn Zukoski is hiding something; that much is clear. But what the sisters-in-law don't realize is that Dawn is also hiding from someone…

My professional opinion:
Sarah Pekkanen is a master at understanding and writing about women and their relationships.  Whether these relationships are between friends, sisters, moms and daughters or husband and wife, Sarah possesses the unique ability to write about them clearly and flawlessly, enabling the reader to fully immerse herself in the story, as if it was actually true.  I have enjoyed each of Sarah's books and this one is just as enjoyable as the rest!

The first thing that caught my attention about this book was the cover. It took me straight back home to New England and the mountains of NH, Vermont and Maine. It was comforting, inviting and quite simply something I wanted to frame on my wall.  I couldn't help but be drawn to the woman and wonder where she was headed and if her story was leading her away from something or to it? Not bad for a cover huh?

I quickly found myself immersed in this story, which I won't tell you about because I hate spoilers.  You're just going to have to read it for yourself, it's totally worth it! The characters enticed me to keep turning the pages as I learned more about each of them and got to know them. Soon I found myself wrapped up in the story, surprised when I found myself sitting in my living room instead of a bed and breakfast and in the middle of Missouri instead of Vermont. The novel, which is split in two parts, paints a vivid picture of its setting, giving the reader a clear image in their mind without taking away from their imagination. All to quickly, I finished the novel and found myself fully content.  I enjoyed the story.  I enjoyed the characters and I even found a few humorous moments along the way. In short, I loved it. If you haven't read anything by Sarah Pekkanen, I urge you to do so, your missing out!  If your already a fan, it's the perfect day for a new book.  You should pick this one up.

Authors In Bloom Hop

Why Enter?  Outside of the amazing fun, many prizes and fantastic tips/recipes you could be the grand prize winner!  GRAND PRIZE: We are giving away a Kindle Fire or Nook (winner’s choice) along with a $25 gift card for the same.  We are also giving away a 2nd prize of $25 gift card.  Visit all the websites and enter for the Grand Prize, here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author in Bloom Hop. Bloggers are now invited to participate as well!

Mark your calendars:  It's time to sign up for the third annual Authors in Bloom Blog Hop where authors share their favorite gardening tips and/or recipes with readers in celebration of spring! The 10 day hop will take place from April 7 - 16 and once again include a grand prize ereader and gift card for one lucky winner. Additionally, I'm offering a second prize $25 ereader gift card this year. Authors will be asked to host a giveaway on their individual websites in addition to asking participants to leave a comment as entry for the grand prize. Hop is limited to 100 authors.

There is no payment necessary for author participation. However, any and all donations are appreciated! Those authors who wish to make contributions toward the hop grand prize may do so via PayPal to dianne (at) diannevenetta (dot) com -- payment will reflect "BloominThyme Press."

For more information and link sign up, please go to the event page:
http://diannevenetta.com/events/authors-in-bloom-blog-hop/
Please note (US) or (INTL) eligibility for your specific author prize next to your name when you enter your sign up via inlinkz.


Hope to see you there and let's make this year the BIGGEST and BEST ever! Plese feel free to share invite with your authorfriends -- ALL genres welcome, including garden bloggers, review sites and more.

Looking forward to spring and meeting a host of new readers!

A Valentine's Day for the Birds...

Quite literally, this Valentine's Day was for the birds.  My oldest recently went on a field trip to a bird conservatory, located on a large college campus near us. She came home completely excited and ready to tell me all about the birds, their home and what she learned.  The class was given a pass to return to the conservatory, which is on our list of events to attend soon! After learning all about the birds living in the conservatory, it was decided that a bird house/feeder was something we simply must have!  So, since it was educational and not candy, we headed online to search for bird feeders and quite honestly, discover more about birds, the conservatories they can be found at and which feeders were right for which birds etc.  Since I am not a natural nature lover, I have to say this was quite informative for me, but watching her light up was wonderful.

So, now that my daughter had decided she wanted to feed Cardinals and other small birds, we bought bird feeders and some seed!  My daughter was very excited to tell her daddy that she was going to feed the cardinals, especially since they are his favorite baseball team!  LOL, kids are way to cute!  She is anxious for spring to come so we can hang the feeder outside our window, fill it and watch the birds. The experience was quite interesting as she had a lot of questions, to which I didn't have many answers.  I relied on the valuable and accurate information, I found online!

So since Valentine's Day, we have been waiting for our feeder to arrive and learning all about birds, where they live, what they eat and how they make a difference in the world around us.  I'm personally still getting used to her love of nature and science, but its fun to see her grow and learn and be excited about other living creatures.  I'm just hoping she doesn't request a bird as a pet!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Enter to Win Sabrina Jeffries Newest Book!

Enter to Win "When the Rogue Returns" by Sabrina Jeffries

The synopsis:

Victor Cale never imagined that his sweet, shy bride, Isabella, would use her talents for creating exquisite imitation jewels criminally. But there's no denying that her handiwork was used in the theft of the Dutch royal diamonds-- right after Isa disappeared into the night. 

Ten years later, Victor is sent to Edinburgh to investigate a wealthy baron's mysterious bride-to-be... who turns out to be Isa, masquerading as an alluring widow. No longer the meek girl he once knew, Isa boldly asserts that it was Victor who abandonedher, after he helped steal the royal diamonds!

Piecing together the truth of the past reawakens their volatile passions, which burns hotter than ever. But with a decade of secrets between them, Victor and Isa must trust each other to bring the real thieves to justice-- without getting burned themselves.

How to enter:

Leave a comment recommending to me three books you've read recently!  This is a flash giveaway... I will announce a winner in 48 hours!

Happy Reading!