Author: cvegnad

January 15, 2014

January Snapshots: 31 Day Photo Challenge

I know we are already half way through the month of January (do you find this month as hard as I do to get back on track?! It has felt impossible!).

Posterjack is encouraging all you photographers to get out there and snap some shots during their 31 Day Photo Challenge!

Every day in the month of January share your photo of the daily theme either on Posterjack’s Facebook wall or on Twitter using the hashtag #JanuarySnapshots. Their are two daily prizes of $25 vouchers to Posterjack (they have some great ideas for gifts as well so this would be perfect!).

All of the winning entries will be featured in a Facebook album where fans will vote for one winner. The grand prize winner will win a $200 voucher! Nice, right? Hurry to get those shots in!

January 15, 2014

The Headmistress of Rosemere Review

Romance, historical fiction and the nobility. The workings of a fabulous historical fiction!

The Headmistress of Rosemere written by Sarah Ladd follows the tale of Patience Creighton. Patience has dedicated her life to the Rosemere School for Young Ladies. At twenty five, she has accepted her time to have her own family has passed, so instead she has chosen to invest her energy into the family run Rosemere School for Young Ladies. When her father dies unexpectedly and her brother unable to deal with this heads to London, she is forced to push herself harder to ensure the success of the school.

The owner of the property and the school, William Sterling, is well known for his bachelor status and gambling. He has racked up a high amount of debt and the creditors soon come calling. When a fire threatens the school, William must decide how far he will go to protect his birthright. After surprising truths about William’s past emerges both William and Patience must turn to God to find a plan for their lives.

The Headmistress of Rosemere is the second book in the Whispers on the Moors series. You can easily read this book without having read the first one. The story is complete from beginning to end (which I love as it can be frustrating to end a story right in the middle). The main character, Patience, is an incredibly strong young woman and I found so hard to see her as a spinster! She is a giving person who would do anything for the people around her. She is completely selfless – someone who I would have loved to have had as my own headmistress.

She is so pure at heart and that is what draws William in. Her kindness is also her downfall (something we can see in everyday life). She gives so much to others that she forgets that she too is also a person and deserves her own happiness. I feel at times as a parent I can give too much of myself to others, be it through Parent Council, volunteer work, school and work that sometimes it can become overwhelming. This book had you wishing and praying that Patience would find her happiness.

The author, Sarah Ladd, has more then ten years in marketing experience. She holds degrees in public relations and marketing. Her novel, the Heiress of Winterwood, was the recipient of the 2011 Genesis Award. You can find more about her here.

If you would like to find more reviews on this novel please visit the Litfuse site here. If you would like to purchase a copy you can do so here.

Rating: 4.5/5

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to review. All opinions expressed are my own.

January 14, 2014

Carolina Gold Review: Bravery, Strength and Romance

Historical fiction is one of my favourite literacy genres to read. I love reading fiction based in historical settings as you get an excellent insight in to the way people lived during those times. When that type of novel can combine romance and the bravery of a young woman – I am in book heaven!

Carolina Gold is written by Dorothy Love and takes place in South Carolina just after the American civil war. We are introduced to Charlotte Fraser who is returning to her father’s once flourishing rice plantation after the war. She is determined to harvest the popular rice called Carolina Gold. She returns to a plantation in ruins, belongings stolen, freed bondsmen and scarce money.

To help make ends meet, she accepts the position of tutor to her neighbouring plantation owner’s two young daughters. The owner, Nick Betancourt, sets out on a course to prove his ownership of not only his plantation but several of the neighbouring ones as well. This sets in motion a journey for Charlotte that opens up many doors to hidden family secrets.

Carolina Gold is based on a true story written by Elizabeth Allston Pringle called A Woman Rice Planter. The novel describes the difficulties rice plantation owners had in keeping workers, the changed relationships with former slaves, decline in the price of rice and the devastation of crops from natural disasters.

My favourite aspect of this novel has to be the fact that it is based on a true story. It is incredible to think that such a brave, young woman could have accomplished this much in a very male dominant society. Dorothy Love remained true to so many details during this time period that you were able to get a complete picture of the daily lives of not only rice plantations owners after the war but a woman’s perspective throughout this time.

Dorothy Love has an incredible way with words that drags you into the story. The romance parts of the novel were not overly drawn out which is perfect! I find that some novels can overplay the romance to the point that the story does not develop enough. She balanced the two perfectly! Not being too familiar with the details during this time period it was extremely interesting to dive into this historical period and learn about their struggles and changes that both sides had to go through during this period.

Dorothy Love is a former freelance writer and college professor. She is the author of the Hickory Ridge novels set in her hometown of Tennessee.

You can find more details on the novel and reviews here. If you would like to purchase a copy of this book you can do so here.

Rating: 5/5

Don’t forget that they are also hosting a fabulous giveaway! Enter now:

The release of Carolina Gold coincides with Dorothy’s birthday. Celebrate with her by entering the Southern Essentials Giveaway and RSVPing to her Facebook party on January 14th!

Between January 3–14, visit Dorothy Love’s Facebook Page to enter to win a new giveaway each day and be entered to win the $100 Visa Cash Card grand prize. Winners will be announced at the Facebook Author Chat party on January 14th! (Don’t have a Facebook account? Enter here.) RSVP today for Dorothy’s Carolina Gold Author Chat Party on Facebook.

During the party Dorothy will be hosting a book chat, testing your trivia skills, announcing the winner of the Southern Essentials Giveaway, and giving away books, gift certificates, and more. Oh, and she’ll also be giving party goers an exclusive look at her next book!

So grab your copy of Carolina Gold and help Dorothy celebrate her birthday on the evening of January 14th! (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. HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE 14th!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

January 14, 2014

Curried Cauliflower

One of my goals this year is to increase my vegetable intake. Now to be very honest with you I am a picky vegetable eater. I have a thing against crunchy vegetables (will not even touch lettuce!). So I like my vegetables cooked, boiled, steamed, roasted and I am sure you get the picture! I was on Pinterest ‘researching’ and I found a whole bunch of pins on curried cauliflower – I thought it was brilliant and tried out my own take on it (most of the recipes called for roasting them and I chose to cook my in water and olive oil to ensure a nice soft crunch).

Ingredients:

One cauliflower head

1-2 tbsp of curry powder (to suit your own taste)

1-2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil (just enough to fry the cauliflower)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut up the cauliflowers into small pieces.

2. Combine the olive oil and cauliflower in a pot.

3. Top with curry powder, salt and pepper and mix.

4. Add in enough water to almost cover the cauliflower (this will all boil away in the end to allow the cauliflower to fry at the end).

5. On medium heat boil the cauliflower until the water has evaporated.

6. Still on medium heat, fry the cauliflower until golden. This took roughly five minutes.

NOTE: If you are not the biggest fan of spicy food stick with one tbsp of curry powder – I found that 2 tbsp will make it spicier. Also stove top cooking times can vary so please adjust your cooking times and temperatures to your oven.

January 6, 2014

The Dancing Master: Review & Giveaway

I am not shy to admit it – I LOVE historical romances. I am not fussy with certain eras I love them all. There is just something about the magic of centuries long ago, the women in their gowns and the romance. I am constantly downloading one after another on my Kindle for reading.

The Dancing Master written by Julie Klassen follows the story of Alec Valcourt and Julia Midwinter. Alec Valcourt moves to his uncle’s cottage along with his mother and sister in remote Devonshire in the hopes of starting over from his family’s scandalous past in London. He is shocked to learn that the village matriarch has banned all acts of dancing including lessons and balls due to a tragic memory from her past (Alec Valcourt is a Dancing Master who teaches young men and women the fine art of dancing).

Alec Valcourt finds an ally in the matriarch’s daughter Julia Midwinter. Together they help each other learn about the secrets of their past and carve their own future.

The Dancing Master is written from the perspectives of both Alec and Julia allowing us to have a glimpse into both the characters of Alec and Julia – which I really loved as it helped to develop their personalities and get to know the inner workings of their minds. The novel was full of interesting turns and spins – most I would never have guessed! So it really kept me wanting to turn each page and not put it down (to my husband’s dismay!). It had just the perfect amount of romance – nothing overwhelming but simple, innocent first love.

Julie Klassen is a graduate of the University of Illinois and has sixteen years of publishing under her belt. She now writes full time. She is a three time Christy award winner and a 2010 Midwest Book Award Winner.

You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 5/5

THE GIVEAWAY!

Best-selling author Julie Klassen will be hosting a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway and a live webcast event (1/23) to celebrate the release of her latest novel, The Dancing Master. Enter and RSVP today!

One winner will receive:

A Kindle Fire HDX
The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on January 23rd. Winner will be announced at the “All Things Jane (from Austen to Eyre)” Live Webcast Event on January 23rd. Connect with Julie for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Julie will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books, Jane Austen DVDs, fun “Jane” merchandise, and gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of The Dancing Master and join Julie and friends on the evening of January 23rd 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 by signing up for a reminder. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 23rd!