Ah, the Rat Pack era. Those long ago days in Vegas when the crooners really knew how to croon. And who would the mentor be on this nostalgic day? As Kris said, "All those guys in the Rat Pack... they're dead." True. So it was a little surprising when who should walk through the mansion door but... Jamie Foxx???
At first, he seemed like an odd choice. Yes, he won an Oscar portraying Ray Charles, but when it comes to his own music, he's an R&B artist. Well, Jamie pleasantly surprised me. The comments he had for the contestants were right on and seemed to help. And here's how things went...
KRIS - The Way You Look Tonight - When Kris started out, all I could think of was "smooth." He's got such a rich, mellow tone to his voice. And I love the way his jaw juts off to the side when he hits the power notes. I wasn't crazy about the tempo change in the middle of the song. I would have preferred if he kept it in a slow groove, but he still did a great job.
ALLISON - Someone To Watch Over Me - This may have been my favorite Allison performance to date. She hit just the right combination of being true to herself and catching the vibe of the song. And she looked fabulous! In my opinion, the now seventeen-year-old nailed it last night.
MATT - My Funny Valentine - Oh, Matt. I expected so much from you. And you almost delivered. But some of the runs fell flat. Even though it was a good performance, it didn't stand up against everyone else.
DANNY - Come Rain or Come Shine - Finally, the Danny we know and love is back! Even though his performances have been very good, they've lacked a little something the last few weeks. But last night, Danny crooned with the best of them. I particularly liked the end of the song. In this case, upping the tempo worked in a big, big way.
ADAM - Feeling Good - It'll just be redundant if I say I love Adam, so I'll control myself. This is one of those songs that you hear a million times during the audition process, so I wasn't all that excited when I heard he was singing it. BUT, as always, he put his own spin on it, making it fresh and unique. And has there ever been a better entrance down that staircase? I think not.
BEST LINE OF THE NIGHT - From Simon, in response to Randy saying that Adam was a little too theatrical: "That's like complaining that a cow moos. It's who he is."
GUESS WHAT I DID FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST NIGHT? I voted! Yeah, I know, as much as I write about this show, you'd think I was a voter, but I'm not. However, I felt strongly enough last night to pick up my cell and call in my vote for Adam. I only got through once, but at least I did my part :+}
WE BID A FOND FAREWELL TO... Matt. I think he and Allison will end up in the bottom two, but I believe Matt will be the one to go.
What do you think?
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
American Idol Visits the Rat Pack Era
Monday, April 27, 2009
CFBA presents A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE by Robin Lee Hatcher
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robin Lee Hatcher discovered her vocation as a novelist after many years of reading everything she could put her hands on, including the backs of cereal boxes and ketchup bottles. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction (Whispers from Yesterday), the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance (Patterns of Love and The Shepherd's Voice), two RT Career Achievement Awards (Americana Romance and Inspirational Fiction), and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over 50 novels, including Catching Katie, named one of the Best Books of 2004 by the Library Journal.Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies. She is passionate about the theater, and several nights every summer, she can be found at the outdoor amphitheater of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, enjoying Shakespeare under the stars. She makes her home outside of Boise, sharing it with Poppet the high-maintenance Papillon
ABOUT THE BOOK
In A Vote of Confidence, the stage is set for some intriguing insight into what it was like during 1915 to be a woman in a “mans’ world.”Guinevere Arlington is a beautiful young woman determined to remain in charge of her own life, For seven years, Gwen has carved out a full life in the bustling town of Bethlehem Springs, Idaho, where she teaches piano and writes for the local newspaper. Her passion for the town, its people, and the surrounding land prompt Gwen to run for mayor. After all, who says a woman can’t do a man’s job?
But stepping outside the boundaries of convention can get messy. A shady lawyer backs Gwen, believing he can control her once she’s in office. A wealthy newcomer throws his hat into the ring in an effort to overcome opposition to the health resort he’s building north of town. When the opponents fall in love, everything changes, forcing Gwen to face what she may have to lose in order to win.
If you would like to read the first chapter of A Vote Of Confidence, go HERE
THOUGHTS FROM JEN
I'm not completely done reading A Vote of Confidence yet, but what I've read so far has me hooked. Hatcher writes about a time when automobiles shared the streets with horses, and woman had the right to vote, even though men often doubted their ability to think for themselves. It's fascinating to get a glimpse into this pivotal time in American history.
In the characters of Gwen and Morgan, we have two people who both believe they're doing what the Lord wants them to, only to discover they're competing against each other. The romance that builds is touching, and I can't wait to find out how the talented Robin Lee Hatcher wraps their story up. Fans of historical romance will definitely enjoy A Vote of Confidence.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Want to Read a Book that Won't Let You Go?
I read a lot of books. Some are great, most are good, and a few are a chore to get through. So to have one so totally capture my imagination that I want to do nothing but read it is a rare treat. Beyond This Moment by Tamera Alexander is that kind of book.
Dr. Molly Whitcomb, Professor of Romance Languages, arrives in Timber Ridge needing to start a new life. As the new teacher, she's quickly embraced by most of the town, particularly the handsome and principled sheriff, James McPherson. But Molly has a secret, and the longer she keeps it to herself, the higher the price she'll pay when it becomes known to everyone.
Ms. Alexander has woven an enthralling tale of life in the Colorado Territory. This is the old west as few people have seen it. It's a land of sweeping mountain vistas and breathtaking beauty. And it's a land that sees the inevitable encroachment of modernization and the march of progress. A sub-plot about the Italian immigrants who have moved into the area and the way they are looked at by the locals is a fresh and timely topic for today, even in the historical setting.
In Molly and James, we have a tale as old as time; two people who find themselves falling hopelessly in love, even though they both believe they are meant to live their lives alone. As we find out more about these two, we can't help but cheer them on, wanting them to live happily ever after, even though the prospect is bleak.
Tamara Alexander is a gifted writer, one who pulls you into the story from the first page and never lets you go. She has populated the town of Timber Ridge with a group of characters you won't soon forget, and makes you wish that there were more Timber Ridge stories to read right now!
This is the second book in the Timber Ridge Reflections series. I've read them both, but I don't think it's absolutely necessary to read them chronologically. But, after you've read this one, you're going to want to read the first one, so you might as well buy them both and read them in order!
To find out more about Tamera Alexander and her books, visit her website at http://www.tameraalexander.com
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
My Head's Killing Me but I Must Talk About Americian Idol!
I woke up this morning with a terrible sinus headache. All I wanted to do was tunnel further into the covers and go back to bed. BUT, I've got a To Do list, and it wouldn't leave me alone. So, I got up. I took a shower. I ate breakfast. And I felt a tiny bit better.
Did I accomplish anything? Some. I answered emails and wrote one page on a new chapter. I walked to the mailbox and found two red Netflix envelopes. One of the movies, Bedtime Stories, seemed perfect for today, so I crashed on the couch and watched it. I think the laughter helped. I've still got a headache, although not quite as intense.
You're probably thinking, what's the point to this post? Not much. Only that sometimes, our well thought out plans are derailed by things like headaches, and we have to give ourselves permission to adapt to the situation.
By the way, since I missed yacking about American Idol last week, I just can't let another week go by without commenting. So here I go...
THE DISCO NIGHT THAT ALMOST WASN'T
Yep, last night was disco night, but it was hard to tell. Out of the seven remaining contestants, only two, Lil and Matt, sang songs that remotely resembled disco. The other five sang updated versions of songs from the disco era... which was a good thing.
SHINIER THAN A DISCO BALL
As usual, Adam was my favorite of the night with a heartfelt version of "If I Can't Have You." To date, I've downloaded every one of his songs from iTunes. I'm making my own Adam album! Another standout was Kris, who did an acoustic version of "She Works Hard for the Money."
FASHION UPS & DOWNS
UP: Danny was wearing his glasses again.
DOWN: Allison's wardrobe. She's a great singer, but she needs a fashion consultant.
UNDECIDED: Anoop's pink shirt.
DOWN: Anoop's facial hair. I like smooth Anoop better.
WE BID A FOND FAREWELL TO...
Tonight we're losing two contestants. If Lil isn't one of them, I'll be shocked. Gotta admit, I'm feeling no Lil love anymore. It's almost like there's a wall between her and everyone else. Odd stuff. So, I think the bottom three will be Lil, Matt and Anoop. Lil will be one of the two going home, but I think it's a dead heat between the guys. We'll see.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
CFBA presents BONEMAN'S DAUGHTER by Ted Dekker - WIN THE BOOK!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ted is the son of missionaries John and Helen Dekker, whose incredible story of life among headhunters in Indonesia has been told in several books. Surrounded by the vivid colors of the jungle and a myriad of cultures, each steeped in their own interpretation of life and faith, Dekker received a first-class education on human nature and behavior. This, he believes, is the foundation of his writing.After graduating from a multi-cultural high school, he took up permanent residence in the United States to study Religion and Philosophy. After earning his Bachelor's Degree, Dekker entered the corporate world in management for a large health care company in California. Dekker was quickly recognized as a talent in the field of marketing and was soon promoted to Director of Marketing. This experience gave him a background which enabled him to eventually form his own company and steadily climb the corporate ladder.
Since 1997, Dekker has written full-time. He states that each time he writes, he finds his understanding of life and love just a little clearer and his expression of that understanding a little more vivid. Dekker's body of work encompassing seven mysteries, three thrillers and ten fantasies includes Heaven's Wager, When Heaven Weeps, Thunder of Heaven, Blessed Child, A Man Called Blessed, Blink, Thr3e, The Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, White), Obsessed, Renegade, and Chaos.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Would you kill an innocent man to save your daughter?They call him BoneMan, a serial killer who’s abducted six young women. He’s the perfect father looking for the perfect daughter, and when his victims fail to meet his lofty expectations, he kills them by breaking their bones and leaving them to die.
Intelligence officer Ryan Evans, on the other hand, has lost all hope of ever being the perfect father. His daughter and wife have written him out of their lives.
Everything changes when BoneMan takes Ryan’s estranged daughter, Bethany, as his seventh victim. Ryan goes after BoneMan on his own.
But the FBI sees it differently. New evidence points to the suspicion that Ryan is BoneMan. Now the hunter is the hunted, and in the end, only one father will stand.
If you're an avid Dekker fan, and would like wallpaper and counters for your blog, go HERE.
You can listen to an audio clip HERE
Watch the VIDEO:
If you would like to read the first chapter of BoneMan's Daughters, go HERE
THOUGHTS FROM JEN
In BoneMan's Daughters, Ryan Evans is a man who has basically abandoned his family, until a harrowing experience in the Middle East changes the way he thinks about everything. Once back home, he wants nothing more than to repair his fractured relationships, but he finds that will be harder than he thought. His wife, now in love with another man, wants a divorce. And his teenage daughter feels that her father died a long time ago. Enter BoneMan, a serial killer who wants the perfect daughter... Ryan's daughter.
Dekker starts the book out at a breakneck pace and manages to maintain the intensity throughout most of the book. There are enough thrills, chills, and scares to satisfy his many fans, or those who enjoy King or Koontz. Readers who want something a little deeper will find themselves pondering the question that Ryan must ask himself: How far will a father go to save his child? Ryan's desperation is palpable as he races against the clock to save his daughter, while at the same time fleeing the FBI, who now see him as a suspect.
BoneMan's modus operandi is to break the bones of his victim without breaking the skin. Dekker doesn't get overly graphic, but he does give enough detail that I found myself needing to quickly skim a time or two. He gets across the terror of the situation as well as a victim's need to placate the abductor while still trying to maintain sanity and look for a way to escape.
There were a few plot points that, to me, hinged on total coincidence, and I never did completely buy BoneMan's motives. BUT, this is still a top-notch, well-written thriller. Readers who want to have their spines tingled will enjoy this one. But if you read it at night, you might want to keep all the lights on.
WIN THE BOOK
If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Boneman's Daughters, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on April 25th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. PLEASE NOTE: For this contest I can only accept entries from the USA and Canada. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Susan Boyle - The Power of a Pitch-Perfect Product
If you're like me, you've heard of Susan Boyle by now. I got links to this video through email, Twitter, Facebook... in fact, I was starting to get a little sick of it. That is, until I actually clicked on the link and watched it. I'm a sucker for people who realize their dreams. And this woman does it in a big way. I dare you not to tear up. Go ahead, take a look...
If the video doesn't play, click on this link to view the clip on Tangle:
http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=98096bfbc280d77852ec&utm_source=newsletter416&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weeklyvideos
From a personal perspective, Susan's story is completely amazing. Is says a lot about how we tend to judge people on outside appearances and our preconceived notions.
From a business perspective... YOWZA! Talk about a word-of-mouth storm. This clip has spread like wildfire, and it's all from people being inspired and sending it on to their friends. Now, thanks to social networking sites, we can reach several hundred friends with a few pecks on the keyboard and a click of the mouse. But the most important thing to note here is value of the product. Susan delivered a finely crafted, uplifting, entertaining performance. In other words, she has a product people want. A video on Tangle or You Tube doesn't mean squat unless the people are moved by it.
Another cool thing is to look at the judges. Those three were shocked by Susan's performance. But beyond that, they were thrilled for her. They wanted her to succeed, and they were moved by her performance. For those of us who make our living dealing with "judges" - editors, agents, etc. - it's an important thing to remember. These folks WANT us to succeed, and when we do, they are moved. When we don't provide an amazing product, their hands are tied.
Way to go, Susan! May we all dream a dream, and never let it die!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Dreaming with Amy Wallace - WIN HER BOOK!
It's my pleasure to welcome back guest blogger, and fellow chocoholic, Amy Wallace!
In college, I used to interpret dreams. It came part and parcel with my counseling degree and some weird and wild psychology classes.
But when God gave me a dream that needed no interpretation, I got scared. And excited. But I wasn’t going to do anything except tell my husband the dream about an FBI agent with a wounded heart and a mom on a dangerous quest for answers and then forget it.
God had another plan.
So did my hubby. They teamed up and shoved—I mean pointed—me in the novel direction of writing.
This was not my dream. But it was my husband’s. And it was obviously God’s, because what happened next was all God and totally out of my hands.
My not-to-be-deterred hubby took my dream about Steven and Gracie and ran with it… all the way to a federal agent he convinced to meet with me and help me out.
When David came home and told me I’d better get busy with my book idea because I was meeting a real live Secret Service agent, I freaked. But I could still feel that dream I’d had. It wouldn’t go away. And neither would my husband. (Good thing!)
So I read tons of FBI books and spent many hours typing away on the computer. God graciously put His hands over mine and made it all make sense.
I met with the Secret Service agent, a stellar Christian and all-around wonderful guy, and from my bare-bones outline and research we hammered out a plot. That day was nothing short of a dream-touching moment.
Five years after that meeting, the story that began as a dream was born as Ransomed Dreams, my first novel and the beginning of the Defenders of Hope series.
To say I’ve been living a dream these last three years is true. But unlike the happily ever after fairytales, my story is still being written. And like any good novel, it has tons of twists and turns and unexpected tragedies and triumphs.
And it has cost me much. A verse I cling to on this journey is 2 Samuel 24:24. “I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God that which costs me nothing.” That verse has nourished my parched soul many days. It reminds me that God welcomes my offering and my sacrifice and receives it with joy. There’s purpose in it all.
Living a dream isn’t easy. But it’s worth every tear and tough day.
And one day, I hope to repay my dear hubby by shoving—I mean nudging—him into fulfilling his dream, that of being a marriage and family counselor. Then I’ll keep at it until he fulfills a second dream of his—writing a book.
Maybe then he’ll grasp all he did for me by dragging me into my dream. And who knows? Maybe someday we’ll team up and help (not shove) someone else to live their dream too.
Living a dream is an amazing journey. Are you on it?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Wallace is a wife, homeschool mom of three, writer, speaker, Bible study leader, and avid chocoholic. She loves crafting high-action suspense that delves deep into heart issues, but who she really is can be summed up in a few short words: Amy is a daughter of the King learning to live and love with laughter. Amy is also the author of the Defenders of Hope series: Ransomed Dreams, Healing Promises, and Enduring Justice, a contributing author of God Answers Mom's Prayers, God Allows U-Turns for Teens, Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes, and A Cup of Comfort for Expectant Moms. Visit Amy at www.amywallace.com and join the Dark Chocolate Suspense newsletter http://www.amywallace.com/Newsletter.html
ABOUT THE BOOK - Enduring Justice
A PAINFUL PAST
Hanna Kessler’s childhood secret has remained buried for over two decades. But when the dark shadows of her past threaten to destroy those she loves, Hanna must face the summer that changed her life and the man who still haunts her memories.
A RACIALLY-MOTIVATED KILLER
As a Crimes Against Children FBI Agent, Michael Parker knows what it means to get knocked down. Difficult cases and broken relationships have plagued his entire year. But when the system fails and a white supremacist is set free, Michael’s drive for retribution eclipses all else.
A LIFE-ALTERING CHOICE
A racist's well-planned assault forces Hanna and Michael to decide between executing vengeance and pursuing justice. The dividing line is the choice to heal. But when the attack turns personal, is justice enough?
WIN THE BOOK
If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Enduring Justice, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on April 22nd. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!
