by admin | Nov 20, 2011 | Books, Cooking
MY REVIEW:
I haven’t visited New York City so I haven’t had a chance to sample any of the actual Treats Truck delicious looking treats. Fortunately, that should not present a problem at all because Kim Ima has generously shared her recipes to reproduce the treats she offers on her truck. ‘The Treats Truck Baking Book’ contains a good number of basic recipes for cookies, brownies, and as the cover states “goodies galore”! In addition to the basic recipes, Kim has included multiple suggestions for variations, different fillings to make sandwich cookies, and lots of encouragement for experimentation.
This sweet little book is colorful, entertaining, and packed full of recipes and lots of photos plus tips, tools, and measurements. I have resisted the temptation to try some of these recipes due to the restricted diet I am currently on but as a long time baker, I recognize quality recipes. I am certain that with this cookbook, most cooks should be able to produce delicious treats that will have their families and friends begging for more. I will probably take pity of my husband and son and try out some of these recipes on them even if I can’t eat them.
For anyone looking for an easily understood baking book with good recipes, ‘The Treats Truck Baking Book’ should meet their requirements. I believe that even beginning cooks can bake yummy treats with this book.
This book was provided for review by the Amazon Vine™ program.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Entrepreneurial baking queen Kim Ima invites you to climb aboard her famous Treats Truck, “Sugar,” for an unforgettable tour of the world of cookies, cakes, pies, and all manner of scrumptious desserts. In The Treats Truck Baking Book, Kim shares dozens of mouthwatering recipes from the remarkable mobile bakery that has taken New York City by storm—while she tells the fascinating story of “Sugar,” her chicly retro, clean-burning repository of deliciousness. This beautifully full-color illustrated cookbook is a sweet treat for home bakers everywhere.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kim Ima is the owner/baker/driver of The Treats Truck and a winner of a Vendy Award for best dessert vendor. A pioneer of the NYC food truck scene, she has been baking in Brooklyn and bringing her truck to her favorite spots and special events all over New York City for more than four years. Kim was featured in a VISA small business campaign, as well as a national commercial for Blackberry. The Treats Truck has been seen on many TV shows, including the Food Network’s Kid in a Candy Store and TLC’s Best Food Ever, and on an upcoming episode of the Cooking Channel’s Eat St. In addition to the truck, Kim’s bakery and cafe in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, The Treats Truck Stop, is opening this Fall.
by admin | Nov 19, 2011 | Books, Christmas, Historical, Romance
MY REVIEW:
Rick Denton’s relationship with his step-father was strained so he had not returned home after college but had become a successful businessman in another city. Although he had a ski trip planned for Thanksgiving weekend, he dropped everything to help in the family Christian bookstore after his step-father suffered an aneurysm. Totally out of his element, Rick could not wait to return to his own job. Unfortunately, the seriousness of his step-father’s condition required Rick to extend his time at the bookstore at risk to his own career. Listening to customers talk about his mom and step-dad and spending time with single mom Andrea and her daughter, self-centered Rick slowly began to develop a different perspective about his family and his own role in it. In fact, it was an experience that promised to change his life forever.
‘Remembering Christmas’ is a simple yet powerful story that demonstrates Walsh’s excellent writing skills. Filled with interesting and sometimes quirky characters, true-to-life events, a touch of action and suspense, and a bit of romance, ‘Remembering Christmas’ was a satisfying read. An unexpected twist or two helped to hold my attention. ‘Remembering Christmas’ highlights the importance of family, forgiveness, and redemption without being at all preachy. When I viewed the cover of ‘Remembering Christmas’ I thought of warm and cozy winter nights by the fire after a busy day preparing for Christmas. What I found when I opened the pages and began to read was not at all cozy. In fact I kept waiting to get to the cozy part and that just never happened. I loved the cover (especially since that is MY rocker) but for me it just didn’t depict what I found inside. That being said, I did enjoy ‘Remembering Christmas’ once I realized it was just not going to be a warm and fuzzy story. Although not exactly the kind of Christmas story I was expecting, ‘Remembering Christmas’ was well worth my time.
Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Can A Successful Executive See More Than A Single Mom Struggling To Provide Christmas For Her Daughter?
Dan Walsh Returns With Another Christmas Story Full of Nostalgia, Wonder, And Hope
Award-winning author Dan Walsh creates a nostalgic, Christmas story that takes readers back in time in Remembering Christmas (ISBN: 978-0-8007-1979-1, 272 pages, September 2011.) A time not so long ago in 1980 when IBM had not yet launched the personal computer; the Boombox was hot; Reality TV was unheard of; MTV was just launching; Ronald Reagan was president; the Winter Olympics witnessed the USA team defeat the favored Soviet team and win the gold; and Rick Denton was in pursuit of his career goals and climbing the corporate ladder.
During this time, the holiday season only slowed Rick from his frenetic normal pace. For Rick, holiday downtime for everyone else meant extra time to get ahead on goals and returning calls. His goal in life was to work hard, play hard, live life on his terms, and answer to no one.
Then the phone call came from his mother during Thanksgiving weekend informing him about his stepfather’s stroke. His mom needed Rick’s help at the little run-down bookstore they owned. He has never liked Art, his stepfather and resents the man’s presence in his life, despite the fact that his own father abandoned the family when Rick was just twelve. Reluctantly Rick agrees to help and when he arrives at the store, he soon discovers that a few days of managing the store turn into a few weeks.
While there Rick meets the patrons of the Book Nook – some quirky, some homeless, some chatty, some hip and cool – and one a lovely young woman who trains him on the job. He tends to judge them all– until a moment of truth and discovery: the true meaning of Christmas.
With skillful storytelling, Dan Walsh creates a Christmas story that will have readers remembering every good and perfect gift of Christmas.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dan Walsh is the award-winning author of The Unfinished Gift, The Homecoming, and The Deepest Waters. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for 25 years. He lives with his family in the Daytona Beach area, where he’s busy researching and writing his next novel.
by admin | Nov 19, 2011 | Amish, Books, Christmas, Romance
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingChristmas In SugarcreekAvon Inspire (October 25, 2011)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Since 2000, Shelley Sabga has sold over thirty novels to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Harlequin, and Abingdon Press. She has been interviewed by NPR, and her books have been highlighted in numerous publications, including USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.
Under the name Shelley Shepard Gray, Shelley writes Amish romances for HarperCollins’ inspirational line, Avon Inspire. Her recent novel, The Protector, the final book in her “Families of Honor” series, hit the New York Times List, and her previous novel in the same series, The Survivor, appeared on the USA Today bestseller list. Shelley has won the prestigious Holt Medallion for her books, Forgiven and Grace, and her novels have been chosen as Alternate Selections for the Doubleday/Literary Guild Book Club. Her first novel with Avon Inspire, Hidden, was an Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist.
Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio and writes full time. Shelley is married, the mother of two children in college, and is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and currently leads a Bible study group, and she looks forward to the opportunity to continue to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals.
When she’s not writing, Shelley often attends conferences and reader retreats in order to give workshops and publicize her work. She’s attended RWA’s national conference six times, the ACFW conference and Romantic Times Magazine’s annual conference as well as traveled to New Jersey, Birmingham, and Tennessee to attend local conferences.
Check out Shelley’s Facebook Fan page
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Judith Graber has always been the obedient daughter. When her older brother Josh struggled with his love life, she offered wise counsel. When her younger brother Caleb flirted with the idea of leaving their order, she firmly told him he was wrong. Over the years, she’s watched her younger siblings, helped around the house, and worked in her family’s store during her spare time. Judith feels overworked, overlooked, and underappreciated this holiday season.
But everything changes when her father hires Ben Knox.
Ben Knox is the “bad boy” of Sugarcreek. Though he’s never considered jumping the fence, he’s certainly never tried to be anything close to dutiful. Two years ago he left Sugarcreek under a cloud of shame. Rumors circulated that his rumspringa had been filled with more than the usual harmless explorations.
Now he’s back and working side by side with Judith.
As the chaos of the holiday season threatens to sap all joy, sparks fly between Ben and Judith. But Judith steels herself to ignore her infatuation. The last thing she wants to be is just one more girl who falls under Ben’s spell. Ben, on the other hand, wants Judith to realize there’s more to him than his bad reputation. When he fled Sugarcreek, he was running from a disruptive home life. Now that he’s back, he wants a fresh beginning.
Could this Christmas season bring love and a new life for the unlikeliest pair in Sugarcreek?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Christmas In Sugarcreek, go HERE.
Learn more about Shelley and her books on her Website .
MY REVIEW:
Originally reviewed for Amazon Vine™ Program on September 16, 2011.
Christmas in Sugarcreek is an easily read, sweet Amish romance that is just right for a lazy afternoon by the fire with a warm beverage. In this story, the reader returns to the small town of Sugarcreek where Judith Graber might just receive a Christmas surprise she never expected.
Judith is the quintessential “good girl”. In her opinion, everyone in her family depends on her way too much and seem to take her for granted. But being the good girl that she is, she stuffs her dissatisfaction and continues to help where needed without complaint. Just when she thinks she cannot handle another extra responsibility, her father hires a temporary employee to help her in the family store. Unfortunately that helper turns out to be Ben Knox, the former “bad boy” of Sugarcreek before he left town. Although they have both matured, Judith is not sure she can trust Ben because of everything she has heard about him. But as the two are forced to spend many hours working together, Judith slowly begins to realize that Ben is not the person she thought he was.
Yes, this is one of those “good girl” falls in love with the “bad boy” romances but it is one with a difference. Christmas in Sugarcreek teaches a valuable lesson about judging people by appearances or actions without looking to see the true inner person. Although the outcome of the story is obvious from the beginning, it is a charming and delightful read.
by admin | Nov 16, 2011 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Texas, Western
MY REVIEW:
‘Lonestar Angel’ tells the story of Eden and Clay Larson whose marriage ended after the kidnapping and death of their infant daughter. Several years later, believing she is divorced, Eden is on the verge of accepting a proposal when Clay shows up declaring that he never signed the divorce papers and that he is positive that their daughter Brianna is still alive. He convinces her to join him as child counselors on Bluebird Ranch where he is certain their daughter is a resident. Not only do the couple have to figure out which of the girls is Brianna, but they also have to contend with repeated attacks on Eden and their renewed love for each other.
Given my fondness for suspense novels and a love of westerns, not to mention that Colleen Coble is one of my very favorite authors, it was pretty much a given that I would enjoy her Lonestar series that is set in Texas. ‘Lonestar Angel’ met all my expectations and more.
With Coble’s usual fast-paced plot, well-developed characters, plenty of intrigue laced with romance and an inspirational message, ‘Lonestar Angel’ kept me engaged until the very end. My only complaint is that it ended much too soon. The story had many twists and turns that kept the tension building. Each time I thought I had everything figured out, something would change that led me in another direction. I love the way Colleen kept me in suspense until she chose to reveal the answers.
If you enjoy well-written romantic suspense and/or contemporary western novels, ‘Lonestar Angel’ as well as the previous books in the Lonestar series are must haves for your bookshelves.
This book was provided for review by BookSneeze.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Eden’s hope is rekindled when Clay delivers astounding news: their baby girl has been found.
Five years ago Eden and Clay Larson’s baby was stolen. When they went to pay the ransom, what happened changed their lives forever—the kidnapper’s car with Baby Brianna inside sunk deep into the river. Eden blamed herself, Clay lost himself in work. Their young and rocky marriage ended. Or so Eden thought.
Now Eden’s moved to a new town. She’s found faith and is trying to rebuild her life. She’s even dating again—a sweet guy named Kent who plans to marry her. But then Clay arrives out of the blue and delivers shocking news: he never signed their divorce papers, so they’re still married. What’s more, Clay has been searching for Brianna all this time. And he believes he’s found her: their daughter is in Bluebird, Texas, at a youth ranch. All five little girls there are the right age—he’s just not sure which one is Brianna. Or how she survived.
To uncover the truth, Eden and Clay sign on as counselors at Bluebird Ranch. They move into small quarters in the bunkhouse and oversee the kids as they try to find out more. Working together, they rediscover their love for each other. But danger is closing in—Eden, Clay, and all their young charges are in jeopardy. As they fight to save their family, Eden realizes that God has been fighting for them all along. And His plans are for a more abundant life than they’d ever hoped.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book of the Year, RWA’s RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com. Twitter @colleencoble
Kim Ima is the owner/baker/driver of The Treats Truck and a winner of a Vendy Award for best dessert vendor. A pioneer of the NYC food truck scene, she has been baking in Brooklyn and bringing her truck to her favorite spots and special events all over New York City for more than four years. Kim was featured in a VISA small business campaign, as well as a national commercial for Blackberry. The Treats Truck has been seen on many TV shows, including the Food Network’s Kid in a Candy Store and TLC’s Best Food Ever, and on an upcoming episode of the Cooking Channel’s Eat St. In addition to the truck, Kim’s bakery and cafe in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, The Treats Truck Stop, is opening this Fall.
