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Roses Have Thorns: A Novel of Elizabeth I (Ladies in Waiting #3)

My Review: A sweeping historical read that explores life at court and the friendship between Queen Elizabeth I and Helena von Snakenborg.

Every time I read one of Sandra Byrd’s historicals, I find myself swept back to another place and time, where grandeur is deceptive and fleeting. I had heard of Helena von Snakenborg previously, but I didn’t know that much about her, I loved how she was portrayed, as well as her friendship with the queen. Elizabeth I was shown in her humanity, as a woman who wasn’t perfect but always did what she believed best for England, even at her own cost.

I learned so much about the time and the politics of the day, and the way Ms. Byrd portrayed the situations and people, felt honest and true to the times.

Overall, this is another terrific book by Ms. Byrd! The Tudors are so fascinating to me, and I’ve always loved to read about them, though there are not many books out there that I believe portray the characters as honestly as this series does. Full of intrigue, and rich in history, Roses Have Thorns is a book that will keep you glued to the page, and you might find that you have learned quite a bit of history along the way! A book I highly recommend!

I received this book from the author and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

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Ok, now here’s your chance to enter to win your very own copy of Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd or a Tudor inspired necklace made by Christy of Belle on a Budget! (Your necklace might not look exactly like the one pictured, but the picture will give you a good idea of what it looks like!) So that means 2 great prizes and 2 winners!

US Residents only please.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Want to know where to get some great Christian books? Want to know where you can win some? Well, every day in the month of August The Book Club Network will be giving away 10 books! 10 books, everyday! Which to my thinking, is just too cool!

So if you want to give winning a great book a try be sure to check out the Book Club Network! They have awesome giveaways not only in August, but every month! So be sure to mark your calendar and check it out 🙂

It is a wee bit past my  first blogoversary, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have a giveaway! I started this blog mid-February in 2011, though I didn’t started reviewing books til around the tail-end of May. But anyway I wanted to have a giveaway as a means of appreciation for my followers!

Spring for Susannah

One fortunate winner will receive:

Spring for Susannah (ARC)
To Love and To Cherish by Kelly Irvin
Amelia’s Journey by Martha Rogers
A Most Unsuitable Match by Stephanie Grace Whitson
Summer Dream by Martha Rogers
Winter’s Promise by Martha Rogers
Protecting Amy by Susan Page Davis
Four Letter Words by Bill Giovannetti
Protection for Hire by Camy Tang
Wings of Love by Kim Watters

( I may be adding more to this prize as things go along, so keep in mind there might be even more books later!)

Another winner will receive a hand cross-stitched bookmark that I made 🙂

The rules are simple:

~ You MUST be a follower ~ because I want to appreciate my followers, though new followers are more than welcome.
~ You MUST live in the U.S.
~ You MUST leave a comment below including your email address, perferrably (for your sake) encoded so spammers can’t get it! Example: crazi.swans at gmail dot com

I will pick the winners March 11th, 2012. I will notify the winners by email and they will have one week to respond or another winner will be chosen.

*Just a small note, these are review copies and one or more of them might be an ARC, also I like to perserve my books in Contact Paper, just in ase any of the above mentioned stuff bothers you!

Also I will be using Random.org 🙂
And if you win and already have a copy of one or more of the books, I will, if you would like, choose another winner for the books that you already have 🙂

Thank you so much for the all the wonderful encouragement I have received from you all over the past year!

     **GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

Firethorn (Discarded Heroes #4)

Yes, you heard me right there’s giveaway going on. So why don’t you mosey over here and get yourself entered!

I received an extra copy of the fabulous Firethorn from Ms. Kendig for me to giveaway here. If you like you can get a peek into the book and read my review by clicking HERE.

Here’s how it goes:

~I will notify the winner by email and if I do not get a reply within a week a new winner will be selected.
~I will be using Random.org to draw the winner, so everything will be fair 🙂 
~ The contest will run through January 31st, 2012 and the winner will be announced on the 1st of February.
~ I will need to get at least 10 entries to make this possible.

OK, so the rules for entering are simple:

~ You must be a U.S. resident (Sorry!)
~ You must be a follower
~ You must leave an email address encoded so spammers won’t get it. For example : crazi.swans at gmail dot com

Special thanks to Ms. Kendig for making this giveaway possible!

My Review:

When Tressa sees a robin outside her grandmother’s house, she worries about the eggs and the chicks inside, but her grandmother reassures her that God will care for the robins. Then she tells Tressa The Legend of the Easter Robin.


A delightfully illustrated children’s book, in the bright colors of spring. The story reminded me of Luke 12:6, which tells of God’s ever faithful watchkeep over us, and he cares for even the sparrows.
A lovely take on the traditional Dutch legend, great to read with children and teach them of compassion and the care God keeps over us.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising.”

About the book:
In the center of the nest lay one perfect egg, the color of a spring sky. The father robin sat on a branch nearby, guarding his family. Tressa spotted raccoon tracks below and a blue jay eyeing the nest. “Gran, how are we going to keep the egg safe?” “We’ll have to leave that one to the Creator,” Gran said. Robins have built a nest on the window ledge at Grandmother’s house! Tressa is thrilled―and concerned. What will happen to the sky-blue egg laid by the mother robin? As more eggs appear, Tressa witnesses the daily drama of the robins’ nest and learns how God cares for all creatures. Besides watching the birds, there are Easter eggs to color. And there is a very special story to hear―a tale of long ago about one small bird with a very big heart. How did the robin get its red breast? Tressa is about to find out as Gran tells her the story of the Easter robin. Brought to life with colorful, tender illustrations, The Legend of the Easter Robin will captivate and teach your child about compassion and faith.

Age Range: 4-8 years
Hardcover; 32 pages 
Publish Date: January 26, 2016 

Now I have the privilege of being able to giveaway a copy of this book–entries accepted until Sunday, March 6th, 2016.

Giveaway only open to US residents, be a follower of the blog for an extra entry.

Please leave a comment telling of one of your family’s Easter traditions AND leave your email address so that I can contact the winner. Leave addresses encoded: youremail at redhotmail dot com — so spammers don’t get it. 

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