To Wager her heart by Tamera Alexander - TLC Book Tour

About To Wager Her Heart

Collection: A Belle Meade Plantation Novel
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (August 8, 2017)
.

From #1 CBA Bestselling Author Tamera Alexander

 Impeccable historical research woven with heart-gripping fiction!

.

With fates bound by a shared tragedy, a reformed gambler from the Colorado Territory and a Southern Belle bent on breaking free from society’s expectations must work together to achieve their dreams – provided the truth doesn’t tear them apart first.

.

Seeking justice . . . 

   

Sylas Rutledge, the new owner of the Northeast Line Railroad, invests everything he has into this venture, partly for the sake of the challenge. But mostly to clear his father’s name. One man holds the key to Sy’s success–General William Giles Harding of Nashville’s Belle Meade Plantation. But Harding is champagne and thoroughbreds, and Sy Rutledge is beer and bullocks.

.

Sy needs someone to help him maneuver his way through Nashville’s society, and when he meets Alexandra Jamison, he quickly decides he’s found his tutor. Only, he soon discovers that the very train accident his father is blamed for causing is what killed Alexandra Jamison’s fiancé–and has shattered her world.

.

Struggling to restore honor . . . 

   

Spurning an arranged marriage by her father, Alexandra instead pursues her passion for teaching at Fisk University, the first freedmen’s university in the United States. But family–and Nashville society–do not approve, and she soon finds herself cast out from both.

Through connections with the Harding family, Alexandra and Sy become unlikely allies. And despite her first impressions, Alexandra gradually finds herself coming to respect, and even care for this man. But how can she, when her heart is still spoken for? And when Sy’s roguish qualities and adventuresome spirit smack more of recklessness than responsibility and honor?

.

Sylas Rutledge will risk everything to win over the woman he loves. What he doesn’t count on is having to wager her heart to do it.

.

Set against the real history of Nashville’s Belle Meade Plantation and the original Fisk University Jubilee Singers ensemble, To Wager Her Heart is a powerful love story about seeking justice and restoring honor at a time in American history when both were tenuous and hard-won. It’s Tamera Alexander – impeccable historical research and heart-gripping fiction – at her best! 

.

“For lovers of historical romance, To Wager Her Heart offers the very best of both history and romance. Tamera Alexander’s well-told story details the early years of Fisk University as a school for freedmen after the Civil War. I was fascinated from beginning to end. This thoroughly enjoyable novel proves why Tamera Alexander is one of the genre’s most beloved authors – and one of my favorites.”
~ Lynn Austin, Bestselling author of Waves of Mercy and Until We Reach Home

 .

 “To Wager Her Heart is a wonderful historical romance with sweet and caring characters who are looking for justice and redemption from the past. Real-life people from history are intertwined throughout the novel, enhancing the plot. Alexander has certainly done her research in this lovely Belle Meade Plantation inspirational romance!”

~RT Book Reviews, four stars!

.

 “A steadfast heroine, a redemption-seeking hero, and a complex Southern society in post-Civil War America seamlessly combine in Tamera Alexander’s To Wager Her Heart. Fans of Alexander’s Belle Meade Plantation novels will fall in love with this new installment–but the real stars are the depth of research and the masterful attention to setting the perfect historical scene. Honor. Faith. And love . . . this novel’s a journey in them all!”

~Kristy Cambron, Bestselling author of The Illusionist’s Apprentice

.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million

iBooks | Google Play |Barnes & Noble

About Tamera Alexander

Tamera Alexander is a USA Today bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers in the historical fiction genre. She and her husband live in Nashville, Tennessee, not far from the Southern mansions that serve as the backdrop for six of her award-winning novels.

.

Connect with Tamera

Website | Facebook | Twitter

My Thoughts:

I love Tamera Alexander, and this book was all I could have asked for in a good historical fiction.  Truth be told, I so enjoy a western kind of feel in a book, and this book delivers. 

Alexandra Jamison is the quintessential young lady, raised in a time where the parents decided who she would marry in order to achieve a certain status.  When her father pressures her to marry a man his age, she fights back and decides instead to pursue her passion and become a teacher at the Fisk University, teaching former freed slaves, something that sends shock waves through society and her family.

In comes Sy, this rugged good looking bad boy that makes Alexandra uncomfortable.  He is a former gambler trying to right a wrong and clear his father's name from a connection to a horrible train accident.  He sees in Alexandra, not only a beautiful woman who he is attracted to, but someone who can help him navigate the posh society of Nashville.  What he is not counting on is the fact that the train accident he is set on clearing his father's name from, is the same accident that took Alexandra's fiancees life.

You all know how this is going to end.....and even though it's the typical romance story where we can see the ending in sight, it's still deliciously enjoyable.

Happy Homemaker Monday - 09/11/2017

Good morning friends, how was your weekend?  I had a very quiet, relaxing one, matter of fact, Curt and I spent most weekend hanging out and watching TV.  It's not something we do very often, most weekends we're busy with yard work or running around doing other stuff, so it felt amazing to have nowhere to be and nothing to do.

Well let's see what this week holds for us.....

The weather:::
It's been absolutely gorgeous.  Fall is also most certainly around the corner.  Our temperatures have dropped, mornings are starting to feel quite chilly which I love.
It's actually just 56 degrees right now with a high of 86 later.  Looks like the rest of the week we're staying within those temps.
  
Right now I am:::
I was watching some vlogs, trying to catch up as I didn't watch any this weekend, but I just stopped to get this post up.  I'm sitting on the couch with Marley, he is in and out of sleep.  My coffee has gone cold so I'm thinking I may need to top it up soon.
  
On my reading pile:::
Thief's Mark and To Wager Her Heart.   I still have a new book from Nancy E. Turner to read, but haven't been able to dig into it yet as I've so many to review.   Hoping to get done with these soon so I can get started on that one.  

Movies or Shows I watched this weekend:::
As I said, hubby and I watched quite a bit of TV.  He was catching up with Season 12 of Supernatural, and even though I've watched it, I watched it again.  We also watched Star Wars Rogue One, ARQ and Finding Dory, just because we love it.
  
On my TV:::
General Hospital
Dr Phil
Outlander
Haunted Towns
Vlogs

On the menu for this week:::
I have quite a few from last week that ended up not being made.  I don't know what my issue is lately, but I'm struggling to stick to the plan.  I'm not going out and eating, I'm just not making what is on the menu and using the ingredients to make something else.  I'm making it a point to stick to plan this week though, so let's see how that goes.

Also I'm starting to do Leftover Sundays.  Usually we end up snacking all day long and by dinner time no one is really hungry, so it's going to be a Leftovers day, clean out the fridge kind of thing.

Monday
Pulled Pork, Homemade Mac and Cheese     
Tuesday
Chicken Pot Pie, Salad      
Wednesday
Hamburger Helper (trying to use up the last box I have), Steamed Broccoli
Thursday
Fish Sticks, Tomato Rice, Hush Puppies   
Friday 
Chicken a La King with Garlic Mashed Potatoes     
Saturday 
Grilled Brats, Potato Salad    
Sunday
Leftovers 

On my to do list:::
Kitchen......Empty the dishwasher, reload.  Sweep and Mop.
Laundry.....Clothes laundry is all done.  Just have to iron a pile and put everything away.  Do all the bed linens. 
Living Rooms......Pick up all of Marley's toys, vacuum, carpet clean.
Homeschooling......Help Nick with his portfolio for Computer Technology. 


What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Put the Mandala Madness aside for a few again.  It's become such a huge project that I need to take constant breaks or I'll end up hating it.  I started another blanket, really just to get rid of my yarn stash, will show you all later.

Looking around the house:::
Marley is playing out back and I can hear him chasing squirrels and barking at the birds.  The house is not dirty but my living room floor is pitiful.  Marley pulls out all the stuffing from the toys and I feel like I spend my days picking up after him.

From the camera:::
My favorite snack lately.  I picked up these Chutneys from Aldis, they had them on sale last week.  I love Chutney but don't often get to enjoy it so this is a real treat.  The Onion Chutney is AMAZING.  I still have a jar of Mango Chutney to try. 

What I'm wearing today:::
I am still in my pajamas but will be getting dressed as soon as this post goes up.  I'm going to throw on some sweats and a tank top.  I'm not feeling too good today, I'm about to start my cycle and yeah......if you're a woman you'll understand.   😉

One of my simple pleasures:::
Hearing the popping of the lids when you're canning. 

Inspirational Quote, Bible verse, anything you want to share:::

 

Picking Wildflowers and Canning

One of the joys of living in the country, is that we're surrounded by beautiful wildflowers.  They are everywhere, bringing pops of color here and there.

So when I want to bring some of that prettiness inside, all I need to do is step outside with a basket and some scissors.

As I gather flowers here and there, I watch the butterflies fluttering around, the bees buzzing around and the birds chirping as they fly from tree to tree, curious as to what I'm doing.

"Each flower is a soul opening out to nature."

- Gerald De Nerval

I now have various jars with the pretties pink, purple and yellow flowers, sitting on windowsills, coffee tables and shelves.

"To pick a flower is so much more satisfying than just observing it, or photographing it ... So in later years, I have grown in my garden as many flowers as possible for children to pick."

- Anne Scott-James 

Aside from the wildflower picking, I've also been in my kitchen, canning quite a bit.  I was blessed to find tomatoes at a very good price and since I was completely out of my tomato jam, I rolled up my sleeves and go to canning.

By the way, I've been asked a few times what the jam is like as I know it's not exactly something very common here in the States.  I think the closest I can maybe compare it too would be an Apple Butter kind of taste.  So if you like apple butter, you will most certainly enjoy it.

My daughter's boyfriend absolutely loves my tomato jam and goes through jars of it, like crazy.  I had promised him I would send him some next time I made it, so I made a few extra jars for him.  Or rather, I didn't, because Jasmine has been asking to learn and this was the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

She made a whole batch by herself and it came out beautiful and delicious too.  She was so proud of her jam, and I was proud of her for showing incentive and learning. I've often said that I want my children to learn my recipes, especially family ones that have been passed down from generation to generation.

It's so incredibly delicious, especially on toast with butter. 

I've also been busy with meal planning and bill paying and life in general.

As we get closer to Fall, life seems to take on a whole new routine.  Isn't it funny how there are season specific activities and chores?

For us, we're getting ready to harvest our pecans, which are pretty close to being completely ready.  We didn't get a harvest last year, but this year the 5 trees are filled, so I'm quite eager to get in there and harvest as much as we can before the squirrels and birds get to them.

One thing I plan on making this year, aside from the obligatory Pecan Pies for Thanksgiving, is Pecan Butter.  It is so good and I don't think it gets the attention and recognition it truly deserves.

We've also been chopping wood and getting our wood pile ready for the cold months ahead, I plan on using my central heating as little as possible, without freezing of course, but being in Texas that is not likely to happen anyway.

School is going well for Nicholas.  He is taking Sign Language this year and is loving every minute of it, I am too, to be honest.  It's fascinating and so interesting.  One of his first projects was to make a video of himself saying hello, fingerspelling his first and last name, saying that he is Hearing and then ending with Nice to Meet You.

We had some good laughs because he kept getting confused, or mixing up letters.  But it was such a cool project to do and we had a great time learning together.

Jasmine is still looking for work, she's put in for a lot of different places, but so far nothing has come up, which she is finding extremely frustrating.  She's decided to take a year off before going to college, as well as moving to Arkansas.

Curt is doing great at his work, he has his first class and is loving it too.  He really was born to teach, I believe.

I'm doing well, I'm just living and homemaking and caring for my husband and children.  Time goes by so fast and I honestly thought that as school started things would slow down a bit, but it's never the case is it?  There's always something to be done and before you know it, a whole week has whizzed by in the blink of an eye.

Yesterday we went to watch my nephew's first Freshman Football Game.  He is doing so well, and it's a big achievement coming from South Africa and now playing Football in High School.  So proud of him :)

You see my friends, even though I say that everything is so busy and time is going too fast, I try to live life to the absolute fullest, soaking in every second of every day, and making it all count.  It really is the only way to live.

I'm going to end this post by leaving you my grocery haul.  I've been asked quite a few times the past few months, to please continue with the grocery haul videos, and even though I usually don't have the time to do it because I basically get home and quickly need to get things put away before running back out for one thing or another......I had a pretty quiet morning today, so was able to record it for you.



If you enjoy it and would like to watch future hauls, be sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Have a beautiful, restful blessed Friday night :)

And then he turned 1.......

This may seem like such a strange post, after all we're talking about a dog.  But this is not just any dog, this is our Marley, and he has come into our lives like a whirlwind and stolen our hearts.

If you've been following me since the beginning, you know what Lola meant to me.  I couldn't begin to tell you just how much I loved her, she was constantly at my side, she was my baby, and I shared so many pictures of her here on the blog.

Having to put her down last year, broke me.  It honestly left such a huge hole in my heart and I never thought I would ever love another pet.

In comes Marley and I adore him.

I like to think that we didn't just save him from the Humane Society, but he saved us :)

This is why him turning 1 years old, was so important for us to celebrate and mark as a special day.  His birthday was actually on Tuesday but I am only now getting around to posting on the blog, so you may see a few posts popping up :)

But back to Marley, I made him his own cupcakes, as you can see above.  Actually, it was two for him and one for Bella, she is so small and can't handle more than one.   The cupcakes are peanut butter, banana and honey, quite tasty though not as sweet for us humans, but definitely edible.

For us, I made some simple Strawberry cupcakes with Strawberry icing, and they were amazing.

Bella came out to celebrate.  She is so old folks, so incredibly old.  Every single day she defies the odds and just keeps on going.  She's actually about 16 or 17 years old.  :)

He is such a joy to have around.  As big as he is, and he's now 74 pounds of muscle, he has the softest heart and the sweetest composition.  We just can't imagine life without him.

So happy birthday Marley, you've been such a joy the past year and I can't wait to see what you get up to in the coming years.

Thief's Mark by Carla Neggers - TLC Book Tour

About Thief’s Mark

• Series: Sharpe & Donovan (Book 8)
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: MIRA (August 29, 2017)

A murder in a quiet English village, long-buried secrets and a man’s search for answers about his traumatic past entangle FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan in the latest edge-of-your-seat Sharpe & Donovan novel 
As a young boy, Oliver York witnessed the murder of his wealthy parents in their London apartment. The killers kidnapped him and held him in an isolated Scottish ruin, but he escaped, thwarting their plans for ransom. Now, after thirty years on the run, one of the two men Oliver identified as his tormentors may have surfaced.
Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan are enjoying the final day of their Irish honeymoon when a break-in at the home of Emma’s grandfather, private art detective Wendell Sharpe, points to Oliver. The Sharpes have a complicated relationship with the likable, reclusive Englishman, an expert in Celtic mythology and international art thief who taunted Wendell for years. Emma and Colin postpone meetings in London with their elite FBI team and head straight to Oliver. But when they arrive at York’s country home, a man is dead and Oliver has vanished.
As the danger mounts, new questions arise about Oliver’s account of his boyhood trauma. Do Emma and Colin dare trust him? With the trail leading beyond Oliver’s small village to Ireland, Scotland and their own turf in the United States, the stakes are high, and Emma and Colin must unravel the decades-old tangle of secrets and lies before a killer strikes again.
New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers delivers the gripping, suspense-filled tale readers have been waiting for.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Carla Neggers

Carla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 60 novels, including her popular Sharpe and Donovan and Swift River Valley series. Her books have been translated into 24 languages and sold in over 35 countries. A frequent traveler to Ireland, Carla lives with her family in New England. To learn more and to sign up for her newsletter, visit CarlaNeggers.com.
.

Connect with Carla

Website | Facebook | Twitter

My Thoughts:

I started off the book being completely confused.  The reason for that is that I felt like from the get go, I was thrown into the middle of an on going story of which I had no information or understanding.

It was a bit frustrating for me to stick with it because like I said above, I had no clue what was going on.  I did a bit of research and found out that this was the 7th book in a series.

The author did a pretty good job of explaining and setting the novel and honestly after my initial frustration, I just kept going and decided to enjoy the story for what it was.  And enjoy I did.

I felt like I was able to travel all over England, see beautiful places, meet interesting people and also go o a bit of an adventure with MI5 and the FBI. 

We are following the story of Oliver who is an art thief, and Emma and Colin, newly married FBI agents.  What ensues is a  thirty year old murder mystery come to light with Oliver having to rehash some of the most difficult moments of his life.

Quite an interesting story and it did make me want to go back and look up the previous 6 installments in the series.