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Book Review: "Love on the Line" by Deeanne Gist

Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist is about small town Texas life in 1904 and is filled with characters of every type and ilk.  The heroine Georgie Gail is an independent young lady living by herself and earning her own living at a time when it was not the norm to do so. 

Deeanne Gist has written delightful Christian fiction in the past.  Love on the Line will not be ranked as one of my favorites.  The book is funny.  Hilariously so.  The characters are a little on the over-the-top variety, but that is what makes them funny, interesting, and charming.

I began to wonder as I read Love on the Line  if Ms. Gist has some hidden agenda in writing this book because of the strong line of feminism (women can do anything a man can) and environmentalism (the birds).

The book is an easy read, is enjoyable, and is entertaining.  The dialogue is good and character development well done.  There is strong tension between the two leading characters - Georgie Gail and Luke Palmer, aka Texas Ranger Lucious.

I was disappointed that this is Christian fiction and yet there was scarce mention of church or Christianity.  The leading characters were basically good morally, though.  There was a strong sensual element between the lead characters, but the book is still a safe read for young adults.

From a historical standpoint, a glimpse into the life of a Texas Ranger, the early days of telephones, early feminist movement, and the saving-the-birds movement are interesting.  The birds are somewhat overdone, though.

I would rate this a 3 star read.  I received this book from Bethany House to review and was not obligated to give a positive review.
Publisher: Bethany House (October 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0764204092      ISBN-13: 978-0764204098

Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist








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UPDATE ON WINNERS: New Winners for Torani Flavored Syrup Giveaway

Comment #10 -The California Coupon Diva! said...I'd love the sugar free hazelnut in my coffee or hot coca! Thanks for this great giveaway!

Comment #17 - Tara said...  I like berries. I would pick the blackberry or huckleberry flavor to try!

You have until Saturday, November  26, Noon EST to provide your mailing address and name via Kontactr on Chat With Vera's sidebar.

"Lone Star Trail" - Book 1 of Texas Trails series: Book Review

Having just read the autobiography of America's currently most famous individual from Texas, President George W. Bush's DecisionPoints, I found it a delight to delve into a bit of historical fiction about Texas, President Bush's home state, the Lone Star State in it's early days of statehood. 

Author Darlene Franklin's book, Lone Star Trail, begins in November 1845.  A family of German immigrants is broken down when the Morgan's wagon passes them by.  The Morgans don't stop and lend a hand.  Why?  It is the age old story of "not in my backyard."  Though the Morgans settled only recently in the area that was fighting for its separation from Mexico and becoming an American State. They still felt as though the German immigrants, who were surging into the area, were interlopers with their different language, customs, and foods.  Prejudice is not always a matter of skin color but can rouse it's ugly head for a number of reasons.

However, Christian charity begins to win out, and the needs of the Fleischer's from Germany were met by the caring Morgan's.  Both families learned that each family had lost loved ones because of the hardships in the land that was Texas.  They had much in common. 

The characters in this story are well thought out and believable.  They follow predictable tendencies, but the story line flow has accurate historical touches and the spiritual convictions the characters exhibit are not overtly contrived

Yes, there is romance, though at times you'll think it just isn't going to develop because the characters don't seem to be able to get beyond the "immigrant" situation for very long at a time.

This is an easy going, relaxed read but substantial enough that you might feel enticed to find a period history and delve into some of the aspects of events in that timeline.

The Texas Trails Series is a 6 book series and Lone Star Trail is book one.  I look forward to reading Captive Trail, book two in the series, which I have waiting on my book shelf. 

I recommend Lone Star Trail for some good historical fiction.  I was given Lone Star Trail by RiverNorth, fiction from Moody Publishers to review and was not required to post a positive review.  

• Publisher: Moody Publishers; New Edition edition (August 1, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0802405835
• ISBN-13: 978-0802405838

Let's Talk About Thanksgiving Meals..... revisited

The following is from a 2009 post here on Chat With Vera.  I thought it would be nice to revisit Vera's stuffing again - it never fails to bring rave reviews at the table on Thanksgiving.  The only difference now-a-days is that I don't bake the turkey so therefore there is no stuffing baked in the bird.  (We all miss that delicious goodie.)  My son cooks the turkeys (yes I said plural) on his grill/smoker.  These birds are simply out of this world and I told him, "I don't plan to ever bake a turkey again."  O.k. enough..... here is stuffing revisited.....

One item I prepare that my kids really enjoy (my grown family and their grown or nearly grown children) is “stuffing.” Now I make my own but I don’t go the real old fashioned route of baking biscuits, toasting loaf bread, and baking cornbread to use. I buy Pepperidge Farm sage seasoned and also Pepperidge Farm corn bread stuffing. I also use a couple of boxes of Stove Top Turkey stuffing. I mix these up in a large bowl.

I chop onion and celery and then sauté them in a couple sticks of butter (real butter) in a sauce pan. Once they begin to look a little bit done, I measure in some uncooked grits (yep! I said grits) and water. I cook this until the grits are done. Then I pour this over the bread stuffing. I then use chicken broth (or turkey broth from cooking the heart and neck of the turkey) to thoroughly moisten the bread stuffing (the stuffing packages give a guideline for this).

I stuff the turkey with as much as it can hold, skewer the opening, and bake until the turkey is done taking into consideration that it takes longer to cook a stuffed bird than one that is not stuffed. The remaining stuffing is placed in a greased baking dish suitable to place on your table and baked for about 30-45 minutes at 350F.

Quantities of the ingredients depend on how many you are going to serve. For our large family I might use one of each type of the Pepperidge Farm stuffing in the larger bags. Two boxes of the Stove Top stuffing. A couple or three stalks of celery and a large white or Valdia onion. I think it would take at least 2 sticks of butter but perhaps 3. I would cook probably ½ cup grits with 2 cups water in the sauteed onion and celery. Don’t forget that you need a bit of black pepper. It will have enough of salt and other seasonings in the other ingredients.

Expert Book Review: "Abigail's New Hope" by Mary Ellis

Janalyn Voigt, suthor
of novel books

Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books has graciously inserted my review of "Abigail's New Hope" on her website NovelBooks.com. Go take a quick look and while there gather other great bits of book information from Janalyn.

Expert Book Review: "Abigail's New Hope" by Mary Ellis - book review by Vera

We have 2 winners! Torani Flavored Syrup Winners

Winner #1:  Is comment #8 as follows: (Friend "Unknown", I have no way of contacting you and will need for you to reply to me via my Kontacer in the sidebar of Chat With Vera by Monday, November 21 5:00 p.m. with your contact information:  Name, mailing address.

Unknown said... on November 9, 2011 12:46 PM

I love the french vanilla in my coffee every morning and for the holidays i add a bit pf peppermint!

Winner #2:  Is comment #15 as follows: (Friend "Vaughnde", I have no way of contacting you and will need for you to reply to me via my Kontacer in the sidebar of Chat With Vera by Monday, November 21 5:00 p.m. with your contact information:  Name, mailing address.

Vaughnde said...

Thank you again for this wonderful Giveaway!

November 14, 2011 10:08 AM

Prize is 2 coupons for each winner good for a FREE bottle of Torani Flavored Syrup.  Winners have until Monday, November 21 at 5:00 p.m. to claim their prize via my Kontacer in the sidebar on Chat With Vera.