Book covers are like candy to me:) I've just discovered these and wanted to share them here. The artwork always amazes me! Since I'm more a Martha than a Mary, I like her expression here and the bread basket in her hands. And Bathsheba looks like she has something up her sleeve... Love the title "Hidden Affections" as it's somewhat mysterious. And I'm always so happy to see new authors like Elizabeth Camden. What a lovely debut cover! I'm about to read my first Dale Cramer book and know it won't be my last. He's known for his beautiful narrative among other things. And it's wonderful to have Kathleen Morgan back after a writing hiatus! She has many fans and the blurb for this new western is so intriguing. You'll just have to go to Amazon or the Revell book site and peek!
Right now I'm reading Lorna Seilstad's galleys for A Great Catch. Go ahead, eat your heart out:) Washington, A Life by Ron Chernow keeps me up late by the fire these rainy nights. And I've fallen in love with a new devotional-type book called The Sheep of His Hand: Reflections on the Psalms from a 21st Century Shepherd by Suzanne Davenport Tietjen. I've been doing a lot of reading in the CBA and will start Nancy Moser's newest soon.
So...what are you reading this week?
These covers look so enticing--they make me wonder what kind of story lies hidden within the pages. I've only read Dale Cramer and Kathleen Morgan. The other authors are all new to me.
ReplyDeleteLove the dress on the cover of Lady of Bolton Hill. According to Amazon, it takes place about 100 years after The Colonel's Lady, but the dresses are still great in that time period!
I love covers!!! However,I am on a mission. Julie Lessman and I are trying to find out what happened to you on FB. The 1st one who finds out is supposed to let the other know. Where are you??? LOL
ReplyDeleteJust finished your book Courting Morrow Little. It was amazing thank you for your amazing gift.
ReplyDeleteThese covers look amazing! Sigh, I remember at the paper I was always requesting review copies of books so that I could read them and publish a review (hey! It was reading for work, right???) That's one of the few things I miss about that job ;)
ReplyDeleteAt the moment I'm not doing much reading...just readying for the big show this weekend. (I just made myself an apron to hold my cash! hehe) But I've been reading bits of Jane Eyre sort of out of the blue lately. Winter puts me in a Bronte sort of mood ;)
All of these covers are just gorgeous! Revell and Bethany produce some of the best in the market IMO! Currently reading She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell - stunning cover and equally stunning story. :)
ReplyDeleteRenee Ann, I had a feeling you were a Cramer and Morgan fan:) And I was soooo delighted when I visited your blog and saw my cover there! Bless you for that!
ReplyDeleteYes, the dress styles are still somewhat similar and just as lovely. I think the only time period I'm not fond of dress-wise was the Civil War/antebellum-era hoop skirts. Since I've worn them and know what a bear they are, especially in a brisk wind, maybe that's coloring my appreciation:)
Diana, LOL, indeed! I'm surprised anyone noticed! But I'm glad that someone was YOU! And dear Julie! I actually unplugged from Facebook and Twitter in the last 24 hours and am trying to direct traffic over here. I can't manage the different social sites anymore as it is so time-consuming. Lately (months, actually) I've felt the Lord is leading me to cut back to simply the blog here. I didn't want to post an official announcement but thought I'd respond individually if asked. So I'm glad you did! And now please promise that you'll come over here when you can!
ReplyDeletePraying you feel well today. Am wondering if you've devoured Jule's big book yet?!
Breanna, Welcome to my blog! Your gracious words have made my whole day (week/month)! I'm so happy you liked Morrow's story. I really miss those characters. And you said something so important, it is an amazing gift to be able to write. God gets all the credit for any talent, however small. And I feel doubly blessed to have readers like you. Please stay in touch!
ReplyDeleteHeather, YES! Jane Eyre is the perfect match for fall/winter blustery weather. I actually got my old copy out the other day and read the beginning. What a book! I hope you're excited about the new film coming out starring... hm, Ruth would know as my mind is blank. It looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI know I would have requested a wheelbarrow load of books if I'd had your journalism job:)
So excited to hear about your show! All my best to you as you get ready to go!
Ruth,
ReplyDeleteI knew you'd like some stellar covers this grey, rainy day (well, maybe not so rainy in TN...) Love Siri's books. I'm still trying to get over Daniel in Love's Pursuit! Her next one, A Heart Most Worthy, looks very good, too. I didn't really touch the tip of the iceburg at Bethany and Revell. There are a few more that are equally stunning. Maybe I'll post those next week if Rel doesn't beat me to it:)
I'm reading The White Queen by Philippa Gregory. I love Elizabeth Camden's cover too. Makes me want to dress up!
ReplyDeleteOK, these dresses have brightened my day. Thanks for posting. The colors just pop in that Bathsheba cover, although I must admit I'm excited about the Elizabeth Camden book.
ReplyDeleteForgot to add that my favorite Dale Cramer book is Levi's Will. I might just have to reread it, now that I'm thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteWaaaaahh!! LAURA! How could you tell us you are are reading A Great Catch right now??? That is just SO not nice. :(
ReplyDeleteHow is it?? Are you endorsing it?
LOVE the covers!! Covers are candy for me too, in a MAJOR way! Enough that I want to frame the beautiful art. :) I love Delia's, that is a gorgeous one! Publishers are really going all out! They just keep getting better and better. :)
I'm reading this at work but I have a darling little calendar I bought this weekend that I'm going to use to track when new books are coming out. I want to rush home and fill up the pages with these enticing books.
ReplyDeleteAll the covers are gorgeous! Are they Revell books? I'll have to check each one's release date and put them in my calendar! Plus I have some standby favourite authors that I have to plug in as well. 'A Great Catch' being one of them!!!! Not nice to gloat, Laura!!! :-) But the flip side is I will still have the fun of anticipation when the book hits the shelves in the summer while it will be old news to you! Then I'll be the one gloating. Bwwwaaaahhhhaaa!
I just finished reading Disaster Status by Candace Calvert and am still an emotional wreck! Awesome book! Now I have to dash out and get the next in the series. Hopefully I can swing that on the weekend.
Sally,
ReplyDeleteI've heard wonderful things about Gregory's books - love her covers! I wonder if she writes anything like Victoria Holt in her Tudor series (she's long gone now and I'm dating myself).
I've also heard great things about Levi's Will. Many folks say that he has created a whole new element of Amish fiction since his writing is so fine. I was thrilled to meet him in person in Monterey last month. He won the bocce ball tournament:)
I know it's alot to keep up with for you; I don't know how Julie does all that she does. Of course I will visit you over here, but will so miss you on FB. I just love you so much,I really do, and I know I will get to meet you in person some day. I told my hubby that one day, and he said he had started to tell me that himself(who would have thought that he would even be thinking of that)so that was confirmation enough for me! I will see you over here,gosh I'm gonna miss you on FB!
ReplyDeleteJulie,
ReplyDeleteIt's neat to hear what jumps out or "pops" for you. You have the industry lingo down:) I need to look up Elizabeth Camden - I think she might have a masters in history from what I saw on the Baker site. Thanks for stopping by! Hope you and the littles are all well:)
Casey,
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head - covers are just getting better and better. Even the early 2000 covers are sort of ICK when compared to these. The trends are always so interesting.
I had to boast about Lorna's galleys just for you:) I know you LOVED Making Waves! This one is even more fun, if possible, and those characters she dreams up! LOL! But she's just as fun in person.
BTW, you've given me a great idea ~ I need to frame TFD and CML covers, front and back. Bless you:)
Kav,
ReplyDeleteI had to chuckle at the words "emotional wreck" as they are actually some of my favorites, especially when reading a good book:) Candace is such a lovely person! I had breakfast with her in Indy and we talked up a storm. How she creates emotional whirlwinds in her novels when she is the epitome of calm and grace mystifies me...
Oh, I love your idea of putting release dates on your calendar! Anticipation is half the joy, at least, and my organizational side loves that! These are all Revell and Bethany releases but there are far more over on the Baker site. Please go and savor every one! Nancy Moser and Stephanie Whitson's are very well done, too, and I love their titles.
You are in for a treat with A Great Catch. And I already envy you, reading this in summer and having a season-appropriate Lake Manawa escape:)
Oh, JULIA, I've been thinking of Julie Lessman this morning so forgive the misspelling. I do know the difference:) You're the heroine in my 4th Ballantyne Legacy book:)
ReplyDeleteI have had to read her book very slowly, chapter by chapter, because sinus infection and fluid behind ears is causing me to have dizziness and headaches. Had to get a shot in the bumbum and I'm on strong antibiotics. Have to be careful on computer,too. Am so loving the book though; it gets better and better the more you get into it. I have been sick since my mom passed away; it's so strange what grief can do to the body. I don't dwell on her death because I know she isn't suffering so I don't understand why I have had just one thing after another since her passing. Anyway,I need to finish Julie's book before the end of the month so I can do a review for her. She is such a sweetheart!
ReplyDeleteDeborah Raney has done that with all her covers. I think there must be something so inspiring about having them before you all the time. It would be great if you got like a side by side 5x7 frame for those front and back covers. :)
ReplyDeleteOoooh, I REALLY can't wait for A Great Catch now. Sigh, make my life more miserable, why don't you. ;)
Covers are getting more fantastic. Delia's cover looks like something for a movie! I just might have to try that one out for the cover alone. :)
Diana, You were/are one of the main reasons I didn't want to unplug!! So the feeling is definitely mutual! Love what your husband said and that it dovetailed with your own thinking that we would meet:) Ever since you sent me that letter after reading TFD and also that precious picture of you and your grandson, I knew you were a kindred reading spirit and sister in Christ.
ReplyDeleteYou are in my thoughts and prayers on a daily basis. This year has been such a hard one for you. Grief does cause physical problems and I've heard it suppresses the immune system which is probably why you've been hit hard. But your sunny spirit keeps shining through!
LOL, I get called Julie all the time, my brother and grandma call me that. I used to hate my name, but now I like that not very many people my age have the same name.
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous that you're reading A Great Catch :-P
ReplyDeleteAnyways I'm SUPER excited for all of these books and yours too! 2011 is just around the corner so we don't have long to wait!
XOXO~ Renee
I have two books I am really looking forward to ready once I finish the book I am on~Dining with Joy by Rachel Hausck and The Snowflake by Jamie Carie. I really enjoy both of these authors!! I also just found out Susan May Warren recently released a new book called Nightingale which I am going to have to check out at the bookstore soon!!
ReplyDeleteI know this is kind of off topic but I know alot of you gals like vintage fashions. Check out this slideshow about the undergarment that was a fashion staple for over 300 years...the corset!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.slate.com/id/2274122/
Doesn't slide #1 make you cringe?
XOXO~ Renee
Those are great covers! Thanks for posting them- I love hearing about new books, and "new" authors (at least, new to me..). I can't wait to check them out. :)
ReplyDeleteThis week, I just finished Wild Rose, by Ruth Axtell Morren.
Thank you for sharing your candy with us, Laura ;D I must say, all these beautiful covers are a very sweet way to end my day! My favorites are the "Bathsheba" cover and the "Hidden Affections" cover! very different, but equally beautiful in their own way.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of the authors you posted here other than Kathleen Morgan. Oh, and I can't wait to get my hands on "A Heart Divided"!! That woman knows how to write a hero, let me tell ya! I'll definitely have to go check out the others and see who I need to add to my list ;) It looks like 2011 is gonna be a year full of some amazing books!!! The Colonel's Lady among them (and one of my most anticipated!!)- July can't come fast enough!! :D
Thank you so much for the smile tonight and some great reads to look forward to :D Praying you have a beautiful week filled with lots more candy!
Blessings,
Amanda Stanley
I couldn't agree more! I'm trying to figure out a good way to showcase New Releases and Coming Soon at CHF @ CMM, but I'm not sure what to do without making the page load time horrid.
ReplyDeleteI'm totally up for suggestions.
Renee,
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing!! The stays/corset link is fascinating! Can you imagine metal stays? Yes, I did cringe! And did you catch they wore corsets while pregnant? Oh my... We've come a long way:) Your timing is perfect as I've been thinking a lot about historical undergarments (yes, we writers are strange) and wondering just how they looked. I LOVE the slides from the late 18th-c, early 19th-c on your link. And I'm wondering whether to bother with them for my book event in costume next August. I won't have the classic look or shape w/o them...
I've been thinking about you as I'm researching Pittsburgh and western PA for my next series. Just ordered some great books from your great state from Amazon and the library on loan.
Please send links any time, dear Renee!
Cassie,
ReplyDeleteYou have good reading taste:) Jamie's book has the prettiest cover. I get in the Christmas spirit just looking at it! I noticed a bunch of new inspy Christmas books at our Walmart this morning. Nightingale is a lovely title! You sound like you're starting your holiday season off right. I hope you and others get lots of good reading time along with all that turkey:)
Patty,
ReplyDeleteI have one Ruth book here and will now officially get it out, thanks to you! I ordered it several months ago and then it became buried during rewrites. An author's frequent lament, I'm afraid:)
I looked up Wild Rose as it sounds so intriguing - the reviews are wonderful. She has a gift for characters and plot, sounds like. It's so neat hearing what you and others are reading as that always keeps our lists fresh, I think. Bless you, Patty!
Gorgeous!! Love these covers, and Revell certainly does a good job.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading Grapes of Wrath for my classic books book club. I have so many on my to-be-read pile.
Thanks, Laura
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteIt's fun hearing which covers you like best:) We're all so unique in our preferences! For me I think it would be The Lady of Bolton Hill and then Kathleen's newest. I like them all but those 2 just jump out at me for some reason. I remember Casey really likes Hidden Affections like you. She said it had a movie-like quality which it really does.
I love hearing that KM can write a great hero:) I agree! The blurb is so intriguing with the family feud premise. Haven't seen that in a while though my new series does have some of that.
Hope this post was like chocolate for you, dear Amanda! Glad to share all that candy here:)
Margaret,
ReplyDeleteYou have such a wonderful site! But I agree about the download time - yikes! Anyone have any idea about that? I'm thinking both Renees here might know as they are so computer savvy. I am just clueleess, as you know firsthand from having to bail me out over at your site! You are a GEM.
So...anybody help Margaret with this? Please!
Kristen, So good to see you here:) You are certainly reading a classic! Am wondering how you like? It's been a long time since I've read Steinbeck. And I really understand about your stack of books. Mine is just crazy. I feel like a hoarder sometimes! Need a little extreme bookstack makeover here:)
ReplyDeleteHope you get some reading and writing time over the holidays. Am wondering if you still have your little one at home? I will come over and see...
LOL Laura Margaret and I are blogger buddies already and she knows I am not computer savvy, so hopefully the other Renee Ann is! :-P
ReplyDeleteYes I did catch that they wore corsets during pregnancy. Can you imagine? I think if you want to be authentic to the period you should definitely go with a corset but I know that you will want to be comfortable. If I were you I might try wearing it around the house to get the feel of it!
Glad I can help by passing on some usefull info. :-) I was worried about posting too many links here in the past few weeks.
Have fun researching my great state! ;-)
XOXO~ Renee
Noooooo, Renee, I love your links!! You'd better not stop or I'll have to cyber-bully you back over here:) And thanks for the f/u about Margaret here. I should have known you were blog buddies. If I think of anything I'll try to comment again...
ReplyDeleteLove the analogy of book covers being like candy. Before I discovered Rel's blog, I would always go to CBD and search for new books. It was always a lot of fun to look at the covers.
ReplyDeleteSo many of the books I'm looking forward to are on your list. I smiled when you said you were more of a Martha than a Mary. When my small group was doing the study on Mary and Martha recently, most of us were more like Martha too. We only had two women who said they were more like Mary.
I think Elizabeth Camden's book looks great. Love the cover, but then again the Gilded Age is one of my favorite fashion eras. Hidden Affections looks great too. I'm really looking forward to Bathsheba, mostly because I believe I'll finally read the series. I have Michal and Abigail on my shelf, but haven't read them yet.
I bet Lorna's book is just great. I love the cover! I've not been in much of a reading mood this week. I'm sorta reading Latte Daze by Erynn Mangum, but I've not really gotten into it yet.
Maybe some of the books I have on hold at the library will come in before Thanksgiving, lol. I know I'll have a little reading time then.
Praying you are having a wonderful week!
Love all these covers! And you're reading A Great Catch?! Lucky!!! ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm reading Nightingale by Susan May Warren and Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander. I'm debating whether to start another book soon or not...
Next week, for Thanksgiving break, I'm planning on bringing Courting Morrow Little and LFY in Sugarcreek, Ohio to Texas with me!!! :D Can't wait!!!
~Amber
I enjoy coming back here to read the comments--you all are so funny sometimes! I've always wondered about the whole corset thing. My mom told me that in her day, doctors advised mothers who had just given birth to put a girdle on right away--wear it home from the hospital even. Interesting . . . Oh, and Margaret's site actually loads fairly quickly for me because I use Firefox as my browser. But I just saw this online, though I haven't check it out yet . . .
ReplyDeletehttp://tools.dynamicdrive.com/imageoptimizer/. It's supposed to help you convert the URL of an image to one that loads faster.
I really like the Bathsheba cover. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI'm reading something that's a little out of my ordinary right now. It's a modern novel (you know, I usually like historical stuff), but I'm loving this book. It's Leaving Yesterday by Kathryn Cushman.
Great story that rips at my heart strings.
Michele,
ReplyDeleteI go through non-reading phases, too, but bet yours never last long either:) Sometimes a good movie is nice. Just got Netflix this week. If anyone has any good movie recs, I'd love to hear them! I am hopelessly clueless about good movies though I did see The Young Victoria listed (already watches, however).
Why are there so many more Marthas than Marys? I'm constantly trying to be more like Mary. Sitting at His feet without my to-do list in hand!
I have some books coming in from the library, too. Hope yours arrive and you have a wonderful break! Thanks for sharing all this cover candy here...
Amber, Forget those books! Take me to Texas:) That's one place I just love. YES, Lorna's book is so fun and relaxing. I'm thrilled to do an endorsement. You are in for a treat when it comes out next May. CBD says April so that's even better. If we don't see you here again, bless you as you travel!
ReplyDeleteRenee Ann,
ReplyDeleteBless you for getting back to Margaret! Hope she comes back by and sees this. She is one busy lady but then so are we all:)
I'm so glad you enjoy coming back to the comments. They really are fun. I'd forgotten all about girdles! Kind of an upside-down corset:) I'm SO glad those are gone though I've seen Penney's ads for them... I might be needing one (or both) to get into that 18th-c. gown I'm dreaming of...
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteOh, that title tears at my heart strings! I will have to go take a peek at the cover on Amazon. It must be very good as you really are a historical lover like me! Glad you have a little reading/down time in the midst of your very busy household. Hope your Thanksgiving week is wonderful in every way!
Laura,
ReplyDeleteOh, that would be fun! :D I'd love to take you to Texas with me! (Although, of course, I'd still want to take Morrow Little, as well!) ;)
I've never been to Texas, so I'm really excited to go! Some of my dad's side of the family live in Humble, near Houston, so I'm really looking forward to seeing them again. (I got to see some of them this past summer in Washington D.C.) :)
Happy reading, and thank you for getting me even more excited about Lorna's book coming out this spring/summer! :D Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, although I'm sure I'll talk to you again before then. :)
~Amber
I forget did you ever say that you've seen Jane Eyre (2006/7 version) starring Toby Stephens? If not you should see if it's available on Netflix. IMO it's pretty much a tie between North and South and JE for favorite movies of all time! ;-) I'm not telling you what to watch or anything, it's just a suggestion. :-P
ReplyDeleteXOXO~ Renee
LOL, Renee! I just checked Netflix for the Toby version of JE this morning! And it's NOT there! I did see Sense&Sensibility and Pride&Predjudice on there, however. So that's a good start! My husband groaned...
ReplyDeleteI ordered the Toby version from the library and hope that will come in soon. Can't wait! And thanks so much for your reccs! I so appreciate them!
What am I reading now? As usual, I'm reading so many books it makes my head spin to list them. I won't mention the research. Just the fiction.
ReplyDelete~Panther in the Sky, by James Alexander Thom
~A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows, by Diana Gabaldon (and maybe some of the other short stories in that anthology)
~The Husband Tree, by Mary Connealy
~The Kitchen House, by can't remember now and too sleepy to get up and go hunt it down. :)
Just got Francine's newest from the library today. Have a Dale Cramer, Jody Hedlund's The Preacher's Bride, Lorna's Making Waves, and several others waiting on deck.
Laura, unless Netflix is different for each customer, Jane Eyre with Toby Stephens is available. Not to watch for free, but it's there. I can see it.
ReplyDeleteI'm rewatching it now, from my library. Forgot how much I like it. Better than North & South.
Lori, So good you're here! I've been thinking about you lately even more than usual. LOVE Panther in the Sky. Finished The Preacher's Bride. Dale Cramer is always a win-win. Such beauty to his prose. Never read a Mary book but hear wonderful, fun things about them. Guess I don't have to worry about bare bookcases for you:)
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the Netflix tip. We're on a trial basis with them for a free month so that might be why it's not showing up. Right now Wyatt is watching motorcross on there. Our household has such different tastes...
Hope your writing is going very well. Prayers with you all the way!
OK, I have a question, Laura...if you don't mind. I'm not a fan of Amish fiction, to be perfectly honest. Is Dale Cramer different than the typical Amish fare?
ReplyDeleteJulia,
ReplyDeleteI'm not an Amish fan either:) Cramer, however, writes with such substance and beauty it seems another genre entirely, at least for me. He addresses difficult issues in his books so it's generally not light reading. He's been up for many writing awards for his work which are well deserved, IMHO. In an industry that often serves up shallow fare his is more literary. Hope this helps. Hope you enjoy his work if you have time in future:)
Laura, I usually read, but don't comment. But when I saw Dale Cramer's cover on your post, I couldn't resist.
ReplyDeleteDale goes to my church and is a good friend of mine. Since I love Christian fiction so much, we have some great conversations. I'm thrilled that Bethany contracted him for this Amish series and hope you enjoy it.
I also wanted to say that I recently read The Frontiersman's Daughter, and it has made you one of my favorite authors. I felt like the Kentucky frontier was a major character. And the romance was one of the best I've ever read. Best wishes in your continued writing, Laura.
cjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] net
Carole,
ReplyDeleteSo pleased to meet you here and learn you've been reading! That just delights me, as does knowing you are friends with Dale. It's a real privilege to post about his books. I know his Amish series will wow readers. His prose is so beautiful.
And thank you for reading TFD. You said something so meaningful - that you felt the setting was like another character. I'm thrilled if my love for Kentucky and that time period came through. Not everyone makes note of that but you have and that makes me so happy! It was a joy to write. And I loved the romance, too:) I still miss those characters.
It's a true blessing to meet you here. I hope you'll enjoy my other books just as much. Please stay in touch! And happy reading:)
Hi Laura, I met you at 2010 ACFW conference.You have a beautiful blog and I love the books - yours and other authors that are posted here. Looks like I'm going to have to go shopping! :)
ReplyDeleteSusan, So good to see you here! I'm still recovering from that conference:) I always feel a bit guilty as I only post a few book covers at a time and there are so many great ones out there. Time to go shopping, indeed:) I have a few I'd love to add to my Christmas wish list.
ReplyDeleteHoping your writing is going very well and you have many blessings this holiday season!