Friday, June 28, 2013

Where Love Runs Free - Available Free on Kindle!

My second novel, Where Love Runs Free, is available free on Kindle until midnight July 3rd. Go to this link for the free download: 
http://www.amazon.com/Where-Love-Tales-Upcountry-ebook/dp/B00A3K3Q0S/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372482691&sr=1-5

Here is a summary:

A feisty, southern belle’s dream becomes a reality when her long-lost love returns to Laurel Grove, South Carolina to work as a horse trainer on her family’s farm. But has he really returned to reclaim her affections or is he more interested in settling a score with her evil fiancé? 

In the year 1890, Angelina Raeford breaks off her engagement with the wealthiest man in the county to pursue a relationship with Ben Eagle-Smith, a wild, half-breed Cherokee, who she has loved since her youth. But when her jilted fiancé retaliates by challenging Ben to an impossible wager, Angelina risks losing Ben forever. Only the power of their love and a miracle from God can restore what was lost and protect the bond that has united their souls since childhood.



What readers are saying about Where Love Runs Free:
I have just finished reading your book “Where Love Runs Free”. It is wonderful!!!!!!! I couldn't put it down for the last 10 chapters. The story was great and it had an awesome ending! I look forward to seeing it published and a best seller!! T Lane

Caroline, this story is amazing! Find me a boy like Ben! Goodness, finding a horse savvy man is difficult, let alone one who Fears the Lord as Ben does. I started this book last night around 8, and finished around 2am. I was sucked into it--and couldn't put it down! C Henry

This book has the breathless, ultraromantic feel of Gone with the Wind. The setting itself is romantic--a horse farm in South Carolina. And Angelina, the heroine, is as feisty and headstrong as Scarlett O'Hara. Friday has a nice, easy pacing in her storytelling, using exposition and dialogue and action and description with equal ease, and introducing various characters quickly and vividly. I enjoyed the immediate romantic tension that the author sets up and wanted to read more. DM, Editor


Thursday, June 20, 2013

Official Eagle Scout!


Several months ago, I posted on my son's Eagle Scout project completion, which was a huge milestone for our family, but tonight he was made official by the Boy Scout Council. Whoo hoo! Congratulations to Braxton and all of his hard work - it paid off! Now, for a ceremony which will happen at some point in the future. Congratulations, Eagle Braxton!




Monday, June 17, 2013

Dream House - Summer Memories

Several years ago, my parents built their dream house on the Inland Waterway in Cape Carteret, NC. It is a beautiful, modern retreat that resounds a peace and serenity that many of us crave. Our family enjoys going there, looking out onto the water and taking a quick boat ride.

Swansboro, Beaufort, and Morehead City aren't far away, all of which have much to offer in the way of entertainment, shopping, and good eating. Emerald Isle is very close - just across the big bridge - where there are more restaurants, shopping, a movie theater, and a wide, sandy beach. This is the beach where I grew up every summer from the time I was a young girl. My mother would pack up our wood panelled station wagon after the last day of school and off we would go to our ocean front cottage until school started again in August. Sadly, Dad sold the cottage years ago.

There wasn't much to do at the beach during that time, because much of it hadn't been developed (plus there was no cable TV and no VCR in those days!). Therefore, my sisters and I spent countless hours tanning, swimming in the ocean, reading, drawing, dreaming, and hunting for seashells. I would say that much of my love for story and creativity developed during those long, slow summers. I remember them fondly.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! Enjoy your day relaxing, resting, and being catered to. I, personally, am thankful for my dad and that I have a wonderful husband/father for my children. Not everyone is blessed with a wonderful father, but my children certainly are! Have a great day!

Thursday, June 13, 2013

More Art

My dear brother-in-law, Walt, and his lovely wife, Renee, are at the right, in a snapshot from Emerald Isle, NC--post engagement. To the left is my artistic rendition. They had a beautiful wedding in Charleston and are very happy. They found each other later in life but have proven that you're never too old to find true love!

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Yummy Chicken Parmesan

For those of you bored with chicken breasts, this is a delicious recipe that everyone in my family loved - and it made a ton of food, meaning leftovers! I know most of you may have your own recipes, but this is my own and it's easy and yummy!

Recipe ingredients:
1 package of linguine
4 or 5 chicken breasts
1 small jar of spaghetti sauce
Italian breadcrumbs
mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
olive oil
garlic salt
black pepper
butter
chopped chives

Cook the linguine and drain, and then add a nob of butter, some Parmesan cheese, and a little garlic salt. Set aside.

Take the chicken breasts and cut in half. Pound them flat, then dip in olive oil and a mixture of half Italian breadcrumbs, half Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with garlic salt and black pepper and brown in a skillet of hot olive oil. Turn over and brown the other side and then place in a sprayed casserole dish.

Sprinkle a bit more salt and pepper if needed and then spoon spaghetti sauce over the chicken. Top with mozzarella cheese and another shake of Parmesan and cook in a 350 degree oven for 30 min. I then turned the oven off and let the dish sit in there a little longer until the meat was good and brown. You can see that I like my cheese crunchy!

Serve the buttery noodles on a platter and then arrange the meat on top, drizzling the sauce over. Of course, I shook more Parmesan over with a few chopped chives and serve!

Enjoy!

Magnolia Hill - Available FREE on Kindle!

Magnolia Hill
My first novel, Magnolia Hill, is available FREE on Kindle through midnight June 12th! Go to the Amazon link and download now: http://www.amazon.com/Magnolia-Hill-ebook/dp/B00A1ID6JI/ref=la_B00A4461ZA_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1370646155&sr=1-3

Here is a summary:


The Help and Steel Magnolias come together in this sweeping, romantic tale of a beautiful farm girl in 1920’s North Carolina who discovers the power of true love.

It is 1925, and Cadie Hamilton, a poor white farm girl, falls for Robert Morgan (known as “Boy”), the heir to a wealthy plantation, thinking she has found her escape from the doldrums of a meager existence. But when he fails to return home from college as planned, her broken heart leads her into a loveless marriage with Norman McLain, where tragedy and despair await at every turn. Through the help of a young black girl and the pastor of a black gospel church, Cadie experiences the love of God and learns to love her husband, finally experiencing the peace that has long eluded her. Yet, what will she do when Boy returns home to reclaim the passion that was stolen from them years ago? Will she run away with him, or does her heart belong to Norman after all?

Here's what readers are saying:   ** Spoiler Alerts **

Caroline, I couldn't put it down. I actually printed off the last 100 or so pages so I could sit outside on this fall-like day and truly enjoy it. I don't know the last time I've enjoyed a book so much - honestly.The beauty of your surroundings - I'm very much a place person and love to feel like I’m there and you did that. The woods, Zena and Mattie's home and then Cadie's home, the scene in the river was very well done. I could feel the water. The scene's at the Goodwin's house just caused goosebumps and the reverend's story of the Prince and the Princess - oh my goodness! just beautiful and I could see him on the porch telling it. This is the best unpublished thing I've ever read and I know it will be published soon. I love so many little things - that I can't even remember them all. I was way too much into enjoying the story and desperate to know what happens next. I couldn't decide who to root for and felt the depth of every character - even Molly. I love the store and the new bakery shelf. I want a piece of that blueberry pie! I cried several times - baby Zoe and the burial. Oh my. And then with Zena standing up to Norman. and of course the end. I can't wait to see this in print you have put together a story that makes the gospel so attractive and wonderful. You're writing is touched by God - bless you for staying at it long enough to get it all down. Thank you for letting me read it. KS, Florida

Great book, great story, great characters. Couldn’t put it down and am telling all of my friends! AF, freshman at UGA

Was hooked after the first chapter! TH, Marietta

I just finished Magnolia Hill yesterday and really loved it! The style and voice throughout the book is wonderful and you’ve got some great similes. I especially enjoyed the ending where the bridge breaks, I liked that it’s symbolic and it was very believable that Cadie had been transformed. What I loved most about the story was all the racial undertones and the friendship between Cadie and Zena, the Christian elements and the preacher. That felt very authentic and made the story come alive. The story of the prince and princess was excellent. I also love all of the food descriptions, like the hotcakes with honey and melted butter and roasted pecans on top. I especially liked the description of the house and the sloping porch about to pull away from the foundation. I could really visualize that. Looking forward to seeing the success of this book! AW, Atlanta

Friday, June 7, 2013

Motherhood

My drawing of Mom
in her green feathers.
Donna Reed
One of my most memorable images of my mother was the day she returned home from the beauty shop with a glamour shot of herself surrounded by a fluffy green boa. I was in elementary school, or perhaps junior high, but at the time, I thought she was the most beautiful lady in the world, just as lovely as the Hollywood movie stars. In fact, my sisters and I have said many times that she looked just like Donna Reed from It's a Wonderful Life. It's interesting how we as kids saw her in this light, but alas, every child grows up and quickly learns there is no such thing as a perfect parent!

The same is true for me, being a mom of three kids. I've never come home with a glamour shot from the beauty parlor (I don't even go to the beauty parlor!), but I can be assured my children have held some inflated view of me being the perfect mom at some point in their youth, and that I sorely disappointed them. I am human and aim to do my best, but all of us parents have been humbled at the revelation that our best isn't quite good enough. No, it was only when I got born again and gave my life over to Jesus that the change in me became evident. My kids laugh about it now, telling me how they remember me going from a Type A perfectionist to a parent who became more laid back about cleanliness and tidiness (an aside - when I was a kid, I had so carefully arranged my knick-knacks and doo-dads on the dresser, that I could tell if someone had been in my room!) It didn't happen overnight, but slowly over time, I did become more relaxed and at peace and the entire mood in the house changed! Everyone benefited--not just my husband and kids, but even the dog!

No parent can compete with Donna Reed (or in my case, Carol Brady, from The Brady Bunch), but if we give our lives over to the Lord and let Him be in control, we can be assured things will flow much smoother than if we are manning the helm. Our heavenly Father is the ultimate, loving parent, and sets the standard for all of us to live by. If I rest in Him and refuse to worry or get in fear about things that will never happen, then the Friday Family becomes one happy bunch!

Monday, June 3, 2013

42 - A terrific movie about baseball great, Jackie Robinson

My latest movie review is on 42, which chronicles Jackie Robinson ending the race barrier in major league baseball. Harrison Ford gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Brooklyn Dodger team exec, Branch Rickey. Enjoy!

 http://www.christianfictiononlinemagazine.com/berzerk_movies.html

Harrison Ford shines in Brian Helgeland’s latest film about Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to break the race barrier in major league baseball. Ford is almost unrecognizable as Branch Rickey, team executive for the Brooklyn Dodgers during post WWII America. It was shocking to see him don fake eyebrows resembling cat whiskers, as well as prosthetics that thickened his facial features and gave him a burly, slunched-over frame. But it worked. With his gravelly voice and old-man shuffle, his rendition of the crusty baseball powerhouse made me forget I was watching an aged version of Hans Solo and Indiana Jones. I believe it is one of Ford’s finest performances, catapulting him from popular leading man to Academy Award worthy character actor. It will be interesting to see if the industry is equally impressed.

Even though the film tells the story of Jackie Robinson’s segue from the Negro baseball league to the minor league and on to the Dodgers, it was Rickey’s boldness and keen insight to integrate the game of baseball that carries the emotion of the film. Yes, there were wonderful moments between Robinson (played by Chadwick Boseman) and his wife (beautifully played by Nicole Behari), but it was Rickey’s strong, formidable character and courage to espouse his Christian values that pulled on my heartstrings. Amongst a sea of horrific prejudice that extended all the way to Philadelphia and Pittsburg, Rickey comes off as a hero in the vein of Abraham Lincoln. As an aside—I noticed the art directors cleverly displayed a set of bookends in the form of Lincoln bust’s on Rickey’s desk.

While some may scoff at comparing Rickey to a great president, the vehemence and vitriol he faced over ending segregation in baseball is not dissimilar to Lincoln’s struggle against those who staunchly defended slavery. With all the commentary today about the godlessness of our culture and the loss of Judeo-Christian values that were the hallmark of the WWII generation, we sometimes forget about the rampant godlessness of that generation’s irrational, widespread fear and hatred over the color of skin. It is always good to put history in perspective and conclude as the Apostle Paul did, that man is totally depraved, regardless of the time in which he lives.  

I was glad Helgeland didn’t include the stereotypical lynch-mob scene that is often in racial films. Instead, it was the power of poisoned speech and intimidation clouding the atmosphere that brought the point home. An agonizingly long scene where the Philadelphia Phillies Manager (played by Alan Tudyk) taunts Robinson while he is at bat was disgusting and painful, smarting like a lash from a whip. It went on and on, to the point that I was embarrassed for Tudyk as an actor. But I believe it was necessary to the story, because his words and behavior personified the mood of a nation, even though the sentiments of many individuals disagreed. I wanted to rip a hole through the theater screen and shut his mouth, or better yet, go back in time, walk out on the field and tell him a thing or two. As strong as my reaction was, it paled in comparison to Robinson’s. Ever the gentleman, he contains his emotions and unleashes his fury in private, destroying his bat in the process. I wanted to weep with him.

In my opinion, the unusual, yet close relationship between Robinson and Rickey is what drives the story. What they have is comparable to a father/son, mentor/mentee, and wise sage/apprentice maneuvering around the landmines of social prejudice and learned hatred to change the face of baseball. Rickey is full of Bible quotes, evidencing a clear reverence for God, and is quick to use Scriptural truths to garner influence among his detractors. He teaches Robinson the rules of the social game, instructing him to have the courage not to fight, to rise above the fray, and to exude the character of a Christian man at all times.

Both men love baseball and know it is only a matter of time before the racial divide is eradicated. And so they determine this battle they are in is worth the fight; they are pioneers from differing walks of life, sensing their lives are on a divine track that will change the course of history forever. Eventually, their example wins over the hearts of the other Dodger ball players, particularly  Pee Wee Reese (played by Lucas Black). Reese makes a public show of his support for Robinson by standing in the middle of the field with his arm around Robinson’s shoulders in front of a hostile Cincinnati crowd. It was one of the highlights of the movie.

There are other great moments between Rickey and Robinson, a funny discussion about mixed-race showering between Robinson and Ralph Branca (played by Hamish Linklater), and a fantastic locker-room/kitchen scene with a great performance by Christopher Meloni—all providing various perspectives on the pressure of race relations in the late 40s. I especially liked when Robinson learns from Rickey that the fruits of their efforts have taken root with the upcoming generation. Rickey has seen a little white boy playing baseball like Robinson, adopting his distinctive swing and flittering finger move before he is about to steal a base. As Rickey tells it, these children want to be black like Robinson and ride the wave of sports greatness—a clear sign that the winds of change are blowing. 

For those of you who like baseball, there are plenty of great playing sequences, a hilarious pickle run, long home run hits, slides into base, and some great steals. Overall, it is a powerful story about two great men who were instrumental in changing the tide of racial prejudice in our nation. Not much is known about Rickey in most households, but the name Jackie Robinson evokes great respect and admiration, especially from the baby boomer generation who are old enough to remember his legacy. Because of his importance to the game, Robinson is the only major league baseball player to have his jersey number retired. Every year, in honor of Jackie Robinson Day, all players wear a jersey with the number 42 commemorating his achievements. What a touching tribute to a wonderful athlete and man.

Go see this movie and spread the word amongst your family and friends. We Christians need to support great films like this and encourage future filmmakers to take similar risks like Rickey and Robinson, producing more God-fearing, life-affirming stories. Bravo for a job well done!