Dear Abby - Videos Abby Likes: Two Talented Birds

 

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a good week! Is it cool where you live yet?  It still is warm and nice here, and I have enjoyed many sunny walks outside this week.

I have not one but two fun videos for you this week!  Both feature talented birds.  I have not met any birds up close and personal, although there are lots of birds in the green space where I walk, and I like to watch them.  I never have tried to chase them;  I just find them interesting.  They are so different from dogs and cats.  I guess you could say I am still trying to figure them out.

One short video features a cockatiel singing opera. This little yellow bird is named Yogi and he bobs along a bit as he sings.  He is very dramatic!

The other bird is an African Gray parrot named Einstein. He is trying really hard to whistle the theme song from The Andy Griffith Show. I know this song well because my Momma loves this show and I have heard it on TV a lot.  Einstein gives several tries before he gets a strong whistle out.  I think he does a good job!

Does your dog or cat like birds?  Or do you have birds along with other pets?   My Momma had parakeets for years and loves birds.

I hope you enjoyed these short, happy videos.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Book Review - Autumn Skies by Denise Hunter

My Review

Autumn Skies, the third book in the Bluebell Inn series, is set at a small, family-owned bed and breakfast in North Carolina.  Grace is the youngest of three siblings running the inn. She is working to start her own camping/outfitter business.  When Wyatt comes to stay at the inn they immediately click.  Wyatt's family lived in the house that is now a B&B years ago and he has deep roots in the town of Bluebell -- and a family tragedy from the past to deal with.  As they become friends, hiking and camping, working together to find Wyatt's past, Grace and Wyatt become closer and romance begins. However, he is a Secret Service agent and his work has him stationed far from Bluebell. How will they resolve this conflict?

I wanted to read Autumn Skies because I have read and enjoyed all the Bluebell Inn books. They are southern fiction, set in a picturesque small town, and often deal with the past as well as the present. These are all components I enjoy in novels.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Grace is a likable protagonist. She is smart and independent with a kind heart toward others.  Wyatt is more reserved, but as Grace gets to know and like him, the reader does too. The past issue that Wyatt deals with, his mother's murder years ago, is so tragic and I was really pulling for Wyatt to find closure and peace.

Bluebell Inn is almost a character in the book;  it is such a warm, vividly depicted place. I love descriptions (and history!) like this: 

“'The Bluebell Inn has the distinction of being the town’s very first inn,” Molly said. “It was built in 1905 and featured ten bedrooms. Early on it was even a stagecoach stop. And starting in 1957, it housed the post office. We actually uncovered the old mail slot when we were renovating and found an old love letter—there’s a long story there, but I’ll spare you. 'The inn’s been several things over the years, including a saloon, if you can believe it. In the sixties—the lake’s real heyday—other hotels opened, but the Bluebell Inn remained the place to stay.  In 1978 it was bought by Governor Jennings and turned into his family lake home. Then my parents purchased it, and my siblings and I had the pleasure of growing up here. Our parents dreamed of turning it back into an inn during their retirement. But sadly, that wasn’t to be. They passed away unexpectedly four years ago. But my siblings and I took it upon ourselves to fulfill their dream'" (Kindle location 1937).  

I highly recommend the Bluebell Inn series. It is a warm, diverting series set in a charming town with likable, sympathetic protagonists. Autumn Skies is a fine addition - and finale - to the series. 

Book Synopsis

From the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom and A December Bride (now beloved Hallmark Original movies) comes the third and final novel in the Bluebell Inn series!

When a mysterious man turns up at Grace’s family-run inn, it’s instant attraction. But she’s already got a lot on her plate: running the Bluebell Inn, getting Blue Ridge Outfitters off the ground, and coping with a childhood event she’d thought was long past.

A gunshot wound has resurrected the past for secret service agent Wyatt Jennings, and a mandatory leave of absence lands him in Bluebell, North Carolina. There he must try and come to grips with the crisis that altered his life forever.

Grace needs experience for her new outfitters business, so when Wyatt needs a mountain guide, she’s more than happy to step up to the plate. As their journey progresses, Grace soon has an elusive Wyatt opening up, and Wyatt is unwittingly drawn to Grace’s fresh outlook and sense of humor.

There’s no doubt the two have formed a special bond, but will Wyatt’s secrets bring Grace’s world crashing down? Or will those secrets end up healing them both?

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Author Bio

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 25 books, including A December Bride and The Convenient Groom, which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Carol Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are rapidly approaching an empty nest.

Connect with Denise

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - The Firefly Warriors Club (Texas Boys Adventures) by Susan Count

Book Synopsis

They chase a light and then it chases them.  

When a mysterious light entices twelve-year-old Davy and his bothersome cousin, Anderson, into the woods, they discover the forest is alive with wonder. Firefly magic dazzles the boys, and they vow to save the insects from destruction.  

Then a fire rages in the forest. Despite the cousins’ creative efforts to help the firefighters, the situation for the fireflies plummets from grim to dire. As the blaze consumes the fireflies’ habitat, the young warriors despair.  

They enlist the support of the neighboring farms to protect and save the habitat of the magical treasures. If only there was—even one left.

Author Bio

Susan Count writes for the joy and entertainment of young readers. She is a best-selling, award-winning author of the Dream Horse Adventures Series. Susan confesses to being overly fond of brownies, and horseback riding on forest trails. The Firefly Warriors Club was written for her three grandboys who wanted an adventure of their own. What’s a fairy grandmother to do, but wave her magic pen and create.

Author Links 

Website – http://www.susancount.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/susancount/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/SusanCount

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/susancountauthor/

Pinterest –  https://www.pinterest.com/susancount/

Purchase Link – Amazon

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Dear Abby - Videos Abby Likes: Read with Finnegan the Dog

Dear friends,

I hope you are having a good week.  I am continuing to feel better, and have been enjoying my favorite things, which of course include naps, petting, walks in the sunshine, and treats!

My friend Nora sent me a video that I think you will enjoy. It is from Clermont County Public Library and it features a special dog named Finnegan (known as Finn) who likes to read books.  He visits the library and helps children read. He is a 9 year old Pomeranian dog, and he's very handsome!

In the video, Finn sits with his person not at the library but by a swimming pool. He helps to read a children's picture book called Mister Bud Wears the Cone by Carter Goodrich. It is a story about a dog who has hotspots and who has to wear the dreaded cone. Finn does a great job at helping to read, and I also enjoyed the picture book.  It's about dogs, so of course it is the best!

Here is the video of Finnegan helping to read.  The storytelling (with Finnegan!) begins around point 4:38.

I hope you enjoyed this video as much as I did.  Hooray for Finn and his reading work!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

 

Book Review and Giveaway - The Light at Wyndcliff by Sarah E. Ladd

My Review

The Light at Wyndcliff is a historical novel set in Regency period Cornwall.  It is the story of Evelyn Bray, who grew up at Wyndcliff, where her grandfather worked as steward for the estate.  When Liam Twetheway arrives with the announcement that he has inherited the estate, Evelyn's life suddenly changes. As well as uncertainty about her future, there are mysterious shipwrecks just off the property, and a young mother and daughter who are shipwrecked take refuge at Wyndcliff. This novel is both a mystery and a love story as Evelyn and Liam slowly grow closer together.

I wanted to read this novel because of the Cornwall setting. I loved the PBS series Poldark and found the book description and setting very appealing.

This is the third book in Sarah E. Ladd's Cornwall series. I have not read the previous books in the series, but had no problem enjoying The Light at Wyndcliff as a standalone read. (Of course, I now would like to read the first two novels too.)

The Light at Wyndcliff was a lovely, engrossing read.  The author does an especially good job at describing the setting, both Cornwall, and the estate of Wyndcliff.  I could picture both in my mind from the vivid descriptions in the book. There were passages like:

"This was what he’d waited for. Planned for. Now he was here in the master’s chamber, where he assumed every master had laid his head since the building was constructed well over a century past. As he loosened his neckcloth and began to unbutton his waistcoat, he moved to the window and looked down at the stable courtyard. An inky midnight mist obscured the cobbles and shrouded the grounds. With the exception of the occasional pop from the fire and the angry wind whistling through the window cracks, all was silent. The silence and solitude were surprisingly unwelcome." (Kindle location 370).

Evelyn is a very sympathetic protagonist.  She feels lonely and isolated in her life at Wyndcliff and this makes her growing connection with Liam even more compelling.  I loved the spark and slow building romance between Evelyn and Liam. He is also a wonderful romantic hero.  I will admit I stayed up late at night reading because I wanted to see what would happen between these two.

The mystery was also well done, with the strange lights at night and the shipwrecks.  This storyline was even more interesting because the shipwrecked woman and child were in such a perilous situation.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Light at Wyndcliff and recommend it for fans of historical fiction - especially for readers who enjoy Cornish settings and a fascinating mix of mystery and romance.

Book Synopsis

Set in 1820s Cornwall, this Regency romance evokes the captivating worlds and delicious dramas of Jane Austen, Daphne DuMaurier, and Winston Graham.

Raised on the sprawling and rugged Wyndcliff Estate near the dangerous coast of South Cornwall, Evelyn Bray lives with her grandfather, a once-wealthy man reduced to the post of steward. Evelyn is still grieving her father’s death and her mother’s abandonment when a passing ship is dashed against the rocks. The only survivors, a little girl and her injured mother, are rescued and brought to Wyndcliff Hall.

Liam Twethewey is just twenty-two when he inherits Wyndcliff Estate from his great uncle. His optimistic plans to open a china clay pit to employ the estate’s tenants meets unexpected resistance, and the rumors of smuggling and illegal activity challenge his new-found authority. Though wise beyond his years, young Liam quickly finds himself out of his depth in this land where long-held secrets and high-stakes agendas make no room for newcomers.

Brought together by troubling questions surrounding the shipwreck, Evelyn and Liam uncover even darker mysteries shrouding the estate. But as they untangle truths from deceptions, their loyalties separate them—and their budding love might not be strong enough to overcome the distance.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Author Bio

Sarah E. Ladd has always loved the Regency period — the clothes, the music, the literature and the art. A college trip to England and Scotland confirmed her interest in the time period and gave her idea of what life would’ve looked like in era. It wasn’t until 2010 that Ladd began writing seriously. Shortly after, Ladd released the first book in the Whispers on the Moors series. Book one of the series, The Heiress of Winterwood, was the recipient of the 2011 ACFW Genesis Award for historical romance. Ladd also has more than ten years of marketing experience. She holds degrees in public relations and marketing and lives in Indiana with her family and spunky Golden Retriever.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | BookBub | Goodreads

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away 5 copies of The Light at Wyndcliff! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on October 30th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

The Light at Wyndcliff