The Best Christmas Albums Ever

As I have ever since I started this blog, this year I'm participating in Faith's 12 Days of Christmas blog party! Today I've got some of my most favorite Christmas albums to share with you, so hang tight!

Also, be sure that you click on the below image to visit Faith's blog and see all the other posts in the party!

The Ball Brothers—Christmastime, Vol. 2

*smirks* didn't see this one coming, did you? This was a super sweet early Christmas gift from some dear friends . . . and I've already listened to it over ten times (I kinda lost track after nine or so #oops). Surprised? You shouldn't be. xD

Chris Tomlin—Glory in the Highest

I love this song so, so much . . . and the rest of the songs in the album are fabulous. ;)

The Oak Ridge Boys—Christmas

I realized that it's been three years since I've shared music that I grew up listening to, hehe! This album isn't one that I'd normally listen to, but it's a family tradition to listen to it every year while decorating, baking, eating on Christmas Eve, etc . . . my family is rather sentimental. ;)

Craig Duncan—Bluegrass Christmas

*cackles* Didn't see this one coming either, did ya?? Random fact: Spotify said that my most-listened-to artist of the year was Craig Duncan . . . go figure.

Guy Penrod—Christmas

Guy Penrod was my second-most-listened-to artist of the year, so of course I'm gonna be recommending his Christmas music!

The Nashville Superpickers—Pickin' On Christmas

Bluegrass. Instrumental. Superpickers. Need I say more??

Michael W. Smith—It's a Wonderful Christmas

I love MWS's music, especially since Kordell and I got to go to one of his concerts last month (more on that in an upcoming post)!

What are your most favorite Christmas albums/artists?? Do you have any that are special to you because of the memories that come with them?

Birthday Memories

Does your family have birthday traditions? Mine does! My sister just had a birthday, and thus the idea for this post was born.

So, when I was little, it used to always be the same thing every year: No school, a special breakfast (in my family, a 'special breakfast' is when Mom buys sugared cereal!) that usually consisted of a peanut butter/marshmallow/Cheerios bar, or coffee cake, or puffed pancake, or muffins . . . whatever the birthday child wanted—within reason, of course. ;)

Then we'd eat the special lunch picked out by the birthday kid. Then, in the afternoon, we'd go over to our grandpa & grandma's house so mom could bake and decorate the cake! Now, the cake was a big deal. Like, we'd pick out the flavor and how we wanted it decorated, and Mom would spend the longest time decorating it just the way the birthday boy/girl wanted it. (When we were little, Kordell and I actually got our own separate cakes! Spoiled, weren't we? *grins*)

Then, we all ate a special birthday supper (can you see a pattern going here?), and afterward, all the grandparents would come over for cake and ice cream (also specially picked out, of course) and presents.

However, everything changed on my 11th birthday. Kordell and I *gasp* had our very first sleepover! I'll never forget that birthday. We each got to choose one of our church friends to have over for the night. (Kordell, remember that huge pillow fight the four of us had? I quit early because your guest hit me in the head with his heavy feather pillow. *shakes head*)

I remember one hear, I had a tea party and invited some friends and cousins over for the fun. We went bowling once. But my two favorite birthday parties were my 6th and my 17th. For our 6th birthday party, Mom went all out—invitations we handed out at church, a theme, everything. (Y'know those themed birthday parties? Yeah, we don't do those.) It was our cowboy birthday party. Everyone wore cowboy boots and hats, and some even wore bandanas! (Our grandma had actually made us kids cloth chaps awhile before that, so I felt so special wearing mine with the princess knee patches!)

Our 17th birthday, however, was much different. By then, two of our brothers were married. So there we were, all eleven of us sitting around the table eating supper (Our grandma had joined us), laughing, joking. Angel food cake with whipped cream and strawberries. Then, when Mom and Dad left to take Grandma home, the kids all split into two groups and played the Farming Game. Now, if you don't know what The Farming Game is, I'm so, so sorry. You are seriously missing out! Comparable to Monopoly, I suppose, only about five times better. We played for, like, 2 hours. It was so fabulous.

Anymore, we don't really do gifts. (My mom gave me a coat like 6 months late last year, haha!) The married siblings might give the others a bag of candy or something. Grandparents give some money. Nowadays, I listen to my friends talk about the gifts they get at their birthdays, and I'm just like, "wait, you get presents?!" But really . . . I don't necessarily miss it.

It's the memories that make birthdays special.

What are your favorite birthday memories?

Help Me Revive the Blog

In case you didn't notice (I won't blame you if you didn't . . . my posts have been so lame lately), my poor blog has been rather neglected. Ever since I took books away and created my author blog, I feel a severe lack of inspiration.

So. That, my dear readers, is where you come in.

I don't want to give up on the blog (though some would probably say I already did). But, as I said, I have no inspiration for posts. So. I need your ideas. What are some posts you'd like to see on the blog? If you've got some (non-bookish) ideas, comment below!

Support a Veteran {Buy a Book}

As (most of) you know, I just recently published my book. What you may not know is that I co-released with my fabulous friend Faith Potts. (Don't you love that alliteration?)

Faith published Freedom, her best work yet, with me on September 10th—World Suicide Prevention Day. This story is powerful, y'all. Plus, if you want a barrel of laughs and snarky-ness and fabulous romance (I actually liked this one, go figure), You'll definitely want to order yourself a copy. (You want my full opinion on this baby? You can read my review HERE).

So why am I going on about this? Well, Freedom deals with the tough topic of suicide—and not just suicide in general, but aiming more toward veteran suicide. So in honor of this, and the fact that September is suicide prevention month, Faith is selling signed paperbacks of Freedom, and through the month of September, all proceeds go to Cover Me Veteran, an organization dedicated to the prevention of veteran suicide. (If you want to learn more about CMV, just click on that link.)

So. That means you've only got a couple days left to order your own signed copy and make a difference! 

TO ORDER YOUR SIGNED COPY, CLICK ANYWHERE IN THIS SENTENCE.

My Book is Published {Say What?!}

So, yeah. Yesterday, World Suicide Prevention Day, Faith Potts and I released our novels to the world.

Wow.

You can find out more HERE.

(Oh, there's also a giveaway . . . )

Diy Scrunchies {A Guest Post by Kara}

Hey Y'all! Since Kaitlyn has been so busy getting ready for her blog tour, I decided to take it upon myself to revive the blog. That way you guys won't get bored not having anything new to look at on here!;P So, without further explanation, SCRUNCHIES!!!!!!

For this project you'll need: fabric, a needle and thread, scissors, fabric chalk, a safety pin, elastic, and a ruler.

To start out, use your ruler and chalk to measure out fabric 17 inches long and 3 to 4 inches wide. Cut  out your rectangle.

Fold your fabric inside-out and sew along the edge, longways. I used a sewing machine but you can always hand sew it. (To keep it from coming apart, knot it securely every time you sew it.)You should now have a 17 inch long, inside-out tube.

Flip it so it is right-side out. Take a length of elastic, (about the size of your wrist or a little smaller) attach it to the safety pin and thread it through the tube. The safety pin makes it easier to slip the elastic through the cloth.

Sew the ends of the elastic together. Okay, here comes the tricky part--match up the seam on each end of the tube, and stick your needle out from the inside so your knot is on the inside of your tube. Sew directly across to the other end. Staying on the same end make a stitch to the side, and sew back to the other end of the cloth. It should look something like this:

 Once you've done that all the way around the tube, pull it so you can't see the thread. (If any fray pieces are sticking out just tuck them in best you can.)

And there ya go, you've got an adorable scrunchy! The first time or two making them they might turn out a little messy or harder than you thought, but after a few tries, you'll be making them like a pro!

Have any questions? Do you love scrunchies? What's your favorite? Tell me in the comments!

Totally adorable pic Kait!:P Nice pose without your face... again. ;D

In my defense, you told me to pose, and I did. I happened to be reading.

As usual.... :D

Hope y'all enjoyed!

~Kara

Bare Feet & Cheez-Its

Bare feet & Cheez-Its.

Infrequent cloudy days.

Sister using blankets as a dress.

Cheesy puns.

Hair blowing gently in the breeze.

Messy buns.

T-shirts.

Waterjugs & ice.

Flip-flops.

It's the little things that make summers whimsical & special. Don't take 'em for granted. Sometimes we don't realize how much they mean to us until we lose them.

P.S. blog tour & ARC signups are OPEN for the 13 Reasons Why Blog Tour! Go HERE to sign up!

Just Do It

No, this is not a Nike commercial. Just sayin'.

If you'd told me a year ago that by the time July rolled around again, I'd be going to camp as a counselor, well . . . I probably wouldn't have believed you. I'm an introvert—we don't like stepping out and doing new things, especially where there's people involved.

So when my sister asked me a couple months ago (okay, no, begged is more like it) to be a counselor at camp, well . . . my initial reaction was no way. No way was I going to go ride herd on a bunch of kids. No way was I going to sleep in a room with 10 other people (not to mention share one bathroom with that many). No way was I going to put that much responsibility on myself when the only remotely similar thing I'd done before was vacation Bible school at church with about 20 kids total.

But something kept me from outright telling her no. I put it off: "You know that's not my thing." "I don't want to." "What's it worth to ya?" "I'd need more information about it first." And I was convinced that stalling long enough would eventually put me past the deadline and it'd be too late to send in my form. Smart, right? I wickedly kept her hopes up (or we could say I was polite and didn't tell her no right away), and impatiently waited for that deadline to arrive.

And then I prayed about it.

You know when sometimes, God tells you to do things that you really don't wanna do? Yeah. The more I prayed about it, the more I felt Him telling me to go to camp. And I wasn't really thrilled with Him at the moment.

So I talked to someone about it, asked questions, and was given the form.

And I went to camp this past week.

I was slightly freaked out; I didn't know what I was doing; what if I did something completely wrong? I was the only counselor for 10 junior high girls; what if they would constantly try to bend the rules? I hated being around crowds; what if all the people freaked me out? I was a picky eater; what if we always had food that I didn't like? (Yes, that last one is totally a legit fear)

So, I'm not going to go into detail and describe every detail about the week. Because that would take forever. BUT. Let's just say that it was both worst and better than I expected. But I will give you some  highlights.

-My first night there, I met a lady who happened to be the sister-in-law of a pastor in our area.
-Said lady (Sara) happened to be a counselor in the cabin adjoining mine, along with another lady, and they both kinda took me under their wings.
-I became super homesick and overwhelmed (I've never even been to camp as a camper before, y'all!) and Sara sweetly offered to trade places with one of my campers.
-The food was amazing. Like, no complaints.
-All the girls in my cabin were epic. I never had to worry about any of them trying to sneak one past me, or about them being anywhere they weren't supposed to be.
-There were so many things to keep all the kids occupied, we were rarely all grouped together at the same time.

What are some things I learned this week? Well . . .
-Going for a week without social media is completely doable. Don't freak out about it, peeps.
-Energizers (Star Trekking, anyone?) are so. much. FUN.
-Counselors learn just as much during chapel as the kids.
-Checking your emails after a week can be overwhelming.
-Carpet ball is actually addictive.
-I like bananas . . . I know that mangos are sweet . . . (c'mon, ya'll, if you know what I'm talking about, let me know!!)
-I never want to go another week without reading more that three pages.
-There's nothing like praising the Creator through amazing music with a hundred other people.

MORAL OF THE STORY: When God tells you to do something, just do it. Even if you don't know why, and you're still not sure why it happened after it's over. Because everything is for a purpose, even if you don't know what that purpose is. He will work through your fear, and He'll work through your happiness. He will work through your tears, and He will work through your smiles. He will work through the rain, and He will work through the sunshine.

Trust Him. In the right conditions, mustard seeds grow to be trees that withstand anything. Water your faith, surround yourself with the right conditions, and watch it grow. (I can't take credit for those lines, though . . . Pastor Bob's messages were pretty epic.)

Do it even when you don't want to, even when it's painful. Because your trust and faith in Him grow best when you're not in your comfort zone.

Do I know why God called me to go to camp? Not really. Maybe it was so I could give hugs to homesick girls. Maybe it was simply to stretch myself. Maybe it was for a reason that I'll never know about. But whatever the reason—I'm glad I went. It was an experience I won't soon forget.

Will I go back next year? God only knows. I have to admit that camp wasn't really my thing. But sometimes God calls us to do things that we aren't comfortable doing.

And that's when we need to take that leap of faith and just do it.

Faith Like That

I could see his hands were shaking

As he took the microphone

He said my little boy's not gone

He’s just gone home

Then opened up his Bible

And read from John 14

He said, I'm here to celebrate his life

Not grieve

It hurts how bad I miss him

But what better place to be?

He’s with his other Father

Who loves him more than me

I want to have faith like that

Let it be who I am

I want to see the bigger picture

And trust it’s in God’s hands

I want have faith

I want to faith like that

Well I walked up to him after

Not real sure what to do

I hugged him,

But wondered who was hugging who?

Before I could say I’m sorry

He said, It’s gonna be alright

And as we stood there

I could almost hear Him smile

I thought I could give him comfort

Yeah, I thought I believed

I went there for him

But, he was there for me

I want to have faith like that

Let it be who I am

I want to see the bigger picture

And trust it’s in God’s hands

I want have faith

I want to faith like that

I want to walk the walk

Not just talk the talk

I want to make it who I am

I want have faith

Yea I want to faith like that

For the Love of Instrumentals

How are y'all doing on this fine Saturday? (Or at least, I'm assuming it's a fine Saturday? I don't know, I'm scheduling this post, haha) It seems like just yesterday that I wrote my last post. (Don't forget to submit your farming questions, by the way!)

Anyway, today I'm here talking about instrumental music. Because it's far too underappreciated. I love instrumentals—just ask my sis. Actually, I'm listening to one just as I speak (or type . . . ?)!

There are so many different kinds of instrumentals. Orchestral, classical, and bluegrass, among others . . . but today I'm gonna talk about my favorites. ;)

So first off, lemme just give you a couple of artists: Andy Leftwich and Craig Duncan.
Okay, I'm in love with their songs. Andy Leftwich is so talented (I can only hope to play mandolin like he does some day . . . ), and his songs are sooooo catchy! Here's a couple of my favorites:

Why do I love Craig Duncan's music? Maybe it's because he does such a variety of genres and songs! I mean, he does Celtic music (for which I have a minor obsession)

And bluegrass

And even songs from the Civil War (from both the North and South)

And he's got several tribute albums, but I'll just share a couple from his Elvis and Frank Sinatra albums . . .

And, just for good measure . . . POLKA!

He's got a bunch of others, but I'll spare you. ;)
Now let's just appreciate the beauty of some random instrumentals . . .

Whatcha think? Do you love instrumentals as much as I do?

Give Us Your Farming Questions

Have you ever had those questions about farming that have been driving you insane, but could never get them answered? Or maybe you're just mildly curious. Well, go no further! This time, I'm here asking for your questions about farming!

Comment with those questions nagging at the back of your mind, and if I can't answer, I'll have one of the guys (or maybe more, depending on who I can get to agree) come as a guest to answer them for you! As with the advice posts we've done in the past, I can't promise that they'll all get answered, but it's worth a shot, yes?

You have until Wednesday, July 17, to submit your questions.

Field Meals + Blog Updates

Wheat harvest is in full swing! I don't know about you, but I'm kinda in denial that summer is officially here already, and that the longest day of the year is past. I mean, seriously, didn't we just have Easter? And Mother's Day? Like, yesterday?

Okay, I'll stop talking about how time has flown. One of these days, I'll cut it out of my posts completely.

Eventually.

ANYWAY. If your family is like mine, meals eaten in the house occur less and less frequently. With the guys constantly outside, more and more of the meals we make need to be taken outside. If the guys were to come in for every meal, it would cut quite a bit of time out of their work schedule. So pretty much every day during the summer, we pack their suppers, and during harvest, we pack lunches as well.

It can be super hard to take meals to the field; the guys eat on the go, so we can't exactly throw some spaghetti into a container, hand them a fork, and send them on their way, can we?

So if you're ever in this predicament, never fear! Here's some short tips that can go a long way when it comes to packing meals to eat on the go.

Pockets. Probably nearly half of the meals we take to the field are pockets. Cross Schwan's hot pockets with bierocks, and you've got pockets! Make bread dough, roll it out on your countertop (or cutting mat, in my case . . . ), cut it into squares, add the stuffing you like, fold the corners together, and bake! These are perfect because not only are they one-handed and practically mess-free, but you can add so many combinations of stuffings! BBQ, pizza, Alfredo, etc., with any kind of meat you like—just don't forget the cheese. Cheese really makes these babies amazing.

Pizza. Now, this isn't ideal. But if you're desperate for something different, take two pieces of pizza and put them together in a baggie, topsides together. This tends to be a bit messier, but making a sandwich out of it helps.

Wraps. No, don't just slap some cheese & ham on a slab of bread. I mean, you could. We've done it ourselves. But you want some really good wraps? Cheese, cream cheese, ham, lettuce, onion (bleck—I'm the only one in our family that doesn't like onions), and tomato. Can't forget the tomato—just ask my brothers. But you don't only have to use ham! Turkey, chicken and roast beef work great too. Or, if you wanted a variation of wraps (because, c'mon, wraps can get really old really fast), make quesadillas! If you make them with two whole tortillas and cut them into quarters, they fit into sandwich baggies really well.

Burgers. There's . . . nothing special that you can really do with these, I guess . . . but I thought they were worth mentioning. Because, I mean, burgerssssss. What's not to like?? (One thing that we tried though that was a smashing success with the guys was to caramelize the onions with barbecue sauce before putting them on the burgers. They loved it.) I will say, though, that wrapping them in paper towels makes them taste better. I'm not kidding. It's weird, but true! Maybe just the way it keeps the moisture inside.

Leftovers. If we have enough meat, we like to make extras of ^^aforementioned stuff. Pockets, especially. They freeze epically and are so easy to take out of the freezer and pop in the oven if you're ever short on time.

If you've got hungry guys in the field, or your summer is just super busy and you have to eat on the run, I hope this is a help to you!

Now, for the blog updates.

I've created an author blog! You can find it here. If you're following me because of all my bookish posts and writing updates, you'll want to follow me there. Why? Well, after much thought, I've decided to make my new blog my book blog, and Twin Thoughts will remain solely a lifestyle blog. (But, I mean, books are a huge part of my life, so that might bleed into these posts a liiiiiitle bit . . . ) So if you're following me for the posts other than the bookish stuff, then you'll want to stay here. ;) So, yeah, no more updates here for Beloved. If you want to continue following my publishing journey, follow my author blog.

I'm excited to see where this leads! Thank you, my loyal followers, for all your support!

Cover Reveal {The Divided Nation by Angela Watts}

I'm back with another cover reveal! This time, though, it's not for a book of my own, but for the lovely Miss Angela Watts. And my, is it a beauty!

I'm currently reading Seek by Miss Watts, and she has a knack for writing both endearing characters, and suspense. (I mean, car chases! And Asher! Need I say more?)

Anyway, this August she's planning to release the first book in her brand-new dystopian series, The Infidel Books!

About The Divided Nation:

The United States has fallen. Three years after the 2024 presidential election and the declaration of martial law, the nation is at war against itself. Gangs battle, civilians struggle for survival, and United Nations officials thrive. George Johnston is a powerful ganglord of his own rising empire, but his son, West, refuses to continue the family legacy. Unable to run, West must become his father to defeat him.

One of the last remaining townships in America, Springtown fights to survive the nation’s destruction. The Fisher family begins an alliances with gangsters Nate Savage and Simon Bucks in exchange for town supplies. When Mr. Fisher’s daughter, Rene’, is kidnapped and her Union officer brother leaves her for dead, Nate and Simon must risk all to save her.

Told in a bold, abrasive narrative, THE DIVIDED NATION steps into a future where brotherhood bonds must be stronger than iron to survive a broken world and faith without courage is revealed to be dust in the wind.

I'm so excited to read this book when it's released!

And now, the moment for which we've all been waiting! (Ha, notice the proper grammar I used? #likeaboss)

THE COVER!!

*All the heart eyes*

Now I can't wait to see the cover for book two . . . XD

The 10 Book Questions Tag {Feat. Kara}

Yep, another tag. And a bookish one, too. Doesn't get much better than that, right??

So, anyway, I was tagged by Brooklyne at Showers of Blessings for this tag (actually I thought it looked really cool so I commented on her post and she tagged me . . . minor details) for what's originally called the 20 Book Questions Tag, buuuut there's only 10 questions. So, without further ado, I present . . .

The Rules:

-Thank the person who nominated you. (Thank you, Brooklyne!)

-Answer the questions you were asked.

-Nominate at least 5 bloggers.

-Give them 10 questions to answer! 

So, before we get to the questions, here is where I will allow Kara to pop in and say hello!

Hey guyssssss!

Okay, now that formalities are over, the questions!

1. What genre do you read the most?

Originally I'd say historical fiction, but recently I've branched into contemporary quite a bit. I'm finding it hard to pick between the two anymore. ;)

I read mostly historical fiction, but I have read several contemporary series that I loved. I'll read pretty much anything with horses! ;P

2. Do you prefer books that are in a series?

Oh, yes. Especially if I love the first book. I mean, who doesn't want to read more books about the characters they fall in love with? I especially love it when the main character in one series becomes a side character in a different series by the same author, or vice versa.

Definitely. Absolutely. Completely. I love series, because you can get to know the characters better. Honestly, I'll be in the middle of a series, and I'll just start lecturing one of the characters for something they do or say in the book. Like fighting with a sibling, or complaining about something one of the other characters did— I'll just be like, "They did that to help you, ya know! Just stuff it!"... Yeah..... I have problems.

Yes, you have many problems.

3. On average, how many books do you read a month?

Ummmm . . . I used to read probably 7 or 8 books in a month . . . but lately it's probably been closer to 4 or 5. Or less. Which is a very, very sad fact. But I just joined NetGalley last month (it's amaze, y'all), and I've been reading a bit more since then.

Probably around 4 to 6, depending on how much I like the book. Once I read a series that I  totally loved, I ended up reading about 1 a day... but the books were pretty short!

. . . pfft, you never read that much. I read more than you; how do you read more books than me?!

Your books are about twice as long as mine, and I had a lot of extra time during that week, and you've been writing more than me. Satisfied? :D

Mmm . . . for now.

4. What is the last book you rated 5 stars?

*Checks Goodreads* Guyssss *cries* I haven't rated a book 5 stars since February! The closest I've come is 4.5 stars. Hide and Seek by Jeff Strueker and Alton Gansky was soooo amazing. I don't give many books 5 stars. ;)

I have never physically rated anything, but in my mind... I would have to say Price of Truth by Susan K. Marlow! *Heart eyes with drool running down my chin* This book is SOOO amazing! Guys, I just can't describe!

5. First person or third person? Past or present narrative?

Ohh man . . . I don't know! I think my favorite to read is 3rd person, past tense. But Beloved is 1st person, present tense, so I obviously love writing it. So, I mean, that's pretty close up there. ;)

3rd person, past tense. But then again, I haven't read much 1st person, or present tense.

6. What book do you relate to the main character the most?

I honestly can't think of anyone right off the top of my head except Andi from the Circle C series. Our likes/preferences are pretty much opposite, but our personalities are so similar it's almost scary. ;)

Definitely I would say Sadie from the Sadie Rose Adventures by Hilda Stahl. I'm also a lot like Andi, but I would almost say I'm more Chad. 

*Smirks* Most definitely. Pretty sure you talk more than Chad, though. Probably more than Chad and Sadie combined.

:P

7. What is the most over-used plot twist that drives you crazy?

Ughh, when two characters who hate each other and end up falling in love. Can't stand it.

Same. Especially when they fall into a life-or-death situation and realize that they can't live without each other. *Shudders*

8. Name three books that you absolutely love the cover design.
Chosen by a horse by Susan Richards, is my favorite cover. SO BEAUTIFUL! I started the book, and didn't care for it, but then again I didn't get very far into it.

From Ashes to Honor by Loree Lough. I've never read it, but I fell in love with the cover when I saw it!

I actually read From Ashes to Honor . . . not really recommended. ;P

Seek by Angela R. Watts is just... WOW!! It's simple but SO AMAZING! 

Yessss, I'm currently reading Seek and it's so good so far!!

It was hard for me to choose between Seek, As in Olden Days by Jesseca Wheaton, Dandelion Dust by Faith Potts, and Beloved by Kaitlyn Krispense... Yes Kaitlyn, your cover is beautiful.

Dawwww, thanks ^-^

Don't let it go to your head. ;P

Mmkay, sure. Anyway, now for my three favorites! (This is my favorite question of the whole tag ^-^)
First of all, we've got Fawkes by Nadine Brandes. It's so, so gorgeous, y'all. Liiiiike . . . *alllll the heart eyes*

Next up—Gunner's Run by Rick Barry! Like, seriously, what's not to like??

If they have 1. American flags 2. horses or 3. bullets or guns... they have to be beautiful!

As evidenced in your favorite covers, of course.
Now, for my third cover . . . so hard to pick! But I choose Unblemished by Sara Ella. It's so . . . well, for lack of a better word . . . beautiful. You, Squirt, might call it too frilly. I mean, it doesn't have guns or flags on it. But it's still super pretty. ;)

Or horses. Can't forget the horses.

Mmm, yeah, sure. Can't forget them.

There is just one thing that all the covers are missing that would totally blow them off the chart though. It would make them bestsellers all over the world!

Oh?

My face. :D

No comment.

9. What book series would you recommend to your best friend?
That is like asking a mother which of her kids is her favorite! I could narrow it down to—in no particular order—Horses and Friends by Miralee Ferrel, Sadie Rose Adventures by Hilda Stahl, Winnie the Horse Gentler by Dandi Daley Mackall, Circle C Adventures by Susan K. Marlow, and last but not least, Phantom Stallion by Terri Farley!

I agree with Kara. It's awful to pick just one! But, since her too long list has the series I would've said (Circle C Adventures/Milestones), I'll say the Sgt. Major Eric Moyer series by Jeff Strueker & Alton Gansky. If you follow me on Goodreads, you've heard me talk about this series more than once, and you'll hear me talk about it again. Intense. Clean. Faaaabulousnesssss.

10. A book that you liked a side character better then the main character.
Tyler from Live Without You by Sarah Grace Grzy. Seriously, y'all, I liked Ezra and all, but Tyler needs love. And I shall give it to him. XD

I'm only on my second book, but from the one I'm currently reading and the one I already read, in Sisters in Time I like side characters way better.

I hope y'all enjoyed the tag fullllll of books. Books make me happy. *grins*

I tag:
Megs
Molly
Angela
Liz
Lilian

Kara has helped me come up with questions for you:

1. What are three of your favorite book covers?
2. What is one of your favorite book series?
3. Do you prefer new books or the classics?
4. What is your least favorite book cover?
5. On your physical bookshelf, what is the 17th book in line (if you have that many)?
6. What is your favorite genre to read? If historical, which era?
7. Do you prefer paperbacks or ebooks?
8. Do you prefer matte or glossy covers?
9. What is a book on your shelf that you'll probably never read?
10. In your opinion, what object or color just really improves a cover?

If this tag looks fun, drop me a comment and consider yourself tagged, too! ;)