Friday Book Pick: Love is a Battlefield by Annalisa Daughety

As we get into the long, lazy days of summer... Um, what happened to those? Are YOU experiencing lazy days? Right now, I'm juggling day camps, dance classes, play dates and trips to the pool. This summer has been anything but lazy. Oh, help... I'm turning into one of THOSE parents (the whiny, overscheduled ones).

Well, when you find some lazy moments this summer, I hope you make time to pick up a book.Love is a Battlefield by Annalisa Daughety is a perfect book for a little light summer reading. Get this: park ranger romance. Doesn't that just make you smirk? Some might roll their eyes, but I got VERY excited when I heard about this book. I spent two years as a seasonal park ranger at Mount Rainier National Park, two years at a nearby wildlife park and two more years with Oregon State Parks. I must have a two-year limit with park jobs. But those three jobs all hold very special memories for me, so I couldn't wait to dive into this novel and see this author's take on park service life.

She nailed it.

From the office politics to the deep love of place, to the fear of being caught outside without your park hat -- Annalisa Daughety's descriptions of ranger life will make you want to jump in your car and head for your nearest park.

Here is the the author's description of the book:
Kristy O'Neal gave up her dream job as a park ranger at Shiloh National Military Park to get married and move away. When she's left at the altar, she returns to the park to find her old position has already been filled. She accepts a seasonal position even though it is a step back, career-wise. Working alongside Ace Kennedy (the man who has her old job) is almost more than Kristy can handle. Throw in a matchmaking mother and friends who think she should put herself back in the dating game, and Kristy is nearly at her wits' end. She sees the past as a battlefield of failed relationships and isn't sure she's ready to risk her heart again.

For Ace Kennedy, history offers proof that true love exists. With stories from the park's rich history in his arsenal, he begins the battle to win Kristy's heart. But when Kristy learns he's keeping secrets from her, her skepticism of love seems justified. Can she risk her heart on the battlefield of love one more time or will Ace lose Kristy forever?

Love is a Battlefield won first place in Contemporary Romance at the 2008 ACFW Genesis Awards. I'm looking forward to exploring a few more parks with Daughety's characters when I get the opportunity to read Love is Monumental and Love is Grand (releasing 10/1/10), the next two books in her A Walk in the Park series. Daughety has also written another book, Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio.

What REALLY bugs you?

My 8-year-old was reading the other day and asked me the meaning of "pet peeve."

"Something that annoys you," I answered.

She thought for a moment. "Like a big brother?"

Exactly.

 It's got me thinking -- what are some of your pet peeves? Do you want to know how to really annoy me? Here are five ways... in no paticular order.

1. Toys that market PG-13 (and above) movies. Especially fast-food places that include these toys free with kids meals. If the child shouldn't see the movie, should we be giving them toys for it? It's a bit of a cruel tease, don't you think? It also misleads parents into thinking that the movies are suitable for young kids. I couldn't believe it today when I saw that Burger King was including toys from the newest Twilight movie with their kids meals. I haven't read the books or seen the movies, but I was under the impression that these were vampire/werewolf romances. Is this really appropriate for young kids?

2. "Let's open with a quick word of prayer." Why do people have to announce that it's going to be quick? It makes it sound like an apology. Prayer is a unbelievable privelege. You can make it brief and too the point, but please drop the word "quick."

3. This new trend of recorded solicitation calls. You're trying to convince me to buy something and you don't even bother to call in person? Of course, then I less guilty hanging up on them, I suppose.

4. People who let their toddlers wander around unchecked in movie theaters. I must be getting old -- but is it too much to ask a child to sit in their seat? If it is -- should they really be at a movie at all?

5. Books or movies that end with no resolution. I recently read a book that was the first in a series. The main story question was posed early in the book and kept me turning pages throughout. It was a dense, detail-laden historical that was difficult reading. I just about cried when I turned the last page and realized that the author wasn't going to "resolve" the story. You had to read the next in the series to learn more. I have no desire to read another book by that author! Don't worry, that title will NOT show up as a Friday Book Pick. I generally like books in a series, but it's important that each book can also stand alone.

Okay, I'm done ranting. Do any of these items bug you? What does?

Friday Book Pick: Tomorrow We Die by Shawn Grady

Now that the heat of summer is upon us, it's time to either retreat into the air conditioning or stretch out in the sunshine -- your choice -- with a great book. If you need a little excitement to spice up your summer, try out this new title by firefighter/paramedic/author Shawn Grady, Tomorrow We Die. Grady's first novel, Through the Fire, was one of my all-time favorite reads of 2009 (See Friday Book Pick for Through the Fire) and this newest offering does not disappoint.

Tomorrow We Die has one of the best first sentences I have ever read... "I spent the day chasing the Angel of Death." Doesn't that just give you chills? Love it. A few paragraphs down another great line: "So can you imagine my surprise when we actually caught him?" From that moment on, I difficulty putting the book down.

Back Cover: Paramedic Jonathan Trestle has had a week of death. Every call seems to end up with someone flatlining until finally he is able to revive a disheveled patient long enough for the man to hand him a crumpled piece of paper and say, "Give this to Martin."
With the simple decision to honor a dying man's last wish, Trestle soon finds himself snared in a mystery of murder and danger. His only clue is a scrap of paper covered with indecipherable dashes, but with his future, freedom, and life on the line, he must race for the truth before the Angel of Death comes calling for him.

Grady has a gift for pulling readers into the story by the collar, until you are practically kneeling on the pavement next to the paramedics as they work. I loved the amount of medical detail in the story, never once feeling overwhelmed by it.

Excitement, mystery, romance, intrigue and faith -- what more can you ask for? Go read this book today -- because who knows what might happen tomorrow!

Blueberry Pie: Sweet or Salty?

Summer has finally arrived and the clumps of berries on my blueberry bushes are just now starting to ripen. Every year at this time, I am reminded of a hard lesson that I learned a few years ago. I shared this story last year, but for those of you who are new to my blog, I am going to post it again -- in honor of the yummy blueberries (and my own stupidity!).

I still remember gazing at the overflowing bucket of berries and deciding that I needed to bake a pie. I was not very experienced in the kitchen and had never made a crust from scratch before, but I figured since I was using fresh, home-grown berries, that this pie needed to be done right.

I reached into my cupboard and grabbed my sugar canister and carefully measured out the right amount. I cut decorative leaf patterns into the top crust. This pie wasn't just going to be yummy - it would be a work of art. Everyone would be impressed. Into the oven it went.

But as I enjoyed the rich smell of baking pie, I started to get a nagging thought. My salt canister and my sugar canister look alike, except that the sugar one is larger. Normally I place the sugar in front and the salt behind it.

What if?

I checked the cupboard. The canisters were reversed. My stomach did a backflip. Did I put salt in the pie instead of sugar?

I dashed back to the oven and peered in. No... It looked so perfect. It smelled so wonderful. Surely it must be fine. I couldn't have made such a stupid mistake.

After the timer went off, I slid the pie out of the oven. It was so lovely, I almost took a photograph of it. I reached a spoon through one of the decorative vents to taste the filling.

Yeeeeecccchhhh!

Perfect on the outside -- full of salt on the inside. I was heartbroken. So much work. So many beautiful berries. Fit only for the trash can.

It reminded me of when Jesus was blasting the Pharisees in Matthew 23. These were the highly religious folks of their day, but Jesus saw the truth of their hearts. They were puffed up with pride because they "appeared" so good. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. [Matt 23:27-28 NIV]

I am guilty of this at times. People ask, "How are you?" and I answer, "Great," with a big smile. But the smile sometimes masks what's really on the inside. It doesn't just hide sin, but pain and hurt as well. I may have a lovely crust, but all too often -- I have filled my life with salt. (And I don't think that is what Jesus meant by "You are the salt of the earth [Matt 5:13 NIV].")

So, I baked a second pie: a much more "humble" pie. No fancy leaf decorations this time, I just slapped the crusts together and cut some slits. But I was careful with the salt and the sugar.

It wasn't as beautiful. But it was delicious.

What made THE BLIND SIDE so powerful?

My husband and I finally got around to watching The Blind Side yesterday. I can't tell you how many times I have heard people say, "Oh, you've GOT to see this movie!" But, because I had labeled it a sports movie, I was dragging my feet.

What a mistake.

The movie was everything everyone had promised, and more. Inspiring, moving -- and a positive portrayal of Christians, no less.

Now it's the next morning and my writer's brain has kicked into gear. What exactly was it that made the story so good? Well, for one thing, it was true -- and no one can throw together an incredible story like the creator of life, Himself. Right?

But, let's put that aside for a moment.

What made The Blind Side such a powerful emotional experience? (Writing-guru Randy Ingermanson's term).

It is a story of rescue -- we all want to believe that we can be rescued, plucked out of our miserable lives and delivered into paradise. Sort of a combination of Little Orphan Annie and Anne of Green Gables, but modernized with a quiet boy rescued from the ghetto. Rescue is one of our deepest felt human needs. Dig a little deeper and it is the story of redemption.

It is a story of self-sacrifice -- The family (paticularly the mom in this case) risks their happy/easy life to reach out to someone, even though there is a decent chance it could backfire at any moment. We all want to believe that we would do the same. A similar theme plays out in Schindler's List. It takes courage to do the right thing. How many of us have that? Too few -- and that's what makes it special, I suppose.

I am sure there is more to this. What was it about this movie that touched you at a deep emotional level? What made the story work so well? If you have seen the movie and remember your first reactions, I'd love to hear about them.