"The Faces of Angels" by Lucretia Grindle ~ Florence, Italy, A Gothic and Boggy Book!

Published by:  Felony & Mayhem, LLC/Macmillan UK

Pages: 436

Genre:  Fiction/Suspense/Mystery

Cover Rating :

Perfectly telling about the book!  The chiaroscuro fade of dark and light smudge on the ancient architecture and foliage leading into a dark grove, hint of mystery and danger in an old-world city. The young woman is comparatively small and has hands bound behind her back, obviously saying she's vulnerable, not completely free, and has been or is in danger.  This all lets us know it has to be a murder or suspense novel.

Script is beautiful, particularly as its flourish reminds us that angels are lofty, heavenly creatures.  This would appeal to women in particular--probably the target reader/audience. 

I would like to have seen the name of the book given top billing instead of the author, who is a lesser known one.  The title nearly fades into the background.  I would switch the author and the book name placement.

I like the swath of deep red across the front.

An "B+" rating

The Book in a Nutshell :

Set in Florence, Italy, this is a suspense thriller having to do with an American art student who is attacked and tortured by a masked assailant when she wanders off the sight-seeing path into a dark glade. Her husband is murdered in an attempt to rescue her.  This flight off the path symbolizes Mary's reckless and curious nature which intensifies the tension and suspense throughout the novel.  The title of the book hints at the multiple faces of "angels."

Mary/Maria returns to Florence a couple of years after her physical recovery ostensibly to continue her studies, and to reunite with the lover she had just met before her attack.  However, the under-current of her return lies in the unrelenting obsession Mary has with resolving who her torturer really was, why he tortured and murdered other women...and what their similarities are.

She is also driven by the need to know if her attacker was actually caught and killed after he tortured her.  She has doubts.  Then she's horrified and set spinning as a rash of new, similar murders begins to crop up.  Is there a copy-cat serial killer, or was the original murderer never really caught?

"The Faces of Angels" is a novel with a clever plot and a perfectly rich setting for art history and gothic intrigue. Lucretia Grindle is a fine writer.  I liked her story.  A love of architecture and details of great masterpieces in Florence and surrounding countryside makes this book an intimate sort of travelogue. Those things are well and good, and may draw a readership in and of themselves.

What didn't work was the pace of the story.  It was slow and was completely mired in unnecessary details.

While Ms Grindle creates strong, engaging characters who act out quite believable scenarios and remain consistent in their roles, they become almost boring in sluggish surrounding details.  Too much information not necessary to the plot, and several characters who are superfluous  weigh heavily.  Florentine beauty is one thing, but too much is nearly devastating to this book.

In a capsule, the good things about the novel: characterization, setting, plot, mystery; all nearly died-on-the-vine because of the "wordiness," and I don't like that experience in reading.  This novel hit stall in the bulk of itself.  Making this another difficult call to rate as a reviewer.

I cannot recommend "The Faces of Angels" without reservations.  My readers need to be aware...  I did read to the end because I wanted to know the answer to the mystery, but it took some persistence!

3.5 stars with reservations

P.S. :  A nitpick:  The author's very frequent use of the word "anyways" drove me up a wall!  She used it as an expression for all of her characters no matter what region they came from in the US, or whether they were Italian, Japanese or English. This destroyed the "voice" of the author for me.

"Hers: Design with a Feminine Touch" by Jacqeline de Montravel~ Puts Womanly Back into Our Spaces

Published by:  Crown Publishing

Pages:  225

Genre:  House & Garden/ Interior Design

The Dame's Review:

Gorgeously, fully realized photos of feminine style in decor harkens back to the essence of being a woman without censure in this lush and liberating book.

Sensuous shapes and styles, delicate to firey colorings and a notable eye for art and accessories give life and light to this book.  You may think you've read and seen all there is to know about decorating and design, but you'll be surprised!

There is so much to this book that it's difficult to summarize the best of it, but I'm going to try by giving you a highlight I loved best: 

The Boudoir:
 The French called it...boudoir meaning "to sulk" which in our day-and-age could easily mean our "meltdown" parlor!  Our place to escape from the stresses of the world that call on our resources, sometimes more than we have to give.

Virginia Wolff called it "A Room of One's Own," and Jacqueline deMontravel calls it "a state-of-mind" place; one that should be inviting and reflective of who we are at our feminine core, and full of those things that we take particular pleasure in and gain peace from.

After studying this beautiful book, I designed my own perfect place and these are a few of the features you'll find in "Hers...":

A huge, ornate mirror framed in mirror pieces and resting on the floor; a button-tufted, large ottoman in blue and champagne silk; a 1700's reproduction chaise, down-filled cushions in washed linen decorated with winter white, blue and pink silk pillows; Louis XVI side chairs in a scrubbed finish; a silver vase of blue hydrangeas and roses...etc...
Does this tell you anything?

In addition to helping find our feminine center in decorating for  "boudoirs," this beautiful book leads us to rethink such other places in our homes as the living room, garden spaces, bar (even stocking and recipes) and entertainment areas, office and collection displays...including book cases.

I highly recommend this book. The pictures alone make it very desirable, of course, as a coffee table book, or for your interior design library collection.  But, more than that, it holds a trip back into the vast history of where we've come from and where we're headed as women in design.

Author Profile:  Jacqueline deMontravel is the editor of "Romantic Homes" and oversees the publication of "Victorian Homes," among her other talents and gifts.  Former editor of "Country Magazine," she's been in the decorating and publishing business for more than two decades.  She's a woman of wisdom and taste.

5 elegant stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

"The Hunger Games" Let Them Begin! Taylor Swift's New Song~"Safe and Sound"

It's nearly here, and I, for one can hardly wait to see the movie.  I've been spending my anxiety-time at the movies this

past week where I saw the new Sherlock Holmes and

Breaking Dawn.

More on those another time...

I saw the Hunger Games previews a couple of times, and with

how swiftly those pass, I wasn't able to

get a realistic fix on how I might

feel about the movie.

I do know that the cast left me a bit cold on first appearance.

That could be because I've not kept up with

the whole process.

I just featured them in different skins!

I do love Lenny Kravitz (sp?), however. :]

The other thing I love is this new song for the movie by

Taylor Swift who is one of my

favorite young singers.

Here it is for you courtesy of Taylor and YouTube:

Enjoy!

Deborah/TheBookishDame

"Little Women" Christmas & Not Too Late for Christmas Books! So Good You Have to Have Them!

Christmas is fast upon us, and I'm staying up too late again watching my grandchildren's holiday pictures on the piano surrounded by beautiful cards and well wishes from my children, family and friends.

I just wanted to share these last Christmas thoughts about books before the Eve is upon us...   What's not too late for Christmas???

This is a perfect little journal which is absolutely not too late for Christmas!  It includes what I've come to think of as "Jane Austen blue" and the heavy paper cover feels like it could actually have been made in England at the time her first books were published. Well, one can dream, anyway.  It's not too late!

Absolutely, positively not too late for Christmas!  Fancy Nancy knows how and when to make an entrance. She is the perfect stylist for little girls, moms and grammies all over this world! She's never too late for Christmas!

I can tell you most assuredly that Miss Eyre would never be found tardy or too late for Christmas.  She is of the most polite company. She's able to keep your every confidence. Jane Eyre can not fail to meet your expectations for a Christmas in perfect time.

Dressed in this new Penguin cover, Charlotte Bronte's book lives on...

Always time and never too late to remind ourselves that a dream mixed with determination results in happy success! Wintry weather, figure skating

and never being too late to learn

is a great Christmas lesson!

Seriously, can it ever be too late to say this?

You know there's always room for more drama, don't you? LOL  Oh, yes, every Christmas there's got to be some...it's the old saying, "If you've got family, you've got drama."  So, this Christmas, it's just not too late for drama, dear llamas.

It's never too late to try something different from new authors on Amazon, is it?  This is the perfect time to slip into a new ebook with some regency Christmas stories...it's not too late!

And, since when did you ever think it was too late to enjoy a holiday tribute to Jane Austen!?  This wonderful little book has three novellas having to do with our darling Mr. Darcy and troupe during Christmastime.  It's never too late to enjoy quick reads like these from fabulous authors...also available via ebook this year.

And, last but never least, there's "Little Women," which is never too late for Christmas or any other time, and which reminds us what is good and true about being free in our Country...loving family and friends, and learning what's important in life.  During this time in our 21st century, it's never too late to read how the Little Women handled themselves while their father was away in war:

An Excerpt for you:

1
Playing Pilgrims

CHRISTMAS WON'T BE Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.

"It's so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.

"I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff.

"We've got Father and Mother and each other," said Beth contentedly from her corner.

The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly, "We haven't got Father, and shall not have him for a long time." She didn't say "perhaps never," but each silently added it, thinking of Father far away, where the fighting was.

Nobody spoke for a minute; then Meg said in an altered tone, "You know the reason Mother proposed not having any presents this Christmas was because it is going to be a hard winter for everyone; and she thinks we ought not to spend money for pleasure, when our men are suffering so in the army. We can't do much, but we can make our little sacrifices, and ought to do it gladly. But I am afraid I don't." And Meg shook her head, as she thought regretfully of all the pretty things she wanted.

"But I don't think the little we should spend would do any good. We've each got a dollar, and the army wouldn't be much helped by our giving that. I agree not to expect anything from Mother or you, but I do want to buy Undine and Sintram for myself. I've wanted it so long," said Jo, who was a bookworm.

"I planned to spend mine in new music," said Beth, with a little sigh, which no one heard but the hearth brush and kettle holder.

"I shall get a nice box of Faber's drawing pencils. I really need them," said Amy decidedly.

"Mother didn't say anything about our money, and she won't wish us to give up everything. Let's each buy what we want, and have a little fun. I'm sure we work hard enough to earn it," cried Jo, examining the heels of her shoes in a gentlemanly manner.

"I know I do - teaching those tiresome children nearly all day, when I'm longing to enjoy myself at home," began Meg, in the complaining tone again.

"You don't have half such a hard time as I do," said Jo. "How would you like to be shut up for hours with a nervous, fussy old lady, who keeps you trotting, is never satisfied, and worries you till you're ready to fly out of the window or cry?"

"It's naughty to fret, but I do think washing dishes and keeping things tidy is the worst work in the world. It makes me cross, and my hands get so stiff, I can't practice well at all." And Beth looked at her rough hands with a sigh that any one could hear that time.

"I don't believe any of you suffer as I do," cried Amy, "for you don't have to go to school with impertinent girls, who plague you if you don't know your lessons, and laugh at your dresses, and label your father if he isn't rich, and insult you when your nose isn't nice."

"If you mean libel, I'd say so, and not talk about labels, as if Papa was a pickle bottle," advised Jo, laughing.

"I know what I mean, and you needn't be statirical about it. It's proper to use good words, and improve your vocabilary," returned Amy, with dignity.

"Don't peck at one another, children. Don't you wish we had the money Papa lost when we were little, Jo? Dear me! how happy and good we'd be, if we had no worries!" said Meg, who could remember better times.

"You said the other day you thought we were a deal happier than the King children, for they were fighting and fretting all the time, in spite of their money."

"So I did, Beth. Well, I think we are; for, though we do have to work, we make fun for ourselves, and are a pretty jolly set, as Jo would say."

"Jo does use such slang words!" observed Amy, with a reproving look at the long figure stretched on the rug. Jo immediately sat up, put her hands in her pockets, and began to whistle.

"Don't, Jo, it's so boyish!"

"That's why I do it."

"I detest rude, unladylike girls!"

"I hate affected, niminy-piminy chits!"

"'Birds in their little nests agree,'" sang Beth, the peacemaker, with such a funny face that both sharp voices softened to a laugh, and the "pecking" ended for that time.

"Really, girls, you are both to be blamed," said Meg, beginning to lecture in her elder-sisterly fashion. "You are old enough to leave off boyish tricks, and to behave better, Josephine. It didn't matter so much when you were a little girl; but now you are so tall, and turn up your hair, you should remember that you are a young lady."

"I'm not! And if turning up my hair makes me one, I'll wear it in two tails till I'm twenty," cried Jo, pulling off her net, and shaking down a chestnut mane. "I hate to think I've got to grow up, and be Miss March, and wear long gowns, and look as prim as a China aster! It's bad enough to be a girl, anyway, when I like boys' games and work and manners! I can't get over my disappointment in not being a boy; and it's worse than ever now, for I'm dying to go and fight with Papa, and I can only stay at home and knit, like a poky old woman!" And Jo shook the blue army sock till the needles rattled like castanets, and her ball bounded across the room.

"Poor Jo! It's too bad, but it can't be helped. So you must try to be contented with making your name boyish, and playing brother to us girls," said Beth, stroking the rough head at her knee with a hand that all the dishwashing and dusting in the world could not make ungentle in its touch.

"As for you, Amy," continued Meg, "you are altogether too particular and prim. Your airs are funny now, but you'll grow up an affected little goose, if you don't take care. I like your nice manners and refined ways of speaking, when you don't try to be elegant. But your absurd words are as bad as Jo's slang."

"If Jo is a tomboy and Amy a goose, what am I, please?" asked Beth, ready to share the lecture.

"You're a dear, and nothing else," answered Meg warmly; and no one contradicted her, for the "Mouse" was the pet of the family.

As young readers like to know "how people look," we will take this moment to give them a little sketch of the four sisters, who sat knitting away in the twilight, while the December snow fell quietly without, and the fire crackled cheerfully within. It was a comfortable old room, though the carpet was faded and the furniture very plain; for a good picture or two hung on the walls, books filled the recesses, chrysanthemums and Christmas roses bloomed in the windows, and a pleasant atmosphere of home peace pervaded it.

So, you see, it's really never too late for Christmas books like these.  I hope you go out and find some "not too late for Christmas books" of your own!

Warm winter wishes,

Deborah/TheBookishDame

"Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday Crafts: 225 Inspired Projects for Year-Round Celebrations"

Published by:  Crown Publishing Group/Random House

Pages:  369

Genre:  House & Garden/Crafts

Here's the Scoop:

There is no question that Martha Stewart has long been the reigning queen of DIY home crafts and decorations.  In this holiday-centered book, she has gathered the best of her ideas, giving us up-close and fully realized directions on how to create extraordinary crafts and gifts for home, family and friends. Martha doesn't disappoint her fans, and anyone is bound to find something beautiful to create in this holiday crafting book.

Major holidays are segmented and ideas for crafts, home decorating and gift giving are shown for each one:  New Year's, Valentine's Day, Easter, July 4th, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas...and all others in between!   The large spread photographs are lovely, the ideas are not expensive, but are easily accessible; and, the resulting crafts present bright, festive, magical, and even enchanting pieces.

Here's What I Liked:

Valentine's Day: 

Red tulips in double glass vases with red cinnamon candy hearts were vibrant, beautiful and made an easy presentation for a dinner arrangement.

Also, a carnation heart made of multiples of pink carnations on floral foam to make a centerpiece is quick and gorgeous!

Easter :

Fabulous egg-dyeing techniques using natural formulas made from coffee, cabbage, blueberries, beets and spices made incredibly beautiful and exotic eggs.  And, Martha gives specific directions for marbleizing eggs!  Actually, most of her egg crafting was exceptional.

Thanksgiving :

Gourd candles made from hollowed out mini gourds with colored, melted candles are just amazing little jewels!  Pumpkin carving is fabulous!

Christmas :

I loved the cookie cutter ornament ideas made from various paper goods, family pictures and such.  The gilded, and verdigris Polish inspired eggs, and the ribbon poinsettia wreath was just to die for.

Hanukkah :

Paper packages, a menorah, and satin stars are glowing and sparkling in Martha's hands.

Here's what I found lacking:

Often the crafts are more complex than one would want to become engaged in. 

The directions are not clear cut; that is, they are not in a "recipe/materials" format, but are listed in text, which I found to be more difficult to follow.  I needed to break it down for myself on my own paper.

Diagrams sometimes took too much for granted, or at least seemed to expect the more experienced crafter could "fill in the blanks."  I wasn't up to some of that!

Several projects were quite time-consuming for very little return or impact.

And, finally, I found the pictures too small in the working segments.

Overall Rating:  3 stars ~ I can't highly recommend it, but it's a good book to check out of the library...

Deborah/TheBookishDame

"Christmas at Pemberley~A Pride & Prejudice Christmas Sequel" by Regina Jeffers

Published by:  Ulysses Press

Pages: 350 with Afterward

Genre:  Fiction/Regency Romance

THE DARCYS AND THE BENNETS

CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO

CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY: A PRIDE & PREJUDICE HOLIDAY SEQUEL

Very quick Summary:

Darcy has invited the Bennets and the Bingleys to spend the Christmastide’s festive days at Pemberley. But as he and Elizabeth journey to their estate to join the gathered families, a blizzard blankets the English countryside. The Darcys find themselves stranded at a small inn while Pemberley is inundated with refugees seeking shelter from the storm.

Without her brother’s strong presence, Georgiana Darcy tries desperately to manage the chaos surrounding the arrival of six invited guests and eleven unscheduled visitors.

But bitter feuds, old jealousies and intimate secrets quickly rise to the surface. Has Lady Catherine returned to Pemberley for forgiveness or revenge? Will the manipulative Caroline Bingley find a soul mate? Shall Kitty Bennet and Georgiana know happiness?

Written in Regency style and including Austen’s romantic entanglements and sardonic humor, Christmas at Pemberley places Jane Austen’s most beloved characters in an exciting yuletide story that speaks to the love, the family spirit and the generosity that remain as the heart of Christmas.

Pemberley from the Dame's Perspective :

I only wish I had 10 more days of Christmas and 10 more books written by Regina Jeffers about the Darcys and clan to fill them! This is my very favorite of the Christmas books I've read for review this year.  And, I'm so happy to bring it to your attention just in time for your Christmas rush!

If there is ever a time to get one more book for yourself in that "one for her/him~and one for me" pile;  this is the ONE!

Jane Austen would love Regina Jeffers's perfectly Pemberley story that unites not only Elizabeth and Darcy in further intimacy around their soon-to-be first child, but also begins to be-ribbon some family relationships that have kept us aching for more closure.

Regina is the reigning queen (name is rightfully hers) of the sequels to Miss Austen's books, in my humble opinion.  She takes care to keep her characters in perfect unity with Jane's intentions, it seems to me. This makes the books all the more close to authentic in nature, and all the more desirable for Austen aficionados. 

I lost myself in this wintry novel as it danced among the characters and their longings for connections of heart, purpose and mind.  Jane Austen's books are of this quality; not just fluff, but of the substance of true life and its mysteries, if a reader will take a moment to look beyond the surface, as Lizzy would have us do.

The story of a coming home to Pemberley at Christmastime brought me such pleasure this weekend as I put the last trimmings and touches on our holiday.  While I went to church, heard the last of the pre-Christmas sermons and remembered things from past holidays with husbands (yes, there have been a couple--I was widowed very young) and children; "A Christmas at Pemberley..."  lifted my heart even more. 

This is a beautifully, thoughtfully written book.  Perfectly in keeping with Miss Austen's tone of characters.  A positively on-target treat for Darcy and Lizzy fans. If we can't have Jane, at least we have Ms Jeffers!  Thank God!

A Christmas in Regency style that is up-lifting, heartwarming and centered on the things that matter most in life:  Love and Family.

The Best of Christmas Books in 2011

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Christmas Book Drive ~ Migrant Workers' Children

Not all children have books for Christmas or any other time of year.

Many children don't even have children's magazines, coloring books, crayons or pencils of their own; and, they're lucky if they can find any to share.

In our immediate area in South Florida, there is a shelter for migrant workers which seeks to provide care for the too many children and mothers left in poverty, and who live virtually homeless.  Not only do these children lack basic needs, but

to ask for a book or books of their own

would be impossibility thinking for them.

If you would like to participate in a Christmas Gift of Books for these children and their mothers, please leave a comment with your email

Thanking you, and God be with you this Christmas

Deborah/TheBookishDame

O, Christmas Tree~I Put Up Our Tree Tonight :]

I built our Christmas tree tonight from some of the books read and reviewed this year. What could be better than to celebrate the authors and books that have brought me such pleasure over the last months? 

Florida isn't known for its snowy roads and evergreen-covered forests, but we do have lights that twist around our palm trees and fountains that herald reminders of stars in a distant Bethlehem.

And, on certain beautiful nights, if you look up wondering what it's all about, you'll see a glowing moon to let you know that no matter how far you live away from those you love, the same moon lights the night for each of you.  And Love never leaves your sides.

In the days before Christmas, thanks to beloved family, dear friends, those authors and publishers and the quiet, bearly noticed people who made my life special this year.

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Christmas Cookies! "Debbie Macomber's Christmas Cookbook"

Published by: Harlequin

Pages: 240

Genre:  Family/House & Garden

Something About Debbie :

We call her the "Official Storyteller of Christmas"—but Debbie Macomber is more than that. She is someone who loves the holiday and all its traditions. Now she shares more than 100 of her favorite recipes to help you enjoy this most joyous of seasons. You'll also find easy-to-follow instructions for crafts, decorations and gift-wrapping—everything you need to create a beautiful and festive holiday.

What makes this cookbook unique Is Debbie's personal memories and observations. Join her as she reminisces about traditions past and present, and discover the craft ideas she herself uses. As she says, "The holidays are about being with others. They're about celebrating and sustaining our personal community of family and friends."

In this beautifully illustrated book, she shows you how to serve a memorable meal, whether it's a sit down Christmas dinner for a crowd, entertaining a group of friends at an open house or tea, or spending time with your children and grandchildren...

The Dame's Summary of the Book in a Nutshell:

When I went scouring my cookbook library shelves and hideouts this season, I just couldn't find the Christmas cookies and new baking ideas I wanted for the holiday.  It's the 21st century!  I needed some inspiration! 

I went hunting at my local book shop and found "Debbie Macomber's Christmas Cookbook."  The beautiful cover jumped off the book shelf!  Up until now, I have to admit not being a fan of Debbie's books. I'm not into ladies groups and small town chit-chat novels.  But, boy, does she know holiday stories and making holidays special with family and friends.  This is a wonderful, picture and memory-making book to fill out the old and weary cookbook shelves of any household. (And, its caused me to ferret out her newest Christmas novel, as well, which I recommend!)

Debbie's simple, yet beautiful cookies and delicious desserts are mouthwatering. But she also includes wonderful recipes for breakfast, brunch and munchies of the savory sort. And, while you're waiting for these to bake, her stories are so much fun and so heartwarming to read. Her easy to follow crafts ideas are as clearly pictured as her recipes. In fact, this book is beautifully pictured throughout.  It's of the coffee table quality books for Christmas.

I enjoyed Debbie's sense of  humor and the times she cherishes with her grandchildren. I'm not able to spend time with my grandchildren since they live in four different States; pretty far away from me. So, although this book was sometimes bittersweet to read, it was a reminder of when my children were babies.  And a time when I was a young mother, baking Christmas cookies and decorating them with my little children in a Yankee Barn in New Hampshire while snow piled up 4 ft. high on our deck...

This is a book that will find its way into your lap when you walk away from the kitchen to sit in your favorite chair crunching on your warm baked goods.  It may find its way into your lap when you have a grandchild by your side.

I think it's a book well worth purchasing this year.

Happy Holidays...I wish I could send each of you a tin of my holiday lemon bars!

5 red stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Amish Story~"A Lancaster Co. Christmas" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Published by:  Revell/Baker Publishing Group

Pages:  191, and Discussion Questions

Genre:  Fiction, Inspirational

Introduction of Author:



Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, and The Search, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Benedict eventually became publisher of Christianity Today magazine. Suzanne is the host of a radio show called Amish Wisdom, and her work has appeared in many magazines. She lives in California.

Book in a Nutshell:

Are you as curious about the Amish as I am?  It seems I've had a sense of awe about them and what seems their secretive ways.  A couple of my children went to small, private colleges near Lancaster County (Dickinson and Gettysburg), affording me an opportunity to visit the Amish villages,  and see their farms once in a while.  Since I stopped to shop in their small town, I was a heartbeat away from these gentle people whose nearly downcast eyes and shy smiles felt like gifts to me as they passed by. My spirit was lifted just be being around them.   Although, I'll never forget nearly crashing into a buggy with my too- fast-moving sports car one afternoon...an English lady not paying attention to what I was doing!

The Quilt Museum in Lancaster County is a display of the most astonishing quilts I've ever seen.  With simple, unpatterned cotton in every hue, Amish women have created quilts that flash and vibrate.  It's truly other-worldly.  I've never experienced anything like it.  The juxtaposition of colors makes your eyes "play tricks" on you so that the quilts actually sparkle!  Such is the plain life of these people~they quietly sparkle in their simplicity. And lest one think their clothing is too plain, it's amazing how inventive women can be with plain, beautifully colored cotton and cotton blends...no zippers or buttons included.

In "A Lancaster County Christmas" Susanne Woods Fisher brings us a story of such an outwardly simple, plain Amish couple with one cherished son, who meets and takes in a young "Englisher" couple in trouble.  The couple is in trouble both physically, as their car is disabled in a raging snowstorm, and in that their marriage is on the brink of divorce. 

Through this story during the weekend of Christmas, we learn about loss and love, the meaning of friendship and faith, family and following the light we've been given.  We also learn that whether Amish or not, people are the same in their life-struggles and in their feelings of insecurity and pain.

The theme of the book, "Emmanuel (God) with us" reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas.  That He came down to be with us. It's the reminder that we would not always find life to be perfect and without struggles, but that we would have the promise that He would always be by our sides~with us~and He would never fail us through it all. It's a story that's simple and, yet, so complex to grasp. 

 "A Lancaster County Christmas" is a book that leads us along the path to understanding the importance of real communication.  I loved the story of the two couples, of how they saw the similarities in the troubles they had to deal with, how they gave each other hope and strength.  It's a book that's gentle to read, and a book that leaves you stronger for the reading.  A sit down between cookie baking novel...

May you know that Emmanuel is with you this Christmas.

Recommended for now through January--and beyond.

4 winter stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Follow Friday~Blog Hop A Chance to Meet New Blogging Friends

Please follow Alison Can Read to find today's Follow Fiday list of bloggers to visit and exchange greetings.

You can also add your blog(s) to the link and have a following!

I think this is a great way to actually meet fellow reviewers who have similar interests in books and to establish connections with them.  It's worked for me incredibly well.

You'll find details for signing up for this event that takes place several times per month.

Nearly forgot:  Every time there's a blog hop, there will be a featured site and a question for the Friday.  This Friday's question is~

"What do you do with your books after you've read them?

I keep them for the most part.  Confess that I'm a book hoarder of the first rank.  My library is pushing us out of the house!  I've also begun to share them with my daughter who has now shown herself to be a serious reader; now that she's in her 30's, finally!  And, I share them with friends who are also serious readers. If I have duplicates, I give them away in "giveaways" on my blog. Because I believe "Books are our friends," a phrase I coined when I was in my early teens, I don't give them away randomly to swaps or such.  That's like dropping them off at orphanages to me!  LOL

Seriously, what do you do with the books you've already read??

Deborah/TheBookishDame

"The Cross Dresser's Wife: Our Secret Lives" Written and Edited by Dee A. Levy and B. Sheffield Hunt

Published by:  Creative Space

Pages:160

Genre:  Women's Non-fiction

The Dame's Highlight of This Book:

This is an important collection of women's personal stories having to do with their struggles to understand husbands who are or who did affect ther lives as cross dressers. 

This book is an attempt to give help and hope to those women who have experienced the heartbreak of this horrific experience, and to give solace and hope to those who find or ever found themselves in a marriage such as described in these pages and still want to understand it. The sufferings of these brave women cannot be discounted, and the courage they show in sharing their stories for the benefit of others cannot be lauded enough...it's a lonely and unimaginable torture to be in a marriage that is fraught with sexual addiction and unspeakable secrets. 

Unflinching it its truth, bravely written, and edited, this book will be a lifeline for women in abusive relationships with men who keep secrets about their sexual addictions; men who torture their wives and families with hidden lives.  I don't think this book is for cross dressers only. It will shock and surprise you.

Additionally, I'm privileged to bring you this interview:

I’m so delighted you’ve agreed to allow us to get to know you and your book better through an interview.

Thank you very much. My esteemed book partner Dee A. Levy and I are thrilled to have The Cross Dresser’s Wife * Our Secret Lives reviewed by The Bookish Dame!

First of all, please tell us a special something about what makes you "tick."

As an educated human being and a writer, I am consistently flabbergasted by and love exploring the intricacies of human behavior. Truth IS stranger than fiction because if life appears simple, scratch any surface and discover the unexpected. I first truly recognized how bizarre people can be at my first job in high school, the local Baskin Robbins ice cream parlor. Nine or ten high-schoolers scooping ice cream for senior citizens commenting on how a banana split used to cost a nickel… where is the potential for drama? Yet, there were firings, hirings, secret promotions, illegitimacy, domestic turbulence, gossipy virgins who thought they might be pregnant, a boss named Major McNally barking "Portion control!" every ten seconds, and even a ghost named Keith! In what appeared to be a barren and humdrum setting, there was much gold to be mined.

Those workplace dramas are always the best! LOL

You chose a specific topic to write about, what made you choose it? Has writing your book given you a sense that you did what you were meant to do?

I was approached by my force-of-nature book partner, Dee A. Levy, to help craft her harrowing story into an article. This expanded into a book, which expanded into a collection of memoirs told from the POV of the cross dresser’s wife.

If the initial reviews are anything to speak of, we have touched upon a hot topical issue. Readers of every ilk, not just cross dressers’ wives, are expanding their base of thought and responding to these courageous stories in a way that we never expected… yet we did. Who can’t relate to a survival story? You care about these women. You can’t help it. The emotional tunnels they dig in order to survive will blow any misconceptions about cross dressing to smithereens and draw the basic similarities evident in all relationships into clearer focus, thus bringing society and cross dressers’ wives everywhere closer together.

Please share with your readers where you like to write. Do you have a particular space or desk? What can you see from your desk? Do you have props you use to write from? What about special "charms?"

I love this question! Surrounded by books in a library is a thrilling space to write if you feel the urge to get out and absorb stimuli, yet writing at home is usually best for me. Per Feng Shui guidelines, my slightly-scratched old Chinese writing desk, a gift from an internationally renown interior decorator who is a friend and former boss, sits before our home office’s bright north-facing window. A small potted asparagus fern, a cutting from a larger plant belonging to my grandparents, lives right outside the window in my direct eyeline. He reminds me who I am. The grass cloth swathed walls of my home office serve as giant bulletin boards, bursting with postcards, photographs, art, cocktail napkins with jotted ideas, Henry Miller’s 11 Writing Commandments, and other cherished memorabilia. My "charm" would be the antique nautical-looking brass hourglass that dominates the tray on my desk. She is my encouraging timekeeper; no matter how mined, frustrated, or tired I might be feeling, I can always turn her over one more time and get in another 45 minutes or so of writing. Mine works so well for me, I recommend a trusty hourglass for every writer’s desk in America.

In your opinion what makes a book a greak one?

A great book has a beating heart that you sense from page one, if not the title or cover. Yes, you can sometimes judge a book by its cover.

I agree with you, even though I was always taught you couldn't!

What are your Top 5 all time favorite books?

This list evolves, but today my all time favorite books are Queen Zixie Of Ix by L. Frank Baum, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham, and any of the Mapp and Lucia novels by E. F. Benson.

I’m sure there were tears of sadness and joy in the writing of "...Crossdressers.." 

Can you share a memorable moment for you with us?

Holding our first hard copy of the book from the publisher was a big deal. Imagine realizing you’re floating in a hot air balloon together on a beautiful day with a splendid view of wineries below. Dee and I looked at each other, raised our martinis, and uttered something deep and meaningful like, "Aaahhh." We are grateful and enjoyed that moment.

Please tell us the underlying message of your book. What would you like your readers to take away after having read the book?

Cross dressing is a highly complex and often highly misunderstood issue. Living in the closet and all the machinations involved in keeping a thorny secret can have devastating consequences on women, men, relationships, and families. It is time for the issue of cross dressing to be pulled from the shadows into the light of understanding and acceptance.

Were you able to keep your original title? What was it, if not?

Originally titled My Secret Life as a Cross Dresser’s Wife, after other wives and partners from the Forum on www.crossdresserswives.com bravely stepped up to share their powerful stories, the book evolved into The Cross Dresser’s Wife * Our Secret Lives.

Is there a song that you "heard" or might best represent your book as a theme song?

I don’t know if it classifies as the book’s official theme song, but in Mr. Wonderful, page 147, the last page of the last story in the book, our protagonist wife is realizing she won’t be married to her soul mate/husband for the rest of her life. The song ‘Birds’ by Neil Young is playing, "It’s over, it’s over.." as she sits parked in her driveway in the pouring rain, sobbing recklessly, too devastated to go inside and face the cross dressing husband waiting for her in bed.

 If your book were made into a movie; tell me who would play some of your characters! :]

Madeleine Stowe and Stanley Tucci can ignite and bring the marriage of Mr. Wonderful to blazing fruition. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling will infuse their explosive talents into the horrors of Gaslighting. Dianne Wiest would absolutely flee into the interior labyrinth of The Queen Of Denial. Jessica Chastain from ‘The Help’ would instill authentic grace into the dark journey of The Golden Nugget.

I can completely see Dianne Wiest in The Queen of Denial.  Let's go to the movies!  It would be amazing.

Please tell~Guilty pleasures: Most recently read book? Favorite guilty pleasure tv show?
What’s your guilty pleasure coffee/tea? What sweet snack do you sneak?

I am reading The Edinburgh and Dore Lectures On Mental Science by Thomas Troward and the 1955 personal journal of producer Ross Hunter. I love The Simpsons, even after all these years, and can watch favorite episodes endlessly. I like to eat almonds, a banana opened from the bottom like monkeys do, or yummy cheese, apple, and whole grain crackers.

Thank you for bending to these busybody questions! It’s been a pleasure from my end of things!

Thank you so much!


Before you go, is there anything you’d still like to "confess?" LOL

Working on The Cross Dresser’s Wife * Our Secret Lives and becoming part of something positive that helps people understand what is happening all around them is truly a rewarding experience. I tip my proverbial cap to Dee A. Levy and all of the inspiring women from www.crossdresserswives.com. Their stories are powerful, gripping, and eye-opening. Curious readers won’t put the book down until they have reached the last page.


And, I have to say that I thought "The Cross Dresser's Wife: Our Secret Lives" is one of the most significant books I've read in all my life.  There hasn't been a book so helpful in this area of male human behavior and its affects on the women who love them and have children with them that I've ever been aware of. I think its also significant for the men involved who've felt locked up emotionally in their secret lives.


Please see more on this subject and go to the following site for further support and information: http://www.crossdresserswives.com/

TheBookishDame