It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Happy Monday! How are you doing today? Hope you had a fabulous week. It's been a week of decisions, focusing on blessings, and feeling more productive. I can't say I read much, but I finished an editing job Sunday night, so there should be more reading time now. The Christmas lights are up outside, and four of the trees made it out of the basement this weekend. 

Here are photos from the week:

Chuck kept me company at an open house on Sunday.

This mini-quilt arrived on Saturday from a client of mine.

Spent some time in the kitchen this weekend.

One of my clients bought me this delicious chocolate peanut butter cheesecake and cannolis.

That teeny, tiny person in the front is me, standing next to my sister at my godmother's wedding. A special treasure that came to me this week from our cousin. 

Switching into my reading world, I need to get my reviews of Captain LOL and Rubber Chicken by Craig Yoe and Ms. Pennypickle's Puzzle Quest by Chris Grabenstein posted soon. 

I continued with The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts. The review will be posted before the end of the year.  

My review of Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson is coming Tuesday.

I am dismally behind in my reading of Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron, but it is the last full review for the year, so I will finish it, even if that's not by my review date on Thursday. 

Still want to read Old Flames, New Beginnings by Lea Schizas during the holiday season. 

Looking forward to reading from my TBR pile after this. 

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

As I mentioned last week, my Audible subscription has renewed, so I grabbed myself a few books. 

100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke. Van Dyke has been a favorite of ours for decades. 

Digital Detox for Remote Workers by Dr. Guenter H. Schamel. 

The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals by Chris McChesney et al. 

I pre-ordered a copy of Wendi Lou Lee's latest devotional, Story by Story: A Journey Into the Gospels, from her Etsy shop. This book just came out last week and arrived in record time. 

Upcoming Events

• Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson - Nov 25 (Review)
• Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron - Nov 27 (Review)
• Cinder Bella by Kathleen Shoop - Dec 3 (Spotlight)
• Christmas in Newfoundland 3 by Mike Martin - Dec 15 (First Chapter Review)

This week's Christmas... in the news post is up at Christmas Year Round. Spirit Christmas locations are open. We talk about the Christmas Capital of Texas, and also share a report on why Red Wing, Minnesota, made Country Living's list of "Most Magical Christmas Towns in America." Find all that here. 

I also posted an excerpt from Christmas in Newfoundland 3: Sgt. Windflower Holiday Tales by Mike Martin. You can read that here. If you are looking for new and upcoming seasonal titles, you can check out this post. 

Nothing new at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection or Laura's Little Houses, but I have ideas brewing. 

That is all I have for you this week. Hope you have a great day!

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Books That Influenced My Life

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated.  

Wednesday has snuck in. How did that happen so quickly?

This week, we're discussing books that have had a profound influence on our lives. I will share three.

The Greatest Miracle in the World was the first book by Og Mandino that I ever read. It inspires. It encourages. It is proof that a book doesn't have to be packed with information to make a difference. I've read "The God Memorandum" from this book many times in my life. It reminds me that I am God's greatest creation. It encourages me to be myself. And it instructs me to wisely use my power of choice. 

Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World by Kathi Macias is a moving little book that combines powerful stories with Scripture readings and discussion questions. It's insightful, thought-provoking, and a personal call to discipleship. 

The Holy Bible has taught me history and prophecy. It has taught me about loving God, loving others, and loving myself. The Bible has taught me about faith, humility, forgiveness, and salvation. It reminds me that when the world appears to be going to hell in a handbasket, God still has a plan.

That last one is how I am still able to get up in the morning on some of my darkest days. When the grief or the pain or the frustration is overwhelming, I can open the Bible and find wisdom and comfort there. It is a reminder that when I feel I am not enough, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. It reveals to me that the future is written, and it is one of a new heaven, and a new earth, and that "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." ~ Revelation 21:4

This is what was on my heart this morning as I put together this post. May you be blessed as you go about your day. 

Top Ten Tuesday: I Got Nothing & Tell Me Something Tuesday: Are You An Early Bird or A Night Owl?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Happy Tuesday! Here is where you would usually find my Top Ten Tuesday. But not today, because I got nothing! No ideas. No words. Just a big, fat zero. I will definitely pick up again next week with the Thanksgiving/Thankful freebie. Until then, enjoy scrolling to see what else is here today. 

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you leave your comments in the weekly post when participating. Check it out if you would like to join.

You all know the answer to this week's Tell Me Something Tuesday topic. I have been a night owl forever. I don't recall a time I wasn't a night owl. Mornings and I are not friends. I have no desire to wake up regularly to see the sunrise, get work done before everyone else is awake, or even be pleasant. I don't want to head out to the gym at 5 am. I don't want to get a morning walk in. I don't even want to get out of bed before 9 am. My schedule says I will, but I do it begrudgingly... just so we are clear. LOL!

Looking forward to finding my people out there today, and I will even be nice to the morning people. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Welcome back to Monday! It's almost 2:30 a.m. here. This is the only time I have to blog these days. I will only regret it when the alarm goes off at 6:30. Lots of stuff is going on, so I will get right to my photos:

Travis and Dwight are keeping an eye on me from the hallway

Chamber event in town

Gifts I bought for myself and others at a local holiday fair

Feeling somewhat accomplished on the reading front. Read Captain LOL and Rubber Chicken by Craig Yoe thanks to Booktrovert. Look for my review soon. 

Last week, I finished Ms. Pennypickle's Puzzle Quest by Chris Grabenstein. Look for my review coming soon. 

Posted my First Chapter Review of A Quarterback for Christmas last week. Check it out here. 

I continued with The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts. Need to finish soon. 

Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson is done.

I am a few chapters into Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron. The review is due this month.  

Likely won't be able to read Old Flames, New Beginnings by Lea Schizas during the holiday season. Too much going on. But I will do my best.

Have lots of books in my TBR pile if I get bored after these. 

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

In the early days of Kevin Flanders' novel-writing career, I provided editing assistance. He is an amazing and prolific writer. VUGG is his latest book, which I grabbed when I saw him at a holiday fair this weekend. 

I picked up Sorry in advance for making things weird. by Dave Tarnowski in a Booktrovert giveaway. 

My Audible subscription has been renewed, giving me 12 more credits. I am sure you will see more books here in the future. 

Upcoming Events

• Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson - Nov 25 (Review)
• Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron - Nov 27 (Review)
• Cinder Bella by Kathleen Shoop - Dec 3 (Spotlight)
• Christmas in Newfoundland 3 by Mike Martin - Dec 15 (First Chapter Review)

This week's Christmas... in the news post is up at Christmas Year Round. Only 38 more days until Christmas! We are talking Christmas markets around the world, old traditions that should come back, and Christmas lights in Paris. Check it out here! Better late than never, I am sharing today "Three Things to Do in November to Prepare for Christmas." Click here for that one.

Working on my review of Ms. Pennypickle's Puzzle Quest and Captain LOL and Rubber Chicken for The Children's and Teens' Book Connection this week.

Check out Laura's Little Houses for my "Top Five Little House on the Prairie Episodes from Season 4." You can find that here.

That's it for me. I am off to an appointment this morning. Should catch up with all of you later in the day. 

First Chapter Review: A Quarterback for Christmas by Linda West

 

Enjoy this First Chapter Review of the holiday sports romance, A Quarterback for Christmas by Linda West. 

BLURB: 

He's Buffalo's hometown hero. She's the one who got away. When fate and a little Christmas magic bring them back together, love might just score the biggest comeback of all.

When Buffalo’s hometown quarterback Nash Jordan gets traded back just before Christmas, his career—and his heart—are both on thin ice. A lingering injury threatens his future, until help arrives in the most unexpected form: Eden Landers, the woman he never stopped loving.

Eden’s a talented chef with a hint of magic in her kitchen, and healing others is what she does best. But moving into Nash’s guest house to help him recover stirs up more than old memories. Between snowstorms, laughter, and late-night meals, love begins to simmer again.

Can they trust each other enough for a second chance? Or will fear and fame keep them apart once more? 

Heartwarming, wholesome, and full of Christmas cheer, A Quarterback for Christmas is a cozy holiday romance about love, forgiveness, and finding your way home.

 

COVER: Isn't this a fabulous cover? Love the colors. You know right away what genre this is. The lit trees in the background are a nice addition. And Sir Wolfgang (the cat) flashes some attitude, which lets you know he is a force to be reckoned with. 

FIRST CHAPTER: Nash is coming off the practice field when a trainer says the coach wants to see him. That's when he learns his time with the Rams is over. He's been traded to Buffalo. 

KEEP READING: Will I keep reading? Absolutely! West wisely kept the opening chapter short to ramp up the tension. By the end of the second chapter, Nash's life has changed in more than one major way. The whimsical interior artwork is a nice touch. Though the reader doesn't meet Eden in the first two chapters, we know with Nash's quick departure from Los Angeles that it won't be long until she is on the scene. 

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FWKGKNFK
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 15, 2025
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 314 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8269970943

I received a copy of this first chapter from the author through Pump Up Your Book. This First Chapter Review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.