I've Moved - This Blog is Closed

I have relocated and am not posting here anymore. My new blog is located at Through the Fog. I'm sorry for any confusion, but I hope to see you all there. Thanks!

The Lady of Bolton Hill

I just know you want to read all about this book. I'm switching over to my new blog though (see the last post to see why if you missed it) so check it out here: Through the Fog. I hope you like the new blog and will decide to "follow" me over there. lol

New Blog

I think most of you know that I've been toying with becoming a writer. Lots of "life" has happened and there has been a lot about the industry I needed and continue to learn. I have one manuscript I'm working on and two more I'm in currently planning and researching. I also will be attending my first writing conference this fall. One of the things I had to look at was name recognition. There is more than one author that shares my name - and I've already been confused more than once with one of the most popular ones.

I sought the advice of people much more experienced than I am and all of them thought that a pen name would be best. I looked at several variations and ended up with Margaret Metz. I've got a new facebook page under that name, changed my Goodreads account to that name, and I've established a new blog called Through the Fog where I'll be posting from now on. Please join me there. It's pretty empty right now, but I could use all the friends I could get. It's hard starting over.

Thanks and I hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend.

The Friday 56

Freda @ Freda's Voice is hosting The Friday 56.

Here are the rules:

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.

Then you go to her blog and enter your blog URL in her linky area on her Friday 56 post. :o)

Here's mine:

    "He's gentle with his children, well respected in the community, doesn't indulge in tobacco or alcohol."
    "Guess he didn't tell you about my drinking habit."

That's from Spring for Susannah by Catherine Richmond.

Two Brides Too Many

Summary:
Kat and Nell Sinclair are headed west—away from the manicured lawns of Maine to the boisterous, booming mining town of Cripple Creek, Colorado to start new lives for themselves as mail-order brides. Aboard the train, romantic dreamer Nell carries a photo of her intended close to her heart and imagines an exciting and love-filled future, while her pragmatic older sister Kat resigns herself to marriage as a duty, not a delight. But when the ladies disembark at the train depot, neither fiancé Patrick Maloney or Judson Archer awaits them with open arms. The well-bred Sinclair sisters find themselves unexpectedly alone in the wild, frontier town—a place where fire threatens to reduce the buildings to rubble, the working women strut the streets, rogues will gamble for the shoes on one’s feet, and God’s grace is found amongst the most unlikely of folks. Two sisters,Two missing misters,A shocking welcome to the wild west that leaves both Kat and Nell Sinclair questioning their dreams­ and the hope for true love.

My Take: 

One of the things I liked about this book was the way the cover and the writing made me think of my own sister. I've got dark hair and my sister is a blond. She's the social butterfly and I tend to have just a few close friends. I could go on and on. Just like Kat & Nell, we would have fought anyone who tried to hurt the other. 

These sisters are also very different from each other but they have their world turned upside down. Their tight-knit family is broken apart and they are forced to become mail order brides far from home and everything they know and dreamed of. When they arrive they find even those plans have gone awry. 

I loved the characters the author created in this book. Hattie and Boney are especially memorable. This is a "sweet" romance and though it features romances for both sisters - one of them has to wait for so long that it feels almost like it was skipped over and then inserted. 

I kind of wondered why some minor characters were given point of view in scenes. I can only guess that they will be featured in the rest of the series. 

Those tiny negatives were not enough to take away from two very well written characters. Nell and Kat both stood out as individuals and as women who were taking risks to try and settle in a very turbulent area that wasn't safe for single women. Both showed courage and compassion as well as loyalty to each other and those they came to know and care for. Both were willing to sacrifice for strangers as well. It's just that kind of spirit that got our country started. 

Monday Musings

Right now my thoughts and prayers go out to those in Joplin that were devastated by the latest tornado. That's close to where I live and my husband often travels there for work. I can't even imagine what the people there are going through.

What is truly amazing is that in Joplin - and in so many other areas that have been hard hit lately - volunteers have stepped up and the community has rallied to help one another. They aren't waiting for a government hand out or even for FEMA to show up. These are ordinary citizens standing up and doing what needs to be done to help one another and rebuild.

That's the kind of character and spirit that made America strong. We don't need more government programs and interference. Americans have shown they have what it takes to do what has to be done on their own. They can stand on their own two feet and they like to do it. They want to help one another. Americans are a generous people. We have always been one of the most charitable people on the planet.

We showed unity and strength after 9-11 and we're showing it now. It's not about politics - it's about character. I'm proud to be an American.

Surrender the Night

Summary: When British soldiers invade Baltimore amid the War of 1812, Rose McGuire, alone on her family farm, is easy prey for a brutal lieutenant. In the midst of the attack, she’s saved by British 2nd Lieutenant Alexander Reed. Will she now have to heal, as well as hide, this enemy soldier?

            Alex hadn’t meant to kill his superior or get shot in the process. Now badly wounded, he’s at the mercy of this tomboy who obviously hates him. Can he trust her, or will she turn him over to the Americans?

            Rose is having trouble keeping Alex hidden from her family, the townspeople, and the man intent on courting her. Will the discovery of Alex’s presence force her to accept an abhorrent proposal?

            As their love blooms, trouble looms, for the British are on the move again. This time, their target is the city of Washington. Will these young lovers at heart find themselves enemies at war?

My Take:

I love MaryLu Tyndall. She writes about real history and then adds in these fabulous characters that tear at your heart and make you feel as if you lived their story right alongside them. This is one of her best so far.

Rose has gone through some horrific experiences and has come through it with a strength that covers fear. She hides away on the farm and shuns the social life in town. She likes animals more than people and spends copious amounts of time in the barn instead of dressing up and tea parties. She certainly isn't interested in men, especially the one that comes calling most often - and wants her land more than her. She's fiercely patriotic and hates what the British have done -- especially to innocent women and civilians.

Alex is a man of integrity. He's a loyal subject in His Majesty's Navy who has an overwhelming desire to prove himself. He can't ignore what he sees around him though. When a particularly nasty man attempts to rape a young rebel girl he tries to talk him out of it and the encounter ends up with him killing him in self defense. He's badly wounded and though it's clear she hates him, he has to trust her to take care of him until he's well enough to get back to his ship. They know his being there is dangerous for them both.

Alex is protective, honorable and attractive. Rose is intelligent, caring, independent, and beautiful. The sparks fly between them for many reasons. I love how the relationship develops slowly and how they fight so realistically over things that would have truly divided them. It was also wonderful how the author used the different relationships between her Aunt and Uncle and their wishes for Rose. There were a lot of unexpected plot twists and turns. It was an exciting and satisfying book. This one goes on my favorites list for the year.