January 8, 2011

Book Tour Stop on January 13, 2011

She paced the small confines of her bathroom as she waited the obligatory two minutes for the result. Yet, part of her sensed the truth. Not only did Austin take her self-esteem and plans for happiness, but he also took her get-out-of-this-marriage-free card.

The plus sign glared at Meg from the white plastic frame of the pregnancy test. The test fell from her hands and clattered into the bathtub as Meg’s back slid against the wall until she reached the floor.

“I’m pregnant,” she said into the quiet.

Meg never imagined she'd end up like this. With nowhere else to turn, she's forced to rely on the family she pushed away, the church she abandoned, and an unexpected friendship to help her find her forgotten melody. Meanwhile Matt is still mourning the loss of his wife. But determined to keep things together for his daughter's sake, he decides starting over in a new place might be just what his family needs.

This touching story combines romance with redemption and real conflict to remind you it's never too late to find joy. Kaylee Baldwin's capable hand renders a sincere, heartfelt story of rediscovery and hope. Perfect for romantics of all ages, this book will captivate your heart and rekindle your belief in the magic of music.



Kaylee Baldwin grew up in Mesa, Arizona, and graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in English literature.

She currently lives in southern Arizona with her husband, Jeremy, and their three children. When she is not writing, Kaylee enjoys reading, starting new craft projects, and spending time with her family.

Kaylee is running a contest! Whoever comments a the review post on any of the blogs in the tour, will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Meg's Melody.

Contest is now closed. Thanks for entering.

Meg’s Melody deserves five (5) STARS.

One STAR for writing a novel dealing with pregnancy that I can comfortably share with my teenage daughter. Unlike many novels on the bookstore shelves, Kaylee keeps it clean even when involving the gynecologist.

One STAR for reminding me of the bitter-sweet memories of my pregnancies. From the positive pregnancy test---to the morning sickness---to the weight loss and gain---to the Braxton Hicks and the exhaustion of labor. Even the “new mother syndrome” of not putting the precious new arrival down.

One STAR for sharing gospel principles as they related to her characters.

One STAR for sharing real relationships, not the sugar coated ones that are too good to be true. She introduces us to the people in Meg’s life, each one with his or her strengths and faults, inviting us to read on to learn of their influence for good or ill.

And one really big STAR for reminding me of how important music has been in my life over the years.

January 6, 2011

Jeanne’ Recommends . . .

. . . a list of books that I (Jeanne’) recommend to my friends to read. Unless indicated, they are free of any language, sex, or graphic violence. The ones indicated as having mild language and violence are books I would unhesitatingly recommend to anyone because I think they are fabulous books that are authentic to their story and do not use the language or violence for gratuitous means. I've separated the books into genres and mostly listed my favorite authors or books at the beginning of each section.

Amish Fiction
Kathleen Fuller (all)
Mary Ellis (all)
Pleasant Valley series by Marta Perry (good overall Christian author)

Newbery books
After Tupac and D Foster and Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

YA Fantasy
Gail Carson Levine (all)
Shannon Hale (all)
Margaret Peterson Haddix (all)
Crown Duel/ Court Duel by Sherwood Smith
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker
Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Aurelia and Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund
The Seer and the Sword by Victoria Hanley
Princess of the Midnight Ball/ Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George
The Shifter/ Blue Fire by Janice Hardy

Historical Fiction/ Romance (mostly Christian)
Georgette Heyer (all her Regency; she’s the best!)
Deeanne Gist (all; set in various periods of American history)
Tamera Alexander (all; set in mid-1800’s Colorado)
Mary Connealy (all; humorous Western fiction)
Julie Klassen (all; set in Regency-era England)
Boston Jane series by Jennifer L. Holm (humorous YA Western)
The Agency series by Y. S. Lee (YA Regency-era mysteries)
Forevermore by Cathy Marie Hake
Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson
A Tailor-Made Bride and Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer
Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz

Contemporary Christian Romance
PJ Sugar series by Susan May Warren
French Twist series by Sandra Byrd
Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones
Georgia on Her Mind and Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck
Driftwood Lane by Denise Hunter
Mixed Signals by Liz Curtis Higgs
The Cubicle Next Door and Moon Over Tokyo by Siri L. Mitchell

Favorites/ Must Reads/ Books to Make You Think (some mild language/ possible violence)
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (an amazing audio book)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
The Thief (and all other Attolia books) by Megan Whalen Turner
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Marley & Me by John Grogan
The Tipping Point and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery

Oh My!

Oh my, it's been a long, long time since I posted anything here. Really, I do this now because I recently got a note, if you can call it...