A Powerful Story

Stories have to power to move us and change us.

 Things I Never Told You (Thatcher Sisters series) is one of those stories that will stay with you long after you've closed the book. 

Author Beth K Vogt poignantly pens a tale of family, loss, restoration and redemption.

Ten years after Payton Tatcher's identical twin sister Pepper died in a tragic accident she is still trying to survive and cope with the loss. Her relationship with her parents and two older sisters is strained and she tries unsuccessfully to bury her feelings of grief in her work as a partner at a successful party planning business. 

This story was so raw and emotionally gripping, I found myself crying several times throughout. 

Ms. Vogt's talent as an author makes the family dynamics believable and authentic and I found myself rooting for them to find peace, closure and renew their broken relationships.  

I would rank Things I Never Told You as one of the best books I've read so far in 2018. 

An Hour Unspent is Time Well Spent

 So excited that Barclay finally gets his own story in An Hour Unspent! After reading about Rosemary and Willa's 'older brother' in A Name Unknown (August 2017) and A Song Unheard  (March 2018) readers excitedly anticipated his story and it doesn't disappoint.

Barclay Pearce,  a reformed thief, now uses his skills to help in England's war effort. He's been hired by Mr. V to keep tabs on an engineer working as a clock-maker. However, it's the clock-maker's daughter Evelina "Lina" Manning that captures his interest.

Barclay and Lina are opposites in their stations in life and their views of family. He is considered lower class, yet he has formed a large and loving family of orphans. Middle class Lina's  upbringing is divided between a tense relationship with her mother and a caring relationship with her father. Upon meeting Barclay's family, Lina sees the how her family is lacking and longs to change that. Time will tell if it's meant to be.

Ms. White is an exceptional author and An Hour Unspent has all of the elements that make an exciting story and should not be missed. The author ties up all of the loose ends leaving readers delighted. An Hour Unspent can be read as a stand along novel if you haven't read the first two books in this series. However, if you have you'll appreciate this story so much more.

If the WWI era is a historical genre enjoy then you need to add Ms. White's Shadows Over England series  to your TBR pile.


An Hour Unspent was provided to me by the author herself and Bethany House in return for my honest opinion. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and the author.I was not required to write a positive review. All viewpoints expressed are mine alone. ~~

The Hills are Still Alive with "The Sound of Music"

Picture this: Iconic actress Julie Andrews joyfully dancing while singing her heart out with a majestic mountain backdrop. Of course I'm referring to The Sound of Music. (1965).



In honor of the movie's 53rd anniversary, it came to the theater.  I had the immense pleasure of attending the showing. There is something about the 'big screen' viewing that makes this renowned film even more endearing.

While The Sound of Music speaks for itself, here are a few fun film facts that you might not be familiar with.

Fun Film Trivia:

Julie Andrews learned to play the guitar specifically for The Sound of Music.

"Edelweiss" was written for the film, and was the last song Oscar Hammerstein II wrote before his passing in 1960.

Maria never calls Captain Von Trapp by his first name "Georg" but refers to him as Captain, Sir, or Darling.