Out With the In Crowd

Hey everyone! Earlier this week, I said that I'd get this posted. It's a little later in the day then I'd planned on, but I'm getting it up for you all, just like I said that I would. Here you go!


Out With the In Crowd is a excellent teen book written by Stephanie Morrill.


Skylar Hoyt has turned her former partying life around. But with a pregnant younger sister that isn't doing anything and not sure whether to keep the baby or not, her mom moving out of the house and wanting her two daughters to move to Hawaii with her, her father wanting her to stay with him, and her boyfriend wanting more of her already full time, she finds that she feels like she can't win. And as her sister's due date gets closer, Skylar gets busier and more confused. Should she go to Hawaii with her mom or stay with her dad? Will Abbie keep the baby? What will happen to the new life that she is trying to live?


You'll be caught up from the first page to the last as you join Skylar as she works through problems that teens meet everyday.

Out With the In Crowd is an inspiring teen book, the second of three books in the Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series. Me, Just Different, is the first book, and the third book in the series, So Over It, comes out July of 2010.

This series is one that I would greatly recommend to any teenager, older or younger. Stephanie Morrill does a great job in writing teen books, and Out With the In Crowd is no exception.

Out With the In Crowd

Hey guys! Have you read any good books in the last week or so? I have, and the name of one of them is Out With the In Crowd, by Stephanie Morrill.

Out With the In Crowd is a excellent teen girls' book and the second book in the series The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt. Today I'm going to give you the back cover blurb and the first page, and later on this week, I'll post my review of it, so don't forget to check back here later! Here you go, enjoy!


She knew changing her life wouldn't be easy, but she never expected it to be this hard.

Skylar Hoyt may have vowed to change her partying ways, but it's not so easy to change her friends. Even thought the old Skylar is gone, she's still not sure who this new Skylar really is. Add to that two parents battling for her loyalty, a younger sister struggling with a crisis pregnancy, and a new boyfriend wishing for more of her time, and Skylar feels like she can't win. After all, how do you choose favorites among the people you love most?

And here is the first page of Out With the In Crowd:

Chapter One

All winter break, I’d planned for this moment, the one about to happen.

“Hey,” Eli said as we passed each other in the hall.

I intended to say hello back, to smile like things between us hadn’t changed, but something inside me bristled. I locked my jaw, turned away from his hypnotic smile, and picked up the pace.

Then I mentally kicked my butt as I sped toward my locker. That was not how it should’ve gone.

For starters, when I saw Eli for the first time this semester, I intended to be hanging off Connor’s arm, transfixed by him and unaware of Eli’s presence. Since Connor and I rode to school together, I assumed this would be easy to arrange. If only Connor hadn’t questioned whether he’d locked his car, then abandoned me here in the hall to run and check, things might have gone as planned.

Secondly, I should’ve been casual and cool. A simple, “Hey.” A killer smile. But really, anything would’ve been better than avoiding eye contact and rushing off. Especially because I couldn’t avoid Eli for long. We had first period together.

But deviating from the Eli plan did have its perks. It gave me something to focus on besides what possibly awaited me down the hall. When I chose my locker at the beginning of the year—seemingly a lifetime ago—it never occurred to me that my friends might no longer be my friends. That Jodi, Alexis, Lisa, Eli, and John would become the five people I wished most to avoid.

I was thrilled when I found out, several weeks ago, that I had won Out With the In Crowd at Patterings, where there is another book giveaway going on right now. Christa Allen is doing an interview and her book, Walking On Broken Glass, is being given away, and it sounds really good. You can check it out here.

First Winner!!!

Joanne Sher is the winner of Fools Rush In by Janice Thompson.

Joanne, please send me your mailing address by emailing me at faith4u7(at)gmail(dot)com


So who is enjoying the snow?? Anybody? I know I am, although I'm hoping very hard that it doesn't snow more... otherwise our churchs' adult and youth roller skating party may be canceled. Does anybody love roller skating besides me? I even found a pair of skates, and you can ask my mom, Patty, or Peej, who blogs over at Patterings, whenever the roller skating party comes up, you can always find me practicing on my skates.
If you've gone roller skating before, you know that until you learn how, you often fall and hurt yourself. But what do you do? You get right back up and keep on trying until you can skate without falling, right? And boy, the first few times that I skated, I was so sore! But as I skated more, I got better, and now I only fall once in a while.

Our walk with Christ is just like learning to roller skate. At the beginning, you fall all the time, but as you work at it more, you get better at it, until you don't fall as much. But sometimes you still fall, no matter how good you get. And no matter how good we are in our walk with Christ, we still wind up falling once in a while. But we pick ourselves up, dust the dirt off of us, and keep on going.

So keep on getting up, dusting yourself off, and keep on going!! You can do it!

Hero's Ransom

Here's a suspense book! We were going to do S.W.A.T. :)
Which is 'Suspense With Abby Tuesday.' But we decided to post today instead.


Hero's Ransom is an excellent, suspenseful book written by David and Diane Munson. I could hardly put the book down and towards the end it got suspenseful enough that I was quite literally sitting on the edge of my seat while I read. And just when you think that you have figured out how it's going to end, a new twist is thrown in. It is one of the best suspense/thriller books I've read in a while. A little about the book...(without giving away the ending). :)

Archeologist Amber Worthing was in China in a remote archeology dig where they find a mummy. While she was praying outside her tent one night, she saw China launch their new, secret missile. The next day Dr. Parks, the chief of the archeology dig, finally allowed her to take pictures of the mummy and she was elated. While she was taking pictures of the mummy, Dr. Parks had her arrested for "defacing" the mummy. She was then accused of spying on China. She was transported to a Chinese prison and the next weeks tested her faith and strength in many ways. Throughout the book, CIA Agent Bo Rider has been trying to stop China's killer satellite from destroying America. He teams up with Federal Agents Eva Montanna and Griff Topping to free Amber, stop the satellite, and get his Chinese contact out of China. The race is on and the clock is ticking.

I would recommend this book to both teens and adults. It is an excellent book and it's the fourth book in The Justice Series.

You can purchase Hero's Ransom Here

Once Upon a Family

One book I just read is Once Upon a Family, by Margaret Daley, who blogs at www.margaretdaley.com. Here's the back cover blurb from Once Upon a Family...

He knew all about angry teen boys-he'd been one himself.

As the local high school principal, Peter Stone knew troubled student Sean Williams needed his expert assistance. And as a Christian, Peter knew God was leading him to help. Yet it was the boy's mother who captured Peter's notice.

Laura, a widow caring for her four children and ailing aunt, had no time for romance or religion. Somehow, despite her protests, Laura found herself and her brood frequent visitors to Peter's ranch and the church he attended.
Soon it seemed her family was meant to complete Peter's life.


So are you hooked yet? Just reading that little bit from the back caught me, and I knew that I had to read Once Upon a Family, or I would wonder what happened until I did. And I am so glad that I did read it. It was well worth sneaking the time to read and enjoy it. This is another wonderful book from Margaret Daley that I would recommend to anyone that wanted a good read.

Don't forget that we have a book giveaway with Janice Thompson and Fools Rush In going on! You can enter the giveaway by commenting on the posts meet Janice Thompson and with Janice Thompson and leaving your email address in the comment. You can enter twice, once on each post, and double your chances of winning Fools Rush In. I'll post the winners on February 14, so check back then to see if you won!