Marie Leslie
Resources for a Productive & Creative Life
As a photographer and consultant, I hear a lot of questions about online image use. Most of these questions are about images people find on the web and want to put on their blog, website or Facebook page—or about using them in various products such as eBooks and advertisements. These are six of the most …
Games In a Ballroom Synopsis London, 1815Olivia Wilde despairs of any possibility of a love match in her life. While she hopes to choose her spouse, her father is determined that she marry a man with a title. Unfortunately for Olivia the men her father deems acceptable are only interested in increasing their own diminishing …
The Rent Collector Summary Sang Ly lives with her husband and son at Stung Meachey, Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s city dump. She is grateful she can help support her family by sifting through the trash for recyclables and things which can be repaired and sold. On a good day, she can earn enough to buy food …
A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice Summary Shortly after midnight on April 15, 1912, a distress signal from the RMS Titanic, awakens the captain of the ship Carpathia. The Titanic has struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage and is in grave distress. Though information is scarce, Captain Rostron leaps into action, determined to …
The Valet’s Secret Summary York, England, 1819 As a once happily married woman, Rebecca Parker had a good life, but now widowed, working for a living, and her only child grown, she feels invisible, tired, and lonely. That is until the day a valet speeding by on a horse nearly runs her off the road. …
Even the Dog Knows Summary Meg Gorton moved with her sister to Florida, taking only what they could fit into her sister’s car. She let her estranged husband Gary know where he could find her. And then she charged him with caring for Moses, their much loved black Labrador. Now, three years later, following her …
The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, And The Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear The Woman They Could Not Silence Synopsis Elizabeth Packard was a seemingly ordinary Victorian housewife and mother of six. That was, until the first Woman’s Rights Convention was held in 1848, inspiring Elizabeth …
Beyond the Lavender Fields Synopsis 1792, France Gilles Étienne, a clerk at a soap factory in Marseille, France, thrives on the rumors of revolution in France. Committed to the cause of equality, liberty, and brotherhood, he has joined the local revolutionary group. But then he meets Marie-Caroline Daubin, the beautiful daughter of the owner of …
I love cookbooks. I love cooking, but I might love cookbooks even more. At last count, I had more than 100 on my special cookbook bookshelf. It’s a mix of old and new (I have a serious soft spot for vintage cookbooks). A favorite addition to my collection is A Year with Six Sisters’ Stuff. …
The Last Man at the Inn Review I found The Last Man at the Inn intriguing. I have often wondered what it would have been like to live in the time of Jesus, to be a contemporary, if you will. Author R. William Bennett has penned a novel that is just that. This is the …
It’s that time in our business when we turn the page on the calendar and begin to turn our attention to planning for our success in the coming year. There are many things you can do to boost your success next year. One of my favorite things to do is read. Not only have I …
Keepsake Christmas Stories Review For fans of the Tabernacle Choir, and for fans of Christmas, Keepsake Christmas Stories is a beautiful addition to your holiday library. This lovely gift book recounts a baker’s dozen of most loved stories from the Choir’s annual Christmas concerts. It is beautifully laid out on heavy paper and includes photographs …
Christmas is less than a month away. That could be good news or bad news, depending on what you focus on. For me, it’s good news. This means it’s time to start baking, time to do a little holiday shopping, and time to break out the Christmas music. I am one of those people who …
Bible Origami Summary Bible Origami contains 24 simple to intermediate origami designs that come from the Old and New Testaments: Jonah and the whale, the Ten Commandments tablets, Noah\’s ark, a dove, fishes and loaves, a manger and many more. Keep your children’s hands busy during church services with Bible Origami. Instead of folding the service …
12 Gifts for Christ Summary Christmas is a time for celebrating the birth of Christ and a time for giving. In the middle of this busy season, it is easy to forget the very reason why we celebrate. The first Christmas began with gifts of light and gold. This Christmas, ask: What gifts can I …
Do you have book lovers on your Christmas gift list this year? Not sure what to give them? Here is my list of the best Christmas books to gift someone this year. I love books and I love Christmas. My Christmas collection is not limited to children’s books. I have many in my collection for …
It’s the holiday season, and holiday food is one of my favorite parts of the holidays. In case you’re thinking it’s not quite the holidays yet, it is. I know this because today is my birthday and in my world, that sets us firmly in the holiday season. I come from a family of foodies, …
My name is Marie and I am addicted to cookbooks. Sadly, it’s true. I collect cookbooks like some people collect Pokemon cards. I have a whole bookcase devoted to cookbooks. In fact, all of my cookbooks don’t even fit there; some of them have to live in a second bookcase in the basement. I have …
A Song for the Stars Summary Hawaiian Islands, 1779 As the second daughter of a royal chief, Maile will be permitted to marry for love. Her fiancé is the best navigator in Hawaii, and he taught her everything he knows how to feel the ocean, observe the winds, read the stars, and how to …
Love and Lavender Summary Hazel Stillman is a woman of rare independence and limited opportunities. Born with a clubbed foot, she was sent away as a child and, knowing her disability means a marriage is unlikely, she devoted herself to scholarship and education. Now working as a teacher in an elite private girls’ school, she …
Let Art Be Your Voice I love art. And I love trees. Trees are art direct from God, In my opinion. So when Havenlight Gallery offered me the opportunity to choose a piece of art as part of their Let Art Be Your Voice campaign, featuring works by artists Jenedy Paige or Dan Wilson, I …
Scrumptious Summary If you can’t be left alone with warm cinnamon rolls or a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. Or if you enjoy creating photos of your culinary creations almost as much as eating them, Christy Denney, the blogger known as “The Girl Who Ate Everything,” has the perfect cookbook for you. Scrumptious from …
The Lemonade Year Summary Nina’s once-sweet life has unexpectedly turned sour. Her marriage is over, her job is in jeopardy, and her teenage daughter is slipping away from her. Then her father dies and issues with Nina’s mother come to a head; her estranged brother, Ray, comes home; and her sister, Lola, is tempted to …
Dragonwatch 5 Return of the Dragon Slayers Summary The magical world teeters on the brink of collapse. The Dragon King, Celebrant, has united the dragons into a vengeful army, and only a final artifact stands in the way of them unleashing their fury against humankind. With established allegiances shifting under the strain, Seth and Kendra …
