2015 Mother’s Day Gift Guide—Books

Bruce Tracy’s “Backyard Dutch Oven Cooking”

Make your favorite Dutch oven foods in your own backyard! Whether you’re making a hearty, no-fuss breakfast in the woods or a fancy Sunday dinner to serve at your dining table, there’s nothing better than Dutch oven cooking. With over 100 recipes encompassing all skill levels and lots of expert advice, you’ll be a black pot master in no time. And remember, it’s all about family and food!

Bruce Tracy has been competing in Dutch oven cook-offs since 1993. He’s made a name for himself as one of the best, evidenced by the dozens of competitions he’s won, including the 2004 IDOS World Championship. 

He’s long been recognized as a Dutch oven breadmaster and enjoys teaching Dutch oven classes, especially when he can share his passion with newcomers. His first book, Dutch Oven Baking, is available online and in bookstores.

Doug Martin’s “Sweet Cast Iron Creations: Dutch Oven Desserts”

Master the art of Dutch oven sweets! Award-winning chef Doug Martin uses easy-to-follow instructions and irresistible recipes to take you beyond basic cobblers and into the realm of gourmet delicacies like his famous Chocolate Ganache Cake and the award-winning Tropical Dream Cake! With all the delicious Dutch oven flavor you love, these sweet treats will have your friends and family scraping the black pot clean.

Doug Martin grew up in Wichita, Kansas, as the oldest of five children. His family moved to Asheville, North Carolina, when he was a junior in high school. He left for college on a soccer scholarship after graduating from high school and eventually joined the Army. He was stationed at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, where he met and mar- ried his wife of fifteen years, Racheall. They have one beautiful daughter, Isabella, who is eleven. They moved to Utah, where Racheall was from, in 2003. A few years after moving to Utah, Doug gained his desire to learn how to cook. He began with the art of barbecue. Determined to do it right, he solicited the help of a local barbecue restaurant owner who became his mentor. His first barbecue competition saw him take Grand Champion. This only inspired him to learn more and perfect his skills. He eventually took a cake-decorating class, where he learned techniques for making his already-delicious cakes look beautiful. He met his current Dutch oven team- mate, Matt Pelton, in the barbecue arena. It was there that these two formed a partnership that would make them the only Dutch oven team to win the International Dutch Oven Society World Championship two years in a row (in 2012 and 2013).


Crossing the Horizon

Based on the author’s own loss of her two sons, Crossing the Horizon is a personal journey of grief and healing and demonstrates love’s unstoppable ability to connect us forever to those we cherish.

Two young boys trapped in a house fire leave their bodies behind…

Engulfed by a deadly house fire on Christmas morning, 12-year-old Solon and 10-year-old Liam Bailey succumb to the smoke and leave their bodies on Earth below. As their souls navigate a mysterious new realm, the boys yearn to return home – but discover any attempts to contact and comfort their heartbroken parents are dangerous.

In their quest to reconnect with their former world and bring peace to their grieving parents, the brothers grapple with new rules of the afterlife. They learn to converse without speaking, manipulate objects using their minds and summon mythical dragons at will.

Guided by the spirits they meet and their own intuition, the boys repeatedly risk the safety of their fascinating afterlife, returning to earth until eventually they grasp the enormous strength of their bond to family and friends.

Deanna Emberley Bailey began writing her sons’ otherworldly journey as a healing exercise. Her first few pages grew into an outpouring of sadness, love, yearning and belief.

Deanna’s therapist asked her to imagine the fire from her sons’ perspectives. What seemed like an unthinkable task, writing from Solon and Liam’s perspective became instrumental in helping Deanna to overcome the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and feel close to her children. After reading the draft, professionals in the grief community encouraged Deanna to publish the book as a source of help for others.

Crossing the Horizon is an ultimately uplifting tale of love reaching beyond the boundaries of life and death to a lasting relationship – one that crosses the horizon.

Deanna Emberley Bailey hopes that Crossing the Horizon will help others who are grieving the loss of a loved one.  She lives in Vermont with her husband, Chris. For more information, please visit: http://deannaebailey.com/


Chasing Sunsets

#1 New York Times Best-Selling Author, Karen Kingsbury, just released her latest book, Chasing Sunsets. In her latest book, Chasing Sunsets, Karen’s characters are in desperate need of divine intervention. In the second book in a series about angels on mission, Karen shares the dramatic story of a baseball player looking to make a difference with his life and the woman he’s drawn to, who is on her own quest to find deeper meaning in life.

Despite Mary Catherine’s intention to stay single, she finds herself drawing closer to MVP baseball player for the LA Dodgers, Marcus Dillinger. Their budding romance offers an exciting life she never dreamed of.  That is, until she receives devastating news from her doctor. News that alters her future and forces her to make a rash decision.

To view the trailer for Chasing Sunsets by Karen Kingsbury please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx7R0S3jat4&feature=youtu.be

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