2 year subscription for All You magazine

Mama B Has extended her 2 yr sub for $16 to All you until tonight! After this All you subs are going up to $19 per year! Run over and get it while you can!

Another Free Book: Healthy Eating for Life

Go Here to order Healthy Eating for life. You can get in as a book, or ebook... so take your pick!

YouData pay day is today!!

I want to discuss YouData today. This is an online ad group that pay you to visit ads. I signed up 3 weeks ago. I wanted to give it a while before I told anyone, so I could see if it was real or just a scam.

Now, you won't get rich off of this, but it will give you a few extra dollars. Every little bit helps. Not only can you earn CASH from viewing ads you can get cash for refferals.Here's how it works. Go to YouData to sign up. From there you enter your info, fill out a few questionnaires so they know what ads you are most likely interested in, and enter your paypal info.

You don't enter your home addy or anything!YouData will then send your money every Friday to your paypal account. The first week I got just over $5. The next week I got $2. That is a new book from Overstock.com ! I use my extra money to get things I like... books, movies, whatever I want. So that is supercool. Or you can just transfer the money to your banking account!Give it a try! It's supercool!

Good Deals At the Childrens place.

Children's Place has their Monster Sale going on! 40% off! Use code FAMILY79 OR fam79 to get 15% off until Sept. 7th. Want a better deal? Shop through ebates and earn an extra 3% back! Now that is Money Saving at it's finest! You can sign up for ebates here!

Review : Abide with me by John H. Parker

Hardcover: 112 pages
Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group/New Leaf Press; Har/Com edition (May 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0892216905
ISBN-13: 978-0892216901

Synopsis:

Abide with Me vividly portrays the inspiration and history of twenty-five of the most popular hymns.

It highlights the faithful work of twenty composers, like John Newton, Henry Lyte, and Sarah Flowers Adams.

Abide with Me includes a free 24-song CD featuring beloved hymns, performed by Ray Walker of the Jordanaires and other artists

These beloved British hymns - and the others whose stories are presented in this stunning collection - are the songs that have inspired and comforted worshippers for over three hundred years. The sites where they were composed - brilliantly captured by internationally-acclaimed Irish photographer Paul Seawright and described by American writer and literary scholar John Parker - are presented here, many for the first time. You will be able to see and experience the settings that produced the Church's most magnificent hymns. Join us in this photographic journey across England and Wales as we highlight the places that gave birth to Christianity's most inspiring and unforgettable music.

My Opinion:

This book is so beautiful from cover to cover. The photography is so amazingly beautiful, and the story behind the Hymns is so detailed.

This is a very detailed account of how each writer brought about the hymns we know and love. I loved learning about every beautiful song that has a place in my childhood. From who wrote it to the circumstances behind its writing...it is all in here.

The CD has 24 Hymns on it. Each one is beautifully sang by an amazing choir. The melodic notes melt together so perfectly. It is a true joy to listen to.

After reading the book. I told my husband that I want to visit each place. Every picture is so beautiful that you can't help but want to visit. I think this would make an excellent "tourist trip"! I would be the first one to sign up.

It would make a lovely gift, but I won't part with mine!

I Won!

Guess What! I won a 2 year subscription to All You Magazine from Momma B! Awesome! I love her blog! She has the best leads on Q's, freebies, and Deals Deals Deals! Stop by and check her out!

I love All You for all of the great coupons and Money saving Ideas! It's GRRRRReat! I am so Tony the Tiger.

Great Toy Deals at Drugstore.com

Drugstore.com has some of their toys and Games marked down 70%. You can get free shipping on orders over $25. If you are a new non perscription customer you get $5 off $30 purchase or $10 off a $50 purchase. Wait it gets better. If you shop through ebates now, you get 12% back. You can go here to sign up for ebates and get a $5 bonus.

Drugstore.com has their Hannah Montana guitar video game (reg. $60+) for $18.99!!!! I got the girls a bunch of stuff that would have cost $160 before ebates.. I saved $116 and on top of that 12% with ebates! Cool huh! Go check it out! My total at check out was less than $45!

Thanks Amber

Warning: Coraline the Movie

Hey everyone... I wanted to take time and let you all know about a scene in Coraline the movie.

Let me start by saying the book is toatlly cute, and I loved the movie to a point. We bought it in 3D which is just amazing. The movies is (as always) very different than the book.

At one point when it was showing the other Miss Spink and miss Forcible they were doing a play. In this Play one of the old Ladies had on Pasties and a flesh colored bikini bottom. I about craped my pants! I didn't read the online reviews first because I had read the book. Lesson Learned. I have a 4, 6, and 9 year old that didn't need to see that. It is just a place in the movie to be careful about. If I would have know that was in there, I would not have bought it. I have it safe out of reach. Now I am not a prude by anymeans. I Love Horror Movies (Freddy is my movie crush and first Nightmare), but I don't want my kids seeing an old lady (or anyone) almost naked. I mean There wasn't much left to the imagination... Kinda reminds me of a burlesque dancer.

Am I saying ban the movie and burn it? Absolutely not. I just want the parent of young ones to proceed with caution or watch the movie first. So you know what is coming up, and have the remote ready in hand if you need to.

I really have to say, the 3D is the best I have ever seen. Almost the entire thing is 3D. It was great aside form that one part.

Back to school series: I Used to Know That by Caroline Taggart

Synopsis:

This small but mighty collection will trigger your memory with fun facts you learned in school—from adverbs to the Pythagorean Theorem. Witty, engaging, entertaining—a book you’ll pick up again and again.Author Caroline Taggart discovered two things while researching this book and talking with other people: One, everybody had been to school. And two, they had all forgotten entirely different things. Contained in this handy little book are the facts that you learned in school, but may not remember completely or accurately. Covering a variety of subjects, this book features all the most important theories, equations, phrases, and rules we were all taught years ago.

Rediscover:

* History: The first president to occupy the White House was John Adams in 1800

* Religion: The seven deadly sins and the names of the twelve apostles

* Literature: In which Shakespearean play “The quality of mercy” speech appears

* Science: The periodic table of elements devised by a Russian chemist in 1889 includes the symbol for lead (Pb), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), and gold (Au)

* Nature: How photosynthesis works

The information—presented in easy-to-retain, bite-sized chunks—is accurate and up-to- date. It will touch a chord with anyone old enough to have forgotten half of what they learned at school. Here is a perfect gift for every perennial student.

My Opinion:

This is a nifty little book to have! I am sure at one time I knew everything in there. I tell my kids I know everything. Most of the things in this book I had forgotten, and some of it I never had. I didn't take Trig. or Geometry...

I think my Favorite sections were Famous Authors (shock, I know) and Famous Composers. I LOVE music and everything to do with it. I am absolutely in love with Classical music. This book had something in there that I didn't learn until college. It is a nice book to have around the house (esp. if you have kids in school). 2 thumbs up!

What Moms wisper about... Tucks Edition!

What are we whispering about today?

Hemorrhoids... if you are a mom, you might know something about these. I have had 3 kids and never had a problem until the 3rd... She has caused a lot of trouble in her 4 short years.

Hemorrhoids are caused by too much pressure in the rectum, constant sitting, and sitting on toilet for a long time too. Symptoms for hemorrhoids are swelling, burning, itching, pain and bleeding. They are very nasty and can cause a lot of discomfort. What do you do?

Thanks to Mom Central, I was able to try out Tucks Take Alongs Medicated Pads. They are wonderful. They help ease the burning and pain associated with hemorrhoids. They can really improve your day, especially if you have a job where you sit all day! They fit in your purse or bag and are totally discreet. Everyone deserves a little Sweet Relief!

Head over and check out Tucks Take Alongs! They are great! There is also a great Coupon on the website!

I have a cooking question..

I am making Stuffed Bell peppers tomorrow.

I am out of tomato sauce and paste :( I, however, have tons of Campbells condensed Tomato soup. Can I just use that? Do you think it will be ok?

Free Advanced copy of The Full Plate Diet

Hey Guys:

Go here to get a free advanced copy of The Full Plate Diet. They are only giving away 20,000 Copies so it will probably go fast. Get it while you can...

Winners! Of my quickie giveaways

Bingo gets The Juror

and Rebecca N. The Friends We Keep...

Congrats Ladies! Hope you enjoy the books!

Back to School Series: i before (except after c) old school ways to remember stuff by Judy Parkinson

Synopsis:

Here is an amusing collection of ingenious mnemonics devised to help us learn and understand hundreds of important fact as children and can continue to resonate with us as adults.Featuring all the mnemonics you’ll ever need to know, this fun little book will bring back all the simple, easy-to-remember rhymes from your childhood—once learned, fix the information in the brain forever—such as learning to count by reciting “One, Two, buckle my shoe, Three, Four, knock at the door.”

Packed with clever verses, engaging acronyms, curious—and sometimes hilarious—sayings that can be used to solve a problem or cap an argument. Take a trip back to the classroom, and rediscover the assortment of practical memory aids covering a range of different subjects, including spelling, time, mathematics, history, general trivia, and much more.

The information is organized in short snippets by category such as:* Geographically Speaking: Remember North East South West by reciting Never Eat Slimy Worms or Naughty Elephants Squirt Water.* Time and the Calendar: “Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November; All the rest have 31 excepting February alone; And that has 28 days clear; With 29 in each leap year”* Think of a Number: Know the Roman numerals by remembering “I Value Xylophones Like Cows Dig Milk”* World History: “In fourteen hundred, ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue, And found this land, land of the Free, beloved by you, beloved by me” The clever verses, engaging acronyms, curious sayings are endless. Guaranteed to amuse and inform, here is a perfect gift for any language lover—complete with a To/From gift plate.

My Opinion:

I think this is my favorite of the series. I can not even begin o tell you all of the knowledge crammed in this book. If you have school age children (public or home schooled) this is a great book to have. i before e...is filled with tons of rhymes to help you remember everything from the days of the week to how to assess an emergency situation. Some of my favorites are:

The 7 wonders of the ancient world.

A useful selection of spelling aides.

Chemistry Experiments: A Warning

Counting in French and Japanese vowels

Religious Matters

I really enjoyed the snipets in Religious Matters.Another great book to have around in case, like me, you have forgotten a lot form those school days.

You can purchase it from Amazon

Meet {Angel T}

This is Angel T! She just turned 9. She is the one who was recently diagnosed with A.D.D and Dyslexia, which led to my diagnosis!

She is a Momma Bird who has to take care of everyone! My fisrt born! She is just getting so big!

How can you have A.D.D for 27 years and NEVER know it.

How is it possible to have A.D.D. for 27 years and not know?

It all started.....

A few months ago when my daughter was diagnosed with A.D.D. The Dr. started her on Foaclin XR. It helped her immensly. Her grades went from 3 F's to 2 B's and a C in less than 3 complete weeks. She was focused. She would clean her room without me telling her for 4 weeks (literally). She listened... It was amazing. Then she started having side effects, horrible violent side effects. Ofcourse, we took her off the Focalin XR immediately. Back to the Doc we went.

He took her off of it, and recommended a therapist eval to make sure she didn't have any behavioral issues. My dad and sister are bipolar.

I have fought depression most of my life... I was very moody, angry, and had horrible rage. I have no middle.. Im happy or furious.. no mad or peeved... No in between. Happy or Furious.

As you can imagine having 5 kids and being a stay at home mom is torture for me. They fight, break things, yell, scream, climb everywhere, backtalk, throw things...I love them, but they just drive me crazy. At the highth of my depression, after finding out my first born had Dyslexia and A.D.D, I made an appointment with the same therapist.

I told the therapist a lot about T and myself. I said, My husband thinks I'm bipolar. I need help because I can't keep living like this. I am mad all the time, I want to be left alone, and I can't even make myself go to church. I tried. One time I sat out in the parking lot because I was so afraid to go inside. I have even started pulling away from my family. I never leave the house. I am a recluse.

She looked at me and said, Your not bipolar. I want to test you for A.D.D... what! I don't have A.D.D. T's dad is the one with horrible learning disabilities. He can't even read the word Pizza.. Seriously... He was in remedial classes all through school.. He's a lot older than me... well 3 or 4 years. (LONG STORY) We won't go there.. That is a Whole "Days of our Lives Story".

So, on to the story. After 2 or 3 inches of tests and paperwork. Over 1500 questions and many appointments... I have 2 subtypes of A.D.D. I could have 1 more, but I scored 1 point too low to be diagnosed. I am on the "cusp".

I am 27 years old and I have had A.D.D this whole time. I just thought I was Jaded, Scarcastic and Cynical... or a bitch in other words!

Where do I go from here? My next appointment is August 3rd. I have a lot of questions... I have learned a lot from the book. Healing Add by Dr. Daniel G. Amen.

It was like reading my life story. I really recommend it. I got it from Amazon for $6! It is really giving me some insight. Here are the suptybes I was diagnosed with:

Limbic ADD:

Individuals with the limbic subtype frequently entertain feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. They're negative and have low grade depression, always seeing the glass as half empty.

Ring of Fire ADD:

These individuals display irritable and overly aggressive behaviors. They're also easily distracted and overly sensitive. They're very oppositional and argumentative and are 'hyperverbal', constantly speaking

and I am on te cusp of Temporal Lobe ADD:

The temporal lobes regulate mood stability and memory. Individuals with temporal lobe ADD are inattentive, irritable and aggressive. They usually entertain dark thoughts and are extremely impulsive

Interesting.....

Back to school seires: My Grammer and I (or should that be ME?) by Caroline Taggert and J.A. Wines

Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books Ltd (October 9, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1843173107
ISBN-13: 978-1843173106

Synopsis:

For anyone who has ever had a problem with dangling modifiers and split infinitives, or for those who have no idea what these things even are, "My Grammar and I" provides all the answers. Taking you on a tour of the English language, through a veritable minefield of rules and conditions for the grammatically unaware, and highlighting the common pitfalls that every English language user faces on a day to day basis, "My Grammar and I" also offers amusing examples of awful grammar, while steering you in the direction of grammatical greatness. Factual and witty, "My Grammar and I" is the perfect gift for all English language sticklers.

My Opinion:

This is a cool and handy little book. I am 27 years old, and as such, have forgotten nearly everything I learned in school. This books has grammer rules in it that I am not sure I have ever learned. It will come in very handy when my 6th grader comes in and says.... "Where is the misplaced modifier?" HUH! Is it in my lipstick... it has modifiers in it...or maybe that is amplifiers. jk. Now, I can say...."Hmm.. just to make sure let's look in this grammer book." Yay! I don't look like an idiot of the hundredth time.

I must admit I really got a kick out of it. ;It has great catch rhymes to help you remember the rules. My favorite part of the book was the end...no, not becuase it was over. It has a section called: Being A Bit Fancy: Using double negatives to be polite. I really got a kick out of it.

Ie:) I wouldn't say I don't like your new house. = I am to polite to admit I hate it.

I can't not come if you are singing. = I don't want to come but I am obliged to if you are singing- or I wouldn't miss your singing for the world.

Overall, it is a very humorus and helpful book. Anyone can benefit from this book young and old alike.

Want to buy it? Amazon of course

Blog Tour: Blue Like Playdough by Tricia Goyer

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Tricia Goyer

and the book:

Blue Like Play Dough

Multnomah Books (July 21, 2009

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty books including From Dust and Ashes, My Life UnScripted, and the children's book, 10 Minutes to Showtime. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like Today's Christian Woman and Focus on the Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in the mountains of Montana.

Visit the author's website.



Product Details:

List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Multnomah Books (July 21, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1601421524
ISBN-13: 978-1601421524

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Chapter 1


In the Middle

of My Mess

Inever thought I could meet God here. In my home. In my mess. In the midst of my ordinary suburban life. To me, God was someone you met at church or connected with at weekly Bible study. I knew deep down it was possible to have mountaintop moments, but I believed they came during weeklong spiritual retreats, hour long morning Quiet Times, and a once-a year women’s conference.

Instead, I found God in surprising places. I found Him as I sat on the couch cuddling with my three-year-old and reading Goodnight Moon for the 2,345th time. He spoke to me as I made dinner and even as I stuffed laundry into rickety dresser drawers. I heard Him in the midst of my untidy, desperately-in-need of-a-reorg life. I found God, experienced Him…well…while mixing Kool-Aid and playing with play dough.

And it’s a good thing God allowed Himself to be found there, because as a mom my opportunities for solitude, contemplation, and three hymns and a prayer are few and far between.

I used to think the ones who knew God best were nuns and monks who lived high in the hills. I imagined it must be hard for such people to separate themselves and to give up so much. What they had, I believed, was true devotion and an ultimate connection with God. Everyone else—those of us who lived ordinary lives—missed out. Well, I don’t think that anymore.

Yes, I still think nuns and monks are devoted people, but in a way they have it easy. They find God in routines and rituals. They talk to God because there is no one else around. They don’t have to deal with bad drivers cutting them off and then flipping them off. Or with grass stains on a new pair of capris that actually fit and don’t make their butts look too big. Or with a child practicing her name one hundred times on the bathroom floor in permanent marker. Sure, their prayers sound eloquent, but a mom’s prayers for a sick baby are just as pious and maybe more passionate.

In my way of thinking, the most devoted people are moms who whisper prayers for their neighbor, their friend, and their brother (who’s messing up yet again) while watching their kids play in the sandbox. Moms who try to read their Bibles while Dora the Explorer is blaring on the TV in the next room. Moms who stop to talk with an elderly man at the grocery store about the creamed corn, not because they even like creamed corn, but because they want to show a lonely person the love of Jesus.

I think God would agree. I believe He sees the challenges and the effort. He appreciates the smallest turning of our attention to Him or to others for Him.

Even though seeking God is worthy, that doesn’t mean it’s easy or natural. In fact, it almost seems wrong to squeeze God into the middle of a busy, ordinary life. God is BIG. My pursuits are small. God is GLORIOUS. Scrubbing sinks and changing poopy diapers is not. Nor is pushing a shopping cart filled with teetering toiletries, humming “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” as the song plays through the store speakers.

I’ve read many books written by people who “went away with God.” The authors often write about how God speaks to people in solitary, beautiful places. But not all the places He visits are beautiful. Or solitary. My life is proof of that.

Truth be told, it wasn’t I who discovered God. He came down and met me where I was. It doesn’t matter to Him that I can hardly see my desk under the piles of mail and bills and kids’ craft projects. He doesn’t care that I’m twenty pounds overweight (or maybe thirty, no matter what my driver’s license says). He loves me just as I am. He knows my to-do list and that I’ll never get to the end of it. Ever. God sees my heart. He understands that I’m trying to get my life in order so I can focus on family dinners and Bible reading times. He knows I’m working at not feeling envious that my neighbor is thinner than I am and has a better flower garden. My flaws neither surprise Him nor dissuade Him from entering my life.

It’s not as if God says, “I was going to visit you today, but I think I’ll wait until you balance that checkbook, clean out your fridge, and start that Bible study you’ve been meaning to get around to.” God’s not like that. He walked with dirty, smelly shepherds and hung out with jailed prophets, so I don’t think my waist-high laundry pile is going to scare Him off.

Still, I struggle with feeling as if I have to clean up before I approach God. Organize my closets. Transform my kids. Rearrange my priorities. Renew my heart. I forget that God wants me just as I am. That belonging to Him is enough.

Like the prodigal son in Luke 15:11–32, I need to remember who my Father is. The kid had it all, and he threw it away. He was broke. He was hungry. He was dirty. He was a mess. Then he remembered his father and his home.

For the prodigal son, it wasn’t just about going back to his home. It was also about letting his dad take care of him. I need to do the same. And if I took two minutes to think about it— as I’m doing now—I’d realize the perfection I long for will never be found in the place I live and parent and strive. It’s found in who I turn to. In who is waiting for me with open arms.

The problem isn’t whether God will show up. It’s all about me not being aware that God is already here…that He has been in my life all along. And that He doesn’t care about my mess. Sometimes I do better at remembering. And other times, well… I live in a house with my husband, my grandma, my three teens, and a foreign exchange student we invited into our home just so we could make sure life didn’t get too boring. That’s seven people, each involved in numerous activities, each with his or her own schedule. Circles and scribbles and arrows fill my desk calendar. White spaces are few and far between. Daily life keeps me running. Add in volunteering at church and my work projects, and I wonder if it’s possible to think, let alone contemplate.

While I’m no longer potty training and all my kids have learned to write and read and say please and thank you, I’ve discovered that every season comes with challenges of its own. Right now I’m in a season where little messes sprout up around me like dandelions on a manicured lawn. As soon as I try to cut one down, the seeds scatter and weeds sprout up in a dozen more places.

In the last two months, my nineteen-year-old son, Cory, had two knee surgeries (due to basketball injuries). And my daughter, Leslie, celebrated her sixteenth birthday with a “Never Been Kissed Party,” which means that my years of lectures about abstinence and purity have paid off thus far. My youngest son, Nathan, has been helping me housebreak a dog that, for the past year, has assumed the downstairs bathroom was his potty spot too.

I used to think stumbling over LEGO blocks was irritating. Now I live with a teen driver, a social butterfly, and a child who must believe that showers spray acid, judging by the lengths he goes to avoid them. On a daily basis, I’m not sure who is going where with whom…or if any of my kids are clean enough to be going out at all!

When I read the familiar Scripture verse, “Be still, and know that I am God,” my stomach knots and my thoughts bounce around like a Ping-Pong ball on steroids. Even as I try to focus on the words, my mind wanders to the phone calls I need to return. I find myself trying to stack and restack the piles in order to make them seem more appealing and not quite so overwhelming.

Yet I know this verse doesn’t necessarily mean I have to still my body in order to connect with God. In the middle of my busy life, I can refocus my thoughts and my mind and my heart on Him. I can be fixed on God, even when my feet are hustling. I can look for Him, listen for Him, even if the looking and listening happen in the short drive I take to pick my daughter up from her job at a fast-food restaurant. Or in the prayers I offer up as I shave my legs in the shower.

Being still is trusting that when I do fill the white space with some quiet moments (which I try to do daily), God will have something better in store for me and my kids than what I could’ve come up with on my own. (Like the afternoon when, instead of cleaning off my desk, I took my daughter for coffee. That inner urging led to great conversation about issues I didn’t realize Leslie was dealing with.)

Being still is realizing that even though the world is traveling around me at breakneck speed, sometimes—most times— God’s schedule is in the horse-and-buggy mode. Just because life is moving faster and my needs are growing like kernels of popcorn in the microwave, it doesn’t mean that God has to answer my urgent prayers in the next .287 seconds. In fact, sometimes I think He holds off on purpose, because the greater my need, the more I seek Him. In the end the seeking and waiting and trusting may be more important than the answer.

The mess isn’t going to get cleaned up today, but that doesn’t mean I need to hold God at bay. He loves joining me, even if I’m placing Him into my chaos. In fact, if God had His way, I’m sure He’d write Himself into all parts of my life, using permanent marker, reminding me of where He wants to be—everywhere. In all of my life. And if I close my eyes, I can see His message in my day, in my life:

Insert God here.

My Opinion:

Why is it called Blue like Playdough when the Playdough on the cover is orange? Is that driving anyone else but me nuts?

That Aside, I love the book. It is a very personal and warm account of how God molded and used one woman. Her stories were wonderful.. She puts her life out straight and doesn't sugar coat it. She tells all the bad stuff and doesn't pretend to be high and mighty miss better than the rest.

I could easily relate to her stories, and often thought, is she writing my life!?! This book can really show you, hhat, even though we mess up God can use those moments to bless us and help others. He wants to use us. He created the world for us, not us for this world.

It is a great book. 4 stars.

Another Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am Giveaway

I haven't heard from one of winners....

I have 1 copy (audiobook) of the Juror by George Dawes Green

Leave a comment with your email addy to enter.

I will choose a winner Monday night at 8 p.m. (cst)

Wam Bam Thank you Ma'am Winners...

Winners were chosen by random.org.

moziesme ~Any Minute

and

melaine~ Swimsuit

You can email me from the address you listed with your mailing addy tonight. Otherwise, I will emai lyou in the morning.... Thanks to all that entered and congrats Ladies.

Closed! I need a Winner...(A Wham, Bam, Thank You Ma'am Giveaway).

I never heard back from My Two Winners: Eric and Michelle.

You know what that means.... A Wham, Bam, Thank you Ma'am Giveaway.

I have 1 copy of Swimsuit (patterson) and Any minute (Joyce Meyer) up for grabs.... Want it?

Leave your name , email, and what you want... Can't have both, so choose wisely. They are both great. I have finished Any Minute, and am currently in the middle of Swimsuit.

I choose winners tonight @ 8pm cst.

Deadly Intent by Camy Tang First Look!

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Camy Tang

and the book:

Deadly Intent

Steeple Hill (July 14, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Originally from
Hawaii, she worked as a biologist for 9 years, but now she writes full time. She is a staff worker for her San Jose church youth group and leads a worship team for Sunday service. She also runs the Story Sensei fiction critique service, which specializes in book doctoring.

On her blog, she gives away Christian novels, and she ponders
frivolous things like dumb dogs (namely, hers), coffee-geek husbands (no resemblance to her own...), the writing journey, Asiana, and anything else that comes to mind.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $5.50
Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Steeple Hill (July 14, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373443471
ISBN-13: 978-0373443475

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Chapter One


The man who walked into Naomi's father's day spa was striking enough to start a female riot.


Dark eyes swept the room, which happened to be filled with the Sonoma spa's staff at that moment. She felt his gaze glance over her like a tingling breeze. Naomi recognized him instantly. Dr. Devon Knightley.


For a wild moment, she thought, He's come to see me. And her heart twirled in a riotous dance.


But only for a moment. Sure, they'd talked amiably— actually, more than amiably—at the last Zoe International fund-raising dinner, but after an entire evening sitting next to her, he hadn't asked for her phone number, hadn't asked for any contact information at all. Wasn't that a clear sign he wasn't interested?


She quashed the memory and stepped forward in her official capacity as the spa owner's daughter and acting manager. "Dr. Knightley. Welcome."


He clasped her hand with one tanned so brown that it seemed to bring the heat of the July sun into the airy, air-conditioned entranceway. "Miss Naomi Grant." His voice had more than a shot of surprise, as did his looks as he took in her pale blue linen top and capris, the same uniform as the gaggle of spa staff members gathered behind her. "It's been a few months since I've seen you."


He still held her hand. She loved the feel of his palm— cool and warm at the same time, strong the way a surgeon's should be.


No, she had to stop this. Devon and his family were hard-core atheists, and nothing good would come out of giving in to her attraction. "What brings you here?"


"I need to speak to Jessica Ortiz."


An involuntary spasm seized her throat. Of course. Glamorous client Jessica Ortiz or plain massage therapist Naomi Grant—no comparison, really.


But something in his tone didn't quite have the velvety sheen of a lover. He sounded almost… dangerous. And danger didn't belong in the spa. Their first priority was to protect the privacy of the guests.


"Er… Ms. Ortiz?" Naomi glanced at Sarah, one of the receptionists, whose brow wrinkled as she studied her computer monitor behind the receptionists' desk. Naomi knew she was stalling—she didn't need to look because she'd checked Ms. Ortiz into the elite Tamarind Lounge almost two hours before.


Naomi's aunt Becca also stood at the receptionists' desk, stepping aside from her spa hostess duties to allow Naomi to handle Dr. Knightley, but Aunt Becca's eyes had a sharp look that conveyed her message clearly to Naomi: the clients' privacy and wishes come first.


Naomi cleared her throat. "Are you her physician?"


Dr. Knightley frowned down at her, but she kept her air of calm friendliness. He grimaced and looked away. "Er… no."


Naomi blinked. He could have lied, but he hadn't. "If you'll wait here, I can see if Ms. Ortiz is available to come out here to see you." If Jessica declined to come out, Naomi didn't want to think what Devon's reaction would be.


His eyes grew stormier. "Couldn't you just let me walk in back to see her?"


"I'm sorry, but we can't allow nonfamily members into the back rooms. And men are not allowed in the women's lounges." Especially the secluded Tamarind Lounge, reserved only for Tamarind members who paid the exorbitant membership fee.


"Naomi, surely you can make an exception for me?" He suddenly flashed a smile more blinding than her receptionist's new engagement ring.


His switching tactics—from threatening to charming— annoyed her more than his argumentative attitude. She crossed her arms. "I'm afraid not." She had to glance away to harden herself against the power of that smile.


"You don't understand. It's important that I see her, and it won't take long." He leaned closer, using his height to intimidate.


He had picked the wrong woman to irritate. Maybe her frustrated attraction made her exceptionally determined to thwart him. Her jaw clenched and she couldn't help narrowing her eyes. "Joy Luck Life Spa has many high-profile clients. If we let anyone into our elite lounges, we'd lose our sterling reputation for privacy and discretion."


"You don't understand how important this is—"


"Dr. Knightley, so nice to see you again." Aunt Becca stepped forward and inserted herself between the good doctor and Naomi's line of vision. She held out a thin hand, which Devon automatically took. "Why don't I set you up in the Chervil Lounge while Naomi looks for Ms. Ortiz?"


Aunt Becca whirled around faster than a tornado. Her eyes promised trouble if Naomi didn't comply. "Naomi."


Aunt Becca's taking charge of the conversation seemed to drive home the point that although Dad had left Naomi in charge of the spa while he recovered from his stroke, she still had a long way to go toward learning good customer relations. Part of her wanted to be belligerent toward Devon just to prove she was in the right, but the other part of her wilted at her failure as a good manager.


She walked into the back rooms and paused outside the door to the Tamarind Lounge, consciously relaxing her face. Deep breath in. Gently open the door.


Softly pitched conversation drifted into silence. Two pairs of eyes flickered over her from the crimson silk chaise lounges in the far corner of the luxuriant room, but neither of them belonged to Jessica Ortiz. Vanilla spice wafted around her as she headed toward the two women, trying to glide calmly, as the daughter of the spa owner should.


"Good morning, ladies. I apologize for the intrusion."


"Is it already time for my facial?" The elderly woman gathered her Egyptian cotton robe around her and prepared to stand.


"No, not yet, Ms. Cormorand. I've come to ask if either of you have seen Ms. Ortiz."


An inscrutable look passed between them. What had Jessica done to offend these clients in only the couple of hours she'd been at the spa? Jessica seemed to be causing the spa more and more trouble recently.


The other woman finally answered, "No, she left about a half hour ago for her massage. I thought she was with you."


Naomi cleared her throat to hide her start. Jessica's appointment was at eleven, in fifteen minutes, not now.


"Yes, doesn't she always ask for you when she comes?" Ms. Cormorand blinked faded blue eyes at her.


Naomi shoved aside a brief frisson of unease. Jessica should be easy to find. "Which massage therapist called for her?"


"Oh, I don't know." Ms. Cormorand waved a pudgy hand beringed with rubies and diamonds. "Someone in a blue uniform."


Only one of almost a hundred staff workers at the spa.


"Thank you, ladies. Ms. Cormorand, Haley will call you for your facial in fifteen minutes." Naomi inclined her head and left the room, trying to let the sounds of running water from the fountain in the corner calm her growing sense of unease.


Where could Jessica have gone? And an even juicier question: Why did Devon Knightley need to speak to her?


She peeked into the larger Rosemary lounge, which was for the use of spa clients who were not Tamarind members. Several women chatted in small groups, but no Jessica Ortiz. Naomi hadn't really expected Jessica to forgo the more comfortable elite lounge, but the only other option was checking each of the treatment rooms individually.


She headed into the back area where the therapy rooms were located, navigating the hallway scattered with teak and bamboo furniture, each sporting East Asian cushions and throws, artfully arranged by Aunt Becca. Had Jessica switched to a different massage therapist? And had someone forgotten to tell Naomi in the excitement of Sarah's new engagement?


As she moved down the hallway, she started noticing a strange, harsh scent suffusing the mingled smells of san-dalwood and vanilla. Not quite as harsh as chemicals, but not a familiar aromatherapy fragrance, a slightly discordant counterpoint to the spa's relaxing perfume.


She knew that smell, but couldn't place it. And it didn't conjure up pleasant associations. She started to hurry.


She first looked into the women's restroom, her steps echoing against the Italian tile. No sound of running water, but she peeked into the shower area. A few women were in the rooms with the claw-foot bathtubs, and a couple more in the whirlpool room, but no Jessica. No one using the toilets.


The mirrored makeup area had a handful of women, but again no Jessica. Naomi smiled at the clients to hide her disappointment and growing anxiety as she entered. She noticed some towels on the floor, a vase of orchids a little askew, and some lotions out of place on the marble counter running the length of the room, so she tidied up as if she had intended to do so, although the staff assigned to restroom duty typically kept things spic and span.


She peeked into the sauna. A rather loud ring of laughing women, but no Jessica.


Back out in the central fountain area, the harsh smell seemed stronger, but she couldn't pinpoint where it came from. Had a sewage pipe burst? No, it wasn't that sort of smell. It didn't smell rotten, just… had an edge to it.


She entered the locker area, although the Joy Luck Life Spa "lockers" were all carved teakwood cabinets, individually locked with keys. The smell jumped tenfold. Naomi scoured the room. Maybe it came from a client's locker? No. Maybe the dirty laundry hamper?


Bingo.


She flipped open the basketweave lid.


And screamed.


***


Chapter Two


The scream pierced Devon's eardrums. Beside him, Becca Itoh started. The heavy wooden double doors she'd just opened, leading to the men's lounge, clunked closed again as she turned and headed back down the corridor they'd walked.


"Where—?" He kept up with her, but not easily—for a woman in her fifties, she could book it.


"The women's lounge area." She pointed ahead as she hustled closer. "Those mahogany double doors at the end."


Devon sprinted ahead and yanked open the doors. "Stay behind me."


Becca ignored him, thrusting ahead and shouting, "Naomi!" as they entered a large circular entry area with more corridors leading from it. "Naomi!"


A door to their right burst open and Naomi Grant spilled into the entry room. "Aunt Becca!" Her face was the same shade as the cream-colored walls. "There's blood in the women's locker room.”


“Blood?” Becca reached for her as Devon pushed past her into the room she’d just exited.


Despite the urgency, he couldn’t help but be awed by the fountain in the center of a vast chamber with a veined-tile floor. Scrollwork signs on the walls pointed to “sauna” and “whirlpool” and “locker room.” Luckily, no women appeared. He veered right.


He almost wasn’t sure he’d actually arrived in the right place, but the carpeted room lined with teakwood locking cabinets was in line with the luxurious entry hall of what he realized was the women’s bathroom.


The metallic smell of blood reached him. He followed his nose to the basket hamper in the corner, filled with bloody towels. It reminded him of the discarded gauzes from his orthopedic surgeries, bright red and a lot more than the average person saw.


This was not good.


He returned to the two women. Naomi’s hands were visibly shaking, although her voice remained low and calm. “And I couldn’t find Ms. Ortiz.”


Jessica’s name still caused the reflexive crunching of his jaw. But he’d never wanted any harm to come to her—she wasn’t a bad person, they had just clashed too much on personal matters. And now she was missing, and there was an immense amount of blood in the bathroom. Devon’s heart beat in a light staccato against his throat. She had to be okay.


“Where else have you looked?” He scanned the other corridors leading from the fountain entryway. He’d need guidance or he’d get lost in this labyrinth.


“I haven’t checked the therapy rooms yet.” Naomi nodded toward the larger central corridor, which ended at another set of double doors.


He headed toward them when Becca reached out to grab his arm in a bony but strong grip. “You can’t just barge into private sessions.”


“Why not?” He turned to face the two women. “There’s blood in your bathroom and Jessica Ortiz is missing.”


Naomi’s light brown eyes skewered him. “Do you really think it’s wise to cause a panic?”


“And I suppose you have another option?”


“Sessions don’t last more than an hour or ninety minutes. We’ll wait for those to finish—if Jessica’s just in one of those, there’s nothing to worry about. In the meantime, we’ll check all the empty session rooms,” Naomi said.


Becca turned to leave and said over her shoulder, “I’ll check on the schedule at the receptionists’ desk to find out which rooms have clients and when the sessions end. I’ll call you on your cell.”


Naomi turned down a corridor in the opposite direction, this one lined with bamboo tables draped with shimmery, lavender-colored fabric so light that it swayed as they moved past.


It reminded Devon of the papery silks he’d seen in Thailand, giving the spa a soothing and very Asian atmosphere. His heartbeat slowed. Jessica was probably fine and had accidentally taken someone else’s session in her artless, friendly way. She’d emerge from a facial or a manicure in a few minutes and wonder what all the fuss was about.


A group of three therapists turned a corner. They spied Naomi and immediately stopped chatting amongst themselves, although not fearfully—more out of respect that the boss was suddenly in front of them.


“Girls, have you seen Ms. Ortiz?” Naomi’s smile seemed perfectly natural and warm—inviting a rapport with her staff, yet not too cozy. If Devon hadn’t noticed her fingers plucking at the linen fabric of her pants, he wouldn’t have known how anxious she was.


Two of them shook their heads, but the tall blond woman to his left nodded and pointed directly across the corridor. “I saw her talking to Ms. Fischer about an hour ago before Ms. Fischer went in for her manicure.”


His heartbeat picked up. “An hour ago?”


The blonde eyed him with a hard look, but a quick glance at Naomi seemed to allay her suspicions. He had the impression that if her boss hadn’t been by his side, he’d have been thrown out, even if it took all three women to do it.


Naomi was shaking her head. “Ms. Cormorand saw her leave the Tamarind lounge only thirty minutes ago.”


His hopes popped and fizzled.


The blonde jerked her head at the nearby door. “Ms. Fischer is almost done in room thirty-five if you want to talk to her anyway.”


“That’s a good idea. Thanks, Betsy.”


Betsy nodded, and the silent trio headed down the corridor and around the corner.


Copyright © 2009 by Camy Tang

Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A.

My Opinion:

Boy, do I ever have an opinion of this book! IT IS AMAZING.

I am not kidding. It truly is romance with a kick of wasabi! I read this book within several hoursand cold not let go of it. I hope it turns into a series!

Following Devon and Naomi on a tangled journey of love, danger, and murder was thrilling. Also, I might have a "book crush" on devon.

Poor Naomi was put through the wringer trying to protect her family business from bad publicity, and ultimately herself for a cold blooded killer. Deadly Intent had me guessing until the end. Just when I thought "Oh! It's Devon's sister. She wants that necklace". Curve Ball! Completly unguessable until Camy wanted us to start putting it together. IT WAS GREAT. My star scale only goes to 5 but this one gets 10 STARS! I have never given 10 stars before!

I love Deadly Intent so much I visited signedbytheauthor.com and bought 2 of her other books (signed of course). I can't wait until they get here!

This is a book I would let my 9 year old and up read (we all love suspense). While it is romance, there is nothing iffy in it. So this one is a must buy! Enjoy.

I havent heard from 2 of my winners...

Michelle Hutton

&

Eric

winners of Any minute and Swimsuit. Your email doesn't work and I cant contact you. You have not emailed me. You have until Noon Tomorrow to email me your address: abookishmom@yahoo.com

If I do not have your address by Noon tomorrow (Central Standard time) I will choose new Winners....

The Fifty Dollar challenge.... My $500 reward!

I got it people! You may remember the post a few weeks ago about the $50 Challenge. You know... the one where I admitted that I had tried one of those "answer this question and get a 500 gift card... The "Scam Sites". Well after reading this post at to save a penny... I decided to do it. I was so nervous.

I followed Amber's link to Carrie at Money Saving Methods. Carrie has very detailed instructions. It made this so much easier. So I spent $50 on offers... and got back $500.

that is a $450 profit.. Not a bad day! Here are a pic of Angel T, Princess K, and Hunny Bunny A holding the card.

Want an Autographed book?

I heart autographed books! Well, I came across a link to a website where you can order personalized autographed copies from certain authors. I was looking for books by Camy Tang and found exactly what I wanted! Cool Huh. Go check it out here: Signed by the Author.com

Quickie Giveaway: The Friends We Keep by Sarah Zacharias Davis

Synopsis:

During a particularly painful time in her life, Sarah Zacharias Davis learned how delightful–and wounding–women can be in friendship. She saw how some friendships end badly, others die slow deaths, and how a chance acquaintance can become that enduring friend you need.The Friends We Keep is Sarah’s thoughtful account of her own story and the stories of other women about navigating friendship. Her revealing discoveries tackle the questions every woman asks:

• Why do we long so for women friends?

• Do we need friends like we need air or food or water?

• What causes cattiness, competition, and co-dependency in too many friendships?

• Why do some friendships last forever and others only a season?

• How do I foster friendship?

• When is it time to let a friend go, and how do I do so?

With heartfelt, intelligent writing, Sarah explores these questions and more with personal stories, cultural references and history, faith, and grace. In the process, she delivers wisdom for navigating the challenges, mysteries, and delights of friendship: why we need friendships with other women, what it means to be safe in relationship, and how to embrace what a friend has to offer, whether meager or generous.

Ashley has graciously sent me 1 copy of this book for giveaway. I will be hosting a Tour stop for The Freinds We Keep in August. My giveaways usually last 2 weeks or so, but this on will end this Sunday.. Its a quickie.

U.S. Residents only. No Po boxes Please. Runs from today until Sunday the 26

Just comment to enter.

If you want extra entries

blog it and link back (leave link in comment)

Twitter it @ A Bookish Mom

Grab my button!

follow or subscribe by email or rss...or all 3!

Ravens by George Dawes Green * Blog Tour*

Synopsis:

The Boatwrights just won 318 million dollars in the Georgia State lottery. It's going to be the worst day of their lives.When Shaw McBride and Romeo Zderko pull up at a convenience store off I-95 in Georgia, their only thought is to fix a leaky tire and be on their way again to Florida-away from their dull Ohio tech-support jobs. But this happens to be the store from which a 318,000,000 million dollar Jackpot ticket has just been sold -- and when a pretty clerk accidentally reveals to Shaw the identity of the winning family, he hatches a ferociously audacious scheme: He and Romeo will squeeze the family for half their prize.

That night, he visits the Boatwright home and takes the family hostage, while Romeo patrols the streets nearby, prepared to murder the Boatwrights' loved ones at any sign of resistance. At first, the family offers none. But Shaw's plot depends on maintaining constant fear-merciless, unfaltering terror-and soon, under the pressure, everyone's sanity begins to unravel . . . At once frightening, comic, and suspenseful, RAVENS is a wholly original and utterly compelling novel from one of our most talented writers.

You can learn more about Ravens by visiting Hachette Book Group.

You can Visit the George Dawes Green's website.

My Opinion:

This was very different than I thought it was going to be. I could not set Ravens down! This book will grab you at the begining and not let go!

Shawn and Romeo have been friends since early grade school. Not everyfriendship is healthy..including this one. Romeo is minapulated the entire story by the evil Shawn.Stopping at a gas station they find out one of the locals have won a heavy lottery. Shawn, infuriated, begins to hatch a plan of theft and murder! Poor Romeo is sent to do all his dirty work!

It is a non stop thrill ride! This book exceeded my expectations, and I LOVE IT! 5 stars all the way. It is a re-reader!

A Perfect Mess by Lisa Harper * Blog tour*

Author Bio:

Lisa Harper is a master storyteller whose lively approach connects the dots between the Bible era and modern life. She is a sought-after Bible teacher and speaker whose upcoming appearances include the national Women of Faith Conferences. A veteran of numerous radio and television programs and the author of several books, she also is a regular columnist for Today’s Christian Woman magazine. Lisa recently completed a master’s of theological studies from Covenant Theological Seminary. She makes her home outside Nashville.

Synopsis:

Caught up in the self-imposed pressure to do and be all the things they think a Christian woman ought to do and be, countless women are working desperately to convince everyone, including God, that they have it all together. Few have any idea that the Creator of the universe looks at them with delight even when they yell at the dog, drive a minivan littered with French fries, or think bad words about that rude clerk at the store.

A Perfect Mess offers hope to every woman who yearns for a vibrant relationship with God but worries she isn’t good enough or doesn’t do enough to merit His affection. With characteristic authenticity, speaker and author Lisa Harper shares poignant stories from her own imperfect life to showcase the real-life relevancy of the Bible in the lives of modern women.

As she guides readers on a story-driven journey through selected Psalms, they will be inspired to experience for themselves how God’s incomparable love transforms the messiness of life into a gorgeous work of grace.

For more information including pricing and where to buy Visit Random House.

My Opinion:

A Perfect Mess? Story of my life.... This is the kind of book that will make you say... "Lord, Thank you. I needed this today".

It is a wonderful journey through Psalms that will uplift you, and show you how God can transform us.... How he Loves us! It reinforces that we don't have to be perfect for God because he is perfect for us. He didn't create us for this world... He created this world for us. It is so wonderful to know that when I screw up (I do..a lot) He still loves me... even though I don't always love myself.

With barely over 200 pages, it is a very quick read that is worth every minute. I even spent 2 weeks studying so of the passages. I love it!

New Giveaways and an Award!

Kirsten gave me the Kreative Blogger award and the idea is that you list 7 of your favorite things and then pass the award along to 7 other bloggers.

My 7 favorite things:

1. Books (duh)
2. Sushi
3. putt- putt golf
4. The best day ever as sang by sponge bob square pants
5. Sewing (quilting embroidering)
6. visiting my gran
7. donating to my local food and clothing pantry.

Now for the 7 blogs I would like to pass this on to:

1. Manic Mother
2. annies home
3. Bookin with Bingo (my fave site)
4. Desiring the Rain
5. Fire and Ice
6. Melissa's Bargain Blog
7. One Tightwad Mama

Cool! Thanks So much Kristen!

Now, as you guys may have noticed.. New Giveaways are up! YAY!

Giveaway! SOUL SURVIVOR: The Reincarnation of a World War II Fighter Pilot by Bruce and Andrea Leininger with Ken Gross

Synopsis:

This is the story of James Leininger, who-- a little more than two weeks after his second birthday-- began having blood-curdling nightmares that just would not stop. When James began screaming out recurring phrases like, "Plane on fire! Little man can't get out!" the Leiningers finally admitted that they truly had to take notice.When details of planes and war tragedies no two-year-old boy could know continued-- even in stark daylight-- Bruce and Andrea Leininger began to realize that this was an incredible situation. SOUL SURVIVOR is the story of how the Leiningers pieced together what their son was communicating and eventually discovered that he was reliving the past life of World War II fighter pilot James Huston.

As Bruce Leininger struggled to understand what was happening to his son, he also uncovered details of James Huston's life-- and death-- as a pilot that will fascinate military buffs everywhere.In SOUL SURVIVOR, readers are taken for a gripping ride as the Leiningers' belief system is shaken to the core, and both of these families come to know a little boy who, against all odds and even in the face of true skeptics, harbors the soul of this man who died long ago.

Thanks to the lovely Kelly at Hachette Book Group, I have 5 copies of this book for giveaway.

Here are the rules:

Open to US residents only. No PO boxes, sorry :( This Giveaway will run from July 19, 2009 until the August 1st, 2009. 5 winners will be chosen by random.org and posted the next day. I will email the winners and they will have 2 days to contact me. If they don't contact me I will choose another winner.


Main entry: ( must do this to win and before other entries count)

Just Comment . Please leave an email address. I reserve the right to choose a new winner if I can't find an email address or way to contact you.


Want extra entries? (leave extra comment for each)


Subscribe in rss or by email.
Follow and tweet this on twitter @abookishmom
Grab my button
Blog it and leave a link

That's it you guys. This is a great book. I can't wait to see who wins.Good Luck!
~jen

Giveaway: My Name is Will by Jess Winfield

Synopsis:

A Tale of two Shakespeares...

Struggling UC Santa Cruz grad student Willie Shakespeare
Greenberg is trying towrite his thesis about the Bard. Kind of...Cut off by his father for laziness, and desperate for dough, Willie agrees todeliver a single giant, psychedelic mushroom to a mysterious collector, makinghimself an unwitting target in Ronald Reagan's War on Drugs.

Meanwhile, would-be playwright (and oppressed Catholic) William Shakespeare iseighteen years old and stuck teaching Latin in the boondocks of Stratford-upon-Avon.

The future Bard's life is turnedupside down when a stranger entrusts him with a sacred relic from Rome... This, at a timewhen adherents of the "Old Faith" are being hanged, drawn, andquartered as traitors.Seemingly separated in time and place, the lives of Willie and William begin tointersect in curious ways, from harrowing encounters with the law (and a fewex-girlfriends) to dubious experiments with mind-altering substances. Theirmisadventures could be dismissed as youthful folly. But wise or foolish, thebold choices they make will shape not only the 'Shakespeare' each is destinedto come... but the very course of history itself.

Visit the Author's wesite here.

Read an Excerpt

You can expect my review by next week.

Thanks to the Lovely Valerie from Hachette Book Group I have 5 copies up for grabs...

Here are the rules:

Open to US residents only. No PO boxes, sorry :( This Giveaway will run from July 19, 2009 until the August 1st, 2009. 5 winners will be chosen by random.org and posted the next day. I will email the winners and they will have 2 days to contact me. If they don't contact me I will choose another winner.

Main entry: ( must do this to win and before other entries count)

Just Comment. Please leave an email address. I reserve the right to choose a new winner if I can't find an email address or way to contact you.

Want extra entries? (leave extra comment for each)

Subscribe in rss or by email.
Follow and tweet this on twitter @abookishmom
Grab my button
Blog it and leave a link

That's it you guys. This is a great book. I can't wait to see who wins.Good Luck!
~jen

Giveaway! The Unexpected Gift byMichelle Blumer Atha and Meaghan Gonzales Wagar

Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Synergy Books (June 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0981546277
ISBN-13: 978-0981546278

Synopsis:

Drew Robbins Warren is a mother of two, whose husband has just left her for a younger woman. Leah Cline is a pregnant eighteen-year-old with no family, no friends, and no money. The only thing these women have in common is loneliness. Through their unlikely friendship, Drew and Leah learn to embrace life and everything that has been offered to them. But will either woman open her heart to love another man again?

You can read my review here. I love it!

Thanks to the great Stephanie from Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists I have 2 copies to giveaway!

Here are the rules:

Open to US residents only. No PO boxes, sorry :( This Giveaway will run from July 19, 2009 until the August 1st, 2009. 2 winners will be chosen by random.org and posted the next day. I will email the winners and they will have 2 days to contact me. If they don't contact me I will choose another winner.

Main entry: ( must do this to win and before other entries count)

Comment and tell me how you like to help your community. Please leave an email address. I reserve the right to choose a new winner if I can't find an email address or way to contact you.

Want extra entries? (leave extra comment for each)

Subscribe in rss or by email.

Follow and tweet this on twitter @abookishmom

Grab my button

Blog it and leave a link

That's it you guys. This is a great book. I can't wait to see who wins.Good Luck!

~jen

Review: Jack Hanna's The Wackiest Wildest Weirdest Animals in the World

Book Description:

A wacky, wild, and weird look at animals through the eyes of Jungle Jack Hanna!
Have you ever seen a naked mole rat? Do you know what a binturong is? Do you know what kind of bird has a deadly kick? Explore the world’s wackiest, wildest, and weirdest animals with expert and host Jungle Jack Hanna. The book features thirty animals that are wacky, weird, or wild. Kids will learn amazing animal facts and stories of Jungle Jack's personal adventures with some of these unique creatures. The book includes a bonus DVD with hilarious bloopers from his Emmy award-winning show, Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild, and other shows from his career.

Go here to watch His Bloopers! Too Funny!

Go here to read more reviews after you peep mine!

My Opinion:

This book is creepy, crawly, and cool! My kids love it. So do I! You will learn some of the most interesting facts about the weirdest animals. {Angel T} Loves the Blue Footed Booby because they are like her... Clumsy! {Princess K} loves the Naked Mole rat, and thinks she should make it clothing. ugh! With over 28 animals spotlighted, your sure to find one you love.I am partial to the okapi, myself.

Definitely a great books for kids. After they stop freaking out over all the cool things, they learn about them.

A OK! 5 stars.

Review: The Chocolate Lovers Club by Carole Matthews

The Chocolate Lovers' Club
Carole Matthews
St. Martin's Griffin

416 pages

Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4

$13.95

Trade Paperback

Pub Date: February, 2009

ISBN: 0-312-37673-1

Synopsis:


There’s one thing that Lucy Lombard can’t live without, and that’s chocolate—creamy, delicious chocolate. Sharing her obsession are three other addicts: Autumn, Nadia, and Chantal. Together they form a select group known as The Chocolate Lovers’ Club. Whenever there’s a crisis, they meet in their sanctuary, a cafe called Chocolate Heaven. With a cheating boyfriend, a flirtatious boss, a gambling husband and a loveless marriage, there’s always plenty to discuss....



My Opinion:



Love it... Think Yada Yada Prayer group books take out the religon and add Chocolate. This book is a fun read. I read it in 2 nights. Half the time I was reading with my jaw on the floor, and others I had to stop reading becuase I was lauging so hard.



Poor Lucy! She is having a run of bad luck! For that matter all of the girls are! When one of the girls gets her self in a stitch... All the ladies come to the rescue. Lucy, as it turns out, should be a criminal mastermind because her plan is brilliant. I won't go into to much detail because it is such a great book. It's A.................

A Boat Load of Winners!!!!!!

Okay! Tons of New winners today. I will email you all at some point, or if you see your name you can email me. abookishmom@yahoo.com If you email me before I do you, it must come from the email addy you left.

On a sad note, I overlooked 10 different winners because you didn't leave an email address. Guys I am trying to be fair, but I have 5 children. One has learning setbacks and I am pretty sure the others do as well. I don't have time to play hunt down someone's email addy. I can't. Between sports, karate, school shopping, grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking, and my reading, I just don't have time. Please, if you enter a contest leave an email addy. Now, on to the winners...

The Imposter's Daughter:

Paula Myers

Upper Westside Writer

Sara (skk)

JemScout425

Young in Tx.

Julie & Julia

Sarcraw

The Smothermans

Beth

Janet Faye

Leahmc

Swimsuit

Mindy

Eric

Christy Lee

The Bourne Deception

Dag888888

The Coons

Matt Gladden

The Juror

lilemmy4

Cabadov

ldsmom

Any Minute

Deb

Michelle H

Cheryl

Review: Losing Mum and Pup by Christopher Buckley

Synopsis:

In twelve months between 2007 and 2008, Christopher Buckley coped with the passing of his father, William F. Buckley, the father of the modern conservative movement, and his mother, Patricia Taylor Buckley, one of New York's most glamorous and colorful socialites. He was their only child and their relationship was close and complicated. Writes Buckley: "They were not - with respect to every other set of loving, wonderful parents in the world - your typical mom and dad." As Buckley tells the story of their final year together, he takes listners on a surprisingly entertaining tour through hospitals, funeral homes, and memorial services, capturing the heartbreaking and disorienting feeling of becoming a 55-year-old orphan. Buckley maintains his sense of humor by recalling the words of Oscar Wilde: "To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both looks like carelessness." Just as Calvin Trillin and Joan Didion gave readers solace and insight into the experience of losing a spouse, Christopher Buckley offers consolation, wit, and warmth to those coping with the death of a parent, while telling a unique personal story of life with legends.

My Opinion:

This is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever listened too. Mr. Buckley did a magnificent job recounting the life of his parents, and giving us a glimpse into who they are. It was a very emotional book, yet still funny as all get out!

I loved hearing the stories of Christopher and his father, but my favorite were the sailing stories. I really enjoyed ever chapter in this book. The way he talked of his mother with such love and was there when she passed. He shared such intimate detail in those personal moments.

Losing Mum and Pup will really make you appreciate the time you still have left with your living family. It was simply beautiful. A Must Read (or listen. My copy was Audio Book).

A Big thanks to Hachette Audio Books. You can also purchase the book online from Amazon.com

Giveaways Ending Thursday!!

Hey everyone!

Hope y'all are doing well.

Don't forget... All my giveaways are ending Thursday so get those entries in.
I just finished Any Minute by Joyce Meyer! It was wonderful...definitely a must enter. You can read my review below this post.

Hope your week is filled with blessings.

~Jen

Review: Any Minute by Joyce Meyer (5 Stars)

Listen to an excerpt. Visit Joyce Meyer’s website at www.joycemeyer.org

Synopsis:

Sarah Harper is driven, pursuing happiness in all the wrong places. It's not until she faces a chance encounter with heaven and spends time with the grandmother who prayed for her every day when she was a little girl that she begins to see how her own mother's bitterness created a hole in Sarah's life. For the first time, Sarah sees that God created her for a special purpose. When Sarah returns to her own life, she is a woman with a mission. And the unsuspecting world around her will never be the same again.

My Opinion:

I am amazed at this book. I guess it was just what I needed this week. My toes are sore cause God stepped all over them in this story.

Any Minute is an amazing fictional tale that reminds us to slow down and get our priorities straight. It doesn't matter how hard you work or who you work with. It those you pass everyday that matter. Your family, friends, and those who need you. You can't let hurts of the past haunt your present or you won't enjoy your future. You might not like who you become. I was moved to tears several times in this book. It really made me stop and look at my marriage to see how I can better serve my hubs. As a matter of fact, as soon as I had finished it, I called my mom to tell her she had to buy it!

Well worth the time. 5 Stars. You can buy the book here, or if you want you can enter my giveaway here. I have 3 copies up for grabs.

Blog Tour: Holy Roller by Julie Lyons

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (June 2, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400074959
ISBN-13: 978-1400074952

Author Bio:

Julie Lyons is an award-winning writer, editor and investigative reporter who for more than 11 years served as editor-in-chief of the Dallas Observer, an alternative weekly newspaper owned by Village Voice Media. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a B.A. in English from Seattle Pacific University . She and her husband, Larry Lyons Jr., live in Dallas with their son.

Synopsis:

Julie Lyons was working as a crime reporter when she followed a hunch into the South Dallas ghetto. She wasn’t hunting drug dealers, but drug addicts who had been supernaturally healed of their addictions. Was there a church in the most violent part of the city that prayed for addicts and got results?At The Body of Christ Assembly, a rundown church on an out-of-the-way street, Lyons found the story she was looking for.

The minister welcomed criminals, prostitutes, and street people–anyone who needed God. He prayed for the sick, the addicted, and the demon-possessed, and people were supernaturally healed. Lyons’s story landed on the front page of the Dallas Times Herald. But she got much more than just a great story, she found an unlikely spiritual home. Though the parishioners at

The Body of Christ Assembly are black and Pentecostal, and Lyons is white and from a traditional church background, she embraced their spirituality–that of “the Holy Ghost and fire.” It’s all here in Holy Roller–the stories of people desperate for God’s help. And the actions of a God who doesn’t forget the people who need His power.

My Opinion:

This book is not what I expected. I have a habit of choosing books by the title and not reading the synopsis. I assumed that this was a fiction... I was wrong. Holy Roller is the actual account of Julie Lyons.

What an amazing story. I was absolutely enthralled in this book, which doesn't usually happen to me with a non-fiction work. It was awesome. Julie goes in depth with the crimes she has encountered... The bathtub massacre left my jaw on the floor as did what happened to the survivors.

As I read about Mrs. Lyons experiences in this church (and Faux Pas) I was humored and horrified. It is a very endearing story about finding what you need where you least expect it. It's an amazing account of healing and hope.

I actually learned a lot about words or topics that can offend.. and I had no idea. Great read! 4 stars!