2015 Holiday Gift Guide
Friday, August 31, 2012
The American Bible Challenge With Giveaway!
CFBA Tour for A Duke's Promise by Jamie Carie!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
As Jamie’s relationship with God grew, she discovered her heart was filled with songs and poetry. During high school she wrote lyrics for her brother’s band. (And she sang them too!) After college, Jamie married, had two sons and decided to stay home with them. While she homeschooled she wrote skits, poems, plays and short stories for school and church.
When her eldest son turned five she dove into the world of novels. She’d read romance novels for years, but couldn’t relate to the flawless, saintly heroines in Christian romance novels. So she decided to write her own.
Snow Angel was born on a frosty night in an old farmhouse in Fishers, Indiana, where the cold floor gave plenty of motivation for the snow scene. Jamie loves to write late at night when the house is quiet and the darkness seems alive. Elizabeth and Noah had been playacting in her head for a long time, so the story went fast.
Ten years later Snow Angel was published and won the ForeWord magazine Romance Book of the Year winner, was a National “Best Books 2007” Awards winner, and a 2008 RITA Awards® Best First Book finalist. It was the beginning of her dream career.
Jamie and her husband Tony have been married for twenty-one years and live in Indianapolis with their three sons and a giant of a dog named Leo.
If she could only say one thing to her readers it would be, “Live the dreams God has destined you for!”
ABOUT THE BOOK
From the Land of Fire and Ice back to England’s shores, Alexandria Featherstone finds herself the new Duchess of St. Easton. Her husband has promised a wedding trip to take them to the place where her imperiled parents were last seen -- Italy and the marble caves of Carrara -- but a powerful Italian duke plots against Alex and her treasure-hunting parents.
Hoping to save them, Alex and Gabriel travel to Italy by balloon. Fraught with danger on all sides and pressured by Gabriel’s affliction to the breaking point, they must learn to work and fight together. The mysterious key is within their grasp, but they have yet to recognize it. This journey will require steadfast faith in God and each other -- a risk that will win them everything they want or lose them everything they have.
If you would like to read the first chapter of A Duke's Promise, go HERE.
Raggedy Ann Review & Giveaway!
How many of you remember Raggedy Ann and Andy? I for sure remember the adorable yet classic doll with curly red hair and the cute dress. Well, this next review and giveaway is one that many of you will love, even if it is a gift for the grandkids! Check out the review and don't forget to enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter form at the bottom. You won't want to miss it!
RAGGEDY ANN & RAGGEDY ANDY CLASSIC Handmade by Aurora - The beloved ragdolls are back! Aurora's soft and huggable dolls are heirloom treasures to be passed along for generations. Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy were created by Johnny Gruelle in 1918 for his daughter, Marcella. Aurora has captured the spirit of the heartwarming originals with ten sweetly nostalgic styles in four sizes - 8", 12", 16" & 25". Beautifully made, with fine facial features in soft brown tones and yarn hair. Has the traditional embroidered "I Love You" heart on his chest. Larger dolls features plastic button eyes, smaller sizes have embroidered eyes. Raggedy Ann is dressed in proprietary vintage-inspired fabrics, and both Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy feature their own unique styling.Each collectable comes with a 4 sided hang tag that highlight Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy's origin and legacy.
Aurora is a company that many of you know. I have featured them many times on my blog before and I love their quality products and super cute toys and stuffed animals. This time around they have come out with the new Raggedy Ann and Andy. These are so adorable and Iknew it was one my readers would like so I jumped at the chance when I was offered to review one of them. I picked out the classic Raggedy Ann for my review but you will have your choice of Raggedy Ann or Andy.
The doll is made very well, no surprise from Aurora, and is really sweet looking. She is in the traditional Raggedy Ann dress and looks just like the older styled dolls. Needless to say, after one look from my little sister, my doll was gone. I was able to get pictures but even my mother was begging to have her:) This is just that type of doll. You instantly fall in love with the style. We haven't had any tears, rips or hair falling out yet. You can laugh, but that is a common occurence with the dolls around our house.
These dolls would make a perfect gift for a child or grandchild. Remember, the holidays aren't that far off. And the set is not expensive at all. There are several different sizes you can choose from.
Readers, one of you will be able to have your choice of Raggedy Ann, Andy or one of the Fancy Pals. Open to US and Canada.
This giveaway will end 9/17. Winner will be chosen through Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.
I received product for review. I did not receive any monetary compensation. All thoughts are 100% mine.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Free Foreclosures
While browsing house listings recently, we have been looking at purchasing one, I ran across free foreclosures lists. This website lists houses and real estate that has been foreclosed on. This is totally free!! So whether you are looking at buying a house or maybe wanting to list one, this is the place to go! They literally have thousands of listings that you can search by state. Check it out!!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Combat Ant Killer Review + Giveaway
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
I Am...Gabriel DVD Review + Interview with Mike Norris
All things made new.
Promise, Texas is no place to raise a family. There’s no rain, businesses are failing, and the kids can’t wait to grow up and move away. Some folks say the town is cursed. But just when things are at their darkest, a mysterious boy wanders out of the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on his back and a strange mat tucked under his arm. He has a message for the people of Promise, but they’re slow to listen. They are blind to the similarities between the slow death of the town and their own parched souls. Confronted by their spiritual shortcomings, the town’s indignation turns to outrage. Still, the boy holds true to his message: there is no hope without Christ, and Promise can only be remade through earnest communion with the Father. In the end, with his back against the wall — surrounded by skeptics — the boy is forced to reveal his true identity.
Directed by Mike Norris (Walker Texas Ranger) and starring John Schneider (Smallville) and Dean Cain (Lois & Clark), I am…Gabriel is a lesson in connecting with those that really matter, whether they be on earth – or in Heaven. Also starring: Carey Scott (Birdie & Bogey), Rebekah Kennedy (Memphis Beat), and Elise Baughman (Monk).
Monday, August 27, 2012
Milk Unleashed Giveaway!!
This giveaway will end 9/10. Winner will be chosen through Random.org and they will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Dying to Read by Lorena McCourtney
Friday, August 24, 2012
Renting Books and Campus Book Rentals
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Auto Repair Story
About 10 years ago our family took a trip, and wouldn’t you know the car chose to break down in a large city, right on the interstate! A police officer driving by stopped to help, and said that it was literally the most dangerous area to be in, due to high-speed traffic, and a very minimal shoulder. We were very thankful for his assistance, as well as the quick response of a nearby auto repair shop We were blessed that they were able to get our car towed and the problem solved very promptly. It wasn’t long before we set off again on our trip (with our car in good running condition now :) but that is one breakdown we still reminisce about sometimes! Not an experience I’d like to go through again (sitting on the side of a busy interstate with little children) but we’re thankful nonetheless for how the situation turned out.
Replace My Contacts Contact Lenses Giveaway!!
- The winner MUST have a current contact prescription
- Winner must be in the USA
- Winner must provide address and contact information
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Business Lawyers
The Face of Heaven by Murray Pura CFBA Tour
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Murray Pura was born and raised in Manitoba, just north of Minnesota and the Dakotas. He has published several novels and short story collections in Canada, and has been short-listed for a number of awards. His first books to be published in the United States are the inspirational works Rooted and Streams (both by Zondervan in 2010). His first novel to debut in the USA is A Bride’s Flight from Virginia City, Montana (Barbour), which was released January 2012. The second, The Wings of Morning, will be published by Harvest House on February 1. Both of these novels center around the Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
ABOUT THE BOOK
In April 1861, Lyndel Keim discovers two runaway slaves in her family's barn. When the men are captured and returned to their plantation, Lyndel and her young Amish beau, Nathaniel King, find themselves at odds with their pacifist Amish colony
Nathaniel enlists in what will become the famous Iron Brigade of the Union Army. Lyndel enters the fray as a Brigade nurse on the battlefield, sticking close to Nathaniel as they both witness the horrors of war--including the battles at Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, and Antietam. Despite the pair's heroic sacrifices, the Amish only see that Lyndel and Nathaniel have become part of the war effort, and both are banished.
And a severe battle wound at Gettysburg threatens Nathaniel's life. Lyndel must call upon her faith in God to endure the savage conflict and to face its painful aftermath, not knowing if Nathaniel is alive or dead. Will the momentous battle change her life forever, just as it will change the course of the war and the history of her country?
If you would like to read the first chapter of The Face of Heaven, go HERE.
The American Bible Challenge New Review!!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Enter to Win a Nook Color from Robert Whitlow and RSVP for 8/28 Facebook Party!
Enter Today - 8/7-8/27!
IF YOU HAVE A WORDPRESS BLOG: USE THIS CODE!
Suggested Title: Enter to Win a Nook Color from Robert Whitlow and RSVP for 8/28 Facebook Party!
Enter Today - 8/7-8/27!
Blog Post:
Suggested Title: Win a Nook Color from Robert Whitlow in The Choice Giveaway. RSVP for 8/28 Facebook Party.
Celebrate with Robert by entering to win a Nook Color with GlowLight!
See what folks are saying about The Choice!
One "choice" winner will receive:
- A Nook Color with GlowLight
- A four book Robert Whitlow library (winner's choice)
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 27th. Winner will be announced at the "The Choice" Author Chat Facebook Party on 8/28. Meet Robert, get a sneak peek of his next book, try your hand at a trivia contest, and more. There will also be gift certificates, books and a Book Club Prize Pack to be won (10 copies for your book club or small group.)!
So grab your copy of The Choice and join Robert on the evening of the August 27th for a chance to connect with Robert and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)
Don't miss a moment of the RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!
The Choice By Robert Whitlow W/Review!
FIRST WildCard Tour for Digital Winter!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
Today's Wild Card author is:
and the book:
***Special thanks to Ginger Chen of Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***
MY REVIEW-Okay, I have always known Alton Gansky could get into some strange things. That is one reason I have enjoyed his previous books. They are exciting, interesting and very entertaining. And did I mention thought provoking? Well, they are all of those things listed above. And this one was no different. I wasn't sure quite what to expect but it was nothing like the story-line turned out to be. Loved the plot, the whole cast of characters and the writing, superb! Excellent suspense book with a bit of the strange!!
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Mark Hitchcock is the author of nearly 20 books related to end-time Bible prophecy, including the bestselling 2012, the Bible, and the End of the World.
He earned a ThM and PhD from Dallas Theological Seminary and is the
senior pastor of Faith Bible Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. He has worked
as an adjunct professor at DTS, and he and his wife, Cheryl, have two
sons.
Alton Gansky is the author of 30 books—24 of them novels, including the Angel Award winner Terminal Justice and Christy Award finalist A Ship Possessed.
A frequent speaker at writing conferences, he holds BA and MA degrees
in biblical studies. Alton and his wife reside in Southern California.
www.altongansky.com
SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Prophecy expert Mark Hitchcock and novelist Alton
Gansky provide a suspenseful and fast-moving story of life after a
massive cyber attack. Surgeons find themselves operating without
electricity. The military can’t use its computers… This gripping story
of darkness and heroism highlights prophetic themes and the danger of a
cyber attack.
Product Details:
List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736949127
ISBN-13: 978-0736949125
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Stanley Elton
January 20, 2014
Shadow, shadow on my
right,
Shadow, shadow on my left,
Shadow, shadow everywhere,
Shadow has all the might.
Stanley
Elton emerged from the bedroom at
precisely 7:10 a.m., his favorite mug in his hand containing his favorite
African blend of coffee. Truth was, he had seven favorite mugs, one for each
day of the week. He had seven favorite blends of coffee as well, seven favorite
dress shirts, seven chosen suits of varying shades of gray, and seven power
ties.
T he morning sunlight had already
pushed back some of the thick clouds that covered the parts of San Diego
closest to the Pacific. His part of San Diego was called Coronado Island,
although it wasn’t a true island. Situated on a stretch of land called the Strand,
the small community rested on a jut of property that looked from the air like
an arthritic thumb sticking into the blue waters.
Founded in 1860, the city of Coronado
was home to the elite. North Island Naval Air Station took much of the prime
real estate, but there was still plenty of room for retired admirals, CEOs, and
entrepreneurs who made sudden wealth in the digital age. A stroll through the
city streets sometimes allowed tourists a glimpse of a celebrity.
Stanley Elton was no celebrity or entrepreneur;
he wasn’t a retired admiral or a man of old money. He was, however, the CEO of
San Diego’s largest CPA firm, a company whose client list included scores of
the top companies in the country. He was on a first-name basis with people
often mentioned in the Wall Street Journal. For
thirty years he worked for OPM Accounting. Most people assumed OPM stood for
the founders of the firm, people who died a generation ago. It didn’t. Insiders
knew OPM stood for Other People’s Money. A bit tongue in cheek, but it drew
hearty laughs for the few who knew the joke.
“Nice day.” Stanley moved to the open
kitchen and kissed his wife on the top of the ear.
“You know that gives me the shivers.”
Royce Elton pulled away and tried to rub her ear on her shoulder, her hands
busy flipping eggs and turning bacon. A pot next to the frying pan cooked down
some oatmeal. Instant oatmeal wasn’t good enough for her son, Donny. At least
he ate something close to healthy.
“My presence has always made you
shiver.” Elton slurped his coffee.
“Shudder is more like it.” Her tone was
playful.
“Shiver, shudder; potato, patahto.” He
moved from the kitchen and took his usual spot at the floor-to-ceiling window
overlooking the rolling Pacific. T he $3.5 million condo was on the top floor
of one of the fifteen ten-story structures on the Strand. Built in the 1960s,
the luxury buildings caused such a stir that a city ordinance was passed
forbidding similar towering structures in Coronado. Too late and too little.
From the wide living room, Stanley
could look to the left and see the Pacific Ocean or look right and see the calm
waters of Glorietta Bay. “Water everywhere and not a drop to drink.”
“Good thing we have plumbing and
coffee.” Royce dropped two pieces of bacon (well done) and two eggs (over hard)
onto a scalloped-edged green plate. A moment later, she added two pieces of rye
toast.
He stepped to the dining table. “Dining
room” would be inaccurate. T he only real rooms in the open floor plan were the
bathrooms and bedrooms. Royce set the plate on the glass top. She sat next to
him, sipping a chocolate diet shake.
“Eating real food while watching you
suck on that stuff fills me with guilt.” He stuck a piece of bacon in his
mouth.
“You’re a man. You’re supposed to feel
guilty. It goes with the Y chromosome.”
“T his is what I get for marrying a
geneticist.”
“Brains are sexy.”
“Really? I hadn’t heard.”
Royce raised an eyebrow. “You know, I
can poison your breakfast.”
“T hat’s why we have Rosa cook our
other meals. Cuts down on your opportunity to cash in on the life insurance.”
He cut one egg in half and scooped it into his mouth. Stanley didn’t like
wasting time on trivial things like breakfast. “Busy day?”
“Usual classes at the university, and
then I have about four hours in the lab. I’ll be late. I have to grade test
papers after that. Rosa has something planned for you and Donny.”
“She’s as good a cook as she is a
nurse.” Down went the second half of the egg.
“She’s a jewel. We should pay her
more.”
It was Stanley’s turn to raise an
eyebrow. “Really? She makes good money now.”
“I’m not sure it covers all she does.
Dealing with Donny isn’t easy.”
Stanley contemplated the comment while
gnawing on the bacon. “What do you mean? He sits in his room and doesn’t cause
any trouble. He’s as passive as someone with his condition can be.”
Royce frowned. She hated it when
Stanley referred to Donny’s challenges as his
condition.
“Sorry,” he said. “You know what I
mean. Other people like him can be high maintenance.”
Another frown. “He requires a lot of
care, Stan. You know that.”
“Of course. I do my share.”
She touched his arm. “I know, dear. I
didn’t mean that. You do more than any other father would. You provide an
income that allows us to get all the help we need. My professor’s salary
wouldn’t pay for one room in this place. I’m just saying we should reward Rosa.
She’s been with us since Donny was ten. T hat’s twelve years.”
“She’s a trooper. Did you have
something in mind?”
“I thought of a paid vacation, but I
don’t think she’d leave Donny for more than a few days. She’s so devoted to
him. I know that her car is getting a little long in the tooth. She had to take
it into the shop. Cost her a pretty bundle to get the transmission fixed.”
“You want to pay for the repairs?”
“No, I want to buy her a car.”
Stanley lowered his fork. “You’re
kidding, right?” He could see she wasn’t. “You mean like a Porsche or Ferrari
or—”
“Of course not. I was thinking of a
Prius or some other hybrid. It would save her some gas money.”
Stanley furrowed his brow, narrowed his
eyes, and clinched his jaw, but he couldn’t maintain the pretense. He had never
been angry at his wife and couldn’t imagine starting now. T he forced frown
gave way to the upward pressure of a smile.
“You’re working me, aren’t you?”
“Yep.”
“Okay, but it’s going to cost you
another cup of coffee. I’ll let you make the arrangements. Take the money from
the house account.” He paused. “We are talking just one car, right?”
“For now.” She rose, kissed him on the
forehead, and took his cup to refill it. “Speaking of Rosa, she said something
yesterday that seemed…”
“What?”
“I don’t know what word to use.
Unexpected.” She filled the cup and returned to the table. “She said Donny
spoke.”
“Spoke? You mean more than one word?”
“She meant sentences.”
“You’re kidding. I’ve never heard him
link words together. I thought it was beyond his ability.”
“We don’t know that.” Royce the
geneticist was talking now. “His condition is a mystery. T here are only a
handful of savants in the world. We don’t know what goes on in his brain.”
“What did he say?”
“She told me she couldn’t make out all
the words. He stopped when she entered the room. Something about shadows.”
“Maybe she was hearing something from
one of his computers.”
“Maybe, but she didn’t think so.”
Stanley checked his watch. “Why didn’t
you tell me this last night?”
“Um, because you didn’t come home until
nearly midnight and you were half asleep.”
“Oh, yeah.” He rose. “T hanks for
breakfast. Good as Rosa is, food cooked by my wife always tastes better.”
“I manipulate the alleles in the eggs.”
“T hat’s more science talk, isn’t it?”
“You going to say goodbye to him?”
“Just like every day for twenty-two
years.”
“T hanks.”
Stanley started the most difficult task
of his day. He loved his son, but he would rather face off against a bunch of
IRS attorneys than turn the doorknob to his boy’s bedroom.
As his hand touched the brass knob, he
heard a voice from the other side of the door:
Shadow, shadow on my
right,
Shadow, shadow on my left,
Shadow, shadow everywhere,
Shadow has all the might.
....
Donny Elton sat in his chair as he did
every hour he wasn’t sleeping. T he chair was an expensive, well-padded iBOT
designed by inventor Dean Kamen. It was powered and could raise Donny to the
eye level of any adult not playing in the NBA. A series of gyros and a robust
computer program enabled it to climb stairs without tipping. T he invention had
been a boon to wheelchair-bound consumers.
But Donny wasn’t bound to the
wheelchair. He could walk if he wanted, jump if he desired, and even sprint if
he had a mind to, but he never did. At least that was what the doctors said.
Under heavy sedation, Donny had endured MRIs, CAT scans, X-rays, muscle
conductivity studies, and other medical tests. All came back negative.
“T he problem isn’t with this body,”
the doctors said. “T he problem is in his mind. He doesn’t want to walk.” T hat
had been the end of their assessment. No one could offer any ideas of how to
make a healthy twenty-two-year-old who was monosyllabic on his best day and
mute on his worst and who possessed an IQ above 200 do what he didn’t want to
do. “You simply cannot make a man walk if he doesn’t want to.” T hey had been
united in that assessment.
Stanley, in the few quiet moments he
allowed himself, wondered why his son refused to walk or engage with humanity.
Yes, his savant condition was probably due to autism, but research had yet to
come to a consensus on that.
Stanley stood in the open door with a
bowl of hot oatmeal in one hand and wondered if he had heard what he thought he
heard.
“Hey, buddy. Mom whipped up some
oatmeal for you.” He moved to the long desk that took up all of one wall in the
place they called Stanley’s bedroom. It looked more like a NASA control center
than a place to sleep. A series of four 27-inch monitors lined the table, and
two computer towers sat nearby. T hey were never turned off. More than once,
Stanley had awakened in the night to hear Donny’s fingers tapping on the
keyboard.
“Oatmeal. Food. Oatmeal. Good.”
Stanley set the bowl and spoon on an
unoccupied spot of the table. “Whatcha working on, pal?”
“Oatmeal. Good.”
Stanley was thankful Donny could feed
himself. He needed help dressing and using the bathroom, but at least he could
manage to put a spoon in his mouth or hold a sandwich. Small
blessings.
T he large window of the bedroom
overlooked the Pacific side of the Strand. T he thinning cloud cover allowed
the morning sun to paint sparkles on the gentle swells and surf. A short
distance from the shore, surfers waited for the ocean to offer more waves.
Although Stanley couldn’t see them from this window, he knew that new Navy
SEALs were training there. Such was Coronado: home to the wealthy, a mecca for
sun worshippers, a training ground for the Navy, and a magnet for tourists.
Donny knew none of this. Stanley
doubted his son had ever noticed the beauty outside his window, the kind of
view that made the 1700-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bath condo worth $3.5
million. T he only things Donny seemed to notice were on the computer monitors.
Stanley doubted the young man even knew him. T he last thought brought pain, as
it did a dozen times every day.
Line upon line of code filled the
monitors. For a few moments, Stanley considered having a programmer look at it,
but he dismissed the idea. What difference would it make?
“I’m headed to work, son. I’ll be home
late again, but I’ll look in on you. Mom will be here until Rosa arrives.”
“Rosa. Oatmeal. Good.” Donny took a
bite of the pasty meal.
Stanley ran his fingers through his
son’s hair. He loved the boy even if he had never caught a baseball or watched
a football game. “Take it easy, champ.”
“Bye. Later. Oatmeal.”
Stanley turned when something appeared
in the corner of his eye—something dark, indistinct. He snapped his head around
but saw nothing.
Closing the door, Stanley paused and
tried to push back the gloom that draped his mind. T hen he heard Donny’s voice
again.
Shadow, shadow on my
right,
Shadow, shadow on my left,
Shadow, shadow everywhere,
Shadow has all the might.