Wednesday, October 31, 2012

RABT Virtual Book Tour: "Dangerous Embrace" by Dana Mason Book Guest Post/Giveaway (ends 11/3) WW



First of all, I apologize for not having a review posted.  It seems that suddently, every book is due on the same day, and I have already read and reviewed a good eight or so books this week, and I have a load more to do it seems.  So bear with me.  I should have a review posted by early next week.  But I wanted to be sure to post since I am at the tail end of the tour!



Romantic Suspense/ Thriller
Title: Dangerous Embrace
Author: Dana Mason



Date to be Published: 10/04/12

Synopsis: 

Sarah Jennings wants nothing more than a quiet life—alone.
Raised by an eccentric mother, their life on the road only taught her how to run away from hard times. But when she finds herself in an abusive relationship, this lesson serves her well.  

Now, back in her hometown, she's found a place she loves. She’s a first grade teacher, and with few friends and less family around, she has what she wants, a quiet life under the radar where she can be free of her past and live quietly. Finally comfortable in her own skin, she’s settled, and less fearful than she’s ever been in her life.

But it only takes one night and one act of violence for everything to change. Injured and afraid, Sarah wants to run again, but Mark Summors refuses to let her go.

Just when Sarah thinks she can have Mark and the life he promises, her past comes back to haunt her.

Mark Summors was born and raised in Santa Rosa. He married his high school sweetheart and never questioned his life, until he found his wife with another man.

Now divorced, he wants something more. He’s passionate about his job, he wants to protect people, and he devotes his life to it.

This time he’s protecting more than just another client, he’s protecting his future; at least, Sarah Jennings will be his future, once he convinces her she loves him.'

Excerpt
Dangerous Embrace   (excerpt 450 words)

Sarah pried open her heavy eyelids and turned, trying to focus on the clock. “Ow, dammit!” She clenched her teeth and looked down at the sling tied to her arm. The smothering realization pressed on her chest. When the nausea hit, she flung the covers off and rushed to the bathroom, fighting to get to the toilet before her stomach heaved.
When the painful dry heaving stopped, she lay back on the cold tile floor, exhausted, and waited for the room to stop spinning. Her ragged breaths roared in her ears and seemed to echo in the quiet room. When her breathing slowed, the silence ebbed around her in waves, but when footsteps approached the bathroom door, she tensed again.
A bead of sweat dripped down her scalp and at the same time someone tapped at the door. Her pulse spiked and she fought like hell to remember who brought her home from the hospital. 
She closed her eyes. “Who’s there?” The waver in her voice pissed her off. Gawd—please don’t let me be pathetic in front of whoever this is.
A hesitant and completely unfamiliar man’s voice said, “Are you all right? Do you need something?”
Sarah sucked in a hard breath. “Um…” She exhaled slowly. “Who are you?”
“Mark Summors.”
She stiffened and tried to sit up. “Do I know you?” she asked her voice pitching.
“I can explain if you open the door.”
She steadied herself against the bathtub. The sling had slipped up her arm, exposing the trail of bruises. She swallowed another wave of nausea and tried to put the pieces together. Mark Summors? She glanced around for something to use as a weapon just in case, then she wanted to laugh—and cry. Who the hell was she kidding? She rolled her eyes. Good plan, Sarah, take on a strange guy with a toilet brush
“Can I come in?”  His voice was muffled as if he was resting his face against the door.
“Go ahead.” She clamped her mouth closed to suppress a shiver, then said, “It’s unlocked.”
The door eased open and a cup of water shot out at her.
“Oh, thank you,” she cried out, relieved to wash the disgusting film out of her mouth. She snatched the cup out of his hand and gulped it, letting her eyes lift above the rim to see his face.
 “Ah.” Sarah choked and inhaled the water. She set the cup down, almost upending it as she dropped it. “Oh my God!” She would never forget those intense blue eyes, just like she would never forget the smell of her attacker’s breath. They were all thrown together in the same horrifying memory.



Guest Post (by the author)

Writing this story, with two completely opposite characters, was an interesting challenge.  Most writers will agree when I say, once you craft a character, they take on a life of their own. That was certainly true with these two.

To my surprise, the character with the personality most like mine was the hardest to write. Sarah’s head was a difficult space to get into. It sounds crazy, but she was so well guarded even in the stage of creation that I couldn’t get her right without an intense amount of work. The same held true in the editing stage, and it was at that time that I realized I had to let my own guard down to really see her and what she needed.

While many of Sarah’s personality quirks (ahem, read flaws) came from me, that’s where the similarities end. In my wildest dreams, I couldn’t imagine enduring what she’s overcome, which just created another challenge for me. I needed to make her strong, yet vulnerable enough to need Mark’s help and love. She was worth the challenge and I hope you all like her.

Mark on the other hand, the family man and all around nice guy, was easier to understand. I’m sure that has to do with my own imagination and the way I’d want my hero to be. All of us can draw a picture of the perfect hero. We all know what we want when we’re being scooped-up and taken care of, even when we’ve convinced ourselves the LAST thing we need is to be cared for.

Unlike Sarah, Mark has lived in the same town his entire life. His parents are still married. He’s had a very ‘normal’ upbringing, and he has a pretty positive outlook on life. Something Sarah has trouble relating too. When Mark discovers Sarah, in need of help, yet so unwilling to accept it, he’s not sure how to handle her. But he’s sure he wants too, and he knows he needs to.

Dangerous Embrace is the first in a series of books based in Northern California. All three books address second chances and learning to not take life for granted. In the next two stories, Precious Embrace and Anew Embrace, you’ll get glimpses of Mark and Sarah as secondary characters.




Dana Mason
Author Bio
Dana Mason started writing to prove to her computer geek husband and her math & science geek kids that she actually has a brain; it’s just a right functioning brain instead of a left. She’s lived all over the country and uses that experience in her writing and character studies. Her debut novel, Dangerous Embrace, is the first in a contemporary romance series about a group of friends from Northern California who learn just how short life can be when you don’t hold on to what’s important. Second chances don’t come easy…but sometimes love is worth the risk.
When not writing, Dana specializes in professional development and training. She’s also a board member on the local Art's Council and does what she can to support the art community.  
As an avid reader and movie watcher, she always requires a happily ever after ending.
Twitter - @danamason06


Links to Buy 

Want your own copy of this book?  Enter the rafflecopter below, but do it quickly!  E-book giveaway ends 11/3.  Open worldwide!


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Super Book Blast "Dangerous Affairs" by Diana Miller (and a giveaway!)





BLURB:

When soap opera star Abby Langford leaves Los Angeles for her Minnesota hometown, she’s hoping to give her nine-year-old daughter the peaceful childhood she never knew. But instead of tranquility, Abby finds an old knife hidden between the walls of her new house. Then the nightmares start: a blood-soaked victim and a killer’s arm slicing through the air, again and again.

Abby wonders if she’s having the nervous breakdown the tabloids claim she already had, especially when sexy, skeptical police chief Josh Kincaid questions her story. When menacing hate mail arrives, Josh’s professional concern for Abby soon evolves into an intense attraction, and the feeling is mutual. And now Josh wonders if her psychic visions are of crimes past—or a premonition of terrors to come.

To survive, Abby and Josh must uncover the truth and stop a killer . . . before Abby’s worst nightmares come true.

Excerpt

Abby rolled back the carpet, exposing the stain. “What do you think? Is this blood or just paint?”

Josh squatted beside the stain and studied it for several seconds, scratching it with his fingernail. Then he rolled the carpet back over the stain and stood. “Have you ripped up the carpet in the rest of the bedrooms?”

“I started here. This carpet’s the ugliest,” Abby said. “I also spend a lot of time writing in here.” None of that was a lie.
           
He nodded slowly. “So yesterday you pulled out a door, vacuumed behind it, and found a knife flecked with what could be blood. Then this morning you decide to rip up the carpet in one bedroom and coincidentally find more blood?”
           
It did sound a little fantastic, but Abby certainly wasn’t telling him about the dream. “You think I dumped it there myself?”
           
“Makes it seem more like you’ve got a mystery in your own house, doesn’t it? It looks like paint to me, but I guess it could be real blood. I’m sure it’s easy to buy the stuff in LA.”
           
She threw up her hands. “Do you honestly think I brought blood out here with me? Just stuck it in a carton with my dishes and had the movers load it up?”
           
“Or you could have ordered it on the Internet.”

“Or stolen it from the Red Cross. Look, I didn’t pretend to find the knife for publicity, and I didn’t plant this stain for publicity. I told you, I don’t want any more publicity.”
           
When Josh didn’t respond, Abby massaged her temples and concentrated on taking calming breaths. If she’d been able to hold her tongue the entire six weeks Vanessa Mason had guest starred on Private Affairs, she could do it now. “I was simply trying to do my civic duty by reporting it.”
           
“Next time don’t bother.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

When she was eight, Diana Miller decided she wanted to be Nancy Drew. But no matter how many garbage cans she dug through, conversations she “accidentally” overheard, and attics she searched, she never found a single cryptic letter, hidden staircase, or anything else even remotely mysterious. She worked as a lawyer, a soda jerk, a stay-at-home mom, a hospital admitting clerk, and a conference host before deciding that the best way to inject suspense into her otherwise satisfying life was by writing about it.

Diana is a five-time nominee for the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award and winner of a Golden Heart for Dangerous Affairs—a romantic suspense novel that shows not everyone in her home state is Minnesota Nice. She lives in the Twin Cities with her family.

My website link is dianamillerwriter.com. I have buy buttons for both Amazon and Kindle on my website, but have no idea what you have to do to insert them since my web designer did it.


The author will be awarding one $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and one $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host. . It is to your benefit to follow the entire tour and comment as much as you can!




Sizzling Winter Blog Hop & Treasure Hunt! (Ends 12/15) WW


Welcome! I was excited to receive a copy ofMomnesia in exchange for a fair and honest review. Not only that, but it’s all part of a fun giveaway event called the Sizzling Winter Blog Hop & Treasure Hunt!


FROM THE BACK COVER:

She's smart, pretty, and runs her own business. So then why does she feel so dead inside? Between work, two kids, and a husband who finds her about as exciting as furniture shopping, this is the story of a (formerly-exciting but now way-too-typical) suburban mom who diagnoses herself with "Momnesia" and sets about finessing a new version of her old vivaciousness:


MOMNESIA (mahm-nee-zhuh) -noun-
Loss of the memory of who you used to be. Caused by pregnancy, play dates, and trying to keep the house cleaner than the Joneses.



She finds some adventure pursuing her own interests, and does make some new friends (including the battery operated variety), but still feels like nothing more than a caretaker.


In between dealing with her husband's manic-depressive behavior, drama with her friends, and some naughty Internet escapades, she keeps facing the question, "Is it that I haven't been myself? Or is it that I am being myself but just different than I used to be?" It isn't until she tosses the Invisible Rule Book altogether that she discovers life--and love--have more to offer than she ever imagined!

Buy the book on Amazon.


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have to admit that I struggled with my rating of this book for some time.  There are some obvious reasons why I should mark it down.  There is a lot of profanity (some of it rather hard core).  I have to admit that I could have done without a lot of that, but this is just my opinion.  I also could have done without the sex scenes but they were thankfully none of them were detailed.  I also didn't like the homosexual situation in the book, but again, there was no detail.  I didn't like the morality in the book, but then again, I'm old-fashioned, so I will always say that.

Thankfully, the positives do outweigh the negatives.  When I read about Paul, I instantly connected.  My ex-husband's name is Paul, and there were definite similarities.  But Paul actually reminded me more of my dad--that's a long story there.  I also connected with the online dating hunt(been there, done that), and I also understand losing myself in my role of mom (amongst other things). And I also can relate to the "temptations" of a single mom.  Just because I don't want to read about sex scenes doesn't mean that I don't ever think about it.  How the woman stayed in the kind of marriage she did for so long without cheating is beyond me, but I relate again.  And let's talk about loss of self worth--I totally agree.  In so many ways, this book has something for married moms, single moms, and those women who are somewhere in the middle.  As long as you are aware of the precautions above, I can recommend this books to moms everywhere.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

Lori Verni-Fogarsi has been a freelance writer, journalist, columnist, business consultant, speaker, and author for 15+ years. She is a happily married mom of two, step mom of two more, and has two cats, both rotten. You can learn more about her at www.LoriTheAuthor.com.
Her novel, Momnesia was designated a National Indie Excellence Book Awards Finalist and has been very popular with book clubs and women’s groups. Please click here for info and to preview the first two chapters free, or go here to buy the book!
And now on to other fun! There are tons of prizes you can win! First, enter my giveaway TO WIN A ??? WHATEVER YOUR ITEM IS just below. Then, go to the main treasure hunt–the grand prize is a $100 Amazon Gift Card! Yes, seriously! Click here to go to the main treasure hunt. MAKE SURE THIS IS A LIVE LINK TO THIS ADDRESS: http://www.loritheauthor.com/sizzling-winter/ THANKS. Just find YOUR BLOG’S NAME on the treasure hunt list and enter my treasure hunt clue:  DEVOTION
 You’ll be entered to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card! You’ll also find links to the many other sites so you can find their clues too, and receive extra entries! Plus, every site is having their own additional giveaway!


First, enter my giveaway. Please give it a moment for the entry form to load. Good luck!
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Thanks for playing! I hope you enjoyed the book review and wish you luck in the giveaways. Have fun with the treasure hunt!
If you enjoyed this, please share with your friends. Thanks!



Rachael Ray Cookware Event (Ends 11/15) U.S.

Welcome to the Give Thanks Rachael Ray Cookware Event!

Special thanks to our lovely co-hosts Capri's Coupons, Swank Savings, and My Vegan Gluten Free Life!
The stylish two-tone gradient exterior on the Rachael Ray Porcelain 10-piece set adds color and style to any kitchen. This cookware heats quickly and evenly, reducing "hot spots" that can burn foods. A long-lasting nonstick interior allows food to slide off and makes cleanup quick and easy. The rubberized dual-riveted handles are comfortable and oven safe to 350 degrees. Watch your foods cook without having to remove the lid to keep moisture locked in. Comes with a Lifetime Limited Warranty.
  • Number of Pieces: 10
  • Includes: 2-qt. Saucepan with Lid, 3-qt. Saucepan with Lid, 6-qt. Stockpot with Lid, 8.5" Skillet, 1-qt. Saucepan with Lid, 10" Skillet
  • Features: Clear Glass Lid, Riveted Handle, Nonstick Coating
  • Pan-Pot Material: Porcelain
  • Handle Material: Rubber
  • Lid Material: Glass
  • Finish: Enameled
  • Baking cooking surface: Nonstick
  • Care and Cleaning: Oven Safe up to 350 degrees, Hand-wash Only
  • Warranty Description: Lifetime Limited Manufacturer Warranty

One lucky reader will receive a Rachael Ray Porcelain II Orange 10pc Set!


Think of what a wonderful Christmas present this would make (or keep it for yourself).  With the holiday season approaching, who couldn't use top of the line cookware like this? 

Giveaway ends November 15th at 11:59pm, open to US and Canadian residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

Coupon coup Giveaway (Ends 11/15) U.S.

Welcome to the Coupon Coup Giveaway, hosted by Stay a Stay at Home Mom with cohosts Zoes Printable Coupons, Sisters Saving Cents, Military Wives Saving, and Mamal Diane Keeping it Simple. One of the best ways families can save money all year long is to utilize coupons. Now, for the uninitiated, you're probably thinking its just not worth it to spend Sunday morning clipping a coupon to save a quarter off a tube of toothpaste you don't even like! But there is so much more to couponing than that! By properly using coupons, most families can save 20-90% off their food, paper products, and toiletries bill, and take home bags of freebies each month. This fantastic giveaway aims at helping you learn how to do it! I know it sounds like a lot of work, but really, it is so worth it.  Especially in light of our economy. One lucky winner will receive:


  1. Couponing: The Extreme Video Course
  2. 6-mo Membership to SavingsAngel
  3. Coupon Clutch from Grandma's Little Lilly
  4. Create Your Own Coupon Binder
  5. 40 Recent Coupon Inserts from Coupon Connection Idaho
  6. $100 Wal-Mart Gift Card
Additionally FIVE First Prize winners will receive a copy of Couponing: The Extreme Video Course. Couponing: The Extreme Video Course Have you ever wondered how the couponers on TV are able to fill three grocery carts full of food and toiletries and pay a penny? Well, part of that is Hollywood entertainment, but most of it is possible. Couponing: The Extreme Video Course will show you how to regularly save 20-90% off your food and toiletries bill. The Coupon Coup Giveaway winner will receive a copy of Couponing: The Extreme Video Course (accessed online) AND FIVE lucky runner-up winners will also receive a copy! Plus, all giveaway participants are eligible to receive $5 off Couponing: The Extreme Video Course while the giveaway is going on. Simply enter this code at checkout:
COUPONCOUP
(NOTE: If you purchase Couponing: The Extreme Video Course and are one of the winners, you'll receive a refund. No need to worry about buying the course and then winning it anyway :) Couponing: The Extreme Video Course  Sounds like a good deal to me!!

6-Month Membership to SavingsAngel SavingsAngel helps busy moms dramatically cut their grocery bills. Create your own customized shopping list from hundreds of weekly matchup deals. Search for specific products or coupons. Get email alerts for deals on products you use at your favorite stores. Get personalized help for couponing beginners and great tips for experts. Long-time members agree the small monthly fee is worth the extra savings of money and time. A generous friend-to-friend referral program makes it easy to get your membership for free. The winner of the Coupon Coup Giveaway gets a 6month membership to SavingsAngel absolutely free!

Coupon Clutch For smaller couponing trips, restaurants and entertainment, and even specialty store organization, a coupon clutch is critical! You know you want this, and what is better than homemade? Grandma's Little Lilly, an etsy store, makes beautiful, functional coupon clutches, and has graciously offered the winner of the Coupon Coup Giveaway the clutch of her choice from Grandma's etsy store here.

Coupon Binder Every good couponer worth her salt has a coupon binder. This is something I really need to investigate.  I have never had one, but I know I should!  The winner of this giveaway will receive the materials needed to make her own customized coupon binder (instructions here) including:

Coupon Inserts Probably the most important component of couponing is the actual coupon inserts themselves! You cannot buy coupon inserts, but there are several services out there including Coupon Connection Idaho that will save them for you and send them to you for free. (You just pay a small fee to cover administrative costs and labor associated with gathering them.) Coupon Connection Idaho is providing the winner with 40 recent coupon inserts.

$100 Walmart Gift Card To get their couponing off to the right start, the winner will get a $100 Walmart gift card to help pay for groceries. If the winning bidder would prefer, $100 Paypal cash can be substituted.  How can you beat that?  Walmart or Paypal?  With thee holidays coming up, you know you want it.

As I see it, this giveaway is so worth it.  You know you want to enter.  After all, what do you have to lose?

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win. Good luck!

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This Day in History October 31, 1920



Did you know that there is a Halloween Capital in our country?  On this date in 1920, the Anoka, Minnesota became the first U.S. town to celebrate Halloween.  In previous years, teenagers were doing all sorts of pranks throughout the town anyway, so they figured that making is a celebration would help.

For more information, please check out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anoka,_MN
http://anokahalloween.com/
http://famousdaily.com/history/halloween-anoka-minnesota.html

I.O. Book Tours Presents "The Door is Open" by Andrew Cort Weekly Guest Post 8


Welcome to Weekly Guest Post 8 of the book tour The Door is Open by Andrew Court.  Watch for a weekly guest post for the next several weeks on my site!


SODOM AND GOMORRA, FIRE AND BRIMSTONE

When Abraham (who, according to the Kabbalah, is the personification of the highest human quality: Loving-Kindness)  learned of the impending destruction of Sodom,, he beseeched the Lord to be merciful, and to spare the city, since surely not every single resident was a sinner. He asked God if He would be willing to spare Sodom if He found fifty righteous souls therein. The Lord answered, “If I find within the city of Sodom fifty innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.” Feeling emboldened, Abraham then asked what would happen if He only found forty-five. Again the Lord said He would spare the city. Abraham then continued his questions: What about forty? thirty? twenty? Each time, the Lord agreed to spare the city. Then Abraham said, “Let not my Lord be angry if I speak but this last time: What if ten should be found there?” Again the Lord agreed. But that was it, and Abraham went no further.

Why did Abraham stop at ten? Why not one? ‘Ten’ is certainly an interesting number. Pythagoras called it the Perfect Number, the Number of Man. Abraham may have been aware that God would one day reveal Ten Commandments to the children of Israel, and perhaps he felt there should be a minimum of at least one person keeping each commandment if Sodom was to be saved. Some legends suggest that Abraham recalled that Noah had eight righteous souls in his family, and since these eight had not been sufficient for God to spare that whole generation there was no need now to continue this conversation. Or perhaps, as some legends suggest, he simply felt confident that his nephew Lot, along with his wife, four daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren, would more than total ten righteous souls.

But more than likely the story simply means that, while a certain degree of negativity and evil can be tolerated, forgiven, and eventually redeemed, there comes a point where it is simply too extreme and too dangerous, and has to be annihilated.

Abraham, of course, made no claim to be the enforcer of this code: his role was solely to plead for Mercy – a good reminder for many contemporary people who feel called upon to personally judge and punish their particular choice of ‘sinners’. After all, the people in this story – including the horrible citizens of Sodom – are all symbols of qualities living inside us. They do not represent some ‘other’ person. This entire story is taking place right now within the confines of every human soul. The real meaning of the story is that the negativity and evil that has to be ‘annihilated’ is our own.



Andrew Cort is an expert on the inner message of Spiritual Awakening that is always ready to be found in the wonderful stories of the Bible and Greek Mythology. To receive several FREE GIFTS from Dr. Cort (a copy of Chapter One, ‘Making the Decision’, form his new book, THE DOOR IS OPEN; a copy of his article on RECONCILING SCIENCE AND RELIGION; and a complete version of the Bible’s erotic masterpiece, SONG OF SONGS , adapted as a Poetic Dialogue to be read out loud by lovers; as well as a subscription to his SPIRITUAL GROWTH NEWSLETER) click here http://www.andrewcort.com/Gifts . You can also learn more on his blog,Spiritualityand Religion.

Interested in buying the book? 

Amazon Paperback

Amazon Kindle


Be sure to check out the next stops on the tour:

10/31  My Cozie Corner  Weekly Guest Post 8
11/1 Simply Infatuated    Weekly Guest Post 8
11/1 Reading, Writing and More 
 Weekly Guest Post 8
11/2  Fighting Monkey Press  Weekly Guest Post   8
11/2  The Bunnies Review  Weekly Guest Post 8

11/5  A Night's Dream of Books  Review  

Cedar Fort Books: "Saving Savanna" by Sara Fitzgerald Book Review



Devan can’t help but blame God for his wife’s death, so the last thing he wants to do this holiday season is celebrate. But when his daughter, Savanna, makes a special Christmas wish, their little family will never be the same. Filled with faith and tenderness, this heartwarming story is sure to remind you of the real power behind the magic of Christmas.


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a simple book that deals with a serious topic.  I think that if you have a child who is aged about four to eight or nine, this is the ideal holiday book.  Especially if they have experienced the loss of a parents, close family member, or friend.  This is a great reminder of the true meaning of Christmas and how God can heal our hearts no matter what the hurt is--if we let Him.  And this book is written in such a way that everyone will understand and relate.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.


About the author:

Sara Fitzgerald was named the 2006 Writer of the Year for the League of Utah Writers. She lives with her husband and daughter in Salt Lake City. She loves the Christmas season. To find out more about Saving Savanna and the author Sara Fitzgerald, visit her website: http://www.sarafitzgerald.com.

Follow the entire tour here.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Book Review/Win a $100 Visa Cash Card at the "Hot Buttons" Live Video Chat with Nicole O’Dell!


Nicole O’Dell helps address the Hot Buttons in teens’ lives before the issues become problems 
From dating to drugs, modesty to purity, morals to popularity, teens face all sorts of tough issues. How teens respond to these hot-button issues can have lasting effects on who they want to be and who they actually become. What if parents can help their teens prepare for these hot buttons–before the issues become a problem?
The uniquely packaged Hot Buttons Series is an accessible, quick-reference resource that parents can use to equip their children to make the right decisions, even in the face of peer pressure and outside influences. More than just another how-to manual, Hot Button Dating Edition offers practical real-life situations that parents can read and discuss with their preteens. Topics include: physical activity, missionary dating, and violence/abuse in dating relationships.
Author, mom, and broadcaster, Nicole O’Dell provides short scenarios followed by three or four responses that a teen might choose in that particular situation. Parents are then encouraged to help their children explore the issue, ask questions, and discuss the options, so when a similar situation comes up in real life, the teens are already prepared to respond.
Hot Buttons Dating Edition offers practical real-life situations that parents can read and discuss with their preteens. Topics include: physical activity, missionary dating, and violence/abuse in dating relationships.
Hot Buttons Internet Edition helps parents prepare their teens for online challenges they may face. Topics discussed include: internet activity, file sharing, social networking, and internet predators.
Hot Buttons Drug Edition braves the scary world of substance abuse, equipping parents with facts, warning signs, and real-world scenarios on: alcohol; Marijuana and other drugs; inhalants; and prescription drugs.
Hot Buttons Sexuality Edition offers the facts about teen sexuality, backed by statistics; specifics for how to talk frankly about sex with your kids, discussion about the growth of homosexuality and bisexuality among teens; and compassionate advice for guiding your teen to reclaim purity.
MY REVIEW
I cannot recommend this series of books highly enough. My daughter is not quite a teen, but I read the entire series.  I love the fact that there are scenarios, up-to-date information, and a parent-teen study guide. There is practical information for every parent, and the author is not afraid to share her mistakes with her readers. I have read many books about some of the issues covered in these books, but I have not found one that made so much sense and was so Biblically based. I am setting these aside, and I am sure within the next year or two, these books will come in handy since my daughter is almost a pre-teen. 

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
Youth-culture expert, Nicole O'Dell is the host of Choose NOW Radio: Parent Talk and Teen Talk and the founder of Choose NOW Ministries, dedicated to guiding teens through tough issues and helping parents encourage good decisions. On air, O'Dell covers peer pressure, dating, purity, drugs, alcohol, modesty, popularity, and anything else that comes up along the way. Nicole writes and speaks to preteens, teenagers, and parents about how to prepare for life's tough choices. As an author, O'Dell writes both fiction and nonfiction. Her popular YA fiction includes the Diamond Estate Series and the Scenarios for Girls interactive books that feature alternate endings, allowing young girls to decide the outcome for the main character. Her nonfiction for teens includes Girl Talk, which she wrote with her two daughters based on their popular advice column. O'Dell, resides in Paxton, IL, with her husband and six children-the youngest of whom are toddler triplets.

"Practice the Presence of Jesus" by Wally Armstrong Book Review


Experience the Gift of His Friendship
Do you want to experience Jesus as real? When we look at Jesus’ life on earth, we see Him calling people to simply know Him. He made no demand on them to believe theological propositions. “Follow me” was the invitation which they accepted. They got to know and communicate with the real person. There is a big difference between believing something is true and experiencing it as real. This is the story of how Wally Armstrong learned to communicate with the real person of Jesus in his everyday life. Armstrong experiences Jesus up close and personal and introduces readers to the same experience. In a conversational manner, he explores what it is like to have a relationship with Jesus as if He is sitting right there next to us. He keeps an empty chair ready and imagines Jesus sitting beside him as they talk.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
How would you like to truly be friends with Jesus?  That's right--what would that be like?  This is a simply written book, not overly theological, but written in a way that everyone can easily understand.  Honestly, there is not a whole lot to say except that this is written by a golfer who put this idea to the test.  And it is easier than you might realize.

All too often, Christians tend to see God like their earthly father.  If they had a bad earthly father, they may see God in the same way.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Pick up this easy-to-read book today, and you just might find that your spiritual life has changed forever!

I was sent a copy of this  book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.




Wally Armstrong is a professional golfer, teacher and dynamic life coach who has competed in over 300 PGA Tour events, including the British Open, the US Open, and the Masters, and was awarded a lifetime membership in the Tour. In his first Masters appearance, Wally finished in fifth place, setting a rookie record for the lowest tournament score of eight under par. As a golf instructor and clinician, Armstrong has taught golf all over the world and has produced more than twenty golf instructional videos and DVDs covering every area of the golf game. He is the author of seven books, including the bestselling In His Grip (with Jim Sheard and Billy Graham) and The Mulligan (with Ken Blanchard). He resides in Maitland, Florida, and has been married to his wife, Debbie, for forty-one years. Together, they have three children and seven grandchildren. Armstrong invites readers to visit his website, www.oldprobooks.com, for more insights about the wonderful opportunity each of us has to know Jesus as the real person that he is.

"Dilemma" by Jacquie Johnson Book Review


Romantic Suspense

Title: Dilemma
Author - Jacquie Johnson


Date Published: 7/22/12


Synopsis:


    
In Chicago, the name Jon Elliott garners attention. When the legal mastermind offers to mentor Alexis Winters, Bingham, Elliott and Bright’s newest associate, she jumps at the opportunity sure this will launch her career. But Jon has a dark side, one that demands unquestioning loyalty and a willingness to defy the spirit of the law, if not the letter.  
Thrust into Jon’s world and expected to play by his rulebook, Alexis grapples with her conscience. On several occasions, Jon’s orders are at odds with what she learned in law school, and she finds herself trapped between her profession’s ethical rules and her own values. When Jon’s biggest client appears to be engaging in questionable activities and he orders her to ignore the behavior, Alexis investigates on her own. Suddenly, she is not only a witness to a horrible crime but a victim in her own right. Going underground, she turns to the one person she can trust, investigative journalist Ryder Prescott, a childhood friend. Together, Ryder and Alexis work to solve a puzzle that crosses socioeconomic classes, political parties, and international borders.  
Embroiled in a global conspiracy that costs her the only family she has left, Alexis must decide how far she will go to defend truth and justice. Is she willing to sacrifice life, liberty and the possibility of love?  


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is now the third book I have read within a couple months that deals with the topic of human sex trafficking.  I have discovered that this is a real problem in our world, and it is thanks to books like this one.  I can only hope that with books like this being written that organizations who practice this horrible crime will be stopped.

This book was engaging from the beginning.  In fact, I honestly didn't think it could be about sex trafficking because these was nothing about that.  I thought I had possibly read the wrong synopsis.  I figured it would be a typical lawyer book.  And maybe have a little romance thrown in.

I will not give out spoilers, but this was a book that ends up being completely different than I expected it to be.  Yes, there was some profanity and some limited sex scenes, but the book was quite enthralling.  It was an easy read with a powerful message.

If you are a lover of romance, you will probably like this book because the romance is hot, heavy, and real!  Alexis and Ryder and hot in the bedroom (I almost didn't mind reading these scenes in spite of the moralistic implications).

Looking for mystery?  This book has that, too.  In fact, I think this book may just satisfy everyone's interest!  And most importantly, the book reminds us that we need to do what is right and remain true to who we are even when the circumstances are against us.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compesnated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.


Author Bio:

Jacquie Johnson fell in love with books on her mother’s knee. From Dr. Seuss to Carolyn Keene to L.M. Montgomery, she continued her affair until her teenage years when she began reading authors ranging from Tom Clancy to Nora Roberts to Johanna Lindsey. She’s still an avid reader but now carries an e-reader instead of a paperback in her purse. Mysteries and suspense are her favorite genres, but she enjoys romance, historical fiction, and non-fiction as well.  
She graduated from Harvard and Indiana University School of Law. After ten years practicing labor and employment law, she retired to homeschool her daughters. She lives in Northwest Indiana with her husband, three daughters, and a spoiled cocker spaniel named Princess. 

Contact Links:

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If you would like to read a guest post by the author and a guest post from the author, please clcik here.

Super Book Blast: "Healing Notes" by Maggie Jaimeson


BLURB:

Forgiving yourself is the first step, but helping others forgive may be just too hard.

Rachel Cullen grew up in Scotland with a fiddle in her hand from the age of four. She couldn't imagine life as anything but a musician. When her husband brought her to America she was immediately embraced by the Celtic and Bluegrass communities. But after her divorce, Rachel's life is a mess.

A year of trying to prove to herself that she's woman enough for any man, and then a vicious rape while on tour with the band, leaves Rachel reeling. When she meets Noel Kershaw, an English teacher who is poetry in motion, she is definitely attracted. But he has a young child and he's suffering from his own divorce. The last thing Rachel needs in life is more baggage.

First, Rachel must reconcile who she is, what she wants, and how to get there. Maybe then she'll know how to be a part of the family she's always wanted.

Excerpt:

As she reached for the handle, the door opened and a little girl rushed out, maybe six or seven years old, with beautiful long blond hair caught up in a blue denim bow.  She ran to a light blue sedan next to Rachel’s and giggled as she skipped through puddles circling the car. Rachel couldn’t help but smile at the child’s carefree innocence.

After three circles, the girl stopped at the back end of the car, cocked her head and waved two fingers at her. “Hi.”

“Um, hi.” Rachel raised her hand and waved back. “Did you forget somebody? Your mommy maybe?”

“Claire, I told you to stay close.”

At the sound of the tenor voice beside her, Rachel started.  A man three to four inches taller than her had stepped out. In one hand he held several colorful ribbons attached to a bright pink, heart-shaped helium balloon that read Happy Birthday. He looked toward the car where the child was still giggling.

The little girl raced back. Skidding to a stop in front of Rachel, they bumped and Rachel teetered slightly toward the wall.

“Careful there.” A weathered hand reached toward her and wrapped around her elbow. His touch was softer than she expected, but her knees still locked, ready to spring if she needed to move fast. He held her up with one hand. Deep brown eyes, emphasized by his full head of short, wavy blonde hair, looked at her then turned toward the girl.”

“Apologize, Claire. You almost knocked her over.”

“I’m sorry.” A small hand lifted to touch her other arm.

“That’s okay. Really.  I should have been paying more attention.” Rachel smiled and pointed to the balloon. “Latha breith.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, I…” She had lapsed into Gaelic.  Something she hadn’t done in public since Kavan left her almost three years ago. “I said ‘Happy Birthday.’”  

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Maggie Jaimeson writes romantic women’s fiction and romantic suspense with a near future twist. She describes herself as a wife, a step-mother, a sister, a daughter, a teacher and an IT administrator. By day she is “geek girl” – helping colleges to keep up with 21st century technology and provide distance learning options for students in rural areas. By night Maggie turns her thoughts to worlds she can control – worlds where bad guys get their comeuppance, women triumph over tragedy, and love can conquer all.

HEALING NOTES is the second book in the Sweetwater Canyon Series of four books.  The final two books will be available in 2013.

Facebook:
Twitter: @maggiejaimeson

 Maggie will award one autographed cover flat to a randomly drawn commenter at each blog stop.  In addition, she will award  a $25 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner's choice) as a grand prize to one randomly selected commenter on this tour, and a $25 gift certificate to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner's choice) to a randomly drawn host.  You must leave an email address to be entered into any of the drawings.

Follow the entire tour, and be sure to comment as often as you can to increase your chances of winning!






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