Friday, February 28, 2014

Time Out Classics Blog Tour



Welcome to the blog tour for a few Time Out Classics!

This tour is unique in that it covers 3 small books that are wonderful and inspiring words that can be read quickly. This allows for quick encouragement and teaching, and it also gives us a chance to read them over again and again. Trust me, you'll want to check these books out!

These books are written by various presenters from the Time Out for Women events series. For over 10 years this series has been inviting women to step away from their daily routine and make space for themselves and their spiritual lives. For more information, visit TOFW.com.



Habits of Happiness – Wendy Ulrich

When happiness doesn’t enter our days automatically, and when life isn’t going as planned, sometimes we are quick to equivocally gauge our overall happiness in life. In this book, filled with scientific research, practical advice and engaging anecdotes, Dr. Wendy Ulrich invites readers to look at happiness in a new way.



Making It Through the Middle – Emily Freeman

Life is full of challenges, and it’s easy to feel the end of our trials will never arrive. But is it the end we should be spending so much of our time focusing on? In this book, Emily Freeman shares six lessons, and various personal experiences to assist readers in staying strong when they are right in the middle of a hard time.


Everything I Need to Know I Learned at Home – John Bytheway

Sometimes the smallest phrases we use in everyday language can be eternal principles that get us through our lives. In this book, John Bytheway makes an inspiring and insightful connection between everyday phrases spoken at home and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ.


Habits of Happiness Review:

All of us want to be happy. This often proves harder than we think it should be though. In this book, Wendy Ulrich works to show us some simple ways to work on and maintain our happiness. By asking ourselves some simple question, we can use these steps to make a habit of being happy. As we give ourselves better perspective on things, we can work on thriving rather than just surviving.

This book may be small, but it's loaded with some amazing things. This is one of those books I'll probably need to read repeatedly just so I can truly absorb it all. The ideas are fairly simple, and that is the point. In order to make our lives happier, we must really work to simplify things. By working on very small steps, we can gradually make huge changes in our lives. That's not to say we'll he happy forever and nothing will bother us, but it does help us to keep a better perspective on things. If you want to be able to truly thrive in life, this short book is one to really read and work through.

Book provided for review.

Making It Through the Middle Review:

We all will have times of struggle and trial. However, so many times we hear stories of adversity from other, but they always focus on the end result. What about when we are in the middle of it all? This book gives helpful ideas for perspective and guidance while in the middle of our trials, so that we can focus on what we are dealing with now rather than what we hope is to come.

I loved this book! It really focused on some beautiful things. I agree that too many times we focus on our end rewards, when the fact is we aren't guaranteed things will work out the way we want. This book does a fantastic job of helping us to appreciate all the little parts of our struggle as we are in the middle of our trials. Some helpful hints like focusing on the small yet tender mercies we receive constantly will help us to center ourselves amid the chaos that can surround us. Another one of the things I loved was trying to take time to appreciate how far we have come. Even though things may still be bad, taking time to appreciate how things have improved will help to renew and strengthen us for the journey ahead. This is a great book to help you focus on the journey rather than the destination!

Book provided for review.

Everything I Need to Know I Learned at Home Review:

Home is a learning laboratory, but sometimes many of us feel like our words may not quite be as meaningful as we think. Well guess again. John Bytheway takes the time to go throw some very common lessons he learned in his home growing up and shows how those apply to a much broader context. From the simple to the profound, this book is truly proof that many great things are learned in the home.

I thought this was a great book. I often feel like I do repeat the same things to my son, wondering if anything is getting through to him. This book gives me great encouragement to keep going in the hopes that one day my son will be able to apply all the things I try to teach on a broader level in his life. It also allowed me the chance to reflect upon all the things I have been taught by my own parents, and I can see how these things can be used to help me in my life. I particularly enjoyed the breakdowns of those simple life lessons of cleaning your room and changing your attitude. I'm sure these are all things we heard many times growing up (and may repeat many times to our own children), but I never quite saw them in this way until now. For a good dose of fun, encouragement, and inspiration, this is the book for you.

Book provided for review.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop


Welcome to the Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop!





Time for my first big giveaway of 2014! I'm super excited to be starting a whole new year of blogging and books and fun! Ok, so I know it's almost the third month of the year, but it's still in the first quarter of the year, eh? Let's move on to the giveaway!





I'm offering up my usual of:



a $10 Amazon.com gift code or $10 in books from Book Depository!




Please check to ensure that Book Depository delivers to your country.

How do you enter?

Choose one or any or all of the following:
1. Follow on GFC or Linkyfollowers
2.  Follow on Twitter
3. Like on Facebook
4. Friend on Goodreads 



That's all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to check out all the other blogs on the hop. Thanks for stopping by and good luck!

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

A is for Abinadi Blog Tour

Welcome to the blog tour for A is for Abinadi by Heidi Poelman!




A is for apple but also for Abinadi! Teach your children about some of the greatest heroes in the scriptures with this beautifully illustrated alphabet book. They will love searching for items that represent each letter while they get to know heroes like Captain Moroni and Esther. Along with learning their ABCs, your children will learn to recognize and love these great Book of Mormon and Bible examples.

Meet the Author:
Heidi Poelman has always loved learning about inspiring people. In A is for Abinadi, she found a way to write about many of her favorites. Heidi received her degrees in communication from Brigham Young University (BA) and Wake Forest University (MA). When she’s not writing, cooking, cleaning, or carpooling, Heidi enjoys reading bedtime stories and going on outdoor adventures with her family. She lives in Utah with her husband and three children.

Review:
As parents we often work hard to give our children a well-rounded education. One of the first steps is learning  the alphabet, and this book manages to do that in a fun way! Much like a secular alphabet book, this book manages to take the alphabet and apply Bible and Book of Mormon characters or events to each letter. It's a fun way to expose our children to stories we are familiar with while teaching them some basic things in the process.

I love the drawings! Illustrator Jason Pruett has done a wonderful job of making the pictures both explanatory and fun. Kids (or at least my kid) will be drawn to the colors and pictures. I also love that the stories for each letter are fairly short. This would be an excellent way to do very short gospel lessons for young children. It gives them somethings to focus on, the letter and picture, while getting a short and age-appropriate lesson. This would also be a great book for times when you need to keep a child quiet. This is a wonderful and fun book that many children will enjoy!

Book provided for review.

Be sure to check out all the stops on the tour!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Podium Finish Blog Tour

Podium Finish

Welcome to the blog tour for Podium Finish by Beth Pond!


With six months until the Olympic Games, seventeen-year-old Harper’s life is pretty much perfect. She’s fighting for the starting spot on Team USA Women’s Hockey, and for the first time ever, she has a crush on a guy who likes her back. She feels like the luckiest girl in the world, until she runs a risky play at practice and breaks her knee, thereby sentencing herself to six weeks in a cast and possibly ending her Olympic dream before it even starts.
For seventeen-year-old Alex, being anything less than the best is unacceptable. That’s why, after a miserable debut season at the senior level, the former junior national singles champion switches to ice dance. Her skating partner, Ace, is an “all skating all the time” type of guy, which would be fine, if he’d stop keeping secrets about the real reason he and his former partner broke up. Now is not the time for second thoughts, but how can Alex skate her best if she can’t trust her partner…or herself?
As the pressure to make the Olympic team builds, the girls must rely on each other, because if there’s one thing they both know, it’s that the only thing harder than skating to the top is staying there.

Author Beth Pond
Beth Pond graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Hendrix College in 2012. In 2013, she taught in South Africa for 9 months as part of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Grant. Pond is currently completing her coursework at the University of British Columbia’s Creative Writing MFA program. Her debut novel, Podium Finish, was released from Astraea Press in November 2013. When she’s not writing, Pond enjoys martial arts (she’s a black belt) and serving as a volunteer coach for her brother’s special needs baseball team.

Review:
Alex and Harper are roommates at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado, both aiming for the upcoming winter games. Harper is a hardcore hockey girl, while Alex recently switched from freestyle to dance in figure skating. Both of them are going to have to overcome some major obstacles if they want to live their Olympic dreams. Harper breaks her knee in a freak accident while Alex is dealing with a secretive partner and an overbearing father/manager. These two girls are determined to make their hard work payoff no matter what they have to do. 

I am a major Olympic fangirl, so I was super excited to read this book. It was definitely a fun read. Harper and Alex are very different characters, but you always feel that they would be friends. They help to draw out the best in each other, and you can see how each one drew from the other to help them with their problems. Harper has a fun romance with a short track speed skater, and Alex manages to navigate her sometimes silent ice dance partner. This book gives a real feel for the dedication and hard work that both sports require. I could almost feel my heart pounding as I was waiting for results with Alex or watching for the puck to enter the goal with Harper. To be able to bring these feelings through words takes real skill.

In interest of full disclosure, I am an adult figure skater, so I know a fair bit about that world. There were a few details of that storyline that kind of drew me out of the story, however unless you are very knowledgeable about figure skating it won't bother you. It was just stuff like wondering if Alex had been testing dance while she was testing freestyle because I'm not sure how you could do every dance test needed to compete senior international that quickly. See, not going to matter to most people. Overall though I really loved the book. It was a super quick read for me, and I didn't want to put it down. I really got into the spirit of it all, and now I'm just counting down the days until the opening ceremonies. If you love sports and friendship, check this book out!

Book provided for review.
Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 2/9/14
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Tale Spins Blog Tour


tale spins tour

Welcome to the blog tour for Tale Spins by Michael Mullin!

tale spins banner

tale spins

A trilogy of alternative fairytales and retellings. Discover the real Snow White story through the eyes of Creepy, the unknown 8th dwarf! Meet a teen princess who hires "The Frog Prince" witch to get revenge on a Mean Girl at school! And learn how the giant, boy thief and magic beans tale truly went down!  



mike mullin
Author Michael Mullin

Michael Mullin is a native New Englander living in Pasadena. He is the author of TaleSpins, a trilogy of alternative fairy tales and retellings for YA readers. TaleSpins stories (in the 1-book collection) are "8: The Previously Untold Story of the Previously Unknown 8th Dwarf"; "The Plight and Plot of Princess Penny"; and "Jack'd". Michael is also the co-author of the successful "Larry Gets Lost" children's book series. His screenplay "Zooing Time" was recognized by the WGA's Written By magazine. Before all this writing, he taught preschool and college, two positions he found disconcertingly similar.


Review: 

Fairy tales are always familiar to almost everyone, but sometimes there's another side to the story. This book contains three respins of old stories. One gives the perspective of the Snow White story through the previously unknown 8th dwarf. TALK ABOUT OTHER 2 HERE.

I previously reviewed 8: The Previously Untold Story of the Previously Unknown 8th Dwarf, so I won't talk about that one here. The Plight and Plot of Princess Penny tells the story of Princess Penny, and girl who is mocked and teased by a former friend. Penny takes matters into her own hands by seeking out a witch to cause problems for her bully. A troll under the bridge though may makes things difficult for Penny. This story was cute and had a good message. Penny has real problems, but she tries to deal with them by attempting to get revenge. Also, she learns not to just judge things by how they look. Very fun while still making you think a bit.

Jack'd takes a whole new look at Jack and the Beanstalk. There are lies, misdirections, and backroom deals. This story switches back and forth between perspectives, so you get to see the whole thing two different ways. There's an interesting twist that I didn't see coming, and it gives you a fresh look at a story that most people know very well. All these stories are written in rhyming verse, so they read almost like a children's book. However they are geared for slightly older audiences I think. They are fun ways to get fresh takes on old stories. Check them out!

Book provided for review.


  Tour Giveaways Giveaway #1 - Open to US only

Mike Mullin Giveaway


  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway #2
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 1/21/14
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Kirby Puckernut Blog Tour

Kirby Tour
Tour Schedule

Welcome to the blog tour for Kirby Puckernut and the Christmas Surprise by Alicia Richardson!

kirby puckernut

Kirby Puckernut is Santa’s cleverest little elf. While dreaming up marvelous toys for good girls and boys, Kirby has his best idea yet – a real elf in every home, all through the holidays, spreading Christmas Magic Santa finds the perfect family and allows Kirby to serve as the test elf for the first momentous visit. Fun and adventure are at every turn, but not everything goes as planned… Will Kirby’s idea be a success.  

Peek Inside
Kirby Book

 

Alicia

About the Author

Author Alicia Richardson has created a new Christmas classic with her children’s book, Kirby Puckernut and the Christmas Surprise. Alicia Richardson resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and four children. She has always had a flair for storytelling, and has given life to a special little elf named Kirby Puckernut.

  Tour Giveaways

  Giveaway#1
Kirby Elf
5 winners will each recieve a copy of Kirby Puckernut and the Christmas Suprise + Kirby Elf
Open to US Only
Ends 12/31/13

  a Rafflecopter giveaway    

 Giveaway #2
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 12/31/13  
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Spellfire Blog Tour

spell fire tour

Welcome to the blog tour for Spellfire by Ariella Moon!

Spell Fire

New school. New friends. New reputation. High school sophomore Ainslie Avalon-Bennett works hard to hide her Crazy Girl past. But as long as her best friend’s disappearance remains unsolved, she can’t shake the depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder that once landed her in a mental ward.   Ainslie’s tenuous control over her life shatters when her warring parents ditch her at Christmas. While they take a cruise to “work things out,” Ainslie must spend the holiday in Palm Springs with her aunt and uncle, owners of a struggling Mystery School and occult store. Plunged into the world of fire fortunes, dragons, entity eaters, and an ailing spell book, Ainslie is well beyond her comfort zone. Then she meets a boy who spikes her pulse and calms her OCD. But will she lose him once he discovers her past? Or will his deadly secret, hidden in plain view, be their undoing?

amazon blog Barnes and Noble
ariella
Author Ariella Moon

Ariella Moon writes about magic, friendship, secrets, and love in her Young Adult novels, Spell Check, Spell Struck, and Spell Fire, Books 1, 2, & 3 in The Teen Wytche Saga. Ariella spent her childhood searching for a magical wardrobe that would transport her to Narnia. Extreme math anxiety, and taller students who mistook her for a leaning post, marred Ariella’s teen years. Despite these horrors, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at Davis. An author and shaman, she now lives a nearly normal life with her extraordinary daughter, shamelessly spoiled dog, and an enormous dragon.  

Social Media Website Social Media Blog Social Media Facebook Social Media Goodreads

Excerpt:

Thor shifted position, and his knee grazed my leg. A tingle skyrocketed up my thigh. "What about you?" he asked. "Harboring any secret talents?"

Does obsessive hand washing and dragon melding count?" Just amazing accuracy with throwing stars."

Thor blinked and his head jerked. "Get out of here! Aren't they illegal?"


"Sort of." My stomach grew queasy at the thought of doing a year in prison. 

"I'm shocked." Thor massaged a spot behind and below his left ear. 

One. Two. Three. Four. His outdoorsy tan had retreated behind an ashen pallor and sweat droplets glistened along his hairline. My worry meter cranked on. The throwing stars shocked him? How would he feel about my stint in the lockdown ward?

Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 12/31/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway