Snow Day - Giveaway and Review

Peter Boyd is your typical family man. He works hard to support his family of four living in a small Virginia town nestled against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Peter learns from a company wide memo that "Exciting Announcement!!!" is taking place tomorrow even though through the union grapevine there is speculation that is means lay offs. This just weeks before Christmas.

How does a man get through the day, wondering how he is going to provide for his family when in this economy, jobs are hard to come by. Especially a job that he's been at for some time and is making enough to support his family pretty well. In this day in age where jobs are a dime a dozen. Peter decides when he woke up that morning and found out that the weather man was wrong big time, that he too, could afford to take a "Snow Day", and just enjoy this one day while things in his life were still the way he left them last night.

Little did Peter realize how God would play out in a variety of roles through various people, Peter would encounter that day, to show him just what is really important in life and that worrying about them changes nothing. Peter's life on this day will never be the same but profoundly changed forever by an unexpected snow fall.

In his debut novel, Billy Coffey once more takes his readers on a magic journey into the various lives of the people we will meet through Peter Boyd and the need to venture out in search of "bread and milk" for his family and neighbors in "Snow Day"! At the conclusion of each chapter, Peter reflects what the purpose of his encounter means to him and this is where we catch our "Billyisms" or pieces of wonderful wisdom that embed themselves in your heart!

If you haven't heard of Billy Coffey, then you have been missing out of one of the finest writers that is guaranteed to not only touch your heart, but change your life forever by the words he uses to take us on the ride of our lives. I've known Billy Coffey for quite some time as a writer who was hoping one day to share his love of story-telling on his blog, "What I Learned Today" and have a book published. For all of us who have believed that Billy Coffey was a star just waiting to be discovered, this diamond is truly shining in his first book.

His down home charm and virtual porch allows the readers to share a piece of Billy's heart as he shares his personal story through the life of Peter Boyd. This is by far one of the best books I have read to date and once I had the opportunity to review it, I knew I had received a true gift.

I received Snow Day compliments of Hachette Book Group for my honest review and for me this one rates off the scale. It's worthy of 10 stars! For more information on this book, the amazing and talented Billy Coffey, and where to purchase a copy of this life changing book and read an excerpt, click on the title below:

Snow Day

You can also visit his website at http://billycoffey.com and sign up to follow his blog and his writings every day. I also did an interview with Billy Coffey back in August 2009, click here to take you back in time and read what an incredible man he is!!!

The wonderful people at Hachette Book Groups is offering 3 copies of this book to lucky winners of this blog. Here are your guidelines to enter:

1. You must be a follower of this blog.

2. Stop by Billy's website and congratulate him today on his book debut.

3. Join Billy's blog, "What I Learned Today",because I know once you sign up, you'll be completely hooked and you won't want to miss out on his stories.

4. Must be a resident of the US or Canada and please No P.O. Boxes.

5. I need a way to contact you if you are one of the lucky winners, so please include an email address with your comment. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols. The giveaway ends on Oct 19th.

6. Leave me a comment and tell me why you'd love to win a copy of Billy's book on my book review blog, Reviews From The Heart.

Again, congratulations Billy Coffey, we just knew you'd do it!!! Bright Lites will never be the same again!!!

Babushka's Beauty Secrets

Esthetician to the stars Raisa Ruder learned her time-tested beauty techniques from her Ukrainian grandmother or babushka, as they say in the old country. Now everyone can discover the all-natural, better-than-Botox secrets the Hollywood stars use to shine on the red carpet!

Ruder reveals her sought-after beauty recipes that can fight wrinkles, plump lips, and eliminate crow's feet and acne, using inexpensive, everyday grocery items like eggs, honey, vegetable oil, and strawberries (and a splash of vodka for freshness!). At last, by popular demand, Raisa Ruder open her babushka's secret pantry and share her most amazing and effective beauty advice:

• Skin-saving souffles - whipped-up wonders that shrink pores, brighten the complexion, and diminish lines.

• Must-have mustard wrap - an invigorating treatment that smoothes the thighs and reduces the appearance of cellulite.

• Hot hair - a cayenne pepper blend that leaves locks silky soft and full.

• Pedi pure - a soothing, smoothing foot scrub made with vitamin E and lavender oil.

• Lustrous lashes - a simple castor oil serum that thickens and lengthens.

• Perfect pucker - a moisturizing mask to light up your lips.

• And much more. (excerpt from back cover).

My Review:

It's taken me awhile to post this review, not because the book has so many great and simple recipes to use, but because my oldest teenage daughter and her friends have been experimenting with this book and they absolutely love the ideas contained within the pages.

The recipes are simple, inexpensive and enable most of us to jump right in with most of the ingredients right from our own pantries and kitchens. There are tips for making a sun burn balm that takes the heat and sting out of the burn, ingrown hairs, brown spots, age spots, self tanners, dry hair, calluses, oily skin, eye make up remover, and the list goes on and on.

One such example for dark circles and bag under the eyes. Here is what Raisa had to say:

Potatoes were my grandmothers thing. She loved to eat them and use them to remove dark circles and puffiness. The skin around and under the eyes is the thinnest and most sensitive on the entire body. Puffiness under (or above) the eyes is quite common. Sliced potatoes work wonders for puffiness and dark circles. To banish bags, simply put on a potato and poof...the puffiness is gone.

Ingredients
1 Potato
1 Tablespoon Vitamin E

Here is the brilliant part of this recipe - there is no cooking involved (but don't get used to it!). Wash the potato well. Cut two 1/8-inch slices from the middle (save the rest for the next several nights). Apply one on top of each eye for 20 minutes. Remove the potatoes and apply vitamin E in a circular motion around and under the eyes. Total time 2 minutes.

Not only that but the book gives tips on creating your own day spa at home right down to candles and music and food ideas. What a great way to celebrate a baby shower or bridal shower for the girls or even for your own family as well.

I received the book, Babushka's Beauty Secrets, Old World Tips For A Glamorous New You by Raisa Ruder and Susan Campos compliments of Hachette Book Groups. It's a definite must have. Just think of all the money you will save making your own remedies versus buying store brand name products filled with chemicals. These are all natural and organic! This book is available in hardcover and eBook formats!

For more information on this book, the author and where you can pick up a copy for yourself or as a gift, click on the link below:

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780446555869.htm

I am giving away three copies of this book, courtesy of Hachette Book Groups by clicking here to enter my giveaway, simply tell me what are hoping to learn more about. Remember click here to enter.

Broken Giveaway!

So this is how it ends.

Staring at a stranger, blood on your hands, silence coating the house.

Everything has led up to this. This, here and now. This empty waste. This utter disappointment. This predictable conclusion.

You taste blood on your tongue from the cut on your lip. Crimson smears the pale satin.

Amazing how your hands remain calm. Unshaking, unwavering, even after what they've done.

Somewhere not far away is a gun that fired two bullets, the second doing its job. Somewhere a voice gently, quietly tells you what needs to happen.

You need to find the gun, Laila.

Those eyes staring at you. You've seen them before, somewhere else, many times before.

You need to clean up and find the gun.

For a moment, the water underneath your hands pours out. So steady, so seamless.

And then it gently caresses.

You wince.

Hard as you try, tears don't come.

You stare at the stranger in the mirror, wondering where childhood disappeared to, wondering where those hopeful eyes wandered off.

Clean up and get in there, then get out.

The faucet flows, and the slight stains of blood that are not yours drip over the ceramic.

For a moment you glance into the bedroom. A room you've never been in before today.

A dead body crumpled on the floor. Seconds counting before the silence ends and more men come.

You look at this stranger and know.

This is where it ends.

This is where it all stops.

Turning off the water, you step out and start your life all over again...(excerpt from pg 1-2)

In the book, Broken by Travis Thrasher, you meet Laila, a girl that had it all - love, family, wealth and faith. But when her faith crumbles, her world falls apart and Laila finds herself living in an empty, dangerous life as a call girl in Chicago.

Yet when she is threatened, Laila shoots and kills a client in self defense sending her on the run and haunted by her past. When she is approached by a stranger who says he knows what she did, she has no choice but to keep on running.

Scared and wandering, will Laila regain her trust in God to protect her from these demons? Or will her plea for salvation come too late?

I was provided with these amazing Christians suspense thriller compliments of Hachette Book Groups, Faith Words division to review. Again, along the lines of Stephen King, you find yourself transported by to New Orleans with Laila as she outruns the past and the voodoo that surrounds the town itself. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery thrillers based in Christian faith, then this is a must read for you.

For more information on this book, the author and where you can purchase a copy, please click on the link below:

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780446505550.htm

For those of you interested in another book giveaway, I am going to give away three copies of this book. To enter you must be a follower of my blog and leave me a comment of what interests you most about this book! The giveaway ends on May 27th.

Worst Case

The son of one of New York’s wealthiest families is snatched off the street and held hostage. His parents can’t save him, because this kidnapper isn’t demanding money. Instead, he quizzes his prisoner on the price others pay for his life of luxury. In this exam, wrong answers are fatal.

Detective Michael Bennett leads the investigation. With ten kids of his own, he can’t begin to understand what could lead someone to target anyone’s children. As another student disappears, another powerful family uses their leverage and connections to turn up the heat on the mayor, the press – anyone who will listen – to stop this killer. Their reach extends all the way to the FBI, which sends its top Abduction Specialist, Agent Emily Parker. Bennett’s life – and love life – suddenly get more complicated.

Before Bennett has a chance to protest the FBI’s intrusion on his case, the mastermind changes his routine. His plan lead up to the most devastating demonstration yet – one that could bring cataclysmic ruin to every inch of New York City.

The Worst Case by James Patterson is another great detective book. It really deals with the work of a serial killer who is set on kidnapping the children of the powerful and wealthy in New York. Michael Bennett finds himself paired with FBI Agent Emily Parker in their search to try and locate these kids before they are killed or the media turns this into a three ring circus with Bennett and Parker in the center ring.

The only downside I have for this review is the amount of profane language throughout the book. I think this book could have made it’s point without the excessive use of the profanity. It is used to demonstrate the roles of the characters played by the police force in New York city and the street thugs that they find themselves dealing with.

I received this book compliments of Hachette Book Groups, Little, Brown Division and aside from the language I thought the book was amazing!

If you would like more information about this book or the author and where to purchase your copy, please click on the link below:

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780316055703.htm

The Bride Collector!

FBI Special agent Brad Raines is facing his toughest case yet. A Denver serial killer has killed four beautiful young women, leaving a bridal veil at each crime scene, and he's picking up his pace. Unable to crack the case, Raines appeals for help from a most unusual source: residents of the Center for Wellness and Intelligence, a private psychiatric institution for mentally ill individuals whose are extraordinarily gifted.

It's there that he meets Paradise, a young woman who witnessed her father murder her family and barely escaped his hand. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Paradise may also have an extrasensory gift: the ability to experience the final moments of a person's life when she touches the dead body.

In a desperate attempt to find the killer, Raines enlists Paradise's help. In an effort to win her trust, he befriends this strange young woman and begins to see in her qualities that most 'sane people' sorely lack. Gradually, he starts to question whether sanity resides outside the hospital walls...or inside.

As the Bride Collector picks up the pace-and volume-of his gruesome crucifixions, the case becomes even more personal to Raines when his friend and colleague, a beautiful young forensic psychologist, becomes the Bride Collector's next target.

The FBI believes that the killer plans to murder seven women. Can Paradise help before it's too late?

The Bride Collector By Ted Dekker, rates right up there with authors like Stephen King and James Patterson. I have been a fan of his work since he collaborated with some of my favorite Christian authors like Frank Peretti. Yes, this is a Christian thriller/suspense fiction. I have to highly recommend this book because it literally kept me glued to the last page and even though the premise is spelled out for you in the beginning, the ending was definitely not expected. I have had the opportunity to review House and Green for those of you that are looking for more great titles from Ted Dekker!

I have received this book, compliments of Hachette Book Group and if you would like more information about this book or where to purchase your copy, click on the link below:

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9781599951966.htm

Great News: I am able to provide 2 copies of this book to 2 lucky winners. Simply tell me who your favorite Christian author and book is. The giveaway will end on May 13th. Trust me, once you read Ted's books, you'll be sold on his work!

9th Judgement Giveaway

Detective Lindsay Boxer chases a jewel thief, a murderous movie star, and a killer with a vendetta against women and children.

The Most Personal – A young mother and her infant child are ruthlessly gunned down while returning to their car in the garage of a shopping mall. There are no witnesses, and Detective Lindsay Boxer is left with only one shred of evidence; a cryptic message scrawled across the windshield in bloodred lipstick.

The Most Dangerous – The same night, the wife of an A-list actor Marcus Dowling is woken by a cat burgular who is about to steal millions of dollars’ worth of precious jewels. In just seconds there is a nearly empty safe, a lifeless body, and another mystery that throws San Francisco into hysteria.

In the book, 9^th Judgement by James Patterson, you find yourself in the perfect blend between CSI and Criminal Minds while deciding if the two cases are separate or the same killer. I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book by Hachette Book Groups to review and again, being a fan of this genre, I loved it and would recommend this book for anyone who loves crime and mystery fiction.

If you would like to know more about this book and where to obtain a copy for you to purchase, please click on the link below.

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780316036276.htm

I have the special privilege of providing two copies of this great book, simply be a follower of mine and tell me what your favorite crime or mystery show in the comment section. The giveaway will end on May 1, 2010

Green Like God Giveaway, For Earth Day!

We have all heard about it, global warming, green house gases, An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore, and so much more but what does it mean for the Christian believer. What does the Bible say about environmentalism and being an environmentalist, a recycler or even a tree hugger? Does it say anything at all about any of this or will God supply all our needs regardless of what we do in the here and now?

With Earth Day occurring today, what should we as believers of Jesus Christ be doing if anything? The answer might surprise you as much as it did for me!

Scripture says that God is “loving toward all he has made”(Psalm 145:17). As Christians we must love what God loves. Genesis 2:15 tells us why God placed humans in a garden – so we would “work it and take care of it.” Other translations render that phrase, “ cultivate it and keep it” (NASB), “Tend over it and watch over it”(NLT), “Work it and keep it” (ESV), “Take care of it and look after it” (CEV), “Work it and watch over it” (HCSB), “Work the ground and keep it in order”(MSG). Therefore, God’s command for us, is to be good stewards of the things He has created and left us in charge of it.

Humans are created by the Creator to care for His creation, Genesis 3:23, “ So the Lord God forced Adam out of the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.” (NCV)

So with this basis for scripture, we, as believers, must take care of what God has given to us, like our children, our spouses, our homes, and our Earth. We can not think of it as something God will replenish as we use it up. There was a reason in the Old Testament when God told the Israelites to wait a year after every 6 years of crop growing to allow the ground time to heal. We no longer do that and thus are wondering just what is going wrong with our Earth when it no longer produces for us.



The book, Green like God, by Jonathan Merritt, gives the most compelling arguments for Christians to step up and lead people on how to care for what God has given all of us. He will bless us when we do and curse us when we don’t.

I received a complimentary copy of this book to review by Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups. It is wonderful because it answers the question of what do believers need to be doing to take care of our world and I would highly recommend this book.

If you would like to know more about this book and even where to purchase a copy of this book, click on the link below.

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780446557252.htm

For three lucky followers of mine, I will be drawing three names on April 30th, to win an amazing copy of this book! Winners must have a shipping address within the United States or Canada only and No P.O. Boxes! I must have a way to reach you so please provide me with an email address if it’s not linked to your account.

Mommy Power Giveaway and Review!

Ever wonder how some moms seem to do it all? They attend numerous sporting events, practices, music recitals, dances, church functions, fund raising, parent/teacher conferences, volunteer at multiple charity functions, working a full or part time job, managing to transport their kids to not only school but all these after school activities, manage a home, and still have time left in the day to be a wife and mom?

We all know women like this or even at times become frustrated with ourselves when we can make it to the model of what we believe every mom should be, a Super Mom! In the book, Mommy Power, Discovering Your Mommy Strength by Dr. Shelia Schuller Coleman, she walks you through her own life of being a mom of 4 very active boys. How she has handled all those very things mentioned above and yet still come through with flying colors. The main focus behind it all is you can’t do anything without God’s help. You learn that as she takes you through many things from setting guidelines for your children, managing sickness, and handling extra curricular activities for kids and even how to give yourself a “time out”.

The best part about the book besides all the great stories is the scripture reference section at the end that provides scripture to strengthen you, for forgiveness and even to make you stronger in love.

I received this beautiful complimentary book to review by Faith Words, a division of the Hachette Book Group and think it’s a must have for any mom, grandmother or soon to be mom to have as part of their permanent library. If you would like more information about this book and where to purchase a copy, please click on the link below:

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780446545402.htm

The best part of this just in time for Mother’s Day is that I am going to give away three copies of this book to anyone leaving me a comment. This giveaway is open to those living in the US and Canada only. No P.O. Boxes please. I must have a way to get in touch with you. The giveaway will end on April 17th.

Love Will Keep Us Together Giveaway!

Riley McGee finds herself like all emerging seniors about to tackle the decision of just what one does upon her high school graduation with so many choices ahead of her. She is one in a group of four known as the Miracle Girls. Being in their senior year, each of them is planning on their future college choices, but will they move away to the colleges of their choosing or will they remain together at the same college and keep the love that has held them together in their high school years in their future.

For them, the choices are easy, yet Riley is struggling with decisions she can’t come to terms with so who can she talk to, her youth pastor, her parents who are hung up on her attending Harvard, or her boyfriend Tom who always seems to have just the right thing to say when she needs to hear it most.

Yet in the midst of it all Riley eventually realizes through her faith in God that some decisions in life are difficult and life changing and some are easier to make than she thought.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of the book Love Will Keep Us Together by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt, as part of the Miracle Girls Novels to review for Hachette Book Groups.

This is a heart-wrenching book with valuable insights for young teen girls on how to manage the choices you are likely to face in your senior year at high school. It deals with relationships involving parents, families, church and the occasional boy as well as how to do what your heart is really calling you to do despite what everyone else wants for you. Guess you’ll have to buy the book to find out what Riley ultimately chooses and it’s not what you would guess.

For more information on this book and where to purchase a copy, click on the link below.

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780446407588.htm


For 3 lucky readers of my blog, I will be giving out copies of this amazing book. All you need to do is leave me a comment! It’s that simple. This book is perfect for teens and up!
I will need to have a way to contact the winners, so please make sure to include your email if it’s not linked to your blog. This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada only and No P.O. Boxes please.

This giveaway will end on April 16th.

Giveaway ~ The Wife's Tale

On the eve of their Silver Anniversary, Mary Gooch is waiting for her husband Jimmy--still every inch the handsome star athlete he was in high school--to come home. As night turns to day, it becomes frighteningly clear to Mary that he is gone. Through the years, disappointment and worry have brought Mary's life to a standstill, and she has let her universe shrink to the well-worn path from the bedroom to the refrigerator. But her husband's disappearance startles her out of her inertia, and she begins a desperate search.

For the first time in her life, she boards a plane and flies across the country to find her lost husband. So used to hiding from the world, Mary finds that in the bright sun and broad vistas of California, she is forced to look up from the pavement. And what she finds fills her with inner strength she's never felt before. Through it all, Mary not only finds kindred spirits, but reunites with a more intimate stranger no longer sequestered by fear and habit: herself.

I had the wonderful opportunity to receive this book, The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens, compliments of Hachette Book Groups to review. I was hooked from the turning of the first page. You live you life with Mary as she struggles to understand the complexity of what she has done to her life and how she is going to move forward. Not knowing if her husband, who she refers to as the Gooch, is going to come home, Mary has some tough decisions that she must begin to make one step at a time.

If you would like to know more about the book and where to purchase a copy, please click on the link below.

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780316069311.htm

I am going to host this amazing giveaway once more compliments of Hachette Book Group and if you want a copy of this book, I am going to give away 5 of them by simply leaving me a comment below. This giveaway is for residents of the US and Canada only and no P.O. Boxes please. I must have a way to reach you so please leave your email if it’s not linked to your blog.

The giveaway will end on April 9th.

Lunch In Paris?

Ever wonder what would happen if you mixed Julia Child and the movie, “Under the Tuscan Sun” together? You would have, the book I just finished reading called Lunch In Paris By Elizabeth Bard!

In Paris for a weekend visit, Elizabeth Bard sat down for lunch with a handsome Frenchman – and never went home again.

Was it love at first sight? Or was it the way her knife slid effortlessly through her pave’ au poivre, the steak’s pink juices puddling in the buttery pepper sauce? Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard, is a memoir abut a young American woman caught up in two passionate love affairs – one with her new beau, Gwendal, the other with French cuisine. After packing her bags to begin a new life in the most romantic of cities, Bard is plunged into a world of bustling open-air markets, hipster bistros, and size-two femmes fatales.

She learns how to gut a fish (with a little help from Jane Austen) and soothe pangs of homesickness (with the rise of a chocolate souffle’) and she develops a crush on her local butcher (who bears a striking resemblance to Matt Dillon).



This book is an amazing read for anyone who has longed for the desire to just pick up, leave and move to Paris! Woven wonderfully at the end of each chapter are the most amazing recipes of everything from appetizers to main courses, to “death by chocolate” desserts! What more could woman ask for a cook book and love story all in one!

I received this complimentary amazing book courtesy of Hachette Book Groups to review. If you would love to know more about this book, the author or even where to purchase a copy of this heartwarming book, simply click on the link below.

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780316042789.htm

The best part about this is I get to provide 5 of my readers with a copy of this wonderful book. Here are my guidelines for this giveaway.

1. You must be a follower. How else will you learn about these amazing giveaway offers? Leave that as a separate comment for one chance to enter!

2. Leave me a comment telling me about your favorite place to just up and leave and want to live there. This gets you entry number 2!

3. Spread the word and tell others about this giveaway and I will give you extra entry for 3 chances to win.

The giveaway is for US and Canada residents only and NO P.O. Boxes please. I must have a way to reach you so please leave me an email address if you don’t have one linked to your blog. The giveaway will go for one week and will end on March 30th!

Trust me this is the perfect book to read over Spring Break, summer vacation or while you are having your favorite Starbucks beverage and croissant!

Heart of My Heart Giveaway and Review

“Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink” ~ Colossians 2:16

This verse is helpful in knowing where God stands on issues about food and drink. Teaching children from an early age that the body is the temple of the Lord is imperative. This matters from a standpoint of sexuality, when they will endure pressure to go too far. This matters when they have to decide whether or not to accept the beer at the party, and possibly drive home. This matters when young girls are overwhelmed by the pressure to be thin and take drastic, unhealthy measures to wither away.

When we allow public opinion to be the judge of what we eat and drink, then we have made an idol out of our peers. Idolatry is not God’s favorite. It isn’t even so much about an issue of rebelling against parents as it is about blatantly ignoring God, and no one throughout the entire Bible ever fared well by doing this. When we harm our temples, we hurt Him. Remember when Jesus got so angry at the people who were treating the temple like a marketplace and He started yelling and flipping tables upside down? Enough said.

We have to talk to our kids, keep the conversation continuous and open, and pray with them through the tough spots. And if it becomes too much to bear, we have to be prepared to help them find respite in a safer spot someplace else.

This is just one beautiful example of one of the 365 devotions that lie within this book Heart of My Heart ~ 365 Reflections on the Magnitude and Meaning of Motherhood by Kristin Armstrong. It is a 5 by 7, hardcover book that would be the perfect gift for any mom. These are beautifully laid out by each date and make it simple enough to reflect on God’s word each day.

I received a complimentary copy of this book to review by Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups. I highly recommend this book to any mother and what a perfect gift for a birthday, anniversary or even Mother’s Day!

For more information about this book and where to receive your copy, please click on the link below.
“Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink” ~ Colossians 2:16

This verse is helpful in knowing where God stands on issues about food and drink. Teaching children from an early age that the body is the temple of the Lord is imperative. This matters from a standpoint of sexuality, when they will endure pressure to go too far. This matters when they have to decide whether or not to accept the beer at the party, and possibly drive home. This matters when young girls are overwhelmed by the pressure to be thin and take drastic, unhealthy measures to wither away.

When we allow public opinion to be the judge of what we eat and drink, then we have made an idol out of our peers. Idolatry is not God’s favorite. It isn’t even so much about an issue of rebelling against parents as it is about blatantly ignoring God, and no one throughout the entire Bible ever fared well by doing this. When we harm our temples, we hurt Him. Remember when Jesus got so angry at the people who were treating the temple like a marketplace and He started yelling and flipping tables upside down? Enough said.

We have to talk to our kids, keep the conversation continuous and open, and pray with them through the tough spots. And if it becomes too much to bear, we have to be prepared to help them find respite in a safer spot someplace else.

This is just one beautiful example of one of the 365 devotions that lie within this book Heart of My Heart ~ 365 Reflections on the Magnitude and Meaning of Motherhood. It is a 5 by 7, hardcover book that would be the perfect gift for any mom. These are beautifully laid out by each date and make it simple enough to reflect on God’s word each day.

I received a complimentary copy of this book to review by Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups. I highly recommend this book to any mother and what a perfect gift for a birthday, anniversary or even Mother’s Day!

For more information about this book and where to receive your copy, please click on the link below.
http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780446561693.htm

For this book giveaway, I am going to be giving away 3 copies of this book to some amazing winners that live in the US and Canada only. No P.O. Boxes.

To enter, you must:

1. Be a follower of my blog.
2. Leave me a comment and tell me why you would like to win a copy of this book!

I will be choosing the winners on Wednesday, March 24th just prior to my surgery, to bless and thank you my amazing family of readers!


For this book giveaway, I am going to be giving away 3 copies of this book to some amazing winners that live in the US and Canada only. No P.O. Boxes.

To enter, you must:

1. Be a follower of my blog.
2. Leave me a comment and tell me why you would like to win a copy of this book!

I will be choosing the winners on Wednesday, March 24th just prior to my surgery, to bless and thank you my amazing family of readers!

The Language God Talks On Science and Religion By Herman Wouk's

When mankind first left the earth I was there. A friendly National Geographic executive invited me to witness the liftoff of Apollo 11 from Cape Canaveral on July 16, 1969, a day when the Cape buzzed with the powerful and the famous.

How different it was to watch an Apollo launch at the Cape, rather than on TV! No warm-voiced avuncular Walter Cronkite on the small screen, no space-suited astronaunts going off to their fate with waves and smiles, no close-ups of the towering snowy Saturn V shaft wisping vapor, no clueless interviewers killing time by badgering scientists and engineers. None of that, just a long wait under a baking Florida sun on a wooden bench in a crowded stand; the rocket gleaming white and diminutive at a safe distance, Mission Control droning from a loudspeaker overhead: “Five…four…three…two…one…We have ignition!”

And that was it!

The Language of God by Herman Wouk’s is his gem on navigating the divide between science and religion. In one rich, compact volume, Wouk draws on stories from his life as well as on key events from the twentieth centry to address the eternal questions of why are we here, what purpose faith serves, and how scientific fact fits into the picture.

He relates wonderful conversations he’s had with scientists such as Feynman, Murray Gell-Mann, Freeman Dyson, and Steven Weinberg, and brings to life such pivotal moments as the 1969 moon landing and the Challenger disaster.

I received a complimentary copy of this book to review from Hachette Book Groups. I found this book at times challenging because I don’t really have a scientific mind, so there are times when my attention was lost in some of the details pertaining to science facts or mathematical calculations, however overall I found the book enjoyable. I learned what it was like first hand to witness the launching of the Hubble Telescope and the science race through the eyes of Mr. Wouk.

I would recommend this book to anyone with a deep love of science, space, and a great math mind. This book takes a view of how science tries to explain religion which is a great resource for any Christian mind to have.

If you are interested in obtaining more information about the author or the book and where you can purchase a copy, please click on the link below.

http://my.barnesandnoble.com/communityportal/review.aspx?reviewid=1332402

RELIGION, SCIENCE
Format: HARDCOVER BOOK
Publish Date: 4/5/2010
Price: $23.99/$28.99
ISBN: 9780316078450
Pages:192
Size: 5-1/2" x 8-1/4"

I am also doing a giveaway for two copies of this book. Just leave a comment on my blog telling me why this book interests you and the winners will be chosen on Thursday, March 18th. Please No P.O. Box addresses and this giveaway is only available to those in the US and Canada only. Please make sure I have an email address to reach you if you should win!

Execution Winners Announced

I am so excited because today is the day to announce my winners of The Autobiography of An Execution. I was so privileged to be able to give away 5 copies of this book directly from the publisher, Hachette Book Groups.

So without further adieu here are your lucky winners...

Amy at Our Journey...Together
Jane at Jumpin in the Jungle
Kurt at Some Things I Have Learned
Amy at Mom's Coffee Time
Sharon at Sharon 54220

Congratulations to all of you! If you can please make sure to email me directly with your mailing address with NO P.O. Boxes, I can get this information to the publisher. Your books will be mailed directly from Hachette Book Groups so please allow 3-4 weeks, if not sooner for delivery. If you can, please email once the book arrives so I can have an idea of just how long it takes.

Please remember that all of my giveaways will be listed on the top right so look for more books to come over the weekend and later today.

The Autobiography of An Execution

If you knew at precisely what time on exactly what day you were going to die, and that date arrived, and the hour and minute came and went, and you were not dead, would you be able to enjoy each additional second of your life, or would you be filled with dreadful anticipation that would turn relief into torture?

That is the question I asked myself at twenty minutes past eight o’clock on Halloween night. Jeremy Winston was still alive. He was in a holding cell, eight steps away from the execution chamber at the Walls Unit in Huntsville, Texas. He was supposed to have been dead for two hours.

David R Dow has had access to a world most of us will never experience. As a lawyer, he has represented over one hundred death-row cases. Many of his clients have died. Most were guilty. Some might have been innocent. The Autobiography of An Execution by David R. Dow is his deeply personal story about justice, the death penalty and a lawyer’s life.

I would highly recommend this book, as I love reading people’s autobiographies. It definitely gives you insight into lives we might not have the privilege to entry and David’s is no exception. I read this book cover to cover in a matter of hours. It is a must read for those that love books by John Grisham, Dave Cullen, and Jeffrey Toobin.

For more information on where to obtain a copy of this book and to gain more information about the author click here.
http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780446562065.htm

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book to review for Hachette Book Group. If you are interested in participating in a giveaway for a copy of this book then all you need to do is comment. I will be giving out up to 5 copies of this book direct from the publisher.

Please No P.O. Boxes and this offer is only available for addresses in the US and Canada only. Please make sure I have a way to get in touch with you via email through your comments or blog. This giveaway will end on Friday, March 12th.

eat the Cookie...buy the shoes giveaway!

How many of you feel guilty when you try and rest or entertain yourself or even do something you really enjoy?

Well stand with me because you in the group of more than 80% of us that do. Why?

Where do you think this guilt comes from God? or the enemy? or ourselves?

Most people feel guilty when they take the opportunity to celebrate. They push themselves to go on with no joy fuel in their tank. Joy is the fuel we need to reach the finish line of an endeavor with a good attitude. We may drive ourselves to finish, but somewhere along the way we will probably become bitter and get a chip on our shoulder if we don't lighten up and take time to celebrate the journey.

I believe that we must confront the reason why we tend to feel guilty about enjoying and celebrating life when God has clearly ordained and commanded both. What? Wait. What did that say? Our thinking has been warped in these areas. Satan has managed to deceive us, and by doing so he succeeds in keeping people weary and worn out, feeling resentful, and taken advantage of because of excessive work and responsibility. We need times of refreshment and recreation as well as work and accomplishment.

God will convict us our wrong choices and actions, but He never makes us feel guilty. Guilt presses down and weakens us, but godly conviction brings awareness of wrong, and an opportunity to change and progress.

Sadly, if we are not confident about our choices, we can easily let other peoples' comments make us feel guilty and ruin the joy we need to experience in life through doing the little things that mean a lot to us.

So I would encourage you all to eat the cookie...buy the shoes. Celebrate your life's progresses and forget about those times where we really punish ourselves for not living up to perfection. No wonder we are often discouraged. Joyce Meyer has written a wonderful book, called "eat the cookie...buy the shoes. Giving yourself permission to lighten up!" from the Hachette Book Group that is due out in mid April.

This book has lifted my spirits up so much and have allowed me to look at my life through those rose colored glasses God has. He sees the good in me in everything I do each day, yet I don't. This is one book that is highly recommended not only for your own library but as a great gift for someone who is easily discouraged and needing a lift!

I would highly recommend this one as a keeper in your permanent library because its great to reference and re-read again and again. It is a reminder to celebrate our life and knowing the difference between healthy indulgences and destructive self indulgences. We need to remember that God is the ultimate party guy and the Bible is filled with celebration after celebration, all ordered by God, and the way they enhanced people's ability to live productive, happy lives.

If you would like more information on where to obtain your copy click here.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of the book by Hachette Book Groups for my review. If you are interested in winning a copy, I am giving away three copies of Joyce's new book. So simply leave a comment here and you'll be automatically entered for a chance to win. Remember I need a way to reach you so if you don't have your email attached to your blog, leave it in your comments. Don't forget to tell others and you get another entry, but come back here and let me know. This giveaway is for US and Canada residents only. No PO Boxes!

I will announce the winners on Wednesday! So make sure you spread the word!