Sunday, December 30, 2012

REVIEW: The Green-Eyed Monster

by Mike Robinson
The Green-Eyed Monster
Published by:  Curiosity Quills Press
Source:  Netgalley

Goodreads Summary:

Martin Smith and John Becker: bestselling authors with ordinary names and extraordinary minds. Rivals since childhood, they live in the same town and are famous for their uncanny similarity in physical manner and literary voice. When one of them ends up dead at the other's home, an investigation is launched into their dark past, revealing a series of troubling stories from their childhood, adolescence and careers, throughout which lurks the presence of an authorial entity with roots beyond our time or dimension – a sinister entity with far-reaching designs.

My thoughts:

I'm really not sure what to say about this book.  The genre was totally out of my comfort zone and I didn't "get" a lot of it.  But I do have to say that the premise was amazing.  These 2 boys are born and alike in so many way, yet they detest each other and hardly talk.  They act and talk beyond their years.  Strange things also happen when they are around.
It's not that I didn't like the book.  I think it was wonderfully written.  It just wasn't my type.  I think my husband would have really enjoyed it though.  I give it a strong 3 stars!


Saturday, December 29, 2012

Looking Forward to 2013!!

2012 hasn't been very good to me.  I had 3 heart attacks and spent most of the summer in and out of the hospital.  My son hasn't had a good time of it either.  He was diagnosed with anxiety and panic disorder along with agoraphobia.  He is now being homeschooled.  Then came Hurricane Sandy.  We didn't lose our house, but were without power for over a week and had to hop from friends and family's houses for warm meals and warm beds(or floors).  The kids are still traumatized and freak out whenever the wind blows too hard.  
But, I have to be thankful that I am still here and that my kids are healthy and that we have food in our bellies and a warm house to sleep in.  
How was your year in general?  



Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Winner of the Gift Card Giveaway

The winner of the Gift Card Giveaway Hop is...


Jeanne!!!

An email has been sent!

AND THE WINNER IS...

results powered by Random.org
Entry #163Jeanne
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Monday, December 10, 2012

GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY HOP


Many thanks to  Kathy at I Am a Reader, Not a Writer
&
Mary at Sweeping Me
for hosting this amazing hop!

 I thought long and hard about giving away some kind of original gift card, but then  I thought, "what if you don't like that store"?  So I figured I would gift the tried and true Amazon gift card.  I mean, what CAN'T you buy on Amazon?

This giveaway is open to anyone who can receive an Amazon gift card.  All I'll need is the email to send it to.  

The amount I've set is for $10.  I wish it could be more, but then I still have to buy for my own kids.

REMINDER:  This giveaway is for US/INTL hoppers.  And also don't forget to keep on hopping!!



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Thursday, December 6, 2012

REVIEW: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The Language of Flowers
by
Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Publisher:  Ballantine Books
Released on:  August 23rd, 2011
Source:  Won

Goodreads Summary:
A mesmerizing, moving, and elegantly written debut novel, The Language of Flowers beautifully weaves past and present, creating a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own troubled past.

The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings.

Now eighteen and emancipated from the system, Victoria has nowhere to go and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. Soon a local florist discovers her talents, and Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But a mysterious vendor at the flower market has her questioning what’s been missing in her life, and when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.

My thoughts:
This book frustrated me.  One minutes I'm routing for Victoria, and the next she makes me angry.  This girl is probably the most "broken" girl I've ever read about.  When I first started the book, I thought the author went into too much detail about Victoria's emotions.  As I read further, I realized that this was necessary.
Each chapter goes back and forth between Victoria's past and present.  I think this was brilliantly done, and you'll have to read it to find out why.
This review is short because I'm in the hospital.  In the end though, I want to convey that this book really makes you think about your own relationships.  A great book!  Oh, and there is a flower glossary in the back of the book that is very useful!

4 stars!!


Saturday, December 1, 2012

Finding the Baby Jesus blog tour

Tour Schedule
I am so excited to be a part of this amazing blog tour!
I had the honor of asking Kimball what he loves about the holiday season.
Here is what he said:
1- The smell of pine, nutmeg, and wassail

2- Christmas carols!

3- Setting up my out-of-control, Dickens village lighted-houses mountain scene (with 200+ houses, operational waterfalls, a smoking chimney, clippy-cloppy horse hooves and children singing sound effects, swirling ice-skaters, mountain sledders, a flying Santa, a parade encircling the town church, and two whistling electric trains)

4- Seeing the tree my sweetheart decorates with ornaments from different countries we've visited together

5- Reading the Christmas story from Luke with our friends on Christmas Eve (part of the inspiration for the book!)

6- Staying in our pajamas all day on Christmas

7- Reenie's yam and apple casserole. My mouth is watering as I write this.

8- Observing our tradition of marching downstairs to open presents on Christmas morning to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir rendition of "Oh Come All Ye Faithful"

9- The Christmas church service

10- Working for days to build my annual present for my wife (another tradition) without giving away the surprise. And then seeing her open it as the last present.



Finding the Baby Jesus by Kimball Fisher

After being forced to wear lederhosen for the annual holiday card picture, twelve-year-old Chris thinks that the least his parents can do is get him the Tony Hawk skateboard he wants for Christmas. But when he recovers the hand-carved Baby Jesus that everyone thought had been destroyed in a fire the year his Grandma died, Chris realizes that some gifts are even more important than skateboards.

When the author had to discontinue a cherished tradition of reading Christmas stories out loud with his family and holiday guests each week in December, he wrote Finding the Baby Jesus. He had been unable to locate enough meaningful stories that could be read in a single sitting with wiggly children.



Praise for Finding the Baby Jesus:

“Tender and true, this warm Christmas tale brought tears to my eyes.”
–Heather Vogel Frederick, author of the much-beloved Mother-Daughter Book Club series and Oregon Book Award winner for The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed

“A touching story that speaks to the importance of family, giving, and the true spirit of Christmas.”
–Matthew Kirby, author of Icefall, winner of the Edgar Allen Poe and the Pen Center USA Literary Awards for Children’s Literature

“Deeply moving. Poignant.”
–Deborah Halverson, former editor at Harcourt Children’s Books and author of Honk If You Hate Me, a Gayle McCandliss Literary Award Winner

"The perfect little book to tuck away with your Christmas things and bring out year after year to read with family. As mother to three boys, I can't imagine a better protagonist than Chris. His typical teenage attitude followed by the softening of his heart towards a friend teaches a poignant and very relatable lesson on the true meaning of Christmas."
–Amazon review

"After I read this short story I felt like I had read a novel--every sentence is packed with action and imagery. I was emotionally connected to the characters, and the story is touching. I didn't see the plot twist at the end coming! A great story to read every Christmas."
–Amazon review


Purchase


Author Kimball Fisher


Kimball Fisher writes novels for young readers. He is also a best-selling business author, professional speaker, and management consultant. Some of his past jobs include: sailboat builder, ghost writer (not as scary as it sounds), illustrator, and factory manager (more scary than it sounds). For fun he builds furniture, stained-glass windows, and writing pens.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities (with minors in English, Asian Studies, and Japanese), and a Master of Organizational Behavior degree from Brigham Young University. He and his amazing wife Reenie live in Portland, Oregon, where they have seen pheasants, coyotes, and a bobcat in their own backyard.

Links


Book Blast


Tour Giveaway:
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 12/26/12

Open to anyone 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's permission. 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. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Tour Schedule
http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2012/10/finding-baby-jesus-blog-tour.html