Mailbox Monday/In My Mailbox 1-11-2010

Mailbox Monday is hosted at The Printed Page or In Your Mailbox at The Story Siren on Sunday. Please stop by those posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!



Critters of Mossy Creek

Created by Deborah Smith, Debra Dixon, Sandra Chastain, Martha Shields Crockett with Susan Goggins, Maureen Hardegree, Michele Hauf, Pam Mantovani, Carolyn McSparren, Kathleen Watson-Hodges

Springtime brings thoughts of love to people all over the world, and Creekites are no exception. Although love to Creekites isn't necessarily romantic. Take, for example, how they feel about their pets. Dogs, cats, birds, and fish take center stage as we once again see how the Southern half lives. Your favorites are back and in just as much trouble as ever. Amos and Ida are still circling each other's wagons. Sandy Crane has a little Faith. Jayne Reynolds emerges from widowhood to take a long lingering look at Mossy Creek's Bubba Rice. Ed Bailey and his beloved dog Possum, Lil Ida Hamilton, Peggy Caldwell and others will make you laugh and cry at human and animal antics. Cat heists. Fish ponds. Bird nappings. Don't miss the fun with Critters of Mossy Creek! (back cover)






Lost Letter
by Neil Mulligan

The newly wed Jimmy and Maggie McDougal learn the news of Maggie's pregnancy just weeks after Jimmy is called to duty in World War II. Frequent letters and their deep love for one another provide comfort while they are apart. But, suddenly, Jimmy's letters to Maggie cease and the Army confirms the worst of her fears. Alone, Maggie raises their daughter, Mary, who never knows her father.

Some sixty years later, Maggie is diagnosed with a terminal illness and eventually moves in with Mary, who becomes her caretaker. At about the same time that Maggie learns of her diagnosis, the Army, during a base closure, discovers a World War II letter addressed to her.

While Mary is coping with a dying mother, a demanding job and trying to learn as much as possible about the father she never knew, the Army is searching for the intended recipient of the World War II letter. Will Maggie succumb to her illness before the Lost Letter reaches her? (back cover)





Anything but Normal
by Melody Carlson

She thought she'd left the summer behind. . .

This year should be the best of Sophie Ramsay's life. She's friends with all the right people, she's a shoo-in for editor of the school newspaper, and she's managed to turn the head of one of the hottest guys in school.

But something's not quite right. Sophie has a secret -- one she won't be able to keep under wraps for much longer. (back cover)





Searching for Tina Turner
by Jacqueline E. Luckett

On their first date more than thirty years ago, Randall Spencer took Lena to an Ike and Tina Turner concert. From the minute they sat down in the fifth row, Lena knew that Randall wanted to impress her even though he didn't need to -- she would have gone anywhere just to be close to him. Yet now, after twenty-three years of marriage, Lena is missing one important thing. . . happiness.

On the surface it looks like she has everything a woman could wish for: a rich husband, two wonderful children, and a life of luxury. The reality is that her husband is emotionally distant, her son has developed a drug habit, and her daughter is disgusted by her mother's "overbearing behavior."

Determined to save her failing marriage, Lena suggests going to a marriage counselor to get to the root of her unhappiness and to find the gem they once called love. But in the sessions Randall doesn't understand Lena's frustrations and makes it clear that she is the one with the problem. When the counseling seems futile, he offers his wife an ultimatum: Be grateful for all I've done for you or leave. Embracing her fear of wasting her life, Lena chooses the latter and leaves behind everything she's known.

Drawing on the strength of Tina Turner's life story, Searching for Tina Turner is Lena's struggle to find herself after twenty-three years of being Randall's wife. (book jacket)




Fireworks over Toccoa
by Jeffrey Stepakoff

Lily was married for just days before her husband was sent abroad to fight in WWII. Now, he and the other soldiers are returning, and the small town of Toccoa, Georgia plans a big celebration. But a handsome and kind Italian immigrant, responsible for the elaborate fireworks display the town commissioned, captures Lily's heart and soul. Torn between duty to society and her husband, and a poor, passionate man who might be her only true love -- Lily must choose between a love she never knew and a commitment she's already made.

Poignant and elegant, Fireworks over Toccoa is a mosaic of all the emotions that only love can make possible. (inside cover)

The Friday 56: 1-8-2010

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

"How's Lulu?"

"She seems a bit discombobulated, too."

(Searching for Tina Turner by Jacqueline E. Luckett, p56)










Searching for Tina Turner
Publisher/Publication Date: Grand Central Publishing, Jan 27, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-446-54296-8
320 pages

Friday Finds: 1-8-2010

Here is my find this week!

Summer by the Sea by Susan Wiggs

It's the beginning of another season in the seaside resort town of Winslow, Rhode Island, and Rosa Capoletti is given the chance to rediscover the pleasures of love and laughter, food and wine, friendship and romance . . .

With a little determination and a lot of charm, Rosa Capoletti took a run-down pizza joint and turned it into an award-winning restaurant that has been voted "best place to propose" three years in a row. For Rosa, though, there has been no real romance since her love affair with Alexander Montgomery ended suddenly and without explanation a decade ago.

But Rosa's life takes an unexpected turn when Alexander arrives back in town and asks for her help sorting through his late mother's affairs. Reunited at the beach house where they first met and fell in love, Rosa and Alexander discover that the secrets of the past are not what they seem. Now, with all that she wants right in front of her, Rosa searches for happiness with the man who once broke her heart -- and learns that in love, as in life, there are second chances. (description from Fantastic Fiction)


Pressure by Jeff Strand

Alex stared at the red pocketknife shown to him by his daughter. A pocketknife owned by somebody he hadn't seen in years... -Children- They met first in boarding school at age twelve. AlexFletcher, shy and scared. Darren Rust, always furiously scribbling away in a private journal. It was not an immediate friendship, but then one night Darren convinced his roommate to sneak off school grounds to see something glorious. There was a sleazy strip club, you see, and every once in a while the back door opened just long enough to maybe catch a quick glimpse... Though a bond was formed from their pre-pubescent interest in naked women, Darren had another interest. A morbid curiosity about death. A curiosity that turned into something much more sinister. -Friends- They crossed paths again in college and became the best of friends. But Darren wasn't just looking for a friend. He had dark, ghastly urges squirming around in his head, and he believed he saw the same things - the urge to hurt, the urge to kill - in Alex. He was looking for somebody who understood. A partner. But Alex could never become a monster. Not even when Darren tried to bring out his friend's most deeply buried feelings of rage. Not even when Darren tried to show him the euphoria of having that much power over another human being. It just couldn't happen...right? -Enemies- Now Alex has a wife and a daughter. And Darren is back. He's hiding. He's patient. His mind is twisted in the worst possible way. And he's seeking a soul mate. (description from Fantastic Fiction)

First Wild Card Tour: Dinosaurs for Kids by Ken Ham (Book Review)

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!



You never know when I might play a wild card on you!



My review: In addition to having a great deal (and I mean GREAT DEAL) of information on dinosaurs, this book also does a terrific job in tying dinosaurs in to God's Creation. From "In the beginning" days 5 and 6 - when God created the birds and animals of every kind, to how animals (not just dinosaurs) became carnivorous, through Noah's Ark all the way to present day. I had just gotten into a discussion with my oldest daughter (17) about evolution vs creationism over the weekend as she was trying to reconcile what she had "learned" with what she believes. I also think it will come in handy as my 5 year old starts asking questions as he gets older.

Today's Wild Card author is:

Ken Ham

and the book:

Dinosaurs for Kids

Master Books (October 15, 2009)

***Special thanks to Robert Parrish of New Leaf Press for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ken Ham is the founder and executive director of Answers in Genesis in the USA and one of the most sought-after Christian speakers in North America. He is the author or co-author of many books and is heard daily on the radio program, “Answers...with Ken Ham,” on more than 300 stations worldwide. Ken is also featured in various videos including the series, “Answers in Genesis with Dr. Gary Parker,” and the 12-part series of 28-minute videos, “Answers...with Ken Ham.” Ken's teaching is clear, true to the Bible, engaging, and challenging. Many have found salvation and others have been encouraged and equipped to reach others with the gospel through Ken's ministry.





Visit the author's website.



Product Details:



Price: $14.99

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Hardcover: 64 pages

Publisher: Master Books (October 15, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0890515557

ISBN-13: 978-0890515556



AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Dinosaurs for Kids



by



Ken Ham, illustrated by Bill Looney





Dinosaurs can provide a great way to learn about history. You may already be familiar with some of these dinosaurs. These drawings show you what we think they may have looked like. Now, we don’t know for sure, of course, as we usually only find their bones as fossils (and most times, only a few of their bones). Artists use what bones have been found, knowledge about living animals, and some imagination to come up with drawings like these. See if you can pronounce these dinosaur names:





Dilophosaurus (die-LOF-o-SWAR-us), meaning “two-crested lizard.”

Styracosaurus (sty-RAK-o-SAWR-us), meaning “spiked lizard.”

Triceratops (tri-SER-a-tops), meaning “three-horned face.”

Megalosaurus (MEG-a-lo-SAWR-us), meaning “big lizard.”

Iguanodon (i-GWAHN-o-don), meaning “iguana tooth.”

Ceratosaurus (ser-ah-toe-SAWR-us), meaning “horned lizard.”

Deinonychus (die-NON-i-kus), meaning “terrible claws.”

Velociraptor (vee-LOHS-i-RAP-tor), meaning “swift robber.”

Ultrasaurus (UHL-tra-SAWR-us), was so nicknamed because of its enormous size.

Seismosaurus (SEIS-mo-SAWR-us), meaning “earthquake lizard.”





Did you know there are hundreds of dinosaur names? However, there were not hundreds of types of dinosaurs. There were a number of similar ones that should be grouped into categories known by what the Bible describes as “kinds.” Does that sound a little confusing? Well, this book will help to explain this and a lot of other things about dinosaurs you may not know.





(Pictures with names):



Dilophosaurus

Styracosaurus

Triceratops

Iguanodon

Ceratosaurus

Velociraptor

Ultrasaurus

Seismosaurus





Before we begin, I don’t want you to miss out on knowing what my very favorite dinosaur is! In fact, I think he deserves this whole page to himself! It is the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex (ti-RAN-oh-SAWR-us-rex), meaning “tyrant lizard king.” I’ll let you in on a secret – I love T-rex because I like his teeth! I use teeth to teach kids and parents some very interesting things about dinosaurs – things that you may not have heard or really understood before. But it is very important to understand the truth about dinosaurs!





FOUR FAST FACTS



T-rex fossils are found in Canada and the western United States.

The first documented T-rex fossil was discovered in 1902 by Barnum Brown.

Scientists think T-rex skeletons were made up of close to 200 bones.

T-rex had around 60 teeth, which ranged in size based on their placement in the jaw of the skull.





With a strong tail extended for balance, an adult T-rex could be a little over 40 feet in length, 12-13 feet tall at the hips, and weigh between 5 and 7 tons. T-rex’s jagged teeth could be up to 9 inches long, and like sharks, the T-rex was able to replace teeth when one was lost.



What’s in a name? Remember that the T-rex name means “tyrant lizard king.” But secular scientists are still wondering whether T-rexes were active hunters or clever scavengers, or a combination of both. However, creation scientists are able to explain the evidence in a different way using the biblical account of history, as we will soon learn.





FOUR FAST FACTS



The word “fossil” is from the Latin word meaning “dug up.” Scientists often make assumptions about dinosaurs based on a few fossilized bones, bone fragments, or other fossil remains, impressions, etc.

Only a few thousand dinosaur skeletons have been discovered.

The vast majority of fossils discovered are marine invertebrates (creatures that don’t have backbones like clams).





I’m sure you have lots of questions about dinosaurs. I believe I can answer many of those questions for you because dinosaurs are not a mystery at all. I know someone who was there when dinosaurs came into existence, and was also there when they seemed to disappear from the earth. In fact, this “someone” has written a book for us that gives a detailed account of the history of the universe. He tells us when the earth began, as well as when all the living creatures and the first humans appeared.



Now, you may be asking “Who is this someone you say was there to see the dinosaurs?” He is the Creator of all things. He knows everything because He is all powerful and has always been around. And this Creator had a book written for us to give us the details of how time began, and how the universe and all life came into existence. This book also tells us who we are, where we came from, and why we exist. It also gives us information on what is going to happen in the future! There is no other book like this on earth. It is unique, and it is called…the Bible.



When you understand the Bible, you will understand more about dinosaurs. The Bible helps us to answer questions about dinosaurs and about the world around us today.



Bigger. Among the most widely known type of dinosaurs, the sauropods (“lizard foot”) are some of the largest creatures to ever walk the earth. Many of these dinosaurs are known by only a few pieces of bone fragments, and debate continues on just which dinosaur was the largest ever. As discoveries continue, more will be known about these massive giants. Sauroposeidon (“earthquake god lizard”) was considered the largest dinosaur ever to live, until the discovery of Argentinosaurus (“silver lizard”). Though only a few bones of each creature have been found, many scientists estimate that Argentinosaurus was larger, though Sauroposeidon may have been taller.



Smaller. Compsognathus (“elegant jaw”) is among the smallest dinosaurs discovered. A little bigger than a chicken, this dinosaur weighed around 6 pounds. Some scientists have found smaller creatures, like Microraptors, which they try to use to prove dinosaurs were the evolutionary ancestor of birds – real science and the Bible disprove this idea. Archaeopteryx (“ancient wing”) is another example of a creature once thought to prove this link, but that idea has now been proven false.



Did you know that the Bible is really a collection of books written by people specially inspired by God, the Creator, to write down exactly what God wanted us to know? The Bible tells us more about who God is and why we can always trust Him to tell us the truth:



The God of the Bible is the true God: “But the LORD [is] the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King…” (Jeremiah 10:10).

The God of the Bible is infinite – He is all knowing, all powerful: “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” (Psalm 147:5).

The God of the Bible lives forever – He lives in eternity – He had no beginning and has no end: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever…” (1 Timothy 1:17).

The God of the Bible is the only true God – other gods people claim to have are false gods: “Therefore You are great, O LORD GOD. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides…” (2 Samuel 7:22).

The God of the Bible is all wise and all knowing: “…in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3).

Wow! What an awesome God.





The Only One.



Only God is a witness to the entire history of the world, including the history of dinosaurs. During the creation week, God created dinosaurs and flying reptiles. Pterosaur (“winged lizard”) like this one, could have wing spans of 30 feet. Stegosaurus (“roof lizard”) is easy to recognize with two rows of large plates running along its arched back, and its multi-spiked tail. Corythosaurus (“helmet lizard”) is a great example of dinosaurs with bony crests on their heads. Scientists think these crests were used in making sounds.



Does any human being (including any scientist) know everything? Has any human being always existed? The answer to both questions is, of course, NO. However, who is the only one who knows everything? Who is the only one who has always been there? The answer to both of these questions is, “the Creator God of the Bible.”





True History!



I call the Bible “The History Book of the Universe.” This is because it is a book that tells us how time and the universe began. And in the very first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, we are given a detailed account of not only how God created everything to begin with, but also major events of history that happened after creation.



You might be saying, “Wait a minute, haven’t scientists already found out lots of things about dinosaurs – that they lived millions of years before people and that they lived during the dinosaur age 200 million to 65 million years ago, and then they became extinct?”



Well, not all scientists say that! And though the majority of people today might believe that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago, the majority are wrong on this. And more and more people are now finding out the truth because they listen to and understand God’s Word!

Kid's Korner: The Mudhogs by Dalton James (Book Review)

Title: The Mudhogs
Author: Dalton James
Publisher: Outskirts Press

About the book: The mudhogs are three little pigs, Piggy, Piggles, and Piglet, that are on a quest to find mud. The ground where they are living is all dried up and hard. They first try different experiments to see if they can produce rain themselves. When that does not work, they set out on a trip to try to find mud somewhere else.

My thoughts: Another cute book by Dalton James. My son and I had shared his first two books (The Sneakiest Pirates and The Heroes of Googley Woogley) and I had showed him the picture of Dalton, who I believe is 8, and explained that he had written the books and drew the pictures. He was very excited when he found out that The Mudhogs was also by Dalton. He asked questions about the pictures all the way through the book and even started to recognize the phrases, No Rain, No Mud. I continue to be impressed by the imagination of Dalton, both in his story lines and his illustrations. Not only does this book have a cute lesson, it is also a good incentive to get younger kid's creative juices flowing.

About the author: Dalton is currently in the third grade and is illustrating his third book in his imaginative adventure series with his dad, Super Pete Saves the Day, while writing another book on pigs, Snouter Pig, and brainstorming the second book in his mudhog series. Dalton has a large collection of stuffed pigs of all shapes and sizes as well as his own small library of books about pigs.

He holds a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and likes to practice and enter tournaments. He also plays basketball, baseball and runs five kilometer races. Dalton wants to be a fireman, a policeman, a detective, a doctor or a writer when he grows up; depending on the day you talk to him.

~This book was provided for review by Bostick Communications and the author.~

The Mudhogs
Publisher/Publication Date: Outskirts Press, October 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4327-4560-8
32 pages

Library Loot: 1-6-2010

I am trying to slow down the books that I check out from the library - but since my daughter has just discovered that she really likes to read - I have actually been spending more time there!

Library Loot is hosted by Eva at A Striped Armchair and Marg at Reading Adventures.

Grave Sight
by Charlaine Harris

I have what you might call a strange job: I find dead people. I can sense the final location of a person who's passed and share their very last moment. The way I see it, I'm providing a service to the dead while bringing some closure to the living -- but I'm used to most people treating me like a blood-sucking leach. . .

Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver are experts at getting in, getting paid, and then getting out of town fast, because the people who hire Harper have a funny habit of not really wanting to know what she has to tell them. At first, the little Ozarks town of Sarne seems like no exception. A teenage girl has gone missing, and Harper knows almost immediately that this girl is dead. But the secrets of her death, and the secrets of the town, are deep enough that even Harper's special ability can't uncover them. With hostility welling up all around them, she and Tolliver would like nothing better than to be on their way. But then another woman is murdered. And the killer's not finished yet. (back cover)

The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club
by Gil McNeil

For every woman who has ever dreamed of starting over, or being a better mother, or just knitting a really nice scarf. . . When her husband dies in a car crash -- not long after announcing he wants a divorce -- Jo Mackenzie packs up her two rowdy boys and moves from London to a dilapidated villa in her seaside hometown. There, she takes over her beloved Gran's knitting shop -- a quaint but out-of-date store in desperate need of a facelift. After a rough beginning, Jo soon finds comfort in a "Stitch and Bitch group: a collection of quirky, lively women who share their stories, and their addiction to cake, with warmth and humor. As Jo starts to get the hang of single parent life in a small town, she relies on her knitting group for support. The women meet every week at the shop on Beach Street and trade gossip and advice as freely as they do a new stitch. But when a new man enters Jo's life, and an A-list actress moves into the local mansion, the knitting club has even more trouble confining the conversation to knit one, purl two. The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club is an uplifting, winning tale about the healing power of friendship and new beginnings. It's a charming novel that will delight all passionate knitters -- and win over befuddled, would-be knitters, too. (inside cover)



Fools Rush In
by Janice Thompson

Bella Rossi may be nearing thirty, but her life is just starting to get interesting. When her Italian-turned-Texan parents hand over the family wedding planning business, Bella is determined not to let them down. She quickly books a "Boot Scoot'n" wedding that would make any Texan proud. There's only one catch--she's a country music numbskull because her family only listens to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Where will she find a DJ on such short notice who knows his Alan Jackson from his Keith Urban? When a misunderstanding leads her to the DJ (and man) of her dreams, things start falling into place. But with a family like hers, nothing is guaranteed. Can the perfect Texan wedding survive a pizza-making uncle with mob ties, an aunt who is a lawsuit waiting to happen, and a massive delivery of 80 cowboy boots? And will Bella ever get to plan her own wedding? Book one in the Weddings by Bella series, Fools Rush In is fun, fresh, and full of surprises. Readers will love the flavorful combination of Italian and Tex-Mex, and the hilarity that ensues when cultures clash.

Waiting on Wednesday: This World We Live In

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Publication Date: April 1, 2010

About the book: It's been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth’s climate. For Miranda Evans life as she knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce.

The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda’s father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda’s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.

About the author: SUSAN BETH PFEFFER's first two apocalyptic novels, Life As We Knew It and The Dead and the Gone, were widely praised by reviewers as action-packed, thrilling, and utterly terrifying. Life As We Knew It received numerous starred reviews and honors and was nominated for many state awards. Ms. Pfeffer lives in Middletown, New York.

I just finished the second book in this series, The Dead and the Gone and can't wait for this third book to come out!!!

What are you waiting for? Waiting on Wednesdays is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Teaser Tuesday: 1-5-2010

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you have given!
Please avoid spoilers!



If you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, with the wrong person, you might find yourself in the uncomfortable position of being asked to or actually doing something you absolutely don't want to do. You may not know what to say. You may not know how to stop. (p59, What Your Mother Never Told You by Richard Dudum)







What Your Mother Never Told You: A Survival Guide for Teenage Girls
Publisher/Publication Date: BookSurge Publishing, November 2007
ISBN: 978-1-4196-7869-1
264 pages

Kid's Korner: The red, Red Car by Manjula Naraynan (Book Review)

Title: The red Red Car
Author: Manjula Naraynan
Publisher: Author House

My synopsis: I had the opportunity to share this book with my son over the holidays. We had read The green Green Pear which he liked a lot - and since he loves cars anyway, I kind of thought this one would be a winner.

The red Red Car is having anger problems and his anger is making him break all the laws, like running red lights and driving faster than the speed limit. When he enters the Grand Prix his anger is still very much a part of him and as it grows he just gets hotter and hotter. He catches fire and loses consciousness. When he wakes up he realizes that his anger not only hurt others, but hurt himself as well and he sets out to take control of it.

My thoughts: This book came at a good time as lately my son has been acting out his anger by hitting (usually his much older sisters) or throwing his toys. He was able to see first hand how his anger could hurt others when he threw some hot pads off the table because he wanted to be the one to put them there. Not knowing he had done this, I returned to the table with a very hot bowl and my hands got very hot through the hot pads I was using while someone retrieved the ones he had thrown. We were able to tie that incident into the book very well.

This was a fun book to read with lots of bright colorful pictures and a good lesson as well!

~This book was provided for review by Bostick Communications and Manjula Naraynan.~

The red Red Car
Publisher/Publication Date: AuthorHouse, Oct 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4490-3366-8
32 pages

Blog Tour (and giveaway): The One Day Way by Chantel Hobbs (Jan 4 - 10) GIVEAWAY CLOSED

The One-Day Way
by Chantel Hobbs


Author Chantel Hobbs breaks the chains of past diet debacles and frees readers from unrealistic goals. She teaches daily fitness tasks that develop into lasting habits. By focusing energy and attention on doing the right things every day, she frees readers to achieve their weight-loss goals one day at a time.

I’ve got great news for you: You are about to feel better and look better beginning today! Today is truly a new opportunity for you to reach your weight loss goals. No, you won’t fit into your “skinny jeans” today, but I’m going to show you how each day will get you closer to that goal.

Yesterday’s mistakes are gone so let them go. You can’t control tomorrow, so stop worrying about it. Today is your opportunity to lose weight, get strong, and look great. It won’t happen overnight, but you can build a new life by changing your actions immediately and I’m here to show you how to make the changes that will create the new lifestyle you dream of: body, mind, and spirit. Best of all, you will start celebrating right away!

Come on, my friend. Let’s get started! By opening this book, I’ll show you how to unlock every tool you need to lose weight and get fit —and stay that way for the rest of your life. Success can be yours, what are you waiting for?



-Chantel

Summary: The One-Day Way produces lasting results by taking you back to basics. No more complicated weight-loss strategies. No more expensive diet plans that achieve only temporary results. Instead, you will lose weight and get fit with Chantel Hobbs’s simple, high-energy meal plans and her at-home program for cardio exercise and strength training. She will teach you how to change the way you think, which leads to new actions. Before you know it you will be strong, fit, and healthy. All it takes is doing things differently for twenty-four hours—and then repeating it.

The One-Day Way gives you everything you need to lose weight and get fit in body, mind, and spirit:

* Break free from past dieting defeats
* Learn a realistic, life-changing way to measure success
* Change the way you think so you can change your life
* Translate your dreams into goals, and your goals into lasting achievements
* Get strong with thirty-one simple exercises, no fancy equipment required
* Take advantage of ten ways to eat better while you lose weight

By focusing on food, faith, and fitness, Chantel shows you not only how to lose weight, but how to build the new life you were designed to live. You don’t have to wait any longer. The One-Day Way gives you all the tools for success, starting right now.


Author Bio: The author of Never Say Diet and The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Trainer, Chantel Hobbs is a motivational speaker, life coach, personal trainer, marathon runner, wife, and mother of four whose story has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, the 700 Club, and the covers of People and First magazines. She appears weekly on two fitness-themed radio programs and promotes her One-Day Way Learning System on television. Visit Chantel at ChantelHobbs.com for fitness updates and coaching tips.

GIVEAWAY:

Watch for this one all over the blogosphere this week! My review will probably go up Friday - but I do have one extra copy to giveaway. Just let me know you would like to enter and leave an e-mail address - it's just that easy. Sorry folks, U.S. only. This giveaway will end Jan 25th.

If you don't want to wait for the giveaway though - Purchase The One Day Way today!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 1-4-2010

What are you reading on Mondays? is hosted by J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog. If you would like to participate, please leave your link with Mr. Linky at J.Kaye's blog - but you can also leave me a comment - I would love to know what you are reading!

Old books waiting for review:
1. What Your Mother Never Told You: A Teenage Girls Survival Guide by Richard Dudum

Books read and reviewed last week:
1. A Christmas Carol Special Edition

Current audio books:
None current - but school starts tomorrow so my twice daily commute with my daughter begins. . .

Books currently reading:
1. The Dead and The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer - this is my current bathroom book and I am almost finished! I may take it to bed with me tonight to finish it!
2. Samson's Walls by Jud Niremberg - This one has been interesting enough for me to keep reading, but am able to put it down to read others...
3. A Hope and a Future: Overcoming Discouragement by Don Wilton - Still not very far into this one.
4. Angel and Apostle by Deborah Noyes - This book has been pretty good and is making me want to go back and reread The Scarlet Letter!

Waiting in the Wings:
1. Bear Portraits by Jill Greenberg
2. Chocolate: A Love Story: 65 Chocolate Dessert Recipes from Max Brenner's Private Collection by Max Brenner (I need to get this one done before I have to start all the diet books for next month!!!) I have the ingredients to make some decadent chocolate brownies - stay tuned!
3. Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients by Dr. Jeff Hertzberg - Going to the store tomorrow! Hopefully will remember to add these ingredients to my shopping list!
4. The Sacred Cipher: A Novel by Terry Brennan
5. The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Kidnapped by Yxta Maya Murray
6. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
7. The One-Day Way: Today Is All the Time You Need to Lose All the Weight You Want by Chantel Hobbs
8. Dinosaurs for Kids by Ken Ham
9. All About Us #6: The Chic Shall Inherit the Earth: An All About Us Novel by Shelly Adina
10. The Swan Thieves: A Novel by Elizabeth Kostova

What are you reading this week?

Mailbox Monday/In My Mailbox 1-3-2010

Mailbox Monday is hosted at The Printed Page or In Your Mailbox at The Story Siren. Please stop by those posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!

One Amazing Thing
by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

In disaster, They will discover truth.
In each other they will find hope.

THE PLACE: An Indian visa and passport office in an unnamed U.S. city.

THE CAST: A punky teenager with an unexpected gift. An upper-class Caucasian couple whose relationship is falling apart. A young Muslim-American man struggling with the fallout of 9/11. A graduate student haunted by a question about love. An African-American ex-soldier searching for redemption. A Chinese grandmother with a secret past. And two visa office workers on the verge of an adulterous affair.

When these nine wildly disparate people are trapped together in the immediate aftermath of an earthquake, their struggle to survive is captivating enough - but award-winning novelist Chitra Divakaruni takes their situation to the next level, as each of the nine takes a turn sharing "one amazing thing" from his or her own life. As their stories unfold, Divakaruni's themes become ever richer and the life-and-death suspense all the more meaningful. One Amazing Thing is a passionate creation about survival -- and all the reasons needed to survive. (back cover)

What books found a new home with you this week?

Healthy Eating for the New Year

Please enjoy this article from this book's authors (courtesy of Anna at FSB media). I will be reviewing this book as soon as I can remember to write down what I need before I get to the store!

Eating Well Should Be Healthy Too!
by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., and Zoë François,
Authors of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients

After the release of our first book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, in 2007, we started hearing from our readers. Many of them wanted to share their experiences with our innovative, time-saving, based on long-term dough storage. Many others had questions, so we set up a website and blog that were designed for questions and discussion. Most of the questions directed at me sounded something like this: "You're the doctor, what's with all this white flour in the bread?"

Good question! The recipes in our first book were based on the traditional European repertoire, which meant lots of white flour. When people challenged me, I had to admit that I love a well-made white baguette, though I eat more whole grains than ever before. Variety is the spice of life, and I'm not ready to completely give up white flour. Every slice of bread doesn't have to represent a completely balanced meal. But, people asked for recipes with more whole grains, and they were backed up by some heavy hitters in the nutrition world. The American Diabetes Association now endorses whole grains as a preventive for the development of diabetes. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture is similarly pushing for more whole grain intake. We decided to write a second book, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, to give people more nutritious alternatives to white flour.

Whole grain nutrition: So how does whole grain flour stack up against white flour? White flour is milled strictly from wheat's endosperm, the white part of the wheat kernel containing almost exclusively starch and protein (mostly gluten). There's nothing wrong with starch and protein, but you're missing all the benefits you get from whole grain's "germ," and all the fiber from the bran (the dark outer coating of the wheat kernel). Whole wheat includes the germ, which is packed with vitamins, anti-oxidants, and healthy oils. It's a particularly rich source of Vitamin E, which, when combined with Vitamin C-containing foods, make one of the most powerful anti-oxidant combinations known. Please pass the homemade orange marmalade on whole wheat bread!

Whole wheat also includes bran, which doesn't have vitamins and anti-oxidants -- that's wheat germ's chance to shine. But bran has its own very special role to play, and I'd love to tell you all about it. Unfortunately, it seems that food professionals have some sort of gentle-person's agreement about talking about the digestive tract, so if you're interested in learning more about bran's role in digestion, here's a great website for you: Fiber: How to Increase the Amount in Your Diet, from the American Academy of Family Physicians. The family doctors seem pretty clear that fiber from whole grains prevents a wide range of health problems.

The other frequent question from readers was whether our books are a good fit for vegans (those who don't eat meat or any other animal products, including eggs, and dairy). Most of our non-enriched recipes (that's the majority of both books) are vegan in the first place. While many other whole grain authors use skim milk powder in whole wheat bread to tenderize it, we decided against that, mainly to keep things simple (fewer ingredients = simple). For vegans, the second book includes alternatives to butter in the enriched recipes. In our first book, butter was the animal-based ingredient that appeared most often. In Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, we give alternatives to butter, including canola oil and zero-trans fat, zero hydrogenated oil-based margarines. We also talk about the new products being sold as "butter substitutes," usually made with vegetable oils, but also flavor-enriched with whey and other non-fat products of butter. Technically speaking, most of these are not vegan because of the whey, but check the ingredients as there are exceptions.

Fruits and vegetables in the bread: OK, who told the USDA to increase the recommended fruit/vegetable servings to nine (for a person whose ideal weight is 150 pounds)? I have a friend who says he can't even name nine fruits and vegetables! Those are half-cup servings -- is anybody really getting this much in their diet? I can tell you that I am not. There are some good rules of thumb, such as "two-thirds of the plate should be vegetable or fruit." That helps, but even so, I don't think I'm making my quota. That's why we included a chapter in Healthy Bread about breads that are fortified with fruits and vegetables, sometimes ground finely, and sometimes chunky. We were amazed at how well this works, despite our fears that this stuff would weigh down the bread. Every little bit helps.

Gluten-free breads: I once interviewed a prominent gastrointestinal specialist from one of the country's finest University hospitals, where his practice includes the treatment of celiac disease (intestinal allergy to wheat gluten). We talked about celiac disease, but I also asked him about people who aren't celiac, but simply don't feel well when they eat wheat. According to the Mayo Clinic, about 1 out of every 113 Americans have celiac disease. They become unpleasantly ill when they eat even small amounts of wheat gluten. The science is pretty clear on how to treat celiac patients: eliminate all gluten from their diet. Chapter 9 in Healthy Bread was written with them in mind. But the science is unclear on what to tell people who say they don't feel well when they eat gluten, but don't have celiac disease. My gastroenterologist friend has a very clear answer for those people. He tells them "don't argue with success." If you feel better when you avoid gluten, then decrease or eliminate it. So Healthy Bread is a book for those people well.

All this health talk makes me a bit wary. When I used to see patients, I turned over every rock to figure out how to reduce their risk of chronic disease -- quit smoking, get more exercise, do your routine screening exams, and eat a healthier diet. But I'd hate to see people become obsessed with their diet, and specifically, about the bread. If you can pack some extra nutrition into the bread, and you like the flavor, by all means, go for it. But don't let it destroy your appreciation for great bread and other foods. As we said in our first book, if you worry about the bread, it won't taste good.

© 2009, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, used with permission of the Authors

Author Bios
Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., coauthor of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients, is a physician with twenty years of experience in health care as a practitioner, consultant, and faculty member at the University of Minnesota Medical School. His interest in baking and preventive health sparked a quest to adapt the techniques of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day for healthier ingredients.

Zoë François, coauthor of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients, is passionate about food that is real, healthy, and always delicious. She is a pastry chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America. In addition to teaching baking and pastry courses nationally, she consults to the food industry and is the creator of the recipe blog www.zoebakes.com. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two sons.
The authors answer bread questions at their Web site: www.healthybreadinfive.com.

Bah! Humbug! The Holidays Aren't Over Yet! A Christmas Carol giveaway and review CLOSED

A Christmas Carol - Special Edition by Charles Dickens
(and Stephen Skelton)

Since its publication in 1843, the tale of a miserly old man and the ghosts who visit him has been bringing the true spirit of Christmas into hearts and homes. Whether you've read the story a thousand times, or have only seen the movie, A Christmas Carol Special Edition will enrich your enjoyment of this holiday favorite with:

• The complete text of the Charles Dickens classic.
• Annotations offering interesting insight into the story's biblical allusions, the author's faith, and compelling Christian themes throughout.
• Discussion questions designed to engage and promote dialogue among readers of all ages on such subjects as regret, repentance, and redemption.
• A list of related resources to enhance your study.

Enjoy A Christmas Carol Special Edition in your home, study group, book group (or Advent celebration) to learn how to say with Scrooge:
"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."

My thoughts: I don't know that I had ever read The Christmas Carol before now - not sure if I had seen it, had it read to me, etc, but somehow feel like I have always known the story. I must say though, I REALLY enjoyed reading it, especially in the original version with plenty of "helps" throughout the chapters. The discussion questions at the end are geared for any ages - some are better for younger groups, some for more mature groups, so they will pretty much fit any situation. They also added another dimension to the story for me.

I had the opportunity to see A Christmas Carol at a local theater in December and it was fun to be able to read the book after seeing the play - I did find the book much richer to read though.



GIVEAWAY

I have one copy of A Christmas Carol to give away thanks to FSB Associates. Just let me know you would like to enter and leave an e-mail address - it's just that easy. Sorry folks, U.S. only. This giveaway will end Jan 22nd.

~This book was provided for review by FSB Associates.~