Start the New Year out Right! Win a copy of Denise's Daily Dozen!

From Denise Austin comes the perfect health book for anyone who wants to live better but just can't seem to find the time. Much more than just another exercise book, Denise's Daily Dozen covers a whole range of health and diet related concepts yet manages it all in a no-stress, time-conscious program of 12's. At it's core, this book contains the minimum daily requirements to keep the reader flexible, strong and trim. Organized simply into seven chapters, which equal the seven days of the week, it covers a full week in daily allotments. Each day will have it's own focus from Monday being "fat burning day" to Sunday's "recharge and rejuvenate."

Denise has created a total body program, including a 7-day balanced meal plan that includes healthy recipes, and a workout that encompasses 12 exercises done in 12 minutes each day. Everyone can take just 12 minutes, at whatever time of the day works for them, and turn it over to these simple and fun exercises. Cardio, toning, yoga and breathing exercises...they're all here but in a way the maximizes effect while minimizing time.

Beyond a dozen exercises for each day of the week this book will include many other of Denise's dozens for each day.



About Denise:

A native of San Pedro, California, Denise started gymnastics at the age of 12 and earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Arizona, graduating in 1979 with an exercise physiology degree. She began her career teaching aerobic exercise classes in the Los Angeles area and went on to cohost the The Jack LaLanne Show, in 1981. (Denise considers Jack LaLanne one of her role models, and she is delighted to still speak regularly with the 94-year-old fitness legend.)

During more than 25 years promoting health and fitness, Denise has created 82 workout videos or DVDs. Her enormous number of sales led to her 2003 induction into the Video Hall of Fame.

Denise has been married for 25 years to Jeff Austin, a sports attorney and brother of tennis champ Tracy Austin. They share a home with their two teenage daughters, Kelly and Katie.

You can follow @DeniseAustin_ on Twitter or find her at her Facebook Fan Page.

I have five copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT) share a diet tip, favorite exercise, or what you do to try to stay in shape. Also leave your email address.

For additional entries you can sign up to follow (old followers let me know), Twitter or post it on your blog. Each entry must have it's own comment. (Four entries total.)

This giveaway if for U.S./Canada only - no PO boxes and will end Dec 29th! Good luck!

Born of Night Giveaway - Hurry - Ends Dec 15!

New from St. Martin's Press is #1 New York Times bestselling author, Sherrilyn Kenyon's 3-book series, 'The League'! With over 19 million books in print, Sherrilyn Kenyon is renowned the world over as "the reigning queen of the paranormal genre that she pioneered long before the world had heard of Twilight." All three books in the series are available now.

St. Martin's Press is allowing me to give a copy of Born of Night - book 1 in the series to one of my readers! They are also offering a chance to enter a sweepstakes to win digital downloads of all three books from 'The League'.

You can find out more about Sherrilyn Kenyon at any of these sites:

http://www.Livetheleague.com

http://www.Sherrilynkenyon.com

http://www.Officialsanctuary.com

To enter the giveaway - tell me your favorite paranormal book and your email address. Giveaway open to U.S./Canada - no PO boxes. Giveaway ends Dec 15th!

What Have You Forgotten? (Fun Facts and a giveaway)

Have you ever had your child come to you with a question that you know you should know, and you realize you don't know? Know what I mean? My daughter and I were having a discussion this morning about some pre-calc that she didn't understand. I told her yet again, that math had been my best subject in high school/college - and she informed me that it was so long ago she just figured I wouldn't remember! (To be honest - and I think I can be honest with you all - I probably wouldn't have remembered, but as long as she had her text - I'm a quick study!)

If you have ever forgotten something you think you once knew, leave a comment for the chance to win a copy of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School. Please leave your email address so that I can get in touch with you. (Giveaway open to U.S./Canada only and will end Dec 29.) I guess you can even enter if you still know it all, too! Meanwhile, see if you remember the facts below.

12 Days and 12 Facts for This Holiday Season
By Caroline Taggart,
Author of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School

Ever catch yourself saying I Used to Know That?

Each holiday season brings another round of cocktail parties, family get-togethers, and corporate gatherings -- and invariably, lots of small talk. It's easy to feel overwhelmed when discussing politics, literature, and other intellectual "stuff," especially when what is thought to be general knowledge is often long-forgotten. Enter I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School. From English and Literature to Math and Science, from History and Geography to Religion and Other-Worldly Topics, this book leaves you equipped to handle any topic of conversation.

Here we've cherry-picked twelve fun facts for the holiday season -- one for every day of Christmas (or whatever holiday you prefer!) Quiz yourself to see how much "stuff" you need to brush up on before hobnobbing with the boss or office crush.

1. On building sentences: Just what is a "clause"? (Not to be confused with Santa Claus.)

Answer: A clause contains a subject and a verb and may stand alone as a sentence or as part of a sentence (when it is often called asubordinate clause): Santa Claus loves cookies but can't eat them without milk.

2. How many bones is the spine made up of?

Answer: 26 small bones called vertebrae (Be careful lifting all those heavy holiday boxes.)

3. Acclaimed author Charles Dickens (1812-70) wrote which Christmas classic?

Answer: A Christmas Carol. The miserly Ebenezer Scrooge tries to ignore Christmas and is haunted by the ghost of his former partner, Marley, and by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, who show him the error of his ways.

4. The fist chapter of this famous book opens with "Call me Ishmael." Name the book and author. (Hint: it makes a whale of a gift!)

Answer: Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Melville is also the author of Pierre and the unfinished Billy Budd.

5. There's a name for the process of watering your Christmas tree? Who knew?

Answer: Grab the kids and give them this science factoid as they nurture the family tree: Osmosis is a form of diffusion that is specific to the movement of water. Water moves through a selectively permeable membrane (that is, one that lets some types of molecules through but not others) from a place where there is a higher concentration of water to one where it is lower.

6. Can you name all 6 wives of Henry VIII, father of the Church of England?

Answer: (Listed in order) Catherine, Anne, Jane, Anne, Catherine, Catherine. They are often remembered as divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Sure makes you think twice when complaining about bad relatives.

7. Who was the 16th President of the United States?

Answer: Abraham Lincoln (R, 1861-65) and yes -- he really was born in a log cabin on a winter's day. Notably famous for many reasons including his Gettysburg Address: "Four Score and Seven Years ago our fathers brought fourth upon this continent a new nation conceived in Liberty . . . "

8. 'Tis the season to be jolly giving! Don’t forget to tip well this season -- etiquette coaches will tell you that means no less than 18%. So just how much should you tip on a bill of $50?

Answer: Percent means by a hundred, so anything expressed as a percentage is a fraction (or part, if you prefer) of 100. So 18% is 18 parts of 100, or 18/100 or .18. If your bill is $50, multiply 50 by .18 to get your tip total of $9. If you're feeling generous, a 20% tip would require you to multiply 50 by .20, for a total of $10.00

50.00 x .18 = 9.00

50.00 x .20 = 10.00

Percentages can also be holiday-relevant when it comes to figuring out in-store sales. In this case, you want to multiply by the inverse of the percentage listed. So if you have a $50 sweater that's on sale for 25% off, multiply 50 by .75 for your total of $37.50. That same $50 sweater on sale for 40% off would equate to $30, or $50 multiplied by .60.

50.00 x .75 = 37.50

50.00 x .60 = 30.00

9. Brr, it's cold outside. But just how cold does it have to be to get some snow around here?

Answer: Did you know that the freezing point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit? Keep an eye on the temperature and watch your footing for ice on the ground. (See previous fact about those treasured vertebrae!)

10. Everyone knows Santa and his elves live in the North Pole. But what about the South Pole (aka Antarctica)?

Answer: The South Pole was discovered by Roald Amundsen (1872-1928, Norwegian), who was also the first to sail though the Northwest passage, the sea route from Pacific to Atlantic along the north coast of North America. Antarctica is the only continent that contains no countries -- instead, it is a stateless territory protected from exploitation by an international treaty. A good place for the elves to protest low wages?

11. Which Ocean is bigger: the Pacific or the Atlantic?

Answer: The Pacific Ocean is larger at 69,374 square miles -- that's almost double the Atlantic, which comes in at 35,665 square miles. Making it even more astonishing that St. Nick can cross the globe in just one night.

12. Remember the reason for the Season! Can you name a few things that both Judaism and Christianity have in common?

Answer: Both are monotheistic religions that share the first five books of the Christian Old Testament. Both religions view Jerusalem as a sacred site, the former for the Wailing Wall (contains the remains of the temple that was thought to be the place where God resides on earth) and the latter for Christ's burial and resurrection site.

Happy Holidays to all!

©2009 Caroline Taggart, author of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School

Author Bio
Caroline Taggart, author of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School, has been an editor of non-fiction books for nearly 30 years and has covered nearly every subject from natural history and business to gardening and astronomy. She has written several books and was the editor of Writer's Market UK 2009.

For more information please visit www.amazon.com.

Teaser Tuesday: 12-8-2009

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 ask any successful man about his idea of a perfect woman and partner, he usually answers something like: Educated, intelligent, self-confident, funny, self-sufficient, independent. Still, when men are to decide between a woman with these qualities and the one without them, very often they end up choosing the later. (p30, Tales for Delicious Girls by Barbora Knobova)







Tales for Delicious Girls
Publisher/Publication Date: BK Publishing, Sept 2009
ISBN: 978-0-578-03339-6
180 pages

Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent (Book Review)

Title: Fireflies in December
Author: Jennifer Erin Valent
Publisher: Tyndale Fiction

First sentence: The summer I turned thirteen, I thought I'd killed a man.

About the book: This story is set in 1932 in Virginia. Jessilyn Lassiter lives with her parents and her best friend is Gemma, a young black girl who lives close by with her mom and dad. Gemma's parents have worked for the Lassiter's for a long time, so when they die in a fire, Harley (Jessilyn's dad) takes Gemma in to his home. This was taboo in the South in this era and caused the Lassiter's many problems. Fortunately there is a highlight to Jessilyn's summer. Luke Talley has moved on to the edge of their property and has taken on the task to help keep Jessilyn safe - and he eats dinner with them every night. Though Luke is about 6 years older than Jessilyn, it does not stop her from having her first crush.

The KuKluxKlan pay them more than one visit and all of their previous friends shun them when they come to town. This shadows pretty much all of Jessilyn's summer, and it doesn't help when she fires a gun on some KuKlux members who come to "call". With the threats getting more personal and the hired help acting more suspicious, Jessilyn doesn't know who she can trust.

My thoughts: Jennifer Erin Valent is a new author for me and I really enjoyed this book. Jessilyn was definitely my favorite character and I enjoyed how she discovered what it was like to become a young lady and her crush on Luke. Who out there doesn't remember their first crush? I believe this story continues in Cottonwood Whispers which I will be digging out to read soon!

(Fireflies in December was a library book.)

Fireflies in December
Publisher/Publication Date: Tyndale House, Sept 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4143-2432-6
352 pages

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 12-7-2009

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 Reviewed

Old Books Still Waiting for Reviews
1. Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent
2. Bo's Café: A Novel by John Lynch, Bill Thrall, Bill McNicol

Finished Last week and Need Reviews
1. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray - on audio
2. The Cost of Dreams by Gary Stelzer

Finished and reviewed last week:
1. Beg, Borrow, Steal by Michael Greenberg
2. A Note From an Old Acquaintance by Bill Walker
3. Touching Wonder by John Blase

Kid's Books Read and Reviewed Last Week
1. Robert Pattinson by Jennifer M. Besal

Still Reading
1. Hoodoo Sea by Rolf Hitzer
2. Nibble & Kuhn by David Schmahmann
3. The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder: A Novel by Rebecca Wells (bathroom book) - this one has to be returned to the library though, so I cannot finish it at this time. . .

Audio Book
1. Woman in Red by Eileen Goudge

New this week:
1. Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater
2. What Your Mother Never Told You: A Teenage Girls Survival Guide by Richard Dudum (with a giveaway!)
3. Tales for Delicious Girls by Barbara Knobova
4. My Unfair Lady by Kathryne Kennedy


What are you reading this week?

Mailbox Monday/In My Mailbox 12-7-2009

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!

Penguin Luck I received from Media Muscle for a February review.

Penguin Luck by Kay Mupetson

In the novel Penguin Luck, Doreen Lowe is a young, sophisticated junior associate in a small Manhattan law firm that primarily serves the lower echelons of society. Regularly visited by three ghosts, Doreen is forced to listen to their pleas that she "carry on for them" - after the Holocaust - all while balancing the demands of her career and personal life.

After Doreen marries a banker with an entrepreneurial spirit, he achieves his dream of establishing a telecommunications company. Within a few years, Doreen is serving as the company's legal counsel while simultaneously raising a son, but is still being tormented by her spirits. As the young couple rides out the tech boom of the late 1990s, Doreen must reconcile her unorthodox personal choices with her widowed father, her friends, and her large conscience.

Penguin Luck is a compelling tale about one woman's emotional journey as she learns to cope with a burdensome family history, a trio of determined ghosts, and the power of luck. (back cover)

I received The Mountain Beyond from TBB Media for a January review.

The Mountain Beyond by Terry Miller

"Hoppy is gone! What will we do?"

My father replied. "Well, we just have to search for him."

"Well, I'm sure he'll turn up in due time."

There it was, the final anticipation that he would come home! However, I didn't buy it! Off to my room I went - dejected and devoid of all hope. The tears came quickly in the quiet of my room. Emotion, especially tears, was an expression of feelings that were not allowed in our household. As a matter of fact, this era did not support the outward showing of emotion period! It was the philosophy that, "Grown men don't cry!" Why not?

Men were supposed to be strong, masculine and reserved. Showing other emotions diminished that role. Tears were not to be shown. Hugs and saying "I love you" were rarely seen nor were they acceptable. (back cover)

I received Cowboy Trouble from Sourcebooks for a Feb/Mar review.

Cowboy Trouble by Joanne Kennedy

A COWBOY LIKE THAT COULD BREAK YOUR HEART. . .

Fleeing her latest love life disaster, big city journalist Libby Brown's transition to rural living isn't going exactly as planned. Her childhood dream has always been to own a farm - but without the constant help of her charming, sexy cowboy neighbor, she'd never make it through her first Wyoming season.

BUT HE COULD SURE KEEP YOU WARM AT NIGHT, TOO. . .

Handsome rancher Luke Rawlins is impressed by this sassy, independent city girl. But he yearns to do more than help Libby out with her ranch. . .he's ready for love, and he wants to go the distance. . .

Then the two get embroiled in their tiny town's one and only crime story, and Libby discovers that their sizzling hot attraction is going to complicate her life in every way possible. . . (back cover)

I received Shadow of the King from Sourcebooks for a review in Feb/March.

Shadow of the King by Helen Hollick

At long last, the peace King Arthur was born to usher in has settled over the realm. But Arthur was also born to be a warrior. . .and all true warriors are restless without a fight. Yearning for battle and ever-loyal, Arthur is easily deceived into setting sail for Gaul to defend its territories - leaving his country vulnerable and leaderless.

A beacon of hope in a land of desolation, he was to be the Lord of the Summer Land for now and forever. But first, the Pendragon must face the ultimate test, one that will take all his courage, strength of will, and honor to survive.

Because once destiny is fulfilled, can you ever truly win again? (back cover)


Primal I received from Random House for a tour later this month.

Primal by Mark Batterson

BE ASTONISHED AGAIN

We have a tendency to complicate Christianity. Jesus simplified it: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we are to live out the essence of Christianity, we must commit to being great at this Great Commandment.

In Primal, Mark Batterson explores the four elements of Great Commandment Christianity: compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power. Along the way, he calls you to be a part of God's reformation, starting in your own life.

As Mark writes, "Is there a place in your past where you met God and God met you? A place where your heart broke for the things that break the heart of God? Maybe it was a sermon that became more than a sermon. Maybe it was a mission trip or retreat. Maybe it was a vow you made at an altar. In that moment, God birthed something supernatural in your spirit. You knew you'd never be the same again. My prayer is that this book would take you back to that burning bush - and reignite a primal faith."

Primal will help you live in light of what matters most and discover what it means to love God. It will help you become great at the Great Commandment. (inside cover)




What books made a new home with you this week?

Latest Winners!

It's time to stop monkeying around
and announce the latest winners!


White Picket Fences was won by Jane Maritz!

Jane Goodall's audiobook won by:
Rhapsody in Books already won; new winner is bgcchs (anonymous)
Janet Ruth
fredamans

It Happened One Night won by:
MoziEsme
karen k
Marie
Lee P
Rebecca Graham

Cheating Death audiobook won by:
enyl
Anne-Marie T
dsandyboy - never responded to email so a new winner was chosen - etirv

What the Dog Saw - audiobook won by:
Darcy O
Martha Lawson
Linda Henderson

I will be sending out emails in a few minutes, so if you think you are a winner and haven't received a notice from me before tommorow, please send me an email (kherbrand at comcast dot ne)

Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer's Life by Michael Greenberg (Book Review)

Title: Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer's Life
Author: Michael Greenberg
Publisher: Other Press

About the book: In Beg, Borrow, Steal Michael Greenberg regales us with his vivid take on the life of a writer of little means trying to practice his craft or simply stay alive. He finds himself doctoring doomed movie scripts; selling cosmetics from an ironing board in front of a women's department store; writing about golf, a game he has never played; and botching his debut as a waiter in a posh restaurant.

Central characters include Michael's father, whose prediction that Michael's "scribbling" wouldn't get him on the subway almost came true; his artistic first wife, whom he met in a Greenwich Village high school; and their son who grew up on the Lower East Side, fluent in the language of the street and in the language of the parlor. Then there are Greenberg's unexpected encounters: a Holocaust survivor who on his deathbed tries to leave Michael his fortune; a repentant communist who confesses his sins; a man who becomes a woman; a Chilean filmmaker in search of his past; and rats who behave like humans and cease to live underground.

Hilarious and bittersweet, Greenberg's stories invite us into a world where the familial, the literary, the tragic, and the mundane not only speak to one another, but deeply enjoy the exchange. (inside cover)

My Thoughts: Being neither a writer or a New Yorker, I wondered if I would enjoy this book - as that is what some of the previous reviewers seemed to elude to on some level. Surprise, surprise - I enjoyed it very much. I don't read a lot of non-fiction work and I don't read a lot of short stories. As this was an autobiography that was composed of essays, I would have to say it doesn't fit my "type".

The essays were not necessarily chronological, but they were so entertaining. Like the one where his wife Pat, brings home a transgender friend named Georgina and he impulsively pulls out a tablet and begins taking notes. Or when he was working in a Manhattan criminal court as a translator for Spanish speaking defendant.

The spell finally broke when I was in court with a repeat violent offender who was about to be sentenced for kidnapping and "deranged indifference." The judge asked him if there was anything he wished to say for the record. The felon launched into a barrage of terrifying threats, each of which he vividly described. I stood mutely by his side until he ran out of steam, at which point I said in my politest voice: "Thank you, your honor. I have nothing to say." Amused, the judge let my omission slide, and handed down the mandatory sentence: twenty-five years with no chance of parole. (p92)

Bottom line is - this book doesn't take long to read, the chapters are each just a few pages long, so it is easy to read if you are sitting in your car waiting for your child's bus, sitting in a doctor's office, or standing in the kitchen waiting for the water to boil. While it doesn't do a lot to pump up a would be writer's hope, it does give an open look into the early years of Michael Greenberg. I haven't read his earlier work, Hurry Down Sunshine, but have a feeling I will be picking that one up soon.

Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer's Life
Publisher/Publication Date: Other Press, Sept 2009
ISBN: 978-1-59051-341-5
232 pages

~I was provided this copy for review from Tony at Random House.~

A Note From an Old Acquaintance by Bill Walker (Book Review)

Title: A Note from an Old Acquaintance
Author: Bill Walker
Publisher: iUniverse

About the book: Brian Weller is a haunted man. It's been two years since the tragic accident that left his three-year-old son dead and his wife in an irreversible coma. A popular author of mega-selling thrillers, Brian's life has reached a crossroads: his new book is stalled, his wife's prognosis is dire, and he teeters on the brink of despair.

Everything changes the morning an e-mail arrives from Boston artist Joanna Richman. Her heartfelt note brings back all the poignant memories: the night their eyes met, the fiery passion of their short-lived affair, and the agonizing moment he was forced to leave Joanna forever. Now, fifteen years later, the guilt and anger threaten to overwhelm him. Vowing to make things right, Brian arranges a book-signing tour that will take him back to Boston. He is eager to see Joanna again, but remains unsure where their reunion will lead. One thing is certain: the forces that tore their love asunder will stop at nothing to keep them apart.

Filled with tender romance and taut suspense, A Note from an Old Acquaintance is an unforgettable story about fate, honor, and the power of true love. (back cover)

My thoughts: I was hooked just by reading the book's synopsis. Who hasn't thought about the "what ifs" in their life. I am in a truly happy place right now and adore my husband, but there were times in my first marriage that I wondered what would have happened if only. . .

I liked Brian the best. He had made the decision to walk away from Joanna 15 years before, as she had been engaged to another. Now, his wife and son have died and he needs to pick up the pieces of his life. I think when he gets that e-mail from Joanna, he can't help but arrange to see her.

The story begins in the present (2006) and then we jump back 15 years to see how Brian and Joanna met. I enjoy flashbacks and this one helped to fill in some of the story - even if we did know where it was heading. We then jump back to 2006 to finish the story. I wanted to root for Brian, even though I don't condone cheating - and because Erik did love his wife Joanna. He continually tried to make her happy. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so I am going to stop there.

Please see my interview with Bill Walker, and you can read an excerpt at Review from Here.

A Note from an Old Acquaintance
Publisher/Publication Date: iUniverse, June 2005
ISBN: 978-1-4401-3333-6
360 pages

~I received this book for my honest review from Tracee at Pump Up Your Book Tours.~

Waiting on Wednesday: Two YA series

I am posting something a little different this week for my WoW. I took my daughter to the library the other day and marched her over to the YA new releases (because she doesn't think there is anything out there after Harry Potter and Edward Cullen that she would like) - I got her to check out Evernight by Claudia Gray - she flew through it in a day. I have to find her the second book, Stargazer, now! I then gave her the copy of Gone by Michael Grant that I had just received off of Paperback Swap - She is almost done with it already - thankfully I have Hunger waiting in the wings. So my WoW post is for Book 3 in both of these series. I could not find a synopsis for either one of these books, so you will just have to check out the older books in each series to find out what they are about!

Lies by Michael Grant
Publisher/Publication Date: Katherine Tegen Books/May 4, 2010

Hourglass by Claudia Gray
Publisher/Publication Date: HarperTeen/March 9, 2010

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

Library Loot: 12-2-2009

I have been spending way too much time at the library recently - the problem is that I have actually been combing back over all my Friday Finds and Waiting on Wednesdays and reserving them!

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

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

When life as Alex Morales had known it changed forever, he was working behind the counter at Joey's Pizza. He was worried about getting elected as senior class president and making the grades to land him in a good college. He never expected that an asteroid would hit the moon, knocking it closer in orbit to the earth and catastrophically altering the earth's climate.

He never expected to be fighting just to stay alive.

Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life As We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event from a small-town perspective. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of a seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican New Yorker. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland.

With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities. (inside cover)

The Last Summer of Her Other Life by Jean Reynolds Page

From Jean Reynolds Page - the critically acclaimed author of The Space Between Before and After and one of the most compelling voices in contemporary women's fiction -- comes a dazzling novel of loss and redemption, of relationships that damage and those that heal.

Thirty-nine and pregnant by a man she's decided to leave behind in California, Jules' life is changing. Always the protected daughter, she must now relinquish that role and prepare to be a mother herself. But her efforts are upstaged by shocking allegations from a local teen in her North Carolina hometown. The boy has accused her of what the police are calling "inappropriate sexual contact." Three men rally in her defense: Lincoln, her brother, who flies in from New York to help her; Sam, her high school boyfriend, who after so many years still offers unconditional support; and Walt, the uncle of the teen, who charms Jules with his intelligence and unanticipated kindness.

Her search for the truth about the troubled teenager becomes, for Jules, a first step toward discovering the woman she wishes to be. But with so many wrong choices behind her, how can she trust herself with the future of her unborn child? (back cover)

Teaser Tuesday: The Cost of Dreams 12-01-2009

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!




He ripped off his seatbelt to discover a widening mess of her blood on his jeans legs. He shoved Flora aside as bullet number three whistled through the gapping hole just over her seat and lodged itself in the rear metal van door. (p42, The Cost of Dreams by Gary Stelzer)








The Cost of Dreams
Publisher/Publication Date: Decent Hearts Press, Oct 2009
ISBN: 978-1-936073-00-9
296 pages

Kid's Korner: Robert Pattinson by Jennifer M. Besel (Book Review)

Title: Robert Pattinson
Author: Jennifer M. Besel
Publisher: Snap Books (Capstone Press)

My thoughts: If you didn't know who Robert Pattinson was before last month, with the release of New Moon, I am sure you do now.

This book details what Rob's life was like up to The Twilight Movie. It tells about what he was like in school and that he really didn't want to be an actor - he wanted to be a musician. He was pushed into acting by his father. He does still play music though - for fun with his friends, but two of their songs are featured on the Twilight soundtrack (Never Think and Let Me Sign).

If you have a tween in your life - and she is a Twilight fan, then I think you need to get her this book. Older teens may like it for the multitude of pictures that it contains. It was a fun book to read to learn facts about Robert Pattinson since I have seen some of his movies.

Robert Pattinson
Publisher/Publication Date: Snap Books (Capstone Press), Aug 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4296-3729-9
32 pages
Ages 9-12

~I received this book for review from Molly at Capstone Books.~

Come meet Gary Stelzer - author of The Cost of Dreams!

Please help me welcome Gary Stelzer to Books and Needlepoint today. He is the author of The Cost of Dreams, the first in a series of books, which came out in October.

Hi Dr. Stelzer!

1. I found the back story of The Cost of Dreams fascinating. Can you share with my readers where the idea for this book came from?

Fundamentally, from my own innate sense of outrage at the level of injustice befalling the ignorant and destitute of our world’s societies. I just don’t care for societal unfairness in which persons and families, through no fault of their own, get ground into dust in an unfair social setup.

2. I believe this is the first book in what is to be a series - have you started work on the second book?

There will be four more novels (assuming brains hold out), the next of which will be set in New Orleans during the time of Katrina. A time and place in which another several thousands of human beings found themselves trapped by the ill convergence of a natural disaster and the abject neglect of the social contract we have with each other to care for our fellow humans - preventatively and at the time of needed rescue.

The third novel will be set in Detroit, the epicenter of America's industrial collapse.

3. The next two novels sound very good also! I like the way they center around a certain area/event in the country. Was The Cost of Dreams your original title or was it changed upon publishing?

The first, and very different draft, had a different title, The Disappeared One.

4. At what point did you decide to give up your medical career and become a writer?

I had worked almost three decades as a physician, a very interesting and stressful job. But certain features of the work were becoming untenable. Not the least of which was the unaffordable barrier to care for more and more people. I’d spend a half-hour to an hour with a person outlining what they needed done, only to find it was totally unattainable for cost reasons. Over and over, all day, day after day and getting worse all the time. Very frustrating and very defeating for patients and doctors alike.

Plus, I have always loved writing very, very much. It was not a hard shift and I could not be happier with the change.


5. What was your journey to publication like?

Circuitous and unpredictable. But honestly and ultimately very enjoyable – and supremely educational!!

6. Do you have a favorite place to write - or any "must-haves" in order to get the creative juices flowing?

No – a boring tiny office in my small city house. A little cabin on a small lake is not bad either. Privacy and quietude are essential. And a healthy block of time to let the head settle into the work.

7. Sometimes I find that privacy and quietude are necessary for me to do anything! What was the hardest part about writing The Cost of Dreams?

Accepting after the first couple drafts that I had no notion of what I was doing. And that I needed the attention of a real pro – I obtained an astonishing editor. Very, very key.

8. That is good to know. I have a daughter who is an aspiring author - she is working on chapter 3 of a book as I write this. If you had to summarize your life and give it a title, what would that title be?

A Climb.

9. If you could have lunch and chat with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

William Faulkner and Uncle Abe Lincoln. Because of their lack of fear at facing reality and answering the call of their time. Also because they were true children of the enlightenment and because I’d like to ask them a few questions about the predicaments of their own time.

10. Great choices - I would find this a tough questions to answer myself! Have there been any surprises upon publication of The Cost of Dreams or during the blog tour?

None, other than every minute of it is all new to me. I’ve liked it very much. And in the mid-winter, I’ll be at work on the next book.



11. Is there anything else that you would like to share with my readers?

Demand, and you will receive, books and talks that are relevant to the time in which we are living. It is what I demand of my writing.
And, keep reading and be well!!


Thank you Dr. Stelzer for taking time to answer these questions for me!

I will be reviewing this book this week. You can learn more about Gary Stelzer at www.garystelzer.com.

Touching Wonder by John Blase (Book Review)

Title: Touching Wonder: Recapturing the Awe of Christmas
Author: John Blase
Publisher: David C. Cook

My thoughts: This was a wonderful little book that really made the Christmas season human. It takes the birth of Jesus, as written in Luke 1, 2, and makes it read as if you are right there. You see different perspectives in history ranging from Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, to the shepherds who came the night Jesus was born.

Each chapter starts out with a portion of Luke using The Message version. The author than restates that part of Luke as explained above. He ends the chapter with a prayer, really putting the humanness of today into what we have just read.

I am probably not doing the best job of describing what a wonderful little book this is. Small enough to tuck in your purse, it disguises the weight of the message that it brings - The Lord is come!

About the author: John Blase's work includes Living the Questions and Living the Letters Bible-study series, the Worldviews reference book (TH1NK), Real Life Stuff for Couples, and The Message Children's Bible. A former pastor, John currently edits by day and writes by night. He and his wife, Meredith, have three children and make their home in Colorado.

Touching Wonder
Publisher/Publication Date: David C. Cook, September 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4347-6465-2
127 pages