Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros (Book Review)

Title: Goodnight Tweetheart
Author: Teresa Medeiros
Publisher: Gallery Books

My synopsis: Abby is currently an author struggling to finish her second novel.  Her first one was picked as one of Oprah's book club books and ALMOST won a Pulitzer.  She is beginning to think that she has no other stories in her.

Her publicist thinks that she needs some exposure with her fans and so signs her up with a Twitter account.  Abby knows nothing about Twitter, but gives it a shot anyway.  She is amazed to see that she already has "followers." 

Another tweeter (?) recognizes that she is new to this world and so takes her under his wing (haha).  His name is Mark and he is a college  professor on sabbatical, traveling the world in search of the story for his great novel.  But how can either of them know if the other is telling them the truth? 

They get closer, learning more about each other through tweets.  Abby, who has trust issues, thinks that maybe this is someone she could trust.  Or she wonders, as does her friend Margo, if this is just another way for her to avoid living life. 

My thoughts:  I found this book to be very witty and often caught myself laughing out loud.  (Don't read in bed if your spouse is sleeping next to you!)  A lot of the book is told in tweets, and I didn't double check to see that they were 140 characters, but I am sure that they are. That would have been very tough!  It definitely had a twist that I didn't see and surprisingly I liked the ending.  Any more than that and I am afraid that I would give too much away.  Definitely a romance for the technological age!

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery Books in exchange for my review.~

Goodnight Tweetheart
Publisher/Publication Date: Gallery Books, Dec 14, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4391-8815-6
240 pages

Jane Austen's Freebies extended!

I received this message today from Sourcebooks:

First off let me sincerely apologize for all the confusion regarding the free offer of Jane Austen special edition titles as well as the 10 Austen inspired novels. Please extend this apology to your readers and followers as well.



We have been trying to fix the problem all morning. It takes a lot of cooperation from different parties to make the offer happen and it unfortunately it took some extra time to iron out the kinks.

Let me tell you know that iBooks and Google books currently has everything correct.

Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Sony are currently working to get their prices adjusted. They should be correct shortly. Sourcebooks.com will also have our books and the illustrated versions available for free within the next hour!


Because of this confusion we want to celebrate Jane Austen’s birthday an extra day! This offer will be good tomorrow as well.

Happy 235th Birthday Jane!

For all you Jane Austen fans out there I have some terrific information!  In honor of her 235th birthday on Dec 16, 2010, Sourcebooks has a deal too good to pass up!  For one day only (Thursday, Dec 16, 2010 - of course) you can get FOR FREE - special e-book editions of Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and sensibility, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion and Mansfield Park. These celebratory editions include the full novels, plus the legendary color illustrations of the Brock brothers, originally created to accompany the books in 1898.

In addition to the classics, you can also get these bestselling Austen-inspired novels.  These e-books will also be  FREE for one day only - Thursday, Dec 16!

Eliza’s Daughter by Joan Aiken
The Darcys and the Bingleys by Marsha Altman
Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll
What Would Jane Austen Do? by Laurie Brown
The Pemberley Chronicles by Rebecca Ann Collins
The Other Mr. Darcy by Monica Fairview
Mr. Darcy’s Diary by Amanda Grange
Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One by Sharon Lathan
Lydia Bennet’s Story by Jane Odiwe
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy by Abigail Reynolds

So what are you waiting for?  Go get yourself some Austen or Austen-inspired e-books!  Available wherever e-books are sold. 

THANKS SOURCEBOOKS!

To Kindle or Not to Kindle?

A while back I left a post asking for any opinions over the Kindle, Nook, Sony e-reader or any of the various ones that are out there.  I am very grateful to all the responses that I received and all of the information.  There were a lot of good points brought up that I had not even considered.  So after much thought I decided to ask Santa for a Nook this year - as I feel that I would be utilizing the library option quite often.


And then - this morning - I open my email and discover that I WON A KINDLE 3G FROM BITTEN BY BOOKS!!!!    I was bouncing off the ceiling and when I told my son what I had won - he said "Is it a toy?"  I told him it was a toy for mommy.  Of course, when I called "Santa" to tell him that I had won - in a very monotone voice he says - "That's just great. . . "  But called later to tell me that it really was pretty cool.

So, since I am pretty sure that the Nook was already purchased - given my husband's less than enthusiastic response - I guess I didn't need to make up my mind after all!     Maybe I can get my electronically motivated daughters to read now, too!

So thank you Bitten by Books!  If you are a fan of paranormal books you must check out this website - they are ALWAYS having great giveaways and have many many many author visits all the time! 

ARC Arrival: The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean

The Secret Lives of Dresses

by Erin McKean

5 Spot

Dora has always taken the path of least resistance.  She went to the college that offered her a scholarship, is majoring in "vagueness studies," and wears whatever shows the least dirt.  She falls into a job at the campus coffee shop and a crush on her cute boss. . . and has no idea what she's going to do next.

But when Mimi, the grandmother who raised her, suffers a stroke, Dora rushes back home to Forsyth, NC, and finds herself running Mimi's vintage dress shop.  The store has always been a fixture in Dora's life, though she grew up more of a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of girl. Before Dora even knew how to write, Mimi taught her that a vintage 1920s dress could lift a woman's spirit.  While there, Dora befriends Mimi's adorable contractor, Conrad.  Is he after Dora, or is he working from a different blueprint?  She also makes a curious discovery: Mimi has been writing down -- and giving away -- the stories of the dresses in her shop.

Battling building codes and selfish relatives, Dora ultimately finds herself willing to face whatever may stand in the way of her staying in Forsyth.  She can trade her boring clothes for vintage glamour, but can she trade her boring life for one she actually wants?

About the author: Erin McKean is the blogger behind A Dress A Day, the inspiration for this novel. Her writing has been featured in many media outlets from The NY Times Magazine to Foreign Affairs. She currently works as the editor of VERBATIM, and was previously at OUP.

Follow Erin at her blog A Dress a Day or on Twitter.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette Books.  Watch for my review in February.~

The Secret Lives of Dresses
Publisher/Publication Date: 5 Spot, Feb 10, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-446-55572-2
304 pages

ARC Arrival: Georgia Bottoms by Mark Childress

Georgia Bottoms

by Mark Childress

Little, Brown and Company

From the author of Crazy in Alabama and One Mississippi comes a hilarious and heartfelt story about an Alabama socialite with an unusual secret.

Georgia Bottoms is known in her small community of Six Points, Alabama, as a beautiful, well-to-do, and devoutly Baptist Southern belle.

Nobody realizes that the family fortune has long since disappeared, and a determinedly single woman like Georgia needs an alternative, and discreet, means of income.  In Georgia's case it is six well-heeled lovers -- one for each day of the week, with Mondays off -- none of whom knows about the others.

But when the married preacher who has been coming to call (Saturdays) decides to confess their affair in front of the whole congregation, Georgia must take drastic measures to stop him.  What ensues is a hearty stew of hilarity, absurdity, and wholehearted mischief such as only Mark Childress can cook up.

About the author: Mark Childress was born in Monroeville, Alabama.  He is the author of six previous novels and three books for children.  He has lived in Ohio, Indiana, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, California, and Costa Rica, and currently lives in Key West, Florida.  Visit his website at www.crazyinalabama.com. 

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette Books. Watch for my February review.~

Georgia Bottoms: A Novel
Publisher/Publication Date: Little, Brown and Company, Feb 23, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-316-03304-6
288 pages

Honky Tonk Christmas by Carolyn Brown (Book Review)

Title: Honky Tonk Christmas
Author: Carolyn Brown
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

My synopsis:  Once again we are back in Mingus, Texas at the Honky Tonk bar, which is now owned by Sharlene Waverly.  She inherited the bar and the "Bahamas" house (painted like it belongs in the Bahamas - not actually there) when Larissa fell under the Honky Tonk charm and married her cowboy Hank.  Sharlene has vowed that she will not fall under the charm and will not be marrying any cowboy.  Instead, she decides to expand the Honky Tonk so that the crowds that gather in the parking lot will now be able to come in and enjoy the Tonk's atmosphere, too.

She hires Holt Jackson who is the best carpenter in the area.  He is also a single dad, having taken in his six-year-old twin niece and nephew when his sister is killed by a drunk driver.  Sharlene makes him a deal that allows him, Judd, and Waylon to live in the Bahamas house rent free as long as the addition gets done on deadline.  She settles into a routine of bartender at night, daycare for the 2 kids after school and working on her second book in between.  Her first book, Honky Tonk Charm is due out in December.  What doesn't figure into her routine is the attraction that is growing between her and Holt. 

She finally agrees to a visit with her family in Corn, Oklahoma and drags Holt and the twins with her.  She has been avoiding going home as her family knows nothing about her owning a bar or writing a book.  They think she lives and works in Dallas. She tells herself that she is taking Holt as a buffer, but I think that she just wants him to be with her. Could she be falling under the Honky Tonk charm too?

My thoughts: This is the fourth and last :( book in this series and I have enjoyed them all.  Even if you haven't read the first three - this one gives you all the background to catch you up to speed. I love that even though all the books are centered around the Honky Tonk - the main characters of each are very diverse and the routes the stories take are driven by the characters. There are characters that carry over from story to story to keep them connected, but they each have a different conflict. The books are quick reads and the series would be a great gift for the booklover on your Christmas list!

Ms. Brown will be back in 2011 with a new series called Spikes & Spurs.  The first book, Love Drunk Cowboy is due out in May, 2011.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sourcebooks in exchange for my review.~

Honky Tonk Christmas
Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks Casablanca, Nov 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4201-4
368 pages

ARC Arrival: THR3E by Ted Dekker

THR3E

by Ted Dekker

Center Street

By all accounts Kevin Parsons is leading a virtuous life.  But like all people, Kevin has his secrets.  And someone wants them revealed.

While driving home from graduate school, Kevin receives a call from a deluded stranger who calls himself Slater.  Slater demands that Kevin confess his sin in the next three minutes or the car he's driving will be blown to pieces.  With the threat, he offers a riddle:  What falls but never breaks, what breaks but never falls?

Thus starts a harrowing chain of threats with progressively higher stakes.  Another riddle, another three minutes.  Confess your sin, Kevin.

The problem is Kevin has no idea what sin.  And Slater's cycle won't stop until he's dead.

Now only Samantha, the woman he once loved more than life itself, can help him uncover the secrets of a mysterious past.  But Samantha may soon be dead as well.

About the author: TED DEKKER is a New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels with a total of more than 3 million books in print. He is known for thrillers that combine adrenaline-laced plots with incredible confrontations between good and evil.



~ I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette Books and hope to have it reviewed by the end of the month.~



Thr3e
Publisher/Publication Date: Center Street, Nov 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59995-314-4
416 pages

ARC Arrival: Trapped by a Dream: When Fates Collide by Leola Butler

Trapped by a Dream: When Fates Collide (A True Account Taken From the Journals of Boots Butler)

by Leola Butler

XLibris

Trapped By a Dream: When Fates collide is the true account of a young Russian girl who is deceived and abducted.  Her rescue mission is detailed from the personal journals of Boots Butler, the team leader.  This story involves the collective abilities of Boots, working with an extraordinary group of comrades in arms, to extract a prisoner.  The rescue takes Boots and his clan to Amsterdam where their most hated enemy, the Russian Mafia, stands between them and the object of the operation.  They do this with complete selflessness and courage.  Once engaged they will not quit.  Their motto is "failure is not an option."  These are the words they live by, and will die by, if necessary.

About the author:  Leola butler is an emerging author recounting the true stories of the recovery of abducted and exploited children performed by A.E. "Boots" Butler, her husband of thirty-six years.  Since 1994 she has been the secretary/treasurer and case assignment controller for the non-profit organization,  Somewhere Out There.  The stories that she writes about tell of the bravery and perseverance of the heroic men that rescue stolen and kidnapped children.  She earned an Associate of Arts degree at Peninsula College and majored in criminal Justice at Washington State University.  Leola and Boots now reside in the scenic Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.  When she is not writing, Leola enjoys spending time with her family, working as a care-giver and is a devoted mother and grandmother of four.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book - but I don't know who sent it!  I have searched my email for any reference to this title and cannot find one.  I feel so bad as I am usually more careful that that.  So if you happen to be the sender - or if someone has received a review copy themselves - please let me know who sent it to me!  Watch for my review sometime in January.~


Trapped By A Dream: When Fates Collide: A true account taken from the journals of Boots Butler
Publisher/Publication Date: Xlibris, May 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4500-9129-9
346 pages

ARC Arrival: The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship by Lisa Verge Higgins

The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship

by Lisa Verge Higgins

Grand Central Publishing

What makes a wife a lover?

For Kate, the spark went out of her marriage long ago but her husband doesn't seem to notice.  Their role as parents consumes their lives so they need to rekindle the romance they once shared.

What makes a woman a mother?

For Jo, a high-powered career has led her to believe that she doesn't have a single maternal instinct.  When an orphan unexpectedly enters her life, she is forced to confront her own unhappy childhood -- and the wall it has built around her heart.

What makes a man the love of your life?

For Sarah, home is the steamy jungles of Africa while the man of her dreams waits in the air-conditioned confines of Los Angeles.  Her longing for this man from the past is blinding her to a new love standing right in front of her.

What these women all have in common is a friend named Rachel, a brave, vibrant woman whose life has been cut tragically short.  But she's left a legacy of hope for her three closest friends.  Through her final letters, Rachel dares them to change the course of their lives and to value the friends who will always be there.

About the author:  While studying for her Ph.D. in chemistry, RITA finalist Lisa Verge Higgins penned twelve romance novels under her maiden name.  The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship is her first foray into mainstream women's fiction. 

She lives in New Jersey with her husband, an attorney, and their children.

Read an Excerpt

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette Books.  Watch for my review in late January, 2011.~

The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship
Publisher/Publication Date: Grand Central Publishing, Jan 26, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-446-56351-2
352 pages

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Dec 13, 2010)

What are you reading on Mondays is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey - You can hook up with the Mr. Linky there with your own post - but be sure and let me know what you are reading too! 


Currently Reading:
Goodnight Tweetheart  by Teresa Medeiros
When No One is Watching  by Joseph Hayes
Euphemania: Our Love Affair with Euphemisms by Ralph Keyes

E-Book:
The Turn of the Karmic Wheel by Monica Brinkman

Bathroom Book:
I currently don't have one.


Audio Book:
The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris

Books Reviewed Last Week:
Let's Eat by Denise Burroughs
The Taming of the Wolf by Lydia Dare


Children's Books Reviewed Last Week:
The Duck Song by Bryant Oden

Ready- Set- Read!

Mailbox Monday (Dec 13, 2010)

In My Mailbox is hosted Sundays at The Story Siren. Mailbox Monday's host for December is Lady Q at Let Them Read Books. Please visit these posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!  Please click on the book titles to learn more about them.

ARC Arrivals

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Angel Harp by Michael Phillips

Aksandar by Judith Montgomery

Chasing Shadows by Fred Burton

Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros

Magel's Daughter by Nancy Baker

Wonderful Win

Night Runner by Max Turner

What great books did you get this week?

Warren Pride Award

My daughter was presented this morning with a Warren Pride Award at her school.  There was about 8-10 kids who won the award for the Nov/Dec months.  It was really cool to see her honored out of the 1000's of kids in her school!  The teachers nominate kids and then a committee picks the final winners.  They are chosen on academic excellence, school spirit, making the school a better place, most improved academically or one more that I can't remember! 

Anyway - this is what her Spanish teacher had to say about her:

Lexi is a very bright student in Spanish 1 and has a lot of friends in class. She does not let this become a distraction but instead is continuously helping other students in class.  She is extremely patient, kind, and positive in her attitude.  Lexi will give up her own time to help someone understand a concept.

Here she is with Dr. Brierton, principal, reading her nomination and presenting her with the award.

Lexi I am so proud of you!!!

The Taming of the Wolf by Lydia Dare (Book Review)

Title: The Taming of the Wolf
Author: Lydia Dare
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

My synopsis: Dashiel Thorpe is a Lycan who grew up with a stepfather believing he was a monster.  He had no idea that there were others like him so kept himself chained whenever the moon was full.  When he finds out there are other Lycans, he goes to them to try to get help with learning how to control his urges.  On the first full moon that he has been unchained, he bites Caitrin MacLeod, unknowingly claiming her as his mate.  She flees in the middle of the night, outraged that she let him bite her, not knowing that he is Lycan.

For him, there will never be another woman as long as either he or she lives.  For her, she can go on and love another, never being the wiser. But to Caitrin, Dash is a refuge in a storm. You see - she is a witch and has the fortunate (or unfortunate) ability to see people's futures.  The exception to this is Dash.  When she is with him, her mind clears of all "futures" and she just feels calm and safe.

This all happened at the home of Elspeth Westfield, one of Caitrin's coven sisters, who herself is married to a Lycan.  As Caitrin flees for her home in Scotland, Dash discovers the full meaning of what he has done.  So he follows her - determined to win her over as he can think of no other.  She continues to push him away, even as she feels herself drawn to him inexplicably. 

Throw in some of Caitrin's coven sisters (witches) to spice things up as well as Dash's estranged stepfather for some added conflict and you have a enticing read.  Great for a cold winter's night!

My thoughts: I don't know what it is, but I love the books about Lycans/werewolves, and this one was no different.  I love the spunk of Caitrin and how she stands up to Dash, but continues to find herself in compromising situations with him.  My favorite part though, would have to be when Caitrin refuses to back down from Dash's father and sort of bullies him into listening to her. 

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sourcebooks in exchange for my review.~

The Taming of the Wolf
Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks Casablanca, Nov 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4437-7
384 pages

ARC Arrival: Magel's Daughter by Nancy Baker

Magel's Daughter

by Nancy Baker

North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc

Everyone in the Olina family, living and dead, knows that Magel keeps human body parts in her freezer.

From the beginning of the novel, the provocative nature of the text defies the Minnesota-nice stereotype, which is, at once, refreshing and original.

Magel's Daughter highlights the deadly manipulations and subterfuge of matriarchal power within a Norwegian family.  It is a dark comedy with a touch of magical realism.  On the surface it's a rapidly paced, episodic blitz through the last days of Karin Brix's sanity.

She's lost it by the end, and it's all her mother's fault.  Magel is a classic femme fatale who grows old and spoils everyone's lives just like her mother and her mother before her.  This is all set in Northern Minnesota, a chilly world of hallucination, incest, and severed heads.

Magel is the reigning matriarch of the family, and Karin is on her way to becoming just like her, struggling to regain herself as an artist after years of raising her two sons.  Karin is assisted in her endeavors by the hallucinations of her grand and great-grandmothers.  Karin's father's glass eye weaves through her imagination as the only sound counsel amid the chaos.

Watch for the Sequel: Magel's Ghost continues the story of Karin as she re-locates to Minneapolis, and follows the characters caught in Karin's web. Her quest for power in the art community, involves her with the grandfather, father, and son of a wealthy Minneapolis family. The ripple effect of her destructive psychosis is hilarious.

~I received a copy of this book from Bostick Communications and Nancy Baker.  Watch for my review by early February.~

 

About the author: Magel's Daughter is Nancy's first published novel, and the sequel is Magel's Ghost. The stories are dark comedies laced with magical realism, and take place in her home state of Minnesota.

She has finished her third novel, Island Adrift, the first in The Mac Books series. The novel is also laced with magical realism while giving us a more serious base to the storyline. She is currently working on the next book in the series.

Her education has taken a varied and unusual route. She holds a BFA from the college of Art and Design in Minneapolis and worked in graphic design for ten years. At the same time she took night classes at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis,Minnesota, and has been writing ever since.

Early in her writing career, she tried her hand at children's stories and adult short stories. She is married and the mother of four children who supply her with endless material.


Magel's Daughter
Publisher/Publication Date: North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc, Sept 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-87839-364-1
320 pages

ARC Arrival: Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros

Goodnight Tweetheart

by Teresa Medeiros

Gallery Books

@WhatTheHeckHappenedToMyLife

Abigail Donovan has a lot of stuff she should be doing.  Namely writing her next novel.  A bestselling author who is still recovering from a near Pulitzer Prize win and the heady success that follows Oprah's stamp of approval, she is stuck at Chapter Five and losing confidence daily.  But when her publisher signs her up for a Twitter account, she's intrigued.  What's all the fuss about?

Trending Topic: True Love

Taken under the wing of one of her Twitter followers, "MarkBaynard" -- a quick-witted, quick-typing professor on sabbatical -- Abby finds it easy to put words out into the world 140 characters at a time.  And once she gets a handle on tweets, retweets, direct messages, hashtags, and trends, she starts to feel unblocked in writing and in life.  After all, why should she be spending hours in her apartment staring at her TweetDeck and fretting about her stalled career when Mark is out there traveling the world and living?

Or is he?

Told almost entirely in tweets and DMs, Goodnight Tweetheart is a truly modern take on a classic tale of love -- a Griffin and Sabine for the Twitter generation.

Read the first chapter.

About the author: Teresa Medeiros is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.  She currently has more than seven million books in print and is published in more than seventeen languages.  She lives in Kentucky with her husband and her cats Willow and Buffy the Mouse slayer.  Visit her web site Teresa Medeiros, follow her on Twitter, and join her on Facebook.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery Books.  Watch for my review on December 16.~ 

Goodnight Tweetheart
Publisher/Publication Date: Gallery Books, Dec 14, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4391-8815-6
240 pages

StaphAseptic - Giveaway! (Product Review)

StaphAseptic is a first aid antiseptic and pain relieving gel.  I was given the opportunity to review this product early last summer.  I thought with a little boy running around, that I would have ample opportunity to try it out - wrong.  It wasn't until my teenage daughter got a burn on her leg getting off her uncle's motorcycle the wrong way that I had the chance to try it out.  She did it at her Grandma's house the night before we were headed home and didn't really make a big deal out of it.  So we headed out the next day and when we got home she showed us this burn on her leg.  I immediately went for the StaphAseptic as I had been waiting for an opportunity to use it!

It did a great job in aiding the healing process of this burn.  About 2 weeks after it happened, my daughter was at a friend's house whose mother is a nurse.  She took a look at the burn and said she was lucky it didn't get infected because it was a worse burn than we thought and she should have seen a doctor.  I am not advocating that you use StaphAseptic in the place of seeing your physician at all!  But in our case, I am glad that I had the StaphAseptic and used it - as I contribute it to keeping her burn infection free!

Here is some information from StaphAseptic:
Uses:  First aid to help protect against skin infection in minor cuts, scrapes and burns. Temporarily relieves pain and itching associated with minor burns, cuts, scrapes, insect bites and skin irritations.

STAPH PREVENTION PROGRAM:

• Treat and cover wounds
• Don't share personal items (like towels)
• Shower after physical activity
• Properly clean gear and equipment
• Keep hands clean
• Consult your physician for all active wounds

If you think you may have a skin infection, contact your physician immediately.  Staph bacteria, including MRSA, can cause skin infections that may look like a pimple, boil, or ingrown hair and can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus and other drainage.  Serious infections may cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, or even death.

StaphAseptic is available in a 2oz tube or single use packet. It is available online or in many retail outlets.  See complete list here.  Click on coupon to take you to a link to print one for yourself!

GIVEAWAY!

Thanks to Amelia at APB Communications and Tec Labs/StaphAseptic I have one 2 oz tube to giveaway to a lucky reader.  To enter, just leave a comment telling me who is most likely in your family to be the first to need this product.  For additional entries follow my blog or tweeter/spread the word about this contest.  Just let me know and leave link if applicable.

This giveaway is open to US residents only.  It will end on Dec 30, 2010.

~I received a 2oz tube of StaphAseptic from APB Communications and Tec Labs in exchange for my review.~

ARC Arrival: Chasing Shadows by Fred Burton

Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent's Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice

by Fred Burton with John Bruning

Palgrave Macmillan

In July 1973, a gunman stepped out from behind a tree and fired five shots, point blank, into Josef Alon, a kind, unassuming Israeli Air Force pilot.  Sixteen-year-old Fred Burton was deeply shocked by this crime that rocked his sleepy suburban neighborhood in Bethesda, Maryland.  Alan wasn't just a pilot and family man -- he was a high-ranking Israeli military official with intelligence ties.  His assassin was never found.  In 2007, Fred Burton -- now a former State Department counterterrorism special agent -- reopened the case.  From swirling dogfights over Egypt and Hanoi to gun battles on the streets of Beirut, this action-packed history shows how power is used, misused, and sold to the most convenient bidder.  Chasing Shadows spins a gripping tale of secret agents, double agents, terrorists, and heroes as Burton chases leads around the globe in an effort to solve this decades old murder.

About the author:  Fred Burton is one of the world's foremost experts on security, terrorists, and terrorist organizations.  He was deputy chief of the Counterterrorism Division of the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service and is currently a vice president at Stratfor, known as the "Shadow CIA."  He is the author of Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent and appears regularly on The Daily Show, Glenn Beck, and Anderson Cooper 360, and on Fox, ABC, and CBS radio.  He lives in Austin, Texas.

John Bruning is a military historian and the coauthor of House to House.  He lives in Independence, Oregon.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Palgrave Macmillan.  Watch for my review in April 2011.~

Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent's Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice
Publisher/Publication Date: Palgrave Macmillan, April 12, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-230-62055-1
272 pages

ARC Arrival: Aksandar by Judith Montgomery

Aksandar

by Judith Montgomery

AuthorHouse

Aksandar is a quest for truth and justice by Aziz Rashani who understands that tradition in a land of mountains and desert is a matter of surviving when unrealistic odds favor invaders who use the same tactics as Ghenghis Khan.  For him, the ideal of an independent Afghanistan is a matter of honor.  It is a matter of doing the right thing because that is the right thing to do.  Political blackmail and the corruption of ideals force drastic and dangerous change onto the streets and into the villages where the struggle goes on every day.

Ms. Montgomery has traveled extensively in Afghanistan and over the years has developed a great love and respect for the Afghan people and their struggle to survive as citizens of an independent country.  Much of that struggle to maintain their culture has not been recognized, and through Aksandar, she has put forth a meaningful picture of what it means to wait in a land where waiting means death from strangers and outsiders.  her own personal search for trugh has become the inspiration for Aksandar.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bohlsen PR. Watch for my review by early February.~

Aksandar
Publisher/Publication Date: AuthorHouse, Aug 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4490-1208-3
272 pages

The Meaning Behind - Let's Eat! - by Denise Burroughs (Guest Post)

I want to take this time to share with you the real meaning behind my book.

I came from a large Italian family. As an only child though, the traditions surrounding me growing up are things I will never forget. I started writing my book two years ago and in those two years a lot had happen in my life. Writing has given me plenty of time to think and to reflect on the things around me. One of those things being my family.

As an only child, my mother raised me as a single parent. A budget was a must for her. Times are harder today and family values have been lost. In a world that has enough problems, two parents work for the most part . Money is tight. Dinners and family time are far and few. Today's life style is all about tv, computers, video games, fast food and frozen meals. I wanted to convey in this book, the small less expensive meals that families can make together without breaking their wallet and to help the single mom who is working two jobs or the single dad. I would like to see a time again when a family can pick one night out of a week and just sit together and eat and laugh and share their day. No tv and no cell phone. Family does not have to be ten people at a table. It could be just two, a mom and her daughter or son. You are what makes your family. I believe that we all need something from the people we love and what better way to do that then to sit down at the table and eat. Food warms the heart and soothes the soul.

I'm proud of who I am and how my children value so much because of what I have passed down to them. I want the same for you and your family. At a time where so much is wrong, we can make one thing right and that's dinner.Find that time in your life to change how you spend time with each other and the people you love most. Best wishes and lots of love!