Book Review -- The Power of Your Child's Imagination by Charlotte Reznick, PhD.

Kids seem to be dealing with more and more stress these days. Problems crop up that I never had to think about during my childhood. Thankfully there are helpful books like The Power of Your Child's Imagination: How to Transform Stress and Anxiety into Joy and Success by Charlotte Reznick.

A nationally recognized child educational psychologist and associate professor of psychology at UCLA, Reznick has created Imagery for Kids, which she has used for more than twenty-five years to help children reach their full potential.

The Power of Your Child's Imagination will help your child thrive in an ever-changing and challenging world. Using the Nine Core Tools, parents are now able to apply Reznick's principles in their own homes. Broken down into two sections, this book will explain what the Nine Core Tools are, the benefits of using them, and how you can harness your child's imagination to transform her life.

The second part of this amazing book shows you how to put the tools to work, using examples from the author's own practice to help guide you along. Reznick discusses how you can use the tools to tackle problems such as:

* Stress-induced headaches and stomachaches
* Phobias, panic attacks, and social anxiety
* Bed-wetting and sleepless nights
* Hurt, frustration, and anger

And so much more!

The author also provides tips for less stress and better parenting too. This is something that I truly appreciated, because I need to reduce my own stress levels before I can help my kids.

While I haven't put these tools into practice yet, I am eager to, and hope that my daughters' natural love of art will make this successful for our family.

If you're looking for how you can better prepare your children to handle life's daily struggles, then see how The Power of Your Child's Imagination can help.

To download a free e-book with more information on The Power of Your Child's Imagination: How to Transform Stress and Anxiety into Joy and Success and Dr. Reznick , visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/reznick/. For a limited time Dr. Reznick is offering a very special gift to each person who purchases a copy of her book, including over 80 free gifts, please visit http://www.imageryforkids.com/book/ for all details.



Title: The Power of Your Child's Imagination
Author: Charlotte Reznick, PhD
ISBN-10: 0399535071
SRP: $14.95

This book is also available in a Kindle edition.

Author Spotlight: Dr. John Bell and Invasion of the Baby Daddy

EVERY UNWED MOTHER’S NIGHTMARE COMES TO LIFE IN THE PAGES OF INVASION OF THE BABY DADDY, a compelling and moving debut novel that echoes the emotional and cerebral frustrations of unwed mothers throughout the ages. Its unforgettable characters and authentic story line are interwoven with current and real facts about the volume of unwed mothers in our society today. In the story, Dr. Sands believes he has found his perfect mate only to discover that she is pregnant from a previous relationship. Not fully aware of the ramifications of this colossal news, Dr. Sands and Rachel date via long distance during her pregnancy and ultimately decide to get married. In order to make a life together, Rachel must move to Tennessee to start a new life with her husband. But the Baby Daddy has other plans for them. Determined to make this marriage work, Dr. Sands goes to extraordinary lengths to try and negotiate with the Baby Daddy. Brimming with honesty from the author s own experiences, Invasion of the Baby Daddy comes alive with unique freshness, candor and rich detail.


Read an Excerpt!

Chapter One

As once a single man, I often pondered what life would hold in store for me. I never really knew how to approach the reality of looking for a woman to marry. I often figured it would happen like it does in the movies. You know how the guy meets this woman, and they have a few dates. During the courtship, the man would say the greatest lines and as a result, the woman would be swept off her feet. The rest is history. No drama or challenges, the end. We all know that we do not live in that movie, well most of us anyway. Love, at first sight, is truly a great misconception (or even second or third for that matter). With maturity and experience as both a Father and Husband, I never expected to meet a woman, who already had a child, to be my wife. Furthermore, my expectation was that I would meet someone on my level; like a physician or lawyer—someone who was equally yoked or of my intellectual stature.

Once you have wrestled with the challenges of being a young man; you learn how to become a better one. Your selection of women evolves from what you want, to what you need. Selfishness in relationships is commonplace to many men. This characteristic is practically encoded in our DNA. As we are raised to be gladiators, we compete for things, such as: family pride, home turf and always for young love or infatuation.

This selfishness is also the core of how most men are defined in their relationships with women. The selfishness quotient of a man translates into how he treats himself and the woman to whom he will make a life commitment.


Read the Reviews!

"Everybody wants to write a novel, including Dr. John Bell, a surgical podiatrist and a professor at Strayer University in Memphis. The story focuses on what happens when a young, unwed girl has a child with a man, particularly one she does not want to marry. That man, however, the subject of Invasion of the Baby Daddy ($18.00, Jamar House Publishers, softcover) has rights and responsibilities to the child. In the process, this can wreak havoc for the families involved. Dr. Bell is particularly concerned about the more than 70% of African-American families that face these challenges and his story examines what happens when a doctor building a medical practice meets a woman at a church he visits in Charlotte, NC, is deeply attracted to her, only to discover she is pregnant. He proposes but there is the issue and the problem of the “baby daddy.” –Bookviews – February 2010



Dr. Bell is a Surgical Podiatrist and a College Professor at Strayer University at the Shelby Oaks campus in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Bell has a Master’s degree in Health Services Administration from Strayer University in Memphis, Tennessee and a Doctorate Of Podiatric Medicine degree from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Bell is a graduate from Morris college in Sumter, South Carolina. Dr. Bell is a Gulf War veteran with 10 years in the US Navy with an honorable discharge. Dr. Bell is a member of Phi-Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.

Dr. Bell has his own radio show called the Dr. John Bell Show that can be heard on Saturday from 4-5pm central time and 5-6pm Eastern time on KWAM990.com. Dr. Bell is married and has one daughter and a step son and has experienced the subject of the baby daddy syndrome and the drama that can be experienced from relationships that include a blended family structure. Dr. Bell has chosen to write about some of the challenges from a man’s perspective involved in a blended family where the man does not have any children and the woman has a child from a previous relationship.

This story has been a compilation of many American family’s dilemma with people who want to move on from their past mistakes in life of children and relationships and how much it can cost the people we love most when our life choices become complicated with an invasive baby daddy as in the book or even an invasive baby momma into a family situation. This book demonstrates how the American family structure is changing and how the law is often used to separate families and ultimately even end a marriage. In this American story of many with this subject, one family had to find a way to make the ultimate sacrifice to avoid destruction from the invasion of a baby daddy.

You can visit his website at www.drjohnbell.com

No Greater Love by Kathi Macias - Blog Blast

As you know, Kathi Macias has been on a virtual book tour this month to promote the first book in her new four-book Extreme Devotion series, No Greater Love. Released by New Hope Publishers, this series promises to be some of Macias's finest work.

Jerry Jenkins, coauthor of the Left Behind series, had this to say about No Greater Love, "A sweeping epic...You'll feel as if you were there."

You can view the video trailer for this book at YouTube.

No Greater Love by Kathi Macias explores the evils of Apartheid while exposing the hope and courage that finally brought it down. Beginning with a forbidden romance, this story follows the unexpected heroine in her pursuit of honor, love, and sacrifice, ending with a promise of peace that floats on the wind and echoes in the heart of all mankind.

I felt honored to have been asked to provide an endorsement for this book. It is one of the most powerful books I've ever read.

Next month, Macias will go on a virtual book tour to promote the second book in this series, More than Conquerors.

With violent crime on the rise and the political climate changing throughout Mexico, the opportunity for open Christian witness is rapidly decreasing in many areas. Hector Rodriguez pastors a church on the outskirts of the once-peaceful and tourist-popular border town of Tijuana. He has also visited other small churches in the remote and not-so-Christian-friendly towns of Chiapas state, delivering Bibles and ministering to those in the most persecuted areas.

Hector’s mother accompanied him on one of those trips and stayed behind to teach reading—using the Bible as her primer—to a handful of Christian converts living among the Mayan population in San Juan Chamula, where superstition and paganism run rampant, and resentment of outsiders runs deep. In a reaction to that superstition and resentment, Hector’s mother pays a serious price for her unwanted presence—and Hector must then choose whether or not to continue his work in some of the most dangerous areas of Mexico.

View the trailer at YouTube!



New Hope Publishers has termed this new series, "Fiction with a Mission".

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer and radio show host who has authored 30 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences, and recently won the prestigious 2008 member of the year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) at the annual Golden Scrolls award banquet. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time riding their Harley.

You can find Kathi online at www.kathimacias.com and at her blog http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com

I've been a fan of Kathi's work for quite a while now. She never ceases to amaze me. Every book of hers that I read, whether it be fiction or nonfiction, touches me in some way.

If you've never read any of Kathi's books, I highly suggest you start with this new series. You won't be able to put these books down!

Back to the Homeplace by William Leverne Smith -- Interview and Giveaway at Linda Weaver Clarke's Blog

My friend, Linda Weaver Clarke, has another fabulous interview with a chance to win a free book posted at her blog today.

Here's more information on Back to the Homeplace by William Leverne Smith:

The Homeplace farm had been in her family for over 150 years. Mildred McDonald Bevins and her late husband were very concerned that it stay in her family intact as she prepared her will. Her children were scattered, and she felt the need to bring them all Back to the Homeplace. To assure this, she prepared an unusual will that required them to return to the Homeplace for two years in order to participate in the will bequests. The year is 1987 on the Homeplace in the hills and river valley of the Missouri Ozarks. The varied backgrounds and viewpoints of the adult children coming Back to the Homeplace ignite controversy and expose long kept secrets as each family member searches for his or her share of the family legacy. While the older family members stake their claims to land and fortunes, the younger ones search for love and acceptance. At the heart of the story is how we do or do not effectively communicate among family members - parents with children, among children and grandchildren. What happens when they come Back to the Homeplace?




William Leverne Smith was born and raised on a Midwestern farm. A passion for family history and genealogy studies provides background for his writing. He and his wife live in a cabin in the Missouri Ozarks.

You can find Bill online at http://eduscapes.com/v2a/william_leverne_smith.html and The Homeplace Series Blog

The Back to the Homeplace Giveaway runs from April 26th through May 4th, and is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Click here to visit Linda Weaver Clarke's blog for more details on how to enter.

Planet Wise Wet Bag Giveaway at Confessions of an Overworked Mom

My friend, Ellen, is at it again. Every time I wander out there she has some great giveaway going. Today was no different.

With beach season coming before we know it, she's offering a Planet Wise Wet Bag giveaway. If I bought one of these I could certainly get away from carrying a plastic bag back and forth to the YMCA during our daughter's swimming lessons.

I'll let you check out Ellen's blog for more details on this resuable Wet Bag and on rules for how to enter. Don't miss the many ways you can increase your chances of winning.

This giveaway is only for those living in the USA. The last day to enter is May 2nd, so stop by Confessions of an Overworked Mom now!

Confessions of a Rebel Debutante by Anna Fields Giveaway at The Girl from the Ghetto

I'm in such a generous mood lately I figured I would tell you about another blog giveaway. Well, I'm also trying to win a copy of the book, so I'm being a tiny bit selfish about it.

The Girl from the Ghetto is running a giveaway where you can win 1 of 3 copies of Confessions of a Rebel Debutante by Anna Fields.

A strict regimen of Southern-belle grooming should have prepared Anna Fields for a lifetime of ladylike behavior.

But it didn't.

As it turned out, Anna—a smart, outspoken, bookish girl—was a dud at debbing. After being kicked out of cotillion classes, the “Rebel Deb” left North Carolina to seek her fortune. Her first stop was Brown University —right in the heart of Yankee-land—and then the crazy world of Hollywood talent agencies and celebrity-packed restaurants. After a disastrous stint as Diana Ross’s personal assistant, Anna headed off to the Big Apple, where she worked for one of Bravo’s Real Housewives. It’s a rollicking, unlikely success story from a natural-born storyteller.

Sharp, sweet, and sassy, Confessions of a Rebel Debutante proves you can take the girl out of the South, but you can’t take the South out of the girl!

Stop by The Girl from the Ghetto for details on how to enter and the many ways you can increase your chances of winning. This contest is open to U.S. residents only and ends at midnight on April 30th.

The Forgotten Warrior by Kathi Oram Peterson - Interview and Giveaway at Linda Weaver Clarke's Blog

Linda Weaver Clarke is running another fabulous giveaway at her blog. She recently interviewed Kathi Oram Peterson, author of the YA fantasy novel, The Forgotten Warrior.

Forgiveness has never been an attribute of sixteen-year-old Sydney Morgan's. Loyal and loving to her mother and sister, a crisis forces her to find her absent father, which in turn begins a chain of events leading her to the last place and time she would have ever expected.

The Forgotton Warrior follows Syd as she is transported back to Book of Mormon times by touching a mysterious clear stone. She meets Chief Captain Helaman; nursemaid, Mariah; and the stripling warriors. They believe Syd to be a boy, and worse yet, Helaman's second-in-command, Tarik, thinks Syd is a Lamanite spy and threatens to kill her.

Come follow Sydney as she desperately tries to find her way back home, fights to gain Helaman's respect, and despite herself, falls in love with Tarik.

"It is an entertaining young-adult book that makes readers feel they are in the middle of the stripling warrior camp as the story is told by both Syd and Tarik, Helaman's second in command." --Christine Rappleye, Mormon Times



Kathi Oram Peterson was born in the small town of Rigby, Idaho. Since childhood, she has loved reading and writing stories. After winning the Heart of the West (1994) and Golden Pen (1995) contests, she put her writing on hold to finish her English degree. Upon graduation, she worked for a curriculum publisher writing and editing concept and biography books for children. She now devotes her time writing inspirational fiction.

You can visit Kathi online at www.kathiorampeterson.com and at her blog, Kathi's Writing Nook.

Kathi is offering a copy of The Forgotten Warrior to one lucky person who leaves a comment on her interview with Linda. You can visit Linda's blog to enter.

This giveaway runs from April 19th - 26th, and is open to residents of the United States and Canada.

Author Spotlight: Ligia Houben and Transform Your Loss

After many years of study and teaching in the areas of psychology, loss and healing, thanatology, gerontology and religion-spirituality Ligia Houben has created THIS TRANSFORMATIVE SYSTEM that is the resource many people have implemented in their lives and have been able to FINALLY transform their loss or transition and change their lives.

In this book she will share with you what grief is, its dimensions, and how to identify the different manifestations. You will be able to process your grief through interactive exercises, meditations and affirmations.

Transform Your Loss: Your Guide to Strength and Hope by Ligia Houben may change your life completely. We all go through losses... and we can transform them. We all have the resources inside of us... allow her to guide you to transform your loss and transform your life.


Read the Reviews!

"In a well-organized and engagingly written book, Ligia Houben offers a map to guide people through the grieving process. The personal anecdotes make it much more “real” than books that describe situations of loss in merely abstract terms, and the interactive exercises throughout encourage the reader to explore personal reactions to loss. The author conveys genuine empathy as she talks to readers about what they are feeling, and I found myself trusting her completely as a caring guide who wants to provide grieving people a positive approach to help them move ahead toward finding the strength and hope truly to transform their lives". -Stephen
Sapp, AB, MDiv, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Miami

"In this wonderful piece Ligia M. Houben writes to all of us in a very personal and direct manner from her own heart and experience. Although the book describes many personal stories of loss and transformation, it also serves as a tool box of valuable resources to help us deal with grief and loss. The author elaborates the multiple dimensions of loss, and the process to deal with grief." --Rev. Dale Young





Ligia Houben is a motivational speaker and educator in the area of life transitions, and known for her caring and enthusiastic personality. Ligia has a passion for life and believes all of us are able to fulfill our purpose if we can only change our attitude and beliefs. Her work has been centered in the area of grief and loss, expanding into meaning and growth. Ligia has delivered her message from corporations to hospitals. She works with the bereaved, the person who needs to face a new stage in life, children of aging parents, or people searching for more meaning in their lives. She consults with individuals and corporations on life transitions and spirituality with the purpose of providing tools to transform losses and challenges.

Ligia obtained her B.A. from the University of Miami in Psychology and Religious Studies and a Masters Degree in Religious Studies and Gerontology from Florida International University. She also has a graduate certificate in Loss and Healing from St. Thomas University, a certificate in Thanatology and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Grief Counseling. Besides being a speaker, she is an author, coach, counselor and consultant. She is an adjunct professor of Kaplan University, Florida International University and Miami Dade College where she teaches courses on
Ethics, Religion and Death and Dying.

Ligia is the author of the self-help book in Spanish Transforma tu perdida. Una antologia de fortaleza y esperanza. The English version, Transform your Loss. An Anthology of Strength and Hope, will be available soon. This book contains "The Eleven Principles of Transformation™" which is a system that involves the emotional, spiritual, and cognitive aspects of the person as they face a transition or loss. Ligia created this system of transformation to help people transform their losses and change their lives.

You can visit Ligia online at http://www.transformyourloss.com/.

My Heart and Soul by Marilyn Randall Giveaway at The Book Connection

Stop by The Book Connection and enter to win a copy of My Heart and Soul by Marilyn Randall.

Here is a blurb from our review:

"This emotion-filled collection includes poetry of courage and hope, of love and joy, and prayers for strength."



Marilyn Randall has always had an artistic ability, which she has used both professionally and personally over her lifetime. She began her professional career as a graphic artist in 1976 when she was hired by Gandee Printing, a printing company in Medford, Oregon. She learned her craft quickly and thoroughly and within two years she became the Graphic Art Director and then the Graphic Production director for Moore Publications in Belleview, Washington after spending a year as a graphic artist for Seattle Menu Specialists in Seattle, Washington. Later she moved to North Idaho where she again became the Art Director for a printing company in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Upon moving back to the Seattle area in 1985, she continued to work for printing companies as both art director and graphic production director until in 1990 when she opened her own graphic design business called Personal Touch Designs by Marilyn.

Her writings reflect her life story as she uses her craft to express her thoughts and feelings about not only her life events, but also about social issues in today’s world. She is a recovering alcoholic with 19+ years of sobriety, which she attributes completely to the success and many achievements she has accomplished. Her children’s books especially reflect a strong morale attitude with positive answers to today’s life situations, which are faced daily by today’s youth.

Marilyn’s latest book is My Heart and Soul, a poetry and prose collection. You can visit her website at www.marilynrandall.com.

This giveaway is open to residents in the United States and Canada. Deadline to enter is 11:59 PM on April 30th.

Click here to read the review and for details on how to enter.

Latest Writer2Writer Article

You can find my latest article for Writer2Writer at their Time Management site. "Seasonal Articles: Plan Ahead & Earn Extra Writing Income" made it out to subscribers in the February newsletter.

Check out the article here!

Author Spotlight: Anne Vincent and The Way to Stillness

As she approaches her 90th year, Gayle Alexander, looks back over a career of service as a master counselor, gifted teacher, and minister. She was blessed to be mentored by some of the great souls of our time, Viktor Frankl and Norman Cousins as was her late husband by Mother Theresa.

She shares the Love Motif, her unique approach to connecting with others at a deep level, offering a practical guide that anyone might use as a manual on their spiritual journey.

Full of rich insight and profound and inspiring life lessons gleaned from 50 years of private practice, being a “companion on the way” to thousands of individuals, she offers powerful tools to a new generation of helpers. It is her hope that educators, clergy members, physicians, clinicians, therapists, counselors, and anyone involved in the mentoring process find their own Way to Stillness and pass it on.

Gayle collaborated on The Way to Stillness with her daughter, Anne Vincent, an Ordained Minister of Pastoral Counseling and the Owner of Cottage in the Woods, a licensed ministry center of the National Christian Counselors Association. Anne is completing her PhD in Clinical Christian Counseling through the NCCA. With more than 30 years of counseling experience, she has completed her 8th year of intensive training under Dr. Patrick Carnes, PhD as a Certified Multiple Addictions Therapist and Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist and with the International Trauma and Addiction Professionals as a Trauma and Addictions Therapist.



Read an Excerpt!

The Story of Mike

Mike was a legally blind young boy from an economically disadvantaged home in the rural south. Somewhere in first grade the schools had given up on him. Students and teachers had pushed him aside saying, "Never mind Mike, he can't read." And Mike cooperated – if he “couldn't read,” he wouldn't read.

Dr. Kirk, a psychiatrist at Vanderbilt had worked and worked with this boy and had been unable to determine why he was not reading. She heard that I had a special gift for teaching kids to read, and asked me to assist.

Mike's family drove him from Kentucky to Nashville to meet with me. Since it was all they could do to put together the gas money for the drive to Nashville, I knew I had to make every moment count.

We started talking and Mike expressed an interest in machines. I checked with his parents and took him down to the boiler room at Peabody College on the campus of Vanderbilt University, where we went in and asked to meet the engineer.

The engineer was a patient man with a wonderful heart, and Mike asked him all sorts of wonderful questions about the boiler and the heat it was radiating. The engineer allowed Mike to touch and explore the machinery - and I realized that Mike inherently knew more about science than he could learn from any book. He already knew more than many students at the graduate level, and here he was coming to me because his school thought him slow!

His parents found the gas money to bring him back again the next week and at the next session, I gave him an article on heat. I told him “Don't read it. Just look at the words that you can make out." He started picking out just choice words so that he could get the idea - and of course, he could tell I knew nothing about the subject. Here, in my complete ignorance of this subject, was a boy who knew so much.
I thought to myself "He is my teacher! Here I am with this treasure, this miracle in my hands!"

After some time his teacher from Russellville, Kentucky called me, amazed at his improvement, saying, "This boy's never read before, and suddenly, he's scanning the material in class and raising his hand to respond to my questions. The other kids just look at him now in disbelief. I have to look at the book just to stay ahead of him!"

It was disturbing to me because it happened so fast. These wonderful things were happening for Mike and I knew they were real; yet, it seemed like magic, and I had difficulty accounting for everything that was happening. I wasn’t completely sure what to think. I experienced great self-doubt because the results of my work with Mike far exceeded what I had believed possible.

One of the things that made me more comfortable with Mike's turnaround was this: I had invited Dr. Lillian Bloeschl to come to Nashville. She was in charge of counseling at the University of Graz in Austria. I had met her there, and invited her to spend a month here in Nashville. Having sat in on one of my sessions with Mike she said, "You know, Gayle, you don't have to know clinically what's happening here - it's enough to know that Mike is now reading at grade level and beyond."

But I wanted to fully understand how I was able to achieve these results, and I couldn't. “Lillian," I said, "If I could explain this scientifically, it would be one thing, but I feel kind of like the medicine man at the circus or a magician at the carnival that magically unlocks the box through some kind of trick. What's happening here that this boy can read?"

Mike’s success was not coming from me.

Read the Reviews!

"Reading this book will impact your life and if you apply what you learn the lives of others." --4 the Love of Books

Read an interview with the author at www.pumpupyourbook.com.

You can follow Anne's tour all month long by visiting http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/. Visit Books on the House for your chance to win one of four copies of The Way to Stillness.

Interview with Linda Weaver Clarke and Giveaway for Anasazi Intrigue at Suko's Notebook

Our wonderful friend over at Suko's Notebook interviewed the lovely and talented Linda Weaver Clarke about her new John and Julia Evans Mystery series today.

I just started reading the first book in Linda's Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho series, Melinda and the Wild West, which starts off in the late 1800's. But this new series is very different in nature, and it's got me curious.

When a devastating flood wipes out homes in a small town, residents are shocked by the news of a possible poison spill that also kills many of the fish and neighbors' pets. The people don't know what to think or do, until Julia, the town's newest reporter, jumps into action and begins her investigation. Quickly Julia realizes the story is much bigger and more dangerous than she thought. As information unfolds, Julia and her husband find themselves on the run, trying to save their lives while finishing the story of a lifetime. Will Julia and John be able to get the scoop and save their lives?




The second book in this series, Mayan Intrigue is now at the printers, and two more books are planned.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Anasazi Intrigue, stop by Suko's Notebook for details on how to enter. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. Enter by 5 PM PDT on Thursday, April 29 for your chance to win.



Linda Weaver Clarke travels throughout the United States, teaching a “Family Legacy Workshop”, encouraging others to write their family history and autobiography. Clarke is the author of the historical fiction series, A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho, and the new mystery series, Anasazi Intrigue: The Adventures of John and Julia Evans.

Anasazi Intrigue (ISBN-13: 978-1-58982-587-1, American Book Publishing, 2010) can be purchased through local and online bookstores. For more information, visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com. Publicity contact: www.american-book.com.

Contest to Win the First Two Rocky Bluff P.D. Crime Novels by F.M. Meredith at Marilyn's Musings

Okay everyone, you already know that I am a big fan of F.M. Meredith's Rocky Bluff P.D. series. What you might not know is that the author is running a giveaway where you have the chance to win a copy of the first two books in this series: Final Respects and Bad Tidings.

Final Respects is the story of three little girls who play in their father's mortuary. It is also the story of several policemen and how what happens in their private lives affects the job and how what happens in the job affects their private lives. The crime in this one is the murder of police officer Doug Milligan's babysitter.



Bad Tidings is about a police detective who often has to deliver bad tidings to others and finds out some bad tidings of his own.

The best place to buy these books is directly from the author's website.

Marilyn mentions in this post that once her copies of Bad Tidings are gone, you won't be able to get this book anywhere; so don't wait if you are interested in owning the entire Rocky Bluff P.D. series--which I would highly recommend because you'll want to know more about these characters whose stories the author has woven in such a way that you'll care for them as if they were you're own friends and family.

You can find details for how to enter this giveaway at Marilyn's Musings. A winner's name will be drawn at noon on April 19th, so enter now!

An Axe to Grind by F.M. Meredith Giveaway at Simply Stacie

F.M. Meredith toured with the latest book in her Rocky Bluff P.D. series in March, An Axe to Grind. The book received many excellent reviews during that tour. Now is your chance to win a copy of An Axe to Grind from Simply Stacie.

Detective Doug Milligan and his partner question suspects in the murder of a stalker including the stalker's target, her boyfriend, father and brother, as well as the stalker’s step-father. The investigation leaves little time for Doug to see his fiancée and fellow officer, Stacey Wilbur.

Stacey handles a molestation case which involves the son of a friend. She and her mother talk wedding plans, though all must wait until Doug's renter, Officer Gordon Butler finds another place to live.

When Doug disappears while tailing a suspect, Stacey sets out to find him, hoping she can reach him time.



F. M. Meredith who also writes under the name Marilyn Meredith is the author of nearly thirty published novels including the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series, An Axe to Grind is the newest from Oak Tree Press. No Sanctuary was a finalist the mystery/suspense category of the Epic best in e-books contest.

She is a member of EPIC, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She was an instructor for Writer’s Digest School for ten years, served as an instructor at the Maui Writer’s Retreat and many other writer’s conferences. For over twenty years she lived in a beach community similar to Rocky Bluff.

You can visit the author online at http://fictionforyou.com and her blog at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com

For details on how to enter the An Axe to Grind Giveaway at Simply Stacie, please click here. This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM on April 29th and is open to residents in the U.S. and Canada only.

Good luck!

Interview with Laurie C. Lewis and Book Giveaway at Linda Weaver Clarke's Blog

Are you a lover of historical fiction? Then you better stop on by the blog of Linda Weaver Clarke. Linda interviewed historical fiction author, Laurie C. Lewis on Monday and she is running a giveaway. One lucky winner will walk away with a copy of one of the three books in Lewis's Free Men and Dreamers series.



Volume One, Dark Sky at Dawn, introduces our primary families through whose eyes we will witness the impact the War of 1812 had on the nation and its people. Three families are American, two are British and one is a slave family. We meet the young, wealthy societal outcast--Jed Pearson--and his free-thinking sister, Frannie. And we also meet Hannah Stansbury, a spiritually-inclined young woman whose family is plagued by a crazed mother. Jed and Hannah's friendship develops into love, which is complicated by the gentry's disapproval of Jed's scandal-ridden ancestor whose own mystery we untangle. As Jed labors to clear his family's name, war is declared and personal matters are delayed as Jed heads off to war. We get a historically-candid view of slave life as Jed, a slave owner himself, struggles over this issue.



In Twilight's Last Gleaming, the second volume, two of our characters are drawn to the Upper Connecticut Valley as they attempt to free a family member who is now a British prisoner. The typhoid epidemic is raging in that area, and our characters are caught up in that calamity. Further south, along the Chesapeake, British raids devastate families and leave the region in ruin. One of our characters is caught up in a little-known military tragedy that is nearly lost from our history books. It is one of the darkest and least-discussed events in American history and this military horror will forever change the life of one of our characters.




In Dawn's Early Light (Volume 3), all our characters prepare for the British offensive against Washington DC. President Madison is receiving conflicting advice from the Cabinet, and as a result, Washington City is virtually unprepared for the coming attack. We experience the week Washington burned and the impact the loss had on the nation and its citizens--including the soldiers and their families. Our characters are involved in every aspect, so we live the historically recreated events along with them.

Book four will cover the Battle of Baltimore, the real Star Spangled Banner story, and the end of the war. It will effectively wind up this portion of the series. If reader demands warrant it, we're prepared to do two more books that will carry our characters through the next generation.

Read the interview here, then leave a comment at Linda's blog, along with your email address so she can contact you if you win.

Last day to enter is April 19th, so stop by today!



Laurie C. Lewis is from Maryland and describes herself as “a craft-challenged, fifty-something wife, mother, grandma, and novelist.” She is the mother of four children, the grandmother of four, and the author of four novels.

Cover Art for The Little Shepherd Boy by Cheryl C. Malandrinos

This is officially a jump up and down, squeal like a little girl moment. When I checked my email tonight, Lynda Burch, owner and publisher of Guardian Angel Publishing had sent me a copy of the cover art for my book, The Little Shepherd Boy, which is due to be released this fall.

I was already familiar with Eugene Ruble's work before he was contracted to design The Little Shepherd Boy, so I knew the cover art would be wonderful; but I had that tense moment before the file popped up on my screen that said, "What if I don't really like it?" I hope that's normal.

I absolutely love this cover! I'll have to send Eugene a note of thanks this week, so I don't forget. My intentions are good, my brain is not always there. I also need to stop referring to this as my book. Eugene and I are collaborating on this project, so it's really our book.

I would appreciate some feedback from you, the readers of this blog, and hopefully future fans of Obed's story, The Little Shepherd Boy. What do you think of the cover art?

Thanks for all your support. Look for more information regarding The Little Shepherd Boy as we get closer to release time.

Tom & Jerry Tales: The Complete First Season from Warner Brothers Giveaway

Would you please tell me how my buddy Ellen manages to work, be a wife and mother, and still run numerous blogs? I sure can't figure out how she does it all.

Confessions of an Overworked Mom is running another fabulous giveaway. This one is for Tom & Jerry Tales: The Complete First Season on DVD. The hubby and I grew up on Tom & Jerry, and our daughters also love it. We've bought a couple of DVDs, but would certainly love to own a copy of the entire first season.

But, being the generous gal that I am, instead of hogging this giveaway to myself, I am sharing it with you. Aren't I sweet?

Stop by Confessions of an Overworked Mom today and enter to win a copy of Tom & Jerry Tales: The Complete First Season on DVD. You can find all the details here. Last day to enter is April 20th.

Ouchies Bandages Giveaway at Confessions of an Overworked Mom

My buddy, Ellen, over at Confessions of an Overworked Mom, really should be nicknamed Queen of the Great Giveaways. She is currently running a giveaway for Ouchies bandages. These bandages come in several styles for boys and girls. The Make Your Own would be popular around my house.

For details on how to enter, please visit Confessions of an Overworked Mom by clicking here.

Last day to enter is April 18th, so make sure you drop in today.

The Backyard Homestead Giveaway Offered by Turning Back the Clock

My buddy, Diane, over at Turning Back the Clock is offering you a chance to win a fabulous book from Storey Publishing. Until April 16th, you can enter for your chance to win a copy of The Backyard Homestead, edited by Carleen Madigan.

You can read Diane's review and find details on how to enter this giveaway by clicking here.

In tough financial times, learning how to be self-sufficient is a must. It sure sounds like this book will help get you started.

Guest Blogger: Kathi Macias, Author of No Greater Love

Today's guest blogger is Kathi Macias, a multi-award winning writer and radio host who has authored 30 books and ghostwritten numerous others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences, and recently won the prestigious 2008 member of the year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association).

"Fiction with a Mission" by Kathi Macias

Ever since I signed the contract with New Hope Publishers for my four-book fiction series (New Hope’s first-ever venture into the world of fiction!), I’ve been hearing variations of the same question: What’s the genre?

Tough one to answer. I suppose contemporary international fiction sums it up best, since each of the four books is set in a different country and takes place in modern times. But New Hope, which is known for its passion for missions, has opted to call it “Fiction with a Mission,” and I couldn’t be more pleased with that label.

The first two books of the series, No Greater Love, which is set in South Africa in 1989 during the violence and upheaval preceding the overthrow of Apartheid, and More than Conquerors, set in Mexico and dealing with the Mayan culture and influence, release April 5, 2010. Books three and four (Red Ink, set in China, and People of the Book, in Saudi Arabia) release in October 2010 and January 2011.

The writing and production of this series has been—and continues to be—an exciting shared adventure, as I partner with New Hope Publishers in their first fiction launch, while I learn about the unique aspects of writing fiction in international settings. Of the four countries highlighted in the books, I have been to only one—Mexico—but I have never set foot in the area where the Mayan culture is so strong and where much of book two takes place. Can anyone say RESEARCH? Online research, library research, books and videos and movies—and people. My greatest resource for authentic research has been connecting with people (again, via Internet) who either currently live in the countries where my stories occur or have recently lived there. Though I began the writing of the stories based on much of my online and book research, the majority of personal touches that make readers say, “Wow, it’s like I’m right there!” came about as a result of feedback from those who know the areas and culture firsthand.

As Christian writers, we are part of the one true Church, the Body of Christ that has existed for centuries and crosses all boundaries and borders. There are no limits to where God can take us or how He can use the gifts He has given us to communicate His truth and His love to those who so desperately need to hear and receive it. I am honored and humbled that He has given me the opportunity to use my words in His service, particularly this new series. It is my way of “going into all the world”—and calling others to do the same. I pray my venture into international fiction will truly prove to be “fiction with a mission” for all who read it—and who may find themselves called to expand their own writing into this exciting and growing genre.


No Greater Love

Forbidden romance, an unlikely martyr, and an even more unlikely hero. Orphaned four years earlier when their parents, active in the African National Congress ANC movement against Apartheid, were murdered, 16-year-old Chioma and her 15-year-old brother Masozi now live and work on an Afrikaner family’s farm. When Chioma and Andrew, the farm owner’s son, find themselves attracted to one another, tragedy revisits their lives. Chioma escapes to join an ANC rebel band in her effort to survive and gain revenge for her family and culture. When cultures clash in life-or-death struggles, Chioma must choose between violence and revenge or forgiveness and selfless love. Loosely based on historical events and set near Pretoria, South Africa, just prior to the setting of the popular movie Invictus, during the violent upheaval prior to ANC leader Nelson Mandela’s release from prison and his ascendance to the presidency of South Africa, this story of forbidden romance produces an unlikely martyr who is replaced by one even more unlikely.



"In this first book of her Extreme Devotion series, Macias proves herself to be a masterful storyteller, mising complex characters with a riveting plot, and showing how God calls each of us to be closer to Him." --Cheryl Malandrinos, The Book Connection



Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time riding their Harley.


Visit Kathi online at http://www.kathimacias.com/; http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com/; and www.blogtalkradio.com/communicatethevision.

Historical Research -- Can You Help?

I'm currently working on a middle grade novel set in a fictional New England town in the mid-1870's. As such, I am still looking for a few more reliable online resources about the time period: cooking, fashion, and agricultural methods.

I try never to click on sites I don't know. I downloaded one nasty virus that way and my laptop needed to be rebuilt last year. I'm not sure if the hubby has forgiven me for that one yet.

If you know of any reliable websites I could use for my research, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

Illuminations of the Heart by Joyce DiPastena Giveaway at Linda Weaver Clarke's Blog

My email buddy, Linda Weaver Clarke, sent me a message about a giveaway she is running at her blog that I would like to share with you.

Joyce DiPastena, author of Illuminations of the Heart, is giving away a copy of her latest book at Linda's blog.

Trained in the art of illumination in the far-off city of Venice, Siriol de Calendri is directed by her late brother’s will to the county of Poitou in France, where she enters the guardianship of her brother’s friend, Sir Triston de Brielle. Once in Poitou, Siri hopes to find employment in an illuminator’s shop—until Triston unexpectedly snatches her heart away with a kiss.

Triston is a man of quiet honor and courage, but the guilt he carries for the death of his late wife, Clothilde, has left him numb and hesitant to love again. Worse yet, Siri bears an uncanny resemblance to his lost love. Or does she? Her merry laughter and twinkling eyes are very different from his late wife’s shy smiles and quiet ways. Yet when he gazes into Siri’s face, all he sees is Clothilde.

Then Triston’s past returns to threaten them both. Will his tragic life with Clothilde be repeated with Siri? Trapped between the rivalry of the king’s sons on the one hand and a neighbor out for vengeance on the other, Triston realizes it would be safer to send Siri away. But how can he bear to lose her again?

Siri is determined not to be cast off and not to live in another woman’s shadow. She has illuminated many a priceless book with pen and paint. But can her own vibrant spirit illuminate the darkness in Triston’s soul and make his heart beat for her alone? You’ll have to read Illuminations of the Heart to find out!



Joyce DiPastena is the author of two sweet medieval romances: Loyalty’s Web (a 2007 Whitney Award finalist) and Illuminations of the Heart (a 2009 Whitney Award finalist, winner to be announced April 24, 2010).

This giveaway only runs until Monday, April 12th, so be sure to scoot over right away and enter. Click here to be directed to Linda's blog.

Author Spotlight: David Grant and Rock Stars

Rock Stars is a look back and forward with the glam metal singers from the eighties. Accompanied by illustrations of each singer, Rock Stars takes a tongue-in-cheek look at both the careers and music created during this time.

Twenty-eight mini-profiles detailing strengths, weaknesses, and X factors ranging from Kip Winger's hair, David Lee Roth's use of the microphone, to Bret Michaels reality series comeback. Think "Behind The Music" on cocaine.

Read Excerpts from Rock Stars!

"...Wearing tight acid washed jeans, Jon Bon Jovi made no qualms about putting "pop" back into rock. Videos focused on his ass made it appear there was an unspoken jeans rivalry between Jon and Joe Elliot of Def Lepard..."

"...I have to rethink everything regarding Rob Halford since he came out of the closet, turning from ferocious front man of Judas Priest to fierce. In hindsight there were signs. The video for "Hot Rockin" was pretty much just a bunch of guys working out in a gym. Hello!!..."

"...Sebastian Bach and Skid Row made music for the kids smoking cigarettes behind the school. Music for the kids that owned denim jackets, but didn't have the money for fancy patches (instead, forced to scribble SKID ROW across the back with a black Sharpie). Essentially, Sebastian Bach made music for the bad kid in The Breakfast Club..."

Read the Reviews!

“From Aqua Net to appropriate mic handling, to the battle of the jeans between Jon Bon Jovi and Joe Elliott, and the huge role chest hair played in the success of Kiss, glam fans will love this tongue-in-cheek but honest account of a genre that may now be scoffed, but at one time was the war cry of the angsty suburban teenager…Whether you’re a closet glam fan who’s able to laugh at yourself and the icons of your youth, or a naysayer looking for more proof that glam is worth mocking, ‘Rock Stars’ is definitely worth the read.”

- Eccentricity, Metalunderground.com

"I couldn't put it down once I picked it up, and I will definitely be reading it again. Rock Stars was one great walk on the wild side."

- The Book Connection



David S. Grant was born in West Allis, WI. He is the author of Corporate Porn, Bleach|Blackout, The Last Breakfast, Happy Hour, Hollywood Ending, and the short story collection Emotionless Souls. David lives and works in New York City where he continues to bang his head to the glam gods of the eighties.

You can find David online at www.davidsgrant.com and the book’s website at www.rockstarbooks.net.

Jolly Garden Shoes Giveaway at Confessions of an Overworked Mom

My blogger buddy Ellen has another great giveaway running at her blog. Stop by Confessions of an Overworked Mom for your chance to win a pair of Jolly's Garden Shoes.

I've long wanted a pair of garden clogs, and perhaps never more than this morning, when I was spreading lime down on the lawn and it was still wet from dew. Then it started to rain, so my poor sneakers and socks were drenched by the time I was done.

Since these clogs are pricy, I haven't invested in a pair yet; but hey, if there's a chance to win some, I'm there.

The last day to enter is 4/12/10, so click here now!