Free for All Friday: Christian Fiction Collection

Free for All Friday gives you a chance to win great prizes. This week we're offering a Christian fiction package of three books from two favorite authors.




When Sarah Carr's husband Jamie drowns, her young life is shattered and takes a turn that she never expected. Pregnant and now widowed, she reaches out to Jamie's family for help but they are unwilling. Instead they devise a plan to have her kidnapped and taken to the Colonies to live a life of servitude. Sarah's new life in the Colonies finds her surrounded by a family's whirlwind of secrets, while she hopes the young doctor she loves with will bring her freedom.

Lynn Myers is still reeling from losing her husband of thirty-five years when word comes that her only sibling, an older brother, has also died. With no one else to settle the estate, she must return to her small hometown of Bloomfield, however briefly, to settle his affairs.

Lynn's daughter, Rachel, has just graduated from Bible college and with no other commitments comes along to sort through her uncle's huge old home, right next to the local cemetery.

This is the fourth book in the Bloomfield series. All these novels are stand alone books written by different authors.

The Deliverer is the third and final book in Kathi's Freedom series. Though I feel there is much to be gained by reading all the books in the series, this book is able to stand alone.


The Deliverer picks up just months after Special Delivery leaves off, continuing with the stories of Mara, freed from slavery but still struggling with scars and memories from the past; Jonathan, attending Bible college but strongly drawn to Mara, despite her past; and Lawan, having escaped the brothel in Thailand and miraculously reunited with her younger sister in the US and adopted by the same family. Will Mara be able to move past the pain and hatred that bind her, even if it means traveling back to the place where her parents betrayed her and sold her into sexual slavery? Will she allow The Deliverer to set her free—once and for all?

Please use the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to enter. Good luck!


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Free for All Friday: $25 Gift Certificate to CafePress

It's time for another Free for All Friday. We're giving away a $25 gift certificate to CafePress.

As a busy mom, I'm always on the lookout for ways to make gift buying easier. But I also put thought into the gifts I buy. Just because I'm short on time doesn't mean I'll pick out the first thing I see. That's why CafePress is such a great site.

When I saw this beautiful Breast Cancer Collage T-shirt, I thought of a good friend who recently battled breast cancer. Made of 100% pre-shrunk cotton, it comes in a variety of sizes. I was thinking I might pick up one for myself, too, since my mother died of breast cancer when I was a teenager, and I have other awareness items at home.

CafePress has a wide variety of products to choose from. Mugs, custom jewelry, phone cases, and more. They even have items for your home like fabric shower curtains and cool area rugs. Need a decorative greeting card for a friend or loved one? They have those too.

Use the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to enter and win.  Good luck!



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Disclaimer: This sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with CafePress and that any references to any of The Busy Mom’s Blog’s products, services, or offerings by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, supplier or otherwise do not constitute or imply endorsement, sponsorship or recommendation thereof by CafePress.

Free for All Friday Giveaway: This Is How Your Get Your Next Job by Andrea Kay

I was going to hold off on announcing a new giveaway this week. Honestly, my heart's been heavy since Monday's bombings at the Boston Marathon. I had planned to share photos of our weekend trip to New York City, but I've been glued to the TV set watching the latest news unfold. I finally had to turn off the television and think of something else, even though I continue to pray for everyone impacted by the terrorist acts of these two men.

Job hunting has been very much on my mind this year. I ended up finding a job; had even accepted an offer. Then when it came right down to it, discovered the rate of pay would mean I would be losing money each week over the summer by sending my kids to camp or paying for childcare.

The reality appears to be that while cost of living has increased, pay rates haven't in the past 10 years. A depressing reality for someone who has been working in some capacity for the better part of 25 years and whose experience in several areas should command a higher rate of pay than when she was 20 years old.

So, I'm renewing the job search and hoping I find what I need.

This is How To Get Your Next Job by Andrea Kay was sent to me by AMACOM, publishers of business books. I've reviewed other titles by them, and when they contacted me about this one, I felt it would be helpful for me in my job search. I haven't dug into it yet, but I keep hearing about so many people out of work and looking for a new job, that I didn't want to wait until my review to offer this as a giveaway.

Looking through the Table of Contents, I see topics that capture my attention right away:

• 15 Things You Should Never Do
• 15 Things Your Should Never Talk About or Say
• 10 Things You Should Never Wear
• 15 Things You Should Never Do Once You Get a Job or in Your Career-Ever

This isn't all of them, but the reason they immediately caught my eye is because I wonder how many snafus I've made while looking for a job or in my career in general. My mouth is usually my worst enemy. And now that I've seen these topics, I want to read this book right away. 

Here are two endorsements:

"Every word out of Andrea Kay's mouth is gold! No matter who they are, or what their dreams may be, Andrea can find a way for people to navigate this crazy working world of ours."
--Ellen McGirt, Money magazine

"She is bubbly, fun and a good talker."
--CBS News



Andrea Kay helps people get excited about jumping out of bed and raring to go to work. For the past 20 years she has been creating and recreating Andrea Kay/The Art of Self Direction, a career consulting firm whose clients range from rocket scientists and cowboys who want to change careers to accountants and engineers who have trouble relating to people.

Andrea specializes in “Career Therapy.” She is incessantly curious and quickly gets to the heart of an issue, then creates strategies to help people get what they want. She does this for CEOs, millionaires, corporate warriors, writers, real estate moguls, entrepreneurs and people who take their careers seriously. She writes books and the syndicated newspaper column, “At Work” and gives speeches to Fortune 50 companies, professional associations, schools and at special events.

She has worked with people who ended up being CFOs of major companies, sales and marketing executives, artists and successful entrepreneurs and has helped CEOs, financial managers, Hollywood producers and teachers discover new, satisfying careers. She has developed a reputation as a workplace observer and outspoken supporter of taking personal responsibility for your career and is widely quoted and interviewed.

Her books

This Is How To Get Your Next Job: An Inside Look at What Employers Really Want
Work’s a Bitch and Then You Make It Work: 6 Steps to Go from Pissed off to Powerful
 Life’s a Bitch and then You Change Careers: 9 Steps to Get Out of Your Funk and On to Your Future
Interview Strategies That Will Get You the Job You Want
Resumes That Will Get You the Job You Want
Greener Pastures: How To Find a Job In Another Place

Visit Andrea online at http://andreakay.com/ to learn more about her and her work.

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter the giveaway. Good luck!


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Guest Post and Giveaway: Tim Forbes, Author of It's Game Time Somewhere

Tim Forbes was like many Americans: painfully unsatisfied in his corporate job but making too much money to walk away. But then, one momentous day, he and his wife struck the Deal, leading to a career in the one field he loved more than anything: sports.

Years later, having carved out his place in the sports business, he was surprised when a friend asked, "Do you still love sports?"...And stunned when he didn't know how to reply. Of course he still loved sports! Didn't he? Was it possible that walking away from a perk-filled Corporate American life had all been for nothing?

His year-long quest to find that answer started with a single game. But what he discovered there soon led to an unlikely coast-to-coast “sports walkabout” involving 100 more games and 50 different sports—from major-market events to the smallest of the small. Poignant, irreverent, and ultimately inspiring, It’s Game Time Somewhere chronicles one man’s search for the love of the game.

Getting Back to My Sports-loving Roots

by Tim Forbes

Cards on the table – yours truly is not quite right.

How else could you explain the fact that I spent a year of my life attending and writing about 100 uniquely different sporting events involving 50 separate sports? But that’s what I did, and literally thousands of readers helped me keep score. And when it was done, we all knew more about sports in America than it was thought to be humanly possible. Or at least I did, anyway.

“But why?” you ask. Well here’s my story and I’m sticking to it…

As Bill Cosby once said, I started out as a child. A child inexorably drawn to sports – the organized kind and especially the disorganized kind favored by my circle of friends. Consequently I grew up chasing a ball. It didn’t matter what size or shape, I chased them all. I was fortunate enough to have come of age in a time when kids themselves scheduled their own games and “officiated” them via the kid’s code of sports ethics – an arcane collection of arguments, declarations, and insults that inevitably led to the Do Over. Or somebody taking their ball and going home.

On those occasions when a quorum wasn’t available for even the most streamlined of games, I played them solo. Some might call it “practicing,” but I knew it as “having fun.” And as is the case with many things one repeats endlessly, I managed to develop some level of skill. So it came to be that I went to college on a basketball scholarship.

Annoyingly enough, they don’t let you just major in Basketball – well, not in 1977 anyway, and not in any conference that, like mine, did not start with the word “Big.” So I chose to pursue a degree in Psychology. Don’t ask me why. And when my undergraduate days ended, I decided to obtain an MBA, because, well…because.

The ironic thing was that neither Psychology nor Business Administration would have even been in the race had Sports Management been an academic option. Ubiquitous now, at the time that I entered college there was no such degree program. And so, a career match made in heaven went by the boards…for the time being, anyway.

In my mid-30s, having acquired over a decade of experience in Corporate America, I became vaguely aware of the fact that people were getting paid to work in sports! Having thus discovered the existence of what was rightfully MY chosen field of work, I spent the next several years alternating between a state of agitation over having been born a decade too early, and thoughtful rumination on how I could still pull off a second half rally and transition to my natural calling.

At the age of 40, the confluence of a certain set of circumstances, not the least of which is the most understanding wife in the cosmos, enabled me to take the plunge. I enrolled in an accredited four semester program that rewarded me upon completion with an Associate’s Degree in Professional Golf Management. I was on my way – a little late out of the gate, but with a full head of steam and ready to use my transferrable skills to claw my way to the top of the sports business.

Nearly a decade later, having come to know quite well the good, the bad and the ugly about pursuing a second career within the sports industry, I was innocently confronted one day with the following question: ”After working in the industry for ten years, do you still love sports?”

Hmmmm…great question. One I honestly didn’t have an answer for. As you can imagine though, it became critically important for me to find one. And thus began germinating the idea of a “sports walkabout” – an effort to reconnect with my ball-chasing, sports-loving roots.

I went to a game. And then another. And another. Big games, little games. Tournaments, matches, meets and bouts. Men’s games, women’s games. Professional. Amateur. High School. College. Games that I was intimately familiar with. Games that I didn’t have the faintest idea as to their rules.

To those that virtually accompanied me I offered to share everything that I found – both positive and…not so positive. I promised to keep it light-hearted, and they in turn agreed to laugh, learn and share the link with others. This blog, this portrait of Americans at play, became a love letter to sports, warts and all. My friends at Google Analytics tell me that it has been read by thousands of people all over the world.

I hope it brings a smile of pleasure and recognition to your face as well. Because it’s always game time somewhere.

To read more of my stories, please visit:
http://itsgametimesomewhere.com/the-igts-tour/the-stories/

Format/Price: $15.95 paperback
Pages: 304
ISBN: 9781938008122
Publisher: Bascom Hill
Release: February 12, 2013

Barnes and Noble buy link ($15.95):
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/its-game-time-somewhere-tim-forbes/1113793386?ean=9781938008122

MyBookOrders.com buy link ($15.95):
https://secure.mybookorders.com/Orderpage/945

Alternately blessed and cursed by the notion that everyone should do what they love for a living, Tim Forbes creates and writes about the games that people play.

Tim grew up in the farmlands of northern Connecticut, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College—where he played Division III basketball in front of literally tens of people. He received an MBA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and an Associate’s Degree at the Professional Golfers Career College in Temecula, CA. Yes, in that order.

After 15 years spent meandering about in Corporate America, Tim went on to work for three professional golf tours: the Symetra Futures Tour, the LPGA Tour, and the PGA Tour. He also served as general manager for golf clubs in Nashville, Tennessee and Orlando, Florida. In 2009, he founded Outside the Mode, a sports marketing and production company based in his adopted home of Los Angeles.

Tim lives in Redondo Beach, California with a perennially underachieving fish named Halo, a cat, and a wife he fondly calls Bird.

Tim Forbes's web site:
http://itsgametimesomewhere.com/

Tim Forbes's blog:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/itsgametimesomewhere/smXM

Tim Forbes's Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/sports_quest

Tim Forbes's Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsgametimesomewhere

Tim Forbes's YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/itsgametimesomewhere

Tim Forbes's Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6584252.Tim_Forbes

It's Game Time Somewhere Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16161464-it-s-game-time-somewhere

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

It's Game Time Somewhere blog tour site:
http://itsgametimesomewhere.blogspot.com/

As part of Free for All Friday, you can enter for your chance to win a free electronic copy of It's Game Time Somewhere. Please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!




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Free for All Friday: Wilton Petite Silicone 12 Cavity Heart Pan Giveaway

Attention bakers, this giveaway is for you. In honor of Valentine's Day and just because I'm tired of giving away books all the time, I figured I would offer this Wilton Petite Silicone 12 Cavity Heart Pan featured on Amazon.

Bake some cute treats for your next event. This pan is oven, microwave, and freezer safe.

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Good luck!

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Free for All Friday: Gary's Gray World Giveaway

When Gary's father is too busy to play, a scary moment at the baseball field brings his dad rushing to the park to rescue him. But instead the two discover that making time for each other is the most important thing in a father and son relationship.

Read an excerpt:

What are your plans for today, Son?” asked Dad, putting on his coat and hat.

“Today’s the annual father and son baseball game.” Gary brightened. “Don’t you remember?”

His father abruptly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Gary with an apologetic expression on his face.

“I’m sorry, I can’t be there. I’ve got too much work to do at the office. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

“Sure. That’ll be fine,” said Gary, trying not to sound too disappointed.


Read the reviews:

"This is a lovely book to teach the importance of dad's in the lives of their children. ..Very easy read with a wonderful message."

--4 the Love of Books

"This delightful story touches the heart with its gentle reminder of the importance of family."

--The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

"This cute book can be read aloud or beginning readers can tackle the text with a little encouragement."

--Writing and Other Ways into the Heart

Born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1972, Ryan J. Cunningham discovered his passion for writing poetry and children’s stories at an early age. Throughout his high school and college years, he took writing courses to enhance his writing abilities. Ryan became a member of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.) He published two inspirational books of poems titled “Angels Near and Far” and “Hearts, Hopes, and Halos.” His poetry and stories have been published in anthologies and magazines. Ryan presently resides in Coos Bay, Oregon where he spends his time hiking the trails, spending quality time with family, and working on his personal web site, (http://imagination-inspiration.webs.com) to share his poems and stories with the world.

Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/rinopoet72

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/ryan.cunningham.3760

Purchase paperback copy at http://www.amazon.com/Garys-Gray-World-Ryan-Cunningham/dp/1463670168

Purchase Kindle copy at http://www.amazon.com/Garys-Gray-World-ebook/dp/B005BYJLMS/

Visit the authors' book tour page at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/11/29/pump-up-your-book-presents-garys-gray-world-virtual-book-publicity-tour/

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win a FREE copy of this book. Good luck!

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Free for All Friday - January 11th International Giveaway

It's another Free for All Friday. Today's giveaway comes to you from Tribute Books Virtual Book Tours and author G. Gordon Dean.

Whoever said 'white-collar crime doesn’t pay' never lived in Washington D.C. TierGroup is a business consultancy firm located in the heart of DC. Its Division Heads have a very cold and calculating unorthodox approach to conducting business. Protecting and serving their clients is the only thing that matters. Nevertheless, loyalty can swing both ways in this journey through greed, corruption, and absolute lack of accountability.

As a former Las Vegas Casino Surveillance Director, Michael Crayter, a straight shooter, becomes an unaware, almost, employee of TierGroup in mid-2001. His transformation takes many shapes from idea man to fraud guru. He embarks on a journey to Iraq, through Hurricane Katrina and eventually takes part in one of the biggest scams in the history of the United States - the TARP funding program. His boss, Charles “The Czar” Zarin, is the ultimate manipulation mentor. Michael Crayter’s experience will last for more than eight years and will make his old Vegas job seem like child’s play.

The investment opportunities the United States has to offer during this timeframe are seemingly endless and the public joins in on the greed. The whole country is riding high on the inflated value train with careless abandonment. There are no regulations followed or laws unbroken by the Mortgage Lenders, Stock Brokers, and Bankers. The bubble is getting bigger and the clock is ticking. It's every man for himself. Divide and conquer. Borrow and spend. No one sees the tsunami coming, except for Charles Zarin. Capitalism will be turned upside down and the money spigot will run dry.

By late 2007 the bubble bursts and our country’s economy is left in ruins. The Treasury is sent in to bail out the white-collar thieves. While losing most of its clients TierGroup and Michael Crayter are left to fend for themselves. Michael Crayter begins to tell his story, in this Four Part first-person narrative, during a 2005 interview at FBI headquarters in Washington D.C.

The Story Behind SCAM FACTORY
by G. Gordon Dean

SCAM FACTORY started out as a dream I had about a job interview with a high-end consulting firm. I initially thought that my dream would make a great movie, but I decided to write a book instead. As I began to develop the plot and storylines I realized I could tie it all in with, past and current, real life events in the U.S. from 2001-2009. It was also relatively easy to combine some of my business experience, and people I have run across over the years, into this story. I grew up in Las Vegas and lived there for about thirty-five years so knowing about Scams, or coming up with my own for this book, wasn’t so hard. The TRUE events that led to the U.S. financial crash, mass business failures, and declines in property values in late 2007 were nothing but ammunition for this novel.

SCAM FACTORY is not a story about the guy in the white cowboy hat saving the town and riding off into the sunset. It is fiction based on reality with a ‘true to life’ outcome. The characters in this story get away with White-Collar crimes just as the real life participants did. The characters are sadistic and have a knack of getting away with almost everything, just like the in real world. It is as simple as that. One of the messages I wanted to convey in writing this story was to show what kinds of professionals were out there exploiting our businesses and citizens without legal retribution. The characters are mostly cold, calculating, and narcissistic.

I figured that using a first person narrative was the best way to tell the story. There are many subjects involved in this story so I divided SCAM FACTORY into four parts to further make it easier to read and understand. Loyalties are lost and revenge is certainly in the plot, but figuring out how to write about it was the key to the story. There is no mention of any existing, or real life, companies-only industries and fictional business entities. Another challenge was making the fictional writing seem realistic. Several of the initial book reviewers were asking if some of the events in the story actually took place. The answer is probably yes, except that only a hand full of people knows how those events really took place.

The consulting firm (TierGroup) in this story, that represents the seventeen major industries, is politically neutral. The idea is that if your money is green then TierGroup, and its clients, do not really care what your political affiliation is. This is also very relevant in the real world, but it seems to be changing for the worst. Although SCAM FACTORY contains many dark sides, it strongly reflects a ‘behind the closed door’ characterization of the reality we have faced over the last six years. The lessons we are still learning as a country are obvious and it may take many more years to recover. Control, perception, manipulation, and greed are still the number one driving forces in the business world today, but on the other hand, there are always two sides to a coin. Only time will tell.

Enjoy SCAM FACTORY and become a fan on Facebook.

Price/Format: $4.99 ebook
Pages: 263
Release: October 15, 2012

Kindle buy link ($4.99):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009RP6NU0?tag=tributebooks-20

Nook buy link ($4.99):

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scam-factory-g-gordon-dean/1113508194?ean=2940015503814

G. Gordon Dean is a Real Estate agent and Business Consultant currently living in Arizona. He has been a media buff for over two decades. As a media buff he has kept himself well aware of past and current events in business, government, and politics. He lived in Las Vegas, Nevada for over 30 years. This is his first novel.

G. Gordon Dean's Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/SCAM-Factory/219147311549998?fref=ts

G. Gordon Dean's Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6568947.G_Gordon_Dean

Scam Factory Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16120621-scam-factory

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Scam Factory blog tour site:
http://scamfactory.blogspot.com/

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter for a chance to win a FREE e-copy of SCAM FACTORY!

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The Greeks of Beaubien Street Virtual Book Publicity Tour and Giveaway

Nestled below the skyline of Detroit you’ll find Greektown, a few short blocks of colorful bliss, warm people and Greek food. In spite of growing up immersed in the safety of her family and their rich culture, Jill Zannos doesn’t fit in. A Detroit homicide detective, she manages to keep one foot planted firmly in the traditions started by her grandparents, while the other navigates the most devastated neighborhoods in the city she can’t help but love. She is a no nonsense workaholic with no girlfriends, an odd boyfriend who refuses to grow up, and an uncanny intuition, inherited from her mystic grandmother, that acts as her secret weapon to crime solving success. Her story winds around tales of her family and their secret laden history, while she investigates the most despicable murder of her career.

The Greeks of Beaubien Street is a modern tale of a family grounded in old world, sometimes archaic, tradition, as they seek acceptance in American society. They could be any nationality, but they are Greek.

PURCHASE YOUR COPY AT:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble


Suzanne Jenkins is the author of the Pam of Babylon Series. The Greeks of Beaubien Street is a new series about a Greek homicide detective who grew up above the family grocery store in Greektown, Detroit. Jenkins has fond memories of growing up in a Greek American household in the suburbs of Detroit. She currently lives in the west Michigan lakeshore area with her husband, two dogs and two sheep.

Visit her website at www.suzannejenkins.net.
Visit her blog at www.2sheepinthecity.com.

~ ~ ~ $100 AMAZON GIFT CARD/PAYPAL CASH GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~

Pump Up Your Book and Suzanne Jenkins are teaming up to give you a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash!

Each person will enter this giveaway by liking, following, subscribing and tweeting about this giveaway through the Rafflecopter form placed on blogs throughout the tour or visit the book's tour page.

This promotion will run from January 2 – March 29. The winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, contacted by email and announced on March 30.

Each blogger who participates in The Greeks of Beaubien Street virtual book tour is eligible to enter and win.

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The Greeks of Beaubien Street Tour Page:

http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/12/27/pump-up-your-book-presents-the-greeks-of-beaubien-street-virtual-book-publicity-tour/

Free for All Friday: The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox Giveaway

How did Friday creep up on us so fast? Only 10 more shopping days until Christmas. Thankfully, I'm pretty much done. I even wrapped about half of the gifts. Once I get to the grocery store for the final time, I'll feel like I am in good shape. I can't stand grocery shopping.

Today we have not one, not two, but three e-copies of a book up for grabs. The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox is a middle grade fantasy novel. Here's the synopsis:

Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen – all these and more can be found in The Magic Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship.

Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself magically transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and the evil Queen Sentiz.

In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she’s honored as “the chosen one” the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz’s control. But it’s not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous “Magic Warble” in its final resting place. And she must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen’s “zelbocks” before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, as well as an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.

I wrote up a First Chapter Review of the book at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. This is what I had to say:

KEEP READING: Yes. This isn’t a genre I read often, but I like to expand my horizons from time to time. The author has created a character that young people can easily relate to in Kristina. Though the first chapter is short, the reader gets an idea who Kristina is, what she likes, what she doesn’t like, and who is important in her life. Nicely done.

Read more reviews!

What a great book! When my elementary aged daughter saw the cover art with the faerie on it, she was immediately interested in reading it, so I let her read it first. She loved this chapter book full of wondrous adventures, and said she would like to read it again.
--The Freebie Fairy

I just finished reading The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox and it is a fabulous story...Anyone that likes a good fantasy story will fall into the pages of this wonderful book and go on a journey that will stay with them after they turn the last page. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The Black Shard.
--The DMS

This book was magical.
--Jennifer Zuna, Amazon reviewer


Now's your chance to pick up a free electronic version of the book. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

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Free for All Friday: Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias Giveaway

Never expecting to be homeless, Josie Meyers and her children are shocked when circumstances force them to live on the streets. Rick, a down-and-out disabled vet, befriends them, reawakening memories of a faith Josie had in childhood. But can she reconcile her once-held beliefs with her current situation? Will she and her children even survive long enough to try to rekindle Josie’s faith?

Read an excerpt!

The late November sunshine was thin and tepid, but a welcome interruption to the gray skies and constant drizzle that usually hung over the small Washington town of Riverview for the better part of eight or nine months each year. Josie Meyers shivered as she stood in line behind her two children, waiting their turn for a free Thanksgiving meal.

Tears bit her eyes at the memory of past Thanksgiving celebrations, particularly the most recent one the previous year. Though they had all been grieving the passing of Josie’s mother, they still managed to turn the day into a festive occasion, as the four of them gathered around the table to give thanks for the spread that awaited them.

Sam, she thought. You stood there that day, offering a brief prayer of thanksgiving to a God I’m not sure you even believed in, and never let on for a moment that you hadn’t a clue where our next meal would come from or how we’d make the mortgage payment that month. How in the world were you able to carry it off for so long? If you hadn’t gotten sick, would you finally have found a way out of the mess we were in—or would you be standing here with the three of us now, begging for a hot meal and wondering where we’d sleep tonight?

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 40 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. She won the 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and was the 2011 Author of the Year from BooksandAuthors.net. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband. Unexpected Christmas Hero will be released in October. You can find out more about Kathi or contact her via her website: www.kathimacias.com.

Follow Kathi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/alandkathi

Like Kathi on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Kathi-Macias/75996188045

Order a copy of Unexpected Christmas Hero from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Christmas-Hero-Kathi-Macias/dp/1596693541

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Free for All Friday: Giveaway of Next Year in Jerusalem! by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

You can enter for your chance to win a copy of the romance, mystery, spiritual awakening book, Next Year in Jerusalem! by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein.

You may be wondering why I chose the title Next Year in Jerusalem! for my new novel. Why not Forbidden Romance or Romantic Travel or Spiritual Awakenings or Lust, Memories and Old Friends on Facebook? After all Natalie and Maggie are two women, both caught up in issues that many of us face: a somewhat dull but faithful husband; a bad marriage leading finally to a divorce; a desire for adventure; unsatisfied spiritual longings. They have a great friendship with each other, something research keeps confirming, keeps us young and emotionally happy, but life is far from easy for either women.

So again, why would I focus on a strange title that comes out of a book written thousands of years ago?

Here is one of the reasons. Next Year in Jerusalem! is actually a phrase that shows up at the end of the Haggadah. Those of you who are not Jewish may wonder what that is. The Haggadah is a book that the Jews have used for thousands of years to celebrate and relive the Passover experience. Many people know that the central theme of the story is how the Jews, who were slaves in Egypt, were finally able to escape and began their long journey of 40 years to get to the promised Land, which was Israel. However, what a lot of people don’t realize is that this theme is universal and can be taken metaphorically for all of us. That is why when the Haggadah ends with the fourth glass of wine being drunk, and the words, "Next Year in Jerusalem!" the phrase becomes so significant.



READ AN EXCERPT!


Natalie didn’t tell David (her husband)about her other dream, the one about Jack, the Jewish fellow from Chicago who’d been around to save her from despair after she decided she wasn’t moving to Iraq. A diamond salesman, Jack now lived in London and traveled back and forth to Israel all the time.

Natalie prided herself on staying in touch with lots of people from her past. Jack was one of them. Occasionally they e-mailed and he’d friended her on Facebook two years ago. Although they hadn’t written recently, if he read her Facebook page he would know she was going to Jerusalem. What if he tried to see her? What if there was still an attraction? Would she tell David? Would he care? Would she act out?

Her life with David was so good and stable and predictable. And boring!

Did I just say boring?

No, she must have meant solid. Or did she mean solid?

Oh, I’m a wreck. I’m miserable and I can’t sleep, she continued to obsess. What about that cute secretary at the college? The one who has a sparkle in her eye whenever she talks to David? How old is she? Forty-two? Divorced and sexy. How would I know if something’s going on there?

I’m going crazy lying here, she began again. Where’s the Xanax? Already packed. Oh, that was dumb.

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, internationally known positive psychologist, inspires thousands with her ENCHANTED SELF®. Around the world people benefit from her techniques to enhance well-being, and to live up to their potential. Known for her ability to make complex psychological concepts easy to understand and to implement, she has now turned her talents to novel writing. “A great fiction read is a great escape, and yet, it is more! It is the gateway to new ways of thinking and behaving.”

Dr. Holstein received her Doctorate in Education from Boston University and her BA degree from Barnard College. Dr. Holstein has been a school psychologist and taught first and second grades. She is in private practice with her husband, Dr. Russell M. Holstein, in Long Branch, New Jersey. Find her at www.enchantedself.com
and www.next-year-in-jerusalem.com.



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Free for All Friday? - Children's Picture Book Giveaway

Yes, it's Monday. My excuse is that it is the Lil Princess's birthday today and I was busy this past weekend. Don't you love excuses?

To celebrate her birthday, we have two children's picture books to give away to one lucky winner.

Explore the animal alphabet from Angelfish to Zebra in this rhyming romp! Critically acclaimed team Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz have combined the popular poems of their bestselling picture books Commotion in the Ocean and Rumble in the Jungle into one dazzling collection. Also included are lots of fabulous new verses and more eye-popping illustrations. (Ages 3 - 7).

You can find my review here.

Who's afraid of the fox in the dark? Rabbit is. So are duck, Mouse and Lamb. They all squish into Rabbit's house to hide. But is the fox really as scary as they think? This is the perfect bedtime book for rabbits, ducks, mice, lambs...and children! Foil artwork highlights the stars and the title on the cover. (Ages 3- 7).

You can read my review here.

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Free for All Friday: Falstaff's Big Gamble by Hank Quense

This is the second giveaway for today. While fantasy and sci-fi aren't my preferred genres, I have to admit Falstaff's Big Gamble sounds intriguing.

This novel is Shakespeare’s Worst Nightmare.

It takes two of the Bard’s most famous plays, Hamlet and Othello, and recasts them in Gundarland. There, Hamlet becomes a dwarf and Othello a dark elf and Iago and his wife, Emilia, are trolls.

If that isn’t bad enough, these two tragedies are now comedies with Falstaff, Shakespeare’s most popular rogue, thrown in as a bonus.

Both Hamlet and Othello are plagued by the scheming Falstaff, who embezzles money from Othello. After Hamlet becomes king (with help from Falstaff) the rogue becomes the dark nemesis behind throne.



Read the reviews!

Hank Quense has pulled it off again! He is simply a marvalous writer- so witty and fun...you do not want this book to end.

I loved all of the characters- and what a bunch of characters there are! The magical land of Gundarland, which Mr. Quense has created and used in several books is a land, like Pratchett's Disc World in which, once introduced- you never want to leave! Having completely enjoyed my latest voyage to Gundarland...I eagerly await my next!!!

A JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ.
--Rick Friedman, Founder, The James Mason Community Book Club

I am a tough audience when it comes to humor, but Falstaff's Big Gamble was right up my alley. It's not a laugh-out-loud book, but it is amusing and light-hearted. Quense gets the essence of each character correct, and runs that essence to its logical if farcical conclusion. Everybody gets what they deserve, if not what they want, and you the reader will have a lot of fun watching it happen.

--Christopher Gerrib, author of Pirates of Mars

Award-winning author Hank Quense writes humorous fantasy and sci-fi stories. His motto is fantasy and sci-fi stories told with humor and satire. He has over forty published short stories and a number of nonfiction articles. On occasion, he also writes an article on fiction writing or book marketing but says that writing nonfiction is like work while writing fiction is fun. He refuses to write serious genre fiction saying there is enough of that on the front page of any daily newspaper and on the evening TV news. Hank lives in Bergenfield, NJ with his wife Pat. They have two daughters and five grandchildren.

Hank’s previous works include Zaftan Enterprises, Zaftan Miscreants and Tales From Gundarland, a collection of fantasy stories. Readers Favorite awarded the book a medal and EPIC designated it a finalist in its 2011 competition. His Fool’s Gold is a retelling of the ancient Rhinegold myth and Tunnel Vision is a collection of twenty previously published short stories. Build a Better Story is a book of advice for fiction writers.

Visit Hank Quense at Strange Worlds
Visit Hank’s website

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Free for All Friday: The Deliverer by Kathi Macias

This is the first of two giveaway posts for today. I have admired the work of Kathi Macias for years. The final book of her Freedom Series from New Hope Publishers was recently released. You can read my review of The Deliverer--now available for Kindle--at The Book Connection.

The Deliverer picks up just months after Special Delivery leaves off, continuing with the stories of Mara, freed from slavery but still struggling with scars and memories from the past; Jonathan, attending Bible college but strongly drawn to Mara, despite her past; and Lawan, having escaped the brothel in Thailand and miraculously reunited with her younger sister in the US and adopted by the same family. Will Mara be able to move past the pain and hatred that bind her, even if it means traveling back to the place where her parents betrayed her and sold her into sexual slavery? Will she allow The Deliverer to set her free—once and for all?

Read the excerpt!

Prologue

            The sun set early in late November, and though a pleasant warm spell had kept San Diego’s daytime temperatures in the lower eighties for the past week or so, the air cooled quickly as darkness approached.

            Mara didn’t mind. She loved watching the sun go down over the Pacific at any time of year and in any sort of weather. Just being able to sit on the seawall and watch the colorful streaks in the broad expanse of sky, seeming to frame the dark and restless ocean, reminded her of how precious her freedom was and how much she’d endured before obtaining it.

            She zipped her windbreaker against the encroaching dampness and then gazed down at the envelope in her hand, postmarked Juarez, Mexico. She’d nearly memorized the words in the one-page letter, handwritten by the fifteen-year-old girl Mara had helped to rescue just months earlier. Mara had been working at her waitressing job when she spotted Francesca with her owner and immediately recognized the signs of a girl caught up in human trafficking. The situation had dredged up many of her own dark memories, but Mara was glad she’d been in the right place at the right time to assist the girl’s release and eventual return to her family.

            I’m just glad she had a family and a home to go back to, Mara thought, resisting the tears that bit her eyes as she compared Francesca’s situation to her own. At least Francesca had been kidnapped, not sold into slavery by her own parents.

            Mara shook her head. She had to stop this constant slipping back into self-pity about her past and just enjoy the present. She was free now, working and hoping to start classes at the local college after the first of the year. It was more than she had ever dreamed of during her ten years of captivity.

            She pulled the letter from the envelope and squinted to re-read portions of it in the fading light. The baby will come soon…not sure yet about adoption…praying for the right answer. Mara too had become pregnant during the years she lived as a sex slave—several times, actually—but she’d never even had the chance to choose to carry her babies to term. Always there was a forced abortion…and always she had to suppress her grief and go right back to the life she despised.

            Never again, she told herself. And never again for Francesca. But what about all the others…?

            The tears won over at that point, dripping onto her cheeks as she thought of Jasmine and others who had died at the hands of their abusers. She thought too of what she’d heard about a young Thai girl named Lawan, rescued from a brothel in the Golden Triangle and even now winging her way across the ocean to join her adoptive family right here in the San Diego area.

One more set free…so many left behind. No matter how hard she tried, Mara could not banish that truth from her thoughts. She’d often talked about that very thing to her friend Barbara Whiting, the lady involved with an outreach to human trafficking victims, and Barbara too had lamented the many who never escaped. “But that doesn’t mean we quit trying to help them,” she’d said. “We may save only a small percentage of them, but each life we save is precious and makes our efforts worthwhile.”

            Each life? Even mine? Mara wasn’t so sure, though she wanted desperately to believe it. The reminder that she had also discussed this topic with Jonathan, the handsome Bible college student who had helped rescue her more than two years earlier, brought a rush of heat to her cheeks, and she was glad for the near darkness that hid her emotions. She had tried to deny her feelings for Jonathan and to hide them from him, but he’d faithfully kept in touch with her through letters since going back to school this past fall. One of the things he said to her over and over again was that her life was precious to God and that He loved her and had a purpose for her. At times she dared to believe it, but most of the time…

            A taunting male voice from a passing car interrupted her thoughts as he called out a suggestive comment to her and then laughed as the vehicle sped away. Mara recoiled at the sound and shoved the letter back into the envelope. She stood up from the seawall, brushed the sand off the back of her jeans, and turned toward home. She had to work the breakfast shift in the morning, so she’d better get to bed early. Tomorrow was Saturday, and Mariner’s would be busy. She just hoped that meant some good tips because she could sure use the money.

Read the reviews!

In true Kathi Macias fashion, The Deliverer draws the reader deep into the lives of women and children subjected to mankind's cruelty--in this instance, sexual slavery. One would expect such a novel to fill the reader with sadness. And it does. But the joy of The Deliverer is knowing there are people, some of them former victims themselves, who devote their lives to righting this wrong. This is a novel of pain, forgiveness, salvation, and hope. 

--Laurie Alice Eakes (www.lauriealiceeakes.com)

Like the prior two books in the series, I was challenged by the topics presented in the book, but still enjoyed reading the characters' stories, particularly Mara's. It is far too easy to ignore or forget that human trafficking does exist and this series is a wake-up call for Christians to arise and fight the evil that is far closer to home than most of us realize.
--Reading, Writing and Ruckus

Overall, I would recommend the entire Freedom series, especially for discussion groups. It will open your eyes and your heart to the plight of those in chains everywhere.

--By the Book



Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 40 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. She won the 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and was the 2011 Author of the Year from BooksandAuthors.net. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband. You can find out more about Kathi or contact her via her website: www.kathimacias.com.


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Free for All Friday: Guest Blogger Marilyn Meredith, Author of Raging Water (Giveaway)

It's Friday again! TGIF. Though with how busy the weekends are lately, I'm wondering if I should be thrilled they have arrived.

Today's giveaway is from Marilyn Meredith, author of the Tempe Crabtree Mystery Series. Marilyn's latest release is Raging Water, which I reviewed here. Below, Marilyn shares a bit about this series that has been one of my favorites for years. Marilyn also writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. series under the name F.M. Meredith.

THE DEPUTY TEMPE CRABTREE MYSTERY SERIES

By Marilyn Meredith 

The series features a female Native American Deputy Sheriff in a small mountain community of Bear Creek, in the Southern Sierra. (California mountain range.)

The heroine, Tempe Crabtree, is married to the minister of the local community church. They have a good marriage, but sometimes Hutch has a problem with Tempe’s usage of Native American spiritualism to solve crimes.

Because Tempe is the only law enforcement in the rural area, she is often the first one on the scene of any incident. As a deputy she isn’t responsible for investigating a crime, but the detectives who are often call on her to help, especially if the crime is on the Bear Creek Indian Reservation or if the victims or suspects are Indians. She will investigate on her own when she feels the wrong person has been arrested.

In the beginning of the series, Tempe knows little about her Native American heritage, but thanks to Nick Two John, the part owner of the local inn, over time she has learned more and more.

Though this is a mystery series, if I had to give it a rating like a movie, I would call it PG. There is seldom any bad language and the bedroom door is always closed. If you like strong heroines, and following along as she tries to solve the crime, books set in small towns, and plenty of action, you will probably enjoy this series.

Raging Water Blurb: Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s  investigation of the murder of two close friends is complicated when relentless rain turns Bear Creek into a raging river. Homes are inundated and a mud slide blocks the only road out of Bear Creek stranding many—including the murderer.

I know there are some people who like to read a series in order, but let me reassure you that every book is complete. Though the characters grow through each book, the crime is always solved. . Here is the order of the books for anyone who wants to know: Deadly Trail, Deadly Omen, Unequally Yoked, Intervention, Wing Beat, Calling the Dead, Judgment Fire, Kindred Spirits, Dispel the Mist, Invisible Path, Bears With Us, Raging Water.

And Another Contest: The person who leaves comments on the most blogs will have his/her name used for a character in my next book—can choose if you want it in a Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery or a Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel.

Bio: Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Raging Water from Mundania Press. Writing as F. M. Meredith, her latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel us No Bells, the forth from Oak Tree Press. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and follow her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/

Marilyn borrows a lot from where she lives in the Southern Sierra for the town of Bear Creek and the surrounding area.

In addition to the contest she mentions above, Marilyn is giving away a copy of Bears With Us. You can read my review of that book here. Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Good luck! 

 

 

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