Grin & Barrett by Ruth J. Hartman Giveaway at Linda Weaver Clarke's Blog

Blog: Linda Weaver Clarke’s A Family Friendly Blog


Title of book: Grin & Barrett

Author of book: Ruth J. Hartman

Genre: YA Sweet Romance

Open to: International

Giveaway Dates: March 12 - 19, 2012

Giveaway Link: http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com/2012/03/interview-with-sweet-romance-author.html

Series Spotlight and Giveaway: Meant to Be Series by Richard Alan

Today I am featuring the two books in Richard Alan's Meant to Be series. The author has generously offered to give away a copy of both books in this series to one of my lucky readers.

When four years old Meyer and five years old Joan met in the children’s room of the local library, they had no idea the two of them would be spending a lifetime together. Their friendship took off slowly due to their age difference. Joan did not want to bother with someone who wasnot old enough to be entering kindergarten.They reconnected a few years later when Meyer’s family moved from Iowa to the Seattle area, where Joan’s family had moved the year before.

Joan and Meyer remain friends throughout their high school years until Meyer left for Viet Nam and Joan’s family experienced a tragedy that impacted Joan’s view of friends and family.

The interactions of three generations of friends and family helped them reconnect so that they couldcelebrate the good times and get through the difficult and tragic timesas loving partners.

“Interwoven into this engaging tale are the lives of various members of Meyer and Joan`s families, as well as some of their friends, that have likewise experienced this feeling of Bashert(meant to be) -something that none can exactly put their fingers on as to why it happens, but they just know that it must be some divine intervention influencing their fate.” Norm Goldman, Bookpleasure.com review.

Meant to Be is a new novel about relationships, love, and life, from author, Richard Alan.

"...a tender and heartwarming yarn that catches the essence of the concept of bashert..."

--Norman Goldman, Bookpleasures.com

Acclaimed author of Meant to Be, Richard Alan, once again enchants us with characters that we really want to know. You will laugh, cry, and love with them as you seek the answers to the relationship questions posed by this talented author.
Will a tough techy lady be able to find love with a man who is still mourning his deceased fiancée?

Will an intellectually snobbish genius learn that there is more to the truck mechanic than meets the eye?

Can a nerd and a party girl find happiness together?

Can a teenage boy musician get past his unrequited love to learn to love a ranch girl instead?

Will a troubled rape victim be able to have a normal relationship with a man?

The Couples is about people who may belong together and how the world around them helps them, or sometimes defeats them in their search for a life partner. It follows the lives of couples,their friends, and their support systems,as they explore their relationships.

The Couples is Richard Alan’s second novel in the “Meant to Be” series. It continues to explore relationships, love, and life.

Richard Alan lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with his wife, Carolynn. They are the proud parents of three wonderful adult sons.He is a Vietnam combat and 101st Airborne Division veteran.

After an education in mathematics, a 17 year career in manufacturing engineering and a 22 year career in software engineering, he has started a career as an author. Richard writes novels about people trying to find their life-partner, soul-mate, the person they are meant to be with for life. His first two books, Meant to Be and The Couples, are available on his website and most online retailers.

Richard’s other interests range from mathematical analysis and photography to anything with an engine. His current projects include writing the third (Finding Each Other) and fourth novels in the “Meant to Be” series, and discovering the properties of functions of p-adic numbers. Having completed a potting bench for his lifepartner, Carolynn, he is busy driving her to watch salmon runs, visit National Parks, and anywhere that provides an opportunity to view her avian friends.

You can visit Richard Alan’s website, VILLAGE DRUMMER FICTION at www.villagedrummerfiction.com.


Use the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win a copy of Books 1 & 2 in the Meant to Be series.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sage and Sweetgrass by LoRee Peery Giveaway Winner

Congratulations go out to Pamela T. She won an e-copy of Sage and Sweetgrass by LoRee Peery. I've already emailed her, and I'm sure she'll be thrilled about her prize.

Thanks to all who participated. We'll have a new giveaway on Friday.

You've Got Mail Mondays

Okay, it's time to get down to brass tacks. Last week on the blog was horrible. I was late with everything I wanted to do. I didn't have a Free for All Friday. Movie Review Month has been delayed by my lack of time to watch anything. Basically, it has put me in a nasty mood. Cranky writers are not fun to be around.

So, here's the scoop. I am doing my best to get you the things you said you were interested in seeing: more reviews, more giveaways, recipes, time savings tips, etc. Unfortunately, I'm not independently wealthy, so when I run a giveaway it comes out of my pocket. I don't always have sponsors sending me products to review. Rubbermaid is sending me the Hidden Recycler to review during April, so I know that is coming up.
I plan on going to see The Hunger Games with the Lil Diva (10), so I'll be reviewing that. I also have a couple of product samples I'll be talking about. I am actively seeking sponsors for Spring Cleaning Month. In the efforts to move toward self-sufficiency, we are looking to try out more eco-friendly products and review them.

Now that's over, let's talk about my mailbox. I am drowning in books, but I love them. The main reason I don't review more books here is that I save that for my book blog, The Book Connection. Feel free to let me know if you would like to see more here. I'm figuring you're looking for more products reviews instead.

The ghostwriting project I am working on is an historical book, so I've had to perform research. I love the Internet, but it only brings you so far. I ordered two books from Amazon to help me along: Remembering Colorado Springs  by Sharon Swint and Images of America: Pikes Peak-Adventurers, Communities, and Lifestyles. These are filled with images and will be the perfect complement to Pikes Peak Backcountry: The Historic Saga of the Peak's West Slope by Celinda Reynolds Kaelin. I'm a bit bummed that I just received Swint's book and a page already fell out of it.

Toward the tail end of last week I received Children's Picturebooks: The Art of Visual Storytelling by Martin Salisbury and Morag Styles. This book, "looks at every aspect of picture bookmaking--from education and training to the interplay of words and images on a page, from the use of old and new printing methods to the editorial process and demands of the publishing industry in the twenty-first century." It includes case studies and interviews with artists, publishers and scholars. Since this is my target market, I like to learn all about it that I can.

The latest Land's End Kids catalog arrived. For the first time, I can say I didn't feel the need to rush out and buy something, but I think that has more to do with spending over $200 on clothes and shoes for the girls two weekends ago, than what is in the catalog. Through 11:59 PM Central time they are offering FREE SHIPPING - no minimum order, so it's actually a great time to buy.

That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed this latest edition of You've Got Mail Mondays.

Pre-order A Perfect Square by Vannetta Chapman

There’s more to the quaint northern Indiana town of Shipshewana than handcrafted quilts, Amish-made furniture, immaculate farms and close-knit families. When a dead girl is found floating in a local pond, murder is also afoot. And Reuben, brother of Deborah’s best friend’s fiancé, is in jail as the suspect! Reuben refuses to divulge any information, even to clear himself of a crime Deborah is certain he didn’t commit. So, with her English friend, Callie—fellow sleuth and owner of Daisy’s Quilt Shop—Deborah sets out to uncover the truth. But the mystery deepens when an elderly man seeks Callie’s help in finding his long-lost daughter, missing since the days of the 1965 Palm Sunday Tornadoes. An old man who has lost his past. A young man who may lose his future. Once again Deborah and Callie find themselves trying to piece together a crazy quilt of lives and events—one that can bring unexpected touches of God’s grace and resolve the tragedy that has shaken this quiet Amish community.

Coming March 31st. Pre-order Now!

Amazon
Zondervan
Barnes & Noble
Christianbook.com

Product Review: L’OREAL® EverSleek Sulfate-free Smoothing System™

Months ago, I sent away for a sample of the L’OREAL® EverSleek Sulfate-free Smoothing System™. I was supposed to review it back in January, but I had only used it once. I didn't feel that was the best judge of how a product worked.

My hair is very thick. I've never been able to do much with my hair because of it. I tend to keep it on the short to medium side, because if I don't, it takes over my tiny face. I didn't request this system to help me deal with the frizzies, as much as I did to see if I could gain some control over my unruly mane that seems to have a mind of its own.

I received sample packets of the complete system: Intense Smoothing Shampoo, Intense Smoothing Conditioner, and Humidity Defying Leave-in Creme.

According to their website, the shampoo gently cleanses while smoothing frizzy and unruly hair. The conditioner smooths and deeply conditions hair without weighing it down. The creme is said to be an essential part of the system. The website states when it is used in conjunction with the shampoo and conditioner, "hair remains sleek, shiny and frizz-free for up to 48 hours."

There were no instructions on how often to use the system, but since it claimed it would work for up to 48 hours, I used the three products together every other day for two weeks. On opposing days, I used my regular shampoo and conditioner. I'm not sure if this impacted how the system worked.

While I definitely did not end up with satiny-smooth, runway model hair, I noticed a distinct difference in the overall texture and feel of it. Even though I was using a leave-in creme and a conditioner together, my hair never felt heavy or fell flat.

I'm not sure if prolonged use of the system would continue to improve the condition of my hair, but I think it's worth a try. I'm really looking to decrease the amount of stray hairs that fly away when it gets styled with a hair dryer. My current look, doesn't dry well naturally, so I mousse it and blow dry it every day. The extra conditioning is crucial.

If you visit L'OREAL's website, you can use their store locator to see where their products are sold.

 Have you tried this system? What did you think of it?


I requested a free sample of this product. I received no monetary compensation to provide this review.

Add A Colorful Lighted Fountain to Your Pool

Our neighborhood is filled with families that have inground pools. We are sometimes guests at pool parties. There is one family that hosts us often, and I was thinking it might be nice to get them a thank you gift for letting us share their pool on those hot, sticky summer evenings.

This 3-Tier Pool Fountain with LED Light would be perfect. The fountain comes complete with a multi-adapter kit for easy connection to virtually any pool return outlet. Easy to install in five minutes, it runs on four “AA” batteries (not included).

What I love the most about it is its flexibility. During the day, you can enjoy the tranquil sound of the fountain. At night the state-of-the-art LED lighting creates a brilliant red-colored light show. I bet it would be fabulous in their pool. The way the yard is set up, they have an L-shaped inground pool that is surrounded on one side by patio tables and chairs. The pool area leads out to a beautiful, newly redesigned deck with lattice to provide privacy. Everyone in the backyard would be able to enjoy the light show from any vantage point.

The 3-Tier Pool Fountain w/ LED Light is available at PoolGear Plus®, the fastest-growing catalog and internet company in the US.

This post sponsored by PoolGear Plus.