Rock out with Rockband!

I am a huge video gamer, I grew up playing video games with the Atari system (ouch that makes me feel real old). Since then I have moved on from Nintendo, to Playstation, to Xbox 360 (I am addicted..lol) Well, even though I love gaming I never really thought I would like the Rockband system that was out. Yeah it looked a little fun maybe, mainly the drums, but still I never got one.

Then my niece and nephew got a Nintendo Wii for Christmas plus the Beatles Rockband. Montana (my niece) loves the drums, but couldn't get her brother Dakota to play with her because he didn't like the guitar. So her mom called me and asked if I would come over and play Rockband with her, I was like sure, but I am not very good at that guitar thing though. I thought to myself, hey I can at least sing the beatles songs..LOL. Well, I ended up taking my cousin who loves playing guitar hero and we rocked out.

Let me tell you it was so much fun, I never thought it would be that fun, but the drums are awesome..lol. It really is a great way to have some family fun. My cousin has Rockband 2, but just the video game so I went and bought a set of drums. ($9.96) and we have been having a blast (though I don't care much for the music on Rockband 2) It is great fun. I am going to get the Country version they have out to go with my drums, and maybe I will get a guitar later. I just love playing the drums!!

I recommend getting Beatles Rockband and having loads of fun with your family!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

What Are You Reading Mondays are hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog!

I have been pretty slow about reading the last  couple of weeks.

I finally finished Moonstone by Marilee Brothers (it was a pdf. file so it took me longer than normal)
Finished Boys that Bite by Mari Mancusi (I liked it)

Actually still working on Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (just not in the mood for it right now)

Also trying to read Soulless Gail Carriger (It is starting to interest me. I have it from Pat's Borrow my book tours)

I think my problem right now is that there are so many books surrounding my desk and in my bookshelves that I want to read I am having a time trying to concentrate on one book...aaaaaah

So what are you reading!

Check it out: A couple of cool contest!

Was taking a look around the blogosphere and I came across a couple of cool contest so I thought I would let everyone know about them.

Mindful Musing is having a 400 follower contest. There are two cool sections one for first place and one for second place..lot of great books! So go check it out!

The Bookologist is having a MEGA 2010 Box contest that is INTERNATIONAL. 3 different boxes have three book in each. So go check it out!

Crossing my fingers hoping I win!

100 followers contest WINNERS!

First I would like to say that I had 120 comments and 719 entries, this is my biggest contest ever. WOW! Thanks to all you followers out there, you are great!

So since I went over the 250 mark on followers I have broken down the winners like this:

1st Place: 3books

2nd Place: 2books

3rd Place 2books

4th Place: 1book

5th Place 1book

6th Place 1book

7th Place 1book

(and first place gets first dibbs on picking out books, and so forth till the last person)

So here are the list of winners:

1st Place: Parajunkee (115)

2nd Place: Book Whisper (12)

3 Place: Maria (586)

4th Place: Renee (422)

5th Place: The Book Vixen (208)

6th Place: Shelly (668)

7th Place: Kate (38)

( I used Random.org to pick all my winners)

Winners I will be contacting you shortly starting with the first place and when I get their picks, I will send the list of what is left to the next winner till I get to the 7th place winner. Please be patient.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

Still time to enter my 7th Heaven by James Patterson (ends Dec 31) and all of my Day 1-24 Christmas giveaway contest (ends Jan. 5th)

Saturday mailbox raid!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. I hope everyone one had a great Christmas, for me it was a very long day, but good. No matter how much I try to hint to people to get me books it never works out that way. LOL

This week was a bit slow.

Good read swap:

ICE by Sarah Beth Durst

Won:

True Blue by David Baldacci

Christmas Presents:

Crimson by Gord Rollo
Beyond Eden by S. L. Linnea

Never heard of the books I got for Christmas, but my sister-in-law at least gave it a shot and got me books..LOL

Almost forgot Haley sent me The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens ( I had said something about never reading this and so she sent it to me, wasn't that nice!)

So what books did you get in your mailbox, feel free to leave a link if you want.

Review of Moonstone by Marilee Brothers

Moonstone by Marilee Brothers
Pages: 236
Publisher: Bell Bridges Books

A sickly mom. A tiny house trailer. High school bullies and snarky drama queens. Bad-guy dudes with charming smiles. Allie has problems. And then there's that whole thing about fulfilling a magical prophecy and saving the world from evil. Geez. Welcome to the sad, funny, sometimes-scary world of fifteen-year-old Allie Emerson, who's struggling to keep her and her mom's act together in the small-town world of Peacock Flats, Washington. An electrical zap from a TV antenna sets off Allie's weird psychic powers. The next thing she knows she's being visited by a hippy-dippy guardian angel, and then her mysterious neighbor, the town "witch," gives her an incredible moonstone pendant that has powers only a good-hearted "Star Seeker" is meant to command. "Who, me?" is Allie's first reaction. But as sinister events begin to unfold, Allie realizes she's got a destiny to live up to. If she can just survive everyday life, in the meantime. (Barnes and Noble.com)

Moonstone was a fun, light-hearted fantasy books that was very fast to read. Sometimes I think it might have been just a little to short. Since this is the first in a series I will hope that in the books to come that we can read more about the characters and they will have a little more character developement.

I really believe that Allies character though flawed has great potential as the 'Star Seeker' and hope that in the next book she shows a lot more fire as she has finally accepted her role in the prophecy. I couldn't stand Allie's mother, Faye I just wanted to slap her silly at times. I loved Junior, the bad guy gone good. He was definatly a sweety.

I believe that even thought it is a YA book that it might be geared more towards the younger teen. Thought I do recommend it if you like books about newly aquired psychic powers and light, fun, fast paced book then I believe you will probably like this book.

Wishing Everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Hi Everyone,

I had planned on having 25 days of giveaways but my last day canceled on me, so I thought to myself...you have 24 days of giveaways and two other contest going so maybe thats enough..lol.  Most people won't be online tomorrow anyway (unless you like me and have no life..lol).

In case everyone is wondering when the last day for my 24 days of giveaways....it will be Jan 5th. This will give everyone enough time to sign up for all the contest from Dec 1st -24th. So if you have missed a day make sure you go back and take a look because there is a different giveaway on each day.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
(and in the words of Tiny Tim...God Bless Us, Everyone!)

Day Twenty Four: Giveaway with Angie Reed

Hybrid by Angie Reed
Pages: 300
Publisher: A-Argus Enterprise

In an attempt to escape the painful memory of her young sister Rose's untimely and mysterious death, Emily and her altered family flee Dallas, Texas for the safety of small-town Beckley, West Virginia. Shortly after arriving, Emily falls for a handsome young man named Maxwell Snow. He's perfect. Or so Emily thinks. And then the nightmares begin. Why is Rose haunting Emily inside her dreams? What is Rose trying to tell her? Perhaps Julian, Maxwell's estranged twin holds the answers. Prepare as a "new" generation of vampires is discovered. These vampires could be friends, neighbors, or even family. Reed's first in a mesmerizing series is guaranteed to leave the readers glued to their seats, unable to put the book down until the very last page. And totally unprepared for Hybrid's shocking ending...

About Author:

I am a first time author of a paranormal thriller for teens called Hybrid. Currenlty, I am working on a sequel to Hybrid called Bloodling. I am also writing a vampire novel for adults called Sanctuary. I can be reached at www.angielreed.com or at reedangie123@gmail.com. I have a B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Arlington and am pursuing a Master of Education with a Concentration in Reading Instruction at Dominican University. I am a married mother of one. I live in Weatherford, Texas on six heavily wooded acres.


Angie Reed sent me a copy of her debut novel Hybrid to giveaway.

Contest Rules:

International

Must be a follower

Entries:

leave a comment with your email +1

new follower +2

old follower +4

link it to sidebar, twitter, etc +4

actual blog post +6

add me to your blog roll +1

12 Pearls of Christmas: Slow down, pray and give thanks

All Decked Out For Christmas
by Maureen Lang

One of the reasons so many of us love the holiday season is that it's just so...pretty! Twinkling lights, shiny ornaments, packages that glisten with bows and fancy wrapping. Our houses are trimmed with wreaths and glowing trees, and the neighborhood lights up the night with strands of icicles and glimmering reindeer.

Even we get decked out for the holidays! Chances are most of us will attend at least one party this season, and if we don't usually don clothing or jewelry with a bit of sparkle, now's the time to take a chance with something that reflects the holiday.

Smiles are another reason this season is such a popular one. They accompany that familiar greeting-Merry Christmas! Smiles go with the gifts we give and with the gifts we receive. Smiles go with the old Christmas carols and classic movies we watch every year.

The holiday season is a time when everything can seem amplified. But what if we're all decked out on the outside, from the sparkling clothing to our best effort at a smile, and on the inside we're anything but happy? If life isn't what we expected it to be, the gap between reality and our happy, hopeful expectations seem wider when everyone around us is laughing through the season.

I know there are as many reasons to be unhappy as there are to be happy, and I wouldn't begin to have the answer to make this season bearable for everyone. But I do know a few things that have worked for me:

Slow down. What? During the busiest time of the year? Yep. I know when I feel completely overwhelmed it's because I'm pressuring myself to do too much. So I try to plan ahead, settle for less than perfection, do my best without driving myself and everyone around me crazy. Choose what's really important and let go of the other things. And I've adopted my aunt's favorite saying: "However it turns out, that's how we like it." Works wonders on attitude!

Pray. As my pastor reminded me this weekend from Psalm 34:18: the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. God may not deliver us from our troubles, but He promises to stay beside us-in fact, closer than when everything seems hunky-dory.

Find a moment to give thanks for what you do have (without looking around at those who have more).

This last point deserves a moment of reflection, and is something I'm still learning to do. I have a child severely handicapped by Fragile X Syndrome, a genetic form of mental retardation. For years I thought I'd accepted his condition. I obediently said to God, "thank you even for this," since it taught me many things about adjusting to the life I've been given rather than the one I might have chosen.

But as my son gets older, I see new forms of acceptance making that feeling of gratitude more genuine. I think I'm finally letting go of some of the hopes and dreams I had for him, my oldest son. I can no longer imagine him any other way than the way he is, even though I'd be first in line if a cure is ever found.

I still think it's a good thing to give thanks in all things, even if it begins out of obedience rather than tender gratitude for whatever thorn we live with. But realizing it's okay to grow into that gratitude was a blessing to me.

Maybe some of the bruises on our spirit seem tender during the holiday season, a reminder that all the glitter on the outside might not light us up on the inside. My prayer is trust Psalm 34:18. Let's lean on Him this season-He's right here beside us!

______________________________

Maureen Lang grew up loving to tell stories, and God has blessed her immeasurably to be able to tell them to a wider audience these days. For the latest goings-on, please check her blog!

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit http://www.pearlgirls.info/

The Bibliophilic Book blog is having another cool contest!!

Hey Everyone, are you like me and would love a ereader, well The Bibliophilic Book Blog is at it again. This is a super great contest and I hope I win. Go check it out for a chance to win yourself. If you enter please say that you heard it from me! :0)

Waiting on Wednesday!

This is a weekly meme created by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Here are a couple things that will be coming out in 2010.

13 to Life: A Werewolf Story by Shannon Delany (June 2010)

Something strange is stalking the small town of Junction…


When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper or they’re hosting yet another intervention for her about her mom. Although far from expecting it, she’s relieved to discover Guidance just wants her to show a new student around—but he comes with issues of his own including a police escort.

The newest member of Junction High, Pietr Rusakova has secrets to hide--secrets that will bring big trouble to the small town of Junction—secrets including dramatic changes he’s undergoing that will surely end his life early.


Bad Blood by Mari Mancusi (December 29, 2009)

The newest Blood Coven novel-accompanied by edgy repackages of the rest of the series


Sunny McDonald is in the ultimate forbidden relationship. Her boyfriend Magnus is a vampire, and the leader of the Blood Coven. And when the Coven decides that Magnus needs a mate to be his co-ruler, Sunny's humanity puts her out of the running. The Coven's chosen candidate is Jane Johnson, a magna cum laude graduate of Oxford University who just happens to look like a vampiric supermodel.

Sunny is suspicious of a Rhodes Scholar who can't answer the most basic poli-sci questions, but Magnus brushes it off as petty jealousy. Still, when the Blood Coven goes to Las Vegas for a vampire convention, Sunny and her twin sister Rayne secretly tag along. And Sunny's not going home before she learns the truth about Jane. Because not everything stays in Vegas-especially bad blood.


So what are you waiting for?

Day Twenty Three: Giveaway with R. L. Lafever

Christmas memory

My poor mother worked so hard to make Christmas magical! I remember one year, I must have been six or seven, going to bed and hanging our stockings on our doorknobs (my parents did that in a futile attempt to snatch a few more minutes sleep before the screaming hordes of children descended upon them) and going to bed. Like every Christmas Eve, I had the hardest time falling asleep. I must have eventually, for the next thing I remember is hearing the sound of jingling bells and my mother running through the hall shouting “Santa, Santa! Come back!” Of course that woke us all up and we leaped out of bed and followed Mother down the hall. I’m sad to report that Santa got away before the rest of us could see him.


Needless to say we did not go back to bed that night and instead stayed up and opened our presents right then, at about 2:00 o’clock in the morning. Today, forty years later, I still remember that heart-stopping thrill of hearing Santa’s sleigh bells right in our very own hall.

Authors Bio:

R. L. LaFevers (Robin Lorraine when she’s in really big trouble) grew up surrounded by shelves of old dusty books, a passel of brothers, and a wide variety of pets, including a goat, chickens, chipmunks, a baby anteater, and, for a few short weeks, two bear cubs, who were very wild and untamed. She has also spent a large portion of her life being told she was making up things that weren’t there, which only proves she was destined to write fiction. She is the author of eight books for young readers, including Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos, (Houghton Mifflin, 2007) which received starred reviews and was a Junior Library Guild selection, a Booksense Summer Pick, and nominated for the Malice Domestic’s Agatha Award. Kirkus calls her most recent book, Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: Flight of the Phoenix, (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) “. . . an exciting tale.” Look for the sequel, Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Basilisk’s Lair (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) in Spring of 2010.

R. L. currently lives in Southern California with her family and spends her time daydreaming and wallowing in old forgotten texts. Although she no longer has any exotic pets, she does have raccoons who visit her back porch, coyotes who howl at her window, and hawks that soar high overhead.

http://rllafevers.blogspot.com/
http://shrinkingvioletpromotions.blogspot.com/

THEODOSIA AND THE STAFF OF OSIRIS, Houghton Mifflin, Nov. 2008
NATHANIEL FLUDD, BEASTOLOGIST, Houghton Mifflin, Sept. 2009

Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: Flight of the Phoenix

Nathaniel Fludd’s life has taken a turn for the worst. With his parents lost at sea, he lands on the doorstep of a distant cousin—the world’s last remaining beastologist. Soon Nate is whisked off on his first expedition, to Arabia, where the world’s only phoenix prepares to lay its new egg. When disaster strikes, Nate quickly finds himself all alone.


Will he be able to see the phoenix safely hatched, keep his accidental pet gremlin out of trouble, and rescue his guardian from the Bedouin? If he fails, nothing will stand between the world’s mythical creatures and extinction.

Too bad Nate’s not the sort of boy who enjoys adventure . . .yet.
----
R. L. Lafever is giving away a copy of her latest book Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: Flight of the Phoenix.

 

Contest Rules:

 

US and Canada

Must be a follower

 

Entries:

 

comment on this post with your contact info +1

new follower +2

old follower +4

link this post (sidebar, etc) +4

actual post on your blog +6

add me to your blog roll +1

12 Pearls of Christmas: Wonderous Mystery

Magnificat
by Anna Joujan

Holy. Holy. Holy is the Lord. The familiar catch of breath. The sting in the eyes. And the tears begin to flow with the falling rain. Or do the tears fall with the flowing rain. What is it in these words that I whisper that wrenches at my heart so? Why does Mary's prayer touch the core of my being, so many centuries after it was spoken?

I think it must be because I know that she was just a girl, just a human being, with a woman's heart like my own. And so, when I hear her wondering words, I can feel with her the emotion she must have felt. To bear the son of God-what wondrous mystery, what glorious honour! And she was, like me, just a young woman-much younger, in fact, than I am now. And so, no matter how often I hear the story and read her words, it still has the power to bring abrupt and unsought tears.

What a gracious God, to work wonders with such frail and faulty creatures as us!

__________________________________________

Anna G. Joujan was born in South Dakota, as a Canadian citizen, and was raised in Zambia, the child of missionary teachers. Since her family's move to the U.S., Anna spent her childhood and early adulthood traveling throughout the world thanks to various educational and work opportunities . . . France, China, Peru, and Jamaica being some of the stops in her journeys. Her undergraduate degree in French Literature led to a Masters in Information Sciences, and to work as a college and high school librarian, and a cross country coach. She has also returned to Zambia multiple times to teach for individual families and for local schools. All the while continuing pursuing her passions of writing, artwork, photography . . . and running to a fault. She blogs at Full of Grace.

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit http://www.pearlgirls.info/

Day Twenty Two: Giveaway with Lynette Eason!

My favorite Christmas tradition

When I was in high school, my parents started this tradition of having a Christmas Eve day breakfast with several of their closest friends and their children. This started over 25 years ago. Originally, there were 16 of us. We would meet at a local restaurant that morning and eat and fellowship. It was great fun! Then as the years passed, the gathering got bigger to the point where it’s crazy! It’s like we’re one big extended family. As of last count with all of the children and grandchildren and a few friends who were added along the way, I think we’re up to about 40. Two members have died, one when he was 16 and one just a year ago. We have the best food. Everyone brings something. Ham, breakfast casseroles, the biggest fruit bowl you’ve ever seen, and more! It’s a lot of work and seems to come around each year before you can blink, but it’s a tradition that’s I grew up with and am thrilled to be a part of.

Author bio:

Lynette Eason grew up in Greenville, SC and currently resides in Spartanburg, SC with her husband and two children. Lynette loves chocolate, writing conferences, going on new adventures with her family, and of course, reading. She considers her writing a ministry and believes God changes lives through the printed word. When she’s not writing, she’s a karate mom, Spartanburg Youth Theatre mom, and chauffer for her two kids.

Lynette is often online and loves to talk writing with anyone who’s interested. You can contact her through her website at http://www.lynetteeason.com/ or email her at lynetteeason@lynetteeason.com. She gives God the glory for her giving her the talent and desire to spin stories that bring readers to the edge of their seat, but most importantly, to the throne of Christ.
I’d just like to say that A SILENT PURSUIT is the latest Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense book. It hit the shelves in November 2009.

Too Close to Home is coming soon! It is the first in The Women of Justice serried to be released April 2010. I’m so excited about this series and can’t wait for it to release. Dee Henderson endorsed it for me so that makes it even more special. I hope you’ll keep an eye out for it. April seems like it’s a long way away, but it’ll be here before we know it!

A Silent Pursuit

She'd been told her fiancé died in a military training accident, but Gina Santino's gut told her otherwise. Still, she never imagined his killers would come after her. Now she is dodging bullets and running for her own life, not sure who to trust. Her fiancé had left specific instructions for her to contact fellow U.S. Army Ranger Ian Masterson should anything happen to him. But how could she trust a man who abandoned his team years ago? With no other choice, Gina must place her life in his hands in order to stay alive long enough to find the truth.



Lynette Easton is going to giveaway 3 copies of her book A Silent Pursuit. Contest rules:

US and Canada Only

Must be a follower

Entries:

comment with your email address +1

new follower +2

old follower +4

link this contest (sidebar, etc) +4

actual blog post +6

add me to your blog roll +1

12 Pearls of Christmas: Perspective

A Soggy, Jolly, Holly Christmas
by Melody Carlson

One of my most memorable Christmases started out as a natural disaster. But isn't that a bit how a pearl is formed? An oyster's soft easy life is disrupted by the invasion of sand, but something good comes out of it. When I was eight, we experienced the worst flood in recorded Oregon history. It was only a few days before Christmas when our streets became shallow rivers and the governor proclaimed a state of emergency. My sister and I assumed the flood was simply our new water-world playground and didn't understand the seriousness of washed out bridges and downed power lines and submerged homes. But when we realized this flood was about to nix our usual three-hour trek to our grandparents' home near the coast, we were not happy.

Naturally, our mom, a single parent, protested the sensibility of holiday travel (most of Oregon's rivers were involved in the flood). But Christmas at Grandma's house was our favorite event of the year. And thanks to our persistence, Mom finally gave in. We piled into the car and headed out. Flood waters climbed higher the closer we got to the coast. And at one point the road behind us was closed and the one ahead was flooded and about to be closed as well. The state policeman told us we could cross "at our own risk." We followed a Volkswagen Bug into the water-then we actually watched the bug floating away! Of course, there was nothing to do besides plow on through the water, which appeared to be nearly two feet deep! Fortunately we had an old heavy Chevy that did not float away, but the water seeped in and pooled on the floors.

Fortunately, we made it safely to the grandparents. But once we arrived, we learned there would be no Christmas tree because the road to the woods was closed. Then my grandpa picked up his ax and led us outside where he chopped down his prize holly tree planted in the parking strip. I stared in horror, thinking Grandma was going to have a fit. But then he explained the city had told him to remove the tree for traffic visibility. So we had a twelve foot holly tree for Christmas. It was a little prickly decorating it, but with its shiny green leaves and red berries, it was the most beautiful tree ever! So what started out as a disaster turned out to be a soggy, holly, jolly Christmas after all.

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Melody Carlson, author of Limelight, Love Finds You in Sisters, The Christmas Dog, 86 Bloomberg Place, Diary of a Teenage Girl, The Carter House Girls, and much more... http://www.melodycarlson.com/

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

Deep Kiss of Winter Blog Tour

Deep Kiss of Winter
Pages: 436
Publisher: Pocket book

Under the cover of wintry dark shadows, passion's magic ignites a fire too hot to touch -- and too wicked to die....
DEEP KISS OF WINTER

Two never-before-published paranormal stories to delight the senses and tantalize the imagination!

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

KRESLEY COLE

delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time...and a Valkyrie aching to be touched.

Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden -- the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can't be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Soon desperate for closeness, in an agony of frustration, Murdoch and Danii will do anything to have each other. Together, can they find the key that will finally allow them to slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?

NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

GENA SHOWALTER

puts a daring spin on a tale of huntress and hunted...and concocts a sensual chemistry that is positively explosive.

Aleaha Love can be anyone -- literally. With only skin-to-skin contact, she can change her appearance, assume any identity. Her newest identity switch has made her an AIR (alien investigation and removal) agent and sends her on a mission to capture a group of otherworldly warriors. Only she becomes the captured. Breean, a golden-skinned commander known for his iron will who is at once dangerous and soul-shatteringly seductive, threatens her new life. Because for the first time, Aleaha only wants to be herself....

Review:

First, I am going to start off with saying that I have never read anything from these two authors and I think that might have been my biggest problem when it came to these two stories. (Look at that cover, I must say I like the cover) :0)

Kelsey Cole's Untouchable started out interesting but because of all the terminology that I am not use to, and having to go back and look up to see what a valkyrie, what the difference between a horde and forebearer, and reading the word traced a ton of times I just sort of got lost and well I didn't finish that story, I went on to the next one.

Gena Showwalter's Tempt me Eternally was a different sort of story and I liked the storyline though it took me a bit to get into it but after I did, I really liked it. I am not really that big on Steamy romances (tend to skip over the steam..lol) But all in all I liked it. I think I would like to try out one of Gena's actual books to see how they fare.

For both of them I believe I would have liked them more if I was use to the style of writing and the stories they have done in the past. If you like paranormal romances then you might like this book.

Day Twenty One: Giveaways with Susan Paige Davis

My family made many Christmas memories in our old stone farmhouse in Maine. On Christmas Eve, we would wait for my grandparents to arrive. Then we would open our gifts and have refreshments with them. We always had a real balsam fir tree, usually cut off my grandfather’s farm. Many of the ornaments were handmade. We always got a box of oranges and grapefruit from relatives and a box of ribbon candy from a friend of my parents’. One of my favorite Christmas memories was receiving my first “real doll,” Brenda.


In several of my books, people celebrate Christmas in whatever way they are able. Frasier Island is one of my past favorites. In this book, four people at an isolated military base on a Pacific island get ready for Christmas. Rachel uses their meager supplies to cook a big dinner. She also makes wrapping paper out of scrap paper and colors it with her box of 96 colored art pencils. She and the others have ordered gifts months in advance from the mainland. But when Christmas Day finally arrives, they are distracted by a tragedy. Rachel and the hero, George, wind up fighting for their lives. If you’d like a chance to win a copy of Frasier Island, sign up below. I am giving two signed copies.

Come visit my Web site at: http://www.susanpagedavis.com/. And have a blessed Christmas with your family!

Frasier Island

Ensign Rachel Whitney is posted at a remote missile installation on a North Pacific island, where she is to work in isolation with two men. She could love her new assignment, if Lt. George Hudson weren't so antagonistic and obstinate. She sets out to prove she is perfect for the top secret job, in spite of the tension between them.


The island is attacked, and another crew member lets slip that George has neglected to tell Rachel about one important aspect of their job. The nuclear warheads she thought they were guarding have been disarmed, and they are really protecting a valuable and rare element discovered in the water at the base of the island.

When word leaks out about the precious material they are guarding, Rachel and George have few resources besides each other and their faith in God to help them survive and foil an enemy attack that could endanger all of America.

Susan Paige Davis is going to give away a copy of Frasier Island. Contest rules:

US and Canada Only

Must be a follower

Entries:

comment on this post with your email address +1

new followers +2

old followers +4

link this post (sidebar or twitter, etc) +4

actual blog about post +6

add me to your blog roll +1

12 Pearls of Christmas: Help and Support

Calling Elizabeth ... HELP!
by Tricia Goyer

Mary, the mother of Jesus is one of the most well-known women of all time. She was also a teen mom facing an unplanned pregnancy. This Christmas we will see evidence of Mary's story all around us. And as you hear it through Christmas songs and Christmas shows think of three things:

1. Mary was signed up for a big task she wasn't prepared for.
2. Mary no doubt faced criticism from people around her.
3. Mary found someone to turn to - a friend who could help Mary to succeed in her new role. It was Mary's older cousin Elizabeth.

Elizabeth played an important part in Mary's life. We know this because the book of Luke begins by telling us Elizabeth's story first. Elizabeth was the wife of a priest. She was very old and had no children, but God blessed her in her old age by allowing her to get pregnant. After Elizabeth's story comes Mary's story ... another surprise pregnancy. Can you imagine what a shock that was to everyone who knew both women? (Yes! I'm sure you can!)

The cool thing is that the angel Gabriel told Mary about Elizabeth's surprise pregnancy. It's as if he was saying, "Look, there's someone in your same situation. Turn to her. She can help you."

Mary did go to Elizabeth. In fact she lived with her older cousin for three months. Elizabeth was the first one who rejoiced over the child Mary held within her womb, and I imagine Elizabeth was there to encourage Mary as she coped with the idea of becoming a teen mom.

Like Mary, each of us should have people in our lives who we turn to for help, support and encouragement. Being a mom isn't an easy thing, and facing an unplanned pregnancy is even tougher.

When I had my son Cory I was 17-years-old, and there were a group of women from my grandma's church who supported me. They were the first ones who showed me that the child that was growing inside me was a gift. They gave me a baby shower, and they fought over holding my son after he was born.

As my son grew, there were other women I looked to ... and most of the time they didn't even know I was watching. One of them was Cheryl. Cheryl was patient with her children, she gave them big hugs, she laughed with them and played with them and I modeled myself after her. The thing about finding mentors is sometimes we can observe them without them even knowing. And if we're really lucky they enjoy their role of giving us advice.

Later, when I had two kids, I met a friend named Cindy. She and I were the same age and we became quick friends. Cindy was a support to me because we traded babysitting, talked about parenting problems, and we encouraged each other. She was someone who was walking the same road as me, and her advice helped more times than I can count.

No matter who we are, or where we live, each of us can look around and see the people we have in our lives. Some may cheer us on, some may guide our parenting, and others may just be there to walk along side us. If the mother of Jesus needed someone to look to for support ... shouldn't we? Everyone needs someone to provide a little help and support.

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Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty-one books including From Dust and Ashes, My Life UnScripted, and the children's book, 10 Minutes to Showtime. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like Today's Christian Woman and Focus on the Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in the mountains of Montana. Connect with Tricia at http://www.triciagoyer.com/.

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit http://www.pearlgirls.info/

Day Twenty: Giveaway with Darlene Franklin!

This year is the first time I will be alone for Christmas: alone, that is, in my empty nest. My daughter is dead, my mom’s in an assisted living center, my son has his own family and they choose to celebrate Hannukah instead of Christmas. So it’s definitely time for me to think about what traditions I want to continue ... all on my own ... for no other reason than that they matter to me and glorify the Lord.

To that end, I want to get a glorious Christmas tree. I love Christmas trees. To me, the evergreen firs speak of the eternal life Christ came to earth to give. The star on top speaks, of course, of the star that guided the magi to Bethlehem.

Forget “themed” trees, all in one color or all snowmen on skis or whatever. Decorating my tree is like opening a scrapbook album of my life.

A royal blue glass ornament with “Gramma” written with gold glitter somehow survived my childhood, even though the grandmother in question died almost four decades ago. In fact, grandmother ornaments bookend my collection. Last year, I found American Greetings ornaments to celebrate “granddaughter’s first Christmas”—celebrating the arrival of Jordan Elizabeth Franklin.

I never expected the white paper doily angel my daughter made for a tree topper to still be in one piece twenty years later. I stop and linger over each ornament made when my children were little. Jolene’s gigantic lilac mouse fills three tree branches. Most of the tiny pompom balls have fallen off Jaran’s picture ornament, but he still smiles at me from the plastic lid. Catalog pictures of “most-wanted” presents of the year remain glued into paper frames. Added to the paper ornaments are the stitched-and-knitted ornaments. I made some (especially cats); others were given to me. Every cat I’ve owned has discovered the thread-covered Styrofoam balls and played with them all month long..

A host of commercial ornaments bring back more memories. Thing 1 and Thing 2 (compliments of a fast food restaurant) revisit not only reading The Cat in the Hat with my children but also my own childhood. How many people have all four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hanging on their tree? A pair of golden ski boots reminds me of the year we went to the Salt Lake City Olympics. We bought that small white china ring at a local Dutch festival and that partridge in the pear tree came from a store in my parents’ home in faraway Maine.

Santa Claus in every form and function appears on the tree. One time, he’s wearing a fireman’s suit, commemorating our visit to the Denver Firefighters Museum. In another, he’s kicking a soccer ball, a reminder of my children’s sports period.

What shall I add to the tree this year? Some unique to Oklahoma, since I’ve just moved here? Or maybe Toastmasters ... Hmm, I don’t know.

Whatever it is, it will become a visual reminder of my unique history.

Author Bio:

Darlene Franklin is the author of four novels as well as stories in two Christmas anthologies: Snowbound Colorado Christmas and Wild West Christmas.

For all you that are wanting a Wild West Christmas, it looks like you have three chances going on through this contest because Darlene Franklin is a part of that Anthology and she also has agreed to giveaway a copy of Wild West Christmas. (Other chances to win are commenting on Vickie McDoungh's post or Lena Nelson Dooley's post)

Contest Rules:

US and Canada Only

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