Showing posts with label LiteFuse Book Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LiteFuse Book Review. Show all posts

Monday, July 25, 2011

Safe From the Past ~ Book Review, and $30 Amazon.com Giveaway!


About the Book:
A kidnapping, the divorce of her parents, the loss of her father, temporary abandonment and extreme poverty are just some of the issues the author dealt with as a young child.

Her mother finally tells her she must go to college so she can break out of this cycle of poverty and hopelessness. But how can she when she has no money and absolutely no confidence or self esteem?

Read this true story to discover what hope, faith and determination can do to change a life.
A truly inspiring, deeply personal tale of perseverance in the face of unimaginable hardships, Safe from the Past makes clear the restorative power of an education.
Told in an open, honest voice with the deepest sincerity, the author's life story serves as a rousing inspiration to those with the desire to create a better life than the one they are currently living.

No matter how helpless you feel, everyone has the power to shape their own life.

My Thoughts:

This book definitely was a quick read with only 138 pages; as well, I tend to enjoy memoirs genres making this book right up my alley. I thought that it was an encouraging story of how a young girl against all odds made a better life for herself, and how she learned to use her painful experiences as stepping stones to better her future.



I thought that the story seemed watered down, and at some points made the background not sound as awful as it probably was, although I believe the author was trying her best to bring to life the fear, anxiety, and chaos that she had faced while growing up. I also found it baffling that she seemed to let her mother “off the hook” (so to say) in the parts that she played in the lifestyle that in which they lived. I also wondered where she found her faith and God. I don’t recall any talk of church or knowing other believers.


Although, I thought some information was left out that could have enhanced the story a bit more, the bottom line is the story is an encouragement for anyone who desire to go to college, but are finding themselves struggling through life.


A Giveaway:
Litfuse is sponsoring a $30 Amazon.com giveaway open to both you and your blog readers.

How to Enter the Giveaway! To enter all you have to do is send a tweet (using #litfuse) about Safe From the Past or share about it on Facebook!
If you tweet we'll capture your entry when you use @litfuse. If you share it on Facebook or your blog, just email us and let us know (info@litfusegroup.com). Easy.

Not sure what to tweet/post? Here's an idea:
TWEET THIS: Safe From the Past by Patricia Mauro - inspiring tale of perseverance in the face of unimaginable hardships. http://ow.ly/5FQHA #litfuse

FACEBOOK THIS: Don’t miss Patricia Mauro’s Safe From the Past - inspiring, deeply personal tale of perseverance in the face of unimaginable hardships. http://ow.ly/5FQHA. Told in an open, honest voice with the deepest sincerity, the author's life story serves as a rousing inspiration to those with the desire to create a better life than the one they are currently living.


Want to Buy the Book Yourself: http://www.amazon.com/Safe-Past-Story-Faith-Determination/dp/1933651849/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310054112&sr=sprightly-20


About the Patricia Miller Mauro:
Patricia Miller MauroPatricia worked in New York City's financial district for thirteen years in the field of securities operations. At that time, she went on to obtain an MBA from New York University . She and her husband moved to Dallas , TX in 2001 where they are raising their two children.

During her time in NY, Patricia wrote an article entitled "A Tribute To My Mother" which was published in "The Recovery Journal" in 1999. Her book is a continuation of that tribute and serves to spread the message to those in similar situations that good news is on its way to children considering a higher education but who are afraid to dream. For more information please visit, www.patriciamaurobooks.com.

Find Out What Other's are Saying: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13380085


Join the Flock! LitFuse Publicity Group blogger

 *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity group’s blog for books program in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I'm in no way directly related to the contest giveaway, and comments left for this blog post will not count toward entry into the giveaway contest (ways to enter are listed above.)

Monday, March 7, 2011

A Trail of Ink ~ Book Review

About the Book:

An excellent medieval whodunit by the author of The Unquiet Bones and A Corpse at St Andrew's Chapel.

Some valuable books have been stolen from Master John Wyclif, the well-known scholar and Bible translator. He calls upon his friend and former pupil, Hugh de Singleton, to investigate. Hugh's investigation leads him to Oxford where he again encounters Kate, the only woman who has tempted him to leave bachelor life behind, but Kate has another serious suitor. As Hugh's pursuit of Kate becomes more successful, mysterious accidents begin to occur. Are these accidents tied to the missing books, or to his pursuit of Kate?


One of the stolen books turns up alongside the drowned body of a poor Oxford scholar. Another accident? Hugh certainly doesn’t t think so, but it will take all of his surgeon s skills to prove.


So begins another delightful and intriguing tale from the life of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon in the medieval village of Bampton. Masterfully researched by medieval scholar Mel Starr, the setting of the novel can be visited and recognized in modern-day England. Enjoy more of Hugh s dry wit, romantic interests, evolving faith, and dogged determination as he pursues his third case as bailiff of Bampton.


My Thoughts:


This was a change a pace for me, what a fun historical fiction story of murder and mystery with a touch of romance. I usually don’t like to read books out of order of what they were written, as this book was the third chronicle of the Hugh de Singleton series, by Mel Starr. I thought that I might feel completely lost, but I didn’t feel lost at all, and I totally enjoyed how the story played out. Now I really want to read the other two books, The Unquiet Bones, and A Corpse at St. Andrew’s Chapel. I also liked that Mel included a map and a glossary of terms in the front of the book, of word that were used within the story that are not normally used today. This was an enjoyable quick read that I would suggest to many; I really think this is a book that guys and girls alike. Overall this book has very clean language, and although a murder mystery it is not gruesome at all, so it would even be a good book for tweens on up.


Want to buy it yourself you can get it here from Amazon.com.
 Want to read what others are saying about the book, check out the blog tour here.
 About the Author:


Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating with a MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970, he taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years, thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he retired in 2003 as chairman of the social studies department of Portage Northern High School. Mel and his wife, Susan, have two daughters and seven grandchildren. http://www.melstarr.org/


A Contest to Enter:


Kregel Publishers is graciously donating a $50 Amazon.com gift card for the Litfuse Blog Tour Contest! Woo-hoo (thanks Kregel!) All you have to do to enter is either tweet (see TWEET THIS below) or share the book on Facebook using this link: http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Ink-Chronicle-Singleton-Surgeon/dp/1854249746/ref=sprightly-20


TWEET THIS: A Trail of Ink by Mel Star. An excellent medieval whodunit. RT for a chance to win a $50 GC to @amazon! http://ow.ly/45c2k #litfuse

(and be sure to use the hashtag #litfuse to be entered into Amazon.com gift certificate drawing and no need to email that you tweeted - we'll be able to track it via the hashtag.)

FACEBOOK THIS: A Trail of Ink by Mel Star. An excellent medieval whodunit. Share on your wall for a chance to win a $50 GC to @amazon! http://ow.ly/45c2k

(email info@litfusegroup.com to let us know you 'shared', and add your link.)


Join the Flock! LitFuse Publicity Group blogger

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity group’s blog for books program in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Friday, February 18, 2011

The Life Ready Woman by Shaunti Feldhahn and Robert Lewis ~ Book Review and Giveaway!

 This Giveaway is Now Closed.




Another book review...

About the Book:

Are you a ‘Doing it all’ or ‘Do what matters’ woman?


Whether a stay at home; or working mom, an airplane-hopping executive, an empty-nester caring for multiple generations or a single juggling high demands of career and personal life, today's fast-paced modern world leaves women gasping for balance. We as modern Christian women want to look to the Bible for guidance on how to manage our lives -- but because the world of women looks so different today than it did when the Bible was written, it is hard to find chapter and verse that seems to apply to our situation today.

Thankfully, God has given us exactly that timeless, unchanging guidance for how to find peace, clarity, and God's best for our lives once we know where to look! The Life Ready Woman: Thriving in a Do-It-All World, reveals a profound biblical roadmap for how each of us can find the abundant life we are longing for, rather than the stressful, torn, how-do-I-balance-it-all life we often feel like we are trying to keep up with today. Actually being a LifeReady Woman means that you are clear about your life, bold in your faith, and able to find God’s best for you, and the end result will be that you not only survive but thrive in our do-it-all world.

God has given every wonderfully unique woman different skills and abilities, different desires, and different temperaments -- and every woman around the planet and through the ages is certainly living in different circumstances. But no matter what a woman’s life looks like, the Bible says that God has an individual mission and plan that He’s carefully designed for each of us. And He wants us to find it. Starting January 2011, The Life Ready Woman and the Life Ready Woman Video Series will help every wonderfully unique woman to thrive as she identifies and courageously pursues God's unique design and callings for her. LifeReady Woman puts you on a roadmap to make decisions that will lead to relief, delight, and fulfillment instead of regret.


My Thoughts:

I really wish that I had more time to read this book before I did the review as I received it a bit late and ended up doing a quick read through, which would have been all right by me if it were a fictional novel. However, I was schedule to post today as part of a blog tour, so I found myself rushing through a book that had loads of information that I believe I needed to read. I’ll have to go back and give it some true devotion because I feel that I still missed a lot (this is odd for me to say, because like re-watching movies that I’ve seen before I dislike rereading books that I’ve already read). I loved the feel of this book, loaded with real life experiences that give a solid representation of where God fits into the author and other’s lives. There is a reality, rather than the cheesiness that tends to be layered on when people try too hard or fake it, that shows the struggles of a Christ like living as well as the hope and strength that also comes with the belief in knowing God.

I have to say that this book bothered me when I first started reading, talking about how women can’t have it all the successful career, and family and if they have one they are sacrificing another. How women that are aimed at having a successful career, or becoming equal alongside men within that career field women tend not to have children, or poor family relationships. (Sounds hurtful, doesn’t it?) However, after thinking about it, the same goes for many men. Looking at some of the men that surround my life, I see the sacrifice they make in the name of their careers. One good example would be my own father, he worked hard for the business that he had with his brothers. He was usually working Mon thru Fri, and Sat until noon, and an occasional Sunday afternoon between church services. When he came home, there was usually stuff to do around the house he was always working. I don’t remember spending a whole lot of time with him unless I went to work with him (and even then we were working), and never really were able to know him as a person. Wow, did I get a reality check in my young adult years as I came to understand that my father was a real person who made mistakes. Anyhow, my point being was that he sacrificed a real relationship with his children in order for his business to be successful, I don’t believe any of us (his children) really were able to get to know who he was, and we just had a false image of who we thought he was. (Thankfully, more recently we’ve be able to start building that missing relationship.) I have to say that I’ve seen this with other men as well, where the jobs they have require for them to be on-call at all hours (day or night), and sometimes they miss planned family events because of it. Anyhow, that’s the reality of it that both men and women have to make sacrifices in one area of their live for another; however, this book was written for women, which needs to be understood when reading it, or you may find your feminist side a bit offended. I do have to clarify that it did not say you should be a women who stays at home, or a women who shouldn’t strive to have a career they’ve always dreamed of, but that sacrifices are made in one area or another.

Chapter ten in the book probably spoke to me the most because it is the area in which I’ve been dealing within my own life recently. I think if you’ve ever been a person to think to yourself that there has to be more to live then just this, then maybe you too were or are stuck in that stage of life where you really don’t know what to do with your life, you want to be more, do more, and live more. You find discontent within yourself, or your life, and you know changes need to be made, but you’re unsure what. This is where I was just a few months ago, I really didn’t know what my talents were. The book covers this, by basically stating that if you have thing you do that you enjoy that those are the things that direct you to what your talents are, for example I started to blog more because I enjoy it, and crafting, and art, and reading. I enjoy all of these things, and for the longest time thought that these were useless gifts. I really didn’t know where to use them, and still feel that way at times or I feel like what I’m doing is a waste of time. I thought that I needed to make a change in my life and so; I talked with my husband about going back to school. Soon after I started taking online classes to get my BFA in Visual Communications with a concentration in Web design (actually, I just switched it from digital design to web design). I really enjoy the classes because I love being creative. I found that I’m over-all happier now that I’ve brought art back into my life. This chapter also speaks about how it is important to use the talents we have, and why it’s important as a Christian.

Your Chance to Win it...
So this was a bit of my take on the book, and  I'm offering one of my lovely readers a chance to read it too. I was given two books for this review, one for myself to read and one as part of a giveaway! If you'd like a chance to win the book and read it for yourself all you need to do is leave a comment about what you feel your talent/gift is and how you use that gift. Then I'll pick a winner with the assistance of random.org and announce the winner on 03/03/11, and send you your very own copy of the Life Ready Woman.
(Please only enter under one name, or blog. Also please leave an email address, or another way to contact you so I can notify you of your win.)

Oh, but that's not all...
You could have the chance to win The Weekend To Remember Get-Away Giveaway, to find out how just visit MomLife Today website.


About Shaunti Feldhahn:

Shaunti Feldhahn is a former Wall Street analyst, best-selling author of the book For Women Only, national speaker, and regular commentator in the media. She has been featured on The Today Show, PBS, TNT and Fox News- to name a few. You can learn more about her many activities by visiting her website Shaunti.com or get some great mom advice from her at MomLifeToday.com. She and her husband live with their two young children in Atlanta , Georgia and enjoy every minute of living at warp speed.


About MomLife Today:
At MomLife Today you will enjoy community with real moms experiencing every age and every stage of MomLife—right alongside you.

Moms need friends we can walk through life with, but more importantly we need friends who will encourage us and equip us in our role as moms in an honest and transparent way … and that’s just what you’ll find by becoming part of our MomLife Today community! We believe that every MOMent counts!

We admit it, being a mom 24/7 is not easy. Rather than lament the role of motherhood, however, we choose to embrace that role and learn from each other how to make it through each day with the right attitude. Come share the joys, sorrows, insanity, and special moments of motherhood with us as we live it and candidly write about it…we’ll have lots of fun along the way! Join us, and do tell… What’s happening in your MomLife Today? http://www.momlifetoday.com/


If you'd like to buy the book you can find it at Amazon.

If you'd like to know what other bloggers said about the book go here to find the list of blogs on the tour.
Join the Flock! LitFuse Publicity Group blogger

 *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity group’s blog for books program in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Friday, January 28, 2011

The Rhythm of Secrets by Patti Lacy ~ Book Review and a Nook Prize Giveaway!

Stages of life give way to change who we are, we learn and grow from our experiences as we walk through life much like Sheila Franklin in Patti Lacy’s latest book.


Sheila Franklin, the wife of a pastor, receives the phone call she’d been waiting for over 20 years. As Sheila accepts the phone call, she realizes that her secret past could be unveiled, and may risk the career of her husband, as well as the future of her marriage. As Sheila’s story unwinds her tangled past of her life in the South during 1940s, and her move to the Mid-Western state of Minnesota, as it intertwines through the present during the Vietnam Era showing how she became the person known as Sheila Franklin, a women of music, faith, love, and God. With knowledge of struggles that she faced through with her life, Sheila steps up to help someone she loves and a stranger, even at the cost of her own marriage, or maybe even her life.

When I first signed up for this book review, I thought for sure that it would be a cheesy Christian romance novel, which I really don’t care for, but to my surprise it was a fascinating story of how a girl grew up in times of war in the South. Mistakes that were made and hardships peppered her life in ways that transformed her into beautiful women. Sheila’s story also shows struggles with her faith of Christianity and how she longs to know the loving Jesus that her mother’s friend, and that her mother had talked about. I really enjoyed this historical fiction book and found that it was a bit difficult to set down, however I felt that the ending of the book was a bit stretched, and less like that memoir style that I tend to enjoy.


Where can you find the book to purchase it for yourself; Click here.

Blog Tour Schedule: Want to read what others have to say about this book, click here.


About Patti: Baylor graduate, taught community college humanities until God called her to span seas and secrets in her novels, An Irishwoman's Tale and What the Bayou Saw. She has two grown children and a dog named Laura. She and her husband can be seen jog-walking the streets of Normal, Illinois, an amazing place to live for a woman born in a car. For more information, visit Patti's website at www.pattilacy.com, her blog at www.pattilacy.com/blog, and her Facebook daily Artbites. Want to know more about Patti, check her out here.


About the Rhythm of Secrets NOOK Giveaway & Facebook Party


Enter the Rhythm of Secrets NOOK eReader Giveaway:

Patti and her publisher, Kregel, are giving away a NOOK prize package worth over $150 to one lucky winner!!!!

Enter the Nook eReader Giveaway and you could win:

* A brand new Nook eReader with Wi-Fi

* $25 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble

To enter, simply click here to enter, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest. Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on February 16th at Patti's Rhythm of Secrets Facebook Party.


But, wait there’s more! Come to the Rhythm of Secrets Facebook Party on February 16th!

Patti will be announcing the winner of The Rhythm of Secrets NOOK giveaway at her Party on FB February 16th! She’ll be hosting a book club discussion of The Rhythm of Secrets and giving away other fun prizes! (signed copies of her books and gift certificates to Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, & iTunes!). Don’t miss the fun at Patti’s FB Author Page on February 16th at 5pm PST ( 6 pm MST, 7 pm CST, & 8 pm EST)!

Join the Flock! LitFuse Publicity Group blogger

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity group’s blog for books program in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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