Pump Up Your Book Presents A Session Director’s Guide to Commercial Acting in L.A. Book Blitz – Win $25 Amazon Gift Card

Pump Up Your Book is pleased to bring you Shaan Sharma’s A SESSION DIRECTOR’S GUIDE TO COMMERCIAL ACTING IN L.A. book blitz November 3 – 28!

Shaan Sharma’s A SESSION DIRECTOR’S GUIDE TO COMMERCIAL ACTING IN L.A. is the commercial acting industry’s most comprehensive book ever written – - giving readers a step-by-step guide to breaking into and prospering in the commercial acting business in the world’s entertainment center, Los Angeles. Fusing his experience, wisdom, vignettes and wit – Sharma is about to change the lives of those who thought big-picture acting was nothing but a fantasy, as well as those commercial veterans who could be even more successful.
Readers of this book will learn how to become successful working actors in TV commercials in Los Angeles in this fun step-by-step guide by top Casting Session Director and Commercial Actor Shaan Sharma. “This isn’t hype – it’s tangible advice I have gained from running auditions for over 400 commercial spots,” says Sharma. “Readers will hit the ground running as they discover how the business works and what to expect, how to find good acting classes, refine their look, get headshots, get representation, get in with the top commercial casting directors, navigate the audition and call-back process, life on set and even how to stay busy between acting jobs. There’s also a bonus chapter for parents interested in getting their children into acting. The commercial acting world is so different
than that of theater, TV and film that new students and veterans alike need to make the most of the time and money they invest in their careers.”
Shaan went on to say, “The kind of information in this book can only come from someone who has experience both in front of and behind the camera, who works with the top casting directors, directors, ad agencies and companies in the world. There are no other books out there like it. So, if you want to get into commercial acting in L.A. – this is your guidebook.”
Having directed audition sessions for over four hundred national commercial spots for dozens of L.A.’s top casting directors, Shaan Sharma is a well-known veteran of his industry. Now expanding his reach through a powerful new book, Shaan is looking to help thousands of actors better navigate their way through the commercial acting business by putting into practice the tips and information he has spent fifteen years discovering. Regardless of experience level, A SESSION DIRECTOR’S 



GUIDE TO COMMERCIAL ACTING IN L.A. contains insider knowledge that will help actors better understand the process and in turn be more successful.  Shaan’s book features compelling illustrations by Paul Loudon.
203 pages
E-book, $19.99; ISBN:  9780990408024
Softback, $29.99; ISBN: 9780990408000
Publication date:  September 22, 2014
Published by CreateSpace; Available at: Apple iBooks: http://bit.ly/VGv766; Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/1vFnTtK; Barnes and Noble Nook: http://bit.ly/1xjHmTv; Kobo: http://bit.ly/1magu4h

As an L.A. actor himself, Shaan Sharma has a string of impressive acting credits on network TV shows such as “Scandal,” “Ground Floor,”  “Growing Up Fisher,”  “Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street” and “The Thundermans.”   Shaan’s commercial acting credits  include spots for FedEx, Best Buy and Capital One  – -  but it’s his experience as a Session Director for hundreds of commercial castings that have given him unique insight into what it takes to be a working actor. He is also an acting teacher with regular scene study on-camera acting classes for film and TV as well as commercial acting workshops. For more information, visit Mr. Sharma’s official website: http://shaansharma.com and his book page at: http://shaansharma.com/Shaan_Sharma_Acting_Studio/shaans-book.php.  He is also a columnist for Back Stage, an actor’s news source at: http://www.backstage.com/experts/shaan-sharma/.

GIVEAWAY

Shaan is giving away one $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter.
• This giveaway begins November 3 and ends November 29.
• Winner will be contacted via email on Monday, December 1.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Amish Bride of Ice Mountain by Kelly Long

Like most Mountain Amish girls, Mary King has always dreamed of her wedding day. But she never imagined that a sudden, irresistible kiss would result in marriage to the handsome Englischer professor studying her unique community. Or that doing the truly honorable thing means keeping their relationship chaste so both she and Dr. Jude Lyons can someday go their separate ways.

But when Mary accompanies her husband-in-name-only to Atlanta to meet his wealthy, overbearing family, she's tempted more than ever by Jude's kindness, humor--and vulnerability. And when a wrenching misunderstanding causes her to return heartbroken to her remote Appalachian home, she's certain she's lost the real love they have found...and the shared future she's come to want so much. But a crisis of more than faith will work surprising miracles--and show Mary that love is strong enough to make the impossible come true.


About The Author 

Kelly Long was born and raised in North Central Pennsylvania. There was an Amish hitching post at the small grocery store in her town. She loves to write Amish romance and is the author of novel, Sarah's Garden, the novella Amish Christmas Expanded Edition with some other great Amish authors, Amish Love with Beth Wiseman and Kathy Fuller, and Lilly's Wedding Quilt--the sequel to Sarah's Garden. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and children. 

My Review: 


found this to be a different kind of Amish story, the Amisch of Ice Mountain, appear to be a more liberal sect in some ways, and yet up on a mountain they are really cut off from the real world.
The Bishop has allowed Dr Jude Lyons to live among them and study them, which I found very unusual. With an innocent kiss Jude ends up married to Mary King, ok, and he is currently engaged to another woman. He proceeds to take Mary to Atlanta and his family, whom we find out, is very wealthy.
What an insight we get into Jude’s life, and some of the heartbreak he has experienced. You will feel sorry for him. His mother is different, with her silver spoon in her mouth, and the Dad was very indifferent to his family. The saving grace was Grandpa, what a love and friend to Mary he turned out to be.
Jude has decided that he will bring Mary back to the mountain and get an annulment; he doesn’t realize that there is no such thing in Amish society.
This story does have quite a bit more sexual implications than other stories of this type that I have read. It is well done, but is more of a PG rating.
I did enjoy this read, and am really looking forward to the next two.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Kensington, and was not required to give a positive review. 

Pump Up Your Book Presents Dream in Color, Think in Black & White Virtual Book Publicity Tour

Pump Up Your Book is pleased to bring you Jonathan Bissell’s DREAM IN COLOR, THINK IN BLACK & WHITE virtual book tour November 3 – 28!

Title: Dream in Color, Think in Black & White: How to Get Unstuck and Fulfill Your Dreams
Author: Jonathan Bissell
Publisher: High Performance Impact, LLC
Pages: 108
Genre: Self-Help/Personal Growth
Format: Paperback/Kindle
Somewhere along the way, you had a dream that you let go of. But it hasn’t let go of you.  You’re the reason this book was written.  Because dreams matter. Dreams are powerful. And sometimes dreams just won’t go away – no matter how impractical, ill-timed or financially risky they are.
This is a book about getting unstuck in your life or career. It’s about learning to dream in COLOR and think in BLACK & WHITE. There are three parts to this book: Dreaming in Color, Thinking in Black & White, and Fulfilling Your Dreams. Each part contains practical “how to” steps and examples explaining how to get unstuck and move toward your dream. The rest is up to you.

For More Information

• Dream in Color, Think in Black & White: How to Get Unstuck and Fulfill Your Dreams is available at Amazon.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Jonathan Bissell is a coach, author, speaker and teacher, as well as the CEO of High Performance Impact, LLC, an executive coaching firm helping proven and emerging leaders to identify and consistently leverage patterns of high performance. He helps dreamers do and leaders excel.
Born in Liberia, Africa and raised in Upstate New York, Jonathan has lived and worked in Japan, New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. He has a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Le Moyne College. Jonathan enjoys reading, long coffee breaks with his wife, co-creating children’s stories with his daughters, writing poetry, and supporting couples in ministry.
If you’d like to stay current with what Jonathan is writing and doing, or get advance notice on new books or events, sign up for his mailing list at www.jonathanbissell.com. Jonathan can also be contacted for coaching, training, teaching or speaking engagements.
His latest book is the self-help/personal growth, Dream in Color, Think in Black & White: How to Get Unstuck and Fulfill Your Dreams.
For More Information

• Visit Jonathan Bissell’s website.
• Connect with Jonathan on Facebook and Twitter.
• Become a fan on Goodreads.                                                                                                                                     

Pump Up Your Book Presents The Straw That Broke Book Blitz – Win $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Pump Up Your Book is pleased to bring you Tom Whalen’s The Straw That Broke book blitz November 3 – 28!

In his rollicking new novel, THE STRAW THAT BROKE, author Tom Whalen continues his ENCYCLOPEDIA MOUSE series, a challenging and funny roller-coaster ride through the outer margins of science-fiction, philosophy, and word play. Readers who reveled in previous books in the series, such as THE CAMEL’S BACK (called “the Moby-Dick of mice” by poet and critic R.H.W. Dillard) and ROITHAMER’S UNIVERSE (which science-fiction writer Rudy Rucker termed “giddy fun”), are sure to greet the arrival of THE STRAW THAT BROKE with anticipation and joy. Lovers of such visionary writers as Kafka, Borges, Vonnegut, Lewis Carroll, and Douglas Adams (THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE series) also will find a kindred spirit in Tom Whalen, as will readers of all tastes who are looking for a thrilling literary adventure.
The main “character” in THE STRAW THAT BROKE is the Encyclopedia Mouse, who, according to the author, “is the one creature who can save the multiverse.”  In Whalen’s synopsis of THE STRAW THAT BROKE, “Bulwer Zetford’s work-in-progress, The Cosmic Messenger, is about to take a strange turn, and the multiverse with it, when Roithamer of Relix “beads” once again and brings swirling into Zetford’s Kaduza M-mon processor the Encyclopedia Mouse … Tale twines tale as the mouse battles his Doppelgänger in cyberspace, Heidegger, in his Black Forest hut, and a hyper-crazed Roithamer. Death is everywhere, but the mouse, birling (if only barely) in his Binding Nexus Drive, is determined to narrate the universes away from their demise.”
Whalen describes his style as “playful, parodic, philosophical, lyrical. I wanted THE STRAW THAT BROKE to be thick with character and plot and at the same time alive with language.”
“The word play is part of the novel’s texture, as well as being embedded into the plot and character of the mouse,” Whalen also explains. “No need for the reader to pick up all the formal play. It’s enough that this exists on a subliminal level.”
Whalen’s ultimate goal, he says, is to have the Encyclopedia Mouse books published in one volume “and eventually turned into a wide-screen baroque masterwork of cinema.”
In the meantime, THE STRAW THAT BROKE is available in print, ready to delight all readers.
What the critics are saying about the ENCYCLOPEDIA MOUSE series:
“Pollinates post-cyber-punk with headier poetry than the genre has yet known.”
Andrei Codrescu
Author and NPR commentator
“Storytelling which is subtly, wickedly funny.”
The New Orleans Times-Picayune
“Tom Whalen is one of the most gifted and prolific of contemporary American avant-garde writers … a master of this genre.”
George Garrett
Dictionary of Literary Biography
“Tom Whalen twists our notions of what is real.”
Christine Spivey
New Orleans Review
172 pages.
Softcover, $13.46; ISBN:  13-978-0692259436
Publication date: August 1, 2014
Published by Black Scat Books
Available at amazon.com, Black Scat Books.
Website: www.tomwhalen.com

Tom Whalen is a novelist, short story writer, poet and critic who has written for Agni, Asymptote, Bookforum, Brooklyn Rail, Chicago Review, The Iowa Review, Film Quarterly, The Literary Review, the Washington Post and other publications. His books include Dolls, Elongated Figures, The Birth of Death and Other Comedies: The Novels of Russell H. Greenan, and the novels Roithamer’s Universe and The President in Her Towers. Whalen currently lives in Stuttgart, Germany, where he teaches film at the State Academy of Art and Design. See author on You Tube at: http://youtu.be/DIpaGoH4mJg.
His latest book is the science fiction, The Straw That Broke.
Visit his website at www.tomwhalen.com.

GIVEAWAY

Tom is giving away one $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter.
• This giveaway begins November 3 and ends November 29.
• Winner will be contacted via email on Monday, December 1.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

At Bluebonnet Lake (Texas Crossroads, #1) by Amanda Cabot

Marketing maven Kate Sherwood’s world is fast-paced, challenging, and always changing. The last thing she wants to do is slow down to a crawl at Rainbow’s End, a dilapidated resort in the Texas Hill Country. But she cannot deny her ailing grandmother’s request to visit the place where she and her deceased husband spent one glorious week (albeit fifty years ago). There Kate meets Greg Vange, the resort’s handyman. But there’s more to Greg than meets the eye–billions more, in fact, as he recently sold his successful software company and is at the resort in search of what’s next for his life.
Kate isn’t looking for romance, but she can’t deny the sparks of attraction that fly every time she and Greg are together. She even starts to see potential in the rundown resort. Could there be a future there? Or will Kate’s long-sought promotion take her back to the big city?


About The Author 

With both parents avid readers, it's no surprise that Amanda Cabot learned to read at an early age. From there it was only a small step to deciding to become a writer. Of course, deciding and becoming are two different things, as she soon discovered. Fortunately for the world, her first attempts at fiction were not published, but she did meet her goal of selling a novel by her thirtieth birthday. Since then she’s sold more than thirty novels under a variety of pseudonyms. When she’s not writing, Amanda enjoys sewing, cooking and – of course – reading.  

http://www.amandacabot.com 

 

 

My Review: 

 

How I hated this book to end, but I rejoiced when I read the author’s notes at the end, and there are to be two more books.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder is more than true when Sally and her Granddaughter Kate arrive at Rainbow’s End Lodge. Sally had spent a loving time there years ago with her husband Larry, and had finally convinced Kate to take some time off and enjoy this place with her.
Of course you can picture what it looks like after several years of neglect, and of course new owners, who have removed the Christian aspect of the place. The saving grace of the place appears to be the cook Carmen, and several of the other visitors, and local people.
What a gift Kate appears to have to help people, but can she help herself. Her main goal in life, above everything is to become a partner in her firm. Will she succeed? Or will she lose everything she has always wanted, or are their trade ups.
One thing neither woman has any inkling of, or a desire for is a bit of romance, but lo and behold, there appears to be some on the horizon, not for one of them, but both. When we travel into the countryside in Texas, in April, the place is filled with the beauty of the blue bonnets, oh how I would love to see this, and I felt like I was on the ground lying in them. Amanda Cabot’s way with words put me right in the meadows, along with the Indian Paintbrush, oh how I loved it.
There is another major character in Greg, his problem; he is extremely bright, and very wealthy. To most of the woman who have crossed his path they are interested in his being their meal ticket. Will he find peace and happiness? He does have a strong faith in God, as do most of the people at the lodge, but will they make the right decisions, and turn to Him for help, or forge their own way?
I highly recommend this great read, and cannot wait for the next book in this series.

I received this book through Revell’s Book Bloggers Tour, and was not required to give a positive review

To Everything a Season (Song of Blessing, #1) by Lauraine Snelling

Lauraine Snelling Launches New Red River Valley Series
Trygve Knutson has been promoted from well drilling to heading a construction crew for the fast growing town of Blessing, North Dakota. Though devoted to the land and his family, he sometimes dreams of other horizons. But is he willing to leave Blessing permanently?
Miriam Francini hopes to become an accredited nurse in a large city hospital. She is simply tolerating her assignment at the hospital in rural Blessing because it will give her the experience she needs to accomplish her goal. She can't wait to finish her training and head to New York to begin a nursing career.
Then Miriam meets Trygve Knutson and all her plans are suddenly in a jumble. She quickly realizes she doesn't want to live without him, yet she's a smart, independent woman--she's even a suffragette. She can't let anything get in the way of her own plans, even if she's in love. Or can she?

About The Author

 
Lauraine Snelling is the award-winning author of over seventy books, with sales of more than 2 million copies.

She also writes for a wide range of magazines, and helps others reach their writing dreams by teaching at writers’ conferences across the country.

Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons, and live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a watchdog Basset named Winston.

They love to travel, most especially in their forty-foot motor coach, which they affectionately deem “a work in progress”.

ttp://www.laurainesnelling.com


My Review:  

A glimpse at what life was like in Blessing ND in 1905, where life was simple, and air was clean. People were very hard working, and it seemed that neighbors were there whenever there was a need. This is a predominately Norwegian community, and most have immigrated, and are helping others to come over, to where they can own land.
We have a young man, Trygve Knutson, who has decided he is tired of traveling and come what may he wants to stay in one place, and that is Blessing. I loved the interaction he has with his Ante and Uncle, and would love to be in that family.
Then we have a nursing student from Chicago who is being requested to go to Blessing to finish up her training. She is so torn, her father has died and her mother is very ill. She wants to be in two places at once, but her heart tells her that her family needs her. Her younger siblings were working, and helping bring in their meager earnings.
The town of Blessing is expanding so much that they are running out of housing. With the expansion, there are a lot of new people and nationalities that end up there. Was really surprised, and yet shouldn’t have been, how some of the natives of the town didn’t support anyone else to have a freedom of religion.
Will Miriam be able to come and take training? Will Trygve be able to leave the traveling job, when he is offered twice his salary to stay? These are just a few of the questions that will be answered beneath the covers of this great book.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.

Pump Up Your Book Presents It’s This Monkey’s Business Virtual Book Publicity Tour & Review

Pump Up Your Book is pleased to bring you Debra Mares’ IT’S THIS MONKEY’S BUSINESS virtual book tour November 3 – 28!

Title: It’s This Monkey’s Business
Author: Debra Postil
Publisher: Justicia House
Pages: 32
Genre: Children’s Books
Format: Hardback/Kindle
“Cabana,” a young spider monkey is brought to life to tell her story It’s This Monkey’s Business to help children who are affected by domestic violence and divorce. Cabana, who lives with her parents in a treehouse high up in a rainforest canopy, becomes startled one day from her Mama’s scream, when she is waiting atop a tree branch for her Papa to teach her how to swing. After falling to the forest floor, Cabana frustrated from her parents’ fighting, decides she will search for a new family to be part of. Her persistence is cut short when she braves the river to play with a pink dolphin, unaware she cannot swim. The tragedy brings her parents together to realize they can no longer live together. Cabana reconnects with her Papa, realizing he is the only one that can teach her how to swing.
It’s This Monkey’s Business is an approximately 756 word children’s book targeting ages 4-8, which is set in a rainforest and featuring “Cabana,” a young female Spider Monkey, her parents and rainforest animals. The book is approximately 30 pages long and features full spread color illustrations.

For More Information

• It’s This Monkey’s Business is available at Amazon.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

For Independent Author Debra Mares, violence against women is not only a topic in today’s news, it’s a topic in her crime novels, cases she handled as a county prosecutor, and now it will be the topic in her first children’s book It’s This Monkey’s Business.  Debra is a veteran county prosecutor in Riverside currently specializing in community prosecution, juvenile delinquency and truancy.  Her office has one of the highest conviction rates in California and is the fifteenth largest in the country. You name it – she’s prosecuted it – homicides, gang murders, domestic violence, sex cases, political corruption, major fraud and parole hearings for convicted murderers. She is a two-time recipient of the County Prosecutor of the Year Award and 2012 recipient of the Community Hero Award.
Debra is the granddaughter of a Mexican migrant farm worker and factory seamstress, was born and raised in Los Angeles, was the first to graduate college in my family, and grew up dancing Ballet Folklorico and Salsa. Her own family story includes struggles with immigration, domestic violence, mental health, substance abuse and teen pregnancy, which she addresses in her novels. She followed a calling at 11 years old to be an attorney and voice for women, and appreciates international travel and culture. Her life’s mission is to break the cycle of victimization and domestic violence.
Debra is also the co-founding Executive Director of Women Wonder Writers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization implementing creative intervention and mentoring programs for at-risk youth.  In 2012, Debra self-published Volume 1 of her debut legal thriller series, The Mamacita Murders featuring Gaby Ruiz, a sex crimes prosecutor haunted by her mother’s death at the hands of an abusive boyfriend. In 2013, Debra released her second crime novel, The Suburban Seduccion, featuring “The White Picket Fence” killer Lloyd Gil, who unleashes his neonatal domestic violence-related trauma on young women around his neighborhood.
To bring to life “Cabana,” Debra partnered with 16-year-old Creative Director Olivia Garcia and Los Angeles based professional illustrator Taylor Christensen.
16-year-old Creative Director Olivia Garcia attends high school in Panorama City, California, is the Los Angeles youth delegate for the Anti-Defamation League’s National Youth Leadership Mission in Washington D.C., an ASB member and AP student and enjoys reading, crafting and knitting.
Taylor Christensen is a Los Angeles-based illustrator holding a BFA from Otis College of Art & Design, focuses on fantastical creatures and surreal imagery, and produces artwork for illustration, character and concept design.

Her latest book is the children’s picture book, It’s This Monkey’s Business.

 For More Information

• Visit Debra Mares’ website.
• Connect with Debra on Facebook and Twitter.
• Visit Debra’s blog.
• More books by Debra Mares.
• Contact Debra. 

My Review:

A little colorful paperback book for a little child, particularly a child from a broken home, or one parent home.
The book is beautifully illustrated, and shows the little monkey trying to find the perfect home, where she can learn to swing. Of course, some of her choice could get her eaten, but she doesn’t like the fighting.
A sweet lesson is ahead for the little one, who does get hurt while looking. There is a solution at the end, and should help to reassure a youngster. The book would be great to use to illustrate how things are better when parents are apart, and that life will go on for the little monkey.
This sure will make a great gift for the little person in your life.

I received this book through Pump Up Your Book Bloggers Tour, and the author, and was not required to give a positive review.

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer Presents: Forget Me Not & Remember Me by Stacey Nash & Giveaway

 

Blog Tour Schedule

   


 Forget Me Not Anamae is drawn into a world which shatters everything she knew to be true. Since her mother vanished nine years ago, Anamae and her father have shared a quiet life. But when Anamae discovers a brooch identical to her mother's favorite pendant, she unknowingly invites a slew of trouble into their world. They're not just jewellery, they're part of a highly developed technology capable of cloaking the human form. Triggering the jewellery's power attracts the attention of a secret society determined to confiscate the device - and silence everyone who is aware of its existence. Anamae knows too much, and now she's Enemy Number One. She's forced to leave her father behind when she's taken in by a group determined to keep her safe. Here Anamae searches for answers about this hidden world. With her father kidnapped and her own life on the line, Anamae must decide if saving her dad is worth risking her new friends' lives. No matter what she does, somebody is going to get hurt.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

 

Praise for the Book

"Forget Me Not is a tension-fueled, adventurous and brilliantly written novel that shows the dangers and powers of a controlling environment . If you are a fan of George Orwell’s classic “1984″ you will LOVE this book." ~ Heidi, Amazon "I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel by Aussie author Stacey Nash. The tension, the twists and turns throughout, the web of intrigue – all had me glued to the pages." ~ Brenda Telford, Goodreads

"Find a comfy spot to read Forget Me Not by Stacey Nash, I devoured this story in one sitting. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I picked up the novel, however, I did enjoy the story. Technology, betrayal, and battle all shared equal parts in this debut novel." ~ Amazon customer

“I love the new world Stacey has created here which is right up with any other speculative fiction I have read. If you love a good conspiracy theory story, you will love this.” ~ Emmaly, Mundie Moms blog.

 

Remember Me An exciting new adventure from Stacey Nash, set in the world of The Collective. When all is lost, she must remember... Anamae Gilbert managed to thwart The Collective and rescue her father, even though his mind is now a shell. Determined to stop Councilor Manvyke hurting her family again, she's training to become an active resistance member and falling hard for resistance fighter Jax Belfry. But things never sail along smoothly - Manvyke wants retribution and Anamae's name is high on his list. After a blow to the head, she awakes in an unfamiliar location unable to remember the last few weeks. She can't believe the fascinating new technology she's seeing. She's the new kid at school, and although weapons training comes with ease, something feels off. Why does the other new kid's smile make her heart ache? And why does her gut tell her to run?  

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

   




 

Author Stacey Nash Stacey Nash writes adventure filled stories for Young Adults in the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres. She loves to read and write books that have a lot of adventure, a good dose of danger, a smattering of romance, and KISSING! Hailing from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, she loves nothing more than immersing herself in the beauty and culture of the local area.

Website * Facebook * Pinterest * Twitter

 Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 11/30/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Dream of Home (Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel, #3) by Amy Clipston

When she moves to Amish country to find peace and healing, Madeleine finds a special community and a special man who pull her out of her solitude into a new life.

Moving to Pennsylvania wasn t in Madeleine s original plans. She should still be in California and should have married her pilot fiance a year ago but death has a way of changing everything. Now the former Air Force flight nurse is living alone in Paradise, Pennsylvania, and working as a maid at the Lancaster Grand Hotel. She isn t exactly a widow . . . but she sure feels like one.

Saul Beiler isn t exactly a widower . . . but his wife is long gone. His six-year-old daughter, Emma, doesn t know that her mother fled the Amish community and married another man but she does know that her dat is lonely, and that a pretty young maedel just moved in next door. Madeline s numb heart begins to thaw as she spends more time with the innocent and ever optimistic Emma. The stronger her friendship grows with the young girl, the more intrigued Madeline grows about the humble, strong, man raising her on his own.

But even as a strange attraction pulls Saul and Madeleine across a stark cultural divide, they and everybody else have to wonder: What could they possibly have in common besides heartache? Will love allow Madeleine to finally find the home she s been dreaming of all along?"


About The Author

A native of New Jersey, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I often joke that my fiction writing “career” began in elementary school as I wrote and shared silly stories with a close friend. However throughout school, I only considered writing a hobby, and I never dreamt of being an author.
In 1991, I graduated from high school, and my parents and I moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. My father retired, and my mother went to work full-time. I attended Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, and I graduated with a degree in communications. I met my husband, Joe, during my senior year in college, a few days after my father had a massive stroke. Joe and I clicked instantly, and after a couple of months we started dating. We married four years later.
After graduating from VWC, I took a summer job with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, which turned into an eleven-year career. I worked in the Public Affairs Office for four years and then moved into Planning as a writer/editor.
During that time, I continued writing for fun. It was something I did to escape stress and unwind. I didn’t share the stories with anyone except for a couple of close friends. In fact, I was even afraid to admit to my husband that I wrote.


http://amyclipston.com/index.html

Purchase


My Review:

As I was reading this book, I had the feeling that the series was ending with this book, but the ending told me that there is another, yes!
Needing to do a lot of healing after the death of her intended, Madeleine is living in her deceased Grandparents Amish home. Basically, she is living without electricity, but she does have her truck. Maddie is running from her daemons and is finding solace living in the home where she has a lot of happy memories.
Next door and on the land that was formerly her Grandparents lives Saul Beiler and his precocious daughter Emma, who also has had one of life hardest hurts, he life walked away from the both of them and left the Amish.
A budding attraction between these two hurt souls cannot be, no, Saul is Amish and loves his faith, and fears that Emma may be influenced and also leave. Madeleine finds a bit of joy in spending time with Emma, they cook, and enjoy one another, but Saul is so afraid of her influence on his daughter he forbids it.
Love how this story unfolds, and you want to hug each of these hurt individuals, but can anything ever happen here? We also are reunited with dear friends from the other books in this series, and loved getting the updates.
Above all we see how everyone lives their faith and put their trust in God.

I received this book through BookLook Bloggers, and was not required to give a positive review.

Look Inside: The Time of Jesus: A Lift-the-Flap Discovery Book by Lois Rock, Lorenzo Orlandi

A fascinating flap book full of bustling scenes from the time of Jesus that will keep inquiring young minds busy. Detailed depictions of Bible history are enhanced by a glimpse behind the scenes with flaps to lift on every page. Brief text explains the setting of the picture, and references events and stories from Jesus’ life. The captivating pictures and to-the-point text make this book especially useful for encouraging reluctant readers. The book covers the first Christmas, a synagogue and carpenter’s workshop in Nazareth, fishing in Capernaum, farming and shepherding in the hills of Galilee, homes of the wealthy and everyday people, the temple in Jerusalem, the way of the cross, and the first Easter.

About The Author:

Lois Rock has established an international reputation as a children’s writer. Specializing in Bible stories, prayer books, and information books, her books have been translated into over thirty languages with sales approaching four million copies. She draws on her experience as a mother of three and as a leader of church children’s groups.

Illustrator:  Lorenzo Orlandi graduated from the School of Applied Art of Castello Sforzesco in Milan, and has since worked with magazines advertising agencies, and publishers. Specializing in illustration of nature, history, science, and agriculture, he is also an expert in military history and dress from ancient populations to the First and Second World Wars.  


My Review: 

What a great book to add to your children’s collection, and their spiritual education. The book is well illustrated and has very bright colors. Added to each page along with the story are little flip ups, a surprise with each of the individual pictures.
The story begins with the Stable in Bethlehem, at home in Nazareth, and as you read to your child they can open the flap at “who is in the carpenter’s workshop”? As we follow further into Jesus’s life we are by the shore of Lake Galilee, open one of the doors; Fishermen sell their catch, “splish splash”. Then we have a rich man’s feast, and we can “open the shutters”.
Traveling further along in the book are A Roman Trial, and A Garden Tomb. The book is made out of very sturdy cardboard, and you can spend a long and great time together getting to learn about the life of Jesus, and shows the world that Jesus knew.
Found this to be an adorable activity to spend with my child, along with being educational.

I received this book through Kregel Publications and was not required to give a positive review.

Trading Secrets by Melody Carlson

Back in fifth grade, Micah Knight got an Amish pen pal, and over the years, they've exchanged many letters--and many secrets. At age seventeen, Micah finally has the chance to meet her pen pal face-to-face. The only problem is that because of confusion about her name when the pen pals were assigned, her pen pal was a boy, Zack Miller. And all this time, Micah's never told Zack that she's actually a girl! While she wants nothing more than to experience life on Zack's Amish farm, she's afraid he'll hate her for deceiving him all these years. But she makes up her mind to face the music--and that's where the fun really begins. Bestselling author Melody Carlson brings young adults another fascinating tale of worlds colliding, secrets being revealed, and friendships forming. Teens will love this story of miscommunication and mishaps along the way to the truth.         About The Author:  Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than two hundred books, including the Dating Games series, the Life at Kingston High series, Double Take, A Simple Song, and My Amish Boyfriend. She has received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. Melody and her husband live in Oregon. Learn more at www.melodycarlson.com. My Review: The picture on the front of this book drew me in, and the concept also intrigued me. When the story unfolds we have a young girl/woman going to visit her Amish pen pal, which she has been corresponding with for a number of years. Her name is Micah, and you can guess what Zack Miller thinks, yes, and she never corrected him during the several years of letters going back and forth. I can just picture her as she arrives at the farm dressed as a boy. When I think of the strict Amish culture, it does bring a chuckle to think of this girl and her using a fake voice while addressing them. I can just picture their reaction when they find out the boy is actually a girl. You will wonder if the friendship/bond that has developed over the years between these you people, will be able to survive the deceit. Also can a girl get away working as a boy, and for how long? Then we have a strict Amish mother, who decides it is time for her son to find an Amish wife, to what extreme will she go to? Just wait until you are busy eating a meal in this house! Think as you go along in the story your going to find out just who was in for a culture shock. Between the parents and the teens, all are in for a real change. I loved this book, and look forward to more by this author! I received this book through Revell Publishing Book Reviewers Tour, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Christmas Cat by Melody Carlson

After years abroad, Garrison Brown finds himself at the home of his beloved grandmother who has just passed away. He must sort out her belongings, including six cats who need new homes. While he hopes to dispense with the task quickly--especially since he is severely allergic to cats--his grandmother's instructions don't allow for speed. She has left some challenging requirements for the future homes of her furry friends. Can he match the cats with the perfect new owners? And is it possible that he might meet his own match along the way? Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with sales of more than six million. She is the author of several Christmas books, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, and Christmas at Harrington's, as well as The Christmas Pony and A Simple Christmas Wish. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more at www.melodycarlson.comwww.melodycarlson.com.


About The Author:

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with sales of more than six million. She is the author of several Christmas books, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, and Christmas at Harrington's, as well as The Christmas Pony and A Simple Christmas Wish. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. She and her husband live in central Oregon.

My Review: 

The Christmas Cat was one of those stories that you wanted to get lost in. Can’t imagine how poor Garrison Brown felt when he walked into his deceased Grandmother’s home, and found the six cats. His eyes began to water and he had trouble breathing, and couldn’t wait to get to a room in the house with no cats. He had a terrible allergy to cats?
With the stipulation in his Grandmother’s will that he find a certain special home for each of the cats, Garrison sets about trying to fulfill her last request. With each of the cats comes a sizeable reward for making the perfect home for the kitty to live in. Somehow a wild rumor goes around that the cats come with a million dollar reward, now folks are coming out of the woodwork to have one.
There are some really cute stories that go along with each cat, and there are perfect homes out there for each of them, they just have to be found, and within the parameters of Grandma’s wishes. One of the perfect homes is found for what comes to be unbelievably Garrison’s favorite cat, but low and behold this person doesn’t fit into the requirements. Not Grandma’s but she does meet Garrison’s.
Come along and enjoy the spirit of Christmas with a little bit of misconception and romance. You won’t regret picking up this sweet quick read.
I received this book through Revell’s Blogger Program, and was not required to give a positive review.

Gratitude Giveaways – $10 Amazon Gift Card

5th Annual Gratitude Giveaways Hop

November 15th to 30th

My Giveaway
$10 Amazon Gift Card

This is only one requirement....Fill out the one entry on the rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When Mercy Rains (The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy, #1) by Kim Vogel Sawyer

She left, heavily weighted with secrets.
But God reveals all things, in His timing.
And He redeems them.
Suzanne Zimmerman was only seventeen and pregnant when her shamed mother quietly sent her away from their Old Order Mennonite community in Kansas. With her old home, family, and first love firmly behind her, Suzanne moved to Indiana, became a nurse, and raised a daughter, Alexa, on her own.
Now, nearly twenty years later, an unexpected letter arrives from Kansas. Her brother asks her to bring her nursing abilities home and care for their ailing mother. His request requires that Suzanne face a family that may not have forgiven her and a strict faith community. It also means seeing Paul Aldrich, her first love.
Paul, widowed with an eight-year-old son, is relieved to see Suzanne again, giving him the chance to beg her forgiveness for his past indiscretion. But when he meets Alexa, his guilt flickers in the glare of Suzanne's prolonged secret--one that changes everything.
Suzanne had let go of any expectation for forgiveness long ago. Does she dare hope in mercy-and how will her uncovered past affect the people she loves the most.


About The Author 

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a best-selling, award-winning author with more than one million copies of her books currently in print. Awards include the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Sawyer lives in central Kansas, where she and her retired military husband, Don, run a bed-and-breakfast inn with the help of their feline companions. She savors time with her daughters and grandchildren.

http://kimvogelsawyer.com/

Amazon

My Review:

Suzanne Zimmerman has felt betrayed by her family since she left home at Seventeen and pregnant. Only her mother seems to know the reason she left, but the rest have various feelings, as they don’t know the truth.
I love how this story unraveled, and can’t wait for the next book in this series, and hope some of my wants will be answered.
Suzanne’s mother is a very bitter woman, and maybe she has her reasons. She has had a farm accident and is paralyzed and needs constant care, so the family asks Suzy now a nurse, to come home and help. Of course, her daughter, much to Suzanne’s surprise jumps at the chance to meet her family.
Loved how this story unfolds, and wait until you experience the shopping trip with Suzy and her Mom. I found it delightful, and in a way life changing.
I never saw a lot of the happening coming while I read this story, Kim Vogel Sawyer, had me page turning and now I’m waiting for more. Pick this one up, you won’t be disappointed.
I received this book through Blogging For Book reviewers program, and was not required to give a positive review.