April 2012

Blog Tour for Susan May Warren's Baroness @SusanMayWarren

Baroness

Susan May Warren

Daughters of Fortune, Book 2

Buy the book on Amazon

Back of the book:

Coming of age in the turbulent Roaring Twenties, two daughters of fortune can have anything they possibly want—except freedom. Expected to marry well and take the reins of the family empire, Lilly and Rosie have their entire lives planned out for them. But Lilly longs to flee the confines of New York City for the untamed wilds of Montana. Her cousin Rosie dreams of the bright lights of the newly emerging silver screen. Following their dreams—to avant-garde France, to dazzling Broadway, to the skies of the fearless wing walkers—will demand all their courage.

When forced to decide, will Lilly and Rosie truly be able to abandon lives of ease and luxury for the love and adventure that beckons? At what cost will each daughter of fortune find her true love and a happy ending?

Find out more from Behind the Pages:

About Susan May Warren:

Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning novelist of over thirty novels. A five-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Carol Award.

A seasoned women’s events speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!.

She is also the founder of MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice. You can find her online at SusanMayWarren.com.

My thoughts:

If you like stories about strong women you are going to love not only this book, but this series. Baroness is book two in the Daughters of Fortune series that will be followed up by a third next year. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but I would recommend that you treat yourself and read them in order. The author has done a great job of balancing giving enough background information for those that haven’t yet read Heiress, to not giving too much information that would just bore readers of the series.

Heiress is the story of sisters, Esme Price Hoyt Stewart and Jinx Price Worth. Baroness is the story of their 19 year old daughters, Lilly Hoyt and Rosie Worth. The story begins with the two cousins and their exploits in 1920s Paris. At first it appears that Rosie is wild and Lilly is reserved. Yet Lilly is the one that actually ventures out of her comfort zone.

The trip to Paris is cut short when tragedy again strikes the family. Once back in the states Lilly continues to long for her beloved ranch in Montana. Rosie desires to become a famous star of the silver screen. The men that they meet along the way bring great heartache and overwhelming happiness.

I enjoyed being transported into the Roaring Twenties. Ms. Warren did a wonderful job on describing the culture of the day. In the acknowledgments in the front of the book, Susan says that her daughter Sarah asked her to not write just another book about flappers. This book fulfills that wish and more.

Follow the Blog Tour

Expected to marry well and to take the reins of the family empire, they have their lives planned out for them. But following their dreams -- from avant garde France, to Broadway, to the skies in the world of barnstormers and wing-walkers -- will take all their courage. And if they find love, will they choose freedom or happily ever after?

Celebrate with Susan by entering her Roaring 20's Giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

A Kindle Fire
Signed copies of Baroness and Heiress by Susan May Warren

But hurry, the giveaway ends on 5/7/12. The winner will be announced on 5/9/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles!

Just click one of the icons below to enter! Tell your friends about Susan's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Mother's Day Gift idea from Caribou Coffee @Caribou_Coffee

Is the mother in your life a coffee fanatic??? Caribou Coffee has the perfect gift for her this Mother’s day!

Enter to win one for her (or yourself)!

Gone to Ground

Brandilyn Collins
Suspense
Buy the book on Amazon

About the book:

Amaryllis, Mississippi is a scrappy little town of strong backbone and southern hospitality. A brick-paved Main Street, a park, and a legendary ghost in the local cemetery are all part of its heritage. Everybody knows everybody in Amaryllis, and gossip wafts on the breeze. Its people are friendly, its families tight. On the surface Amaryllis seems much like the flower for which it’s named—bright and fragrant. But the Amaryllis flower is poison.

In the past three years five unsolved murders have occurred within the town. All the victims were women, and all were killed in similar fashion in their own homes. And just two nights ago—a sixth murder.

Clearly a killer lives among the good citizens of Amaryllis. And now three terrified women are sure they know who he is—someone they love. None is aware of the others’ suspicions. And each must make the heartrending choice to bring the killer down. But each woman suspects a different man.

About the Author:

Brandilyn Collins is a best-selling novelist known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense®. She is a three-time American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award winner and has also received Inspirational Readers’ Choice and Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice honors. The Writer magazine named her nonfiction release, Getting into Character, among 2002’s best books on writing. Brandilyn and her family have homes in California and Idaho.

Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @Brandilyn

Visit her website: www.BrandilynCollins.com

My thoughts:

A couple of days ago a friend asked me what I was currently reading. I told her Gone to Ground by Brandilyn Collins. She asked what it was about and I told her it was a Christian fiction suspense novel about a serial killer in a small southern town. With a skeptical look on her face she questioned me about how Christian fiction and serial killers go together. My response was that she had obviously never read Brandilyn Collins or she would already know. Ms. Collins isn’t known for her Seatbelt Suspense® for nothing!

I’ve been a fan of Brandilyn Collins for a few years now so I was expecting to enjoy this new story. At the end of the book I was completely satisfied. I loved the setting of Amaryllis, Mississippi. If you’ve ever lived in a small town this setting will definitely resonate with you.

One of my favorite things about the book was the ability to “hear” the distinct voices of the different characters. The author used slang in the dialogue to bring out each character’s personality. By the end of the story I felt like I knew Cherrie Mae, Tully and Deena.

Another thing that I really liked was that at the end of the book you realize that you have been reading a story about a story that was being written. Very clever!

My absolute favorite thing about the story was it took me some time to figure out exactly who the killer was. I read it on my Kindle and when the light bulb went on for me I was at 87%. That may sound silly to some, but for me, it is important to continue to be stumped on exactly who the culprit is. That is one of the main ingredients in a true suspense/mystery story.

Treat yourself to a wonderful tension filled few hours of utter enjoyment by picking up your own copy of Gone to Ground.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or Services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Wordless Wednesday

The Cubicle Chick

Rambles of a SAHM & That Bald Chick

That Blad Chick is not a giant, I am just that short!lol

Inspired by Bloggy Boot Camp @SITSGirls #BBCSTL

This past weekend I attended my first ever blogger conference. It was great. Still several days later and my mind is running with ideas of where I want to go and how to get there. Bloggy Boot Camp really exceeded my expectations. I expected them to educate me on the business of blogging but what really surprised me was the honesty shared.

I have been blogging for well over a year now it can be hard to get solid answers on things from other bloggers. I probably have a handful of Mom bloggers that I can share things with and even then it’s not as though you have met them in person so there is still some reserve.

What I loved about Bloggy Boot camp was how transparent the leadership was. There were no secrets and they shared every detail of how they have been successful at blogging and how we as blogger can do the same.

One of my favorite topic address was being jealous. I think it was Tiffany Romero who said something like “I love it when another woman becomes successful because the bar is raised and all women will benefit.” I loved her saying this because as a woman I do want to see women succeeding in their dreams coming true.

The best part was leaving the conference knowing what I need to do to make my dreams as a blogger come true. Here is where my reader can help. Want to see a topic covered? Tell me. The site is loading slowly? Tell me. Disagree with where the blog is going? Tell me. You see without my readers I am nothing. You as the reader are as much a part of this blog as I am. To all my loyal readers it is because of you that I can be home with my boys doing what I love. Thank you!

Some of my goals for this year are:

· Switch to word press

· New blog design

· More blog post about my personal life

· Connect with my readers

· Become organized

· Review and giveaways that benefit my readers

· More loyal followers

· Connect with my local audience

· To meet my readers needs

· Video reviews

So there you have it! I am inspired and cannot wait to attend another blogger conference especially Bloggy Boot Camp!

Best,

Ramblesahm

Take A Load Off Sweepstakes With Tide #takealoadoff @futurefriendly @tide @shespeaksup

If there was one thing my Momma taught me was that Tide was the only way to go! With two messy boys I only trust tide to get my clothes clean. Tide is hosting a fabulous sweepstake! Read below for information on how to enter.

Tide and Future Friendly have launched the Take A Load Off sweepstakes to encourage cold water washing. Make the promise to switch to washing in cold water on the Future Friendly Facebook page and you'll be entered to win a High Efficiency Washer and Dryer and a one-year supply of Tide Coldwater! You and your readers can enter once per day to increase your chances of winning. A new winner will be picked each week through May 13th. You can also view P&G's press release about the campaign here.

Did you know that when doing laundry, heating water can account for up to 80 percent of the energy used per wash load in the U.S.? If one household switched to washing in cold for one year, they would save enough energy to watch TV for 1,363 hours! Making the switch to washing in cold is an easy change to make with Tide Coldwater, which is specially formulated to get clothes clean in cold water.

Take A Load Off Sweepstakes info:
Dates: Now through May 13th
Sweepstakes Entry: Here
Entry info: Enter once per day to increase your chances of winning. A new winner will be picked each week through May 13th.
Prize: Maytag® Bravos XL® HE Top Load Washer and Dryer and a one year supply of Tide Coldwater!

*I found out about Take A Load Off sweepstakes via SheSpeaks. No compensation was received.

Review & #Giveaway for Plasma Car @PlaSmart

About Plasmacar:

PlaSmartInc. began its journey to worldwide success within the toy industry with the introduction of the Plasmacar™ in 2003. With the tremendous success of this ingenious, battery-free, kid-powered ride-on toy, we have since continued to dedicate ourselves to providing innovative, unique, time-honored toys that are sure to be classics and enjoyed by children and parents alike, for several generations to come.

Our Thoughts:

I have seen a Plasmacar before and thought my little guy would probably like to try it out. PlaSmart agreed to send me one to review and we were excited to try it. When the Plasmacar came it was took a little time to assemble. You will need a rubber mallet and don’t be afraid to hammer the base into the Plasmacar. Then you hammer the back tires in; tighten the handle bar and that is it!

Little M loves it.

We took it outside and my little guy loved it. What surprised me was how much fun adults can have with the Plasmacar too. In fact it’s hard to share the Plasmacar and I think we will be investing in another one very soon.

Adults love it too.

I love that it entertains my son and requires no batteries. The best part of the Plasmacar is that it wears my little guy out. Now all parents know that any toy that does that is pretty much priceless.

Little M played for hours.

If you are looking for a unique gift that your kids will love then I would highly recommend the Plasmacar!

Giveaway:

PlaSmart is giving one reader a chance to win a Plasmacar! Open to US & CA excluding Alaska and Hawaii ages 18+. Giveaway will end 05/07 at 12:01 am EST.

* I was provided a Plasmacar for this review. No other compensation was recieved. This is my own review and may differ from others.

Look what's here! Stroll-Air My Duo in Green. I can't wait to write the review for this awesome double. Thank you Stroll-Air!!

Review & Giveaway for Glow Bug Cloth Diapers

About Glow Bug Cloth Diapers:

After the birth of Neta’s son Edder and my daughter Gloria in 2010, we were both looking for new cloth diapers. Neta and I had the same concerns with the available brands. All we wanted were good quality, affordable cloth diapers but we were really frustrated that the product we were looking for did not seem to exist. What better solution to our dilemma than to start our own company that would sell amazing quality cloth diapers at a great price?

Why cloth diapers?

· They’re cheap – Our diapers are half the price of the leading pocket diaper with snaps. And you can just forget disposables! You’ll save a couple thousand dollars by using cloth diapers. If you use your diapers on more than one child you can save double. Just think of how you can spend that extra dough you’ve saved?!?

· They’re green – Disposable diapers will take hundreds of year to break down in the dump. The toxic chemicals and human waste in disposable diapers can leach into ground water. Each baby in disposable diapers will produce 1 tonne’s worth of garbage per year!

· They’re cute – What’s cuter than the round rump of a cloth diaper baby? They look just like a little Bug!

· They’re convenient – You never have to run out in the night to get a pack. Just wash them up when you need them.

· They’re trendy – Come on! Everybody’s doing it in Hollywood. Cloth diapering has become a very stylish thing. With so many hot prints in your package, you can release your baby’s inner fashionista!

· They’re old-school – Your parents used them and their parents used them. Except now, you can skip the pins and rubber pants.

· They’re comfy – Now be honest, wouldn’t you love underwear made out of our super-soft cloth? A lot better than paper disposables, that’s for sure.

· They’re virtually leak-proof – No more poo-splosions!

· They’re not smelly – When they’re washed every other or every third day, like we recommend you’ll never have a stinky diaper pail, let alone a stinky garage in the summer time with hot, rotting disposables in your garbage can.

· They’re easy – Like we said, no pins or rubber pants. They go on and off just like disposables!

My thoughts:

Glow Bug cloth diapers were the first cloth diapers I tried. With Little M I only used disposables and wanted to try cloth on Little H. I have to say cloth diaper have come a long way since I was a baby!

When I came across Glow Bug they looked so cute that I had to try them. I was surprised when the cloth diaper came how easy it looked. Basically you just snap in the insert then snap the diaper on to your baby and you’re ready to go.

Little H 13lbs in green Glow Bug Diaper.

One thing I love cloth over disposables is that they do not leak. Most of the time I will change a disposable more often because it leaks out the sides. I also love how soft the cloth diaper is. It is really nice to use cloth when Little H has a diaper rash.

Front of cloth diaper.

Nice tight fit.

The only con I have is that the cloth diaper is bigger than a disposable and makes some clothing hard to fit on bottom. Also if I am out all day I use a disposable because I do not like to carry around a wet bag. It’s a personal preference and honestly I could see myself leaving the wet bag in the car and then asking myself “What is that smell??”

I would recommend Glow Bug cloth diapers. They are cute, fit well, don’t leak, affordable and are better for you baby’s skin!

You can purchase Glow Bug Cloth Diapers on their website.

Giveaway:

One reader will win their choice of Glow Bug Cloth Diaper! Open to US & CA only 18+. Giveaway will end on 05/01 at 12:01 am EST. Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to be entered!

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

Services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it

on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally

and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance

With the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides concerning the

Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

About Triple Paste:

Soft and delicate, your baby’s supple skin is designed to play a highly important role—it allows your baby to experience the joy of a parent’s hug, as well as the protection from less desirable outside elements, such as the contents of dirty diapers.

However, continued exposure to the moisture and irritants within a baby’s diaper can inevitably lead to a mild to severe case of diaper rash, which can be incredibly painful and uncomfortable.

That’s where Triple Paste® comes in. Triple Paste, the premium ointment for treating diaper rash, was specially formulated to quickly relieve the raw, irritated skin caused by diaper rash, therefore calming and soothing your little one. In addition, Triple Paste’s superior, long-lasting barrier formula stays put, keeping the medication where it needs to be and diaper rash irritants out. Triple Paste allows for fast healing of diaper rash as well as continued relief and prevention.

About Triple Cream:

Triple Cream® is the premium formula to help heal severe dry skin and soothe dryness associated with eczema. Triple Cream delivers a superior blend of healing, soothing ingredients chosen specifically to deliver fast, lasting relief to your child.

My thoughts:

Triple paste is a heavy duty diaper rash cream. It is really thick and repels moisture. When my baby gets diaper rash I want it taken care of quickly. I hate seeing my baby in pain and it’s hard when they are so little. Triple Paste did work really well and fast. I noticed a difference within the first diaper change. I feel like this diaper rash cream is good for when nothing else is working. It is a strong cream and more expensive than other brands. Although when my baby has a bad diaper rash I am willing to pay more for instant results.

I used the Triple cream on my baby and I did not like it because it was really sticky, thick and hard to rub in. However my baby does not have eczema or severe dry skin so I feel as though I cannot fully review Triple cream.

Giveaway:

We will have 3 winners! The 1st winner will be a gift basket full of Triple products! 2 winners will each win an 8oz bottle of Triple Wash! US only. Giveaway ends 05/01 at 12:01 am EST 18+ may enter.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

Services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it

on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally

and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance

With the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides concerning the

Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

About Cookies by Design:

In 1983, Gwen Willhite suddenly found herself an unemployed, single mother. With time to think, this creative and motivated woman combined two traditional gifts ~flowers and sweets~ and turned them into one deliciously clever concept, the cookie bouquet. Her edible bouquets of custom-shaped and hand-decorated sugar and cinnamon brown sugar cookies on sticks were cleverly arranged in baskets as tasteful gifts for any occasion.

Gift-givers quickly embraced the new idea, and Gwen's budding enterprise soon outgrew her own home kitchen.

For over twenty five years Cookies by Design has been helping our customers to send gourmet gifts that say they care. Cookies by Design offers creatively designed edible custom cookie arrangements, classic cookie giftbaskets, cookie cakes, and gourmet cookie bouquets and cookie trays, filled with delicious hand decorated cookies. Our cookie bouquets can be customized for any occasion and can always be personalized with a name or special message.

My thoughts:

I love getting and giving gifts that are unique and personal which is what lead me to find Cookies by Design. With Mother’s Day around the corner I want to find a unique gift. Cookies by Design make a great Mother’s Day gift. No matter how far you may live from your mom you can get her a cookie bouquet that not only looks pretty but the cookies are gourmet and taste like they are fresh from the oven!

When the gourmet cookie bouquet came I was really impressed with how well it was packed and that none of the cookies were broken. The other thing that surprised me was that each cookie was designed by hand making each one unique. I also loved that the cookies had a fun design and were very colorful.

Cookies can look really pretty but the real question is… “Do they taste good?”

Oh my goodness YES! They are thick, soft, and have just the right amount of sweetness; making them hard to share! So this Mother’s Day take this mom’s suggestion and get your Mother a Cookies by Design gourmet cookie bouquet!

Connect with Cookies by Design on facebook!

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

Services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it
on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally
and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance
With the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”