Thursday, May 4, 2017

Dystopian Fans, There's A Jane Redd Book On Sale!




We had Jane Redd (also known as Heather Moore) come to our book club last month and she talked about her dystopian series. It sounded so amazing and I noticed today that the second book in the series, Lake Town, (that came out not too long ago), is on sale for only .99 cents! I snapped it up and thought I'd pass along the deal!

Here's the back copy:

USA Today bestselling author Jane Redd presents LAKE TOWN, A Solstice Novel, #2:

Jezebel James is on the run after her true abilities are discovered by the Legislature, and the only one who can protect her is Sol. In order to survive, Sol sends her into an underground hideout where she quickly discovers all that she thought was true in her dying world is false. Jez reunites with Rueben and his band of insurgents, and together they escape to Lake Town, only to find that the entire island is preparing to invade the City.

But Sol has been left behind and forced to join the ranks of the Faction, who are working against the Legislature from within. As Jez works with the insurgents and their plan to destroy the City, she learns that attacking the City might save thousands of lives, but it will destroy Sol, the man she knows she can’t live without.

Praise for SOLSTICE, Book #1: "In this slickly told YA sci-fi tale by Redd, climate change has brought about the world that George Orwell famously predicted, only a century or so behind schedule. [Solstice] has a timely ecological hook. A solid ... YA tale of dictatorship, set in 2099 that parties like it's Nineteen Eighty-Four." --Kirkus Reviews

You can download your Kindle copy here

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Free Book AND a Giveaway!



I came across this free ebooklet, The Perfect Mom, by Michelle Wilson, about everyday moms with cute little stories and some things that every mom out there who hasn't felt good enough should hear. With Mother's Day just around the corner, I thought I'd pass along the deal!

You can download your free Kindle copy here

Here's the back copy:

"A book for every mother who's felt they weren't enough. You are more than enough. You are perfect." Michelle

Do you ever try to be the perfect mother, only to end up feeling like the worst mother ever?

I have.

When I was young, I thought my mother was perfect. Imagine my devastation when I realized she was an imperfect person like the rest of us. When I became a mother myself, I was determined to be the perfect mom for my kids. However, many times the opposite happened and I felt like the worst mother ever. Here I share six such occasions where my worst-mother-ever moments really shine (like that time my friend's child asked for a salad for lunch and mine was eating cereal off the floor, or the time my daughter cut her hair into a half-mullet when I wasn’t home).

But, the truth is, even though we are not perfect women, we truly are the perfect moms for our kids. Through learning to laugh at ourselves, recognizing moments of perfection, not comparing ourselves to others, seeing God's hand in our lives, and accepting the reality that isn't only our strengths that make us good mothers, but our weaknesses as well, we can truly come to believe that we are the perfect moms for our kids. And, most likely, our own moms, imperfections and all, are perfect for us, too.


I also am excited to tell you about a new book out called Simplify Supper by Krista Numbers. As a mother of eight children, I feel like I have the dinner thing down, so I wasn't expecting this book to teach me anything I didn't already know. But it did! I love the author's down to earth approach, her history with food, and how her easy, everyday meals will still stand up to family meals AND having guests! She has new twists on old favorites like her Honey Lime Chicken Enchilada that is to die for.

The other thing I really liked about this book is that the recipes are something an everyday mom could easily make. I don't know if this has happened to you, but sometimes when I get a new recipe, I never end up making it because it has some exotic ingredient in it that I never usually buy. The recipes in this cookbook have ingredients that are found in pretty much every kitchen, so I loved that! There were so many good ones that my family is voting on which one I should make next.

So if you are looking to spice up your recipe repertoire with easy, fun meals from one mom to another, then you've definitely got to pick this book up.

Don't forget to scroll down and enter the giveaway!

You can order your copy here

Here's the back copy:

From her grandfather Salvatore Granato's roots in Southern Italy to the legacy of her family's beloved Italian deli in the heart of Salt Lake City, Krista Numbers has a deep-seated love for good food. In Simplify Supper, this busy wife and mother proves that simple can be satisfying as she dishes up dozens of delectable dinners. From some of her family's best-loved Italian meals to fast feasts with an international flair, discover quick comfort foods you'll want at the heart of your dinner table, such as:

•Angel Hair Pasta with Basil Cream Sauce

•Smoked Turkey Panini with Pears and Blue Cheese

•Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

• Teriyaki Chicken with Ginger Rice

In addition to her collection of simple and satisfying meals, Krista shares personal anecdotes, sanity-saving kitchen tips, and suggestions for making family dinner a time for good food and good conversation. No matter the occasion, there is a recipe here to help you get a delicious supper on the table, pronto.

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Hawaii Five-O Recap and Review: Big Trouble On The North Shore

We start out with Danny and Steve putting together a cute race car room for Charlie. Steve is on a ladder, putting up wall paper, thinking about doing something like those shows that renovate houses for the families. He seems in his element, as always. (Can you think of a time when Steve wasn't confident?) Danny is staring at the bed parts, unsure what to do because he threw the instructions away. (I guess Danny's never been to IKEA. Those instructions are like gold!) There's a knock at the door and it's Captain Tanaka! Danny's old boss before he was drafted onto the task force. Surprisingly, Danny doesn't seem happy to see him, but grudgingly lets him in. He reminds Danny about the last case he worked that went cold because the witness was killed but there was no body. Welp, guess what? The NotDead guy turned up!

We quickly turn to a Special News Report. Some guy in a coma for seven years had an elevated sugar level and was waking up! And they don't care about privacy at all and show all his caregivers and the coma patient in his hospital bed. It must have been a very slow news day in Hawaii. (For a minute I thought they were faking and this episode was going a very different way because the guy in the hospital bed did NOT look anything like a man who'd been in a coma for seven years, cooped up inside and on a feeding tube. He looked healthy! But, I guess they couldn't find an actor who looked more sickly.) So, the story is, they found a guy at the bottom of a ravine with no ID and severe head injuries and brought him there. Did no one notify the police? No missing persons reports? And in seven years, no one thought to do fingerprints or something? He's obviously still recognizable as Makeno, since Danny ditched Steve and is in a car with Captain Tanaka both believing this is their missing witness.

Flashback: to Danny seven years ago when he wore ties, arriving at the old drug case. Captain Tanaka beats him to the crime scene and gives him a little grief about it. Danny is sensitive, feeling like the Captain is getting after him. Does somebody need a hug? There's a bunch of people in orange vests milling around, but one guy sort of ambles by, looking really suspicious and Danny goes to talk to him. He mumbles that he doesn't know anything (sure, he doesn't!) and Danny gives him his card that actually says Donald Williams on it. Ha! He scribbles out Donald and writes Danny in.

Present Day--Danny is staring at Makeno in his hospital bed and the Captain comes in with the guy's personal effects and there's a corner of Danny's card there. It IS Makeno. But by the time they figure it out, a lockdown alarm is going off. Danny goes into the hall where there are a ton of people just moseying around and nurses are trying to corral them into their rooms. Now, usually, during a lockdown police are called, emergency services, SWAT, fire trucks, the works. Especially for an assisted living center, you would think there would be a large response. But not on the North Shore! HPD is TWENTY MINUTES out! And I guess there's no one else close by. Yeah, I wouldn't want to be having an emergency on the North Shore.

Danny calls Steve, a little panicked, and says he needs back up, a guard's been killed, and to hurry! Steve tries to calm him and says he's on his way, but really, won't he get there around the same time as HPD?

Flashback: Danny is arguing with Rachel about a sleepover and Grace's schedule. (I miss his Psycho ringtone he used to have for Rachel. So funny!) His buddies have put suntan lotion on his desk again and he drops it in a drawer full of them. His partner suggests he drop the tie, wear some sunglasses like Magnum P.I. because everyone loved that haole. Rachel calls back and they argue some more until Danny gets told Makeno is waiting for him on Line 4.

Present Day: A nurse comes in and Danny asks her to help move Makeno. Where? What's his plan? He doesn't know. The nurse goes over to Makeno's bed with her tray and he realizes she knows Makeno's name when she shouldn't. He confronts her and she beats him over the head with the tray and they struggle. The nurse gets the upper hand pretty quickly, choking Danny, but he grabs the syringe and stabs her in the neck with it. Ew. Captain Tanaka comes back with another nurse and Danny freaks out asking for ID. (The new nurse is Kit from A League of Their Own. I loved that show! She doesn't look the same, however with big glasses and a shorn head.) DeadGirl has a phone, but no ID. Danny takes a pic of her last few calls and a pic of her face to send to Jerry. The DeadGirl's phone has an incoming message from her team and they're coming in! Honestly, this is the worst lockdown in history. No guards. No police. No emergency vehicles. Nothing! Well, there's a panicked Danny and a retired police captain. But still.

Flashback to Danny at Makeno's apartment. He thinks there was a struggle and Makeno was taken. They connected copper piping cutters at Makeno's house to the crime scene. It's not enough evidence, though, and Captain Tanaka takes him off the case. He needs more time! Too bad. He gets the McGarrett case.

Present Day--Danny is on the phone to Steve, not to say it's been twenty minutes and HPD has arrived so it's all good, but to tell him about the Ninja lady who brought armed friends so they're putting Makeno in an ambulance and taking him to a police station. Steve just says he'll meet him there. Really? There are armed men about to come into a hospice facility, but hey, meet ya at the police station. Good luck!

I bet you're wondering where the rest of the team is. They're at the Chatting Table talking about the contract killer that nearly choked Danny to death! Her name was Laura Kendall and a number on her cell went to Dario Mendez. Because he's obviously a newbie cartel member and makes phone calls from his real phone. DumbDario is rebuilding the cartel so the ENTIRE TEAM is going to go talk to him. And leave Danny alone to deal with armed gunmen. I mean, really, nothing says family like leaving a member hanging in the wind when there are armed gunmen in the area.

Captain and Danny and NurseKit take Makeno in his bed to the elevator. Danny takes the stairs and kills two of the men waiting there. They get out to the ambulance and we cut to two more guys in Makeno's old room. Too late, suckas! But another gunman starts shooting at the ambulance and they drive away. Then we're on to real-life ambulance chasing! Two cars, both with gunmen in them that are terrible shots. They shoot a million bullets into that flimsy ambulance, but not one of them hit a person! They do hit a ventilator tube, though, but NurseKit patches that while Danny yells at her to hurry. The ambulance stops quickly and lets one of the bad guys ram into him. The doors don't even flip open! This is like a miracle ambulance! One bad guy's car is out of commission so they get into the other one, and the chase is on again. Danny sees a parking lot near a beach with a lot of people and turns in, so Captain Tanaka can shoot at the bad guys. (Because who cares about beach-goers getting caught in the crossfire!) Well, the bad guys crash into a car in the parking lot, but Danny leaves and gets all four tires punctured on the way out. Oops. Those spike strips for not paying are brutal! So the ambulance has to be stashed and they commandeer some random person's house and tell the teenage girl who answers the door to leave and not come back. That can't be legal. (Immunity and means gets you ANYTHING, my friends.) Just a random thought, with so much gunfighting on public roads, does the North Shore not have ONE POLICEMAN anywhere? Dang. Those poor North Shore residents!

Well, instead of putting the comatose patient somewhere safe, they put him in a family room right by a whole bunch of windows where he's really exposed. Maybe they thought the ambulance went so well, that an exposed position with automatic weapons would turn out, too! Then Danny calls Steve again to complain that he has no idea where he is. Really? After seven years he has no sense of where he might be at all? Near a beach? A street sign? Nothing? Jerry has to triangulate his position and Steve says he'll be there in ten minutes. Danny is his usual self and predicts he'll be dead in ten minutes. But don't worry, Steve tells him, Chin, Kono, and Grover got a lead on who's behind this and they're moving in! I'm sure that's totally comforting.

Chin, Kono, and Grover bust into Mendez's house and he denies any knowledge of what they're talking about, (surprise!) but Kono tells him they know he was the trigger man seven years ago and Makeno will probably ID him. That's the only reason he'd send in a contract killer with "a small army." (A small army? Aren't there like three guys in a black SUV?)

Danny is searching through the family's closet for a rifle since he saw a hunting trophy on the wall. The captain takes a time out to talk about the last case, that it was his bad he took Danny off, that he didn't want to hire Danny, and he's trying to apologize. Danny is super antsy, but finally says this whole thing was his fault because he was arguing with Rachel and didn't hang up so he missed Makeno's call. The captain tells him he's a good cop and that's why he came to him today, since,you know, he could have picked any other cop he knows on the island. (Yet, apparently every cop he knows are all busy and couldn't come with him anyway, and that's why he's holed up with Danny and a coma patient in a random person's house waiting for Steve.)

The DeadNurse's phone rings and the "small army" warn Danny they're coming in. So considerate! He sees them out the window, but doesn't try to shoot them yet. They go down to the family room with all the windows and hide, ready to pick them off when they come in. The small army men cut the power, so Danny runs outside to get a generator to keep Makeno's ventilator going. The miracles continue when the small army men are once again terrible shots and miss every time they shoot so Danny makes it back safely. Steve is trying to find him and when the small army men start to shoot up the house, Danny tells him to follow the gunfire. (He better hurry because the small army is coming in through the front door! Good thing they didn't go through the back.) Steve runs them over with his truck totally demolishing the front of the house. (The homeowners aren't going to be happy about that. Also, how did he know the coma patient or Danny wouldn't be in the living room?) Luckily, he only killed the bad guys. Captain Tanaka awkwardly says to Steve, "Thank you for your timely intervention. It was getting bleak in here." Who talks like that? But at least he got a thank you. Sometimes that's rare for Steve.

Danny finds out that they got DumbDario on conspiracy. So fast? What a terrible head of the cartel. They're going to move Makeno for protection. (Again? Well, stay away from the windows this time!) The captain tells Danny not to start a restaurant during retirement and to do something he loves. Meanwhile, Steve is babysitting Charlie and lies to him that Danno put the bed together all by himself and they fist bump to Danno's greatness.

Danny is talking to a comatose Makeno, talking about the team (Chin is loyal, Kono is a fox that he had a crush on, Jerry is special, Grover is from SWAT, Steve is a putz), and that he's sorry he wasn't there for him seven years ago. He says that if it wasn't for him, he wouldn't have found his family, and Hawaii wouldn't feel like home, so Makeno should wake up and meet them. (Honestly, the guy's probably exhausted after being dragged from pillar to post today.) We then get to see Steve and Danny's first meeting where they pointed guns at each other and how it all started. Awww.

Well, what I've learned from this episode:

   1. The North Shore has no emergency response to gunfire, lockdowns, or car chases.

   2.  A small army is less than six guys.

   3. All the cartels that Five-O deals with are newbies and sort of dumb.

Next week's episode looks good! Did you watch? What did you think?

Monday, May 1, 2017

Book Review and Giveaway!


Today, Lauren B. is reviewing Possibilities! Be sure to scroll all the way down and enter the giveaway!

Okay, let's be real. I loved the book Possibilities by Kiersten Lortz. It’s exactly what every woman needs to read. I do not know a single woman who is not struggling with at least one thing that is addressed in this book. The author begins by talking about being stuck and maybe not being completely happy with where you are in your life. After a rough week, this pep talk and ideas to improve how you feel about your life, were exactly what I needed to read.
Lortz did a great job speaking to women of all ages in all different stages of life. She uses scriptures and quotes, as well as her own stories and quotes that flow together beautifully and can give everyone something to think about. As a list maker, I really appreciated her idea for setting goals in different categories and taking responsibility for whether or not you achieve your goals. She also gave ideas to improve scripture study, fasting and prayer and how those play into the possibilities of your life.
My favorite chapter was on comparison. I think that this is one everyone struggles with, whether they feel like they have been looked over for a job or a calling, aren’t getting what they want out of friendships or relationships, or even have any type of social media account. We all look at others lives and wonder what they have that we don’t or wonder how they have such a perfect life. I loved the author’s story about how a woman told her of her many accomplishments, and Lortz was feeling really down on herself until she realized she had no desire to do some of those things anyway! Heavenly Father has blessed us with our own talents, as well as desires, that will help us accomplish what He needs us to do. We are amazing as we are, but we all have the possibility to accomplish even more incredible things than we ever imagined!

Download your copy here

Here's the back copy:

Do you feel stuck? Do you wish for a more joyful life than the one you’re leading? If the routine and pressures of life have you running on autopilot, it may be time to reevaluate your current course and remember that change begins within yourself—and it takes work! With refreshing insights, author Kiersten Lortz encourages you to stop waiting for things to get better and to expect the best out of life—not for yourself, but of yourself. Through inspired gospel teachings and personal experiences shared by women who have also felt stuck, you will be empowered to make the changes necessary to claim a more fulfilling and abundant life. Now is the time to transform yourself into a woman of industry and faith. By learning to eliminate negative influences, seek positivity, and create a life of productivity, you can find the strength to take action today.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Book Tour Schedule: *May 1st: http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/

*May 2nd:http://www.wishfulendings.com

 *May 3rd: http://ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.com/

*May 4th: http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/

*May 5th: http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/

Friday, April 28, 2017

Freebie Friday




Today's Friday Freebie is a a contemporary romance by Rachel Branton called House Without Lies. I've read another book in this series, but I think I missed this first one. It looks good!

You can download your free Kindle copy here

Here's the back copy:

Her Dream Didn’t Include Falling in Love

Lily dreams of a big house, a place of refuge for runaway girls. She knows what it’s like to grow up feeling unloved, and she now fills every space in her tiny apartment with endangered teens. They don’t have everything they need, but together they have enough.

Or so she thinks—until she meets Jameson and glimpses the mysterious something between them that just might mean real love.

Jameson, who works as a teen counselor, believes the only way Lily can really help the girls is by certifying as a foster parent and going through the system. But becoming legitimate may mean losing some of the girls to the families who threw them away, and Lily hasn’t worked hard to save the teens only to abandon them now.

It seems Jameson will be one more entry on the very long list of things Lily has given up for the girls. What other choice is there when she is all they have?

When two of the teens’ fathers come looking for them, and another one’s mother plans to put her daughter in danger, Lily’s life spins out of control. They need a new home—and fast. A safe place. A house without lies.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Online Book Club: Guest Author Becky Monson



I just have to tell you what a wonderful time we had last night at our online Book Club! Becky Monson was our featured guest and she was delightful. We got to talk about her book, Thirty-Two Going On Spinster being made into a movie, what motivated her to be a writer, what food she absolutely hates, and where she would like to travel in the world. Oh, and she's met a ton of famous people, too, which was fun to hear about!

And of course there were lots of great prizes!

I'm really enjoying this book club, the new people I'm meeting, and how amazing it always is to talk books with my fellow readers. I hope you'll come next month!

Keep watching the blog for all the announcements of our monthly author guests!

If you're interested, you can download Becky's book, Thirty-Two Going On Spinster, here It's a fun romantic comedy that will make you laugh!

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Book Review & $25 Giveaway!



I'm excited to be part of the blog tour for Traci Hunter Abramson's new romance, Chance for Home. It's a sweet romance and includes her characters Ben and Maya from her last book, Chances Are.

At first glance, this looks like another sports romance of a baseball star coming off a bad relationship, and using a "fake" girlfriend to distance himself from the stalkerish ex. But, while that is a fun part of the book, it delves so much deeper than that when the hero's mom suffers a medical emergency and everyone's true selves are revealed as they try to come to grips with how life changes for all of them after that.

I really liked Kari Evans, our heroine of the book. She's always up for pranks and quirky dates, but gone through a lot trying to find love and yet is still true to herself. She doesn't put on airs, does her best to help those around her, and makes a lot of mistakes. I thought she was relatable and felt so bad for her when things looked to be at their darkest. The road to love is always complicated and Kari's journey is full of twists and turns that she navigates while still trying to pursue her own dreams.

Ryan Strobel, third base for the Washington Nationals baseball team, has been looking for that one person who would love him for him and not for his job in the public eye and he thinks he might have found that with Kari. I like how he's taken aback by her innate goodness after his previous girlfriends and how he tries so hard to truly be in the relationship with Kari. Their obstacles to overcome are huge, however, and readers will be turning pages long into the night to see if they get their happily-ever-after!

You can download your copy here

Be sure to scroll all the way down and enter the giveaway!

Here's the back copy:

Beautiful pre-med student Kari Evans believes she’s found the man of her dreams—right up until the moment she discovers he’s a two-timing cheat. Desperately gathering the pieces of her broken heart, she realizes that what she needs most is space to reconsider her future. A summer in Washington, DC, with her professional baseball player brother, Ben, sounds like just the change of scene she’s after. But if complicated romantic entanglements are what she’s trying to escape, she’s out of luck. Ryan Strobel has had it with spotlight-seeking women.

As third baseman for the Washington Nationals, he’s dealt with more than his fair share of opportunistic admirers—but his ex-fiancée, Brandi, may be the worst. When the woman refuses to take no for an answer, Ryan’s teammate Ben offers a crazy solution: Ben’s sister will pose as Ryan’s new girlfriend. Though an unlikely pair, Ryan and Kari find themselves getting surprisingly comfortable with the charade. Soon, the line between fact and fiction is blurred, and the very real feelings that develop between the couple are undeniable. But when faced with the interference of conniving exes, family objections, and the reality of their very different lives, are Ryan and Kari destined to strike out in the game of love?




Blog Tour Schedule:

*April 26th: http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/, http://ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.com/, http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/

*April 27th: http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://empowermoms.net/ , http://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://sweetlymadejustforyou.com/

*April 28th: http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://justcommonly.blogspot.com/, http://www.iamareader.com/