Book Giveaway: Project Dad

Project Dad:  The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide for Becoming a Great Dad

 

Project Dad is a humorous and practical guide book written by a dad to other dads. Todd Cartmell’s warm and engaging style will have fathers laughing from the first few pages, and gives doable hands-on advice for becoming a better dad.  This book will make an excellent Father’s Day gift!

Wouldn't you just love to win this book?  The kind folks over at Baker Publishing Group have given me a copy to giveaway, so here's your chance!!!

This is all about dad's, do you have great memories?   My dad was always very busy, but yet we found time for fun, going to the lake in the evening for a quick ski trip around the lake, getting up early to drive to a bigger town for a day of shopping, family road trips, we always had something going on!  Memories last a lifetime and it's never to late to make them, so sit back and think about growing up and what stands out to you, what your dad did to make you feel special!

For a chance to win this wonderful book enter as many of the items below as you like, but no entry will count unless the mandatory entry has been complete.  Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry, the giveaway will run through May 21st and will end at midnight.  I will choose a winner via random.org and will email the winner, winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Mandatory:
Leave a comment telling me about great memories with your dad or qualities you think are important in a father figure.

Extras:
+2 Follow my blog publicly via GFC
+2 Blog about this giveaway and leave a link
+1 Subscribe to my blog via email or rss
+1 follow me on twitter @lluuluu, leave your handle and I'll follow back
+1 follow me on FB..I'll follow back here as well!
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GOOD LUCK!

*Special thanks to Baker Publishing for providing me with 2 copies of this book, one to keep and one for the giveaway!

Book Review: The DMZ

ABOUT THE BOOK:
(Back Cover)

"Those who are not willing to bleed and die for what they hold dear will always be held hostage by those who are."

More than a decade after the end of the cold war has chilled the Marxist rebel movements around the world,  one hot spot remains-Colombia.

The inexplicable loss of three major U.S. assets draws the attention of the world to the Colombian demilitarized zone.  Are the local Colombian rebels responsible?  Or is a deadly Middle Eastern secret cloaked by the jumble canopy of the DMZ?

Among the contingent of politicians and media headed for the DMZ seeking answers is reporter Julie Baker, whose parents had been missionaries in Colombia.  Old hurts and terrors surge as she revisits the place of her birth-and her parents' deaths.  When Julie's own abduction by guerillas triggers a time bomb that has been ticking under the feet of the U.S. for a decade, she is left with more questions than answers.

ith the fate of two countries resting in her hands, Julie must put aside her own terror to face just what God's call to sacrifice will mean for her past and her increasingly uncertain future.

MY THOUGHTS:
This book will keep you on your toes and looking behind your back just to be sure you're not being hunted along with the characters in the book!  I enjoyed this book, it is fast paced and full of adventure as your race through the jungles of Colombia.  If you like adventure, intrigue and a bit of romance thrown into the mix then this is the book for you!

While reading this book you can imagine the vast amount of research done by author Jeanette Windle and mentioned on the back cover is the fact that her "writing is so realistic and carefully researched that government agencies have questioned her to determine if she has received classified information."




*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from Litfuse Publishing!

CFBA: Book Review: Hidden Affections

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Hidden Affections Bethany House (May 1, 2011) by Delia Parr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Delia Parr, pen name for Mary Lechleidner, is the author of 10 historical novels and the winner of several awards, including the Laurel Wreath Award for Historical Romance and the Aspen Gold Award for Best Inspirational Book. She is a full-time high school teacher who spends her summer vacations writing and kayaking. The mother of three grown children, she lives in Collingswood, New Jersey.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Betrayed by her husband, Annabelle Tyler wears the burden of legally being a divorcee, a difficult position for an upstanding young woman to find herself in.

While attempting to start a new life for herself, an unexpected turn of events once again has Annabelle married--this time to Harrison Graymoor, the most eligible, yet elusive, bachelor in Philadelphia. Harrison assures her that he will secure an annulment immediately, unaware that the constable has sent word of the marriage to the press in Philadelphia. And here things continue to go awry.

Harrison's past, a philanthropic cousin with his eye on Annabelle, and the appearance of Annabelle's ex-husband threaten the tentative relationship growing between Harrison and his "wife." For two individuals set against marriage, there are certainly a lot of second thoughts regarding the one forced upon them.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Hidden Affections, go HERE.

MY THOUGHTS:

Now this is a fun story.....hats off to Delia Parr for a very original story line!  From a handcuffed bride at the beginning of the book this story had me hooked!  At times our head tell us one thing but our heart another and it is no different in this book as Annabelle and Harrison begin their life together trying to keep from falling in love!  This book is a sure page turner and one that will keep you on your toes!

* I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA

CFBA: Book Review: An Unlikely Suitor

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing An Unlikely Suitor Bethany House (May 1, 2011) by Nancy Moser

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nancy Moser is the award-winning author of over twenty inspirational novels. Her genres include contemporary stories including John 3:16 and Time Lottery a Christy Award winner, and historical novels of real women-of-history including Just Jane (Jane Austen) and Washington's Lady (Martha Washington). Her newest historical novels are Masquerade and An Unlikely Suitor. Nancy and her husband Mark live in the

Midwest. She’s earned a degree in architecture, traveled extensively in Europe, and has performed in numerous theaters, symphonies, and choirs. She gives Sister Circle Seminars around the country, helping women identify their gifts as they celebrate their sisterhood. She is a fan of anything antique—humans included. Find out more at www.nancymoser.com and www.sistercircles.com and her historical blog: http://footnotesfromhistory.blogspot.com/

ABOUT THE BOOK

New York dressmaker Lucy Scarpelli befriends socialite Rowena Langdon as she's designing her 1895 summer wardrobe. Grateful for Lucy's skill in creating fashions that hide her physical injury, Rowena invites Lucy to the family mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, encouraging the unusual friendship.

One day Lucy encounters an intriguing man on the Cliff Walk, and love begins to blossom. Yet Lucy resists, for what Newport man would want to marry an Italian dressmaker working to support her family?

Rowena faces an arranged marriage to a wealthy heir she doesn't love, but dare a crippled girl hope for anything better?

And Lucy's teenage sister, Sofia, falls for a man well above her social class--but is he willing to give up everything to marry a woman below his station?

As the lives of three young woman--and their unlikely suitors--become entangled in a web of secrets and sacrifice, will the season end with any of them finding true happiness?

If you would like to read the first chapter of An Unlikely Suitor, go HERE.

MY THOUGHTS:
Quite an enjoyable book and unlike a lot of romance novels, An Unlikely Suitor has characters that are not perfect which is refreshing and I loved the conversations between Dante and Lucy as Dante is quite the romantic fellow.  Although, his romantic side does cause him a bit of trouble between Lucy and Rowena and there is plenty of action in this book to keep you quite entertained!




*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA

Snakes

Are you afraid of any creatures? I am terrified of snakes, they creep me out and pretty much send me over the edge whenever I see one. We have vacationed for an extended time in Texas, Florida and California, did I see snakes? Nope. But just today here in good old Minnesota on my way across the yard to see the horses I saw a HUGE snake...well not really, but to me any snake is huge. Then minutes later, another snake...I think the 80+ degree weather is creating a snake party.

Anyone know what this is???? Ewww, ewww eww.

Then the horses went nuts after a bath.....

It's a wild kind of day around here, now I'm off to cut some rhubarb for rhubarb crisp, if you don't hear from me again it's because a snake gave me a heart attack!!!

CFBA: Book Review: To Win Her Heart

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing To Win Her Heart Bethany House (May 1, 2011) by Karen Witemeyer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Karen Witemeyer is a deacon's wife and mother of three who believes the world needs more happily-ever-afters. To that end, she combines her love of bygone eras with her passion for helping women mature in Christ to craft historical romance novels that lift the spirit and nurture the soul.

After growing up in California, Karen moved to Texas to attend Abilene Christian University where she earned bachelor and master's degrees in Psychology. It was also there that she met and married her own Texas hero. He roped her in good, for she has lived in Texas ever since. In fact, she fell so in love with this rugged land of sweeping sunsets and enduring pioneer spirit, that she incorporates it into the pages of her novels, setting her stories in the small towns of a state that burgeoned into greatness in the mid- to late 1800s.

Karen is living her dream by writing Christian historical romance novels for Bethany House. When she visited her publisher back in January of 2010, she was interviewed by the staff. If you'd like a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how she develops her story ideas and a description of her bumpy journey to publication, click here to listen to a podcast of that interview.

ABOUT THE BOOK

After completing his sentence for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer needs a blacksmith, a trade he learned at his father’s knee, and he needs a place where no one knows his past.

Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs in the town her father founded. When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she's reluctant to trust him. Yet as the mysteries of the town’s new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart.

Eden believes she's finally found a man of honor and integrity. But when the truth about Levi's prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian’s affections?

If you would like to read the first chapter of To Win Her Heart, go HERE.

MY THOUGHTS:
The characters in this book are just plain fun, from the dog Ornery, to the sheriff who should be named the same and the giant of a man, Levi.  You have Eden who is just plain done with men and Levi who is a giant of a man, when the two of them meet up from time to time it's fun to read what comes flying out of their mouths!  Sometimes a man's past is bigger than he, and that is the problem here, and with characters full of witty characteristics make this a fun and entertaining read, and one I will gladly pass along to friends!




*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA.

Book Review: You Did What in The Ditch?

From the Back Cover:
Arguably, the American quilt is the quintessential example of folk art.  Andy beyond argument, quilting is crucial to the study of the history of American women.  Like all folk art, quilting established a defined culture with tangible traditions.  You Did What in the Ditch?  relays the folklore of this culture.

Dr. John Oldani examines the vocabulary, saying, folk beliefs, superstitions, folk poetry, historical significance, and even the graffiti of the American quilter.  Find out what quilters do "in the ditch, " what they do with "betweens, " and where they hide their "pigs."

MY THOUGHTS:
This is quite the book!  You'll learn all about the language familiar to those in the quilting world!  I love how the book takes you through the history of quilting and there are some quite funny parts here as well found in the quilters graffiti section!  This book is a very fun read and a great coffee table book!!  I quilt, nothing fancy, and have very little quilting knowledge, I learned a lot of fun facts and think this would be a fun gift for the quilter in your life!





**I received a complimentary copy of this book for review.