Wow!

Happy Holidays!

I just have to say that my email is crazy! I have over 3,000 but that includes the emails I receive from bookblogs.com. I am slowly going through them and will resond when I can! I went to the cardiologist last week, and he seems to think that with the medicine that he has me on (and is increasing the dosage) will hopefully strengthen my heart. They don't know if the chemo caused the damage or that really bad virus that put me in the hospital the first time.

I am still not reading much, but we did get our Christmas tree up! It seems that these last couple of months have just been a mess. I was in the hospital for 14 days in October (in a drug induced coma) with a viral pnemonia. The day I was released from the hospital, the owner of the company I worked for CALLED me and told me I was being let go, that my position was no longer needed. He let 2 other employees go the same day, one had worked there for 17 years! Then Brittni turned 18, 10 days after I got out of the hospital. Of course, I was still not feeling well, so I didn't even buy her a gift! Luckily, she loves, loves, loves cold, hard, cash! LOL! Then within another week, I was BACK in the hospital, with pnemonia again! That is when they found that I have a 'leaky heart valve'. My goal for December? NOT to end up back in the hospital. OH! And do you want to know what the fantastic part is? I haven't had insurance in over a year! My first hospital stay was over $75,000, just for the hosptial.

So I am now unemployeed and while I should be reading, blogging and holding all kinds of contests, I can't. Well, I could, but I have no 'gumption' right now. So my goal is to start reading & blogging. And going back to school. I think for respiratory therapy. But that could change. We'll see.

Good morning!

GOOD MORNING!!

I am once more home from the hospital! It has been crazy these past few months! I was "let go" from my job the day I got out of the hospital on 10/16. Been back to the hospital, once again with pnemonia, but this time they found out that I have a leaky heart valve and my heart is weak. Needless to say, I have not been in the mood to do much of anything but sleep. I have been reading the same book now for about 3 weeks.

No Christmas shopping has been done, no decorations have been unpacked. But that will be changing this weekend! Woohoo!

With my various dr's appointments I have coming up and with being so far behind for Christmas, I will be blogging again (on a regular basis) beginning the first of the year. If everything goes well health wise. I have so much catching up to do with the blogs that I follow! I promise I will! Well off to see my cardiologist...

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires--the ones who never die.The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir; she is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making her one of them.After two years of illicit freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. Rose will continue her Dhampir education. Lissa will go back to being Queen of the elite Moroi social scene. And both girls will resume breaking hearts.Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vladimir's--but their world is fraught with danger both inside and out of the Academy's iron gates. Here, the cutthroat ranks of the Moroi perform unspeakable rituals and their secretive nature and love of the night creates an enigmatic world full of social complexities. Rose and Lissa must navigate throughthis dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever...

my thoughts:

Richelle Mead has created a unique vampire world for best friends, Rose & Lissa to live in. I had read great reviews and some not so great reviews and was on the fence about starting this series. I would walk into a store, I would pick the book up, read the back cover, and put it back down (I did this 3 weeks in a row). Then, the 4th week, I just picked it up without looking at it and put in my basket. I am so glad I finally picked this book up!
I started this book and was caught up from the first chapter. It was a very easy read and overall very enjoyable. I was "sucked" (haha) into their world, all though I did catch myself talking to Rose a couple of times, giving her my (not so humble) advice. The ending of this book sets you up perfectly for the next, which luckily is out now and will be reviewed here tomorrow!

Kicking off Richelle Mead week

here at MGP Blog!

because October is Breast Cancer Awareness month...

Angels-A Pop-Up Book by Chuck Fischer

Whether you consider angels to be divine messengers, spiritual guides, or the stuff of lefend, you will find something to marvel at in Chuck Fischers beautifully illustrated Angels: A Pop-Up Book. Fishecher's original art, inspired by classic images from art history, is crafted into astoundingly intricate three-dimensional pop-ups with fold-outs and moveable parts. Angels brings to life the most captivating stories of these celestial being, from the angels of the zodiac to Biblical angels to angels in the arts and popular culture. Much like its subject, Angels: A Pop-Up Book inspires awe and wonde and is a unique gift book for all ages.

my thoughts:

I LOVE THIS BOOK! When I signed up to review this book, I thought, ok a pop-up book. It will be one for little kids. It definately is not! This book has some of the best pop-ups I've seen! The details are amazing! This book would be perfect to give this Holiday season to that person you know that loves Angels. Or keep it for yourself!

ok I'm back, kinda sorta

So I've been in the hospital, in a drug induced coma for the last 2 weeks. When I say I'm not feeling feelin good, I really mean it. I know there are winners to be announced and stuff, but I'm just not up to it right now.

Playing House: A Novel by Fredrica Wagman

When Playing House appeared in 1973, Publishers Weekly hailed it, "A probing descent into madness that will fascinate the same audience that appreciated I Never Promised You a Rose Garden." This nationally bestselling story of one woman's struggle with the lasting effects of a childhood sexual relationship with her brother shocked American readers, and is a literary work of enduring quality and value.

about the author (from Amazon):

My name is Fredrica Wagman, but it wasn't always. I started out as Riki Barris, "Riki" being short for Rita Fredrica, born in Philadelphia where I spent the first four years of my life in my grandparents home with my mother and father and my older brother. It was a great sprawling place where there were maids and my baby-nurse, big cars, a devoted chauffer by the name of I.J. Duckett, and the warmth of aunts and uncles and my grandparents all around us all the time whom I adored.
When I was four we moved into our own small house which was very hard on my mother who was used to all the space and all the help that everyone there could provide. My mother became quite depressed when we moved away from my grandparents and a hard time ensued after that for my brother and me. My father was a dentist, an oral surgeon who specialized in extracting teeth which was a kind of speciality in those days, although barbers were proported to have been doing it for years without all the training and all the honors my father collected at the University of Pennsylvania's dental school.
I attended schools first in the suburbs of Philadelphia and then in the city which was where we moved when I was eleven years old. I was married at a very early age, shamefully early, to Howard Wagman. Had five children, lost one, attended the University of Pennsylvania and Bryn Mawr College after the children were born, and was writing fiction and poetry for as long as I can remember.
Fredrica Wagman is the author of six novels -- Playing House, His Secret Little Wife, Mrs. Hornstien, Peachy, and Magic Man, Magic Man --and The Lie, just released in April 2009

my thoughts:

The first Fredrica Wagman book that I read was ‘The Lie’. As disturbing as that book was, ‘Playing House’ was more so. The book is told from the main characters POV, with the main character being involved in a non consensual incestuous relationship with her brother from a very early age. And of course this totally messes with her.
This book is not a quick & easy read. Yes, it is 176 pages long, but I could not sit and read it in one sitting. It was just too much. There were several parts that I had to just skip right over, I couldn’t read it. For me, this book was a dark story, with no happy ending.

Blog Tour & Giveaway~ Bo's Cafe

High-powered executive Steven Kerner is living the dream in southern California. But when his bottled pain ignites in anger one night, his wife kicks him out. Then an eccentric mystery man named Andy Monroe befriends Steven and begins unravelling his tightly wound world. Andy leads Steven through a series of frustrating and revealing encounters to repair his life through genuine friendship and the grace and love of a God who has been waiting for him to accept it. A story to challenge and encourage, BO'S CAFE is a model for all who struggle with unresolved problems and a performance-based life.




about the authors:
Bruce McNicol is president of Leadership Catalyst, Inc. and an international speaker and consultant. He holds a master's in theology and a doctorate in organizational and leadership development. Previously he served for ten years as president of the international church planting organization Interest Associates. Bill Thrall serves as vice-chair of Leadership Catalyst, mentor, and coauthor of the bestselling TrueFaced resources (http://www.truefaced.com/), The Ascent of a Leader, and Beyond Your Best. John Lynch is a national conference speaker and writer for LCI, holds a master's of theoology from Talbot Seminary, and has twenty years' experience as a teaching pastor of Open Door Fellowship. He's also cofounder and playwright of a theater troupe in Phoenix.

About the Contest:

Thanks to Miriam at Hachette Book Group

Five winners will be choosen

The Contest ends at midnight on October 16th

Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.

To win:

Your first comment should be your name & email address (1 entry)

Your second comment should be that you are a follower (but only if you are!) (1 entry)

Your third comment, should you choose to do so, should be a link where you have posted about the giveaway (this will count for 2 entries)

Tour Stop & Giveaway~ A Highlanders Temptation by Sue Ellen Welfonder

Darroc MacConacher spends sleepless nights dreaming of a raven-haired beauty who makes him ache with desire. Then his dream comes true: the lady with her lush curves and fair skin appears shipwrecked on his shores. Darroc is immediately drawn to her strength and beauty, and from the moment she lays eyes on this powerful, broad-shouldered warrior, Lady Arabella MacKenzie knows she'll never want another man.But theirs is a forbidden love. The MacKenzies drove the MacConachers from their lands and destroyed their honor. Now, Darroc can use this sapphire-eyed seductress to shatter his foes. Yet how can he deny the passion that burns between him and Arabella, and ruin the one woman who touches his very soul?

about the author:

Sue-Ellen Welfonder is a card-carrying Scotophile whose burning wish to make frequent (free) trips to the land of her dreams led her to a twenty year career with the airlines. Bi-lingual, she flew international all those years, working her flights as foreign language speaker. Her flying career allowed her to see the world, but it was always to Scotland that she returned.
Now a full-time writer, she's quick to admit that she much prefers wielding a pen to pushing tea and coffee. She spent fifteen years living in Europe and used that time to explore as many castle ruins, medieval abbeys, and stone circles as possible. Anything ancient, crumbling, or lichened caught her eye. She makes annual visits to Scotland, insisting they are a necessity as each trip gives her inspiration for new books.
Proud of her own Hebridean ancestry, she belongs to two clan societies: the MacFie Clan Society and the Clan MacAlpine Society. In addition to Scotland, her greatest passions are medieval history, the paranormal, and dogs. She never watches television, loves haggis, and writes at a four-hundred-and-fifty year old desk that once stood in a Bavarian castle.
Sue-Ellen is married and currently resides in Florida. Her life is ruled by the most adorable Jack Russell Terrier in the world. He's the only soul allowed to disrupt her when she's on deadline. For him, she'd walk across glass shards or jump through a burning hoop. She only wishes all dogs could be so loved and asks readers to consider rescue if they are thinking about getting a pet. We can't change the world, but it is possible to make a world of difference to a needy animal.
Sue-Ellen also writes Scottish-set paranormals for Penguin/NAL under her pen name, Allie Mackay http://www.alliemackay.com/.

About the Contest:

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group

Five winners will be choosen

The Contest ends at midnight on October 9th

Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.

To win:

Your first comment should be your name & email address (1 entry)

Your second comment should be that you are a follower (but only if you are!) (1 entry)

Your third comment, should you choose to do so, should be a link where you have posted about the giveaway (this will count for 2 entries)

And The Winner Is~ Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Mom's by Jane Doiron

And the winner of:

Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

is:

budletsmom

Congratulations!

I will be emailing you for your

address today!

Waiting on Wednesday...

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill overat Breaking The Spine.

If you haven't visited her blog, you should! Thanks Jill!!

Shadowland by Alyson Noel

She always believed he was her destiny—but what if fate has other plans? Enter the realm of The Immortals—and experience the extraordinary #1 New York Times bestselling series that has taken the world by storm. Ever and Damen have traveled through countless past lives—and fought off the world's darkest enemies—so they could be together forever. But just as their long-awaited destiny is finally within reach, a powerful curse falls upon Damen...one that could destroy everything. Now a single touch of their hands or a soft brush of their lips could mean sudden death—plunging Damen into a bleak afterlife in the Shadowland, an eternal abyss for lost souls. Desperate to break the curse and save Damen, Ever immerses herself in magick—and gets help from an unexpected source...Jude Knight. Although she and Jude have only just met, he feels startlingly familiar. Despite her fierce loyalty to Damen, Ever is drawn to Jude, a green-eyed golden boy with magical talents and a mysterious past. She's always believed Damen to be her soul mate and one true love—and she still believes it to be true. But as Damen pulls away to save them from the darkness inhabiting his soul, Ever's connection with Jude grows stronger—and tests her love for Damen like never before...

Book Info:
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (November 17, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031259044X
ISBN-13: 978-0312590444

AND THE WINNERS ARE...Simon's Cat by Simon Tofield

And the winners for

'Simon's Cat'

by Simon Tofield are:

RachieG

etirv

cqueen2

Carolsue

Belinda M

Congratulations!

I will be emailing you today

please reply with your address

withing 72 hours!

How do YOU plan a vacation?

We do not vacation much, but we've decided since Britt will be graduating in June that we should take one last family vacation and we've decided to hit Arizona. Yep. The Grand Canyon. Now I just have to plan the darn thing. I'm horrible at planning things. I wish I could just get everyone loaded into the car (yep, I think we're driving) and take off. No plans needed. But of course, that is just not possible! We are thinking of taking 9 days since we're driving. But I'm not sure how I should pick hotels and other things.

So, tell me...do you use a travel agent? Do everything online?

I'm not even sure where to start something like this!

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

And the winners for

'Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley'

are:

etirv

dina(your email bounced back to me!)

Heather

cherdon

Marjorie

Please email me within 72 hours with

your mailing address!

Congratulations!

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.
If you haven't visited her blog, you should!

'The Code Of Destiny' by Sara Enochs

Ava Ballantyne has a unique and special gift. A gift so powerful that she's not even allowed to share it with her closest friends. She knows that if this information fell into the wrong hands, the consequences could be dire.
At every turn there are those who want to learn her secrets. It's only natural for them to be curious about a woman who is not only deeply connected to an age-old secret society, but who's also being pursued by a telepathic CIA agent.
Join Ava as she daydreams about the past and begins to understand our future by reinventing her own life story, in The Code of Destiny.

'The Art Of Meaningful Living'

by Christopher M. Brown


"Meaningful living is choosing your passions over your fears. It is accepting what you cannot control and focusing on what is in your power." Too often our meaningful lives and the things we are passionate about are buried under disappointments and lost dreams. Christopher F. Brown, LCSW, MBA, offers a powerful book combining psychological concepts with beautiful, provocative artwork done by John Palmer to help us move beyond the pain in our present lives to something more valuable and joyful. Divided into four stages, Brown has put together this thought-provoking guide to transform a life filled with dissatisfaction to a life filled with true meaning. Open to any page and begin your own journey toward a meaningful life.



'9 Dragons' by Michael Connelly

LAPD Detective Harry Bosch is off the chain in the fastest, fiercest, and highest-stakes case of his life.
Fortune Liquors is a small shop in a tough South L.A. neighborhood, a store Bosch has known for years. The murder of John Li, the store's owner, hits Bosch hard, and he promises Li's family that he'll find the killer.
The world Bosch steps into next is unknown territory. He brings in a detective from the Asian Gang Unit for help with translation--not just of languages but also of the cultural norms and expectations that guided Li's life. He uncovers a link to a Hong Kong triad, a lethal and far-reaching crime ring that follows many immigrants to their new lives in the U.S.
And instantly his world explodes. The one good thing in Bosch's life, the person he holds most dear, is taken from him and Bosch travels to Hong Kong in an all-or-nothing bid to regain what he's lost. In a place known as Nine Dragons, as the city's Hungry Ghosts festival burns around him, Bosch puts aside everything he knows and risks everything he has in a desperate bid to outmatch the triad's ferocity.

Waiting on Wednesday...Knight Of Pleasure by Margaret Mallory

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill overat Breaking The Spine.

If you haven't visited her blog, you should! Thanks Jill!!

THE GREATEST PASSION

Lady Isobel Hume is an expert swordswoman who knows how to choose her battles. When the king asks her to wed a French nobleman to form a political alliance, she agrees. But that's before the devilishly charming Sir Stephen Carleton captures her heart-and tempts her to betray her betrothed, her king, and her country.

IS WORTH THE GREATEST PERIL

Sir Stephen Carleton enjoys his many female admirers-until he dedicates himself to winning the lovely Isobel. So when a threat against the king leads Isobel into mortal danger, Stephen has a chance to prove that he is more than a knight of pleasure...and that love can conquer all.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Forever (November 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446553387
ISBN-13: 978-0446553384

Knight Of Pleasure by Margaret Mallory is the second book in her series, All The Kings Men.

Giveaway~Tall, Dark & Fangsome by Michelle Rowen

Sarah Dearly's vampire life is not all B-positive cocktails. A curse made her a nightwalker, the most vicious vamp there is; the charm she wears to curb her deadly tendencies is losing its juice; and a hunter from hell is turning up the heat. Gideon Chase will kill the ones she loves most if she doesn't obey his orders. That includes breaking up with master vampire Thierry and turning Gideon into an immortal vamp so he can escape a doom of eternal hellfire.Making things worse are Sarah's growing feelings for Gideon, a bad boy who keeps showing a vulnerable side . . . but is it for real? Will Sarah's dark side take over? Or can she cure herself of the nightwalker curse in time to stop Gideon and finally live happily ever after with Thierry . . . forever?

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group
Five winners will be choosen
The Contest ends at midnight on October 1st

Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.
To win:
Your first comment should be your name & email address (1 entry)
Your second comment should be that you are a follower (but only if you are!) (1 entry)
Your third comment, should you choose to do so,
should be a link where you have posted about the giveaway (this will count for 2 entries)

Teaser Tuesday...

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme,

hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along!
Just do the following:Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!
You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add
the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

The tiny travel clock cast just enough of a glow for me to see that it was a little after two in the morning when Moth decided he was a mite peckish, and he'd just have a quick bit of tent before settling back to sleep.

"Cat, I swear to you by all that is holy, this had better be an emergency of 'Timmy fell down the well and is going to drown in five seconds unless you save him' importance, or else I will personally see to it that you wear those horns permanently."

Hard Days Knight by Katie MacAlister

I just want to go on record as saying this: Katie MacAlister's characters are a HOOT! They are just hillarious! I am so glad that I found her books!

Giveaway~Permission Slips by Sherri Shepherd

Covering topics such as "It's Jesus or Jail," "Marriage, the Hard Way," "Children: The Gift You Can't Give Back," and "All the Things I Don't Know...And All the Things I Definitely Do," stand-up comedienne, actress, and ABC's The View co-host Sherri Shepherd comically chronicles her struggles to keep up with the many roles-professional, wife, mother, daughter, and friend-that women must play in today's world. Sherri urges women to pursue their most important dreams and to never give up, but also let's readers know that it's okay to give themselves "permission slips" when things don't always work out the way they want them to.

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group

Five winners will be choosen

The Contest ends at midnight on September 30th

Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.

To win:

Your first comment should be your name & email address (1 entry)

Your second comment should be that you are a follower (but only if you are!) (1 entry)

Your third comment, should you choose to do so,

should be a link where you have posted about the giveaway (this will count for 2 entries)

Giveaway~Simons Cat by Simon Tofield

Simon Tofield's animations have taken YouTube by storm. Now, the feline Internet phenomenon makes his way onto the page in this first-ever book based on the popular animated series. SIMON'S CAT depicts and exaggerates the hilarious relationship between a man and his cat. The daily escapades of this adorable pet, which always involve demanding more food, and his exasperated but doting owner come to life through Tofield's charming and hilarious illustrations.

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group
Five winners will be choosen
The Contest ends at midnight on September 28th
Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.
To win:
Your first comment should be your name & email address (1 entry)
Your second comment should be that you are a follower (but only if you are!) (1 entry)
Your third comment, should you choose to do so, should be a link where you have posted about the giveaway (this will count for 2 entries)

AND THE WINNERS ARE...The Smart One and The Pretty One

And the winners are:

CrystalGB

RAnn

Heather

Belinda

nfmgirl

I will be emailing you today for your addresses!

Please respond within 72 hours!

Congratulations!

Giveaway~ Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley

President of the United States Donald Vanderdamp is having a hell of a time getting his nominees appointed to the Supreme Court. After one nominee is rejected for insufficiently appreciating To Kill A Mockingbird, the president chooses someone so beloved by voters that the Senate won't have the guts to reject her -- Judge Pepper Cartwright, the star of the nation's most popular reality show, Courtroom Six.Will Pepper, a straight-talking Texan, survive a confirmation battle in the Senate? Will becoming one of the most powerful women in the world ruin her love life? And even if she can make it to the Supreme Court, how will she get along with her eight highly skeptical colleagues, including a floundering Chief Justice who, after legalizing gay marriage, learns that his wife has left him for another woman.Soon, Pepper finds herself in the middle of a constitutional crisis, a presidential reelection campaign that the president is determined to lose, and oral arguments of a romantic nature. Supreme Courtship is another classic Christopher Buckley comedy about the Washington institutions most deserving of ridicule.

Thanks to Valerie at Hachette Book Group

Five winners will be choosen

The Contest ends at midnight on September 27th

Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.

To win:

Your first comment should be your name & email address (1 entry)

Your second comment should be that you are a follower (but only if you are!) (1 entry)

Your third comment, should you choose to do so, should be a link where you have posted about the giveaway (this will count for 2 entries)