Thursday, January 4, 2018

Secret Baby, Second Chance


Inside the Book

Title: SECRET BABY, SECOND CHANCE
Author: Jane Godman
Publisher: Harlequin
Pages: 288
Genre: Romantic Suspense
BOOK BLURB:
She’s alive! Vincente Delaney has finally found his girlfriend, Beth Wade, who disappeared a year and a half ago, alive. But he’s shocked to discover someone with her: their child, a little girl he never knew about! Once upon a time, lone wolf Vincente never expected forever with Beth, but now he must put everything on the line to protect her and their family.
Beth was forced to leave Vincente to protect everything she held dear. But now the threat to her loved ones’ lives has reared its ugly head again. As danger approaches, she and Vincente must delve into her past to cast out the darkness jeopardizing their future.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Meet the Author



JANE GODMAN worked in a variety of shops, bars, and offices before settling into a career as a teacher. She was born in Scotland and has lived in Germany, Wales, Malta, South Africa, and England. Home is now the Wirral, a beautiful English peninsula situated between Wales and Liverpool.
Jane still gets the urge to travel, although these days she tends to head for a Spanish beach, or a European city that is steeped in history. Venice, Dubrovnik, and Vienna are among her favorites.
When Jane isn’t reading or writing romance, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her family. She is married to a lovely man, has two grown up children and has recently discovered the joy of becoming a grandparent.
Jane writes paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne and SMP Romance, thrillers for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, and self-publishes her steamy historical and gothic stories.
Her latest book is the romantic suspense, Secret Baby, Second Chance.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

My Review
Secret Baby, Second Chance was a well-written book that was very predictable. I guess I should have expected that with it being a Harlequin romance, but somehow I was expecting better. Instead within a few chapters I was able to guess how the book would end and I was right!

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

The Adventures of Mitee Mite

Inside the Book

Title: THE ADVENTURES OF MITEE MITE SERIES
Author: David John
Publisher: Mitee Mite
Pages: 120 pages total in series
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
BOOK BLURB:
Building on a desire to teach children about time, shapes, measurements, and money, author David John created THE ADVENTURES OF MITEE MITE series. In the same way that many of us learned our ABCs, the book and app (available on Google Play and iTunes) collection helps young readers learn how many seconds are in a minute, the number of sides different shapes contain, and more, using a catchy tune that captures their attention and motivates learning.
Focusing on children from age 3 to 11 years old, THE ADVENTURES OF MITEE MITE book and app series offers its readers a dynamic female superhero, Mitee Mite, as their guide through the often tricky terrain involved with mastering time, shapes, measurements, and money. In her matching red cape and boots, Mitee Mite, accompanied by her alarm clock sidekick, Terry the Ticker, activates her superpowers by using her manners, respecting others, and accurately answering questions in the games she encounters during her adventures.
The five books in THE ADVENTURES OF MITEE MITE book and app series include The Time Frame Game and The Time Frame Game Advanced, which break down seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years to teach readers the fundamentals of time. The Measuring Game explores the components of feet, yards, and miles, as well as cups, pints, quarts, and gallons. Mitee Mite teaches kids about currency in The Money Game and dives into a colorful world of triangles, squares, hexagons, and more in The Shape Game. The companion song for this series (available at www.miteemite.com) helps kinds absorb the skills in an enjoyable and interactive way.
The idea for THE ADVENTURES OF MITEE MITE book and app series came about when David was faced with a dire challenge. “One day as I was babysitting my friends’ children, and not having any idea what to do, I made up fun games to help them learn,” David revealed. The goal of the series is to expose children to a variety of lessons in a manner that is fun, relatable, and memorable. David says, “Mitee Mite was created to help give children a head start on the basics of time, measurements, shapes, and money.”
David’s daughter, whom he calls his “Little Mite,” is the inspiration for the main character and the themes of the series. David’s desire to teach his daughter the basic skills featured in THE ADVENTURES OF MITEE MITE book and app series has expanded into the goal of sharing these lessons with other children through his “You Buy, They Read” program. “We plan to give away one book for every one bought to kids in need.” In addition, David will donate $1 for every $2 of the gross sales of apps to teachers “who are going into their own pockets to buy supplies.”

Amazon

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Meet the Author


David John is the author of The Adventures of Mitee Mite book and app series. The series follows the adventures of superhero Mitee Mite and her sidekick, Terry the Ticker. The five titles in the series are The Time Frame Game (Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-9860919-0-2; Softcover ISBN: 978-0-9860919-6-4), The Measuring Game (Softcover ISBN: 978-0-9860919-2-6), The Money Game (Softcover ISBN: 978-0-9860919-4-0), The Shape Game (Softcover ISBN: 978-0-9860919-3-3), and The Time Frame Game Advanced (Softcover ISBN: 978-0-9860919-5-7). Complementary apps for each book are available on Google Play and iTunes.  The companion song is available at the website:  www.miteemite.com.
David lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his wife and daughter. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing hockey, and creating new stories for The Adventures of Mitee Mite book and app series.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

My Review
As an after school counselor for special needs children I am always interested in new books that I can read to my kids to help them learn or understand new or old concepts. I found The Adventures of Mitee Mite to be very useful in teaching things like time and measurement. The story themselves also held the attention of my kids so much that they want more Mitee Mite books!

Saturday, December 30, 2017

POK POK The Drinking Food of Thailand

A cookbook featuring 50 recipes for Thai drinking food--an entire subset of Thai cooking that is largely unknown in the United States yet boasts some of most craveable dishes in the Thai canon, inspired by Andy Ricker's decades in Thailand and his beloved restaurant, Whiskey Soda Lounge. 

A celebration of the thrill and spirit of Thai drinking food, Andy Ricker's follow-up to Pok Pok brings the same level of authority, with a more laid-back approach. Just as America has salted peanuts, wings, and nachos, Thailand has its own roster of craveable snacks: spicy, salty, and sour, they are perfect accompaniments for a few drinks and the company of good friends. Here, Ricker shares accessible and detailed recipes for his favorites: phat khii mao, a fiery dish known as "Drunkard's stir-fry; kai thawt, Thai-style fried chicken; and thua thawt samun phrai, an addictive combination of fried peanuts with makrut lime leaf, garlic, and chiles. Featuring stories and insights from the Thai cooks who taught Ricker along the way, this book is as fun to read as it is to cook from, and will become a modern classic for any lover of Thai cuisine.


POK POK The Drinking Food of Thailand was an interesting cookbook filled with recipes I had never heard of before that I was interested in trying. The way they were laid out made it easy to find what I was looking for and the instruction were easy to understand!

Friday, December 29, 2017

You Can Change the World


Inside the Book

Title: YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD: BE A CHANGE WIZARD AND GET IT LIKE YOU LIKE IT
Author: Bever-leigh Banfield
Publisher: Twinkle Entertainment
Pages: 366
Genre: Nonfiction
BOOK BLURB:
You have an ultimate magic within you, capable of transforming yourself, your life and everything that exists. You needn’t fear change, leave it to others, or get stuck with whatever happens next. You can pull heaven right out of your hat with the alchemy of your heart and mind. You just have to know how to use your abracadabra presto change-o. You can make things disappear or pop up because you are the change you crave. Your dream is a reality somewhere, ready for you to experience it by making change your BFF. Tap into who you’re meant to be, and the special thing you’re meant to do – with this book about your mission in life, and how you can have it materialize to be happier, healthier, wealthier, wiser, and make the world a better place.

Amazon

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Meet the Author



Bever-leigh Banfield, M.F.A. is a writer, actress, voice over artist, host and speaker. She has penned numerous celebrity interviews, one of which, published in Essence magazine, won the American Diabetes Association National Media Award for journalism. As an actress, Bever-leigh has performed in television shows, movies, Broadway and off-Broadway theater and national commercials. Her voice has been heard in TV and radio ads, as an ABC network announcer, in animated films and cartoons, and as narrator of planetarium space shows at landmark Griffith Observatory in Hollywood. Ms. Banfield holds an M.F.A. from the Yale University School of Drama and a B.A. from Stanford University. She has lived in Europe and the Caribbean, and traveled in Africa, South America, and across the United States. She has been gifted with psychic perception since childhood, and as an intuitive, has experienced a vision of world peace. Creating is her joy. Her debut non-fiction book You Can Change The World is about helping you be who you are meant to be, and do what you are meant to do – live your dreams, and change the world for the better!

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER

My Review
I have to say that I found YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD: BE A CHANGE WIZARD AND GET IT LIKE YOU LIKE IT to be very very boring. It was just nothing new to me and I felt like the book did not teach me anything I did not already know. It was a bit of a struggle to finish the book and I kept hoping for something to happen to draw my interest.

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

God Bless My Family By Hannah C. Hall and Steve Whitlow


Book Description

Thank you, God, for family! It is so special to have mommies and daddies, grandmas and grandpas, and brothers and sisters and cousins who love each other. Keep us close and safe, Jesus. God Bless My Family!
The newest book in the bestselling A God Bless Book series, God Bless My Family,helps little ones see and cherish how families love each other and work together. It also shows how we are all part of God’s great big family and how much He loves His children!
My brother makes me belly laugh. With him, it’s fun nonstop! “Let’s climb this tree, just you and me. I’ll see you at the top!”
It’s raining out. Let’s stay inside. We’ll dress up, dance, and sing! I’m glad God gave these inside-days For doing sister things!
Whether it is a gift at a baby shower, a bedtime read with mommy and daddy, a sweet way to increase sibling bonds, or a fun book to read with grandma and grandpa, God Bless My Family is a wonderful way to celebrate the love and closeness between family members.

God Bless My Family By Hannah C. Hall and Steve Whitlow  is a very sweet and heart warming book that is perfect for young children as it uses cut pictures and easy to understand words to teach the importance of family. Beyond that it also teaches children to be grateful for their family and the importance of God. The puppy pictures are very cute and child oriented!

Monday, December 18, 2017

SEEKING A FAMILIAR FACE





Seeking a Familiar Face by May Patterson

Book Title:  Seeking a Familiar Face: The Transformational Journey of Connecting with God by May Patterson
Category:  Adult nonfiction,  175 pages
Genre:  Christian Living
Publisher:  Exploration Press
Release date:  September 2017
Tour dates:  Dec 11 to 29, 2017
Content Rating:  G

Book Description:

The greatest adventure of your life awaits. And it will change everything.

Ever feel disappointed? Like your life isn't as fulfilling as you had always dreamed it would be? Are you laden down with responsibilities, feeling overwhelmed and empty, or maybe even a bit caged?

You're not alone.

Many people in the Bible felt the same way. Most had difficulties. Some felt stuck. Others were depressed, afraid and uncertain. And some just wanted to get closer to God. So they set out on life's adventure —seeking God—and encountered the One who fulfilled their longings and changed their lives forever.

The same can happen for you.

Seeking a Familiar Face guides you on the transforming journey of connecting with God, through simple, yet extraordinary ways. It doesn't matter if you are already seeking Him or just getting started, this book will encourage you to go a little farther toward locking hearts with God.

In this book you will discover engaging narratives from ten biblical characters, along with stories, humor, and practical ideas for seeking God. There are thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter to discuss with a friend or a group. Most of all, "Seeking a Familiar Face" will offer you fresh hope for deepening your intimacy with God.
Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Video of May Patterson explaining
how she came to write her book:​
May Patterson
Meet the Author:

May Patterson has been writing and teaching bible study classes for several years. Her new book, “Seeking a Familiar Face,” was birthed from a Bible study she wrote in 2014 called “A Time to Seek.” She was trained in small group dynamics for over ten years at Bible Study Fellowship, serving as a leader for four years. She has written for several magazines including Focus on the Family, Upper Room Magazine and Shattered Magazine, among others. She is married to her dear friend, Mike, and they have three grown children. She loves to tell stories, laugh, and talk about the adventure of seeking God.

Connect with the Author:  Website ~ LinkedIn ~ Facebook

It's Never Game Over

Inside the Book

Title: IT’S NEVER GAME OVER
Author: Cristina G.
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 145 ebook/268 paperback
Genre: Nonfiction/Self-Help
BOOK BLURB:
It’s the end of the year but you have the impression it’s the end of your life?
Start the New Year with a plan. Don’t make a resolution, make a habit!
Whatever your situation might be now, you have the power to change it.
  • Depression can be overcome.
  • You can lose weight and find love.
  • You can heal and transform your life.
Believe you’re happy, and you’re half way there.

Amazon

______________________

Meet the Author


Cristina G. was born in Romania during one of the harshest communist regimes that ever existed.
The tenth child of a farmer’s family, she has six sisters and used to have four brothers, now only two.
Aged eight, she read Les Misérables by Victor Hugo and fell irremediably in love with books. Since then she kept dreaming of writing for many years, and she wrote a lot, but never thought of publishing.
In 2012, after living in Italy for ten years, Cristina became a blogger.
In June of 2014, with the help of a British friend, she moved to the UK. Here, although her expectations were not great, Cristina fulfilled the dream she never dared to dream before.
Cristina G. is now a registered author and dedicates her life to writing focusing on human behaviour, emotions and feelings.
Her latest book is the self-help/nonfiction, It’s Never Game Over.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

My Review
It's Never Game Over was an interesting self-help book. As a psychology student I found the book to be both useful and helpful as it gave me a different perspective on issues that I was studying out of a dry text book. This book made those issues more real and helped me to get a better grasp on how people can overcome them.