Remembering You Review and #Giveaway

35-year-old Ava Andrews' dream job is interrupted by an unusual request--fulfill her 84-year-old grandfather's last wish by joining him on a battle site tour of Europe. Ava is sure her boss will refuse her request. But, instead, he gives her a directive of his own--to videotape the tour and send it back as mini-segments for the show she produces.

As if juggling these two things isn't hard enough, Ava is soon surprised again ... twice. First, Ava and Grandpa Jack arrive in Europe, only to discover the tour is canceled. Unwilling to let down her grandfather or her boss, Ava and Grandpa Jack head out on their own. Then, while they're on their way, the pair soon meet up with Paul, her grandpa's best friend, and his grandson Dennis. The same Dennis who just happens to be Ava's first love.

Before she knows it, Ava and Dennis are swept down memory lane as they visit the sites that are discussed in the history books. And even though Ava's videotaping old soldiers, she can see their youth, their hopes and fears, and their pride in their eyes. Soon Ava learns the trip isn't just for them ... it's for her too--especially for her heart.

Read an excerpt, watch a video and find out more here.

Tricia Goyer is the author of thirty books including Songbird Under a German Moon, The Swiss Courier, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like MomSense and Thriving Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. On Tricia's weekly radio show, Living Inspired, she shares stories of inspiration and encouragement. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife.

For more about Tricia and her other books visitwww.triciagoyer.com 

For more information about the PARTY and GIVEAWAY check out this post

My Review:  5/5 stars!  A must read!  I absolutely loved this book!  I recently have been on a bit of a WW II based fiction reading frenzy and it all started with this book.  The main character Ava is so easy to identify with and I felt connected to her straight away.  As Ava goes along on this journey with her grandfather she is able to reconnect with not only him, but her first love.  However, this journey is not just Ava's, it is centered on her grandfather and his war buddies.  Grandpa Jack needs this trip in order to put to rest events that have haunted him in his life and Ava comes to realize that her grandfather and her have really talked about things that are important to him.  This is a great story all about love, faith, forgiveness and hope. 


Click to check out the Blog tour schedule

Disclosure: I received a copy of Remembering You free of charge from Litfuse Publicity Group in order to facilitate a review. All thoughts expressed are 100% my own!

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope that each and every one of you has a great Thanksgiving.  I am so thankful this year for all of the many blessings that we have been given and we have sure have been given much!

Disney's "The Muppets" Road Trip Game

Are we there yet?          How ‘bout now?          Now?          How about now?

Those questions can only mean one thing: road trip! (With children... or my hubby) And Kermit knows road trips! In the upcoming film Disney’s “The Muppets,” Kermit joins Walter (Walter), Gary (Jason Segel), Mary (Amy Adams) and—eventually—the whole Muppet gang in the car for a trip of their own, as they endeavor to save Muppet Studios from evil oilman Tex Richman. So don’t despair. The Muppets can help keep kids busy and happy with…

DISNEY’S “THE MUPPETS” ROAD TRIP GAME

See if you can spot:

·      5 Kermit green cars

·      1 Person who looks like a relative of Gonzo’s

·      3 People who look like they just stepped off the Electric Mayhem Band bus

·      4 of Miss Piggy’s biggest fans. How can you tell? Easy, they could be

a)    Singing to themselves

b)    Fixing their hair in the mirror

c)    Blowing kisses to you through the window

d)    Blowing kisses to themselves in the mirror

·      2 Bumper stickers that are so funny, Fozzie Bear would add them to his act

·      4 People wearing suits they stole from Statler and Waldorf

·      3 Cars that are so patriotic, Sam the Eagle just might be driving them

Bonus:

·      Sing the chorus of “Mahna Mahna” or “Rainbow Connection” at a red light or while driving through a tunnel

·      Find a license plate from Smalltown, USA (or at least one that is red, white and blue)

·      Find the letters of Disney’s “The Muppets” in license plates

 

ABOUT THE MOVIE

On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, his brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage a telethon and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. With secret, signature, celebrity cameos, Disney’s “The Muppets” hits the big screen Nov. 23, 2011. 

Which Muppet Are You?

Question 1: What do your co-workers often find in your e-mails?

A)   Hi ho! A simple and friendly greeting.

B)   A joke. They may not need it, but they’re going to read it!

C)   A demand, a self-flattering remark, and a reference to yourself in the third person.

D)   LOTS!! OF CAPITAL!!! LETTERS! AND EXCLAMATION!! POINTS!!

E)   An insult.

Question 2: It’s Friday night! What are you up to?

A)   Getting together with friends. (Hoping, just this once, they don’t get too out of hand.)

B)   Knock-knocking on the comedy club’s door.

C)   Making a scene, with a paparazzi entourage.

D)   DRUMS! ROCK AND ROLL!....BUNNIES! 

E)   In the balcony, hurling overripe produce.

Question 3: What brightens your day?

A)   When you can get your friends to agree on something.

B)   When someone laughs at your joke! 

C)   A mirror.

D)   NOISE!

E)   Getting annoyed at bright days.

Question 4: How many Facebook friends do you have?

A)   You like to hang out with your friends in person. You’re not so sure about this Facebook thing.

B)   Well, if you count the guy who likes your weekly Funny Friday posts. (Kermit, is that you?)

C)   They don’t have numbers that go that high, sweetie.

D)   LOTS!

E)   One. (Sits next to you.)

Question 5:  What is your favorite color?

A)   Swamp green

B)   Custard Pie White

C)   Pink is the perfect color. But gold and diamonds are close.

D)   Any color, as long as it’s… LOUD!

E)   Red. As in “after we watched that last act, we’re seeing red!”

Question 6: Which film is the diamond of your DVD collection?

A)   Disney’s “The Muppets” (Even if You Say So Yourself) 

B)   “A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To This Question”

C)   “Breakfast (Lunch and Dinner) at Tiffany’s”

D)   “Rock & Roll High School!”

E)   What’s a DVD?

Question 7: If you could switch lives with anybody for one day, who would it be?

A)   Prince William. What you would give for a kiss from Kate! (And great security from lurking pigs.)

B)   Jason Segel. A funny man. People actually laugh at his jokes.

C)   Yourself. (By the way, most A-list actresses pick you in response to this question.)

D)   Keith Richards.

E)   Don Rickles

Now count up all of your answers for each letter.

·         If you got the most As, you’re KERMIT! You’re loyal, professional and humble. Your friends mean the world to you – even if they sometimes drive you crazy.

·         If you got the most Bs, you’re FOZZIE BEAR! You live to make others laugh. Or chuckle. Or at least chortle and maybe smile a little. 

·         If you got the most Cs, you’re MISS PIGGY! You are self-confident A diva who is not afraid to shine. You enjoy being admired. Actually, you demand it! 

·         If you got the most Ds, you’re ANIMAL! You live for Rock & Roll, big loud parties and bigger louder drums. You’re also fond of bunny rabbits.

·         If you got the most Es, you’re STATLER AND WALDORF, those two old hecklers in the balcony.  You have strong opinions which you share at every opportunity.

Win a Kindle Touch for YOU and a Friend from Tricia Goyer!

Tricia Goyer is celebrating the release of her novel, Remembering You, with a KINDLE Touch Giveaway for you ... and for the friend of your choice. Then on 11/29 she'll be wrapping up the release of Remembering You with a Book Chat Party!

During the first half of the party Tricia will be chatting, sharing a sneak peek of her next book, and giving away a ton of great stuff. Then she'll head over to her website for a Live Chat! Readers will be able to chat with Tricia via video or text.

Don't miss your chance to win a Kindle Touch for yourself ... and to "remember" a friend this holiday with a Kindle Touch for them!

Read what the reviewers are saying here.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Brand New Kindle Touch and a Kindle Touch for a Friend (winner's choice!)
   
• A copy of Remembering You by Tricia Goyer for each

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on November 29th. Winner will be announced at Remembering You Facebook Party on 11/29. Tricia will be hosting an author chat (on Facebook and Live from her website) and giving away copies of her other WWII books and gift certificates to Starbucks and Amazon.com. So grab your copy of Remembering You and join Tricia on the evening of the 29th for an author chat, a trivia contest (How much do you know about WWII?) and lots of giveaways.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your
friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your
chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 29th!

Wallflower Review

Wallflower takes place in Berlin on Thanksgiving day of 1989 - just 2 weeks after the fall of the wall.  Molly is a 16 year old New Yorker currently living in Berlin with her father.  She is returning to the States in just two days and has set out on an adventure to see your deceased mother's birth home.  Along the way she meets Nick, an 18 year old East German.  Despite Molly's apprehensions, they set out on Molly's mission together.

Wallflower is only 4 hours in the life of Molly, but during that time you really get to know Molly.  One of the things that I really enjoyed about Wallflower is the narrative.  I enjoyed feeling things from Molly's perspective and remembering what it was like to be 16.  Like most teenagers, Molly feels like an outsider and it is so much fun to go along for the ride as she finds her way and herself!

Wallflower is a quick enjoyable read that does not let you down.  The storyline is well developed and I adore how Holly-Jane Rahlens is able to transport you right back to Berlin in 1989.  I found myself so intrigued by how Molly and Nick (and others in real life) felt during the time after which the wall fell.  I have to admit that now I want to learn more about the wall falling and the events that lead up to the fall of the wall.  What a great fictional historical coming of age book!

Disclosure: I received a copy of Wallflower free of charge from Berlinica Publishing LLC in order to facilitate a review. All thoughts expressed are 100% my own!

The Baker's Wife Review & #giveaway

To save her husband and son, Audrey Bofinger must rescue her enemy.

The Bofinger family has lost their church ministry in a scandal exposed by Officer Jack Mansfield. Hoping to heal and to restore their reputation, Audrey, Geoff, and their son Ed take over a failing bakery in the small community.

Driving to the bakery one morning, blinded by fog, Audrey hits a motor scooter owned by Jack’s wife, Julie. The mangled scooter is crushed and bloody. But Julie is nowhere to be found. Her disappearance coincides with a sudden illness that nearly cripples Audrey.

Jack believes the Bofingers have hurt Julie to take revenge on him, but the evidence dries up and her trail goes cold. At a breaking point, Jack takes the tiny bakery and its patrons hostage, issuing only one demand: Audrey has six hours to return Julie to him, or lose Geoff and Ed forever.

With only an excruciating and intuitive gift, an ex-con, and Julie’s estranged daughter to help search for clues, Audrey starts the search of her life for a woman who has vanished like the fog.

Read an excerpt here.

About the author, Erin:

Well-known to critics and reviewers, Erin Healy has established herself as an award-winning editor and a best-selling co-author with Ted Dekker. Healy received wide acclaim for her two debut novels Never Let You Go and The Promises She Keeps. Her work focuses on the psychological and spiritual, driven by high moral stakes. She lives and writes in Colorado with her family.

For more information please visit www.erinhealy.com

My Review:

4 out of 5 stars!!!  I found myself drawn into the story line within the first chapter, which I loved!  I am the type of person that really appreciates being able to be captured by a story quickly.  I loved the detailed plot and all the twist and turns of the story.  The characters felt approachable and it was easy to relate to each of them not only because of their positive qualities, but also their negative qualities as well.  I really enjoyed Audrey and Diane as I personally could relate to them the most.  The Baker's Wife easily discusses topics of sin, repentance, and forgiveness while entertaining with a wonderful thriller!

Let the flour fly! Beginning October 24th, Erin's celebrating the release of her latest page turner, The Baker's Wife, with an outstanding KitchenAid baking prize package giveaway that includes a brand new KitchenAid Mixer, cook books, and all you need to whip up some fabulous bread or sweets! Then and on November 10th she'll be wrapping up the release of The Baker's Wife with an Author Book Chat Party on Facebook! Don't miss a minute of the fun!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• Empire Red 4.5 QT Ultra Power KitchenAid Stand Mixer
• Black & White Kitschy Apron
• Black Silicone Oven Mitt
• Black OXO Rolling Pin
• Wilton 9X5 loaf pan
• At My Grandmother's Knee Cookbook by Faye Porter
• Second Helpings with Johnnie Gabriel Cookbook
• The Baker's Wife by Erin Healy

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 9th. Winner will be announced at The Baker's Wife Author Book Chat Facebook Party. Erin will be wrapping up the The Baker's Wife celebration with a book club chat and giving away a bunch of "sweet treats"! So grab your copy of The Baker's Wife (it's okay if you don't have one yet- you might win one!) and join Erin on the evening of November 10th for a book chat, some "baking" trivia and lots of "sweet" giveaways (books, and Amazon, iTunes & Starbucks gift certificates)!

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends. Hope to see you on the 10th!

Kitchen Aid #Giveaway

Let the flour fly! Beginning October 24th, Erin's celebrating the release of her latest page turner, The Baker's Wife, with an outstanding KitchenAid baking prize package giveaway that includes a brand new KitchenAid Mixer, cook books, and all you need to whip up some fabulous bread or sweets! Then and on November 10th she'll be wrapping up the release of The Baker's Wife with an Author Book Chat Party on Facebook! Don't miss a minute of the fun!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• Empire Red 4.5 QT Ultra Power KitchenAid Stand Mixer
• Black & White Kitschy Apron
• Black Silicone Oven Mitt
• Black OXO Rolling Pin
• Wilton 9X5 loaf pan
• At My Grandmother's Knee Cookbook by Faye Porter
• Second Helpings with Johnnie Gabriel Cookbook
• The Baker's Wife by Erin Healy

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 9th. Winner will be announced at The Baker's Wife Author Book Chat Facebook Party. Erin will be wrapping up the The Baker's Wife celebration with a book club chat and giving away a bunch of "sweet treats"! So grab your copy of The Baker's Wife (it's okay if you don't have one yet- you might win one!) and join Erin on the evening of November 10th for a book chat, some "baking" trivia and lots of "sweet" giveaways (books, and Amazon, iTunes & Starbucks gift certificates)!

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends. Hope to see you on the 10th!

o.b. Outreach - mighty.small.movement.

As a woman living in the United States, certain day-to-day conveniences have become such a basic part of our routine that we often take them for granted. However, for millions of girls in developing countries, sanitary protection is a luxury item and the lack of affordable resources can have devastating lifelong consequences. Unable to afford sanitary protection, countless young women resort to dangerous alternatives or simply avoid school for the duration of their periods, which can lead girls to abandon school altogether and increases their vulnerability to poverty and disease, including HIV.

Recognizing this often overlooked crisis, the o.b. Brand has created the Share-It-Forward Facebook campaign to raise money and awareness for Huru International, a non-profit organization that provides at-risk young girls in developing countries with the resources and knowledge they need to complete their education and safeguard their health. Will you help Share-It-Forward? It's as easy as following these simple steps:

If you are not already a fan of the page...
Step 1: Like the mighty.small.movement. Facebook Page. You are now on the o.b. Outreach Tab.
Step 2: Select your state from the drop down box (under the green box)
Step 3: Put a check mark next to the box that says you've read the Terms & Conditions
Step 4: Click the pink "Click to Share" button to post the message on your Wall
Step 5: Spread the word!

If you are already a fan of the page...
Step 1: Go to the o.b. Outreach Tab on the mighty.small.movement. Facebook Page, or click this link: http://on.fb.me/oeX3gi
Step 2: Select your state from the drop down box (under the green box)
Step 3: Put a check mark next to the box that says you've read the Terms & Conditions
Step 4: Click the pink "Click to Share" button to post the message on your Wall
Step 5: Spread the word!

Now through December 5th, the o.b. Brand will donate $1 (up to $25,000) for every person who visits the o.b. Outreach Tab on the mighty. small.™ movement Facebook page and "Shares" a message about Huru International's mission. Please help us spread word of an important cause and support women in need.

*Please note donations are not valid for consumers living in Alabama, Maine, Massachusetts, and South Carolina.