introducing author Nicole Borgenicht

Today,  I have a new place that I will be posting for It is the World of  Ink.  So be watching for more children's books to come your way through this tour.  Our first one will include a giveaway for the book right here on my blog and also if you follow the link you can get in on another giveaway through the April book tour you will find details below on entering please read to the end of this post and learn more about this Children's book author.  Be sure to check out the guest post from the author here. Now let's learn about author, Nicole Borgenicht.....

Nicole Borgenicht is a children's fiction writer. Her most recent picture book is The Bridge published by Publish America. Some of Nicole's other kid's stories have appeared in The Los Angeles Times Kid's Reading Room section, Stories for Children Magazine and LadyBug Flights Magazine. Additional works comprise poetry and essays, short stories, one act plays or articles  in magazines such as Arts and Entertainment Skyline and American Fitness.

Learn more about this Nicole Borgenicht and her book The Kids of Dandelion Township on her tour page here


Read Nicole's guest post here. 



Be sure to visit this Blog hop and giveaway....click on banner icon below.

Now for my giveaway.  Since I will be gone all next week I'll draw a winner for this book on Monday, May 14th.  Also I'll use rafflecopter so the entries are present right away since leaving a comment would mean I have to approve the entry before it appears.  However, there is only one stipulation.....  You must be a follower of my blog either by GFC or email. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

A pdf digital copy of this book was provided in exchange for this post plus a hard copy to the giveaway winner by A World of Ink Network. 

Mailbox Monday ~ April 30, 2012

Join Mailbox Monday meme

@ The Printed Page

April's host is: 

Cindy's Love of Books

(I will be hosting sometime in 2013 she is that far booked ahead)

Adult Nonfiction

Always There by Susan Besze Wallace

The Overcomers by Molly Nobel Bell and other authors

Children's fiction

Starlette Universe Book1:  'Cat'astrophe by Kathy Johnson

Children of Angels by Kathryn Dahlstrom

Don’t Panic – Quick, Easy, and Delicious Meals for your Family by Susie Martinez, Vanda Howell and Bonnie Garcia

Barbecue Chicken Wraps

Great served either warm or cold; take one to work for lunch tomorrow!

Ingredients:

2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup barbecue sauce
1&1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
shredded lettuce
tomato, sliced or diced
1 cup tortilla strips
6-12in. tortilla warps
ranch or blue cheese dressing, if desired

Directions:

In medium bowl (or sauce pan if heating) mix shredded chicken with barbecue sauce of your choice.  Set aside. (heat if you are warming)

 If using warm method pop tortilla shell in microwave for 20 sec. to warm.  Layer ingredients down the center of each tortilla. 

Wrap up your tortilla and enjoy! 




This recipe was very quick and easy and oh, so YUMMY!  My teen daughter loves wraps and this was a hit with her for a quick lunch.

*  We also made the Crazy Good Chocolate Cake recipe (p. 235) from this book....

Teen daughter's comment:  "I haven't found too many made from scratch cakes I liked, but this one was good." 
Hubby's thought:  Anything chocolate is a hit; however, he loves his frosting so I had to make the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (p. 220)....

My thoughts: this recipe was just the right measurements and made the perfect consistency.  Nice frosting recipe. 

My thoughts on the book.  There are so many recipes that I really would love to try in this book that look Quick and Easy and sound very Delicious. 

Great meals for your busy family!
We're all busy, but that doesn't mean we have to eat like we are. You don't have to settle for feeding your family commercially packaged meals full of sodium and preservatives or fat-laced fast food. Quick and healthy meals from your very own kitchen are easy with delicious recipes like

• Southwestern Baked Cheese Dip
• Thai Chicken Wraps
• Walnut Spinach Salad
• Homestyle Mac & Cheese
• Slow Cooker Pork Chops
• Oven Roasted Orange Chicken
• Grilled Flat Iron Steak Sandwiches
• Spicy Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry
• Fruit Pizza
• Mexican Chocolate Mousse
• and many more

From quick meals made on the grill or in the sauté pan to crockpot dishes that require little prep and cook while you're out for the day, the recipes in this cookbook are tasty and nutritious--and require less hands-on preparation than traditional meals. Easy appetizers and desserts; one-dish casseroles and pastas; simple soups, salads, and side dishes; and even fast breakfasts round out the selections. Meals that are freezer-friendly are marked for those who want to make ahead.

Give your family the best--the easy way!

Bonnie Garcia is a busy mother of three sons. She works as a part-time pediatric nurse, where she enjoys working with newborns and their parents. In her free time, she enjoys downhill skiing and reading. An Iowa native, Bonnie has been married to her husband, Steve, for twenty-six years. She is active in her local church, where her husband is the senior pastor. After recent trips to Greece and Israel, Bonnie has discovered that she is hooked on international travel.

Vanda Howell is a busy mom who works part-time as a kitchen design consultant. Vanda is a Denver native and has been married to her husband, Mike, for twenty-seven years. She is absolutely in love with (a.k.a. addicted to) dark chocolate, espresso lattés, and going to movies. In her free time, she enjoys gourmet cooking, gardening, and wakeboarding with her husband and teenage son.

Susie Martinez is a professional counselor with a private counseling practice in Colorado. She has been married to her husband, Joe, for twenty-two years and has two teenage children. Susie adores her family, her Kitchen Aid mixer, and her purple PT Cruiser. In her free time, she enjoys shopping with her daughter, taking long walks, and home decorating. Susie also struggles with a particular weakness for palm trees and white sandy beaches.

Bonnie Garcia and Vanda Howell and Susie Martinez

Price: $14.99 ISBN: 978-0-8007-1994-4 ISBN-10: 0-8007-1994-8 Dimensions: 7 x 9 Number of pages: 256 Carton Quantity: 24 Publication Date: Apr. 2012 Formats: Paperback

To order a copy of this book click here


“Available April 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for my honest review by... 

The Sound of Red Returning by Sue Duff

Today I'm going to direct you to my other blog for this book tour. There is a book giveaway include with this tour. Click here to go to Scraps of Life and visit this book tour/giveaway. 

Five Steps to Get a Grip on Your Stress By Karen Jordan

April is Informed Woman Month

Five Steps to Get a Grip on Your Stress By Karen Jordan

How can we get a grip on our stress, when life is heavy and hard to take?

The book of Lamentations offers a clear word about dealing with stress. "When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear” (Lam. 3:28-29 MSG).

1. Go off by yourself. Jesus knew the importance of spending time alone with His Father. When He needed to listen, He would pull away from everyone. After Jesus fed the 5,000, He “climbed the mountain so (He) could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night” (Matt. 14:23).

2. Enter the silence. When we seek God, the accuser tries to distract us with fear, like in the story of Hannah. Hanna’s husband had two wives, and her husband’s other wife taunted her, accusing God for Hannah’s inability to conceive. Even when Hannah prayed, the accuser attacked. “… Hannah was praying in her heart, silently. Her lips moved, but no sound was heard. Eli jumped to the conclusion that she was drunk”…” (1 Sam. 1:13).

3. Bow in prayer. God promises that if we call on His Name, He'll listen. “… And if we're confident that he's listening, we know that what we've asked for is as good as ours” (1 John 5:15).

4. Don't ask questions. My questions often interfere with my communication with God—I’m talking, instead of listening. When Jesus taught His disciples, He asked them on several occasions, “Are you listening to me? Really listening?” (Matt.11:15).

5. "Wait for hope to appear." The psalmist speaks of “waiting,” “I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn't slip” (Ps. 40:1-2).

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matt. 6:34).

So, remember, "When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear" (Lam. 3:28-29).

Karen Jordan is best known for telling the stories that matter most. She has multiple writing credits and trains other writers as well. Contact her for speaking events, writing assignments, and interviews at kj@karenjordan.net or visit www.karenjordan.net.

This article content is provided free of charge by the author through Kathy Carlton Willis Communications.

A Boy called Duct Tape by Christopher Cloud

Pablo Perez is a 12-year-old poor kid without much going for him. His classmates have dubbed him “Duct Tape” because his tattered discount-store sneakers are held together with…you guessed it, duct tape. He can’t escape the bullying.

Pablo’s luck, however, changes after he finds a $20 gold coin while swimming in a river near his home. Pablo later buys a $1 treasure map at the county fair. The map shows the route to the “lost treasure” of Jesse James. Pablo can’t help but wonder: Is there a link between the map and the gold coin? He is determined to find out, and he, his 9-year-old sister and 13-year-old cousin hire an ill-natured cave guide, and begin a treacherous underground adventure in search of treasure.

Purchase at Amazon.

I haven't gotten too far into this book only on Chapter 7 as I've been studying for a major test that I have tomorrow morning.  However, it does seem that this book is going to be a very good adventure for 3-7 grade level kids, maybe higher, older ones may enjoy the adventure.  I have enjoyed what I've read of the book so far.  I'm sorry that I haven't had the time to finish it before this post was due, as it is I'm late getting this post posted.  However, I'm into chapter 7 and have caught some curse words (see my post concerning this here).  Haven't been hard words, but my view is after three I must tell my readers and we are a little past three and into chapter 7.  If you want another opinion on the matter you may visit Vicki Vaughn's review here. I have enjoyed what I've read so far and just wished I'd have had a little more time to have gotten into the book.  I'm not saying the book wasn't interesting because it really has me intrigued and I feel that it would be a wonderful adventure if I had just had a few more days to get into it especially after reading Vicki's review.  It seems like a book with lots of adventure. 

Christopher Cloud admits he came to literature late in life. “I was in my 60s before I developed a real interest in writing fiction,” he said. A Boy Called Duct Tape is Cloud’s debut middle-grade novel. It is a first-person account of three Latino children searching for the “lost treasure” of Jesse James.

Cloud began writing children’s fiction after a long career in journalism and public relations. He graduated from the University of Missouri in 1967 with a degree in journalism. He has worked as a reporter, editor, and columnist for newspapers in Texas, California, and Missouri. His work has appeared in many national publications, including Time Magazine.

He was employed by Sun Oil Company, Philadelphia, as a public relations executive, and later operated his own PR agency. He created the board game Sixth Sense in 2002. The game sold at independent bookstores nationwide.

Cloud said his next project is a young-adult novel. “I have written the first draft of a story I’m calling 16 And In Love,” Cloud said. “This story—like A Boy Called Duct Tape—is multicultural.”

Cloud lives in Joplin, Missouri.

Don't forget to check out the month long giveaways here.....


A digital copy of this book was provided for  this review by Pump up your Book tours

Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides

About Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides:

Women today are busy, stressed, and guilt-ridden, yet they long to develop their spiritual sides. Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides offers inspirational thoughts based on scripture--brief enough to be read during a television commercial, yet insightful enough to open your eyes to the grace of God on days you change diapers and/or lead corporate meetings. Each reading suggests a "Guilt Trip to Avoid" and ends with a way to "Take the Joy Ride." The book includes six months of daily readings so that you may establish a habit of connecting with God. Readings are listed under the letters G-R-A-C-E, representing God, Relationships, Acceptance, Challenges and Emotions.

The coauthors hope these meaningful readings will help you deal with guilt--both real and imagined. By applying the insights shared in Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides, you may develop a calmer, less guilt-ridden life-style and become better equipped to function as wives, mothers and friends. Younger women often develop patterns of thinking and experience feelings of guilt that carry over into their mature years, so women of all ages will find this book helpful.

I loved how the authors used the acronym GRACE and divided the readings into each theme from the acronym.   They made everyday happenings come to life and how to deal with them.  They give you a guilt trip, a scripture that pertains and their life story.  Each author shares on a different day and there are 183 days of GRACE and inspirations to turn your guilt trip rides into joy rides.

Link to buy the book

About the authors:

Kim Messinger, Janine Boyer and Shirley Brosius had a common bond of Christian service when Christ drew them together for their first small group meeting in January, 1998. Since then they have drawn closer through life’s joys and struggles and found God to be sufficient for their every need. They call themselves “Friends of the Heart” because their passion is to help women open their hearts and find joy in Christ.

Kim and Janine supported Shirley in writing Sisterhood of Faith: 365 Life-Changing Stories About Women Who Made a Difference, which was released by Howard Publishing, a division of Simon & Schuster, in 2006.  More recently the three women worked together to write another devotional book, Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides. They have spoken at women’s retreats and events in five states. All three women live in Millersburg, Pennsylvania. Visit their website for more info.

Blog Tour Schedule

About the Giveaway

Guilt! She pokes you as you write about your quaint, eccentric aunt. She grabs you as you wander from e-mail to Facebook to laundry instead of focusing on your work. She kicks you as you complain about your husband to a friend.

Have you noticed? Women seem riddled with guilt. And it’s hard to know if guilt is legitimate or simply a product of our imaginations. After all, should we really feel guilty about things over which we have no control?

We are not perfect. We have no control over some things, so it's no use feeling guilty. We can't do it all.

To celebrate the release of Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides, Shirley, Janine and Kim are giving away some great prizes during the blog tour. Share your own "guilt trip" or "joy tip" and be entered to win a free life coaching consultation and a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate.

JUST CLICK THIS LINK (http://justforfun.friendsoftheheart.us) and share what trips you up, holds you back or any tips you may have for overcoming guilt and keeping your joy. Fill out the quick form at the link and you'll be entered to win a free life coaching consultation from one of us AND a gift certificate to Amazon.com to use to purchase whatever strikes your fancy!

Contest runs 4/23 - 5/12. Winner announced here on 5/14.

A copy of this book was provided for this tour by...

Her Restless Heart by Barbara Cameron

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Her Restless Heart
Abingdon Press (April 2012) by Barbara Cameron

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Barbara Cameron is the author of more than 30 fiction and nonfiction books, three nationally televised movies (HBO-Cinemax), and the winner of the first Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award. Her two novellas won the 2nd and 3rd place in the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest from the Faith, Love, and Hope chapter of RWA. Both were finalists for the novella category of the Carol Award of the American Christian Writers Award (ACFW).

When a relative took her to visit the Amish community in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, she felt led to write about the spiritual values and simple joys she witnessed there. She currently resides in Edgewater, FL.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Mary Katherine is caught between the traditions of her faith and the pull of a different life. When Daniel, an Amish man living in Florida, arrives and shares her restlessness, Mary Katherine feels drawn to him and curious about the life he leads away from Lancaster County.

But her longtime friend Jacob has been in love with her for years. He’s discouraged that she’s never viewed him as anything but a friend and despairs that he is about to lose Mary Katherine to this outsider.

Will the conflicted Mary Katherine be lost to the English world, or to Daniel, who might take her away to Florida? Or will she embrace her Amish faith and recognize Jacob as the man she should marry and build a life with?

If you want to read the first chapter of Her Restless Heart, go HERE.

Teach Children to Read Faster by Dennis Brooks

This book is a wonderful resource for the classroom teacher and home schooler or those that need the remedial help, good for young and adults alike.  Brooks helps with this one-to-one reading teacher right here at your finger tips.  There are 50+ lessons in this book as well as tests plus instructions to teach your student.  There are instructions on phonics, blending of sounds and short sentence reading practices.  You'll find information on how children learn to read as well as explanation on linguistics and phonics in reading.  The content is arranged in such as was as to not be intimidating to those that are teaching themselves to read.  The lessons are arranged with easy in front and progress on. 

for more information about this book visit here.

About the author:

Dennis put all study-words on lists and arranged them from smallest to largest and did the same thing with the poems and short stories. This made the reading program a self-teaching course for most students. Those who have a high aptitude for languages, regardless of their age, can teach themselves to read without constant one-to-one tutoring. Those who struggle with learning to read simply need basic instructions and reading assignments, which can be given as homework. At some point, students will learn to recognize the phonetic core of the common words and use those skills to sound out and read many of the 600,000 words that make up the English language.

Dennis has dyslexia and has used the program to improve his reading skills as well. Since dyslexia hindered his ability to read, write, and spell; developing, teaching, and testing this program took place over a span of 20 years. Nevertheless, since developing and testing the program, he has more than quadrupled his reading speed.

To purchase this book please find it at: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/dennisbrooks

A copy of this book was provided by the author and Bostick Communications for the purpose of this review.

Teaser Tuesday ~ Abby Finds her Calling

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! 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!

After Mamm opened her eyes, she took such a big bite of her sandwich, the melted cheese gushed out.  It plopped onto her apron, yet she giggled hysterically.  Zanna caught the giggle bug, too and for the next few minutes they chewed and covered their mouths and laughed until tears streamed from their eyes.

taken from p. 127 of Abby Finds Her Calling by Naomi King

Visit this book tour and my review here.