Real by Shelley Malcom

 First-time author Shelley Malcolm announces the Second Edition of her non-fiction book, “Real,” now available in hardcover. Malcolm delivers a remarkable work of inspiration with 60 biographical stories, each illustrated by a captivating photo by professional photographer Terilee Dawn Ouimette. The stories are deeply revealing, while the photos are anonymous, focusing only on each subject’s hands. Research for the coffee table-style book was accomplished through a series of interviews and photo shoots, with subjects ranging from adolescent to elderly, from former gangster to humble homeless, international refugee to hero-housewife, from pro athlete to Hollywood celebrity.

Focusing on her subjects’ hands instead of their faces allows Malcolm’s subjects to share more freely about their lives, tragedies, hopes, dreams, loves, and toils. Ouimette displays an uncanny ability to capture each character’s essence on film by depicting one of more sets of hands at work, at play, giving or receiving help. The result shows the genius of the project, the use of anonymity displaying a greater level of intimacy and vulnerability than might have been possible by any other means.

Malcolm states that her inspiration for the book came from a dream with similar images, revealing the beauty in imperfections in a person’s hands. “The hand image is made beautiful by the life behind it,” she explains. “More anonymous than a face or even eyes which show identity and emotion, our hands portray our work, our affection, scars…even our mistakes.”

According to photographer Ouimette, “People can feel even more connected to photographs of hands than faces. There is a little bit of mystery to each one – allowing the reader to visually connect with the inspiring story.” Confronting the importance of status and beauty in our society, “Real” honestly unveils the life stories of remarkable individuals through moving images and stories that range from tragic to
hopeful to triumphant.

Originally published in March 2011, the book has been popular among widely diverse groups including youth and teens, women, parents and grandparents, men between the ages of 35 –65, craftsmen, surgeons, hand, massage and physical therapists and many others.

Each story in this book is a REAL inspiration.  When the book came in the mail my art enthusiastic teenage daughter made comment of it being so uck!  But then she opened the book and started reading the short one page stories and she was hooked so don't judge a book by its cover.  The stories are beautiful and the pictures make them become REAL when you know the story behind the hands. Hands aren't always attractive but the stories they can tell speak volumes if they could.  This is a good book to lay out on the coffee table and pick it up and read it when you just have 2-3 minutes of inspirational time.

You may want to check out the notecards that are available for purchase here


proceeds from Real go to various charities click here for more information concerning this

Link to buy the book

While “Real” is her first published book, Malcolm is no stranger to creative projects, as coowner and restorer of an historic chapel, La Perla del Mar in Shell Beach, CA, and a set designer for theater and film. Shelley Malcolm was named Pismo Beach’s Citizen of the Year in 2011 for her extensive contributions and involvement in the community. Proceeds from the book benefit the author’s favorite charities. Shelley Malcolm graduated from University of Southern California with a degree in dental hygiene. Shelley Malcolm resides in Shell Beach, California with her husband, Doug. Shelley has four adult children. Her interests include painting, drawing, sculpting, building, playing piano and other musical instruments, outdoor activities including hiking, ocean kayaking, running, water and snow-skiing, international travel, sewing, reading, writing and others. For more information, please visit http://marthamartha.net/ or http://realthebook.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much for stopping by my site today, Shelley. Your book Real is gorgeous. What prompted you to start this project?

Inspiration from a dream of similar images, that revealed the beauty in imperfections... the hand image is made beautiful by the life behind it, and it is a body part that is impossible to enhance or fake.

Is that why you chose the hands to symbolize a life lived?

The hand is more anonymous than a face or even eyes which show identity and emotion. Also, they portray our work, our affection, our worry, scars, and even our mistakes...

What is unique about Real?

I believe the concept is unique, the layout is different, and it feels like reading a yearbook or

journal. It can easily serve as a devotional and it appeals to a widespread audience.

What do you hope the reader takes away after reading Real?

The simple pleasure of reading it, and more so, an appreciation of the beauty of authenticity of others or their own, and the "perfect plan of diversity". You can read more about this in my article on diversity located here. Pg. 35

With Christmas coming up, why would Real make a great gift for anyone on your gift list?

Real is artistically beautiful, gentle and inspiring, and can be enjoyed by men or women of all ages. It is easy for all to relate to and feel comfortable with. The subject matter feels familiar, even though it’s new, and readers always relate and have something to say about their hands or their story. Real stimulates memories and discussion and has even been used in several ways: a memorial, a devotional, as a hostess gift, and other gifts of course.

About the photographer:

Terilee Dawn Ouimette specializes in photographing weddings, families and newborns through her business, Terilee Dawn Photography. Ouimette’s love of photography began with a gift of her first camera at the age of eight. Her collaboration on the book “Real” with author Shelley Malcolm represents the first published book for both women. Terilee Dawn resides in Shell Beach, California with her  husband and the couple’s newborn son, Grayson. Ouimette’s hobbies include art, photography, crafting, reading, and travel. For more information about her work please visit http://terileedawn.com.

Blog Tour Schedule

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

Martyr Mom or Servant Model? by Carla Anne Coroy

Martyr Mom or Servant Model?

by Carla Anne Coroy

Do you know a martyr mom? She does her teens’ laundry and makes their lunches. She cleans the house from top to bottom—all by herself. She stays up late, day in and day out, doing all of the unfinished work.

She’s the mom who ‘sacrificially’ gives up a family outing—even though they were her kids' chores she stayed home to do. She recites her arm-length to-do list after telling you about how she agreed to help her kids with their various projects.

You likely know a martyr mom. But have you ever wondered if you might be one?
We started serving our families out of love. We loved them as we did their laundry. We served them as we packed lunches, cleaned bathrooms, drove carpools, and fixed bicycles . . . And then somewhere along the line, our serving morphed into martyrdom.

Is doing everything for everyone really loving? How can we protect ourselves from becoming martyr moms?

What would Jesus advise you to do? He taught his disciples to do what he was doing. He took them along wherever he went. He let them do some work. He sent them out to preach, heal, and cast out demons. Sometimes they did well, other times they came back wondering what went wrong. Jesus knew they needed plenty of room to try, and sometimes to fail. He didn’t hover to make sure they did things perfectly and neither did he rush to fix things when their attempts went awry.

To be servant models, we need to imitate Jesus. We need to give our children the tools to work hard and develop responsibility. Let your children watch you work, then work with you, and eventually you can watch them work and succeed without you. Give them household chores and tasks so they can develop skills, recognize what they are capable of, and discover their contribution is valuable.

We need to teach our children to set boundaries. Let your children see you turn down requests to serve sometimes. Do you really need to volunteer on every committee? Healthy boundaries encourage your kids to experience the joy of serving and to choose best over good.

Serving our families requires us to teach our kids to do their best. If we expect their best and then accept what they do, we are setting them up to succeed and persevere. If your children do their best but it isn’t as good as you would do it, leave it alone. Don’t redo the job! If Jesus only accepted perfect work from his people, he wouldn’t have chosen the rag-tag team of men he did. He expects our best, and then accepts it, even when our efforts fall short.

Love sometimes says no. When we are exhausted and we do for our kids what they could do for themselves, we are teaching them they don’t need to care about how they affect others. We are also saying that our poorest effort is better than their best. Occasionally saying no to our children also gives them permission to say no when a request butts up against their limits.
Serving also means looking around to see how you might bless someone. It means bringing a meal to a sick family, or clothes to the family who needs some, or giving Daddy a backrub. Teach your children to ask, “How could I serve someone today?” Give them the joy of serving others at home, and by volunteering at church or in the community.

Let’s leave the Martyr Mom complex behind and be like Jesus—Servant Models.

Check out Book tour here

Carla Anne Coroy runs the Married Single Mom blog at www.carlaannecoroy.blogspot.com. She speaks regularly and serves as a staff writer for an online Christian women’s magazine Mentoring Moments for Christian Women. Carla Anne lives in Canada with her husband and four homeschooled children. For more information, visit www.carlaanne.com.

Mystery of the Puzzle Bones by T. A. Smith

The Mystery of Puzzle Bones is a story about four 12-year-old boys that find a secret hideout and skateboard spot in an unused sewer between their subdivisions. But something is leaving a strange Puzzle of Bones in the Boardunders club house. Something wants to lead them deep down into the sewers – into Hidden Town.

A place that doesn’t want to be found and people who will do anything to protect their secret. Suddenly the danger becomes extreme as they are running for their lives. Who can they trust to help them? One of the boys, Caleb, is a Christian who shares his faith and trust in Jesus which helps lead one of the other boys to the Lord as they go through the perils of the story.

Puzzle Bones is the first of the Boardunders club series. The four young teenagers find a series of huge unused sewer pipes below an abandon home development and love skateboarding under ground where no one knows they are. They have a cool clubhouse with their own Play station and chairs. But then bones start to appear right at the dark entrance to the old pipes. Something is down there, something is arranging the bones.

I just received my review copy of this book on Saturday so I haven't gotten to read too much of it I'm about 1/3 of the way through.  I have been pleasantly surprised with how things are going.  I had never read any of Mr. Smith's books.  He is a new author to me.  However, this book does have a Christian aspect.  I guess I missed that part when I read the blurb sent to be looking for reviewers.  I'm excited to see how things develop in the boardunder club.  I think middle aged boys would love reading this series. 

T.A. Smith has been a non-denominational bible teacher in maximum Security Prisons, Juvenile delinquent centers, Rescue Missions, and Youth Groups for over 15 years. He has traveled from the Yucatan to working in fisheries in Alaska. As a ‘Guys study teacher’, he searched for a hard-hitting action adventure series that actually included thoughts and discussion about God. He wanted real discussions that he actually heard men and boys talk about in his classes over the years. Finally, he simply sat down and started writing stories for the guys he knew – and they asked for more stories which has led to a dozen popular tween/teen adventure books.

To read more about T.A. Smith and his adventure books visit www.christianactionadventures.com

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

Teaser Tuesday ~ Nate Rocks the World

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!

Everything around me is frozen.  Bright white snow covers the ground, and there are icicles hanging from the trees.  I look up at the large white and red striped pole standing next to me.  I sipe the snow from the attached sign to read the words "North Pole." 

~ taken from p. 76  Nate Rocks the World by Karen Pakras Toz

Sounds of Night

The Sounds of Night

Company name: Christian Apps 4 Kids
Founder: Jessica Kirkland
Type of App: Book app
Target Audience: Children ages 2-8 years
Availability: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and all Android phones and tablets.

Price: Apple App Store: $5.99

           Android Marketplace: $2:99

ABOUT THE APP

DESCRIPTION: The Sounds of Night is a book app that helps put a child's mind at ease when the lights go out at bedtime. This book addresses one of the primary feelings young children face; fear. The Sounds of Night reinforces the principle that God is the Creator of every creature. Since God makes all the animals that scurry and screech at night, children can lie down and sleep in peace. FEATURES: The Sounds of Night has over 75 touch points/interactions. It has rich illustrations and 4 Bible verses on fear that kids can learn with their parents and share with their friends. DEVELOPMENT: Jessica Kirkland is a member of Moms with Apps. She recently launched Christian Apps 4 Kids, which seeks to draw kids closer to Christ one app at a time. Her inaugural app is a result of the fear that was such a part of her life: In every season of life, the Enemy would whisper the lie that I would “never make it” to the next. I believed it. Time and time again, I thought his words held power. As a young child, I never thought I would live to see my school years. Once I entered school, I never thought I would live to see the next day, next grade, or milestone in life. I listened to a very real enemy, even though I didn’t want to. Even though I came from a strong, Christian family, I felt powerless to stop the lies. Fear gripped me, stole from me, and taunted every careful step I took. Jessica believes the only way to be free from fear, as an adult or child, is to replace fearful thoughts with God's Word. Her desire for each book project is that they not only build character, but help set kids free. The book app was developed in partnership with ROAR.    LINKS: The Sounds of Night in Apple iTunes The Sounds of Night in Android Marketplace Promotional Video ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessica Kirkland Jessica Kirkland lives in Southeast Texas with her husband, Robb, and five-year-old triplets. She is an author and speaker whose greatest passion in life is to see young families grow deeper in their walk with God. Jessica's newest adventure includes launching Christian Apps 4 Kids, which seeks to draw kids closer to Christ one app at a time. A recent release is a book app that addresses fear and scary nighttime sounds called The Sounds of Night, designed for kids ages 2-8. When Jessica isn't writing, you can find her cheering her boys on at the soccer field, or watching her little girl at the dance studio. To find out more about her current writing projects, connect with her at: www.christianapps4kids.com or on her personal blog: www.jessicakirkland.com COMING SOON: Christmas App! The Sounds of Night Company name: Christian Apps 4 Kids Founder: Jessica Kirkland Type of App: Book app Target Audience: Children ages 2-10 years Availability:  iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and all Android phones and tablets. Price: Apple App Store: $5.99            Android Marketplace: $2:99

The Lonely Stable is a book app that reminds children that it's never too late to live out God's plan for their lives. Told from the stable's perspective, this intriguing Christmas book tells the story of Jesus' birth. From time to time, we all wonder about our purpose in life. The Lonely Stable wondered why he was still standing, for he was weathered and old. As time passed, he began to question his purpose. This remarkable tale is a lesson that both parents and children can hold on to when they ask questions like, "Why am I here?" or "Does God care about my life?" This book shows us that God has made each of us for a special purpose. The Lonely Stable is aimed at kids ages 2-10 years old. 

GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY

  

$75 Best Buy Gift Card

Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win this grand prize drawing.  Be sure to leave a way of contact.  I will draw one commenter to be entered into the grand prize drawing on Dec. 16th.  KCWC will draw the grand prize winner on Dec. 19th.  You may enter at other blog host for more chances to win

See the blog schedule here.

 The Winner of The Sounds of Night Grand Prize Giveaway is
Doreen
who left a comment at joyeverafter.blogspot.com
Thanks for your participation in the tour

 

Tumbleweed Christmas by Beverly Stowe McClure

Christmas is the time for miracles, but sometimes, a child must make her own miracle, and one for her siblings.

Today was Christmas Eve. My house was dark and sad. We had no Christmas tree. Mom said trees cost money. Dad was n the hospital. She did not have any extra money. I saved a dollar from my school lunch money. I was going to surprise her and buy a tree.

I pulled on my coat. I put my baseball cap on my head. I tucked my baseball glove under my arm. My glove went everywhere with me. Dad gave it to me. We used to play ball, before he got sick.

“Where you going, Jackie?” asked April, who was four.

“Where you going?” asked May, who was only three.

“It’s a surprise,” I said.

 This is a book that everyone will want to add to their Christmas treasure of books to read each year.  How one little girl learns the turn miracle of Christmas.  It's not in the presents, wrappings and decorations.  You can even have a Christmas miracle with a tumbleweed for a Christmas tree.  It is all in what you make it out to be.  A very delightful Christmas spirit read. Don't forget to leave a encouraging comment on this post and follow the tour learn more about the contest by reading to the end of this blog.  

When Beverly was a kid she hated to read. Even though her eighth grade teacher sent her poem “Stars” to the National High School Poetry Association, and it was published in Young America Sings, an anthology of Texas high school poetry, she hated to write. In spite of her rocky relationship with the written word, she attended Midwestern University where she read too many books to count, graduated, and became a teacher, which meant more reading. As she read to her students and they read to her, she made an amazing discovery. Reading was fun.

She also started writing. To her surprise many of her articles were published in leading children’s magazines, such as Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, Ladybug, and Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr. One of her articles was published in a PreK-K Scott Foresman anthology. She also has five novels for teens and two books for young readers published, along with a story in Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Beverly has three sons and a bunch of grandkids. She and her husband live in the country where deer, skunks, and armadillos stop by for a visit. She writes most every day and usually has a book in one hand, with the vacuum, mop, skillet, or other household items in the other.

Tumbleweed Christmas is Beverly’s latest release.

Visit her online at:

Website Address: http://beverlystowemcclure.wordpress.com

Blog Address: http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com

Twitter URL: http://twitter.com/beverlymcclure

Facebook URL: www.facebook.com/beverlysmcclure

Giveaways, Contests & Prizes!

In celebration of Beverly Stowe McClure’s Tumbleweed Christmas, she will be appearing at  Pump Up Your Book’s 1st Annual Holiday Extravaganza Facebook Party on December 16.  More than 50 books, gifts and cash awards will be given away including an angel tree ornament from Beverly!  Visit the official party page here!

Leaving comments on Beverly’s tour stops means more prizes! The person who leaves the most comments at Beverly’s tour stops will win a $10 gift certificate to Amazon.com. The second place winner will take home an angel tree ornament. See Beverly’s schedule below to see where she’ll be stopping during the month of December. Deadline for comments is 11:59 PM Eastern on December 16th. 

Visit Tumbleweed Christmas Virtual Book Publicity  

Tour Schedule Here

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

Mailbox Monday ~ Dec. 4, 2011

Join Mailbox Monday meme

@ The Printed Page

December's host is: 
Let them Read Books 

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

Adult Nonfiction

 Real by Shelley Malcolm

Children's Books

Sea Turtle Summer by Nancy Stewart

Humbug:  A Christmas Carol by Lee Baker

Mystery of the Puzzle Bones by T. A. Smith

Lilies in the Moonlight by Allison Pittman

This book was quite the page turner. You never knew which direction it was going to take. I can't say that I recall reading any of Allison's books so was very pleasantly pleased. I will be looking for more of her books in the future.  The theme of this book is letting go of the past and forgiveness. 

For more information about this book visit here.


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

My Favorite Bible

With the vibrant illustrations and engaging text in this Bible storybook, you can enjoy sharing the best-loved stories of the Bible with the children in your life and encourage a life-long love for the Word of God. My Favorite Bible is a book of exciting Bible stories and activity pages that guide children through the foundational truths of Scripture.

Each story is fully illustrated and includes a simple narrative full of things kids love: repetition, rhythm, and energy, along with a key biblical theme, a key Bible verse, and discussion questions to help adults introduce children to the Bible.

The colorful illustrations will capture the imaginations of children ages 4–8, and the stories will help adults to pass along the most important truth in life—the Gospel. Families will cherish this time as they read, listen, learn, and love, growing closer to one another even as they grow closer to God.

• This is not a children’s Bible. It is a Bible story book that includes key verses and parent pages called “Family Talk” and “Family Fun” to assist adults in discussing the stories with children.
• If you would like to view the inside of the book, you can view it on Amazon here.

Thanks to Revell Publishing for offering one of my readers a chance to win a copy of this book.  To enter this giveaway leave a comment telling me your favorite Bible story or character.  Be sure to leave a way of contact. 
This book will be mailed out by Revell.  They are willing to mail the book internationally.  I will draw a winner for this book on Dec. 14th.

other blogs with this giveaway:
This Mom's Delight
All Things Are Possible
Joy in our Journey
creative madness mama

For more information about this book visit here.