Spotlight on Life Choices by Judi Moreo

Today we are doing a spotlight on Judi Moreo's newest book Life Choices: Pursuing Your Passion.  I haven't received my copy of this book yet so I won't be able to include my review at this time.  However, read to the end of the post as there is a giveaway for a copy of Life Choices:  Pursuing Your Passion.  I want to thank Dorothy from Virtual Book tours for allowing me a chance to offer this book as a giveaway to one of my readers.

If you have ever had a dream that you wanted to pursue but didn’t have the courage, if you’ve ever wanted to do something that you didn’t think you could do, if you have ever wanted to go somewhere but didn’t believe it was possible… READ THIS BOOK. Twenty-six authors share with you how they pursued their passions and made their dreams become reality.

The 26 Authors of Life Choices: Pursuing Your Passion Include:
April Aimee Adams
Ginette Osier Bedsaul
Jeff Civillico
Charlotte Foust
Ridgely Goldsborough
Dallas Humble
Delores McLaughlin
Jan Mills
Darren LaCroix
Sandra Neilsen
Kevin Parsons
Mary Monaghan
Anne Dreyer
Charlyn Shelton
Justina Rudez
Cindi Maciolek
Ann Parenti
Marisa Wolheim
Bea Goodwin
Laura Peters
Jenna Doughton
Judi Moreo
Bill Lynch

Read an

Judi doesn’t just talk about success…She Lives It! In 2003, the US Business Advisory Council named her “Nevada Business Person of the Year” and the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce awarded her company, Turning Point International, with a “Circle of Excellence” Award. In 1986, the Chamber also honored her as “Woman of Achievement – Entrepreneur.”

As an international business leader, Judi knows first hand what it takes to be successful…especially amidst political, social, and cultural differences. In 1991, she moved to South Africa and became an executive in South Africa’s most prestigious media group. Today, she lives in Las Vegas, Nevada and serves as President of Turning Point International, a performance improvement company with offices in Las Vegas and Johannesburg. Her client list reads like a Who’s Who of the World’s Most Prestigious Companies and Organizations.

Judi served on the Boards of Directors of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Women’s Council, the Las Vegas Professional Speakers Association, the World Modeling Association, the International Association of Model Agents, and Women in Communication. The American Women in Radio and Television awarded her their “Outstanding Achievement and Community Service Award.”

A speaker of both substance and style, Judi combines her wealth of knowledge and expertise with the inspiration of a motivational speaker and the humor of an entertainer to bring you a program guaranteed to enrich the lives of all who hear her.

Her latest book is Life Choices: Pursuing Your Passion.

You can visit her website at www.judimoreo.com.

Now for a chance to win a copy of your own book:
Mandatory Entry:
Leave a comment telling me if there has ever been a time in your life that you had a passion for something, pursuing a career, learning a new hobby, etc.  Please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you.  Please US residents only.  This giveaway will be open through the end of this book tour April 29th.  I will draw a winner on April 30th.
Extra Entries:
Be sure to leave a separate entry for each item you do.

• visit Judi's site here and tell me something else you learned about this author
• tell me the name of an other of Judi's books that sparks your interest.  Find a list here.
• Watch the video above and comment concerning the topic discussed.  (It's less than 3 minutes.)
• follow my blog (found in left side bar)
• subscribe to blog by email (found in left side bar)
• check out the tour schedule here there are many other blogs offering a giveaway.  You may enter there too. 

A copy of this book was provided for review by Virtual Book tours

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown by Olivia deBelle Byrd

With storytelling written in the finest Southern tradition, Olivia deBelle Byrd delves with wit and amusement into the world of the Deep South with all its unique idiosyncrasies and colloquialisms.  The characters dance across the pages in humorous anecdotes that will delight Southerners and baffle many a non-Southerner.  Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle is guaranteed to provide an afternoon of laugh out-loud reading and hilarious enjoyment.

Byrd defiantly writes with a Southern Belle thought.  I loved the humor she used to get her point across.  It is as though you are right there in the South with her experience each anecdote of life that she comes in contact with.  Each chapter is a short quick read.  She covers everything from funerals to weddings, sassin' to groundin', food to color, obsessions to crazy rules, you name it she wrote about it with whit in this book.  

Back cover Blurb:

While Olivia deBelle Byrd was repeating one of her many Southern stories for the umpteenth time, her long-suffering husband looked at her with glazed over eyes and said, “Why don’t you write this stuff down?” Thus was born Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle. If the genesis for a book is to shut your wife up, I guess that’s as good as any. 

On top of that, Olivia’s mother had burdened her with one of those Southern middle names kids love to make fun. To see “deBelle” printed on the front of a book seemed vindication for all the childhood teasing.

With storytelling written in the finest Southern tradition from the soap operas of Chandler Street in the quaint town of Gainesville, Georgia, to a country store on the Alabama state line, Olivia deBelle Byrd delves with wit and amusement into the world of the Deep South with all its unique idiosyncrasies and colloquialisms. 

The characters who dance across the pages range from Great-Aunt Lottie Mae, who is as “old-fashioned and opinionated as the day is long,” to Mrs. Brewton, who calls everyone “dahling” whether they are darling or not, to Isabella with her penchant for mint juleps and drama.

Humorous anecdotes from a Christmas coffee, where one can converse with a lady who has Christmas trees with blinking lights dangling from her ears, to Sunday church, where a mink coat is mistaken for possum, will delight Southerners and baffle many a non-Southerner. There is the proverbial Southern beauty pageant, where even a six-month-old can win a tiara, to a funeral faux pas of the iron clad Southern rule—one never wears white after Labor Day and, dear gussy, most certainly not to a funeral.

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdtoes of a Southern Belle is guaranteed to provide an afternoon of laugh-out-loud reading and hilarious enjoyment.

Olivia deBelle Byrd was born and bred in the South. She is a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College and a Kappa Delta. She resides in Panama City, Florida, with her husband, Tommy, and is the proud mother of Tommy Jr. and Elizabeth.

For more information about this book visit Oliviah deBelle Byrd's web site here.

I want to thank the author for providing me a copy of this book for this review.

Whatcha Reading ~ Miss Hildreth Wore Brown

This is how "Whatcha Reading Wednesdays" works this week...

Go to page 1 type in the first sentence. If it is a spoiler at all be sure to put **Spoiler Alert** at the top of your comment (like if the selection announces the death of an integral character or something).

Link up over at Busy Moms Who Love to Read

After many years away, one of my best friends recently moved back home to her small Southern town.  One of her first duties was to accompany her mother to a funeral.  Now funerals in the South are a serious business. 

Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer

Marianna Sommer believes she knows where her life is headed. Nineteen years old and Amish, her plan is to get baptized into the church, marry Aaron Zook, and live in the only community she's ever known.

When Marianna's family moves from Indiana to Montana she discovers life and faith will never be the same. As she builds an easy friendship with local guy, Ben Stone, Ben not only draws her heart, he also gets her thinking about what loving God and living in community is all about.

As Marianna struggles to find "home", she also encounters God in intimate ways. Click here to watch the book trailers.

I've read many Amish setting books, but never one like this one that Tricia Goyer has given us in Beside Still Waters, where a whole family up roots and moves to a new community that is so totally different than the one they are use to.  It was very interesting to see the adjustments that have to be made in their new community.  The major theme that runs through the book is letting go and healing from a painful past.  We must learn to tame the ghost of the past and eagerly move on into the future. While there is a sense of curiosity and fear of the unknown adventure is related in the book as well. 

Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty-six 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. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife. Visit www.triciagoyer.com for more info.

BIG NEWS: Tricia is having a fun giveaway.
To celebrate the release of the first book in the Big Sky Amish series Tricia is giving away 10 copies of Beside Still Waters and a pair of super cute antique Amish salt & pepper shakers.
Details at Tricia’s blog, It’s Real Life

**Please do not Leave a comment here at my blog to enter the giveaway. You'll need to follow the link.  Thanks**

BONUS! Each person who enters the giveaway will receive a FABULOUS Montana Amish Calendar. Hurry, it’s only available while supplies last!

Link to buy the book
Blog Tour Schedule

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

Teaser Tuesday ~ Miss Hildreth wore Brown

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 un! 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 now adult son called the other day to tell me he was going to Atlanta, Georgia, to spend the weekend with friends.  "Oh, no, you're not,"  I replied.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"You're not going anywhere. You're grounded."

"Okay," he said exasperatedly. "Please explain this one."

I was thinking about that party you threw when you were sixteen and we were out of town.  You put me through pure agony."  

"Mom, that was fifteen years ago.  I have mended my ways," he pointed out.

"I don't care. I'm not over it," I snapped as I continued.

"I would wish upon you a son who does the same thing but that would be my grandson, so even I know that is not a wise wish.  Therefore, I intend on going completely bonkers and embarrassing you at every opportunity that presents itself."  

"Well, all I can say," he answered, "is that you're well on your way."

~taken from p. 123 & 124 of Olivia deBelle Byrd's Miss Hildreth Wore Brown. 
Be watching for my review on this book.  It will be posted tomorrow.

The Alarmist by Don Hoesel

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Alarmists Bethany House (April 1, 2011) by Don Hoesel

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Don Hoesel is a Web site designer for a Medicare carrier in Nashville, TN. He has a BA in Mass Communication from Taylor University and has published short fiction in Relief Journal. He was born and raised in Buffalo, NY but calls Spring Hill, Tennessee, with his wife and two children. The Alarmists is his third novel.

ABOUT THE BOOK
 

The 2012 phenomenon that's going viral around the globe has led sociology professor Jameson Richards to study the impact on society when, like the Y2K scare, 12/21/12 comes and goes with hardly a wrinkle.

This is the date that, according to the Mayan calendar, the doomsayers predict the world will end. Richards teams up with General Michaels, a scientist stationed at the Pentagon whose job it is to monitor the world's fanatics, keeping an eye out for potential terrorists. Together they uncover something sinister going on beneath the surface, linked to billionaire and media mogul Jeremy Maxwell, who also happens to be a huge manufacturer of weapons systems.

The 2012 date has captured Maxwell's attention too, and he's looking to cash in on the public's fear and paranoia. And what he instigates--along with his corrupt partners--nearly starts another war in the Middle East, while also bringing the world to its knees economically. It's up to the professor/general team to blow the whistle on Maxwell, hopefully in time to avert a major catastrophe.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Alarmists, go HERE

Mailbox Monday ~ Apr. 4, 2011

Join Mailbox Monday meme

@ The Printed Page
with different guest host monthly

There is also a Mailbox Monday hosted by:  

A little of this and a little of that
This Mama Loves Her Bargains 
with different guest host weekly
this week's guest host is
Keeping up with the Rheinlanders

Deadly Competition by Roxanne Rustand

Passport through Darkness by Kimberly L. Smith

Love Finds you in Valentine Nebraska by Irene Brand

Deeper into the Word by Keri Wyatt Kent

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

Abigail's New Hope by Mary Ellis

Tea for Two by Trish Perry

Max on Life by Max Lucado

Swept Away by Nicole O'Dell

This book didn't get in my stack of books' picture because my teen daughter has already confiscated it and is reading it and I forgot to add it to the picture.  I saw a glimpse of the book when she opened the package.  It hasn't even passed through my hands yet.  hehehe. 

Wolves Among Us by Ginger Garrett

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Wolves Among Us David C. Cook; New edition (April 1, 2011) by Ginger Garrett

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ginger Garrett is the author of the Chronicles of the Scribes series (In the Shadow of Lions, In the Arms of Immortals, In the Eyes of Eternity), Dark Hour, and Beauty Secrets of the Bible. Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther was recognized as one of the top five novels of 2006 by the ECPA.

Focusing on ancient women's history, Ginger creates novels and nonfiction resources that explore the lives of historical women. A frequent media guest and television host, Ginger has been interviewed by Fox News, Billy Graham's The Hour of Decision, The Harvest Show, 104.7 The Fish Atlanta, and many other outlets.

A graduate of Southern Methodist University with a degree in Theater, she is passionate about creating art from history. Ginger resides in Georgia with her husband and three children.

ABOUT THE BOOK

This richly imagined tale takes readers to a tiny German town in the time of “the burnings,” when pious and heretic alike became victims of witch-hunting zealots. When a double murder stirs up festering fears, the village priest sends for help. But the charismatic Inquisitor who answers the call brings a deadly mix of spiritual fervor and self-deceptive evil. Under his influence, village fear, guilt, and suspicion of women take a deadly turn. In the midst of this nightmare, a doubting priest and an unloved wife—a secret friend of the recently martyred William Tyndale—somehow manage to hear another Voice…and discover the power of love over fear.

Dinfoil, Germany, 1538. In a little town on the edge of the Black Forest, a double murder stirs up festering fears. A lonely woman despairs of pleasing her husband and wonders why other women shun her. An overworked sheriff struggles to hold the town—and himself—together. A priest begins to doubt the power of the words he shares daily with his flock. And the charismatic Inquisitor who arrives to help—with a filthy witch in a cage as an object lesson—brings his own mix of lofty ideals and treacherous evil. Under his influence, ordinary village fears and resentments take a deadly turn. Terror mounts. Dark deeds come to light. And men and women alike discover not only what they are capable of, but who they are…and what it means to grapple for grace.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Wolves Among Us, go HERE

Living with Financial Freedom by Matt Bell

Money and Marriage: 
Living With Financial Freedom

By Matt Bell

For many couples, money is a tough topic. But there’s one financial issue that, like no other, causes financial discomfort among couples and raises the chances for financial fights: debt.

Take Off the Shackles

The Bible says, “The borrower is servant to the lender.” Living as a servant to a lender isn’t wise for any of us, but it’s especially problematic in marriage.

Researcher Jeffrey Dew at Utah State University has found that not only does consumer debt (credit card debt and other installment loans) fuel a sense of financial unease among couples and increase the likelihood that they will argue about money, but “this financial unease casts a pall over marriages in general, raising the likelihood that couples will argue over issues other than money and decreasing the time they spend with one another.”

Dew’s research shows that newlyweds that take on substantial consumer debt become less happy in their marriages over time. On the other hand, newly married couples that pay off their consumer debt within their first five years of marriage are more satisfied with their marriage. Those findings held up no matter whether couples were rich or poor.

Whose Debt Is It?

How couples approach their debt is important as well.

When Scott and Karen got married, Karen brought $50,000 of non-mortgage debt into the marriage. Scott jokingly referred to it as a reverse dowry.

One of the things I love about their story is that from the earliest days of their marriage, whenever Karen would talk about “my” debt, Scott would correct her by saying is was “our” debt. Now there’s a guy who is committed to financial oneness.

One other notable part of their story is that their faith-based convictions motivated them to give away 10 percent of their income throughout their journey of getting out of debt. Karen remembered seeing their year-end giving statement, and thinking, ‘Gee, we could have gotten out of debt so much faster if we had put that money toward our debts.” And she remembers hearing other people’s stories of unexpected blessings they felt came about because of their giving. “I started wondering where’s my cool story?” she said.

Six-and-a-half years after getting married, Scott and Karen made their last debt payment. It was a day neither one of them will ever forget. “It was amazing,” Karen says. “We felt like it was a hard road we had traveled, but we did it, and we did it in a God-honoring way. We are 100 percent debt-free.”

Scott will soon be able to retire with a full pension at a much younger age than most people, having put in over twenty years as a Chicago firefighter. They’re thinking about getting an RV and spending a year traveling the country.

Sounds pretty cool to me.

Be Done With Debt ASAP

If you are engaged or newly married, make it one of your highest financial priorities to get out of debt and then live the rest of your lives with no debt other than a reasonable mortgage (One that requires no more than 25% of monthly household gross income to pay for the combination of your mortgage, taxes, and insurance).

Put together a spending plan that enables you to maximize debt repayment. You may find it helpful to use the recommended spending plans found in the “Money, Purpose, Joy,” workbook, which contains detailed plans for four different size households across nine different annual incomes.

Very often, when couples get married they get excited about all that they’ll be able to afford with two incomes. But I encourage all newly married couples to base their lifestyle mostly on one income. It’s the single most helpful step you can take to prepare for children since it makes it much easier for one spouse to choose to step out of the paid workforce if that’s their desire.

If you have debt, it’s especially important to live mostly on one income so you can use the other income to get out of debt. Doing so will make all the difference in helping you build a solid financial foundation and live with financial freedom.

Matt Bell is the author of three personal finance books published by NavPress, including his latest: “Money & Marriage: A Complete Guide for Engaged and Newly Married Couples.” Matt leads workshops throughout the country and blogs at www.MattAboutMoney.com.

  Read this book tour and my review here.

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

False Pretenses by Kathy Herman

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing False Pretenses David C. Cook (March 1, 2011) by Kathy Herman

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Suspense novelist Kathy Herman is very much at home in the Christian book industry, having worked five years on staff at the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and eleven years at Better Books Christian Center in Tyler, Texas, as product buyer/manager for the children’s department, and eventually as director of human resources.

She has conducted numerous educational seminars on children’s books at CBA Conventions in the U.S. and Canada, served a preliminary judge for the Gold Medallion Book Awards of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association , and worked as an independent product/marketing consultant to the CBA market.

Since her first novel, Tested by Fire, debuted in 2001 as a CBA national bestseller, she's added sixteen more titles to her credit, including four bestsellers: All Things Hidden, The Real Enemy, The Last Word, and The Right Call.

Kathy's husband Paul is her manager and most ardent supporter, and the former manager of the LifeWay Christian Store in Tyler, Texas. They have three grown children, five almost-perfect grandchildren, a cat named Samantha. They enjoy cruising, deep sea fishing, and birdwatching—sometimes incorporating these hobbies into one big adventure.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Zoe Broussard loves the life she and her husband Pierce have built in her beloved Louisiana hometown. She owns a thriving Cajun eatery in South Louisiana and is married to the love of her life.

But it’s about to become hell. One day, out of the blue, she receives a series of anonymous notes that sends her life into a tail spin. Five simple words, “I know what you did.” Zoe has a secret so terrible it could leave the business in shambles and tear her marriage apart. Unbeknownst to anyone, even Zoe’s husband, Pierce, she has a past—a past she had covered so well she never thought she would have to confront. How could anyone know what she did? Can she find the courage to face her past?

If you would like to read the first chapter of False Pretenses, go HERE.