Stones for Bread Book Review and Giveaway -Litfuse #bookreview #giveaway

Christa Parrish is celebrating her fourth novel, Stones for Bread, with a KitchenAid Mixer giveaway.

Easy steps to enter:

1. Follow Christa Parrish and TNZ Fiction on Pinterest.

2. Then Pin the Stones for Bread book cover (below), the contest graphic (above), or both, and link to this post (using this URL: #StonesforBread KitchenAid Mixer Contest #ChristaParrish http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/stones-for-bread-by-christa-parrish).

3. Then fill out THIS SHORT FORM to let us know. (There are also some additional ways to earn extra entries, as well as an option for non-Pinterest users. It's true—people like that do exist!)

Questions? Email info @ litfusegroup dot com.

Winner will be announced on 12/9 on Christa's Facebook Page.

About the book: A solitary artisan. A legacy of bread-baking. And one secret that could collapse her entire identity.

Liesl McNamara's life can be described in one word: bread. From her earliest memory, her mother and grandmother passed down the mystery of baking and the importance of this deceptively simple food. And now, as the owner of Wild Rise bake house, Liesl spends every day up to her elbows in dough, nourishing and perfecting her craft.

But the simple life she has cultivated is becoming quite complicated. Her head baker brings his troubled grandson into the bakeshop as an apprentice. Her waitress submits her recipes to a popular cable cooking show. And the man who delivers her flour --- a single father with strange culinary 

habits --- seems determined to win Liesl's affection.

When Wild Rise is featured on television, her quiet existence appears a thing of the past. And then a phone call from a woman claiming to be her half-sister forces Liesl to confront long-hidden secrets in her family's past. With her precious heritage crumbling around her, the baker must make a choice: allow herself to be buried in detachment and remorse, or take a leap of faith into a new life.

Purchase your copy: http://ow.ly/qPvoG

Meet the author: Christa Parrish is the award-winning author of three novels, including the 2009 ECPA Fiction Book of the Year Watch Over Me. When she's not writing, she's a homeschool mother of three wonderful children. Married to author and pastor Chris Coppernoll, Christa serves with him as co-leader of their church's youth ministry as well as serving as a facilitator for a divorce recovery ministry. She is now also slightly obsessed with the art of baking bread.

Learn more about Christa at: http://christaparrish.com

My thoughts:  I love to bake and have been baking our own bread for many years now.  I actually can't remember the last time I bought bread!  I loved this book.  I loved the connecting of life to bread baking and how they are the same.  Our main character finds herself through her bread.  She is forced to make a choice between hiding in her bread shop and facing the life she can have if only she steps out in faith.  Definitely a great read and you won't want to miss the adorable little girl who steals her heart and helps her begin her journey.

Wonderfully Dysfunctional Book Review #BeckValleyBooks

 

The true story of... A woman who laughs at funerals. A gypsy mother who refuses to wear a bra and a father who refuses to leave his first wife. A brother who sleeps under the coffee table and a sister who was kidnapped. A cheating minister, a missing uncle and a feisty, red-headed grandmother who was longing to leave it all.

Buffi always knew her family was unusual, but she was lucky enough to escape that gene. Or was she? Joined by her siblings at the bedside of their dying grandmother, Buffi begins on a journey of self discovery as they recall stories of their youth including juicy family secrets, inappropriate practical jokes, abuse and betrayal. She is on a quest to find Normal but finds herself instead.

It Must be Genetic is about an American family of no particular importance, descendants of the once wealthy and revered Perry clan, but stripped of their family wealth during the Great Depression. It’s full of quirky characters like grandmother Mopsie; a sexy divorced mother of two in the 1950’s who would turn the heads of her conservative neighbors when hosting the best poker parties in town, but who can now be found sleeping her days away in the bed of a nursing home. The story climaxes when Mopsie accidentally reveals a secret that sends her family frantically searching through old documents to find the son she gave up for adoption half a century ago.

It Must be Genetic is about acceptance, forgiveness and the great capacity to love. The story is written from the perspective of a third generation divorced mother, Buffi, who realizes that the very traits that make her family dysfunctional may be the same traits that make it so wonderful. At 64,000 words, it's paced for a quick-and-easy read.

Buy the book from.....
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
Barnes and Noble

Buffi Lynn Neal is a free-spirited mother of two currently living in a small town in Central New Jersey. She earned her Masters of Computer Science from Lehigh University. She also holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in both Mathematics and Physics.

Although Buffi spent twenty years working in the field of Computer Science she longed for the day that she could use her passion for writing to tell the unusual stories of her life.

Who am I? I'm a forgetful, kind-hearted, forty-plus year old mother of two who has great logic skills but spells worse than a fourth grader. I'm afraid of the dark and never shut my eyes in the shower. I bite my nails and peel my sunburn. Actually, I will peel anyone's sunburn. I would rather stick hot burning embers in my eyes than take out the garbage and I would rather be comfortable than look good. Like my mother and grandmother, I love the beach.

I am much more than I can write and I can write much more than I am.

Buffi is currently working on the second memoir in her "Wonderfully Dysfunctional" series. 

Follow the Author

Author's Website, Blog,  Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Goodreads 

Books to come.....

Wonderfully DysfunctionalTM - Breaking the Silence

At the age of nine I met my grandfather for the first time. It had been over twenty five years since my mother saw him. He arrived completely by surprise, bringing gifts for all, and was ready to be a part of our lives. I was the lucky one chosen to take a month trip to Florida with him. During the day it was ice cream, new clothes, and Disney World, and during the night it was something very unnatural. What my family did not know, was Grandpa Jack was a pedophile.

"Breaking the Silence" is part of the "Wonderfully Dysfunctional" Memoir series. It's the journey of a young girl who loved her grandpa so much that it would take thirty years, four deaths, two lawsuits, many lawyers and doctors before she would Break the Silence and tell her story of love and abuse through the eyes of a child.


















Wonderfully DysfunctionalTM - 1982 Out Past Curfew 

It was 1982. I was only fourteen, and it was the year I learned about sex, drugs, love, and friendship. It was the year I became a woman and my mother became a person. It was the year of firsts for many of us; our first real kiss, first drink, first smoke, and first ride in the back of a police car.

We were a poor family living in a middle class neighborhood. The world was exciting and everything was new. I was a sponge soaking up all the good and the bad life had to offer. I learned that the child of an alcoholic has an unmistakable talent for holding their liquor, a teenager has the power to drive their parents to insanity, and if you turn your back on a friend you have turned your back on yourself. 

"1982 Out Past Curfew" is part of the "Wonderfully Dysfunctional" Memoir series. It's about the coming of age, the struggle to understand your sexuality and accept your past. It's about finding lifelong love and friendship from the most unexpected people. Many life lessons happened after curfew in 1982.


Tour Dates

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

My thoughts:  This is a very intriquing read.  You can't put it down.  And there is bound to be at least one character you can relate to!   Definitely an A book in my mind.  From this book you will find yourself examining your life to see what "unique" things about you are really learned from your family or possibly genetic.  And who ever said you had to wear a bra all the time!? or that you couldn't laugh at a funeral?!

Tuesday's Good Eatin' Recipe Hop 11/26 #goodeatinPL

 

Welcome to the Good Eatin' Recipe Hop

hosted by

The 'Pitch List' Bloggers

Every Tuesday you can join us to share great recipes.........

There are no specific themes. 
Add your recipe of choice to the linky.

No Giveaways Please...all giveaways will be removed.

We Love Comments! Please Share!

$50 Amazon Giveaway ends 12-8 #giveaway

WIN $50 AMAZON OR PAYPAL GIFTCARD!!





One Lucky Winner will win $50 Amazon or Paypal Giftcard !!
Courtesy of author of Fair Disclosure, Joyce T Strand

Ending on Sunday 8th December at 11.59pm EST

Open to US / CA / UK / New Zealand / Australia

NEWLY RELEASED ..........

FAIR DISCLOSURE: A New Jillian Hillcrest Mystery
Jillian and ex-husband Chad are enjoying a play at a local community theater when a scream interrupts the production upon discovery of a bludgeoned volunteer. When it turns out that the victim is someone Jillian interviewed for a job at her company, she becomes involved in another crime, drawn ever deeper by a second murder, an irate investor, the participation of law enforcement amateurs, an increasingly unreliable assistant, and suspicious stock trading at her company.  Meanwhile, Chad is pressuring Jillian to say “yes” to a second marriage.

About Jillian Hillcrest Jillian Hillcrest is a PR Executive at a small biotechnology company in Silicon Valley who—through no fault of her own—gets drawn into solving murders.

Jillian grew up with her mother in a small town in Pennsylvania, although they moved to California when she was in middle school. Her mother now lives in southern California. Jillian never got to know her father, as he was killed in the Vietnam War. She got married right after graduating from Cal to Chad Bradbury, who is a marketing executive at a biotech company in Alameda, CA. They got divorced after 10 years of marriage, and, quite frankly, are not sure why. They still enjoy getting together. In particular, they enjoy going to restaurants and drinking wine.

As the head of corporate communications, Jillian is responsible for updating investors, employees, the media, partners, and the community about Harmonia and its products. You might wonder about the name of the 200-person company that develops drug products for autoimmune diseases. The founder compared balancing the human immune system with singing in harmony. In Greek mythology, Harmonia is the goddess of harmony and concord.

Enter Below and Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Critical Reaction by Todd M Johnson -CFBA #bookreview

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Critical Reaction Bethany House Publishers (November 19, 2013) by Todd M. Johnson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Todd M. Johnson has practiced as an attorney for over 30 years, specializing as a trial lawyer. Todd's career experience blends with his passion for writing in his novels published through Bethany House.

A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Minnesota Law School, he also taught for two years as an adjunct professor of International Law, and served as a US diplomat in Hong Kong.

The Deposit Slip, Mr. Johnson's first novel, debuted in 2012. Todd's second novel, Critical Reaction, will be released in November 2013.

Todd lives outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife Cathy and children Ian and Libby.

ABOUT THE BOOK

After decades of turning out plutonium for the arms race, the Hanford Nuclear Facility has long been shuttered, though its deadly legacy cannot be fully contained. The men who guard the facility from sabotage or monitor its buildings for radiation leaks are told the risks are under control. They believe it, until the worst happens: a thunderous explosion in the dead of night.

Two workers, lifer Poppy Martin and new hire Kieran Mullaney, believe themselves lucky to survive the blast. But as the debris is cleared, they discover their safety is not assured. Dead ends and closed doors halt their efforts to discover what really happened--and what radiation may have poisoned them. When stalling and threats force them into the hands of experienced trial lawyer Ryan Hart, they learn that theirs is no ordinary lawsuit. There is something still hidden in the desert of eastern Washington, and someone is willing to go to extreme lengths to make sure it never sees the light of day.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Critical Reaction, go HERE.

My thoughts:  Murder, mystery, and intrique are all together in a neat little package in this book.  Add in the new Irish worker(loving the name Kieran) and his old friend Emily Hart(aka a lawyer) and you've got loads of suspense.  I say pick up the book.  Read the book.  And make sure that all you have scheduled for the day you start reading is well reading because you're not going to want to put this one down!

Pumpkin Fudge #goodcookkitchenexprt

I love all things pumpkin and decided to make some pumpkin fudge with my neat new little toys from Good Cook.  I got a great new pumpkin tool.  It has a scoop to cut the pumpkin and get the goody out of the pumpkin.  Pretty neat handy little invention if you ask me!

Ingredients:
1 cup raw honey
3/4 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup coconut milk
1 cup pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp allspice
2 cups white chocolate chips
7 ounce jar of marshmallow creme


Optional:  Line your baking pan with foil or parchment paper.  If you're giving this as a gift you should so you can get it out of the pan!

In heavy saucepan combine the honey, coconut milk,  coconut oil, pumpkin, and spices.

Stir constantly on medium heat until it boils.

Stir constantly while boiling for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and add marshmallow creme and chips.

Stir briskly until they are all melted and worked together.

Pour into prepared pan and refrigerate for 4-5 hours.  Serve chilled.

Come Join Me, Good Cook, TheFrugalMom and other Good Cook Kitchen Experts! 

The Ultimate Thanksgiving Twitter Party, Monday, November 25, 2013 at 6:00 pm to 7:00pm EST On Twitter with hashtag #Thanksgivingtips

Join in as we talk about everything Thanksgiving from turkey prep to decorating the table. Plus get a chance to win a special gift and one of three $200 Thanksgiving Baskets that will arrive in time for your dinner.

Be among the first 500 to RSVP by November 23, 2013 and receive a free set of Turkey Lifters 
Click here RSVP. 

Related by Chance, Family by Choice Book Review -Litfuse #bookreview

Deb DeArmond is celebrating the release of her book, Related by Chance, Family by Choice, with a "Day of Bonding" Spa giveaway!

One winner will receive:

• A $200 SpaFinder gift card (perfect for a pampering day of bonding)
• Related by Chance, Family by Choice by Deb DeArmond (2 copies)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 30th. Winner will be announced December 2nd at Deb's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Deb's blog on December 2nd to see if you won.

About the book: Transforming Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law Relationships. What does it take to create true family unity between moms and the women who marry their sons?

The caricatures are everywhere, the jokes are inexhaustible, and the stereotypes fill the screens. From Marie Barone (Everyone Loves Raymond) to Viola Fields (Monster-in-Law) to Internet sites and social media pages likeihatemyinlaws.com and a Facebook page for ihatemymotherinlaw there is no shortage of examples of the caustic relationships that can develop between the two women in a man's life.

Deb DeArmond and her three daughters-in-law have conducted their own exhaustive research into the status of the women-in-law relationship. Their research, which incorporated online surveys, interviews, and discussions, included asking about the faith factor in the relationships they studied. Of the respondents, nearly 90 percent claimed they were Christians, and 79 percent said their faith was foundational and guided their actions and decisions. As discouraging as it may be, the numbers of those they surveyed who reported that their women-in-law relationships were "bad" were nearly identical to those in a survey conducted by a popular secular website that recorded no statistics on faith.

Beyond the statistics and their analysis, Deb brings to this book more than thirty years working with adults to improve communications and deal constructively with conflict. Aside from her research and her professional expertise, perhaps the most important asset Deb brings to this work is her own relationship with her three daughters-in-law that is so obviously and unusually positive that she-and they-are often asked to explain the secret of the relationships they share.

This practical and unapologetically scriptural book covers issues of personal perceptions, strained communication, the roles of sons and fathers in the relationship's success, how to begin these relationships on the right foot, and the necessity of trust and love. Deb's one motivating objective is to help women-in-law move from women who are simply related to strong and confident members of a truly spiritual family.

Related By Chance, Family By Choice: Book Trailer Deb DeArmond

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/qBcKW
 
About the author: Deb DeArmond has owned her own leadership training and executive coaching practice for fifteen years. She is an experienced speaker and writer with work appearing in "WHOA" Magazine and "Dallas Family" Magazine and a cofounder of mypurposenow.org-an online community for Christian women 50+. Deb and her husband, Ron, have three married sons and three grandchildren, and live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Find out more at debdearmond.com.

Find out more about Deb at http://debdearmond.com.

My thoughts:  I do not have the best relationship with my mother-in-law.  There is a lot of hurt and pain in that relationship that may take years to overcome.  I love the faith based sound advice in this book.  The voice it is written in is awesome and definitely one everyone can understand and relate to.  The title says it all.  It's a choice.  We all have to make a choice of what we are going to do, but that one choice is one of the hardest that will probably ever be made!  Good job to Deb DeArmond and her daughters in law for their awesome relationship in a world of turmoil and bad raps to mother in laws.

Catie's Secret Book Review -Litfuse #bookreview

Catie’s Secret is the second book in Laura Allen Nonemaker’s children’s series, God’s Secret Garden Adventures. Laura is celebrating Catie's Secret with a Kindle Fire Kid Pack giveaway!

  One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Butterfly Pavilion Hatching Kit
• Butterfly Pattern Carryall Bag
• Butterfly Suncatcher Kit
• Benny's Angel T-Shirt (small)
• Catie's Secret and Benny's Angel with free E-Live audio downloads by Laura Nonemaker

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 23rd. Winner will be announced November 25th at Laura's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Laura's blog on the 25th to see if you won.

About the book: Catie Caterpillar looks different from any bug Herbie and Bella have ever seen. When Herbie makes fun of Catie, Mayor Benny shows him why he should not judge anyone by how they look. In the end, Catie reveals a secret and the bunnies learn the joy of forgiveness.

Catie's Secret is the second book in Laura Allen Nonemaker's children's series, God's Secret Garden Adventures. Like the previous book,Benny's Angel, Catie's Secret invites young readers to join an exciting adventure while it teaches a valuable lesson.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/qmZ3s

About the author: Laura began writing as a child in Bermuda when a favorite teacher had one of her essays published in a local newspaper. She is a contributing writer for Kentucky Monthly Magazine and her first children's book, Benny's Angel, was published in 2011. She is on the planning team for Artful Missions, which produces juried art shows and donates most of the proceeds to ministries that help women and children escape human trafficking. When Laura is not dreaming up her next God's Garden adventure, she enjoys spending time with her large family.

Connect with Laura at: http://godsgarden.tateauthor.com

My thoughts:  My kids are in love!  They really adored this little book geared to kids and showing the importance of kindness.  We are all different and even within a family need to practice kindness even amongst our differences.  We are going to be on the look out for more God's Secret Garden Adventures in this house.  As a lover of reading myself, I am trying to instill in my children that same love of reading.  These little garden creatures are endearing and addicting.  My kids all have the book almost memorized from me having to read it to them so much.  Definitely written wonderfully and in a voice that kids can love and understand.

 

Tuesday's Good Eatin' Recipe Hop 11/19 #goodeatinPL

 

Welcome to the Good Eatin' Recipe Hop

hosted by

The 'Pitch List' Bloggers

Every Tuesday you can join us to share great recipes.........

There are no specific themes. 
Add your recipe of choice to the linky.

No Giveaways Please...all giveaways will be removed.

We Love Comments! Please Share!

Quilts of Love Series Book Review -Litfuse #bookreview Aloha Rose

In honor of their new Quilts of Love releases, The Christmas Quilt and Aloha Rose, authors Vannetta Chapman and Lisa Carter are gearing up to ring in the Christmas season with a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway and a "Christmas Bee" Facebook Party on December 10th with fellow Quilts of Love author Lynette Sowell!

One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• The Christmas Quilt by Vannetta Chapman
• Aloha Rose by Lisa Carter

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 30th. Winner will be announced at the "Christmas Bee" Facebook Party on December 10th. Connect with the authors from the Quilts of Love series, Vannetta Chapman, Lisa Carter, and Lynette Sowell, for an evening of book chat, quilt trivia, Christmas traditions and gifts, PLUS get an exclusive look at January's Quilts of Love book!

So grab your copies of The Christmas Quilt and Aloha Rose and join Vannetta, Lisa, and Lynette on the evening of December 10th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the books, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN at the event page. Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway and party via FACEBOOK or TWITTER. Hope to see you on December 10th!

About the book: When Laney Carrigan's adoptive parents encourage her as an adult to seek out her birth family, her only clue is the Lokelani quilt in which she was found wrapped as an infant. Centering her search on the Big Island, she battles fears of rejection from a family that abandoned her once before while her faith struggles to embrace God's love.

Along the path to her true heritage, she meets Hawaiian cowboy/helicopter pilot, Kai Barnes. Kai is determined to protect the people he's come to regard as family against a woman he suspects of being nothing more than a gold-digger, but he finds himself drawn to Laney in spite of his reservations. He's spent his entire life seeking forgiveness from past mistakes and longs for a second chance at happiness. 

Laney's painstaking journey to find restoration and a place to belong among the breathtaking allure of the Big Island will lead her closer to her past and maybe even something more.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/qKmVW

Meet the author: Lisa Carter has been published in MomSense andChristian Parenting Today. Lisa is currently teaching music at a preschool and enjoying the enthusiasm and joy for life for which preschoolers are famous. She and David have two beautiful daughters.

Find out more at:http://www.quiltsoflovebooks.com

My thoughts:  I honestly have to say that I knew next to nothing about Hawaii or their culture other than what I've seen in movies.  I love the research that went into the book and how much I learned.  The quilt was darling(well in my imagination at least).  I loved the story line and fell in love with the characters.  There is so much insecurity in not knowing where you came from even if you were showered with love.  As adoptive parents we know this.  I can't say as an adopted adult(I'm not adopted) what those feelings would be like, but I do think everyone whether adopted or not has moments where they hide behind glasses as our main character Laney does.

Gaps/Paleo Mini Vanilla Cupcakes -dairy free and gluten free

Mini Vanilla Cupcakes:
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp Celtic Sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 large eggs(I used 1 duck egg and 2 pullet eggs)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
optional:
1/4 cup dark chocolate allergen friendly chips
1/4 cup peanut butter chips

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  Mix all the wet ingredients together in another bowl.  Pour the wet into the dry and mix well.

Place the mini baking cups into the mini cupcake pan.  Place one cookie scoop of batter into each liner.

Add some peanut butter and chocolate chips to the top of each.

Bake for 18 minutes or until done in the center.

Place on wire rack to cool