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Saturday, May 30, 2009

FIRST WILD CARD BLOG TOUR: Evolution: The Grand Experiment by Dr. Carl Werner Pin It

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!


Today's Wild Card author is:


and the book:


Evolution: The Grand Experiment

New Leaf Publishing Group (October 8, 2007)


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Dr. Carl Werner received his undergraduate degree in biology with distinction at the University of Missouri, graduating summa cum laude. He received his doctorate in medicine at the age of 23. He was the recipient of the Norman D. Jones Science Award and is both the author of Evolution: The Grand Experiment book and executive producer of Evolution: The Grand Experiment video series.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $29.99
Hardcover: 262 pages
Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group (October 8, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0892216816
ISBN-13: 978-0892216819

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:


The Origin of Life:

Two Opposing Views


What Are We to Believe?

How did life begin? One view is that an all-powerful God created the universe and all forms of life. Another view proposes that the universe began billions of years ago as a result of the big bang. Later, life in the form of a bacterium-like organism arose spontaneously from a mixture of chemicals. Subsequently, this single-cell organism slowly began to evolve into all modern life forms. A third view is that life evolved, but God formed the first living organism and then helped the process along.


The Origin of Life

How life came about has been the subject of debate for almost as long as mankind has existed. Did life originate as a result of the intervention by a supernatural deity? Or did life come about as a result of natural laws acting over time? Scientists continue to search for definitive answers to these questions.

The publication of Darwin’s theory of evolution in 1859 was a significant catalyst in propelling man’s search for a natural understanding of past and present life. Unraveling the mystery of how life began and how life may have changed over time has been the focus of many scientists. Since Darwin’s theory first made public, scientists have collected over 200 million fossils, described the structure of DNA, and identified how genes are passed on to the next generation. These major scientific developments provide us with relevant and thought-provoking information. They lead us to pause and examine our ideas in view of today’s ever-increasing and heated debate over the history of life on earth.

The purpose of this book is to address these important scientific discoveries and present the reader with rare and remarkable facts concerning the origin of life — from spontaneous generation, through Darwin’s ideas on evolution, to the present-day understanding of mutations and natural selection


Americans Are Split on Their Beliefs.

According to a Gallup poll taken in 2006, many Americans believe that God created man in the last 10,000 years. This is surprising given the fact that scientists have been teaching evolution for more than a century.

Do most Americans not believe the theory of evolution because it is implausible? Do they not believe evolution because of their religious views? Or, do they not believe in the theory because they are unfamiliar with its concepts?


What do you think?


(chart showing many Americans surveyed don’t believe Darwin’s theory)


Do You Believe in Evolution?


CON:

“No, I don’t believe in evolution at all. I think if you just look at the facts, it’s pretty clear, it just can’t be.”


“Did we come from monkeys? I don’t know. There is evidence for it, but there is also some stuff missing, so making that leap with a missing link there, I have some problems with that.”


“From what I’ve seen and heard, we have not evolved from apes for the simple fact that apes are still around. I mean, if we evolved from them, why are they still here?”


PRO:

“Yes, I do believe in the theory of evolution because I think that we had to come from some place and you know from ape to man to what we are today. I definitely believe in evolution.”


“I think it’s a very sad thing that we’re getting religious views mixed up with governmental involvement with education. I think it’s a sad comment on how people are trying to fix what they see as social problems in today’s world by falling back on religious dogma.”


Evolution: Scientists Can’t Agree

Ever since Darwin’s time there have been scientists who strongly disagree with the theory of evolution. But since the middle of the twentieth century, there have been a growing number of scientists who reject the theory of evolution based on the discovery of processes and structures of which Darwin was unaware. These scientists cite multiple “lines of evidence” that evolution did not occur, including gaps in the fossil record, problems with the big bang theory, the amazing complexity of even the simplest organisms, and the inability of scientist to explain the origin of life using natural laws.

Scientists who support evolution state that the evidence for the theory is clear and overwhelming. They offer observations of natural selection in action, the evolution of birds from dinosaurs, the evolution of man from apes, as some of the most convincing proofs for evolution.


Con: “Life could not have created itself. Theories on the origin of life, that is the evolutionary origin of life, are modern-day fantasies; they are fairy tales.” – Dr. Duane Gish, Biochemist, Institute for Creation Research.


Pro: “You really have to be blind or three days dead not to see the transitions among these. You have to not want to see it.” – Dr. Kevin Padian, Paleontologist, University of California, Berkeley.


Evolution and Education

Recent Gallup polls reveal that the majority of Americans want both evolution and creationism taught in public schools. This is somewhat surprising given the fact that the majority of scientists believe in evolution and dismiss supernatural creation theories as myths.

There are different reasons parents want both theories taught to their children. Some refer to a sense of fairness. They want their children to learn both sides of the issue and then decide for themselves.

The problem of how to teach students such a controversial topic is challenging for educators. Some fear that teaching two opposing theories would confuse the students while some believe this approach would encourage students to think critically and openly about the world around them. Others believe that creation is a religious idea and should not be taught in government schools.


(Poll asking, “Do you think creationism should be taught in public school science classes?” 54%, yes; 22% no; 24% unsure)


What Should Be Taught?

“I believe it is good for students to get a balance of both sides so that they can make up their minds for themselves without being forced into one way or another. I know that if I went to school and they taught all evolution, that I would feel somehow a little gypped.”

“I do feel that everyone is capable of making their own decisions, and I think that students, even at a young age, should be respected enough to be given various kinds of information, various amounts of information, and let to make their own decisions.?

“I really don’t have a problem with evolution being taught in the schools just so long as all the information is given and it is shown that it is not quite fact. And it needs to be very scientific in its presentation as far as listing its faults and its strengths. I think that science that only lists strengths, and not weaknesses, in not science at all.”

Friday, May 29, 2009

FIRST WILD CARD BLOG TOUR: Who Made You A Princess? (All About Us Series, Book 4) by Shelley Adina Pin It

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!


Today's Wild Card author is:


and the book:


Who Made You A Princess? (All About Us Series, Book 4)

FaithWords (May 13, 2009)



Plus a Tiffany's Bracelet Giveaway! Go to Camy Tang's Blog and leave a comment on her FIRST Wild Card Tour for Be Strong and Curvaceous, and you will be placed into a drawing for a bracelet that looks similar to the picture below.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Award-winning author Shelley Adina wrote her first teen novel when she was 13. It was rejected by the literary publisher to whom she sent it, but he did say she knew how to tell a story. That was enough to keep her going through the rest of her adolescence, a career, a move to another country, a B.A. in Literature, an M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction, and countless manuscript pages. Shelley is a world traveler and pop culture junkie with an incurable addiction to designer handbags. She writes books about fun and faith—with a side of glamour. Between books, Shelley loves traveling, playing the piano and Celtic harp, watching movies, and making period costumes.

Visit her book site and her website.


It's All About Us is Book One in the All About Us Series. Book Two, The Fruit of my Lipstick came out in August 2008. Book Three, Be Strong & Curvaceous, came out January 2, 2009. And Book Four, Who Made You a Princess?, came out May 13, 2009.


Product Details:

List Price: $9.99
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: FaithWords (May 13, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446179620
ISBN-13: 978-0446179621

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:


NOTHING SAYS “ALONE” like a wide, sandy beach on the western edge of the continent, with the sun going down in a smear of red and orange. Girlfriends, I am the go-to girl for alone. Or at least, that’s what I used to think. Not anymore, though, because nothing says “alive” like a fire snapping and hissing at your feet, and half a dozen of your BFFs laughing and talking around you.

Like the T-shirt says, life is good.

My name’s Shani Amira Marjorie Hanna, and up until I started going to Spencer Academy in my freshman year, all I wanted to do was get in, scoop as many A’s as I could, and get out. College, yeah. Adulthood. Being the boss of me. Social life? Who cared? I’d treat it the way I’d done in middle school, making my own way and watching people brush by me, all disappearing into good-bye like they were flowing down a river.

Then when I was a junior, I met the girls, and things started to change whether I wanted them to or not. Or maybe it was just me. Doing the changing, I mean.

Now we were all seniors and I was beginning to see that all this “I am an island” stuff was just a bunch of smoke. ’Cuz I was not like the Channel Islands, sitting out there on the hazy horizon. I was so done with all that.

Lissa Mansfield sat on the other side of the fire from me while this adorable Jared Padalecki look-alike named Kaz Griffin sat next to her trying to act like the best friend she thought he was. Lissa needs a smack upside the head, you want my opinion. Either that or someone needs to make a serious play for Kaz to wake her up. But it’s not going to be me. I’ve got cuter fish to fry. Heh. More about that later.

“I can’t believe this is the last weekend of summer vacation,” Carly Aragon moaned for about the fifth time since Kaz lit the fire and we all got comfortable in the sand around it. “It’s gone so fast.”

“That’s because you’ve only been here a week.” I handed her the bag of tortilla chips. “What about me? I’ve been here for a month and I still can’t believe we have to go up to San Francisco on Tuesday.”

“I’m so jealous.” Carly bumped me with her shoulder. “A whole month at Casa Mansfield with your own private beach and everything.” She dipped a handful of chips in a big plastic container of salsa she’d made that morning with fresh tomatoes and cilantro and little bits of—get this—cantaloupe. She made one the other day with carrots in it. I don't know how she comes up with this stuff, but it’s all good. We had a cooler full of food to munch on. No burnt weenies for this crowd. Uh-uh. What we can’t order delivered, Carly can make.

“And to think I could have gone back to Chicago and spent the whole summer throwing parties and trashing the McMansion.” I sighed with regret. “Instead, I had to put up with a month in the Hamptons with the Changs, and then a month out here fighting Lissa for her bathroom.”

“Hey, you could have used one of the other ones,” Lissa protested, trying to keep Kaz from snagging the rest of her turkey-avocado-and-alfalfa-sprouts sandwich.

I grinned at her. Who wanted to walk down the hot sandstone patio to one of the other bathrooms when she, Carly, and I had this beautiful Spanish terrazzo-looking wing of the house to ourselves? Carly and I were in Lissa’s sister’s old room, which looked out on this garden with a fountain and big ferns and grasses and flowering trees. And beyond that was the ocean. It was the kind of place you didn’t want to leave, even to go to the bathroom.

I contrasted it with the freezing wind off Lake Michigan in the winter and the long empty hallways of the seven-million-dollar McMansion on Lake Road, where I always felt like a guest. You know—like you’re welcome but the hosts don’t really know what to do with you. I mean, my mom has told me point-blank, with a kind of embarrassed little laugh, that she can’t imagine what happened. The Pill and her careful preventive measures couldn’t all have failed on the same night.

Organic waste happens. Whatever. The point is, I arrived seventeen years ago and they had to adjust.

I think they love me. My dad always reads my report cards, and he used to take me to blues clubs to listen to the musicians doing sound checks before the doors opened. That was before my mom found out. Then I had to wait until I was twelve, and we went to the early shows, which were never as good as the late ones I snuck into whenever my parents went on one of their trips.

They travel a lot. Dad owns this massive petroleum exploration company, and when she’s not chairing charity boards and organizing fund-raisers, Mom goes with him everywhere, from Alaska to New Zealand. I saw a lot of great shows with whichever member of the staff I could bribe to take me and swear I was sixteen. Keb’ Mo, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Roomful of Blues—I saw them all.

A G-minor chord rippled out over the crackle of the fire, and I smiled a slow smile. My second favorite sound in the world (right after the sound of M&Ms pouring into a dish). On my left, Danyel had pulled out his guitar and tuned it while I was lost in la-la land, listening to the waves come in.

Lissa says there are some things you just know. And somehow, I just knew that I was going to be more to Danyel Johnstone than merely a friend of his friend Kaz’s friend Lissa, if you hear what I’m saying. I was done with being alone, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t stand out from the crowd.

Don’t get me wrong, I really like this crowd. Carly especially—she’s like the sister I would have designed my own self. And Lissa, too, though sometimes I wonder if she can be real. I mean, how can you be blond and tall and rich and wear clothes the way she does, and still be so nice? There has to be a flaw in there somewhere, but if she’s got any, she keeps them under wraps.

Gillian, who we’d see in a couple of days, has really grown on me. I couldn’t stand her at first—she’s one of those people you can’t help but notice. I only hung around her because Carly liked her. But somewhere between her going out with this loser brain trust and then her hooking up with Jeremy Clay, who’s a friend of mine, I got to know her. And staying with her family last Christmas, which could have been massively awkward, was actually fun. The last month in the Hamptons with them was a total blast. The only good thing about leaving was knowing I was going to see the rest of the crew here in Santa Barbara.

The one person I still wasn’t sure about was Mac, aka Lady Lindsay MacPhail, who did an exchange term at school in the spring. Getting to know her is like besieging a castle—which is totally appropriate considering she lives in one. She and Carly are tight, and we all e-mailed and IM-ed like fiends all summer, but I’m still not sure. I mean, she has a lot to deal with right now, with her family and everything. And the likelihood of us seeing each other again is kind of low, so maybe I don’t have to make up my mind about her. Maybe I’ll just let her go the way I let the kids in middle school go.

Danyel began to get serious about bending his notes instead of fingerpicking, and I knew he was about to sing. Oh, man, could the night get any more perfect? Even though we’d probably burn the handmade marshmallows from Williams-Sonoma, tonight capped a summer that had been the best time I’d ever had.

The only thing that would make it perfect would be finding some way to be alone with that man. I hadn’t been here more than a day when Danyel and Kaz had come loping down the beach. I’d taken one look at those eyes and those cheekbones and, okay, a very cut set of abs, and decided here was someone I wanted to know a whole lot better. And I did, now, after a couple of weeks. But soon we’d go off to S. F., and he and Kaz would go back to Pacific High. When we pulled out in Gabe Mansfield’s SUV, I wanted there to be something more between us than an air kiss and a handshake, you know what I mean?

I wanted something to be settled. Neither of us had talked about it, but both of us knew it was there. Unspoken longing is all very well in poetry, but I’m the outspoken type. I like things out there where I can touch them.

In a manner of speaking.

Danyel sat between Kaz and me, cross-legged and bare-chested, looking as comfortable in his surf jams as if he lived in them. Come to think of it, he did live in them. His, Kaz’s, and Lissa’s boards were stuck in the sand behind us. They’d spent most of the afternoon out there on the waves. I tried to keep my eyes on the fire. Not that I didn’t appreciate the view next to me, because trust me, it was fine, but I know a man wants to be appreciated for his talents and his mind.

Danyel’s melody sounded familiar—something Gillian played while we waited for our prayer circles at school to start. Which reminded me . . . I nudged Carly. “You guys going to church tomorrow?”

She nodded and lifted her chin at Lissa to get her attention. “Girl wants to know if we’re going to church.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Lissa said. “Kaz and his family, too. Last chance of the summer to all go together.”

And where Kaz went, Danyel went. Happy thought.

“You’re not going to bail, are you?” Carly’s brows rose a little.

It’s not like I’m anti-religion or anything. I’m just in the beginning stages of learning about it. Without my friends to tell me stuff, I’d be bumbling around on my own, trying to figure it out. My parents don’t go to church, so I didn’t catch the habit from them. But when she was alive and I was a little girl, my grandma used to take me to the one in her neighborhood across town. I thought it was an adventure, riding the bus instead of being driven in the BMW. And the gospel choir was like nothing I’d ever seen, all waving their arms in the air and singing to raise the roof. I always thought they were trying to deafen God, if they could just get up enough volume.

So I like the music part. Always have. And I’m beginning to see the light on the God part, after what happened last spring. But seeing a glimmer and knowing what to do about it are two different things.

“Of course not.” I gave Carly a look. “We all go together. And we walk, in case no one told you, so plan your shoes carefully.”

“Oh, I will.” She sat back on her hands, an “I so see right through you” smile turning up the corners of her mouth. “And it’s all about the worship, I know.” That smile told me she knew exactly what my motivation was. Part of it, at least. Hey, can you blame me?

The music changed and Danyel’s voice lifted into a lonely blues melody, pouring over Carly’s words like cream. I just melted right there on the spot. Man, could that boy sing.


Blue water, blue sky

Blue day, girl, do you think that I

Don’t see you, yeah I do.

Long sunset, long road,

Long life, girl, but I think you know

What I need, yeah, you do.


I do a little singing my own self, so I know talent when I hear it. And I’d have bet you that month’s allowance that Danyel had composed that one. He segued into the chorus and then the bridge, its rhythms straight out of Mississippi but the tune something new, something that fit the sadness and the hope of the words.

Wait a minute.

Blue day? Long sunset? Long road? As in, a long road to San Francisco?

Whoa. Could Danyel be trying to tell someone something? “You think that I don’t see you”? Well, if that didn’t describe me, I didn’t know what would. Ohmigosh.

Could he be trying to tell me his feelings with a song? Musicians were like that. They couldn’t tell a person something to her face, or they were too shy, or it was just too hard to get out, so they poured it into their music. For them, maybe it was easier to perform something than to get personal with it.

Be cool, girl. Let him finish. Then find a way to tell him you understand—and you want it, too.

The last of the notes blew away on the breeze, and a big comber smashed itself on the sand, making a sound like a kettledrum to finish off the song. I clapped, and the others joined in.

“Did you write that yourself?” Lissa removed a marshmallow from her stick and passed it to him. “It was great.”

Danyel shrugged one shoulder. “Tune’s been bugging me for a while and the words just came to me. You know, like an IM or something.”

Carly laughed, and Kaz’s forehead wrinkled for a second in a frown before he did, too.

I love modesty in a man. With that kind of talent, you couldn’t blame Danyel for thinking he was all that.

Should I say something? The breath backed up in my chest. Say it. You’ll lose the moment. “So who’s it about?” I blurted, then felt myself blush.

“Can’t tell.” His head was bent as he picked a handful of notes and turned them into a little melody. “Some girl, probably.”

“Some girl who’s leaving?” I said, trying for a teasing tone. “Is that a good-bye?”

“Could be.”

I wished I had the guts to come out and ask if he’d written the song for me—for us—but I just couldn’t. Not with everyone sitting there. With one look at Carly, whose eyes held a distinct “What’s up with you?” expression, I lost my nerve and shut up. Which, as any of the girls could tell you, doesn’t happen very often.

Danyel launched into another song—some praise thing that everyone knew but me. And then another, and then a cheesy old John Denver number that at least I knew the words to, and then a bunch of goofy songs half of us had learned at camp when we were kids. And then it was nearly midnight, and Kaz got up and stretched.

He’s a tall guy. He stretches a long way. “I’m running the mixer for the early service tomorrow, so I’ve got to go.”

Danyel got up, and I just stopped my silly self from saying, “No, not yet.” Instead, I watched him sling the guitar over one shoulder and yank his board out of the sand. “Are you going to early service, too?” I asked him.

“Yeah,” he said, sounding a little surprised. “I’m in the band, remember?”

Argh! As if I didn’t know. As if I hadn’t sat there three Sundays in a row, watching his hands move on the frets and the light make shadows under his cheekbones.

“I just meant—I see you at the late one when we go. I didn’t know you went to both.” Stutter, bumble. Oh, just stop talking, girl. You’ve been perfectly comfortable talking to him so far. What’s the matter?

“I don’t, usually. But tomorrow they’re doing full band at early service, too. Last one before all the turistas go home. Next week we’ll be back to normal.” He smiled at me. “See you then.”

Was he looking forward to seeing me, or was he just being nice? “I hope so,” I managed.

“Kaz, you coming?”

Kaz bent to the fire and ran a stick through the coals, separating them. “Just let me put this out. Lissa, where’s the bucket?”

“Here.” While I’d been obsessing over Danyel, Lissa had run down to the waterline and filled a gallon pail. You could tell they’d done this about a million times. She poured the water on the fire and it blew a cloud of steam into the air. The orange coals gave it up with a hiss.

I looked up to say something to Danyel about it and saw that he was already fifty feet away, board under his arm like it weighed nothing, heading down the beach to the public lot where he usually parked his Jeep.

I stared down into the coals, wet and dying.

I couldn’t let the night go out like this.

“Danyel, wait!” The sand polished the soles of my bare feet better than the pumice bar at the salon as I ran to catch up with him. A fast glance behind me told me Lissa had stepped up and begun talking to Kaz, giving me a few seconds alone.

I owed her, big time.

“What’s up, ma?” He planted the board and set the guitar case down. “Forget something?”

“Yes,” I blurted. “I forgot to tell you that I think you’re amazing.”

He blinked. “Whoa.” The barest hint of a smile tickled the corners of his lips.

I might not get another chance as good as this one. I rushed on, the words crowding my mouth in their hurry to get out. “I know there’s something going on here and we’re all leaving on Tuesday and I need to know if you—if you feel the same way.”

“About . . . ?”

“About me. As I feel about you.”

He put both hands on his hips and gazed down at the sand. “Oh.”

Cold engulfed me, as if I’d just plunged face-first into the dark waves twenty feet away. “Oh,” I echoed. “Never mind. I guess I got it wrong.” I stepped back. “Forget about it. No harm done.”

“No, Shani, wait—”

But I didn’t want to hear the “we can still be friends” speech. I didn’t want to hear anything except the wind in my ears as I ran back to the safety of my friends.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Amish Love Pin It

Amish Love

What’s all the hubbub about Amish fiction? Major media outlets like Time and ABC Nightline are covering it, and authors like Cindy Woodsmall are making the New York Times bestseller list regularly. What makes these books so interesting?

Check out the recent ABC Nightline piece here (http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=7676659&page=1) about Cindy and her titles When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and When the Soul Mends. It’s an intriguing look at Amish culture and the time Cindy has spent with Amish friends.

And don’t forget that Cindy’s new book The Hope of Refuge hits store shelves August 11, and is available for preorder now.

Thursday Edition of Contests Galore Pin It

Welcome to another Edition of Contests Galore!

Each day brings new contests from around the blogosphere and sometimes beyond.  If you would like to be included in one of the Editions of Contest Galore, please use the Contact Form to send me your giveaway/contest information.

If you love these daily editions of contests galore, put me in your feed reader or sign up for to get my post via email so you don't miss the new roundup.

You MUST visit the contest links below to enter.

No entries are accepted on this post.

If you are unsure if you've entered a contest already, do a search for your username.

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for another edition.

Thanks for stopping by and Good luck!

Laura

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50 Dollar Itzy Bitzy Shopping Spree ends 5/29  http://tinyurl.com/omwcrj

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Adovia Spa Psoriasis Relief Review & Giveaway ends 5/29 http://tinyurl.com/p7rvex

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Joyful Spirit Photography review & giveaway ends 5/29 http://bit.ly/L8tSg

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Catch the Drift with Mama Snow http://hail2thesnowqueen.blogspot.com/2009/05/boabab-50-giveaway.html
$50 towards Baobab children's clothingLeave a comment 6/3

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The Five Fish @ One Fish, Two Fish, Three, Four, Five Fish
http://onefishtwofishfivefish.blogspot.com/2009/05/sun-protection-zone-mfs-eyewear-review.html
SPF Sun/ swim gear, sun glasses, hat, valued @ $75 total
Visit my blog, comment form at giveaway
Deadline is May 29th @ Midnight AZ Time

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Mom Knows It All - Rita's Italian Ice - ends 05/29 - US only
http://www.valmg.com/index.php/2009/ritas-italian-ice-review-and-giveaway/

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Val's Views - Nature's Source products (5 winners) - ends 06/01 - US only
http://valsviews.com/index.php/2009/natures-source-review-and-giveaway/

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Name of Site:  Comfort Joy Designs

Giveaway Item:  Preggie Pops

Contest Ends: June 8

USA

Direct Contest Link http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/preggie-pops.html 

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Name of Site:  Comfort Joy Designs

Giveaway Item:  Umi Shoes

Contest Ends: June 8

USA

Direct Contest Link http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/umi-shoes.html

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Name of Site:  Comfort Joy Designs

Giveaway Item:  Nest Egg from Blessed Nest

Contest Ends: June 8

USA

Direct Contest Link http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/blessed-nest.html

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Name of Site:  Comfort Joy Designs

Giveaway Item:  Footstool from Your Couture Kid

Contest Ends: June 8

USA

Direct Contest Link http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/your-couture-kid.html

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Name of Site:  Comfort Joy Designs

Giveaway Item:  one year membership to Sittercity

Contest Ends: June 8

USA

Direct Contest Link  http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/sitter-city-giveaway.html

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http://mynotsohurriedlife.blogspot.com/2009/05/uprinting-16x20-poster-print-giveaway.html

1 winner 16x20 poster print
US and Canada free shipping all other locations must pay shipping cost
deadline- June 2 10 pm EST

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Your Mama Reviews
Your choice of Crocs from Crocs.com. Up to $50 value.
June 1, 2009
Comment on Post
http://yourmamareviews.com/your-mama-fell-in-love-with-crocs/

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Top Mommy Bloggers
http://marielynnboutique.blogspot.com/2009/05/free-125x125-lifetime-advertisement-for.html
One free 125x125 ad spot for a lifetime!
Comment to win
June 7,2009
Open to All

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My Moms View

Espe - Purse (brand new collection)

http://mymomsview.com/index.php/2009/05/espe-review-giveaway/

June 4

US & Can

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It's time for my second Bloggers Only giveaway! This time, you get a chance to win a Marriott Prize Pack which includes:

  • $100 Gift Card
  • Plush Robe (gender neutral and one size fits all)
  • Pair of Down Pillows
To enter, just leave a comment on the Marriott Prize Pack post telling me where I can find the Playsational "Giveaways" button on your blog.

playsational-button-3

If you're interested in entering this Bloggers Only giveaway, but haven't added the Giveaways button yet, here's the coding below:

<div style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://playsational.com/"><img alt="button" width="190" src="http://playsational.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/playsational-button-3.png" height="65"/></a></div>

By adding my Playsational "Giveaways" button, you'll also be eligible for my other Bloggers Only giveaways. And like I did on Momsational, if you link back to a specific giveaway post you've entered, you'll get five entries in that particular giveaway!

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Nomie Baby Carry Beaner Review & Giveaway @ 3 Boys & a Dog

http://momof3boys3702.blogspot.com/2009/05/i-know-that-it-really-doesnt-look-like.html

ends at lunch CST on June 5th

Reviews,Giveaways, WOW!  Check out my blog: http://momof3boys3702.blogspot.com/

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Host: Momma In Flip Flops2
Prize: Kid Cards, home made cards for kids to make
Enter: Visit site and comment
Open:USA Only
Deadline: 5/29/09
Link: http://mommainflipflops2.blogspot.com/2009/05/kidcards-review-giveaway.html

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Host: Momma In Flip Flops2
Prize: Kokopax Baby Sun Hat
Enter: Visit Site and Comment
Open: USA and Canada
Deadline: 5/29
Link: http://mommainflipflops2.blogspot.com/2009/05/kokapax-review-giveaway.html

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Host: Momma In Flip Flops2
Prize: Simply Breastfeeding 2 set DVD
Enter: Comment on site
Open: USA and Canada
Deadline: 6/1
Link: http://mommainflipflops2.blogspot.com/2009/05/simply-breastfeeding-review-giveaway.html

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Host: Momma In Flip Flops2
Prize: Chicks-n-Chickens DVD/CD
Enter: Comment on site
Open: ALL
Deadline: 6/1
Link: http://mommainflipflops2.blogspot.com/2009/05/chicks-n-chickens-review-giveaway.html

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MarieLynn Boutique Blog
http://marielynnboutique.blogspot.com/2009/05/picket-fence-flower-hair-bow-holder.html
Picket Fence FLower Hair Bow Holder from Ella's Bowtique
Comment to win
11:59pm(PST) 5/31

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* Name of your site - PMKU - Learning Never Ends
* Name of item that you’re giving away - DIY Personalized Name Pillows ebook
* Deadline to enter - @ 11:59pm 5/31/09
* US addresses or world-wide? World Wide
* A live link to the contest/giveaway post: http://babyandtoddlerproductreviews.blogspot.com/2009/05/come-celebrate-with-you-can-make.html

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The Army Wife
My Lil Budget Book Giveaway
http://thearmywife.com/?p=2354
Contest Ends: June 7, 2009

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The Army Wife
EyeBuyDirect $100 Gift Card Giveaway
http://thearmywife.com/?p=2333
Contest Ends: June 7, 2009

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The Army Wife
Snuggle Time Embroidery Giveaway
http://thearmywife.com/?p=2347
Contest Ends: June 7, 2009

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The Army Wife
Crunchy Cute Organizer Giveaway
http://thearmywife.com/?p=2402
Contest Ends: June 7, 2009

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The Army Wife
The Polka Dot Pig "Blog Lift" Giveaway
http://thearmywife.com/?p=2360
Contest Ends: June 7, 2009

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The Faveur Family Design Contest welcomes indie rock band

SEABIRD

Aspiring artists, Graphic designers and professionals alike:

Gather some inspiration from SEABIRD's music, and the stories they tell.... And then submit your works of mind-blowing genius for a chance to win $300!

Submission deadline is 6-23-09

Check out the Legal Mumbo-Jumbo here.

Enter the Contest Here

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Enter to win a $30 Gift Certificate to Andrea's Beau
Open worldwide!
Ends 5/31/09
Leave comment to enter. See rules for extra entries

http://www.the-giveaway.com/2009/05/andreas-beau-giveaway.html

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-NurseMommy
-Win soap of choice from Kikkos Soapworks
-6/3
http://www.thenursemommy.com/2009/05/win-perfume-of-choice-from-kikko.html
-us and cana

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Giveaways at All Because Two People Fell in LOVE:

EasyDaysies Kit (Ends June 3rd) $275 Photo Session (Ends June 5th)

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Name of Site: Comfort Joy Designs

Giveaway Item:  Blanket from Childish

Contest Ends: midnight June 8

USA

Direct Contest Link  http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/childish.html

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Name of Site: Comfort Joy Designs

Giveaway Item:  Hairbow from Felicity Cottage

Contest Ends: midnight June 8

USA

Direct Contest Link  http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/guest-post-heather-of-felicity-cottage.html

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Name of Site: Comfort Joy Designs

Giveaway Item:  Hairbow from Felicity Cottage

Contest Ends: midnight June 8

USA

Direct Contest Link  http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/guest-post-heather-of-felicity-cottage.html

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Name of Site: Comfort Joy Designs

Giveaway Item:  Pink Tooth from Chic Buds

Contest Ends: midnight June 8

USA

Direct Contest Link  http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/chic-buds-and-pink-tooth.html

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Name of Site: Comfort Joy Designs

Giveaway Item:  Bummas Cloths

Contest Ends: midnight June 8

USA

Direct Contest Link  http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/bummas.html

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Name of Site: Comfort Joy Designs

Giveaway Item:  Viva La Vida Ama La Vida Tee from KC Los Angeles

Contest Ends: midnight June 8

USA

Direct Contest Link  http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/kc-los-angeles.html

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Name of Site: Comfort Joy Designs

Giveaway Item:  KidzMed Thermofocus

Contest Ends: midnight June 8

USA

Direct Contest Link  http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/kidzmed-thermofocus.html

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Mom Knows It All - Chicken Soup For The Soul: Moms & Sons - ends 05/29
http://www.valmg.com/index.php/2009/chicken-soup-for-the-soul-moms-sons-review-and-giveaway/

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Mom Knows It All - The Good Home Cookbook - ends 05/30
http://www.valmg.com/index.php/2009/the-good-home-cookbook-review-and-giveaway/

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Win a Colorful Beaded Necklace

http://www.finderskeepersjewelry.net/pages/Contests.php

Name our next product.
Deadline 5/31/09 11:59 EST
Open to US residents, 18+

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http://www.the-giveaway.com/2009/05/shelf-reliance-giveaway.html

Enter to win a Cansolidator Pantry from Shelf Reliance! {ARV$37.99}
Open to Continental US
Ends May 28, 2009
Leave comment to enter. See rules for extra entries.

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Shop with Me Mama
http://www.shopwithmemama.com/blog/entry/94951/elf-cosmetics-review-giveaway
e.l.f. Cosmetics Mini Makeup Kit Giveaway
Comment on post/extra entries are available
June 5th

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-Nurse Mommy

- Win "my 411" wristbands from Mabels Labels

-ends 6/3

-US and Canada

http://www.thenursemommy.com/2009/05/win-my-411-bands-from-mabels-labels.html 

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Name of blog: Everything Up Close

Number of winners: 5

Sponsor: Waterpik
Prize: an Ultra Cordless Dental Water Jet (Model WP-450) from Waterpik.
Link:
http://www.everythingupclose.com/2009/05/waterpik-review-giveaway.html
Restrictions: US only.

End Date: June 12, 2009

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- YourMamaReviews.com
- We're giving away an AppleCheeks Cloth Diaper Starter Kit ($135 value)
- Comment on blog post to enter.
- Deadline:  May 29, 2009
- Open to US/Canada
http://yourmamareviews.com/your-mama-loves-applecheeks-cloth-diapers/

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-Nurse Mommy

-6/1 ends

http://www.thenursemommy.com/2009/05/win-bamboo-pillowcase-and-shirt-from.html

-Win a Bamboo Pillowcase and shirt from Dream Sacks

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My Moms view

Tshirt or onesie from Snugfits

http://mymomsview.com/index.php/2009/05/snugfits-review-giveaway/

May 28

US & Can

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My Moms View

Envirosax bag

http://mymomsview.com/index.php/2009/05/envirosax-review-giveaway/

May 28

US & Can

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Cover Girl Contest - Win a MacBook & $5000

GirlMogul Magazine dedicated to encouraging successful girls is looking for a real-life girl mogul to be on the cover its premiere issue (August 2009). Contest entry deadline is June 19th

http://girlmogulmagazine.com/blog1/2009/05/12/win-5000-and-a-macbook-and-be-a-girlmogul-cover-girl/

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My Moms View

L'li DiVinci Art Cabinet

http://mymomsview.com/index.php/2009/05/vat19-review-giveaway/

May 28

Can & US

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Menu Planning Resource Pack

CFBA BLOG TOUR: Rose House by Tina Ann Forkner Pin It


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Rose House

WaterBrook Press (May 5, 2009)

by

Tina Ann Forkner



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tina Ann Forkner writes contemporary fiction that challenges and inspires. She grew up in Oklahoma and graduated with honors from CSU Sacramento before settling in Wyoming. She lives with her husband, their three bright children and their dog and stays busy serving on the Laramie County Library Foundation Board of Directors. She is the author of Ruby Among Us, her debut novel, and Rose House, which recently released from Waterbrook Press/Random House.



ABOUT THE BOOK

A vivid story of a private grief, a secret painting, and one woman’s search for hope

Still mourning the loss of her family in a tragic accident, Lillian Diamon finds herself drawn back to the Rose House, a quiet cottage where four years earlier she had poured out her anguish among its fragrant blossoms.

She returns to the rolling hills and lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley in search of something she can’t quite name. But then Lillian stumbles onto an unexpected discovery: displayed in the La Rosaleda Gallery is a painting that captures every detail of her most private moment of misery, from the sorrow etched across her face to the sandals on her feet.

What kind of artist would dare to intrude on such a personal scene, and how did he happen to witness Lillian’s pain? As the mystery surrounding the portrait becomes entangled with the accident that claimed the lives of her husband and children, Lillian is forced to rethink her assumptions about what really happened that day.

A captivating novel rich with detail, Rose House explores how the brushstrokes of pain can illuminate the true beauty of life.

If you would like to read an excerpt from Rose House, go HERE

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