Dream by Marcia Wieder - Review, Giveaway and Interview

I received this book from iRead Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: March 1, 2016

Number of pages: 232

Genre: Self-Help, Non-Fiction

Synopsis:

Do you dare to dream? If so, you are a results-oriented person. Dream is designed to help you both transform your own life and contribute to making the world a better place. Dreaming is something you do—or should do.

You were created to create, and your ability to dream is paramount and fundamental when it comes to living a dream-come-true life. Dream will help you design a life that is the highest expression of your purpose by creating dreams in every area that matters to you, both personally and professionally.

This book will help you take real steps toward creating and achieving the dreams that matter to you most. It will help you to uncover, or recover, your purpose so that you can live with purpose—and there’s nothing that will bring you greater fulfillment.

Reading this book will help you to fully understand:

• Who you really are
• How you want your life to be
• How to develop dreams that inspire you
• How to look at your life with a fresh perspective
• How to remove fear, doubt, or other obstacles
• How to implement shortcuts and the techniques you will learn

​Dream will teach you exactly how to do these and so much more.

Buy the book: Amazon Barnes & Noble

What did I think of this book:

This is the first book I have read by this author and I thougt it was very thought prevoking. I enjoyed reading this book and believe I will read it more than one time as it has a lot to offer the reader. This book does a good job of helping to really figure out what your dreams are and how to live them out.  The author's writing style flows so you do not feel like you are reading a self-help book but rather a book that can not only be helpful but enjoyable. 

After reading this book I want to work on my biggest dream even more. Everyone has a dream in them but most people do not know how to act on them. I believe if you read this book you will start doing instead of just dreaming. The author will challenge as well as encourage you to pursue your dreams. I will definately be following Marcia so I can continue to be inspired. I would love to hear what your dreams are and your thoughts after reading this book. My biggest dream is to write a book. Now to get started on it. 

About the author:

Dream University’s CEO, Marcia Wieder is a long established thought leader on visionary thinking. As Founder of The Meaning Institute, she teaches people to create and live fulfilling lives. She’s been a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, writes for Huffington Post and is the author of 14 books. She appeared often on Oprah and was featured in her own PBS-TV show called Making Your Dreams Come True.

She has taught at Stanford’s Business School and as president of the National Association of Women Business Owners, she assisted 3 U.S. presidents. She is a member of the Transformational Leadership Council and on the advisory board for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Connect with the author: Website Twitter Facebook

Interview:

Where do you get inspiration for your stories?
Every person that I meet has a unique story. Recently I did a blog video series called the "visionary wisdom" tour as I traveled through four countries: USA, Mexico, Portugal and Israel. I interviewed entrepreneurs, every day people, even the general manager of the Hard Rock Cafe. These Videos are available on MarciaWieder.com under my blog and most of them are about three minutes. Almost everyone spoke about fear and doubt as the obstacles so I spent some time developing a doubt removal system that I can speak about it in more detail later. But the simple premise is, where ever there is an obstacle, design a strategy to manage it.


There are many self-help books out there. What makes yours different?
I have dedicated my entire professional career toward helping people manifest their dream. I have written 15 books on how to make your dreams come true but this is the first time that the title is simply one word, "dream". I have made it a verb. The subtitle is clarify and create what you want. I have clients all over the world who pay me tens of thousands of dollars to do a private visionary strategy day with them. We always start with a clearly defined intention and 99% of the time it starts with the words "I want to get clear about..."

It doesn't matter if the dream is personal or professional, whether it's to lose weight, write a book, travel the world, start a family, business or nonprofit... we have to begin by getting truly clear. And I have developed a system with practical tools to help people do that.

Do you have another profession besides writing?
I am the CEO a Dream University and founder of the Meaning Institute. I have dedicated the last 30+ years of my life to helping people achieve their dreams. This is my life's work and probably what I will be doing the rest of my life. In Addition to being an author, I am a professional speaker, columnist and inspirational teacher. I have also developed a body of work and trained and certified over 1000 life coaches who I call Dream Coaches. My work is being taught in corporations, families, even in prisons and battered women shelters. I'm very proud of that.

How long have you been writing?
30 years..

Giveaway:

Win 1 of 10 print copies of Dream: Clarify and Create What You Want  (USA & Canada)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

March 14 - Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine - review

March 14 - Sarah Rehmatullah - review

March 15 - Amie's Book Reviews - review / author interview / giveaway

March 15 - T's Stuff - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

March 16 - Book Reviews Nature Photos and Everything in Between - review / interview

March 16 - Sahar's Blog - review

March 16 - Leigh Anderson Romance - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

March 17 - A Mama's Corner of the World - review / giveaway

March 18 - Heidi's Wanderings - review / giveaway

March 21 - A Holland Reads - review / author interview / giveaway

March 22 - Take It Personel-ly - review / guest post / giveaway

March 23 - Mystery Suspense Reviews - book spotlight / guest post

March 24 - 3 Partners in Shopping - book spotlight / giveaway

March 25 - One Frugal Girl - review / giveaway

March 28 - The Autistic Gamer - review 

March 29 - Library of Clean Reads - review / giveaway

March 30 - Readers' Muse - review / guest post

March 31 - The Cheshire Cat's Looking Glass - book spotlight / giveaway

​April 1 - More of Him - review / author interview / giveaway

April 1 - #redhead.with.book - review / giveaway

April 4 - Story Matters - review / giveaway

April 4 - fuonlyknew - review / giveaway

April 5 - Everyday Gyaan - review / giveaway

April 5 - Reading Authors - review / giveaway

April 6 - Collecting Moments - book spotlight / guest post

April 7 - Jessica Cassidy - review / author interview / giveaway

April 8 - Create With Joy - review / giveaway

​​ Book Trailer:

The Study of Seduction by Sabrina Jeffries - Review

I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: March 22, 2016

Number of pages: 357

Genre: Romance, Historical

Series: The Sinful Suitors #2

*This book contains sexual scenes

Synopsis:

A marriage of convenience ignites into a passionate love affair in the hotly anticipated second novel in New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries’s addictive Sinful Suitors series!

When Edwin Barlow, the Earl of Blakeborough, agrees to help his best friend’s impetuous ward, Lady Clarissa Lindsey, in her time of need, he knows he’s in for trouble. He’s been hunting for someone to wed, and she’ll just get in the way. Although captivated by the whip-smart, free-spirited beauty, he fears she’d be all wrong as a wife ... if she would even take such a gruff cynic for her husband. Too bad he wants nothing more than to have her for his own.

Clarissa has no intention of marrying anyone—not Edwin, whom she’s sure would be an overbearing husband, and certainly not the powerful French diplomat stalking her. But when matters escalate with the diplomat, she chooses Edwin’s gallant offer of a marriage between friends in hopes that it will deter her stalker. She expects nothing more than an amiable union, but their increasingly tempestuous kisses prove more than she bargained for. When her stalker’s vow to expose the lovers’ deepest secrets threatens to destroy their blossoming attraction, will their tenuous bond withstand public ruin, or will Edwin lose all that’s important to him to protect his bride?

What did I think of this book:

I absolutely loved this book. In fact I think I may have even liked it better than the first. This was the story of Lady Clarissa and Edwin. In this story we learn of a tragic event that happened in Clarissa's passed and how it has affected her entire life and her relationships. Edwin steps in to protect her when her cousin has to leave the country which is a fun part of the story. Reading how these two banter back and forth was cute. Edwin has his own issues with falling in love and does not believe he will ever be in love due to things he saw in his childhood between his own parents. Another thing I really liked is that you get a sense of both Clarissa's and Edwin's characters, feelings and such to see who they really are. It made them feel like real people. Clarissa's mom was a fun character, I just loved her and the things she says. She kind of reminded me of the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey. We get just a glimpse of Yvette and her husband which was nice as I liked them as well. There are plenty of steamy scenes in this book but there is also some nail biting scences. I could not put this book down. I am looking forward to the next book in this series so we can see who it is about. We shall she what the author gives us. 

About the author:

Sabrina Jeffries is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than three dozen historical romances. Whatever time is not spent writing in a coffee-fueled haze is spent traveling with her husband and adult autistic son or indulging in one of her passions—jigsaw puzzles, chocolate, music, and costume parties. With more than eight million books in print in twenty different languages, the North Carolina author never regrets tossing aside a budding career in academics for the sheer joy of writing fun fiction and hopes that one day a book of hers will end up saving the world. She always dreams big. Facebook (Sabrina's page)

Playing the Part by Jen Turano - Review

I received this book from Litfuse in exhange for a fair and honest review. 

Published: March 1, 2016

Number of pages: 352

Genre: Historical Fiction

Series: A Class of Their Own #3

Synopsis:

Can they accept who they are behind the parts they play in time to save the day?

Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon her starring role when a fan’s interest turns threatening. Lucetta’s widowed friend, Abigail Hart, is delighted at the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta’s life and promptly whisks her away to her grandson’s estate to hide out.

Bram Haverstein may appear to simply be a somewhat eccentric gentleman of means, but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there’s much more to him than society knows.

Lucetta, who has no interest in Abigail’s matchmaking machinations, has the best intentions of remaining cordial but coolly distant to Bram. But when she can’t ignore the strange and mysterious things going on in his house, it’ll take more than good intentions to keep her from trying to discover who Bram is behind the part he plays.

What did I think of this book:

This was a fun book to read as was the whole series. It is not only full of historical fiction but a bit of humor as well. Not to mention there is a bit of mystery and action which only adds to this story for me. I thought the story was well written and the characters well developed. It was nice to see characters from the first two books make an appearance. The author did a good job in wrapping this story up in the end. All in all I thought this was an enjoyable book. 

About the author:

Jen Turano is the best-selling, critically acclaimed author of The Ladies of Distinction series, and A Class of Their Own series, published through Bethany House Publishers. Her novel, After a Fashion, was chosen as a top pick from Romantic Times, as well as being named a top ten romance of 2015 from Booklist. Her book, A Most Peculiar Circumstance, was chosen as a top ten romance by Booklist in 2013. Her seventh book, Playing the Part, will release in the spring of 2016, followed by a new four-book series, The Wallflowers. When she's not writing, Jen spends her time outside of Denver with her husband and neurotic Cattle Dog, enjoying life as an empty-nester because her son recently abandoned her for the college life. She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor/ or visit her on the web at www.jenturano.com. She is represented by Susan Brower of the Natasha Kern Literary Agency.

The Skeleton Garden by Marty Wingate - Spotlight

Published: March 15, 2016

Number of pages: 233

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series; Potting Shed Mystery #4

Synopsis:

Texas transplant Pru Parke has put down roots in England, but she never dreamed she’d live in a grand place such as Greenoak. When her former employers offer Pru and her new husband, former Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse, the use of their nineteenth-century estate while they’re away for a year, she jumps at the chance. Sweetening the deal is the prospect of further bonding with her long-lost brother, Simon, who happens to be Greenoak’s head gardener. But the majestic manor has at least one skeleton in its closet—or, rather, its garden.

Working on renovations to the extensive grounds, siblings Pru and Simon squabble about everything from boxwood to bay hedges. But when the removal of a half-dead tree turns up the wreckage of a World War II–era German fighter plane and a pile of bones, the arguments stop. That is, until a rival from Simon’s past pays a surprise visit and creates even more upheaval. It’s suddenly clear someone is unhappy their secrets have been unearthed. Still, Pru’s not about to sit back and let Simon take the fall for the dirty deed without a fight.

Abouth the author:

Marty Wingate is a Seattle-based writer and speaker who shares her love of Britain in her two mystery series. The Potting Shed books feature Pru Parke, a middle-aged American gardener transplanted from Texas to England, and Birds of a Feather follows Julia Lanchester, bird lover, who runs a tourist office in a Suffolk village. Marty writes garden articles for magazines includingCountry Gardens and theAmerican Gardener. She is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Crime Writers Association. She leads garden tours to England, Scotland and Ireland, spending free moments deep in research for her books. Or in pubs.

Author Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martywingateauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/martywingate
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/453259.Marty_Wingate
Website: www.martywingate.com
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marthawingate/
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Marty-Wingate/e/B001JS1AIS

Purchase Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZNE45FO?tag=randohouseinc7986-20
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-skeleton-garden-marty-wingate/1122928338;jsessionid=CDBA029B53D8EBC6210553DAB234CED8.prodny_store01-atgap10?ean=9781101968055
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-skeleton-garden/id1048436145?mt=11
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Marty_Wingate_The_Skeleton_Garden?id=2vriCQAAQBAJ
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-skeleton-garden
Books a Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/search?query=9781101968055&AID=10876509&PID=2665379&SID=PRHEFFDF5A7F1–9781101968055&where=eBooks

Tour Participants

March 15 – A Blue Million Books – INTERVIEW

March 16 – Queen of all She Reads – REVIEW

March 17 – Reading Reality – REVIEW

March 18 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

March 19 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

March 20 – off

March 21 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW

March 22 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW

March 23 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW

March 24 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW

March 25 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST

March 26 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

March 27 – off

March 28 – Student of Opinions – REVIEW

March 29 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST

March 30 – Carole’s Book Corner – REVIEW

March 31 – Booklady’s Booknotes – REVIEW

Death of an Alchemist by Mary Lawrence - Spotlight

Published: January 26, 2016 

Number of pages: 304 Pages 

Genre: Historical Mystery

Series: Bianca Goodard Mystery #2

    

Synopsis:

In the mid sixteenth century, Henry VIII sits on the throne, and Bianca Goddard tends to the sick and suffering in London’s slums, where disease can take a life as quickly as murder… For years, alchemist Ferris Stannum has devoted himself to developing the Elixir of Life, the reputed serum of immortality. Having tested his remedy successfully on an animal, Stannum intends to send his alchemy journal to a colleague in Cairo for confirmation. But the next day his body is found and the journal is gone. Bianca, the daughter of an alchemist, is well acquainted with the mystical healing arts. When her husband John falls ill with the sweating sickness, she dares to hope Stannum’s journal could contain the secret to his recovery. But first she must solve the alchemist’s murder. As she ventures into a world of treachery and deceit, Stannum’s death is only the first in a series of murders—and Bianca’s quest becomes a matter of life and death, not only for her husband, but for herself…

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Praise for The Alchemist’s Daughter (Bianca Goddard Mysteries, Book 1)

“A realistic evocation of 16th century London’s underside. The various strands of the plot are so skillfully plaited together.” —Fiona Buckley, author of the Ursula Blanchard Mystery Series “Mystery and Tudor fans alike will raise a glass to this new series.” —Karen Harper, author of The Poyson Garden (Elizabeth I Mysteries) Series

About the Author

Mary Lawrence studied biology and chemistry, graduating from Indiana University with a degree in Cytotechnology. Along with writing and farming, Lawrence works as a cytologist near Boston. She lives in Maine. The Alchemist’s Daughter is the first book in the Bianca Goddard Mystery series. For more information please visit Mary's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Book Blast Schedule

Monday, March 7 Passages to the Past Beth's Book Nook Blog 

Tuesday, March 8 Book Nerd With Her Nose Stuck In A Book 

Wednesday, March 9 The Book Connection Seize the Words: Books in Review 

Thursday, March 10 Reading Is My SuperPower 

Friday, March 11 Rambling Reviews 

Saturday, March 12 Time 2 Read 

Sunday, March 13 Susan Heim on Writing 

Monday, March 14 CelticLady's Reviews Ageless Pages Reviews 

Tuesday, March 15 Just One More Chapter 

Wednesday, March 16 A Literary Vacation 

Thursday, March 17 A Book Geek 

Friday, March 18 The Lit Bitch A Holland Reads

Miriam by Mesu Andrews - Review and Giveaway

I'm so excited to be a part of this scavenger hunt blog hop in celebration of the launch of Mesu Andrews' second book in her Treasures of the Nile series, Miriam!

I realize most of you are probably already "on the hunt", but if you just happened on this page first, you'll want to hop on over to the start of the hunt at Mesu’s blog and then you'll finish your journey at Mommynificent.com. At the bottom of this post, you can find the full list of stops for the entire hunt. Between March 15th and 20th, click on the next link, head over to the page, meet a new book-lover, and read their thoughts about Miriam. Somewhere in each post there will be a single word that is in BOLD AND ALL CAPITALS. Write it down. (The words “Home” and “Good Luck” are not secret words for anyone.)

Then, go to the next stop. That post will also have a word that’s bolded and capitalized. You will need to visit all 14 blogs as each one will have a word that you need. Once you reach the end and have found all the words, you will have found an inspirational quote from the book Miriam. There are 14 words in this quote. Enter the quote into the Rafflecopter on the last stop and you will be entered to win a Kindle Fire from Mesu Andrews! (Open to U.S. residents only) If you have any questions, get lost, or experience any technical difficulties, you may email Tina at tina{at}mommynificent{dot}com for help. Now, let's talk about this fantastic book!

I received this book from Waterbook Press, a division of Penguin Random House, in exchange for an honest review

About the Book

Title: Miriam

Author: Mesu Andrews

Series: Treasures of the Nile, Book 2

Publication Date: March 15, 2016

Publisher: WaterBrook Press

Print Length: 384 pages

Summary from the publisher: At eighty-six, Miriam had devoted her entire life to loving El Shaddai and serving His people as both midwife and messenger. Yet when her brother Moses returns to Egypt from exile, he brings a disruptive message. God has a new name – Yahweh – and has declared a radical deliverance for the Israelites.

Miriam and her beloved family face an impossible choice: cling to familiar bondage or embrace uncharted freedom at an unimaginable cost. Even if the Hebrews survive the plagues set to turn the Nile to blood and unleash a maelstrom of frogs and locusts, can they weather the resulting fury of the Pharaoh? Enter an exotic land where a cruel Pharaoh reigns, pagan priests wield black arts, and the Israelites cry out to a God they only think they know.

My Thoughts about Miriam by Mesu Andrews

I am so glad that I got the chance to read this second book in the Treasures of the Nile Series. It was every bit as good as the first one. The author grabs you on the first page and does not let go until the very last page. I found myself ignoring everything else just so I could keep reading. Mesu puts enough details in this book to make you feel that you are really back in Egypt. I can not imagine living in that time period and all they had to endure. I am sure Miriam was looking for ANSWERS when El Shaddai went quite and she could no longer hear him. To her that must have been devasting. To follow her on her journey and learn more about her was very nice. I enjoyed learning moera about Miriam's story, she was a very strong and caring woman. All in all a very interesting as well as entertaing book and I look forward to seeing what Mesu has to offer us next.

About The Author

Mesu Andrews is the award-winning author of Love Amid the Ashes, Love's Sacred Song, Love in a Broken Vessel, In the Shadow of Jezebel, as well as two books in her Treasures of the Nile series: The Pharoah's Daughter and Miriam. Winner of the 2012 ECPA Christian Book Award for New Author, she has devoted herself to passionate and intense study of Scripture, bringing the biblical world vividly alive for her readers. She lives in Washington.

Mesu's Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Stops on the Scavenger Hunt

1. Mesu Andrews
2. A Holland Reads
3. Mother of Three
4. Just A Second
5. Grace and Glory
6. Angela Arndt - Joy on the Back Roads
7. God's Peculiar Treasure Rae
8. What If
9. Carole Towriss
10. Kate Hodges, Storyteller
11. Backing Books
12. Creative Madness Mama This blog is not working right now. :( The keyword for this one is WHO. Sorry for any inconvenience.
13. Climbing to the High Calling
14. Mommynificent

Win Both Treasure of the Nile Books

WaterBrook Press has given me permission to give away one copy of each of Mesu's Treasures of the Nile novels to one lucky winner so to enter to win your own copies of both The Pharoah's Daughter and Miriam, all you have to do is leave a comment below. This contest is open until Saturday March 19, 2016. (Open to U.S. residents only.)

Mother's Day Blessings (Berenstain Bears) by Mike Berenstain - Review

I received this book from Book Look Bloggers in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: March 1, 2016

Number of pages: 24

Genre: Childrens

Synopsis:

Mama Bear is the best mama in all of Bear Country and Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear know just what to do for her on Mother’s Day. In this newest title in the Berenstain Bears Living Lights, The Berenstain Bears Mother’s Day Blessings, join the Bear family and all of Bear Country as they spend Mother’s Day together remembering just why our mothers are so special to all of us!

What did I think of this book:

I am a fan of the Berenstain Bear books and have always been. I think their books are fun to read as well as they teach your child a lesson while they are reading them. Another thing I like about the books is the illustrations. There is something about the Bear Family that just brings back good memories of your childhood. I liked how this particular story teaches kids that mothers come in all shapes, sizes and jobs. Mothers are everywhere and are hardworking. A good story to help celebrate mothers. 

About the author:

Mike Berenstain grew up watching his parents, Stan and Jan, working together to write and draw these lovable bears. Eventually he started drawing and writing about them too.