FIRST Wild CardReview: A Woman's Walk in Truth

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:

Vonette Bright

and the book:

A Woman's Walk in Truth: Devotions for Living a Confident Faith

Harvest House Publishers (August 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Karri James of Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Vonette Bright is an award-winning communicator, founder of Women Today, and cofounder of Campus Crusade for Christ International with her late husband, Dr. Bill Bright. A respected leader, sought after speaker, popular author, and well-known radio host, Vonette is committed to sharing God’s powerful truth with women all over the world.

Visit the author's website.




Vonette


Product Details:

List Price: $9.99
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (August 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736939296
ISBN-13: 978-0736939294

AND NOW...THE FIRST DEVOTION:

75 Candles

Have you taken an inventory of what’s important in your life? Birthdays are a great time to reflect and look forward. Imagine you were blowing out 75 candles on your birthday cake. What would you want to have accomplished by then?

Before Bill and I were married, I never would have imagined the Lord would use my husband and me so dramatically. God guided us to start Campus Crusade for Christ, an organization that has become a worldwide ministry with more than half a million workers.

Our goal from the beginning was to put God first in our lives and do all we planned for His honor and glory.

So, dear one, let me ask: Have you let God be the center of your life goals? Are you willing to let Him use you? Ask God today to take over every area of what you do. He will do a marvelous work with your life too.

Whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him (2 Corinthians 5:9).

This I Believe

You can never go wrong putting
God first in everything.

I love this little book. This small, yet thick book is filled with wonderful devotions for women. They are short, yet sweetly inspiring and tied to the truth of Scripture. Each page includes a scripture, message, and affirmation. This book would make a great gift for any woman walking with God. The front cover is attractive and the book addresses such a wide range of topics that anyone can benefit from using it.
5 out of 5 stars
Thanks to Harvest House Publishers for my review copy. I was not paid for this review and the opinions are my own.

Your Astrology Guide 2010 review

Your Astrology Guide 2010

by Rick Levine and Jeff Jawer

Overview of Astrology Basics

The transits of the planets and how they shape the different astrological signs are explained. The ruling planets, the elements, and the houses are expounded upon. The following concepts and how they affect everyday life are also taught: aspects, retrogrades, and eclipses. All of the information provided in this section is very basic, though. Do not expect more than a paragraph on each concept. This is not a book to reference for detailed information on how astrology works.

2010 Guide for Each Astrological Sign

The authors have released "Tips for the Year" in advance. With their permission, below are some excerpts from their tips for each astrological sign for 2010.

Aries (March 21-April 19)- The full enterprising power of Aries is yours when you accept the limits of society that require more precision this year. Whether you like it or not, you must slow down to get what you want.

Taurus (April 20- May 20)- Your potential to transform your life is incredible this year -- but your resistance to change is equally great.Similarly, you will find happiness this year as long as you remain open to surprises.

Gemini (May 21- June 20)- Overcoming your own resistance to fully feeling your emotions enables you to uncover buried treasure that can enrich your life for many years to come.

Cancer (June 21- July 22)- Seek out those with talents you admire so that you can learn from the best. Step outside your comfort zone; you'll discover that it's not foolish to take risks. There are enormous rewards when you invest in your own excellence.

Leo (July 23- August 22)- It's true that this year brings great potential, but exhausting yourself trying to achieve the impossible dream is not a sensible strategy. Heed the counsel of wise friends and seasoned professionals before making any life-changing decisions.

Virgo (August 23- September 22)- Challenges to the core truths you cling to can be a source of irritation and a cause of physical, mental, and emotional fatigue. The battles you face, though, are not with outside forces but within yourself. It's time to reexamine the ideas that have kept your life in order for years, but may be holding you back.

Libra (September 23- October 22)- Your overall success during the coming years will be based on your ability to pay careful attention to your long-term goals rather than short-term successes.

Scorpio (October 23- November 21)- Surrendering some self-control to reveal your emotion can feel risky, of course, but it's a great way to open your heart and enhance your creativity. Making mistakes is not the road to failure but the laboratory of invention. You can surprise yourself by discovering new talents when you put away the heavy hammer of self-criticism.

Sagittarius (November 22- December 21)- Open yourself to new philosophies, learn about new technologies, and re-create your future by being more conscious in the present moment.

Capricorn (December 22- January 19)- Your journey this year could be one of extremes as the most visionary planets -- Jupiter and Uranus -- light up your life with exciting new perceptions while the most conservative ones -- Saturn and Pluto -- keep stepping in to turn down the volume of your enthusiasm.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)- Don't waste too much energy resisting the inevitable. Instead, focus on the exhilaration you'll feel once you've overcome the obstacles and your life is heading in a new direction.

Pisces (February 19- March 20)- The highs and lows you experience this year accentuate the contrast between your greatest hopes and darkest fears. Expansive Jupiter in your sign makes your life seem so big that even the smallest act can appear to take on enormous importance.

Authors

Both authors, Rick Levine and Jeff Jawer, have been on radio and television programs throughout the United States and Europe. In addition, Rick Lavine is the author of Tarot.com's daily horoscopes, while Jeff Jawer is author of Tarot.com's weekly romance horoscopes. They are frequent lecturers and have written multiples articles and books. In the world of astrology, both are well-respected and sought after.

I highly recommend this book!

I Love this book as it makes each day more delightful to see what will happen in your life. A complete one-volume guide to the year 2010. This fantastic and in depth book includes month-by-month forecasts for every sign and all you need to know to find out what is in store for you in the year ahead.

This would make an amazing gift for someone, or for yourself.

You can purchase the book here.

I recently received a copy of from FSB Media.

* I was sent this book to give an honest review and was not paid for my review *

The Recipe Club book review

I recently received a copy of The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendshipby Andrea Israel & Nancy Garfinkel from FSB Media.

Initially told through a series of emails, letters and recipes, we learn about Val and Lilly and the power of friendship and food to enrich and nourish us. It is about these two girls who are friends and decide to start a "Recipe Club." They deal with issues of trust, love, anger and resentment between friends - you will definitely recognize yourself and your own friends in these two women. The book captivated me. I also enjoyed the way some 80 recipes were included, along with photos and illustrations.

YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK ... it is fantastic. You'll laugh and cry and miss the girls terribly when it ends.

You can buy the book here .

* I was sent this book to give an honest review and was not paid for my review *

Mom's Story : A Child Learns About MS Review

Mom's Story : A Child Learns About MS
by Mary Jo Nickum

This is an 80 page book about a child’s view of MS. It is told in the child's voice.

This story is fictional, the information it presents is factual. The story is about a family of five: the mother, father, Tony & Kelly the twins, and Amy the youngest. It begins with a fall, then a plate of dropped eggs, followed by temporary blindness. The Verdict MS.

The family goes from the initial fear that is common when a loved one is diagnosed with MS, to learning about the illness. Knowledge about MS helps a great deal to alleviate those initial fears. Nickum cleverly weaves tidbits of information on how online help can be found for those interested in learning about MS. In addition to this, at the end of the book the author included a section titled Information Resources for Families. These pages contain sources of additional information in the form of websites, books, videos, and DVDs that help aid in the understanding of MS.

About the Author: Mary J. Nickum is an editor and freelance writer. She was diagnosed with Ms in 1989 and lives with her husband in Fountain Hills, AZ.

This would be a great book for children who’s parents have been diagnosed with MS.

You can purchase the book here .

*DISCLAIMER* An ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book was provided to me by the Author for review. This in no way influenced my review.

Can God Be Trusted Review

Can God Be Trusted by Thomas D. Williams, LC, ThD

Have you struggled with trust in God? Father Williams will challenge you to rethink many of your earlier ideas about God and what to expect from him. I believe he is exactly right when he says that we never expect too much from God; we always expect too little. Father Williams is a priest and a Vatican analyst. In this book, he talks about the reasons that some people don't trust God because of several different reasons. This book has the potential to help those without faith begin a relationship with God. The author assures his readers that God is up to the task of dealing with their doubts. He explains why we have trouble trusting. He tells us what we can and cannot expect from God. He makes plain why trust is so hard for some people and so easy for others.

I think this book will be most helpful to believers who are questioning the ways of the world. I am a believer and this book would make a great Christmas gift as everyone needs it.

You can purchase the book Here .

* I was sent this book from Hatchette Book Group to give an honest review and was not paid for my review *

The Source of Miracles Review

The Source of Miracles: 7 Steps to Transforming Your Life through the Lord's Prayer by Kathleen McGowan

Millions seek success and happiness in other self-help books, But "The Source for MIracles" Shows readers the real secret is in the power of prayer that unites two billion Christians worldwide.

The Source of Miracles addresses challenges we face in modern life, with concise, practical advice and plenty of grace. It is the third novel in The Magdalene Line fiction series. This series is based on 20 years of research on four continents into the history of women in Christianity and their long-forgotten role in the development of global spirituality.

Page 21 How To Use This Book says it well. 'Caution:Committed use of this process can bring about happiness, abundance, and fulfillment beyond your wildest expectations. The subtitle of this book claims that the prayer will transform your life. It's a hefty claim, but I believe it is also an honest one. It is, in fact, the intention of the Lord's Prayer and the practice that surrounds it.But the key to your success with this practice is commitment'.

I would never have guessed that "traditional" Christianity would hold the secret to true wealth and true abundance. But to have true wealth and true abundance, one must go to the "source" and Kathleen's new book guides one onto this path ever so well.

I was very moved by this book and hope you will be as well.

You can order the book Here .
* I was sent this book to give an honest review and was not paid for my review *

Touching Wonder

You are invited to visit uReadBooks.com to listen to this new Christmas audio special!

uReadBooks presents:
Touching Wonder -

A Christmas Radio Special

Does it seem like you have heard the Christmas story a few too many times for it to still hold the wonder that it once had? With his instant classic, Touching Wonder, author John Blase breathes new life into the story of the Nativity. Just in time for the holiday season, uReadBooks.com presents a half hour Christmas special featuring excerpts from this new book.


About the book:
Little children understand how amazing the Nativity story is. But, sometimes, as we become men and women, we put away the childlike with the childish. The result? We lose something vital—the wonder of it all. When author John Blase went looking for the lost wonder of Christmas, he went back to the place he’d last seen it—the stories from Luke 1-2. What he found fills the pages of his new book, Touching Wonder: Recapturing the Awe of Christmas (David C Cook, September 2009), with flesh and bone and dust and night and a baby’s cry; the intimate union of human and divine—the Incarnation.

By boldly imagining the first two chapters of the gospel of Luke, writer, editor, and former pastor John Blase has created an instant classic for Christmastime. In a tale that reads like a novel parallel parked by the record of Scripture, Blase beckons those who could use a little wonder in their lives to step onto the stage of history and witness the long awaited coming of the Messiah. With Eugene Peterson’s The Message Bible translation as his backdrop, Blase adds his own voice and commentary to the historic events, exploring the renowned drama from an array of viewpoints.

In Touching Wonder, readers will meet a cast of unruly unlikelies—a frightened teenaged girl, a worried carpenter, a collection of senior citizens, a disillusioned young shepherd, even an angel or two—moving toward the realization that the little one just born is the One. This imaginative retelling of the grand miracle will leave readers wide-eyed, slack-jawed, and heart-full. The Lord is come!

In this lovely and distinctive book to be read…and re-read…and pondered in the heart, young and old will recapture the wonder of the Christmas story by seeing through the eyes of those who lived it. The book’s graceful design and Amanda Jolman’s beautiful line drawings combine to make this a thoughtful Christmas gift as well as a wonder that families will treasure for years to come.

Touching Wonder: Recapturing the Awe of Christmas
by John Blase
David C Cook/September 2009
http://www.davidccook.com/

http://www.johnblase.com/

To listen to or download the program, visit www.ureadbooks.com/touchingwonder.

Weekly Wins ending 11/21

All wins were books this week! The 2 on the left are wins, and the other 4 are for review.

Decoding The Lost Symbol Giveaway

Introduction by Simon Cox,Author of Decoding The Lost Symbol: The Unauthorized Expert Guide to the Facts Behind the FictionIt was April 2009, and I was just arriving at the London Book Fair at the Earls Court Exhibition Halls. I was intending on catching up with friends, my UK publisher, and having a general look at what was new in the publishing world. However, I knew that something remarkable had happened the minute I had arrived. An air of excitement and expectation filled the packed halls, and smiles were emanating from all around. Grown men were close to tears.

I instantly knew what had happened: the new Dan Brown book had been announced.

This was to be the start of nearly five months of manic preparation and debate. Clues and hints would be given out, opinions bandied about, and crazed supposition would fill thousands of web pages. However, let's wind back the clock to the publication of Brown's previous Robert Langdon thriller, The Da Vinci Code, in 2003.

Back then, Dan Brown was a semisuccessful author of several thrillers, one of which was the first Robert Langdon novel, Angels & Demons, published in 2000. Sales had been average to poor, and Brown's publisher decided to take a gamble with The Da Vinci Code, sending out ten thousand free copies to bookstores and their book buyers, reviewers, and trade professionals. The plan worked, and soon sales really began to take off.

At the time, I was the editor in chief of a U.S.-based newsstand magazine called Phenomena. The Da Vinci Code was starting to cause quite a stir within the alternative-history genre that I inhabited; in fact, several authors that I had worked for as a researcher had their work credited as source material for Brown's book. (Phenomena even ran an article "casting" the movie version of The Da Vinci Code, should it ever come to pass. For the record, not one of the actors we thought would be so terrific in the roles of Dr. Robert Langdon, Sir Leigh Teabing, and the book's other characters was cast for Ron Howard's 2006 film starring Tom Hanks.) Eventually a small London publisher approached me about writing a short guide to The Da Vinci Code. The book, Cracking the Da Vinci Code, went on to become an international best seller in its own right. I subsequently wrote Illuminating Angels & Demons, a companion to Brown's other Langdon-based novel.

Intriguingly, the dust jacket of the U.S. hardcover edition of The Da Vinci Code seemed to contain clues hinting at the next novel in the series. This fascinated me, and I found out all I could about these clues and the secrets that they potentially held.

Time passed, and rumors began circulating that a title had been chosen. The new book was to be called The Solomon Key -- an apparent reference to a medieval book on magic with the same title. Impatiently, I began researching all that I could about this centuries-old text, which supposedly was written in Italy during the Renaissance but claimed a lineage that went all the way back to King Solomon himself. Perfect material for a Dan Brown thriller, I thought. Brown's publishing team registered a new website, solomonkey.com, and everything seemed poised for the new book to arrive soon.

More time passed . . . and more time passed . . . and still no definitive word about the new book, though plenty of fresh rumors abounded: Brown had scrapped the book; there would be no follow-up to The Da Vinci Code. Brown, exhausted from having fended off a high-profile copyright-infringement lawsuit in London, had decided to take an extended break from writing. It was even claimed that the 2004 movie National Treasure, starring Nicolas Cage as a treasure hunter seeking a mysterious war chest hidden by the Founding Fathers, had stolen so much of the forthcoming book's thunder that it required a complete rewrite. The unsubstantiated allegations were completely fanciful, of course, but they replicated over and over like a virus on the ever-conspiratorial internet sites that monitored the story, sending the rumor mill into overdrive.

Then came the 2009 London Book Fair. Only a couple of months before, I had predicted to my UK publisher that the announcement would indeed be made at the London event. More in hope than expectation, it has to be said, but accurate nonetheless.

A press release was handed out by Brown's publishers, and suddenly a new title presented itself. The Lost Symbol, to be published on September 15, 2009. What could such an enigmatic title mean? What was lost? Which symbol? The race was on, the game was afoot, and I rushed headlong into research-and-reading mode. What you hold in your hands before you is the outcome of that labor.

Before long, a new website appeared, at http://www.thelostsymbol.com/, though nothing but a holding page was evident for quite a while. Then, out of the blue, the site added links to a Dan Brown Facebook page and Twitter feed. Excitement grew to fever pitch, as thousands of people became Facebook and Twitter followers of Dan Brown overnight.

Steadily, these new media outlets began to reveal tantalizing clues and tidbits of story line. With each revelation, I furiously took notes and researched everything I could find. It was as if a whole new world were opening up. It was a cornucopia of material, and I started ordering more new books for my library to cover some of the subjects mentioned.

Some of the clues actually gave coordinates to several locations, such as the so-called Bimini Road. This unusual underwater structure off the island of Bimini in the Bahamas is claimed to be a man-made edifice and a remnant of the lost island of Atlantis. I had spent two summers on Bimini a number of years back as part of my research for a book about Atlantis. "Great," I thought, "now I have a head start on some of the material." Coordinates were also given for the Great Pyramid of Giza, the last standing wonder of the ancient world and another place with which I was intimately familiar. Then there were coordinates to Newgrange in Ireland, a monumental passage tomb built around five thousand years ago. The stone structure is famous for its alignment to dawn on the winter solstice, when a narrow beam of light briefly illuminates the floor of the chamber. I had just visited Newgrange with the author and Freemason Chris McClintock.

Possible adversaries and secret societies were hinted at. Ciphers, codes, and cryptograms were revealed. Historical figures were mentioned. It was all adding up to a furious game of who could be first to reveal the answers to the clues. Websites sprang up detailing the background and history of some of the people, places, and groups being mentioned. It was an internet feeding frenzy.

Then I remembered something: Bishop Manuel Aringarosa, a character from The Da Vinci Code, whose name had a hidden meaning. Aringa is the Italian word for "herring"; rosa means "red." Dan Brown liked to throw multiple red herrings into the mix. I began to look at the Twitter and Facebook clues in a new light. What if many of these were indeed red herrings? What if I were immersing myself in subjects that weren't included in the published book? That's when I stopped even looking at the Facebook and Twitter pages. After all, everything would be revealed on the day of publication, September 15.

Even this date, we were told, was part of the puzzle; chosen specifically for the book's release. I began to check almanacs, history books, websites, conspiracy theorist blogs, but found nothing. Then it hit me: 09.15.09; 9 plus 15 plus 9 equals 33. So it was true. The Freemasons, and specifically Scottish Rite Freemasons, would be a central theme of the book -- something that had been hinted at on the dust jacket of The Da Vinci Code years ago.

Then, before I knew it, publication day arrived. I began reading The Lost Symbol furiously. When I finished some twelve hours later, I realized that my suspicions had proved correct: many of the clues leaked over the previous months on Dan Brown's Twitter and Facebook pages were indeed aringarosa -- red herrings. There was no Morgan affair; no Aaron Burr; no William Wirt (and the strange story of his skull); no Knights of the Golden Circle; no substantial mentions of Albert Pike; no Benedict Arnold; no Confederate gold; no Babington plot; no Alexander Hamilton and the origins of the New York Stock Exchange; no Sons of Liberty; no Lost Colony of Roanoke; no Robert Hanssen, the U.S.-born Russian spy; no Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin.
Cleverly, there was no Key of Solomon, either. Instead we have a family with the surname of Solomon, who hold the keys to the eventual outcome. The Great Pyramid figures in the story, though not prominently and not in the context that many had thought.

Dan Brown and his publishers had managed to pull off something of a coup, keeping the plotline of The Lost Symbol pretty much under wraps until the day of publication (although a couple of U.S. newspapers did print reviews the day before, in defiance of the publisher's embargo). It was an amazing feat, especially considering that the book's print run exceeded five million copies, and it guaranteed Brown a huge amount of media and public attention.

So: what did we end up with? Is The Lost Symbol a worthy successor to Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code?

The Lost Symbol is, in the end, a pretty good thriller that keeps Robert Langdon on his toes and involves some big themes and historical enigmas. However, it's the deeper, more hidden elements of the book that I believe will have the most impact over time. Between the lines of the novel, Dan Brown has attempted to write something akin to a hidden Hermetic text. It's a bold and ambitious undertaking, and one that I applaud him for. Indeed, the last ten chapters of the book and the epilogue are more or less an extended treatise on Deism, Hermetic thought, and religious tolerance.

The Freemasons are the secret society of choice this time around. I'm sure that there will be those who see Freemasonry as a covert, sinister movement intent on power and blasphemy. I see it rather differently. I am not a Freemason, nor will I ever be one. But I do know many Freemasons. Indeed, Ian Robertson, one of the chief researchers for this book, is a Freemason, as is my friend Chris McClintock, author of the soon-to-be-published Sun of God book series on the origins of the Freemasonry and its symbolism. Neither of them is in any way sinister, nor are the countless other Freemasons that I know and respect. I like the stance that Dan Brown has taken with Freemasonry within The Lost Symbol. Many commentators thought that the Masons would, in effect, be portrayed as the "bad guys," but this is not the case. In fact, Brown makes a convincing argument for Freemasonry being a tolerant and enlightened movement with some interesting and forward-thinking ideas.

While it should be said that Freemasonry is a secretive society, it is not a secret society.
Membership is easy to research and find out about, and most members are not shy about letting you know that they are within the craft, as it is called. Since the heyday of Freemasonry in the eighteenth century, it has attracted men of a certain social standing and, to an extent, still does. But the group has become more welcoming as of late, and I hope that this trend continues.
One of the things I wanted to get across within some of the entries of this book is that maybe it's not Freemasonry we should be wary of -- instead maybe we should fear the real secret groups and societies of which we know very little or nothing. Then again, maybe we are simply chasing shadows, wisps of rumor and supposition that have tormented us for millennia; a fear of secret and hidden things that, in the end, may not be that secret or hidden after all. Another thing worth noting is that although many of the people mentioned in this book were not Freemasons (Pierre L'Enfant springs to mind), or at least we have no evidence that they were, they would have been intimately familiar with the society and its workings. Many of their contemporaries and peers would have been members, and the craft would have been all around. It seems likely, for instance, that Thomas Jefferson, though we have no direct evidence of his membership in a Masonic lodge, did have sympathies with the Masonic ideals of brotherhood, enlightenment, and religious tolerance.

Once again, like my previous guides to Dan Brown's books, this book is laid out in an easy-to-read A-to-Z format. There are some sixty entries in all; fewer than in previous guides. This was deliberate, as I wanted to give you a much more in-depth took at some of the themes, places, people, and groups featured in the novel.

The BBC in the United Kingdom once called me "a historian of the obscure," a title that I like very much indeed. I have aimed to bring you some of that history of obscure and hidden subjects within the pages of this book. If you feel the urge to look deeper and delve further into some of the interesting subjects highlighted here, take a look at the bibliography and start building your own library of esoteric and arcane subjects. Just make sure that you remember to sleep and eat while familiarizing yourself with the ancient mystery traditions -- it's an addictive pursuit but also a very rewarding one, and one that I hope many of you will undertake.
If you want to talk about, debate, or extol any of the subjects in this book or the novel itself, head over to my website at http://www.decodingthelostsymbol.com/, where you will find a forum for debate and articles and blogs. If you want to contact me directly about any of the issues raised, I have my own Facebook page under my name and can be found on Twitter too (@FindSimonCox).

Writing this book was a lot of fun, and it has given me a newfound respect and admiration for the men who founded a new and fledgling nation in America, at the end of the eighteenth century. As a British writer and historian, it's a period of history that I was not that familiar with and I have really enjoyed the research and subsequent writing about this tumultuous time. The Founding Fathers really were incredibly enlightened and forward-thinking men, who guided the formation of a republic with steady hands and an unwavering resolve. I will forever look at them, and this period of time, in a brand-new light from now on.

I hope you enjoy Decoding The Lost Symbol, and find its contents enlightening and interesting. I pass it on to you with the hope that you will find it as fun to read as it was to write.

Simon Cox Bedford, United Kingdom September 2009 The above is an excerpt from the book Decoding The Lost Symbol: The Unauthorized Expert Guide to the Facts Behind the Fiction by Simon Cox. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright © 2009 Simon Cox, author of Decoding The Lost Symbol: The Unauthorized Expert Guide to the Facts Behind the Fiction

Author BioSimon Cox, author of Decoding The Lost Symbol: The Unauthorized Expert Guide to the Facts Behind the Fiction, was the founding editor in chief of the successful newsstand magazine Phenomena. Having studied Egyptology at University College London, he went on to work as a research assistant for some of the biggest names in the alternative history game, including Graham Hancock, Robert Bauvel, and David Rohl. He splits his time between Britain and the United States.
You can visit his website at http://www.decodingthelostsymbol.com/.

You can buy 'Decoding The Lost Symbol' here .

I am also giving away one copy of Decoding The Lost Symbol. You MUST be a follower of my blog. Leave your email so that I can get in touch with you if you win.

Extra entries -
1. Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway and leave a link.

2. Blog about this giveaway and leave a link.

Giveaway ends Nov. 27, 2009 at 10 A.M. CST. Giveaway is open for US mailing addresses only.
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to notification with shipping info - if no response, another winner will be chosen .

* I was sent this book to give an honest review and was not paid for my review *

'Eat Your Way to Happiness' Review and Giveaway

Eat Your Way to Happiness by Elizabeth Somer.

Ask yourself these questions.

Do you consider yourself a happy person?
Do you have enough energy?
Are you satisfied with your weight?

All of these things are related, and your energy, mental clarity, mood and waistline are directly connected to what you eat.

The author presents 10 diet secrets designed to help improve one's mood, curb cravings, and keep the pounds off for good. She includes tips like "10 days of mood Boosting- waist shrinking Lunch Ideas" and "The Truth About Super Foods". I learned so much reading this book, and I thought I knew a lot about nutrition. I was wrong.

I am in my mid fifties and have always had a weight problem. I have been following this book for a few weeks now, and have lost 9 pounds so far and feel much more energy. This is a great book with great tips for shedding and keeping off the pounds and giving you more energy.

You can buy 'Eat Your Way to Happiness' here.

I am also giving away one copy of Eat Your Way to Happiness. You MUST be a follower of my blog. Leave your email so that I can get in touch with you if you win.

Extra entries -

1. Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway and leave a link.

2. Blog about this giveaway and leave a link.

3. Leave a healthy recipe that makes you feel happy when you eat it.

Giveaway ends Nov. 25, 2009 at 10 A.M. CST. Giveaway is open for US mailing addresses only.

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to notification with shipping info - if no response, another winner will be chosen .

* I was sent this book to give an honest review and was not paid for my review *

SPIKE DAY/GIVEAWAY

Color Me Jazzmyne by Marian L. Thomas
AMAZON SPIKE DAY!

THE BIGGEST SHOPPING DAY OF THE YEAR—NOVEMBER 27th!

WIN FREE STUFF AND MAKE A GREAT HOLIDAY CHOICE!

On Friday, November 27, click on Color Me Jazzmyne’s Amazon page and buy a copy for yourself (and one for a friend). In order to be entered into the drawing to win a very special tote bag from the author, you must email a copy of your Amazon receipt to the folks at Author Exposure Book Blog (bookpromo at authorexposure dot com) within 24 hours of your purchase. Everyone who purchases a copy of Color Me Jazzmyne on November 27th from Amazon.com AND emails a receipt to bookpromo@authorexposure.com will have a chance to win a nifty tote bag!!

Color Me Jazzmyne by Marian L. Thomas is a fictional story of a jazz singer named Naya Mona, who was raped by her father. In the tale, Naya recounts her life to her son whom she is meeting for the first time. How do you tell your son that your father is his?

Women will relate to the drama, romance, and struggles Naya Mona goes through as she takes on the stage name—Jazzmyne. Written She has a voice that commands your attention and takes you on a journey through the life of Naya Mona that is filled with the melodious tones that make Color Me Jazzmyne a true reading pleasure.

To read the first three chapters of Color Me Jazzmyne, visit the author’s website at http://www.marianlthomas.com/

About the Author:

Marian L. Thomas is a native of Chicago with a passion for the words that reflect the issues that face women today. However, the concept of putting her thoughts into written form wasn’t realized until her second year in high school when she wrestled with the thought of writing a book she then called What Color is Jazzmyne. In fact, twenty years would pass before she finally debuted a more refined version of her original concept, calling it Color Me Jazzmyne. It was just a few years prior to this that she completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Communication, graduating Magna Cum Laude.
Marian now resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband and their spoiled but playful dog. She enjoys writing short stories that have full impact and is currently working on her second novel.

My first Book Review - "Diamond Rio Beautiful Mess"

I was accepted as a reviewer with Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers, and this is my first review.

I have liked the music of Diamond Rio for years, and jumped at the opportunity to read this book.
The Story of Diamond Rio by Diamond Rio with Tom Roland is about the country music band Diamond Rio. It begins with a concert in 2005 that went very wrong leaving the band, as well as several other people, thinking that they were at the end of the road. The book takes you through the beginning of the band at Opryland theme park to present day; a twenty year span. Well-written and thoughtfully laid out, the book dives into the lives of the six band members. It suggests throughout the book that Marty Roe has vocal problems, but keeps you waiting until the end to tell you about it.
The original name of the band was the Tennessee River Boys and to be honest it was difficult to get through the first two chapters for me. Finding the right combination of group members was difficult and a mess itself. But after that, I couldn't put the book down. I learned things that I never knew about this wonderful group such as all their charity work. What a great example these guys have set by helping others and staying away from the typical pitfalls of being a superstar.
This book was such an inspiration to me because it showed me how there is always hope, and if you are at the bottom, you have no place to go but up. I also liked this book because it is packed with the history of country music. If you are a country music fan, I would recommend this book. If you are not, then this is probably not the book for you. If you know a Diamond Rio fan, this would be a wonderful gift for them."It's the journey, not the destination". This saying by country music group, Diamond Rio's Jimmy Olander, sums up this book and the members of the band.

* I was sent this book to give an honest review and was not paid for my review *
You can purchase the book HERE
.

Books!!!!

Most of you that know me know my passion for reading. I have loved to read since I was in elementary school and I'm now 55 and the passion just keeps growing.
I got approved with a book group, and may soon be able to receive new books and share them with you. That means book Giveaways!!!!!
Will know more soon.
I am currently reading "Beautiful Mess" with Diamond Rio, and will write a review this week.
What are you reading?