Praying Through Your Adoption Book Review

If you are thinking adoption might be the calling for your family, this book is for you. If you have struggled with the pain of infertility, this book is for you. If you have had just a fleeting thought of adopting and no issues with infertility, this book is for you.

Anyone will be blessed by the words Michele C. Scott gives in her book, Praying Through Your Adoption.

I have the privilege of knowing the author of this AMAZING book personally. She is a wonderfully, sweet woman with a gentle spirit who will inspire the masses with the truths of adoption you will find on these pages.

I saw Michele speak at a local church and her testimony brought me to tears. She was honest about the trials of adoption but also in how she continued to seek the Lord as they took this journey. Her story is beautiful.

I am an adoptive mom. I have felt the sheer joy of the blessing of adoption but also wallowed in the pain of post-adoption depression. This book was a precious gift to me even after the fact.

So, how do you get the book,
I have great news - there are a few ways to do just that.

• You can go to Michele's website HERE and get it for yourself and anyone in your life who you know it would touch.

• You can enter Michele's contest HERE where you can win a $50 Amazon.com gift card and then go spend it on a whole bunch of copies for you and your friends. This contest ends APRIL 1st!

• You can also leave a comment here on this post about WHY you would like to have/give this book and I will randomly choose a comment to win the book for free.

Once your heart has been blessed by PRAYING THROUGH YOUR ADOPTION,  I would love to have you go to THIS LINK and leave a review on Amazon.com.

I was thrilled to review this book for Michele and am blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of her Virtual Book Tour.

She will also appear on the following blogs to finish out the tour:
Tuesday - Jill Savage - Keep Hearts at Home
Wednesday - Angela Miller - Beyond the Horizon

Want to see where her tour has been this month:
Karin Prunty - Our Treasures From Afar
Alissa Lynne Griffith - Women Living 4 Jesus
Sarah Thacker - Parenting and Adoption Coaching Services
Jolene Philo - Down the Gravel Road
Julie Chandler - Julie Chandler Author/Speaker

Leave your comments to win!
Pass the link along to your friends...

Michele and her sweet family appreciate it!

RESCUED...a book review

RESCUED by Tom and Yolanda Barbagallo is not just a book I agreed to read for a review...it's a book written by a couple I have known almost my whole life. I didn't know them well, we have gone to the same church for about 30 years, but I knew who they were...their daughetrs were close in age with my sister and I.

Now, having read their book I feel like I truly KNOW them, and I feel blessed to know their story. A story of strength, faith, perseverence and above all LOVE. Love for each other and love for Jesus, the only one who could have seen them through the trials you will find in RESCUED.

So, you haven't gone to church with the Barbagallo's for 30 years, why would YOU want to read their book?

Amazon's description reads: "A twenty-six-year-old woman, married only three weeks, I found myself behind bars in southern Vermont." So begins the compelling, true love story of Yolanda and Tom Barbagallo, two New Yorkers who fall in love and move to Vermont with high hopes for their future together. How could Yolanda, a young bride with no police record, end up in jail three weeks after getting married? Now that she finds herself behind bars, what will happen to her mental state? How will Yolanda, who was at an emotional breaking point that led to a drug overdose and elopement, survive?

When they leave New York City full of hope for their future together, the Barbagallos cannot imagine the gripping events that would unfold and completely change their lives. Discover how their crisis, emotional pain, and hopelessness turn around. This dramatic love story will refresh and delight readers and can bring hope to anyone who may be going through tough times. Join this couple on a journey that is sure to win your heart.

This is definitely one of those books you won't want to put down. Their story of passion and love for each other is breathtaking and refreshing. It is rivetted with the unexpected, sprinkled with humor and blessed with two very good story tellers.

Tom and Yolanda are honest, raw and gripping. You won't want to put this one down. If you know of someone who enjoys love stories or someone going through a rocky relationship, this book should find its way under their Christmas tree this year. Be that person to bless them with this gift. A gift Tom and Yolanda were so free to give.

Tom and Yolanda's website gives you great info on their background as well as info on getting their book as en e-book.

'Between God and Me' by Vicki Courtney - A BOOK REVIEW

This is my new favorite book for my daughter and I to read together! I am also a 5th & 6th grade ministry leader and found so much info in this mag/book pertinent to tweens - both BOY and GIRL...and with just a little bit of tweaking, the boys never knew it came form a "girl magazine."

In a world of songs that promote immoral behavior, stores that advertise small swatches of fabric as appropriate clothing and magazines aimed at children preaching the "if it feels good, do it" message, we as mothers NEED Vicki Courtney's support.

Vicki leads the young women of today using the gentle guidance of TRUTH. If you have a tween girl in your home or one close to your heart, this will be the best $13 you EVER spend!

With games, quizzes and journalling spaces on topics such as "Lies to Wise," "R U Following the Right Crowd?" and "Generosity vs. Geed" this journey through Proverbs will have you and your daughter connecting on a level most likely deeper than before.

These are critical character-building years and Vicki Courtney can "bring it home' like no one else I have read.

I have worked with teens for years and Vicki has a way of bringing the information and sparking the heart in such a gentle way, teens will open up and discover as much about themselves as they will the Bible.

Head to AMAZON and get your copy now. Mine is too dog-eared and worn to offer a borrow.

Blessings.

AMISH PROVERBS - Book Review & Contest!

A couple  months ago I reviewed an amazing book, The Choice by Suzannne Woods Fisher. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was THRILLED when LitFuse contacted me to review Suzanne's next book, AMISH PROVERBS!

I live in Amish Country, PA so I am well aware of the wisdom of my "plain" neighbors. Their lives are amazingly simple and their faith is pure and unshaken. I have often thought that a day on the farm with no electricity or phones may just be a blessing compared to my world of cheer practice, iPods, emails and Facebook. Did I say, "may be..." I am sure it WOULD be!

Some of my favorites in this book..
"Don't believe everything you think."
"It is better to give others a piece of your heart than a piece of your mind."
"A child can read a parent's character before he can read the alphabet."
"A truly happy person is one whi can enjoy the scenery of a detour."

Each section of the book has beautiful photographs of Amish lifestyle and a short poignant story followed by short proverbs from the Amish culture. This is a book you could leave around and pick up when you need a "pick me up." With sections such as Work Ethic, Children and Family, Handling Adveristy and many more, there is no stone unturned...it is a soul's refresher course in living the RIGHT way!

THE CONTEST!!!!!!!

Suzanne's Amish Proverbs just hit the shelves. To celebrate she's giving away a KINDLE and throwing a party! Let the fun begin. See below for info and links.

Find out more about the book, Suzanne and the blog tour here.
Enter Suzanne Woods Fisher's Simple Wisdom KINDLE Giveaway!





One Grand Prize winner will receive a Kindle preloaded with Suzanne Woods Fisher titles. The Prize Pack (valued at over $205.00) includes:

* A brand new KINDLE, Free 3G, 6", Latest Generation

* Amish Peace by Suzanne Woods Fisher

* The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher

To enter, simply click on the icons below to fill out the entry form, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest.

Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on September 1st.

 

Join Suzanne for a Wrap-up Party on September 1st!



She’ll be announcing the winner of the Simple Wisdom KINDLE Giveaway, chatting with readers, and giving away copies of Amish Proverbs and The Choice! Be sure to join us on Wednesday , September 1st at 8PM EST at Suzanne’s Author Page



Be sure to check out the blog tour here or purchase a copy of Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life!

Scars and Stilettos by Harmony Dust: A Book Review

"You will want to get a copy for every person you know... Once you start this book, you will not be able to put it down. You will laugh, you will cry, you will be encouraged, you will fall in love with God all over again."  Holly Wagner, Author and Founder of GodChicks

If this doesn't make you want to read this book, I don't know what will.

LitFuse Publicity group once again sent me a PHENOMENAL and INSPIRING book to review! I love when they do that!!

Harmony Dust's raw account of her life and the struggles that began while she was still in her teens and drove her to make some life-changing decisions will chill you to the bone. But her resilience once she turned her life to Christ will warm your heart like no other book you have read.

Scars and Stilettos is an encouraging story of how God can pull you out of what feels like an abyss and plant your feet on solid ground. Harmony Dust has a MA in Social Welfare & now leads Treasures, an organization helping women in the sex trade discover their true worth & value. For more information about Harmony or her book please visit her website: http://www.scarsandstilettos.com/.

The transformation of this exotic dancer started when the fear of being abandoned kept 19-year-old Harmony trapped in an abusive relationship. She was tens of thousands of dollars in debt and struggling to get by when someone tells her how much money she could make taking her clothes off. For the next 3 years, Harmony lived a double life as Monique, a dancer in a strip club.

Harmony's downward spiral started at age 11 and continued through losing her virginity at 14 and trying to hold her head high as she endured multiple rapes, her parents' divorce and other heartbreaks. By 15 she was financially supporting the only man who hadn't left her yet. By 17, she was stealing from the cash register at her job to fulfill his monetary needs. But unfortunately this supremely unhealthy relationship would only get worse. Harmony's predicament left her with a boyfriend who in essence became her pimp.

Her quiet and conservative college student "costume" was the only thing holding her double life together. By night she was someone else's fantasy girl.

We have all heard stories of those who hit rock bottom and found Jesus. But Harmony's story rings authentic. The pages turn themselves as you get just as sucked into her world as she was. Entranced. Unable to look away.

Harmony has taken her heartache and grief and turned it into something so beautiful... TREASURES! We are all God's treasures...HE is sucked into our worlds...no matter how evil they are...HE is entranced by us...HE is unable to look away. And sometimes those who suffer end up being OUR angels sent to save US. This is what Harmony Dust does on a daily basis!

Today she would introduce you to her savior like this, "Like a gentleman, He pursued me with his infinite love until he captured my heart. I finally met a Lover who would never leave me—the only One who could satisfy my needs. He took the hollow and empty pit inside me that had been carved out by a lifetime of disappointment and despair, and He filled it with hope, love, and purpose."

Go out and by SCARS AND STILETTOS for every woman you know. Let them know THEY ARE WORTH it.... THEY ARE WORTH HIM!

Thank you Harmony for being an angel! This book will remain on my shelf...and inspiration like no other.

Want to WIN this book?Kregel Publishers is graciously donating a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate for the Litfuse Blog Tour Contest! Woo-hoo (thanks Kregel!)


To enter...

SHARE the book on Facebook using this link: http://www.litfusegroup.com/Blog-Tours/scars-and-stilettos-blog-tour.html
TWEET THIS:
Scars and Stilettos-story of ex-stripper #HarmonyDust & her work now to reach out to those still in the sex industry. http://ow.ly/1WrGD

(must use hashtag #HarmonyDust to be entered into Amazon.com gift certificate drawing)

If you would like to read more reviews of this book, head over to the LITFUSE BLOG TOUR LINE UP

Book Review: SIDE EFFECTS by Amy Goldman Koss

SIDE EFFECTS by AMY GOLDMAN KOSS







As my loyal readers, you know I am super passionate about Childhood Cancer! So, when Amy Goldman Koss, who is on my Facebook friends list, posted that she was looking for people to review her book I did the "Horshack thing," "OOoooo! OOOOOooooo! OOOooooo! ME! ME! ME!"

Now, I read the book in two days (yep, it's THAT good!) but it has taken me almost a month to get it here for my review! Thank you, Amy, for being so patient!

On page two of Side Effects, 14-year-old Isabelle complains of a swollen gland that won't give her a break and her mom makes a doctor's appointment. Isabelle was annoyed that the stupid gland just never went down after having the flu a few weeks ago. And that's where her story begins....

The "C" word! CANCER! Lymphoma to be exact.

Not only is CANCER every mother's worst nightmare, it is every teen's worst nightmare...especially when your mom turns into a bumbling idiot at the mention of the word.

"If the cancer didn't kill me, the ride to the hospital would. My mom's eyes were streaming tears and she was babbling in general."

Izzy was usually annoyed, she was a teenager, it's what she did best. Izzy's indignant personality rarely fades as she and her best friend Kay try to stay one step ahead of this roller coaster that may just kill her. But when you are running on foot down the steep track with CANCER-on-wheels barreling down behind you going ten times faster, it may just be easier to lay down and die than try to beat it.

Izzy makes her cancer diagnosis frightening, livable, somewhat doable, sometimes humorous, and oh so REAL! Who knew you could crush on someone, while he crushes back, all the while having poison pumped into your veins, together..how romantic. NOT!

Having been virtually "in" the cancer world during my short stint as a Childhood Cancer Awareness Advocate through my blog its 4 the kids, I can say this book is a bright-side view of cancer but at the same time a painful peek into Izzy's world as she battles a monster bigger than she had ever imagined. While Izzy's story is real and raw, it is humorous but truthful.
Not only would a child with a recent diagnosis benefit from the TOUGH HOPE throughout Izzy's journey, this book is a PHENOMENAL resource for the friends and family of a teen with cancer. Izzy's thoughts relay what she wishes her mom would say, what she wishes her best friend knew, what she hoped the boy she liked would not say. Everyone could benefit from reading this book...maybe people would acknowledge little bald heads instead of look away. Izzy would kick you if you were so rude!

Goldman Koss did an amazing job of writing from inside the mind of her fictional Izzy. While I read I truly felt for her, wished I could clue her BFF in and hoped she would be OK. Izzy's thoughts are so vivid and the descriptions of her physical AND emotional side effects paint the painful picture of what cancer can do.

I thank Amy for this poignant book that reveals the truths I know cancer patients would love to have their loved ones, doctors, nurses and BFFS know as they run from that coaster car that's breathing down their necks!

Cancer is serious. It is horrific. 46 children are diagnosed with it EVERY school day! It's not a subject to make light of and Amy Goldman Koss gives this subject the respect and seriousness it deserves while twisting it with a bit of crass teenage wit.

Thanks Amy! I hope hospitals buy oodles and oodles of this book for their oncology floors!

Life in Spite of Me by Kristen Jane Anderson & Tricia Goyer: A Book Review

Extraordinary Hope After a Fatal Choice.

~*~

When I heard about the opportunity to review Kristen Jane Anderson's book, I was thrilled. When I received the book in the mail, I was thrilled. When I read the book, I was in awe. This story is one you will never forget. And one EVERY teen girl MUST read!

"Why does my life have to be so painful?



What's wrong with me?


It's not going to get better.


It could all be over soon, and then I won't hurt anymore."

Kristen's young life was typical of most teens...ups and downs, nothing major...until a two-year time frame threw her into a chasm of depression she knew she couldn't climb out of on her own. In those two years, her grandmother and three friends died and she was raped by a close (and trusted, or so she thought) friend. Kristen did the unthinkable...

"Fear coursed through me. I squeezed my eyes tighter.



It's going to be over now. The pain is going to end. I'll be in heaven soon.


As the train whistle blew, the vibration of my body stilled.


The sound stopped. The wind stopped. The train stopped.


Am I dead yet?"


One cold winter night she made the decision to end it all. She laid down on the cold railroad tracks in front of a speeding train. Thirty-three train cars travelled at 55 MPH over her body and severed both legs. Kristen's worst nightmare wasn't over...she lived.

Kristen's book chronicles her struggles to come to terms with a life with no legs and her anger toward God for letting her live.

This story is captivating as Kristen discovers to real purpose for living. As you see her travel from despair to victory your heart will be touched by her letters to her young readers. Kristen speaks the words she wishes she had heard that may have kept her off the tracks that night.

Surprisingly, Kristen feels amazingly blessed by her situation and can now look back and see the GIFT FROM GOD in her tragedy. This is the gift you should be buying for every teenage girl you know! I just told her story to our 5th & 6th grade youth group tonight as we discussed God's plan and living by faith!

Follow Kristen on her BLOG TOUR with litFuse!

Upon finishing the book I found Kristen on facebook and have enjoyed seeing her words of wisdom, hope and faith. She is one amazing woman...and completely a gift from God! Thanks for your story Kristen, you are saving lives!

Middle School Confidential Book 3 What's Up with My Family?

Once again, Annie Fox has nailed it!

What's Up With My Family is an amazing addition to your home library. With chapters like, I'm Not a Little Kid Anymore, Fuel-ish Thinking, Things are Changing Around Here, That's So Unfair, Moods and Attitudes, When Someone is Gone, Struggling with Siblings and Let's Call a Truce, Annie leaves no stone unturned while giving tips and ideas for how to not only keep the peace but enjoy and appreciate the family you have been given.

The folks at FreeSpirit Publishing knew what they were doing when they signed this woman. Annie is single-handedly saving our youth. Yes, that sounds dramatic...but she is doing it! All you have to do is pick up Book 3 in her Middle School Confidential Series!

If you don't know Annie Fox, you need to go meet her HERE! She has a triptych-style website for teens, parents and educators...whichever you are you can click and start your head spinning with all she has to say. As a parent, there is NO better site to get informed and take action toward keeping your teen safe, well-informed and by your side in this journey that is not always as simple as The Beaver and Mrs. Cleaver made it out to be.

Want a quick peek into Annie's style and HOW she grabs teens where they are? Check this out!

Annie has a passion for middle school kids that parents wish EVERY adult who impacts their child's life would have. Annie is the teacher, the counsellor, the mentor I pray my kids find. But if your child is thrashing and reaching for straws and no teacher/counsellor stands out to you the way you had hoped they would, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL SERIES is a God send!

Check out BOOK ONE: Be Confident in Who You Are! Voted BEST TEEN BOOK by Radical Parenting.com

BOOK TWO: Real Friends vs. The Other Kind!

And BOOK THREE: What's Up With My Family?

My favorite part of Annie's books are the quotes from REAL kids that she has gathered over the years. These quotes aren't the sugar-coated, "Look at me, I made the best choice and it impacted my life for the better" quotes you read in some teen self-help books. She includes, real, raw quote from kids smack dab in the middle of the angst that plagues most teens.

"I speak my mind and don't like it when my family treats me unfairly. I get A's and help around the house. I have friends and I'm in two music programs. What do they want? I know running away is hard, but I'm afraid I will crack from this pressure." ~ C.J., 11

Well, I guess I have WAY more than ONE favorite thing about BOOK THREE in this series! There were so many "a ha" moments for me as a parent. The book is written FOR the kids but as I read it with my 12 year old, things like, "It's natural for the people who raise you to have some trouble getting out of the habit of treating you the way they did when you were younger."

WOOPS! That is where I am RIGHT NOW! My 11 and 12 year old are trying to spread their wings a little and until I read that sentence, I was looking at their requests as trying to keep up with their friends. You know the old blanket response, "Well, then, I guess just because Amy can have a cell phone/a facebook page/a web show, etc then I should just let you follow Amy's mom's rules? NOT HAPPENING!"

I have three amazing kids who follow rules, are respectful and "get it" when it comes to the things I say "no" about. But we were all teens, we know from OUR past experiences that that can change in a heartbeat! I LOVE that I have Annie's books on my books shelf for when that midnight conversation starts and I need some back up!

Head over to Annie's website and grab up these books! You WON'T BE SORRY! I promise!

Follow her on Twitter! @Annie_Fox

Friend her on FACEBOOK!

Peace.

Suzanne Woods Fisher BOOK TOUR

When Amy from litFUSE Agency contacted me and asked if I would do a review of a new book written by Suzanne Wood Fisher, I had literally just finished My Sister's Keeper. I thought, sure I will read the book you send me, but there's no way it will draw me in like MSK did. A couple days later, I received The Choice and started to read... ...and I read, ...and I read! Well, I have been wrong before, I know hard to believe, but WOW! Suzanne Woods Fisher hits this one out of the park! As a writer with ancestry that reaches into the mysteries of the Anabaptist culture, Fisher took details of Amish culture and an AMAZING plot and took me on a roller coaster of heart break and love....and back dooooown the other side when I least expected it! The story of Carrie Weaver takes place where the Amish culture is rooted the deepest, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Oddly enough, I doubt anyone at litFUSE knew that I LIVE IN LANCASTER COUNTY! I grew up with Amish buggies holding up traffic, watching barefooted grade-schoolers cracking the whips on the back end of the workhorses as they learned to plow the fields and being VERY curious about those wild teen ones that were testing the waters with the Amish ritual of Rumspringa. Pennsylvania Dutch-speak is sprinkled throughout the text as Carrie Weaver plans to leave the Amish Culture and run away with Solomon Reihl, the newest Lancaster Barnstormer's pitcher. Her father has other plans. Plans of Carrie marrying Daniel Miller, an Amishman who recently relocated to Pennsylvania...but no one will tell her why he needed to leave Ohio. Through many unexpected twists and turns, Carrie stays true to her heart ...almost... but then finds herself faced with a choice she never thought she'd have to make. How will she know if she has made the right one. The descriptions of the characters is so well done, they continue to live in my brain...and on a side note, the way she describes the character of Daniel...he can live in my mind as long as he wishes! This book unlocks the sweet simplicity of the Amish Culture with an underlying message that it is never too late to find your way back to God. It is a testimony to turning your weaknesses into strengths, loving until it hurts and living your life to the fullest. So, my recommendation? As Carrie Weaver would say, "Alles hat seine Zeit!" (There is a time for everything) And THIS IS THE TIME for you to snag up this book and dive right in! You won't regret it. Suzanne Woods Fisher's 2nd book in the Lancaster County Secrets Series, THE WAITING, is coming out October 2010! I CAN'T WAIT!

If you want to read other blogger's take on this amazing book, CLICK HERE for the blog tour.

If you would like to win a signed copy of The Choice, tweet this:

Psst... pass it on! Join @suzannewfisher for a Book Bomb & Author Talk! Details here http://ow.ly/W84r #thechoice

Peace.

Score your own MIDDLE SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL BOOK

When I spoke with Annie Fox on the phone a couple months ago, we clicked! Both being so passionate about kids, we talked and talked and the ideas flowed and flowed! It was like a geyser of "save the world starting with the kids" conversation!

So, a week later when BOOK 2: Real Friends vs. the Other Kind arrived in the mail, my oldest son happened to be dealing with the stress of a tryout for the Christmas concert soloist. He wasn't concerned with not getting the part, he was concerned that some of the other boys in the class would make fun of him for WANTING the part.

He explained the scenario when the teacher asked, "Who would like to try out?"

"Mom, I heard her ask the question and before I even had a chance to think about it, my arm shot up! It was automatic. I didn't even realize I was raising it until she called my name."

"That's great, bud!"

"But when the teacher called my name, "J" and "M" both said, 'Yeah, you SHOULD do it!'"

"And....what's wrong with that?"

"I think they were making fun of me. I think they want me to try out so they can make fun of me."

"Why would you think that?"

"I don't know."

So...I pulled out Annie's book, handed it to him (he LOVES graphic novels) and said, "I will be back in a little bit, you can tell me what you think when I get back."

The books are filled with honest comments from kids in that "tween" bracket. But on-going through those comments is a scenario that reads like a comic book, a scenario about Real Friends and how to deal with those who aren't. Annie's website is split into three parts: For Teens, For Parents, For Educators. BRILLIANT!

Now, you see WHY I handed him this book!

Needless to say, he tried out for the solo and was shocked when those two boys patted him on the back and said, "Great job!" The fear he had of them wanting to make fun of him was created out of his insecurity of BEING who he really is. I truly think, had I not had Annie's book to use as a guide, he may not have listened as clearly to another one of Mom's "when I was a kid" stories.

Annie's characters are REAL and RIGHT NOW!

You can win your own copy of this book to give to your favorite TWEEN for Christmas! Simply leave a comment (and a tween scenario if you like) and RANDOM.ORG will choose the winner.

Peace.

Athol Dickson LOST MISSION review

I am not much for historical fiction, I am a children's writer. So, when I got my hands on LOST MISSION by Athol Dickson I wasn't sure I would enjoy it, but I had offered to review it for LitFuse Agency so I dove right in.

I was taken aback by the gorgeous illustrative prose. Instantly I could SEE the Southern California landscape. This story of faithfulness and God's calling to be just that had me captivated. This book made me think! THIS I liked...historical fiction drew me in and I liked it.

Four characters who strive to do something great for God learn big lesson in what God truly wants of His followers.

A story set almost 200 years ago focuses on the trials and tribulations of Lupe de la Garza, a shopkeeper in a mountain village in Mexico, and her fellow characters. These trials are nothing history hasn't seen before; as they say, history repeats itself.

Moral mistakes, forbidden desire and lost faith in Dickson's LOST MISSION will keep you captivated with the premise that our seemingly unavoidable mistakes as a human race may not be truly be unavoidable. Maybe this cycle can be broken.

I am giving THIS book as a gift this holiday season! Go out and grab yours...even if you think you don't love historical fiction...I'm its latest convert!

Peace.

BECAUSE I SAID SO! A Book Review...

Have you ever just felt like a good hardy belly laugh would knock you right out of a bad mood? Have you ever surfed the net looking for a good read only to find hum drum blog posts? Well, come April 1st (yes, April Fool's Day) you can have that kind of laughter at your fingertips...all day long! And until then, you can put this blog, Because I Said So, in your favorites. Dawn Meehan, the infamous mommy blogger whose humorous storytelling knack sold a pack Pokemon Cards on ebay for hundreds of dollars and garnered a million hits on her blog in one month, has been busy writing...and writing...and writing. The Pokemon auction went viral and got the attention of agents and editors across the globe which ended with a two book deal with Guideposts Book. In an interview with ChristianNewsWire.com, Linda Cunningham, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of Books & Inspirational Media at Guideposts said, "We're thrilled to publish Dawn on the Guideposts Books Spring trade list. Other moms clearly identify with her hectic family life, and love the way she rolls with it all by using her unabashed sense of humor. Clearly anyone who has built a single blog into a 40,000 plus daily readership practically overnight like Dawn has done, has something to say that people want to hear." Just in case you missed it in its email inbox fiesta, you can read WHY Dawn sold a brand new pack of Pokemon Cards HERE! Dawn's first book, Because I Said So, comes out April 1st and promises to take the mom world by storm. Our husbands already think we sit on our butt all day so now we can...while we read the hysterical accounts in vivid detail in this book that will become like a best friend. "Stories more gripping than duct tape and humor funnier than a stand-up comic! I laughed until cappuccino came out my nose. Many have claimed to be the next Erma Bombeck, but only Dawn Meehan can rightfully wear that bathrobe. Hers is the permanent new voice of parenting humor for us all." says Debi Stack, author of Smotherly LoveTM: I Know Where Your Buttons Are and I'm Not Afraid to Push Them Dawn Meehan is an amazing mom. She's fun, she has a blast with her children and her writing will draw you into her life and make you glad you don't live in her house. She has weathered children dying themselves blue, Sharpie marker on the walls, butter in the carpets and kids locked in the bathroom and she lived to tell about it. My proof copy of this book brought my family around the table together each night. After cleaning up the dinner dishes, I would sit back down at the table with a cup of coffee and start reading. Within minutes I was howling so loud my kids couldn't hear the TV. My family would come back to the table to hear the stories of Dawn's six kids...well, 7, if you count her husband. It went on my kids' reading logs for school more than once! After I finished reading it, my son started taking it to school for his silent reading time. Not so silent was he as he giggled through each chapter. His teachers asked him to read it out loud one day, and from that day on he was in the spotlight during that class to open the period with giggles as he read Dawn’s shenanigans to the whole class. She’s just THAT fun! Just in time for Mother's Day shopping, this book proves to be the next big hit in the world of motherhood. Watch the net for some virtual book tours making their way into your favorites list. She will be here on My SEMBLANCE, I hope! I will be sure to keep you updated. Head over to Amazon.comand pre-order your copy now...you won't regret it! And I just had to throw this picture in...Mimi, Me and Dawn enjoying each other's company in Chicago!