How to Embrace Your Inner Hotness: An Inside-Out Approach to a Lasting Makeover by Leta Greene-Blog Tour Review

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Jun 032014
 

Product Details

  • Title: How to Embrace Your Inner Hotness: An Inside-Out Approach to a Lasting Makeover
  • Author: Leta Greene
  • File Size: 1736 KB
  • Print Length: 183 pages
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Scrivener Books (November 10, 2013)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00GP5AS2Y
  • FTC-FYI: I received a review pdf in exchange for an honest review.

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2013
 
Your outward appearance might make the first impression, but sixty seconds later, when that first impression is ancient history, it’s your inner beauty that needs to shine! If you want to be truly hot, this book will show you exactly how, including the following:
• Why you need to stop buying in to a cultural concept of beauty
• How to transform the way you see and present yourself, inside and out
• How to discover the secrets to the right look for you
• Why different isn’t bad—it’s your key to hotness
• How to choose happiness now, no matter your current situation
• How to leave pain in the past
• How to figure out what you really want
• How to stop letting other people define your worth, potential, and purpose
• How to find the right man and have the hottest marriage imaginable!
• What it means to be “enough” (and it’s not what you think!)
We all experience loss and pain when our lives don’t end up looking like we dreamed they would. Professional beauty expert and speaker Leta Greene looked that in the face and made a choice. Happiness and permanent hotness followed. Yours can too, right now, as Leta shares how to create the life and look you want in 15 simple steps—a transformation that will make you irresistibly, and lastingly, hot!
Leta Greene’s Virtual Book Tour
May 27th:        www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com
May 28th:        http://rebeccablevinswrites.blogspot.com/
June 1st:           http://lynndeniseparsons.blogspot.com/
June 3rd:          http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/
June 10th:         http://www.designzbydede.com
June 11th:         http://www.minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/
June 13th:         http://mariahoagland.blogspot.com/
June 14th:         http://debbiesinkspectations.blogspot.com/
June 15th:         http://www.authorrebeccarode.com/blog/
June 18th:         http://sublimereflection.com/
June 20th:         www.jjbennett.com
June 21st:          http://kerryandam08.blogspot.com/
 My Review 
I loved this uplifting look at how we can start today treating ourselves so much better. We all come with different packages in life, Leta shows women how to embrace who we are with humor and some easy exercises. Readers will learn how to love what’s inside, as well as what we and the world see on the outside. I find that I’m always my worst critic, and from reading this book I’m learning how to be kinder to myself. This is a book that I will be revisiting over and over again. 
This book should be read by women of all ages from 12-101. It’s time that women stop the negativity and learn to value who we are. There are many tips and things to help women in this process. I highly recommend this book, in helping all women change their mental outlook on what’s important when it comes to true beauty.  
Meet Author Leta Greene
 Leta Greene has been a makeup artist and image consultant for the last twenty years.
She is a international speaker, motivator, and recently an author! Her first book is titled “How To Embrace Your Inner Hotness: An Inside Out Approach to a Lasting Makeover”.

Immersed (A Ripple Effect Romance) by Jennifer Griffith-Blog Tour Review

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
May 302014
 
Immersed tour

Immersed NewProduct Details

 

  • Title: Immersed
  • Author: Jennifer Griffith
  • Series: Ripple Effect Romance
  • Paperback: 152 pages
  • Publisher: HEA Publishing (March 7, 2014)
  • Genre: Romance
  • ISBN-10: 1941363059
  • FTC, FYI: I received a review e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

Book Description:
  Lisette Pannebaker speaks five languages and has a brilliant business plan—personal language immersion. Clients can hire her to shadow them and speak all day in any language they need to learn for business or travel—whatever. But there’s a major hitch: she’s far too pretty. Clients with less than honorable intentions sign up just have Lisette at their side. Solution? A make-under. Way under.It works like a charm. None of her male clients show her the least bit of interest. Until… Erik. Erik Gunnarsson is charming, kind, and smart—everything she’s ever looked for. Even though he seems to have a secret and she swore she’d never date a client, Lisette is tempted to shed her disguise—even if it means jeopardizing her career.

 

 

Excerpt from Immersed :

 

“So…what?”
“Plain and simple: you’re too pretty for this job.”
Lisette rolled her eyes and picked up her brush again, going at the high spots on the wall with vigor. “You’ve been talking to my mom again. Did she finally rub off on you?” Great. Now no one believed in her. Not even Aunt Corky. Just a pretty face.

“No, not in that way. What I’m saying is that your business has merit. It can totally work. But just not with you, the way you are.”

Aunt Corky probably didn’t mean to make Lisette want to cry, but the tears welled in her eyes all the same. This dream had taken every waking hour of the last eighteen months. She’d poured her heart and soul into making it grow, not to mention all the money she’d buried in it—advertising, the office, everything. And her time. Day and night. How entrepreneurs lived past age forty mystified her. She barely had time to keep an eye on her elderly next door neighbors. And when a girl was too busy to serve other people, she was too busy.

Aunt Corky reached over and grabbed Lisette’s hand. “What I’m saying is you need a makeover.”

Lisette raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t raise that eyebrow at me, Z. I’m serious about this.” Aunt Corky folded her arms across her chest. “Not a makeover in the traditional sense. More like a make-under. You know, to make you look less…gorgeous.”
Here it went again, with the appearance factor. Didn’t all the studies say that people who were good-looking had a better chance at success than those who were below average?

“You’re not buying it, I can tell. But think with me. Dark circles under the eyes. A greasy wig. Lines at the mouth. And right about here,” she pointed at her nostril, “a big wart.”

“A wart!”
“Okay, maybe not a wart. That might be over the top. But something that will keep all the pawing maniacs at a distance.” Aunt Corky shrugged and leaned against a dry wall like she’d made her case and the prosecution rested. “Think about it, Z. I mean, you want Immerse to succeed, right? All the years of language skills and business acumen you’ve amassed, they’re going to waste.”
Lisette sighed. Even though she wouldn’t admit it aloud to Aunt Corky, unless something changed at Immerse, things could go south pretty fast. However, she wasn’t convinced it was reason enough to subjugate her dignity and go into daily disguise just to ward off pretenders.
Aunt Corky resumed painting. “Just think about it. Don’t decide now. But if you want to do it, I know somebody. Samantha. A genius with bad makeup. She could absolutely transform you. No one would even recognize you.”
This was crossing over from ridiculous into the absurd.

 

 

My Review:

Immersed is the last novella in the Ripple Effect Romance Series. This one was different from many of the others. It had a funny side to it and it’s characters. Even though there were serious things happening in main character Lisette’s life, there were naturally humorous things going on. You know how some people always have those weird and very quirky events that only happen to them? Well, Lisette is one of those people. You have to LOL as she deals with the strange and unusual in her life. I didn’t connect with Lisette’s mother, but truly liked her Aunt Corky. The main male protagonist, Erik, also adds to the humor in this story. The scene at McDonalds will stay on my mind for awhile. Yes, it was funny. 

The series is wrapped up nicely with Immersed. If you haven’t read them yet, they would be great, short reads to add to your summer reading list.

 Purchase at Amazon

unnamedFDRE9K6NMeet Author Jennifer Griffith
Jennifer Griffith studied French, German, Japanese, and a wee bit of Spanish in her school days. Her grandmother was Norwegian, and Jennifer grew up with lots of Scandinavian traditions floating around, including fabulous cardamom laced cookies called Krumkaker, made on a fancy waffle iron. However, she’d never dream of trying to teach someone any of those languages. And she might botch the cookies. Instead, she writes novels in English, drives her five kids a million places, and laughs with her husband, who came up with the plot for Immersed because he’s just a cool muse like that.

The Lincoln Hypothesis by Timothy Ballard – Blog Tour

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
May 292014
 

Lincoln Hypothesis_coverThe Lincoln Hypothesis

Author: Timothy Ballard

Publisher: Deseret Book

Published: June 2014

Hardcover/Kindle/Nook/ebook: 264 pages

Genre: Religious Nonfiction

ISBN# 978-1-60907-863-8

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: free hardcover copy in exchange for an honest review

Summary (Deseret Book)

Abraham Lincoln became the sixteenth US president during a very dark time in America’s history. Author Timothy Ballard explores the crucial role that President Lincoln played to bring this nation closer to heaven. Readers will see Lincoln as a man inspired of God who invoked a covenant relationship between America and its maker—not unlike the national covenants invoked by righteous leaders in the Book of Mormon. In addition, The Lincoln Hypothesis reveals documented evidence that Abraham Lincoln did, in fact, check out the Book of Mormon as he struggled with making some of the most critical decisions of his presidency. Did he read it? Did it influence him? Was the Book of Mormon a key factor in Lincoln’s success and the healing of a nation?

The author states, “As you read, you will, like a prosecutor reviewing a case, or like a jury determining a verdict, identify valuable pieces of evidence that can be fully substantiated. You will also identify pieces of evidence that cannot. I ask you to consider all the evidence and weight it accordingly. Through this study, many questions regarding the interplay between the restored gospel and the Civil War will be answered. New questions may emerge that will not be so easily answered. Either way, in the end you will find yourself on a most exhilarating investigative journey.”

Review

I finished The Lincoln Hypothesis in one sitting. Once I started reading, I was intrigued and didn’t want to stop. The author’s life experiences and study give him a unique perspective on the subjects discussed in this book.

While I am not a scholar of US history, I do enjoy reading about it. However, I have never before considered Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War quite this way.  I enjoyed the writing style and voice of the author. My curiosity and the presentation of events kept me interested to the end.

Obviously there is no way to know beyond a doubt whether Abraham Lincoln actually read the Book of Mormon, but the evidence, as presented by the author, is quite convincing. Whether he did or not, that Lincoln was a man of God is undeniable. It was worth the read for me simply to learn a little more about the man that lead our country during such a tumultuous time.

One of the places where The Lincoln Hypothesis held the most power for me was in Chapter 12: “Answering the Critics.” Here, the author makes some excellent points, especially for LDS critics of Lincoln. Due to the nature of his work, the author has no qualms about bringing the matter to a personal level and it makes a powerful impact.

He also gets down to the heart of things for us in current times. Below is only one of many quotes that stood out to me:

The people of Lincoln’s day learned the hard way what we Americans need to learn immediately, particularly as we continue to legislate and codify immorality in the land. They learned that things will turn out very badly if man attempts to amend or reinterpret the American covenant. One cannot employ darkness under the banner of God’s promised land.  –page 176

Perhaps the most important points made by the author are that we live in a covenant nation, these covenants were made by the early leaders of this nation, and we are responsible for honoring and upholding these covenants or we will bring upon ourselves the consequences of breaking them. Whether you believe that Lincoln read the Book of Mormon or not, Latter-day Saints know, through our study of the Book of Mormon, that this country is a land of promise and those nations who have previously broken covenants with God on this continent have suffered horrible and tragic fates.

I have been inspired to read more about Abraham Lincoln, and intend to do so with the prophesies of prophets like Isaiah, Mormon, and Joseph Smith in mind.  I recommend The Lincoln Hypothesis to anyone interested in history or curious about the parallels between Joseph Smith and Abraham Lincoln.

Visit Timothy Ballard:

WEBSITE

Find The Lincoln Hypothesis:

DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON | GOODREADS

 

Second Chances 101 (A Ripple Effect Romance Novella) by Donna Weaver-Blog Tour Review

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
May 162014
 

 

 

second chances tour   Tour Schedule

 

 

Product Details

 

  • Title: Second Chances 101
  • Author:  Donna K. Weaver
  • Series: Ripple Effect Romance
  • Paperback: 132 pages
  • Publisher: HEA Publishing (March 7, 2014)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1941363040
  • FTC, FYI:  I received a review e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Description:
Thirty seven year old Francie Davis, a recent widow and empty nester, gets to attend college at last. She’s sure her luck has changed when she also lands a job on campus that will pay her tuition, as administrative assistant to a history professor. When her handsome new boss yells at her on the first day of work, Francie worries she will never be good enough. For Professor Alex Diederik, life is going downhill fast. Not only is his bitter ex-wife trying to poison their only daughter against him, but now his one place of solace—his work environment—is being complicated by his attractive new administrative assistant. She drives home his feelings of failure as a husband and father, and Alex wonders if hiring her was the right thing to do. Francie will have to put aside her hurt and insecurities or risk her dreams, while Alex must look outside himself if he’s to mend the breach with his daughter. And, perhaps, find someone who can help heal his pain

EXCERPT

 

The door burst open and a pretty girl with long strawberry blond hair stomped out. Her headlong rush drove her right at Francie, who squeezed against the wall, almost out of the way. Their shoulders hit, and they both stumbled. As Francie steadied herself, she could see tears in the girl’s heavily made up eyes. Staggering for a couple of paces, she managed to stay on her feet and then ran down the hallway.
 
“Come back here,” a man yelled from inside. He dashed out the door and halfway down the hall before it was obvious the student had made her escape.
 
Yelling at a student and chasing her down the hallway? That can’t be my new boss.Francie couldn’t help staring at the compact but solidly built—almost buff—man who stood with his back to her. The angry energy came off him in waves, and she had to fight a primal instinct to run and hide. Giving a quick glance over her shoulder, Francie began to edge away. Maybe she could pretend she hadn’t seen. Suddenly the man swore and spun around, seeming to see Francie for the first time.
 
“What are you doing there?” he growled. “Eavesdropping?”
My Review: 
I was so happy to see a story in this series dealing with a couple that was a little older. I embraced the main character, Francie instantly. She is a recent widow who’s only child has left home for college. I loved her sweet disposition and bravery to go back to college herself after many years. I also liked the male main character Alex. He is a divorced man who is STILL dealing with an ex-wife who makes his life miserable. He also has a college age daughter who is dealing with problems. This storyline is so good and the characters were terrific. I only wish that this story had been a full length novel. There was so much storyline to work with that I felt so sad when it ended. I wish Donna could go back and write the long story version of this wonderful couple. Donna truly knows how to write memorable characters that you grow attached to quickly. I just didn’t want this story to end. I can’t wait to read the next novel by this author. I recommend this book and series to those who love romance and great characters.

 

 

Meet Author Donna K. Weaver 
Donna K. Weaver has always loved reading and creating stories, thus she’s been ever entertained. An avid cruiser, she’s sailed the Pacific five times. Wife-mother-grandmother-Army veteran-karate black belt-Harry Potter nerd. 

You can learn more about Donna here…

Marriage Isn’t For You by Seth Adam Smith – Blog Tour & Combined Hubby Review

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
May 122014
 

Marriage_Isnt_For_YouMarriage Isn’t For You, It’s for the One You Love

Author: Seth Adam Smith

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Published: May 6, 2014

Hardcover: 48 pages

Genre: Marriage/Inspirational/Gift Book

ISBN# 978-1-60907-902-4

Reviewed by: Shanda and Marlow (Shanda’s hubby)

FTC FYI: free review copy in exchange for an honest review

Summary (Deseret Book)

What is the best marriage advice you ever received?

For author Seth Adam Smith, it was the advice from his father, who said, “Marriage isn’t for you. It’s about the person you marry.” These few words completely change the way Seth looked at his relationship with his wife. His thoughts on the subject became an online phenomenon. Paired with beautiful images, they are now available as a book—the perfect gift for newlyweds, those who are celebrating an anniversary, or anyone who wants to learn how to make a relationship stronger.

Shanda’s Review

Reading Marriage Isn’t For You literally took me five minutes, yet within that five-minute read is a message that has impacted millions. Such authenticity and honesty carries power, perhaps because those qualities are rare these days. Despite having “marriage” in the title, this book applies to relationships of all types.

While Marriage Isn’t For You would make a great gift for every new couple, make sure you buy a copy for yourself first and keep it visible. When things get tense (and they will), when frustration sets in (because it does), when anger threatens to overwhelm, pick up this book and take a five-minute time-out. Read it and remember: Marriage Isn’t For You, It’s for the One You Love.

Marlow’s Review

When my wife first showed me this book, I was a little surprised by the title. It wasn’t until I read the full title “Marriage Isn’t for You, its for the One You Love” that I began to understand. It is an excellent reminder on my role as husband and father. I’m not here just for myself. I am here to support, sustain, and bless the lives of my wife and kids.

This book is a very quick read and has good advice. It emphasizes the need for less selfishness and more selflessness in marriage. It contains a much needed reminder for all marriages and, if followed, will result in stronger and happier relationships.

I encourage all husbands (and future husbands) to read and ponder the messages in this book.

Visit Seth:

WEBSITE/BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Find Marriage Isn’t For You:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | DESERET BOOK

***GIVEAWAY***

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Lost and Found(A Ripple Effect Romance book #4) by Karey White-Blog Tour and Giveaway

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
May 022014
 

 

 

 

Product Details

 

  • Title: Lost and Found
  • Author: Karey White
  • Paperback: 144 pages
  • Publisher: HEA Publishing (March 7, 2014)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1941363032
  • FTC, FYI: I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Description: Lydia was supposed to have an adventurous and exciting summer. Instead she’s done nothing more than read and eat takeout. Now it’s time to go home, and what does she have to show for it? A big fat nothing. Unless, of course, her trip to the airport somehow turns into something more than just a flight home. Blake feels like he’s been sent on a wild goose chase. While work is piling up back in Denver, he’s on the other side of the country, hunting for some mysterious box that his grandfather left him. Well, no more. Nothing inside that box could possibly be more important than the opportunity to make it as the youngest partner at his firm. So he’s going home, and that’s that. But that’s before he discovers his flight has been cancelled. When these two strangers meet at the airport, they make a split-second decision to search for the box together. Maybe with both of them on the hunt, Lydia can have her adventure and Blake can find the box. And maybe, if they’re lucky, they’ll even find some romance. 

Excerpt:
Blake and Lydia stayed in their seats as the area around them cleared and a line formed. Finally, Blake stood, picked up his duffel bag and briefcase, then waited while Lydia gathered her things. They took a spot at the back of the line. After a minute, Lydia spoke.
“Since you have to change your flight anyway, maybe you should stay another day or two and try to find the box.”
The corner of Blake’s mouth twitched. “Maybe you should stay a couple of days and have an adventure.”
“Touché. I guess if the plane had gone down, I’d have had an adventure to tell about. Or not tell about.”
The line moved slowly. “You know,” Blake said. “Maybe your adventure could be staying and helping me find my grandfather’s box.”
Lydia nearly choked on her last bite of brownie. Was he joking? They didn’t even know each other.
“I have to be back for teacher’s meetings. And I need to get my classroom ready for school to start. The desks are all stacked up in a corner of the room and I need to get them set up and organized and I’ve got to put up a couple of bulletin boards. And I have to get papers for the parents copied for back to school night and…” Blake’s smile widened as she spoke. “And I’m babbling, aren’t I?”
“Yeah. Don’t worry about it. I should get back to the office anyway. It was a crazy idea.”
“Yeah,” Lydia said, relieved. A few minutes passed, and they neared the front of the line. A voice in Lydia’s head wouldn’t be quiet. You’re a coward. You don’t really want an adventure. You’re all talk. You could kill two birds with one stone. Have an adventure and help this guy find the box from his grandfather. But you’re too big of a wimp. She wanted to tell the voice to mind its own business, but it wouldn’t shut up. Chicken. Scaredy cat. But this wasn’t about adventure. This was about good, common sense, right? It wouldn’t be smart to stay with this man she didn’t know. And yet her instincts told her this guy was safe, that she didn’t need to fear his intentions.
It seemed the only way to stop the nag in her head was to speak. “It wasn’t a crazy idea. It was an adventurous idea. And I came here for adventure. I need something to tell Cambri when I get home, right? And you need to find that box or you’ll miss out on something important. And I don’t technically have to be back until Wednesday morning, so…”
“Really? Are you just talking a big game?” Blake teased.
“You’re not a psychopathic killer, are you?”
“No. But I certainly wouldn’t tell you if I was.”
“That’s true. That would really up the whole adventure factor, though.”
“See, you’re braver than you thought.”
My Review: 
Lost and Found is the novella with the deepest storyline in The Ripple Effect Romance Series so far. I have loved all of the novellas, but this one seemed to have struck home and made me think more about my life. Once again the characters in the previous novella are mentioned or seen in this current one. I have absolutely loved how interconnected all of the novellas are! 
The story starts out with Blake and Lydia waiting in the airport for a flight back home to Denver. Once the flight is cancelled they end up planning an adventure together. Without giving too much of the story away, it is darling how they get together. The interaction between these two characters is one of the sweetest and most real I’ve read in awhile. Kary has struck gold with this novella, writing about two people, too busy or too afraid to live life and find love. Through the letters of long dead lovers, Blake and Lydia learn some much needed life-lessons.  This book will make you think more about taking chances and evaluating what is most important in your life. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lost and Found and I know readers of great romance will not want to miss reading this one.

 Purchase at……

Karey   
Meet Author Karey White:
Karey is a USA Today best-selling author. She grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist. She loves to travel, read, cook, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four wonderful children.   
Find more about Karey here…

Updated Ripple Effect

The Ripple Effect Romance Novella Series
Enjoy this exciting new series of clean novellas by six critically-acclaimed authors. “Like a pebble tossed into calm water, a simple act can ripple outward and have a far-reaching effect on those we meet, perhaps setting a life on a different course—one filled with excitement, adventure, and sometimes even love.” Book 1: Home Matters by Julie N. Ford Book 2: Silver Linings by Kaylee Baldwin Book 3: Righting A Wrong by Rachael Anderson Book 4: Lost and Found by Karey White Book 5: Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver Book 6: Immersed by Jennifer Griffith

 

 

Tour Giveaway:

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 5/12/14

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