Friday, January 27, 2012

The Man in the Cinder Cloud, by Rick Daley




A CLASSIC!  I give this a "10" STAR book! Although I can only give it 5, bummer! It does deserve 10!
So, you think you know everything there is to know about Santa Claus? Guess again! You don't even know a sliver of the history behind Santa! Did you know Santa is part elf? Yes!
This is not 'just' a children's book, it is a book for adults, as well. It's a story within a story. This magical story captivates you as you read it. It pulls you right into the story. 
First allow me to tell you how we learn this story is all about Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, and all the other names he is known as today around the world, in all the different countries. Every year he comes, almost since the beginning of time itself.
This story starts off in the modern world, with Professor Hodgin working at the north pole with other scientists, drilling deep cylinders into the ice studying them for the effects of global warming. One time the professor decides to take his youngest son, Jason, along with him so he could see the type of work he is doing at the North Pole.
Just last year, Jason's older brother, Justin, had told him Santa was not real, but Jason refuses to believe him. As they were on their way to the North Pole, Jason did expect to see Christmas villages, lights, reindeer games, and more. Instead, all he saw was snow, cold, and stuffy old scientists who thought they were fooling him into believing they really had seen an occasional reindeer, and that they did see Santa one time. He knew one thing was true, it was COLD!
As Jason continued to get more bored as each day wore on, all of a sudden there was sudden commotion. The scientists had drilled into one of the deepest areas of ice, and inside that ice cylinder they found a book. They wanted that book and got it out. This book turned out to be thousands of years old. They all took turns reading the cover of the book, and the most incredible thing happened to anyone who spoke a different primary language. They were all able to read the book in the language they spoke. It was as if the book magically customized itself to each person reading it. Amazing! They could not believe their eyes! This was just the start of the magic of this book.
So the story starts, all about Santa, oh, wait, I mean Kris, Kris Kringle, when he was a mere babe, found swaddled in rags in the brush out in the open, abandoned and left to die. An elf, Kristina, went out for a walk with her infant son, and came upon this poor human baby left out in the elements. She could not leave him there to die, so she picked him up and nursed him to health. There is so much more to this story with the elves, too. This is where this book jumps to life.
Jason took over the book, and started to read it aloud, starting from the very beginning of the book, and all the way through. The story tells us how Santa came to be.
This story goes on to explain different Christmas traditions, how Kris decided to deliver gifts to children all over the world and more.
This story is quite magical! It is unlike ANY other Christmas story about Santa ever written. This magical story grabbed me from the very beginning and I could not stop reading it until the very end. I've actually read it twice, and reread other sections a third time! I just LOVE this book! You NEED a copy of this book in your library!
This book is SURELY to become a Christmas Classic over time! You HAVE to read this!
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book! You will want to read it every year, and the year after that, and after that, and after that, until it is memorized! No one is to old for this book!
You can find out more about this book at www.cinderclouds.com and, Rick Daley, the author, has a personal blog at http://www.mydaleyrant.blogspot.com
You can follow Rick on Twitter as  @rjdaley101071 
Facebook:  Friend Request "Cinder Clouds" 
You can also purchase this book at the link below through Amazon. Again, I HIGHLY suggest this book! It is one you will NEVER FORGET!





Monday, January 23, 2012

WE WON!!!  "YOU" WON!!!
Thank you!
Check out this article from PCWorld.com! VICTORY!
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/248586/sopa_and_pipa_what_went_wrong.html#tk.hp_new

Here's just a SMALL excerpt from PCWORLD.com's article! (Copied and pasted directly from their site.)

Everyone Underestimated the Web

But no one -- not supporters nor opponents -- anticipated the massive response by Internet users, and no one could predict the effect the blackout, led by Reddit.com, would have on lawmakers and the legislative process.
Everyone underestimated the Web, "which is sort of the beauty of it," said Maura Corbett, president of the Glen Echo Group and spokeswoman for NetCoalition, a tech trade group opposed to the bills.
"This was Outside the Beltway descending on Inside the Beltway, and we all just bore witness to it," she said. "People are fed up. Washington is broken, and now Washington wants to subject the Internet to it? The Internet said no."

Oh, this is SOOOO GOOD!!! 
I said I would inform you of ANY news, and this is it!
Again, THANK YOU to EVERYONE who wrote to their Congress People! It was YOU who did this! According to the article, (and may I add my opinion: SO many websites supported the Boycott, it really is NO WONDER to me! Thanks to ALL who did!) "WE" made a HUGE impact! If WE did not band together and stand up for ourselves, WE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD VICTORY! 
Ha, ha, Congress!  WE BEAT YOU!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

My site, "Laurie Here - Contemporary Fiction and MORE - Book Reviews" is "OPEN TODAY" AND FOR THE FUTURE UNLESS there are MORE of Congress' "Brainchild Schemes thought up!"
THANK YOU, to EVERYONE who stopped by my site yesterday and hopefully SIGNED THE PETITION at the link at the bottom of my Post!
If you did NOT get to sign the Petition, you STILL CAN!  Congress is voting on this on January 24th, so hurry up!!
Here is the LINK to my Post:  http://lauriehere.blogspot.com/2012/01/laurie-here-contemporary-fiction-and.html?showComment=1326983986319#c7549333463644461607 At the BOTTOM of my Post, you will find another link that will take you to a site in which you can sign the Petition TO STOP SOPA and the little known PIPA!  which was born from the GREEDY mind of Congressman Republican Lamar Smith from Texas.

Take for instance, my State.  Michigan.  On our Income Tax form it USED TO BE when you purchased items on the internet, up to a certain amount of either $600-$800 was a small tax of about $10 at the MOST.  Anything over that was $12.  NOW, my state, Michigan wants us to SAVE EVERY RECEIPT WE HAVE FROM PURCHASING ON THE INTERNET AND THEN PAY "FULL TAX" ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE SPENT - TAX FREE ON THE INTERNET.  So, NOW if we spend a total of $1,800 online, they want us to pay OUR FULL 6% SALES TAX OF $108.00!  What happened to the $12?  Did WE GET TO VOTE ON THAT?  NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  These are the types of things that are going to happen IF THIS BILL PASSES!
Imagine what SOPA AND PIPA WILL DO . . . !  GO SIGN THE PETITION NOW!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012


 


Laurie Here - Contemporary Fiction and MORE - Book Reviews 
I WILL ONLY BE OPEN FOR THE
DREAMING OF BOOKS
GIVEAWAY BLOG HOP
JAN 13th to JAN 18th
as this was a previously scheduled event.
I WILL NOT BE POSTING OR DOING ANYTHING ON THIS BLOG FOR THE FULL 24 HOURS OF JANUARY 18, 2012
We NEED to "STOP SOSA and PIPA!"
YOU CAN STOP THIS, TOO!  KEEP READING AND AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST THERE IS A LINK "YOU" CAN GO TO TO READ WHAT CONGRESS WANTS TO DO THEN A LINK "YOU CAN SIGN" TO HELP STOP THIS!  
I am joining in with ALL OTHER BLOGS, WEBSITES, ETC., AND "NOT" POSTING ANYTHING ALONG WITH THE ENTIRE WORLD WIDE WEB 
TO GO AGAINST SOSA!!
GOOGLE WILL ALSO BE PROTESTING AGAINST SOSA ON THEIR HOME PAGE

FOR MORE INFORMATION!
Go to http://sopablackout.org/ to find out MORE!

Another GREAT article on this subject is http://sopablackout.org/learnmore/ 
According to PCWORLD which is a GREAT article, PLEASE GO THERE AND READ IT!!  Click on the words PCWORLD. Also, the next 2 links are EXCELLENT links FROM PCWORLD that take you DIRECTLY 'TO' THE BILLS THEMSELVES, WORD FOR WORD, BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT AS TO WHAT THESE BILLS ARE.  PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THEM
BECAUSE THE LINK INFORMATION AFFECTS "YOU"! 

  SOPA AND PIPA   

I AM JOINING IN ON THIS PROTEST FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS!. 

We CANNOT ALLOW "CONGRESS" to take away our rights of freedom pertaining to the Internet!  The Internet is the MOST IMPORTANT TOOL WE HAVE!  DON'T ALLOW CONGRESS TO PUT THEIR HANDS INSIDE THIS RIGHT OF OURS AS WELL!  CONGRESS ALWAYS WANTS THEIR HANDS IN EVERYTHING THAT BENEFITS "US"!
"OUR" INTERNET COULD LOOK LIKE THIS:

This is an example of what you will find today from all different websites, blogs and more!  It is copied and pasted from the above mentioned site. 
PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!!!

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT THIS?
THIS PAGE EXPLAINS WHAT CONGRESS IS TRYING TO DO.  READ IT.  THEN,
AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE THERE IS A LINK "YOU" CAN CLICK ON THE LINK TO CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMEN TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING!
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO THIS!



Thursday, January 12, 2012

 "She Had No Choice", A Latin Spin on The Color Purple by Debra Burroughs




"She Had No Choice, A Latin Spin on the Color Purple" by Debra Burroughs, is a Mexican/Latin Historical Fiction Family Saga!  This book was a wonderful story, covering three generations of Ramirez women.  This story is somewhat lightly based upon Debra's own family, yet is a fictional story.

From Goodreads, the description of the book:

Mexico in 1918 was a dangerous place to live. Disease was ravaging village after village. Young Sofía's parents decided to take what was left of their family and brave a perilous midnight crossing into the United States, hoping to save the lives of their remaining children. They did not anticipate the hardships that lay ahead of them.

After a family tragedy, Sofía is sent to live with a well-to-do aunt in Phoenix. Sofía's father assumes this is for the best, that his sister will educate her and treat her as a daughter. He could not have known it would plunge her into a life of servitude and relationships with the wrong men. Hungry for love, her first lover leads to a daughter, Eva, born out of wedlock. 

When he abandons her and the baby, another young man is quick to come to her rescue. But when he tries to convince Sofía to leave what little family she has left to go west with him, to work in the fields of California, she is torn. Weighing the few options that are available to her, she believes she has no choice but to go with him. Her difficult, yet inspiring life unfolds over the next 20 years, through a series of highs and lows, with her daughter by her side. 

As a young woman, Eva hopes to avoid the mistakes her mother made with men, but she is not always able to steer clear of them. When life becomes dangerous and unbearable for Sofía, will Eva and her beau be able to save her, or will Sofía have to save them?

This poignant and gripping drama plays out from 1918 to 1960, and is full of love and heartbreak, prejudice and betrayal, lovers, friends and family. It is inspired by the true stories written in Debra Burroughs' book CARMEN.


We are SO lucky to have an Author Interview from Debra, talking ALL about this book!  This is one to definitely put in your TBR piles!
Here's the Interview from Debra Burroughs!
Debra Burroughs, Author

Book:  She Had No Choice 

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
I began writing in high school. My English teacher encouraged me to enter a poetry competition, and I won. My poem was published in an anthology of high school poetry from across the country. I then began to write for my high school newspaper, became the feature editor and then the assistant editor. I also had a teen column in my city paper for two years.
  
What genre are you most comfortable writing?
I like writing in the Romantic Suspense genre the most. She Had No Choice is really more of Women’s Fiction, but does have romance and suspense in it, along with drama and historical elements. The next book I’m working on right now, whose working title is Three Days in Seattle, is purely a Romantic Suspense. I also have a Cozy Mystery/Romantic Suspense series planned after that.
  
What inspired you to write your first book?
I grew up in a large Mexican family, and I heard many stories from my mother and grandmother, as I grew up, about the hardships they suffered and overcame after our family came from Mexico in the early 1900’s. As I would relay some of these gripping and poignant stories to friends over the years, I often heard them say, “You should really write a book about that.” Once my children were grown, I finally had time to sit down and write. So those stories were the jumping-off point for my writing She Had No Choice.

What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general?
For me, the most challenging thing about writing a novel is developing the plot in an interesting way. I want to give my readers a highly-entertaining read that keeps them turning the pages to see what comes next because the story is just so interesting and exciting.

Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it?
As I wrote She Had No Choice, and did the research and interviews for it, it gave me a new appreciation for my mother and grandmother. The book was inspired by their life stories and the difficult things they went through and overcame. My mother is a very strong woman. Growing up, I thought she was a little too strong, a bit overpowering at times. But as I dug deeper into her early life, and my grandmother’s earlier life, I learned what she had to do to survive and how, as the oldest of 10 children, she came to be such a powerful force. This book is a work of fiction, but it has a lot of my mom and grandma in it. I wonder sometimes, if they had not been such strong women to break free of the hard life they had, what would my life be like?

Do you intend to make writing a career?
Yes, I do intend to make writing a career. Once I got the story of She Had No Choice out, and I have had very good reviews and comments, I knew I could succeed at doing a lot more of it.

Thank you SO much, Debra!  That was an excellent Interview you gave us!  It gave us a GREAT view into the book, as well!

This book IS available from the LINK just down below here!  It's from Amazon as an ebook in the Kindle format!  For PRIME Members, it is FREE!  For all others, it is currently 99 cents, HOWEVER, MAKE SURE TO CHECK THE PRICE BEFORE YOU PURCHASE IT!  IT CAN 'ALWAYS' CHANGE! The prices I have listed here NOW are ONLY AS OF THIS DATE!  Also, you DON'T need to own an ereader, as Amazon has FREE APPS for YOUR PC and other devices to download, and you can read this book right from your PC or any other electronic device you own!  Here's the link!



            Melissa Foster 
      has been nominated for a
         SHORTY AWARD!  
NOW WE "NEED" YOU TO 
PLEASE VOTE so she can WIN!

Author of:  
Megan's Way, Chasing Amanda AND Come Back to Me!
We also know how much she loves and adores her Reader's, "US"!  She is always happy, "supportive of US", and will do anything to help "US" out!  Let's help SUPPORT "HER" NOW!
Melissa has allowed MANY of us to read her books and do reviews for her as well before her books are released, so let's give back to her!
Let's show HER how much we care and GIVE BACK for ALL she does for US!
ALL it takes is for YOU to VOTE IS TO CLICK on this LINK (the address is in the word LINK so click on it and it will take you right there) AND VOTE FOR MELISSA FOSTER right now!  
When you are VOTING, it says this:
I nominate @Melissa_Foster for a Shorty Award in #author because...
**In order for the VOTE TO COUNT, YOU MUST answer why after the word "because" or else YOUR VOTE WILL 'NOT COUNT'!!

IF I may ALSO ask YOU to Please TWEET this MESSAGE so MORE people CAN VOTE!!!  

RT @Melissa_Foster nominated for Shorty Award in #Author bit.ly/Ab6DAsPlease vote & RT

What IS the Shorty Award?  
It honors the BEST PRODUCERS of SHORT CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
It includes Twitter, Facebook, tumblr., YouTube, foursquare!
Melissa's Followers on Twitter are at 13,575
She Follows 14,926
She is under the ONE Category of:  Author

Headline Shorty
(directly copied and pasted FROM the Shorty Award website)

Let me tell you this:
Melissa is #8
JK Rowling is #1
Hilary Duff is #4 (WHAT THE HECK DID SHE WRITE and IS IT THE QUALITY OF MELISSA'S WORK???  I HARDLY THINK SO!  IMHO!)
So, Melissa DESERVES TO BE VOTED HIGHER!!!
Again, let's help HER the way SHE helps US!!!
Thank you SO much!
Laurie

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

                 ***NOTICE***             
         **BLOG NAME CHANGE!**


MY BLOG ADDRESS WILL STAY THE SAME!
Hello to ALL my Followers and others who read my Blog!  This is a notice to let you know I have changed my Blog name!  
It WAS:  Laurie Here Reading and Writing Reviews - Not very specific as to what I read and write reviews on.  Therefore, I am changing my name to reflect what I like.


MY NEW NAME:  
"Contemporary Fiction and MORE - Book Reviews"


Since the majority of Fiction books I read seem to be ALL Contemporary, Popular, Women's, Chic-Lit, Historical, Amish, Mystery/Suspense/Thrillers, some YA and Magical (Christmasy) Paranormal (only), I have decided to change my name accordingly, as to what I read and do my reviews on.  This will narrow down the genres and make my Blog name more 'name' specific as to the fiction genres what I read and write reviews on! Makes sense to me, which is why I am doing it!


MY BLOG ADDRESS REMAINS THE SAMEhttp://www.lauriehere.blogspot.com


Please UPDATE 'YOUR' RECORDS!!  THANKS!!!



Friday, January 6, 2012


     Come Back to Me by Melissa Foster

                      BOOK REVIEW


Some of you may have already seen this review posted on Amazon.com and on Goodreads.  I have been waiting to post this on my Blog until today, my birthday!  This is one of my FAVORITE BOOKS! So,without further adieu, here it is!

Melissa Foster has done it again!  This is her best book yet!
This love story grabs you from the very beginning and never lets you go, even after reading the last word.
This book is a story about love, loss, and then overcoming it all in the toughest of circumstances.  This is more than ‘just’ a love story, it is a story of love between two people who are truly, deeply connected by it.
This is the BEST love story I have read in years.  In order to read this book, this story really tugs at your heartstrings, so you need a full box of Kleenex with the lotion in it (the soft stuff so you don’t rub your eyes and nose raw!) before even attempting to read this book!  I cried so many times and at times straight through, the words were blurry and I had a hard time seeing to read!  I never saw what happened coming in this story at all.  No one will.  Love has no boundaries.  Literally.
Tess and Beau are a thirty-something married couple who are very much in love.  Beau is a professional photographer who is offered a follow-up job to go back to Iraq to take photos of the Iraqi families as they are dealing with the effects of the war.  This is supposed to be a short, simple assignment with no danger involved.  Tess disagrees stating it is still a country at war and there is nothing safe about it.  Beau tells Tess this photo shoot will make his photography career, which he has dreamt for himself.  He hopes she can understand where he is coming from.  He wants her support.  So Tess supports him as long as he comes back to her.
Tess learns news about herself that just shocks her.  She finds out she is pregnant.  This was not planned.  Tess decides she’ll tell Beau about their pregnancy on their next Skype conversation so she can see his reaction.
Trouble happens.  Tess learns about the danger Beau became involved in.  His helicopter he was on has crashed.  There are no survivors.  She does not believe it.  He’ll come back to her.  She just knows he will.  Come back to me, she says.  Come back to me.  As for the rest of this story, you NEED to read this book!  
The reason why I love to read is because of this type of talented excellence in writing that shines through such as in this book, which the author, Melissa Foster, possesses.
To be honest, I was so into this book, I was talking to and yelling at these characters!  I was a mad at Beau for wanting to go to such a dangerous place just for his career, making Tess stress so much about his safety.  Couldn’t he have found another story to make his career?  Off he goes to his photo shoot in Iraq despite my reserve about it.  I also found myself getting mad at Tess, later, for other things, as well!  Then, I was mad at the author for making the story go the way it did, but it had to go that way.  Sorry, Melissa!  I thought for sure it would change, but it didn’t.  It couldn’t.  Oh!  What a great story, Melissa!  Even though I didn’t want to see it go the way it did, it had to play out the way you wrote it.  The story would not be this masterpiece it is had it not been for the way it was written.
This is the BEST love story I have read in years!  It pulls and tugs at your heart like no other book I have read.  As I said in the beginning of this review, this story grabs you from the very beginning and never lets you go, even after reading the last word. I don’t think I have cried as much reading a book as I did reading this love story.  NO book has made me feel this way in a very long time, not even a book by any author on the New York Times Best Seller List.  I would put this book up against any book on that list, and this book would exceed it by far.  This book will be the next greatest book on that list!
I did have to take several days before I could write this review because I was so involved in the characters and their story I needed time to be able to write a good, honest, non-biased review.  After you read this book, you’ll understand what I mean.  It affected me very much, and as I think back to it, I am still affected just as much as when I was reading it.
As you can tell by how involved I got into this book, Melissa Fosters’ style of writing brings you right into her characters lives immediately.  As soon as you start reading her books, you are a part of these characters lives.  As in this book, Come Back to Me, we are instantly a part of Tess’ life.  We can feel what she feels, worry as she worries.  We feel how she feels about her pregnancy.  We relate to her career as she relates to it.  We can feel all her emotions as if it were ourselves living her and Beau’s life.  We can also feel how Beau feels, the little bit that we are introduced to him, in the very beginning.  It takes an extremely talented author to be able to pull the reader into a characters life like this story does and makes you feel as if it were part of your own life.  Melissa Foster is an author who excels at this.
Melissa Foster is the author of two other books, Award Winning Megan’s Way, which also won the Reader’s Favorite Award among many others, and it is currently being adapted into a film.  She has also written Chasing Amanda.  All three of her books are available for purchase at Amazon as ebooks, or as paperbacks.  This book, Come Back to Me, is a book I want to get as a paperback and keep in my library to go back and read again.  I’d LOVE to have it signed, hint, hint!
I received this book for “FREE” from the author, Melissa Foster, through her Book Reviewer’s Program in exchange to read and write a review about this book.  It is NOT required for my review I write to be either positive or negative, but, “of my own opinion.”  I was NOT provided with “ANY” monies to accept this book, “NOR” to read it, NOR were “ANY” monies given to me to write the review for this book.  All that was ‘expected’ of me was to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it.  Again, the opinions expressed for and about this book are ‘of my own opinion’.  I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.


*I want to add I still think about this book!  This love story has made such a lasting impression on me!  Or, I'll be going around to different Blogs and will see it highlighted for the day, and the whole book comes flooding back!  Such a WONDERFUL story!  It is not often you come across a truly wonderful love story such as this.  This kind of writing is few and far between.  Honestly, you CAN'T AFFORD TO MISS THIS BOOK!  It is worth EVERY MINUTE, EVERY SECOND you spend reading it!  Get YOUR copy today and be swept away!  Here's the Book Trailer! Enjoy it!


Book Trailer for "Come Back to Me" by Melissa Foster!  Enjoy!



About the Author, Melissa Foster



From Amazon's Author Page:

"Melissa Foster is a wonderful connector of readers and books, a friend of authors, and a tireless advocate for women. She is the real deal"--Author Jennie Shortridge
Melissa Foster is the bestselling, award-winning author of three novels, Megan's Way, Chasing Amanda, and Come Back to Me. She has also been published in Indie Chicks, and anthology. She is the founder of the Women's Nest, a social and support community for women, and the WoMen's Literary Cafe. Melissa is currently collaborating in the film production of Megan's Way.
Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children, she's written for Calgary's Child Magazine and Women Business Owners Magazine, and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa is currently working on her next novel, and lives in Maryland with her family. Melissa's interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping women see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.
Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on The Women's Nest or her personal website, http://www.melissafoster.com
I might add in here, she has ALSO FOUNDED a website that connects readers, bloggers and authors together called The WoMen's Literary Cafe.  Go on over there and check it out! JOIN! You'll LOVE it!  They have wonderful events like

 FREE EBOOK FRIDAYS EVERY FRIDAY IN 2012!


"The WoMen's Literary Cafe"

STARTING TODAY!  GO THERE TODAY TO GET

YOUR FREE EBOOK BECAUSE TODAY IS FRIDAY!
   
Go there TODAY and check it out!  You DON'T want to miss this!  Also, there are ALWAYS GREAT "NEW" BOOKS being featured ALL the time you don't want to miss! You are able to click on the book and it takes you DIRECTLY TO Amazon to be able to purchase it!  It couldn't be ANY EASIER TO GET YOUR BOOKS!  It is a GREAT website to frequent often!  If you notice the spelling of the website, it is because it features women AND men!  Bookmark the site so you can go back!  I swear it changes EVERY day!


Melissa can be followed on Twitter as @Mellisa_Foster - Melissa is VERY active on Twitter! She has some GREAT quotes, too!
On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterBooks - COOL page!
Google+: https://profiles.google.com/u/0/MelissaFosterWrites/about 

These are the "AWARDS"  

MELISSA HAS WON 

FOR HER BOOKS!


*Come Back to Me
Top 5 Must Read Books of 2011, IndieReader
Top Ten Books of 2011, Tea Time With Marce
IndieReader Best Reviewed Books of 2011, Huffington Post 

Megan's Way
2011 Beach Book Award Winner (Spirituality)
2011 Readers Favorite Awards, Winner (Fiction/Drama), Finalist (Women's Fiction)
2010 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist (Spirituality)
2011 New England Book Festival, Honorable Mention (Spirituality)

Chasing Amanda
2011 Readers Favorite Awards, Winner (Paranormal), Finalist, (Women's Fiction, Mystery)
2011 Dan Poynter's Global eBook Awards, Winner, (Paranormal)
Top 10 Books of 2011, Pixel of Ink

If you would like to purchase ANY or ALL of Melissa's books, please click on the photos of the books below!  ALL proceeds from the purchase of these books from my blog go to helping me do MORE giveaways during Blog Hops and other events I hold here!  Thank you for visiting today and reading my review and everything else!













Sunday, January 1, 2012

2012 Amish Reading Challenge!
Jan 1st to Dec 31st, 2012!


Here it is!  The 2012 Amish Reading Challenge!!  Read 15 or MORE Amish books through the entire YEAR and do a final Post, instructions will be at Molly's Blog!
How do you find the directions and sign up?  By clicking on THIS LINK:  Reviews by Molly
Clicking on 'that' link WILL take you directly to the correct page!  Make SURE to follow 'this' specific link so you get to the RIGHT PLACE!  You WILL need to post your POST, like I have done here, to generate your LINK to sign-up for this Challenge!

There are a LOT of NEW RELEASES scheduled for the Amish Books Genre 'this year - 2012!'  I'm looking VERY forward to some of them!  Here are some of them!  You can click on the Amazon Photos/Links and place your Pre-Release orders NOW, or order them directly from the link!!  ALL proceeds from your purchase go to help support THIS BLOG!  That allows me to be able to offer MORE BOOKS during Blog Hop Giveaways!  When you Pre-Order, when the books release, they are shipped to you RIGHT AWAY!! DON'T MISS THEM! Sign up for YOUR pre-order today!  You can't go wrong doing it that way!  You are ensured to get YOUR FIRST-RUN printing!

Some books I would like to HIGHLIGHT, that are out and I have read, or are coming out!  These are 'my' suggestions!  They are:


"The Keeper, A Stoney Ridge Seasons, Book 2" by Suzanne Woods Fisher.  Release date is 1-2.  You can read this as a stand-a-long OR read the book below this, The Haven, first! Your choice!


"The Haven, A Stoney Ridge Seasons, Book 1" by Suzanne Woods Fisher, Already released!


"Miriam's Heart" by Emma Milller  - Release date is 1-18



"Beyond Hope's Valley, A Big Sky Novel, Book 3", by Tricia Goyer.  Release date is: 4-1 (April Fool's Day!  I am NOT kidding, though!) I'm looking forward to this one!  This book follows "Beside Still Waters, A Big Sky Novel, Book 1" and "Along Wooded Paths, A Big Sky Novel"!  This 'can' be a read as a stand-a-lone novel, OR you can read the other 2 books in the series as they were SO enjoyable!  You definitely have the time while waiting for this to release on 4-1.



"Along Wooded Paths, A Big Sky Novel, Book 2", by Tricia Goyer


"Beside Still Waters, A Big Sky Novel, Book 1", by Tricia Goyer.


"Jacob's Daughter" by Samantha Jillian Barr / INDIE Author who writes EXCELLENT BOOKS!  She has written MANY books about the Amish!  She does NOT write cookie-cutter books at ALL.  NONE of these books I have highlighted are the cookie-cutter type Amish books we are growing to not like anymore.  This author, Samantha Jillian Barr really puts some 'spin' on her books!  Check her books out, they are VERY much worth reading!  I have this one to read and review for her!  Can't wait to get started on it!  IT IS released now! Only $1.99 at Amazon!  Her books are just as priceless as these top names in Amish writing I have highlighted!


Well, there you have it!  I have just highlighted "7" books AND NEW Releases in the Amish Genre!  I have picked out HALF of the Amish books for your reading pleasure!  After these, you ONLY have '7' more to choose and read!

I 'do' want to Highlight ONE MORE BOOK!  This book takes us to Europe, to Switzerland, to be exact!  This book was one of my favorite reads of 2011!  In this book, we learn ALL there is to know, just about, about the Anabaptist Movement!  Wow!  The research that went into this book in order for her to have written it!  I want to send a message to the author and ask her if she, herself, DID go to Europe to do some of the research!  It is so FULL and rich with history!  WELL-WORTH the read!

"The Amish Nanny, The Women of Lancaster County, Book 2", by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould.  You would NOT expect this book to go into SO much history, NOR take us to Europe, in Switzerland, where the Amish originated as Anabaptist's. This book is full of RICH HISTORY, and a little romance!   A CAN'T MISS!


"The Amish MidWife, The Women of Lancaster County, Book 1" by Mindy Stearns Clark and Leslie Gould.


And, a NEW RELEASE already AVAILABLE by Beverly Lewis, "The Mercy, A Rose Trilogy, Book 3".  I received this book to read and post a review!  There ARE 2 previous books to this series.  I will be reading 'this' book as a stand-a-lone, and will let you know how I like it!  Beverly Lewis has SO many Amish books out there, wow!  Just like Wanda E. Brunstetter!


Well, I just highlighted "10" Amish books that are ALL 5-Stars, or into the 5-Star reviews!  This would ONLY leave you '5' books left to choose on your own!  You could read the first 2 of Beverly Lewis' , The Rose Trilogy, and MORE from Samantha Jillian Barr!  She has at 'least' "8" Amish books she has published!  They are ALL EXCELLENT!  That would take you well OVER 15 for this year!

The way "I" like to read the Amish books, also given the nickname of 'Bonnet Books', is to read one, then read a different genre.  I go back and forth that way.  That is 'my' style of reading the Amish genre.  What is YOUR style?  Leave a comment!!  I'd LOVE to know!

Thanks for reading ALL my suggestions for this year!  This IS ONLY January, too!  I know there are MANY other New Releases scheduled for this year, just not 'yet' announced!  This genre is HUGE!  VERY Popular!  Enjoy your reading and this Challenge!

Now REMEMBER to go back up to the TOP of this Post and go click on Reviews by Molly, read the directions, and sign up for this Challenge!  I have MORE information about this Challenge on my CHALLENGES PAGE!!  Go on over there, and just maybe you WILL FIND MORE CHALLENGES you will WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN!  I have quite a few I am participating in!  Here's MY link: http://lauriehere.blogspot.com/p/challenges.html?showComment=1325425769415  OR, click on the CHALLENGES tab up above!
Guess What?
January is NetGalley Reading Challenge Month!


YEAH!  GO ON OVER TO THIS LINK AND SIGN UP!
OR THE "FULL" LINK

CLICK ON EITHER AND IT WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY THERE TO SIGN UP!!

What is this?  You read as many NetGalley ebooks as you can, and in February, post your reviews!  What I will do is write my reviews right after I read the books so I don't forget anything about them, or merge the books together!  It's just the way "I" have to do it!  I'll save them ALL together in a folder, and post the Reviews in February, like Red House Books says to!
Go on over and read the short instructions, and GRAB HER BUTTON THAT Sarah, from Work a Day Reads made especially for Red House Books!  Isn't is just SOOO cute!
Then, DECLARE YOURSELF, like I am with this Post!
HAVE FUN!!

HUGE THANKS TO Red House Books!