Paula Deen’s Savannah Style, Paula Deen & Brandon Branch – Review
Hi, y'all! Savannah is a very special place to me and my family. For years I have brought thr flavors of my kitchen to you.; now it's time you got to know my hometown the way I do. I was born in Albany, Georgia, but Savannah became my "forever" home when I moved here in 1987. The wonderful old buildings and timeless Southern traditions just clicked with me, and I've never wanted to leave...
I'm so happy to be able to show you my Savannah in this book - my own home, lots of my friends' beautifully decorated houses, and some of my favorite places and things that are special to me and I hope will be special to you. - from the Introduction (FROM THE BOOK BACK)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR...She is the quintessential American success story, a best-selling author and a television show host, a tastemaker to the stars and to the everyday housewife and family. She is Paula Deen, a down-home, strong willed mom who overcame personal tragedy, long odds, financial and physical challenges to carve one of the most effective and wide ranging entertainment brands that exists today. A brand that is idyllic, inspiring, fun and very much American. - Read more about Paula on her website...
Follow Paula on...Twitter...Facebook...her website...
FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS...Reading this book was like having Paula Deen in the room with me. How fun would that be to have her in my own home? Like Paula, I just love getting a sneak peak into the home of someone else. Paula Deen's Savannah Style is home interior decorating book that showcases homes in Savannah,Georgia and with the help of Brandon Branch from "Style Secret" tips are shared to help others achieve the elegance of Savannah. The book is broken out mainly by season and then by room, furniture type, and/or theme.
I've never been to Savannah myself so I am not able to say if what she shows us of Savannah, Georgia is typical, but I do say that seeing her book wants me to visit there as I love the different looks of Savannah home style. Can you imagine an old Southern style home with an elaborate wrap around porch and a lovely cozy outdoor seating area? How about a secret garden tucked away where you can sneak away in peace? Oh I can...one day...on day I'll have that. I'm in love with the old yet cozy look. Some of the homes she shares with us are cute, some fun, some I only dream of having, and some well...just seem a bit unusual (yeah the whole seashell furniture look and oyster shell chandelier just isn't my thing).
As a lover of books, I'd have to say my favorite chapter of the book was Book Nooks. Floor to ceiling walls covered with shelves of books and a sleigh style velvet settee had me drooling!! All in all, I enjoyed this "Savannah style" home interior book and have a couple ideas in mind for some minor home decorating in my own home. This one's a keeper for the shelves...
A copy for review was provided.
The Glamour of Grammar, Roy Peter Clark – Giveaway
Early in the history of English, the words "grammar" and "glamour" meant the same thing: the power to charm. Roy Peter Clark, author of Writing Tools, aims to put the glamour back in grammar with this fun, engaging alternative to stuffy instructionals. In this practical guide, readers will learn everything from the different parts of speech to why effective writers prefer concrete nouns and active verbs. The Glamour of Grammar gives readers all the tools they need to"live inside the language"--to take advantage of grammar to perfect their use of English, to instill meaning, and to charm through their writing. With this indispensable book, readers will come to see just how glamorous grammar can be.
Read "Dream Blurbs"
Interview with Roy Peter Clark
Roy Peter Clark blogs at Writing Tools @ Poynter.org
THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS...Thanks to Hachette Books I'm giving away 3 copies of the The Glamour of Grammar to a US resident (No PO Boxes). Now through the end of August 2010 you'll get a chance to enter.
MANDATORY - To enter become an e-mail / RSS Subscriber (see top right inner sidebar) of The Book Faery Reviews and leave a comment below of who you think would like this book (it could even be you!)...
For additional entries...
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Good luck to all!
I received a copy of this book from Hachette Books who are also sponsoring 3 more copies for this giveaway.
Mailbox Monday…08.02.10
Mailbox Monday is where other bloggers write about the books they received the previous week. The Printed Page is the host of the Mailbox Monday meme. Visit her blog to see what books made it her way and get a chance to get one of her books once she's done reading it. You can also see who all is participating this week and read about all kinds of new books.
**It's been some time since I last posted (7/12 to be exact) so I thought I'd do a bit of catch up as well as share some of the books I've picked up from others or purchased myself. You'd think with all the books I receive for free I'd keep myself from buying more books (or so my husband would hope) but on occasion I just can't help myself! This list is lengthier than usual so this round there won't be summaries but I did include links for more book information.**
Chic-Lit
Holly Inbox: Scandal in the City by Holly Dunham
Home
Paula Deen's Savannah Style by Paula Deen (Upcoming tour this month)
Contemporary Fiction
The Book of Eli by Sam Moffie
Classic (Buy)
The Arabian Nights (Barnes & Nobles Collection; I just LOVE their collection of leather bound books! Beautiful artwork on each.)
SciFi/Fantasy/Paranormal (All Buys)
Guilty Pleasures by Laurell Hamilton (wanted to start the Anita Blake series)
Swallowing Darkness by Laurell Hamilton (re-read but I need my own to go with my Meredith Gentry series)
Divine Misdemeanors by Laurell Hamilton
Violin by Anne Rice (re-read but I had to get the hardback copy)
Historical Romance (Buy)
The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries
Suspense (Buy)
Haunt Me Still by Jennifer Lee Carrell
And today I leave a special treat...the book trailer for Haunt Me Still by Jennifer Lee Carrell...
The I HATE TO COOK Book – Giveaway & Review
Fifty years ago, Peg Bracken wrote THE I HATE TO COOK BOOK - and helped change women's lives forever. At that time her message was a revolutionary one for housewives: You don't need to spend all day in the kitchen to host parties or feed your family. Cooking can be easy and, more important, it's okay if you'd rather be doing something else!
Now this updated and revised edition introduces Peg's delicious recipes - along with her wry sense of humor - to a whole new generation of women. While we're no longer expected to slave away in the kitchen, more than ever, women (and men!) still need meals that taste like great home cooking and can be prepared with minimal effort. Peg's mouthwatering recipes are quick and easy - and many dishes, like her "Stayabed Stew," can be popped into the oven and ignored for an hour or so while you take a nap. Best of all, they all come salted with Peg's side-splitting and timeless humor.
Updated for today's pantries and with a touching foreward from Peg's daughter Jo, THE I HATE TO COOK BOOK is sure to fill your kitchen with wonderful smells and even more wonderful laughter - whether you hate to cook or not!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR...Peg Bracken spent her life writing when she could, cooking when she had to, and seeing the world as only she could see it. In her passing, she leaves behind nine books, a multitude of articles, columns, pieces of light verse, and a family whom she loved...and who loved her.
Johanna Bracken is a retired entrepreneur who devotes considerable time and resources to various charities, including working with incarcerated men and women, supporting primate sanctuaries, and of her local chapter of the American Red Cross. She and her husband live in Long Beach, California, with their growing brood of dogs and cats.
FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS...Never have I read a cookbook beginning to end. Who does that? Normally we just read the recipes that caught our eye in the table of contents. However, this cookbook was actually rather entertaining! Not only did it contain some easy recipes that could be thrown together (in many cases, literally), but the writing in between the recipes had me grinning and at some times laughing. The only thing I wish was different was that it was spiral bound to make keeping open a page easier. Otherwise, this one's a keeper for my cookbook shelves.
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Sugar Milk: What One Dad Drinks When He Can’t Afford Vodka, Ron Mattocks – Review
By all appearances, Ron Mattocks was leading a successful life. As he drove a fast car to and from his downtown loft and his executive job, he considered himself a good father, even transferring across the country to live closer to his three sons after his divorce. But after an unexpected economic downturn, Ron suddenly began to question everything he knew about success and fatherhood.
After surviving the ups and downs of Internet dating, Ron shares how he remarried, inherited two stepdaughters, and then lost his job, subsequently becoming a stay-at-home dad. In this hilarious and touching account of his daily battles against subversive Care Bears, fire-belching demons, the pancake mafia, and his own masculinity-all while struggling to reunite with his children-Ron provides a glimpse into how he took lemons and created not only lemonade, but a lifetime of memories with his family.
From his highest highs to his lowest lows, Ron Mattocks shares the compelling story of how, without a parenting manual in sight, he learned to fumble his way through fatherhood with modesty, courage, and a whole lot of humor. - FROM AMAZON
ABOUT THE AUTHOR...Ron Mattocks is a father of five who, after stints in the Army and corporate America, became a stay-at-home dad. He has a degree in English Literature from St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, and has been published in several magazines as well as on-line. He and his wife reside in Houston, Texas.
Find Ron...TWITTER - BLOG - FACEBOOK
FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS...Ron will have you laughing hysterically as you envision the scenes of his dating experiences after his first marriage, employment and unemployment, step-parenting, and 2nd marriage in his book Sugar Milk. One of my favorite moments he talks about? So many funny ones! His first taste of internet dating, strawberry pancakes and the beheaded My Little Pony smeared with strawberry jam he discovered the next morning, stuffed animals held hostage, and of course sugar milk...after telling my own husband about Ron recycling cereal milk and his internet dating incidents, he too couldn't help but laugh. Great book that will leave you doubled over!
Let me now leave you with what Ron wrote in my book...
"Life is sweet like sugar in milk!" ABSOLUTELY!!
How To Make Blended Families Work, Dr. John Bell – Author Guest Post
It all takes knowing yourself and what you can live with and what you can not. It really comes down to what you love about someone that you will accept their successes as well as their failures to make life better for all. Blended families have great challenges especially with the acceptance of a new father or mother in the family this can also be brothers and sisters that will have some resistance joining into the blended family.
It seems that the nuclear family of Mother and Father with two kids is diminishing every year. In 2008 according to the US census, 2.4 million children live without a father in the home and were raised primarily by the Mother. This may sound alarming but it is an ever growing trend in the US. 72% of African-American children are raised in single parent holds. 40% of Latino or Hispanic children are born to single parent household. 37% of all white children are raised in single parent house hold. Therefore, to claim that this is a minority problem is not being accurate of the facts.
However, this also demonstrates the need for blended families and their contribution to our society as we try to rekindle the flame of family. Blended families are the new family solution of America's growing demographic dismantling of the nuclear family today.
It is imperative that society promote and respect blended families for what they aspire humanity to reach for with the best of what family is all about.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR...Dr. Bell is married and has one daughter and a step son and has experienced the subject of the baby daddy syndrome and the drama that can be experienced from relationships that include a blended family structure. Dr. Bell has chosen to write about some of the challenges from a man’s perspective involved in a blended family where the man does not have any children and the woman has a child from a previous relationship. You can visit his website at www.drjohnbell.com.
EVERY UNWED MOTHER'S NIGHTMARE COMES TO LIFE IN THE PAGES OF INVASION OF THE BABY DADDY, a compelling and moving debut novel that echoes the emotional and cerebral frustrations of unwed mothers throughout the ages. Its unforgettable characters and authentic story line are interwoven with current and real facts about the volume of unwed mothers in our society today. In the story, Dr. Sands believes he has found his perfect mate only to discover that she is pregnant from a previous relationship. Not fully aware of the ramifications of this colossal news, Dr. Sands and Rachel date via long distance during her pregnancy and ultimately decide to get married. In order to make a life together, Rachel must move to Tennessee to start a new life with her husband. But the Baby Daddy has other plans for them. Determined to make this marriage work, Dr. Sands goes to extraordinary lengths to try and negotiate with the Baby Daddy. Brimming with honesty from the author s own experiences, Invasion of the Baby Daddy comes alive with unique freshness, candor and rich detail. - AMAZON.COM
Late Payment Warning by Dale Robyn Siegel – Author Guest Post
I received my Chase MasterCard bill in the mail today. I am one of those people that review the charges line by line, the interest rate and my reward miles. I must have been bored, because I really analyzed the bill and all of the new disclosures the bank has to include now.
One really caught my eye. Although I knew about this new rule, I wanted to point out how to avoid any extra charges or increases in interest rates. This is what it says:
Late Payment Warning: If we do not receive your minimum payment by the date listed above, you may have to pay up to a $39.00 late fee and your APR will be subject to increase to a maximum penalty of 29.99%.
This means that if I am one day late with my payment, they will charge me 39 bucks and probably have the ability to increase my rate to wow 29%. That would be horrible. Any excuses for late payments, (such as the dog ate my bills, I left my briefcase on the bus or we were away for a month and did receive our mail) will not stop them from hitting you both ways. So, what to do to avoid this happening?
Apply for the AutoPayment feature on all of your credit cards. AutoPayment is very simple; it allows you to have your credit card payment taken out of your checking account each month on the due date. They give you choices, such as minimum payment, monthly charges or total balance. It is easy to do online, and takes a month or two to go into effect. Also, note that if the online feature is not available, you might need to send down a voided check. Anyway you have to, go AutoPayment, it will not fail you. Never a late payment shall you have! - FROM DALE ROBYN SIEGEL
ABOUT THE AUTHOR...Dale Robyn Siegel is a licensed attorney in New York and President of Circle Mortgage Group, in Harrison, New York. She is an adjunct professor at NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate as well as Baruch College. She is the editor for the blog "Diaries of a Mad Mortgage Broker" and has been speaking to the public and teaching real estate professionals about mortgage finance for the past ten years. She is a sought after expert on all things real estate and frequently quoted in national publications such as The New York Times, Smart Money and BusinessWeek. She is currently working on a second book, The 20 Hour S.A.F.E. Comprehensive Mortgage Loan Originator Course Textbook. This course is now required nationally for all those mortgage professionals with direct consumer contact. She is teaching the course herself in the New York Metropolitan area. Siegel holds both an MBA and a Law degree which have given her the base to be a leader in her field.
Follow the author: Twitter - Website - Facebook - LinkedIn
ABOUT THE BOOK...THIS BOOK IS the latest and most current how-to book on how to get the best mortgage and the lowest interest rate out there..... The book is short, around 200 pages, so there is no room for fluff or filler. It is easy to read, set up in chapters and short essays on specific topics. A how-to book on real estate written by an attorney, 20 year veteran in the mortgage industry AND a college level professor. The material is a combination of her classroom format, her every day knowledge and expertise combined with real life experiences to bring the point home. This works and you will love it!
A few interesting and favorite topics covered in 300 words or less: * What are the new guidelines for FICO scores and loan to values and how do they affect mortgage rates? * What is Rapid Rescore Response and can it really improve your credit score in 48 hours? * How to get money from your 401k without a penalty * When can a loan from my father-in-law be called a gift? * Why is now so important to show as much money in reserves as you can? * PMI v self insured. Which one is the bigger rip-off? * What will it now cost you to refinance your home and pull cash out? * Appraisal fraud and how is it affecting the value of your home * What is an appraisal contingency clause vs. a mortgage contingency clause and how can you lose your deposit if you do not know? * Points, origination fees, discount fees and broker fees. How do you avoid them all? * What really affects the mortgage rates? * Where do you find the best lawyer in town? - FROM AMAZON
360 Life: 10 Ways You Can Live More Richly, Deeply, Fully; Billy Joe Daugherty
What if you had a second chance to chart your life?
What if you only had a few days to live?
Would you love?
Would you laugh?
Would you give?
Would you live differently than you do right now?
--Billy Joe Daugherty
If possible, would you do a makeover on parts of your life? Most of us would gladly say “Yes!” to a fresh start, and that’s exactly what God offers.
So many people live empty and frustrating lives, which is tragic because God desires a full, productive, and satisfying life for His children. 360° Life explores how ordinary people, regardless of their challenges, can experience life-altering change through simple faith. Billy Joe Daugherty weaves material from the Bible, his own experiences, and riveting interviews with contemporary Christians to reveal how not just to survive struggles, but to rise above them.
That’s the fulfilling result of a 360-degree life.
“Billy Joe Daugherty masterfully leads us back to the resurrection power of Christ that breaks us free from the fears of our past to live a victorious life.” —T. D. Jakes, pastor of The Potter’s House
ABOUT THE AUTHOR...Billy Joe Daugherty served as the pastor of the seventeen-thousand-member Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma until his passing from earth to heaven on November 22, 2009.
Billy Joe authored a number of books, including No Fear and God Is Not Your Problem, as well as a best selling mini-book entitled, This New Life. Billy Joe’s wife, Sharon, continues to pastor at Victory Christian Center, along with their four children and two sons-in-law.
The Undervalued Self, Elaine N. Aron, PhD – Giveaway
Every day, we express affection, love, and care for others. We also compare ourselves to others and strive for respect, influence, and power. Elaine N. Aron, the bestselling author of The Highly Sensitive Person, shows that true self-worth results from a healthy balance of these two, love and power. When we focus too much on power and not enough on love, we can feel ashamed, defeated, depressed. Our undervalued self takes over.
- Use love and power to escape feelings of shame, defeat, and depression.
- Dissolve relationship hostility.
- Work not only with the conscious mind but with the deep unconscious, where most undervaluing happens.
- Quiet the inner voice that prevents you from being your best self at home and at work.
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This Is Why you’re Fat, Jackie Warner – Giveaway
"Being fat isn't your fault; staying fat is." That's what Jackie Warner, America's favorite no-nonsense celebrity fitness trainer tells her own clients, and that's why no one delivers better results than Jackie does. Now for the first time, Jackie shares her revolutionary program, showing readers the best ways to drop pounds and inches fast, without grueling workouts or deprivation, and keep them off for good! Her two-tiered approach provides a complete nutritional makeover and a failure-proof condensed workout routine PLUS all the emotional support and encouragement you need to get to the finish line and beyond. With Jackie's core principles, you'll discover once and for all which behaviors are making you fat, and which can finally make you thin forever-and some may surprise you:
· CHEATING IS ALLOWED: Eat clean for 5 days, and then indulge in whatever you want over the weekend!
· FAT IS NOT THE ENEMY: Fat doesn't make you fat; sugar does! Nothing you eat should contain over 9 grams of sugar
· SKIP THE CRUNCHES: They just build muscle under the fat. Discover the fastest way to burn calories, tone muscle, and spark your metabolism for rapid fat loss
· LESS (EXERCISE) IS MORE: Workouts shouldn't take over your day-give Jackie 20-minutes and you'll see results.
Find out today why THIS IS WHY YOUR FAT (AND HOW TO GET THIN FOREVER) is your first and last stop on the way to the new fit and healthy you!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR...Jackie Warner is a fitness expert, gym owner, television star and entrepreneur. For more on Jackie go to www.jackiewarner.com.
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