The Guardian Duke book review/giveaway

I absolutely have always enjoyed reading. Especially if it is a book that captures your attention and keeps it. I have read several books that I have enjoyed so much that I get captured in the book and become a part of the story. Those are the best!! Unfortunately, I do not have as much time to read as I would like but I still get in as much reading time as I can.
Recently, I received a book by Jamie Caries entitles "The Guardian Duke". I was asked to have my review done by March 1st, and on February 2th I felt like I had read enough to do the review, but then I got more and more captivated by the story that I felt I had to finish reading before I could do the review justice.

About the Book:
The Guardian Duke is award-winning Jamie Carie's most exciting story yet, a uniquely arranged Regency-era romantic adventure where hero and heroine know each other through written letters but have yet to meet.
Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton, is ordered by the King to take guardianship over Lady Alexandria Featherstone whose parents are presumed dead after failing to return from a high profile treasure hunt. But Alexandria ignores this royal reassignment, believing her parents are still alive and duly following clues that may lead to their whereabouts. Gabriel, pressured by what are actually the King's ulterior motives, pursues her across windswept England and the rolling green hills f Ireland but is always one step behind.
When they do meet, the search for earthly treasure will pale in comparison to what Go has planned for both of them.

About the Author:

When she was six, Jamie’s parents met Jesus and soon after started a church. It changed everything. Road trips with her dad—to and from Bible studies across Indiana—were filled with talks of things beyond earth’s bounds – creation and the fall, God and Jesus and the rapture, the earthly walk compared to the spiritual walk, and how we are born for more than what we can see or touch.

The highlight of those nights was stopping at a truck stop in the middle of the night where her dad would spend a little of the offering basket on two slices of pie and a couple of Cokes. Nothing ever felt so special as a middle of the night slice of pie with her dad. And nothing could stop the writing pouring out of her.

As Jamie’s relationship with God grew, she discovered her heart was filled with songs and poetry. During high school she wrote lyrics for her brother’s band. (And she sang them too!) After college, Jamie married, had two sons and decided to stay home with them. While she home schooled she wrote skits, poems, plays and short stories for school and church.
When her eldest son turned five she dove into the world of novels. She’d read romance novels for years, but couldn’t relate to the flawless, saintly heroines in Christian romance novels. So she decided to write her own.

Snow Angel was born on a frosty night in an old farmhouse in Fishers, Indiana, where the cold floor gave plenty of motivation for the snow scene. Jamie loves to write late at night when the house is quiet and the darkness seems alive. Elizabeth and Noah had been playacting in her head for a long time, so the story went fast.
Ten years later Snow Angel was published and won the ForeWord magazine Romance Book of the Year winner, was a National “Best Books 2007” Awards winner, and a 2008 RITA Awards® Best First Book finalist. It was the beginning of her dream career.

Jamie and her husband Tony have been married for twenty-one years and live in Indianapolis with their three sons and a giant of a dog named Leo.

If she could only say one thing to her readers it would be, “Live the dreams God has destined you for!”

 

My thoughts:

Well I have already told you that I was captivated by this story. I do have to admit that the first chapter was a little hard to follow. Once I got past the fist chapter it got more and more interesting and I was there with the Duke and with Lady Alexandria.

This book is a love story and a suspense thriller all in one. As you read, you go with the Duke through his trying times of losing his hearing to falling in love with Lady Featherstone through some letters. You also go with Lady Featherstone on her journey as she tricks the Duke into sending her money and takes off on an adventure, that nearly costs her life, to try to find her parents.

As the book was coming to an end, I was always trying to find time to read. I would sneak the book at work and read whenever I thought no one would come in and catch me, and I read at night for as late as I could possibly read without falling asleep. And finally, I got to the end...only to find out the story will continue. Oh man, was I ever disappointed! Now don't get me wrong, I do love it when I am left in suspense at the end of a book because I know I get to read another book to finish the story. But I had my hopes set on them meeting and making this journey together.

 

This is a really great book and I look forward to the next book in what is going to become a great series!

Giveaway time!! I have a book to offer as a giveaway to a North Carolina Momma reader.

Mandatory Entry:
Follow this blog through GFC and then leave a comment about the last book you have read. If you do not read, or have not read a book lately, book trailer and leave a comment on your thoughts.
Make sure to leave your email address in the comment section so I know how to contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:
The Mandatory entry must be completed before any of these will count. Leave a separate comment for each entry.

1 - Become an email subscriber to this blog (5 entries). If you already subscribe, let me know. Leave 5 separate comments.

2 - Like North Carolina Momma on facebook (4 entries)

3 - Follow me on twitter (1 entry) Leave your twitter name in the comment

4 - Tweet about this giveaway. You can do this up to 3 times a day. Leave a comment each time you tweet along with the URL of the tweet.

5 - Share this giveaway with your friends and followers. You get 1 entry for each way you share and you can get 2 entries for every one that you share with that enters this giveaway (just make sure they tell me in the comments that you referred them) then leave 2 more comments!

6 - Enter one of my other giveaways. (1 entry for each giveaway you enter). Just enter the other giveaway and then leave me a comment of which one(s) you have entered.

This giveaway will end on March 20th. It is open to US/Canada ages 13 and older.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it

on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally

and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance

with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the

Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

CCB Custom Dress giveaway

CCB  Custom Dresses Spring/Summer 2012 Maxi Dress Collection is the perfect combination of timeless style trends.The versatile Maxi Dress can be worn from office to evening, color blocking is a trend that can highlight the colors of the season, and the forgiving empire waist silhouette is great for all shapes and perfect for camouflaging full hips.

With so many style and color options to choose from, you can design your own dress! Choose from 5 neckline shapes, 3 sleeve length, and 2 skirt styles; prices range from $149-199. Available in misses and plus sizes 2-28 for a custom fit include your measurements and bra size and your dress will be customized to fit your shape and style.

CCB is giving away a dress-a-day for 5 days! You can enter now by following this link...http://bit.ly/MAXIDRESS

The 1st drawing will be held on 3/19/2012 at 12:00 PM EST and everyday day until 3/23/2012.

Good luck!! If you are one of the winners come back and leave a comment and share the great news.

The Mighty Macs DVD review/giveaway

About the movie:It's 1971. Cathy Rush is a woman ahead of her time...and she's about to embark on an adventure for the ages. A new era is dawning in the country and in collegiate athletics, where a national champion will be crowned for the first time in women's basketball. In the lead up to this historical season, major universities are preparing their game plans to win that first title. Meanwhile a tiny all-women's Catholic college in Philadelphia has a more modest goal; find a coach before the season begins. Providentially, Cathy Rush is about to find Immaculata College.

Recently married, Cathy is dealing with the aftermath of a truncated playing career. While cultural norms would have her staying at home, she's willing to do the hard work necessary to help her new team reach their goals - or perhaps she's just trying to achieve her unfulfilled dreams through them.

From the beginning, her challenges are as imposing as the big-school teams Immaculata will face on the court. Cathy learns there is no gymnasium on campus, she receives little support from the school's Mother Superior, and the school is in dire financial straits. To top it off, she may not even have enough players to field a team!

While it appears the Macs don't have a prayer, all hope is not lost. With the help of Sister Sunday - a spunky assistant coach - and the support of a booster club of elderly nuns, Coach Rush creates a new game plan that just might bring the team - and the school - together.

Will this pioneer buck cultural norms and spur her rag-tag team to unexpected heights? Or will her hard-driving ways create a wedge between the coach and everyone around her? One things for certain: there's never been anyone like Cathy Rush at Immaculata!

My thoughts:
I always enjoy a good family-friendly movie!! And to have an inspirational movie that is a true story is a plus as well. This movie was all of the above.

I was born in the late 70's so I have no clue what it was like to live in a time that women were not supposed to work but stay home instead. But I have to say that I am impressed with the females that had to stand up for what they believed in and had to work extra hard to get anywhere in a "man's" world.

As I watched this movie, I gained a lot of respect for Coach Rush. She had obstacle after obstacle in her way, but she always fought harder and harder for what she believed in. If I had as many people and things in my way as she did, I am sure I would quit. But she fought, and in the end it paid off.

We watched this movie as a family...my husband, son, daughter and myself. My son (who is 13) was the only one that thought it was boring. He walked out but he came back and finished it with us so I don't think he disliked it too bad. As a family, we give this movie an 8 out of 10.

The giveaway:
I have a copy of this movie for a North Carolina Momma reader!
To Enter all you have to do is leave a comment with an answer to the following question:

What is your most favorite movie of all time?

That is all...OR you can get some extra entries. Just do the following...leave a comment for each extra entry. Each of these is worth 1 extra entry unless otherwise stated. Please make sure you leave your email address in your comment so I have a way to contact you if you win. For the extra entries:

• Subscribe to emails - after you confirm your subscription, leavve a comment telling me you did this...or if you are already a subscriber, let me know.
• Follow me on twitter
• Tweet this giveaway to your followers. Make sure you include a link to this post in your tweet. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a comment. This can be done up to twic a day. 1 entry for each tweet.
• Sign up for Superpoints using this link.  This entry is worth 5 points.
• Use any of the share buttons at the bottom of this post...1 entry for each share
• Follow this blog with GFC on the side bar

This givaway will end at midnight on March 15th. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

Disclosure of  Material Connection: I received a copy of the above mentioned DVD for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Tade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concccerningn the Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising."

New coupons

Vistaprint - 6 FREE items

6 Free Products to showcase your most important photographs! We pay for Printing, you pay for Shipping! Display your favorite pictures on 6 FREE custom printed products. Great for gifts or to keep for yourself. Cherish photos year round with a free calendar, or warm up in the winter with a hot drink in a personalized mug.

Dates: 2/21- 2/24

Shipping Starting Prices:
Calendar- $5.67
T-Shirt- $4.86
Magnet- $4.52
Mouse Pad- $4.41
Mug- $5.67
Photo Book- $5.83

Go to Vistaprint to get this deal...it ends Friday so you better hurry!

74% Off Asutralian Style Winter Boots

We have a winner...

Sorry I am late but better late than never right?!?
We have a winner for the In His Shoes DVD.....and with no further delay

Congrats!! I hope you enjoy this movie as much as I did!!

5 Mom-Inspired Driving Tips

If you are a mom (or dad) you understand the importance of safe driving. Or at least you should! Some days when I am driving I wonder if I am the only one on the road that is being careful. So I want to share my tips for safe driving.

1) Be considerate of other drivers & don't think that you are the only person on the road. I don't know how many times I have been close to being hit because someone in the lane next to me decides they want to drive in my lane - WITH me. Only one vehicle per lane is the rule so please make sure if you are changing lanes that there is no one already there.

2) Keep a safe speed. If you get in a wreck or get  pulled over by a law enforcement officer, then you will be later than if you just went the speed limit. Now, I would not suggest being a little "granny" driver and going extremely slow because that can be just as bad as going over the speed limit. So it is very important to keep a "safe" speed...not over and not under.

3) Wear your seat belt! It is hard to teach children to do something if we as the parents are not doing it. It is important to lead our children by example. Children will naturally hate being "tied" into a seat belt, but they are more likely to wear one of they see their parents wearing one as well.

4) Make sure your car is safe. Keep a check on your tires to make sure they are safe. If you have a tire blow out, it can be very dangerous for those in the car as well as those all around on the road. Also, make sure your headlights are working properly. Not only is it important for you to see where you are going, but it is also very important for others to be able to see you coming as well.

5) Don't drive sleepy!! Unfortunately there are many drivers that will keep driving even though they are very sleepy and tired. According to http://drowsydriving.org/about/facts-and-stats/ there are approximately 100,000 police-reported crashes as the direct result of driver fatigue each year. That is a scary number! So please, if you get tired...pull over, take a nap, or let someone else drive for a little while!

There are many other safety driving tips that we could share, but these are my 5 that I wanted to share with you. Please comment with a tip of your own. And be sure to check out Esurance and the tips that they can offer. Be sure to like them on facebook .

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Esurance blogging program for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here .”

Online shopping a little easier

We all know the frustrations of shopping for products and having to go to different stores to find the best prices. Plus, when you make a big purchase, you want to know if what you are buying is a good buy or not. With the way things are these days it pays to be conscious of what we are buying and how much we are spending, not only now but what it will cost in the long run as well.

Well there is a website that will make all of our shopping experiences a little bit easier. It is http://www.become.com/. With http://www.become.com/, you can compare prices, read product reviews and find hot deals. Like if you want to purchase a new heater for your deck, you can get a crown verity vs schwank review. See what others  are saying and see where you can find the best prices.

Or suppose you are looking for a brookstone storage benches for deck. You have all of the information that you need to make a purchase and get the best deal around.

This summer as you are looking for pool stuff and other outdoor items, be sure to check out www.become.com so that you can get the best deals. If you want to go swimming before the summer you can always look into getting a pool heater. You can research the different pool heater gas but no spark on purex.

So check them out for your next purchase and see if you can't save some money this year.

Mile in His Shoes - DVD review/giveaway

From the directors of Angels in the Outfield comes an inspiring story about a special boy with an amazing gift, and the coach who believed. Dean Cain and Luke Schroeder star in the gmc movie based on the book "The Legend of Mickey Tussler".

It is amazing how things seem to happen and how people come into our lives at just the right moment. Coach Arthur "Murph" Murphy is in a losing streak with his baseball team, River Rats. He gets some information about a possible recruit and sets out to find this new possible pitcher. But as he is on his way, he gets lost. While trying to look at the map he runs off the road and hits the ditch where he gets stuck. That is where things get interesting.

Murph goes up to the nearest house to use the phone and while he is calling a tow truck he sees something really amazing.  He looks out the window and witnesses Mickey feeding his pig Oscar some apples. The way he feeds Oscar is what is so amazing but all I will say is that he has one good pitching arm. Murph wants to recruit Mickey, but there is one small problem...his dad. Mickey's dad is a little over protective of his son because he has Asperger's syndrome, which is a form of autism.

Without giving away the movie, I will say that this is a great movie about faith, determination and the power of friendship. We also witness the power of jealousy and the affects it can have on a person that will also affect others.

A Mile in His Shoes is truly an inspirational, true story. It is a movie that I will watch again and again, and I recommend that other families watch it as well.

I have a DVD that I would like to give away to one North Carolina Momma reader....So if you would like to win your very own copy here is all you need to do:

Leave me a comment about your favorite family movie and tell me why it is your favorite.

That is all that you have to do. If you would like extra entries you can: subscribe to my blog via email or follow with GFC, you can tweet this giveaway (once daily), or share this giveaway in other ways. Just leave me a seperate comment about what you did to get an extra entry.

This giveaway will end on January 25th @ 11:59 pm EST.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the movie mentioned above for free in hopes that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Courageous Movie

I am so excited that the movie Courageous is finally out on DVD...or it will be in about 4 1/2 hours from the time I am writing this!! I went to the theater and saw this movie but I am still ready to see it again.

If you have not seen this movie, I highly recommend that you go rent it or buy it this Tuesday and watch it with your family. If you have not heard about this movie yet then keep reading because I will tell you about it....

Courageous is the newest movie from the brothers from Albany, GA. The first movie they did was called Flywheel, then there was Facing the Giants and then Fireproof. I have seen all of these movies several times and they get better and better with each one.These brothers, Stephen and Alex Hendrick, are truly blessed and have a wonderful gift from God to be able to come up with these movies.

Courageous is my husband's favorite movie. The first movie, Flywheel, is a story line about a used car salesman; then Facing the Giants is about a football team and coach; Fireproof is about a fireman; and then we come to Courageous which is about a sheriff's department. (My husband works for the sheriff's department so that is why this one is his favorite).

In the movie Courageous, we see what the streets are like with gangs & drugs and how families without fathers are affected. We witness heartache when  one of the deputies loses his daughter in a car crash involving a drunk driver; we see how someone can appear to be an upright and honest person, but really be a deceitful person. But we also witness how God can answer our prayers and we learn a lesson in forgiveness.

I think everyone should watch this movie...it is great for dads, moms, and anyone that is planning on becoming a parent. There are many life lessons for parents in this movie and I can't wait to see it again myself.

Once you have seen this movie, I am really interested in hearing your thoughts and comments!

Walgreens Prescription Savings Club

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

We all know the importance of having a personal relationship with the people that we depend on for our well being such as doctors and pharmacists. A lot of people that have gained that trust with their Walgreens pharmacist are finding out that they may have to change pharmacies.

For the past year, Walgreens has negotiated with Express Scripts for a new contract but have been unsuccessful. Patients that are covered by an Express Scripts plan are finding a disruption, and are having to find a new pharmacist. Many of these people are even having to drive further to get prescriptions filled. What is even worse is that Express Scripts has told their customers that they will not see any significant savings without Walgreens and costs may even go up.

Walgreens has been working to try to renew their contract to be able to continue to serve the many customers that depend on them and trust them. Follow this link (Walgreens and Express Script) for the press release of the change.

Walgreens is also offering a special discount on annual membership for its Prescription Savings Club: Walgreens Prescription Savings Club. For only $10 a year, a family membership covers everyone in your immediate family, including a spouse, dependents 22 and younger and even pets. Or individuals can join for only $5.00.

It is great to know that Walgreens cares enough about its customers that they have not just given up on those with Express Scripts, but they are trying to find a way that everyone can still be a part of the Walgreens family.

Be sure to follow  Walgreens on Twitter and like Walgreens on Facebook to keep up to date on what they are doing.