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Working It Out by Rachel Anderson #BookBlast

Working It Out

A chance encounter . . .

Grace Warren’s life is safe and predictable—exactly the way she likes it. But when she gets roped into going to an auction to help out a friend, everything changes. She meets Seth Tuttle—a guy who unexpectedly kisses her then disappears, leaving her flustered and upset. If she never sees him again, it will be too soon.

A chance for love . . .

Weeks later, when Seth limps into Grace’s rehab clinic post surgery, she immediately recognizes him. Unfortunately, he’s every bit as frustrating and annoying as she remembered. Yet there’s something about him that makes her second-guess her carefully placed boundaries even though he’s everything she’s sure she doesn’t want in a man. But maybe Seth is exactly what Grace has needed all along—assuming she’s willing to risk safe and predictable for a chance at love.

Amazon * Amazon Kindle

Author Rachael Renee Anderson

Rachael Anderson is the author of four books: Divinely Designed, Luck of the Draw, Minor Adjustments, and The Reluctant Bachelorette. She’s the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

Blog * Facebook * Twitter

Book Blast Special Price Drop!

Grab a copy of Working it Out for just $2.99!

Come back August 28 for my review of Working It Out

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 9/6/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

August 19, 2013
Because I’m Your Dad #BookReview

Because I’m Your Dad
by Ahmet Zappa

About the Book: This is a cute story about all the things a Father will do for his children. Some unrealistic – like skipping school to fly to Australia – but that represent every Father’s desire to do the very best for their child while having fun.

About the Author: The son of late rock musician/composer Frank Zappa and, as he puts it, “My awesome mother, Gail.” Ahmet grew up with a learning disability and now writes books to help children discover how wonderful reading can be. He and his wife, Shana, are currently collaborating on a new book series, Star Darlings. Through his production company, Monsterfoot Productions, Ahmet has developed several television shows and movies, including “The Odd Life of Timothy Green.” Ahmet, Shana, and Halo live in Los Angeles, California under a rainbow with their three fur goblins Sandwich, Luna, and Figgy.

My thoughts: I absolutely loved this fun children’s book. Even more so, because it sounded funny with me reading “Because I’m Your Dad”, so I got to pass it over to Mark. Listening to a dad read this story to his children, and know that they truly would do anything for them, was very heart warming.

The Princesses really got into this book, and have enjoyed Mark, and even myself reading it to them. Thought they love looking at it on their own as well.

Because I’m Your Dad would make a wonderful Fathers Day Gift. I personally love to give gifts that Mark can enjoy with the kids on Fathers Day, since they are the reason we get to celebrate him (similar thoughts for mothers day). There seems to be very few books specifically for Dad’s to read to their children, so I’m pleased to add this to our collection.

Connect with Ahmet on Twitter

Purchase on Amazon

*This post contains an affiliate link. Thank you for supporting Home Maid Simple.

June 4, 2013
Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop

I have so many books. SOOO many books! I also have a very hard time getting rid of books. Thankfully I have been able to receive many books for review that I may never have otherwise picked up. I have found so many good books this way, but have also read some that I didn’t particularly care for. Then there are some that I read, enjoyed, but don’t feel the need to hand onto any longer.

I look forward to this hop hosted by Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer since it gives me the chance to clear some space, and you the chance to win some books! Right now, I need all the space I can get too. We only have 2 bookshelves, since the rest broke in our move. I have yet to get around to replacing them, and well – I have 18 boxes of books just hanging out in my basement. Not how I like to see my books. So I’m clearing my shelf, so I can pull a few more out. Isn’t that nice of me?

Did I get a little winded there? So sorry. Here is what ONE lucky reader will win from moi

The Freedman and the Pharaoh’s Staff

by Layne Heymont

This is a review copy I was sent for free. I wanted to bad to delve into this book, but emotionally I couldn’t. It is strong from 2 very opposing sides. I hope whoever wins will be able to enjoy the historical content in this book, and see the view the author was trying to display in so dramatic a work.

GPS Your Best Life

by Charmane Hammond & Debra Kasowski

I enjoyed this book. I felt like I gained some insight into how I want my life to turn out, and what I need to do to go there. Now it’s time for someone else to map their best life!

ec·o·nom·ics: a simple twist on normalcy

by Kersten L. Kelly

I read this book about a year ago. It was a very interesting read, and helps bring economics into your daily life, on a level most people can actually understand. Read my full review.

Racing from Death: A Nikki Latrelle Racing Mystery

by Sasscer Hill

I enjoyed the premise of this novel, but there was just too much horse racing talk I didn’t get, and romance and drugs for me to enjoy.

The Lake House
by Marci Nault
I want to like this book so bad! Review will be on the blog early next week, but here’s a quick inside view – New England Lake House, living around friends and family, love and heartache.
I’m giving this book up, because the love border lined on the not my kind of reading side. Which is too bad, because if it was just a bit cleaner, I would’ve loved this book so much.

The Path of the Fallen
by Dan O’Brien
This is a BIG BOOK! Just so you know. But a fun YA novel that explores another version on life, death and the beyond. Read my full review.

Roost
by Jasmine Winterson
This tale was just too unbelievable for me, and since it was set in modern day America, it made it that much harder to connect and believe I was in the story. Read my review.

THAT IS NOT ALL THOUGH! The winner will also receive my very last Home Maid Simple branded Book Bag: sporting Home Maid Simple’s button and the phrase “Turning Your House Into A Home”

OPEN to US and CAN residents.

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May 7, 2013
Coyote Winds by Helen Sedwick {Book Review}

Coyote Winds

By Helen Sedwick

About the Book: Andy is a 21st Century teen living with an overprotective mother, and disconnected family. His grandfather is the only one who seems to understand; with funny jokes, and stories from the Dust Bowl, he inspires Andy to dream and follow those dreams. But when his Grandfather passes away, without finishing his stories, it’s up to Andy to discover his families past, and learn the lesson his Grandfather wanted to teach.

About the Author: Helen grew up in New York City. After majoring in English at Cornell, she went on to attend Chicago Law School. For thirty years she has practiced Business Law in the San Francisco Bay area. She has received honorable mentions for her short stories and recently was awarded second place from the Redwood Writers Flash Fiction Contest for a piece adapted from Coyote Winds.
Coyote Winds was inspired by her own Fathers stories of growing up during the Dust Bowl.

My Thoughts: If you’ve been following along this blog, you’ll know I’ve mentioned this before – I love history! My area of study in college was History Education. Although I never finished my degree, I still love learning about history anyway I can. Coyote Winds is a great piece of historical fiction. With almost a side by side comparison as we follow Andy living in the 21st century, and his grandfather adventures during the Dust Bowl. If you’re looking for a quick book to read, I would suggest this one. It’s a fun adventure, but makes you think about your dreams. Are you living them? Or are you to afraid of disappointment?

For more information about Helen and her writing, visit www.helensedwick.com

*I received a copy of Coyote Winds to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I only recommend books that I enjoyed and think my readers will also enjoy.

March 26, 2013
Goodnight, Brian by Steven Manchester {Book Review}

Goodnight, Brian

by Steven Manchester

About the Book: Fate was working against little Brian Mauretti. The food that was meant to nourish him was poisoning him instead, and the doctors said the damage was devastating and absolute. Fate had written off Brian. But fate didn’t count on a woman as determined as Brian’s Grandmother, Angela DiMartino – who everyone knew as Mama. Loving her grandson with everything she had, Mama endeavored to battle fate. Fate had no idea what it was in for.

About the Author: Author of national best seller Twelve Months (read my review), and several other books, Steven is a husband and father to four. He began writing under the pen name Steven Herberts.

My Thoughts:
Similar to Twelve Months, Goodnight, Brian reads real to life. It felt as if Steven were writing a story he personally experienced. That is what I love about his writing style. It’s still a story, but brought to life as you find different aspects of each characters life you can relate to. Mama very much reminded me of my aunt. I grew up near her, we went on many little adventures around New England together, and she commanded respect at all times. But she did it all out of love, and you never had any doubt that my Aunt loved you. She was practically a 2nd mom to me.

Goodnight, Brian will bring your emotions to the surface as a mother or father receiving a devastating diagnosis for your child (even if your child is just fine, any parent can imagine the emotions they must feel), as a brother or sister watching your family struggle, feeling alone because one sibling receives more attention, and learning to grow from those trials. The anger at being given such a trial, and if have faith in God, the number of prayers said for your loved ones.

Steven Manchester has again pulled on my heartstrings, and turned my faith further to my God in struggling times.

Connect With Steven at www.stevenmanchester.com

January 14, 2013
January Kindle Fire HD Giveaway

20 Amazing Authors plus more than 100 of the Best Bloggers have joined together to bring you 1 Amazing Giveaway!

The winner will have the option of receiving a Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

This giveaway is sponsored by these Awesome Authors:

The Essence by Kimberly Derting
Alaina Claiborne by MK McClintock
Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out by Pandora Poikilos
Uncontrollable by S.R. Johannes
Hunted by Ednah Walters
Cliffhanger by Amy Saunders
I Was Here – Before You Came by Camelia Miron Skiba
Everlost by Brenda Pandos
Blood Oath by T.L. Clarke
Reaper’s Novice by Cecilia Robert
Bulletproof by Jeff LaFerney
Lancaster House by Taylor Dean
Two Halves by Marta Szemik
Murder on Potrero Hill by M.L. Hamilton
Bellyache by Crystal Marcos
Kill Shot by Anne Patrick
Skid Out by Ann Marie Frohoff
Between by Mary Ting
Dragon Stones Saga by Kristian Alva
Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett

Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International).
Ends 1/31/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

January 12, 2013
Author Kimball Fisher’s Top 10 Christmas Books {Blog Tour}

Tour Schedule

Thanks for stopping by Home Maid Simple in the Finding the Baby Jesus blog tour!

I had the opportunity to ask the Author for a Top Ten List.

Since the theme is obviously Christmas, I wanted to know Mr Fisher’s Top Ten Christmas Book List.

Here it is!

1 – A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens). Best Christmas book ever. Tiny Tim, Scrooge, and the Spirits of Christmas.

2 – The Night Before Christmas (Clement Clarke Moore). Of course! Not even mice were stirring.

3 – How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Dr. Seuss). From a modern genius of both word and illustration.

4 – Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Robert L. May). For the kids. Old ones, too.

5 – The Little Match Girl (Hans Christian Anderson). Look for the volume illustrated by Rachel Isadora.

6 – Nutcracker (E.T.A. Hoffman). The story that inspired Tchaikovsky’s ballet.

7 – The Polar Express (Chris Van Allsburg). Haunting words and illustrations. Modern classic.

8 – Louisa May Alcott’s Christmas Treasury. Charming stories from the author of Little Women.

9 – The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Barbara Robinson). A personal favorite and one of the inspirations for FINDING THE BABY JESUS. My wife and I loved this story, which although shorter than many, was always too long to read out loud in a single evening. I wrote FINDING to be read in a single sitting (even with most wiggly children).

10 – The Christmas Box (Richard Paul Evans). A fairly recent feel-good story.

Thank you so much Mr Fisher for sharing your favorite Christmas stories with us, and giving us one more to add to our list!

Finding the Baby Jesus by Kimball Fisher

After being forced to wear lederhosen for the annual holiday card picture, twelve-year-old Chris thinks that the least his parents can do is get him the Tony Hawk skateboard he wants for Christmas. But when he recovers the hand-carved Baby Jesus that everyone thought had been destroyed in a fire the year his Grandma died, Chris realizes that some gifts are even more important than skateboards.

When the author had to discontinue a cherished tradition of reading Christmas stories out loud with his family and holiday guests each week in December, he wrote Finding the Baby Jesus. He had been unable to locate enough meaningful stories that could be read in a single sitting with wiggly children.

Purchase

Amazon * Smashwords

Author Kimball Fisher

Kimball Fisher writes novels for young readers. He is also a best-selling business author, professional speaker, and management consultant. Some of his past jobs include: sailboat builder, ghost writer (not as scary as it sounds), illustrator, and factory manager (more scary than it sounds). For fun he builds furniture, stained-glass windows, and writing pens.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities (with minors in English, Asian Studies, and Japanese), and a Master of Organizational Behavior degree from Brigham Young University. He and his amazing wife Reenie live in Portland, Oregon, where they have seen pheasants, coyotes, and a bobcat in their own backyard.

Links

Website * Facebook

Book Blast

Enter the $50 Book Blast

Tour Giveaway:
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 12/26/12

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent’s permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

November 24, 2012
Finding the Baby Jesus – Book Blast and $50 Paypal Giveaway

Finding the Baby Jesus

by Kimball Fisher

After being forced to wear lederhosen for the annual holiday card picture, twelve-year-old Chris thinks that the least his parents can do is get him the Tony Hawk skateboard he wants for Christmas. But when he recovers the hand-carved Baby Jesus that everyone thought had been destroyed in a fire the year his Grandma died, Chris realizes that some gifts are even more important than skateboards.

When the author had to discontinue a cherished tradition of reading Christmas stories out loud with his family and holiday guests each week in December, he wrote Finding the Baby Jesus. He had been unable to locate enough meaningful stories that could be read in a single sitting with wiggly children.

Praise for Finding the Baby Jesus:
“Tender and true, this warm Christmas tale brought tears to my eyes.”

–Heather Vogel Frederick, author of the much-beloved Mother-Daughter Book Club series and Oregon Book Award winner for The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed

“A touching story that speaks to the importance of family, giving, and the true spirit of Christmas.”

–Matthew Kirby, author of Icefall, winner of the Edgar Allen Poe and the Pen Center USA Literary Awards for Children’s Literature

“Deeply moving. Poignant.”

–Deborah Halverson, former editor at Harcourt Children’s Books and author of Honk If You Hate Me, a Gayle McCandliss Literary Award Winner

“The perfect little book to tuck away with your Christmas things and bring out year after year to read with family. As mother to three boys, I can’t imagine a better protagonist than Chris. His typical teenage attitude followed by the softening of his heart towards a friend teaches a poignant and very relatable lesson on the true meaning of Christmas.”
–Amazon review

“After I read this short story I felt like I had read a novel–every sentence is packed with action and imagery. I was emotionally connected to the characters, and the story is touching. I didn’t see the plot twist at the end coming! A great story to read every Christmas.”
–Amazon review

Purchase

Amazon * Smashwords

Author Kimball Fisher

Kimball Fisher writes novels for young readers. He is also a best-selling business author, professional speaker, and management consultant. Some of his past jobs include: sailboat builder, ghost writer (not as scary as it sounds), illustrator, and factory manager (more scary than it sounds). For fun he builds furniture, stained-glass windows, and writing pens.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities (with minors in English, Asian Studies, and Japanese), and a Master of Organizational Behavior degree from Brigham Young University. He and his amazing wife Reenie live in Portland, Oregon, where they have seen pheasants, coyotes, and a bobcat in their own backyard.

Links

Website * Facebook

Blog Tour
November 23rd to December 21st

Tour Schedule

Come Back to Home Maid Simple on the 24th to see Mr Fisher’s Top 10 Christmas Books!

Blast Giveaway:

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/21/12

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent’s permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

November 21, 2012
Reading with Scholastic

I just realized I missed the school book fair! I always loved the book fairs in elementary school. We’d go with my mom, and she usually let us pick out a book or two. Of course once we had our own money, we’d buy our own books.
I went through a Roald Dahl phase and would buy any of his books! I just loved his sense of humor.

Not that I need any more books, but they are one of my favorite educational tools. Holding a book between your hands, reading, getting lost in the story. That means learning to read as well. It’s something I want my kids to enjoy, without feeling like it’s a task.

I’m really excited about Scholastics new Ipad App – Storia. You can download books from scholastic, and they sit on your “shelf” on the app. The kids can pick their book, and it will even read the story to them. Which at my kids age is perfect. There have been a lot of books Mark has downloaded onto the Ipad, and reads to the kids at bedtime. Some of them read for you, but here’s the difference I’ve seen.

On Storia, the words being read are highlighted, so your child can actually follow along, and learn the words as well as enjoy the story. Of course you can also turn off the automated reading, and read it yourself – another great option.

Our favorite book so far has been Clifford. It’s a character the kids are familiar with, so it holds their attention. Another great aspect of Storia are the activities. On some of the pages a little lightening bold will appear. You touch the lightening bolt, and activities will pop up. It’s not just fun and games though, it’s things like “put the story events in order from first, next, last” and “match the characters with their names”. So it promotes paying attention to the story and what is happening. They’ve got something for every level of reader too.

The App is FREE to download (even better, right?) and comes with 5 Free Books! You can download more books from scholastics website. Here is the big kicker though, right now when you buy certain Kellogs boxes of cereal, you can get codes for $5 giftcards to Scholastic! We haven’t redeemed any yet, but I’ve got quite a few (Fruit Loops and Krave were on sale…we stocked up). Mark and I have been reading The Hunger Games together, and we need the last book. Guess what? Yep, Storia has it for download! I might just use our coupons for that.

I’m not a big electronic fan (hahaha, says the blogger), but I do love this app. I find myself wishing Mark could leave the Ipad home somedays so we can read the books on Storia.

November 15, 2012
Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

It’s a SPOOKY giveaway!
Hosted by
I am a Reader Not a Writer
and
The Diary of A Bookworm

Welcome to my Spooky giveaway! I’ve got 2 books for you, and a book bag!

First up

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency #1

by Alexander McCall Smith

and our Spooky addition
Secret of the Upstairs Room and Other Ghostly Tales
by Gale Burnick

(my copy has a different cover)

Both books are gently used. One winner gets both books, and a Home Maid Simple Book Bag! To enter fill out the Rafflecopter below.

Giveaway open to US only

All entries will be verified

After you enter here, hop on to the over 400 other blogs participating!

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October 23, 2012