In celebration of the movie release of New Moon, the sequel to the Twilight saga by Stephanie Meyer, I offer you the Faith and Fangs blog tour.

For concerned parents who worry that their kids may be obsessing a little too much about vampires, they will find Touched by a Vampire: Discovering Hidden Messages in the Twilight Saga by Beth Felker Jones and Thirsty by Tracey Bateman, an excellent Christian alternative to the mainstream vampire novels.

I am a parent and I am vampire obsessed. In fact, I am going to watch New Moon with my daughters and their friends tomorrow. The proliferation of the vampire genre doesn’t really bother me but I can see how it can be a concern for some people especially the ones who are religious. Me, I worry more about how to burn fat than how to keep myself from burning in hell. However, I found these books to be very informative and a refreshing change to the genre.

I received copies of these books from Multnomah Books, a division of Random House.

Title: Touched by a Vampire
Author: Beth Felker Jones
Format: Trade Paperback
Categories: Religion - Christian Life
On Sale: Oct 6, 2009
ISBN: 9781601422781

Summary:
EXAMINING TWILIGHT THROUGH A BIBLICAL LENS

People around the world are asking the same question, enraptured with Edward and Bella’s forbidden romance in the Twilight Saga, a four-book serial phenomenon written by Stephenie Meyer. The bestsellers tell the story of a regular girl’s relationship with a vampire who has chosen to follow his “good” side. But the Saga isn’t just another fantasy–it’s teaching girls about love, sex, and purpose. With 48 million copies in print and a succession of upcoming blockbuster films, now is the time to ask the important question: Can vampires teach us about God’s plan for love?

Touched by a Vampire is the first book to investigate the themes of the Twilight Saga from a Biblical perspective. Some Christian readers have praised moral principles illustrated in the story, such as premarital sexual abstinence, which align with Meyer’s Mormon beliefs. But ultimately, Beth Felker Jones examines whether the story’s redemptive qualities outshine its darkness.

Cautionary, thoughtful, and challenging, Touched by a Vampire is written for Twilight fans, parents, teachers, and pop culture enthusiasts. It includes an overview of the series for those unfamiliar with the storyline and a discussion guide for small groups.

Title: Thirsty
Author: Tracey Bateman
Format: Trade Paperback
Categories: Fiction - Christian - Suspense
On Sale: Oct 6, 2009
ISBN: 9780307457158

Summary:
There’s no place like home, they say.
“Hello, I’m Nina Parker…and I’m an alcoholic.”
For Nina, it’s not the weighty admission but the first steps toward recovery that prove most difficult. She must face her ex-husband, Hunt, with little hope of making amends, and try to rebuild a relationship with her angry teenage daughter, Meagan. Hardest of all, she is forced to return to Abbey Hills, Missouri, the hometown she abruptly abandoned nearly two decades earlier–and her unexpected arrival in the sleepy Ozark town catches the attention of someone–or something–igniting a two-hundred-fifty-year-old desire that rages like a wildfire.

Unaware of the darkness stalking her, Nina is confronted with a series of events that threaten to unhinge her sobriety. Her daughter wants to spend time with the parents Nina left behind. A terrifying event that has haunted Nina for almost twenty years begins to surface. And an alluring neighbor initiates an unusual friendship with Nina, but is Markus truly a kindred spirit or a man guarding dangerous secrets?

As everything she loves hangs in the balance, will Nina’s feeble grasp on her demons be broken, leaving her powerless against the thirst? The battle between redemption and obsession unfold to its startling, unforgettable end.

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Title: Wildest Heart
Author: Rosemary Rogers
Publication Date: November 2009
Product ISBN: 9781402222740
Pages: 736

ABOUT THE BOOK
Out of print for over 15 years, the classic tale from the New York Times Bestselling romance author, Rosemary Rogers is back! Heroine Rowena Dangerfield is sensual, headstrong, and scandalously independent, the granddaughter of the governor of an Indian province under the British empire. After his death, she travels to New Mexico, where she arrives in grand style to lay claim to her inheritance. There she meets Lucas Cord, a handsome half-Apache renegade, whose reputation as an outlaw both attracts and repels her. When he encounters the beautiful stranger, unlike any woman he’s ever met before, he knows instantly that he’ll have to win her for his own, and not even the treachery of desperate enemies is going to stop him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rosemary Jansz was born on 1932 in Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka). A dreamy child, she wrote her first novel at eight, and all through her teens scribbled madly romantic epics in imitation of her favorite writers: Sir Walter Scott, Alexandre Dumas and Rafael Sabatini.

Her first novel, ”Sweet Savage Love”, skyrocketed to the top of bestseller lists, and became one of the most popular historical romances of all time. Her second novel, ”Dark Fires”, sold two million copies in its first three months of release. Her first three novels sold a combined 10 million copies. The fourth, ”Wicked Loving Lies” sold 3 million copies in its first month of publication. Rosemary Rogers became one of the legendary “Avon Queens of Historical Romance”.

MY THOUGHTS
It took me a while to warm up to this book. While I love historical romances, I’m not really all too crazy about the wild wild west. The book is also very thick for a romance novel but I guess it would have to be to contain the epic saga that starts in India, stops in London high society before finally ending in America’s wild west.

I thought I would skim through the book since I had another one waiting in the wings about punta cana vacations (always a good read for when it’s gray and dreary outside. Anyway, I was surprised to be so quickly embroiled in the story right away. From the get go, the headstrong teenage girl in India caught my attention. I couldn’t keep the book down after that and followed that girl to London where she endured some time with her uncaring mother and step-father who cared a little too much if you know what I mean.

Rosemary Rogers is a story-teller who knows how to weave. She takes varying story lines and weaves them into one cohesive story that you can’t take your eyes off from. Although this book was originally published in 1974, it is timeless in its appeal. The heroine, Rowena is not only headstrong, she’s also independent, intelligent and beautiful. The story is told in her voice and point of view which allows you, the reader, to take the journey with her. You experience everything she feels and goes through. You become misguided as she is with the misinformation and deceptions of the people around her, you discover the surprising truths at the same time she does. That’s what makes the experience of reading this book so much fun. At the end you are wishing for more even after 700 and something pages.

I think this reprint will find a whole new generation of Rosemary Rogers fans.

I received an advanced review copy of this book from Sourcebooks, Inc.

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Title: Sins of the Flesh
Author: Caridad Piñeiro
Category: Fiction
Publish Date: 11/1/2009
ISBN: 9780446543835
Pages: 336

About the Book
Caterina Shaw’s days are numbered. Her only chance for survival is a highly experimental gene treatment-a risk she willingly takes. But now Caterina barely recognizes herself. She has new, terrifying powers, an exotic, arresting body-and she’s been accused of a savage murder, sending her on the run.

Mick Carrera is a mercenary and an expert at capturing elusive, clever prey. Yet the woman he’s hunting down is far from the vicious killer he’s been told to expect: Caterina is wounded, vulnerable, and a startling mystery of medical science. Even more, she’s a beautiful woman whose innocent sensuality tempts Mick to show her exactly how thrilling pleasure can be. The heat that builds between them is irresistible, but surrendering to it could kill them both . . . for a dangerous group is plotting its next move using Caterina as its deadly pawn.

My Thoughts:
I loved this book because again, it crosses my love for sci-fi and romance. The hero is also tall, dark and handsome just like I like them, so from the get-go this book had a lot going for it. Aside from the hunk of a hero and a sexy and talented heroine, this book also had a lot of well researched science woven throughout the story.

This book is promoted for its erotic appeal like most romance novels but the appeal for me in this case was the story. Not that it didn’t have some steamy scenes, mind you. The mystery of who really committed the murder that the heroine, Caterina is accused of and the snippets of the science behind the mystery, all told in the easy to read prose is what makes this book appealing for me. It intrigued me how this author researched all the background information. So I thought I’d ask her and guess what, she answered! I do just love authors who interact with their readers and Caridad is very generous with her time and graciously answered with the following post. I know you will enjoy reading more about the author and how a story is developed as much as I did. (Giveaway details at the end of this post)

AUTHOR’S GUEST POST:
One of the questions that so many readers have been asking is: ”What inspired you to pick genetic engineering for this book and how did you research it?”

The “what inspired me” is easy to answer – I love science. I have loved it since I was a little kid and got a chemistry kit for Christmas.

It’s not even the first time that I’ve included science in my novels, from some early contemporary romances where the protagonists were working on mapping the human genome to my vampire novels where I’ve tried to formulate a rationale based on cell lines for the powers that vampires have.
But in SINS OF THE FLESH, science plays a major role in the story line thanks to the non-human genes illegally transplanted into the heroine. Which leads to the second part of the question, namely, how did I research it?

For starters, I was a science major in college and took quite a number of classes, including ones like embryology, immunology, biochemistry and genetics. In those classes we learned about all the different mechanisms and ways that humans functioned and also, how they could be altered. We even did so in embryology class, shifting around developing cells in order to change the physical development of particular organisms.

In the years since graduation, my interest in particular topics, such as genetics, kept me reading articles and following news stories on what was happening in that particular field. It’s actually hard not to keep up if you think about. The topic of genetically modified organisms is one that is often in the news lately as the debate rages about whether such GMOs as they are known belong in our food chains.

Caterina Shaw, the heroine in SINS OF THE FLESH, is what some might call the ultimate GMO – a genetically modified human.

So how did I go about creating what would happen to Caterina?
For starters, I refreshed my understanding of techniques used to replicate and splice DNA by reading up on these techniques online and checking out how they had improved in the years since college. I also researched the different kinds of DNA tests that were being used so that when Caterina’s DNA is tested, I could accurately describe the results.

For the bigger picture, namely, what do those genes do, there was some fiction involved, in particular with Caterina’s skin changing abilities. The introduction of chameleon genes and their incorporation into her skin was pure fiction. But the glowing and glitter was all real science! Scientists use markers called fluorescent proteins to trace where genes are expressing (meaning, the genes are incorporated and undertaking some action).

I read about these GFPs (green fluorescent proteins) and their uses in things from glowing fish for environmental testing to glowing cats and mice. Did you know you can buy such glowing fish in some stores and online (glofish.com)? Did you know that the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was recently awarded to the scientists who created these GFPs?

To make sure I was getting the science and actions right, I had an inside source – a graduate student who is studying gene expression. I ran by my fictional genetic engineering and GFP questions by her to make sure that what I was creating seemed accurate and luckily it was!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this behind the scenes look at the research and science that helped produced SINS OF THE FLESH.

Learn more about Caridad Pineiro and her books from her website, http://www.caridad.com/. To purchase her book, visit the Hachette website for a list of retailers.

OR, you can sign up here to win a FREE copy of Sins of the Flesh!

Contest Duration: November 17-December 2, 2009
Prize: Five copies of this book will be awarded

To be eligible for the drawing, here’s what you have to do to enter:
1. Leave me a comment with your answer to this question: If it could save your life, would you subject yourself to experimental treatment as the heroine, Caterina, did in this novel?

2. Gain additional entries by sharing this contest in any social media (e.g. facebook, digg, reddit, StumbleUpon, delicious, etc) . Just come back and let me know or leave the url where your shared it. (one entry per site you share it at)

3. Follow me on Twitter

4. You can also win one entry each day you share this giveaway on Twitter. Just copy and paste the text below, tweet it and come back and leave the URL of your tweet.

WIN! Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Pineiro on @JMom http://bit.ly/3MO0Me

There is also the ‘Share This’ and ‘retweet’ button at the end of this post for your convenience.

5. Follow this blog on Networked Blogs

6. Subscribe to this blog via reader or email (option to subscribe on top right of this page).

7. Blog about this giveaway and win three (3) additional entries to the giveaway. Make sure you leave the URL to your post three times. (It would make tallying the winner faster and I thank you in advance)

Restrictions:
- The publisher, Hachette Books, will be sending out the books directly to the winners therefore,
- Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win and
- No P.O. Boxes

This contest will end on December 2, 2009

Visit other blogs participating in the blog tour:
Drey’s Library – Nov. 9 Review, Giveaway, and guest post.
My Book Addiction and More – Nov. 9 Review, Giveaway, and guest post
Just Another New Blog - Nov. 9 Giveaway and guest post
Bridget 3420 – Nov. 10 Review, Giveaway
A Book Blogger’s Diary - Nov. 10 Giveaway and guest post
Ree’s Space – Nov. 11 Review, Giveaway
Book Soulmates - Nov. 11 Review, Giveaway
Minding Spot – Nov. 12 Review, Giveaway, and guest blog
Froggaritaville’s Bookcase - Nov. 12 Review, Giveaway, and Q&A
Parajunkee – Nov. 13 Review, Giveaway
Bookwormy Girl - Nov. 16 Review, Giveaway
Found Not Lost - Nov. 16 Giveaway and guest post
Razlovers Bookblog - Nov. 17 Review, Giveaway
Confessions of a Romance Book Addict - Nov. 18 Review, Giveaway, and Q&A
Cindy’s Love of Books - Nov. 19
Cheeky Reads - Nov. 19 Guest blog
My Foolish Wisdom - Nov. 20 Review, giveaway, and Q&A
Morbid Romantic - Nov. 20 Giveaway
Starting Fresh - Nov. 21 Review, Giveaway
Manda Blogs About - Nov. 21 Review, Giveaway, and guest post
My Overstuffed Bookshelf - Nov. 22 Review, Giveaway
JuniperrBreeze Nov. 22 Review

Hachette Book Group provided a free copy of the book for this review and will fulfill the giveaway copies to the winners.

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ANSEL ADAMS IN COLOR
by Ansel Adams

Category: Photography
Format: HARDCOVER BOOK
Publish Date: 10/21/2009
Price: $35.00/$43.00
ISBN: 9780316056410
Pages: 168

ABOUT THE BOOK
Toward the end of his life Ansel Adams wrote, “People are skeptical about my thoughts on color. I do not blame them, as I have protested it and have not shown color pictures. I feel the urge now and only wish I was sixty years younger!”

Adams began to photograph in color in the mid-1930s. He did significant personal or “creative” photography in color, and his distinctive visualization of a scene and technical mastery is immediately evident in his color photographs. Overall, he made nearly 3,500 color images, but only a small fraction have ever been published.

Adams thought seriously about publishing his color images but the task was not accomplished during his lifetime. The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust–with advice and counsel from John Szarkowski, former Director of Photography at New York’s Museum of Modern Art; David Travis, Curator of Photographs at the Art Institute of Chicago; and James Enyeart, former Director of the International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House–asked the distinguished master photographer Harry Callahan to select the best of Adams’ color work for publication in this book.

Accompanied by an introductory essay by Enyeart, and a selection of Adams’ fascinating, often contradictory writings on color photography, these magnificent color images add a new dimension to Adams’ enduring legacy.

MY THOUGHTS
I’ve always loved the romantic feel of Ansel Adams’ photographs and I’ve associated his work only with the sweeping panoramas in black and white that I was used to. I guess that’s why I had a hard time wrapping the name Ansel Adams with these photographs. I mean they are beautiful landscapes as always, don’t get me wrong. I just was not feeling that emotion… the romance, the loftiness, the emotions evoked by the old black and white photographs. I guess there must be some kind of an emotional learning that takes place when we associate certain images with certain names or events or places, and I am stuck there. I couldn’t get my feelings to learn that this too is Ansel Adams. The same photographer who never failed to evoke that feeling in me… My eyes were not buying it.

Nevertheless, even without the emotional accompaniment, I still enjoyed looking through this book and I’m sure this would make a great gift for someone who loves photography. Whether in color or not, Ansel Adams has the eye for photography like no one else. As I read through Adams’ writings and ideas, I learned more about the man and the artist and I think I am slowly absorbing his thoughts in color and my mind’s eye is slowly learning that this guy is not so bad in color either!

Hachette Book Group provided a free copy of this book for review.

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Book Title: To Desire a Devil
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Publish Date: 11/1/2009
ISBN: 9780446406949
Pages: 384

Summary:
Reynaud St. Aubyn has spent the last seven years in hellish captivity. Now half mad with fever he bursts into his ancestral home and demands his due. Can this wild-looking man truly be the last earl’s heir, thought murdered by Indians years ago?

Beatrice Corning, the niece of the present earl, is a proper English miss. But she has a secret: No real man has ever excited her more than the handsome youth in the portrait in her uncle’s home. Suddenly, that very man is here, in the flesh-and luring her into his bed.

Only Beatrice can see past Reynaud’s savagery to the noble man inside. For his part, Reynaud is drawn to this lovely lady, even as he is suspicious of her loyalty to her uncle. But can Beatrice’s love tame a man who will stop at nothing to regain his title-even if it means sacrificing her innocence?

About the Author
Elizabeth Hoyt is a USA Today bestselling author of historical romance. She also writes deliciously fun contemporary romance under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in central Illinois with three untrained dogs, two angelic but bickering children, and one long-suffering husband. Please visit her websites for chapter excerpts, book extras, and author appearances: www.elizabethhoyt.com and www.juliaharper.com.

My Thoughts
I had gotten out of reading romance novels for a while and I must say, with the books I’ve been receiving from Hachette Books lately, it’s nice to be back! To start, here’s a trailer for the book:

I don’t really like watching these trailers because it messes up with the image of the characters in my head. Beatrice, in my head does not look as blond or as soft (that’s my nice way of putting it) as the girl in the trailer. I imagine her to be more sensible in an Elizabeth Bennett kind of way. Not the femme fatale, but beautiful in her own way. As for Reynaud, well, the cover boy model just does not do him justice. So you really want to know what I thought of this book?

It was ok, BUT I thought it was mostly hype that it is titled to Desire a Devil. Sure, Reynaud came back damaged from his seven year ordeal as a captive of an Indian tribe in the colonies, he may be have been to hell and back, but that didn’t make him into a Devil. To label him as such is inaccurate. The background story of his captivity and being subjected to torture and slavery was alright, even though it could have been more developed (but then that would have made this into an entirely different story lol!). The reveal of who was really responsible for what happened to him was kind of lame too. But as far as romance between him and Beatrice go, it is what you would expect from a romance novel. You get everything you expect but not much more.

I think the reason I am not raving about this book is because the story line is a little far fetched or rather the reactions of the characters to the events in the story is just not believable. OR, maybe it is just me. There was just something about Renaud that I wasn’t too crazy about. Beatrice was fine, I liked her character well enough. She’s level headed and not too flighty.

So I say, read this book then come back and tell me if my feelings towards Renaud are off base, ok? Here’s how five of you can get a copy of this book…

Contest Duration: November 9-23, 2009
Prize: Five copies of this book will be awarded

To be eligible for the drawing, here’s what you have to do to enter:
1. Leave me a comment. Tell me, how do you like your romantic hero? (strong? silent? funny? dark? rich? successful?)

2. Gain additional entries by sharing this contest in any social media (e.g. facebook, digg, reddit, StumbleUpon, delicious, etc) . Just come back and let me know or leave the url where your shared it. (one entry per site you share it at)

3. Follow me on Twitter

4. You can also win one entry each day you share this giveaway on Twitter. Just copy and paste the text below, tweet it and come back and leave the URL of your tweet.

To Desire a Devil, a romance novel on @JMom http://bit.ly/3mTwBw

There is also the ‘Share This’ and ‘retweet’ button at the end of this post for your convenience.

5. Follow this blog on Networked Blogs

6. Subscribe to this blog via reader or email (option to subscribe on top right of this page).

7. Blog about this giveaway and win three (3) additional entries to the giveaway. Make sure you leave the URL to your post three times. (It would make tallying the winner faster and I thank you in advance)

Restrictions:
- The publisher, Hachette Books, will be sending out the books directly to the winners therefore,
- Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win and
- No P.O. Boxes

This contest will end on November 23, 2009

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER BLOG TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

http://myoverstuffedbookshelf.blogspot.com/ - Oct. 30 review and giveaway
http://reesspace.blogspot.com – Oct. 30 Review and Giveaway
http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com/ - Oct. 30 Q&A and Giveaway
www.mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com – Oct. 30 Review and Giveaway, Q&A
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/ - Oct. 31 Review, Q&A and Giveaway
http://froggaritavillesbookcase.blogspot.com – Nov. 1 Review and Giveaway
http://bridget3420.blogspot.com – Nov. 2 Review and Giveaway
http://www.readingwithmonie.com – Nov. 3 Q&A and Giveaway
http://imbookingit.wordpress.com/ - Nov. 4 Review and Giveaway
http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com – Nov. 4 Review and Giveaway, Q&A
http://ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com – Nov. 4 Review and Giveaway, Q&A
http://www.findthetimetoread.blogspot.com – Nov. 4 Review and Giveaway
http://bookfan-mary.blogspot.com – Nov. 5 Review and Giveaway
http://seductivemusings.blogspot.com/ - Nov. 5 Review, Q&A and Giveaway
www.libslibrary.blogspot.com – Nov. 6 Review and Giveaway
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com – Nov. 6 Review and Giveaway
http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com - Nov. 6 Review and giveaway
http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com – Nov. 10 Review and Giveaway
http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com – Nov. 7 Review
http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/ - Nov. 7 Review and Giveaway
http://mandablogsabout.blogspot.com – Nov. 8 Review and Giveaway
www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com – Nov. 9 Review and Giveaway
http://annavivian.blogspot.com/ - Nov. 10 Review and Giveaway
http://www.morbid-romantic.net - Nov. 11 Review and Giveaway, Q&A
http://www.eclecticbooklover.com/ - Nov. 12 Review and Giveaway, Q&A
http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/ - Nov. 12 Review and Giveaway
http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/ - Nov. 12 Review and Giveaway
http://dixie-afewofmyfavoritethings.blogspot.com/ - Nov. 12 Review
www.bibliophilicbookblog.com - Nov. 12
 
 
Hachette Book Group provided a free copy of the book for this review.

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Title:Over the Holidays
Author: Sandra Harper

Release Date: October 2009
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 1439158703
ISBN-13: 9781439158708

Summary

The best holiday traditions are meant to be broken.

It’s only December 1, and Vanessa Clayton has been dreading Christmas since she spotted tinseled trees at her local mall in September. Thankfully, she and her husband, JT, can’t afford to drag their twin boys across the country to New England for the annual celebration at her stuffy sister-in-law Patience’s home. Not that Vanessa has prepared a proper Christmas for her family in years, and she has less time than ever since she agreed to consult on the script of a local play. Her older sister, Thea, is no help — she’d rather make art and flirt with surfers than babysit her nine-year-old nephews. Then Patience drops a holiday stress bomb: Her family will come to California instead.

In between “baking” cinnamon rolls for the school potluck and overbearing Patience testing her patience, Vanessa can’t stop thinking about the difficult but charming playwright at work. Meanwhile, Patience’s teenage daughter, Libby, obsesses over a college boy she has met by the pool, and Thea searches desperately for the meaning of Christmas — for her latest installation, of course. As their holiday plans go comically awry, these four women discover the true spirit of the season is hidden in every festive surprise.

About the Author
Sandra Harper is the author of the play, Magpie’s Tea Room, which enjoyed a successful run in Los Angeles at The Ventura Court Theatre. She has written a cooking column, “The California Cook” for the newspaper, Skirt. A script reader for Pathe Studios and Springcreek Productions, she also wrote and produced fashion and rock videos for Elvis Costello, Chaka Khan and Vidal Sassoon, amonf others. Ms. Harper recieved her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Southern California and has completed a children’s book, The Witches Club.

My Thoughts
This book was a very relaxing and easy read and quite apt for the upcoming holiday season. The character I related with the most is Vanessa, the over stressed mom of twin boys who, even though she tries to deny it can’t help but feel like she’s in competition with her over achieving sister-in-law, Patience, who usually ‘does Christmas’ way over the top. Money worries is always on Vanessa’s mind as she tries to put on the Christmas ’show’ what with suddenly having to host the family dinner instead of the simple ‘just us’ event she had envisioned when she first canceled their annual trip to the East Coast. She and Patience are like opposite sides of a coin. Patience is all for themed Christmas event, made from scratch dinners, and handcrafted gifts whereas Vanessa could easily go for artificial christmas trees, peas in a can, frozen turkey and gift certificates. It was fun to read about their interaction. I could feel Vanessa’s irritation over Patience’s pushiness, her frustration over her sister’s complacence, and her infatuation with her colleague. You can see all these emotions roiling around her as you read through the book.

The other characters in the book: Libby, Patience’s teenage daughter who found a beau in L.A.; Thea, Vanessa’s artist sister who decided to make Christmas into an art project; Carol, Thea and Vanessa’s mother who is too busy with senior citizen social life and love life; and their husbands who are more background props than anything, all comprise the convoluted relationships and interactions that those of us who belong in big families can totally relate to. I know in my family, comprised mostly of women, the guys sometimes end up being the window dressing. lol!

I really enjoyed reading this book, especially now. It reminded of what is important about this season. Because like Vanessa, I think I have always known what should be important but always feel compelled to go with tradition or what everyone else expects.

I like books that flow easily and this fills that quite nicely. It doesn’t meander too far and the message of family, friendships and traditions come through nicely; reminding us again why we go through this thing we call ‘the holidays’.

If you’d like to read this book, visit the Simon & Schuster website where you can purchase the book or find retailers carrying this book.

Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, provided a copy of Over the Holidays for review, free of charge.

Visit these other blog tour participants to see what they thought of this book:

Rundpinne: http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com
Frugal Plus: http://frugalplus.com/
The Life (And Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/
Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
Wendi’s Book Corner: http://wendisbookcorner.blogspot.com/
Opinionated? Me? : http://readingwatchingliving.blogspot.com/
Me, My Book and the Couch: http://memybookandthecouch.blogspot.com/
Libby’s Library News: http://www.libslibrary.blogspot.com/
Bookin’ With Bingo: http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/
Books, Movies, and Chinese Food: http://books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com/
Psychotic State: http://www.psychoticstate.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
That’s A Novel Idea: http://thatsanovelidea.blogspot.com
All About {N}: http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
A Sea of Books: http://aseaofbooks.blogspot.com/
Just Another New Blog: http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com/
Blog Business World: http://www.blogbusinessworld.blogspot.com
My Friend Amy: http://www.myfriendamysblog.com
Cheryl’s Book Nook: http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
One Person’s Journey Through A World of Books: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/
I Read: http://sumanam.wordpress.com/
So Many Books, So Little Time: http://purplg8r-somanybooks.blogspot.com/
Keep on Booking: http://keeponbooking.blogspot.com
Reading at the Beach: http://ilratb.blogspot.com/
Found Not Lost: http://jmomfinds.amoores.com/
Brizmus Blogs Books: http://brizmusblogsbooks.blogspot.com/
Book Reviews by Buuklvr81: http://www.buuklvr81.blogspot.com/

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Here are two more books in this Fall Reads Book Tour. I had hoped to be finished reading these two by now, but you know how it goes sometimes, so I ended up making a separate review post for What Matters Most which I’ve finished reading and this post is just to tell you about two more books that I will be reading and maybe you’d like to read along with me. I will update this post with My Thoughts as I finish reading the books.

Book: Leaving Carolina
Author: Tamara Leigh
Release Date: Sep 15, 2009
ISBN: 9781601421661

Summary:

Piper Wick left her hometown of Pickwick, North Carolina, twelve years ago, shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. She’s even “engaged to be engaged” to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler.

Now all of Piper’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle’s bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations’ worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks’ secrets, including Piper’s.

Though Piper arrives in Pickwick primed for battle, she is unprepared for Uncle Obe’s rugged, blue-eyed gardener. So just who is Axel Smith? Why does he think making amends is more than just making restitution? And why, oh why, can’t she stay on task? With the Lord’s help, Piper is about to discover that although good PR might smooth things over, only the truth will set her free.

About the Author:

Tamara Leigh has been writing since 1994. Leigh’s first novel, Warrior Bride, was followed by six more best-selling, award-winning romances in the general market. Her inspirational Chick-Lit debut, Stealing Adda, was published in 2006 to great critical acclaim. Her twelve novels include Faking Grace; Splitting Harriet, an American Christian Fiction Writers “Book of the Year” winner and RITA Award finalist; and Perfecting Kate. She holds a master’s degree in speech and language pathology, is a stay at home mom, and lives near Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and sons.

 
 
Book: Limelight
Author: Melody Carlson
Release Date: Oct 6, 2009
ISBN: 9781400070824

Summary:

Claudette Fioré used to turn heads and break hearts. She relished the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle because she had what it takes: money, youth, fame, and above all, beauty. But age has withered that beauty, and a crooked accountant has taken her wealth, leaving the proud widow penniless and alone.

Armed with stubbornness and sarcasm, Claudette returns to her shabby little hometown and her estranged sister. Slowly, she makes friends. She begins to see her old life in a new light. For the first time, Claudette Fioré questions her own values and finds herself wondering if it’s too late to change.

About the Author

Melody Carlson has published over ninety books for adults, children, and teens, with sales totaling more than two million and many titles appearing on the ECPA Bestsellers List. Several of her books have been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards, including the Gold Medallion and the RITA Award.

Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing, a division of Random House, provided the review copies of these books, free of charge.

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This book is part of three Fun Fall Reads sponsored by Random House Books so stay tuned for two more reviews: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh and Limelight by Melody Carlson

Title: What Matters Most
Author: Melody Carlson
Release Date: Sep 15, 2009
ISBN: 9781601421197

Summary:

Maya’s Green Tip for the Day: Recycled fashion is one of the most fun ways to go green. A pair of jeans could be transformed into a denim skirt. A sweater into a vest. A bunch of old ties into a dress. A blanket into a poncho. Accessorize it in new way–with beads, buttons, appliqués, buckles, stencils, or ribbons…your imagination is only the limit. (65 words)

Sixteen-year-old Maya Stark has a lot to sort through. She could graduate from high school early if she wants to. She’s considering it, especially when popular cheerleader Vanessa Hartman decides to make her life miserable–and Maya’s ex-boyfriend Dominic gets the wrong idea about everything.

To complicate matters even more, Maya’s mother will be released from prison soon, and she’ll want Maya to live with her again. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. And when Maya plays her dad’s old acoustic guitar in front of an audience, she discovers talents and opportunities she never expected. Faced with new options, Maya must choose between a “normal” life and a glamorous one. Ultimately, she has to figure out what matters most.

About the Author
Melody Carlson has published over ninety books for adults, children, and teens, with sales totaling more than two million and many titles appearing on the ECPA Bestsellers List. Several of her books have been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards, including the Gold Medallion and the RITA Award.

My Thoughts
Melody Carlson is one prolific author! she has books for adults, children and teens. What Matters Most is written for teens but it can be enjoyed but us over grown teenagers too. I have always read my daughters’ YA novels so it was not new for me to read a novel geared towards teens. One thing that I learned while reading this book is that sometimes we don’t give our teenagers enough credit for what they can handle and how they handle them. Sure, it’s expected that they will mess up at some point, that they will be influenced by their peers, that they may struggle with the pressures in life. But we don’t often think that they will have the maturity or common sense to make sensible decisions that are right for them.

Maya Stark is a very smart girl who seems to have her head squarely in her shoulder; but she gets pulled into typical teenage situations and it’s interesting to read her thoughts on how she processes events and people. I think this would be a great book for any teenager but especially teen girls like mine. In addition to having a peek at this teenager’s mind, at the end of each chapter in this book is a ‘green tip’. One of Maya’s passion is the environment so she does not hesitate to remind you to think about your surroundings everyday. Every little thing you do, even the miniscule act of taking the caps off your water bottle before tossing it into the recycling bin, can add up and when everyone does one little thing everyday, then we’re a day closer to having a cleaner and more sustainable planet.

So what matters most? Is it the boyfriend? the girlfriends? the parents? the environment? They all matter. It’s how you deal with them that matters most.

Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing, a division of Random House, provided the review copy of this book free of charge.

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I’ve been using the Tropical Traditions Organic Moisturizing Lotion for a couple of weeks now and wow, do I love it! My skin has never felt smoother and more supple. Even with the cold fall weather that usually dries out my skin and makes it itch, the Tropical Traditions Moisturizing Lotion has kept all the ashiness and itchiness away.

All of the moisturizing lotions that Tropical Traditions offers are made with organic Virgin Coconut Oil and Virgin Palm Oil. Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil, previously reviewed and given away on this blog, is traditionally made from fresh organic coconuts, and independent laboratory tests show that it has a higher level of antioxidants than other coconut oils.

Virgin Palm Oil contains high concentrations of a powerful form of Vitamin E called “tocotrienols” which published research has shown is 40–60 times more potent than alpha-tocopherol (the most common form of Vitamin E found as an additive in most skin care products.) In addition to these powerful Vitamin E tocotrienols, Virgin Palm Oil is also rich in natural carotenes. It is one of the richest natural plant sources of carotenes with concentrations of 500–700 ppm. It is 15 times more retinol-equivalent than carrots and 300 times more than tomatoes, for example.

In addition to using only the best oils available for the skin, all other ingredients used in Tropical Traditions Moisturizing Lotions are 100% natural. These hand-made lotions contain no alcohols, no artificial fragrances, and no petroleum products. For the varieties that are scented, only high quality organic essential oils imported from France which are distilled with low temperature and low pressure over an extended period of time are used. For a complete description of all ingredients in each product, see the product descriptions on the Tropical Traditions website.

If you’d like to try out this amazing product, enter the giveaway below. Tropical traditions has offered one winner to try out the same moisturizing lotion they sent me.

Prize:
1 8 oz. Tropical Traditions Organic Moisturizing Lotion

How to enter:
Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter and leave me a comment that you did. You will love getting information on their latest sales and promotions!

Extra Entries (leave a comment for each extra entry you make):
1. Visit the Free Coconut Recipe website and tell me which is your favorite recipe.
2. Follow me, @JMom, on Twitter.
3. Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter
4. Follow this blog on Networked Blogs
5. Subscribe to this blog via RSS or email
6. Spread the word on any social media (see ’share this’ button below and leave a comment for each place you shared it) i.e. Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon, Delicious, ReddIt, Facebook, etc.
7. Blog it! Write a blog post about this giveaway with a link back to this post and earn 3 additional entries! (please leave your comment 3 times to make it easier for me to tally up your entries)

Rules:
1. Giveaway is open to US residents only
2. No P.O. box address
3. Giveaway ends on November 16, 2009

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED
and the winner is:
Comment #22 from Tamara B!

Congratulations, Tamara and Thank you to everyone who entered!

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