The Beijing Memorandum by JB Morris ~ Guest Post & Giveaway!

Join us for this tour from Nov 25 to Dec 20, 2019!

Book Details:
​Book Title:  The Beijing Memorandum by JB Morris
Category:  Adult Fiction, 538 pages
Genre:  Thriller
Publisher:  JB Morris
Release date:   November 25, 2019
Tour dates: November 25 to December 20, 2019
Content Rating:  PG-13 (There is violence and profanity including f-word. There is no explicit sex.)

Book Description:

The headlines read:

U. S. Bolstering Pacific Military Forces to Counter ‘Massive’ Beijing Buildup.
Pentagon Acknowledges Beijing Seeks Global Supremacy.

This is what the news media is saying. But what exactly is happening behind closed doors?

The Beijing Memorandum takes reader on a thrill ride from the heavily guarded Zhongnanhai compound in Beijing to the FBI Headquarters in the Nation's Capital to the White House's Situation Room to the Palacio Nacional in Mexico City.

Former Marine Gunnery Sergeant Moses Remington knew terror firsthand. He saw it during his combat deployments in Fallujah, Iraq and in the Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He saw it again in Mexico when he stumbled across China’s secret plan.

Now, he must dodge Chinese assassins and an FBI dragnet to save Consulate General Gao Quan and his family from certain execution to disclose China’s secret plans to the world.

Get Your Copy of JB. Morris' Latest Release Now:
Amazon.com 
Add to Goodreads

 

Meet the author:    

JB Morris is an international bestselling thriller author with a unique writing style & received two Reader's Favorite FIVE-STAR awards for writing excellence.

Connect with the author:   Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  

Book Tour Schedule:

Nov 25 - Library of Clean Reads – book review / giveaway
Nov 26 - JB's Bookworms with Brandy Mulder – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Nov 27 - Books for Books – book review
Nov 28 - b for bookreview – book spotlight / author interview
Nov 29 - Bookmark and fork – book spotlight / guest post
Dec 3 - Locks, Hooks and books – book review / giveaway
Dec 4 - Book Corner News and Reviews – book review
Dec 5 - Life as Leels – book review / giveaway
Dec 6 - Casia's Corner – book review
Dec 9 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
Dec 10 - Sefina Hawke's Books – book review
Dec 11 - Olio by Marilyn – book review
Dec 12 - Genuine Jenn - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Dec 16 - Jessica Belmont – book review
Dec 17 - StoreyBook Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Dec 18 – Jypsylynn – book review
Dec 20 -fundinmental - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Dec 20 - To Thine Own Shelf – book review / giveaway
Dec 20 - Adventurous Jessy – book review / giveaway
Dec 20 - Reading is My Passion – book review
Dec 20 - The World As I See It – book review / giveaway
Dec 20 - Mystery Suspense Reviews – book review

Enter the Giveaway:

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Guest Post by JB Morris 

What kind of person does that? Puts the family to bed and sneaks into a small cluttered room and closes the door? Works late into the night? Their hair in total disarray from hands constantly brushing and scrubbing their head. Snacks sustain life. Eyes become blurred but they must continue. Words demand release. The first draft—the second draft. Will there ever be a final draft?

Sleep becomes fitful. They return the next day to the human race and their families. But, they must hurry. Gulp the remaining hot coffee and swallow the last of the toast. Eight will soon announce itself and there will be hell to pay if they are late.

Work. The dead-end job.

Such a distraction.

A supervisor constantly in their face. A cubicle without privacy. An office without windows. Inane government requirements to complete a form. And it is only nine am. Will five ever arrive? The need to get home is urgent.

The injured spy discovers he’s surrounded. Is escape impossible? The flower lady’s heart is broken. Will true love survive? Teenagers remain trapped in a haunted house. They hear footsteps and a door opens. Will they live to see the morning sunrise?

What kind of person lives that lifestyle? Trapped with the need to return to the cluttered room and close the door.

An author.

They are found in every corner of America. A mother living in rural Montana. A police officer in The Big Apple. A young adult lying on the beach in Florida. The English major sitting in a classroom.

They are a fraternity—a sorority—a family.

Such is the life—Such is my life—JB Morris.

I’m confident my author’s experience is shared by many other writers. My wife once worked in a casino. She does not enjoy a television program on how to play poker. I too suffer limitations. I struggle to enjoy watching TV or movie dramas. My retired life allows me to surround myself with plots and dramas each day. I need distraction for entertainment. Something that allows me to shut down, relax

The effort required to write The Beijing Memorandum consumed many months. I researched the Zhongnanhai Compound in central Beijing and the Palacio Nacional in Mexico City along with a host of other Chinese and Mexican government and security organizations, The U.S. Senate, Tijuana, FBI, Mexican drug cartels, and Afghanistan consumed countless other hours.

I am proud of my effort. I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I did writing it.

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Helios Series by T.M. Witko ~ Book Tour & Giveaway

The Helios Chronicles is a contemporary romance series that follows the lives of Andrew ‘Helios’ Harrison and Madison Ellis as they fight for their happily ever after in a world that seems determined to tear them apart. It is only through their love for one another, that we are able to see that we are more than the mistakes we’ve made, more than the labels placed upon us and more than even what we believe we are worth. Can their love survive the life he had before her or will the consequences of his past prove too much to bear. Read the Helios Chronicles to find out! The Helios Chronicles is a five book series which includes three full length novels, one prequel novella and one epilogue novella. Please note that this is an adult romance and as such there will be some graphic language and situations 
that are clearly not suitable for younger audiences. 

In the prequel novella, Helios Beginnings, we will explore Helios’ life before he becomes Helios, beginning with his time in Detroit, through his difficult life on the streets and subsequent incarceration and ending in Bakersfield with the arrival of Madison Ellis, the woman that would forever change the way he saw the world.

Helios Beginnings: https://www.books2read.com/u/mZw89D

In Book 1, Helios Awakened, Madison moves from New York City to the California desert to care for her ailing grandmother but she never expected that she would meet the man of her dreams while there, a man that would set her heart, body and soul on fire. However, this man comes with a price, a heavy price. Is she willing to pay it?

Helios Awakened: https://www.books2read.com/u/4N1qnW
In Book 2, Helios Exposed, we will find out whether or not Andrew and Madison can survive a life in New York City, where they find that things aren’t as simple as they hoped they would be. They soon discover that there are just as many enemies back east as there were on the west coast. When everything begins to crumble around them will their love be enough to hold them together?


Helios Exposed: https://www.books2read.com/u/47koa8

In Book 3, Helios Renewed, we find Andrew and Madison living the life they were meant to live, with family and friends, in California. Unfortunately, things are set in motion that force them back to New York where they find themselves fighting for not only their lives but their freedom as well, against old enemies in a battle that will test them in more ways than one. Can their love stop the forces that are trying to tear them apart or will they be destroyed in the process? 

  Buy HERE

 

AUTHOR BIO Author T.M. Witko lives on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation with her children. They are accompanied by their many animals, which includes an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix named Bella, a couple of ornery cats (Edward and Lil Bit) and their horses, Eagle Bear and Wild Spirit. She and her family enjoy attending wacipis, participating in tribal ceremonies, and living a quiet life without the hustle and bustle of the cities. Ms. Witko is a licensed clinical psychologist, a full time writer/editor and one of the co-founders of Winyan Press, LLC, an independent publishing house geared at helping female writers find their voice. She is a multi-genre author who writes Young Adult Fiction, Crime/Suspense Stories, Adult Romances, and Native American Fiction. Her writing style combines her knowledge of psychological principles with an understanding that things are never as simple as black or white, right or wrong, but that life is a beautiful combination of both. This is most evident in her series the Helios Chronicles which looks at the effects of our past on the future we wish to have. 

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTMWitko Helios Chronicles Series Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheHeliosChronicles Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorTawaWitko Instagram: https://instagram.com/authortmwitko Tumbler: https://www.tumbler.com/blog/tmwitko Website: https://authortmwitko.com Enter to win a paperback set, $25 Amazon GC, and swag

Entry-Form

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Under Her Skin by Margo Bond Collins ~ Book Blast

About Under Her Skin

She's lucky he's a charmer… Lindi Parker works hard at being human, not an easy task for a weresnake. She has no desire to search for others like her—until a new case changes everything. When Lindi learns that she she's not the only shapeshifter in the world, she realizes she might be next on a killer's list. In order to save herself and the abused children she works with, she will have to team up with Dr. Kade Nevala, a member of the shifter tribe responsible for eradicating weresnakes—and the most attractive man Lindi's ever met. Even more terrifying, she’ll need to embrace her serpent side, a choice that has enormous consequences for Lindi, and for everyone around her. 

Add to Goodreads

 

About the Author

Margo Bond Collins is addicted to coffee (mmm...caffeine) and SF/F television, especially Supernatural (mmm...Winchesters). She writes paranormal and contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and paranormal mystery. She lives in Texas with her daughter and several spoiled pets. Although she teaches college-level English courses online, writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and the women who love (and sometimes fight) them. You can learn more about her at http://www.MargoBondCollins.net and follow her on all the usual For updates about publications, free fiction, and other goodies, be sure to subscribe to her newsletter Amazon Author Page / Website/ Blog / Twitter@MargoBondCollin/ Google+ / Goodreads Author Page / Facebook Author Page / Pinterest
 

Win a paperback copy of Under Her Skin + Book Swag. Open to 18+ USA addresses a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The Five Truths About Work-Life Balance by Jae Ellard ~ Book Review Tour & Giveaway (US)!

Book Description: 

Work-life balance has nothing to do with work. Really. It also doesn't matter what words you use to describe it. The fact is, most people share a similar desire to create easy joy and meaningful engagement across the roles, relationships and responsibilities that make up life.

Our current habits and perceptions often get us stuck and prevent us from creating the life we desire. Get unstuck, learn the truths about work-life balance.

​Buy the book:  Amazon

Author's Bio:

After years in senior communication roles crafting content for executives, Jae collapsed from stress-related adrenal fatigue. This life-altering experience propelled her to research human behavior, neuroscience, mindfulness, and organizational relationship systems.

In 2008, Jae founded Simple Intentions and developed the Mindful Life™ Program, which includes four group coaching workshops to generate reflection, awareness and action at the organizational and individual levels. Jae has taught the skill of awareness to thousands of employees at multinational corporations in more than 50 countries including China, Russia, India, Japan, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Germany, United Kingdom, Norway, and the United States.

Jae contributes to the Awareness at Work column for Mindful Magazine, the Healthy Living section on Huffington Post as well as the Simple Intentions blog. Jae has a master’s degree in Communication Management from Colorado State University and a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Communication from Metropolitan State College of Denver. She holds certificates in co-active coaching and organizational relationship systems coaching and is the author of seven books.

Connect with the author:   Website   Twitter   Facebook

Review: 

This is a perfect little self-help/personal development book to help us find balance in our Work-Life. I know a lot of people struggle with this, I have at one point also. This is a quick read that is very inspiring. It puts so many truths into perspective and helps us find that balance we all should have in our lives. I have it sitting on my bedside table to read over again when I find I have lost my balance and need some encouragement. I give this book a 4.5 out of 5.

Win 1 of 10 copies of The Five Truths about Work-Life Balance

along with a companion notebook (USA)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
~*Disclaimer: I received the above book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.*~

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FREE Book & Giveaway for Sins of the Father by Jamie Canosa

Grab your FREE copy of Sins of the Father by Jamie Canosa on Amazon from April 6-8th. Want to win a signed paperback copy? All you have to do is grab a free ebook copy from Amazon and post a review of the book. At the end of the month the author will choose one reviewer to recieve a signed paperback copy of the book.

Good Luck! 

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Sins of the Father by Jamie Canosa ~ Book Tour ~ Review & Giveaway

Monsters exist. Not in closets or under the bed, but within each of us. And sometimes . . . they win. 

Kidnapped. Confused. Afraid. 
Ophelia wakes up to find herself an unwilling pawn in a plot for revenge. 

Pain. Blood. Loyalty. 
These things bind Sawyer to a promise he struggles to keep. 

Sawyer doesn't want to hurt Ophelia. Ophelia doesn't want to be hurt. But somethings are unavoidable. What happens when trust is broken? What happens when fear and love collide? 

Hearts get broken and lives get shattered when the Sins of the Father are brought to bear.

Available on Amazon

Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Jamie Canosa is a full time author of YA literature, which she absolutely loves. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she can usually be found with her nose in a book. She currently resides in Upstate NY with her wonderful husband and three crazy kids . . . plus the cats, the dogand the rabbit.

You can find Jamie on:

Facebook

Twitter

Review:  

Sins of the Father by Jamie Canosa had me endlessly on the edge, wondering what would happen to the character Fi.  She is a safe reserved gal, whose friend Lisa drags her to a wild Frat house party. She thinks Sawyer is her knight in shining armor. Only to discover things go very wrong.   Don't ever let your guard down and trust someone to much.   Dark wooded nights, dreaded motives, and a hidden secret lead to acts of despair.  She may be falling for the enemy.  But will the revenge his accomplice seeks for them both,  lead to her death. A past filled with heartache , abuse, and death.  We are so vulnerable as human beings.  A gleam of hope in someone's eye they may have compassion, could change everything.  Life goes on.    The whole circle of love, friends, and family are tested for truth and value.  We let things go for a reason.  This book is very well written.  The flow is extremely easy, and you won't want to put the book down.  Just when you think you have the next clue figured out, something changes.  Just the thing I like in a plot and story line.  A hook that keep a reader going till the end.  Four stars for the author and the book.

Giveaway:

Win a signed paperback of Sins of the Father,

$20 Amazon gift card,

handmade ribbon bookmark customized to the story,

scented candle,

and a set of signed swag.

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I Love DK Giveaway!

Each year book publisher DK Canada asks readers "What's your favourite DK book of all time?" 

If you tell DK Canada on their Facebook page what you and your families favourite DK book is before January 31st you could be 1 of 20 lucky winners of an I Love DK shopping spree! 

Enter to win $250 worth of DK books of your choice! This giveaway is open to Canadian residents.

You can also post your favourite picks on Twitter by using the hashtag #ILoveDK & @DKCanada

Please check out DK Canada's website to find your favourite! 

Some of our family favourites are:

Idiot's Guide to Yoga
Grow All you can eat in 3 Square Feet 

Get Set, Sew  
The Tea Book 
Star Wars Epic Battles level reader
Star Wars Clone Wars level reader
Star Wars Year by Year
Star Wars Complete Vehicles

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp ~ Promo ~ Giveaway!

Enter to win custom "TIME WAS OURS" lanyards, and the chance for one lucky person to win a Polaroid Digital Instant Print Camera!

How do you enter?

There are two ways to enter the giveaway:

1 - If you pre-order a copy of This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp, submit your name, mailing address, email address, and order confirmation number via the Rafflecopter widget provided.

2 - If you have not pre-ordered a copy of This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp, you may enter the giveaway by printing your name, mailing address, email address and the phrase "This Is Where It Ends" on a standard-size postcard and send to: Publicity, c/o Sourcebooks, Inc., 1935 Brookdale Rd., #139, Naperville, IL 60563.

We will be reviewing this book in the New Year, keep an eye out for our review!

Here is the book description: 

10:00 a.m.

The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.

The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03

The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05

Someone starts shooting.

Told from four perspectives over the span of 54 harrowing minutes, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

“THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is simultaneously heart pounding and heart wrenching. Every words hits frighteningly close to home and is tragically too familiar. This book will leave you asking questions that we as a society should have answered a long time ago.”

—Julie Murphy, author of DUMPLIN’

“As long as there are Newtowns and Columbines there will be a desperate need for gripping, well-written, and poignant novels like this one… Hopefully a book like THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS will make the problem more real to a generation that still has the time, energy, and willpower to do something about it."

—Todd Strasser, author of GIVE A BOY A GUN and FALLOUT

“Stunning, diverse, and unforgettable, THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a book everyone should read to better understand each other and the world around us.”

— Robin Talley, author of LIES WE TELL OURSELVES

“Entirely gripping and fast-paced.”—Lucy Christopher, author of STOLEN

Marieke Nijkamp is a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, geek. She holds degrees in philosophy, history, and medieval studies, and is an executive member of We Need Diverse Books, the founder of DiversifYA, and a founding contributor to YA Misfits. She lives in the Netherlands. Visit her at mariekenijkamp.com.

 @mariekeyn

http://mariekeyn.tumblr.com/

http://thisiswhereitendsbook.tumblr.com/

https://instagram.com/mariekeyn/

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~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Christmas eBook Bundle Giveaways! 5 Winners! Open International

Genuine Jenn is super excited to host this fantastic giveaway from our friends at Harper Collins & Carina UK! As you know we have been featuring and reviewing some great Christmas titles this month on Genuine Jenn, a lot of these titles are published by Carina UK!

Carina UK is offering five amazing ebook bundles for a giveaway on Genuine Jenn! Some of these great titles we have reviewed during December. This giveaway is open Internationally and will be a quick giveaway so the winners can read their books over the Holidays!

Please fill in the Rafflecopter below and leave a commenting telling us you preference on what bundle you would like and a two runner ups!

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~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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A Paris Christmas by Cynthia Gail ~ Giveaway!

 

Billionaire Nicholas Adrien Rousseau works seven days a week. He lives on a schedule, doesn’t like surprises, plans his days, and outlines his goals. Until an irresistible blonde slides into the backseat of his Mercedes, mistaking him for the driver of the car service provided by his company, Bridal Bliss. Bella Rose is late for the airport. The opportunity to turn Creative Couture into an International marketing firm is a dream come true, but if she doesn’t catch the last flight home to the states, she’ll miss Christmas Eve with her family. Two strangers with an attraction that could melt an iceberg, are stranded in the heart of Paris, the city of light and love. When Bella throws caution to the wind, deciding to accept the spontaneity life has thrown her and enjoy the journey, she never imagines it will lead to the man of her dreams. Adrien realizes too late that by hiding his identity, he could lose the one woman who loves the man and not the money.

Buy on Amazon for $.99

About the author:

My husband and I live in the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee with our three dogs. When I'm not working or writing, I can be found with family and friends. I love to bake in the winter, grill in the summer, and on occasion, I sneak away from everyone and curl up with a good book.  

Website: http://cynthiagail.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CynthiaGailRomance Twitter: https://twitter.com/CynthiaGailBook Goodreads - Amazon Author Central

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Enter to win 2 ebook copies of Winter’s Magic and book #1 in the Music City Hearts series
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Kellogg’s Rice Krispies #TreatsforToys ~ Make. Share. Give

I really can't believe it is already December. I feel like the years are flying by faster and faster each and every year. It also doesn't help when we have nice weather in October and November here is Canada, just throws everybody off.

Each year we talk with the kids about where we can help other families and kids out at the holidays. The last few years we have been helping with the shoe boxes and this year we will be also adding Plan to our giving list.

We are also helping out with Kellogg's Rice Krispies #TreatsforToys program. The kids love to make Rice Krispie treats every holiday season and this is a great way to get the kids involved in something good.

Can you spot the photo bombers?!?

The kids always have a blast while baking with mom, they really enjoy baking items that they can go wild decorating with icing and candies. This was a fun event for all.

My daughter wanted to make a "stuffed cat" but then decided on a snowman, I said it looked more like a bunny so we decided it was a snowbunny.

My son decided to have fun and make a robot! Both of the treats turned out super fantastic and tasty!

Want to be involved?

Kellogg's Rice Krispies #TreatsforToys program is encouraging Canadians to make a toy-shaped Rice Kristpies treat and share a picture of it on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook using the #TeatsforToys hashtag. For every image uploaded from now until December 21, 2015 Kellogg's Rice Krispies will donate $20 to The Salvation Army to buy a toy for a child in need during the festive season.

Don't forget to visit Treats for Toys Website for more information on how #TreatsforToys works, recipes, videos and to upload your photos! 

Giveaway Time!  

Kellogg's Rice Krispies wants to share a Rice Krispies kit with one lucky Genuine Jenn reader this holiday season! We want to make this super simple. Enter on the rafflecopter below, answer the in the comments below who you want to spread the cheer with? and Tweet if you like.

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~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Ditching the Drive-Thru by J. Natalie Winch ~ Book Review ~ Giveaway & Excerpt!

Book Description:

After an exhausting day at work, hitting the drive-thru or nuking a pre-fab meal is all too often the go-to decision for feeding a family. Cooking a meal from scratch using fresh ingredients can seem beyond the average person’s time, energy, or financial means. But with mounting evidence pointing to processed food and our industrial food system as the culprits behind many of our nation’s health problems—including obesity, diabetes, and cancer—it’s now more important than ever to be fully informed about what goes on your family’s dinner plates.

If you’re ready to take control of your food choices but don’t know the difference between grass-fed versus grain-fed, pastured versus free-range, or organic versus sustainable, read this book to discover:

• How to create your own thirty-month plan to convert your family from junk food to real food, without a revolt!

• Recipes and advice on planning and prepping meals so you can make homecooked a habit for your family

 • Instructions for getting the most out of produce using techniques such as lacto-fermentation, dehydrating, and canning

•  introduction to the world of farm-direct sales, including tips on locating local farms, seeing through marketing buzzwords, and shopping with CSAs Ditching the Drive-Thru exposes the insidious hold the commercial food industry has taken over the fast-paced lives of the average American and the danger these processed foods and diet plans pose to our health, environment, and emotional wellbeing.

Learn how to break free from the grind and return to a simpler relationship with food from farmers, not factories, and home-cooked meals that are created in your kitchen, not on a conveyor belt.

Buy the book:    Amazon   Barnes & Noble

Author's Bio:

J. Natalie Winch lives in southern New Jersey, not far from where she grew up, with her husband, two children, and dogs. When she isn’t mothering, teaching, grading, or making lesson plans, Natalie runs the Hebrew School at her synagogue, coaches soccer, teaches lacto-fermentation classes, writes the occasional entry for her blog Food Empowerment (tradsnotfads.com), and fights the dust bunnies that threaten to take over her family room.

Connect with the author:   Website

Excerpt from Ditching the Drive-Thru by J. Natalie Winch, from Chapter 9: Perpetuation ─ Creating and Maintaining Good Habits

The Miracle of Canning
by J. Natalie Winch

Canning has become an almost meditative practice for me. I hadn’t thought too much about what I do until I sat down to write this, as most of it has become second nature. Canning doesn’t have to be a major investment. I went out and purchased a hot-water bath canner (at the time I was single and had expendable income), but you can use any large kettle as long as the jars will be covered with an inch of water while standing upright. Some foods require pressure canning, so if you are thinking about using low-acid foods, such as ready-to-eat soups or green beans, you will need to invest in a pressure canner.

One of the moments I love is the pop of the lids when they seal down. When you take the jars out of the canner, they are very hot. As the jars cool, the contents of the jar and the air in the head-space (the room you leave between the contents and the top of the jar) cool, causing it to contract (good ol’ chemistry). The contraction of the contents pulls the lid down, creating the pop. Sometimes it takes a while. One time I made chicken noodle soup and processed about a dozen ready-to-eat jars. An hour after they were out of the canner, they hadn’t popped. I was thinking that I was going to be spending the evening reheating the soup and re-processing it, but then, during dinner, we had firecrackers—pop, pop, pop. Every recipe has its own cooling rate, and the kitchen temperature will affect how long it takes for things to seal.

The summer after my success with the tomatoes, I expanded my repertoire. I bought a pressure canner and a dehydrator. I put up tomatoes again, plus peaches and applesauce, pickled peppers, carrots, dill pickles, corn, and my own ready-to-eat soup. The applesauce was great. The pickles were awful. As a matter of fact, I never made good pickles until my mother-in-law gave me her family recipe. It isn’t in the book; it’s a family secret. We must respect family secrets.

Win 1 of 20 copies of Ditching the Drive-thru

1 $30 Amazon gift card (open to USA & Canada)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review:

I love to read about food and health, so naturally when I saw this book I really wanted to read it. One thing that I liked right away was it is not another weight loss book. This book doesn't talk about what you should and shouldn't eat to lose weight, it doesn't give us some false strategies to drop 10 lbs in 4 days. This book is more about where are food comes from, what the marketing aspects are and why were should be conscious of what we were from where. For the past year I have been really looking more at labels and understanding what each ingredient means and how our foods are grown. I buy as local and fresh as I can. We buy usually all our meats at a local butcher, where the meats are all local as they can get them. I know do have some questions for our butcher the next time I go there. I would love to be part of a fresh produce farm and will look into that for next spring. We usually spend a little more and purchase from our local farmers when we can as a way of saying thank you to them for providing such nutritious foods. We know where the food comes from and when it has been picked compared to purchasing in a big chain store. A lot of foods travel a long distance. The down side to having a husband in a food industry job for years was we learned where and what our foods go through.

I really would like to start canning our foods and have been very apprehensive of doing it but after reading this book I am going to read more on canning and take the first steps into it. I would like to ferment some foods as they are really good for the gut.

This is a great book to open your eyes to what happens to our foods before they hit the stores and how processing things like dairy and meats happen between leaving the farm and hitting the table to eat.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. A great start for someone looking to venture into clean eating.

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received the above book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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The Wild Swans Retold & Illustrated by Jackie Morris ~ Book Review, Guest Post & Giveaway!

The Wild Swans
Retold and illustrated by Jackie Morris

This very beautiful and lyrical extended version of the fairy tale 'The Wild Swans' by Hans Christian Andersen is the much anticipated companion to East of the Sun, West of the Moon. With strong characterization of the heroine and also with more rounded characterization of the wicked stepmother than in the original version, and with delicate watercolor paintings throughout, this is both a wonderful story and delightful gift.

Purchase a copy through Quarto Publishing.

About the Author:

Jackie Morris lives in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with children, dogs and cats. Ever since leaving college, Bath Academy of Art, at least one cat has watched over her while she works. Big cats and small are a passion in her life, and it was while reading and watching her cat Pixie sleeping in winter that the idea for I am Cat came about. Among her many books for Frances Lincoln are The Ice Bear,The Snow Leopard, and Tell me a Dragon. Visit Jackie's Website.

Guest Post by Jackie Morris

In The Wild Swans there is a dog. Her name is Shadow. She was written first, before she was painted. She’s not in the original tellings of The Wild Swans. I wrote her into the text because I wanted Eliza to have something of her mother always with her. From the minute she came into the story I knew exactly what she looked like. She walked in, centre stage and draped herself around my imagination. Shadow, huge deer hound who lives first as Eliza’s mother’s faithful hound, then Eliza’s constant companion, magic dog.

From the first day I painted her something strange happened. A week later my friend came in to my studio where I was working and said, “ Jac, I need to ask you something. Kait has to find a home for Ivy. Do you want her?”

My dog Bella is old. I had decided that I wouldn’t have another dog until Bella died. Without hesitation I said, “ Yes.”

Ffion suggested that I think about it, but I had thought about it for 5 years. I had met Ivy when she was a puppy. She’s the sister of Ffion’s smooth black hound, known to many as “The Eelhound”.She’s like a cottage sized deerhound. Deerhounds were bred for hunting deer and wolves and lived in castles. I live in a cottage. So, “Yes” had to be the answer, even though Bella is still alive, because when Ivy was a puppy I had so fallen for her. ( Best just add here that Bella has been fine with Ivy, and having a younger dog is bringing me back to fitness, which is good. I walk more with the Grey Dog, Ivy than I had been with my old beauty)

Ffi had taken Ivy out from the dog’s home with Belle, for Kait because Kait’s dog had died. And then it had snowed so Kait was stuck on the side of a hill in the snow and Ivy spent the first six weeks with Ffi, and we would walk the dogs on the beach and tuck them into jumpers when the wind blew hard. But then the snow melted and Ivy went away, even though I had wanted her to stay, but I had 6 cats at the time and 3 dogs and two children and a small house.

So the next day we went and we picked up Ivy and since that day she has been my Shadow.

In the book Shadow watches silently over Eliza, guards her and guides her, keeping her safe. She asks for nothing, but is given love. Unconditional love. Because Ivy came to me there are so many more pictures of Ivy in the book than there would have been, and because Ivy is my Shadow she comes to events with me when I am working with The Wild Swans.

And even as I write this she curls at my feet. Now Ivy wants her own book, and next year, for a start we will be making a calendar together, not just of Ivy, the Grey Dog, but also with The White Cat. Because for me, now, these are the days of the white cat and the grey dog.

Review:

This is such a beautiful book. I fell in love with the watercolor pictures throughout this book. It is an amazing story of love, silence, magic, and courage. Eliza and her brothers are put through so much in their lives, losing their mother, then being locked into a tower with a maze outside, ultimately losing their father to another women because he didn't trust her with the children. There is magic within this story as the brothers are turned to Swans during the day and boys at night. Eliza wants to save her brothers but need to make a pact with a fae to break the spell on her brothers. It is a sad story of loss and growing up on her own, so much courage Eliza has. She shares her time with a hound named Shadow that was her mothers dog. Love finally finding Eliza. A must read!


Visit the next blog in the tour Prose and Kahn and check out the rest of the tour on Quarto Kids Blog and enter below to win a copy of The Wild Swans!

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~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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My Secret to Tell by Natalie D. Richards ~ Book Review ~ Excerpt

Title: My Secret to Tell

Author: Natalie D. Richards

Pubdate: October 6th, 2015

Book Description: 

His smile is a crime. Emerson May is “the good girl.” She’s the perfect daughter, the caring friend, the animal shelter volunteer. But when her best friend’s brother breaks into her room, his hands covered in blood, she doesn’t scream or call the cops. Because when Deacon smiles at her, Emmie doesn’t want to be good…

The whole town believes notorious troublemaker Deacon is guilty of assaulting his father. Only Emmie knows a secret that could set him free. But if she follows her heart, she could be trusting a killer…

You can’t always trust the boy next door. 

Buy Links: Amazon | Apple | BAM | B&N | Chapters | Indiebound | 

About the Author: 
 
After years as a professional paper-pusher, NATALIE D. RICHARDS decided to trade in reality for a life writing YA fiction. She lives in Ohio (Go Bucks!) with her husband, three children, and a ridiculously furry dog named Yeti. This is her second novel. Visit her on Twitter @natdrichards or at nataliedrichards.com.

Excerpt: 

“Emmie?”

My name lands somewhere between a hiccup and a sob, and my feet stall out on the sidewalk in front of my house. I adjust my grip on the phone, hoping I misheard her tone. This doesn’t sound like Chelsea. This voice is breathless.

Frightened.

“I’m here,” I say. “What’s up? You don’t sound right.” 

“I’m not.” She takes a shuddery breath. 

My shirt’s sticking to my back and cicadas are click-buzzing the end of another blistering day, but I go cold. Something’s wrong.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. 

“It’s my dad, Emmie,” she says. I can tell she’s crying. 

I grab my chest. It’s too tight. Burning. “What happened?”

Her words all tumble out on top of one another, interrupted by shaky breaths. I try to pick out pieces that make sense. “He’s hurt—bleeding—we’re behind the ambulance and I can’t—he’s not—someone attacked him.”

I start climbing the porch steps, because she’ll need me. I’m her best friend, so I should be there. 

I need to change clothes and go. “You’re on the way to the hospital, right? They’ll help him there.”

Another sharp breath. “I don’t know if they can. He’s so bad. So bad.” 

My heart clenches. “Where are you?”

“We’re almost there. Joel’s with me.” 

“Okay, good. I’m coming,” I say, crossing my porch and hauling my front door open. “Let me just call Mom. I’ll borrow the car.”

Chelsea’s still crying when I storm down the hallway toward my bedroom. 

“Emmie, I can’t find Deacon…”

“Your brother never answers his phone,” I say, pushing open my door. “I’ll run by the docks first and—”

“No. No, he was there. He was at the house.”

Chelsea makes a strangled sound, and I notice the liquid-thick heat in my bedroom. The kind of  heat that tells me the air conditioner is broken. Or my window is open. My gaze drags to my fluttering white curtains, to the dark smudge on the windowsill. 

Chelsea’s voice goes low and raspy. “He ran, Emmie. God, he was there with Dad. He was in the house, but he ran.”

I swivel with an invisible fist lodged in my throat. My bathroom door is open, a red-black smudge beneath the knob.

My mouth goes dry, my pulse thumping slower than it should. Then I see the blood on the floor by my sink, and my heart tumbles end over end.

“We’re here. I’ll call soon,” Chelsea says and hangs up. 

I see him, his back to my tub and his dark head bowed on one bent knee. Oh God. 

He’s covered in blood. It’s on his legs, his hands. Dripping onto my white tile floor. He looks up, and my heart goes strangely steady.

I take a breath that tastes like purpose. “Deacon?”

Review:  

My Secret to Tell was a very well written young adult or new adult romance. I fell in love with Deacon and Emmie from the start. Deacon is the typical bad boy personality that your parents warn you about. He loves to flirt with all the tourist girls but also flirts with Emmie. Emmie has a HUGE crush on her best friends brother. Emmie's mom wants her to stay away from Deacon and then he is involved in his father's beating. He said he didn't do it but all signs are pointing to him, Emmie is the only one standing behind Deacon. The author does a fabulous job of showing a caring loving side to Deacon that Emmie sees and believes there is no way he could have hurt his father. Sometimes you hope that Emmie isn't being too naive and ends up being hurt. The author has many twists that in the end I really didn't see that coming. I saw some of it leading up to the reveal but not everything.

I give this book a 4.5 out 5 stars.
 
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received the above book for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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