#MMBBR #Review 50 States: Our America by @timeforkids

Ready for a road trip? Get the scoop on the nifty fifty from North to South and coast to coast.
Through the pages of this book you can travel to all 50 states, from Alabama to Wyoming, to discover the history, geography, and culture that make each one great. With more than 100 kid-friendly maps by illustrator Aaron Meshon, full-color photographs, and fun facts galore, this state-by-state guide is perfect for exploring your own state, uncovering new places, and digging into the history of the United States of America.
A great resource for school reports and general curiosity, kids will learn the story of the people who lived on the land before European settlement; how each state joined the Union; the natural resources and people that make it unique; and the industry and agriculture that drive it today. 50 States supports cross-discipline learning in U.S. history, geography, natural history, and cultural studies. 

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This book is going to be amazing when we are road tripping all over the US this summer.  It is going to be fun to read up on the states as we travel through them.  This book is jam packed with facts, photos and illustrations and stats galore.  I also love that there is information on tribal nations before European settlement, then the European settlement, Western expansion and then the United States today, as well as other US lands and regions.  It is such a great addition to our home library and with be a great companion on our trip from Wisconsin to South Carolina this summer.  So whenever you hit the road make sure to grab a copy of this great book and do some learning along the way.

#MMBBR #Highlight A Narrow Bridge by J.J. Gesher @a_narrow_bridge #FirstLine @prospkbks

#FirstLine ~ The first time Jacob Fisher saw someone shoot up her was twelve.

Shortly after Orthodox Jewish Brooklynite Jacob Fischer puts his young family on a bus to visit relatives, the bus explodes in a stunning act of terrorism. HIs faith shattered, Jacob flees the comforts of his community and disappears. He lands up in a predominantly black town in rural Alabama, where he meets Rosie, the single mother of a young son. Their developing relationship, along with the rekindling of his love of music, precipitate events that will change both their lives. This debut novel is a powerful page-turner that follows a complex man on a journey of salvation after tragedy.

J.J. Gesher is the pen name for co-authors Joyce Gittlin and Janet B. Fattal. Together, Janet and Joyce have won several prestigious screenwriting awards, including the Geller Prize and the Screenwriting Award at the Austin Film Festival. Their first screenwriting collaboration was produced as a Lifetime Television feature.

Joyce Gittlin has written and directed such television shows as Wings, Frasier, and Everybody Loves Raymond and has written more than ten feature films for Disney, Paramount, and 20th Century Fox. She has an MFA from NYU.

Janet B. Fattal has a masters in Comparative Literature from UCLA and has taught literature and writing at the college level. The editor of several memoirs, Janet leads many Los Angeles–area book groups, including for the Skirball Cultural Center, Hadassah, and the Brandeis alumni association. The co-authors both live in Los Angeles.

#MMBBR #Review Motherhood Martyrdom & Costco Runs by @WhitneyDineen #33PartnersPublishing

Join bestselling romantic comedy author, Whitney Dineen, as she discovers the three Es of parenting:
• Exhilarating—when you first discover you’re pregnant.
• Exhausting—when you realize you’ll most likely never sleep again--like EVER.
• Explosive—OMG these kids spew from both ends!
And that’s just the beginning. Whitney shares the ridiculous highs and excruciating lows of her catapult into motherhood. Enjoy the ride as this new mom vows to give up profanity while falling in love with… you guessed it, Costco. Be careful, because if you’re anything like Whitney, you may just pee a little. 
Motherhood Martyrdom & Costco Runs takes the reader on a roller coaster of emotions as Whitney plummets into postpartum depression, desperately tries to get her kids to stop yodeling in public restrooms, and comes to terms with the fact she’ll never quite be queen of her own kingdom. Get ready to laugh, cry, cheer, and pat yourself on the back for the sake of mommies everywhere. And while you’re at it, stop by Costco for a case of toilet paper and a Very Berry Sundae. You won’t regret it! 

MY REVIEW:  I adored this book from cover to cover.  I felt like Dineen is my soul sister.  I love the humor, heart and honesty in this book!  I was laughing hours later thinking about her stories.  These random outburst of laughter caused people to look at me sideways and then I would tell them about the book and they fully understood why I was laughing. I told them to buy the book NOW!  Don't delay.  Every mother needs this book (it would make a great gift...hint, hint).  Motherhood is no easy task and there are days that I am certain I am ruining my kids and every other mother is Mother of the Year.  Dineen has written a book that allowed me to feel like I was part of a club.  A club of mothers who are not perfect, who make mistakes but love with all their heart.  I love that Dineen gave us permission to be imperfect because prefect is very boring.  I feel like it is OK to laugh at my failures, to marvel at the fact that my kids are great little humans, even though they can be unpredictable little hooligans at times.  That I need to just embrace life with all its ups and downs....love the messiness of it all...to face it, head on, with humor and heart!  I love that she bared herself so the reader could feel like maybe we aren't doing it all wrong.  That we are doing it our way and it will all be OK!  Such a gift!  A MUST READ FOR ALL!!

While attending the University of Illinois in Chicago, Whitney Dineen was discovered by a local modeling agent and began an unexpected career as a plus-size Ford model. She modeled in New York City before moving to Los Angeles with her husband.

When she wasn’t modeling, she was in the kitchen, baking delights to share with friends. Soon, her friends began asking her to send baskets of her wonderful candies and cookies to business associates, agents and production studios. Word spread like wildfire, and the rest, as they say, is history. Whitney’s sensational creations are still in great demand by her loyal celebrity clientele.

During “The Hollywood Years,” Whitney was bitten by the writing bug and started creating characters that are inspired by strong women with a great sense of humor.

In addition to her love of chick-lit, Whitney has also written a series of adventure books for middle readers The first of which, Wilhelmina and the Willamette Wig Factory, is nearing completion.

Whitney and her husband, Jimmy, have recently relocated to the beautiful Pacific Northwest to raise their children, chickens and organic vegetables.

#MMBBR #Review Jilly's Terrible Temper Tantrums: And How She Outgrew Them by @MHPieperPhD #SmartLovePress

When Jilly, a happy little kangaroo, has a series of Terrible Temper Tantrums, her parents lovingly help her through them. Children will be very familiar with the frustrations that trigger Jilly's upset feelings, and will applaud her dawning understanding that seeking help and a hug is far superior to the misery of a temper tantrum.

If your child is having temper tantrums, try to make yourself more available, not less available." – Martha Heineman Pieper

A wonderful and beautifully illustrated story about something we all have faced....temper tantrums!  Jilly seems to have melts downs quite a bit but slowly over time she learns how to manager her emotions better.  This is a great book to help ease children when they have an instant reaction that leads to a temper tantrum.  This book can work as a aid to talking to children about temper tantrums and helping build dialogue and communication to help work through the emotions that cause the melt downs in the first place.  A great book for kids and parents alike.     

Martha Heineman Pieper, Ph.D., is an author and psychotherapist who works with children and parents and serves as a consultant to family services agencies and other mental health professionals. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Radcliffe College, she earned her doctorate in Clinical Social Work at the University of Chicago. With her late husband, William J. Pieper, M.D., she wrote the bestselling parenting book "Smart Love: The Comprehensive Guide to Understanding, Regulating, and Enjoying Your Child" as well as the bestselling adult self-help book "Addicted to Unhappiness."

In 2012, Pieper released her first children's book based on Smart Love principles, "Mommy, Daddy, I Had a Bad Dream!" The book entertains children while it shows them how to understand and master their bad dreams. It also provides parents with loving and effective strategies for responding to children who wake them in the night with bad dreams. "Mommy, Daddy, I Had a Bad Dream!" won the 2012 Bronze IPPY Award for Children's Picture Books, the 2012 Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award for Storybooks, the Ben Franklin first prize for Children's Picture Books from the Independent Book Publishers Association, Creative Child Magazine's 2012 Book of the Year, and a Mom's Choice Gold Award for Excellence. It also made the Indie Next List, was an Award-Winning Finalist in the Children's Picture Book: Hardcover Fiction Category of the 2012 International Book Awards, won Best Book in two categories (Children's Picture Book and Children's Mind/Body/Spirit) of the 2012 USA Book News Awards, was named Best Children's Book of 2012 by Sharp Writ Awards, and was a finalist in the 2012 Foreword Book of the Year Awards in the Children's Picture Book Category.

Coming in 2017! The sequel, Jilly's Terrible Temper Tantrums: And How She Outgrew Them.

Martha Heineman Pieper’s professional experience and path-breaking research into the causes and effects of children’s inner happiness or unhappiness form the guiding principle for Smart Love Family Services, a not-for-profit agency in Chicago that provides psychotherapy services, parent education, and toddler and preschool programs.

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#BlogTour The Sheikh's Bought Wife (Wedlocked!) by @Sharon_Kendrick @HarlequinBooks @BookTrib #MMBBR

To the horror of my parents, I left school at sixteen and held a bewildering variety of jobs: I was a London DJ (in the now-trendy Primrose Hill), a decorator and a singer. After that I became a cook, a photographer and, eventually, a nurse. I waitressed in the south of France, drove an ambulance in Australia, saw lots of beautiful sights but could never settle down. Everywhere I went I felt like a square peg—until one day I started writing again and then everything just fell into place. I felt like Cinderella must have when the glass slipper fit!

Today, I have the best job in the world, writing passionate romances for Harlequin. I like writing stories which are sexy and fast-paced, yet packed full of emotion—stories that readers will identify with, laugh and cry along with.

My interests are many and varied—chocolate and music, fresh flowers and bubble baths, films, cooking and trying to keep my home from looking burglarized! Simple pleasures—you can’t beat them!

I live in Winchester, one of the most stunning cities in the world, but don’t take my word for it—come see for yourself! I regularly visit London and Paris. Oh, and I love hearing from my readers all over the world…so I think it’s over to you! 


*Bio and photo from Goodreads.

“I adore Sharon Kendrick's sexy, sparkling take on a Cinderella story—it's a must-read!”—USA TODAY bestselling author Lynne Graham

The desert king's outrageous proposal! 

Marry a sheikh in return for a hefty financial reward? Shy researcher Jane Smith would normally have laughed in Zayed Al Zawba's handsome face. Except it's only for six months and the money will rescue her sister who's mired in debt… 

Sheikh Zayed will do anything to inherit Kafalah's neighboring oil-rich lands, even wed plain Jane: he'll never long to consummate a marriage with her! But Zayed hasn't bargained on Jane's frumpy clothes hiding delicious curves…or her quick mind and untouched beauty teasing and tempting him beyond his wildest imaginings!

Early Summer Rituals: The author talks about what they enjoy doing outside when the weather finally starts getting warmer.

·         When the weather starts getting warmer, I get out and walk in the countryside.  I love listening to the sounds of the birds and watching all the flowers coming into bloom.  Whatever the weather, I get something out of it.  Walking doesn’t cost anything and often you won’t see another person for hours and hours – it fills me with an incredible sense of freedom, as well as making me grateful to be alive.  Oh, and it helps give me inspiration if my story has reached an infuriatingly stubborn point! 

THE SHEIKH’S BOUGHT WIFE by Sharon Kendrick

What is your favorite part about writing The Sheikh’s Bought Wife?

I felt very fortunate with this particular story because it almost seemed to write itself.  Both characters came to me fully formed and were eager to tell their story.  I must add that this does not happen very often!

What was challenging about writing this book?

The challenging part was in making an outrageous and misogynistic hero come good at the end.  Also, it was crucial to the story that Jane really did fall in love with Zayed, because he is the kind of man she despises.  But then she gets to know him…

How would you describe the relationship between Zayed and Jane?

I would describe Zayed and Jane’s relationship as tempestuous.  He is a playboy and she is a prude.  He loves sex and she’s never had sex.  They are both distrustful around each other but then the layers begin to get peeled away and what you are left with is a red-hot love-affair which was never intended to happen.

How did you come up with their names? Do they mean anything specific?

Character names are very important to me and this book was no different in that respect.  One of the meanings of Zayed is “in abundance” and I thought that was very appropriate because he certainly has lots of things in abundance….sex appeal, money & land, for starters.  The one things he’s never had is love.

Jane was chosen specifically because the heroine is plain – but of course, by the end of the book we discover that she is the most beautiful woman in the world in the eyes of her Sheikh!

How long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

I sometimes spend weeks mulling over an idea and once it has grown I try to add to it.  I go and watch films and read books and magazines.  Whichever country I use (or invent) for the story, I then try to immerse myself in it.  Often, I use only a fraction of the things I’ve researched but the knowledge I’ve gained helps inform my writing.

How long does it typically take for you to write a book?

I write four books for Harlequin every year, for the best-selling Presents imprint.

If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?

I would be a potter!  I absolutely love working with clay.

When did you first realize that you wanted to be writer?

When I was about seven years old my teachers always used to read my stories out loud.  I discovered that writing was the thing I was best at – and, even better – I loved it.  I still do.

What is your favorite thing about writing romance?

I love creating characters and conflict and inventing a different world every time I write a book.  Bringing two warring lovers together for a dramatic and mutually satisfying ending to their story is a great feeling. 

What book are you currently reading right now?

I’m reading THIS MUST BE THE PLACE, by Maggie O’ Farrell – who is the most superb writer and comes from Ireland (where my mother was born).  I am also reading ITALIAN IN 30 DAYS, because I’m supposed to be learning the language at evening class.  I’m not very good but I try!

#MMBBR #Review Wish Me Home by @kaybratt #LakeUnionPublishing

In her first work of contemporary women’s fiction, bestselling author Kay Bratt draws on her own life experiences to create a raw, yet inescapably warm, novel about friendship and a wary heart’s unexpected capacity to love.

A hungry, stray dog is the last thing Cara Butter needs. Stranded in Georgia with only her backpack and a few dwindling dollars, she already has too much baggage. Like her twin sister, Hana, who has broken Cara’s heart one too many times. After a lifetime of family troubles, and bouncing from one foster home to another, Cara decides to leave it all behind and strike out alone—on foot.

Cara sets off to Florida to see the home of her literary hero, Ernest Hemingway, accompanied only by Hemi, the stray dog who proves to be the perfect travel companion. But the harrowing trip takes unexpected turns as strangers become friends who make her question everything, and Cara finds that as the journey unfolds, so does her life—in ways she could never imagine.

#FirstLine ~ Don't turn around and look, she told herself.

A story about love and finding new footing while breaking away from old ways.  This is a book that has a whole lot of heart and allows the reader to feel a sense of hope upon completion.  Not that the story does not focus on the toughness of life, because it does, but it also captures the goodness in life too...the kindnesses, the friendships and tthe fact that family is not always blood relation.  I adored the dog in this book (I want the dog from this book) and the love that formed throughout the book.  It was one of those books that I really wish Hallmark would make into a movie.  I can see it playing on TV and keeping the story very true to the book...readers, or viewers, would love this story because it is tender, honest and hopeful!  A great book to snuggle up and read this spring or summer!

Kay Bratt is the author of eleven full-length novels and two children’s books. Her writing became her solace and support while she navigated a tumultuous childhood, followed by a decade of abuse as an adult. After working her way through the hard years, Kay came out a survivor and a pursuer of peace—and finally found the courage to share her stories. A wise man once told her to “write what you know,” which resulted in Kay’s pet project and her bestselling series, The Tales of the Scavenger’s Daughters. 

Learn more about Kay and her writing at www.kaybratt.com.

From Kay: To be notified when new books are released, please sign up for my monthly email newsletter at www.kaybratt.com or at this link: http://eepurl.com/q9_2X

The Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters now has five books! See below for what order to read them:

The Palest Ink (Prequel to the series)
The Scavenger's Daughters
Tangled Vines
Bitter Winds
Red Skies

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#BlogTour LUCAS @dfossen @HarlequinBooks @BookTrib #MMBBR

A Texas Lawman will do anything to protect his son—even if it includes reuniting with the boy's on-the-run mother… 

Lucas Ryland always had a way with the ladies—until Hailey Darrow dropped him after a shared night of passion. Then he discovered her unconscious body in a wrecked car, with a fake ID and enough cash to disappear. Unbeknownst to him, the one who got away was leaving town with his baby… 

Now Hailey is out of her coma and still in danger. But hiding her at his Silver Creek ranch ignites old passions…and introduces new dangers. Lucas must use every protective instinct in his arsenal to keep Hailey and their infant son safe. And keep his body from remembering how good it felt to hold her in his arms… 

The Lawmen of Silver Creek Ranch

LUCAS by Delores Fossen

1)      What is your favorite part about writing LUCAS?

LUCAS is the 12^thbook in the Lawmen of Silver Creek series so I really enjoyed visiting with all the cowboy heroes from the previous stories. It was like going home to a family reunion.

2)      Is there anyone who you based Lucas and Hailey off of, or who you drew your inspiration from?

I was inspired by Rayland Givens from Justified. I thought he had that edge that I wanted Lucas to have.

3)      How many books have you written? Is there one that you would consider your favorite?

LUCAS is my 88^th published Harlequin, and I’ve written 12 other books. It’s so hard to pick a favorite, but I think for now it’sBRANDED AS TROUBLE, an HQN that comes out July 1^st.

4)      When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember, but I didn’t begin writing seriously until my kids were old enough to start to school.

5)      What is your favorite thing about writing contemporary romance?

It’s fun to “build” the ranch where my cowboy heroes and heroines live. And, of course, the best part is creating happily-ever-afters for them.

6)      What is the biggest misconception about your genre?

That the books are easy to write and all the same. They’re very different, and they’re definitely not easy. It takes a lot of work to pull a story together.

7)      What are a few of your favorite books? Do you have any recommendations?

I have SO many favorite books and authors. I love B.J. Daniels, Julie Miller and Lori Wilde. I also read Stephen King and Dean Koontz.

8)      What are your future projects are you working on?

I’m working on three new HQN books for my Wrangler’s Creek series. They’ll be out in 2018.

9)      Do you have any tips for people suffering from writer’s block?

I think it helps to make a schedule and then stick to it. That way, I know what I’m supposed to be doing every day.

10)  Do you have any advice for new writers?

Write as much as you can and experiment with various ways to do the same scene. That’s how to learn the best way to tell the story.

USA Today bestselling author, Delores Fossen, is an Air Force veteran who has sold over 100 novels. She's received the Booksellers' Best Award for romantic suspense, the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award and was a finalist for the prestigious Rita ®. Her books have been featured in Woman's Day and Woman’s World. In addition, she's had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines. You can contact the author through her webpage at: www.deloresfossen.com