Calico Joe by John Grisham - BOOK REVIEW/GIVEAWAY (US thru 5/1)

Title:  Calico Joe
Author:  John Grisham
Publisher:   Knopf Doubleday, a division of Random House
Hardcover, 208 pages
Release Date:  April 10, 2012
ISBN 10:     0385536070
ISBN 13:  9780385536073
The Book Depository / Amazon

Goodreads description:

A surprising and moving novel of fathers and sons, forgiveness and redemption, set in the world of Major League Baseball…
 
Whatever happened to Calico Joe?
 
It began quietly enough with a pulled hamstring. The first baseman for the Cubs AAA affiliate in Wichita went down as he rounded third and headed for home. The next day, Jim Hickman, the first baseman for the Cubs, injured his back. The team suddenly needed someone to play first, so they reached down to their AA club in Midland, Texas, and called up a twenty-one-year-old named Joe Castle. He was the hottest player in AA and creating a buzz.

In the summer of 1973 Joe Castle was the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen.  The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas dazzled Cub fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all rookie records.

Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his Dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever…

In John Grisham’s new novel the baseball is thrilling, but it’s what happens off the field that makes CALICO JOE a classic.

My Take: 

I'm not a huge sports fan, so I'm sometimes a bit loath to read novels that center around sports.  Last year, however, I read "The Art of Fielding", and it made my "Best of ... Contemporary Fiction" list for 2011.

That said, my tastebuds were more than ready to get a bite of two of John Grisham's "Calico Joe".

Narrated by Paul Tracey, whose father pitched for the NY Mets, this is another one of those "more than baseball" stories.

Paul's father was narcissistic and cruel; he also seemed to be an unrepentant bully who made life horrible for Paul and his mother.  

In 1973, when Paul is 11 years old, Joe Castle, a rookie from Calico Rock, Arkansas, is pulled up from the Cubs' AA Club (I think that's the farm club ... where players who didn't make first string play and hope to be called up?  Right?  Wrong?  Anyone who's better at baseball than I am ... feel free to correct me; I think I have the concept, if not necessarily the correct terms).  He instantly becomes a fan favorite, and he's a humble guy as well, which makes him even more endearing.  He also becomes one of Paul's favorites and Paul begins to keep a "Calico Joe" memento/scrapbook.

When the Mets meet the Cubs on the field, events unfold that will change the trajectory of baseball careers.  (That's really all I can say and still be spoiler-free).

This story is more about humans and repentance and how to atone for what seem to be unforgivable actions.  It's about a boy who wished so often that he could idolize his father, his disillusionment with both his father and baseball, and his eventual determination to try to make things right before it's too late.  It's not a cerebral type of read; it's straightforward, yet totally escapist. 

I don't know what RBI's mean, and I don't know what the numbers for batting averages mean, but I know an engrossing, page-turning book when I read one.  "Calico Joe" is just that type of read - after the first few pages, you will not want to put it down.

QUOTES (from an ARC; may be different in final copy):

We could see his cleats and uniform from the knees down, and at one point his heels appeared to be twitching, as if his body were in a seizure.

I took the bat and got in a stance at home plate.  He backed away, maybe fifty feet.  He was wearing his glove, and he had three baseballs in it.  I was an eleven-year-old kid, without a batting helmet, facing a pitcher for the Mets, one who was not only angry but in the process of teaching me the crude art of hitting a batter.

Writing:  4.5 out of 5 stars

Plot:   4.5 out of 5 stars

Characters: 4 out of 5 stars

Reading Immersion:   5 out 5 stars

BOOK RATING:   4.5 out of 5 stars
 
BLOGGERS:  Have you reviewed this book? If so, please feel free to leave a link to your review in the comments section; I will also add your link to the body of my review.

Read an excerpt

BUY IT:  At Amazon, The Book Depository, through the publisher's website,  and through other on-and-off-line booksellers.

Other Reviews:

Book Fan

WIN IT:  The publisher is offering two of my readers a chance to win a copy of this title :)

Wanna win?  Here's how:
 

HOW TO ENTER (PLEASE READ - commenting alone will NOT enter you):

MANDATORY ENTRY:

1.  Leave a blog post comment letting me know what your favorite sports-centric novel is.  Please include your email address like this or similar to prevents spambots:  knittingandsundries(at)gmail(dot)com

2.  Then scroll up to the Rafflecopter form (you MUST have Javascript enabled to see the form):  under "How to Enter" where it says "Leave a Blog Post Comment", click "I did this!" and fill out the little form that pops up there - make sure you use the email address you put in your comment. (Please email me directly at knittingandsundries(at)gmail(dot)com if you have problems with the form).


YOU ONLY HAVE TO COMMENT AND ENTER YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS INTO THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM FOR YOUR INITIAL/MANDATORY ENTRY; you can use the form for all of your additional entries (extra entry options listed on the form)!  :)

The Rafflecopter form is not working today, so:

Extra entries:

1. You can get an extra entry for following or subscribing Knitting and Sundries (email/Twitter/GFC/Facebook) - TWO extra entries if you are an old follower or subscriber. 

Enter another active giveaway

Daily tweet:  You can tweet your own message by using the share button under the post or you can use this tweet:

#win Calico Joe by John Grisham! 2 winners! US thru 4/31 #giveaway #bookreview @Doubledaypub  @jewelknits

Make a separate comment for each entry and include your follower name or the email address you subscribe under.

Eligibility:  US residents only through May 1, 2012

Disclosure:  I  received a  complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher  to facilitate my review.  No other compensation was received and I was not required to post a positive review.

Raised Right by Alisa Harris - BOOK REVIEW/GIVEAWAY - US/CAN through 3/25/2012

 Title:  Raised Right:  How I Untangled My Faith from Politics
Author:  Alisa Harris
Publisher:   Waterbrook Press, a division of Doubleday
Paperback, 240 pages
ISBN 10:     0307729656
ISBN 13:  9780307729651
The Book Depository / Amazon

Goodreads description:


Meet the new breed of Christians shaping our culture.

Alisa Harris grew up in a family that actively fought injustice and moral decay in America. She spent much of her childhood picketing abortion clinics and being home-schooled in the ways of conservative-Republican Christianity. As a teen she firmly believed that putting the right people in power would save the nation.

But as she moved into adulthood, Alisa confronted unexpected complexities on issues that used to seem clear-cut. So, she set about evaluating the strident partisanship she had grown up with, considering other perspectives while staying true to the deep respect she held for her parents and for the Christian principles that had always motivated her.

Raised Right is not only an intriguing chronicle of Alisa’s personal journey; it also provides a fascinating glimpse into the worldview of a younger generation of faith––followers of Christ who believe that the term “Christian” is not synonymous with a single political party or cultural issue.

Whether you are moderate, conservative, or progressive, Raised Right will prompt you to consider more deeply what it means to affirm Christ-like justice, mercy, and righteousness in the current cultural landscape. And it will give you a deeper understanding of how the new generation of Christians approaches the intersection of faith and politics.

My Take: 

This is the story of a young woman who has as one of her earliest memories protesting at an abortion clinic with her family.  Homeschooled, allowed to watch no modern television shows or movies, Alisa Harris was raised in a structured environment around like-minded people.

When she got into the outside world, she became a journalist at a Christian magazine, and she recounts her emergence from the black-and-white of her childhood beliefs and upbringing into a realization of shades of gray.

Her isolated upbringing becomes apparent in an account where she finds herself totally shocked when a woman at a Bible fellowship group says that she supports Hilary Clinton, but later on, she herself ends up voting for now-President Obama (shhhh...don't tell her mom).

I found this account interesting, although it did ramble around quite a bit, maybe because it IS quite difficult to frame your political beliefs without explaining many of the details that pulled you in that particular direction.  From ballot-stuffing at primaries when a child (it's OK to do something wrong if the end result is the right thing) to a realization that the issue of abortion is not as clear-cut as many of us like to think:

Some pro-lifers are blind to the fact that in the battle to defend the value of unborn life, they sometimes devalue the lives of the already born.

the author tries to put into words how being a Christian doesn't always jibe with the idealogies of the right.  It is a story of the inner struggle that many have with faith and politics.  If read with an open mind, it can serve as a bit of an eye-opener for those on both sides of politics and can be a voice for the new breed of Christians who believe most in the values of love, charity, and brother/sister-hood imparted in the New Testament.

QUOTES (from an ARC; may be different in final copy):

I hope this book will help her and others to understand that this change is not a rejection of the core truths they've passed on to us but a different application of them.  Our actions and beliefs are an expansion of the principles of justice and love that they imparted, not a rejection of those principles.

When I heard "freedom," I thought "deregulation of onerous government rules"; when I heard "blind," I thought "blind to the virtue of limited government "; when I heard "oppressed," I thought of children who were not allowed to pray in school and successful rich people whose money is seized by the government.

I used to think that anyone who was poor had only himself to blame, that America is a magical and glorious place so overflowing with opportunity that anyone who's struggling is simply not working hard enough or looking hard enough or finds it more convenient to live off the hard work of others or would really just rather buy drugs than pay rent.  . . .
When you believe hardship is a person's own fault, it's easy to look right through the suffering.

Now when I look at the unemployed and destitute, I see what I might become if my life moved just a few steps in the wrong direction. 

BOOK RATING:   3.5 out of 5 stars
 
BLOGGERS:  Have you reviewed this book? If so, please feel free to leave a link to your review in the comments section; I will also add your link to the body of my review.

Read an excerpt

BUY IT:  At Amazon, The Book Depository, through the publisher's website,  and through other on-and-off-line booksellers.

WIN IT:  As sometimes happens, I received two copies of the title, so I have a finished copy (not an ARC) up for grabs for one of you.

HOW TO ENTER:

Comment:  Let me know in the comments section if your political beliefs are still those that you were raised with (although I encourage an expanded comment, I ask that we please not flame the "other side", no matter which side that may be).  Please remember to include your email address kind of like this: user(at)domain(dot)com or something similar to prevent spambots from picking your email address up.

Extra entries:

You can get an extra entry for following or subscribing Knitting and Sundries (email/Twitter/GFC) - TWO extra entries if you are an old follower or subscriber.

Make a separate comment for each entry and include your follower name or the email address you subscribe under.

Eligibility:  US/CAN through 3/25/2012


Disclosure:  I  received a  complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher  to facilitate my review.  No other compensation was received and I was not required to post a positive review.

Ocean Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks - REVIEW and GIVEAWAY - 4 winners - US through 2/28/2012

 

If you're like me, you're always looking for a healthier snack for your young ones.  Luckily, Bebe Boy James is a big yogurt, apple, grapefruit and oranges fan!

One of our pantry essentials is also fruit snacks - perfect for that after-school pick me up or to have on hand after a game well-played.

Not all fruit snacks are created equal, as I've found.  Some have NO real fruit or fruit juices in them - some have almost as much sugar as giving a candy bar!  (Check those labels, moms .. you'd be surprised).

Luckily, there's Ocean Spray Fruit Snacks:

Here's what you get:

• †Made with real fruit juice and natural colors* and flavors.
• 80 calories, gluten free and contain 100% of the Daily Value of Vitamin C.
• Available with year round Double Box Tops.

*colors from natural sources


†These Fruit Flavored Snacks are made with apple, pear, and cranberry juice concentrate. See package for a list of complete ingredients. They are not intended to replace fruit in the diet.

Really?!?!  Real fruit juice?  Gluten-free?  100% of the daily Vitamin C value? 

Oh!  AND double Box Tops (maybe it's just me, but as the Boxtops Coordinator for Bebe Boy James' school, I LOVE seeing those on packages)!

These made a huge hit at my house, and I even sent two boxes down to Not-So-Bebe-Girl Autumn in college in her latest care package (LOVE from her as well).  They are so full of taste that I almost expected juice to gush out.  They really are the best-tasting fruit snacks I've ever tried; I just wish there were more in each bag!  There are currently two flavors:  Berries and Cherries and Assorted Fruit.  Honestly, I can't say which I like more, and Bebe Boy James would have eaten a box a day if he was allowed to. :)

Look for these at your local grocery store - I'll bet you and your family will love them just as much as we did. Before you go, though, click here to download a printable coupon for $1.10 off of the purchase of (2) Ocean Spray^® Fruit Flavored snacks today!

Even better, the great folks at Ocean Spray through My Blog Spark are going to make four of you lucky winners of your own prize pack!

The prize?  6 boxes (3 of each variety) of Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks!  For FOUR winners!

Wanna win?  Here's how:
 

HOW TO ENTER (PLEASE READ - commenting alone will NOT enter you):

MANDATORY ENTRY:

1.  Leave a blog post comment telling me which flavor you'd like to see in Ocean Spray fruit snacks.

2.  Then scroll up to the Rafflecopter form (you MUST have Javascript enabled to see the form):  under "How to Enter" where it says "Leave a Blog Post Comment", click "I did this!" and fill out the little form that pops up there - make sure you use the email address you put in your comment. (Please email me directly at knittingandsundries(at)gmail(dot)com if you have problems with the form).


YOU ONLY HAVE TO COMMENT AND ENTER YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS INTO THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM FOR YOUR INITIAL/MANDATORY ENTRY; you can use the form for all of your additional entries (extra entry options listed on the form)!  :)

Eligibility:  US residents only through February 28, 2012

It's Sunday! Time to list YOUR blog giveaways! - January 15, 2012

It's SUNDAY!  Time for the Sunday Share Giveaway Linky!

If you are a blog owner hosting your own giveaway(s), please feel free to share your link at the linky above.  Enter your blog name, a brief description of the prize, ending date and eligibility (US, Can, International, etc.)  Please put the ending date, too, otherwise it will be cleared off the next week. EXAMPLE:  Best Blog on the Block - $50 Gift certificate - 6/30 - US/CAN

NO SPAM - you'll be banned - I'm not kidding!

While I have no current giveaways, I will be listing winners of my closed giveaways on Wednesday, making certain those prizes have gone out, and then resuming my own giveaways.

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway Hop - Giveaway #1 - Internat'l through 12/24

The 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop is being hosted by Intoxicated By Books and will run from December 13th through December 24th.

I am running mine a little bit differently - check back every 2-3 days for a new book-related giveaway - some will be international and some will be US and CAN only, but I'm certain you will find something  for you or someone on your list. 

Today, because Bebe Boy James is sick, and my time has been limited at the computer, I'm making it super simple.

What can you win?  One of you will win up to $25 worth of books from either Amazon or The Book Depository!

HOW CAN YOU WIN?

HOW TO ENTER (PLEASE READ - commenting alone will NOT enter you):

I'm going to make this super duper easy.  All you have to do is:

1. Enter your name and email address in the Rafflecopter form.

2.  Then scroll up to the Rafflecopter form (you MUST have Javascript enabled to see the form):  under "How to Enter" where it says "Leave a Blog Post Comment", click "I did this!" and fill out the little form that pops up there - make sure you use the email address you put in your comment. (Please email me directly at knittingandsundries(at)gmail(dot)com if you have problems with the form).


You can get an extra entry each for:

1.  Commenting with at least one book that you would choose
2.  Following via GFC/Twitter/RSS/email
3.  Tweeting about the giveaway
4.  Entering another current giveaway

YOU ONLY HAVE TO ENTER YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS INTO THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM FOR YOUR INITIAL/MANDATORY ENTRY; you can use the form for all of your additional entries (extra entry options listed on the form)!  :)

Eligibility:  International to anywhere The Book Depository ships - Ends December 24, 2011 at midnight ET



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Visit the other blogs on the hop for more chances to win!

Maria Juana's Gift by T. Lloyd Winetsky - BOOK REVIEW/GIVEAWAY - US/CAN thru 12/20

Title:  Maria Juana's Gift
Author:  T. Lloyd Winetsky
Publisher:   Booklocker, Inc.
Release Date:  March 31, 2011
Paperback, 300 pages
ISBN 10:     1609107470
ISBN 13:  9781609107475
The Book Depository / Amazon

Goodreads description:

In his latest novel, MARIA JUANA'S GIFT, T. Lloyd Winetsky explores the frustration and heartbreak of preventable human medical error. Set during America's Bicentennial, it is the story of a young teaching couple fighting for the survival of their infant daughter born in a hospital on the Arizona-Mexico border. The novel's theme approaches the core of inhumanity but also celebrates a "gift" the couple will treasure for the rest of their lives.

My Take: 

As an advocate for social justice, the premise of this novel hooked me.  We have a young couple living in a poor, barren city on the border of Arizona and Mexico during the 1970's who are dedicated to helping immigrant workers and their children.

At the beginning of the book, they are in the hospital with their newborn daughter Emma, and Jake is frantic to get the doctor to pay attention to the fact that something is wrong with her.  Maria Juana, who seems to be a nurse's aide at the small hospital, confirms the couple's fear that something is wrong with the baby.  Her "gift" is her affinity with the children under her care.

There is a shift back to how Jake and Tina met, married, and ended up in a forsaken outpost.  We meet a lot of the neighbors and politicians and read of how migrant workers are scorned, including an incident that ends in the deportation of the parents of one of Jake's students.  Many children are mistakenly pigeonholed into special education classes in spite of their intelligence.

As Jake fights to get someone .. anyone ... to pay attention to his pleas for help for his daughter, the reader feels the frustration of a desperate father stuck in a no-man's land where politics seems more important than the Hippocratic oath.

Although the premise and the story is intriguing, I felt that the execution was flawed in many ways.  The beginning is rather confusing, and there are many editing errors, i.e. "taught" rather than "taut", "imbedded" rather than "embedded", and lots of unnecessary italics.  The romance between Jake and Tina feels rushed and the inclusion of quite a bit of minutiae bogs the reader down here and there.  To be fair, the other reviews I've read have been quite a bit more complimentary, so I emphasize that this is my own opinion.

In spite of this, the author tells a convincing story that made this reader curious and kept me reading.

Writing:  2.5 out of 5 stars

Plot:   3.5 out of 5 stars

Characters:  2.5 out of 5 stars

Reading Immersion:   2 out 5 stars

BOOK RATING:   2.6 out of 5 stars

BLOGGERS:  Have you reviewed this book? If so, please feel free to leave a link to your review in the comments section; I will also add your link to the body of my review.

Author website


BUY IT:  At Amazon, The Book Depository and through other on-and-off-line booksellers.

WIN IT!

Elaine from PR by the Book was kind enough to offer one of my readers from the US/CAN a chance to win a copy for themselves!

HOW TO ENTER:

Comment:  Let me know in the comments what your pet social justice cause is! Please remember to include your email address kind of like this: user(at)domain(dot)com or something similar to prevent spambots from picking your email address up.

Extra entries:

You can get an extra entry for following Knitting and Sundries (email/Twitter/GFC/RSS) - TWO extra entries if you are an old follower or subscriber.

You can also get an extra entry for entering any other current giveaway - one comment for each giveaway you entered.

Make a separate comment for each entry and include your follower name or the email address you subscribe under.

Eligibility:  US/CAN through 12/20/2011


 Disclosure:  I  received a  complimentary copy of this title from PR by the Book to facilitate my review.  No other compensation was received and I was not required to post a positive review.

Winner Wonderland Giveaway Hop {GIVEAWAY CLOSED}

Welcome to the Winner Wonderland Giveaway Event. This event is hosted by Put A Little Umbrella In Your Drink, Seeds of Life, And The Little Ones Too and Taking Time For Mommy. This event features giveaways with a value of $25 or more at each of the participating blogs! Check out all of the great Winner Wonderland Sponsors being featured in this event! Be sure to visit each blog from the linky below and enter for your chance to win! This event will close on December 4th at 11:59 pm EST.

It's getting close to Christmas and I'm giving YOU the presents!  TWO of you will win!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

Your choice of a children's, middle reader, or YA book prize package:  

MORE--->>

Chronicle Books Happy Haulidays! If I win, one of my commentors wins too! - GIVEAWAY

 

 

One of my favorite online bookstores, Chronicle Books, is at it again!  For this second year of Happy Haulidays,  not only do we bloggers get to create our own "wishlist" of books up to $500 in value to win ... not only does the winning blogger get to pick one of the people who comment as a winner of their same great haul ... BUT the winning blogger gets to pick a charity/non-profit/library/literacy program to pick up to $500 of books for themselves as well!

From now through December 8, Chronicle Books is also offering 35% off purchases AND free shipping if you use the code FRIENDS at checkout.  (Yes, I WILL be HAVE taking taken advantage of this one!)

My charity of choice would be the Oglala Lakota College at Pine Ridge Reservation.  I find it shameful that such poverty exists in our country. I know that literacy and a love of reading offer a respite from the cares of a difficult life as well as inspiring a love of knowledge and learning for its own sake that can help anyone determined to rise above their circumstances.  I'm also aware that the library is more underfunded than most, with one of the greatest needs.  For a way that you can help individually, please see my September 22, 2011 This and That post

After spending a pleasurable hour or so on Chronicle Books' website, here is the list I came up with (some for me, some for Bebe Boy James, a couple for Not-So-Bebe-Girl Autumn, and some for the grandbebes):




All of these lovelies for around $497 worth of books!  If you like this list, and you'd like a chance to get all of these books into your own home, simply leave a meaningful comment on this post by December 2nd!


Disclosure:  I am an affiliate of Chronicle Books, and any purchases made through these links may result in a small stipend.

Benny's Angel - BLOG TOUR/BOOK REVIEW/GIVEAWAY (Holiday Gift Guide) - Giveaway US through December 5, 2011

Title:  Benny's Angel
Author:  Laura Allen Nonemaker
Publisher:   Tate Publishing
Release Date:  November 8, 2011
Paperback, 24 pages
ISBN 10:    1613460090
ISBN 13:  9781613460092
The Book Depository / Amazon

Goodreads description:

Who stole the flowers in God's Secret Garden? Find out in this delightful tale, which uses animals, nature, and a visit from an angel to teach the importance of prayer and the value of trusting God.

My Take: 

What a lovely little book with a wonderful message on not letting others steal your joy.  This book is written especially for younger children and offers a message of love and hope in a way that is simple for them to understand.  With lovely illustrations and characters,

Meet the Characters

children will see the value of prayer in action. 

Short and sweet, it's just long enough to hold young children's attention without giving them time to get restless.

My grandbebes loved it at Gigi Storytime, and I think your children and grandchildren will, too.  It would make a lovely and meaningful addition to the Christmas gift list!

BOOK RATING:   4 out of 5 stars

Author bio:

Laura Allen Nonemaker’s desire to write took root as a child in Bermuda. Since then, Laura has written in a variety of genres and her work has appeared in Essence Treasury: Celebrating the Season, Alive! and Kentucky Monthly Magazine.

Laura has been involved in short-term missions, including trips to Russia, Poland, and the University of the Nations in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. Three years ago, her interest in the arts motivated her to join the planning team for Artful Missions, which conducts juried art shows and donates to outreaches in the U.S. and India to rescue women and children from human trafficking.

Feel free to contact Laura at lauranonemaker(at)gmail(dot)com.

BLOGGERS:  Have you reviewed this book? If so, please feel free to leave a link to your review in the comments section; I will also add your link to the body of my review.

Author website

Video Trailer

BUY IT:  At Amazon, The Book Depository, through the publisher's website,  and through other on-and-off-line booksellers.

WIN!

Now for a very special giveaway!  One winner from across the blogs participating in this tour will win this grand prize:

• 1 Vivitar Camcorder with Camera and 2X Zoom
• 1 Benny's Angel Picture Book
• 1 Benny's Angel 3-D Book
• 1 Benny's Angel Coloring Book
• 1 Benny's Angel Audio Book
• 1 Benny's Angel T Shirt 
• 1 Benny Christmas Ornament
• 1 Marietta Christmas Ornament
• 1 96-Count Crayola Crayons

HOW TO ENTER:

Comment:  Let me know in the comments what your favorite children's book is! Please remember to include your email address kind of like this: user(at)domain(dot)com or something similar to prevent spambots from picking your email address up.

Extra entries:

You can get an extra entry for following Knitting and Sundries (email/Twitter/GFC) - TWO extra entries if you are an old follower or subscriber.

Connect with Laura at These Social Networking Sites (follow/like/etc.):

facebook: Laura Allen Nonemaker
twitter: @DigInGodsGarden
Linkedin: Laura Nonemaker
Blog: www.diggingingodsgarden.com

Make a separate comment for each entry and include your follower name or the email address you subscribe under.

Eligibility:  US through 12/05/2011

Visit the other blogs on the tour!
 
Disclosure:  I  received a  complimentary copy of this title from Kathy Carlton Willis Communications to facilitate my review.  No other compensation was received and I was not required to post a positive review.