BOOK REVIEW: Dr. Linda Harper’s “Give”

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Give: A Guide to Discovering the Joy of Everyday Giving
Linda R. Harper, Ph.D.

Review by Taryn Fryer

I wanted to read Give in order to learn how to give more authentically.  In many ways the book was what I expected in terms of learning to give according to your values and to give freely in every sense of the word.  Had that been all there was, I would have been satisfied with the book and then put it down and promptly forgotten about it. 

This book rose above my expectations for two main reasons.  The first of these was the importance of giving to oneself.   I think many people, myself included, tend to put self-nurturing last on their ever increasing to-do lists.  What Ms Harper does beautifully is to challenge this notion that “spoiling” ourselves is somehow wanton.  She reminds, or in some cases teaches, us that only when we are kind to ourselves, when we allow ourselves time to replenish and heal and even maybe have a little pampering are we in any way able to give to others.  And the better we treat ourselves, the better we will be equipped to give to others.  I found this to be a very powerful message and one that I have already started to incorporate into my daily habits.

The book also looks at various types of inauthentic giving and that’s where it started to get uncomfortable. I certainly recognized some of the not-so-pleasant aspects of my personality in one of the types, and it was not entirely pleasant reading! Whilst I identified a lot more with one of the types, there were ideas and suggestions that resonated with me in each of the chapters.  By saying this was an uncomfortable read, by no means am I implying any criticism of the book. When I read these types of books, I want to be made uncomfortable, to be provoked, to have my actions challenged (albeit gently, which is exactly how Ms Harper does it) as it is these feelings that can provide the impetus for lasting change.

 On the strength of this book, I will definitely read more by Ms Harper . . . On an Amazon style review, I would give this 4 stars.

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CHILDREN’S eBOOK: ‘The Island Treasure Hunt’ by Larry Powalisz

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The Island Treasure Hunt
Larry Powalisz
(Juvenile/Children’s Fiction, Nature, Adventure)

Aloha Jack and Sammy, along with their lovable dog Coco, go to the beach expecting a wonderful day of surfing and playing in the deep blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. Instead, they find a treasure map that leads them on an adventure to Haleakala National Park on the beautiful Hawaiian Island of Maui. During their quest, Aloha Jack and Sammy face the dilemma of doing the right thing, something many of us face in our daily lives. Will they make the right decision?

AVAILABLE AT AMAZON, KOBO, NOOK, OMNILIT, iTUNES, SONY, HIVEBLACKWELL’S BOOKS, BIGhay eBOOKS, TESCO eBOOKS,
and THE INDIE eBOOK SHOP!

 

*This book is currently open for review. Please contact marketing@book-hub.com to learn more on how you can become a book reviewer for Book Hub Inc. Publishing!

 

 

All Romance eBooks 50% Off! One Week Only!

All Blue Star Books’ romance titles are now 50% off
for the next week through All Romance eBooks!

As a thank you to all our dedicated followers, whether you’re a reader, writer, or reviewer, we’d like to offer a special sale for helping us reach 3,000 followers. Thank you!

If you haven’t already, be sure to join us on Facebook, Twitter, and GoodReads to learn about more of our service specials and sales.

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Addicted by JoAnn DeLazzari
(Contemporary Romance)

Renowned investigative journalist Nikki Bradley is at the height of her career. When she tenaciously braves the remote jungles of Columbia on an assignment with personal motives, her profession seems to become less important. After her brother dies of an expected cocaine overdose, Nikki has one thing on her mind: to find the man responsible for her brother’s death, expose him, and ruin him. Her dangerous traipse through the jungle on a quest to avenge her brother’s death brings her face to face with one of Columbia’s biggest cocaine operations. When she is caught taking pictures on the outskirts of the camp, she is taken prisoner by one of the leaders, a menacing drug trafficker determined to claim her as his own. An innocent pawn in a deadly game at the mercy of her captor, a mysterious and impossibly handsome man named King, Nikki must decide whether to abort her mission and surrender, or risk her life to expose her brother’s killer.  

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Charades by Ann Logan
(Contemporary Romance)

     Mercedes Fuentes, or Mousy Mercy as she often refers to herself, has buried herself in academia in order to avoid those frightening creatures that make up the other half of the human population: MEN! When an opportunity to pay off the majority of her student debt is offered to her by a family friend, Mercy has her doubts. But how can she refuse a weeklong date with a handsome man, at the end of which she will be nearly free of all debt? Enter the seemingly innocuous, over-worked oil tycoon Wulf Rheinhart, a man in need of a fake fiancée for a week in order to close a business deal with a family-oriented Texan. One charade leads to another in this fast paced car chase of a romance where no one is who they seem to be.

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Destiny’s Disguise by Candice Kohl
(Historical/Regency Romance)

Lord John, the earl of Farleigh–his giant frame scarred by battles fought as a mercenary knight–returns home to England to claim his unexpected inheritance. But now he must battle against the wicked baron Elwood of Eye and a woman with an inner strength to match his own who dares to love him. Lady Gwyneth–her willfulness and deceit borne not of treachery–determines to wed the new earl in her sister’s stead. Expecting nothing but cruelty at her husband’s hand, she is surprised to find herself the recipient of that which she has so often given but never received: love. But Gwyneth has dark secrets that will inevitably be revealed, secrets that will test the strength of their love.

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Heart of Steel by Jennifer Probst
(Contemporary Romance)

Chandler Santell avoids men–especially the rich and powerful ones who believe more in money than in people. Desperate to save her struggling Yoga and Arts Center, her last hope is the most powerful man in the finance industry, a man reputed to have a “Heart of Steel.” Logan Grant knew he was in trouble the moment Chandler Santell walked into his office. He agrees to her crazy deal only when she risks all and guarantees him a profit. Behind the scenes, a dangerous game of love, power, and greed begin to play out–a game Chandler knows nothing about. The payoff is worth millions to the man who can win Chandler’s heart. But is love worth the price?

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Knight’s Desire by Elizabeth Taylor George
(Historical/Regency Romance)

All that stands between Sir Judson Langley and his chance to inherit Cresswell Castle is the truth, and a beautiful young serving woman with a secret…

Judson Langley yearns for lands of his own. Sent to Cresswell Castle by Lady Emily Goodfife to prove her great-granddaughter is alive, Judson is torn between greed and his obligation to Lady Emily.If he proves the girl, Arian Goodfife, is dead, he stands to inherit Cresswell. Judson expects to encounter the castellan’s hostility, but not the loss of his heart to an enchanting serving girl. How could he know that the secret she hides threatens to tear all his dreams asunder?

Arian Goodfife, rightful heiress of Cresswell, lives in the shadows, dirty and wretched. After her mother’s suicide, her cruel stepfather claimed to all that Arian died in a fire. Her identity stripped away, she trusts no one. Driven by the desire to regain Cresswell, she vows to depose her stepfather. Then a dark, handsome knight named Judson arrives, making another claim on her lands. Though he touches a place in her heart she thought had turned to stone, Arian realizes the peril she would face were Judson to discover her true identity. Is Judson an angel or a devil? Only a miracle of love will answer her question.

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HURRY! OFFER ENDS JUNE 6TH!!

 

Author Adam Soul’s Interview on Other World Radio: “Answer to the Riddle of 666” and 9-11 Truth

CLICK HERE for Adam Soul’s complete interview with Other World Radio!

Answer666_FrontCover

Published in April, Adam Soul’s work looks not to the satanic or overly biblical undercurrents of the riddle of 666, but rather, he presents a new perspective of the fate of human kind and our planet, making this topic understandable for anyone, no matter beliefs or background. His illuminating interpretation suggests a change in our way of life to avoid human extinction, and to begin a journey toward betterment for the planet.

Topics: fossil fuels, environmentalism, history, energy, community, money, resources

More information can be found at http://www.answertotheriddleof666.com/

eBook available at the following retailers:

Amazon
Kobo
Nook
Sony
– iTunes
OmniLit
BIGhay
Blackwell’s
Foyle’s
Hive
Tesco eBooks
The Indie eBook Shop

NEW RELEASE: True Crime / Mystery – ‘The Owl Knows’ by Roy Owenby

ImageThe Owl Knows
An Appalachian Trail Mystery
Roy Owenby
Published by Ammons Communications

     Two female teachers are camping in the wilderness at the junction of Wayah Mountain and the Appalachian Trail. One is murdered and the other disappears without a trace. Through a series of discoveries, the mystery begins to unravel with the help of the husband of the murdered woman. For two years, lawmen chase the case, and the serial killer whom they must extract from his cliff hideaway in the Nantahala National Forest.
Based on actual events, ‘The Owl Knows’ is a story of mystery, friendship, and love amidst the background of the Appalachian Mountains.

AVAILABLE AT AMAZON, NOOK, KOBO, iTUNES,
SONY, GOOGLE BOOKS, and OMNILIT.

NEW RELEASE: Peter Berman’s ‘Hidden Agenda’ – Crime Fiction

    “A very intriguing read, Peter Berman pulls you in…”

      Jeremy Hart, a senior prosecutor in the LA District Attorney’s office, is a young widower whose grief counselor sends him to a charity party to jump-start his social life. At the party, he meets Claire, a young married woman with two small children who is trapped in a loveless marriage to Peter, a very wealthy and abusive man. When a courtship develops between Jeremy and Claire, Claire’s violent husband Peter discovers the affair. After a brutal beating, Claire confides to Jeremy that she believes that Peter is planning on taking her life.
     When Claire’s husband is found shot to death in the driveway of his home, detective Ulysses S. Gibson and his partner Jennifer Donahue are called to investigate the murder. For the prosecutor, the crime is an easy conviction when all the leads of the investigation point to Jeremy.
     For detectives Gibson and Donahue, nothing is so obvious. How are these individuals connected? And what of the death of Jeremy’s wife, Elizabeth, years go? Gibson and Donahue keep the scales of justice in balance as they discover everyone’s ‘Hidden Agenda.’

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     A very intriguing read, Peter Berman pulls you in from the word “go.” And, yet he never truly reveals everything all at once – he instead chooses to hint at how everything will play out until the last several chapters of the book, when the questions of how everything intersects is finally answered.  Even then, not all of the questions the reader has will be answered . . . .

     I was pulled in immediately and did my best not to ‘see the trees for the woods’ – I tried instead to read between the lines, however the twists and turns this story took kept interrupting my line of thought, which then caused me to re-think where I was going with it. I was so intrigued by the book that I could not put it down – I just had to know how it was going to play out. . . . I highly suggest setting aside a large block of time to read Hidden Agenda.  You will need it.

                                         – Lara Girdler, NC Reader Girl Book Reviews

 

AVAILABLE AS AN E-BOOK FROM AMAZON, NOOK, KOBO, GOOGLE,
SONY, and iTUNES
!

 

Book Hub Inc. at BEA 2013, Plus 25% Off Our Services!

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Book Hub is pleased to announce our presence at the
2013 BookExpo America in New York City!

BookExpo America is the leading North American publishing event that brings you what’s new and what’s next in book publishing and digital publishing. BEA features three days of exhibits and four days of conferences and special events from Wednesday, May 29th to Saturday, June 1st.

Book Hub Inc. will be located at booth #DZ2265

If you will be attending BEA, call or email us to make an appointment – we’d love to meet with you! You can reach us at (831)466-0145 or news@book-hub.com.

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In celebration of BEA 2013, Book Hub Inc. is offering new authors and publishers 25% off our formatting and eMarketing services! Even if you won’t be at the show, the discount still applies! HURRY! OFFER ENDS June 15th.

Click here to see a complete list of our publishing services.

 

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Book Hub Inc. is a rapidly growing eBook publishing and distribution company looking to form long-lasting relationships with both emerging and established authors and publishers, book reviewers, and avid readers.

Since 2010 we have been leaders in eBook production, design, and customer service in the transitioning eBook publishing industry. We specialize in the following:

*  eBook publishing, including editing and book design
* eBook formatting and conversion
* eMarketing programs
* sales operations tasks
* eBook distribution to all major eBook retail accounts – Apple, Amazon, Google, Sony, Gardners Books, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble

While we offer effective eMarketing strategies for authors and small publishers, and an array of both eBook and traditional book publishing services, most importantly we offer a resource for readers to discover new and upcoming authors!

 

Join us on Facebook, Twitter, and GoodReads to learn more

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Burning Horse Media Presents Danielle West’s ‘All Change Please’

“All Change Please” is a thought-provoking yet humorous look into the lives of three best friends, Ophelia, Kat and Elise, who simultaneously come to a crossroads. In an unexpected twist of fate, their lives are turned upside down when a close friend is suddenly killed, the impetus that will shake the women at their foundations. Together, they endure several months of sorrow and must decide what it is they need to do in order to get out of the hole that is their existence in London.

Danielle West’s dark yet hilarious journey through sadness, drunken mischief, workplace revolt, marital turmoil, and in-law animosity isn’t just another story about life lessons.

 

ImageNOW AVAILABLE AS AN E-BOOK AT:
Amazon
Nook
Kobo
OmniLit
Sony
– iTunes

See what readers are saying on GoodReads!

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Originally from Boston before moving to Toronto and then to London, Danielle West has lived in forts in the woods, cardboard boxes, and in fancy high-rise flats. West has been a go-go dancer for Boston punk bands, helped start the UK’s first roller derby league, owned her own soap making company, and eventually embarked on a professional mixed martial arts career. Over time, West began penning what would become ‘All Change Please,’ her first published novel, written entirely on her Blackberry smartphone over the course of seven years.

NEW RELEASE: Legendary Comic Book Artist Dame Darcy thrills with “Frightful Fairy Tales”

Sinister storytelling has never been so delightful!

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Legendary comic book artist Dame Darcy delves deep into the cauldron of romantic horror with five haunting fables, each certain to entice you with enchanting damsels, charming lads and cads, and other beguiling characters. Each skillfully crafted tale is adorned with Darcy’s elaborate trademark illustrations, drawn in Victorian fashion, making this collection seem authentically from another era.

Detailed with alluring beauty, elegant imagination, and wicked humor, ‘Frightful Fairy Tales’ unleashes ghastly mortals from the dark closet into your subconscious.

 

This book is wonderful. Love, romance, lust, violence, horror, betrayal, mysticism, seduction, revenge, angst, twisted, wicked and jaw dropping. All of which describes the lovely Dame Darcy’s illustration and writing style. If you are into all of the above with a Victorian undertone you will love this book…
Bravo! I can’t wait till she releases another one.

 

Dame Darcy is the coolest illustrator and comic book artist working today, period. I’m so glad she’s branching out into book-sized books. This one makes a great gift for your favorite goth gal.

 

If you are a Meat Cake fan, then you will love this book. It has six original, “frightful” fairy tales that are very much in line with the rest of Dame Darcy’s work. If you are not familiar with Dame Darcy’s work, but love traditional Grimm-like fairy tales (a little disturbing, violent, and full of Gothic/Victorian charm) you will also enjoy this book. Aside from the wonderful stories, there is a generous amount of Dame Darcy’s artwork. Almost every page has a black-and-white side-sketch or full illustration. Be warned though, these tales are not for the faint-of-heart – some gruesome things do happen. The book is best read when you are alone in the house on a rainy day or up late-night by the fire.

 

NOW AVAILABLE AT AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE, KOBO, OMNILIT, iTUNES!

Coming Soon to Sony, Google Play, and Gardners!