More Giveways, Parties & a Winner!

The winner of Chasing Mona Lisa was Shoofly Mama, but since she was able to get her hands on a copy last week, it will go to the runner-up - Poekitten!

If you didn't win, Chasing Mona Lisa is quite a bargain right now for only $3.49!

Thanks for entering and don't miss all of the book reviews and giveaways coming up in the next couple of months!

A sneak peek of what is coming up next:

Blue Moon Promise is a story of hope, romance, and suspense . . . immersing the reader in a rich historical tale set under Texas stars.

To celebrate Colleen is teaming up with her publisher Thomas Nelson for a Blue Moon Promise Facebook Chat party where she will giveaway a KINDLE Fire and a Texas-sized gift basket (fabulous Texas treats and fun Lucy-inspired housekeeping products)!

Click the banner, RSVP today for the Facebook Party and mark the date on your calendar!

Invite your friends and don't miss Colleen's evening of chat, trivia, prizes, and more!

Kindle Giveaway and More! Save the Date - 3/13!

Don't miss my review and giveaway of Blue Moon Promise,
starting February 28th!

and

Don't miss the perfect blend of Regency-era romance and mystery in The Maid of Fairbourne Hall! Grab a copy and then be sure to enter Julie's Kindle Fire Giveaway and RSVP for her Author Chat party on Facebook! Swoon.

One fortunate winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire
• A Julie Klassen Library (The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, The Girl in the Gatehouse, and The Silent Governess)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/14/12. Winner will be announced at Julie's Fairbourne Hall Book Chat Party on 3/15. Julie will be hosting an evening of chat, trivia and a sneak peek of her next book - bring your friends! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books and a Downton Abbey Prize Pack (Seasons 1 and 2)!

So grab your copy of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall and join Julie and friends on the evening of March 15th for a book chat party.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on March 15th!

Don't miss my review and giveaway of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, starting March 2nd!

Love,

"Chasing Mona Lisa" Book Review and Giveaway

First, I am excited to announce the winner of Married Mom, Solo Parent is Say What?, fellow MilSpouse and mom of two boys! 

I really wish I could give a book to each one who entered, but I don't think the Soldier would go for that! If you are a mom who has a husband who is gone a lot - for whatever reason - please consider getting a copy of this book by Carla Anne Coroy. You can read my review and what it has meant to me here.

And before I get really excited and forget to mention it, there is still time to enter an iPod Touch Spy Pack and you won't want to miss the Facebook party and live author chat!

On to the main business...

Let's just say, I have never met a Tricia Goyer book I didn't love! My teenagers feel the same way, so I am very thankful to have been provided with an extra copy to giveaway. I know I won't see mine again until the 16 year old is done with it!

About the book:

It is August 1944 and Paris is on the cusp of liberation. As the soldiers of the Third Reich flee the Allied advance, they ravage the country, stealing countless pieces of art. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable one of all, the Mona Lisa, as a post-war bargaining chip to get him to South America. Can Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler rescue DaVinci's masterpiece before it falls into German hands?

With nonstop action, Chasing Mona Lisa is sure to get readers' adrenaline pumping as they join the chase to save the most famous painting in the world. From war-ravaged Paris to a posh country chateau, the race is on - and the runners are playing for keeps.

Read an excerpt, watch a video and find out more here. 

My thoughts:

Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey make a great team! It is not everyday you can read a book that is co-authored and not be able to see the 'seams'. Each chapter flows effortlessly and with no uncomfortable transitions.

But the main reason I love anything by Tricia? I am a stickler for historical accuracy and I so appreciate all of the research and time that she puts into her books. Chasing Mona Lisa is no different.

Chasing Mona Lisa is the second book (stand alone) in the story of Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler. They will take you on a journey through Paris, during the liberation of France, on their quest to rescue the Mona Lisa, with a few surprises along the way. 

Filled with everything a good book needs - romance, mystery, deception and a kidnapping for good measure - Chasing Mona Lisa will keep you up all night reading. You won't be able to put it down!

About the authors:

Tricia Goyer is the co-author of The Swiss Courier as well as the author of many other books, including Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights, both past winners of the ACFW's Book of the Year Award for Long Historical Romance. Goyer lives with her family in Arkansas. For more about Tricia and her other books visit www.triciagoyer.com

 

Mike Yorkey is the author or co-author of dozens of books, including The Swiss Courier and the bestselling Every Man's Battle series. Married to a Swiss native, Yorkey lived in Switzerland for 18 months. He and his family currently reside in California. For more about Mike and his other books visit www.mikeyorkey.com 

Want to see what others are saying about Chasing Mona Lisa? Click here for the blog tour line-up!

And last, but not least, the giveaway!

How to enter:

1. Main entry - Leave a comment answering this question: If you were a spy, what cool spy 'gadget' would you most want?

Bonus entries - You must leave a separate comment for each in order for it to count!

2. Like "Our Crazy Life" on Facebook (or if you already do, leave a comment letting me know!)

3. Share this post on Facebook - or any other social networking site using the "Share the Love" buttons below the post. One Bonus entry per 'share', make sure to leave a comment for each entry! (P.S. You can share 1x a day for each site!)

4. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (or if you already do, leave a comment letting me know!)

5. Add my button to your blog (Worth two entries, leave two comments!)

Make sure you leave a way to contact you, either by having your reply-to email address set or by leaving your email address in your posts.

Contest will end Thursday, 2/6/2012, at 10:00 pm CST and the winner will be chosen by a random number generator.

The winner will be mailed a copy of Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey's Chasing Mona Lisa via media mail.

*Fine Print: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions expressed are all mine and I was not required to give a positive review.

I hope you win! ;)

Love,

Win an iTouch SPY Pack in the Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway

I will be reviewing this book on the 28th, but wanted to let you know about the contest and Facebook party. Check them out and then come back on Saturday to enter to win a copy for yourself! And don't miss my current contest for a copy of "Married Mom, Solo Parent".

Chasing Mona Lisa is the continuing tale of Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler (first introduced in The Swiss Courier). This time the due are on a relentless quest to save the most famous painting in the world  - the Mona Lisa. You can help Gabi and Eric with your very own spy pack when you enter The Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway!

One passionate protector will receive:

• iTouch (The must-have device for any spy. Camera, Maps & Music.)
• Starbucks Gift Card (For all those late nights.)
• Moleskin Notebook (For those important notes.)
• Invisible Ink Pen (Don’t want anyone reading those important notes.)
• Chasing Mona Lisa by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey (Great handbook and intriguing tale for any spy-in-training!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on January 31st. The winner will be announced at the Chasing Mona Lisa Facebook Party on 1/31. Tricia and Mike will be hosting an author chat (on Facebook and Live from Tricia's website) and giving away their books and a Book Club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club AND a LIVE Author Chat for your group with Tricia and Mike.)

So grab your copy of Chasing Mona Lisa and join Tricia and Mike on the evening of the 31st for an author chat, spy training (do you know how to pick a lock?) and lots of giveaways. 

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!

Love, 

Enter to Win a Kindle Fire!

Warm up to Christmas early this year with Susan May Warren's Baby, It's Cold Outside! To celebrate the release of her new Christmas book with Summerside Press, she and the publisher are giving away a Kindle Fire and hosting an early Christmas Party on Facebook!

Read what the reviewers are saying here.

One festive winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire
• Baby, It's Cold Outside by Susan May Warren

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. Giveaway ends on 10/26!

But, wait there’s more! Join Susan May Warren on 10/27 for merriment and a few early Christmas presents at her Baby, It's Cold Outside Christmas party! Grab your Christmas sweaters, socks and pj’s and join Susan and a few friends for a fireside chat about her recent books (Heiress & Baby, It’s Cold Outside), holiday traditions, favorite Christmas recipes, a trivia contest and more! Invite your friends and don’t miss the fun!

RSVP here and we'll see you on October 27th at 5 PM PST / 8 PM EST!

Love,

"Blue Skies Tomorrow" Review & Giveaway

*Before you get started, don't miss the giveaway for "The Colonel's Lady" or the latest free book posting.

Ever since I got my hands on my first Tricia Goyer book, I have been slightly obsessed with World War II. Now, when you have a favorite author - that totally rocks a time period - it can be hard to open a book by someone else. But, can I just say... Sarah Sundin is AMAZING?!

"Blue Skies Tomorrow" was one of those books where I just kept telling myself, "Just ten more minutes, then I will go to bed!". Only to have finally finished around 2am (good thing I don't have a real job!)

About the book: 

It is 1944 and America longs for the war to be over so their boys can come home. This war has taken too many lives and made too many widows, orphans, and broken hearts. However, the homeland continues to pull together and buy bonds to support the troops, and Helen Carlisle has become the town’s war widow heroine. Doing her part with her son, she faithfully appears at community events asking people to support the troops. But deep down she is troubled. How much longer can she do this? Is she living a lie? Was her dead husband a hero? How can she live with the past?  

Lt. Ray Novak prefers to follow his calling into ministry rather than the cockpit. But his current position offers him the luxury of a personal life since he is stateside training B-17 pilots. His interest in Helen, the young war widow, grows, but he knows she is hiding a painful past under a frenzy of volunteer work. Ray is called to fly a European combat mission at the peak of the air war. Their romance is tense because Helen is afraid, but Ray cannot help because he is in Europe. As Helen tries to make ends meet and confronts the past, Ray encounters a deadly enemy of his own. Will they find the courage to face their challenges? Will the truth come out? Will hope and redemption ring true for Helen?

About the author: 

Sarah Sundin received the 2011 Writer of the Year Award from the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, and her second novel, A Memory Between Us, is a finalist for an Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award.  She is the author of A Distant Melody and A Memory Between Us. Her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England during WWII. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children. For more interesting information about Sarah and to enter her contest for a vintage apron and Kindle, visit her website.

My thoughts: 

Sarah is a wonderful writer. She weaves not only an incredible tale, but an adventure that makes you feel like you are a part of the story. 

The main characters, Helen and Ray are 'real' and believable. They aren't perfect and the troubles they face and struggles they are working through make you want to cheer for them to find peace and end up together in the end. 

As a history addict, inaccuracies can really ruin a book, so I appreciate the research and thought put into the details. I was really impressed when I found out that Sarah actually toured a B-17!

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and didn't want to put it down and I was sad when it ended. I want to read more about Helen and Ray and what life brings them in the future.

"Blue Skies Tomorrow" is number three in the "Wings of Glory" series, but is a 'stand alone' novel. However, after reading it, you will want to download both A Memory Between Us and A Distant Melody.

Thank you Sarah for a wonderful book! I am looking forward to the next series.

"Blue Skies Tomorrow" is available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Now for the giveaway!

How to enter:
1. Main entry - Leave a comment answering the following question:  In "Blue Skies Tomorrow", Helen was so busy keeping secrets, trying to maintain the 'perfect' illusion. Have you ever lived your life that way?  

Bonus entries - Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

2. Like "Our Crazy Life" on Facebook (or if you already do, leave a comment letting me know!)

3. Share this post on Facebook - or any other Social Networking Site using the "Share the Love" buttons below the post. One Bonus entry per 'share', make sure to leave a comment for each entry! (P.S. You can share 1x a day for each site!)

4. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (or if you already do, leave a comment letting me know!)

5. Add my button to your blog (Worth two entries, leave two comments!)

Make sure you leave a way to contact you, either by having your reply-to email address set or by leaving your email address in your posts.

Contest will end Monday, 9/5/11, at 10:00 pm CST and the winner will be chosen by a random number generator.

Winner will be mailed a copy of Sarah Sundin's "Blue Skies Tomorrow" via media mail.

*Fine Print: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions expressed are all mine and I was not required to give a positive review.

I hope you win! ;)

Love,