On Little Wings by Regina Sirois Blog Tour Stop

On Little Wings
by Regina Sirois
Published January 4th 2012 by Regina Sirois
ISBN B006MITQRC
Source: author
Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
This is a story of the countless ways we get love wrong. And why, despite every disappointment, we keep fighting to get it right.

Jennifer must do the impossible – bring her mother home. When a family is torn apart by death, two sisters take violently divergent paths and the story of their family appears to end terribly and abruptly. Two decades later Jennifer never dreams that the photo she finds stuck between the pages of a neglected book will tear open a gaping wound to her mother’s secret past. Abandoning her comfortable life with her parents and best friend in the wheat fields of Nebraska, Jennifer’s quest for a hidden aunt leads her to the untamed coast of Maine where she struggles to understand why her mother lied to her for sixteen years.

Across the grey, rocky cove she meets Nathan Moore, the young, reluctant genius surrounded by women who need him to be brother, father, friend, provider, protector and now, first love. The stories, varied, hilarious, and heartbreaking, unfold to paint a striking mural of the shattered past. As Jennifer seeks to piece together her mother’s story, she inadvertently writes one for herself

 My take:


Honestly, I loved this book.  It had so much to it: great characters, beautiful language, scenery that makes you want to hop a flight to Maine right now, and a great story of love, not always conquering all but hope that it might. Sirois uses beautiful imagery to describe both the scenery and the emotions of her characters. But, beautiful language alone does not a good book make. The story of sisters, separated by fear, hate and misunderstanding drew me in. I wanted to see them come back together, but the years apart and the hatred that had been nursed in hearts seemed too much to overcome.

Jennifer is another story, she is discovering the joy and pain that comes with first love. When you don't know what the other person is thinking; do they care as much as you do? Sirois gives us a great understanding of how this really feels. It brought me back to my days in high school when I fought that same battle.

On a personal note, this book touched home. I grew up hearing of the beauty of Maine. I did visit once, when I was 18 months old, so all I have of that vacation are photos; no memories. My grandfather was born and raised in Maine. While somewhat faded, his Maine accent is one of the things I remember most about him. The reference in On Little Wings to the Maine accent brought memories of my late grandfather rushing to my mind. 

If you are looking for a book that will make you smile, laugh and maybe even shed a tear or two, this is a great one.

About the Author (from the Author's website, visit to find out more)

Regina Sirois is 90% reader and 10% writer, and as such, her loyalty lies with readers. She believes a book should do more than mildly entertain- it should change us. She graduated summa cum laude from Missouri State's Department of History and English and settled in the golden wheat fields of Kansas with her High School love. She is currently doing laundry (probably) and raising her two daughters. She fell in love the day she learned to read and cried the first time she did a word problem in math ("But it's not a problem..." sob, sob. "It's a story!"). In her debut novel, "On Little Wings," Regina Sirois holds nothing back as she dares to make us believe.


This post is a stop in a blog tour for this title. Learn more about this and other tours by clicking on the image below:

Persuasion: A Latter-Day Tale Blog Tour

Welcome to my little stop on the Persuasion Blog tour! I hope you enjoy my review of this fun book!

 
Persuasion: A Latter-day Tale
by Rebecca H. Jamison
Paperback 240 pages
Expected publication: February 14th, 2012
by Cedar Fort, Inc
ISBN 1599559471
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Publisher, ecopy


When Anne broke off her engagement seven years ago, she thought she'd never see Neil Wentworth again. But when Neil's brother buys the house she grew up in, it seems fate has other plans in store, and Anne is woefully unprepared for the roller coaster of emotions that accompanies Neil's return. Fans of Persuasion will love this fast-paced, modern retelling of Jane Austen's most romantic novel.

It's no secret that I am a Jane Austen fan. I love the way she makes fun of society in her own way and her romantic tales are just so heart warming. Honestly, who doesn't fall for Captain Wentworth or Mr Darcy when they are reading a Jane Austen? I also enjoy a good Austen spin-off, and this was a fun one. Set in modern day, this LDS centered retelling does a good job of modernizing this Regency Era tale.

Taking on Persuasion is a difficult task. Where Pride and Prejudice seems to easily translate into the modern day, it seems to me that Persuasion is very Regency based and a bit more difficult to translate. So much of the original story focuses on the cousin Mr Elliot and the fact that he inherits the Elliot home and title (and the fact that he is their cousin, yet wants to marry Anne...something that is not much done today). I wondered how Jamison would be able to take this Regency steeped tale and make it work for the modern day, and she did fabulously. A great deal of the story followed the original fairly closely, but it also took a few turns here and there to fit in with a modern-day LDS life.

If you like Jane Austen and modern retellings of her stories, definitely grab a copy of this title! You won't regret it.

You can watch the book trailer below:


About the Author

Rebecca Jamison enjoys running, dancing, making jewelry, reading, and watching chick flicks. Rebecca grew up in Vienna, Virginia. She attended Brigham Young University, earning a BA and MA in English. In between college and grad school, she served a mission to Portugal and the Cape Verde islands. Rebecca now lives with her husband and children in Utah. You can learn more about her at www.rebeccahjamison.com.




Stop by the rest of the blogs on the tour by clicking the image below

RetirementQuest: Make Better Decisions by John Houserman, CFP Blog Tour

RetirementQuest: Making Better Decisions
John Hauserman, CPF
ISBN # 0983021708
Rating: 4 Stars


RetirementQuest: Make Better Decisions was written by a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner who has been counseling clients since 1992. Drawing from his twenty years of experience, John Hauserman has developed a unique ability to communicate complex financial subject matter in easy to understand terms. Readers are guided through the basics of financial planning, while threads of politics, history, and psychology are woven together to create a tapestry of deeper understanding into the financial planning world. Complete with hard hitting insight into the practices and sometimes abuses of the financial services industry, John has created a masterpiece designed to help those responsible-minded investors who are seeking to avoid common planning mistakes. (from Amazon description)


To be completely honest, when asked to review this title, I wasn't sure what I would think. I often struggle to finish books that don't have a swiftly moving plot line, and non-fiction is the hardest for me. A book about investments and retirement...yeah I pretty much expected to fall asleep quickly when I attempted to read it. But I was surprised to find that Hauserman has a talent for making finances make sense and explaining ideas, that might seem at times overwhelming, in a way that really helps the lay person grasp what is needed. He helps you understand how to set realistic retirement goals and what to do to achieve them. He also helps you to avoid common investor mistakes. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying the book (which, as mentioned before is huge for me, as non-fiction titles and I usually do not get along. My theory with non-fiction in the past has been, as Robert Frost has said, "good fences make good neighbors", but the fence is falling down for this title) If you are planning your retirement (and shouldn't we all?) this book can  help guide you in your decision making.



Find out more about John Houserman, CPF and RetirementQuest by visiting his website. You can also purchase the a copy of RetirementQuest: Making Better Decisions for $14.99 at Amazon.com.


I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to participate in the Tristi Pinkston Blog Tour for this Title. Click below for more information about this and other tours.

Time Gangsters Blog Tour

Welcome to the last stop in the Time Gangsters Blog Tour!

Time Gangsters
by Berin L Stephens
Paperback, 296 pages
Expected Publication- February 8, 2012
by Cedar Fort, Inc
ISBN-1599559668
Source: Publisher
Rating: 3.5 stars


When Billy discovers a hidden cache of ancient coins, it isn't long before a gang of thugs swipes them right from under Billy. Plotting to use the magical properties of the coins to seize power in the past, these power-hungry gangsters will do anything to reach their goal. Their future threatened, Billy and Danny must race through time to steal back the coins---before history is changed forever!

This time traveling adventure takes a pair of cousins (Billy and Danny-who's name is actually Danielle) and Billy's friend Wheezy (a nick-name given to him because of his constant Asthma related wheezing) on an adventure between modern day Colorado and 1927 New York. Egyptian medallions that give the bearer magical powers are being sought by a prohibition era mobster for his bid to take over the country.

While the story is cute, with fun characters that the intended audience (middle grade readers) will enjoy, I struggle a bit with time travel based books. There are so many issues that arise when you are dealing with time travel, and my much too logical brain struggles with the loose ends that are usually left at the conclusion of a time travel story.

Having said that, the story has a good pace, and is well written. I enjoyed the almost brother/sister relationship between cousins Billy and Danny. All in all this is a cute book that I would recommend to others!



You can visit the rest of the stops along the blog tour by clicking the link below:

 You can learn more about the book by visiting the book website timegangstersbook.com. You can also connect with the author on facebook or via his blog.

(I received a free e-copy of this book in order to participate in this blog tour)

Aaaand We're Back!

Sorry for the drop off. The Christmas Holiday was crazy this year (good, but crazy) and I just didn't have time to blog. Right after Christmas a stomach flu hit our house with a vengeance and made its way through everyone except Joelle. Right after the flu, we finished our Winter Break with a great visit from Jared's brother and his family.  Below you will see a few photos of what I didn't blog:

The Tree on Christmas Morning

Right after Church Christmas Morning. Joelle did an amazing job singing with me in church that morning in-front of a large group!

Waiting to go downstairs at Grandma's house to open presents.

A crochet project I completed over the break! Showing our team spirit!

A photo from our visit with Jared's brother. We took a trip down to temple square (it was a first visit to temple square for my nieces and nephew). This is a picture with the missionaries who took us for  a tour.

I hope that you are all doing well. Look for more posting soon (including a book review post tomorrow!)

Choose the Right: A Year of Family Night Lessons to Help Your Children Choose the Right by Kimiko Christensen Hammari Blog Tour

Choose the Right: A Year of Family Night Lessons to Help Your Children Choose the Right
by Kimiko Christensen Hammari
Paperback, 160 Pages
Published November 1, 2011
by Cedar Fort, Incorporated
ISBN 1599559412
Source: Publisher
Rating:4 stars


Here is a synopsis from the publisher:
Crazy days mean no time to plan family nights. With Choose the Right, all of your Family Home Evening lessons are done for a whole year, complete with activities, games, scriptures, songs, challenges, and a CD-Rom with printable handouts! Not only are the lessons fantastic but they correlate with the 2012 Primary topics and lessons. Spend quality time with your children as you make family night the best night!


If you struggle with Family Home Evening because you aren't sure what to teach each night, this book is for you! Filled with lessons for each week of the year (A couple months have you extend one lesson over two weeks) that follow the 2012 Primary theme, you can be certain to have a simple lesson ready to go each week. The lessons are simple to prepare and teach. The CD that comes with the book contains printable image files for each of the lessons, including activities.

One of my favorite features of this book is the resources list at the beginning of each lesson. You do not need to read through the entire lesson, scanning for the items you will need. You can look at this quick summary and easily grab the books or images that you will need to successfully prepare each lesson.

This little book that retails for only $14.99 is certain to be a big help this year as you prepare your Family Home Evening lessons!

See more of the Cedar Fort blog tour for this book by clicking on the image below:

Old Navy Bundle-Up Bash

Thanks to Crowdtap and Old Navy, I was able to invite three friends to join me for a Bundle-Up Bash at our local Old Navy store. To say we had fun, would be an understatement! We thought we would be there for about an hour trying on clothes and then going home with a brand new outfit...well the trying on clothes and going home with a new outfit was true but the hour wasn't! We were there for two and a half hours, try on clothes, laughing and generally having fun! Here are some photos from our in-store adventure:

Me modeling my first look

Lisa rocking the yellow stripes

Having Fun with the Super Modelquins

Posing with scarves and hats in the background

Fabulous, helpful employees!

Deciding which hat looks best

2.5 hours later leaving with our goodies!

Happy to be going home with a brand new outfit from Old Navy

A couple of my friends admitted that, while they often shopped at Old Navy for their children, they hadn't thought to purchase their own clothes there. They were surprised at the cute styles and great prices available at Old Navy. There were so many diffrerent styles of pants, sweaters and more. Everyone found several items that they would have loved to take home with them! Ironically, while we all loved several styles of jeans, three of the four of us ended up purchasing the darling trouser jeans!

All four of us left with a pair of pants, a sweater and an accessory (scarf, hat or gloves). I chose the following items:

and a scarf that doesn't seem to be on their website. I absolutely love each of these items. I wore the whole outfit to a holiday party last night and it was the perfect dressed-up casual look! The green in the sweater is even more gorgeous in person!

It was so much fun to laugh together and enjoy trying on clothes. We all said that it reminded us of when we were young and would go out with friends and shop together. We decided that we definitely needed to arrange another shopping day.

Disclosure: My friends and I each received a free pair of pants, sweater and accessory in exchange for having and in store party and my submitting photos and a report back to Crowdtap. I also receive a small amount of monetary compensation for my time filling out the report.