August 2014 | Miki's Hope

9 Reasons to Stop Burning Wood Inside Your Home

Saturday, August 30, 2014


If you have a wood-burning fireplace it is probably the centerpiece of your home. This is where the family can gather on a cold winter day to warm up after a morning of tobogganing. However, an increasing number of people have made the decision to stop burning wood. Here are a few reasons why:


1. Respiratory Infections - Wood smoke hinders lung development in babies and children. Plus, it increases the risk of bronchitis, pneumonia, and other lower respiratory infections.

2. Depressed Immune System - Wood smoke damages cells in the lungs that are responsible for cleaning and protecting the airways, thereby depressing the immune system.

3. Cancer - Carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, and fine particles and other gases contain carcinogens that contribute to cancer.

4. Irritation - Toxic air pollutants in smoke can cause headaches, coughs, sore throat, and eye irritation.

5. Asthma Attacks - Hospital emergency rooms see a surge of traffic on the first few cold nights of the year because wood smoke commonly triggers asthma attacks.

6. Heart Attacks and Strokes - Individuals exposed to wood smoke regularly have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

7. Bad for the Environment - It is proven that wood smoke has an adverse effect on health, so you can just imagine what it does to the environment. Some cities in the country no longer allow wood-burning fireplaces. Denver, Colorado is a good example.

8. Carbon Monoxide - Wood fires are the most dangerous carbon monoxide producers. This colorless and odorless gas kills more than 400 people in America every year. Your fireplace basically becomes a carbon monoxide factory the moment the flames die and coal embers start creating that red glow.

9. Fire - The last thing in the world that you want to think about is being the victim of a house fire. Unfortunately, even if you take every safety precaution, you can't always prevent them. A blocked chimney or cracked masonry can easily contribute to a fire.


Convert the Space

You do not have to say goodbye to your fireplace for good. There are ethanol fireplace burners available that you can buy to place right inside your fireplace. They burn biofuel, which is a clean-burning fuel source that produces a smoke-free, safe, and odorless fire. You can find a nice selection of them from stores like EthanolFireplacePros.com. It's definitely nice not maintaining a dirt wood pile.






All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

$50 Amazon Gift Card-TollFree-US, CAN-Ends 9/12

Friday, August 29, 2014


Back when I had my bookkeeping service I missed more important calls then I like to remember. Most times I would be on the road driving to/from one client or another and I wouldn't and still won't answer my cell when driving! I had my business phone in my apartment where messages could be left--but then there were always emergencies! It would have helped if I could have had all those calls forwarded to my cell for free. I would have been able to get to my clients that much quicker. I'm sure there are a lot of small businesses like mine was out there now who really can't afford an expensive service. TollFreeForwarding is the answer to our problem. This company will soon have a new a different website in addition to TollFreeForwarding.com. It is called Communicate.com and will help you communicate through various social media!

Meanwhile why don't you fill out the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card--We all know something that we would love to get from Amazon!






All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

Book Review-Dead Peasants: A Thriller-Larry D Thompson


Have you ever heard of a Dead Peasant Insurance Policy? I had-but then I have been a bookkeeper for many years. Just in case here is a definition that I copied from The Free Dictionary

A corporate-owned life insurance policy that a company may take out on its employees—often without their knowledge—designating the company as beneficiary. If the employee dies young, the company gets tax-free death benefits. If the employee lives long, it has a long-running tax break (as well as the death benefit)

Jack Bryant, a brilliant lawyer, just won a major case and has decided to retire early. His son will be playing college football and Jack has decided it is time to be more involved in his son's life. He packs up and leaves his lucrative practice and heads to Fort Worth Texas. He has lots of money so astonishes the realtor by taking an expensive, very large house. This is in the middle of the housing crisis, she really needed this sale. He knows he likes her but it takes almost the entire book for them to actually get together.

Eventually, after having the house decorated (by the realtor) Jack gets bored. He decides to do pro bono work for the people in the area who can not afford a good lawyer. He sets up shop on a piece of property he bought in a bad part of town in his RV. At first nobody comes--then one day an older African American woman comes knocking at the door. I seems she had received a check from the post office for 400,000 dollars but it was made out to her deceased husbands ex-employer.

Things really start heating up and more accidental deaths keep happening. I can almost guarantee that you won't be able to put this book down--but if I say anymore I'll give it all away!

About the Book (from Amazon)

“Just terrific… As real as a heart attack, and every bit as suspenseful.”

--John Lescroart, New York Times bestselling author of A Plague of Secrets, on The Trial

Veteran trial lawyer Larry D. Thompson has decades of courtroom experience in his home state of Texas on controversial and important trials. Now, in Dead Peasants, Thompson has delivered a fast-moving and suspenseful legal thriller featuring a retired lawyer whose life gets turned upside down when a stranger asks for help.

Jack Bryant, exhausted after a high-profile career as a lawyer, takes an early retirement in Fort Worth, Texas, where he plans to kick back, relax, and watch his son play football at TCU. But then an elderly widow shows up with a check for life insurance benefits and that is suspiciously made payable to her dead husband’s employer, Jack can’t turn down her pleas for help and files a civil suit to collect the benefits rightfully due the widow. A chain of events that can’t be stopped thrusts Jack into a vortex of killings, and he and his new love interest find themselves targets of a murderer.

Gripping, engaging, and written with the authority that only a seasoned lawyer could possess, Dead Peasants is a legal thriller that will stun and surprise you.

Read a chapter or two here

Purchase the Book here

About the Author: (from Goodreads)

(Picture from Facebook page)

Larry D. Thompson is a managing partner of the Houston trial firm he founded. He is the proud father of three grown children and admiring brother of the late author Tommy Thompson. He lives in Houston, Texas"

To read a more thorough biography click into the author's website !

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I received a hard cover edition of this book for review purposes.All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

Book Review-Defending Hope-Danny Odato

Thursday, August 28, 2014


This is a novel based on real life of a family caught up in a war torn land. Afghanistan has had the Russians, the Taliban and the US all trying to "take over" at one point or another. There are also religious and regional divisions which play a large role in the lives of this family. Culturally the women, as good Muslim wives listen to and follow their husbands (but that doesn't mean they have to like it).

This was a fast paced book which I believe you will enjoy. As with all the other books I have read from this author-I read it in one sitting--could not close the book until I knew the ending--Will this family survive and make it back to their beloved Afghanistan--Will the individual characters resolve their personal problems? You know I am not going to tell you!

About the Book (from Amazon)

What is a family?

Is it the people who give birth to you, raise you, support you, or simply love you? This question is at the heart of Karman’s young life as a goat herder in rural Afghanistan. Together with his brother Malek, his sister Elaha, and his struggling parents, Karman and his family make their way through the perils of their country, enduring hardship and overcoming countless obstacles.

From Iran on the west to Pakistan in the east, Afghanistan is wedged in indecisiveness. Kamran searches for his real parents, Elaha searches for a life where a woman can love how she chooses, and Malek searches for a new order in his homeland, one where freedom determines your destiny. Each makes their own decisions, and their futures are carved out of a land of fortitude and hope.

Based on a true story, Defending Hope is a remarkably engaging book that takes place against a background of war and strife, with characters who are determined to build a brighter future for Afghanistan.

Read a couple of chapters here

Purchase the Book here

About the Author: (from a previous post I did)


Born in Italy in 1953, Danny Odato is a father of four who too young had to provide for his family instead of following his dream of writing. But his dream never died, and Danny went on to publish several novels, including The Witch's Revenge, The Sun Always Sets and Defending Hope. He is also the President of Feeding American Families, a non-profit organization that helps people in financial trouble, especially those whose homes are in foreclosure.


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I received a hard cover edition of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

5 Ebook Winners-WW-Taken by Love-Review of Seaside Dreams-Melissa Foster-Ends 9/28

Wednesday, August 27, 2014


It is such fun reading about these four friends. Bella is the steadiest one in the group, and the one who most who loves doing things they shouldn't really do. She has stayed at a job for 5 years etc etc etc in Connecticut. She made a slight mistake by dating a fellow teacher--oops--well it ended and although Bella didn't really care she decided to change her life around. She had always had a dream and she decided to follow it. Leanne had followed her dream and now had her own business year round at the Cape and a hunk of a husband! The only difference being--Bella decided she was NOT going to date-period end of sentence. Now we all know that can't happen in a Romance book! But if you don't find yourself laughing as she has not-a-dates with a really nice police officer who just also happens to be a single Dad of a teenager----Of course the teen gets in a bit of trouble but is a really good kid at heart and Bella wants to help (she is a high school teacher after all). Does Bella realize her dream? Does she finally decide that not-a-boyfriend is someone she can not let go of? Read this book to find out--actually read this series it is great!


NEW RELEASE SEASIDE SUMMERS BOOK #1 

The newest addition to the LOVE IN BLOOM series, featuring a group of fun, sexy, and emotional friends who gather each summer at their Cape Cod cottages. They’re funny, flawed, and will have you begging to enter their circle of friends. You met them in READ, WRITE, LOVE, (The Remingtons, Book 5), follow these friends on their search for forever love in the Seaside Summers series.

SEASIDE DREAMS

Bella Abbascia has returned to Seaside Cottages in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, as she does every summer. Only this year, Bella has more on her mind than sunbathing and skinny-dipping with her girlfriends. She’s quit her job, put her house on the market, and sworn off relationships while she builds a new life in her favorite place on earth. That is, until good-time Bella’s prank takes a bad turn and a sinfully sexy police officer appears on the scene.

Single father and police officer Caden Grant left Boston with his fourteen-year-old son, Evan, after his partner was killed in the line of duty. He hopes to find a safer life in the small resort town of Wellfleet, and when he meets Bella during a night patrol shift, he realizes he’s found the one thing he’d never allowed himself to hope for—or even realized he was missing.

After fourteen years of focusing solely on his son, Caden cannot resist the intense attraction he feels toward beautiful Bella, and Bella’s powerless to fight the heat of their budding romance. But starting over proves more difficult than either of them imagined, and when Evan gets mixed up with the wrong kids, Caden’s loyalty is put to the test. Will he give up everything to protect his son—even Bella?

SEASIDE SUMMERS are the newest addition to the LOVE IN BLOOM series

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

Buy the book from...... 





About the Author
Melissa Foster is the award-winning author of a number of International
bestselling novels. Her books have been recommended by USA Today's book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women's Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Cafe. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success.


Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children, she's written for Calgary's Child
Magazine and Women Business Owners Magazine, and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa's interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping others see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.


Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on The Women's Nest
or her personal website.


Follow the author.....

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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.



ALSO AVAILABLE 
Books 1 - 3 Snow Sisters, Love in Bloom Series #1 - 3

Books 1 - 6 The Bradens, Love in Bloom Series #4 - 9


Books 1 - 5 The Remingtons, Love in Bloom Series #10 - 14 





Books 7 - 12 The Bradens, Love in Bloom Series #15 - 20





Books 1 - 4 Seaside Summers, Love in Bloom Series #21 - 24






NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY !!

Five lucky winners will each receive Taken by Love ebook

the 1st book from the Braden cousins series
Ending on Sunday 28th September at 11.59pm EST
Open Worldwide

Enter Below & Good Luck !!










All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

$25 Amazon/PP (1)-WW and Signed Books (5) plus more-US, CAN, UK-Eclair Goes To Stella's-Ends 9/28

Tuesday, August 26, 2014


What a lovely little story this is. Perfect for a young girl to read, or perhaps even a younger girl to have read to her. This book takes a very bad situation and makes it all better--very much better. This is a 5 star if ever I read one!

Eclair's Mom gets sick and has to go away for a while leaving Eclair and Megan (the little sister) at home with their Dad. The two girls don't really understand what is happening. Their Dad was out of work and needed to be out looking for a job so he sent his daughters to his Mom's ranch. Eclair was not very happy about this to say the least. She was even more unhappy once they reached the ranch and came to conclusions that were not quite right.--until---she realized that things were a lot better then she thought.


NEW RELEASE........CHILDREN'S BOOK BY MICHELLE WEIDENBENNER



Hi, I’m Éclair and I’m seven. My sister Meggie is two. When mom got sick we had to go live with Stella, my dad’s mom, the one with maroon colored hair. I begged Dad not to make us stay with her because she beat her horse and was going to eat her rooster, but he didn’t believe me. Even after I pretended I was going to barf, he left us with Stella.

So there we were, Meggie and me, on a strange pink farm with a skinny horse, a mean rooster, and Stinky Stella who had a living room filled with dead deer heads.

What would she do to us?

Would we end up on her wall too?

Book Reading Age

First – Third grade GIRLS. 5 – 9 year olds


Buy the Book from......
Amazon.co.uk     Amazon.com     
“Do you want to name her?” Stella said. 

I squeezed my eyes to think again. “Star. She looks like a movie star.” 

I love it.” Stella reached up to give me a high-five. “Star, it is.” 

About the Author

Michelle grew up in the suburbs of Detroit with five brothers.  She enjoys writing her novels and encouraging writers and readers alike. She is living her dream writing stories of real people searching for their dreams and confronting their fears, showing the passion of the characters' plights, often giving her the ability to show the reader the 'other' side of the story. When she is not writing she enjoys life on the tennis court and is known as “Queen of the Rim Shots.”

Her debut novel, CACHE a PREDATOR, a geocaching mystery. was launched in July, 2013 and has been an Amazon best-seller in the crime/thriller category.  Her other works include: Willow, Scattered Links, Kelly’s Story, Eclair Series, and The Vision in a Kiss.  She has won contests in both The Writer’s Journal and The Writer’s Digest. Love is Just a Word (Scattered Links) was a bronze medalist is the 2010 Frasier Contest, a 2011 semi-finalist in the ACFW Genesis Contest, and won the Aspiring Writer’s Contest withe THE READING ROOM, 2013.

Follow the Author

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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY



5 Lucky Winners !!

1st Prize - $25 Amazon.com or Paypal Cash (WW) plus Sterling Silver & Brass Horse Charm Necklace and Signed Eclair Book 

4 more winners will each receive a Signed Eclair Book

(Amazon GC/Paypal Cash open Worldwide - Necklace/Signed books open to US/CA/UK)

Ending on Thursday 25th September at 11.59pm EST



Horse Charm Necklace from Chapman Jewelers, Warsaw, Indiana 
 Sterling Silver and Brass 
Brown Satin Cord - Extends 16" - 18"
(not red cord as shown in image)


Enter Below and Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway










I received an ebook version for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

$100 California Oranges Giftbox Giveaway-US Only-Ends 9/21

Monday, August 25, 2014

california-oranges-button2

Welcome to the California Oranges Giveaway Event, hosted by Happy Mothering. During this giveaway, we'll be giving away a gift box filled with goodies valued at approximately $100!

This gift box will include:


Certified Organic Oranges


Orange_SmBag-01Tangerine Balsamic Vinegar


Balsamic(Tangerine)

PillowPals Giveaway (arv 149.95)- US only - Ends 9/10

Friday, August 22, 2014

Miki's Hope is very excited to join Adventures of 8 and Blog with Mom for an Advertise with Bloggers event...

Do you have a little artist at home? I don't but do have a grand niece. She is not old enough to draw on her own yet but as fast as these kids grow it won't be long before my nieces refrigerator is covered in drawings! I remember my friends children-they were so proud of their artwork and even my refrigerator was covered in them!

Could you imagine bringing your little artist's artwork to a pillow? A very cool thought, right? Well, with PillowPals you can do just that! You heard me, you just follow the directions:

Design your PillowPal- Paint, draw, color, or even Snapchat your designs! Every drawing is unique and different so let your imagination run wild! Reach for those stars. All unique, un-trademarked designs are accepted!

Name your PillowPal - Your buddy can’t be nameless, so it's will be on it's tag (or on it's back as an add-on.)

Upload your photo - just upload any way you want to, via the website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc...

PillowPals drawing into PillowThen within five-to-eight weeks you will receive your own PillowPal!

pillowals4

I wish my grand niece was old enough to draw! I can not see any child not loving a pillow created out of a drawing he or she made all by themselves. I am seriously thinking about having my Mom (who is artistic) create a pillow for Charlotte. It would be a marvelous keepsake that my grand niece can remember her great granny created just for her.

Oh and did I mention that you can Pre-Order now at a discount? Yes, you heard me - just for right now, you can Pre-Order your PillowPal for only $99.95! (It will retail for $149.95) So, go start designing now and place your order ASAP!

Win it - A PillowPal Giveaway

PillowPals Giveaway Event

One lucky reader will win your very own designed PillowPal!

Giveaway Details:
  • This giveaway will run from August 22nd- Sept 10th
  • Is opened to entrants 18 years of age and older and are located in the US
  • All entries must be in the entry form and will be verified
  • To see full disclosures, see the disclosures at the bottom of the entry form

⇩⇩⇩⇩⇩Enter in the entry form below ⇩⇩⇩⇩⇩


**DISCLOSURE** Adventures of 8 is acting as an advertisement for the Sponsor and is not responsible for prize. This event is brought to you by Blog with Mom and Adventures of 8 through Advertise with Bloggers! If you are interested in sponsoring an event like this, please contact Advertise with Bloggers.
 






All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

Book Review-The Insanity Plea-Larry D. Thompson

Thursday, August 21, 2014


This is definitely one of the best legal mystery THRILLERS which incorporates a medical condition I have read in a very long time. I could not put it down! This book was actually sent to me along with a book I had requested to review by the same author-Dead Peasants- which I will be reading and reviewing pretty soon.

Wikipedia defines Schizophrenia as:

Schizophrenia (/ˌskɪtsɵˈfrɛniə/ or /ˌskɪtsɵˈfriːniə/) is a mental disorder often characterized by abnormal social behavior and failure to recognize what is real. Common symptoms include false beliefs, unclear or confused thinking, auditory hallucinations, reduced social engagement and emotional expression, and inactivity. Diagnosis is based on observed behavior and the person's reported experiences.

Genetics and early environment, as well as psychological and social processes, appear to be important contributory factors. Some recreational and prescription drugs appear to cause or worsen symptoms. The many possible combinations of symptoms have triggered debate about whether the diagnosis represents a single disorder or a number of separate syndromes. Despite the origin of the term from the Greek roots skhizein ("to split") and phrēn ("mind"), schizophrenia does not imply a "split personality", or "multiple personality disorder"—a condition with which it is often confused in public perception.[1] Rather, the term means a "splitting of mental functions", reflecting the presentation of the illness.[2]

The mainstay of treatment is antipsychotic medication, which primarily suppresses dopamine receptor activity. Counseling, job training and social rehabilitation are also important in treatment. In more serious cases—where there is risk to self or others—involuntary hospitalization may be necessary, although hospital stays are now shorter and less frequent than they once were.[3]

Symptoms begin typically in young adulthood, and about 0.3–0.7% of people are affected during their lifetime.[4] The disorder is thought to mainly affect the ability to think, but it also usually contributes to chronic problems with behavior and emotion. People with schizophrenia are likely to have additional conditions, including major depression and anxiety disorders; the lifetime occurrence of substance use disorder is almost 50%.[5] Social problems, such as long-term unemployment, poverty, and homelessness are common. The average life expectancy of people with the disorder is 12 to 15 years less than those without. This is the result of increased physical health problems and a higher suicide rate (about 5%).[4][6]

Paranoid Schizophrenia is a medical condition which affects the brain. Psychiatrists to this day are still trying to find a way to at least relieve the symptoms which are horrendous. Many of the "street people" who you see walking around talking to themselves may be schizophrenic. and most are relatively harmless. There are those who are "told" by voices to do horrendous acts-I believe Ted Bundy was one such person.

Wayne Little is a lawyer. His older brother, Dan has been living on the streets for many years. Suddenly, Wayne gets a phone call-his brother is being charged with capital murder-and may face the death penalty. Dan is innocent but has been off his meds-----Ultimately Wayne and his friends decide to put in for the Insanity Plea. In Texas, where this story takes place that is not easy! Meanwhile-there is a killer out there and he is murdering people---Will the real murderer get caught. Can they prove, under Texas law that Dan was legally insane when he confessed to the murder? The ending will send chills down your spine!

About the book: (from Amazon)

"...fierce courtroom drama..."
"...intoxicating...and nail-biting..."
"...the courtroom scenes often soar..."
-Kirkus Reviews

A young nurse is savagely killed during a pre-dawn run on Galveston’s seawall. The murderer slices her running shorts from her body as his trophy and tosses the body over the wall to the rocks below. As dawn breaks, a bedraggled street person, wearing four layers of old, tattered clothes, emerges from the end of the jetty, waving his arms and talking to people only he hears. He trips over the body, checks for a pulse and, instead, finds a diamond bracelet which he puts in his pocket. He hurries across the street, heading for breakfast at the Salvation Army two blocks away, leaving his footprints in blood as he goes.

Wayne Little, former Galveston prosecutor and now Houston trial lawyer, learns that his older brother has been charged with capital murder for the killing. At first he refuses to be dragged back into his brother’s life. Once a brilliant lawyer, Dan’s paranoid schizophrenia had captured his mind, estranging everyone including Wayne. Finally giving in to pleas from his mother, Wayne enlists the help of his best friend, Duke Romack, former NBA star turned criminal lawyer. When Wayne and Duke review the evidence, they conclude that Dan’s chances are slim. They either find the killer or win a plea of insanity since the prosecution’s case is air tight. The former may be a mission impossible since the killer is the most brilliant, devious and cruel fictional murderer since Hannibal Lecter. The chances of winning an insanity plea are equally grim.

It will take the combined skills of the two lawyers along with those of Duke’s girlfriend, Claudia, a brilliant appellate lawyer, and Rita Contreras, Wayne’s next door neighbor and computer hacker extraordinaire, to attempt to unravel the mystery of the serial killer before the clock clicks down to a guilty verdict for Dan.
The Insanity Plea is a spell-binding tale of four amateur sleuths who must find, track and trap a serial killer as they prepare for and defend Wayne;s brother who is trapped in a mind like that of John Nash, Russell Crowe’s character in A Beautiful Mind.

Combining legal thriller with tracking a serial killer, Thompson once again takes the reader on a helluva ride, right up to the last page and sentence.

The Insanity Plea, a new legal thriller by Larry D. Thompson, Best Selling author of Dead Peasants, The Trial and So Help Me God.

Read a chapter or two here

Purchase the book here

About the Author: (from Goodreads)

(Picture from Facebook page)

Larry D. Thompson is a managing partner of the Houston trial firm he founded. He is the proud father of three grown children and admiring brother of the late author Tommy Thompson. He lives in Houston, Texas"

To read a more thorough biography click into the author's website !

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I received a paperback edition of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

NeoCell Beauty Review/Giveaway - US, CAN - Ends 9/17

Wednesday, August 20, 2014


I normally do not try out this type of product but my hair and my skin has been taking a beating lately and I figured I'd give it a try. I actually received this product about a month ago--yes I have been taking it since then to really give it a chance to work. All opinions are my own.

I received 2 Bottles (60 capsules per bottle) of the NeoCell Keratin Hair Volumozer and a bag of 60 of their Beauty Bursts-Gourmet Collegen soft chews. The directions say to take 2 of the capsules and 1 of the chews twice a day, which I have been doing--once when I wake up and just before going to bed. All pictures are from NeoCell's site.


What NeoCell says about this product

Keratin hair volumizer is an all-natural solution for strong, lustrous, and thickhealthy hair that starts from the inside. Dry, brittle,thinning hair is associated with a lack of nutrients thatare essential to strong and resilient hair. Keratin HairVolumizer contains clinically proven ingredients toenhance hair strength and reduce normal hair loss.*



What NeoCell says about this product

Feed Your Skin With Delectable Bursts of Nutrients!

Having beautiful and radiant skin has never been so easy- or so delicious. NeoCell Biotin Bursts deliver high potency beauty nutrients in a delectable, gourmet soft chew. Formulated based off of scientifically proven ingredients NeoCell Biotin Bursts offer a delicious alternative to your daily biotin regimen. Each chew is low in sugar and was especially formulated to be as readily absorbable as possible in delicious Brazilian Acai Berry flavor. Healthy hair and skin were never this easy, or sweet!

NeoCell Biotin Bursts, the best way to take your biotin. Period. (You’re Welcome!)

Biotin is an important B vitamin supporting hair and skin health
10,000 MCG of Biotin per chew
Scientifically formulated to support metabolism of proteins in the body promoting natural energy, luxurious hair and vibrant skin.


Now--does it work? A resounding YES. After about 3 weeks I noticed the dry patches on my face around my nose and mouth had disappeared. I have two extremely dry, red patches on my lower legs which are slowly losing the redness and feel less dry. I am not really sure if it is helping my hair or not but it is slightly less flyaway. I do seem to be losing less hair. I'm not sure which of the two products is actually helping me-but I think it is the Beauty Bursts, which by the way I received in a chocolate mint flavor (yummy).

To find out more about these products (ingredients, etc) I encourage you to visit their the NeoCell website. They are also on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and You Tube You can find out if there is a store near you where you can purchase these products by clicking here

NeoCell is offering to giveaway to one lucky winner exactly what I received. The giveaway is open to residents 18 years of age or older who reside in the US or Canada. For a chance at being that 1 winner--enter below on the Rafflecopter form.

a Rafflecopter giveaway





I received product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

$25 Amazon/PP-WW-The Girl in White Pajamas-Chris Birdy-Ends 9/7

Tuesday, August 19, 2014



This is a somewhat madcap adventure which revolves around a murder. Bodie McGruder's brother Officer Bud is gunned down. Bodie, who has been living down in Palm Beach which he figures is far enough away from his VERY dysfunctional family returns to Boston to pay his condolences. Actually what he really wants to do is to find and be reunited with his 3 year old daughter, who he was never told he had. He does know and really wants to find her.

There are so many twists and turns in this novel and so many half truths and lies (I did mention that this family was dysfunctional didn't I) that although you MIGHT figure out who actually committed the murder you will never in a million years believe how Isabella saves the day!

I am looking forward to The Girl in Black Pajamas which is the next book in this series.


When Officer Bud the PR face of the Boston Police Department is gunned down, his brother, Bogie McGruder, returns from Palm Beach for the funeral. Since the BPD is investigating the death of one of their own, Bogie believes his trip to Boston will be a short condolence visit and a chance to meet his secret love child.

But interacting with a family fueled by alcohol and mired in scandals, Bogie is reminded why he does investigations for his Boston based company from a computer in Florida. Although Bogie wants to contact his ex-lover, Bailey Hampfield, he’s reluctant to do so since Bailey dumped him four years earlier. Knowing that Bailey had his child after she cut him loose, Bogie ponders how he can establish a relationship with the three year old daughter he’s never met. While he thinks about it, Bailey gets in touch with him and asks for protection. Someone is trying to kill her.

By the time Bogie meets Isabella, it’s apparent that he still loves the mother and adores the child. Bogie tells himself that he’s not interested in the BPD investigation into Bud’s death, but he continues to be drawn into it while trying to discover who is attempting to kill Bailey. The investigations seem to parallel each other, then intersect and become intertwined. As the story develops, Isabella, a precocious child obsessed with martial arts, slowly becomes the focus.

The underlying theme of this mystery is lies. Everyone seems to be running on lies and half truths. The only pure and true character is The Girl in White Pajamas.


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About the Author

Chris Birdy was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After graduating from high school, she did a four year stint in the Middle East. When she returned to the States, Chris settled down in the Boston area and became a true Bostonian by collecting college degrees while raising a family.

For more than twenty years, Chris has been a member of the legal community performing investigative work for Boston law firms conducting business in rough housing projects and crack house neighborhoods.  Several years ago, while sitting in a courtroom with a client, Chris watched as a police officer was lambasted by an attorney. The attorney was defending a young woman who crashed her car into two other vehicles before she passed out drunk behind the wheel. The occupants of the other cars were seriously hurt and the cop, a former EMT, tried to assist the injured while waiting for ambulances to arrive. The attorney questioned the cop's every move, shredded his testimony and made him seem inept.
Embarrassed, the cop returned to his seat beside me and muttered, "Everybody lies. The judges lie, the lawyers lie, the witnesses lie.."  Chris wanted to tell him not to worry that in about five years he'd be just as good a liar as they were.
The seeds for The Girl in White Pajamas were planted in that courtroom.

Chris lives outside of Boston and in Palm Beach, Florida with her husband.

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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

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