Tuesday 2 April 2019

New Release Blitz & Giveaway: The Creative Introverted Entrepreneur by Kim Beasley



 
In the second edition of The Creative Introverted Entrepreneur, we wanted to dig deeper and explore new ways to grow your business. By taking a look at what tools are currently available and services that you can use as an entrepreneur, we wanted to revise this book with the latest trends.
The goal of this book is to help entrepreneurs who are Introverts to grow their business online using techniques geared to them. When I decided to revamp this book and create a second edition, I decided to invite a couple of friends to share their knowledge too. So you will find a couple of chapters written by Michelle Lowery and Jerrilynn B. Thomas.




 

 

 About the Book

The Creative Introverted Entrepreneurby Kim Beasley
Series
n/a; standalone
Genre
Non-Fiction
Publisher
Agape3 Business Services; 2nd Edition
Publication Date
March 31, 2019
Purchase Your Copy Today!Amazon
Also Available On



Tour Wide Giveaway

To celebrate the release of THE CREATIVE INTROVERTED ENTREPRENEUR by Kim Beasley, we're giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner!

GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS:  Open internationally. One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Kim Beasley.  Giveaway ends 4/6/2019 @ 11:59pm EST. Limit one entry per reader. Duplicates will be deleted.  CLICK HERE TO ENTER!


About Kim Beasley


KIM BEASLEY is an international speaker and industry leader when it comes to increasing business brand visibility. Being a creative introverted entrepreneur, she has a heart for coaching others like herself who want to grow their business brand visibility online.
Many know Kim from her days of doing news segments via Google+ Hangouts on Air from 2012 to 2015. She reported about social media and technology during a love newscast fr KRNV in Reno, Nevada.
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  LinkedIn  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon






Monday 1 April 2019

Review: The Lost Family by Jenna Blum



The New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Uscreates a vivid portrait of marriage, family, and the haunting grief of World War II in this emotionally charged, beautifully rendered story that spans a generation, from the 1960s to the 1980s

In 1965 Manhattan, patrons flock to Masha’s to savor its brisket bourguignon and impeccable service and to admire its dashing owner and head chef Peter Rashkin. With his movie-star good looks and tragic past, Peter, a survivor of Auschwitz, is the most eligible bachelor in town. But Peter does not care for the parade of eligible women who come to the restaurant hoping to catch his eye. He has resigned himself to a solitary life. Running Masha’s consumes him, as does his terrible guilt over surviving the horrors of the Nazi death camp while his wife, Masha—the restaurant’s namesake—and two young daughters perished.

Then exquisitely beautiful June Bouquet, an up-and-coming young model, appears at the restaurant, piercing Peter’s guard. Though she is twenty years his junior, the two begin a passionate, whirlwind courtship. When June unexpectedly becomes pregnant, Peter proposes, believing that beginning a new family with the woman he loves will allow him to let go of the horror of the past. But over the next twenty years, the indelible sadness of those memories will overshadow Peter, June, and their daughter Elsbeth, transforming them in shocking, heartbreaking, and unexpected ways.

Jenna Blum artfully brings to the page a husband devastated by a grief he cannot name, a frustrated wife struggling to compete with a ghost she cannot banish, and a daughter sensitive to the pain of both her own family and another lost before she was born. Spanning three cinematic decades, The Lost Family is a charming, funny, and elegantly bittersweet study of the repercussions of loss and love.



Hardcover432 pages
Published June 5th 2018 by Harper

Terri's Thoughts

I wanted to like this story, I really did.  Sadly I struggled the entire way through it.  I almost gave up before completing it however since I always see a story through, I suffered to the very end.

I did not like one single character in the story  Not one!  There was nobody to get behind.  you would think with Peter's story I would at least be able to get behind him but he really did not exhibit any personality.  The match of Peter and June made zero sense to me hence putting the story even more off kilter to me.

Some may be able to read deeper in to the story than I apparently did and see tragedy and beauty as the story advertises.  I did not, I was bored to tears the entire way through with a cast of either obnoxious, selfish or boring characters.  Sadly, this was not for me.  A little disappointing since I have enjoyed the other works of Blum.



About the Author


Website
Twitter

Saturday 30 March 2019

Review: The Stormchasers by Jenna Blum



Twins are forced to confront a violent secret from their past in Jenna Blum's first novel since her runaway bestseller, Those Who Save Us 

How far would you go to protect a sibling-and at what cost to yourself? 

In Those Who Save Us, Jenna Blum proved herself a master storyteller with brilliant insight into the spectrum of human emotion. Now, Blum turns her sights to the most intimate and mysterious of family relationships-that between twins-in her powerful and provocative second novel.

As a teenager, Karena Jorge had always been the one to look out for her twin brother Charles, who suffers from bipolar disorder. But as Charles begins to refuse medication and his manic tendencies worsen, Karena finds herself caught between her loyalty to her brother and her fear for his life. Always obsessed with the weather-enraptured by its magical unpredictability that seemed to mirror his own impulses—Charles starts chasing storms, and his behavior grows increasingly erratic . . . until a terrifying storm chase with Karena ends with deadly consequences, tearing the twins apart and changing both of their lives forever.

Two decades later, Karena gets a call from a psychiatric ward in Wichita, Kansas, to come pick up her brother, whom she hasn't seen or spoken to for twenty years. She soon discovers that Charles has lied to the doctors, taken medication that could make him dangerously manic, and disappeared again. Having exhausted every resource to try and track him down, Karena realizes she has only one last chance of finding him: the storms. Wherever the tornadoes are, that's where he'll be. Karena joins a team of professional stormchasers-passionate adventurers who will transform her life and give her a chance at love and redemption—and embarks on an odyssey to find her brother before he reveals the violent secret from their past and does more damage to himself . . . or to someone else.


Hardcover384 pages
Published May 27th 2010 by Dutton Adult


Terri's Thoughts

I randomly selected this story while browsing available e-book from the public library.  As I have read this author before and the story looked intriguing, I figured why not.

This story was both interesting and frustrating at the same time. I, who is terrified of storms, was completely taken with the storm chasing aspect of the story.  I gobbled up all the lingo and the action and couldn't wait to see what would happen next.  This was the best part for me.

What I found completely frustrating is Karen's need to save Charles.  OK I get it, they have the twin bond but believe me, as I am also twin, there needs to come a time when enough is enough.  She covered for him, and tried to save him so many times that she lost sight of her own life.  While I know mental illness is a difficult situation, I really felt while she could continue to try to save him by getting the proper treatment, she no longer should have been making excuses for him as she was only enabling him.  By losing herself in thinking she could help him, she instead lost who she was.

I know I am sitting here on my high horse as the situation is much more complex than I am making it sound but I am a firm believer in the airline philosophy.  When the oxygen mask falls, put it on yourself before others as you are useless to help others if you cant take care of yourself.  I digress.

Needless to say the story makes you think. Regardless of your thoughts about Karena,
you still want everything to end up ok in the end.  You will have to read the story to find out.


About the Author



Thursday 28 March 2019

Namast'eh Box: March Unboxing and Review

Namast'eh is a Canadian subscription box that delivers premium yoga and athletic wear from Canadian brands at 50% off retail value right to your door. There are three different subscriptions to choose from.

The True North Box- 3 piece Premium Outfit $119.00
The Glowing Heart Box- 2 piece Premium Outfit $89.00
The Maple Leaf Box- 1 Pair Premium Leggings or Capris $59.00

You can choose to get your box every month, every second month or every three months and you are not locked into a plan of any kind. This means that you can pause or cancel your subscription at any time without penalty. How it works is you choose your subscription, complete your profile (sizes, activities) and your box gets delivered to your door.

At the moment I am subscribed to the True North Box and I have it coming every month. I plan to give it a few months to see how I like it and the products before I decide if I want to continue monthly or less frequently or at all.

This is what it looks like when you first open the box.



This is what the outfit I got looks like all together





The sports bra

MPG- Exclusive Collection by Julianna Hough Captivate Sports Bra in Lilac Retail Value $30-$54

This bra features removable bra cups, moisture wicking, a power mesh back and side panels for ventilation and adjustable straps. Not only is it super cute but it has two things that I really like. The bra cups and adjustable straps are a positive in my books. My pictures make it look white but it is actually a lilac colour. I will likely use this bra for my lighter workouts as it is only moderate support.

 The layering piece

Daub and Design- Tahnee Tank retail value $68

At least I think that is what tank it is. There was no info on the tag about this top but it looked similar to the Tahnee tanks on the website even though I could not find this colour. This tank for me is just meh. I really liked it until I tried it on. The fit was kind of awkward. Part of me feels like it will stretch and shape into a flowy top but right now it fits a little snug across the chest and then sort of flows but not really. This is laughable if you know me because I am a small chested person. I haven't given this piece a test run in any kind of workout so I can't yet speak to its functionality yet.


The leggings

Time Trial 7/8 Houndstooth Run Legging
(Above picture from website shown in a different colour)


MPG- Time Trial 7/8 Houndstooth Run Leggings in Black retail value $66 on sale for $33

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these leggings. I added a picture from the website because my pictures don't do them justice at all. First of all, I am training for a 10k race so these leggings couldn't come at a better time. They have many feature benefits but what thrilled me was the side pockets. I can put my phone in my pocket while listening to music on my wireless headphones. Such a smart feature on run leggings. I only own one other pair of leggings with pockets and have been running every day so these are perfectly timed. I love how they fit and look on me so much that I went on to the MPG website with the thought of ordering more but unfortunately they only have the colour in my above picture (which I would have been fine with) in sizes too small or big.
The featured benefits of these leggings are 360- degree reflectivity for visibility at night, a back zip pocket for stashing essentials on the go and an interior waist mini pocket for essentials like keys and cards plus the pockets I mentioned above. It is hard to tell from my pictures but the front is mesh from just below the reflective strips. At the front it is just regular mesh but at the back (below the reflective strips) the mesh has a houndstooth pattern. They are fun, flattering and functional. I have run in them many times already. They are definitely my favourite and most practical piece from this box and probably from any box I have received to date.

As far as value for this box I am a little torn. Both the bra and the leggings are on sale on the website and I am just meh about the tank so it's tough to say. I am in love with the leggings and I like the bra and probably wouldn't have found them on my own so there is that. This subscription box is not cheap and although I like and even love some of the pieces, I'm not sure I saved any money on this months box. Having said that, I don't feel like I've been ripped off either. I've decided to give it two more months of monthly deliveries before deciding whether or not I want to continue.

Namast'eh Box keep the running gear coming and I'll be a very happy lady!


Thoughts and opinions are my own and are not sponsored in any way by Namast'eh box.

Wednesday 27 March 2019

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher


You can’t stop the future.
You can’t rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.

Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah’s pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.

Hardcover, 10th Anniversary Edition, 352 pages
Published December 27th 2016 by Razorbill (first published October 18th 2007)


Terri's Thoughts

Well, I finally read this book, I'm probably the last person to do so but I did it.  I knew what it was about and the general gist of things but have not read a single review or been involved in any conversations or discussions about it.  How did it make me feel?

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Really. I literally just put it down and I am so conflicted with my thoughts at the moment I don't even know what to say.  I wont even know what I am going to rate it until I get to the end of this review  And then I reserve the right to go back and change it.

I will try to break it down.

The story had its flaws.  In all honesty the writing was nothing special.  I didn't find it poignant or lyrical or any of those other words you find in pretentious reviews.  It got the job done.  People may jump all over me, but I found Hannah to be too angry to be so lost.  Some of her reasons even seemed a little bit petty, more like people didn't live up to her expectations were not allowed to be flawed.  I would think that someone with that much anger, who would take the time to make the tapes, would have enough fight in her to keep going....

Wait a second, what am I doing?  Did I just victim shame??? I think I might have...

And ladies and Gentleman, this is the reason, IMHO, that people should read this story.  People should be discussing this book.  The content of this story is something everyone should be discussing.  In fact, this book should be included in every school curriculum just so that everyone has the opportunity to sit and discuss it.  WHY?  It is simple.  I went through every reaction possible while reading this, both good and bad.   I rooted for Hannah, I didn't root for her, I felt she overreacted & I felt empathy for her situation.  At the end of the day, with everything going on in our world, this is one of the topics that young people should be talking about.  Suicide (as well as bullying & mental health as these are underlying themes and linked to the subject at hand) should not be an off limit topic.  Even bringing to the table that your actions impact others in big or small ways.  An open and honest discussion should be held about these things.  I don't even think it is something that should be addressed from parent to child (although I don't discourage it).  It should be something peers speak about to each other, openly, and without censor.

And so...I will rate this book on that as I found the actual book just ok



About the Author


Jay Asher was born in Arcadia, California on September 30, 1975. He grew up in a family that encouraged all of his interests, from playing the guitar to his writing. He attended Cuesta College right after graduating from high school. It was here where he wrote his first two children’s books for a class called Children’s Literature Appreciation. At this point in his life, he had decided he wanted to become an elementary school teacher. He then transferred to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where he left his senior year in order to pursue his career as a serious writer. Throughout his life he worked in various establishments, including as a salesman in a shoe store and in libraries and bookstores. Many of his work experiences had an impact on some aspect of his writing.




Tuesday 26 March 2019

Re-Release Blitz: Can't Hold Back by Serena Bell

 

Blurb

Can’t Hold Back (Returning Home, Book Two)

A love triangle gone wrong. The power to heal his pain. And a second chance for both of them.
Nate Riordan came home from war hurting—everywhere.
Alia Drake can touch him and make it all better.
Nate craves her touch, and not just the professional, physical therapist version. But he needs to keep his eyes on the prize and his feet firmly on the path he’s chosen: His buddy, J.J., died, and Nate lived, which means he has promises to keep. Plus, Alia hurt him once, and he’s afraid she’ll do it again.
Alia knows she has to ignore her feelings for Nate. Her job is to take care of him professionally, so she has to keep her hands on the parts of him she has a right to touch. Besides, when she lied to him two years ago, she forfeited any claim she could ever have to his heart.
Now she just has to find some way to stick to her guns, leave him alone, and do her job. Even—or especially—when he’s shirtless on the table in her office…

Can’t Hold Back Excerpt

Copyright © 2019 Serena Bell
All rights reserved.

“Is this seat taken?”
From her perspective in the grass, he was a giant, with broad shoulders and a luminous smile. She’d always thought it was exaggeration when women said they lost their breath in a man’s presence, but she just had.
She got a grip and shook her head. “Pull up some turf.” She patted the lawn beside her, and he sat.
He was vivid, like a soldier in a movie: ripped, swaggering, grinning, golden-haired. He’d smiled in her direction earlier, and for a split second she’d thought, Who me? before she remembered that she was standing next to Becca. Her sister was a man magnet. All the two of them had to do was idle in a patch of sunlight admiring the garden, and sexy six-foot-plus men in butt-hugging jeans and black T-shirts materialized from nowhere—
Abracadabra! Hot guy for Becca.
In the car on the way over here, she’d told Becca that Jake’s picnics boasted not just amazing food, but other earthly delights. “We’ll get you back on your feet,” Alia had promised, sneaking a glance at her sister, slumped in the passenger seat. Ever since Becca’s boyfriend had dumped her recently, just as they were getting serious, she rarely smiled.
Becca had been super excited about the guy, and Alia was almost as disappointed as Becca was. She wanted her sister to be happy. Settled. Cared for.
Hot Guy for Becca set his plate on the grass. He sat cross-legged, and his thighs and calves, which looked like they’d been hewn from wood, were generously decked with curly golden hair.
“My sister just went to get some food,” she told him, pointing.
He cast a glance at Becca, standing by the salad table, loading her plate with potato chips. Tall, beautiful, blond, and glowing with vitality.
“You guys don’t look anything alike.”
“We don’t.” She forced a smile. It wasn’t only blindingly obvious differences, like Becca’s blond and Alia’s dark hair, but everything else, too—Becca was slim, with hourglass curves, while Alia was “athletic”; Becca had porcelain skin and Alia was generously freckled; Becca’s features were classic and even, and Alia was—well, she’d be kind to herself and say “cute.”
She sighed.
“Nate Riordan.” The man beside her reached out his hand for a shake.
“Alia Drake.”
Big hands. Warm. A moment ago, the world had smelled like summer. Like grass gone somewhere to seed, roses in bloom, and the mingled marvels of mesquite smoke and grilling meat.
Now her head was filled with a different scent entirely—soap, shampoo, the faintest whiff of some spicy male deodorant or cologne.
He was going to have no difficulty making Becca forget her romantic troubles. He could probably make any woman blank on her own name.
She retrieved her hand before she could reflect any more on that. He was Becca’s hot guy.


Info Sheet

  • Title: Can’t Hold Back
  • Author: Serena Bell
  • Category: Contemporary romance
  • ISBN: 978-1-7328948-1-5
  • Format: e-book
  • Publication Date: March 26, 2019
  • Pages: 229
  • Price: $3.99
  • Available from: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Google Play

About the Author

Photo credit Susan Young

USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.
Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.
When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.

Social Media Links


Buy Links for Cant Hold Back




Monday 25 March 2019

Review: One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf


In her most emotionally charged novel to date, New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf explores the unspoken events that shape a community, the ties between parents and their children and how the fragile normalcy of our everyday life is so easily shattered.

In the midst of a sudden spring snowstorm, an unknown man armed with a gun walks into an elementary school classroom. Outside the school, the town of Broken Branch watches and waits.

Officer Meg Barrett holds the responsibility for the town's children in her hands. Will Thwaite, reluctantly entrusted with the care of his two grandchildren by the daughter who left home years earlier, stands by helplessly and wonders if he has failed his child again. Trapped in her classroom, Evelyn Oliver watches for an opportunity to rescue the children in her care. And thirteen-year-old Augie Baker, already struggling with the aftermath of a terrible accident that has brought her to Broken Branch, will risk her own safety to protect her little brother.

As tension mounts with each passing minute, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.

Paperback, 379 pages

Published June 26th 2012 by Harlequin MIRA (first published May 29th 2012)

Terri's Thoughts

I randomly chose this book to listen to in audio format based on the fact that I had heard of the author before however I do not believe I had read any of her work.

This story deals with a sensitive topic with a man with a gun holding a third grade classroom hostage.  It could have gone so wrong however Gudenkauf stayed on the side of caution so as not to put the readers off.  Well done.

I liked the fact that the story was told from four different perspectives and the fact that the chapters were extremely short.  Some may ask why chapter length is important to me?  When listening to an audio book, it can get tedious as it is a big time commitment as I can read faster than the story is being read to me.  With short chapters, you have more options as to when to put it down if need be.  I also found I got through it faster as knowing the chapters were short, I kept saying one more chapter before taking a break.

Not a lot happens in this story and I thought that was a good thing.  This story was really more about peoples emotional scars then a man terrorizing a school.  The man was more a reason for these people to face their issues and come to terms with them.

I loved the character of Evelyn.  Although I am not a school teacher, I can only hope I would be as brave and selfless as she was in the situation she faced.

Overall a good read



About the Author