Book Review: Get Weird: Discover the Surprising Secret to Making a Difference by CJ Casciotta

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge,from FirstWords Publishing, , for review purposes on this blog, No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.

Fall seems to get us more in the motivational point of mind, doesn't it?

We think charity to others, goodwill toward men, etc, and this book is perfect for not only tweens and teens, but their parents, to motivate us to keeping that Christian mindset all year round!

Synopsis:

Most of us grow up believing it's more important to fit in than to stand out. But there's something different about you...and it matters. 

What if your weirdness was the key to changing everything? What if the outrageous, imaginative, crazy ideas that live inside your wildest dreams are actually there on purpose, divinely preinstalled to help others?

Knowing what makes you weird is the best thing you can offer your art, your business, your friends, your family, and yourself. It's the essence of creativity, the stuff of movements, and the hope for humanity. It's time to quit painting by numbers, conforming to patterns, and checking off boxes. It's time to GET WEIRD.

Review:

THIS is the book every tween and teen NEEDS to read! Part motivational, part therapy, this book is evrything kids need to understand THEIR uniqueness made by God, to share with others, not to hide! Kids today are SO caught up in the social media norm, keeping up with each other, looking like everyne else, that they have lost what previous generation have known- it's OK to be different. That that is a GOOD thing. That in fact, God MADE us that way, so way are we all trying to fit into one image? Only one person can be God, and though we are made in his image, we are NOT him, he made each of us unique, So why don't we celebrate that? This book will help kids AND parents focus on how each person's creativity brings joy to the world, we just need to find what ours IS. This is definitely a book to give to kids entering Jr and High School, to make them understand, it's ok to stand out and BE theirselves, and it's perfect for teen groups to read and discuss as well. We highly recommend it for gift giving as well! 

About the Author:

CJ Casciotta is a writer and serial media maker passionate about helping people discover and own their unique identity or in other words, what makes them weird. As a writer and communicator, he's traveled all over the world inspiring communities like Lululemon, The Salvation Army, TEDx, and Charity:Water. As a media director and producer he's collaborated on projects with MGM Studios, The United Nations Foundation, and more. He created the popular podcast, Sounds Like a Movement, which has hosted culture-shaping voices like Seth Godin, Shauna Neiquist, and Krista Tippett. In addition, CJ's work has been featured by MTV, RELEVANT, Catalyst, and Q. A native New Yorker, he now lives in Nashville with his wife, Kelly, and his two kids, Selah and Mack.

#Sponsored by FirstWords

Bless Their Little Giveaways Linky: September 25-October 2, 2018

Book Review: The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook free of charge,from Atria Books for review purposes on this blog, No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.

A rich, spellbinding new novel from the author of The Lake House—the story of a love affair and a mysterious murder that cast their shadow across generations, set in England from the 1860s until the present day.

Synopsis:

My real name, no one remembers.

The truth about that summer, no one else knows.

In the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor on the banks of the Upper Thames. Their plan: to spend a secluded summer month in a haze of inspiration and creativity. But by the time their stay is over, one woman has been shot dead while another has disappeared; a priceless heirloom is missing; and Edward Radcliffe’s life is in ruins.

Over one hundred and fifty years later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in London, uncovers a leather satchel containing two seemingly unrelated items: a sepia photograph of an arresting-looking woman in Victorian clothing, and an artist’s sketchbook containing the drawing of a twin-gabled house on the bend of a river.

Why does Birchwood Manor feel so familiar to Elodie? And who is the beautiful woman in the photograph? Will she ever give up her secrets?

Told by multiple voices across time, The Clockmaker’s Daughter is a story of murder, mystery, and thievery, of art, love, and loss. And flowing through its pages like a river, is the voice of a woman who stands outside time, whose name has been forgotten by history, but who has watched it all unfold: Birdie Bell, the clockmaker’s daughter.

Review:

Kate is an amaing author with prose, and this book will have you enchanted from the first page! As the reader follows Birdie' story, back and forth in time, you will get caught up in how she is abandoned by those she loves, and how her life afefcts so many, in different ways. Part mystery, part love story, this book is one you can't put down. I finished it in 2 sittings only because I had to, otherwise I would have stayed lost in the story until I finished it. This is not a book to be missed, be sure it is on your fall reading list!

About the Author:

Kate Morton is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of The House at Riverton, The Forgotten Garden, The Distant Hours, The Secret Keeper, The Lake House, and The Clockmaker’s Daughter. Her books are published in 34 languages and have been #1 bestsellers worldwide. She is a native Australian, holds degrees in dramatic art and English literature. She lives with her family in London and Australia.

Book Review: Stuck in Manistique by Dennis Cuesta

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook free of charge,from Celestial Eyes Press, forreview purposes on this blog, No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.

Today's first mystery is PERFECT for sitting by the fire and reading with some of that delish Pumpkin Vanilla Creme coffee!

Synopsis:

Near the midpoint of the Upper Peninsula, along a Lake Michigan bend of shore, is the town of Manistique, Michigan. Mark had never heard of Manistique before the death of his estranged aunt, but as sole beneficiary of Vivian’s estate, he travels there to settle her affairs. As Mark tours his aunt’s house for the first time, the doorbell rings.

Days after graduating medical school, Dr. Emily Davis drives north, struggling with her illicit rendezvous on Mackinac Island. She never makes it—on the highway near Manistique, her car collides with a deer, shattering the car’s windshield. Stranded for the night, Emily is directed to a nearby bed and breakfast.

Maybe it’s a heady reaction, the revelation that his aunt, an international aid doctor, ran a bed and breakfast in retirement. Or perhaps he plainly feels pity for the young, helpless doctor. Regardless, Mark decides to play host for one night, telling Emily that he’s merely stepping in temporarily while his aunt is away.

As a one-night stay turns into another and more guests arrive, the ersatz innkeeper steadily loses control of his story. And though Emily opens up to Mark, she has trouble explaining the middle-aged man who unexpectedly arrives at the doorstep looking for her. 

Will these two strangers, holding on to unraveling secrets, remain in town long enough to discover the connection between them?

Review:

This book starts out in one direction, and you think it's going to be strictly chick lit, and then you turn the page and a mystery unfolds. Can coincidence really be just that, or is something bigger than fate at work? As more guests start arriving, the book evolves again, part Agatha Christie closed room mystery, part thriller. But always there is humor that keeps things light and makes the reader shake their head in wonder, When will the coincedences end? Is Vivian controlling things from the grave? As the book starts to turn into a gothic thriller, you won't be able to put this book down! And when the end somes, you'll be hoping for another book with the same characters! Make sure it's on your Fall reading list!

About the Author:

A native of California, Dennis Cuesta attended the University of Michigan and remained in the Upper Midwest during his early career. STUCK IN MANISTIQUE is his first novel. . .Dennis and his wife did get stuck in Manistique once, long ago. The interrupted trip served as inspiration for the novel.

Welcome FALL With Crazy Cups Pumpkin Vanilla Creme Coffee ! (review and giveaway)

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this product free of charge,from Crazy Cups Coffee, for review and giveaway purposes on this blog, No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.

Yup Fall is ACTUALLY here today!

Now you can start enjoying everything pumpkin, right?

LOL

I've have been extremely sick this past week, so I haven't been able to preview this new coffee blend from Crazy Cups, but I'm told by those who did, that it's PERFECT for Fall weather:

Pumpkin Vanilla Creme coffee is everything you love about Fall: the sweet flavor of Vanilla-laced Pumpkin Pie, topped with freshly made sweet creme. Go ahead, indulge yourself, you've earned it by surviving with the kids all Summer and getting them into school! One smell and you'll want to cosy up by the fire and say "Oh Fall, I've missed you so!"

The coffee is available in 4 and 22 single serve cup packs, so you can sample it, or take the plunge!

And don't forget- if you sign up for the Crazy Cups Coffee Reward Program not only do you get faster checkout, but you get 10% off your first order AND first dibs on special sales and discounts. AND Crazy Cups ALWAYS offers FREE shipping on orders of $35 or more!

PLUS- the single serve pods from Crazy Cups are RECYCLABLE! So you can be ready for the kids when they scream you're killing the planet! Nope, just keeping Mom on an smooth path, with some lovely caffeine! LOL

Giveaway: 

 One BTHM reader will win their own pack of

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