Family Size

Book Details
Author: Maria Hoagland
Release Date: February 2013
Publisher: Sisters Ink Publishing
Genre: LDS Women's Fiction

This book is AMAZING at bringing out the fact that we never truly know what someone else is going through...therefore....we need to be careful how we judge.

It is easy to say things that can be taken wrong...
And it is easy to misunderstand things that are said...

We need to have unconditional love and try to see the best in others....as these three women finally do.

Jessica is struggling with having a baby so close after her last one especially after finding out that the growing fetus has some complications...people question her decision to be pregnant again so soon.

Maya is struggling with a husband who is gone all the time while she is trying to deal with abdominal pain...pain so strong she is has to take pain killers to even function. And on top of that people keep asking her if she is ever going to have another baby.

Sloane has prayed for years and gone through many medical procedures just to have a baby...and all find out it didn't work yet again. Now she is going through the trial of adopting...and being turned down at the last minute. Will her righteous desires ever be fulfilled?

What is the right family size?
Can anyone make that decision for you?
What if your decision isn't the decision the Lord has planned for you?

Read as these women find friendship and faith through their fertility trials.

A really tender read!
Worth every word!
This book would be PERFECT for a book club!

About the Author
When Maria Hoagland is not working at her computer, she can be found walking barefoot in soft grass, remodeling houses with her husband, or enjoying campfires with their three children. She loves crunching leaves in the fall, stealing cookie dough from the mixing bowl, and listening to musicals on her iPod. Maria earned her degree at Brigham Young University, and although she adores mountain resorts near her Idaho home, she is no longer a fan of ice skating.

Maria has two published novels: Nourish & Strengthen and Family Size. Her poems have been published in small magazines, and her short story "Diagnosis & Treatment" won first place in the Linda Hunter Adams writing contest at Brigham Young University.

The Life is Too Short Collection Blog Tour

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Book Details:

Author: Connie E. Sokol

Genre: Women's

LOVED. LOVED. LOVED IT!

Short, funny chapters make it a quick pick it up... read a little... put it down... go on with life... pick it up again...put it down... ponder... pick it up again...etc.

Each chapter is its own story of the wonderment of all that it means in being female.

So put life on hold, take a deep breath, and dive into these pages.

They will leave you renewed, refreshed, and rejuvenated....

And along the way you will find that humor really does help you find the joy in being a woman, a wife, and a mother.

Captivating and inspiring! You will laugh, you will ponder, you will plan, you will rejoice, and then you will be ready to take on life again.

Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card

Ends 5/7/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writerhttp://www.iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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About the Author:

Connie Sokol is a mother of seven, a national and local presenter, and a regular speaker at Education Week. She is a monthly contributor on KSL TV “Studio 5,” and regular blogger for KSL "Motherhood Matters." She is a former TV and radio host for Bonneville Communications, and columnist for Deseret News and Utah Valley Magazine. Mrs. Sokol is the author of several books including the award-nominated romance Caribbean Crossroads, the 8-week Challenge program of Faithful, Fit & Fabulous, Life is Too Short for One Hair Color Series, as well as talk CDs and podcasts. Mrs. Sokol marinates in time spent with her family and eating decadent treats.

Website * Facebook

(A digital review copy of this title was provided by the author for this review. However, all reviews are of my own opinion :)

How to Have Peace When You're Falling to Pieces

Book Details:
Author: Rebecca Rode
Release Date: March 2013
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Genre: Women's

This book is SO GOOD! 

This is a book you need to read...and then ponder...then read...and ponder...read and ponder..and then when you have finished the book you need to start again and read and ponder some more...there is so much AMAZING INFORMATION and HELPFUL IDEAS you just can't get it all the first time :)

I so wish I had know more of this when I was a mother of younger children.

But the beauty of motherhood is that it is never too late.  I can still teach my children and I can still put into practice these wonderful ideas....

And I can have Peace even when I feel that I am falling to Pieces :)

I LOVED the puzzle pieces concept:
Puzzle Piece #1 - Be a Mother of Purpose
Puzzle Piece #2 - Be a Mother of Skill
Puzzle Piece #3 - Be a Mother of Work
Puzzle Piece #4 - Be a Mother of Faith
Puzzle Piece #5 - Be a Mother of Wisdom
Puzzle Piece #6 - Be a Mother of Joy
Puzzle Piece #7 - Be a Mother of Peace

DON'T WORRY - SHE TEACHES YOU HOW!

What Other are Saying:

"A charming book full of wit, humor, and great ideas to help readers enjoy and renew their dedication and commitment as mothers." --Sandra Covey, wife of the late Stephen R. Covey, Author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families

"She knows! She understands! This book gave me so many great insights into my role as a mother and helped me focus on the eternal perspective of my calling as a woman." –Kimberly Bytheway, Co-author, What We Wish We’d Known When We Were Newlyweds

About the Author:

Rebecca Rode caught the writing bug early in life, writing and illustrating stories in small journals her mother gave her at age nine. Her first published work was a personal essay about Romanian orphans, printed in Brigham young University’s literary publication, Inscape. She received her bachelor’s degree from BYU in child development with a minor in english. Rebecca began writing for Schooled magazine in 2006. In 2011, she became a contributor for KSL.com, a Utah broadcasting network website, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City. How to Have Peace When You’re Falling to Pieces is her first book. Rebecca enjoys traveling, eating authentic Italian gelatos, and indulging her husband’s chocolate-banana shakes. Her greatest loves are her husband, Francis, their three children, and writing— in that order.


(A digital review copy of this title was provided by the author for this review. However, all reviews are of my own opinion :)

Confessions of a Cereal Mother Blog Tour

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About the Book:

Author: Rachel McClellan

Release Date: March 2013

Publisher: Sweetwater Books

Genre: Women's

Book Details:

Feeling under appreciated, Mom? Mothers everywhere will relate to this author’s attempt to stay sane while trying to raise righteous, successful children. In Confessions of a Cereal Mother, popular author Rachel McClellan provides an insightful and sometimes hilarious view of a mother’s journey as she tackles everyday situations such as getting her children ready for school or going on vacation.

You’ll discover many useful tips, such as:

-Don’t throw your pregnancy test away before the full three minutes is up.

-Unless there is a rush on the grocery store pending a zombie-virus outbreak, never take your kids shopping.

-If your toddler is going to chew on a Band-Aid, hope that it’s one found inside the chlorinated community swimming pool and not one found in their locker room.

-And most important, the moment one of your children is seriously ill, forget about everything else and be a mom—you have the greatest honor in the world.

Mothers everywhere will relate to this author’s attempt to stay sane while trying to raise righteous, successful children.

My Review:

I haven't laughed so hard from a book in a very long time!

I LOVE the sub-title:  True Stories to Let Every Mother Know She's Not Alone in the Craziness

You will LAUGH, you will CRY, and if you are a mom you will UNDERSTAND!

Filled with stories of being a mom and all that goes into that from the bad to the good, from the ugly to the beauty, this book will help you understand the five-letter word called ~ Mommy.

GIVEAWAY
5 ebooks, 5 paperbacks, a chapter critique and a $10 Amazon gift card.

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About the Author:
Once upon a time, in a wonderful and carefree world, Rachel McClellan fell asleep in a warm and spacious bed, her long hair in great locks around her, and not a single blemish upon her face. Outside her window, bluebirds sang and the cloudless blue sky was full of promise.

However, when she awoke she discovered gum in her now ratted hair, a tiny, chocolate fingerprint smeared across her forehead, and four very wiggly children crowding her bed. There were no bluebirds singing outside her window (or perhaps she couldn’t hear them anymore), only a tornado, pulsing with thunder and lightening. Her world was in chaos, a raging storm on all fronts.

But what a perfect storm it was…

I love ranch dressing, the homemade kind. It makes everything taste better. Coming in a close second are Mayo and real butter. Second, I want to buy Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and turn it into a sauce factory using the items I mentioned above. And I’d keep the Oompa-Loompas. I can tell by looking at them that they like the sauces as much as I do. Third, I would bring to life some of my favorite literature characters, such as Odd Thomas, Dr. Jekyll (Hyde can come too), Frankenstein, Elizabeth Bennett, and Sherlock Holmes (because someone’s sure to die in this crowd), to break bread and dip the pieces into my Oompa-Loompa sauces.

A few other random things you may or may not want to know: I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints, aka Mormon. I love to run. I love music just as much, dark, moody stuff. I love my TV shows, dark, moody stuff. I currently live in the New England area and am obsessed with its forests and cemeteries. I am married and have four young children. They are just as strange as I am, but they love the sauces, so we get along. I like sports. I especially love to play volleyball and racquetball. One day I’d like to get back into theater. And run for President. Of the world. But above all…I love to write.

Find Rachel

 Facebook | Blog | Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Buy Confessions of a Cereal Mother

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Deseret Book.

Want to know about Rachel’s young adult books? Go HERE.



(A digital review copy of this title was provided by the author for this review. However, all reviews are of my own opinion :)



Delivering Hope Blog Tour

Tour Schedule

About the Book:
Author: Jennifer Ann Holt
Release Date: Feb 2012
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Genre: Women’s, General

Book Description:
Olivia Spencer wants to be a mother more than anything else, but years of infertility have left her soul wounded and her marriage strained. Allison Campbell is a young, single woman who discovers that a moment of excitement has led to an unplanned pregnancy and overwhelming heartache. Deep love paves the way for sacrifice as the lives of these two women touch.


My Review:
I picked this book up on a Saturday morning and spent the entire day wrapped up in its story. I felt embraced by the amount of love conveyed in this book...I couldn't put it down...until it was finished!

I LOVE how Wesley D. Hutchins, Esq, stated in the front of the book "Somewhere in the world a pregnancy test is negative...and a woman weeps. Somewhere else in the world a pregnancy test is positive...and another woman weeps."

I was AMAZED at the feelings that infertility can cause both in the husband and the wife.

I am also amazed at how much LOVE it must take to give your child up for adoption.

My heart is full of gratitude that I was able to read this WONDERFUL book and be part of these two families' lives...albeit...in a fictional portrayal...

I will forever more look at pregnancy and adoption with a more humbled attitude...life is precious!

I am also grateful for a Savior who does heal ALL...for only HE knows ALL.

Jennifer Holt was raised as a farm girl in Enterprise, Utah. An avid reader since age four, she always enjoys a good book. Jennifer graduated Cum Laude from Brigham Young University and shortly after, began her journey through infertility and the miracle of adoption. She lives in Boise, Idaho, with her husband, Shane, and their three beautiful children. She likes wakeboarding and going to the zoo with her daughter and two sons. To learn more about the Jennifer Holt, visit her at: deliveringhopethebook.com.

(A digital review copy of this title was provided by the author for this review. However, all reviews are of my own opinion :)