If I Run by Terri Blackstock

Several years ago I discovered Terri Blackstock.  I think I have read every single one of her books and she is now my favorite author.  I was excited to be able to review this book.  She has the wonderful ability to keep the reader in suspense… this book was definitely suspenseful!  The two main characters iin the book tell their story in first person. So…the story goes back and forth between these two characters.

      Cassey Cox is a young lady that discovered Brent (her best friend) murdered in his home.  She makes the mistake of not contacting the police immediately when she discovered his body.  Realizing that her DNA would be at the scene… and that she would most likely be the prime suspect, she decides to investigate on her own…knowing that she would be on the run.  To carry this off, she took on the identity of a woman that was deceased. 

      Dylan Roberts was also a friend of Brent’s.  He is hired by Brent’s family as a private investigator to find the person that killed their son.  After reviewing all the information that the police allow him to see, he also believes that Casey killed Brent.  However, as his investigation continues and as he digs deeper and deeper… he begins to form doubts about her involvement with the murder.

     I love how the author brings people into Casey's life who love the Lord.  Although Casey is not a Christian these people are able to influence Casey in a positive way.  

      I find that whenever I am reading a book that Terri Blackstock has written, I ALWAYS have an extremely  hard time putting them down.  This book was no different.  I was finished in 2 days!!  I love the suspense so I have to keep reading.  I do  like closure in a book...but this on did leave me hanging.   I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.  In exchange, I have given an honest review of what I thought about the book.   

 

 

 

Rising Darkness by Nancy Mehl - Finding Sanctuary 3

Nancy Mehl is a brand new author to me.  She definitely has an art for writing a book that is suspenseful with a romantic storyline that was so refreshing to read.  I will definitely not hesitate to read more of her books!!  

Sophie Wittenbauer is a young lady that finds herself in a position that she believes might allow her to become the investigative reporter that she wants to become.   She decides to follow up on some information that she overheard at the newspaper office about a robbery that occurred several years ago.  She became even more interested when she realized that a prisoner involved in the robbery was someone from her past.

Sophie’s investigation leads her to a small town in Missouri called Sanctuary.  She believed that one of the robbery suspects might be hiding out there.  While there, she decides to use a false identity.  It didn’t take long for her to realize that lying about her identity created a web of lies that quickly spiraled out of control.

Sanctuary reminded her of the Mennonite town she was raised in.   Her childhood was full of abusive memories.  As an adult she continued to deal with forgiveness and lack of self-esteem because of the abuse she suffered.  The storyline takes the reader on her journey to face her past with the help of the people she meets in Sanctuary while she also searches for the robbery suspect. 

As her undercover investigation continues she develops relationships with many of the people.  She realizes that her false identity might be in danger when she meets a Jonathon, a local pastor who she had feelings for in her hometown.  She quickly realizes that she still has feelings for Jonathan!.  As their relationship blossoms, her desire to find the robbery suspect continues to be strong.  When she realizes that she is in danger, things start to fall apart. 

Will she find the man she is looking for?  Will her lies ruin any chance for a relationship with Jonathon?  This book is full of suspense and will keep you guessing up to the end.  Get it!  Read it! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.  In exchange, I have given an honest review of what I thought about the book.  

Oriental Trading Halloween Products Review & GIVEAWAY!!!

Halloween is almost here and if you are looking for Halloween products you definitely need to check out Oriental Trading.  They have a HUGE selection of items that will make your party more exciting! I was given the opportunity to review a few of their products and I jumped at the opportunity.   I decided to let my students pick a theme for our fall party.  They quickly chose monsters!!!  How fun is that going to be.  Here are the products that we chose for our MONSTER PARTY!   If you are interested in them...please click on the picture and it will take your directly to this product.  

I personally would have picked something chocolate, but my first graders chose these Frosty Monster Bash  Suckers. Aren't they about the cutest thing ever!   They come in a box of  12 with four different monster faces.  

Every monster party needs a couple of crafts to go along with the monster theme and the students finally decided on this Monster Weaving Mat Craft Kit.  They come in a package of 24!  I had to put one together and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my students will be able to put them together without being to frustrated! The paper is perforated and so I folded them to make it easier for the students to tear off.  They are going to love them!

We are going to a pumpkin patch in a few weeks, so I thought the students might enjoy decorating their pumpkins with this Foam Monster Pumpkin Decorating Craft Kit.   Each student will be given their own individual package.  Yeah!!! So much easier for me.  I would love to have decorated a pumpkin and shown you how cute they are...but I refused to go shopping today.  So... here are the pieces that came out of just ONE of the packages.  

Doesn't every party now days have a Photo Booth???  We decided that it was a must for our monster party.  I can hardly wait to get pictures of them using these Monster Photo Stick Props!   It's going to be hilarious!

This Pin the Eye on the Monster will be a party favorite for sure!   Would you just look at the eye blindfold!  It it made out of cardboard...so I hope it makes it through all of my students.  My only complaint is that there are near enough eyeballs for my students.  Therefore, we will not be using these eyeballs...but making our own.  Fun!  Fun!  Fun!

And of course no party is complete with out plates and napkins.  The students always seem to get an abundance of food for this fall party so I decided we needed LARGE Monster Party Dinner Plates.  They never seem to use the napkins but these Mini Monster Luncheon Napkins were to adorable to pass up.  The plates come in packages of 8 and there are 16 napkins in each package.  

A monster day would not be complete without writing a MONSTER story.  These pencils might help them as they write their story.  These will be a fun surprise for them.

Monsters...Monsters...Monsters.   This is going to be such a fun day!!!!  

Are you planning a Halloween party?  If you are you will definitely want to check out Oriental Trading for your party needs.  They have over 400 items that will make your party super cool!  Don't be surprised if you find yourself spending quite a bit of time looking through all their merchandise though!

Thank you Oriental Trading for making this possible for my first graders.  If you want to create a special day for your classroom or children, please  go check out all the merchandise they have to offer.   You will also find a variety of fun recipes, costume ideas, and other Halloween party ideas.

Oh, I almost forget.  Oriental Trading is having a fun giveaway. Click on the picture below and enter to win their weekly prize -- $250 in Halloween products of your choice!!!  They are also giving away a $25 Oriental Trading gift card every single day!  Hurry...Hurry... Contest ends October 17, 2015.

Disclaimer:   I received the above products from Oriental Trading in exchange for my review of their products.  I did not receive any other compensation for this review and all opinions are my own.  

Hammermill Laser Print Office Paper Review

I recently received a ream of Hammermill Laser Paper to test out on my printer.   I know, I know… you are probably thinking that paper is paper!  But let me just tell you right now that there are some big differences between copy papers!!!

I do not like paper jams at all.  It irritates me…especially when I’m in a hurry (and I’m always in a hurry!)  I try to stick with the same brand of copy paper, because I want to avoid those nasty jams!.  But I decided to give this paper a try.   I was pretty confident that I wouldn't have any problems...because the package claims that the paper is 99.99% JAM-FREE!!!!

When I opened this package of Hammermill Laser paper, I noticed that this paper had a different feel to it.  I’m not sure how to describe it…Soft?  Silky?  Satiny?  The color is also brighter than my normal brand.  I tried to take a picture to show you… but with my flash it was impossible to see the difference.  

I printed several different pages using my printer and encountered absolutely not problems at all.  Yeah!!!  It was a 100% JAM-FREE for me!!!!!

I also received an adorable little stuffed zebra.  I have a black Labrador that loves stuffed animals, but I decided that I wouldn’t share it with her…because…well, she has a tendency to disfigure them.  J 

This coffee mug was also sent in my package and I love it!  This isn’t just an ordinary coffee mug either!  When it gets hot, it changes scenery…how cool is that!!!! 

Please take some time today and go and spend some time looking around at Shoplet.com.  They have such an amazing variety of items!  The large selection of  office supplies, cleaning supplies, medical supplies, and office furniture will keep you busy for a while!  The best part… there are no traffic jams.  J


Disclosure: I received this Hammermill Laser Print Paper from Shoplet.com free of charge.  In exchange, I have given an honest review of this product.  

EcoStatic Product Review

Who would have ever though that “static cling” would ever be a GOOD thing!!!!    I’ve always found it quite irritating.  But… for this product you will definitely love it!  I was so excited to finally be able to get into my classroom to try this product out!  J

I received the EcoStatic Inc. Beginner Kit Glue Free WhiteBoard Sheets and SlickyNote Note Pads to review.  The WhiteBoard Sheets came in a roll of 10.   I forgot to measure them but they are a nice chart size!  In order to use the whiteboard sheets, I had to completely unroll them.  However, the remainder of the sheets rolled right back up without any problem.  That is not a huge issue for me… just more work for me!  The SlickyNote Notepad comes in a pad of 95.  They come in  green, orange, yellow, and purple.  This kit caused my mind to go 90 miles an hour... How many different ways could I use this product!!!!   On flipcharts, on my easel, a bulletin board, centers, word walls, graphing, etc.  

Yesterday I was FINALLY able to get into my classroom.  As I looked around the classroom I realized that I was very limited on where I could put the WhiteBoard Sheets.   These can be put on any smooth surface such as metal, windows, or doors.  The problem in my classroom…there are only a few places that have smooth surfaces.  I tried on my cinderblock walls and this is what happened. 

Next I tried my windows.  I was able to get them to cling to the window quite nicely.  I wrote with a dry erase marker (sorry for the penmanship).  They do erase easily…but the WhiteBoard Sheets also moved quite easily, so it quickly got all kinds of bumps…but they were also easy to smooth out. 

The SlickyNote has two sides (duh)… When you write on the colored side it is permament (even if you use the dry erase marker.)   If you don’t believe me…just take a look at that happened to the sheet I wrote David on!  However, the white side is reusable (if you use dry erase markers). YEAH!!!

 SlickyNotes slide EASY!!

What I LOVE about this product:

• Sticks to the surface without leaving any residue behind
• The bright colors of the SlickyNotes
• Reusable
• Super easy to move
• Made in the USA!!!! 

What I DISLIKE about this product:

• Having to unroll all to get one sheet
• Limited on where it will stick
• The colored side is not reusable

T               I hope that you will give Shoplet.com the opportunity to fill all your needs for Office Supplies, Cleaning Supplies, Medical Supplies, and Office Furniture.  Ordering is easy and they have a wonderful assortment of products! 

***Disclosure*** I received this EcoStatic Product at no charge in exchange for my honest review of their product.  The opinions expressed here are my own and reflect what I thought about their product.

>>Reckless<< Devotion by Heidi & Rolland Baker

This devotional book is numbered and not dated, so you can easily start on any day of the year.  I’m kinda strange though... I always feel guilty when I don’t start a book at the beginning.    It didn’t take me long to get over that hurdle though because this devotional is one of the most inspiring devotionals I have ever read through!

Almost without fail, every day I was eager to get to my morning quiet time to read words that always touched my heart.  Every day challenged me to draw nearer to God and to develop a deeper relationship with Him. 

I found many days where my mind wandered back to the devotional throughout my day.   One of those days was when Heidi Baker talked about how there would be NO nonbelievers in heaven.   That wasn’t new information to me of course, but it made me really think about how important it is to be witnessing NOW and how big our mission field really is here on earth.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is wanting to develop a deeper relationship with God. This is a book that you will not want to go through just once. I love it so much that I will be rereading this same devotional next year. 

Disclosure:  I was given a free copy of Reckless Devotion in exchange for my honest review.  Thank you Chosen, a division of Baker Publishing Group for allowing me to review this book.

A Bride at Last by Melissa Jagears

Kate Dawson finds herself taking a position as a school teacher in Missouri when the mail-order bride advertisement she responded to did not work out to her liking.  When she is offered a position as a school teacher she decides to take it to support herself.    She is a rather strong willed young lady and soon finds herself butting heads with members of the school board.

Anthony is one of her students and because of his home situation, she finds herself quickly bonding with him.  His mother, Lucinda has become quite ill and is unable to take care of herself or her son.  Kate steps in and helps take care of Anthony as well as helps to pay for their housing.  After Lucinda's death, Anthony believes Kate (his teacher) will become his caregiver.  Unfortunately, two men came to town that had been a part of Lucinda's past and that is when his life begins to crumble.  

Richard Fitzgerald and Lucinda had a relationship with many years ago.  Anthony remembers this man and what he forced him to do many years ago and did not want to go with him.  Richard, however, is eager to claim Anthony as his own son and take him back home with him.  He wanted Anthony to pick-pocket for him and give him all the money he collected.

Silas Jonesey was Lucinda’s husband.  She was a mail-order bride and had no idea what she was walking into.  Times were tough on the farm and she was not use to such hardship and being around a man that drank.  She did not want anything to do with that lifestyle, so one day she just up and left without a word.  He had never heard a word from her until she asked him for money during her later days.  Instead of sending money, he came to see her.

There appears to be no proof of who is the biological father of Anthony.  Anthony does not want to go home with either of these men…so before the judge can determine who gets custody of Anthony... Anthony takes matters into his own hands and runs away. 

This book has many twists and turns that will leave you on the edge of your seat.  The author, Melissa Jagears covers many areas that affect the lives of these characters.  Abuse, forgiving other, alcohol addiction, being abandoned by the people you love, trusting others are just a few of the matters that are addressed throughout this book.

I absolutely loved this book.  The characters had so much going on with them and I found the book hard to put down!



Disclosure: I received this book from Bethany House through their reviewer program free of charge.  In exchange, I agreed to review A Bride at Last and give my honest opinion

Among the Fair Magnolias - Four Southern Love Stories

Among the Fair Magnolias is a book with 4 historical fiction stories that take place during the 1800's.  These sweet books are filled with a taste of the south mixed with sweet love stories.  

"A Heart So True" by Dorothy Love

Abigail’s family is busy preparing for their annual barbecue. She was excited because it meant there would be several people coming... but there was one particular young man that she was hoping would be in attendance.  This barbecue was an annual event, but this year it was of particular importance because the Governor would attending. Abby knew that it was important that she make a good impression because of her father’s political aspirations.   Abigail was shocked when at the barbecue her father suddenly made an announcement that could change the rest of her life.  She knew what she was expected to do, but she also knew that this was not what she had planned for her life.  You will need to read this storyto find out what she decides to do.   

"To Mend a Dream" by Tamera Alexander
Savannah Darby suddenly finds herself becoming the mother of her younger brother and sister after her parents die.  They had lost the family farm and now found themselves living in a widow's and children's home.  Struggling to make ends meet, she was unexpectedly given the opportunity by the new owner of the farm, Aiden Bedford to use her skills as a seamstress to return to the family farm to redecorate.  Although she was excited to have the opporunity to earn much need money, she had another motive.  Her father had supposedly hidden a box in the house sometime during the war.  She was desperate to find it and she was running out of time.  While searching for the box, she found something she wasn't expecting.  

"Love Beyond Limits" by Elizabeth Musser

Of the four stories in the book, this was my least favorite.  In fact, I had a very hard time finishing it.  Emily was a young lady that fell in love with one of the freedmen on her family's plantation.  This story took place during the Klu Klux Klan era... so her feelings toward this man could prove to be very dangerous.  

"An Outlaw's Heart" by Shelley Gray

Russell Stark returns home after spending many years living a life that he now wanted no part of.  He finds his mother very ill and the women he loved is taking care of her.  Russell wants to begin a new life but her know he has to deal with his past.  It is a sweet romance story.  

Disclosure: I received this e-book from Thomas Nelson through the NetGalley reviewer program free of charge. In exchange, I agreed to review Among the Fair Magnolias and give my honest opinion.

Ready, Set, Kindergarten by Paula Ayer

Ready, Set, Kindergarten was a different sort of book to me.  I have to admit it was difficult for me to even follow along.  Here is an example of how the words are put together in the book.  Whoosh on my jacket. Smoosh on my shoes. Dressing myself. I’m getting ready!  The book continues in this same type of dialogue throughout the entire book.  I had high expectations when I began this book... but... they were quickly smooshed! 

After reading this book SEVERAL  times I assume they were trying to let the reader know that this young girl has accomplished so many things…and next up for her is kindergarten… the title lets me know that.  lol    

I personally would have preferred a storyline that flowed while reading.  However, if you are okay with fragmented sentences to tell the story, you will probably enjoy this book.   

The illustrations are adorable though!!

Disclosure:  I recieved a Kindle version of this book from Annick Press Ltd. through the NetGalley reviewer program at no charge.  In exchange, I agreed to review Ready, Set, Kindergarten and to give them my honest opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines. 

  

Schneider Pens - Made in Germany!!

Until last week I had never ever heard of Schneider pens.  Have you seen or heard of them before?  If not, maybe it's because they are made in Germany.  They have been a pen manufacturer for over 75 years.  Who knew?   Stride, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of Schnieder in the U.S.  They are a small, family owned busines and are women-owned and operated.  If you would like to learn more about this company click here.  Schneiders offer a wide assortment of pens and I’m going to tell you about the ones I was sent to try out.  First, I have to confess that I am hoarder of pens and can never get enough of them!!  I could summarize these pens quickly by saying simply that they are AWESOME! 
   

Let me tell you first about the Slider Memo XB ViscoGlide Ballpoint Pens. These pens came in a pack of 4 colorful pens (green, violet, pink and orange).  When I picked up one of the Slider Memo XB Pens I was pleasantly surprised on how lightweight it actually was.  The cap fits snuggly on the top of the pen while you are busy writing!  As I gripped the barrel, it felt a little bit thicker than most of the pens I normally use.  However it felt comfortable against my fingers while I wrote.  Another important thing that I noticed was that the ink dried quickly.  Yeah!!! Sadly, these pens are not refillable! 

I also received a red Slider Memo XB ViscoGlide Ballpoint Pen.  I’m not sure why, but this pen did not seem to write like the previous Slider Memo XB Pens.  Weird.  It left small dots as I wrote on the paper.  It left me curious if it would smear when I highlighted it…so of course… I tried it out.  It did smear just a tiny bit, but just where the dots were. 

The Schneider Xpress .8 Porous Point Black Pen reminded me of writing with a felt pen…but so much better.  The ink is waterproof…and I of course had to check that claim out.  Let’s just say that you could use this pen when writing the address on an envelope to send a letter and it would remain readable for its entire journey.  Wow!  Pens have come so far.  I read that you could leave the cap off for THREE days and it would NOT dry out.  I decided I didn’t want to experiment with this pen...because I really like it!! 

The Schneider Slider Basic XB Ballpoint Pen also has the new ink technology which allows the pen to glide by writing.  The ink dries very quickly and it did not smear when I highlighted.  Yeah!!  It has a ribbed rubber grip, and is feels small after using the previous pens…but still quite comfortable to hold.

The Schneider Slider Rave XB is a retractable pen.  It also has the amazing Viscoglide ink technology that is awesome.  There are some pens that I don’t feel like I have the control when I write.  This is one of them.   I’m not sure what the difference is…but there is definitely a difference for me. 

The Slider edge 1.0 Viscoglide Black Ballpoint Pen has a three-edge barrel.  Since it has the three-edge barrel it was will probably not be rolling off of your desk.  The ink dries quickly too, which is a must for me!  It drives me nuts when I smear the ink.  I love this new Viscoglide technology!!  

That’s it!  I’m done!  It is finished!  I hope you saw something that you liked.  If so, please head on over to Shoplet.  Shoplet now offers shopper over 1,000,000 products!  I'm confident that they can help you with promotional products or office stationary.  They even have a wide selection of Medical Supplies.  


***Disclosure*** I received these pens at no charge from Shoplet.com.  In exchange I agreed to write an honest review of them.  The opinions expressed here are my own.   

Worms by Bernard Priot

This book is written from the point of view of a young child.  A young boy is forced to sit through a fancy dinner with his parents and employees of his father.  They talk about things that he doesn’t understand and he becomes quite bored! 

His father asks him to bring in the salads and he is more than happy to escape from the boredom.

When he sees the salads on the cart, in the kitchen, he suddenly has a wonderful idea on how to make things more interesting at the dinner table.

This is a humorous book which will most certainly bring a smile to the reader's face.  The illustrations are simple, but they portray animation that bring this book to life.

Disclosure:  I received this e-book from Kids Can Press through the NetGalley reviewer program free of charge. In exchange, I agreed to review this book and give my honest opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.

New Trent Airbender 1.0 - iPad Case & Keyboard

The New Trent Airbender 1.0 came packaged in a very nice heavy box, which made me eager to check it out!

When I opened the box I was pleasantly surprise by how beautiful and sleek it looked. Isn't it beautiful?

I immediately plugged in the keyboard using the USB cord that was provided. As I carefully removed my iPad out of its rubbery heavy duty case, I was pleased to see that it had protected it perfectly. My iPad looked brand new!!!

I popped my iPad into the new case with the keyboard making sure that all the cut-outs lined up with the iPad. I immediately realized there was no covering for the face of my iPad. Yikes!! I’m not sure I’m going to like this because the iPad is touching the keyboard when the case it closed. I am not happy about this at all!

Before using the keyboard with my iPad I had to pair the keyboard with my iPad. Turn it on, push the connect button... and then it does it all for you...Easy Peasy!!!

I was then ready to type. Hmmm. I have no idea why I need the keyboard. LOL!!! However, I figured it out pretty quickly.

The case is easy to close. Just lay the ipad on the keyboard and push in the silver bracket at the back of the keyboard. Then it happened... I picked up the case to put it on my nightstand...and it slid right out of my hand! Yip I dropped it!!! Luckily it dropped on my bed, so there was no damaged. This case is way too slick!! It definitely needs more of a grippy texture on the outside of the case.

When you are ready to use your iPad again all you need to do is adjust the silver bracket (there are knotches on the piece that slides in and out). Place the iPad on one of the two trays at the top of the keyboard. And then you are all ready to go again.

You don't have to worry about the keyboard shifting as you type because there are 4 rubber feet on the bottom.

Basically I love the keyboard and the idea that the case could protect my iPad, but I don't think that this particular case is sturdy or protective enough for my iPad.