Monday, December 21, 2009

HP TouchSmart 600 Giveaway at DaddyForever!


Happy Monday everyone! Just wanted to give you all a heads-up on a wonderful opportunity to enter to win the incredible HP TouchSmart 600 computer.
This awesome giveaway is being hosted by DaddyForever and you can get up to 7 entries in for this one.

You need to hurry though because the deadline to enter is Wednesday, Dec.23rd!

So get on over to DaddyForever and get those entries in!

Good Luck.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Blog Tour: A Blue and Gray Christmas by Joan Medlicott


About the book from simon&schuster.com


In this stunning holiday story, a cache of Civil War-era letters and diaries sweeps the ladies of Covington up into a dramatic and heartwarming historical saga that inspires them to plan an unforgettable Christmas for two families forever changed by war.

When a rusty old tin box is unearthed at the Covington Homestead, longtime housemates Grace, Amelia, and Hannah discover that it contains letters and diaries written by two Civil War soldiers, one Union and one Confederate.

The friends are captivated by the drama revealed. The soldiers were found dying on a nearby battlefield by an old woman. She nursed them back to health, hiding them from bounty hunters seeking deserters. At the end of the war the men chose to stay in Covington, caring for their rescuer as she grew frail. But while their lives were rich, they still felt homesick and guilty for never contacting the families they'd left behind.

Christmas is coming, and the letters inspire Amelia with a generous impulse. What if she and her friends were to find the two soldiers' descendants and invite them to Covington to meet? What better holiday gift could there be than the truth about these two heroic men and their dramatic shared fate? With little time left, the ladies spring into action to track down the men's families in Connecticut and the Carolinas, and to make preparations in Covington for their most memorable, most historic Christmas yet
.

My Thoughts:

I joined this blog tour thinking this might be a charming holiday story, but I realized a few pages into the book
that this was a flat-out good read.

After discovering a cache of old letters and diaries, three best friends, Hannah, Amelia and Grace set out to reunite the lost families of two Civil-War soldiers.

A very charming and inspiring tale that also has a sub-plot of how three "Golden Girls" reinvented their lives anew, and met the challenges that life as a Senior had brought them.

Book Tour Participants:

Books Reviews by Buuklvr81
The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object
Good Books & Wine
I Read
Rundpinne
Morbid Romantic
Book Junkie
Drey’s Library
My Book Addiction and More
Red Headed Book Child
Blog Business World
My Reading Room
Frugal Plus
Book Magic
All About {n}
The Bibliophilic Book Blog
One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books
Psychotic State
That’s a Novel Idea
My Friend Amy
Brizmus Blogs About Books
Found Not Lost
Jen’s Book Talk
The Princess and the Monkey
Marta’s Meanderings
Readaholic
Broken Teepee
Books, Books Everywhere
Books, Books, The Magical Fruit
Reading at the Beach



About the author:
Joan Medlicott was born and raised on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She lives with her husband in the mountains of North Carolina. Visit her website at www.joanmedlicott.com



Pocket, November 2009
Hardcover, 336 pages
ISBN-10: 1-4165-9735-2
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-9735-3

I received my review copy for this tour courtesy of Simon & Schuster.com


Monday, December 7, 2009

BOGO Today at EyebuyDirect.com!


L@@K!
It's 2 for the price of 1 Monday at eyebuydirect.com

You need to hurry though-this is a 24 hour only special, and the clock is ticking!
This is a great time to pick up an extra pair of prescription glasses and while you're there, check out their Deal of the Week on these great frames.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Old Gringo Boots-A Love Affair


There are boots and there are boots.
And then there are Old Gringo boots.

I've long lusted after this brand but they've always been just a tad too pricey for my limited (sigh...) shoe budget.
Even on Ebay they go like hotcakes if you can actually find a pair without a high reserve to bid on.
I have a few times, and although I pride myself on being a crafty sniper when faced with a bidding war, some wily shoe maven has always beaten me to the punch...damn her.
I finally found a fairly reasonably priced pair over at a website called 6pm.com. Actually there were a few that I liked but I chose the ones pictured above.

First off let me say that these boots are so pretty that I just want to display them somewhere so everyone can see the details.
The distressed leather is so soft and the craftsmanship that went into making these boots is just meticulous.
Now a few words about the fit.
A good fitting cowboy boot is different than what you expect or want in a regular shoe.
The foot should feel snug across the instep and will be a little loose about the heel until they are broken-in. As you break them in, the heel will naturally conform to your foot. Here is a great little guide to properly fitting a western boot.
No way in hell is your foot ever supposed to reach all the way into the toe box..can you imagine the pain?
Always buy your boot true to size. Unfortunately some people think that the classic western style boots "run big", and will order a half or full size lower than normal.
This is a common mistake.

Now as far as comfort goes my pair of Old Gringos would have been absolutely perfect if only for one important detail...the insole.
Or lack of one to be precise.

Don't get me wrong-these boots are gorgeous with leather detailing inside and out, but they have no padding whatsoever and I'm at the age where I don't care how good a shoe looks on the outside, if there is no shock-absorption in the heels and at the ball of my great toe, I won't be doing much dancing or anything else in them.

This problem was easily solved by inserting a pair of good old Dr. Scholl's foam insoles, but for the price of these boots I really wish this were not necessary.
Take Dan Post boots for example, another one of my favorite brands-their insoles are outstanding-more comfortable than sneakers in my opinion.

I don't know if this is true of all Old Gringo boots or just for the style I bought, but don't let this deter you from this brand. The more I wear them the more I love them, and I've received tons of compliments.
I'm already saving up for my next pair.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Review: Life After 187 by Wade J. Halverson


Penal Code 187:
Murder, to take the Life of another...


About the book from 187books.com

Sentenced to life in prison when he executes the men who murdered his wife, Kane Silver is singled out by the warden for his fighting ability. Along with inmates Valentino Lopez and Si’Ling Lee, Kane is drafted into service and forced to fight for money in high-stakes tournaments. But when the three friends escape during a New Year’s Eve match in Lake Tahoe—saving the warden’s life in the process—their situation becomes more complicated.



Their status undetermined, they vanish underground and sign on to help a young woman whose parents are being held by an Argentinean drug kingpin. Follow Kane and his friends as they compete and grow closer while rediscovering what it means to be free. From Lake Tahoe and the western United States to Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, and Thailand, Life After 187 takes readers on an exhilarating ride filled with big money, intense action, justice, and the pursuit of honor
.

My thoughts:

What a thrill ride! This book grabbed me right from the get-go and kept me glued to my seat with every twist and turn of the page.
The hero, Kane Silver is a charismatic figure who due to the most unfortunate of circumstances, finds himself teamed up with two ex cons, and even though the scenario was incredulous at times, the fast-paced action of their adventures has left me wanting to know more about this trio.
Bravo Mr. Halverson-this was a great read!

About the Author from 187books.com

Wade J. Halverson is the author of the 187 book series. For the past twenty years he has owned kickboxing gyms and has worked as a bodyguard. Living in Alaska, Miami, Colorado, Thailand, and Los Angeles. He currently resides in Southern California.



Readers may correspond with him at: wadehalverson@ymail.com.



Paperback: 238 pages
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation (August 4, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1441540261
ISBN-13: 978-1441540263

I received my review copy of this book courtesy of the author.