Publisher: Plain Sight Publishing

Blog Book Tour | “Keep it Real and GRAB a Plunger: 25 tips for surviving #parenthood” by Julie K. Nelson

Posted Sunday, 10 May, 2015 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Sergey Zolkin.

Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “Keep It Real & Grab a Plunger” direct from the publisher Plain Sight Publishing (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

I’ve been a bit vocal over the past year as I’ve explored topical fiction and non-fiction which open the door of insight into motherhood and adoption about my own path I’m walking towards becoming a Mum through foster care adoption. I’m a Prospective Adoptive Mum as I’m gathering resources that will be beneficial to myself to read ahead of proceeding into the journey to become a mother as much as I am happily finding inspiring fiction to introduce to my future children. Not only on the merits of giving them healthy choices for adoptive literature but for Children’s Literature as a whole, as that is why I maintain an active and evolving Children’s Literature page on my bookish blog. Most of the titles originate inside my Story Vault and are then archived inside this secondary page.

I am planning to adopt multiples, as I feel led to adopt a sibling group of boys – siblings here is a bit loose and broad, as it can infer a biological connection between the boys or a friendship developed into a close-knit bond all brothers share as sometimes un-related boys grow close due to being placed in the same foster home or group home. To me, siblings is a general term and can apply both ways, especially in unconventional families where family is stitched together by heart and faith, moreso than traditionally being placed and raised in the home in which you were bourne.

What intrigued me about this particular book is how the author herself has raised five children, and I felt this might be a wicked good book to read as a future Mum of siblings!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Blog Book Tour | “Keep it Real and GRAB a Plunger: 25 tips for surviving #parenthood” by Julie K. NelsonKeep it Real and Grab a Plunger: 25 Tips for Surviving Parenthood
by Julie K. Nelson
Source: Direct from Publisher

You might suspect that a college professor, frequent parenting guest expert on tv and radio, and popular blogger like Julie K. Nelson would be immune to the realities of actual  parenting. But in fact, she's been there -- through all the late nights, huge messes, and tough moments.

Now she combines her expertise with her own experiences to reach you how to

* overcome any manipulative and authoritarian parenting tendencies

* foster your child's self-discipline, respect, and emotional maturity

* and get through the sticky stuff with grace

Humourous, insightful, and authentic, this is an entertaining and pragmatic book all parents will enjoy.

Genres: Motherhood | Parenthood, Non-Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Published by Plain Sight Publishing

on 10th March, 2015

Format: Paperback

Pages: 176

Published By: Plain Sight Publishing (@PlainSightBooks), an imprint of Cedar Fort Inc.
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse via: #KeepItRealAndGrabAPlunger

About Julie K. Nelson

Popular radio personality, university professor, author, and TV expert Julie K. Nelson combines her professional expertise with her personal experience as a mom of five in this book. Humorous, insightful, and authentic, this must-read will help you enforce rules without manipulation or coercion and addresses a wide variety of essential parenting topics.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Read More

Divider

Posted Sunday, 10 May, 2015 by jorielov in Adoption, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Trailer, Bookish Films, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Chronicles of a Prospective Adoptive Mum, Content Note, Education & Learning, Fly in the Ointment, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Journal, Memoir, Mother-Son Relationships, Motherhood | Parenthood, Non-Fiction, Siblings, Sociology, Vignettes of Real Life, Wisdom of Life Threaded in Devotions

Blog Book Tour | “My Good Friend the Rattlesnake” {stories of loss, truth, & transformation} by Don Jose Ruiz (with Tami Hudman)

Posted Tuesday, 20 January, 2015 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Sergey Zolkin.

Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “My Good Friend the Rattlesnake” direct from the publisher Plain Sight Publishing (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

In the mid to late 1990s and a page or two afield into the early 2000s, I was a reader who loved joining book clubs! Yet, these weren’t the book clubs where you would sit around and have thoughtfully enriched bookish discussions about what you were currently reading! No, these were the mail-order book clubs where you could purchase hardback novels and/or non-fiction titles at a discount. I must’ve joined nearly every club that was available as I am such an eclectic reader my tastes are quite diversified as you can gather a bit of the scope of this statement by visiting my Story Vault!

One of the clubs I had joined back then was “One Spirit” where you could gather books on Spirituality & Metaphysics as well as healthy eating, self-help towards self-fulfillment of a better balanced life, as well as other curious books such as the long lost art of ‘old world arts & crafts’ and a variety of other specialty niche areas of literature. They had a lovely selection of World Religions and Philosophical non-fiction releases as well, which truly interested me.

Around the time I was participating in the book clubs, I came across Don Jose Ruiz’s father, Don Miguel Ruiz and the book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom of which I am quite certain I received through my club membership of “One Spirit”! I had it in mind to follow-up with new releases as much as keep an eye on what would come next out of his career, however, as life has a funny way of ebbing you away from things that you care about, I somehow managed to lose track of the Ruiz family! When I came across this particular blog tour, it felt as though I received a second chance to re-connect with them and pick up from whence I had left off!

 Don Miguel Ruiz’s Favorite of The Four Agreements | Super Soul Sunday |

Oprah Winfrey Network via OWN TV

As I have mentioned several times throughout my blog on different posts, I have a strong connection to Mexico (as I spent a considerable amount of time exploring ancient ruins) as much as I do to Native American culture, traditions, and spirituality. I had previously disclosed that I appreciated the friendship a Cherokee Indian had given to me as a young girl whilst browsing his art gallery and book shoppe. His stories are not as clearly remembered now as they were then, but his kindness to share his spirit and his culture with me has endured the most. There are cross-similarities between the cultural traditions and spiritualities I found in Mexico to the Native Americans in the United States, which keep me quite wicked happy to continue to read and expand my knowledge of both!

Blog Book Tour | “My Good Friend the Rattlesnake” {stories of loss, truth, & transformation} by Don Jose Ruiz (with Tami Hudman)My Good Friend the Rattlesnake (Stories of Loss, Truth, and Transformation)
by Don Jose Ruiz
Source: Direct from Publisher

Every Life is a New Journey

Navigate your personal path with spiritual advisor and bestselling author don Jose Ruiz. This collection of short stories teaches how to find your way and discover yourself in the process.

From Rattlesnakes and Rebellion to swamis and shamans, these stories will shape how you see the world around you and your own road through it.

Genres: Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Spirituality & Metaphysics



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Published by Plain Sight Publishing

on Halloween, 2014

Format: Paperback

Pages: 120

Published By: Plain Sight Publishing (@PlainSightBooks), an imprint of Cedar Fort Inc.
Converse via: #MyGoodFriendTheRattlesnake
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

About Don Jose Ruiz

In 2010, don Jose Ruiz released his first book, The Fifth Agreement, in partnership with his father, don Miguel Ruiz. Following its publication don Jose began travelling around the US, Mexico, and South America. Don Jose inspires people in many different ways, including book signings, lectures, seminars, and hosting journeys to Teotihuacan and other sacred sites around the world.

Among the highlights, don Jose has been asked to speak at conferences such as Conversations Among Masters, Celebrate Your Life, and the Conscious Life Expo. At these conferences, he has spoken alongside Dr. Wayne Dryer, Reverend Michael Beckwith, Caroline Myss, and Gregg Bradden. He has been interviewed by many notable media publications, including the Los Angeles Times , Univision, Fox News, and Eckhart Tolle Television. Don Jose has also inspired many corporate entities by using the five agreements to enhance positive rapport among employees and inspire creativity linked with common sense.

Don Jose's message has been heard all over the United States, Mexico, Europe, Israel, Japan, and South America. His journeys to sacred sites have also been translated into many different languages, including Spanish, French, and German.

Don Jose's message and The Fifth Agreement are growing rapidly and being shared around the world. His message changes lives and brings people closer to themselves than ever before. His passion is to help children stay away from gangs and drugs by developing healthy outlets, such as music, as well as other creative avenues. He will continue to share the wisdom of his family lineage through his own life experiences. Don Jose enjoys working with people of all faiths and cultures. He sees all men and women as equals and feels it's a blessing to be alive.

A beautiful prologue writ out of a father’s love for his son:

My Good Friend the Rattlesnake opens quite uniquely from Don Miguel Ruiz’s perspective on how his son entered his life and changed his world all at the same time! As I had recently blogged about my own close-knit family whilst embracing Andra Watkin’s journey through Not Without My Father I must confess, whilst reading this elocution of a father’s love for his son, echoes of my own Mum’s fond reflections on behalf of myself stirred inside my spirit!

I appreciated getting to become re-acquainted with the Ruiz family whilst seeing that my own family is not the only one who has survived a major accident without any repercussions except for what the mind remembers and what the soul has learnt outside of the moment it occurred.

My Review of My Good Friend the Rattlesnake:

I hadn’t realised that by blogging my experience in Teotihuacan ahead of reading the opening chapters of My Good Friend the Rattlesnake would in effect, be my own way of including an antidote that strikes a direct chord with one of the affirmations Don Jose Ruiz is sharing about his own life and experiences! About how to live through a moment where fear might strive to overtake your mind and how you can choose the outcome of that moment by the actions that stem out of your reactions to how what is happening is affecting you. 

A cardinal truth I have known about since I was quite young is that it is the will of what we can accomplish can create a daring ability to achieve what might at first be felt as being impossible to do at all. The will we have to create necessity out of moments in our lives where fortitude of spirit, heart, and mind act to enable us to achieve what we need to do rather than to succumb to impossibility of what cannot happen at all. A lot of life is taken on faith and perceived with a mindfulness to notice the little measures of where grace and faith intercede on our own paths. Read More

Divider

Posted Tuesday, 20 January, 2015 by jorielov in 21st Century, Animals in Fiction & Non-Fiction, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Films, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Cultural & Religious Traditions, Equality In Literature, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Interviews Related to Content of Novel, Modern Day, Non-Fiction, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Spirituality & Metaphysics, Vignettes of Real Life, World Religions

Blog Book Tour | “A Boy back from HEAVEN” (a true story) by Celeste & Matthew Goodwin

Posted Friday, 16 January, 2015 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Sergey Zolkin.

Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “A Boy back from Heaven” direct from the publisher Plain Sight Publishing (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

Heaven is for Real was a book I was going to read until my Mum read it ahead of me, and we decided that it was simply a heap more fun to converse what the contents were about than for both of us to read it separately! This is something that we have done for quite a long while (years truly!), as we like to experience the stories we find through the way in which we each re-tell the heart of what was inside the books! We get into these wicked stellar fireside chats, including whilst out and about at coffeehouses where it is not unlikely for people to overhear our conversation and believe we’re speaking about those who are living rather those that are writ in a fictional world! Laughs. Except in this case, the boy truly did live and have an experience of Heaven which the world has since embraced.

For Heaven is for Real, it was one of a succession of books we were discovering about walks in Heaven, as ahead of this one, we had learnt of The Five People You Meet in Heaven which is the book my Da read prior to the televised adaptation which we all watched together. This was quite lovely as Da took the reins to lead the discussion before the film started, and then afterwards we all reflected on what was in the adaptation and the wider scope of the story itself. 90 Minutes in Heaven was quite a bit more intense, which is why I opted not to read it personally, but I did see the film adaptation and I must confess it is not for the faint of heart, as the emotions are quite epic but well placed.

There are times in my life where I find myself able to drink in a hard-hitting story through a film adaptation a bit easier than a book — in part, because I have an empathic heart who is sensitive to the lives others have led and the circumstances that have given them trauma. Even good trauma is hard to read at times because your still connected through your heart to what the other person lived. Other times, such as seeing A Boy back from Heaven coming up on tour, felt like one I could handle whilst reading.

What inspires me the most about all of these stories, is how convicting they are as conjoined memories of a place that not all of us are able to see ahead of time but how their memories become stitched together in ways that are truly a key to how Heaven isn’t as far away nor as unimaginable to believe as some might think. I love these stories because they speak to the root of the human condition and to the human’s acceptance of what cannot yet be seen but what is plausible and accepted on faith. I truly believe that each of our stories has a measure of importance for each person who picks them up; as we never truly know how many lives we can touch simply by having shared our story with someone else.

Stories are our lifeblood as much as they are way of communicating ideas; the true stories stitch a special thread into our connective tapestry and give us a grounding of where we are and where we can go next. It is part of how we understand our humanity as much as it is a beautiful uplift of reflective narrative on how each of us has so much to learn and gain simply by embracing the life we’ve been given to walk.

Blog Book Tour | “A Boy back from HEAVEN” (a true story) by Celeste & Matthew GoodwinA Boy back from Heaven (a true story)
by Celeste Goodwin
Source: Direct from Publisher

"Mommy, are you sure you're not mad that I didn't want to come back?"

Celeste and Billy Goodwin sighed in deep relief when their four-year-old son, Matthew, finally came to consciousness after critical surgery. But just when they seemed to be in the clear, Matthew's eyes rolled back in his head, and he became unresponsive for several harrowing minutes.

Doctors called the episode a medical anomaly, but what really happened can only be described as a miracle. When Matthew returned, it was with a perspective and wisdom about life and love that was far beyond his years. Experience the serenity of heaven through a child's eyes as you read Matthew's true account of his walk with angels and his shocking revelation months later about the angels' identities.

Not to be confused with a similar title:

The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven by Alex Malarkey (info)

Genres: Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Memoir, Non-Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Published by Plain Sight Publishing

on 11th March, 2014

Format: Paperback

Pages: 126

Published By: Plain Sight Publishing (@PlainSightBooks), an imprint of Cedar Fort Inc.
Converse via: #ABoyBackFromHeaven
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

About Celeste Goodwin

Celeste Goodwin, pediatric hypertension advocate, is a Christian speaker, patient advocacy presenter, national award-winning mom, and founder of the National Pediatric Blood Pressure Awareness Foundation. Her passion to help others is evident by the dynamic presentations in which she uses humor and her love of God to encourage change. Through her writing and speaking, Celeste encourages others to never lose faith and to always rely on the power of prayer. She ignites thought provoking transformations in the hearts and minds of those she communicates with. Her effectiveness is evident by the honors she has received, such as being selected by Disney owned Babble.com, as one of 2011’s Top 100 Moms Changing the World in the education division. Celeste was honored as Baton Rouge City Social Magazine’s January 2012 Extraordinary Woman. Celeste has appeared on local and regional news, radio, and television programs. She has also been featured in varying print media.

Read More

Divider

Posted Friday, 16 January, 2015 by jorielov in 21st Century, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Based on an Actual Event &/or Court Case, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Medical Fiction, Memoir, Modern Day, Non-Fiction, Nurses & Hospital Life, Post-911 (11th September 2001)