The Secret of St. Nicholas

Author's Name: Ellen Nibali

ISBN number: 978-0-9818154-0-4

Publisher: Fairland Books

The secret of St. Nicholas is a true heroic tale for Christmas. A classic story that not only gives you a better understanding of Santa Claus and St. Nicholas, but it also demonstrates what it has to do with Jesus and how the whole Christmas tradition evolved.
The story is captivating and the detailed artwork is remarkable! A must read for all ages.

The tale starts out with a young boy named Nicholas who's fascinated by Christmas. His parents share a story of how the night of wonder began.
As brave little Nicholas explores his own way into the world, he is reminded of Jesus' words, "Do good deeds in secret." What he decides to do will fill your heart with compassion and love.

A truly beautiful story— a perfect book to share with the ones you love.
Can Nicholas save three girls who are about to be sold into slavery?

A classic for future generations.

Author, Ellen Nibali works as a horticultural consultant for the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service. She loves her job educating and writing about gardening and protecting our environment, especially from non-native invasive plants. Each week her Gardening Q & A column appears in the Sun.

She and her husband Ken have three grandchildren and Maxi, a golden retriever-yellow Labrador retriever who, coincidentally, looks just like the dog in The Secret of St. Nicholas!

Illustrator, Lon Eric Craven lives in Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife and three children. He has illustrated and designed for newspapers, children's books, English language curriculum, story books, quilt books, calendars and a Scholastic magazine. He has a BFA in illustration from the University of Kansas and a Master’s degree in education from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He currently divides his time between illustrating, designing and teaching.

Reviewed by Martha Ramirez

Bookpleasures

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Your Money Or Your Life

Authors: Vicki Robin & Joe Dominguez with Monique Tilford

ISBN: number: 978-0-14-311576-2

Publisher: Penguin Books

Your Money or Your Life is a helpful book that shows you how to live an authentic productive meaningful life. Most of us are sacrificing our lives for money. We spend more than we make, on more than we need. Does "enough" feel like the horizon, always receding? This unique New York Times bestseller includes tips on 10 sure ways to save money and how to reduce expenses and the amount of time on the job. It also helps you understand your life purpose and personal money management.

It was written by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez with Monique Tilford first in 1992. This new completely revised edition features updated resources, examples of everyday life settings, and an easy to use index. Vicki has appeared on hundreds of radio and television shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, and National Public Radio's Weekend Edition and Morning Edition. She has helped launch many sustainability initiatives.

Monique Tilford has worked ten years with the Center for a New American Dream, a national non-profit that helps Americans change the way they consume, serving most recently as the organization's deputy director. She has worked nearly 20 years on environmental issues and sustainable consumption.

Joe Dominguez (1938-1997) retired at age 31 and was a successful financial analyst. He and Vicki co-founded the New Road Map Foundation.

Does it feel like you're making a dying rather than making a living? Your Money or Your Life includes a nine step plan to transform your relationship with money. By achieving financial independence you will learn how to make a more meaningful living. Learn how to manage your life while enriching your existence.

By doing steps 1-7 you will know how much you have, how much you spend, and how much of your life energy you're investing in. What is life energy? Vicki Robin goes over the importance of life energy and shows you how to retire your debts, increase your savings and live happily. You will also learn how to increase your financial integrity.

A helpful and enlightening read during this time of economic crisis, a convenient checklist guides readers to the right path.

Make your debt disappear and increase your savings is one of the few tips shown in this book.
The epilogue includes a helpful run down of the book. A cheat sheet to a more stable and financial independent life, a way of life in which you get maximum fulfillment. An invaluable message everyone can learn from.

Reviewed by, Martha Ramirez

http://www.bookpleasures.com/

Click Here To Purchase Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence: Revised and Updated for the 21st Century

Little Lamb Lost

Author: Margaret Fenton

ISBN: 978-1-933515-51-9

Publisher: Oceanview Publishing


Author, Margaret Fenton was born in Florence, Alabama, and grew up on the Gulf Coast in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Cozy Mystery writer, Anne George, encouraged Margaret to write a mystery since she loved reading them so much.

She received her B.A. in English from Newcomb College of Tulane University in New Orleans, and her Master of Social Work from Tulane. She is a breast cancer survivor and is the current President of Birmingham Chapter of Sisters Crime.

Margaret is married to her high school sweetheart and resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
Social worker Claire Conover is about to live through one of her deepest fears. What would she do if one of her clients was found dead? What can she do? She truly believed she could make a difference in the world until she received the call that changed her life forever. Detective Ed Brighton confronts Claire. "I'm sorry. Michael's dead." Images of the curly blond, blue-eyed two-year-old, Michael Hennessy rushed her mind.

She was now on a hunt to find Michael's murderer. On a quest to find answers.
Fingers start to point to Michael's mother, Ashley. But Claire isn't convinced. Ashley had sobered up and earned back custody of Michael. She worked two jobs just to make ends meet.
Mac McAlister, Claire's supervisor, has a get-over-it kind of attitude. She feels Michael is just another number to him, but for her, Michael was more than a statistic. He was a victim, someone who deserved justice. Claire becomes Michael's voice.

Did Ashley murder Michael? It just didn't seem to fit the picture. Claire becomes her own detective and questions every possibility.

Were Alexander and Karen Madison capable of murdering their own grandson? Did being owners of a huge corporation have anything to do with it?

Could it have been Zander Madison, little Michael's father? How far would he go for drugs? Would he kill his own son if his parents told him to?

Why is Al Mackey curious if Michael and Ashley have life insurance? Would he commit murder for money? Does Al's prior physical abuse have anything to do with the care of Michael's murder?

Who exactly is Jimmy Shelton, Ashley's mysterious boyfriend?
Could Flash, Ashley's ex-boyfriend have a motive for killing poor little Michael?

The possibilities are endless and Claire is about to find out the truth.

New Mystery writer Margaret Fenton keeps the questions coming, making Little Lamb Lost a riveting read. She does a fascinating job at creating a "whodunit" mystery from the get go. A truly mesmerizing tale filled with a whole lot of drama and suspense. It will leave you wanting more up until the very last page.

This is only the beginning for debut author Margaret Fenton.

Reviewed by, Martha Ramirez

www.BookPleasures.com
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The Love Response

Author's Name: Eva M.Selhub, M.D.

ISBN number: 978-0-345-50652-8

Publisher: Ballantine Books


Dr. Eva M. Selhub is an avid advocate of Mind/Body Medicine. She is the founder of Alight Medicine for Learning and Healing in Newton Massachusetts and is also a clinical instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. She has been featured in national publications and in medical journals.
Love heals. Dr. Eva Selhub’s book, The Love Response, proves it to be true. Learn how to reserve everyday fears into love.

Discover how to calm and soothe the spirit, a helpful self-help guide to a healthy mind with a wonderful bedside manner and useful tips. Dr. Selhub teaches you to move smoothly with life’s changes rather than resisting them. She shares her wisdom, her life experiences, and how she learned the antidote to stress and fear is love.

Controlling your emotions is the recipe to diminish all fears, worries, and stress. She helps guide readers to the most precious gift of all, how to control fears. She walks us through the secret of health and well-being. An excessive amount of fear becomes a problem if it occurs for too long. The Love Response includes various exercises and testimonies to help further explain how to banish fear and stress from your life. The simple act of replacing feelings with graciousness and love will enhance both your physical and mental health. Practicing important techniques such as the SHIELD and the Love Pyramid will aide you in the healing process.

Dr. Eva does a superb job at guiding you in the right direction. She fully explains the science behind being fearful and covers what symptoms to look out for such as: insomnia, tense muscles, and shallow breathing. She also gives you the tools to overcome the poison that causes these symptoms. A few questionnaires help assess how fear is controlling your life and an explanation to why the Fear Response acts as a warning system.

Let’s face it; life can get a little stressful. If you’re feeling helpless, overwhelmed, or simply overtaken by anxiety or stress, this book was written for you. Let Dr. Eva Selhub teach you your own ability to heal and how to activate the Love Response rather than letting the Fear Response overtake your life. Invite peace to your mind. Restore your inner-self. Allow the Love Response to be part of your life. Your body and mind will thank you.
A worthwhile great read!

Reviewed by, Martha Ramirez

http://www.bookpleasures.com/

Click Here To Purchase The Love Response: Your Prescription to Turn Off Fear, Anger, and Anxiety to Achieve Vibrant Health and Transform Your Life

Evil Without A Face

Author's Name: Jordan Dane

ISBN number: 978-0-06-147412-5

Publisher: Avon Books


Queen of suspense Jordan Dane has done it again with another high-stake suspense novel. Formerly an energy sales manager in the oil and gas industry, she is now following her passion to write full time. Lucky for readers who crave a well-developed plot and suspense, Evil Without a Face takes you on an intense suspense ride. An exceptional new author with talent that will captivate all readers.

Jessica Beckett is a strong-willed Chicago bounty hunter who lives on the edge and does just about anything to capture fugitives. Not only does she carry a Colt Python near her at all times, she also carries a painful secret from her past that drives her to this addiction, her personal mission, to give criminals what they deserve.

After hunting down Lucas Baker, a low life sex-peddler, she discovers he’s involved in more than she expected. Jessica uncovers an online international organization operated in secrecy. A global conspiracy named Globe Harvest.

Seth Harper, a mysterious computer whiz, helps aide Jessica through this hunt of conspiracy linked to missing teens. Though his fancy home and intellectual behavior poses curiosity for Jessica, she decides to keep him as a contact.

Former quarterback Payton Archer makes a promise to his sister. He promises to find his seventeen-year-old niece, Nikki Archer, who has been abducted by an online predator. Suspicion leads to Globe Harvest, the circle of organization that thrives on committing heinous atrocities.

The chase starts off in Chicago and leads to Alaska. Jessica won’t take no for an answer and is determined to go after Globe Harvest, even if it means risking her life. The CPD detectives make Jess a prime suspect. She counts on her best friend Detective Sam Cooper to help cover her tracks. Now not only is she on a hunt for a missing teenage girl, but she fears Globe Harvest is responsible for the abduction of Nikki Archer and many other missing girls.

Alexa Marlowe works for an organization, a private international organization that specializes in criminal cases with tough jurisdictional boundaries. But can Jess trust her? Would she regret giving the mysterious blonde the only evidence linking to Globe Harvest?

A suspense cliff-hanger with a well-developed plot, realistic exhilarating characters, and a touch of romance without the mush, what more can you ask for?

An excellent read!

Reviewed by, Martha Ramirez

http://www.bookpleasures.com/

Click Here To Purchase Evil Without a Face