Alienation by Jon Lewis - Book Review and Giveaway

Alienation (A C.H.A.O.S. Novel)

About the book:

After his parents were killed in a car accident, Colt McAllister was drawn into a world he thought only existed in comic books-one where mind control, jet packs, and flying motorcycles don't even scratch the surface.

Along with his best friends Oz and Danielle, Colt is now training at the secret Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural academy. But strange accidents seem to follow him. . . even with the security of the school grounds. What first seems random soon turns deadly. But who is targeting Colt?

As the alien invasions increase in frequency and force, C.H.A.O.S resources are taxed to the limit and they're forced to utilize the new recruits. In the midst of battle, Colt will discover some startling revelations . . . about himself, his friendship with Oz, and why he has been chosen to defeat this alien attack against earth.

About  Jon:

Jon S. Lewis is the coauthor of the Grey Griffins trilogy (over 500,000 books in print) and the upcoming Grey Griffins Clockwork Chronicles. He also writes for the DC COMICS family of publishers. He resides with his family in Arizona. 

For more about Jon and the series, visit www.chaosnovels.com. 

Win an iPad from @JonSLewis and @NelsonFiction in the Alienation iPad2 Giveaway!

The invasion was only the beginning! Jon Lewis is celebrating the next adventure in his fast-paced C.H.A.O.S. series with an explosive giveaway!

One thrill-seeker will receive:

• iPad2 with Wi-Fi
• Copies of the C.H.A.O.S. novels, Invasion and Alienation

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on February 7th. Winner will be announced at the Alienation Facebook Party on 2/7. Jon will be hosting an Author Chat, giving away copies of the books and gift certificates to iTunes and Amazon.com! Don't miss a second of the intrigue!

Grab your copy of Alienation and join Jon on the evening of February 7th for an author chat, spy training (How much do you know about alien invaders?) and lots of giveaways. 

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!


REVIEW by Guitar Babe, 16 


Two weeks ago, one of my mom's books arrived for her review. I was glad to see that it was something for me this time. It didn't take me long to finish the Alienation (A C.H.A.O.S. Novel) because I found it very interesting. It reminded me a lot of another series that I love to read - the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series. They had some similarities in that both Colt McAllister and Percy Jackson were young boys close in age. Colt was injected by alien blood while Percy is the son of a Greek god and a human mother. Both boys used to live the normal lives of teenage boys until they found out the truth about their parents.  

Jon Lewis wrote a great story in Alienation. I was kept on my toes all throughout the book as if I was right there with Colt. I appreciated the light Biblical references which is just right for teenagers. I can only point to one thing that I didn't like - that is when the characters are talking, it's written in such a way that it's not very clear who is saying what.  However, I did find this book very interesting and am looking forward to the next books in the series. I would recommend Alienation (A C.H.A.O.S. Novel) to my friends and share with them that this is a highly enjoyable read.


Read more reviews here: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13451655


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my blog readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guidelines concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Serenity for Your Soul – Eternal Encouragement’s Newsletter – A Gabby Mom’s Review

I’ve been writing about Lorrie Flem and The Eternal Encouragement Magazine since last year, 2011. This year, I’m blessed to continue reviewing for Eternal Encouragement once more so you can expect  to read about more great products designed for mothers. Whether, you are a homeschooling mom, a SAHM, a WHAM, or even a working mom, the teachings of Lorrie Flem will benefit each one of us in many ways.

Serenity for Your Soul is Eternal Encouragement’s newsletter that comes to your email inbox once or twice weekly. These are little bites of wisdom and encouragement for the mother.

I like Serenity for your Soul because it is short and sweet, it can be read in as little as five minutes - great for all busy moms out there who doesn’t have the luxury of time to read and read. Lorrie Flem will make you laugh as she looks at some funny items in her life. For instance, her new diet is to switch her body wash to her dishwashing liquid because it “dissolves fat that is otherwise difficult to remove.”

The newsletter, of course, includes a short devotion that includes a Bible verse for us to meditate on. I really like the devotions because it usually points to something relevant in my life as a busy mom. And when moms get together, don’t we usually share recipes that we love? Serenity for Your Soul includes an easy recipe that we can try out in our own kitchens.

If you feel like you need a shot of encouragement in the middle of the week as you live your life as a mom, sign up for this FREE newsletter to receive this in your email inbox. To sign up, all you need to do is:

1. Go to the Eternal Encouragement website     http://www.eemagazine.com/

2. Scroll down to the middle of the site till you see “Sign Up for Our Newsletter”

3. Fill in your name and email and click subscribe.

That’s it!

Disclosure: This newsletter is free for everybody. I am writing this review as part of The Gabby Moms program for Eternal Encouragement Magazine.

THE EARTH Its Structure and Its Changes by Tom DeRosa & Carolyn Reeves – A Homeschool Elementary Science Book Review

Today’s homeschool review is a Science book that Artsy Princess is currently studying - The Earth: Its Structure and Its Changes (Investigate the Possibilities: Elementary Earth Science) by Tom DeRosa and Carolyn Reeves published by Master Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing Group. I was given a free PDF copy of the textbook, the Teacher’s Guide and Student Journal. This review is for the textbook only. I will write another review for The Teacher’s Guide and Student Journal.

First off, I want to say that this Science book is unlike any textbook I have seen so far. Though I don’t claim to have seen them all, I know that this one is different because of the way it is arranged. Every chapter is called an Investigation thereby conditioning the child to think that this is not just mere studying of a textbook, it is learning by experience and discovery. Each investigation is only about 5 pages long. This book has 20 investigations that can be finished in 20 weeks. Every page is filled with colorful pictures that serve to pique the learner’s interest even more. Furthermore, the experiments always come with pictures of the procedure or the outcome, which is a big help to me and my student.

Every Investigation has seven parts:


Think about this (Engage) – Usually a very short excerpt of young children discussing the current topic. This arouses the child’s curiosity and reminds them of what they already know of the topic.


The Investigative Problem(s) – This part asks a question or two about the topic so that students know what they should be watching out for.

Gather These Things – Lists down everything needed for the experiment. I do wish that there is a central list for all the things needed to conduct all the experiments. The good thing about this is that most, if not all, of the things needed are easily obtainable from general stores.


Procedures and Observations (Investigate) – Here’s where the fun part begins – the experiment or science activity. The instructions given are very easy to follow. Here is where they will begin to observe what is happening.

Here’s one of Artsy Princess’ activity

The Science Stuff (Explain) – This section explains what just happened during the Procedures and 


Observations part. The book is arranged so that the students always conduct the experiment or investigation first before reading The Science Stuff.


Making Connections (Apply) – This part explains further how this can be applied to real life situations. Learning cannot really be made permanent without learning its application in real life.


Dig Deeper (Expand) – This is an optional section that a student can choose to do if the topic is interesting for him. Another way to use this is to have the older student do more research on the project.


What Did You Learn? (Assess) – By its name, you know that this is the part that quizzes the student on what she has learned.

We have not yet finished The Earth: Its Structure and Its Changes (Investigate the Possibilities: Elementary Earth Science) but have learned so much already. We like that its format makes it easy to follow along. It is designed for students in Grades 3-8 so this is great material for those who have multi-level children. The authors have a creationist point of view which makes it ideal for Christian families.

You can see an excerpt of this book here.

You can buy this book here:

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my blog readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guidelines concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Antidote to Anxiety Pt. 2

Last Monday, I wrote about the best antidote to worrying that is found in Philippians 4:6-7. In meditating more about this, I came to realize that worrying is a sign of my distrust in the Lord’s sovereignty. We have to remember that even if we go through trials and distress in our lives, it is still all a part of God’s will for us.

Sounds unbelievable, right? But remember the story of Joseph? His brothers attempted to kill him. Failing to do this, his brothers sold him as a slave to be brought to Egypt. In Egypt, he worked for a successful man whose wife desired him. Because of his faith in God, he ran away from the wife when she tried to seduce him. In revenge, the wife accused him of trying to rape him. He was thrown in prison for so many years. After years in prison, he was asked by the Pharaoh to interpret his dreams. After he was able to accurately interpret the Pharaoh’s dreams, he was made Governor of Egypt by the governor, in charge of collecting goods for the coming famine. At the end of the story, when his brothers finally faced him and admitted their sin, Joseph told them that they are forgiven, that what they intended for evil, the Lord used it for good. You can read the whole story of Joseph in Genesis 37, 39-45.

I ended last Monday with Philippians 4:7 which says

And the peace of God,

which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

As Dr. John MacArthur explains it in the MacArthur Study Bible, peace of God means “Inner calm or tranquility is promised to the believer who has a thankful attitude based on unwavering confidence that God is able and willing to do what is best for His children.”

I believe that Joseph had that peace of God in him as he went through years of hardship. That peace enabled him to do good work everywhere he went. When Potiphar bought him as a slave, he worked diligently until he became Potiphar’s trusted right hand. When he was thrown into prison, he again showed good attitude and leadership so that the chief of the prison guards put him in charge of the prisoners. Finally, when he was proclaimed governor by the Pharaoh, he did a very good job of collecting food and supplies so that all of Egypt did not suffer during the famine.

When we finally learn to accept everything, even our difficulties and trials, as part of God’s will, to rejoice and thank the Lord for all things, to be persistent in prayer, there will be such calm that will descend upon us. I’ve experienced this myself many, many times. Such peace overcomes me I can’t explain it. I only know that it is from the Lord. And this peace continues to guard my heart and my mind through many trials that come. Not only that, just like Joseph, this calm will also lead us to overcome our trials and even be victorious by the grace of our good Lord.

The Ambition by Lee Strobel – Book Review

SYNOPSIS (taken from the book): 
The Ambition: A Novel by Lee Strobel 
A routine mob hit lights the fuse on a an explosive collision of ambition and deception inside the Windy City’s corridors of power. Drawing on his years as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, bestselling author Lee Strobel reveals an insider’s tale of power politics, and payoffs as current as today’s headlines.


When a down-on-his-luck lawyer is coerced into bribing a judge to fix an upcoming mob trial, he secretly tapes the exchange to protect himself. After the dirty judge becomes a finalist for an open U.S. Senate seat, the incriminating tape isn’t the only thing standing in his way. Pastor-turned-politician Eric Snow is determined to use his suburban megachurch as a launching pad for securing the Senate appointment. And newspaper Garry Strider threatens to uncover both candidates’ secrets in an investigation that may cost him his life.


Strobel weaves these edgy characters into an intricate thriller set within a gleaming suburban megachurch, a big-city newspaper struggling for survival, and the shadowy corridors of political intrigue. The riveting climax is as unforgettable as the contract killing that punctuates the opening scene.


MY REVIEW:


The Ambition: A Novel by Lee Strobel  is one of the reasons why I love Christian fiction. Not only that, it is way better than other secular fiction books in this genre. Lee Strobel writes a novel woven with political intrigue, violence, deceit driven by ambition and greed.

What makes it the better fiction compared to fiction novels of the same genre are the Christian characters of this story. When I was younger, I used to wonder what a good book will be like if written from a Christian’s point of view.  Let’s say some of the characters are Christians struggling in this world.

Here’s one novel that answers that question. The character of Eric Snow, a megachurch preacher who set his sights on a Senate seat, show the struggles of a man who used to be so zealous in serving the Lord, whose heart is now focused on achieving his ambition. He is surrounded by people who try to give him the ‘best’ advice.
                                                                                                                                                                   


Then there’s Garry strider, a cynical journalist who is living with a woman who decides to pursue her faith in Jesus Christ. In her desire to obey the Lord’s will, she makes major changes in their relationship that drives Garry Strider to Eric Snow’s church to investigate this newfound faith. His goal is to uncover some scandal happening in the church to prove that Eric Snow is a fraud.

Providing the suspense and violence of the story is dirty Judge Reese McKelvie. With the mob as his back-up, he runs after the same Senate seat that Eric Snow is after.

This is quite the fantastic story written by bestselling author Lee Strobel.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my blog readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guidelines concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Cooper and Me and the Winter Adventure by Monique & Alexa Peters – Children’s Book Review

COOPER AND ME AND THE WINTER ADVENTURE BY Monique & Alexa Peters is the story of two dogs - Cooper and Bella. During winter, when they saw the mounds of snow outside their house, both decide to go sledding.

They enjoyed playing in the snow so much they didn’t realize that they’ve gone so far away from their homes. Upon seeing that they were lost, both thought of the best way to find their way home. First they waited, maybe for someone to come by, until it was about to get dark. Bella knew they had to get home before dark, so they decide to let out loud and long howls.

After some time of straining to hear, they hear the sound of a dog barking loudly. They followed the barks until they found their way into their neighborhood. As it turns out, it was another friend dog, Trooper, who decides to help them find their way by barking continuously. They are happy to find their way home.


MY REVIEW:

My children and I definitely enjoyed reading this book. Especially because it is written in rhyme and can be read in a sing-song manner. The book  is about getting lost and how to find your way home. Though it is not explicitly said, the book shows what to do when children get lost.

First, they must not panic. They should learn to wait awhile for an adult to possibly come back for them. If no adult shows up, they can then try to find their way by asking for help.

As with the first Cooper and Me book that I reviewed before, the back of the book presents lessons to teach children further about the subject. There is the ‘Information About Me!’ page where a child can write down her complete information, such as her complete name, her parents’ or guardian’s names, their address and phone numbers.

Then there is the ‘Life Lesson’ section that further talks about how a child can possibly get lost while playing with friends. The ‘Connections’ asks a few questions of the child to allow the child to think through the story and lesson and make decisions when she is lost.

There are two pages of ‘Learning Together’. This section talks about the story with questions that the parent can ask the child.  COOPER AND ME AND THE WINTER ADVENTURE is definitely a must-read for parents who want to teach their children about personal safety and what to do when they get lost.

This book is available for sale at the Cooper and Me website for only $12.99.

GIVEAWAY!!!

Beyond The Silver and The Gold is hosting a giveaway for COOPER AND ME AND THE WINTER ADVENTURE. One hardbound copy will be given to one of my blog readers.

This time I am going to make this very, very simple because I don’t have much access to the internet. All you have to do if you want to win is to POST A COMMENT. Leave us a tip on what you teach your child/ren do when they get lost. That’s it!

This GIVEAWAY  begins today and will run till January 27, 2012.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it 

on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally 

and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance 

with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the 

Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty & The Cure by Lorrie Flem – A Gabby Moms Review

Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty and The Cure by Lorrie Flem is published by Eternal Encouragement Magazine. This is a short ebook that looks at the most common reasons why mothers resort to yelling at their children or husbands. It gives a view of how yelling affects our loved ones, and offers practical suggestions on how we can stop yelling. Interspersed throughout the book are Bible verses that we can meditate on to further help us overcome this nasty habit. Testimonies by real-life moms, also spread throughout the book, help us more to relate to this teaching.

MY REVIEW:

Growing up, I was surrounded by a family that yelled at every small infarction. It was like walking on eggs everyday, afraid to make even a small mistake, for fear of being yelled at. I was the youngest in our family. I had a dad and three older sisters who yelled all the time. It’s no wonder, then, that when I became a mother I also yelled at my children.

It was my children’s look of bewilderment, fear and forgiveness afterwards that made me want to change. It definitely isn’t easy. After 16 years of motherhood, I still have to work through my own triggers to yelling. There’s been much improvement, by the grace of God, but the bickering and whining still gets to me.

Although there are already a lot of changes in me, I still succumb once in a while to yelling. After I yell at my children and know that I’ve hurt them, it just brings me to my knees in prayer to ask the Lord for forgiveness for hurting His child and to ask Him for grace to continue changing.

I have learned much after reading Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty and The Cure by Lorrie Flem. One of the most important things I learned is that there are things that trigger the yelling. When you recognize your triggers then you can plan ahead so that you can either avoid those triggers, or control your response to triggers.

What is most important to remember, according to Lorrie Flem, is to start the day worshipping and praying to God. Allowing Him to work through your life to prepare you for the day.

This ebook is especially great for homeschool and stay-at-home moms who are with their children 24/7. It’s also good for working moms who come home tired after a full day’s work. Well, it’s good for all moms to read, in general!

Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty and The Cure by Lorrie Flem is available as a downloadable ebook from the Eternal Encouragement website for $12.97.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this product as a part of The Gabby Moms in exchange for this review.