Wonderland Revisited Book Review

06 May, 2010 by in wonderland revisited and the games alice played there 1 comment

published November 1st 2009 by Evertype (first published 2009)
details Paperback, 136 pages
isbn 1904808344
3 stars
Excerpt from Goodreads…“Excuse me,” said Alice to a small grey Mouse in red shorts. “What precisely is a custard race?” — Did Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass leave you yearning for more? Join Alice on a new journey and meet the extraordinary inhabitants of Wonderland, both familiar and new. If your bed turned into a boat, and you found yourself “drifting off” in an entirely unexpected manner, how would you find your way home? The Jack of Diamonds says it’s Alice’s own fault for being fast asleep — had she slept more slowly, she wouldn’t be so far from home! The Red Queen, the Mah-jong Dragons, even the Red King’s Gamekeeper, all seem helpful enough at first — but things never quite turn out the way Alice hopes! Brimming with word-play, nonsense verse, and a cast of eccentric characters each with a unique and peculiar logic, this tale is faithful to the style of the originals, picking up the pen where Lewis Carroll put it down. Be swept away on a torrent of humour and madness. Alice is back!
Most of you can probably guess from my past giveaways, that I am a big Alice in Wonderland fan! Keith Sheppard contacted me about reviewing his book, a take off from the Lewis Carroll series. Mr. Sheppard wrote Wonderland revisited and the Games Alice played there” for his daughter who was forever asking him more about ALice and her world. He takes us to Wonderland via a bed with a spoon and her pet puppy comes along. I enjoyed all of the plays on words and sharp humor. The reader will meet a unicorn, owl, dragons, frogs, a mole, the Queen of Hearts and a gardener along the journey. And will be taught old and new games. Now if she could only figure our how to get back home…Nothing is quite the same in twisted Wonderland! I would recommend it for Alice fans and gave it three stars!

Stamped Necklace Giveaway -My Belle Boutique

05 May, 2010 by in etsy, my belle boutique 21 comments

Todays’ handmade ETSY giveaway is from seller My Belle Boutique

“I do what I LOVE & that is being a stay-at-home mom. My second love is making handmade creations for my shop. By supporting My Belle Boutique you help me be able to stay home & watch my kids grow up. Thank you to all my awesome customers! You’re the best!

“Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life” – Sophocles HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Description
Personalize this circle-shaped disc with your initial {first or last!}. There is alse a silver puffy heart charm, as well as a pearl charm, hung on a 16″ silver plated fine {1.2 mm} ball chain.

This beautifully customized necklace would make a PERFECT gift! You can give this to your significant other, sister, mother, grandmother, or mother-in-law! A handmade gift always mean a lot to the person receiving it 🙂

This necklace comes in its own box wrapped with ribbon, ready to be given as a gift! Please keep in mind this necklace is hand-crafted causing slight variations in letter placement, adding character and individuality to your piece. Please allow up to 7 business days for this to be created before it is shipped out. Of course, if you need it sooner, just let me know!

To Enter To Win a handmade neckalce: leave your name and email address below
additional entries
+20 for any donation to Chile relief shipping efforts via Paypal at heatoddgardner@yahoo.com or cash, check via snail mail
+3 visit her and our etsy shops and heart them http://www.etsy.com/shop/kikiwags and http://www.etsy.com/shop/littleredreads
+3 follow our blog on right sidebar
+2 for each retweet @fireicephotos-leave the link
+5 for a blog post, facebook link or sidebar post- leave the link
Total your entries and leave the total below.
Contest ends June 5, 2010 and is open Internationally
Good Luck …Buena Suerte!

Mormon Mishaps and Mischief Blog Tour

05 May, 2010 by in giveaway, mormon mishaps and mischief, Nichole Giles, your LDS radio 5 comments

published December 1st 2009 by Cedar Fort, Inc. (first published 2009)

details Paperback, 112 pages

isbn 1599552973
4 stars
Ward meetings have never been so funny!

This collection of humorous anecdotes from celebrated LDS authors shows off Church members at their finest. From primary pranks to cheeky comments made by Zion’s youth to high priests hijinx, no age group is immune to the potential for humor.

Though it may not be in the official Word of Wisdom, laughter really is the best medicine. Whether you’re a senior missionary, or an eight-year-old graduating to senior primary, you’re bound to get a kick out of these silly stories.

Read about:

*The preschooler who was afraid of being eaten by ‘Sunbeans

* Establishing Zion in Cougar Stadium

*The ‘oddmonition’ of Paul

*The 14th article of faith

*Doing battle with the “Laman Knights”

*A young women outing that almost landed the class behind bars…and lots more!

Perfect for those long Sunday afternoons, Mormon Mishaps and Mischief will keep your family laughing all week long!

I received a signed copy of this book for review after meeting the authors at Authorpalooza at Barnes and Noble. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints…and for some reason I think people visualize the Mormons as very serious people. We laugh and have fun laughing at ourselves just like everyone else! Life throws us many hilarious curve balls. And here they are all caught in one precious book. I loved this book because I could take it with me to soccer games or in the car when I had lulls. Each story is just a quick little blurb that can bring a snicker to your day. I have been there in so many of the situations, children taking off clothes during church or repeating something that ought not to be repeated. The authors did a wonderful compilation and I gave it four stars!



The Mormon Mishaps and Mischief Giveaway and Blog Tour!


In celebration of Mothers, and all they do for us, Mormon Mishaps authors C.L. Beck and D.N. Giles have put together a giveaway in conjunction with a week-long blog tour. If you aren’t interested in winning a fantastic advertising package valued at $150, you can stop reading now.

Wait, you’re still reading. That must mean you want to hear about our prize package, correct? Well. Okay then. First a little about our sponsors


yourLDSneighborhood.com is an online shopping mall which features innovative products and LDS-based services, and great ideas for your home, all without the worries of questionable content. Shopping categories include Clothing, Music, Preparedness, Family Entertainment, Scrapbooking, Books and Art, Health and Food, Travel and Recreation, Weddings and more! Visit yourLDSneighborhood.com today.


Your LDS Neighborhood Newsletter is a free online newsletter that comes three times a week right to your email inbox. It provides topical stories and insights that set the tone for your day. The newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources, and interviews from around the world, all with an LDS focus. Sign up today by clicking here!


YourLDSradio.com commits to bringing you the best in LDS Music – all day, every day and it is totally FREE to listen! Make them your web-surfing companion. It’s free and easy to use and makes for the perfect online companion. Listen for yourself at yourLDSradio.com!


Now for the prize!
Your LDS Neighborhood has offered a YEAR LONG advertising package which includes space on the Neighborhood website as well as tiles in the newsletter. Were you to purchase advertising with them, this package would cost $150.

Here’s the best part. You don’t have to be LDS to advertise with the Neighborhood. As long as the business, blog, or product you’re promoting is family friendly, this advertising package will benefit you. Neighborhood ads are viewed daily around the globe, and by thousands of people.

So how do you win?

Entries will be accepted between May 4th and midnight, MST, May 16th. On May 17th, (or as close there about as possible) the winners will be chosen and announced on the LDS Humor blog. Although it’s not required for entry, please take a minute to read the Mormon Mishaps and Mischief review/interview I’ve posted. Then, you must do the following four things to enter (but don’t worry, they aren’t hard):

1. Follow my blog, here.

2. Leave a comment here, at this blog.

3. Follow the LDS Humor blog.

4. Follow the Your LDS Neighborhood Newsletter blog.



Extra entries:


1. Blog about this contest, then come back and leave either a url address or a link in a comment.

2. Follow me on Twitter. (Bloggers, you can hyperlink this to your twitter page if you’d like, or include your twitter username.) And then tweet the contest. (Make sure to mention this in a comment.)

3. Facebook the contest. If your Facebook page is private, and I’m not your friend, I can’t see that you’ve done this, so you’ll need to friend me.(Same goes here.) Be sure to leave the link to where you’ve FB’d the contest in a comment.

All of these options can be mentioned in a single comment, and you can enter at all the participating blogs, as long as you follow and leave a comment for those bloggers so they know you love them.

You may enter this contest here, as well as on any of the tour posts at the following blogs:

May 4th Rachelle Christensen

May 4th Shirley Bahlmann

May 5th Karlene Browning

May 5th Heather Gardener, Fire and Ice Book Reviews

May 6th Kellie Buckner

May 6th Rachel Rager

May 7th Shauna Chambers

May 7th Heather Justesen

May 10th LDS Humor Blog

May 10th Keith Fisher

May 11th Tristi Pinkston

May 11th Rebecca Talley

May 12th Taffy Lovell

May 12th Kimberly Job

May 13th Connie Hall

May 13th Ali Cross

To purchase Mormon Mishaps and Mischief click here.

Southern Princess Dark Divine Giveaway

04 May, 2010 by in etsy, giveaway, southern princess, the Dark Divine Leave a comment

Southern Princess book blog, author Bree Despain and I have teamed up for an awesome giveaway of The Dark Divine swag!

Go enter here: http://princesscourtneysbarr.blogspot.com/2010/05/spread-awesome-author-spotlight-bree.html for the interview and the goods!

And see all of your prize choices in our TDD inspired collection on Etsy

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HeatherZahnGardner?section_id=6659066

Mom’s Monday Zan-Gah Review

03 May, 2010 by in book giveaway, book review, middle reader, YA prehistoric fiction, zan gah 14 comments

published July 15th 2007
by Earthshaker Books
details Paperback, 160 pages
isbn 0979035708
3 stars
Product Description from Amazon.com
The hero, Zan-Gah seeks his lost twin in a savage prehistoric world, encountering suffering, captivity, conflict, love, and triumph. In three years, Zan-Gah passes from an uncertain boyhood to a tried and proven manhood and a position of leadership among his people. Themes: survival, cultures, gender roles, psychological trauma, nature’s wonders and terrors.
I received a signed copy of this book in the mail from the publisher for review on our blog. I must say I had never heard of preshistoric fiction so it was a completely new genre for me. The first couple of chapters which describe Zan’s encounter with a lioness and becoming a man in his tribe were a little slow. As he grows into a man and travels in search of his twin brother, things pick up. The landscapes and people he encounter are fascinating and vivid. I found myself wishing there were more detail about red haired, green eyes Lissa-Nah the priestess, her culture and background. I also was disturbed by the graphic detail in chapter 10 as Dael starts to reveal his psychological scars and kills a man. I really think the gory details could have been left out to make it more applicable and suitable for a younger reader age 11.
What caught me were the wasp people and the interesting conditions of life that Zan-Gah comes across. The portraits nature will stick with you after you put down the book. I give it three stars and congratulate author Allan Shickman for going out on a limb to incorporate the themes of anthropology, psychology and coming of age.
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Cronopia6 Matryoshka Doll Giveaway

03 May, 2010 by in etsy, santiago 17 comments


Today’s Etsy spotlight is from seller Cronopia6 of Santiago, Chile.
Hello! Welcome to my virtual shop. In this space you will find many colorful things made with love, wonderful toys, or just nice objects to decorate your home or any space you want to bringing fun and color.
visit my blog http://www.cronopia6.blogspot.com/
and my flickr www.flickr.com/cronopia6

I am a Proud Member of Plush Team
I am a Proud Member of Etsy Latino Team
and ask if you want something special you see on my pages, feel free to ask.

A kiss, and i hope you will enjoy my work.
Cronopia

Hola, bienvenido a mi tienda virtual.En esta espacio podra ver mis diseños, llenos de color y hechos con mucho amor. Objetos para decorar su casa o cualquier espacio que desee.
Espero que le guste mi trabajo y vuelva a visitar mi tienda.
si desea encargar algo en especial que vea en mis paginas, no dude en preguntarme.

Soy una orgullosa miembro del Etsy Latino Team

saludos!
Cronopia

Description…Lovely silkscreened matryoshka. It is ivory color.
Is a perfect gift for young and old, to play or decorate any part of our home.
the list includes 1 matryoshka fabric screenprinted.
measured 23cm. high.
14cm. wide, approximately.


To enter to win:
leave your name and email address below
additional entries
+20 for any donation to Chile relief shipping efforts via Paypal at heatoddgardner@yahoo.com or cash, check via snail mail
+5 for any ideas for increasing donations or sending a wheelchair
+3 visit her and our etsy shops and heart them http://www.etsy.com/shop/cronopia6 and http://www.etsy.com/shop/littleredreads
+3 follow our blogs on right sidebar and http://www.cronopia6.blogspot.com/
+3 comment on your favorite photos in our Flickr photostreams www.flickr.com/cronopia6
and www.flickr.com/zahngardner
+2 for each retweet @fireicephotos-leave the link
+5 for a blog post, facebook link or sidebar post- leave the link
Total your entries and leave the total below.
Contest ends June 3, 2010 and is International
Good Luck …Buena Suerte!

Contest Winners

03 May, 2010 by in contest winners 4 comments

Congratulations to our newest giveaway winners!!!

Hourglass Charm http://fireandicereads.com/2010/04/time-slip-thursday-with-myra-mcentire.html Gustosa

Iris Design Book Print http://fireandicereads.com/2010/04/iris-design-book-print.html Cathy H

Poise and Pretty Pendant/ Brooch by Florabond http://fireandicereads.com/2010/03/poise-petite-hair-clip-and-brooch.html Whatsupapercup/ Naya

Please email me your street address to firemailto:fireandice.heather@gmail.com

As for our Chile relief effort…this week we had a request for a wheelchair and we found one! The only problem is money to ship it there. We also received 17 bags of clothes, blankets and winter gear to ship! Really things have taken off and we are needing donations to send our boxes to Chile at heatoddgardner@yahoo.com or you can mail cash or check. Email me for details. If any of you have media or big business connections we could use a shout out for donations! Specific families have been identified and they are waiting for us to help. Thanks so much!!!

In My Mailbox #10 and Current ARC Tours

30 Apr, 2010 by in meg cabot Leave a comment

In My Mailbox, IMM, is a bookish meme started at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea of Pop Culture Junkieaken
New this week…

My Brother the Dog-Kim Williams Justesen signed author copy for review and giveaway

The Spiderwick Chronicles-Holly Black Special editions
Goddess of the Night-Lynne Ewing read and reviewing
Princess Mia-Meg Cabot bought to read
Hatching Magic– Ann Downer bought used for my kids, to read
Guardians of Ga’Hoole #2-Kathryn Lasky bought used for my kids, to read
Arthur and the Invisibles-Luc Besson
Hasta La Vista Lola!- Won from Kris at the Cajun Book Ladies Blog
As always let me know if you want to borrow any books.
Our current ARC tours are “The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy, Brightly Woven by Alex Bracken, The Mark by Marilyn Bunderson, and The Golden Spiral by Lisa Mangum. Email us if interested in reading and reviewing these!

Enchanted Glass Necklace Giveaway

30 Apr, 2010 by in etsy, Heather Gardner Photography 17 comments


Today’s Etsy shop giveaway is a huge SQUEE for me! Shop owner Enchanted Glass has made two necklaces featuring one of my angel photographs! It is a dream come true! She has also done work for one of our current giveaway artists “Rustic Goth” who contributed bookmarks to our Super Book Giveaway. Enchanted Glass is one of my favorite shops…we will be working together on some more pieces with my photos so stay tuned!
She says “I’m a native of the northwest and for the most part have lived in small towns and the countryside. I’ve always loved being in the outdoors and growing things. To pay homage to this unsurpassable beauty that is mother nature I like to incorporate inspiration from her, if not actual bits of nature in my pieces.
Initially self-taught in 1979, I have since taken many a class and learned from my peers. I use the copper foil method, also known as Tiffany. I also do solder sculpting, sandblasting and fusing. My preference is toward the miniature and 3-dimensional, with the occasional window size flat piece. All my patterns are original, as the creation is half the fun.

Here you get to experience the physical outcome of my imagination’s many flights of fancy. As you will see I specialize in the miniature and 3-dimensional. I most enjoy the many lives that a glass piece takes on given the ever-changing way it is affected by light. I rarely use patterns, letting the piece evolve as it is being created and built. Each piece I make is unique, whether it is my own creation or a custom piece springing from your ideas. I pride myself on my attention to detail and quality production. With proper care my items can be enjoyed by many generations.


To Enter To Win
a One of a Kind Angel Necklace:
leave your name and email address below
additional entries
+3 make a one dollar donation to CHile via PayPal at heatoddgardner@yahoo.com
+3 for each additional dollar donated
+3 tell us which photo you want to see made into jewelry http://www.flickr.com/photos/heatherzahngardner
+2 for each retweet @FireIcePhotos
+5 add this giveaway to your blog or FB page
total your entries and leave them in the comments below
Giveaway ends May 27, 2010 and is open internationally

Giveaway Winners and Affiliated News

30 Apr, 2010 by in contest winners, pickle face place Leave a comment

Congratulations to Mandy K who won our PickleFace Place handmade tie. http://fireandicereads.com/2010/03/picklefaceplace.html She donated $20 to our PayPal Chile relief efforts which gave her 60 extra entries!!! If you really want an item that is the way to do it 🙂

Our Alice In Wonderland Prize Pack http://fireandicereads.com/2010/03/alice-in-wonderland-bookmarks.html winners are:

Alice in Wonderland book: Anthy
Set of 5 Alice tags: Karen B
Set of 5 White Rabbit tea cards: Elena
Set of 5 Mad Hatter bookmarks: Kisyaa
Set of 5 Red Queen tags: Libbeh
1 mini fabric covered art booklet: EkO0724

Please email us your street address so we can mail you your prizes!

In other news…This week the Blue Bloods Secret featured our Melissa DeLaCruz inspired line of jewelry on their website http://thebluebloodssecret.com/ New book realted items are available for sale in our sister shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleRedReads