ENTER TO WIN AN IPAD 2 IN THE TRY YOUR LUCK GIVEAWAY

Welcome to the iPad 2 Giveaway! Books R Us has teamed up with some fabulous blogs to give our awesome readers the chance to win a brand new iPad 2 Wi-fi 16GB ($399 ARV)!

The iPad 2 is 0.34 inch thin and weighs as little as 1.33 pounds, so you can take it with you anywhere and surf the web, flip through photos, and read books. iPad comes with incredible apps. And there are hundreds of thousands more at the App Store. So play a game, discover a new recipe, catch up on scores, and more.

Special thanks to our co-hosts: Bay Area Mommy, Books R Us, Making of a Mom, My Best Laid Plans, Life With Levi, Life's Cheap Thrills, My Vegan Gluten-Free Life and Krazy Coupon Club

This giveaway ends on May 31st at 11:59 PM EST. There are also daily entries available so be sure to come back every day to increase your chances of winning. Good luck!

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GUEST POST AND BLOG TOUR BY KRAIG DAFOE AUTHOR OF THE NOVEL SEARCH FOR THE LAST REALM. ($100 GIVEAWAY INCLUDED- USA ONLY)

I want to welcome Kraig Dafoe to Books R Us. Kraig is the author of the fantasy novel Search for the Last Realm and he is virtually touring the blogosphere with Pump Up Your Book! Thanks for stopping by.

Nothing to Blog About

I have gone on the internet to find blogging ideas and there are several sites with lists of things to Blog about. I copied the ideas and stuck them in a file, over two hundred ideas in all. I sat down today and ran through these ideas to find one for this blog post and I discovered that there is not one of them I wish to talk about.

Writing can be a fickle mistress. There are days of the week I can’t think of one interesting thing to put on paper and then there are nights I can’t get to sleep because of the ideas running through my head.

Not too long ago, I went to bed one night at 10:30. I got out of bed literally, fourteen times and jotted down notes for the book I’m currently writing. I believe I finally nodded off about 4 am.

I don’t think there is a real formula when it comes to creating. For me, it just seems to happen, usually when I least expect it. I don’t know any other writers so I have nothing to compare with.

Am I alone in my insanity? Probably not. I picture a time in my head when I have a set schedule that works. I picture my-self, writing in a comfortable office, fire burning in the fireplace, dark mahogany wood creating a perfectly calming atmosphere.

Maybe someday that dream will come true. For now, I suppose I will have to plow through and do things the way they appear too naturally happen. I suppose things could be worse. I could be writing in the days before spell-check, tapping away on an old typewriter, adding hours to my work just to fix all the silly mistakes I make.

What do you know? I had nothing to write about for this blog today yet I managed to spill out more than three hundred words. I don’t know how people blog every day, but I say if it’s in your head, find a way to get it out.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Search for the Lost Realm is an epic journey in which a young man named Varan wants to find a power which has been missing from the world of Kantania for thousands of years.

Varan sets out but soon discovers his true mission is to save the worlds creator from a spiritual bond placed upon him by the powerful demon, Eldrok.

From demons to dragons and sorcerers to soldiers, battles erupt and Varan must hurry or the world could be lost to darkness forever.

This story does not consist of action alone as Varan faces dilemmas of the heart, struggles of the flesh and complex issues of the mind.


  ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Kraig Dafoe was born in Potsdam, New York and grew up in Canton. He played high school football and joined the United States Army Reserves at the age of seventeen.

Kraig married at the age of nineteen and moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia where he worked as a Private Security officer for The Christian Broadcasting Network and also attended the Tidewater Community College for business.
After five years as a security officer, he became a Deputy Sheriff for the city of Chesapeake Virginia.

Kraig left the Sheriff’s office after nine years of service and pursued a couple of different business opportunities before he went on to publishing his debut novel.

Kraig is the father of five children and he currently resides in Kansas, raising his youngest son.

His latest book is the fantasy/adventure, Search for the Lost Realm.
Visit his website at www.kraigdafoebooks.com
Connect with Kraig on Facebook.

Purchase the Book:
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | ITUNES

Pump Up Your Book and Kraig Dafoe are teaming up to give you a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card/Paypal Cash! See Rafflecopter for rules. Contest ends on 5/31/13 and winner will be chosen by Rafflecoper. Good Luck!!!
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REVIEW OF BOB'S RED MILL GLUTEN FREE VANILLA CAKE MIX

 Thanks to Vitacost.com, I will have the opportunity to review some of the products that they offer on the site. Vitacost.com gives you a selection of of health foods and snacks, bath and body products, natural household supplies, baby care essentials--plus, of course, discount vitamins, minerals, herbs, sports nutrition supplements and other formulas for your nutritional needs. You'll find nearly 40,000 products that help you care for yourself, your family, your pets and your home. Get up to 50% off health and beauty products, vitamins, nutritional supplements, health foods and whole food products.


BOB'S RED MILL GLUTEN FREE VANILLA CAKE MIX. 

 

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cake Mix is made with a perfect blend of gluten free flours and starches, this mix can be easily transformed into your favorite custom cake or cupcake recipes that call for a white cake, or simply bake as directed for a delicate vanilla cake.

I have tried other gluten free cake mixes and I have not been impressed. They were either dry or just tasted like cardboard but Bob's Red Mill Vanilla Cake Mix was different.

The instructions were easy to follow and when mixed there were no lumps and the mixture was smooth. I used a 3 x 9 inch pan and the cake baked perfectly.  Unfortunately, I was unable to get a photo of the finished product. While it was cooling I went shopping for a couple of hours and when I returned most of it was devoured  by my kids and their friends. They loved it and never realized it was gluten free. I was lucky to try it for myself. It was fluffy, moist and tasted great. I will definitely use Bob's Red Mill in the future. I will be trying their pancake mix soon. The cake mix is reasonably priced and there are many other flavors to chose from. So visit Vitacost.com and check out all of the gluten free products they sell.

Disclaimer: I was given a free sample of the product for my honest review and I was not compensated for my review.


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WIN A $ 100 HOME DEPOT GIFT CARD

Welcome to the Father's Day giveaway event sponsored by Tip Hero, featuring some wonderful bloggers. With Father's Day just around the corner, we thought that a giveaway event was a great way to recognize all of the dads out there and to give someone a chance to win a great dad-ly prize.

One lucky winner will be the recipient of a $100 Home Depot gift card to help get your favorite dad the perfect gift this Father's Day!

This giveaway begins on May 24th and will run until June 7th at 11:59pm US Eastern time. It will be open to residents of the US only, 18+. Use the PromoSimple form below to enter, and be sure to take advantage of the many entries you can gain. And make sure you come back daily for even more chances to win. Good luck to all!

$100 Home Depot Gift Card


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REVIEW OF THE NEW MICHAEL BUBLE' ALBUM- TO BE LOVED

I have always been a Buble' fan because he has a fantastic voice and a sound that draws me in. His new album To be Loved has covers of Frank Sinatra, the Bee Gees, Jackson 5, Van Morrison and many more. Included is 4 original songs co-written by Buble' that were inspired by his personal life.

"I wrote Close Your Eyes about my wife and about the power of all the women in my life—my sisters, my mom, my grandma and all women in general. Let’s face it, where would we be without them? I Got It Easy, another original, is basically a song where I count my blessings and is a reminder to me and everyone to appreciate all the good parts of life. I’m a very lucky guy and I never want to forget it."

If you love the Big Band jazzy sound as well as Frank Sinatra then you will love this album. He does a fantastic job on the covers and has written some original songs that shows how talented he is. This is the perfect album to help me unwind after a long day at work. I really enjoyed his take on Randy Newman's " You Got a Friend in Me." Although it is not your typical Buble' song, he did a great job on the song and made it work. So head on out and pick up a copy of the album you will enjoy it.

To Be Loved Track Listing:

1. "You Make Me Feel So Young"

2. "It's a Beautiful Day"

3. "To Love Somebody"

4. "Who's Lovin You"

5. "Something Stupid" (featuring Reese Witherspoon)

6. "Come Dance with Me"

7. "Close Your Eyes"

8. "After All" (featuring Bryan Adams)

9. "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" (with Naturally 7)

10. "To Be Loved"

11. "You've Got a Friend in Me"  

12. "Nevertheless (I'm in Love with You)" (featuring The Puppini Sisters)

13. "I Got It Easy"    

14. "Young at Heart"

Links To Buy Album:

• iTunes
• Amazon

 


Disclosure: I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the album to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions stated are my own.
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REVIEW OF THE NEW ROD STEWART ALBUM- TIME

I have been a fan of Ron Stewart and I have always asked myself what happened to him? Over the years he has been busy being a rock star, a parent and has been busy writing material for a new album called TIME. This is his first album in 20 years. He started writing material for the album after reviewing his life for a memoir. This is what he said on the album.

"Suddenly ideas for lyrics were piling up in my head," he said. "Next thing I knew, I had a song called 'It's Over' about divorce and separation. And now I was getting up in the middle of the night and scrambling for a pen to write things down, which has never happened to me. I finished seven or eight songs very quickly and I still wasn't done, and it became apparent that I would eventually have a whole album of material to record."

Along with the release of Time, Stewart is set to embark on the European leg of his Live the Life tour on June 1st, while American dates with Steve Winwood will kick off October 17th.

 Time Track Listing:
1. She Makes Me Happy
2. Can’t Stop Me Now
3. It’s Over
4. Brighton Beach
5. Beautiful Morning
6. Live The Life
7. Finest Woman
8. Time
9. Picture In A Frame
10. Sexual Religion
11. Make Love To Me Tonight
12. Pure Love

My thoughts:

I listened to the CD while driving in my car on my way home from work.  There was a variety of tempos, the songs fit together and Rod's voice flowed smoothly. The last song Pure Love was very moving and touched my heart. The tempo was slow but it fit for the tone of the song.  If you like Rod Stewart's style you will like this album.

Disclaimer: I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the CD to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions stated are my own

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REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY OF SOFT SCRUB MOLD AND MILDEW STAIN REMOVER GEL

I have been a fan of Soft Scrub products for many years and the new Mold & Mildew Stain Remover is a unique spray gel that clings to stains and is gentle on surfaces. It is perfect for tough stains on grout, showers and tubs. 

When I first spayed the bathroom cleaner there was a faint smell of bleach but was not overwhelming. The clear gel stayed where I sprayed it and there was no over spray. I have used other cleaners that produced a mist that got over everything including my clothing.  I accidentally got some of the gel on my acrylic toilet seat and it did cause the area to fade. This product will be great if you want to get rid of mildew from the grout in your tub. I did not have to scrub the grout like other products that I have used. So you can try the bathroom cleaner, I am giving away a coupon for a free Soft Scrub product.


Contest ends on  6/1/13 @ 11:59 PM EST. See Rafflecopter for rules. USA/CAN only.


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Disclaimer: I was given a free sample of the product for my honest review and I was not compensated for my review


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