Luvs® Super Absorbent diapers give your baby the protection they need at the low price you’re looking for—complete with a money back guarantee. New Luvs® Super Absorbent Jumbo Packs have an everyday low price of $6.97 at Walmart!

We’re proud to announce the arrival of Bet on Your Baby, Saturdays 8/7c on ABC, in partnership with Luvs!

Every parent thinks they know their baby well, but are they willing to bet on it?

Bet on Your Baby is a new show where parents play fun games with their toddlers, and try to “bet” on what baby will do next! If they guess correctly, the family wins $5,000 in college tuition money, and the chance to play for $50,000!

All of these heartwarming and hilarious games are played in a toy-filled room called the Baby Dome. Do you think that you could predict what baby will do next?

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Let me start by saying I have a deep love for turtles.  Not sure why.  One of my dearest friends, T, will pull over and get any turtle she sees out of the road.  Love that woman!  Not just for the turtles, but because that is really a sign of her inner spirit to me.  I guess it’s symbolic!  Anyway, on with the post!

Stephanie Lisa Tara presentsMother Sea Turtle
month!  Mothers need to stick together; whether scaly, feathered, furry
or skinned! And to celebrate this Mother’s Day and the release of her
newest turtle book, Stephanie Lisa Tara’s Turtle Book—which is the companion follow-up to her first international bestseller, I’ll Follow the Moon—Stephanie Lisa Tara is giving away 2 gorgeous, large plush sea turtles (26″L x 8″H x 16″W) to reviewers!In addition, if you purchase Stephanie Lisa Tara’s Turtle Book you can get her other turtle book, I’ll Follow the Moon, for FREE!  This is available to the first 20 people who purchase. Stephanie Lisa Tara’s Turtle Book is available on Amazon HERE.  Please contact Candace at candacesbookblog(at)yahoo(dot)com with receipts, inquiries or questions!

 Dear Turtle Activists,

I want to thank each and every one of you for your tireless dedication and love to our cause! I have written this book FOR YOU! I dedicate this

book TO YOU! 120 pages of photos, facts and fun!

Stephanie Lisa Tara’s Turtle Book has a primary goal: SAVING SEA TURTLES FROM

EXTINCTION. A portion of proceeds from this book go to charitable
organizations like the Turtle Foundation (www.turtle-foundation.org) of whom my first turtle book, I’LL FOLLOW THE MOON—is a proud sponsor. 

If you are new to us—please join with us, for together, holding hands, we

can effect change. Yes—really! xoxo. SAVE GREEN SEA TURTLES on Facebook (www.facebook.com/…/Save-Green-Sea-T…) is our hugely popular hang-out—tens of thousands of Activists-strong. Please join us!

NOW—prepare for something totally new and amazing!

Stephanie
Lisa Tara’s Turtle Book is not your typical scientific turtle book: my
special book is all about having FUN! Enjoy the mini FLIP-BOOK in the
corners and create a movie of your own! Click the ebook pages—or thumb
through manually in the paperback—YOUR CHOICE!

I’ve written these chapters in a fun, chatty voice—you know, the one YOU use when talking

up your favorite topics! Don’t be surprised if you find yourself
giggling as you turn pages! Enjoy breathtaking photography, incredible
facts, and way-out wow’ing surprises that these millennium-old creatures
have to share.

AND: TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE! Yep! Stephanie Lisa
Tara’s Turtle Book is my second turtle book—it’s a perfect TWIN to my
first international bestseller, I’LL FOLLOW THE MOON: buy BOTH TOGETHER
for your shelf. Two little twins; one a fable, one fotos, facts &
fun.

So, in closing…please accept this deeply personal gift
from me, your faithful sea turtle leader, the turtle-lady, or Stephanie
Lisa Turtle – as I was renamed recently by a fan—from my heart to yours.

GOD BLESS EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED THE CAUSE TO SAVE SEA TURTLES FROM EXTINCTION!

 

I’ve
always believed that magic hides in special places. As a child, people
would often stare at my bright red hair, which was very, very bright
indeed.
Unfortunately, I developed a bad habit of making up rhymes
about all of them, and they soon became funny characters. I didn’t have
much time to think about being different; fanciful lyricisms danced in
my head, and no one was safe!
Since then, I’ve come to believe that
storytelling has the power to inspire a deep love of language and
learning. Words tripping off the tongue in somersaults that stick to
your thoughts like taffy– those are the things that stay forever in the
mind.
I’ve lived in many special places: on a farm, in a city
skyscraper, on a tropical beach, and in the beautiful country of France.
Now I live in northern California, between the redwood forests and the
sea. Even though I’m an adult, I’m still as silly as ever.
Many nice
words have been used to describe my books, such as fun, engaging,
delightful, and whimsical. Some folks say that I deliver timeless
messages of love for kids and parents to share again and again; this
makes me very happy. I hope that you’ll enjoy my stories, too.
Captivating children with language is something that I believe in, and I
strive to live my life with this always.
–Stephanie Lisa Tara

www.StephanieLisaTara.com
stephanielisatarabooks@gmail.com

Cause pages (each supports a book’s vision):

Facebook page for Save the Polar Bears | Facebook Page for Save the Green Turtles | Facebook Page for Save the Redwood Forests

Stephanie Lisa Tara’s Personal Sites:

Facebook | Amazon | Website

Giveaway:

15 lucky people will win a copy of Stephanie Lisa Tara’s Turtle Book. You must be 13 or older to enter. Open to US addresses only.  Giveaway runs from May 12th to June 12, 2013

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Two lucky reviewers will win a Melissa and Doug Giant Plush Stuffed Sea Turtle that retails at $34.99 and measures 26″L x 8″H x 16″W.  You must review Stephanie Lisa Tara’s Turtle Book on Amazon to enter.  This giveaway runs from Mothers Day, May 12th to June 12th, 2013.

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And you can still enter to win a Kindle Fire!

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We are proud to announce the arrival of a Civil War movie unlike any you’ve seen before. Copperhead, a film for the whole family, opening in theaters June 28!

Did you know that this year marks the 150 year anniversary of the Civil War & The Battle of Gettysburg? 

We were all taught about the Civil War in school, but how much do we really know about the challenging stories of the brave families during the era? Mothers, fathers, and children all experienced intense hardship as family members left to fight in combat. 150 years later the timeless stories of families affected by war still remain especially pertinent.

Commemorate the 150 year anniversary & keep your kids learning during the summer by catching Copperhead, a Civil War movie the whole family can watch together and talk about!

From director Ron Maxwell, (Gettysburg, Gods and Generals) Copperhead is unlike any other Civil War movie. Far from the Virginia battlefield, it’s the exciting story of Abner Beech (Billy Campbell), a peace-loving but stubborn dairy farmer in upstate New York. He detests slavery, but opposes the war for the sake of the “union.” Abner is neither a Yankee nor a Rebel. He is a Copperhead. This is an extraordinary story of family and community. Learn more: http://www.copperheadthemovie.com

Win the Official Copperhead Movie Pack: 
- Official Copperhead Movie Poster hand signed by Director/Producer Ron Maxwell (Gettysburg, Gods and Generals) (27 X 40)
- The Copperhead Official Companion Book [Author: Harold Frederic]
- Movie Theater Cash [Valid for 1 Movie Admission]
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Amazon

Editorial Reviews

Salisbury is a rising star in genre fiction. This book makes a unique and exciting contribution

in the fantasy realm. The first of great things to come. –Jake Black, “The Authorized Ender

Companion” “Smallville” “Ender’s Game: Recruiting Valentine”

Amazon Reviews

Conclusion:

A fantasy adventure that features lots of action and intrigue that is geared to a YA audience.

There are moments in this tale that are especially well done… story telling at a level that I’d be

interested to see what this author would do with an adult orientated fantasy work.

As a dedicated YA work… 5 Stars.

~ Ray Nicholson

The beginning of a great adventure!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first book of the Trail of Bones series. It is an unpredictable adventure,

with heartwrenching acts of love and friendship. The story ended before I was prepared to put my

Kindle down, and now I will wait anxiously for the second book to be published. In the meantime, I think

I’ll read it again with my eleven-year-old son; I’m sure he’ll love it as much as I do. Give it a read!

~ HRL

Enthralling story line that really pulls you in

…The characters were some that I will not easily forget because he explains their background in a way

that makes the reader really connect and believe they are real. He creates a world that I long to see. I

really grew to both love and hate different characters. I think that is a sign of a really great author when

they can make us feel so much emotion towards a character.

~ Janason

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“Pheasant pie?” huffed a long-nosed young man, who had just arrived to their table, staggering under the weight of a huge pie.

            “Oh, yes. Thank you.”

            Sweat beading on his forehead, he bent his knees and slide the pie onto the table between them, where it steamed.

            “I tell you, I could live off this pie!” Nanette said with a feverish glint in her eyes.

The Tale of Mally Biddle, Chapter 2

            When it comes to my writing, food plays a huge part. The dishes and drinks that my characters consume paint vivid pictures of their culture, lives, and personalities. It’s helpful that I genuinely love to eat and cook. My own passion for pleasing my gut makes writing food not only fun but necessary. Whenever I read a book that takes the time to showcase food, my opinion of it lifts.

The excerpt above is taken from Chapter 2 of my novel The Tale of Mally Biddle. In it, one character (Cayla — she is not mentioned in the excerpt) has been very depressed. In hopes of cheering her up, the other character (Nanette) takes her to dinner. Isn’t this what we all do when a friend is feeling down? Don’t we try to lift spirits with good food, good company, and (perhaps) good drinks?

The pie that the waiter is struggling to carry is an adaptation of a very real dish. In the novel I made it a Pheasant Pie because that sounded more rustic and old world. I’m sure that if you got your hands on a pheasant, it would make a delightful version. The real pie, though, is a Beef Pie from one of my favorite cookbooks. It takes time and makes and unholy mess, but if you’re up for an utterly amazing dish, give it a whirl. For true Biddle fashion, turn on some Irish fiddle music in the background, turn off the lights, light a few stumpy candles, and pour yourself a dark beer.

Beef Pie (from James Beard’s American Cooking — get this book, it’s amazing)

3 pounds beef — chuck, rump, or round — cut into strips 1 1/2 by 2 inches

3 to 4 Tbs flour

1 Tbs salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

6 Tbs finely chopped beef suet

1 onion stuck with 2 cloves

1 clove garlic

1 carrot

1 tsp summer savory

1 tsp thyme

Water to cover

12 mushroom caps

4 Tbs butter

2 large onions, sliced

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Pastry (I use a pie crust recipe that uses both butter and beef tallow)

1 egg

2 Tbs heavy cream

Directions:

This pie can be made almost entirely in advance. Customarily, the meat and sauce are prepared the day before cooking and cooled or chilled, and the crust is fitted on the dish just before it is placed in the oven. Puff pastry or rough puff pastry work extremely well for this purpose, and a suet pastry or cream cheese pastry are quite successful also.

Combine the flour with the salt and pepper, and dredge the meat in it. This most easily is done by putting the flour mixture and meat in a paper or plastic bag and shaking it. Melt the suet in a large skillet or braising pan, and when it is quite hot, sear the meat quickly on all sides. When it is nicely browned, add the onion, garlic, carrot, summer savory, and thyme. Pour in water to just cover the meat, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer about 1 1/2 hours. The meat should be tender, but not completely cooked.

While the meat is simmering, melt the butter in a hot skillet. Add the sliced onions and sliced mushrooms to the pan. Add salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat until the onions become translucent and the mushrooms tender.

Allow the cooked beef to stand about 15 minutes, then remove the onion, garlic, and carrot, Skim off any excess fat that rises to the surface. In a 2 1/2 quart baking dish arrange alternate layers of beef and onion/mushroom mixture; pour the sauce over all, and add the parsley. Allow to cool an hour or so. If it is to be cooked the next day, cover and refrigerate. At least an hour and a half before cooking, prepare the pastry and chill it. Roll it out. Moisten the edges of the dish slightly. Cover the dish with the pastry. Trim any overhang and crimp the edges. If there are open patches, patch them with strips of left over pastry. Cut a vent in the center. If you like, place a paper cornucopia in the vent as a funnel for the steam. You may also decorate the top with leftover pastry cut into flower and leaf shapes, moistening the sides to be attached. Brush the entire pastry with the egg beaten together lightly with the cream.

Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and continue cooking until the crust is nicely brown and steam is rising through the vest, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve at once. A puree of carrots or turnips is a pleasant accompaniment.

Tour Schedule

The Tale of Mally Biddle by M.L. LeGette

When Mally Biddle agreed to spy upon the King of Lenzar and his overbearing knights she knew she was

heading into danger. She didn’t know she’d find a family unlike any other.

Posing as a servant in Bosc Castle, Mally serves tea and tends fires for the most dangerous men in the

kingdom. Her goal is to learn the truth of what happened sixteen years ago, when the infant princess

met her death … a death that is surrounded by more questions than answers.

Along her search for the truth, Mally meets the energized Lita Stump, the strict and matriarchal Meriyal

Boyd, and the opinionated Archibald Diggleby. Then of course there are the knights: Leon Gibbs who

is slicker than a greased hog, Adrian Bayard, hot tempered and violent, and the worst of the lot: Sir

Illius Molick, Captain of the Knights. And then there is Maud, a mysterious woman who just might know

everything…

Praise

“To say I loved this book is an understatement. Mally is a wonderful character and she encounters so

many quirky folks on her assignment. Very well written and engaging story! And an added bonus of a

love triangle! I enjoyed it from beginning to end!! I will definitely be looking for more from this author!”

~April Holgate

Author Melissa LeGette

Melissa LeGette lives in Georgia where she helps run a family farm, so her nails are a fright. The Tale of

Mally Biddle is her second novel.

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 6/5/13

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Swagbucks is having a Swag Code Extravagnaza called “MAYkeover Madness” next Wednesday, May 22nd. It starts at midnight PT, and there will be a total of 7 codes and if you get them all, it totals out to 70 Swag Bucks!

Check below for a schedule with the values and times of all of the codes, but not what they are. You’ll have to show up for that!

If you’re asking yourself “what is a Swag Code?”, it’s another way to get yourself closer to free gift cards on Swagbucks.com, which is a site that rewards you for most of the things you’re already doing online. You can get all sorts of things with the Swag Bucks you earn – for example, I’ve redeemed my Swag Bucks for $350!

Join today by clicking here!

Hey Everyone.  Don’t know if you have heard of Mooney Farms, but odds are you’ve seen their products in stores.  They are the company responsible for Bella Sun Luci Tomato products.  I was able to get a great selection to review, but before that I want to tell you a little about Mooney Farms.

Mooney Farms is a family owned company that started in 1987.  They began in kiwi farming selling their goods in Northern California farmer’s markets.  Eventually, they began making sun dried tomatoes and were off when they made their first sale to Price Club South San Francisco.  They are now a third generation company!  In fact, I was quite impressed and  humbles when the contact from the company came from a Mooney, rather than a hired marketing/administrative person.  As a consumer, it made me feel even better about their products as it’s my experience that companies ran by families care more about the quality of their products.

They are sticking to the family recipe and use 100% pure olive oil.  I was able to try the following products

• Bella Sun Luci Dried Halves and Julienne Cut in 100% Pure Olive Oil and Italian Herbs
• Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomato Pesto with Whole Pine Nuts
• Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomato Bruschetta
• Bella Sun Lui Julienne Cut Sun Dried Tomatoes with Italian Basil and Julienne Cut with Zesty Peppers

All of the products I received are in the picture at the top of this post.  We used them in various recipes and enjoyed them quite a bit.  The dried tomatoes were an amazing flavor booster to salads!  They are our new favorite *healthy* salad addition explosion!  Left us going back for more!  They’ve definitely replaced bacon bits for good!  The dried tomatoes, with their respective flavor additions are all really good, though they tend to be overpowered by the tomatoes and olive oil.  The flavor additions aren’t quite strong enough to compliment, rather they are hidden beneath the tomato flavor.  Despite that, all of the products were really great.  They made a delicious addition.  We used the jarred tomatoes as an addition to sauces and the savory flavor was fabulous.

Ends 6/30/13

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Get lost in the Bermuda… cake

If I were ever magically transformed into a dolphin, cake is what I’d miss the most. That might sound an odd way to begin this post, but that predicament is basically what happens to Michael, the hero of The Storm Bottle. Without warning – and for reasons I won’t go into here – Michael finds himself lost in the Atlantic Ocean, inhabiting the body of a dolphin.
Why exactly this has happened, and what the consequences are, I’ll leave you to find out, if you’re interested. But boy, does Michael miss his cake.  I know Bermuda well – it’s where my stepmother was born, and much of my family still lives out there. And unlike me, my stepmother is truly a deity in the kitchen, and one of her (not very well kept) secrets is the world-famous Bermuda rum cake. ‘World-famous’ isn’t an idle boast, either, as this stuff is so moist (and, frankly, so sozzled in rum) that it’ll keep over a long-haul flight, and probably a sea crossing too. And if you’re attacked by sharks on the way, you just throw ‘em the cake and they sink. In fact this cake is the best rational explanation I’ve yet come across for the disappearance of ships and planes in the Bermuda Triangle.
I can’t think of a better way to enjoy ‘The Storm Bottle’ than with a large slice of Bermuda Rum Cake at your elbow, so I’ll share my stepmother’s recipe as well as I remember it. She gave me the ‘cheating’ version that uses instant cake mix and pudding mix, but I expect real cake masters will know how to do it the long way round, if the fancy takes them. Me, I’m in too much of a hurry to eat it.

This version takes about an hour and a half to make, all together. Bon voyage!

Ingredients:
For the cake itself:
1 cup chopped mixed nuts
1 18-1/2 ounce yellow cake mix
instant vanilla pudding mix – four servings’ worth
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dark rum (Goslings rum for authentic Bermuda cake!)

For the glaze:
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup rum

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease the cake tin. Mix all the cake ingredients in a bowl, then beat well before pouring into the tin. Bake for 1 hour, take out and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, make the glaze. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the water and sugar.
Boil for five minutes, stirring all the while. Take off the heat and stir in the black rum.
Now turn the cooled cake upside-down onto a plate, prick with a fork and drizzle the glaze over it. Leave to set and you’re done!

p.s. Even my cat eats this stuff. Store it in a secure place!

Nick Green

The Storm Bottle

Swimming with dolphins is said to be the number one thing to do before you die. For 12-year-old
Michael, it very nearly is. A secret boat trip has gone tragically wrong, and now he lies unconscious in
hospital.

But when Michael finally wakes up, he seems different. His step sister Bibi is soon convinced that he
is not who he appears to be. Meanwhile, in the ocean beyond Bermuda’s reefs, a group of bottlenose
dolphins are astonished to discover a stranger in their midst – a boy lost and desperate to return home.

Bermuda is a place of mysteries. Some believe its seas are enchanted, and the sun-drenched islands
conceal a darker past, haunted with tales of lost ships. Now Bibi and Michael are finding themselves in
the most extraordinary tale of all.

Book Trailer

‘I loved it… An absolute winner.’

- LA Weatherly, author of the Angel Burn trilogy

‘A writer who knows how to grip the imagination, make you sit on the edge of your chair, and make you
laugh out loud.’

- Michelle Lovric, author of The Undrowned Child, The Mourning Emporium and The Book of Human
Skin

‘If you only ever buy one Kindle book in your life (although that sounds a bit unlikely, now that I stop and
think) this has to be it.’

- The Bookwitch blog.

Author Nick Green

Nick Green is a UK children’s and YA author, best known for his trilogy The Cat Kin, published in the UK
by Strident Publishing and in Germany by Ravensburger, and also as a BBC audiobook. He has appeared
on BBC radio talking about his books, and has been shortlisted for two UK children’s book awards. He
regularly does school visits and other children’s literary events. The Storm Bottle is his first straight-to-
Kindle novel.

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