Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas blog series!

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.

We’re giving away a pearl necklace in celebration of the holidays, as well as some items from the contributors! Enter now below. The winner will be announced on January 2, 2014, at the Pearl Girls blog.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

My Gift to Him by: Cara Putman

As Christmas nears, I’m staggering under a year that’s been too full. A fall that’s been too busy. A season of good, but overwhelming days.

Does anyone else feel the same?

There’s nothing bad—life is just full. Too full.

And I feel emptied. So empty.

It would be easy to enter this season with a sense of exhaustion, feeling like I just want to get through and on to January.

Instead, I want to offer my life again. May my gift be my life. My dreams. My talents. My all. May I be available to Him to transform from the inside out. I want my life to be lived for His glory.

Yet I fail. And on the days that I am most tired and overwhelmed I seem to fail more. It is then that I take comfort in the reality that He is the King born in a manager. A King who gave up heaven in order to save me. You. All of us. He has good plans for my life. Plans that exceed my wildest dreams. Plans fit for the daughter of the Most High.

He has plans like that for you, too. Plans that may be different from your plans, but plans that are wonderful and good.

So in this season of busyness, a season when it is easy to focus on things, duties, parties, family and friends, will you join me? I’m offering myself as a gift to Him. Will you?


Cara Putman is the award-winning author of sixteen novels. You can learn more about her and her books at www.caraputman.com. You can read the first chapters of all her books there including her new novel, Shadowed by Grace, which releases on January 1st just in time for Christmas gift cards. You can connect with Cara on: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads
  a Rafflecopter giveaway





If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

 

By Tawdra Kandle

Sometimes revenge is your only choice. . .

Julia worked for weeks planning the perfect surprise birthday party for her boyfriend, Liam, but that night, she was the one who got the biggest shock. He broke up with her in front of all their friends, humiliating her in the process. Clearly revenge was in order. The plan is simple. Make him jealous, win him back, and then crush his heart. Fair is fair. However, there is one little hiccup and he has curly brown hair and dimples. Jesse is everything she wants. With him, she could almost forget her bruised heart. Almost. Julia has one choice: let Liam walk away after everything he did, or lose a chance at love in pursuit of payback. AVAILABLE NOW Amazon/Barnes and Noble/Smashwords  
 Tawdra Kandle has been a writer since pens were invented. Her first published story appeared in Child Life magazine when she was 13 years old. She took a brief hiatus of about thirty years to hone her craft, get married and have four children before publishing the young adult quartet The King Series. She has since published books in both the adult and new adult romantic genre. Tawdra lives in Florida with her husband and children, both skin and fur-types. Oh, and yes--she has purple hair.   Follow Tawdra Kandle: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Literary Addicts / Goodreads /Amazon

Review:

I loved this book! It was one of those quick and easy reads that you can just curl up in bed with and enjoy. I loved the relationship between Julia and Jesse and seeing it evolve. The friendship between Julia and Ava is the type I always longed for in college. Every single character drew you in with their quirky personalities that showed they were each far from perfect. Tawdra does a wonderful job at writing not only dialogue, but a book that's fun, sweet, sexy and that draws you in from page one. I pretty much dare you to pick this one up and read it. I warn you though...if you read the epilogue, you'e going to want the next book. I know I do!



If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.

We’re giving away a pearl necklace in celebration of the holidays, as well as some items from the contributors! Enter now below. The winner will be announced on January 2, 2014, at the Pearl Girls blog.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

A Hibiscus "Hug from Heaven" by: Margaret McSweeney

The flurry of festivities during Thanksgiving weekend came to an abrupt halt as I began the first week of December 2013 with an empty nest. My husband was back at work. My daughters were back at college. And my brother, Claude, and niece, Mary, were back in Alabama and Tennessee. Bare branches accentuated the overcast gloom in the Chicago suburbs on what marked the third anniversary of my brother Randy’s passing. Randy had been feeding a stray cat on his deck when the fatal heart attack struck.

Walking downstairs, I whispered a prayer. “Lord, I am feeling really sad right now. Please help me experience your joy.” As I walked into the family room, my heart smiled. The pruned hibiscus plant balanced a solitary flower that had blossomed overnight! This was truly a hibiscus “hug from heaven.”

In her book, When Grief Is Your Constant Companion, my late mother shared her poignant poem about a hibiscus plant. She wrote this following poem several years after losing my dad to a sudden heart attack while he was in Paris on a business trip.

TEARDROPS: EVERLASTING JOY
By Carolyn Rhea

My love, how can it be
That I no longer think of you
Almost every waking moment
And grieve for your loving presence?

There are small spaces of time
When my life is so absorbed in present living
That you are not in my thoughts at all.
How unthinkable!
How sad that I should forget you even for an hour!

But I have not forgotten you, my dear.
You are forever a part of me.
You helped God shape my life
Into my present self.
I carry your love in my heart.
I miss you so very much and always will.

But now I’m caught up in trying to reconstruct
With God’s guidance
A meaningful life for myself.
One in which I can help,
Serve, share, love, grow.

I remember the hibiscus plant
We bought at the annual show.
It was called Teardrops,
For several perfectly-shaped white teardrops
Spattered the broad expanse
Of its gorgeous pink blooms.
How we loved it!

Then later, after it had grown much taller,
We saw a different kind of bloom:
Multitudes of small, sturdy, happy pink blossoms
Swaying merrily in the Florida breeze!
Teardrops had been grafted onto a stronger plant!

We named it Everlasting Joy.

Teardrops still bloomed at the lower level,
But as the plant grew ever upward and outward,
Everlasting Joy bloomed in profusion!

Lord Jesus, when teardrops fall,
Help me remember that through faith
I have been grafted in You –
You, the vine;
I, a branch –
Eternally secure in God’s love through Thee!
Blessed with Thy fullness of joy on earth
And the promise of everlasting joy in heaven!

Thank you, dear Father for sharing your everlasting joy with me today in my solitude. We are not alone in our grief. You are with us. “Ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” John 16:20

a Rafflecopter giveaway



If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

By Gail Bridges

Angela and her brand-new husband Josh have just arrived at their honeymoon destination, a romantic bed-and-breakfast hotel on the breath-taking Washington coast - the Inn on the Edge. But everything isn't as it seems. The lessons that come free with the room aren't for painting the lovely coastal scenery - the lessons are for better sex. Angie and Josh, shocked and titillated, immerse themselves in every sensual offering.It doesn't take long for things to go horribly wrong. The discover that the old man running the place is a sex demon, who has been stealing their sensual energy. Worse, he's dangerously in love with Angie and he has plans for her - plans involving an heirloom wedding ring.

Coming soon http://www.ellorascave.com/inn-on-the-edge.html

About the author

I have three grown children. I live in Seattle, Washington with my husband and our five cats. In the past I have worked in a variety of different artistic media. I have a BFA in painting from the University of Washington, and for over fifteen years I made award-winning Fine Art Jewelry (silver and handmade ceramics) and sold my work at local and regional Fine Art and Craft shows. My business, Vivid Arts, flourished - but always, I felt driven to write. Two years ago, no longer able to deny the writing muse, I took an open-ended sabbatical from my art shows. Since then, I've written two novels and a number of published and unpublished short stories.

• Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/gailbridgeswriter
• Twitter: @GailWBridges
• Blog: http://gailbridges.blogspot.com/
• Website: http://gailbridges.com/
• Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7147145.Gail_Bridges
• Literary Addicts http://literaryaddicts.ning.com/profile/GailBridges

Prize for the contest. Angie's Travel Painting Kit Acrylic paints, brushes, palette, canvas board and instructions; Mr. Abiba's Wooden "Tool" Box, for decorating; Josh's Magic Book, for decorating; Tazo Passion Tea; Dark Chocolate bar with almond bits. Follow the Book Tour Fill out the Form Below to Enter (Open to US residents) a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. USED FOR:  LATTES | SMOOTHIES | BAKING

ALL DAY ENERGY WITH INCREASED FOCUS

Matcha provides 4 to 6 hours of mild steady energy as it acts as both a stimulant and a relaxant. This is ideal for focusing on whatever the day throws your way.

METABOLISM BOOST

Consuming matcha green tea can increase thermogenesis (the body's own rate of burning calories) from a normal 8%-10% of daily energy expenditure, to between 35% and 43% of daily energy expediture.

IMPROVED SKIN HEALTH

​Scientists have discovered that Matcha Green Tea helps protect the skin from harmful UVrays, while improving blood flow and oxygen levels lifting the overall quality of the skin.

137x THE ANTIOXIDANTS OF BREWED GREEN TEA

Antioxidants are essential as you age to boost your body's natural defenses against oxidation. Researchers have found that a high level of dietary antioxidants can prevent many age-related diseases.


As some of you know, I'm slowly easing my way into living a healthier lifestyle again. As part of that, I was thrilled the be chosen to review Organic Matcha- Green Tea Powder by KissMe Organics.

I have to say that this whole experience was a good one. The company is very personable and easy to work with! For someone who thinks excellent customer service should be something that all companies strive for, this was certainly a plus. On top of that, they gave out a free recipe book to help get us going! With any luck, I'll have that uploaded somewhere online soon and I'll be able to share that with you too!

I haven't had a ton of time to test this out, but everything that I've put it in has come out yummy! I'm really looking forward to having the time to try out making a green tea facial mask. After all, we all need to relax and take care of ourselves, right?

I'm not a huge health nut or anything, and those who know me know that I'm still not a grown up because I don't really love tea or coffee. However, from time to time, I do like green tea. Funny how sometimes you like something and other times you're just meh, whatever. In this case, I'm glad to have this on hand for when I am in the right mood!

Definitely a product worth checking out, if you're at all curious!



 I received this product in exchange for this review from Tomoson.com. Y'all know that my thoughts are my own. ;)
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

"Twelve-year-old Andora 'Andi' Boggs and her fourteen-year-old sister Bethany move to rural Ohio to live with their eccentric twenty-something aunt after the sudden death of their parents. While dealing with her grief, Andi discovers proof of another Andora Boggs in the family tree whose existence was hidden in a Depression-era trunk in the attic. With help from her new friend and neighbor, Colin Carter, Andi is determined to find out who this first Andora was and what happened to her."

It's been quite a while since I've read any children's books, but I'm so glad that I took the opportunity to review this one. While it's written for the upper elementary age group, the story is one that drew me in. Amanda develops her characters in such a way that adults and children alike can relate to them. Even I shivered a little bit at the bad guy. He's certainly the type that we probably all know and hope to never run into.

As a mom, I can't wait to try to introduce the boys to this book. If you have children in the upper elementary range, can I just suggest that this book make it into some stockings? Your kids will love it and you'll love that they're not only reading, but reading something that's fun and safe. It will inspire the imagination and maybe even some entrepreneurism. Not sure what I mean? Pick up the book and check it out for yourself.



I received a copy of this book through the Booksneeze blogging program. All thoughts, comments and opinions are 100% mine.

If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

 Welcome to the Novels for Noel Book Event from Literary Addicts. Brought to you by these Wonderful Authors.
Looking for some Fantastic Reads? Click on the covers to read about and BUY the books below:




In the spirit of giving, six chick-lit authors "present" a charming collection of seasonal shorts sure to inspire holiday cheer-plus love and hope throughout the year, with all proceeds donated to Rocking the Road for a Cure! Only $0.99!!

Hayson Publishing Books All $0.99 for the Event!

These fantastic authors and LiteraryAddicts.com are pleased to bring you a Giveaway for Christmas!

Fill out the form below to Enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway


If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons: