Category: giveaway

My Little Pony: Spring Into Friendship DVD Giveaway

Shout! Kids Factory

Everyone’s favourite characters our back! My Little Pony: Spring Into Friendship leaps onto DVD February 13th in all new episodes!

My Little Pony: Spring Into Friendship DVD Giveaway

About My Little Pony: Spring Into Friendship

Big trouble is on the horizon when Twilight Sparkle is given only two coveted tickets to the most anticipated event in town. But how will she decide which of her best friends gets to go with her? She faces quite the challenge.

Discover the answer, and see four more amazing pony tales, as Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy help usher Springtime into Equestria!

Episodes Included:

  • The Ticket Master
  • Sisterhooves Social
  • Just for Sidekicks
  • Princess Twilight Sparkle Part One
  • Princess Twilight Sparkle Part Two
  • Bonus: Sing a long!

This beautiful DVD has been released just in time to make a perfect addition to Easter baskets with its spring themes if you are thinking of Easter basket ideas. The DVD has a run time of 110 minutes and enough episodes to keep your little one engaged and craving more. Can’t wait for Easter? Why not set up a My Little Pony viewing party with colourful snacks, decorations and their favourite characters and get set for a night of fun and entertainment.

You can purchase a copy of this DVD on Amazon and Shout Kids.

My American and Canadian readers can now enter to win their own copy! Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

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Disclosure: I received a copy of this DVD. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Waking Isabella Book Review

Italy Book Tours

Waking Isabella is a story about uncovering hidden beauty that, over time, has been lost, erased, or suppressed.

Waking Isabella Book Review

About Waking Isabella

Waking Isabella is a story about uncovering hidden beauty that, over time, has been lost, erased, or suppressed. It also weaves together several love stories as well as a few mysteries. Nora, an assistant researcher, is a catalyst for resolving the puzzle of a painting that has been missing for decades. Set in Arezzo, a small Tuscan town, the plot unfolds against the backdrop of the city’s antique trade and the fanfare and pageantry of its medieval jousting festival. While filming a documentary about Isabella de’ Medici—the Renaissance princess who was murdered by her husband—Nora begins to connect with the lives of two remarkable women from the past. Unraveling the stories of Isabella, the daughter of a fifteenth-century Tuscan duke, and Margherita, a young girl trying to survive the war in Nazi-occupied Italy, Nora begins to question the choices that have shaped her own life up to this point. As she does, hidden beauty is awakened deep inside of her, and she discovers the keys to her creativity and happiness. It is a story of love and deceit, forgeries and masterpieces—all held together by the allure and intrigue of a beautiful Tuscan ghost.

My Thoughts

Waking Isabella is a beautifully written story of discovery, passion, love and hope.

Nora has just left her husband, she realized their marriage was not quite what she had wanted or needed. She had given up so much of her life and passions (her art and jewellery) and she uses this time in her life to regain what she has lost. She had always loved the story of Isabella Medici and applies to do research on the beautiful Princess and her tragic death.

In Italy, she comes upon much more than she expected. She renews her friendship with an old friend who re-introduces her to life in Italy. As she learns more about Isabella, a strange connection between the two seems to develop and it is almost as if Isabella is guiding her to help her solve a great mystery of the missing painting of Isabella. At this same time, Nora meets a young man with unique ties to the art world and the mysterious disappearance of the painting.

The plot is unique and full of mystery and hope. I loved learning about all three women – they all are strong and independent and for two of them, this is what causes their death. I loved the Melissa intertwined their past and future to help solve the disappearance of the Medici painting. In between this,  we also have Nora re-discovering herself as an individual and a woman. It is a beautiful story of love, forgiveness, hope and the hurt that lies can cause.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Chapters, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Melissa Muldoon is the Studentessa Matta—the crazy linguist! In Italian, “matta” means “crazy” or “impassioned.” Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She has also studied painting and art history in Florence.

Melissa promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog, Studentessa Matta (studentessamatta.com). Melissa began the Matta blog to improve her command of the language and to connect with other language learners. It has since grown to include a podcast, “Tutti Matti per l’Italiano,” and the Studentessa Matta YouTube channel. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Tours, which she co-leads with Italian partners in Italy.

Waking Isabella is Melissa’s second novel and follows Dreaming Sophia, published in 2016. In this new novel about Italy, the reader is taken on another art history adventure, inspired by Melissa’s experiences living and traveling in Italy, specifically Arezzo, as well as her familiarity with the language and art. For more information about Waking Isabella and links to Melissa’s blogs and social media sites, visit www.MelissaMuldoon.com.

As a student, Melissa lived in Florence with an Italian family. She studied art history and painting and took beginner Italian classes. When she returned home, she threw away her Italian dictionary, assuming she’d never need it again, but after launching a successful design career and starting a family, she realized something was missing in her life. That “thing” was the connection she had made with Italy and the friends who live there. Living in Florence was indeed a life-changing event. Wanting to reconnect with Italy, she decided to start learning the language again from scratch. As if indeed possessed by an Italian muse, she bought a new Italian dictionary and began her journey to fluency—a path that has led her back to Italy many times and enriched her life in countless ways. Now, many dictionaries and grammar books later, she dedicates her time to promoting Italian language studies, further travels in Italy, and sharing her stories and insights about Italy with others. When Melissa is not traveling in Italy, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Melissa designed and illustrated the cover art for Waking Isabella and Dreaming Sophia. She also curates the Dreaming Sophia blog and Pinterest site: The Art of Loving Italy. Please visit the Pinterest page for pictures of Arezzo, the Giostra del Saracino, and all the places we go in Italy in both books. Visit MelissaMuldoon.com for more information about immersion trips to learn the language with Melissa in Italy, as well as the Studentessa Matta blog for practice and tips to learn the Italian language.

Book Trailer

The Giveaway!

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Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Oh Baby! A Mom’s Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year

Raincoast Books

The first year of your child’s life is full of love, happiness, fear and bag full of emotions! Oh Baby! A Mom’s Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year is here to help you through those ups and downs.

Oh Baby! A Mom's Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year

About Oh Baby! A Mom’s Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year

There are plenty of books and resources about how to properly care for your new baby, but what about caring for yourself? Maria Lianos-Carbone, founder of AMotherWorld.com, outlines the proper care and feeding” of mothers during their baby’s first year with humor and honesty. From the physical and emotional changes a new mom will undergo to rekindling intimacy with her partner, Oh Baby! Mom’s Survival Guide for the First Year keeps the focus on moms – because you can’t draw water (or breast milk, for that matter) from an empty well. Maria’s straight-talking, no-nonsense approach will give new moms everything they need to survive as they embark on the journey of motherhood.

My Thoughts

I fell in love with this down to earth and realistic self-care guide. I have had two children and Maria gives you what you need to know (and what I wish I had known) in a way that you need to hear it.

From birth to the first birth date, you will experience so many ups and downs. From your own emotions to the expectations you put on yourself and to the expectations others put on you. The list is endless and at times it feels impossible to be that perfect Mom that we want to so desperately be. You see the perfect image of what a Mom should be every day and you feel that you need to be that person. As Moms and women, we can be our own worst enemy by not being able to admit to faults, failures or even a lack of desire to wanting to be perfect.

Maria acknowledges all of your fears, concerns and more and shines light on them, normalizes them and gives you tips and advice on how to get over them. Want to avoid hurting family members feelings by refusing visits in the first week – she offers you great wording and tips on how to get through this. Struggling with breastfeeding – she offers tips, recipes and more (I never knew about the cabbage and wish I had! Those breasts really hurt in the first two weeks!).

This is a fantastic resource for new and seasoned Mom’s to help them get through the best and worst times of the first year. It gives you advice, tips in a fun and open manner. I laughed (I could see so many of my own first year moments throughout this book!) and teared up throughout this guide. This will make a perfect baby shower gift for Moms (and Dads who want to learn more from a Mom’s perspective).

You can purchase a copy of this book on Raincoast Books and Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

Oh Baby! A Mom's Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year

About the Author

Maria Lianos-Carbone is a mom of two, social media strategist, and publisher of amotherworld.com, a leading lifestyle blog for women, and lifeandstyle.ca, a travel blog.

Also a freelance writer, Maria’s work has been published in Huffington Post Canada, CanadianLiving.com, TodaysParent.com, and Parents Canada . Maria has worked on digital campaigns with brands such as Rogers, Air Canada, MasterCard, American Express, TD Canada Trust, Best Buy, H&M, Old Navy, Sobeys, Staples, P&G, and more. She has appeared as a guest on CNN Newsroom, CBC’s Marketplace, The Mom Show, and Rogers Daytime .

The Giveaway!

My Canadian readers can now enter to win their own copy of Oh Baby! Canadians, 18 years of age and older can enter via the rafflecopter form below – good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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A Witch’s Path Book Three Review

In A Witch’s Path Book Three, most witches don’t work for police departments, but Michelle isn’t your average witch.

A Witch's Path Book Two Review

About A Witch’s Path Book Three

When Michelle pulls an old book out of a fire, she finds answers and heartbreak. The book confirms that a demon walks the land, though according to legend they were all dead. Now, she needs to rediscover the secrets to killing demons before her loved ones fall victim.

Elron’s budding relationship with Michelle suffers a blow when his mate returns. While he struggles with love and guilt, it becomes clear that not everyone gets their happily ever after.

My Thoughts

This was the final audiobook in this incredible boxed book series and by far the best!

In this story, an old diary that Michelle finds confirms some of their worst fears and a lost love. A demon was walking the land! Not only is there a demon but Elron (who has become more than just a friend to Michelle) finds out that his mate/wife never really died like he was led to believed. The diary that Michelle finds confirms that the demon has taken over his mate. This puts Elron through a wide arrange of emotions from guilt to anger to self hate. How could he have not protected his mate and partner? And had he cheated on her with his feelings for Michelle?

Michelle also struggles with this new-found knowledge. She feels strongly for Elron and the pain that this has caused him hurts her just as deeply. On top of this, the clans are all fighting for her to join them. She has strong feelings against this, feeling betrayed by the way they had treated her parents. I loved watching her relationship with her Father deepen throughout the audiobooks. He becomes her teacher, her guide and her buffer when she has to tells her Mother bad news!

This final audiobook in this boxed set was incredible. I loved the plot, the back and forth view points between Michelle and Elron and the exciting new characters (who wouldn’t want a pet t-rex?). I enjoyed each of the books in this set but this was definitely my favourite. We learned a lot about Michelle (her strength, her kind heart and her fearlessness) and even Elron – who I never would have guessed would have become such a major player in this series! This will be a well-loved series for the supernatural fans and adults and youth alike.

You can purchase a copy of this audiobook on Audible. Listen to an excerpt here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

N.E. Conneely lives in northern Georgia with her dog and a mountain of books. They sweat through the summer and freeze through the winter, and life as they know it comes to an end when so much as a single snowflake falls out of the sky. For fun, N.E. plays with her dog, reads, knits, crochets, paints, and does tie-dyeing and origami. She makes a great pizza and is currently negotiating with her husband about raising sea monkeys and growing a vegetable garden.

About the Narrator

Jeff Hays has made a name for himself in the audio book world by creating immersive experiences out of his productions. His versatility and authenticity in voicing characters, expressive low-impact narration, and dedication to offering the highest quality audio possible has earned him a loyal following of listeners. Having been fascinated with sound since he can remember, Jeff takes his background of composing and producing music, and his continual consumption of the avalanche of fictional media we all experience in these modern times, and uses it to inform his style of story telling in the audiobook realm.

And now, having produced more than 80 audio books and perfecting his craft, using the namesake of his live streaming narration show, the Soundbooth Theater shingle has been hung. Soundbooth Theater is dedicated to applying Jeff’s production methods to new audio books with other budding narrator talent, and expanding his scope from audio books, to voicing and producing animation.

The Giveaway!

A Witch’s Path Series Giveaway: 3-Month Audible Membership

Disclosure: I received an audiobook in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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The Good Man Book Review

iRead Book Tours

Who is The Good Man in a world where an enemy may be a friend, an ally may be the enemy, and governments deny everything?

The Good Man Book Review

About The Good Man

In 1948, Vienna was divided among four powers: France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Jack Marshall had served with Walker during the war, and now, working together for The Company, they are tasked to do the inconceivable. Could former Nazis really be recruited to assist the U.S. in the atomic race? As their team moves forward, they quickly discover they are not the only ones looking for these men. And the others in the search may just have the objective of murder.

In this tale of historical noir, of corruption and deceit, no one is who they say they are. Who is The Good Man in a world where an enemy may be a friend, an ally may be the enemy, and governments deny everything?

My Thoughts

Friends, enemies, spies, deceit all in the backdrop of post World War II Vienna – The Good Man has it all and more.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this novel. I could not put it down. The plot itself was completely unique and was not what I was expecting at all. The novel is set in post World War II Vienna, where the effects of the war can still be seen in both the people and the architecture. It is here that two war veterans come together again with a task that many of us could not understand. In a race against the Russians, the Americans are looking for information from former Nazis. The only problem? They are not the only ones who are looking for these former Nazi members and the others looking for them have a more deadly agenda on their mind – revenge and murder.

Into this is thrown an alluring analyst, a young girl who has seen far more than she should have ever seen and a missing coin that is highly valued. Who can you trust when everywhere you turn you find lies and death? How do you even keep yourself alive amidst the corruption and torture?

This novel was laid out in an exciting manner with the plot ever-expanding and changing.  Just when we think we know what is going to happen next, Gabriel throws in quite the twist (and maybe even a murder!). I learned a lot from this novel and did some of my own research afterwards, I find that this is the mark of a great novel – making you think and crave for more. It is well written and thought out, Gabriel puts his all in his work and this is definitely one of his best novels so far. Historical, suspense and all readers alike will love this novel.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5+/5

About the Author

Gabriel Valjan is the author of The Roma Series from Winter Goose Publishing. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts, where he enjoys the local restaurants, and his two cats, Squeak and Squawk, keep him honest to the story on the screen.

The Giveaway!

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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