Book Tour: Red In The Flower Bed by Andrea Nepa

• Publisher: Tribute Books (December 12, 2008)
• ISBN-10: 0981461999
• ISBN-13: 978-0981461991
• Author and illustrator: Andrea Nepa

I just finished reading Red in The Flower Bed. It's is an excellent book for children ages four to eight, that tells an adoption story that any child will love. Red In The Flower bed is a story that will help children understand adoption through poems and colorful pictures. My daughter and I both loved this book.

The book tells the story of a seed that is transported to a new flower bed (family). The seed grows into a flower that is very unlike the other flowers in the bed, yet a perfect fit. The flowers are a family of many colors that all blend together into a beautiful group that is so loved by each other.

The illustrations are bold and beautiful. The colors pop out and go along well with the story. My daughter enjoyed pointing out the different hues of the flowers as we read this.

I would recommend this book to anybody who wants to teach their children about adoption or who have an adopted child. This book was a great opener to discussing how some children are adopted.


About the Author:

Andrea Nepa is the mother of an adopted Vietnamese daughter named Leah. In 2001, Adoptions from the Heart assisted with the international adoption. Andrea dedicated her book to her daughter: "For my dear Leah, whose journey in her young life has already taken her to far away and unexpected places." In 2006, Leah was diagnosed with cancer. She is currently in remission. Andrea lives with Leah and her husband, David, in Haddonfield, New Jersey. She is a registered dietitian for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

You can learn more about Red In The Flower Bed Here


You can buy Red In The Flower Bed Here

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.

Dali Decals review and giveaway

I have had so much fun doing my Dali Decals $10 makeovers. These were the first of my video reviews and I loved it! It helps to have had a wonderful product to use as well.

Dali Decals are top quality. I have bought so many wall decals over the years only for them to eventually to fall off never to stick again. On top of that store bought decals are run of the mill. Dali Decals are unique and beautiful. Plus they can be matched to so many colors anybody can find something to match their decor. Their choices seem endless!

Everyone has gotten a kick out of my suggestion box decal on the toilet and my hand prints on the window have received a ton of compliments. My favorite thing was seeing my daughters huge smile when she saw her wall for the first time. It was a great surprise for her.

I love that I can wash the decals and not worry about them coming off. Janelle has already tried to get one off and couldn't. Any Janelle proof product is an A+ in my book.

The decals do take some time to put up, but are well worth the invested time. Dali Decals sends a practice decals that helps when it comes time to put up the final project.

Kids can help a little bit with these projects. I let the little ones helped push out air bubbles and picked a place to put he decals. The older ones were able to help peel off the backing. I suggest this to be a 90% grown up job though.

Have I mentioned the quality of these decals? I have, well it's worth mentioning again. You get way more than you pay for with Dali Decals. You can tell they don't cheap out when it comes to the production of these decals. These are meant to last!

I am proud to have Dali Decals on my walls and am comfortable recommending them to not only to friends and family, but everyone. You won't regret purchasing Dali Decals and doing your own makeovers.




To purchase Dali decals Click here (My readers will get 5% off)
Check out Dali's back lot here http://dalidecals.com/backlot/
To win a $20 gift certificate fill out the form below. It may take a second to load. US only please.


I was given this product free to review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Nuts about Granola review and giveaway

I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to try Plain Jane Peanut Butter Granola and I have to say it was so good. I let all the kids taste a little piece and then had to hide it as they wanted more and we were using it to make worms in the dirt.

The Granola smelled great! My kids are sensory eater, which means they smell before they taste. As Emma puts it, if it don't smell good it's gonna taste bad. So each one the kids smelled then held their hands out. My two year old was literally nuts over this granola (weird thing is she hates granola bars). She was chasing me down with her hand held out for more.


I can see why Rachel Ray picked this for one of her snacks of the day and they were Chosen for the International Emmy Awards Gift bags! This is awesome granola!


Nuts About Granola is healthy and filling. You can feel good about eating this when you are on a diet. This is a snack I don't worry about giving my children because I know their getting a lot of the good stuff. It's filling too! A little bit will hold you over between meals. In fact Nuts About Granola stresses moderation because this is such a filling snack!


They have a ton of different flavors so everyone can find something they'll love. They even offer gluten free and Mexican hot chocolate (That one is interesting!). Are you in the mood for a creamsicle? They have a granola for that. Best of all their prices are reasonable and reflects the quality of the granola.


Nuts About Granola is a company that cares about their product and their customers. Check them out today and make sure you check out their gifts section to find something for someone you love.  

A spin on the classic Worms in the dirt treat. This one is way healthier. The gummy worms can be substitute with pretzel sticks and called trees in the dirt etc. Who needs oreos when you have Plain Jane Peanut Butter Granola?

 Nuts about granola PB Granola Worms in the dirt

One box low fat Chocolate pudding
Plain Jane Peanut Butter Granola

Gummy worms
Small clear Plastic cups

Mix pudding according to directions and fill cup 2/3 of the way with pudding refrigerate until stiffened. Top with a few sprinkles of Plain Jane Peanut Butter Granola and stick worm halfway into the pudding. Serve and watch the kids smile.

Win this sampler

The perfectly wrapped gift! Our sampler includes one 2oz. Single of each of our current flavors: Plain Jane, College Staple, Lover's Combo, Off Road, Ambrosia & Date Food. Only $9.99

This giveaway is open to us only. Fill out the form below it may take a second to load.

I was given a free product to review. All opinions are honest and my own

Going Green Big Time

In the month of October Mother of Insanity will be going green. I will be sharing some great articles, products, and some awesome giveaways during this series. I hope everyone will see how ecofriendly large families can be and learn how their family can go green too!

Horizon Organics Green giveaway and review

It's October 1st that means Mother of Insanity has gone green. For our first green product spotlight and giveaway I present:

What is organic?

Just Like nature intended.

For twenty years Horizon organics has been bringing quality organic dairy products to consumers. You won't find any antibiotics, growth hormones, or pesticides in any of their products. They do not clone their animals, it's all natural all the time so you can be certain by choosing Horizon products you are giving your family the best.

Horizon works with only organic farmers. This is the reason they are one of my spotlight eco-companies. Organic farming works with nature not against it. People can be comfortable giving their families organic foods since they are pure of any of the toxins other companies and farms use.  

Horizon cheese taste great too. I just made pizza with it tonight. The taste is crisper, fresher, than other brands. When I say you can taste the organic you can. It's like walking onto a farm and buying it right from the person who made it. Horizon is quality at its best!

Horizon dairy products are a great source of Vitamin D, protein, calcium, and probiotics. You know, all the things that make our kids grow up healthy and strong. I'm all about probiotics with how much the kids get sick. If one catches something they all do.

Horizon also has an excellent app for moms on their facebook called Horizon's Toolbox For Moms. This app has things like the Moms Almanac that tells you important dates like teacher day, and read a book day. It also has a lunch randomizer, videos, and more. I spent quite a bit of time checking it out. Just another thing that proves Horizon cares!

Horizon Organic sent me this super awesome survival kit for when the kids are at school. The kit was filled with chocolate, bubble bath, a wonderful scented candle, and lotion. Can you say total relaxation! They also want to share this kit with one of my lucky readers.

Gift bag includes:

A bag of dove chocolate

A Mainstays scented candle

Bubble bath

Bedtime lotion

To buy Horizon Organics check your local grocer’s dairy section 

 To try and win this Survival Kit fill out the form below. It may take a second to load.  

SmileBooks Review and discount code

I recently had the opportunity to try out Smilebooks. I have made a lot of photo books from a few different places online. I found Smilebooks to be a few steps ahead of their competitors. They offer a huge selection of sizes and option, page layouts, etc. Their software is easy to use and has a ton of designs to chose from. Best of all, their prices are great. I absolutely love Smilebooks.

You can get custom photo books at great prices from Smilebooks. I had a hard time finding enough pictures to fill all my pages, because you can choose from one to eight pictures per page. I did the custom 8x11 and was using 4 pictures per page, until I ran out of pictures. At that point I had to change to full page or some of their cool one picture frame options. There is at least ten choices of layouts for each number of pictures you want per page.

It took me about a half an hour to download the software and create my book. It was all very simple and fast. Everything is right on one page and allows me to chose a background, layout, and texts for the book. I went with a matching background on each page because I'm OCD like that. It was very simple to put together a summer 2011 themed photo book.

The book came in a week, which would be great for last minute gift ideas. Who doesn't like a photo book of their children or grandchildren? I was actually shocked at how fast it came as I have waited upwards of three weeks through other companies.

The book quality was great. The paper used was thick and durable and the binding was perfect. The hardcover was glossy and looked very professional. I would be proud to give this book as a gift.

Smilebooks is offering a 30% off discount code for my readers to try out their own photo books. Just enter this code at checkout:

MOIAWCYSB30

They also have special surprises just for signing up. 

Kerasal Review and giveaway

Last week I began using Kerasal One Step Ointment I noticed a difference almost immediately. I have seven kids so I am always on my feet. All summer I was barefoot walking around in the gravel driveway, and on the beach. My feet took a pounding. I am very skeptical when it comes to trying products for dray and cracked feet. They never seem to live up to their promises, but Kerasol did!

Kerasol is the nations #1 callus treatment ointment! I can see why. The rough hard spots on my feet are so much better now. My heels were really bad and I think they are the softest they've been since I was a kid now.

Kerasal's benefits:

• For moderate to severely rough and cracked heels
• Rehydrate, exfoliates and helps maintain moisture balance
• Softens calluses and controls callus build up
• Fast results, usually in 3–7 days
• Approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association

I am a barefoot kind of girl, plain and simple so this is a product I will be keeping around. I won't have to worry about painful calluses anymore and won't hesitate to take my husband up on a foot rub!  I would recommend Kerasal One Step Ointment to friends and family because it works!


To buy Click here
To Win:
Kerasal is providing one tired foot mama with a free tube of Kerasal One Step Ointment and a pair of cozy slipper socks. To win fill out the form below. It may take a second to load.


I received a sample in exchange for a review. All opinions are honest and my own. 

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Deodorant isn't lip gloss and other life lessons

I was tired and cranky today and didn't feel much like posting. That is until I turned around and there was Devony putting deodorant on like lip gloss. I took it away and showed her the proper use of said product. She looked at me like I was the one that was wrong and put it on her lips again. So I topped shelved the deodorant with other casualties of life lessons that weren't quite learned. I was looking up at my top shelf (It's the top shelf in the corner of a hallway we don't use) and realized how many life lessons my kids haven't seemed to learn.

I will note most of these products were at one time in the hands of Devony, which is why they are now top shelved. There was a plastic baseball bat I tried to explain was to hit baseballs not sisters, a box of markers which they thought were for wall murals. I was surprised to find a bottle of sun block from two years ago when Emma insisted it was hand lotion and applied it liberally to her hands 3 times a day (She smelled like summer all the time). You know those giant pencils, those were up there to. They are not drumsticks for my T-fal. Thirty-two, that's the number of objects that have been shelved. I know this seems like a lot, but I do have seven kids. It's totally understandable that one out of seven would use body wash as a hallway greaser to make a slip and slide. Did I mention I have very creative children? Dave often adds to the top shelf too. Just last week the handle to turn on the hose was shelved. The neighbors probably didn't appreciate the flooded back yard when the kids forgot to turn it off for the twentieth time this week. Did you know yarn is used for connecting the dining room chairs together? Yeah, me neither hence why it was shelved.


As I was counting the products on the shelf I gazed longingly at a pair of scissors. How nice it'd be to remember those are up there when I need to cut something, but alas kids don't get that cutting pigtails off is not cool. I remember a time before kids when I could leave my perfume on the sink. Now I have to explain that perfumes nice if you use one squirt on the body, not half a bottle as a room freshener. I used to be able to have a lot of things in a time long ago, like lipstick. Now makeup left within the grasp of children becomes mirror paint. I really should take pictures of this awesome artwork before I wash it away.


Today deodorant was added to the pile on the shelf, tomorrow will be something new. I think I'm going to need a bigger shelf. I know I need a taller one. Pretty soon Devony will climb this to retrieve the "lip gloss" she's staring up at with that gleam in her eye.

Peek-a-Boo Cube review

Today I reviewed the Peek-a-boo cube from Discovery toys. I decided to review this toy based on the fact it looked good for Mathew. It's not easy to find toys for a child with Hypotonia. I needed something light weight, soft, and easy for him to hold. The Peek-a-boo block met all of these needs. 

Mathew was able to easily hold onto this as it formed with his grip. He enjoyed smacking it to hear the rattle. When held over his head the rattle hung down, which was great to work on his swatting.

The colorful block would be great for children with visually impairments as well. The contrast between colors makes the patterned cards stand out. Plus the sound of the rattle would attract a child who depends more on hearing than sight. I wish I'd had this toy around when my visually impaired daughter was a baby.  

Mathew really enjoyed this toy. He looked for it among the other toys on the floor and smiled when it was given to him.  The toy was exactly what it was described to be and I couldn't be more thrilled with it. The box says 0+ for ages, but my two year old is very interested it in to (that or she just likes taking the baby's toys!). The quality is great and well worth the price.

I would recommend this toy for use with all babies, but especially babies with visual impairments and hypotonia.

The Peek-a-boo block can not be found in stores. It is an exclusive toy which can be purchased by Clicking Here

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.

Dali Decal's part 3 Window makeover

Dali Decals can be used on windows, but these are way better than the season window clings you can buy at stores. These are unique, stick so well they will not come off until you want them too, and the price is great.
Sticking with my $10 theme I picked the Hand print decals. I intended to use them on the van, but like my husband pointed out we're buying a new one soon so I used them on our hallway window. It literally took me five minutes to put these up and I have already have received  a lot of compliments, including from the UPS guy. He thought they'd been painted on.
These were by far my favorite of all my $10 makeovers!








To Buy: Dali Decals


I received this product free in exchange for a review.

Mother found a deal!

Walmart is having a great clearance sale right now on summer clothes with shorts starting at $2. Yep, Mother loves that! I'm stocking up for all the kids right now!
Walmart's clearance

Now we're cooking with Devo Olive Oil Company

I love using gourmet products. The problem is the kids are all kind of plain when it comes to their taste in foods. I needed to find a way to make our meals taste like they came out of a restaurant, yet prepare it in a way the kids would eat it too. Devo Olive Oil Company allows a mother who has been stuck on box food too long to prepare gourmet meals their kids will love too.

I am one of those parents that hides things in the food so my kids don't know it's there. Devo Olive Oil Company has made my life so much easier. Garlic is very good for people. Garlic is a natural antibiotic, and is helpful in preventing colds, this is great in my house where the kids are always bringing home germs. My grandmother always told me if you eat garlic you'll live to be a hundred.

I had to figure out a way to introduce garlic into the meals my children are going to eat. I want them to expand their taste buds and appreciate the different flavors of herbs and other flavor enhancers. this is where Devo Olive Oil Company comes in. They send me a bottle of Garlic Olive Oil to try. I could get into the benefits of using olive oil as well, but everyone already knows them.

The first recipe I made using Garlic Olive Oil was a Garlic, onion, and sausage omelet. It was a huge hit. The kids all loved them and even asked for seconds. Mission introduce garlic was a big success! (Recipe can be found below). That evening I thought why not make Garlic steak. I can not stress how much I love Garlic steak. The kids however, not so much. By pointing out they loved garlic in the omelets I was able to convince them to give it a try. It was another hit! In fact, my ten year old ate two helpings and this is the kid who won't eat anything unless it's free of all pepper, salt, or anything else that makes food taste good.

I am thrilled with the quality of Devo's Garlic Olive Oil. It made the house smell so good as it was heating up and the flavor was locked into each piece of meat. I had gotten some on my fingers and it washed right off. I wasn't smelling garlic on my fingers for three days. The bottle is attractive and looks great on my shelf too. I couldn't be more thrilled with Devo Olive Oil Company.

Devo Olive Oil Company carries a huge selection of products that can turn a basic cook into a great chef. I look forward to trying the Black Cherry Balsamic vinegar and lemon pepper linguine. Devo Olive Oil Company has brought back my joy of cooking.


Garlic, Onion, and sausage omelets.
3 eggs (beaten)
2 links of sausage chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
Devo Garlic Olive Oil

Mix together in bowl, egg, sausage, and onion. Coat bottom of small frying pan or omelet pan with Devo Garlic Olive Oil, heat over medium for 2 minutes. Pour in the egg mixture. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, flipping carefully. Serve.



This is my video recipe for Garlic steak. I know it's not a pretty meal, but it is soooooo good!







I recieved this product free in exchance for a review. All opinions are my own.

The things that drive me nuts (SPD and me) giveaway

I have issues! People who know me well already know that. I like to say my senses are over sensitive. I can't allow food to touch on a plate. I love the taste of onions, but will only eat them on burgers (It's a texture thing). I can't filter out noises, can't stand the sound of someone biting the collar of their shirt. This is just a small sampling of the things that drive me nuts.

They say everyone has a at least one sense that is either over or under sensitive. If a person has a few senses they probably have Sensory Processing Disorder. I have heard other adults with SPD list some strange things that drive them nuts, like the smell of ladybugs, or the sound of flys hitting a light cover. I can't stand the hum of cell phone towers. I can't hear TV's over the sound of a fan running.

You know what else drives me nuts, warm baths! I have to have straight hot water. This includes in the shower. I hate taking showers as well. I don't like the feel of water on my face. You've probably come to the conclusion now that I am a little insane. Well, I never denied that hence the name of my blog. Really though, I do have SPD and so do four of my children. That's why I promote early treatment for SPD so kids learn to adapt in a way I didn't get to because "They didn't know about these things back then".

So there are a few of the things that drive me nuts. What about you? What sense of your is more sensitive? What drives you nuts?

Dali Decal's mini makeover series Part 2 (Appliances)

This is my review of Dali Decal's appliance decals. I have recently started to redo my kitchen, replacing my old appliances with new black ones. I didn't want to go out and buy a new coffeepot as this one was fine (I usually keep things til they are broke). Appliance decals gave me the option to redo the coffee pot for a lot less than buying a new one. They are like all other Dali decals, great quality. They were very easy to use and changed the whole look of the coffee pot.

The above before and after pictures show you what a big difference the decals made on the appearance of the coffeepot. Me and my daughter had fun doing this project this together. I would not recommend doing this  with kids under ten. I have no doubt the decals will outlast the appliance in this case. They are durable and beautiful. I have already had four compliments on my coffeepot. People asked me where I bought it. I was like nope all I did was visit Dali Decals.

To view Dali Decal's amazing selection of decals Click here

To buy the set shown here Click here

Dali Decals video review series part 1

I wanted to do something a little different for my Dali Decals review. I can sit here all day long and tell you why I love Dali Decals because they are great products, but I think showing is the best way for people to learn about these decals. I decided to do what I am calling the $10 makeover series of videos. Dali Decals has a huge section of $10 decals to choose from. I was able to redo to walls, my coffee maker, toilet (yes toilet), and a window.

This was so much fun to do and didn't take me much time at all. Dali provides everything you need to put up your decals, including a transfer tool (I call it a scraper), and a step by step guide.

Dali Decals produce quality products. As you will see in the video series they are durable, beautiful, and cost effective. You can find a decal to match any rooms style or color scheme. The problem you're going to have is picking just one! This series will run for the next five days and conclude with a great giveaway from Dali Decals . This is the first video in the series and I thought we'd start it with a laugh so here is:





To purchase Click here
To buy the same deal I used in this video Click here

Check out my youtube channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/theremustbmore This is where I will be posting fun video reviews. There are a few trial and error videos there now, but the best is yet to come!

Things to never say to a preteen

This is something you should know long before you have a preteen daughter. Call this my public service announcement since one day this will happen to you. It's okay o be in denial now if you have younger girls, I was! Please heed what I am about to teach you. These are the things you should never say to a preteen:

Did you do the dishes? This can also g for laundry, room cleaning etc. Never word your question this way! Your preteens likely response: OMG (The letters not the words) mom, why do I have to do everything around here? or I will in a little bit (A little bit means yeah right, like that's going to happen). What you should say is, Honey, mommy loves you so much. You're not the type of kid who would yell at me or not take care of your responsibilities. By wording it all nicely like that they don't know how to respond. If that fails say, Hey, get out there and do the dishes...then duck.

Never ask them about their friends you don't know on facebook. There are exceptions to this rule. As a parent you will know the exceptions. If your just curious if the other person your child friended is a bully, trouble maker, etc. Wait til your preteen is in bed and then go onto their facebook (If your kids are on facebook you should have the password). You're right it's an invasion of privacy if invasion of privacy existed in my house, which it don't. If your my child your business is my business until you have a job, an apartment, and are over the age of 30.

Never tell your child they look like you. This leaves you open for attacks later. Trust me preteens are creative. My daughter got me good once. She told me she was ugly. I said baby you're beautiful. She said, no I'm not because I look just like you. I didn't know how to respond to that one so I laughed, which resulted in a door slamming episode.

Never comment on a band, show, or movie that was releases within the last year. This will result in you being told how totally uncool you are and reminded that you are in fact old.

This is probably the most important. Never, for the love of God, never ask about boys!!! I don't feel the need to explain this one as I hope you will just follow my advise and never ever do it.

The list goes on, but these are the most important. Asking questions can be tricky. You have to know your child's mood in the moment. If your preteens in a bad mood just asking about their day can set them off.

What we've learned:

Never start a sentence with will you, can you, did you, or could you. 
No Facebook questions unless necessary
Do not say they look like you
Don't try to know the hits of today
NEVER ASK ABOUT BOYS!

Make sure your special needs child is taken care of when you're gone

Almost all parents have a will. They agonized over choosing a guardian and figured out how to split there assets. If the parents have a special needs child they most likely chose someone based on their knowledge of the child's disability. I know we did. There is one thing that most parents don't think about, does the child's guardian know every doctor, social worker etc?

Think for a moment of all your child's doctors, therapies, and conditions. This probably took you a few minutes. Now add on medications, phone numbers, addresses. You are probably thinking how am I suppose to know all that offhand. Well, now put yourself in the child's guardian shoes. They have to try to figure out. That's why it's important to keep files (This is important for other reasons, but that's another post)!

I always suggest making two files one for home and one to give to the guardian. These files should contain doctors names, addresses, phone numbers, and what the child sees them for. You should add on all medications, therapy days, times, and the therapist phone numbers. A list of everyone of the child's conditions. If the child gets SSI, medicaid, or any other services add on all the social workers names, phone numbers, and what it is they do.

A simple spiral notebook can even serve as a file. Just make sure whatever you use can be updated and added to. If anything ever happens to you the guardian will be able to go down the list and be able to find out next appointments, any paperwork that will have to be done, etc. You have no idea how much easier this will be and the child won't miss anything because no one knew about it.

Interview with Christopher and Kris Hawkins Creators of One Buck Horror

Interview with Christopher and Kris Hawkins Creators of One Buck Horror

Today I am interviewing Christopher and Kris Hawkins, a husband wife team that, created One Buck Horror. Welcome to my world of Insanity.


1. What led you both to create One Buck Horror?

Well, we're both horror fans and avid readers. Chris is a writer who deals with web technology in his other life. Kris is super-organized and great at finding quality stories. It seemed like a great way to bring all that experience together into a single project. And once we saw how quickly the market for ebooks was growing, we knew we had an opportunity to bring some great horror fiction to a mass audience. From there, it all just sort of fell into place.


2. Has there ever been a story you had to turn away not because it was a bad story, but because it was too twisted?

I don't know that we've ever turned down a story for being too twisted, but we have turned down a lot of perfectly good stories because they weren't quite right for our publication. We have a pretty specific vibe we're going for with One Buck Horror, and it makes us really picky.


3. What has been the most rewarding experience for you both doing One Buck Horror?

The most rewarding thing has been working with such a great group of writers, and being able to give them some of the exposure they deserve. We've gotten some great response so far from our readers as well, and being able to connect the two groups has been really exciting.


4. What is each of your favorite stories out of all three volumes?

That's a little like asking us which of our two children we like best! It's really hard to say, and on any given day, we might give a different answer. There are definitely a few that stand out, but we'd rather let the readers pick their own favorites.


5. Which type of horror do you both prefer, the subtle, sneak up on you type, or the in your face blood and gore from the start?

Well, there's definitely a place for both in One Buck Horror. What really matters is that the story is written effectively, and that it's scary. Blood and gore are fine, as long as they serve the story, though we probably lean a bit toward the "sneak up on you" stories. But approach matters less than substance, and good stories will rise to the top no matter what.


6. What scares you?

Spiders. Clowns. The Chupacabra. Congress. Doll parts. Country music. Snooki. The list goes on and on...


7. I see One Buck Zombies is in the works. Want to tell us about it?

Well, it's chock-full of zombies and only costs a buck! What more can we say? All kidding aside, we have some great stories in that book, and they're all fairly unique takes on the zombie genre. We think our fans are going to love it!


8. What are you looking for in contributing authors?

We're looking for stories that grab onto you right from the beginning, whether that's by scaring us right in the first few sentences, or by presenting compelling characters, or by putting us into an irresistible setting. Too many horror stories are a long, slow wind-up to a scary twist that comes in the last few pages, which is hard to pull off in a horror anthology when the reader know that something scary is going to happen eventually. The best stories command the reader's attention right away, and don't let go even after they're finished.


9. What's the best advice you can give someone who wants to be a horror writer?

Read everything you can, and not just horror. If all you read is horror, then your stories will look just like everything that's come before. Immerse yourself in different genres and different styles. Let them all inform your writing, and create something that's truly unique.



10. Has One Buck Horror brought you both closer together as husband and wife?

It definitely has. Working together is a challenge, but it's a lot of fun, and we hope to continue doing it for a long time.


Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions.

One Buck Horror Volume One Review

Title: One Buck Horror Volume One
Publisher: Coronis Publishing













Okay, I admit it. I wasn’t sure I was going to like One Buck Horror. I mean come on how good could an anthology be that is only a buck? I was pleasantly surprised to find it was great. I got way more than a dollars worth!

All the stories are well written, well edited, and enjoyable. I had to sleep with the lights on! The book was so good in fact I am making sure to acknowledge each story in Volume one. Volume two and three will come in another review.   


One buck horror vol. 1

Jenny’s house-
This story is very short! Like a 5 minute read, but well written. It’s supposed to be from a young child’s point of view and I think the author captured a child like way of telling the story.

A Lullaby for Caliban- My absolute favorite of all the stories in the book! I didn’t see the twist at the end, which is how I like a good story.

Last Nephew- A good make you think type story. I was caught up in it and think the scariest thing about it was the things left unknown.

The cornfield- This is another one of the stories that surprised me in the end. I enjoyed this story. It’ll pop in my head every time I’m in a cornfield from now on.

The Gingermen- This one was quite different than most short horror stories. It’s the kind of story that the scariness sneaks up on you well after you finish reading it.

All of the stories are fast paced (under three-thousand words). I liked the speed of each story as it kept me on the edge of my seat. The surprise endings were spectacular. I don’t know how Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins were able to gather so many great writers, but they did it.

I am comfortable recommending this book to most horror fans. If you like a lot of detail this may not be your book. Remember the stories are three-thousand words or less. This is a great book that will leave you trembling.

I received this book free to review, but all opinions are honest and my own.

Weirder Than Marshmallows review

 Written by: Dan Fog
Compiled and edited by: Deborah Carney,
Publisher: Night Fire Publications
















About the book:

“Ignorance, lack of common sense, and downright inhuman stupidity run rampant in this country and around the world. I watch people, and I hear stories, and they beg, beg, beg to be mocked and ridiculed. So I created a forum for people to do that.”

Weirder Than Marshmallows showcases tales of stupidity and ignorance in the hopes of making people laugh.“People can submit the bare details,” said Fogg. “I’ll turn it into a story, sticking to the facts they give me and adding my own commentary.”

This book is a hilarious look at stupidity. When I say hilarious I mean people were looking at me because I was laughing so hard. There were some serious parts that seemed almost to take away from what I thought was a "humor themed" book, but I was quickly drawn back in. Overall this was a really good book. I read it in about an hour and plan to go back and reread it again.

Weirder Than Marshmallows is a compilation of a mans experiences dealing with...well stupidity. At times I sat laughing, shaking my head saying this can't be for real, but it is. You actually learn a lot about the author through his notes. He is honest and funny in this book and you can read the type of person he was through his words. He totally seemed like someone I would have gotten along with well.

I was never one to read book dedications so I was a bit caught off guard at he end and actually felt a strong tug of my heart. I strongly suggest if you are the emotional type like me read the dedications!

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good laugh. I was in a bad mood when I started to read Weirder Than Marshmallows and afterwards I had permagrin. Take the time to read this book and you'll never look at lighter fluid the same.

As a special limited offer, if readers purchase Weirder than Marshmallows for the Kindle and they forward me their receipt at dc@nightfirepublications.com we will send them a special Scentsy Pumpkin Marshmallow Scent Circle. 

To find out more Click here

Nightfires Facebook

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.

Nacho Mama Tees

                                       

Out of every horror character Micheal Myers scares me the most. There's something about that mask that sends a shiver down my spine. If a haunted house has someone dressed up as him forget about it, I'm not going in. It is because of this that I chose to review the a Camp Crystal Lake T-shirt from Nachomama Tees since Halloween is approaching fast.

I was thrilled with the quality of the shirt. It was 100% cotton and on the heavier side for cooler days. It fit my husband perfectly, which isn't easy since he's a bigger guy. This shirt did not shrink in the washer and dryer either which is great. That's a big problem around here. My sons size 16 T-shirts become like size 10 t-shirts. Another plus was the design did not peel or stick while in the dryer either.

The shirts at Nachomama Tees are affordable as well. They have a huge selection from Funny T-shirts to Vintage T-shirts. You will have no problem finding something everyone in the family will like! Make sure you check out their daily $6.99 deals and their best sellers too.

Nachomama Tees has provided a $15 gift certificate to their shop for one lucky winner. Fill out the form below to try to win this great prize. Form may take a second to load.

Sorry no bloggers can win, US only. See rules and disclaimers for other info on my giveaways.

Preteen angst round 1

Sara comes home from school and heads for the fridge. This is the conversation that ensued.

Sara: Mom there's nothing to drink and I didn't have anything to drink all day at school.

Me: Wh not?

Sara: (she's still calm) Because they ran out of chocolate milk.

Me: (i shouldn't have asked) So, why didn' you drink regualr milk?

Sara: (head spinning, pea soup spewing) Because their regualr milk tastes like they put freakin baby formula in it.

Me: Oh

Sponsor a Christmas Angel!

I know there are a million and one charities out there and a lot of attention go to the big ones, but there are so many little charities that can really use the help. Christmas Angels for Children is one of those. I came across this facebook page and it touched my heart. The children all have different stories and reasons they need a sponsor. Help these children believe in Santa and miracles.

Too many times we are distracted by our own lives. We want to make these huge lists of gifts for everyone in our lives, but what about the friends we haven't met yet? The people whose lives you can change by one simple action? How would being a sponsor help you might ask. Well, it's simple. Each child who receives a sponsor will have a very happy Christmas. They won't wake up to an empty spot below the Christmas tree. You can give them a Christmas they will remember forever! Then we take a look at the parents. Perhaps they lost their job, or spouse, or are in a situation that makes it impossible to provide Christmas this year. By helping out their Child you give them the joy of seeing their child smile. You provide the joy of Christmas for the whole family.

It's a simple act really. You go to http://www.facebook.com/ChristmasAngelsforChildren, browse through the pictures. When you find a child you want to sponsor comment with your email address. Someone will contact you and you tell them what kind of gifts you're willing to send. It doesn't have to be a lot. Even one gift helps.

Please consider helping an Angel experience a little Christmas magic this year.

And in the words of Tiny Tim: God bless us, everyone!

If you're a blogger please keep this message going.

Blaze Of Glory By M. Garzon Review

Author: M. Garzon
Publisher: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing
ISBN: ISBN-10: 1602648107

















Book Teaser:

Some fires can consume you.

Last year, I had it all. Two jumpers on the show circuit, a lot of wins, and a lot of attention - the good kind. But now I have nothing. My life is circling the drain. The only spark of light that exists for me is my new, forbidden passion. If my stepfather finds out, he will kill me. My twin brother, my only blood relative in the world, already begged me not to. But I can't help myself. If it can't be horses, it has to be...

My review:

Have you ever had a book you couldn't stop reading because you had to know what happened next? This was one of those books for me! The relationships were amazingly written and make the reader feel as though they have a part in them.

I usually don't like books written in first person. It has to be done just right to make the book not seem like a diary, the author accomplished that. Instead of pulling me out of the story I was drawn in. I felt as though I was part of Tea and her life. She became my best friend. I wanted to beat the crap out of her stepfather many times and wanted more than anything to see her and Jaden end up together.

The characters are well written and come alive in the pages. You want to be their friends. Any book that makes you forget it is a fictional story and you can't go down the street and visit the characters is an A+ in my book. The scenes are described to the point you can see yourself there. All together great writing by M. Garzon.

I love that the author keeps it real. She doesn't hide what teenagers have to face daily. Yes, there is mild sexual scenes and a few other things Conservative parents wouldn't like, but this book reflects real teenagers and real teenagers would relate to Tea. I would no problems allowing my daughter to read this, in fact she is right now.

I wouldn't say this book is only for teenagers. I enjoyed it so much I'd have sworn it was in fact written for adults. The author struck gold with this book. Move over Stephanie Meyer there's a new YA author on the block. There may be no vampires or werewolves, just reality at it's best. Way to go M. Garzon you have officially made it onto my top authors list! I can't wait to read a lot more books by you.

If your looking for a great read for yourself or a teenager in your life you won't regret getting this book. It will keep you turning the pages and wanting more.

To buy Click here
To learn more about M Garzon Click here

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.

Get to know Channing & Co.

                          

It is my pleasure to introduce everyone to Channing & Co, makers of beautiful, unique jewelry. I was instantly drawn to their wonderful children's collection. They go way beyond the classic charm bracelets and cutesy earrings. They have created a stylish line that follows today's fashion trends. Best yet they are affordable with pieces ranging from $6 to $40.

Channing & Co's children's pieces would make great gifts. They offer everything from crosses for religious ceremonies to skulls for Halloween, or in my oldest daughters case skulls are for anytime. These quality bracelet's would make any girls day. There is love put into every bead and it shows in the wonderful quality of these pieces. These bracelets are something your children will hold onto and pass down to their children.


I truly believe the best children's products out right now are mommy made. No one knows kids and what they like as a mommy does. Channing & Co is a mommy owned and ran company. She takes pride in her work and reputation. You can feel confident when you buy from her that you are getting the best.


Channing & Co care about their customers. Unlike most jewelry shops they offer free repairs on anything they have made. The customer service is way above anything you see anymore. I like to compair it to the mom and pop shops of the 1930's and 40's. These types of places seem to be endangered species in today's society so it's a relief to see some companies bringing it back.

Channing & Co also offers a beautiful line of adult jewelry. From rings to watches they have something to match your taste or style. You can even match some of the adult pieces with the children's pieces for special occasions like weddings.  

                                                         

Check out Channing & Co I know you'll find something you'll love!!!!

  

Channing & Co has generiously given me a beautiful Little Girls's Turquoise Bracelet 9/30, a $40 value  to giveaway to one lucky winner. Fill out the form below it may take a second to load. US only please. See my rules.