Freda's Voice

BOOKS: 1. My Everyday Promise Bible - Phil A. Smouse (childrens) (recommend) 2. Almost Human: The First Trilogy: Lost Reflections - Melanie Nowak 3. Self Sufficiency for the 21st Century - Dick & James Strawbridge 4. Brodie & The Yeti - Dennis Robert Komick (childrens) (recommend) 5. Cemetery of Dreams - S. Mostofi 6. Magel's Daughter - Nancy Baker 7. Dear Austin: A Letter to My Son - David M. Perkins (recommend) 8. This Side of Crazy - Kimmie Thomas 9. The Falling Away - T.L. Hines (recommend) 10. How Animals Work 11. A Shore Thing - Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi (HIGHLY recommend) 12. Elephant Milk - Diane Sherry Case 13. Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits and other curious things - Cate Gardner (recommend) 14. The Season of Risks - Susan Hubbard (recommend) 15. Your Astrology Guide 2010 - Rick Levine & Jeff Jawer 16. Hearing From God Each Morning - Joyce Meyer 17. The One Year Devotional for Preschoolers 2 - Carla Brunhill TV: 1. Community (rec

Rules: * Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011 * Rules - Read 100 or more books in 2011 * All books can crossover into other challenges you have on the go. * Only print books and ebooks count (no audiobooks). * You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year. This is my kind of challenge! 1. The Wolf of Tebron - C.S. Lakin 2. The Potluck Club - Linda Evans Shepherd & Eva Marie Everson 3. Smithsonian Natural History 4. John Lennon: Life Is What Happens - John M. Borack 5. The Adventures of Sherlock Homes - Arthur Conan Doyle 6. THR3E - Ted Dekker 7. My Immortal Assassin - Carolyn Jewel 8. Choker - Elizabeth Woods 9. Stuck In The Middle - Virginia Smith 10. Traveler's Rest - James Enge 11. Unexpected Comfort - Kelly Ferjutz 12. Shade - Jeri Smith-Ready 13. Blue - Lou Aronica 14. Cat Calls - Cynthia Leitich Smith 15. The Swan Thieves - Elizabeth Kostova 16. India Black - Carol K. Carr 17. Miss Hildreth Wore Brown - Olivia deBelle

Synopsis: Although you’re young, just a wee beginner, God made you a one-of-a-kind winner! The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2 is full of more easy-to-understand devotions for your little one, and pairs each day’s lesson with beautiful Little Blessings art. Your preschooler will join Kaitlyn, Zöe, Parker, and Jack—and together they will learn to walk with God in everything they do each day! Little Blessings features the endearing art of Elena Kucharik, artist for Care Bears. Do-able. Daily. Devotions. Start any day the One Year way: Do-able. Your child can just pick up this book and start on today’s date. Daily. Kids can learn about God and what’s really important, a little bit each day. Devotions. Kids can experience firsthand how to connect with God. Your child can grow with God the One Year way. ©2001 My Opinion: This devotional is geared for parents to read to their small children. It gives them some idea of what people should act like, the things we should do

Synopsis: In the hustle and bustle of today's busy world, sometimes it's hard enough to hear yourself think, much less take a minute to stop and listen for the voice of God. But learning to recognize God's voice and the many ways in which He speaks is vital for following His plan. This devotional; drawing from How to Hear From God, Knowing God Intimately, and The Power Of Simple Prayer shows the reader through a daily reminder, how God speaks through their own thoughts and feelings, their dreams, and the words of other people. Joyce Meyer reveals the ways in which God delivers His word and the benefits of asking God for the sensitivity to hear His voice. Joyce asks the question, "Are you listening?" and shares how to do just that...on a daily basis. Author Bio: Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers. A #1 New York Times bestselling author, she has written more than eighty inspirational books, including Never Give Up!, The Sec

Welcome to Week 9 with me! Happy 2011! Rules: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56. *Find any sentence that grabs you. *Post it. *Link it here. It's that simple. The Wolf of TeBron - C.S. Lakin Page 56: Joran looked over at Ruyah, hoping a philosophy-spouting wolf would agree.

Hosted by: http://imlostinbooks.blogspot.com/2009/11/colorful-reading-challenge-2010.html The point of the challenge is to read 9 books with 9 different colors in the title. Books may be overlapped with other challenges (I always love that rule so I always have that rule for my challenges. :) At least 6 of the books should be new to you (doesn't matter which 6). 1. Men with RED ties - Nastya Polikarpova Review 2. GOLD Digger Nation - Hal Roback Review 3. LEMON Tart - Josi S. Kilpack Review 4. My Little RED Book - Rachel Kauder Nalebuff Review 5. Low RED Moon - Ivy Devlin Review It doesn't matter what color, as long as there is a color in the title. There is no need to make a list of books and if you do you may change it at any time. The challenge runs from January 1- December 31, 2010. I couldn't get this done. Sad but true. I could try for next year but haven't seen it posted. So I guess I won't think about it.

Synopsis: Rick Levine and Jeff Jawer—astrology’s fastest-rising stars—go beyond mere prediction; they offer a cosmic weather report that explains planetary events and energies in a way that anyone can understand…and use. Their big bestselling guide covers a full 17 months instead of 12, with spreads for each sign from August 2009 to December 2010 featuring a summary and mini calendar for each month. The duo looks closely at the 2010 forecast for all 12 signs, providing an enlightening perspective on every crucial aspect of your world. Every month receives easy-to-follow coverage that makes it simple to keep track of what will unfold during the year. ©2009 My Opinion: This is a book that you have to read all year long, in order to feel the full effect of it. It is an astrological look at your entire year, and a pretty accurate one at that. I felt like the words I read happened every time, and not only was this book a heads up as to how I should react, but also keep reminding

Synopsis: My name is Ariella Montero, and I know a secret. Telling it will change everything. Half-human and half-vampire, Ari confronts the darker sides of vampirism, and herself, as the sects deploy new technologies to battle for influence and power. But beyond these challenges lie greater risks: Ari's relationship with Neil Cameron, the first vampire to run for the U.S. presidency, must be kept under wraps from even those she trusts most. When scandal inevitably erupts, Ari is forced to face the consequences of her actions, learning the hard way that love demands delicate negotiations between memory and desire. Book 1: The Society of S Book 2: The Year of Disappearances ©2010 My Opinion: I read the first two books in the series, no, devoured, before I started blogging, so I can't refer you to how this set of characters captured me. I was really drawn into this all in the first book. The second book draws us into the world of a girl that is born from the chara

* Grab your current read. * Let the book fall open to a random page. * Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. * You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given. * Please avoid spoilers! My Teaser: He said he'd had the impression I was younger, that he'd been surprised when he checked my records and found out I was twenty-two. I said I guessed I was a late bloomer. ~ Page 168, The Season of Risks - Susan Hubbard

I didn't think I'd see another challenge that would flip my switch, and then I saw this one. We all read ARC's, it's part of why we blog, but a challenge for it... splendid! RULES: * To sign up, leave a direct link to your blog post about this challenge. Please leave a comment as well. * You don't have to make a list of which ARC's you plan to read, but you can if you want. * If you choose a lower level, you can always change it to a higher level if you like. However, you cannot go from a higher level back down to a lower level. * Crossovers with other challenges are allowed and Audio-books and ebooks are allowed as long as they are ARC's. * Read the books and review them on your blog. If you don't have a blog, you can post your review on sites like Powells, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. * Subscribe to host blog for monthly Linky. * Have fun! The Levels: Level Bronze: .a. All of us who have or will have less than 12 ARCS must rea

Synopsis: Zombies, robots, and dragons, oh my! A collection of strange, surreal, and magical short fiction from Cate Gardner. ©2010 My Opinion: For a collection of short stories, this has to be one of the best I've read! There were so many different stories, werewolves, zombies, and even stranger still. This book was captivating from beginning to end. The difference in stories didn't bother me at all. Each one had a start, middle and end, so it all fell together nicely. In the end my lasting impression is: groovy! 4.5/5 ~I won my copy. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Synopsis: Sean Hayes is driving a lime green dune buggy that a friend of hers traded from Elvis Presley for angel dust. A major motion picture is about to be released with Sean's accidentally naked breasts in it and she has just watched her best girlfriend shoot heroin, while Keith Richards nodded on the couch. Sean parks the dune buggy on Coldwater Canyon, walks down the hill, and lights a joint to calm down. There she finds a pile of black clothes, wet with blood. The Tate murders? It is 1969 and things are starting to get really icky. Meanwhile, Sean's first boyfriend has taken off to Mexico and she has no idea exactly where he is. But a girl has to follow her heart. Sean leaves Beverly Hills determined to find her lover, even if it means joining a traveling circus and getting lost in a world of drum rolls and lions and Mayan glyphs. Even it means having knives thrown at her for a living, and facing a loaded machine gun in the hands of her rival. Somehow, she will find Frank

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas ! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS!  Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all. ~~~ Love by Lauraine Snelling When asked to write a Christmas message, one of my first thoughts was Do I climb up on my soapbox regarding changing the words in Christmas songs, using only holiday, etc. I thought about it and decided no. After all, they’re only words and what difference does a word make---really make after all? Then I kept on thinking. If they’re only words… But we as writers know the power of words, as do readers. When the wrong word is used, it jars, while the right word ca

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas ! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS!  Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all. ~~~ An Unforgettable Gift by Karen O'Connor On Christmas morning, 1912, in Paducah, Kentucky, fourteen-year-old Charlie Flowers and his three brothers and two sisters huddled in their beds, fully dressed, trying to keep warm as the wind howled outside their small frame house.        It was a desperate time for the family. Earlier that year the children's father had died. And their mother had not found work. The coal had run out and there was little money––none for gifts. Their sc

Welcome to Week 8 with me! Merry CHRISTmas and Happy 2011! Rules: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56. *Find any sentence that grabs you. *Post it. *Link it here. It's that simple. Elephant Milk - Diane Sherry Case Page 56: The only clear vision was that dreamy goodbye kiss and the postcard from Mazatlan with my two favorite words: Love, Frank.

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas ! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS!  Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all. ~~~ All I Want for Christmas… Is to be able to have Christmas this Year by Melissa Mashburn This is a simple request, isn’t it? In the previous years, we had great big bountiful Christmases with our family. Gifts, goodies and general Christmas cheer but this year it was different. The year before has been chock full of disappointments, failing businesses and severe cutbacks for our family.  Sitting with my husband one night we hammered out the bare minimum that we could spend that year f

Synopsis: It’s a summer to remember . . . at the Jersey Shore. Giovanna “Gia” Spumanti and her cousin Isabella “Bella” Rizzoli are going to have the sexiest summer ever. While they couldn’t be more different—pint-size Gia is a carefree, outspoken party girl and Bella is a tall, slender athlete who always holds her tongue—for the next month they’re ready to pouf up their hair, put on their stilettos, and soak up all that Seaside Heights, New Jersey, has to offer: hot guidos, cool clubs, fried Oreos, and lots of tequila. So far, Gia’s summer is on fire. Between nearly burning down their rented bungalow, inventing the popular “tan-tags” at the Tantastic Salon where she works, and rescuing a shark on the beach, she becomes a local celebrity overnight. Luckily, she meets the perfect guy to help her keep the flames under control. Firefighter Frank Rossi is exactly her type: big, tan, and Italian. But is he tough enough to handle Gia when things really heat up? Bella is more than ready for so

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas ! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS!  Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all. ~~~ What’s the best thing about Christmas? by Maureen Lang The answer to that question will undoubtedly be different depending on the age and the faith of the person being asked. Most children will say it’s all about the gifts. Adults, even if they secretly still enjoy the gifts, will probably strive to sound more mature and say the holiday is all about friends and family. Still others might say it’s about tradition, or memories or the music or even the special food we connect to this time

* Grab your current read. * Let the book fall open to a random page. * Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. * You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given. * Please avoid spoilers! My Teaser: In frustration, she reverted to her old style and threw a massive haymaker at him. He could have seen it coming from space. ~ Page 134, A Shore Thing - Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas ! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS!  Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all. ~~~ Good News! by Deb Kalmbach The first Christmas card of the season arrived in my mailbox way back in August. How could anyone be that organized? Then I noticed my friend, Nita, had sent me a card I had written to her more than 20 years ago!   Memories rushed back as I read the words penned in my familiar handwriting. It was Christmas, 1991, and my world had unraveled. I could almost pretend everything was all right at this most wonderful time of the year—but not that year.   My husba

Synopsis: Have you ever wondered how fish breathe underwater, how caterpillars transform into butterflies, why deer grow cumbersome antlers every year, or how snakes slither? How Animals Work explains the structures and systems of animal bodies, using photographs and diagrams to show how animals use their anatomy to move, communicate, hunt, and feed, and how their bodies enhance their chances in the struggle for survival. Awards and Notable lists: 2010 California Reading Association’s Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Awards- Silver Honor ©2010 My Opinion: This was a great look at the animal kingdom from every angle. Worms, Spiders, Lobsters, Fish, Monkeys to Whales all brought together in one book. Fantastic photos accompany great information on each type of species. This would be a great book for kids learning about the animal kingdom and its different groups. I highly recommend this selection for schools and teachers. 5/5 ~I received a copy from DK Canada. I was

Synopsis: In this tightly paced work, Supernatural Thriller meets the Twilight Zone. Native American Dylan runs Ahead is running away. He ran from the Crow Reservation where he grew up because he felt responsible for his sister's disappearance. He ran to the Army, but after his leg was mangled and his buddy was killed when a bomb exploded, he had to escape from those memories too. Now he's gotten mixed up in the wrong line of business and he's running from people who would prefer him dead. But then he meets a woman named Quinn. She claims to see things that others don't and tells him that he's "chosen." Oddly enough, his buddy in Iraq kept telling him the same thing. Before Dylan Runs Ahead can figure out what that really means, though, he's going to have to stop and face the demons--both literal and figurative--that he's been running from. ©2010 My Opinion: When I read the description I knew this story was going to be decent, but I had

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas ! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS!  Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all. ~~~ Gift List by Tricia Goyer I've been thinking lately how hard it must be for Oprah to Christmas shop. I mean if you were on her "gift list" wouldn't you expect something really, really good? The woman gives away cars and trips to Australia on her television show for goodness sake! It seems by the end of Christmas Day her friends and family would look at the pile of presents and think, "Is that it?" I mean if you knew there was billions of dollars she could spe

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas ! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS!  Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all. ~~~ Hurting Near Christmas? 10 Tips to Hope Again by Stacie Ruth Stoelting Feel sad this Christmas? Hey, I know the feeling. In fact, many programs have interviewed me to share about it! Last year, I tried particularly hard to share stories and tips on how to cope with grief during the holidays: I wrote a feature for CBN.com, Coping with Grief at Christmas , visited and counseled grieving people, etc. Then irony hit: Near Christmas, two people I loved died within two days (December 15-16,

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas ! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS!  Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all. ~~~ Wrapped in His Love by Rebecca Ondov The temperature is below zero and dropping quickly—probably to -15 or lower. Old Man Winter gusted in a couple days ago, leaving cold temperatures and a foot of snow behind. Moments ago I bundled up in my long johns and Carhartts to go out and feed. Of course I had a warm horse blanket draped over my arm. When it’s below zero I wrap Czar in two horse blankets. Czar nickered as soon as he saw me coming. When I buckled up the blankets, it was as if

Synopsis: A fast paced story about Maxine Payne and her struggle to find inner peace. Maxine’s poor self-esteem lead her to marry the first man that shows any interest in her. After five years of marriage and misery she has nothing to show for it. Her sham of a marriage is falling apart and her dream of having a child is fading away each day. To make matters worst, she discovers that the people in her life are not there to love and help her as she has always believed. She struggles to come to terms with her failing marriage and her sick mother as she watches her chance at a happy home with children slip away. Her two childhood girlfriends offer help and support but they have their own personal struggles. The old saying, “what’s done in the dark will eventually comes to light” has never been more true. When tragedy strikes, Maxine will have to make the most important decision of her life. But will the lies and secrets her husband and friends harbor bring Maxine’s life crashing down

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas ! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS!  Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all. ~~~ There’s No Place Like…. by Melody Carlson I grew up spending Christmases at my grandparents’ quaint Victorian home, surrounded by lots of relatives, laughter and love and really good food. For a little girl growing up in a single parent home, harried working mother, no church family, and TV dinners, these extended family holidays spent at my grandparents were like a real gift from God. But as a young adult, my grandfather passed on, the old house was sold, I grew up and eventually had