Freda's Voice

Welcome to the December Edition of Monthly News! For the month of December I held a third PayPal giveaway . This time I sweetened the pot a little. I signed up for more challenges, of course. This time it's the 2013 Sequel Challenge , the 2013 A To Z Book Challenge , the 2013 A-Z Reading Challenge , the 2013 YA/MG Fantasy Challenge , the 2013 Women Challenge , the What's In A Name Challenge 6 , the 150+ Reading Challenge for 2013 , BBC's 100 Books In A Year Challenge , the 2013 Non-Fiction Challenge and the 2013 A Thru Z Challenge .  Also I turned 25 for the 11th time on the 10th. I had a great time, yes I did. Celebrated with family and friends. For those who celebrated Christmas I hope you had a wonderful holiday. I hope Santa was good to you and your house and hearts were filled with love and joy. And for today, I wish you a prosperous, healthy and very happy new year! BOOKS: 1. The Iron Knight - Julie Kagawa  (HIGHLY recommend) 2. Politics. Esc

(Affiliate link) Jesus said, "You must love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." - Luke10:27 If one had to choose a single verse in the Bible that is a formula for successful living, this would be the one to live by, says Joyce Meyer: love God, yourself and others - in that order.  Many Christians get mixed up about love. They know they should love God and others, but many do not understand that loving oneself is one-third of God's equation. They mistakenly think of it as selfishness or self-aggrandizement. Joyce Meyer believes that this misconception is one of the greatest pitfalls in the Christian journey. Loving oneself in a balanced, healthy manner is essential in order to have healthy relationships with God, ourselves and others. Drawing upon her previous work and teaching series as well as original devotions, the author of  Power Thoughts  examines the three loves that we've b

(Affiliate link)  "Be Still and Know that I Am God" is one of the most beautiful verses from the Bible. But it's not easy to practice in this busy world. Mornings With Jesus 2012 will help usher you  into the quiet you crave, where you can experience more of Jesus' beautiful and powerful presence.  In a year's worth of devotions, Mornings With Jesus 2012 offers a fresh perspective of who this Healer, Comforter, Good Shepherd and Son of God is, and gives deeper understanding of what that means for you.  The warm and friendly voices of seven women reflect on the character and teachings of Jesus, and encourage you to draw near to Him and invite His presence, truth and relevance into your life. Each devotion includes a Scripture verse, an insightful reflection on Jesus' words, wisdom, compassion and comfort, and a faith step that will inspire and challenge you.  Spend time with Jesus in the morning, and experience His nearness and peace throughout your

(Affiliate link) We've been taught it's best to say nothing if we have nothing nice to say, but sometimes being nice is overrated. Then, firing off a one-liner or unleashing a long-winded diatribe is the only course of action--and so much more satisfying.  An Insult A Day: Scathing (but funny) Quips and Gibes 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar  contains pithy proclamations from politicians, comedians, talk show hosts, and celebrities, as well as the best zingers from movies and television shows. When it's time to really speak your mind, any one of these well-placed barbs will get the point across. Calendar:  640 pages Publisher:  Andrews McMeel Publishing; Pag edition (July 15, 2011) ISBN:  9781449403683 AMAZON US Buy An Insult A Day 2013 My Review: A laugh each morning is what I had to look forward to while reading this one. Each day was a new insult or gibe, though it was in tasteful humor and not hurtful. There were moments that I'm sure some peo

The Challenge:  Read any non-fiction book(s), adult or young adult. That's it. You can choose anything. Memoirs? Yes. History? Yes. Travel? Yes. You get the idea? Absolutely anything that is classified as non-fiction counts for this challenge.  Dilettante --Read 1-5 non-fiction books Explorer --Read 6-10  Seeker --Read 11-15 Master --Read 16-20 This challenge will last from January 1 to December 31, 2013. You can sign up anytime throughout the year. I read a mild amount of non-fiction, so I'll try for at least 1 non-fiction book a month. Guess that makes me a "Seeker". 1. Readers Digest Treasury of Joy and Inspiration 2. Home Workout - DK Canada Publishing 3. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregivers 4. Get Started Pilates - Anya Hayes 5. Writers' Devotions To Go - LeAnn Campbell 6. Diva Delights Devotions To Go - Marilyn Nutter 7. Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Mothers and Daughters 8. Complete Painting and Drawing Han

CHALLENGE DETAILS Timeline: 01 Jan 2013 – 31 Dec 2013 Rules: Read 100 books in 2013 (any genre) You don’t have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go. You can join at anytime. All books read in 2013 count towards the challenge regardless of when you sign up . At the beginning of Jan 2013, you will find a link to specific month to add your reviews. Audiobooks are accepted. Only fiction, no non-fiction. This challenge can crossover to other challenges. You DO NOT have to write reviews of the books you read, but if you decide to then a place will be available each month  for you to link up your reviews. You don’t have to have a blog to join in – for those without a blog but who use Goodreads, Amazon, LibraryThing etc, you can add the URL to where you track your books. If you don’t have a URL

(Affiliate link) Women often look to other women--whether friend, sister, mentor, mother, or role model--to provide inspiration, motivation, comfort, and humor. The Believing in Ourselves 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar gives readers these things and more with a truly special quotation from one of the world's most renowned women, both living and historic, on each page. Calendar: 640 pages Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing; Pag edition (July 15, 2011) ISBN: 9781449403751 AMAZON US Buy a copy of Believing in Ourselves 2013 My Review: This book is a great source for a daily quote of inspiration. With so many quotes, from not-very-famous to very famous people and of all walks of life. Each day lends a new perspective and outlook on life. It helped make a great start to my day! 4/5 DISCLAIMER: I acqu ired a copy. I was not compensated. All op inions are my own.

(Affiliate link) Being the only human in a world of merfolk... isn't easy. Florence Waverley chose to stay in Niemela, but things have gone awry. Secrets have risen and the prince she cares about has pulled away. All the while, dark dreams warn her of a tragedy that only she can stop. But in order to save the merman she loves, Florence will have to enter the Life Path tournament: a brutal test of fear and madness. The tournament is a rite of passage--a maze where young mermaids and mermen battle to find their purpose. It is also a place where Florence will face grave danger: mermaids with evil magic, tunnels filled with sea fire, and guardians who wish to use her as a pawn in their secret plans. But will Florence be strong enough to survive the tournament... or will she perish inside it? Everything hangs in the balance: her life, her world, and her love. Kindle:  405 KB ASIN:  B00AFBLT9K AMAZON US My review of book 1, Florence My Review: A bittersweet en

1. The goal is to read 150 or more books. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. Posting on GoodReads or wherever you post your reviews is good enough. 2. Allowed are: Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, Nonfiction –  as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts. What doesn't count: Individual short stories or individual books in the Bible and comic books. 3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed. 4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count. 5. Challenge begins January 1st, 2013 thru December 31, 2013. Books started before the 1st do not count. You can join at anytime. 6. When you sign up under Linky, put the  direct  link to your post where your books will be listed. Include the URL to this post so that other viewers can find this fun c