Monday, May 12, 2014

Double Book Review & Giveaway!


I am so excited to tell you about this book. It is seriously one of the funniest and yet poignant books I've read all year. So. Funny.  Like tears running down my cheeks and I can't breathe funny.  But I better start from the beginning.

So, the book is these two black ladies who are members of the LDS church and they talk about their lives with funny stories that also taught them lessons about faith  The dialogue is so . . . them, with phrases like "Be your brother's keeper, not your brother's creeper," and "God is in the game"  and "Will Smith (with his fine self)" and "if we wanna stay boo'd up," (the book even provides handy definitions if you don't know what the phrase means LOL) to just name a few.  These ladies present life lessons with a perspective I've never really heard before, but boy did I need it. Love, love, love this book.  And the stories/chapters were short enough to give me a quick pick me up and food for thought all at the same time. You have to get this book. So. Good

Here's the back copy:

You’ve read the title, and now you’re scratching your head, wondering if this book is for real, right?

It is. Yes, the authors are bona fide Mormons. And hilarious, too! They call themselves Sistas in Zion.

Did we mention they’ve got enough faith to move mountains? Well, they haven’t moved any mountains just yet, but that’s not stopping them from keeping right on praying and believing and knowing that the gospel of Jesus Christ is worth it.

Their unique perspective on their own diary entries will have you laughing one minute and exclaiming “Amen!” the next. They talk about personal experiences and lessons they’ve learned about relationships, sisterhood, standing up for what you believe, embracing diversity, and dealing with adversity—what being a Christian is all about.

The Sistas’ humorous and poignant outlook on life will strengthen your faith and remind you of the joy to be found in living a Christ-centered life. You’ll soon realize that the authors aren’t mad-mad—they’re crazy-mad, funny, and inspiring!

 ABOUT THE AUTHORS:  
Zandra Vranes and Tamu Smith are popular multimedia personalities and the authors of the online blog -SISTASinZION.com. Zandra (Sista Laurel) and Tamu (Sista Beehive) also host a weekly online radio program, Sistas in Zion Radio. Their media identities, which focus on humorous aspects of faith and Mormon culture, seek to uplift, inspire, bridge religious divides, and create healthy dialogue.

Zandra and Tamu are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter—day Saints. They enjoy the fact that their Christian values and their work coincide.

Their lives are blessed by amazing family and friends. Zandra is thankful for her boo, the love of her life. Tamu enjoys spending time with her husband of twenty years and their six wonderful kids.

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second chances tour

The second book I want to tell you about today is Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver.  This book was about Francie Davis, (who we met in the last book) and she's going back to college.  She has to work her way through and landed a job as an administrative assistant shared between two professors. One professor is cranky and yells at her on her first day, and the other one is a lecher.  Yikes.  Poor Francie.  To top it all off, she lives in the rundown old house and is so poor she has to grow her own food and seems worried about being hungry in the winter.  Yeah, her life sucks.  Oh, and her abusive husband just died, so there's the silver lining, I guess.

It's kind of depressing in the beginning for the heroine, but she has a good attitude.  The hero, Professor Diederik, has an equally crappy life, but his attitude isn't quite as good. His ex-wife is a nightmare and bent on turning his daughter against him and threatening to tell her horrible lies about him.  He's trying to deal with his daughter's emotional trauma of seeing her mother with another man, turning into a Goth, and regressing. So he has a few anger issues to work through. (Not bad ones. You just feel sorry for the guy, you know?)

So, these two scarred and hurting people start to see each other in a new light and their hearts are starting to heal a little bit.  I liked their courtship and how they connected on several levels.  I loved how our heroine overcomes her challenges, she was so realistic and relatable. There were a few areas that felt rushed near the end and the ending itself made some giant leaps that didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story, which was a bit confusing.  Regardless, it was a happy ending, which I liked.  Excited for the last book in the series!

Scroll down for the back copy and the giveaway!


  
  

Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver

 Thirty seven year old Francie Davis, a recent widow and empty nester, gets to attend college at last. She’s sure her luck has changed when she also lands a job on campus that will pay her tuition, as administrative assistant to a history professor. When her handsome new boss yells at her on the first day of work, Francie worries she will never be good enough. For Professor Alex Diederik, life is going downhill fast. Not only is his bitter ex-wife trying to poison their only daughter against him, but now his one place of solace—his work environment—is being complicated by his attractive new administrative assistant. She drives home his feelings of failure as a husband and father, and Alex wonders if hiring her was the right thing to do. Francie will have to put aside her hurt and insecurities or risk her dreams, while Alex must look outside himself if he’s to mend the breach with his daughter. And, perhaps, find someone who can help heal his pain.

 

DonnaW


Author Donna K. Weaver Donna K. Weaver has always loved reading and creating stories, thus she’s been ever entertained. An avid cruiser, she’s sailed the Pacific five times. Wife-mother-grandmother-Army veteran-karate black belt-Harry Potter nerd.


  Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 5/26/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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2 comments:

Jon Spell said...

That Sistas in Zion sounds like it would be a very interesting read.

Debra Erfert said...

I have been putting the Ripple Effect Romances on my TBR lists. This one sounds just as interesting!