Pizza?  Did someone say Pizza?

I love Pizza, especially really good pizza!  I also love sweepstakes, especially really good sweepstakes!  So, imagine my delight when two of my loves are combined!  Let me tell you about a great sweepstakes!

From Freschetta:

Date -	February 27, 2012 - March 30, 2012
What -	Rally for Real Pizza
Where -	From the comfort of your own home
Details -	www.Facebook.com/Freschettapizza

The makers of FRESCHETTA® products are asking fans to take a stand for FRESCH® pizza! Fans are able to submit a photo to a Rally Mosaic on our Facebook Fan Page for a chance to win FRESCHETTA® pizza. Each week, we will select 100 winners to receive 5 FRESCHETTA® pizzas. On March 30, we will select 10 winners who will receive a year supply of FRESCHETTA® pizza.

This is a wonderful sweepstakes and I love the amount of prizes offered!  Plus the prizes are pizzas!  Woot!  Woot!  Just wanted to take a minute and pass on the fun to you!  Now, hurry and go enter!

You know I love books!  I love to read and I love to discover new authors!  So when I was offered the chance to review another book, I jumped at the chance!

Let me introduce you to Battered Earth, by D. Hilleren: 

"In the new decade, the world gathers in Stockholm for a controversial climate forum. The stakes are high, as violent and unpredictable storms increasingly plague the earth and sea levels encroach on coastal shorelines. Nicole Hunter, head of the richly endowed Everson Foundation, leads the charge to invest in promising research that will hopefully impede environmental devastation. But her contentious stance has been questioned by others, and now her career and her life are both in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, unseen forces assemble to sabotage any breakthrough that could challenge existing global energy markets. Oliver Odin, a mysterious international agent, is sent by the Security Alliance to investigate ominous threats intercepted by intelligence sources. The evidence leads him to the beautiful, strong-willed Nicole and the brainy scientists attending the forum. But when scientists on the verge of a promising discovery are gunned down at a reception held by a United States senator, it becomes apparent that powerful forces will stop at nothing to prevent the world from being saved. As a few brave souls attempt to rescue the planet from environmental calamity, they soon realize that their mission comes with a price-and some will pay with their lives."

At first, due to the subject matter, I was worried that this would just be a book to put forth someone's personal agenda on the environment.  Happily, I was wrong!  It is a well-written story filled with mystery, murder, and intrigue.  I felt like the characters were well-developed.  After a few chapters I felt like I knew the main characters well, and I was immersed in their lives.

I especially liked how descriptive this book is.  I haven't traveled to all the locations in the book, but I still felt like I'd been there before.  I could picture the locations in my mind.  I think that's a sign of a great writer, to help us recognize places we've never been to before.

I also liked that the chapters were a very readable length.  Just long enough to keep you intrigued, but not too long that you have to stop in the middle of a chapter because you've run out of time.

I liked that the ending had everything resolved, yet left the door open for a sequel.  I was satisfied with the ending but excited that their might be a follow-on novel!

So, are you intrigued?  Would you like to read it yourself?  Well, one of you lucky readers will get the chance by winning your very own copy of Battered Earth!  Very cool! (no weather pun intended!)

Mandatory Entry:
Please leave me a comment letting me know one of your favorite books or authors.   Please include your email in the comment if it's not visible in your profile (jane smith at yahoo dot com)

Extra Entries:
Leave a separate comment for each extra entry:
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Contest ends Thursday, March 8th, 2012. One (1) winner will be randomly chosen from all correct entries. Winner will be notified by email and has 72 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. This contest is open to residents of the US, ages 18 and over.

Disclosure: I was given this book for the purpose of a review. The opinions are all my own and free of charge!

Contest is over and winner has been drawn.  Thanks to all you amazing readers!
  

Most of you know that I am an avid reader!  If I could, I'd have my nose in a book all the time!  So when I was offered the chance to read and review a book, well... I was very excited!

The book is called Island Shifters Book One:  An Oath of the Blood.

From the website:

On the island of Massa, heroes are born not made.

The idyllic lives of four young shifters living in the exiled land of Pyraan are shattered when a tour of legion duty gives witness to a brutal enemy invasion. Born with magical prowess none has seen in over three hundred years, the friends become pivotal in a race against time to save a people they hardly know, but are sworn to protect.
The journey exacts a terrible price from Beck, Kiernan, Rogan and Airron as they battle demons, both real and personal, to save the island.  But, whatever the chances, the shifters will fight.The blood oath will have it no other way.

This is a fantasy book which is not my usual genre.  That being said, I really enjoyed this book.  My interest was captured right from the beginning and it was hard to put down.  I think the author, Valerie Zambito, did a wonderful job of creating characters that were very real, very well-developed, and very likable.  I found myself cheering them on the whole way!

I also enjoyed that it was fast-paced.  There were no slow parts in the book.  I felt the author did an amazing job of creating a new world, yet made me feel very familiar with it.  I could picture the places, the forests, the towns, and the characters in the book.

This is Valerie Zambito's first novel, but it didn't read that way.  I felt like I was reading the work of a seasoned writer.  I enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to when Book Two comes out!

So, are you intrigued?  Would you like to win your own copy?  I thought so!

One of your lucky readers will win your own copy of Island Shifters Book One: An Oath of the Blood.

Please leave me a comment letting me know your favorite genre to read. ( I'm usually a sucker for a great mystery!)  Please include your email in the comment if it's not visible in your profile (jane smith at yahoo dot com)

Extra Entries:
Leave a separate comment for each extra entry:
Follow my blog publicly on GFC
Follow me on Twitter
"Like" me on Facebook

Contest ends Thursday, February 23, 2012. One (1) winner will be randomly chosen from all correct entries. Winner will be notified by email and has 72 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. This contest is open to residents of the US, ages 18 and over.
Disclosure: I was given this book for the purpose of a review.  The opinions are all my own and free of charge!

Like many of you, our whole family has been sick!  I'm just getting over Pneumonia and my family have had sinus infections, colds, the flu... you name it.  Yes, it's that time of year!

When I was offered the opportunity to review some great products from Luden's and Chloraseptic, I didn't know what was right around the corner for our family.  Let's just say we've put these products to great use!

Let me tell you about some great products!  First up, I used the Chloraseptic Warming Sore Throat Lozenges.  Yes... I said warming!  These lozenges soothe throats with a warming sensation, a liquid center, and the new formula has added benzocaine which really helps with the pain and throat irritation.  I had a stack of these with me at all times!  They come in Green Tea and Honey Lemon, I like them both but Honey Lemon is my favorite!

Next up is Luden's Orange Supplemental Drops.  These things taste great!  They are made with real orange juice and also include the recommended daily value of Vitamin C.  I felt like when I was using these that I was not only soothing my sore throat but helping the whole healing process with orange juice and Vitamin C!

Now let me tell you about a new product from Chloraseptic... Sore Throat Lollipops.  Okay, how cool is that!They come in a 10 count box and are individually wrapped.  They have grape, orange and strawberry flavors.  I really felt like I was sucking on a lollipop, not a throat lozenge.  My son liked them so well, he tried to fake a sore throat.  Silly child...  I never noticed a mediciney taste, yet it definitely helped my throat.  Way to go Chloraseptic!  This is such a smart product!

Well, the good news is the whole family is now on our way to good health again... AND I've discovered some great new products!  I really recommend Luden's and Chloraseptic!  They helped the whole family feel better!

Disclosure:  I was provided the products for the purpose of a review.  The opinions are all my own and free of charge!