**CLOSED** How To Never Look Fat Again Giveaway

Archive for February 2nd, 2010

Heartache & Sin

Posted by Heather Manning On February - 2 - 2010

Holy cow. This book was an emotional roller coaster. Let me give you the synopsis before I delve into my review.

Hard-driving and provocative, this unconventional love story will have audiences talking for weeks after reading. Charles Soto touches at the heart of humanity with this epic tale, tackling the hardships of abortion. Dissecting the tenderest parts of a mother’s being, while destroying a father’s conscience, Heartache and Sin starts where love, hate, murder and church collide. Like all couples, when Steven and Karen Wheaton learn of their pregnancy, they are elated. Active churchgoers with a pointed sense of right and wrong, they hope to instill their values in this new life. When a corrupt clergyman starts to use Karen to promote his own corrupt anti-abortion agenda, Steven finds himself surrounded by questions of morality. As Karen’s pregnancy takes a turn for the worse and she becomes deathly ill, it starts to appear that the only thing that may save her is an abortion. Will Steven be able to save his wife or baby? Which would he choose? www.authorcharlessoto.com

When Charles asked me if I’d like to read his book, I’ll be honest, I wanted to, but I was nervous. Now this is not to start an abortion debate, I am not going to preach to you why I feel the way I do, I will just say that I am ProLife. Knowing the book has an abortion theme and not knowing how it would end made me nervous about reading it and giving it a positive review.

But like I said, holy cow! Charles has this way of writing that just draws you in and through his words he is able to make you angry, sad, heart broken, I ran the gamut here. I was so mad at Pastor Ryan. He literally made me ill. I couldn’t understand how this whole congregation couldn’t see through, but such is the cult mentality. My heart broke for Karen and Steve and her health problems, and without giving away the ending, I so wanted her baby to be ok. For her to be ok. For something to happen that would allow both to survive.

I hurt for Mary, the pastor’s wife. This woman who is beaten down emotionally, physically. Yet she has no escape. None. She is held captive by her love for her children.

I just can’t understand how people who read their bible, who believe in what it says, how they can be drawn in by a monster like this. In the beginning of the book, my stomach turned as I read during their prayer for rain service, praise is to you Pastor. We believe in you Pastor. Pardon me as shudder from anyone putting that kind of faith/belief into a man. The power that one person gets from that cults fanaticism, the things they get away with, it’s dangerous, as Charles proves very well in Heartache & Sin.

Steven. Poor Steven. As the pastor is trying to manipulate his wife away from him, he is trying so hard to show the man for what he truly is while trying not to upset his wife with his disbelief in the pastor and his plans. One wrong word and his frail wife, who is living with juvenile diabetes, will go rushing to live at the compound with the pastor and his fanatics, who care nothing for her health. They just want to use her to further there cause.

I want to tell you more, so much more, but if I did it would ruin everything, completely blow the ending for you, which left me in tears.

Charles is so good with his descriptions. You know how I love a good descriptive book. I love being able to see a room in my head as I’m reading and he took it there and beyond. He is amazingly talented with the written word!

I couldn’t imagine being in Karen’s shoes. Wanting this child so badly but knowing that carrying the baby to term could kill me. How heartbreaking would that be for any person?

Charles Soto told such a good story. One that makes you stop and think. One that I am very happy that I read.

In the back of Heartache & Sin was the beginning of his next book, Pride & A Prayer, which I cannot wait to get my hands on. Just the little tease that I read left me wanting more.

Charles, I am so glad you asked me to review your book! My heart went out to these characters, my stomach was in turmoil waiting to see what Pastor Ryan would do next. I’ve wanted to yell at TV shows before, but never have I wanted to yell out to people in a book before and I wanted to shake them, scream at them, tell them to open up their eyes and see what they were getting themselves into.

Thank you for sharing it with me!

Follow Charles Soto on Twitter.

Charles Soto’s website

Purchase Heartache & Sin on Amazon.

I was provided a copy of Heartache & Sin by Charles Soto to review and I am so glad I did!

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Book Reviews

My first experience with the Po-Po

Posted by Heather Manning On February - 2 - 2010

I was traveling the SITS super high of blogs this morning when I hit The Daily Dribbles who had posted an awesome MeMe.

with MommyBrain and SupahMommy

Now, don’t mind that says Monday, I know it’s Tuesday. We’ll just pretend like I’m not the last to know about everything, k? K.

The MeMe is to tell about a time you were busted. So, let’s go back in time to when I was 17 and probably the reason they are passing laws that say teenagers should not be driving in the car with other teenagers.

I was driving a big ol’ 1978 Monte Carlo, it was burgandy if that helps set the mood. From experience I know you can fit 13 teenagers in a boat like that.

I had picked up my friend Danielle, and someone else, but I don’t remember if it was Chad or Jeremy. We were on our way to pick up Christine.

I was flying driving along when a cop passed me going the other way. I looked down then looked in my rear view mirror to see brake lights and said, oh sh—-, yeah, I never swore at 17.

I pulled over before he was completely turned around, didn’t even have his lights on yet.

He catches up to me. Walks up to the car and says, why don’t you come with me. I got in his car and promptly slammed my waist length hair in the door at the top. I just sat there. I was scared to death if I opened the door to release my hair that he would think I was trying to escape.

My friend Danielle was cracking up, debating whether to get my camera and take a picture of my hair blowing in the wind to pass out to all of our classmates or not.

As he’s running my license I said, sir? Can I open the door, I caught my hair in it. He looked at me and started laughing and said yes.

Then I looked at his radar detector. 78? Surely I couldn’t have been going 78 in a 45. I mean, when I looked down, my spedometer said 63, or course that was after I saw him and slammed on my brakes.

I was going 78?

You were flying without wings. Where were you going?

The mall.

Is there a big sale?

I don’t know I’m not there yet.

As he’s looking at my license he see’s that my name is Heather Manning (Yep, I use my maiden name online for my business.) I’m from a small town, at the time, now it’s exploded. He said, hmmmm, Steve Manning’s kid huh?

Oh God, please don’t tell him before I get to. My dad is going to kill me. Please please please? Those extra pleases were said mentally. I don’t think Officer Brewer would have been impressed by begging.

(Since I’m still here, my dad didn’t kill me, but let’s say he wasn’t too happy with me.)

I got a ticket. He explained that if he left it at 78 in a 45 that I would immediately lose my license but because I pulled over before he turned on his lights that he was knocking it down to 68 in a 45. That meant I only had to go through driver’s education again. *sigh*

I did.

Part of keeping my license with that high of a ticket was that I was on probation for a year. One moving violation, even driving with my parking lights on when I should have my headlights on would have my license pulled from me for a year.

I got pulled over again like 2 days after my year was up going 68 in a 55. I was hyperventilating until I realized my probationary period was over. I learned my lesson. I haven’t gotten pulled over for speeding since then. Other things (no seatbelt when I was younger, headlights out, etc), but not speeding.

Now that I have kids I’m not quite Speed Racer any more. In fact, I’ve turned into grandma, so Pato says. I’m the worst passenger seat driver – with him – he drives too fast, too close to other drivers, and never stops far enough back for my taste when we have kids in the car.

Now let’s discuss this stupid groundhog. I’m mad at him. 6 more weeks of winter? Couldn’t he have just stayed in his dang hole? Friggin’ tell me it’s going to be cold and nasty for another 6 weeks. What does a bleepity bleep bleep groundhog know anyway. Traitorous rodent.

I want to be inspiring like Ricky Martin darn it.

Have a great day!

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My Life

CLOSED How To Never Look Fat Again Giveaway

Posted by Heather Manning On February - 2 - 2010

I used this random number generator to draw multiple numbers.

Congratulations to Jessica, Melissa, and Janet! I’ll be contacting you and you have 48 hours to respond.

Thank you to everyone who entered!

The new groundbreaking style-guide from bestseller author Charla Krupp on how to look 10 pounds lighter, 10 years younger and 10 times sexier every day, all year–in summer, winter, at the gym, even in a swimsuit!
You’ll never get dressed the same way again once you discover:
*smart, easy ways to hide arm flap, a big bust, a muffin top, back fat, Buddha belly, a big booty, wide hips, thunder thighs, and heavy calves-and that’s only half the book.
*which fabrics, colors, and styles make women look fat
*absolutely the best shades, shapes, and brilliant buys to make the pounds invisible
*clever solutions for special fashion situations–workout gear, evening wear, and even swimsuits!
*which products, fashions, and services you shouldn’t waste your money on
*the top ten tips that will make you look thinner by tonight!
So, if you’ve ever put on a piece of clothing and asked “Does this make me look fat?” Finally, here is the book that will answer your question.

And a little information about Charla Krupp the author.

Charla Krupp has appeared for ten years on the Today show and on more than thirty national TV shows including The Oprah Winfrey Show, The View, Tyra, CBS Early Show, Entertainment Tonight, and Access Hollywood. She is a contributing editor to People: Style Watch, and was formerly beauty director at Glamour, senior editor at InStyle, and contributing editor at More.

Who doesn’t want this book? I don’t care if you have the perfect body, most women feel that they look heavy at least once in their life. Some of us more than others (looking pointedly at myself).

I haven’t gotten the book yet to read as it is not available for release until February 17, but I’m going to get my greedy little hands on it then! And you can win one of 3 copies of How to Never Look Fat Again: Over 1,000 Ways to Dress Thinner–Without Dieting! given away here on my blog!

MAIN ENTRY:

Leave a comment telling me what you do to make you feel good about yourself.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

- Follow @CharlaKrupp on Twitter
- Friend Charla Krupp on Facebook
- Subscribe to my blog via email or reader
- Follow me on Twitter (either @HeatherM74 or @GiveawayChick – you’ll get all the giveaways from other bloggers that I enter on @GiveawayChick, either one is fine.)
- Tweet this giveaway (1X/day)

Win How To Never Look Fat Again by @CharlaKrupp from @HeatherM74! 3 copies to win! http://bit.ly/c1sUt7 ends 2/17 Please RT!

- Follow me via Google Friend connect
- add my button to your blog (the 24/7 mom one on the right side)
- comment on one of my other posts
- blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post.
- Digg, StumbleUpon, or any other social networking bookmark this giveaway. (Not the site, the post.) There are links after each post.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. (If you purchase the book, leave 10 separate comments. We will need a screen shot of the email proving proof of purchase if you win with that entry.)

Giveaway ends on 2/17/10 at 11:59 PM CST. Only US/Canadian entries. Winner will be chosen by random number generator. Winner will be emailed and must respond within 48 hours or an alternate winner will be chosen. NO PO BOXES.