Thursday, March 31, 2016

Guest Post from Art Collins, author of The Adventures of Archibald and Jockabeb Series


 

When my two daughters were eight and nine years old, I began telling them stories about two young brothers who had a series of fantastic adventures. Several decades later when I retired from running a Fortune 500 company, I didn’t write the book on leadership that many people had expected—rather, I followed my daughters’ advice and expanded upon the stories I recited decades earlier and wrote the first book in the The Adventures of Archibald and Jockabeb series. My brother, who is a fourth grade school teacher in South Carolina and the person on which the Jockabeb character is based, provided me invaluable feedback from his students as I wrote the books. Better yet, the students, teachers, and parents in his school made all the hours spent at my keyboard worthwhile when they thanked me for authoring the first book and then urged me to keep on writing. Well, needless to say, I took their advice. Eight years later, the nine-book series sits in the Charles Pinckney Elementary School library as well as many schools and media centers throughout the Charleston County School District and is part of the reading curriculum. One of my highlights each year is to revisit Pinckney each year  and meet with a new group of excited students who have just begun to join Archibald and Jockabeb as they set out on their next great adventure! 

Inside the Book:



Title: In the Forest 
Author: Art Collins 
Release Date: October 1, 2015 
Publisher: A&J Publishing 
Genre: YA Fiction 
Format: Ebook


When two young brothers, Archibald and Jockabeb, find and old leather map hidden in the forest just beyond their backyard, they can’t help but sneak out one night to follow its path. So begins the first of the boys’ amazing adventures. After a terrifying encounter with supernatural creatures, the boys meet a young Indian brave, Haktu, who shares with them the tragic story of how he was separated from his tribe and placed under an evil spell. The saga leads the two boys into Haktu’s secret world behind the forest mist, the power of the blue feather, and teaches them the importance of friendship and loyalty in the face of untold evil.

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Inside the Book:



 Title: In the Mountains 
Author: Art Collins 
Release Date: October 1, 2015 
Publisher: A&J Publishing 
Genre: YA Fiction 
Format: Ebook

In the first book, the two brothers meet Haktu, the young Indian brave who was trapped inside the body of an underwater dragon, and then find his lost pony, Uno, deep within a mysterious forest. After the boys narrowly escape several vicious attacks from evil wolf-crows, they receive a magic blue feather from Haktu as he bids them his final farewell. Book Two begins with Archibald and Jockabeb flying to a secluded summer camp perched high in a rugged mountain range far from home. The fact that they are the only two campers to show up at Camp Bear Claw that summer is just the first of many surprises — incredible surprises that test the protective power of their magic blue feather in completely unexpected ways. On their way to a final face-to-face showdown with a deadly creature that possesses supernatural strength, the young boys meet several unforgettable characters who end up changing their lives forever. If you liked In the Forest, hold onto your hat as you read its sequel!

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Inside the Book:



 Title: In the Amazon 
Author: Art Collins 
Release Date: November 10, 2015 
Publisher: A&J Publishing 
Genre: YA Fiction 
Format: Ebook

In the first two books, Archibald and Jockabeb make a number of wonderful friends while battling unearthly foes that possess supernatural powers. In a dark forest close to home, they escape almost certain death with the aid of a young Indian brave, Haktu, and his pony, Uno. Later, in a distant mountain range, they come to know the kindness of Gran, Ben, Tommy Two Feathers, and their four-legged companions, Champ and Ghost Rider. Stalked relentlessly by the blood-thirsty wolf-crows in the forest, and then by the cunning devil cat in the mountains, the two brothers manage to barely escape with their lives. However, when they accept their uncle’s invitation to visit him in Brazil, little do they know that their most terrifying adventure is about to unfold — an amazing adventure that will again test the magical power of Haktu’s blue feather. So, as you prepare to read In the Amazon, get ready for an unforgettable journey into the dark recesses that lie between the crevices of reality and fantasy!

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Inside the Book:



 Title: In the Desert 
Author: Art Collins 
Release Date: April 2015 
Publisher: A&J Publishing 
Genre: YA Fiction 
Format: Ebook

In the first two books, Archibald and Jockabeb make a number of wonderful friends while battling unearthly foes that possess supernatural powers. In a dark forest close to home, they escape almost certain death with the aid of a young Indian brave, Haktu, and his pony, Uno. Later, in a distant mountain range, they come to know the kindness of Gran, Ben, Tommy Two Feathers, and their four-legged companions, Champ and Ghost Rider. Stalked relentlessly by the blood-thirsty wolf-crows in the forest, and then by the cunning devil cat in the mountains, the two brothers manage to barely escape with their lives. However, when they accept their uncle’s invitation to visit him in Brazil, little do they know that their most terrifying adventure is about to unfold — an amazing adventure that will again test the magical power of Haktu’s blue feather. So, as you prepare to read In the Amazon, get ready for an unforgettable journey into the dark recesses that lie between the crevices of reality and fantasy!

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Inside the Book:



 Title: In the Caribbean 
Author: Art Collins 
Release Date: April 2015 
Publisher: A&J Publishing 
Genre: YA Fiction 
Format: Ebook

The fifth book in The Adventures of Archibald and Jockabeb series picks up right where the fourth book left off. With many questions about what really happened in the Sonoran Desert still unanswered, Archibald and Jockabeb's family head to the island of Jamaica for spring vacation. What begins as an idyllic stay at a secluded beachfront inn soon takes a turn for the worse when the boys and the inn's proprietor, Salty, charter a fishing boat for the day. The captain of the boat is none other than Tommy Nat, Mr. Natonto's estranged son. The violent storm that follows turns out to be only the first of many unexpected events that quickly propel the two brothers toward an unexpected showdown on another Caribbean island. The elusive Tommy Nat, a mysterious island doctor, a giant Haitian named Maurice, and unseen zombies all combine to set the stage for another classic clash between the forces of good and evil. While the final confrontation that unfolds inside a deserted cafe ultimately provides answers to the remaining mysteries of Lizard Flats, it also places the boys in untold danger. The book contains a number of interesting facts about the Caribbean, its culture and religion, and a bit of the occult. As in past books, the reader observes firsthand how Archibald and Jockabeb grow as brothers and young teens, all the while learning the true meaning of friendship."

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Inside the Book:




Title: In the Big City 
Author: Art Collins 
Release Date: April 2015 
Publisher: A&J Publishing 
Genre: YA Fiction 
Format: Ebook

The sixth book in The Adventures of Archibald and Jockabeb series finds the two brothers and their younger sister travelling to New York City to spend a long weekend with their aunt. After finishing a wonderful dinner at Sardi's the first night, the boys become separated from Tess and Aunt Claire in nearby Times Square. Events quickly take a menacing turn when a mysterious person from the past suddenly appears with two henchmen in tow. Frantically trying to escape, Archibald has no idea what he'll find when he leads Jockabeb down the stairs into a nearby subway station-and what the boys do find launches one their strangest and most electrifying adventures to date. A beautiful young girl named Willow, a one-armed man called Meatloaf, and a dangerous gang leader who goes by the name of Shabazz are just a few of the characters who the boys meet in the abandoned subway tunnels far below the streets of Manhattan. As Archibald and Jockabeb try to make their way safely back to Aunt Claire, they only move closer to a final confrontation with their pursuers, both human and non-human alike. The reader will learn interesting facts about America's largest city while once again watching the teenage brothers' personalities evolve. As in all the previous books, the forces of good and evil are pitted against one another-this time, above and below the streets of "The Big Apple!"

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Meet the Author:



When Art Collins retired as a highly successful chairman and CEO of a Fortune 500 company, he didn’t write the book on leadership that many had expected. Instead, he decided that penning adventure stories that could be enjoyed by young and old would be far more interesting, not to mention much more fun. Borrowing two characters, Archibald and Jockabeb, from tales told by his father many years before, and drawing upon his own rich imagination, Art introduces the two young brothers to an incredible cast of characters—some human, some otherworldly—in locations that range from the mysterious forest behind the boys’ house to the lush and exotic Amazon. The nine book series reflects his love of the mountains and ocean, as well as his extensive travels that have taken him to every continent except Antarctica. Art currently divides his time between Chicago and the Vail Valley in Colorado. 
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Monday, March 28, 2016

Book Feature: Unloved Again by Elan Golomb - Win a $25 Gift Card!



 

Inside the Book:


Title: Unloved Again 
Author: Elan Golomb 
Publisher: iUniverse 
Genre: Psychology 
Format: Ebook/Paperback

Love can be hell. It is not an accident which moves us to love the wrong person or to hate the right one, over and over again.

Most of us remain unaware of how to escape this perpetual cycle of bad relationships.
 • Do you continually fall for the wrong person?
 • Do you find yourself driving the right person away?
 • Do your relationships quickly switch from blissful to tortured?
 • Do you criticize unreasonably or find yourself being criticized disproportionally?

 In Unloved Again, Dr. Elan Golomb identifies the crux of emotional and psychological problems which underlie love's repeated failures. Only in addressing these deep-seated issues can one escape the dance of romantic folly. With this book you will uncover the secret to enjoying a happy and lasting love life.

Meet the Author:
Elan Golomb earned her doctorate in clinical psychology and her certificate in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy from New York University. She has been in private practice in New York since 1972. She is also the author of Trapped in the Mirror: Adult Children of Narcissistic Parents in Their Struggle for Self.

Giveaway

Elan is giving away a $25 Gift Card!

 
Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
  • This giveaway begins March 28 and ends on April 8.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on April 9.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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Book Feature: My Name Is Sarah Armstrong by Judith Turner - Win a $25 Gift Card


 

Inside the Book:


Title: My Name is Sarah Armstrong 
Author: Judith Turner 
Publisher: iUniverse 
Genre: Family Life 
Format: Ebook/Paperback

It is 1958 when fourteen-year-old Sarah Armstrong first writes in her journal about her role model, Margaret MacAuley, who survived a dangerous journey with her immigrant family in 1856 to join the Mormon Church in Utah. As Sarah continues to mature in Salt Lake City, she must face important choices after her father decides to leave the Mormon Church. Shunned by her extended family and the Mormon community, Sarah struggles between the influences of her controlling father and a fundamentalist church. After a popular and influential teacher notices her plight and steers her toward academic success, Sarah begins to dream about going away to college and leaving a place she feels she no longer belongs. Unfortunately, her pursuit of independence causes more friction in the family. While Sarah attempts to balance conflicts, she must find a way to be a good daughter while remaining true to herself as a young woman. But as she is about to discover, it is a difficult path to navigate amid societal expectations of 1950s women. My Name Is Sarah Armstrong shares the tale of a young woman's coming-of-age journey as she attempts to find her place in the shadow of the Mormon Church.  
ORDER INFORMATION
My Name is Sarah Armstrong is available for order at
amazon

Meet the Author:

Judith Turner is a former English/Writing teacher with the Los Angeles County School District. She currently resides in Southern California where she enjoys reading, travel, tennis, and visiting with her grandchildren. My Name Is Sarah Armstrong is her first book.

Giveaway

Judith is giving away a $25 Gift Card!

 
Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
  • This giveaway begins March 28 and ends on April 8.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on April 9.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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Book Feature: The Asset by Anna Del Mar


 

Inside the Book:


Title: The Asset 
Author: Anna Del Mar 
Release Date: February 22, 2016 
Publisher: Carina Press 
Genre: Mystery/Suspense 
Format: Ebook

Anna del Mar's explosive, sexy debut novel in the Wounded Warrior series, perfect for fans of Lisa Marie Rice and Lora Leigh—the story of a woman desperate to escape her dangerous past and the navy SEAL who would lay down his life to save her

Ash Hunter knows what it is to run. A SEAL gravely injured in Afghanistan, he's gone AWOL from the military hospital. Physically and mentally scarred, he returns home to his grandmother's isolated cottage—and finds a beautiful, haunted stranger inside.

Like recognizes like.

Lia Stewart's in hiding from the cartel she barely escaped alive, holed up in this small Rocky Mountain town. Surviving, but only just. Helping the wounded warrior on her doorstep is the right thing to do…it's loving him that might get them both killed.

Soon, Ash realizes he's not the only one tormented by the past. Pushing the limits of his broken body, testing the boundaries of her shattered soul, he'll protect Lia until his last breath.
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Meet the Author:

Anna del Mar writes hot, smart romances that soothe the soul, challenge the mind, and satisfy the heart. Her stories focus on strong heroines struggling to find their place in the world and the brave, sexy, kickass, military heroes who defy the limits of their broken bodies to protect the women they love. She is the author of The Asset (Carina Press), the first novel of her Wounded Warrior series and three other novels scheduled for release during 2016. A Georgetown University graduate, Anna enjoys traveling, hiking, skiing, and the sea. Writing is her addiction, her drug of choice, and what she wants to do all the time. The extraordinary men and women she met during her years as a Navy wife inspire the fabulous heroes and heroines at the center of her stories. When she stays put—which doesn’t happen very often—she lives in Florida with her indulgent husband and two very opinionated cats.
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Book Feature: The Bomb That Never Was by J.R. Shaw - Win a $25 Gift Card


 

Inside the Book:


Title: The Bomb That Never Was 
Author: J.R. Shaw 
Publisher: iUniverse 
Genre: Alternative History 
Format: Ebook/Paperback

Praise for The Bomb That Never Was “Hitler has the bomb, and it's headed for the USA. This meticulously researched historical novel will have you asking, ‘What if?' This is an intelligent, fast-paced page-turner that will make you forget that you already know how it all turns out. Provocative, informative, and entertaining—I couldn't put it down.” —Joseph P. DeSario, author of Limbo and Sanctuary and coauthor of Crusade: Undercover Against the Mafia & KGB “Authoritative and credible in its attention to detail, The Bomb That Never Was captures the spirit and temper of the WWII years and raises some deep philosophical questions about loyalty, treason, and commitment to country. A page-turner … tough to put down … a story well told.” —Robert L. Aaron, journalist and public relations executive
Meet the Author:
J. R. Shaw is a pseudonym for a person who likes privacy, preferring to remain in the shadows. If you're interested in reading the next book, please turn to the back of this book and enjoy reading an excerpt from The Pieces. The Pieces will be out in 2016.

Giveaway

J.R. is giving away a $25 Gift Card!

 
Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
  • This giveaway begins March 28 and ends on April 8.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on April 9.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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Friday, March 25, 2016

Book Blast: The Guest House by W. Jacqueline Johnson - Win a $25 Gift Card


 

Inside the Book:



Title: The Guest House 
Author: W. Jacqueline Johnson
  Publisher: iUniverse 
Genre: Biography 
Format: Ebook

As a healer, author W. Jacqueline Johnson knew a cancer diagnosis could be a gift in one’s life, bringing valuable life lessons and even transformation. But nothing prepared her for her own diagnosis and the debilitating effects of chemotherapy and radiation. In The Guest House, she narrates the story of her diagnosis, treatments, and the surprising aftermath. Johnson shares how, as a healthy woman who only saw the doctor for checkups, she is thrown into the medical system’s maze, having tests she never heard of and accumulating enough insurance receipts to fill a large notebook. Her progress is as slow and unpredictable as an upstate New York spring. In Guest House, she tells how she lost all faith in the healing process. But one day something happened as she danced beside a flowing stream, and she felt the subtle energy returning to her body. Slowly, bit by bit, the healing process worked within her in ways she never thought possible as she experienced the liberation of vulnerability and doorways opened through pain. She learned lessons during the journey that led her to believe that cancer is, indeed, magical.  

ORDER INFORMATION
The Guest House is available for order at
amazon
 

Meet the Author:

  W. Jacqueline Johnson is a former educator who has devoted her retirement years to inner work and a deep study of healing. She and her husband David have three adult children and two grandsons. They live in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York with their cat Gia.

Giveaway

W. Jacqueline is giving away a $25 Gift Card!

 
Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
  • This giveaway begins March 14 and ends on March 25.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on March 26.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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Book Blast: SufferStone by Stella Atrium - Win a $25 Gift Card



Inside the Book:


Title: SufferStone 
Author: Stella Atrium 
Publisher: iUniverse 
Genre: Sci-Fi/Space Opera 
Format: Ebook

On Dolvia the women of the savannah serve under the burka, but Kyle Le was denied that covering by tribal leaders. Only her gift of second sight and the mortgage on her father’s land protects her and her three sisters. Kyle Le meets Brian Miller, a Softcheeks who teaches her about offworld politics and accumulating wealth while she teaches him the words of power from Mekucoo. Working alongside the warrior Cyrus, they labor against the mining enterprise that robs the savannah of it mineral wealth and leaves the tribes with only the scarred and suffering land. … an intriguing tale. The struggle to overcome oppression, to preserve a way of life, to maintain compassion in a cold and hateful conflict, is always interesting and involving … Atrium has a flair for creating and maintaining an atmosphere of mysticism and mystery … she stays true to the situation, never slipping out of the frame she has set. -- Lisa DuMond, online reviewer of science fiction  

ORDER INFORMATION
SufferStone is available for order at
amazon
 

Meet the Author:

  I was a great science fiction reader as a young person, but I began to wonder why the protagonist in a sci-fi or fantasy story was always a man, even when the writer was female. Where were the stories that presented a woman as the problem solver? I was encouraged to write a story that was unique and built on my own struggles. I thought a sci-fi story with a girl as the protagonist might be fun. A real heroine cannot call on armies to follow her, or pay assassins for special work. She may have children already, so adventure is out of the question, and family must be secure before she can enter the public square where she has no voice. So how does a story shape if the young hero must solve problems that girls experience in ways that females address problems? I could find no books that started with this premise, so I had to write some. And that was my first reason to write. Website at http://www.stellaatrium.com Writer blog at http://www.speakingincommunity.blogspot.com

Giveaway

Stella is giving away a $25 Gift Card!

 
Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
  • This giveaway begins March 14 and ends on March 25.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on March 26.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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Book Blast: My Journey In and Out of Community by Katherine Zyczynska - Win a $25 Gift Card



 

Inside the Book:


Title: My Journey In and Out of Community 
Author: Katherine Zyczynska 
Publisher: iUniverse 
Genre: Religious 
Format: Ebook

After Kata's father dies in a car accident when she is just eleven and a half years old, she continually searches for parental love. She makes bad choice after bad choice and looks for love in all the wrong places. When she's eighteen years old, her family decides she needs a change. The idea of moving to California sounds exciting to Kata, but she knows leaving Michigan will be difficult, especially being separated from her mother. Kata understands she must leave the past behind and look forward. In California, she joins a Christian commune where people gather to become closer to God. She stays for thirty-two years. In My Journey in and out of Community, author Katherine Zyczynska shares a fictionalized account of her personal experiences in a religious community. She narrates how Kata becomes a new person, willing to be led easily by those in authority, which almost ruins her life. But God held her in the palm of his almighty hands as she experienced the highs and lows of her walk with Jesus.
ORDER INFORMATION
A Sojourn Among the Avatars of Wisdom is available for order at
amazon
 

Meet the Author:

  Katherine Zyczynska lives in Vista, California, and is a live-in caregiver. She also works as an instructor of cake decorating and is on staff at her church as lead sacristan/kitchen manager. Based on facts from her life, this is her first novel.

Giveaway

Katherine is giving away a $25 Gift Card!

 
Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
  • This giveaway begins March 14 and ends on March 25.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on March 26.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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Book Blast: A Fresh Take on Ergonomics by Betsy Oldenburg - Win a $25 Gift Card

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Inside the Book:

A Fresh Take on Ergonomics
Title: A Fresh Take On Ergonomics 
Author: Betsy Oldenburg 
Publisher: iUniverse
  Genre: Personal and Practical Guides 
Format: Ebook

“As someone who has suffered for decades with an old whip lash injury, I finally have the tools needed to control the pain and repair the damage. Some of these tools are basic, but were never mentioned by the many doctors I have seen over the years. Betsy Oldenburg, a nationally certified therapeutic massage/bodywork therapist with over 30 years of experience shared those tools and techniques with me when I was referred to Integrative Therapies. Because I had such a positive experience, I arranged a Lunch and Learn (Feel and Look Great Despite your Computer) for my co-workers. We had approximately 30 in attendance ranging in age from 20's to 60's. Everyone in the room benefited from Betsy's expertise and warm, approachable style. Several volunteers were lucky enough to experience hands-on treatment/techniques. I would recommend Betsy's presentation to any organization that has employees who suffer from neck and back pain. It is amazing how one hour with the right person can both educate and motivate employees toward a healthier work style”. Jane Milanese “Betsy Oldenburg's keen eye and straightforward approach to working with imbalances in my body have been a great help. By incorporating her suggestions for posture corrections and specific stretches, in addition to receiving her bodywork, I have felt more aligned physically and mentally. There's something about standing straight that clears one's mind. Betsy has helped me move in that direction”. Anne Willson  

ORDER INFORMATION
A Fresh Take on Ergonomics is available for order at
amazon
 

Meet the Author:

  Betsy Oldenburg is a certified practitioner and tutor of The Trager Approach®, and licensed massage therapist for thirty years. She has worked in chiropractic, orthopedic, and pain clinics. She teaches classes in ergonomics for office workers, and on movement for bone health. Betsy maintains a private practice in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Giveaway

Betsy is giving away a $25 Gift Card!

 
Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
  • This giveaway begins March 14 and ends on March 25.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on March 26.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway