Wednesday, December 25, 2013

New Year - New Start! Fun new product review! Things are heating up again!

Happy Holidays dear friends. Hope you had a very Merry Christmas and I wish you an amazing New Year!

I have several New Year's resolutions, some I would like to share with you.

I will be posting weekly on Fridays (or at least bi-monthly) on my blog. I will do reviews of books and products that I think will be of interest to you. I will also post interviews with authors. You will get to know about the author's themselves and their work.

I'm starting off by sharing a product with you that is a "must have" for anyone with electronic devices (cell phones, ipads, ipods, etc...). Our family recently went on a vacation to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with my daughter who dances for Los Angeles Ballet, and this Magicstick saved us more than once. I tend to go through cell power quickly on a normal day, but on vacation it seems to go even faster. Having this Magicstick to help keep phones charged (mine and my daughter's) was a huge lifesaver. I recommend it highly and wish I'd had it a long time ago.

Here is a little more information about it from the manufacturer.

You’ll never feel powerless when you have the Magicstick 2800mAh rechargeable battery handy. This compact and lightweight mobile charger will quickly become must have for any person on-the-go. The Magicstick 2800mAH is the perfect size for any pocket, purse, or backpack. Never get stuck with a dead phone or other mobile device again. The Magicstick is easy to use and carry. A single USB port and corresponding cable with micro to USB connectionslet you charge a variety of devices seamlessly. This cable can also be used to charge the Magicstick from any high current USB port. A single button illuminates when pressed and shows the power capacity via a colored LED light, so you know at a glance how much charge is left. The Magicstick also features a smooth, brushed aluminum finish available in a variety of colors. An included drawstring carry case keeps it protected and always handy for use. Just grab, go, and get charged up with the Magicstick.

Charges standard smartphone and other digital devices such as Bluetooth headsets, cameras, GPS, e-readers, and more
2800mAh battery capacity provides up to 2 full charges before needing recharging
Lightweight & Powerful: Perfect for work, vacation, and every day on-the-go
Engineered with smart chip technology to prevent damage or over charging
Aluminum housing for durability & safety
Fun color assortment for personal style expression
Charges as fast as a standard wall charger in an electrical outlet
Check power status with a push of button
Easy and intuitive use
Included carrying pouch
MSRP: $49.99
SKUs: Black 370704 | Blue 370706 | Purple 370707 | Red 370705
Sliver 370729 | Pink 370823 | Green 370821 | Charcoal 370822
BATTERY CAPACITY: 2800mAh
BATTERY TYPE: Lithium ion
INPUT: 5.0 V / 0.55 A
OUTPUT: 5.0 V / 1 A
PRODUCT WEIGHT: 2.6 oz.
PACKAGED WEIGHT: 5.18 oz.
SIZE: Length: 3.622” Diameter: 0.866”
- See more at: http://powerocksmedia.com/#sthash.JLZwf3po.dpuf

DISCLAIMER: *I do not receive any money for my posts. I do however receive the review products at no charge to evaluate and express my opinion.*

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

A Gaze Into Heaven by Marlene Sullivan, BOOK REVIEW


I was excited to be asked to participate in a blog tour for this book, A Gaze Into Heaven by Marlene Sullivan. I have always had a huge interest in books that help us understand the pre-existence and life after death. Life's challenges seem a little bit easier to handle when we can look at them with an eternal perspective. A Gaze Into Heaven did exactly that.

Here is a synopsis of the book:

Gaze Into Heaven is a carefully compiled collection of more than 50 near-death experiences that occurred during the early years of the Church. These documented accounts give fascinating glimpses into the Spirit World by those who have actually been there. Besides being filled with stories of insight and inspiration, Gaze Into Heaven has pertinent quotes from latter-day Prophets and other leaders, scriptures, and perceptive commentary. After reading this book, you will never think of life—or death—in the same way.

Most of us have wondered exactly what will happen when we die. What does the Spirit World look like? Will we see departed family members and friends? What do people do there? Do spirits there know what is happening on earth? What did people who had near-death experiences learn from their visit? All of these questions and many more are answered in Gaze Into Heaven. There have been many books written about modern day near-death experiences, but this book is the first to focus solely on those that took place in early church history.

Studying near-death experiences can bless us with a better understanding of this life and increase our knowledge of the life to come. By reading about those who actually entered the spirit world and saw conditions there, we can benefit from the insights they gained and use that information to reevaluate our lives and use our time on earth productively.

Many times during the reading of the book I stopped and pondered the great gospel truths and profound teachings that were shared through these near-death experiences. For me it was a very moving and visual experience as the accounts in the book painted an incredible peaceful and beautiful existence that awaits each of us, after we leave this earth. Some of the accounts so vivid in description I felt my understanding of the great Plan of Salvation expand and deepen.

Let me share a quote from the back of the book:

“With this book, Marlene Bateman Sullivan has done a valuable service for Latter-day Saint readers. Previous life-after-death studies published brief extracts from numerous sources and combined them to define spirit-world events and conditions. Returning to those sources, she has compiled many of their complete accounts, which add additional insights that will be enjoyed by many. Well done!” Duane S. Crowther, author of Life Everlasting—A Definitive Study of Life After Death

Marlene was kind enough to answer some questions about how she gathered her information and did research for this fascinating book.

How did you come up with the book title?
By reading a quote by Joseph Smith. It’s really cool, but a bit lengthy, so I’ll shorten it a little. Joseph Smith said; “All men know that they must die . . . it is important that we should understand the reasons . . . of life and of death, and the designs and purposes of God in our coming into the world . . . and our departure hence. . . It is a subject we ought to study more than any other. . . Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that was ever written on the subject.” Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Period I, vol. 6, (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 9 October, 1843), 50.
I was fascinated by the idea that if we could ‘gaze into heaven’ for even just 5 minutes, we would know more than studying for days and weeks! Incredible. Especially when you think that the experiences in “Gaze Into Heaven” will let us catch glimpses of heaven!

What kind of research did you do?
I lived in libraries for a while. J While I did some research at BYU and the University of Utah, I also went to Utah State. However, the majority of experiences came from the Church History Library and the Church Archives. I pored through old newspapers, early church magazines, and in the archives, looked at countless collections of papers, journals, letters, and microfilms.

What was your inspiration for writing the book?
It might sound a little cheesy, but my main focus was about trying to present these stories in such a manner that the book would be accepted and published, so people could read it and in so doing, have their faith and testimonies increased. After finding and reading these experiences, I was so touched that I wanted to share them with everyone! I wanted people to know that God exists, that He loves us, and that the gospel is true. I wanted people to know and read these incredible stories so they would realize that this life is but a fleeting moment and we should take advantage of our time here to learn and grow.

What will people gain from reading your book?
I hope it will build people’s testimonies. I hope people will be inspired to try a little harder and do a little better. To know that all acts of kindness mean so much, and to realize that this life is not just a testing period, but a chance for us to grow and learn. I hope people come away from this book with a firmer conviction that life continues on and that if we endure our trials patiently and learn from them, great blessings await us in the next life.

What does your book teach us that will help us in our daily lives?
I think that reading and pondering these near-death experiences can give us a better understanding of what is important in life. It helps us realize that this life is a time to learn and increase our knowledge of the gospel. It will help us become better people. We can benefit from the insights given by these near death experience and use them to re-evaluate our own lives—to see what changes we could make to improve. Learning about the next life can help us use our time on earth to be more productive.

Below are 3 links where Gaze Into Heaven can be purchased online.
Amazon: Click HERE
Deseret Book: Click HERE
Seagull Book: Click HERE

Gaze Into Heaven is also available at Deseret and Seagull Bookstores, as well as other LDS bookstores.

For more information and to get to know author Marlene Bateman better please visit her website: www.marlenebateman.info

Friday, March 1, 2013

I'M BACK!!!

So, I've been flying under the radar for a few months. Most of you know my son has been battling colorectal cancer, in fact, he was diagnosed on March 1st, 2012, one year ago today! I have tried to dedicate myself to my family as we've gone through this horrendous year of ups and deep, low and very scary downs. It feels good to have that year OVER!!!

Anyway, I want to congratulate my son and his wife and two children on getting through that awful year and look forward to the future with gratitude and excitement. I know there are great things ahead for them!!!



Next I want to tell you that I will be doing a fun signing tomorrow, Saturday, March 2nd, at Barnes and Noble in Sandy, Utah, from 1:00 to 4:00. Come and see me and all the other awesome authors that will be there. I will bring the chocolate!

I also want to tell you about a fun event hosted by Seagull Book and Tape. It's called, THE REALLY BIG COOKING SHOW. It will be held at Thanksgiving Point on April 13th. I have two sets of tickets for two that I am giving away for the event. If you want to enter to win, just post a comment and on April 1st I will choose two winners for the tickets. YAY!

It's good to be back. I am working on two projects that I hope to have done in the next few weeks. I appreciate all the love, support and encouragement from the best fans in the world!