Orchids and More with #Linky

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #168!

Thank you to everyone who participates almost every weekend by linking up your family friendly posts! This is a community where we have the opportunity to encourage each other by leaving sweet comments on linked posts. So, please take the time to visit others. You'll find the link-up below. Wishing you all a blessed weekend!

This blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.

Click on my photos to enlarge them.

Here's another completed

coloring page:

 

"As for me and my house,

we will serve the Lord."

Joshua 24:15

*********************

Latest Book Review:
The Collar and the Cavvarach

Latest Book Blast
with $25 Giveaway:
Lisa Marie Schinski books

*********************

Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment. It's a really easy and fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.

All family friendly blogs are welcome!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free to

link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Pinterest 

Twitter 

Facebook
Instagram

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow Tina (your host) on one or more links listed above.
• Link up a post from your family friendly blog.
• Please try to add my hop button on your post or side-bar.
• Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
• Visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment.

Blog Button Code:

<center> <a href="http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Amanda’s Books and More" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaX10yWr7xxEQ5BBMhOqdZxobJ0omJBq-v8ENFn3YNNebsnsYBHwcGyje-XzSlHSJOIlZ1rEOp89LyNI97XrPFZtdeH_AvaNV3F8hOvHfsuwe29ALNQw75ibK34buYq7nhpGGZJ8UTnoB/s150/Make+My+Saturday+Sweet.jpg"/></a></center>

Weekend Linky

This is a blog hop!

Visit my Blog Hops page to see
what link-ups I take part in.

Lisa Marie Schinski $25 Book Blast Giveaway

Lisa Marie Schinski

Book Blast

with $25 Giveaway!

About the Books

The Sore Prickly Bear

Author: Lisa Marie Schinski

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Number of Pages: 30

​Summary: Fuzzy has a very bad day that keeps getting worse. He is faced with many challenges and doesn't understand why these things are happening to him. Everyone has had a bad day, week, month or even years. He will make you laugh because everyone can relate to Fuzzy in some way. Things always have a way of working out in the end and sometimes even better than it was before!

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble

Title: That'th what I thaid!: R's and S's
Author: Lisa Marie Schinski
Illustrator: Lauren Panco
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Number of Pages: 32
Summary: Stitchie is a happy bunny that is having a hard time saying her R's and S's. She thinks her friends are making fun of her but they just laugh because they think it sounds funny. They love Stitchie, and in the end, Stitchie practices and meets the best teacher who helps her says her R's and S's perfectly. She runs into the woods to share with her friends how far she has come!!
​
Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble

About the Author:

Lisa Marie Schinski

I was born and raised in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. I currently reside in King of Prussia. I wrote the story about the Sore Prickly Bear when I was 8 years old. My teacher, Mrs. Ulrich encouraged me to write and also gave me the young author's award. I found this book after my mom passed away last year. I had a great childhood but when I wrote this book, my parents got divorced, we moved and I changed schools. A lot of changes for an 8 year old. So I guess I felt like Fuzzy.

Around October 2015, I took the book into work to show my friends because this past year and a half has been very hard for me and my family. I knew when I showed my friends, they would laugh and cry because my life was again Fuzzy's. My friends, Denice, Dee, Candace, Rick, Gina, Tara, Nancy, Tamara and Gina encouraged me to publish this book. So here I am!

I am now 46 years old. I have a great job, great friends, and great family. But there are still days that feel very bad and very unfair.

My goal for publishing this book is to help children understand that bad things happen and bad days happen. But when we have friends and family in our life to help us laugh at ourselves, we can heal and move forward. Everyone has a bad day, week, month or even years. My dream is to share this story for children to know they are not alone and everyone has a bad day.

I am so grateful for my family and friends.
​
"That'th what I thaid" was published in February 2016. Lauren Panco inspired me to write this story. It is for children who have a hard time with their R's and S's. I think many of us have! I want children to know it's ok to sound different and with practice, it changes. Don't let anyone make fun of you. We are all perfect the way we are!

Website ~ Twitter ~ Etsy ~ LinkedIn

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Siblings Reading with #Linky

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #185!

Big Brother and Little Sister

Choosing and editing two photos for today's blog hop has been quite a mission. I have to learn how to use Google Photos. Last week everything was stored and filed away neatly in folders on our desktop. However, our laptop and other electronics were stolen last week from our home while we slept. It's made our lives feel a little bit upside down, but at least we are all fine. And, thank goodness for Google as it automatically saved all of my photos. Sadly, my daughter's Kindle and my Canon Power Shot are also gone as I used both for my blogging, besides the laptop that Hubby and I shared.

Because of this, I haven't created a new post for 1camera1mom, so if you missed last week, you can check it out today. I've also posted a new book review and hope you can take a moment to check out this exciting piece of young adult fiction by Annie Douglass Lima.

This blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.

Click on my photos to see them at their best!

My cup overflows - Psalm 23:5

*********************

Here's a peek at
Last Week's Post

on 1camera1mom:

Cape Town's Theme Park

*********************

My Latest Book Review

The Collar and the Cavvarach

*********************

Now on to my blog hop...

Come link up your Wordless Wednesday

(with or without words) or any picture post

at this Picture Perfect Party Linky.

Join me on this fun and easy blog hop!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free
to link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Pinterest 

Twitter 

Facebook
Instagram

and

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow me on one or more links above or via email.
• Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
• If possible, copy the button code below and add it on your linked post or blog's side-bar.
• Tell others about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

<center> <a href="http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Amanda’s Books and More" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitS14XLc-z2uSUW00dIvyZc7lEfLP2tkPgO3qmU3NWi_UObDs_d7XqpYhjp0BBeROyZot-8YlEFU9rguELrZYu3arN1qHHNpB4_ezrb-TlBlfHRSOvP7pBA0VI-j1RkUkF77wJxUc7M7ye/s150/Picture%2520Perfect%2520Party%2520Linky.jpg"/></a></center>

This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.



Visit my Blog Hops page to see the hops that I often link up to.

The Collar and the Cavvarach

Book: The Collar and the Cavvarach

Author: Annie Douglas Lima

Age group: Young Adult Fiction

Genre: Alternate Reality, Action and Adventure

About the Story:

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?

What is the Collar for,

and What is a Cavvarach?

The story is set in a world very much like our own, with just a few major differences. One is that slavery is legal there. Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone. Any slave attempting to escape faces the dilemma of how and where to illegally get their collar removed (a crime punishable by enslavement for the remover).

Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil. It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with "have a rack"), an unsharpened weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge. Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades. You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.

Purchase on Amazon:

Kindle | Paperback

My Review:

The Collar and the Cavvarach is set in a modern day world similar to our own, but the big difference is that slavery is allowed. Families that are free can be made slaves if one of the parents is caught doing something bad enough to warrant it.

Annie Douglass Lima had me on the edge of my seat from chapter one. There is a teenage brother with a little sister who are both slaves and who have only each other. The empire they live in is generally harsh and belittling towards slaves. The brother feels responsible for his unprotected little sister and never forgets the impossible promise he made to their mother on her deathbed - to set his sister free.

The story is very believable. The characters have struggles that you and I can understand and relate to. There are plenty of realistic details that always make sense and fit in well as the story progresses.

Also, if you like martial arts, then you will enjoy all the cavvara shil scenes.  When I was reading these scenes, I often pictured the Karate Kid movie from 1984.

What gripped me most about this story was the unjust way of life that the brother and sister were subjected to as slaves. It really made me appreciate my freedom.

I recommend this book for young adults who enjoy alternate reality stories. There is quite a bit of violence in the story, so I don't recommend it for anyone younger than 13.

Look out for the sequel:

The Gladiator and the Guard

Other Books by
Annie Douglass Lima
that I have reviewed:

In the Enemy's Service
and
Prince of Malorn


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Annie Douglass Lima

Annie Douglass Lima

Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published ten books (one YA action and adventure novel, four fantasies, a puppet script, and four anthologies of her students’ poetry). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.

View All Books

by Annie Douglass Lima

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Disclosure: I received a free digital copy for my honest review.

Happy Easter Sunday!

Happy Easter Sunday!

He is Risen!

It seems fitting that as I type this special Easter Sunday post, it is raining outside. We have been praying for rain and I thank all my readers who cared and those who prayed. It's not fun going through a drought and I love my garden and enjoy the flowers. I know others in South Africa have suffered worse during this drought and animals have died, so I can be thankful that it didn't hit us as hard.

Today I won't be hosting my usual weekend linky party. I always post it on a Friday, but this week went horribly wrong. Wednesday night we were burgled while we slept. Thankfully, nothing happened to us. We are fine and trusting God to work all things together for the good.

I wish you all a

blessed Easter Sunday!

Friends and a Wordless Wednesday #LinkyParty

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #184!

Instead of having a birthday party this year, Amanda opted to go with a friend to Ratanga Junction, Cape Town's theme park. I posted about that day with some fun photos on my travel blog, 1camera1mom. In the picture above, Amanda was with her friend, Cristi, and we had just arrived outside the theme park. Cristi gave Amanda a netball ball (it's similar to a basketball) and a book of short stories for girls for her birthday.

The girls took a break from the rides

and opened Kinder Joy surprise eggs.

This blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.

Click on my photos to see them at their best!

*********************

Here's a peek at
My Latest Post

on 1camera1mom:

Cape Town's Theme Park

*********************

Now on to my blog hop...

Come link up your Wordless Wednesday

(with or without words) or any picture post

at this Picture Perfect Party Linky.

Join me on this fun and easy blog hop!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free
to link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Pinterest 

Twitter 

Facebook
Instagram

and

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow me on one or more links above or via email.
• Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
• If possible, copy the button code below and add it on your linked post or blog's side-bar.
• Tell others about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

<center> <a href="http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Amanda’s Books and More" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitS14XLc-z2uSUW00dIvyZc7lEfLP2tkPgO3qmU3NWi_UObDs_d7XqpYhjp0BBeROyZot-8YlEFU9rguELrZYu3arN1qHHNpB4_ezrb-TlBlfHRSOvP7pBA0VI-j1RkUkF77wJxUc7M7ye/s150/Picture%2520Perfect%2520Party%2520Linky.jpg"/></a></center>

This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.



Visit my Blog Hops page to see the hops that I often link up to.

Bougainvillea and a #LinkyParty

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #167!

On Good Friday, 1camera1mom (my travel blog) will be 4 years old! I originally began the blog as a place to share photos and photo tips. It wasn't long before I realized that it would be a great platform to share about our travels and the region where we live. There's so much to see and do in this corner of the world that I never run out of content to blog about and plenty of neat photos to share. In 2013 we went to Florida to visit family and so there's a good section on Florida too.

My blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.

Click on my photos to see them at their best!

Bougainvillea in full sun

Bougainvillea in full sun

Today's post is inspired by the humble beginnings of 1camera1mom. I'm sharing a set of four bougainvillea shots, two were taken in full sun and two were taken on a cloudy day. Taking photos in full sun is always tricky, because you end up with sharp shadows and bright spots. You can see for yourself the affect the sun had on the first two and the lack of sun on the second two. You might prefer the full sun photos, because they do appear brighter. When it comes to taking pictures of people, though, I'd recommend not having them stand in full sun for your shot. However, some automatic cameras will flash, in that case, to try and eliminate those shadows.

Bougainvillea on a cloudy day

Bougainvillea on a cloudy day

Please continue to pray for rain! I heard that by next week we won't be allowed to water our gardens at all. We were given permission for one hour twice a week, but that translated to 10 minutes a section, because we have a big garden in front and back. I can't imagine what will happen to our plants if we can't even give that. The grass has died and some plants too, but it would be hard to watch more go. By the way, it's autumn and still quite warm in South Africa.

If you are looking for more photo tips, then I highly recommend you visit my friend, Mary Denman, who has a great Photo Tip Friday every week on her blog.

Here's another coloring page completed!

The Love of a Mom
John 13:34

*********************

Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment. It's a really easy and fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.

All family friendly blogs are welcome!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free to

link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Pinterest 

Twitter 

Facebook
Instagram

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow Tina (your host) on one or more links listed above.
• Link up a post from your family friendly blog.
• Please try to add my hop button on your post or side-bar.
• Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
• Visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment.

Blog Button Code:

<center> <a href="http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Amanda’s Books and More" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaX10yWr7xxEQ5BBMhOqdZxobJ0omJBq-v8ENFn3YNNebsnsYBHwcGyje-XzSlHSJOIlZ1rEOp89LyNI97XrPFZtdeH_AvaNV3F8hOvHfsuwe29ALNQw75ibK34buYq7nhpGGZJ8UTnoB/s150/Make+My+Saturday+Sweet.jpg"/></a></center>

Weekend Linky

This is a blog hop!

Visit my Blog Hops page to see
what link parties I take part in.

Kid's Fashion and Kitty Cats with #Linky

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #183!

Amanda got some new clothes for her birthday. We bought the soft pants and Elsa (from Frozen) shirt. Amanda chose the pretty ombré T-shirt when she went birthday shopping with her grandma. The necklace was designed and made by Amanda.

This blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.

Click on my photos to see them at their best!

Amanda's Kitty Cat, Sheela

Samantha's Kitty Cat, Prince

*********************

Here's a peek at
My Latest Post

on 1camera1mom:

Velddrif, South Africa

*********************

Now on to my blog hop...

Come link up your Wordless Wednesday

(with or without words) or any picture post

at this Picture Perfect Party Linky.

Join me on this fun and easy blog hop!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free
to link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Pinterest 

Twitter 

Facebook
Instagram

and

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow me on one or more links above or via email.
• Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
• If possible, copy the button code below and add it on your linked post or blog's side-bar.
• Tell others about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

<center> <a href="http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Amanda’s Books and More" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitS14XLc-z2uSUW00dIvyZc7lEfLP2tkPgO3qmU3NWi_UObDs_d7XqpYhjp0BBeROyZot-8YlEFU9rguELrZYu3arN1qHHNpB4_ezrb-TlBlfHRSOvP7pBA0VI-j1RkUkF77wJxUc7M7ye/s150/Picture%2520Perfect%2520Party%2520Linky.jpg"/></a></center>

This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.



Visit my Blog Hops page to see the hops that I often link up to.