Tuesday, March 10, 2015

My 40th Birthday with WW Linky

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #132!

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Click on the images to view them larger.

The morning of my birthday
(Amanda made a lot of art for me)

My family spoiled me on my 40th Birthday. It began with Hubby making breakfast for me and later throwing a surprise party with the help of our girls and my in-laws. The spread of food was compliments of my mom-in-law. Hubby made the iced-tea punches while I was out. I really didn't suspect anything, since we had reservations at a 5 star hotel in Cape Town and I thought the day was full enough.

We were given a booklet of vouchers for the Taj Hotel as a Christmas gift, and this was our first time taking advantage of them. Twenty years ago, on my 20th birthday, my husband and I had our first dinner date at the Taj Hotel in Bombay (now Mumbai). It was a "coincidence" that we were given the vouchers to this particular hotel and in the same year as the 20th anniversary of our first date. (I believe that God had His hand in it.) My in-laws stayed with the girls and took them to school the following morning and Hubby hired a Mercedes so that we could go in style.

Food by my mother-in-law
Photo by my father-in-law

Photo taken by my father-in-law
Samantha is in the pink dress with the jean jacket,
Jessica is in the blue dress with shoulder straps
and Amanda is wearing her school uniform
(blue shorts and polo shirt)

A  Delicious Pineapple Birthday Cake
baked by a Brazilian baker

Complimentary Dessert at the Taj


The Taj Cape Town

The Mercedes that Hubby hired.

Hubby picked the girls up from their high school
in the Mercedes, before we had to return it.

I posted this photo on my weekend blog hop.

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Check out my latest post on 1camera1mom -
World of Birds - Part 2, South Africa



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

My Latest Book Post
with $25 Giveaway

with New Covers Reveal

Princess Madeline Trilogy

I have read all three books and recommend you check them out!


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


Now on to my blog hop...

Amanda’s Books and More

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
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Friday, March 6, 2015

My 40th Birthday and Weekend Linky!

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -
Make My Saturday Sweet #120!

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On the day I posted photos of Amanda's 7th Birthday with a Lego theme, it was my 40th birthday. She and I are just a few days apart, so are my husband and daughter, Jessica. It keeps us on our toes, but I like birthdays. I think the year would be boring without them. There's a big kid in me.

I'll be posting more about my birthday with photos on Tuesday when my Wordless Wednesday (with words) goes live.



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

My Latest Book Posts
with $25 Giveaways

The Princess Madeline Trilogy
with New Covers Reveal

Princess Madeline Trilogy

I have read all three books and recommend you check them out!


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

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...

Amanda’s Books and More

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
I'm also now on 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:

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Thursday, March 5, 2015

The Princess Madeline Trilogy

The New Cover Reveals
for the Princess Madeline Trilogy
Book Blast with
Reviews and
$25 Giveaway

Princess Madeline Trilogy

The Princess Madeline Trilogy


About the Books

The Escape of Princess Madeline by Kirstin Pulioff
The Escape of Princess Madeline


Title: The Escape of Princess Madeline (Princess Madeline Trilogy, Book #1) * Author: Kirstin Pulioff * Publication Date: November 4, 2012 * Publisher: Caliburn Books * Number of pages: 138 * Recommended age: 10+

Summary: Madeline, princess of Soron, awakens on her sixteenth birthday to find that her father has already made preparations for her betrothal. When she disappears unexpectedly, her suitors and knight champion rush to the rescue. But all is not as it seems, and the errant princess’s flight has put the kingdom at stake…

Can Madeline find freedom or does it come with too high a price?

Follow Princess Madeline in this adventure full of twists and turns as she tries to find her freedom and answers to her questions about life and love.

Purchase:

The Battle for Princess Madeline by Kirstin Pulioff
The Battle for Princess Madeline


Title: The Battle for Princess Madeline (Princess Madeline Trilogy, Book #2) Author: Kirstin Pulioff Publication Date: May 21, 2013 Publisher: Caliburn Books Number of pages: 159 Recommended age: 10+

Summary: Princess Madeline rejected Prince Paulsen’s advances, but he’s not about to take it lying down. In the middle of Soron’s festival preparations, when his obsession jeopardizes the kingdom, mysterious figures from the kingdom’s past arrive. Can Madeline risk accepting their help or will their information about a family secret be too much for her to handle?

Can Madeline trust anyone or will saving the kingdom come down to her own bravery?

Purchase:

The Dragon and Princess Madeline
The Dragon and Princess Madeline


Title: The Dragon and Princess Madeline (Princess Madeline Trilogy, Book #3) Author: Kirstin Pulioff Publication Date: November 26, 2013 Publisher: Caliburn Books Number of pages: 135 Recommended age: 10+

Summary: Princess Madeline is ready to celebrate. With the foundation of her future in place, it seems nothing can hurt her. Then the return of a mysterious green dragon threatens her kingdom and king. Will this challenge prove to be too much for Princess Madeline and Prince Braden or will they find the answers they seek hidden in cryptic messages from the past?

Can Madeline save her kingdom from the dragon or is the real danger something else?

Purchase:



My Reviews

The Escape of Princess Madeline is a wonderful coming of age adventure story for middle-grade readers. The descriptions are vivid without being boring and allow one to imagine the fairy tale world of Princess Madeline, which includes brave knights, mysterious wizards and the mention of dragons. The story moves quickly and takes a couple of unexpected turns. Even the Epilogue grabs the reader's imagination and makes one want to find out more.

The Battle for Princess Madeline has an exciting beginning and the plot thickens. I enjoyed finding out who Elias is. There was some suspense when Madeline was taken to see one of the towers in Soron for the first time. I also appreciated the author taking the time to express the change in Madeline when she had to learn boring history that seemed to be unrelated to her until she learned about something that was indeed a part of her future.

The Dragon and Princess Madeline is packed with many attributes that make a story great. The plot thickens from one book to the next and the third book keeps one's mind guessing and wondering. The puzzling pieces come into clarity as the story unfolds. There is adventure, magic, relationship difficulties, challenging moments that build character, and more. I would recommend the Princess Madeline books to kids around the ages of 9 to 14.

To read more about what I did and didn't like in Book 3, visit my post Princess Madeline Blog Tour.


My original post for Books 1 and 2
My original post for Book 3


The Buzz

Book 1: "Well-written, fast-paced, and entirely appropriate for its target audience (middle grade fantasy), this short but succinct novel (novella? It was maybe a little between a novella and a novel) tells a delightful tale of a naive princess who learns the real meaning of freedom. Kirsten gives her characters a sufficient amount of depth to make them genuinely likeable, and she leaves room for much, much more to come." ~ 5 Star Review, Ally, Amazon

Book 1: "An inspiring thought provoking, and wonderfully written fairy tale by an author who transports us to a time in our imagination where everything is magical and possibilities are real." ~ 5 Star Review, kathyls, Amazon

Book 2: "Fairy tales are filled with knights and princesses and castles and a special magical feel that takes the reader far, far, away into another world, another place, another time. The Battle for Princess Madeline fits the bill to a tee! Author Kirstin Pulioff has created a special feel to the tale of Princess Madeline with her own special talent for using words to paint pictures in our minds." ~ 5 Star Review, Dii, Amazon

Book 2: "The story is well developed and easy to follow. The vivid scenes will transport young readers into the magical world of fairy tales with thrilling characters that have come to life. Another splendid read for young readers! I can hardly wait for a new book, Princess Madeline and the Dragon. " ~ 5 Star Review, Mrs. D., Amazon

Book 3: "The story is engaging on many levels, as is Pulioff's writing, but on this occasion I was mostly drawn into the action and the mystery as how to prevent the worst from happening. This is great entertainment and should do well across a wider age range." ~ 5 Star Review,ChristophFischerBooks, Amazon

Book 3: "Kirstin Pulioff has saved the best for last. 'Princess Madeline and the Dragon' is the final instalment in the 'Princess Madeline Trilogy'. I thought the first two books were finely wrought stories, but this novel surpasses its predecessors. Prophesies, family tragedies, magic and - of course - dragons, combine to produce a tale that is an instant classic. Written with a great deal of charm, 'Princess Madeline and the Dragon' will not disappoint Ms Pulioff's young fans. I look forward to seeing where next her imagination will take this natural storyteller. " ~ 5 Star Review, Diogenes, Amazon

About the Author:
Kirstin Pulioff
Kirstin Pulioff
Kirstin Pulioff
Kirstin Pulioff is a storyteller at heart. Born and raised in Southern California, she moved to the Pacific Northwest to follow her dreams and graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Forest Management. Happily married and a mother of two, she lives in the foothills of Colorado. When she’s not writing an adventure, she’s busy living one.



$25 Book Blast Giveaway
Amazon 25 gift card

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest ends: April 4, 11:59 pm, 2015

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Kirstin Pulioff and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.



MDBR Book Promotion Services

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Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Lego Party and #WW #Linky

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #131!

This blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.
Click on the images to view them larger.


Amanda turned 7 on Saturday!
Her dad and sisters helped me
with all the party preparations.
Amanda chose a Lego theme
and I got ideas off of Pinterest.

Jessica made Lego heads
and used the extra chocolate
for pretzel sticks.
Jessica also baked the cakes
and made the frosting.






Naughty Kitty








Somehow a "Wild" theme
sneaked in there. Hahaha!







See 3 more photos on Instagram!
Visit Amanda's Board on Pinterest.


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

Check out my latest post on 1camera1mom -
World of Birds, Cape Town, South Africa


Amanda at World of Birds


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

Now on to my blog hop...

Amanda’s Books and More

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
and
Follow on Bloglovin

I'm also now on Instagram!


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:

Amanda’s Books and More

This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.



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

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