Love Lessons Learned with Andrea Laurence, author of THIRTY DAYS TO WIN HIS WIFE

I am pleased to invite Andrea Laurence to share a little bit of Love Wisdom today, as part of her virtual book tour for THIRTY DAYS TO WIN HIS WIFE

Tyler and Amelia’s story is a twist on the classic friends to lovers story because they put the cart before the horse, marrying and starting a family before they’ve really even begun a relationship. It took these extenuating circumstances for them to make that leap past friendship into lovers. Part of the reason for this is that Amelia is looking for a perfect marriage—the White Buffalo. She’s idealized her grandparents’ relationship and won’t accept anything less for herself. In doing that, she’s discarded a pile of potential suitors that didn’t check all the boxes, and never even gave Tyler a second thought in the relationship department. Tyler isn’t perfect. Not even close. But he’s persistent and won’t let her use her list of requirements to drive a wedge between them. It’s in realizing that no person and no marriage is perfect—including her grandparents’ marriage—that Amelia can finally open herself up to see the beauty of what’s in front of her. As they say, it’s not about finding the perfect person, it’s about loving someone enough to see an imperfect person, perfectly. That’s the love lesson of the book.

—Andrea


More about THIRTY DAYS TO WIN HIS WIFE


Even with a baby on the way, Amelia's holding out for the perfect husband. Tyler has 30 days to prove he's the one. Best friends Tyler Dixon and Amelia Kennedy eloped to Vegas on a whim. But before they can deal with their quickie divorce, she confesses: she's pregnant. Now there's no way Tyler will agree to go their separate ways. He wants them to stay married, raise their child together, share a house—and a bed.

Yet Amelia has always dreamed of a perfect marriage and she doesn't think this self-made millionaire is lifetime material despite their friendship. She's given him just one month to prove her wrong.

ANDREA LAURENCE has been devouring books since she learned to read at the age of 3. An old portable typewriter got her started writing in her room at 8 and she's been writing ever since. Her practical nature led her to pursue a master's degree and a career that would pay the bills, but the writing bug continued to bite. She started working ferociously in her spare time to become a published author and has become an active member of her local RWA chapter, Heart of Dixie. After eight years and 11 completed manuscripts, she finally made the leap and got "the call" from Harlequin Desire on May 31, 2011.

A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, Andrea is working on her real-life "happily ever after" with her boyfriend of 10 years and their collection of animals including two cats, two mutts and a Siberian husky that sheds like nobody's business.

You can also check out the first book in the Andrea's series Brides and Belles, Snowed In with Her Ex!

Guest Post: FINDING PALMETTO MOON IN THE ETHER

I am so pleased to invite Kim Boykin, author of Palmetto Moon, (which I reviewed last week) to guest post here on Acting Balanced.  I joined this blog tour because the book was set in both my front yard (Charleston) and my backyard (Round O, SC) figuratively speaking and so I asked her to tell us a little bit about how she chose her geographic settings - I hope you enjoy this glimpse into her thoughts as much as I did! 

FINDING PALMETTO MOON IN THE ETHER

With Palmetto Moon, I wrote about Round O, South Carolina like I knew it like the back of my hand. I’d never been there before and had only driven through Walterboro, or stopped there to use the bathroom on the way to Edisto Island over thirty years ago. So, before I turned the Palmetto Moon manuscript into my editor, last summer, I decided I should visit to make sure I got the place right.

I was pleasantly surprised and then shocked at one of those ethereal moments. Dana and Bonita Cheney, the nice couple from the Colleton County Historical Society who showed me around Walterboro, offered to show me Round O. To be honest, with the majority of the story taking place there, and having never been there, I was more than a little nervous.

I’d sent Dana and Bonita a synopsis of Palmetto Moon, that mentioned Miss Mamie’s Boarding House. When we got to Round O, which really is a crossroads community (for those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s a crossroads with a few houses, maybe a church, a little store,) Dana asked me if I’d like to see Miss Mamie’s Boarding House.

There on the corner was a dilapidated two story clapboard home that very well could have been Vada’s home in 1947. I was amazed. Then he asked me if I wanted to see what it looked like in 1947. He eased down the road about 100 feet and there was the EXACT house I’d pictured when I was writing the book. I know this picture is a little cockeyed but I was completely stunned.

A few weeks later, I approached Dick Elliott, the owner of Maverick Southern Kitchens, and nationally renown SNOB inCharleston about contributing recipes for the book. I wanted to use them in lieu of Reader Questions. Turns out the executive chef at SNOB’s name is Frank Lee and my hero’s name is Frank Darling. Coincidence? Maybe, but I’m tagging it as a gift from the ether.

About Palmetto Moon:

June, 1947. Charleston is poised to celebrate the biggest wedding in high-society history, the joining of two of the oldest families in the city. Except the bride is nowhere to be found…Unlike the rest of the debs she grew up with, Vada Hadley doesn’t see marrying Justin McLeod as a blessing—she sees it as a life sentence. So when she finds herself one day away from a wedding she doesn’t want, she’s left with no choice but to run away from the future her parents have so carefully planned for her.

In Round O, South Carolina, Vada finds independence in the unexpected friendships she forms at the boarding house where she stays, and a quiet yet fulfilling courtship with the local diner owner, Frank Darling. For the first time in her life, she finally feels like she’s where she’s meant to be. But when her dear friend Darby hunts her down, needing help, Vada will have to confront the life she gave up—and decide where her heart truly belongs.

For More Information

• Visit Kim Boykin’s website.
• Connect with Kim on Facebook and Twitter.
• Visit Kim’s blog.
• More books by Kim Boykin.
• Contact Kim.

Get the Book:

• Palmetto Moon is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble or IndieBound.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
• Read Chapter One here.

Guest Book Review: The Living Memories Project: Legacies that Last

I am pleased to invite my mom, Judy from Retired-Not-Tired to share another book review with you as part of the Pump Up Your Book Tour for The Living Memories Project: Legacies That Last.

From the Publisher:

Guest Reviewer: Judy reviews Ritual Tea by Mario Zeleny

I am so pleased to have my mom, Judy, reviewing on Acting Balanced again!  Every once in a while, a book crosses my email that just screams - send this one to Mom, and so far I'm two for three in getting it right on the nose... I am so pleased that she agreed to read this one and share it with you!  This article is part of a Pump up your Book Tour and we received a copy of the book at no cost to facilitate the review.  

From the Publisher: 

Media headlines abound these days saying, “Tea is trendy…” and we believe it until we read the first chapter of Ritual Tea: How the 9 Secrets of Tea Can Transform Your Life. Entitled, Tea’s Sordid and Holy Exploits, chapter one is a worldwide, whirlwind tour of tea history that leaves the reader knowing once and for all that tea has always been trendy for very good reasons. Next to water, tea is the world’s most popular drink.

Author Mario Zeleny, lifelong tea lover and personal coach, extracts the magic of tea from its history, uses, and benefits but also from its power to change the world. He brings the secrets of tea into modern light, and makes it accessible for contemporary lifestyles.

“We do not have to be a Buddhist monk, or study The Way of Tea for decades to be your own Tea Master,” says Zeleny, “but you must understand its secrets to reap tea’s transformative qualities in your life.”

Ritual Tea boasts over 30 links to free tea products, ten personal rituals to help with everything from anxiety to sleep, and 10 charts that make crafting our own ritual a breeze.

Discover the transformative power of tea hidden in its history, versatility, and essence through simple, timeless and individualized rituals. To help us on the tea path, the author has made a free Ritual Tea ecourse available through ArtSpellz.com.

Tea has made a 5000 year trek to inhabit the world and in its wake it has altered not only individual lives but cultures and countries. Ritual Tea asks, “Who will we be in tea’s history?” Will we just make tea, or will we allow tea make us?
Judy's Review:

I accepted the book to review because I am a consummate tea drinker. I have been drinking since I was very little. My grandmother always had a cup of tea for me especially when I was in trouble. It is a tradition that has been passed down for generations. I am now as a grandmother introducing my grandchildren to the pleasure of drinking tea.

I found the book fascinating. The history of tea is amazing. Who would have believed that it was the cause of a lot of wars even beyond the "Boston Tea party". Making tea is a very integral part of the enjoyment. Mario takes this to a higher level and tells how it can improve your life.

The book is written in an easy to read manner. Each segment is self contained yet makes you want to read further. I was pleased to find out that the making of tea is well defined and actually enhances the flavours. The reasoning behind the types of tea was important as well.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes drinking tea. Even a coffee drinker could change their minds after reading this book.

About the Author:


Mario Zeleny – Lover of all things tea.  Mario spent 15 years in healthcare and social services in clinical and administrative roles that offered coaching to employees and volunteers.  An artist and entrepreneur from an early age, Mario now brings his love of writing, art, spirit, coaching and ritual together online at his creative living site, Sancti Spiritusand also from his transformational art site, Art Spellz. Mario looks forward to completing his education with Mentor Coach and St. Clement Seminary. He currently resides in Sacramento with his husband of 8 years, their children and their domestic sovereign, a pug named Brigit.

Product Review: Attipas Childrens Shoes

***Product was provided to reviewer at no cost for the purpose of completing this review

I am pleased to invite my friend and fellow reviewer, Annie to share her thoughts on Attipas infant and toddler shoes after letting her daughter C have a go with them!  

Attipas provided us with this blurb, and the cutest pair of Black Ballet shoes for C:

"Do you remember learning to walk? Neither do we, but we vividly remember watching our little ones learning to walk and all the bumps and bruises that came along with those first steps. Attipas loosely translates to “precious steps”, and that is exactly what we want babies to do when they put on a pair of Attipas; take those first precious steps and take off running!
Studies show that the best way for a baby to learn to walk is to be barefoot as much as possible. With that in mind, Attipas were created to protect the precious little feet of a new walker, while allowing for movement that mimics being barefoot."

This is what Annie had to say:

Guest Post: A Memoir to Start 2014 Off Right

I am pleased to invite William Buisch, DVM to guest post on Acting Balanced as part of his Pump Up Your Book virtual tour, in promotion of his memoir, The Ark's Cargo: For the Love of Animals.

Dr. Buisch was inspired by biblical passages and teachings and cherished his work as an international veterinarian. His passion for improving the health and welfare of domesticated and wild animals is most noteworthy. Working within diverse cultures, he observed vast health improvements in animals and, as a result, in people living nearby.

A Memoir to Start 2014 Off Right

If you like romance, love, excitement, drama, adventure, exotic tales/tails and situational comedy, I have just the right book for you!  And then with the ever present animalistic behavior and the discussion of male prowness while being, a bit bullish at times I am sure you will appreciate and love this collection of real life stories.  Don’t be sheepish or cackle at the story line!  But rather, enjoy the horsing around and the discriptions of unusual harems and the sexuality of a semen collection facility.  All of this and more is included in the award winning book entitled, “The Ark's Cargo: For the Love of Animals!

     The memoir is about an International Veterinarian who worked in poverty stricken areas of the world including that of working in Haiti, the jungles of Panama, in Colombia in areas under the control of drug lords, in Mali, along the road to Timbuktu and in Kenya where the Maasi believe they own all of the cattle in the world. 

     The stories include efforts to improve the health and welfare of both wild and domesticated animals in order to improve the well being of the human populations living near by.  While the episodes may get a little wild at times, each adventure doesn’t necessarily achieve the success hoped for.  Nevertheless, the lessons learned and the relationships developed established long lasting effects of international trust and respect that will last for years to come!

     Having worked with the Wild Mustangs in Colorado and Nevada may be the highlight for some.  But facing the terror of a black jaguar, or being “attacked” by a Battalion of Troops, or facing a native with a shield and spear aimed at one’s heart; will often attract the attention of others.  And then there is the matter of the ever “screwing” Screwworm Fly; the experience of shipping cattle in a school bus; or the experience of being an unseasoned seaman in the North Atlantic.  All I can say is; this is only the beginning!  And as such, do enjoy!!!

Guest Post: Your Holiday Party Invitation Options

When you are planning to throw a holiday party, there are so many things to consider: food, activities, location, music, etc. One of the first orders of business is to send invitations to all of your guests. You may be tempted to purchase blank invitations at the grocery store and call it good, but nowadays, party hostesses have seemingly countless invitation options at their fingertips. Some invitations take more preparation time than others and some are more expensive, so keep that in mind when evaluating your options. 

Specifically, you want your invitations to be customized with the correct information and invitation wording to fit the occasion. For example, wording will differ depending on whether you are throwing a more formal party versus a casual party, and a corporate function versus a gathering of friends. In addition, be sure to use the invitation to showcase the theme of your holiday party. Give hints of the theme through the envelope, address labels, stamp, color and font of the invite.

 In order to attract attention and make your invite even more interesting to the eye, use a photograph. In fact, your Christmas photo cards used to wish friends and family a happy holiday season can double as invitations if you’d like. Simply put the party information on the card along with your greetings and be sure to send far enough in advance of the party. These types of cards are an easy way to create attractive invitations that won’t take much time to make. Plus, you have so many options; specifically, you can use a template or design your own card using the many fonts, colors and backgrounds available.

Digital invitations are always an option as well. There are free services you can use to design an email invite and send it to your guests, who can RSVP right then and there. These are quick and convenient; however, they don’t have the same personalized feel as sending something via in the mail. Also, there’s the danger the invitation will get lost in someone’s inbox.

DIY-ers love the idea of spending time creating a masterpiece of an invitation for their holiday party – and that’s great! It can be lots of fun to choose the perfect paper, cutouts, ribbons and embellishments for your invitations. Just be aware that this can be costly and time-consuming, especially if you have a lot of invites to send. Sometimes you have to double up on stamps if the invites are bulkier than normal cards.

Whatever you decide, carefully examine your invitation options and select the type of card that works for you, given your budget and time constraints. And one more thing – remember to have fun!

Author Bio: Heather Hewitt is a seasoned writer and guest author who enjoys connecting people with thoughtful products, services and ideas as they relate to crafting, photography, gift giving and personal expression.

A note from Author Graham Parke!

“I'm very polite by nature, even the voices in my head let each other finish their sentences.” – from Completely Flappable

Don’t you just hate it when you have a thousand little thoughts rattling around your brain, good for nothing but keeping you up at night? Ideas, worries, mental reminders for the next day? My voices can get pretty insistent, and mostly this is a nuisance, but sometimes it’s okay, when there’s a story idea or two among the ramblings. And rarely, very rarely, I get what I think is a really good idea, but one that I don't know what to do with.

Product Review: Motorola MBP26 Video Baby Monitor

**This product was provided to facilitate a review, no other compensation was received

I am pleased to have Annie back to share her review of the Motorola MBP26 Wireless 2.4 GHz Video Baby Monitor with 2.4" Color LCD Screen, Infrared Night Vision and Remote Camera Pan and Tilt that she is using to help monitor her two sweet children!

From the Manufacturer:

Motorola's MBP26 Video Baby Monitor will give you the reassurance that your child is resting peacefully. Its 2.4GHz FHSS technology gives you peace of mind in knowing that its digital signal communication is secure so others cannot eavesdrop. It also ensures that it will remain free of interference from other wireless electronic devices commonly used around the home. With Motorola’s MBP26 you're sure to hear every peep.

Equipped with 2.4GHz FHSS technology for sound clarity, you can feel comfortable your little one will come through loud and clear when they need you. A 2.4" LCD color display shows sound and video monitoring, with infrared night vision. The MBP26 digital audio baby monitor has an impressive range of up to 520 ft with an out of range warning, allowing you to move around the house or yard comfortably, knowing you will hear when your little one is awake.

2.4GHz FHSS Technology with Two-Way Communication

The 2.4GHz FHSS technology offers a more reliable wireless connection over previous cordless technologies such as 900MHz cordless antennas. That means better range and less chance of missing something important in your baby's room due to a weak or dropped signal.

Color LCD Screen with Infrared Night Vision

A full-color 2.4" LCD display shows real-time video and sound in your baby's room with up to 25 FPS video playback, keeping you informed of what's going on visually as well as audibly. Infrared night vision means you can stay in touch with what's going in your baby's room without any lights to disturb little sleepers.

Up to 520 ft Range with "Out-of-Range" Warning

The superior wireless range of the MBP26 lets you keep connected to your baby up to 520 feet away. So even if you have a larger home, you don't have to give up safety or the ability to stay connected to your little one. An alarm sounds when you're getting out of range of the transmitting unit, so you'll never have to wonder if you're close enough to hear what's going on.

Annie's Review:

I sat and looked at the box for this video monitor for a few weeks before actually opening it. My wonderful husband had informed me that he wouldn’t be helping me set it up, so I was a bit intimidated. When I finally decided to tackle the task, I couldn’t believe I had waited! The setup was a breeze. There are two plugs, a camera, and a viewing/listening device. The plugs have a drawing of the part they fit with right on the plug, so there’s no second guessing. The cords are also REALLY long, so you can mount the camera where you need it, not just where the outlet is located in the room.

The camera is turned on and off via a switch on the moveable camera itself, while the receiver has a push button. I personally like to turn the camera off when not in use (for security reasons), and flipping that switch without repositioning the camera is nearly impossible. I would have liked to see the switch on the base rather than the moveable camera portion.

The viewing/listening device works either plugged in or on battery backup. While running on battery, the video turns off after a short period of time. You have to push a button to turn it back on, it doesn’t automatically turn back on when movement or sound are picked up from the camera. If it’s the video you really want, I’d suggest leaving plugged in because I’m constantly pushing the button to see my baby again. The monitor also is equipped with two-way communication so you can try to calm baby with your voice, too.

The sound and video quality for this monitor is great. This monitor does not pick up any static or interference from our son’s monitor, and there’s a multi-color light indicator that changes according to how loud baby is (grunts vs cries), even if you have the sound turned down. The video picture is in color when the lights are on in a room and black and white when the lights are out. Even in the pitch black, I could easily see my daughter sleeping.

Here are the quick review stats:

• Up to 520 foot range with out of range alert 

• 2.4” color LCD monitor with infrared night vision 

• Optical Pan and Tilt LED sound level indicators on the parent unit 

• Parent unit has a rechargeable battery with a low battery alert 

• 2.8” Color LCD Screen 

• Pair up to 4 Cameras 

• Secure DECT technology so that others cannot eavesdrop 

• 2.4GHz FHSS technology for sound clarity 

• Two-way communication 

• Infrared Night Vision 

• Suggested Retail: $149.99 (Available on Amazon right now for just $109.99)

Guest Post: Sex and Identity: Miley Cyrus and Wild Child by Molly O'Keefe

I've interviewed my friend and author, Molly O'Keefe here on Acting Balanced and reviewed some of her books (Can't Buy Me Love and Can't Hurry Love) and she also inspired my rant "Not Just Mommy Porn" so when she Facebooked me and offered to guest post to promote here latest title, Wild Child, which I read and LOVED, of course I said YES!   You can also enter to win a copy of Wild Child (out on shelves and your favorite internet sites on October 29th, by clicking here for my giveaway of an autographed copy of Wild Child (open internationally) or here for another chance with a giveaway hop)

Sex and Identity: Miley Cyrus and Wild Child

My husband and I got into a fight about Miley Cyrus. I had just read Sinead O'Conner's first open letter to Miley (I haven't read any others) and thought that her warnings about the music industry exploiting Miley Cyrus' sexuality for their own gain made a lot of sense.

My husband asked me why I thought she was being exploited.

I responded that that's what the music industry seems to do. It seems to take young women and use them until they break. The only way to resist being broken is not use their own sexuality to sell albums. See Cyndi Lauper, see Taylor Swift, see Annie Lennox.

Sex is the low-lying fruit. It's easy. Until it's really not.

My husband said that he thought Cyrus was making a choice; that she was the captain of the ship and not being taken advantage of. She is a provocateur, like many strong female artists before her. See Madonna, see Lady Gaga.

In the end we decided time would tell whether Cyrus had surrounded herself with good people who weren't interested in exploiting her but rather in helping her walk the edge she's on.

But the conversation has made me think about sex and identity. And how even outside of the ridiculous limelight of the music industry, sex is a huge part of identity. Most people are private about sex. Whatever our feelings are about it - we wear them on the inside. And those people who wear their sexual identity on the outside - particularly women - can make us uncomfortable. Most likely because we're still shaking off the puritan belief that sex is bad or perhaps should be kept very private.

I'm totally guilty of this.

In WILD CHILD, so much of my heroine Monica Appleby's public persona is defined by sex. Specifically the sexual identity she established as a famous teenager on a reality tv show. As an adult, she can't get away from that persona - in the public eye and in her own head. And part of her growth as a woman is putting that persona to bed so she can move on, fall in love - be happy.

This of course made for a lot of fun conflict and hopefully, a great read.

Wild Child was written nearly a year before Miley's recent explosion onto op-ed pages, blogs and twitter feeds, but Miley could have very easily been the inspiration for Monica. And I hope my husband is right, I really do. I hope these decisions she's making now, won't be regrets later on. We need more women owning their sexual identity of their own volition. Provocateurs or not, we need more women captaining their ships.

About Molly:

Molly O'Keefe is a RITA-Award winning author with 24 novels in publication. She's won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award for Best Flipside in 2005 and Best Superromance in 2008. Her new series The Boys of Bishop will begin in October with Wild Child. She lives in Toronto, Canada with her family and the largest heap of dirty laundry in North America.

More about Wild Child:


Monica Appleby is a woman with a reputation. Once she was America’s teenage “Wild Child,” with her own reality TV show. Now she’s a successful author coming home to Bishop, Arkansas, to pen the juicy follow-up to her tell-all autobiography. Problem is, the hottest man in town wants her gone. Mayor Jackson Davies is trying to convince a cookie giant to move its headquarters to his crumbling community, and Monica’s presence is just too . . . unwholesome for business. But the desire in his eyes sends a very different message: Stay, at least for a while.

Don't forget to enter to win - Autographed copy of Wild Child and #WildChild Blog Hop Giveaway

Book Review: Super Baby Food

I am so pleased to have my friend Annie back on Acting Balanced to share her opinion on Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron.  Annie just had her second child in July and was really happy to check out the all new version of this tried and true classic.

From the Publisher:


Completely Revised and Updated edition of the best-selling Super Baby Food! Parents know that you get only one shot to feed your baby right and Ruth Yaron has been helping parents get it right for over 15 years. Ruth's book, Super Baby Food, is affectionately referred to as the baby food bible by over half a million parents worldwide because it literally contains everything you will ever need to know about feeding a baby and toddler.

It features, for example, a very special type of baby cereal she calls Super Porridge. This is definitely not your mom's powdered white rice baby cereal. We are talking about organic, whole grains and legumes, blended and boiled at home with a bit of nutritional yeast and/or tahini sprinkled in for an extra nutritious touch.

This is the first major revision and highly anticipated update in 10 years and really is a "new" book. The first edition of Super Baby Food sold more than half a million copies. Moms simply LOVE.... Baby Food! It offers them a simple and complete baby and toddler feeding system plus over 350 recipes to choose from!

Within the pages of Super Baby Food parents will find…..

• How to create the perfect vegetable cube, the perfect meal, the perfect, most organic, most nutritious baby bite!
• We are talking about organic, whole grains, legumes and vegetables blended at home with a bit of nutritional yeast and/or tahini sprinkled in for that extra nutritious touch.
• We are talking about organic, fresh avocado, banana, mango, and spirulina, organic brown rice, legumes, and they go crazy for kale, yes, Kale!
• Parents will discover how to create homemade yogurt from one tablespoon of store-bought plain yogurt.
• Parents will learn how to properly store and serve tofu and if they can freeze it.
• Parent will learn about the latest nutritional enhancers like kelp, nutritional yeast, wheat germ…quick and easy ways to boost nutrition in every baby or toddler meal.

Parents want the absolute BEST they can offer their baby. They want their kids to be the brightest, the healthiest, and the happiest kids on the block.  With Super Baby Food, it has never been easier to be sure babies are getting the best nutrition possible.

Annie's Review:

The book Super Baby Food is a large manual about infant feeding, and a very specific plan and schedule for making and feeding homemade baby foods. It contains great information about when to begin feeding your baby, how to follow your baby’s cues, and what you can feed your baby at each age and why. This program relies fairly heavily on grains, or “Super Porridge,” and yogurt, mixed with a variety of different fruits, veggies, nuts, and beans. 

The plan is set up for complete weaning of the infant by age 1, although the author does go on to mention in a later chapter that it is healthy to breastfeed your baby past the age of one. Ms. Yaron explains things like the importance of organic foods, how to prepare foods to maintain maximum nutrient density, why processed, store bought baby foods are not the best choice for feeding your baby, and even how to keep your kitchen and baby’s food sanitary and safe. 

The Super Baby Food plan may not be for every parent - it appears to be very time consuming, relies heavily on grains and dairy foods, and requires the feeding of purees (and thus a great blender or food processor, freezing supplies, storage space, and time at least every other day to make more purees). But, for the parent wanting a wonderful resource on making homemade baby food, this book would be the only book you need, from first foods through great recipes for toddler foods.

I am personally a baby-led weaning advocate (who steers clear of most grains and all dairy products due to food intolerance), but I still believe I will find myself referencing this book fairly frequently as my baby girl grows and begins to eat. Many of the foods can be served in alternate ways, other than pureeing, and it is a really handy guide for maintaining healthy balance and variety for early eaters. There’s a section about finger foods and ways to serve foods that would typically be difficult for a baby or toddler to eat. There is even a chapter full of recipes for toddlers that I may begin using now for my 2 year old to help us get out of his food rut. In all, it is a worthwhile read and a great reference for infant feeding.

Thanks for such a thorough review Annie!  If you're a new mom and considering making your own baby food, then this is a book you should definitely check out!  You can find Super Baby Food online at Amazon.com for just $15.79 and at most major book retailers!

Guest Post: Meara, the Unique Werewolf

I am so pleased to invite Phaedra Seabolt to guest post on Acting Balanced and give us some insight into Meara, the Unique Werewolf and star of Imperfection, her latest novel and the first book in the Pureblood series!

Meara, the Unique Werewolf

When I decided that I wanted to write a werewolf story, my primary thought was that I wanted it to be different from the other books I had read. I wanted something about my main character that was completely unique to me and my story. Until I found that one special element, I wouldn't even consider writing a story.

It came to me through a dream after I finished reading Stephanie Nelson’s Taming the Wolf. I had been dreaming about various scenes from her story, taking control of some of my dreams to morph them into something else. That’s how I literally dreamed up Meara. Qualities from my own life wound their way into that of a female werewolf attending college. She attended the last university that I went to for the degree I should have stuck to, but what made her so different was that she already had a child. I was only just learning how to sleep again after having my son, but Meara had a baby boy while attending college.

I woke up in the middle of that night thinking about whether I had ever read a werewolf story where the woman was turned into a werewolf after having a baby. My mind thought, “What would happen to her baby if she became a wolf? How would she learn to cope as a wolf and still maintain her humanity while raising a child? Would a werewolf pack accept a human baby to be raised among them when the rest of the world didn’t even know about their existence?” My mind raced with the possibilities. This would be the focal point of my story, of my entire series if I could dream up enough plots to write.

Meara is unique because she couldn't abandon all her family and friends once she became a werewolf. In most stories, once you've been turned, you are expected to leave behind everything you know to become a part of a pack. You must be secluded from the rest of the world in order to maintain your secret. Meara wasn't able to do that completely. What will happen to her in the future? I am really not sure yet. Her son, Julian, will definitely be exposed to a world that most think nonexistent. How will he turn out as a result? Again, that’s still to be determined, but I promise that I will try to find some element to make it completely unique, just like Meara.

Thank you so much for sharing your insights! Readers, please check out this fabulous book, currently available in e-book form:

Amazon | B&N |  Smashwords

From the Publisher:

At the center of a war brewing between two packs: her son

Meara Falk always followed her parents’ rules, until one night in March when the temptation to let loose changed her life forever.

Nine months later, disowned and with a baby on her hip, she discovers werewolves exist after being on the wrong end of some teeth and claws. During her first change, werewolves attack, stealing her son and driving her out of her home.

Now she’s looking for the man who kidnapped her baby and turned her life upside down. Meara’s son is in the middle of a threatened war between two powerful packs. Getting him back will jeopardize the lives of everyone she loves.

About Phaedra Seabolt:

Phaedra Seabolt is the youngest of four and the only girl. She spent her childhood trying to be the best she could be at everything she did which drove her to attend college long enough to attain her master’s degree. Now she is a stay at home mom and happily married.

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You can also check out reviews, interviews and more guest posts all this month by visiting the Imperfection Tour Page

Sponosored Book Review: TOUCH THE SPIRIT, Connecting to the Inner World of Dementia

I am so pleased to have my mom, Judy from Retired-Not-Tired, reviewing this book for Acting Balanced today.  As soon as I saw the email for this book, I knew that she'd be the perfect person to share her insights into Touch the Spirit: Connecting to the Inner World of Dementia

From the Publisher:

More than five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s, the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and, yet, many of us don’t know how to react, let alone help, when this disease strikes our loved ones.

In Touch the Spirit: Connecting to the Inner World of Dementia, Dr. Deborah Forrest peels away the stereotypes and assumptions in order to explore and explain how we, the families, can offer and provide means of comfort, and, most importantly, human and mental contact with our loved ones afflicted with dementia.

Through entertaining and enlightening stories of hope and success, Dr. Forrest reminds us how the most simple acts, such as poetry, art, animals, and music, can open a channel of connection with those lost to time and reconnect with their souls. In addition, Touch The Spirit covers the research and progress being made toward dementia prevention, because, an informed person is a prepared person. We must understand what medicines are effective, and how spirituality can play a major role in providing relief and comfort to all concerned.

Touch The Spirit is also about the caregivers, the families, and Dr. Forrest offers informative ways to combat the inevitable stress we suffer, as well as means to improve our health and enrich our spirits. We can’t care for those who need us if we aren’t physically and mentally capable of being there for them. This book is much more than a professional overview of dementia; it is about restoring humanity and uplifting the bond that exists between human beings. It is about life, family, and most of all…love.

Reviewer's Comments:

I chose to read and review this book for personal reasons. My father has Alzheimer's and I wanted a way to connect with him. I wanted to learn as much as possible about this dreadful disease. I also want to try and avoid it myself.  I was a little intimidated when I opened the package and found a book that looked like it might be a textbook, but I found the book to be very easy to read. In fact I finished in one day. 

Deborah tells the story in a matter of fact way. I actually thought she was talking to me and sharing her words of wisdom. It did not read like a text book at all. I think by sharing some of the examples of other people as well as her own experiences brought the whole subject to a more personal level. I feel I am more knowledgeable and less unsure of the disease. It was interesting to note that we have been using a lot of her suggested methods with my father already. I have told my mother who is my father's primary care-giver about the book and she is anxious to read it as well. Hopefully she will share this book with the staff at the retirement home where she resides.

This book left me with a confidence that my Dad is doing well in spite of his disease. Even you do not have a brain injury the way of life suggested is encouraging and I hope I will be able to avoid the odds of getting any form of dementia.

While I focused on reading this book through the lens of being the child of an individual with Dementia, specifically Alzheimer's, I think that this book would be a good read for anyone who has a connection to dementia of any sort and this book also talked about Parkinson's disease, Huntington's Disease and other forms of brain injury.  I know that it has made me want to find a copy of Dr. Forrest's first book, Symphony of Strings: An Overture to Dementia's Soulful Memories 

About the Author:

Dr. Deborah Forrest holds degrees in Nursing from St. Mary’s Hospital Nursing School, Knoxville, TN (RN); Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA (BSN); and The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA (MSN) and degrees in Clinical Psychology from The Fielding Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, CA (MA & PhD). She has worked as a Peri-Operative Educator and Manager in several academic medical centers in the Southeast; as a Nursing Director in a Texas psychiatric hospital; and as a Biomedical Researcher and Clinical Affairs Consultant to several Fortune 100 Corporations.

In 1990, shortly after her return to graduate school for her doctorate in clinical psychology, Dr. Forrest began an association with Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. That association led to her dissertation research project with Dr. Kubler-Ross’s final grief workshops before her retirement. Immediately following the completion of her doctoral degree program, Dr. Forrest completed a one year a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Kentucky’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center & Sander’s Brown Center on Aging where she continued to expand her knowledge of gerontology and the diseases of aging. She has published extensively in professional and technical journals in various fields of medicine and health, and has taught and lectured in her fields of specialization – aging, dementia and spirituality, bereavement and bone marrow cancer. Since 1987 she has been repeatedly listed among the Who’s Who in Professional & Executive Women.