Hope of Refuge

The Hope of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall

Summary:

Raised in foster care and now the widowed mother of a little girl, Cara Moore struggles against poverty, fear, and a relentless stalker. When a trail of memories leads Cara and Lori out of New York City toward an Amish community, she follows every lead, eager for answers and a fresh start. She discovers that long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and it’s no place for an outsider. But one Amish man, Ephraim Mast, dares to fulfill the command he believes that he received from God–“Be me to her”– despite how it threatens his way of life.

This book is a sweet story that draws you in. I loved getting a glimpse into an Amish community. The author does a great job of tying together several subplots and creating real, engaging characters. This is a relaxing book, perfect for lazy summer days. I have a copy to give away, so please send me an email if you are interested.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review. You can find places to purchase the book by visiting http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400073962

I love Crayola

I love Crayola products. They are the only crayons I buy because they are so much better than the other brands.

In addition to the basic crayons, markers, and colored pencils, Crayola has introduced some other fun products that I had not seen before. The MyBlogSpark, I was able to test some of them and I'm impressed. (One lucky winner can win a Crayola Creativity pack this week.) See details below.

The Crayola Creativity Pack includes the back-to-school list staples like 24-ct. Crayola Crayons, 10-ct, Crayola Markers and 12-ct. Colored Pencils and some of the new, innovative, affordable variations on these classics:

24-ct. Crayola Crayons, the quintessential back-to-school tool that kids love for their vibrant colors, and moms and teachers choose for superior quality and value

10-ct. Crayola Markers, with an array of consistent, true colors to complete any task

12-ct. Crayola Colored Pencils, which come pre-sharpened with thick, strong lead made to tackle touch projects and art activities

Crayola Pip-Squeaks Colored Pencils and Glitter Glue, which give children big color in a small size and are perfect for jazzing up art projects with bright, bold, shimmering colors

Crayola Window Crayons, to help let your little ones transform glass surfaces into instant decorations with bright colors that lay down smoothly, dry quickly, and wipe clean with a damp cloth

Tadoodles Washable Crayon Buddies, which are colorful little characters that hold a triangular-shaped crayon that twists up when the tip wears down - perfect for little hands!

Crayola Color Explosion Black Extreme Surprises, which comes complete with a stencil sheet and two Broad Tip Color Explosion clear ink markers that reveal a different surprise design as they´re colored on 18-page tablet

Crayola Color Switchers, which are dual-ended markers that allow kids to magically change the colors of their drawings with a swoosh of the "color switch" tip

My kids favorites are the Crayola window crayons and Crayola Color Switchers. They have had some much fun leaving messages on the windows and mirrors and making changes to their pictures. Adam has enjoyed the crayon buddies (and really, all of his older siblings did as well). He has shown more interest in coloring and is so proud of his creations.

I love Crayola and back-to-school time. I loved getting a new, fresh box of crayons at the start of the school year. And while the 24 pack is great, you really need the 64 pack with the built in sharpener or the 120 mega-pack with every possible color.

To enter the drawing, please leave your name and tell me what your favorite Crayola product is and why you like it or email me. I will draw a winner on Wednesday.

There is also a twitter event, use #gno, sponsored by momitforward.com on Tues, Aug 24th that will be giving away free items.