Faith's Journey

Sometimes it’s the unexpected path that leads you on your journey back to faith.
Katie McGowan left her parents and their faith behind years ago. However, when faced with a devastating betrayal, Katie is ready to go back to Carbondale, Illinois to help her elderly parents despite their tempestuous relationship. Drained by the constant friction, Katie finds emotional support and encouragement in Austin. His practical, simple faith speaks to Katie, and she finds herself yearning for a new connection to God. As their friendship grows, so does the attraction between Katie and Austin.
Before her fledgling faith and thoughts of romance have a chance to take root, Katie’s cheating fiancé returns, remorseful and promising change. Can her tentative faith strengthen their past love? And if her heart breaks again, will Katie’s journey to faith end before it has really begun?

My thoughts: I loved the themes of forgiveness and family relationships with this story! Katie catches her boyfriend in a compromising situation and decides that a change of scenery with helping her family out has come at a opportune time. I enjoyed that the story explored her relationship with her parents, as well as where her relationship had fallen with the Lord. The characters are relatable with their struggles and triumphs. I look forward to reading more by Heather!
I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

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About the Author:
Heather Greer is a pastor’s kid and pastor’s wife from southern Illinois. Though her nest is quickly approaching the empty stage, with three of her four children out on their own, she enjoys the times she gets to spend with all her children, husband, and grandson. Equal mix geek and romantic, you could as easily find Heather watching an episode of Doctor Who as the latest Hallmark movie. Of course, you may find her baking, reading, or crafting too!
Heather’s writing and teaching ministries revolve around a passion to see believers grow in their faith. Though God has used her most often with teens and adults, she has worked in ministries reaching all age groups through the years. It is Heather’s prayer for God to use what she writes in her books and on her blog to challenge and encourage readers in their faith walks.

More from Heather
What happens when a person raised in church begins to see the failure of those within the church to live their faith every day instead of on Sunday morning? Often, the truths of scripture are pushed aside in favor of blanket statements like “churches are full of hypocrites” and “I don’t want to follow a God whose people are like that”. In frustration, they walk out the church doors in frustration. Sometimes they walk out with their beliefs intact, but other times faith gets left in the pew they vacate.
That’s what happened to Katie in Faith’s Journey. And when she left home for college disappointed with the people in the church she was raised in and at odds with her mother, it was all too easy to listen to the voices in her life telling her religion and God made no difference in life. Deciding she knew better than anyone what her life should be, Katie makes her own decisions without considering the God she left behind.
It takes a return home for Katie to start realizing there may be more to God than the people in the pews. Maybe she was quick to see the failures of others to live their faith but slow to see her own problems with the same issue. And maybe it’s time to acknowledge that regardless of how others are living out their faith, God has plans for her and desires a relationship with her that defines who she is every day.
While the original idea that sparked Faith’s Journey was what happens when someone you love betrays you, I quickly realized Katie’s story was more than that. In a sense, the first betrayal she needed to face wasn’t the one with her boyfriend. It was the perceived betrayal by those in the church who failed to live faith outside the church walls. It’s a feeling I believe many Christians have to face since there isn’t a perfect person in any pew.
I pray Faith’s Journey may be an encouragement and give a new perspective to those who currently struggle with the idea of church. And I hope it’s also a challenge to those of us faithfully in the pews each week to make our time there about more than religion or habit. I pray Faith’s Journey challenges us to evaluate the depth of relationship with have with God and let Him change the way we live every day, not just on Sunday.

For a complete list of the blog stops, go here!

Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Heather is giving away a Cozy Winter Nights giveaway including a $15 Amazon gift card, a mug, assorted teas and hot chocolates, chocolate, and a fleece blanket to create the perfect reading experience on cold winter nights!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link here to enter.

Broken Promises

A school play sounds like fun…for some.
As she settles into life in the middle school of her new hometown, Zoey agrees to audition for the school play to encourage Louisa. Isn’t that what a BFF does? But she’s none too sure it’ll actually be fun—especially when she’s cast as a dog! Louisa really does need her support though when some of the older girls get upset at a sixth grader landing the lead role. Zoey does her best to be supportive and finally begins to feel really at home with her grandparents and at school.
Until someone pulls the plug on all her dreams.

My thoughts: This series is a continuation of Zoey's story with making new friends and wise choices. It is a series that is more like a continuing story, so I recommend reading the books in order, since this one picks up where the last one left off. I think that Melody does an excellent job of writing about the drama that goes on in middle school, especially with moving and having to make new friends. She also handles the relationships Zoey has with her mother and grandparents, the later of whom she is now living with.
This is an enjoyable, light hearted read with a good message.
I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

Purchase a copy here:

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About the Author:
Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books for teens, women, and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her young adult novels appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including RT’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog.

More from Melody
For many tweens, middle school is a jungle of insecurities, mean girls, and disappointments. As usual I gave Zoey plenty to deal with. Including a BFF with high expectations and an absentee mom who still hasn’t grown up. Even though some people let her down, Zoey keeps plugging along, even playing Sandy the dog in the school play. And through her struggles she changes and matures — kind of like real life.

For a complete list of blog stops, go here!

Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Melody is giving away the grand prize package of a copy of Broken Promises and the classic Annie movie (DVD or digital download, winner’s choice)!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link here to enter.

More Than A Second Chance

Does Cassie deserve another chance at love?
Cassie Chambers, a dedicated youth worker, is determined to rescue the troubled youth in the city of Perth, Australia.
Cassie has made mistakes but hasn’t allowed tragedy or divorce to stop her. She devotes every working hour at Youth Connect. But her own needs are neglected.
Chef Chris Evanson offers work experience to young men from Youth Connect. Cassie and Chris’s encounters become more than sassy bantering with a hint of attraction. Chris is a sincere romantic.
How will Chris respond when he finds out her secret? She must tell him before he falls in love. Will he believe she deserves more than a second chance?
To complicate matters, one of Youth Connect’s troubled teens needs rescuing. She’s pregnant and moves in with Cassie, bringing absolute chaos. Chris gains insight into what life with Cassie involves. Does he still want the total package? Is Chris her true soul mate?

My thoughts: This is a wonderful story that is both light hearted and dealt with some heavier topics. I thought, over all, that Lisa does a good job with dealing with the issues this story takes on. The story has Cassie working with teens at risk, so there is some drug abuse, talk of abortion, teen pregnancy, divorce, and suicide, to name a few, but I think that a lot of teens deal with those issues and it's good to be talked about. This book provides some good information. It also has some lovely characters who are fun to get to know. It's an excellent book on second and third chances.
I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

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About the Author:
Lisa Ren’ee is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Omega Writers, Australia. With an Australian theme, she wrote the Single Again series featuring More Than a Second Chance and Acres of Promise, to encourage women to heal past wounds and to dare trust again.
Lisa adores babies enough to have seven of her own. Recently, Lisa has taken up breeding Ragdoll cats instead of breeding humans.
The tribe lives in Australia, where Lisa and her husband enjoy their writing projects, public speaking, and are on the pastoral team at their church.

More from Lisa
What inspired you to start writing?
I’ve read many wonderful Christian novels of first-time love. Unfortunately, not all of us have experienced a strong lasting marriage. I’ve met many women who’ve had a husband turn away from their Christian faith and left the marriage. I want to encourage those women that God can restore what was lost with a faithful man.
My message is not to rush ahead of God’s timing. My characters are more cautious since they know life can throw unexpected blows. They learn to trust and open their hearts again, which takes time.
My first series tackles the central issue of divorce. More Than A Second Chance also addresses the challenges of infertility and grief. The story is wrapped around a new romance with plenty of humor and light-hearted moments to balance out the themes.

For a complete list of blog stops, go here!

Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Lisa is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift voucher and free eBook of More Than A Second Chance!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link here to enter.

Freedom in the Mountain Wind

The last epic journey before her life changes forever.
Susanna Wilkins will do anything to make her father’s final dream come true, including trek along the path Lewis and Clark explored into the untamed wilds of the Rocky Mountains. Every mile is more crucial now that lung cancer is stealing Pa’s last days faster than she can come to terms with losing him. The journey becomes harder than she ever expected, but paddling upriver through fierce rapids and fighting hungry grizzlies isn’t what terrifies her the most.
Beaver Tail endured more than he can stand from the women in his Blackfoot camp, but the last disaster gave him the final shove he needed to join this band of brothers searching for one of their group who’s gone missing. The last thing he expected was to find a white woman and her sick father stranded at the base of massive waterfall. His plan is to help them carry their oversize canoe and supplies, then leave them to their strange mission. Yet, the more he learns about the pair, the more he realizes his life is about to be derailed—again.
From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.

My thoughts: Another wonderful story by Misty! I enjoyed getting to know Susannah, a strong young woman who sets out with her father on a trip to fulfill his dying wish to see the waterfalls in the Rockies. But, their journey is fraught with danger as her father gets weaker and weaker. Just when all seems hopeless, a young Indian and his friends help them out, setting their course down an unexpected path. I love the history that Misty brings to life with her stories and how the characters grow throught out the story. I look forward to reading the next book in this series!
I receive this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

Purchase a copy here:

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About the Author:
Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.
She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.
God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

More from Misty
When God Directs a Google Search…
I’m a history lover, but you may have guessed that since I write historical romance stories. Most of my books are set in the Rocky Mountains during the mid-1800s, but as I began brainstorming ideas for this new series, my heart became drawn earlier to the earlier part of the century—a time period with which I wasn’t quite as familiar with the history.
I love when God orchestrates even the most mundane part of our lives, including Google searches! During one particular search (I can’t even remember what I was originally looking for), I stumbled across part of a journal entry from the Lewis and Clark expedition, which trekked across Montana during the time period I was looking into. I’d forgotten that expedition had even entered the territory that would later become Montana, but now I was fascinated.
After finding an audiobook of the abridged journals of Lewis and Clark, I happily listened to almost 19 hours of fascinating stories from the Corp of Exploration’s journey up the Missouri River and across the mountains to the Pacific Ocean, then back mostly the over the same path they’d come. The stories the men told were so amazing, and the detail of their trials so absorbing, I’ve actually re-listened to the audiobook twice! Many of the true tales wouldn’t be believable in fiction, but as I listened, my mind formed the premise for Freedom in the Mountain Wind: a father/daughter duo who sets out almost two decades after Lewis and Clark’s journey, determined to retrace the steps of that famous expedition.
I hope you enjoy this story as much as I loved writing it! And whether you’re a history lover or not, I pray that you too will be touched by this “epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.”

For a complete list of blog stops, go here!

Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link here to enter.

Hidden Current

The dancers of the Order direct their floating world of Meriel with their movements, but are they steering it toward destruction ?
Calara spent her life learning dance patterns and seeking to become the perfect servant to her people. When she discovers the work of the Order is built on lies, she flees with a rough-edged herder, Brantley of Windswell. Pursued by soldiers of the Order, her journey through the suffering villages of the rim leads her to a forgotten truth that sends ripples through her world—and through her soul.
Calara’s seeks clues to her forgotten family, discovers newfound courage in the face of danger, and awakens a growing but forbidden affection for Brantley. Yet even his support can’t fully be trusted, since he’d rather destroy the Order than bring reform.
She is a lone woman facing opposition from rim villages and treachery from the all-powerful Order. Can she restore the dance to its true purpose and bring freedom and hope to her people?

My thoughts: I enjoy dystopian style stories, so I was thrilled to read this one! I thought that Sharon did an excellent job of building the world of The Dancing Realms, creating something so unique and intriguing. Calara has been thrilled to live the life of a dancer, but as she goes through the final level of learning the dancing patterns that control their world, she begins to notice that all may not be as she has been taught to believe.
This is the first book I have read by Sharon and I was blown away by the quality of her writing! I liked that there were twists and turns to the story that I didn't anticipate. It is a wonderful, unique read.
I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

Purchase a copy here:

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About the Author:
Award-winning author of the ground-breaking Sword of Lyric series, Sharon Hinck is a wife, mom, and recent grandma, has an M.A. in communication, and has served as the artistic director of a Christian performing arts group, a church youth worker, and a professional choreographer, and an adjunct writing professor. To learn more about her writing, visit her at www.sharonhinck.com.

More from Sharon
Have you ever felt that nothing you do is ever enough? Not good enough? Meaningful enough? Do you ever think that if you could be more perfect, all your problems would be solved? In my new novel, I explore a character whose entire culture tells her that she must achieve perfection – and that answers to her world’s problems rest solely on human effort. Set in an imaginative fantasy world, I hope her journey will ring true for readers in our world.
I’m so excited to finally be able to share my new novel, Hidden Current, with readers. Can you see me Snoopy dancing?
And speaking of dancing …

What inspired this new series?
Years before I wrote my first novel, I worked as a dance teacher, choreographer, and artistic director of a Christian dance company. So, when my agent and I were discussing ideas for my next book, he said, “In all your other novels, you’ve never drawn from your experience in dance. I’d love to see you create a brand-new fantasy world and utilize dance in some way.”
I began mulling the idea, and within days, a character had come to life.
In my new novel, Hidden Current, the dancers of the Order direct their floating world with their movements but are steering it toward destruction. One lone dancer fights to overcome opposition from rim villages and treachery from the all-powerful Order and bring a forgotten truth to her people.

Is this part of a series?
Yes, but this is a stand-alone story. That means that although I’ve written more books with these characters, you don’t have to wait for the series to release, fearing an unresolved ending to book one. The story is complete of itself, with just a hint of the next adventure to follow. I’ve already done my revisions on the second book and have finished writing book three. J

Why should I order soon?
This is being released in limited edition hardcover. That means when it’s gone, it’s gone.

Is this similar to the Sword of Lyric books?
Yes and no. It’s not a “portal fantasy” – no modern-day character visits this world. However, like my other fantasy series, the book was inspired by spiritual themes, delves deeply into the heart of a character that many of us can relate to, and paints a unique story world full of both beauty and dangers. I’m so excited for its release!

For a complete list of the blog stops, go here!

Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Sharon is giving away to two winners each the grand prize of a gift box full of goodies including: a Hidden Current book bag, a selection of other books by Sharon Hinck, Tsalla tea from Adagio (the tea they drink in the novel), chocolates, a packet of “star rain” (also from the book), an artistic book mark, and autographed book plate!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link here to enter.

Lone Star Ranger

Elizabeth Covington will get her man.
And she has just a week to prove her brother isn’t the murderer Texas Ranger Rett Smith accuses him of being. She’ll show the good-looking lawman he’s wrong, even if it means setting out on a risky race across Texas to catch the real killer.
Rett doesn’t want to convict an innocent man. But he can’t let the Boston beauty sway his senses to set a guilty man free. When Elizabeth follows him on a dangerous trek, the Ranger vows to keep her safe. But who will protect him from the woman whose conviction and courage leave him doubting everything—even his heart?

My thoughts: Elizabeth and Evan are siblings on vacation when Evan is mistaken for an infamous outlaw and thrown into jail. With the promise of a noose in his future, Elizabeth sets off to find the real killer and clear her brother's name, before it is to late. I enjoyed this delightful, quick read set in the wild west. Elizabeth is a fun character with her gumption. This is an enjoyable book to pick up!
I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

Purchase a copy here:

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About the Author:
Renae Brumbaugh Green is a city-girl-turned-country-diva. She’s married to a handsome country boy named Rick, and she’s mom to four nearly-perfect, nearly-grown children, two rowdy dogs, and some ducks. They live in rural Texas where Renae wears overalls, western boots, and bubblegum pink nail polish. She’s a bestselling author of over 30 books, an award-winning humor columnist, and an online English teacher. In her free time, she can be found leaping tall buildings and rescuing kittens from trees. Or, she’d like to do those things, if she had free time.

More from Renae
I’ve been a fan of historical romance from the moment I graduated from The Babysitter’s Club. A friend of mind introduced me to the Love Comes Softly series by Janette Oke, and I was hooked. In college, between exams and extracurricular stuff, I read those books like they were M&Ms. That’s why, when I started writing grown-up fiction, I knew historical was my genre.
But there’s another reason—perhaps a more compelling reason—why I had to write The Texas Rangers series. See, my granddaddy was a Texas Ranger. Not the baseball player kind. The gun-toting, cowboy-hat-and-badge-wearing kind. As far as I know, he was not a master of any kinds of martial arts, so if you’re a fan of Walker, Texas Ranger, I’m sorry to disappoint.
And he was not alive during the late 1800s, as are the characters are in this series. Grandaddy died in 1980 when I was 12 years old. He was a good man, known for rescuing puppies and bringing small gifts and toys to children in stressful situations—i.e. when their parents were arrested. My favorite memory of him is sitting on his lap, falling asleep to the sound of his big, round pocket watch ticking. I have a picture of myself, age three, sitting on his knee while he typed up his reports. I love that typewriter picture, and find it significant since I’m now a writer.
Grandaddy was Robert Everett Smith, and Grandmother (yes, I called her that—she was very formal, but also very sweet) was Ellie Marie (Edgar) Smith. The two lead characters in Lone Star Ranger are named Rett (Everett) and Elizabeth, in their honor.
Like Grandmother, Elizabeth is refined and formal, yet strong headed, with her own lady-like brand of spunk. She hails from Boston, and is a little overwhelmed at the grit and gravel of Texas lawmen. But she’s not intimidated—not even by handsome Texas Ranger Rett Smith.
Thanks so much for sharing in my cherished family memories. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!
—Renae Brumbaugh Green

For a complete list of blog stops, go here!

Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Renae is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link here to enter.

The Gray Chamber

Will Edyth prove her sanity before it is too late?
Step into True Colors—a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime
On Blackwell’s Island, New York, a hospital was built to keep its patients from ever leaving.
With her late parents’ fortune under her uncle’s care until her twenty-fifth birthday in the year 1887, Edyth Foster does not feel pressured to marry or to bow to society’s demands. She freely indulges in eccentric hobbies like fencing and riding her velocipede in her cycling costume about the city for all to see. Finding a loophole in the will, though, her uncle whisks Edyth off to the women’s lunatic asylum just weeks before her birthday. And Edyth fears she will never be found.
At the asylum she meets another inmate, who upon discovering Edyth’s plight, confesses that she is Nellie Bly, an undercover journalist for The World. Will either woman find a way to leave the terrifying island and reclaim her true self?

My thoughts: I knew a little bit about Nellie Bly and her undercover work in the asylum that opened the public's eyes to what was happening to some women of that day. I can't imagine how horrible it would be to be declared insane when you ware of sound mind, and to be sent to a place like Blackwell's Island, an insane asylum that shows why we have to have regulations with hospitals and mental institutions.
I love how unconventional Edyth is. When she is sent to Blackwell, she has to believe that she will find a way to escape or that her true love will find her before she succumbs to the place.
A lot of the story is based on true facts, which makes it all the more suspenseful and chilling! This whole series has been excellent, but this one might be one of my favorites yet, since it captures the imagination and really gets the reader thinking about what one would do in the situation Edyth and Nellie are in.
I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

Purchase a copy here:

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About the Author:
Grace Hitchcock is the author of three novellas in The Second Chance Brides, The Southern Belle Brides, and the Thimbles and Threads collections with Barbour Publishing. The White City is her debut novel and releases March 2019 with Barbour Publishing. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives in southern Louisiana with her husband, Dakota, and son. Visit Grace online at GraceHitchcock.com.

More from Grace
I am thrilled to share with you my second novel in the True Colors series, The Gray Chamber, which is set in New York City in 1887. I loved writing about Edyth Foster, our cat-rescuing, spunky heroine who spends her days painting, fencing with her dreamy instructor, and avoiding society at all costs, which as you can imagine, comes back to haunt her before the end. I’ve never written about a character who despised reading, so that was a new one for me. Edyth just doesn’t like to sit still long enough to finish a book, but you’ll find out why later.

I am pretty certain the librarians at my local branch are wondering what in the world my hobbies are, judging from the stacks of fencing books for beginners, histories of New York crime in the 19th century, and Nellie Bly’s Ten Days in a Mad-House, and more that I have continuously checked out since moving back to Louisiana.

The inspiration for this book came from Nellie Bly’s scandalous exposé for Joseph Pulitzer’s newspaper, The World. In reading Nellie’s articles, I was shocked at the grounds by which the asylum would commit women and that’s when I discovered a tiny mention about an heiress with family members who had her tucked away so they could have her fortune. . .and Edyth Foster was born.

I hope you will enjoy reading about our eccentric leading lady and her fencing master hero, Raoul “Bane” Banebridge. If you are interested in seeing pictures of the asylum and to see what I pictured the characters looking like, check out my Pinterest board here.

Thank you for joining the fun for the Celebrate Lit tour! Join my author newsletter for more bookish news and to find out what is coming next! Just enter your e-mail address and name here. Happy Reading!

“With beautiful description and shiver-worthy scenes, Grace Hitchcock has penned an incredible fiction story based on true history. The Gray Chamber was a fascinating and chilling read. Edyth’s story had me glued to the pages. But as I journeyed with the heiress and her eccentricities, the greed of her family which saw her locked up in an asylum against her will made me grateful for the freedoms I have today. And made me pray that my voice would never be silenced. The nightmare was brought to life so vividly that I found myself holding my breath and then cheering on Bane as he never gave up on Edyth. This is a story that will stick with me for a long time…”

~Kimberley Woodhouse – Carol-Award winning and Best-Selling Author of more than twenty books, including: MissTaken Identity, The Express Bride, The Golden Bride, The Patriot Bride, and The Mayflower Bride.

For a complete list of blog stops, Go here!

Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Grace is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a free copy of The Gray Chamber!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link here to enter.