Contest winner for Stray Affections!

Congratulations
holdenj!

Such sweet sentiments and touching stories about your pets, past and present! I adore my pets too and have had many over the years.

holdenj:
Several pets have crossed my path, but now, with my own family, we have a beagle who pretty much eclipses them all. She's such a sweetheart and brings us all a lot of joy!

Thank you everyone for entering and visiting. I have more winners to announce later!

Giveaway and Review: Stray Affections

This book was for a recent tour from Waterbrook Multnomah.

Summary:
The last thing that Cassandra Higgins expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snowglobe. She’s enjoying some shopping time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home– even if means wrestling another shopper for it!
The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw, Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange–flurrious, as Cassie deems it–moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey.
With the quirky, close-knit Midwestern small-town feel that made Charlene Ann Baumbich’s acclaimed Dearest Dorothy novels so popular, Stray Affections invites you to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances.

Review:

This was such a sweet story! The characters brought out such emotions and so did the storyline. Cassie is a wonderful wife and mother who is trying to make up for the heartbreaks of her childhood. Betty is her mother and was forced to make difficult choices while she was raising her family alone. They've had a very strained relationship and the first impression is that the reasons for the problems are obvious. But there is so much more to this story! The layers are gradual peeled back until you get to know the real Cassie and Betty.

The cast of characters are so entertaining. Cassie's four little boys provide comic relief and remind me of earlier days with my three little boys. We sure had a lot in common! They may live in a house of chaos but it is filled with love. Cassie's friends and extended family are all supportive and equally as entertaining. I don't want to give away too much of the story but I really enjoyed it. If you like small town charm, family life and animals (especially dogs) than this might be a book for you.

Publisher: Waterbrook Press
Release date: 2009
Pages: 320
Price/format: $13.99/paperback

Contest:
One copy to give away.

Rules:
- This one is simple! Leave a comment about a pet you had or knew that was special to you.
- Don't forget your email address!
- Contest ends October 2nd at 11:59 p.m. EST
- U.S. only (Sorry, I'm paying for this one myself!)
- One winner will be drawn by Random.org

**EDIT**

Bonus Entries:
+5 Promote this contest and leave a link.

Good luck!

Blog Tour: Stray Affections by Charlene Ann Baumbich

So joyous...
so magical...

ABOUT THIS BOOK

The last thing that Cassandra Higgins expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snowglobe. She’s enjoying some mommy time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home– even if means wrestling another shopper for it!

The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw, Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange–flurrious, as Cassie deems it–moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey.

With the quirky, close-knit Midwestern small-town feel that made Charlene Ann Baumbich’s acclaimed Dearest Dorothy novels so popular, Stray Affections invites you to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances.

This book is available September 15th and is the first of three books from the set, A Snowglobes Connections.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
is a popular author and speaker and an award-winning journalist. In addition to her Dearest Dorothy series of novels, she has written seven nonfiction books of humor and inspiration. A bungee-jumping, once motorcycle-owning grandma and unabashed dog lover, Charlene lives with her husband and rescued dog Kornflake in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She loves telling stories, laughing whenever possible, and considers herself a Wild Child of God.

Links:
Video of Charlene introducing her book.
To purchase
Author website

Thank you to Waterbrook Multnomah for the invitation to be in this tour!
Blog Tour September 7-11
National Dog Week September 20-26

I'm still reading, and enjoying, this book. My review is coming soon!

Mailbox Monday

Marcia is our lovely host each week for Mailbox Monday. It's always fun to see what others got but can often lead to very long lists for new books. (It always does for me!) Stop by and leave a link to share what you got in your mailbox last week too.







Stray Affections
by Charlene Ann Baumbich

Blog Tour for Waterbrook Multnomah Books September 7-11

A Snowglobe Connections novel

Cassandra Higgens, daycare provider and mother to four boys, finds a a one-of-a-kind snowglobe at a Collectors' Convention. It contains the figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own and it sparks memories of her beloved Grandpa, the stray she rescued as a child and the roots of her strained relationship with her mother. When a strange moment happens with the snowglobe, Cassandra and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous yet grace-filled journey that provides the laughter and healing of second chances.