📚 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Sun-drenched days & long, lazy afternoons beckons stories that completely transport to another world. Whether craving a pulse-pounding thriller or a sweeping romance, the perfect seasonal page-turner turns any spot into an escape.  🏖 

At this stop, the prize is print book 'Up Close: Harper Lee'  by Kerry Madden-Lunsford. Be sure to visit the other stops below.

Book Reviews ~ Summary

Entry-Form

⚾ Welcome To The Isaiah Johnson & the Big Game Book Giveaway!

Welcome to The Isaiah Johnson and the Big Game Book Giveaway! 3 Winners!

When unexpected setbacks occur, sometimes we are forced to navigate complex waves of difficult emotions. Overcoming these moments of heartbreak ultimately teaches a powerful lesson about resilience & the necessity of moving forward.

This giveaway is part of our SMGN 2026 Dads & Grads Gift Guide – Stop by to see all the giveaways and great products!

HOST IS:

DELICIOUSLY SAVVY

Co-hosts for this giveaway are

Beautiful Touches, Home Jobs by Mom, Marksvilleandme, My Silly Little Gang, Pink Ninja Blog, The Crazy Pet Lady, The Stuff of Success, The Frugal Grandmom & Versatileer

Below is a list of all the bloggers involved in the gift guide.

A Rain of Thought, Beautiful Touches, BonneVivante, Contest Corner, Deliciously Savvy, Freebies Deals & Steals, Giveaway Gator, Golden Goose Giveaways, Home Jobs by Mom, Honey Can Do It, Marksvilleandme, My Silly Little Gang, Pink Ninja Blog, Sarcastically Yours, Jen, Sweeps Madness, The Crazy Pet Lady, The Stuff of Success, The FrugalGrandmom, This Frugal Family, Versatileer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This Giveaway Sponsor Is:

Random House Kids

INSTAGRAM

3 Lucky winners will win a copy of Isaiah Johnson and the Big Game by Esau McCaulley! $48 TRV!

READ MY REVIEW

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Click Below To Enter & Good Luck!

Entry-Form

This giveaway/sweepstakes is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This Giveaway is valid to continental United States residents only, Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway event will end at 11:59 PM (EST) 7/11/2026. The winner will have 48 hours to email their information back to mcushing7 at hotmail dot com or a new winner will be drawn, you may want to put these email addresses as safe as it could go to spam. The giveaway is not valid where prohibited! By entering you are authorizing us to collect the information on the form below, this information is used only to contact the winner! No purchase necessary, Void were prohibited by law, and the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Winners are chosen randomly by the Giveaway Tools program. The sponsors are each responsible for shipping of the above prizes. No blog associated withthis contest are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor in a giveaway like this please email Melissa Cushing at mcushing7 (at)hotmail (dot) com. If you take an entry you must stay following for the entire contest or you will be disqualified.

If you are a blogger interested in our gift guides sign up here or more information is HERE.

Get blogger opps just like this by signing up to receive blogger emails HERE.

Sponsors interested in joining our gift guides can see the information HERE.

🐲 Welcome To The 'George Goodwin, Dragon Slayer: A Scouting Legend' Book Giveaway! 3 Winners!

Whether you're interested in learning how to befriend a dragon or how to outsmart one, every great adventure starts with a single spark & a lot of heart. Some stories are written in the clouds with smoke & wings, but the best ones are often found in our imaginations.

Welcome to The George Goodwin, Dragon Slayer: A Scouting Legend Book Giveaway!

3 Winners!

This giveaway is part of our SMGN 2026 Mother's Day Gift Guide – Stop by to see all the giveaways and great products!

HOST IS:

DELICIOUSLY SAVVY

Co-hosts for this giveaway are

Beautiful Touches, Home Jobs by Mom, Marksvilleandme, My Silly Little Gang, Pink Ninja Blog, The Crazy Pet Lady, The Stuff of Success, The Frugal Grandmom & Versatileer

Below is a list of all the bloggers involved in the gift guide.

A Rain of Thought,Beautiful Touches, BonneVivante, Contest Corner, Deliciously Savvy, Freebies Deals & Steals, Giveaway Gator, Golden Goose Giveaways, Home Jobs by Mom, Honey Can Do It, Marksvilleandme, My Silly Little Gang, Pink Ninja Blog, Sarcastically Yours, Jen, Sweeps Madness, The Crazy Pet Lady, The Stuff of Success, The Frugal Grandmom, This Frugal Family, Versatileer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This Giveaway Sponsor Is:

Random House

3 Lucky Winners Will Win a copy of George Goodwin, Dragon Slayer: A Scouting Legend which will be available for purchase May 5th!

George Goodwin, Dragon Slayer: A Scouting Legend is a new middle grade fantasy starring an unlikely hero that "could join the ranks of 'The Hunger Games' and 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' in the pantheon of teen fiction bestsellers" (The New York Sun) when it hits shelves on May 5th! This incredible book is by New York Times bestselling authors Candace Lee and Eric Newman and it's the explosive first installment in the Order of the Dragon Slayer series which launches a ragtag band of Scouts into a hidden world of ancient beasts, buried secrets, and destinies forged in dragon fire.

Published by WaterBrook Children's, an imprint of Random House Children's Books On sale May 5, 2026 | Ages 8-12 | 336 Pages

Hardcover | ISBN 978-0-59-360275-1 | US $14.99

What people are saying.....

"[T]aking courage and adventure to the next level." —People

“An adventure that rings with courage, loyalty, and the spirit of discovery. The ultimate summer read!” —Scouting America

"A story of bravery that will leave you inspired and breathless..." —Mike Rowe, Dirty Jobs

About the Book

The world’s most legendary dragon slayer, St. George, gets a bold, modern reimagining in this explosive beginning to the Order of the Dragon Slayer series.

“Warning: This adventure is full of danger. It’s got dragons and death, coal mines and cold-blooded killers, treasure and true love—the stuff legends are made of. But even more dangerous are the kids in this tale. They’re tough. They’re brave. And they’re exactly the kind of heroes our world needs.” —from the foreword by Chief World Scouting Ambassador Bear Grylls

Everyone in Big Mountain, West Virginia, knows entering the coal mines is strictly forbidden. But twelve-year-old George Goodwin knows something more... deep underground lies a treasure that could save his town and clear his father’s name.

When his Scouting troop heads out for a weekend camping trip, George secretly recruits his best friends, Skunks and Artie, on a quest to find proof. But their plans unravel when they collide with George’s camera-wielding nemesis, Clementine, and her pageant-queen sister, Flo... and the motley crew is pulled into the adventure of a lifetime.

They’ll need every ounce of courage... and every trick in the Scouting handbook... to survive! Collapsing tunnels. Ruthless thieves. Dynamite traps. And a fire-breathing monster with a hunger to devour mankind . . . starting with them!

Full of unexpected thrills, rebellious hope, and laugh-out-loud humor, New York Times bestselling authors Candace Lee and Eric Newman deliver a blazing new adventure starring an unlikely hero who’s about to become the next great legend.

About the Authors

Candace Lee & Eric Newman love to tell stories. From Disney+ to NBCUniversal, they’ve written for Emmy-winning series, produced movies and music, and collaborated with stars like Bear Grylls, Andrea Bocelli, and Larry the Cucumber. Along the way, they landed on the New York Timesbestseller list with their friend Max Lucado. But their favorite adventure of all? George Goodwin, Dragon Slayer—a creative quest they began long before they each started raising little dragon slayers of their own. Candace studied film and television production at New York University, while Eric focused on writing at Oral Roberts University. Goonies at heart, they dig deep for stories of truth, wonder, and redemption. Their vision for the Order of the Dragon Slayer series is to inspire a generation to be prepared—mentally, physically, and spiritually—to slay life’s dragons.

~~~~~~~~~~

Click Below To Enter & Good Luck!

Entry-Form

This giveaway/sweepstakes is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This Giveaway is valid to continental United States residents only, Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway event will end at 11:59 PM (EST) 5/14/2026. The winner will have 48 hours to email their information back to mcushing7 at hotmail dot com or a new winner will be drawn, you may want to put these email addresses as safe as it could go to spam. The giveaway is not valid where prohibitedBy entering you are authorizing us to collect the information on the form below, this information is used only to contact the winner! No purchase necessary, Void were prohibited by law, and the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Winners are chosen randomly by the Giveaway Tools program. The sponsors are each responsible for shipping of the above prizes. No blog associated with this contest are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor in a giveaway like this please email Melissa Cushing at mcushing7 (at)hotmail (dot) com. If you take an entry you must stay following for the entire contest or you will be disqualified.

If you are a blogger interested in our gift guides sign up here or more information is HERE.

Get blogger opps just like this by signing up to receive blogger emails HERE.

Sponsors interested in joining our gift guides can see the information HERE.

🏡 Making Home Your Happy Place

A calm home is the ultimate goal, but keeping things simple changes as we navigate different phases of life. After tackling the overwhelming task of sorting through my parents' lifetime of belongings, I realized how essential curation is to peace of mind. Ahead of my review, I am going to share a few tips I have found helpful for turning a chaotic home into a peaceful, functional space.

What Comes In Matters ~ Being thoughtful of what enters is the easiest way to avoid building attachment to or finding a place for things that will be hard to part with later. Avoid shopping as therapy. Give yourself smaller, affordable rewards for steps you regularly take to improve your life.

Share Your Sunshine ~ By encouraging others to regularly donate the clothes, books, & toys they have outgrown, we do more than tidy a space ~ we empower them to experience the joy of helping make a difference in someone else's life.

Reclaim Your Time ~ We often allow 'stuff' to consume our precious time. When we shift piles to clean or move boxes to find items, we are caught in a loop of handling things multiple times rather than dealing with it. Every moment is time stolen from what truly matters.

Trauma, Trinkets, & Truth ~ These days, my treasures fit on a single shelf or in a small box. After watching a hoarding show years ago, I found two points incredibly empowering: many items can be photographed & kept in an album to enjoy viewing anytime, & if something is truly a collectible, it deserves to be on display.

 

Practical household management guide for busy families to declutter their homes by addressing both physical & emotional clutter, offering actionable steps to create a calm, organized, & joyful living space.

There’s a lovely bit of amusing irony in a 200-page book about decluttering but my anxiety was pleasantly relieved to see that it's also available as an ebook & audiobook, for anyone who struggles with sensory overload.

* Received free book to facilitate review. All opinions are my own.

• Overcoming Overwhelm: Actionable strategies to break through mental & physical clutter. 
• Decluttering with Confidence: Proven techniques for clear, step-by-step progress. 
• Deeper Roots of Clutter: Identifying & releasing emotional ties, limiting beliefs, & habits. 
• Effortless Systems: Creating sustainable, natural ways to maintain an organized home. 
• Holistic Approach: Focuses on the mind, emotions, & routines, not just physical items.

More streamlined version of these concepts, without the weight of the narrative & example stories, would have worked best for me.  Maybe offer smaller, specific guides for core issues to cut down on the overwhelm. 

Consider adding specific strategies for dealing with other non-traditional spaces, for example, shared living situations like roommates or multi-generational households. Also a dedicated framework for applying the DASH or ART methods to the digital world, including a resource guide for their ethical & sustainable disposal.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tackling the root cause ~ the emotional burden ~ behind clutter, this book helps one move past the guilt & shame of a messy home. It offers practical strategies that can turn into second-nature habits, building the momentum needed to create a truly warm & welcoming home. 

Author Katy Joy Wells

Maximized Minimalist

Goodreads Reviews

📚 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Chase the sunshine with your furry friends as butterflies dance in the spring air. Enjoy the simple beauty of nature blooming all around you. Let the warmth of the season bring joy to your step. 🦋 

At this stop, the prize is the print book 'Sophia Starr & a Dog to Love' book with a Butterfly Magnetic Bookmark. Be sure to visit the other stops below.

Book Summary ~ Reviews

Entry-Form

🐦‍⬛ Quoth the Raven, 'Read Some More'

When I first stumbled upon the museum website for Edgar Allan Poe some time back, I really wasn't expecting much but the more I looked around, the more I was amazed. I have yet to visit & have only bookmarked these resources, but I find satisfaction in empowering others with free information.

Below are lists of Poe's complete collection of short stories & poems! Click on the Poe's Complete Works link & it will take you to the museum site, where you will find links for all them. No download or sign up required. Read them directly in your browser, for as long as you want.

If you're ever in Richmond, Virginia you might consider a visit to The Poe Museum. Go for the literature, enjoy the history, & linger to get a picture with the Poe Museum cats. They even have their own Instagram!  @poemuseumcats

If not, no worries, there's plenty to see & read on their website, including an online store with reasonably priced items. Gifting someone a feather quill pen set, wax seal kit, or Smell of Fear candle will likely get you invited to some cool parties! Enjoy!

“I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat.” 🐈🐈‍⬛

Poe's Complete Works

Short Stories

• The Angel of the Odd

• The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket

• The Assignation (The Visionary)

• The Balloon Hoax

• Berenice

• The Black Cat

• Bon-Bon (The Bargain Lost)

• The Cask of Amontillado

• The Colloquy of Monos and Una

• The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion (The Destruction of the World)

• A Decided Loss (Loss of Breath)

• A Descent into the Maelström

• The Devil in the Belfry

• Diddling Considered as One of the Exact Sciences

• The Domain of Arnheim (The Landscape Garden )

• The Duc de L’Omelette

• Eleonora

• Epimanes (Four Beasts in One) (The Homocameleopard)  

• The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

• The Fall of the House of Usher

• The Gold-Bug

• Hans Phaall — A Tale (The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall)

• Hop-Frog

• How to Write a Blackwood Article (The Psyche Zenobia)

• The Imp of the Perverse

• The Island of the Fay

• King Pest

• Landor’s Cottage 

• Ligeia

• The Light-House

• Lionizing

• The Literary Life of Thingum Bob, Esq

• The Man of the Crowd

• The Man that was Used Up

• The Masque of the Red Death

• Mellonta Tauta

• Mesmeric Revelation

• Metzengerstein

• Morella

• Morning on the Wissahiccon (The Elk)  

• MS. found in a Bottle (Manuscript found in a Bottle)

• The Murders in the Rue Morgue

• The Mystery of Marie Roget

• Mystification (Von Jung)

• Never Bet the Devil Your Head

• The Oblong Box

• The Oval Portrait (Life in Death) 

• Peter Pendulum, the Business Man

• The Pit and the Pendulum

• Politian

• The Power of Words

• The Premature Burial

• The Purloined Letter

• The Scythe of Time

• Shadow — A Fable

• Silence — A Fable (Siope — A Fable)

• Some Words with a Mummy

• The Spectacles

• The Sphinx

• The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether

• A Tale of Jerusalem

• A Tale of the Ragged Mountains

• The Tell-Tale Heart

• Thou Art the Man

• The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade

• A Succession of Sundays (Three Sundays in a Week)

• Von Kempelen and His Discovery

• Why the Little Frenchman Wears His Hand in a Sling

• William Wilson

• X-ing a Paragrab

Poems 

• An Acrostic (From an Album)

• Al Aaraaf

• Alone (From an Album Alone) (“From childhood’s hour I have not been…“)

• Annabel Lee

• Bridal Ballad (Song of the Newly-Wedded)

• The Bells

• Beloved Physician

• Catholic Hymn 

• The Coliseum

• The Conqueror Worm

• The Divine Right of Kings

• The Doomed City (The City in the Sea)

• A Dream

• Dream-Land

• Dreams

• A Dream Within a Dream

• Eldorado

• Elizabeth

• Eulalie

• Evening Star

• Fairyland

• Fanny

• For Annie 

• The Happiest Day

• The Haunted Palace

• Imitation

• Impromptu [To Kate Carol]

• Irene (The Sleeper)

• Israfel

• The Lake

• Latin Hymn

• Lenore

• [Lines on Joe Locke]

• Lines Written in an Album (To Elizabeth) (To F——s S. O——d)

• O, Tempora! O, Mores!

• A Paean

•  Preface (Romance) 

• The Raven

• Serenade

• Song of Triumph

• Sonnet (An Enigma)

• Sonnet — Silence

• Sonnet — To Science

• Sonnet — To Zante

• Spiritual Song

• Stanzas (“In youth I have known one…”) 

• Stanzas [To F. S. O.]

• Tamerlane

• To — (“The bowers whereat …”)

• To —— (“Sleep on, sleep on, another hour …”)

• To — (Song) 

• To Helen (“Helen, thy beauty is to me…”)

• To Helen (“I saw thee once — once only…”)

• To Her Whose Name is Written Below (A Valentine) 

• To M— (Alone) (“O! I care not that my earthly lot…”)

• To M. L. S

• To Margaret

• To Mary (To One Departed ) 

• To Marie Louise

• To My Mother

• To One in Paradise (To One Beloved), (To Ianthe in Heaven)

• To ——[Violet Vane]

• Ulalume

• Spirits of the Dead

• The Valley of Unrest (The Valley Nis)

📚 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

 

Winter is the perfect excuse to get cozy! There’s almost nothing better than snuggling up with a great book, enjoying simple every day moments, & finding joy in the natural quiet of the season. Hope you discover some special treats along the way.  At this stop, the prize is the print book 'Seven Women & the Secret of Their Greatness' by Eric Metaxas, along with a small canvas tote bag.

Book Summary ~ Reviews

Entry-Form

🏅 Steps to Beat Emotional Baggage

7 Simple Steps To Beat Emotional Baggage: How To Become Whole, Healed, Healthy & Happy 

This book states it will show the reader how to resolve their emotional baggage for good. To feel free to live true to one's own personality, spirit, & character.

Liked that it was a short read & the language used was like chatting with a friend. It addresses multiple issues most books leave out.  Encouragement feels personal because the author speaks of her own experiences. 

Amazon currently offers a read & audio sample preview.

Remove from the book any mention of the free resources included or ensure that the link to them still works. The book doesn't appear to tie in to these resources very well.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book takes the reader's hand & leads them through every vital step. It addresses all the pain points, including emotional management, mental clarity, physical fitness, & fiscal fitness, to finally shake off the things that often hold us back. Packs a punch in 60 pages.

Found as a free book download on Amazon. 

* Not sponsored content. All opinions are my own.

 

"There’s nothing sweeter than internal peace." - Anita Washington

📚 Inspire to Be a Passeur in Life

Juliette has always loved books ~ especially how they smell ~ the scents that lingered with them long after they were put down. She even wondered about the type of people who would read them. During her daily commute on the Metro, she covertly watched her fellow passengers, as a way to amuse & distract herself. By what they were reading & how they behaved, she would make some presumptions about the kind of people they were & other details about their lives.

Although she has a decent life, she’s become bored with the routine. When she decides to change things up by taking the scenic route home, she gets pulled into an assignment that could change her life forever. The more she makes a home in this new world, the more she examines her own life choices.

Juliette is a poignant character, who seeks the passion in life we all look for at times. In this story, she inspires us to step outside our own lives, reminds us to take the time to look at the world around us, & nudges us towards the chances that come our way…so we can ultimately learn where we truly belong. I encourage you to become a 'passeur' in life ~ leave a book any place it will be found, so perhaps a soul out there, searching for something, might pick it up & find it. 

“He was talking about books as if they were alive - old friends, powerful adversaries at times, insolent teenagers & elderly ladies sitting by the fire. In our bookcases? Grumpy wise men & mistresses, uncontrollable passions, future killers, thin paper boys offering their hands to fragile damsels whose beauty grew thin with every description. Some books were wild horses that took you with them in a mad galloping while you were hanging, breathless. Others were like boats sailing softly on a lake lit by the moonlight, & some were prisons.” ~ Christine Féret-Fleury, The Girl Who Reads on the Métro

🌬

It's a fun, quick read. Worthy of recommendation to anyone else who's also curious.. It was her first book to be translated into English & published around the world. 

My car always has books in it, just in case I go off the beaten path, but currently I leave them at the door of the dollar store I frequent. They're almost always gone before I leave. I sometimes wonder what journey these books are on & who they're currently inspiring. Take pleasure in the path..

Créer, c'est vivre deux fois. ~ To create is to live twice.

Let's be friends on Goodreads!

♡°~*Nancy*~°♡'s bookshelf: read

The Great Gatsby

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

1984

by George Orwell

The Amityville Horror

by Jay Anson