CMT Network is airing a Valentine’s Day TV special featuring an engaged couple—and they’ve asked us to help recruit YOU.
This is a positive “premarital counseling school” that truly wants to help couples merge their two worlds as they surround them with a team of experts--to ensure they have a long lasting happily ever after marriage.
Would you like to be featured… and win the GRAND PRIZE: A GREAT HONEYMOON PACKAGE!
Does he find it a challenge to be romantic? If so, CMT will take you both on a romantic picnic and show him how it’s done. Does your man find that you have a hard time even cooking Mac N Cheese? If so, CMT’s experts will bring in a famous chef to give you some tips.
Taping will be on January 3, 4 and 5th. Please email a photo, where you live, and a brief description of yourself to contactus@chicblvd.com before next Friday, December 14th.
P.S. We are also taking applications for the next ChicBlvd.com Bride to Be!
Sign up for ChicMail!
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
Irene Spencer-Shattered Dreams
Irene Spencer is an amazing woman with an amazing story. Born into a family of plural marriage, Irene always knew she wanted more out of life. At age 15 she met and fell in love with Glen, who she thought was her soul mate but at the same time she was being pursued by Verlan LeBaron who was a well known fundamentalist from her religion. Torn between true love and duty to God, Irene gave up the man she loved and went head on into polygamy as the second wife of Verlan. Her story is one of heartache, courage, and the will to find a better life. She has authored the book Shattered Dreams, which documents the details of her life into and out of polygamy. I had the pleasure of interviewing Irene and asking her for some more information about her life and her current newly released book.
Melissa: At the end of your book you stated that 3 of your children are still involved in plural marriages. Do you still see their families?
Irene: Oh yes, they’re my family, I’ll never give them up. They live that way of life. I wish my family hadn’t given up on me…
Melissa: Are you still in contact with your sister wives?
Irene: I am civil to them but I don’t see them except at funerals or weddings or something like that. They have a fair in Mexico every August in that town and I don’t go every year but I go every 3-4 years and I see them there.
Melissa: I read that you are currently married?
Irene: I have been married and it will be 20 years on the 23rd of December. I have a husband all to myself and it is wonderful!
Melissa: Was it hard adjusting to being married to a man who had only one wife?
Irene: You know, it really was. Sleeping with a man every night and having him there. Mostly the thing that was hard for me was this man caters to me. He gets me a glass of water, he looks at all my needs, he cuts little flowers out in the garden, even when he would go for walks he would pick a daisy along the way and bring it back….This man for the first time is doing things for me. He loves me.
Melissa: Do you have any piece of advice that you would like to offer to a woman who might be living in a plural marriage but would like to get out?
Irene: I would tell her first and foremost to stop living in denial and to start looking within herself. Each and every one of us has the answers that we need. God gives us little winks and nudges I call them. And we know what’s right for us and when we allow ourselves to be taken over and live someone else’s script that’s when we get lost in the shuffle. Don’t ever listen to anyone else and think that what they have to offer you is better than what you want for yourself.
Melissa: I read that you became a born again Christian after attending church with your son which was wonderful to read!
Irene: I just give glory to God, because when I got saved God actually removed all the pain from me. He has given me peace and joy and I’m happy every day.
Please check out Irene’s new book, Shattered Dreams, published by Hachette Book Group to read this remarkable story of one woman’s journey out of the grips of polygamy.
Melissa: At the end of your book you stated that 3 of your children are still involved in plural marriages. Do you still see their families?
Irene: Oh yes, they’re my family, I’ll never give them up. They live that way of life. I wish my family hadn’t given up on me…
Melissa: Are you still in contact with your sister wives?
Irene: I am civil to them but I don’t see them except at funerals or weddings or something like that. They have a fair in Mexico every August in that town and I don’t go every year but I go every 3-4 years and I see them there.
Melissa: I read that you are currently married?
Irene: I have been married and it will be 20 years on the 23rd of December. I have a husband all to myself and it is wonderful!
Melissa: Was it hard adjusting to being married to a man who had only one wife?
Irene: You know, it really was. Sleeping with a man every night and having him there. Mostly the thing that was hard for me was this man caters to me. He gets me a glass of water, he looks at all my needs, he cuts little flowers out in the garden, even when he would go for walks he would pick a daisy along the way and bring it back….This man for the first time is doing things for me. He loves me.
Melissa: Do you have any piece of advice that you would like to offer to a woman who might be living in a plural marriage but would like to get out?
Irene: I would tell her first and foremost to stop living in denial and to start looking within herself. Each and every one of us has the answers that we need. God gives us little winks and nudges I call them. And we know what’s right for us and when we allow ourselves to be taken over and live someone else’s script that’s when we get lost in the shuffle. Don’t ever listen to anyone else and think that what they have to offer you is better than what you want for yourself.
Melissa: I read that you became a born again Christian after attending church with your son which was wonderful to read!
Irene: I just give glory to God, because when I got saved God actually removed all the pain from me. He has given me peace and joy and I’m happy every day.
Please check out Irene’s new book, Shattered Dreams, published by Hachette Book Group to read this remarkable story of one woman’s journey out of the grips of polygamy.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Coming Soon from Hachette Book Group!
October is going to be a great month for new releases! Check out this selected list of coming soon books and let us know what you think!
Snog: A Puppy's Guide to Love
by Rachael Hale
A beautifully photographed ode to puppies, including some of Rachael Hale's most endearing images yet. (Little, Brown and Company, Hardcover, Photography/Pets, $24.99, ISBN: 0-316-00295-X / 978-0-316-00295-0)
You're All That!: Understand God's Design for Your Life
by Paula White
Renowned speaker Paula White equips readers to conquer pain and build a strong sense of self through principles that have transformed her own life. (FaithWords, Hardcover, Christian Living, $21.99, ISBN: 0-446-58023-6 / 978-0-446-58023-6)
Any Day With Hair Is A Good Hair Day: How to Get Through Cancer and Get On with Your Life (Trust Me, I've Been There)
by Michelle Rapkin
Cancer survivor Michelle Rapkin offers a practical and inspirational guide for those battling the disease, packed with the vital information readers can't get from their doctors. (Center Street, Paperback, Health & Fitness, $14.99, ISBN: 1-59995-705-1 / 978-1-59995-705-0)
For more book review updates, sign up for http://www.getchicmail.com at http://www.ChicBlvd.com
Snog: A Puppy's Guide to Love
by Rachael Hale
A beautifully photographed ode to puppies, including some of Rachael Hale's most endearing images yet. (Little, Brown and Company, Hardcover, Photography/Pets, $24.99, ISBN: 0-316-00295-X / 978-0-316-00295-0)
You're All That!: Understand God's Design for Your Life
by Paula White
Renowned speaker Paula White equips readers to conquer pain and build a strong sense of self through principles that have transformed her own life. (FaithWords, Hardcover, Christian Living, $21.99, ISBN: 0-446-58023-6 / 978-0-446-58023-6)
Any Day With Hair Is A Good Hair Day: How to Get Through Cancer and Get On with Your Life (Trust Me, I've Been There)
by Michelle Rapkin
Cancer survivor Michelle Rapkin offers a practical and inspirational guide for those battling the disease, packed with the vital information readers can't get from their doctors. (Center Street, Paperback, Health & Fitness, $14.99, ISBN: 1-59995-705-1 / 978-1-59995-705-0)
For more book review updates, sign up for http://www.getchicmail.com at http://www.ChicBlvd.com
Friday, August 31, 2007
Still Summer
Still Summer
By: Jacquelyn Mitchard
Warner Books- Hachette Books Group USA
August, 2007
If you are looking for a book that is filled with action, adventure, suspense and romance then Still Summer is exactly what you are looking for! Jacqueline Mitchard, the New York Times Bestselling Author, has done a fabulous job weaving a tail of intrigue and suspense in this breathtaking novel.
Still Summer takes us on an adventure on the high seas as a group of women reunite with one of their lifelong friends who has been living in Europe for many years. To commemorate her return home they decide to take a chartered cruise where they can enjoy fun in the sun and catch up with one another again. When a sudden turn of events leaves them stranded out in the middle of the ocean, these women find out what true friendship is, what it takes to survive, and just how strong they really are.
Still Summer is one of those books that is really hard to put down. The suspense will keep you turning pages one after the other until, before you know it, you are finished with the book! I would recommend Still Summer to anyone who is looking for an exciting book to read during these last hot summer days!
By: Jacquelyn Mitchard
Warner Books- Hachette Books Group USA
August, 2007
If you are looking for a book that is filled with action, adventure, suspense and romance then Still Summer is exactly what you are looking for! Jacqueline Mitchard, the New York Times Bestselling Author, has done a fabulous job weaving a tail of intrigue and suspense in this breathtaking novel.
Still Summer takes us on an adventure on the high seas as a group of women reunite with one of their lifelong friends who has been living in Europe for many years. To commemorate her return home they decide to take a chartered cruise where they can enjoy fun in the sun and catch up with one another again. When a sudden turn of events leaves them stranded out in the middle of the ocean, these women find out what true friendship is, what it takes to survive, and just how strong they really are.
Still Summer is one of those books that is really hard to put down. The suspense will keep you turning pages one after the other until, before you know it, you are finished with the book! I would recommend Still Summer to anyone who is looking for an exciting book to read during these last hot summer days!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
The Elevator
The Elevator
By: Angela Hunt
Publisher: Steeple Hill Books 2007
The Elevator by Angela Hill is one of those books that you simply can't put down once you start reading it!
The cast of characters draw you in right away and as the plot thickens your interest level will rise.
It's the story of a nightmare come true...three women trapped in an elevator during a terrible storm. There is Gina, the wife and mother who is dealing with a bad marriage on her hands...Michelle, the successful business woman whose love life is finally starting to make sense, and there is Isabel, the cleaning woman with a tumultuous past. No one would think they had anything in common but these three have more in common then they could possibly imagine!
This book would be a great pick for someone looking for an exciting summer fiction read. My only warning is...if you start this book you won't be able to put it down until you finish it!
By: Angela Hunt
Publisher: Steeple Hill Books 2007
The Elevator by Angela Hill is one of those books that you simply can't put down once you start reading it!
The cast of characters draw you in right away and as the plot thickens your interest level will rise.
It's the story of a nightmare come true...three women trapped in an elevator during a terrible storm. There is Gina, the wife and mother who is dealing with a bad marriage on her hands...Michelle, the successful business woman whose love life is finally starting to make sense, and there is Isabel, the cleaning woman with a tumultuous past. No one would think they had anything in common but these three have more in common then they could possibly imagine!
This book would be a great pick for someone looking for an exciting summer fiction read. My only warning is...if you start this book you won't be able to put it down until you finish it!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Miracles of Motherhood
Miracles of Motherhood: Prayers and Poems For a New Mother
By: June Cotner
Center Street-A Division of Hachette Book Group 2007
Miracles of Motherhood is a delightful collection of prayers and poems for a new mom. The sections of the book progress from Pregnancy to Toddlerhood and everything in between. This book would make a perfect baby shower gift! The prayers and poems are truly heartfelt and comforting! The format is wonderful and even includes an inscription page for personalizing this beautiful gift. Miracles of Motherhood is the kind of book you will want to keep forever and would make a perfect gift to hand down from mother to daughter as a special family keepsake. I would recommend this book to any woman who has recently become a new mom or will be soon!
By: June Cotner
Center Street-A Division of Hachette Book Group 2007
Miracles of Motherhood is a delightful collection of prayers and poems for a new mom. The sections of the book progress from Pregnancy to Toddlerhood and everything in between. This book would make a perfect baby shower gift! The prayers and poems are truly heartfelt and comforting! The format is wonderful and even includes an inscription page for personalizing this beautiful gift. Miracles of Motherhood is the kind of book you will want to keep forever and would make a perfect gift to hand down from mother to daughter as a special family keepsake. I would recommend this book to any woman who has recently become a new mom or will be soon!
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Why I Wore Lipstick: to My Mastectomy
Why I Wore Lipstick: to My Mastectomy
By: Geralyn Lucas
St. Martin’s Griffin 2004
Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy is a book that makes you really think. It is a story about a beautiful woman who comes up against one of those challenges in life that has the ability to break a person yet she handles it with grace and beauty.
In this memoir, Geralyn Lucas reminds us that we have a choice when it comes to dealing with our struggles. Instead of just giving up when she learned she had breast cancer, she decided to accept the challenge that life had thrown her way.
At times this book will make you laugh, at times it will make you cry and I guarantee you will feel every range of emotion in between. The reader will also be left asking the questions, “Could this happen to me?”, and “Would I or could I be as brave as this amazing woman?”
While Geralyn’s story is one of overcoming breast cancer, it is also very applicable to any struggle that women face. It is a story of courage and the will to survive and how a person’s attitude about a situation can make or break the outcome.
I know that I will never be the same again after reading this book and I would expect the same would be true for any woman who reads this amazing story.
By: Geralyn Lucas
St. Martin’s Griffin 2004
Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy is a book that makes you really think. It is a story about a beautiful woman who comes up against one of those challenges in life that has the ability to break a person yet she handles it with grace and beauty.
In this memoir, Geralyn Lucas reminds us that we have a choice when it comes to dealing with our struggles. Instead of just giving up when she learned she had breast cancer, she decided to accept the challenge that life had thrown her way.
At times this book will make you laugh, at times it will make you cry and I guarantee you will feel every range of emotion in between. The reader will also be left asking the questions, “Could this happen to me?”, and “Would I or could I be as brave as this amazing woman?”
While Geralyn’s story is one of overcoming breast cancer, it is also very applicable to any struggle that women face. It is a story of courage and the will to survive and how a person’s attitude about a situation can make or break the outcome.
I know that I will never be the same again after reading this book and I would expect the same would be true for any woman who reads this amazing story.
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