How Huge the Night $50 Amazon #Giveaway

About How Huge the Night (provided):

Fifteen-year-old Julien Losier just wants to fit in. But after his family moves to a small village in central France in hopes of outrunning the Nazis, he is suddenly faced with bigger challenges than the taunting of local teens. Nina Krenkel left her country to obey her father's dying command: Take your brother and leave Austria. Burn your papers. Tell no one you are Jews. Alone and on the run, she arrives in Tanieux, France, dangerously ill and in despair.


Thrown together by the chaos of war, Julien begins to feel the terrible weight of the looming conflict and Nina fights to survive. As France falls to the Nazis, Julien struggles with doing what is right, even if it is not enough-and wonders whether or not he really can save Nina from almost certain death.


Based on the true story of the town of Le Chambon-the only French town honored by Israel for rescuing Jews from the Holocaust-How Huge the Night is a compelling, coming-of-age drama that will keep teens turning the pages as it teaches them about a fascinating period of history and inspires them to think more deeply about their everyday choices.

 Scraps of Life Book Club Review: Now this is a book that I could NOT put down.  I was excited to participate in the LitFuse Book Tour with this book.  It is a Christian Fiction and Historical Fiction Young Adult book (Now I'm not a YA so this book is for older "adults," too!) and now on my teens list to read. I was amazed at the depth of the characters especially with Julien, Nina and her brother Gusta.  My heart went out to these characters and others as they struggled with a Nazi-controlled France.

This is not a light-summer read. You will zoom through this coming-of-age book, written through the voice and eyes of teenagers.  The struggles during this era with hiding, running, conflicts, changes in personal attributes, death and more will haunt your thoughts.  I do recommend this book for Young Adults and older.

Link to buy the book


About the Munn's (authors): 
Heather Munn was born in Northern Ireland and grew up in southern France where her parents were missionaries like their parents before them. She has a BA in literature from Wheaton College and now lives in a Christian intentional community in rural Illinois, where she and her husband, Paul, host free spiritual retreats for the poor, especially those transitioning out of homelessness or addiction. When not writing or hosting, she works on the communal farm.

Lydia Munn, daughter of missionary parents, grew up in Brazil. She received a BA in literature from Wheaton College, and an MA in Bible from Columbia Graduate School of Bible and Missions. With her husband, Jim, she has worked in church planting and Bible teaching since 1983, notably in St. Etienne, near the small town in the central mountains of France which forms the background of How Huge the Night. The Munns now live in Grenoble, France.

GIVEAWAY information: 
May 31st ends
Winner announced here!

Kregel Publications is sponsoring an $50 Amazon.com giveaway for my blog readers and any one else who enters below:


To enter all you have to do is send a tweet (using #litfuse) about How Huge the Night or share about it on Facebook!


If you tweet we'll capture your entry when you use the hashtag (#litfuse). If you share it on Facebook or your blog, just email us and let us know (info@litfusegroup.com). Easy.

Not sure what to tweet/post? Here's an idea.


TWEET THIS:

"Enter the How Huge the Night Book Review and $50 Amazon Giveaway http://bit.ly/mGEGCl  #litfuse"  or

"How Huge the Night - compelling, coming-of-age drama that will keep teens and adults alike turning the pages! #litfuse http://ow.ly/4RBXc"

FACEBOOK THIS:

"Enter the How Huge the Night by Heather & Lydia Munn Book Review and $50 Amazon Giveaway http://bit.ly/mGEGCl  #litfuse" 

"How Huge the Night by Heather & Lydia Munn is a compelling, coming-of-age drama that will keep teens and adults alike turning the pages late into the night! http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13181161"

Thanks to LitFuse for including me on their Book Tour. I was given a copy of the book in exchange for my blog participation. My own tasty words and opinions are expressed here. 

Free Kindle Recipe Books and printable recipes!

Hi Foodie Friends!



As you know I love posting recipes on my blog.  I also love doing cookbook reviews.  I have a few gems to share with you today.  Don't wait to get them because the specials will be ending soon!   Enjoy and let me know if you have some to share.



1) Friendship Bread Kitchen- If you are a blog reader, you know that I am a huge fan of Friendship Bread (click here) to see some recipes and link up anything Friendship Bread.) 



Now through Wednesday May 18th, author Darien Gee of Friendship Bread is offering a free booklet of more than 50 Amish Friendship Bread recipes (including the Friendship Bread Starter) that can be printed. Her site has over 150 recipes in the Recipe Box right now, which can also be printed.  The great thing about this book is that it has 50 wonderful recipes together for one easy print out.

*To get this free book, you have to click here at the Honolulu Star Advertiser (she is from Hawaii) and read the article on "Baking bread builds bonds." and you will find the link and password for the ebook!  It is wonderful and don't miss out.



2) Gooseberry Patch- If you've been to my blog you also know that I love this company! I am an Early Reviewer for their cookbooks and often have giveaways on my blog of their cookbook (Check back next week for a hard cover cookbook giveaway.)  Click each link below to get their Kindle mini cookbooks These books are FREE but will soon cost you money to obtain.   So don't waste time, get them today!









Enjoy friends!

Alexa Blog Hop! Improve your blog ranking

Hi Friends! I'm so excited to co-host this wonderful hop with Spearmint Baby, Kelly’s Lucky You, Our Family World and of course, me at Scraps of Life.

This was posted yesterday (Thursday) but Blogger ate the post with their problems over the past 24 hours.  So this is a repeat but the link is open so come on in and link up and follow!  Read below on how to decrease your Alexa ranking and that will increase your PR Ranking!


If you’ve been participating in our Alexa Blog Hops the past few weeks, you have probably seen a significant improvement in your Alexa rank. if you are a new blogger looking to decrease your Alexa rank & gain new GFC (Google Friend Connect) followers, please participate.

You will need to install the Alexa Toolbar on your browser. it only takes a few seconds! there are toolbars for Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox. (for those that are worried, don’t be. this is NOT an additional toolbar, just a little “A” icon that will show up in your toolbar)

Tthe Alexa Toolbar will allow you to keep track of your daily Alexa Traffic Rank- which will give you an idea of how your blogging efforts are paying off. you can also use it to check out the Alexa Rank of any website.
e.g. Facebook is ranked a 2, Blogspot is a 5, Anthropologie is 5,654, and today Spearmint Baby is 107,252. your Alexa Traffic Rank will most likely fluctuate daily and the lower you are the better.

Here are the rules:

*Download the Alexa toolbar
*Add your blog name & URL to the linky list below.
*Then, follow any blogs on GFC that interest you (be sure to leave a friendly comment on their blog letting them know that you are a new follower so they can follow back!) if you are already a follower of their blog, just leave a comment asking them to visit you for the Alexa hop!
*Finally, feel free to grab the Spearmint Baby Blog Hop banner & post on your blog to get new people involved. (the more new people the better!)
* Please note that I keep this blog hop open all week so you have plenty of time to visit all of the blogs on the list.

we have a 4 cohosts this week: Spearmint Baby,  Kelly’s Lucky You, Scraps of Life, & Our Family World. Be sure to follow them as well.
   

The Lightkeeper's Ball Book Review and FIRST Wild Card Tour

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Colleen Coble

and the book:

The Lightkeeper’s Ball

Thomas Nelson; 1 edition (April 19, 2011)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Colleen Coble’s thirty-five novels and novellas have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA, the Holt Medallion, the ACFW Book of the Year, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, the Booksellers Best, and the 2009 Best Books of Indiana-Fiction award. She writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail and love begin with a happy ending.


Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

My Take on the Book:  This is a BEAUTIFUL book, inside and out. If I were to judge a book by its cover (sorry folks I do that) I would pick this up for sure for the sheer beauty of the cover.  This is the 3rd Historical Fiction/Christian Romance book in the A Mercy Falls Series and it was worth the wait. If you have a teen that is wanting to read a book with some romance, this is a sweet one.

Olivia seems to have it all, but her heart yearns for more.

Olivia Stewart's family is one of the Four Hundred—the highest echelon of society in 1910. When her sister dies under mysterious circumstances, Olivia leaves their New York City home for Mercy Falls, California, to determine what befell Eleanor. She suspects Harrison Bennett, the man Eleanor planned to marry. But the more Olivia gets to know him, the more she doubts his guilt—and the more she is drawn to him herself.

When several attempts are made on her life, Olivia turns to Harrison for help. He takes her on a ride in his aeroplane, but then crashes, and they’re forced to spend two days alone together. With her reputation hanging by a thread, Harrison offers to marry her to make the situation right. As a charity ball to rebuild the Mercy Falls lighthouse draws near, she realizes she wants more than a sham engagement—she wants Harrison in her life forever. But her enemy plans to shatter the happiness she is ready to grasp. If Olivia dares to drop her masquerade, she just might see the path to true happiness.



Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson; 1 edition (April 19, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 159554268X
ISBN-13: 978-1595542687

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

The New York brownstone was just half a block down from the Astor mansion on Fifth Avenue, the most prestigious address in the country. The carriage, monogrammed with the Stewart emblem, rattled through the iron gates and came to a halt in front of the ornate doors. Assisted by the doorman, Olivia Stewart descended and rushed for the steps of her home. She was late for tea, and her mother would be furious. Mrs. Astor herself had agreed to join them today.

Olivia handed her hat to the maid, who opened the door. “They’re in the drawing room, Miss Olivia,” Goldia whispered. “Your mama is ready to pace the floor.”

Olivia patted at her hair, straightened her shoulders, and pinned a smile in place as she forced her stride to a ladylike stroll to join the other women. Two women turned to face her as she entered: her mother and Mrs. Astor. They wore identical expressions of disapproval.

“Olivia, there you are,” her mother said. “Sit down before your tea gets cold.”

Olivia pulled off her gloves as she settled into the Queen Anne chair beside Mrs. Astor. “I apologize for my tardiness,” she said. “A lorry filled with tomatoes overturned in the street, and my driver couldn’t get around it.”

Mrs. Astor’s face cleared. “Of course, my dear.” She sipped her tea from the delicate blue-and-white china. “Your dear mother and I were just discussing your prospects. It’s time you married.”

Oh dear. She’d hoped to engage in light conversation that had nothing to do with the fact that she was twenty-five and still unmarried. Her unmarried state distressed her if she let it, but every man her father brought to her wanted only her status. She doubted any of them had ever looked into her soul. “I’m honored you would care about my marital status, Mrs. Astor,” Olivia said.

“Mrs. Astor wants to hold a ball in your honor, Olivia,” her mother gushed. “She has a distant cousin coming to town whom she wants you to meet.”

Mrs. Astor nodded. “I believe you and Matthew would suit. He owns property just down the street.”

Olivia didn’t mistake the reference to the man’s money. Wealth would be sure to impact her mother. She opened her mouth to ask if the man was her age, then closed it at the warning glint in her mother’s eyes.

“He’s been widowed for fifteen years and is long overdue for a suitable wife,” Mrs. Astor said.

Olivia barely suppressed a sigh. So he was another of the decrepit gentlemen who showed up from time to time. “You’re very kind,” she said.

“He’s most suitable,” her mother said. “Most suitable.”

Olivia caught the implication. They spent the next half an hour discussing the date and the location. She tried to enter into the conversation with interest, but all she could do was imagine some gray-whiskered blue blood dancing her around the ballroom. She stifled a sigh of relief when Mrs. Astor took her leave and called for her carriage.

“I’ll be happy when you’re settled, Olivia,” her mother said when they returned to the drawing room. “Mrs. Astor is most kind.”

“She is indeed.” Olivia pleated her skirt with her fingers. “Do you ever wish you could go somewhere incognito, Mother? Where no one has expectations of you because you are a Stewart?”

Her mother put down her saucer with a clatter. “Whatever are you babbling about, my dear?”

“Haven’t you noticed that people look at us differently because we’re Stewarts? How is a man ever to love me for myself when all he sees is what my name can gain him? Men never see inside to the real me. They notice only that I’m a Stewart.”

“Have you been reading those novels again?” Her mother sniffed and narrowed her gaze on Olivia. “Marriage is about making suitable connections. You owe it to your future children to consider the life you give them. Love comes from respect. I would find it quite difficult to respect someone who didn’t have the gumption to make his way in the world. Besides, we need you to marry well. You’re twenty-five years old and I’ve indulged your romantic notions long enough. Heaven knows your sister’s marriage isn’t what I had in mind, essential though it may be. Someone has to keep the family name in good standing.”

Olivia knew what her duty demanded, but she didn’t have to like it. “Do all the suitable men have to be in their dotage?”

Her mother’s eyes sparked fire but before she spoke, Goldia appeared in the doorway. “Mr. Bennett is here, Mrs. Stewart.”

Olivia straightened in her chair. “Show him in. He’ll have news of Eleanor.”

Bennett appeared in the doorway moments later. He shouldn’t have been imposing. He stood only five-foot-three in his shoes, which were always freshly polished. He was slim, nearly gaunt, with a patrician nose and obsidian eyes. He’d always reminded Olivia of a snake about to strike. His expression never betrayed any emotion, and today was no exception. She’d never understood why her father entertained an acquaintance with the man let alone desired their families to be joined.

“Mr. Bennett.” She rose and extended her hand and tried not to flinch as he brushed his lips across it.

“Miss Olivia,” he said, releasing her hand. He moved to her mother’s chair and bowed over her extended hand.

Olivia sank back into her chair. “What do you hear of my sister? I have received no answer to any of my letters.”

He took a seat, steepled his fingers, and leaned forward. “That’s the reason for our meeting today. I fear I have bad news to impart.”

Her pulse thumped erratically against her ribcage. She wetted her lips and drew in a deep breath. “What news of Eleanor?” How bad could it be? Eleanor had gone to marry Harrison, a man she hardly knew. But she was in love with the idea of the Wild West, and therefore more than happy to marry the son of her father’s business partner.

He never blinked. “I shall just have to blurt it out then. I’m sorry to inform you that Eleanor is dead.”

Her mother moaned. Olivia stared at him. “I don’t believe it,” she said.

“I know, it’s a shock.”

There must have been some mistake. She searched his face for some clue that this was a jest. “What happened?”

He didn’t hold her gaze. “She drowned.”

“How?”

“No one knows. I’m sorry.”

Her mother stood and swayed. “What are you saying?” Her voice rose in a shriek. “Eleanor can’t be dead! Are you quite mad?”

He stood and took her arm. “I suggest you lie down, Mrs. Stewart. You’re quite pale.”

Her mother put her hands to her cheeks. “Tell me it isn’t true,” she begged. Then she keeled over in a dead faint.

#
Harrison Bennett tugged on his tie, glanced at his shoes to make sure no speck of dirt marred their perfection, then disembarked from his motorcar in front of the mansion. The cab had rolled up Nob Hill much too quickly for him to gather his courage to face the party. Electric lights pushed back the darkness from the curving brick driveway to the porch with its impressive white pillars. Doormen flanked the double doors at the entry. Through the large windows, he saw the ballroom. Ladies in luxurious gowns and gentlemen in tuxedos danced under glittering chandeliers, and their laughter tinkled on the wind.

His valet, Eugene, exited behind him. “I’ll wait in the kitchen, sir.”

Harrison adjusted his hat and strode with all the confidence he could muster to the front door. “Mr. Harrison Bennett,” he said to the doorman.

The man scanned the paper in his hand. “Welcome, Mr. Bennett. Mr. Rothschild is in the ballroom.”

Harrison thanked him and stepped into the opulent hall papered in gold foil. He went in the direction of the voices with a sense of purpose. This night could change his future. He glanced around the enormous ballroom, and he recognized no one among the glittering gowns and expensive suits. In subtle ways, these nobs would try to keep him in his place. It would take all his gumption not to let them. It was a miracle he’d received an invitation. Only the very wealthy or titled were invited to the Rothschilds’ annual ball in San Francisco. Harrison was determined to do whatever was necessary to secure the contract inside his coat pocket.

A young woman in an evening gown fluttered her lashes at him over the top of her fan. When she lowered it, she approached with a coaxing smile on her lips. “Mr. Bennett, I’d hoped to see you here tonight.”

He struggled to remember her name. Miss Kessler. She’d made her interest in him known at Eleanor’s funeral. Hardly a suitable time. He took her gloved hand and bowed over it. “Miss Kessler. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“I came when I heard you were on the guest list.”

He ignored her brazen remark. “It’s good to see you again. I have some business to attend to. Perhaps later?”

Her eyes darkened and she withdrew her hand. “I shall watch for you,” she said.

And he’d do the same, with the intent to avoid her. “If you’ll excuse me.” He didn’t wait for an answer but strolled through the crowd. He finally spied his host standing in front of a marble fireplace. A flame danced in the eight-foot hearth. Harrison stepped through the crowd to join the four men clustered around the wealthy Rothschild.

The man closest to Harrison was in his fifties and had a curling mustache. “They’ll never get that amendment ratified,” he said. “An income tax! It’s quite ridiculous to expect us to pay something so outrageous.”

A younger man in a gray suit shook his head. “If it means better roads, I’ll gladly write them a check. The potholes outside of town ruined my front axels.”

“We can take care of our own roads,” Rothschild said. “I have no need of the government in my affairs. At least until we’re all using flying machines.” He snickered, then glanced at Harrison. “You look familiar, young man. Have we met?”

Flying machines. Maybe this meeting was something God had arranged. Harrison thrust out his hand. “Harrison Bennett.”

“Claude’s son?”’

Was that distaste in the twist of Rothschild’s mouth? Harrison put confidence into his grip. “Yes, sir.”

“How is your father?”

“Quite well. He’s back in New York by now.”

“I heard about your fiancée’s death. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Harrison managed not to wince. “Thank you.” He pushed away his memories of that terrible day, the day he’d seen Eleanor Stewart for what she really was.

“Your father was most insistent I meet you. He seems to think you have a business proposition I might be interested in.”

Harrison smiled and began to tell the men of the new diamond mines that Bennett and Bennett had found in Africa. A mere week after Mr. Stewart’s passing, Mr. Bennett had renamed the venture to include Harrison. An hour later, he had appointments set up with three of the men as possible investors. His father would be pleased.

Harrison smiled and retraced his steps to toward the front door but was waylaid by four women in brightly colored silk. They swooped around him, and Miss Kessler took him by the hand and led him to a quiet corner.

“Let’s not talk about anything boring like work,” she said, her blue eyes sparkling. “Tell me what you love to do most.”

He glanced at the other women clustered around. “I’m building an aeroplane. I’d like to have it in the air by the time Earth passes through the tail of Halley’s Comet.”

She gasped. “Do you have a death wish, Mr. Bennett? You would be breathing the poisonous fumes directly. No one even knows if the Earth will survive this.”

He’d heard this before. “The scientists I’ve discussed this with believe we shall be just fine,” Harrison said.

“I assume you’ve purchased comet pills?” the blonde closest to him said.

“I have no fear.”

The brunette in red silk smiled. “If man were meant to fly, God would have given him wings. Or so I’ve heard the minister say.”

He finally placed the brunette. Her uncle was Rothschild. No wonder she had such contempt for Harrison’s tone. All the nobs cared for were trains and ships. “It’s just a matter of perfecting the machine,” Harrison said. “Someday aeroplanes will be the main mode of transcontinental transportation.”

The brunette laughed. “Transcontinental? My uncle would call it balderdash.”

He glanced at his pocket watch without replying. “I fear I must leave you lovely ladies. Thank you for the conversation.”

He found Eugene in the kitchen and beckoned to his valet.

Eugene put down his coffee cup and followed. “You didn’t stay long, sir,” he said. “Is everything all right?”

Harrison stalked out the door and toward the car. “Are there no visionaries left in the country?”

Eugene followed a step behind. “You spoke of your flying machine?”

“The world is changing, Eugene, right under their noses—and they don’t see it.”

Eugene opened the door for Harrison. “You will show them the future, sir.”

He set his jaw. “I shall indeed.”

“I have a small savings set aside, Mr. Bennett. I’d like to invest in your company. With your permission, of course.”

Eugene’s trust bolstered Harrison’s determination. “I’d be honored to partner with you, Eugene. We are going to change the world.”

Alexa Blog Hop! Improve your blog ranking

Welcome to the Alexa Blog Hop! I'm honored to be the cohost this week with Spearmint Baby, Kelly’s Lucky You, & Our Family World ! So please, after you read this, follow me and link up and then please go do the same on their blogs!



What is the Alexa Blog Hop? It is a hop to help you improve your Alexa ranking.  Some of you are here because you have been participating in our Alexa Blog Hops the past few weeks and you have probably seen a significant improvement in your Alexa rank. If you are a new blogger looking to decrease your Alexa rank & gain new GFC (Google Friend Connect) followers, please participate.



You will need to install the Alexa Toolbar on your browser. It only takes a few seconds! There are toolbars for Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox. (for those that are worried, don’t be. This is NOT an additional toolbar, just a little “A” icon that will show up in your toolbar)



The Alexa Toolbar will allow you to keep track of your daily Alexa Traffic Rank- which will give you an idea of how your blogging efforts are paying off. you can also use it to check out the Alexa Rank of any website.

e.g. Facebook is ranked a 2, Blogspot is a 5, Anthropologie is 5,723, and today Spearmint Baby is 107,252 and I'm at 169,749. Your Alexa Traffic Rank will most likely fluctuate daily and the lower you are the better.

Here are the rules:

*Download the Alexa toolbar

*Add your blog name & URL to the linky list below.

*Then, follow any blogs on GFC that interest you (be sure to leave a friendly comment on their blog letting them know that you are a new follower so they can follow back!) if you are already a follower of their blog, just leave a comment asking them to visit you for the Alexa hop!

*Feel free to grab the Spearmint Baby Blog Hop banner & post on your blog to get new people involved. (the more new people the better!)

*Please note that i keep this blog hop open all week so you have plenty of time to visit all of the blogs on the list

*So to make this work and decrease your ranking, Install the tool bar, Link up in the Hop, Follow Spearmint Baby and myself on Google Friend Connect, Leave a message and do the same to the other blogs listed! It really does help!

Chocoholic Chocolate Recipe Link up with Gooseberry Patch

(The below information is all from Gooseberry Patch!)

Whether you prefer milk, dark, white or another kind, almost everyone LOVES chocolate. If YOU have a rich and decadent recipe you've posted recently, we'd love to have you join today's hop!

 

Have a favorite CHOCOLATE recipe?
Link up with today's Recipe Round-Up!

Here's one to inspire you from Church Suppers...
it's our Cookbook of the Week!

Granny's Chocolate Fudge Cookies
Thanks to Karen Adams of Cincinnati, Ohio, who originally shared this recipe. She writes, "My grandmother used to make these for church dinners. The food was awesome, especially these cookies!"

2  6-oz. pkgs. semi-sweet
    chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter
14-oz. can sweetened
    condensed milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. chopped nuts

Heat chocolate chips, butter and condensed milk in a microwave-safe bowl on high setting until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Add vanilla, flour and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Makes 5 to 6 dozen.

Link up YOUR chocolate recipes below and,
if you're joining this hop, link to Gooseberry Patch
by using our handy button below.

Art Bellies Pocket iTunes App Review

Finally – An Art App For Families 

Turn family photos into fine works of art with Art Bellies Pocket

Boston, MA.  22, 2011 (provided) – Most famous artists trace. Some use tracing paper. Others use projectors and light boxes. But everyone has his or her own version of the trick. It is much easier to make art from outlines and shapes rather than from starting with a blank canvas.

This is the simple beauty behind Art Bellies Pocket, the powerful new App for the iPhone and iPad that lets any user feel like a professional painter. At its core, it is a tracing program that anyone can use – regardless of his or her artistic abilities. Making fine art really is as easy as taking a picture, tracing the outlines, filling in some color and changing out the backgrounds. But this is only half of the genius of Art Bellies Pocket.

If you or I were given a blank canvas, we would be hard pressed to think of something to paint. We might come up with some colorful doodles. Inspiration does not grow on trees. We would stare at the white background and wonder what to do. Even if we were master painters – what would we paint?

Art Bellies Pocket solves this question by focusing on family. By narrowing down the theme, it is much easier to be creative. By focusing on children, pregnancy and loved ones, Art Bellies Pocket introduces users to their muses and guides non-artists into making masterpieces based on the ones they love the most. Even people who have not touched an art project in years find themselves constantly making portraits of their family members.

By combining tracing with inspiration, the makers of Art Bellies Pocket have done the seemingly impossible. They have given art to non-artists. The program is for families, for real people and for those who have never considered themselves artistic. There are no barriers. There are no difficult hurdles to overcome or program tools to learn. Anyone with an iPhone or iPad and ninety-nine cents can now make something artistic that they are proud of.

Once a user has created an Art Bellies Pocket print of their children or expecting wife, they can share their work with the click of a button. They can easily upload images to Facebook or they can email portraits to other family members and friends. Creating is addictive and with the high resolution printing functions, users can also make their own custom birthday cards, baby shower invitations or birth announcements.

Art Bellies Pocket prints can also be used as the backgrounds for custom credit cards and for screen savers. A video capture option allows users to watch their paintings come to life and lets users upload animated video instantly to YouTube for sharing.

Available for purchase on the iTunes App Store for only $.99.

Scraps of Life take on the App: This is a very cool app and well worth the price. With a little practice, the effects can be impressive and addictive. We especially love the many options for backgrounds. It would be nice to have the gradation between paint colors a little closer to make shadowing easier. Great for kids and adults alike!

Of course this App is not just for pregnant bellies. What a cute concept though!  This is a simple tracing program that goes along with your iPhone camera. It is as simple and trace, shade and paint.  Check it out at Art Bellies Pocket.

Do you have a favorite Art type App? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know. We are always looking for fun & creative, family friendly Apps.

Thanks to the sponsor for providing the App so we could review it. Our own thoughts & opinions are expressed here.