The Zookeeper's Secret: Finding Your Calling in Life By Jeffrey A., Bunderson & Stuart Thompson-Blog Tour Review and $25 Gift Card Giveaway

{Product Details}

Title:The Zookeeper's Secret: Finding Your Calling in Life 

Authors: Jeffrey A., Bunderson, Stuart Thompson
-Paperback: 168 pages  

-Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc. (February 1, 2018)

-Genre: Self Help, Spiritual,-Primarily written for LDS people

-ISBN-10: 1524403342​ 

-FTC, FYI: I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

{Book Description:}
Perhaps your professional and other life ambitions are simply a means to an end—a way to pay the bills or pursue a lifestyle. But what if there was something more? What if you could have success and fulfillment in equal measure? In response to these fundamental questions, Professors Jeff Thompson and Stuart Bunderson draw on research, personal experience, and gospel truths to dispel common myths that can stand in the way of seeking your true calling, the work that brings the greatest meaning and satisfaction to your life. Is there only one true calling for you? Can you still find your calling if you choose to stay at home? What if your calling doesn’t pay enough to live on? Discover the answers to these questions and many more as you learn to tap into the spiritual gifts of God and realize how your talents can bring gratification to your life and blessings to those around you. Brimming with practical activities and applications, this guidebook to pursuing your ideal life’s work will inspire the confidence you need to translate aspiration into action.

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{My Review}

The Zookeeper's Secret is a great book for any one in any stage of their life; whether starting out in a career or having been in one for many years. 

The Title, 'The Zoo Keeper's Secret' is based on something the authors found by interviewing zookeepers. Though most Zookeepers are college educated, they get very low pay and never receive fame or recognition, yet they are passionate about it and are the happiest employed group of individuals according to well over a thousand surveyed zookeepers. I sometimes wish I had been a zookeeper because I love animals.

The chapters are set up as what the authors called "heresies". You can read the chapters in any order according to what you may be looking for. I actually skipped around when I read the book. I also liked how there are activities the authors would like you to do after reading each chapter. Some were easy to do and others called for more deep self reflection and getting the help of loved ones and friends.These I found were very helpful to look more closely at myself and how I was feeling about my career and life calling. 

Here are the Heresies that the authors try to correct for you... 

Heresy 1:Only lucky people find a calling in life.

Heresy 2:You should seek your one true calling in life.


Heresy 3:You get to script your path to a calling in life.

Heresy 4:You have to set aside your calling in order to support your family.

Heresy 5:When you find your calling, work will be blissful.

Heresy 6:When you find your calling, the world will take notice.

Heresy 7:Meaning is found at work.

Another great thing found in the book were the Appendixs' at the end. The first one is called "Mapping Your Calling in Life". I'm actually still working on doing this. It is something that will take a little longer to do. Here you focus on three things that were spoken of in previous chapters:

• Passion: One of the defining features of a life calling is called, hardwiring, a feeling that you are naturally predisposed to do some things and not others. Hardwiring creates a sense of passion, an intense desire to pursue a particular activity or interest.
• Purpose: They said that sometimes  the ideas of Passion and Purpose can't be separated, but they begged to differ. They clarified that passion is something "inside" of you-a spiritual gift or talent you feel compelled to express. Purpose is something "outside" of you- a cause that beckons you to help. 
• Place: This third element of calling is a sense of place- a feeling that you are where you are supposed to be, whether or not you know why you are there.If you have a strong sense of place it means you feel drawn-spiritually or emotionally - to a particular place or setting.

There  are so many intriguing things you learn in this book and I liked the way that it started to shift my thinking about so many aspects of my life. The Zookeeper's Secret is a fantastic guidebook that has the potential to help all people who are seeking changes for more fulfillment and happiness in finding their true calling in life.

{Tour Schedule}

*Feb. 19th: http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/,  http://www.iamareader.com/
Feb.20th:https://brightlystreet.com/category/book-reviews/, https://www.rockinbookreviews.com/, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/
*Feb 21st: http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/
*Feb.22nd: http://thoroughlyhere.blogspot.com/, https://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/adults
*Feb. 23rd: http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/ 

{Giveaway: $25 Amazon Gift Card 
and a Free Copy of "The Zookeeper’s Secret"}

a Rafflecopter giveaway .

Spotlight Blog Tour Post and $25 Giveaway:Colors of the Sun and Moon by Talia Aikens-Nunez

         

Colors of the Sun & Moon by Talia Aikens-Nunez  
Colors of the Sun and Moon is an English/Spanish STEM book which featuring an inquisitive young girl and her grandmother. The bright illustrations engage children and illuminate the science of the horizon with vibrant colors. An inquisitive young girl questions her grandmother about the science behind the colors of the sun and moon. With a forward by Spencer Christian. "Colors of the Sun and Moon" is the second book from the new multicultural, multilingual children's press, SundanceKid Press. The mission of SundanceKid Press is to promote cultural, ethnic/racial and linguistic diversity in children's literature. Each page includes the English text along with the Spanish translation. A free audio recording is available on the SundanceKid Press website.  
 Forward by Spencer Christian
As a young child, I was much like the little girl in this book - intensely curious about the wonders of the natural world - asking questions such as those put forth by young Gabriela, “Why is the sky blue; why are leaves green?” My search for answers took me on a fascinating path of discovery, which eventually led me to become a national TV weather forecaster. If the child in you - or a child you know - finds the world to be a wondrous place, your path to discovery can be found in the pages of “Colors of the Sun and Moon.” “Colors of the Sun and Moon” is the story of 8-year-old Gabriela and her wise and loving grandmother - a grandmother who has the answers to all of her precious granddaughter's questions about the world of wonders they see around them. While Abuela's answers are simple enough for a young child to understand, they are factual and scientifically sound. I applaud author Talia Aikens-Nuñez for giving her readers a story that is appealing on so many levels: it is educational, entertaining, and family-focused. What a rare combination of elements! As I read “Colors of the Sun and Moon,” images from my own childhood flashed in my mind, and I found myself smiling in amusement and amazement. I feel certain that the young reader and the not-so-young reader in your home will enjoy this book as much as I did. - Spencer Christian, Weather Anchor for ABC 7/KGO-TV, San Francisco  


Author Talia Aikens-Nuñez
Talia Aikens-Nuñez wanted to be a meteorologist, a politician and a lawyer. She never thought she would be a writer. It was the birth of her daughter that caused her to start writing. Raising a bilingual child inspired Talia to write lyrical children's books. Talia's family loves nature so much that she and her husband vowed that they will always try to live close to water. They live on a river in Connecticut with their kids.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

 

Blog Tour Giveaway 

 $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 1/1/17 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour for Jack Templar and the Last Battle by Jeff Gunhus-Spotlight & $25 Giveaway

 

{The Amazing Cover!}

Jack Templar and the Last Battle(Book 6) by Jeff Gunhus
 In the last book of the Jack Templar series, Jack and his friends race to stop Ren Lucre before he launches this Creach army against humankind. But the Lord of the Lesser Creach and the Lord of the Zombies hold the last two Jerusalem Stones Jack needs to have any chance of success. To make matters worse, the Oracle predicts that one of their group will die in the upcoming fight, and Jack discovers betrayal among those he trusts most. Even so, Jack must find the courage to lead his friends into battle. Either they collect the Stones in time to defeat Ren Lucre or die trying. It’s "Do your duty, come what may" no matter the cost. The fate of the world hangs in the balance.

****READ the Exciting EXCERPT here****

I didn’t have a good feeling about what I was about to do. Since the day Eva showed up in Sunnyvale with the news that I was a monster hunter and that every monster in the world was out to kill me, I’d developed a decent sense of when things were off. Maybe walking into so many messed up situations during that time had made me more sensitive to small signs. You’d think I’d have gotten smarter by now, but the fact that I was about to climb out of my hiding spot and break into the witch’s house on my own clearly showed that I was as dumb as when I’d started this adventure.

 

At least that’s what Eva liked to tell me. Her internal filter had only gotten worse since I let the Lord of the Vampires turn her into one of the undead, ironically as a way to save her life. Never one to pull any punches, she said whatever came to her mind, regardless of how it sounded.

 

Take yesterday, when our team of five monster hunters ducked into a barn during a thunderstorm, Eva sat on the bale of hay closest to the door, rubbing her vampire teeth with her fingers. “This place stinks worse than you do.”

My face went hot, so I covered up by digging through my backpack to find my last protein bar inside. The rest of the guys jostled for seats on the hay bales, looking for the most comfortable spot. It was going to be a long wait, so everyone found something to pass the time except me.

 

Between flashes and booms of the storm raging outside, I thought through my plan to collect the Jerusalem Stone I’d left with the witch, Bella of the Woods. Not by choice. She would have killed Xavier otherwise. Anyway, I needed to leave the Stone somewhere safe before we went to the Underworld to steal the one held by Shaitan, the Lord of the Demons. When I explained my plan to go to the witch’s house alone, the others put up more than a little resistance.

“That’s a ridiculous idea,” Eva said. She was eyeing a mouse in the corner of the barn. I had the unsettling feeling she was thinking about eating it.

“It’s the easiest way to get it back,” I said.

 

She turned from the mouse and stared at me, unblinking. “You’re dumb and selfish. You’ll end up being boiled alive in one of the witch’s cauldrons.”

The rest of my friends weren’t exactly fans of the idea either.

 

T-Rex and Will, my two buddies from home who’d followed me into this mess, tried their best to talk me out of it, using all kinds of guilt-trips. Will was hard-core about it, calling me both a moron and a loser, but I could tell by T-Rex’s tone that he could do without a return trip to the witch’s cottage and her herd of weird little henchmen, the Talib. “Don’t go alone. I couldn’t stand it if we found one of those Talib heads stitched onto your body, running around trying to fight us.”

 

Daniel, the monster hunter who was three years older than the rest of us, would have enjoyed piling the insults on me before he became a werewolf. But our run-in with the Lord of the Werewolves in the Black Forest in Germany had made him more brooding. He just sniffed at me and said, “No way can you handle her by yourself. It’s a terrible idea.” As if the reason I wanted to go by myself was for some sort of glory. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Only Xavier seemed to understand. The youngest hunter, the brains and inventor of useful gizmos in our group, didn’t even look up from the contraption he was tinkering with on his lap. “Makes perfect sense to me, Jack. You made the deal with her. She’s bound to you and no one else. You’ll have safe passage in and out. The rest of us there just complicate things.”

 

The rest of the group booed his addition to the conversation, but he was oblivious to it, lost in the details of his invention.

 

I shrugged. “I’ll sleep on it. Nobody’s going anywhere in this storm anyway.” Technically, I kept my promise, going to sleep with the others shortly after midnight. Then halfway through the night, I woke in a sweat. The rain had stopped. Xavier was right, and whether they wanted to admit it or not, I thought the others knew it too. So I carefully got up, snuck out of the barn, and made my way down the country lane at a slow jog.

 

A couple hours later, I was looking at the witch’s cottage, obscured by the swirl of moonlit fog settled in the meadow around it. I found the place a lot creepier than I remembered. Only two weeks earlier, the cottage had appeared well kept, freshly painted with bright colors. A vegetable garden organized in smart rows had stood next to a chicken pen with birds softly clucking as they pecked the soft earth.

 

Things had changed, and it wasn’t only because I was seeing the place at night this time. The cottage looked as if it’d aged dozens of years since I saw it last. Paint flaked off the dried and cracked boards, and it appeared the forest was reclaiming the ramshackle building. Creeping vines crawled up the walls, forcing apart the clapboard siding, causing it to warp and bend. The windows were black holes without shutters, just shards of broken glass that looked like teeth in gaping jaws. Part of the roof had caved in near the stone chimney, making it lean precariously toward the center of the house. The garden looked like an army had trampled through it. The chicken pen was twisted and ripped open. The only sign of the birds was dirty feathers trapped in the gnarled metal fencing.

 

A cold chill sent shivers down my spine as I wondered what might have befallen the place to make it look that way. At that moment, I kind of wished I’d given in to my friends and let them come along. Honestly, I didn’t feel very brave, and it would have been nice to know there were five strong hunters backing me up.

Too late for that now. I drew in a deep breath, gripped the sword at my side, and made my way down the path to the cottage’s front door.

  ****Here are the other books in this amazing series****  

Jack Templar Chronicles

Jack Templar: Monster Hunter
Book One

Jack Templar and The Monster Hunter Academy
Book Two

Jack Templar and The Lord of The Vampires
Book Three

Jack Templar and The Lord of The Werewolves
Book Four

Jack Templar And The Lord of The Demons
Book Five

Jack Templar Monster Hunter Box Set: Books 1 & 2 Special Edition
Book One-Two

  Author Jeff Gunhus
Jeff Gunhus is the USA TODAY bestselling author of thriller and horror novels for adults and the middle grade/YA series, The Templar Chronicles. The first book, Jack Templar Monster Hunter, was written in an effort to get his reluctant reader eleven-year-old son excited about reading. It worked and a new series was born. His books for adults have reached the Top 30 on Amazon, have been recognized as Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Finalists and reached the USA TODAY bestseller list. After his experience with his son, he is passionate about helping parents reach young reluctant readers and is active in child literacy issues. As a father of five, he leads an active life in Maryland with his wife Nicole by trying to constantly keep up with their kids. In rare moments of quiet, he can be found in the back of the City Dock Cafe in Annapolis working on his next novel or on JeffGunhus.com.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

 

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway
 Ends 11/30/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Change of Heart by Jennifer Moore- Blog Tour Spotlight and $25 Gift Card Giveaway

Change of Heart by Jennifer Moore 

This summer, Nathaniel Cavanaugh vacations in Lobster Cove to spend quality time with his kids after his estranged wife’s tragic death. Successful and well-connected, he is on the fast-track to the highest legal positions in the country, but his family life suffers. After an accident throws Val nearly into his lap and costs her a job opportunity, Nathaniel surprises himself by overlooking her outlandish appearance and lack of qualifications to offer her a job as his nanny for the summer. Valdosta McKinley wishes for an internship at a Paris Art Institute to use her newly acquired art-history skills. She knows Nathaniel could never develop feelings for a girl from a trailer in a rural West Virginia holler—a lesson she learned the hard way years earlier. Will pursuit of their professional goals require Nathaniel and Val to give up the dream of being a family? 

    Author Jennifer Moore
Jennifer Moore is a passionate reader and writer of all things romance due to the need to balance the rest of her world that includes a perpetually traveling husband and four active sons, who create heaps of laundry that is anything but romantic. She suffers from an unhealthy addiction to 18th and 19th century military history and literature. Jennifer has a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Utah and is a Guitar Hero champion. She lives in northern Utah with her family, but most of the time wishes she was on board a frigate during the Age of Sail.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

 

Blog Tour Schedule

 

Blog Tour Giveaway:

 $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash  

Ends 5/1/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.    

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Blog Tour Schedule :
 April 18th I Am A Reader - Spotlight Julie Coulter Bellon - Review Literary Time Out - Review Cuzinlogic - Spotlight Literary Chanteuse - Spotlight Susan Heim on Writing - Spotlight

April 19th Getting Your Read On - Review Tifferz and her Sisterz - Review Heidi Reads... - Spotlight Why Not? Because I Said So! - Spotlight beck valley books - Spotlight Coffee Books & Art - Spotlight

April 20th  My Book a Day - Review Reading List - Review Katie's Clean Book Collection - Review Bunny's Review - Spotlight LeahSay's Views - Spotlight

April 21st Wishful Endings - Review Simple Wyrdings - Review Kindle and Me - Spotlight My Creatively Random Life - Spotlight Queen Of All She Reads - Spotlight

April 22nd Books Are Sanity!!! - Review Bookworm Lisa - Spotlight Hearts & Scribbles - Spotlight Mel's Shelves - Spotlight BookHounds - Spotlight

April 26th Singing Librarian Books - Review Rockin' Book Reviews - Spotlight Min Reads and Reviews - Spotlight Rebecca Belliston - Spotlight Diana's Book Reviews - Spotlight