What's So Funny? My Hilarious Life

"Dear Jane,

Without your assistance, this would have been a pamphlet. - Tim"

If you have been around as long as I have, you might just remember Tim Conway, the comedian who graced our television sets with his delightful and unforgettable skits from such memorable shows like The Carol Burnett Show, McHale's Navy as well as movies like Disney's The Apple Dumpling Gang and The Shaggy D.A. But one thing remains clear, he is definitely committed to making people life and that in itself is truly a wonderful gift we all need more of.

In the book, "What's So Funny? My Hilarious Life by Tim Conway and Jane Scovell, the reader gets a look at the life behind the scenes of what made Tim who he is today. Reminiscing about his childhood living in Chagrin Falls, Ohio being the only child to Dan and Sophia Conway, we immediately get a sense that this isn't your usual autobiography. Written in the same manner that we all know Tim there are laughs scattered through this book to guarantee not only a smile but a laugh or two. There are the stories of Tim's mom, Sophia who was so conscientious with money that when it came to wallpapering his room as a young boy, she refused to spend money on wall paper paste and created her own from flour and water. The only problem is during the summer with the heat, it baked the paper and caused it to peel off the walls.

He shares another great example from his childhood about his parents quirks and how much they truly enjoyed each others company.

"They liked to do things together, like dancing. One time they decided to take dancing lessons at a local studio. At the first lesson they were given a strip of paper with two sets of footprints on it, one for the man and the other for the woman. It was a basic dance pattern. The idea was to take the sheet home, put it on the floor, put a record on the phonograph, and step on the appropriate footprints in time with the music. Simple, right? Not for my parents. When I came home from school, I found them standing in the middle of the living room with the music baring from the phonograph. They looked at me sheepishly and asked if I could help them. Help them? How could I help them when what they'd done was cut the footprints from the paper and pasted them on the bottom of their shoes? I guess they figured that would make the shoes magically do the steps. When it didn't happen they were stopped in their glued-on tracks." (pg 33).

There are so many great memories captured in this book from his encounters and friendships with Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Steve Allen, Ernie Anderson, Don Knotts and so many others that this is guaranteed to be a memoir like any other. There are practical jokes he played on police officers, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne as kids from his childhood growing up in school. I think some of the best parts are his time spent on the Carol Burnett show. It had me going back to YouTube to watch such notable episodes like The Dentist skit with Harvey Korman who Tim was challenged to make break down during the skit with laughter. This is truly a great book to enjoy.

I received What's So Funny? by Tim Conway and Jane Scovell compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions are strictly my own. I absolutely loved this book. Just the style in which it is written is such a easy going and likeable manner of Tim Conway that you can sense that he has truly enjoyed his life every step of the way. There are some great pictures capture inside that gives you an inside look at the love and laughter as well as personal friendships he has managed to capture after all these almost 80 years with us. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars! Thank you Tim for the memories and the laughter after all these years! You've made life a true joy!

For more information about What's So Funny?, Tim Conway, Jane Scovell or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

What's So Funny? by Tim Conway and Jane Scovell

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Howard Books (October 29, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1476726507
• ISBN-13: 978-1476726502
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches

Fields of Grace

"Why God? Why I am the only one left?"

These would be the same questions Hannah Luce would ask herself over and over as she began the slow road to recovery and healing being the only one to survive the plane crash that killed four of her closest friends and ones who were just beginning their lives working for Teen Mania Ministries. What Hannah shares in Fields of Grace, the book that chronicles not only what happened that fateful day that would forever change her life in more ways than she could remember but also shares how difficult her own road to discovery and faith has been being the daughter of a well known youth evangelist, Ron Luce, cofounder and CEO of Teen Mania Ministries.

This is the perfect book for anyone who is just beginning their spiritual walk or questioning where God is at in their dry moments when you wonder is this all there is in your faith walk. Hannah tells a very honest and compelling look at how she was raised and how she began at some point to wonder where God was at in all of it. She struggles with prayer and wondering why God doesn't answer her like she believes He should. She questions everything she has been raised to believe and wonders if there is something more out there than just what her dad has been teaching her.

She introduces us to Austin Anderson, the young man she meets while attending Oral Roberts University who is adored and charmed by countless women but has the most amazing friendship with Hannah because she is unlike anyone he has ever met since returning from two tours in Iraq and has been struggling to come to terms with his faith and seeing the horror of war. He and Hannah find themselves as true soulmates in every sense of the word even though they are not romantically interested in one another. It will be that same relationship that will be tested in the truest sense when their plane crashes.

Hannah tells how difficult it has been trying to find ways to reconnect with not only Austin but with Garrett Coble, the man that she believes was joining the flight that day to ask her to become part of his life, something that was shared between them but never honestly discussed until the day that would forever seal their fates and Hannah would never be able to tell Garrett her true feelings for him. She fondly remembers Austin's favorite quote from the movie Braveheart, "Every man dies, not every man really lives," and that is just how Garrett lived every moment of his life, a true hero to the end.

I received Fields of Grace by Hannah Luce and Robin Gaby Fisher compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars because I truly believe in all of our hearts, we have all had moments of doubt and wonder where God is in the midst of personal trials, struggles or losses we can not explain. This book helps cast aside those doubts and helps us to realize that most of the time God is simply waiting to be invited in, and not asked to prove His existence in our lives. This book is a love story about three friends whose bond cannot be broken by death.

Hannah Luce has decided to donate all proceeds of the sale of Fields of Grace to the nonprofit organization she formed Mirror Tree to aid in the research and to create opportunities for people in the United States to help rehabilitate and reintegrate female refugees and others suffering from the aftereffects of rape, genocide and the loss of identity. This was a dream Austin had and she wants to do all she can to see this dream become a reality and as a tribute to him and the work he had hoped to achieve.

For more information about Fields of Grace, Hannah Luce, or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Fields of Grace by Hannah Luce and Robin Gaby Fisher

To find out more about Teen Mania Ministries you can check them out on Facebook.

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Atria Books (October 22, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1476729603
• ISBN-13: 978-1476729602
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches

Happy, Happy, Happy

Sometimes the greatest lessons I learn about life come from reading people's autobiographies. In it, I glean information about a life that is uniquely different from my own and along the way take back something inevitably life changing. I think it's vital that at some point in everyone's life, you read biographies. It opens your eyes to possibilities you never thought possible until you finish the final page.

There probably isn't a person around who hasn't heard about Duck Dynasty, the newest reality television series to come from A & E, based on the life of Phil Robertson and his family. It was designed to give American family what was missing in television, a functional family. Not since the days of the Andy Griffith Show, Little House on the Prairie, The Walton, or even the Beverly Hillbillies has a more genuine family come across television. The Robertson family's faith is what separates them from a lot of other families as well as the love each of them have for one another. They still gather around the family dinner table for home-cooked meals, something you don't see much of any more. Everybody in America is so busy, busy, busy. They are preoccupied with their cell phones and computers, so they don't take time to sit down with their spouses, children, grandchildren, aunts and uncles, and grandparents to eat a meal together. The family structure is slipping away from America, but not in the Robertson house.

Phil says it best, "You'll never find me living in a city, folk. Where I live, I am 911. Like I say, if you spend too much time in the subdivision, you go a-runnin' when the snakes fall out of the trees!" This is why he has maintained the life he was born and raised on, living off the land, being self sufficient for the most part and ensuring that his family retains those things that are slowly missing from the family today. He reminds us that young girls don't know how to cook. "Their grandmothers and mamas cooked for them, but they never took the time to learn how to cook. They were more interested in other things. If you go out into the subdivisions and suburbs of America, where all of the yuppies live, you'll see restaurants are packed with people. They don't want to eat slop and they're looking for good food, but they don't want to take the time to make it. Dad is working, Mom is working, and so no one has the time or energy to cook a good meal anymore. So our families end up eating in restaurants, where they're surrounded by noise and clutter, instead of sharing quality time in a family setting."

Perhaps Phil is on to something we all need to hear. While his ways may not work for you, there is some wonderful wisdom in what he has learned by growing up during the time of the great depression and teaching us all to be a little more self sufficient in what we decide to keep or giveaway. There are some great life lessons Phil learned along the way, that I think are the true diamonds in this book and one I plan on incorporating a bit more of before it's too late. Perhaps too much technology is a bad thing and it's time to find our way back to those solid family roots once again.

I received Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions I shared are mine alone. I love all the interesting stories that come from reading this book, to how the family spent their time growing up without Xbox or Nintendo games and instead spent their youth exploring fields, woods and swamps that surround their homes. Even today, Phil doesn't own or use a cell phone or computer, nor does he plan on ever having one. He does promise one thing however, you'll never find him on Twitter or Skype, and if anyone needs to talk to him, they know where he lives. I easily rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars and by the end, I think you too, will be Happy, Happy, Happy!

For more information about Happy Happy Happy, Phil Robertson or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson

You can also find out more about Phil Robertson, The Duck Commander on Facebook.

To read more reviews on Happy, Happy, Happy, please visit Howard Books website. 

American Sniper: The Autobiography of The Most Lethal Sniper in US Military History

He is the deadliest American sniper ever, called “the devil” by the enemies he hunted and “the legend” by his Navy SEAL brothers . . .

From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. The Pentagon has officially confirmed more than 150 of Kyles kills (the previous American record was 109), but it has declined to verify the astonishing total number for this book. Iraqi insurgents feared Kyle so much they named him al-Shaitan (“the devil”) and placed a bounty on his head. Kyle earned legendary status among his fellow SEALs, Marines, and U.S. Army soldiers, whom he protected with deadly accuracy from rooftops and stealth positions. Gripping and unforgettable, Kyle’s masterful account of his extraordinary battlefield experiences ranks as one of the great war memoirs of all time.

American Sniper: The Autobiography of The Most Lethal Sniper in US Military History by Chris Kyle

I received this book for my review only with no monetary interest provided by William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my written expressed review.

American Sniper is one story of just one man who had an incredible journey during the war in Iraq/Afghanistan. While I am so honored and proud of Chris Kyle defending not only Americans in Iraq and the surrounding areas, but other military members as well. I can’t help but read between the pages to see see his wife struggling to raise their first child by herself. With Chris contemplating a second tour and re-enlisting for another 4-5 years of being deployed back to Iraq, his Wife is left with a feeling of loss and anger towards her husband for not putting his wife and family first. Chris has done some amazing things by being a SEAL! Things that many of us Americans could not even fathom having to deal with. Chris has my utmost respect and admiration for helping to protect the American ideals that make our country great. What I don’t particularly like is how he put his country over his wife and children when coming up on his 2nd tour. With a wife and child at home and another on the way, he decides to re-enlist for another dangerous deployment that could end his life and leave his wife without a husband and his children without a father.

I have to take the side of his wife after his first tour that he should not have re-enlisted to be with his wife and family. He served his country with honor and saved many lives, while at the same time killing so many terrorists that threatened any type of life in Iraq. After his first tour however, he was plagued by thoughts of not being their for his fellow soldiers that he forgot the most important rule in life. To be a loving father and husband, for that is what is truly will be remembered by the ones you love and whom you will depend on in life. Yes he has many memories as a sniper and has remained very close to other SEAL’s throughout his life, but it is his wife and children that will make him the man that he is.

I would rate this book a 3 out of 5 stars. I would rate this book higher, but I felt that his patriotism truly leads his life over his family. God, family, country is how it should be. Thank you Chris Kyle for your service and your pride for America. Now take the time to have a happy and fulfilling relationship with your wife and children. God Bless you!

Diary of A Player - Giveaway and Review

What does country music, guitar heroes and an autobiography have in common? The newest novel called, Diary of A Player by Brad Paisley and David Wild. Welcome to the unique story of just how untalented Brad Paisley really believed himself to be and how he utilized the talents of creative legends like Buck Owens, Roy Clark, and Chet Atkins to help him turn his dream into a reality!

This honest, funny, revealing book is one musician's true story of what's been a very musical life with strings attached. Diary of A Player is Brad Paisley's love letter to the guitar as an instrument that changes our lives and a loving tribute to the musical heroes that taught him everything he really needed to know about growing up.

You will learn about the important people that came into Brad's life from his humble beginnings as an 8-year-old-boy who received a guitar from his grandfather one Christmas and his journey into learning how to become the talented musician we have come to love and adore. Believe it or not, he didn't just pick it up as a natural and begin playing. He actually gave it up for awhile much to the dismay of his grandfather. The reader is also along for the journey into how he met and married Kimberly Williams, his wife and what his thoughts are for his own children. Included with the book are candid photos of Brad's journey to stardom and some of the "guitar heroes" he has met along the way.

I received this novel compliments of Simon and Schuster for my honest review and loved how simple the story was written. You actually feel as though Brad is sitting with you sharing his story in the words that spring to life off the page. You can see that even though he is a musical superstar today, the journey wasn't always the easy one we have a tendency to think of when comparing him to where he is today. I highly recommend this story to my readers and rate this autobiography a 5 out of 5 stars!

For even more information on this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

Diary of A Player by Brad Paisley and David Wild

Thanks to the generous folks at Simon and Schuster, they are offering a giveaway copy of this book to one lucky follower of this blog, Reviews From The Heart. Here's all you need to do to enter:

1. Be a follower of Reviews From The Heart.

2. "Like" my Facebook page, Reviews From The Heart.

3. Be a resident of the US or have a US shipping address. Please No P.O. Box addresses since this will be shipped to you directly from the publisher.

4. Leave me a comment telling me why you'd like to win a copy of this book along with your email address. I need a way to contact you if your the winner of the giveaway, so your email address is needed. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

The giveaway will end on December 9th and I will notify the winner by email at that time.