Darkness Watching - Review

I received a copy of DARKNESS WATCHING by Emma Adams.  It is a fantasy published by Curiosity Quills, and one I greatly enjoyed.  I started reading it late one night, expecting to go to bed after a chapter or two, but ended up reading much later.  “Chilling” is an excellent word to describe it.  I highly recommend it.

Bonus Scene & Giveaway for ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW

HOW FAR INTO THE HOLLOW WILL YOU GO?

I love everything that comes with being published – the book signings, the blog interviews, the swag…  I’ve never been so excited about buying a bookmark before.  I also love hearing from the readers of ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW, and a few people asked me how Leon got the handgun.  I would hate to disappoint the fans, so I wrote a bonus scene where Leon meets the weapon.  You can access it here: http://www.jordanelizabethmierek.com/novels.html

There’s more than just a bonus scene on the website.  Check out contests, book signings, future books, and feel free to drop me a line.  Your suggestion might be the next bonus scene!  Signed copies of my books are available by request.  They make great holiday gifts.  Yes, I’m winking at you. 

Everyone in Arnn – a small farming town with more legends than residents – knows the story of Witchwood Hollow: if you venture into the whispering forest, the witch will trap your soul among the shadowed trees.

After losing her parents in a horrific terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, fifteen-year-old Honoria and her older brother escape New York City to Arnn. In the lure of that perpetual darkness, Honoria finds hope, when she should be afraid.

Perhaps the witch can reunite her with her lost parents. Awakening the witch, however, brings more than salvation from mourning, for Honoria discovers a past of missing children and broken promises.

To save the citizens of Arnn from becoming the witch’s next victims, she must find the truth behind the woman’s madness.

How deep into Witchwood Hollow does Honoria dare venture?

Jordan Elizabeth, formally Jordan Elizabeth Mierek, is the author of young adult fantasy ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW and contributing author for GEARS OF BRASS, both available from Curiosity Quills Press.  Her next books, TREASURE DARKLY and BORN OF TREASURE, arrive in 2015.  She is represented by Belcastro Agency. 

###

No new bonus scene would be complete with a contest.  Win this chilling keychain and ask yourself how deep into the hollow you will go. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your Life Still Counts

I received a copy of YOUR LIFE STILL COUNTS: HOW GOD USES YOUR PAST TO CREATE A BEAUTIFUL FUTURE by Tracie Miles from Bethany House.  As always is the case when I receive a book from Bethany House, it was top quality. 

The book is what I would call “self-help.”  I enjoy those types of books, as they encourage me to think about my life and the deeds of the people around me.  I urge friends to talk to me about their lives, and if I can relate any part of a book I’ve read to them, I am quick to contribute advice.  Sometimes this advice is unwarranted – no, they never show anger – but I like to think that it does help. 

YOUR LIFE STILL COUNTS escorts you on a journey where the author proves you can still be loved no matter your past.  Real world examples mingle with Biblical quotes.  Tracie Miles uses real life examples and examples from other women.  This is not just a “female” book although that is the main focus; men will find enlightenment as well.

I recommend this book to those who feel haunted by their past or for anyone hoping to help someone who feels that way.

Love Without End

I received a copy of LOVE WITHOUT END by Robin Lee Hatcher from Thomas Nelson via BookSneeze.  I cannot stress enough how much I enjoy Thomas Nelson books.  They are always top quality, with intriguing adventures, heart stopping romance, and realistic characters. 

This book involves Kimberly Welch and Chet Leonard.  Kimberly’s husband is deceased and Chet’s son is dead.  His wife then abandoned him and their two other sons.  Both Kimberly and Chet feel lost, hopeless, and down on love.  They feel lost.  Anyone should be able to relate to that, whether it is because of lost love or another situation.  Robin Lee Hatcher shows that life can go up.  The author portrays their emotions well and creates a touching love story that will, at times, bring tears to your eyes.  Both Kimberly’s family (which includes her and a teenage daughter) and Leonard’s come together when an elderly woman arrives at King’s Meadow, a ranch. 

Robin Lee Hatcher is definitely an author to watch.  I look forward to reading more of her works.  LOVE WITHOUT END is a Kings Meadow Romance, the first installment in the series.  I highly recommend it.  It makes an excellent holiday gift, either to a loved one or for yourself.

The Time of Jesus

I received a copy of LOOK INSIDE: THE TIME OF JESUS, with text by Lois Rock, from Lion Children’s via Kregel.  This is known as “a lift-the-flap discovery book.”

It is another book I have happily passed on to my young cousins.  The rate this with a definite five stars.  Not only are the illustrations, done by Lorenzo Orlandi, colorful and engaging, but the book is interactive.  It isn’t the type a child can doze through.  Rather, it is a book that will captivate a child night after night. 

Each page features a different location, with an accompanying blurb explaining the significance of that location, such as the stable in Bethlehem (the first location in the book).  Questions are posed on the pages to keep the reader thinking, but there are also sentences that describe what is going on, such as “townspeople are woken by the clatter of passers-by” (page 1).  The pages contain flaps that can be lifted to show more pictures underneath. 

If I were reading this with a child, I would take turns with the child telling stories about each of the people featured on the pages.  I highly recommend this to families.  It will make a great addition to any library.

IF YOU FOLLOW ME

I received a copy of IF YOU FOLLOW ME by Pam Rhodes from Lion Fiction via Kregel.  It is Book Three of the Dunbridge Chronicles.  This is a book that will quickly catch your interest and keep you reading so you can discover what happens next. 

As I understand it, this will be the final installment in the Chronicles.  I enjoyed the other books, and even though this was no exception, it did have a bittersweet feel to it.  The characters are endearing, so you want to continue knowing what becomes of them.  There is, of course, imagination for that.

In this, the third book, Neil and Clare become engaged.  For those new to the series, Neil is a priest.  To liven things up, Clare’s ex and father of her son jumps back into Clare’s world hoping to pick back up in her life.  No way – she has moved on to Neil! 

I understand that a few people did not like this as a work of Christian fiction for various reasons, including the use of a “bad” word, but I love the moral teachings behind the story.  “Always be a good person” shone through to me and I recommend this book to others.

GEARS OF BRASS

A world like ours, but filled with gears of brass, where the beating heart is fueled by steam and the simplest creation is a complex clockwork device. Within this tome, you’ll find steampunk fairy tale re-tellings, as well as original stories that will send your gears turning. Welcome to the steampunk realm, with eleven authors guiding your path.

 

Gears of Brass is a steampunk anthology published through Curiosity Quills. Within the pages, you’ll come across clockwork inventions and steampunk-ified fairy tale retellings. Eleven authors will guide you through worlds filled with airships, top hats, and corsets.

TEASERS (each teaser is from a different tale in the anthology)  

“Stealing a few steps backward, I reached for him and brushed my fingertips along his cheek. Static energy crept across my palm. It glowed blue and pulled like taffy, sticking to my fingertips, then snapping back to his skin. My hand jerked back so hard I hit myself in the chest. My eyes traipsed down his neck, his shoulders, finally stopping at his midsection. It was almost as though I could see inside him. “  

“The guards struggled forward, but failed to move even an inch. Everyone was frozen in place, except the uninvited guest. The man floated toward Lord and Lady Miller. “You see, my lord, your wife made a deal with me that cannot be broken. Your daughter is mine.”  

“I swiped my hand across my nose, wishing I could smell the green of the trees. Eyes burning, I swallowed hard, feeling the incision in my throat where they’d cut out my sinus enhancer. I would never be able to smell my exotic perfumes again.”  

“Anthie watched the lissom liquid slip inside the carrying tube. I could see her inhaling the smell of the lubricating oil. So could Dr. Holmgren. From time to time he looked across at us through his reinforced goggles. They gave him the appearance of a baby owl, which was at odds with his general nastiness. I knew he was taking everything in. And I knew he had a special eye on Anthie.”

“In a hidden room deep inside the base of the great clock there was a click, a whir of gears, a valve opened, and the key chamber was flooded with air. Several minutes later, Bella awoke. The girl coughed, choked then screamed as blood began to once again flow through her veins: the first time in a millennium.”  

“Something growled near to her right. The hairs along Redyn’s arms stood up and she held her breath. The sound came again, deep, guttural. Redyn turned her head, her lips parted, her gaze scanning the forest. They’d told her not to wander far from the cottage, but they couldn’t have expected her to play with that hideous excuse for a doll near everyone else. A wolf crept out of the shadows, his gray fur standing on end like hers.”  

“Three years ago, your father ruined my life. He terminated my family’s reputation.” “Um…” Amethyst wished she could back up further. Wind pushed at her top hat, so she shoved it up higher to straighten it. “I don’t understand.” “Now, I’ll ruin his life.”  

BUY Links: Amazon / B&N / Kobo

Add to Goodreads here Learn more about the authors behind Gears of Brass over at Curiosity Quills Press   Don’t forget to enter the mega giveaway below! a Rafflecopter giveaway