Monday, February 23, 2015

LIFE THE FLAP BIBLE

I received a copy of LIFT THE FLAP BIBLE with text by Karen Williamson from Lion Hudson from Kregel in exchange for an honest review. It is part of the “Candle Tiny Tots” series.  The illustrations are by Louise Anglicas, and they are colorful and intriguing.  They appear to be different papers, with varying colors and patterns, pasted together to form images – but of course it looks better than what I just described!  The book includes eight Bible stories perfect for young readers.  The stories are just tidbits, but they will lead into longer discussions.  When young children hear more about those people, such as Daniel, they will be able to relate back to this book.

I will admit that some of the flaps were a bit weird.  The outside of the flap, facing the reader upon opening to that page, revealed an animal, for example, and when you lifted the flap, it was the same animal, but slightly different.  One flap involved a bird, and the inside showed the bird lifting its wings.  While all the flaps were cute, for some of them I was expecting something a bit more.


The book is designed for children ten months and older.  I am going to pass it on to a friend who has a young son and another on the way.  I hope that their family enjoys reading this aloud, as my family did when we received it.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

The Babylon Contingency

I received a copy of THE BABYLON CONTINGENCY: ARCHEOLOGY AT ITS MOST DANGEROUS by Clifford Longley from Lion Fiction via Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review.  I was very excited for this book.  Basically, I love archeology.  I’m not an archeologist by any means, although one of my close friends is, but I’ve always been drawn into that world.  I want to discover the secrets of the past by studying how people lived.  I always feel as though some great path is going to open up that reveals a significant truth.  So, back to the book, I was thrilled to read it and dove right in.  The chapters moved along nicely.  The characters were strong and the setting easy to imagine.

It did, however, feel rushed in several places of the story.  Many of the things referenced to new to me – which might just mean that I lived a sheltered life – but I got to learn by studying them.  I love to learn. 

The coded disks are my part of the novel.  Overall, I recommend this to people who love politics and history.  I enjoy history, but not so much politics, so that’s why my rating is a bit lower.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Treasure Darkly


Beware a Treasure Darkly…


(The stunning cover art is thanks to Amalia Chitulescu)

Seventeen-year-old Clark Treasure assumes the drink he stole off the captain is absinthe…until the chemicals in the liquid give him the ability to awaken the dead. A great invention for creating perfect soldiers, yes, but Clark wants to live as a miner, not a slave to the army—or the deceased. On the run, Clark turns to his estranged tycoon father for help. The Treasures welcome Clark with open arms, so he jumps at the chance to help them protect their ranch against Senator Horan, a man who hates anyone more powerful than he.

And he is not alone. His new found sister, Amethyst, thinks that's rather dashing, until Horan kidnaps her, and all she gets is a bullet through her heart. When Clark brings her back to life, she realizes he's more than just street-smart - and he's not really a Treasure. Amethyst’s boring summer at home has turned into an adventure on the run, chock full of intrigue, danger, love, and a mysterious boy named Clark.


TREASURE DARKLY, book 1 of the Treasure Chronicles

The young adult novel is a dark mix of steampunk, the paranormal and romance in a “Wild West” setting. 

Below is an excerpt from TREASURE DARKLY.  You can read more on the Curiosity Quills Press website.

“Looks like he did drink it up.” The general client spoke from the right. “Must’ve interacted with all that bloody hertum. Look at ‘im, he’s bleeding already.”

“What’s it gonna do to him?” the guard from the morning asked.

“Lots of stuff.” The general laughed. “When he touches the dead, he’ll be able to bring them back, and exchange that life for another. Perfect soldier, huh? We only have one vial ready and I was going to give it to a lucky fellow. Guess it will be this boy.”

“Whatcha gonna do with him?” The guard snickered.

“Have to be a test subject,” the general said. “Sure thought it was that Judy who stole my bottle. Pity I killed her. She sure knew how to make my pecker sing.”

Judy.

Clark’s mother.

Clark bolted off the ground and ran. He could hide in the hole under the shed behind the brothel. Mable never found him under there. He might be cursed with raising the dead—he’d already done that to the poor mine worker—but it didn’t mean he’d let them take him for tests.

###

You can read more about Amethyst Treasure in GEARS OF BRASS, a steampunk anthology from Curiosity Quills Press available now from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Yes, this is my second full-length novel!  Want to know more about me?

Jordan Elizabeth, formally Jordan Elizabeth Mierek, is the author of ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW, available from Curiosity Quills Press.  Check out Jordan’s website, JordanElizabethMierek.com, for contests and book signing locales.  Jordan is represented by Belcastro Agency and she is president of the Utica Writers Club.


No blog tour is complete without a giveaway.   Enter below for a chance to win a paperback copy of GEARS OF BRASS.   

 


Sunday, February 15, 2015

Voting!

Code starts here:

Voting begins . . . NOW!

Book Trailer Love Fest 2 Show your support of over 30 authors including USA Today bestsellers by voting in the first ever Book Trailer Love Fest. Watch the trailers, vote in the polls, and share the contest with your friends! The voting is live from February 15th to February 22nd. Winner will be selected on the February 23rd. This is a fun, free contest made to support all authors! So hop on over to booktrailerlovefest.com and get your vote on! Here is a list of authors participating in the contest:

USA TODAY Bestselling Authors:

DelSheree Gladden

Noree Cosper

Rainy Kaye

Angela Fristoe

Amazon Bestselling Authors:

Devorah Fox

Alesha Escobar

Emerald Barnes

Fiona Skye

Award Winning Authors:

J. Andersen

Also featuring these fabulous authors:

Charles Ray

Jennifer Fisch-Ferguson

Susan Laqueur

L. Bachman

J.R. Smith

Lindsey L. Loucks

Sessha Batto

Angelica Dawson

Yolanda Renee

Katherine Jean Pope

Jamie Marchant

Jennifer Chase

Everett Robert

Charity Tober

Tam Linsey

W K Pomeroy

Jordan Mierek

Elle Boca

Isabella Tredway

Code ends here:

Monday, February 9, 2015

The First Principle

I received a copy of THE FIRST PRINCIPLE by Marissa Schrock from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review.  It is characterized at Christian, Futuristic Fiction.  I found the novel intriguing, for I am trying my hand at my own “futuristic” novel, although mine leans more toward “dystopian.” 

In THE FIRST PRINCIPLE, Vivica lives in the United Regions of North America.  There are many twists in this story, and the setting is vivid.  You really feel as if you are a part of this futuristic world.  The chapters are fast-paced, so prepare to read this in one sitting.  You won’t want to pause for a break.

Vivica is the governor’s daughter, and she’s faced with a tough choice: rebel or abort her baby.  I truly enjoyed the way Marissa Schrock handled the delicate matter and took into account Christian principles, as well as family love.  I highly recommend this book and I can see it doing well with both adults and young adults.


With the publication of my own books, I’ve been pickier about covers, and I’m not sure about this one.  I would have preferred something with more action – I wonder if it will attract young adults.  The model, however, captures Vivica’s strengths and weaknesses.  

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

The Abbot's Agreement

I received a copy of THE ABBOT’S AGREEMENT by Mel Starr from Lion Hudson via Kregel in exchange for an honest review.  It is the latest installment in the Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon.  I have read other novels in the series and greatly enjoyed them – nothing tickles my taste buds more than historical mystery – so I knew I would love this story. 

Master Hugh is a medieval surgeon.  In this adventure, he comes across a young Benedictine boy and he takes the body to a nearby abbey.  The novice master asks Hugh to investigate who stabbed the boy.  Of course Hugh does.


These novels transport you back to Medieval England.  The setting and characters ring true, with sayings, habits, and names.  Nothing feels out of place or too modern.  The best part is that if you enjoy this story, there are more in store for you!  This installment, as with the others, can be a standalone novel; however, those who love Hugh will delight in seeing more of him and a few familiar characters.  The reader is captivated from cover to cover.  I highly recommend this to fans of historical fiction, mystery, and Christian fiction.  I applaud Mel Starr for his ability to weave an exciting, detailed story.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Altar of Reality





Altar of Reality, by Mara Valderran

Genre: young-adult, dystopian, science-fiction romance

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Date of Publication: January 22, 2015


Description:

Sixteen year-old Madeline has struggled with epilepsy for most of her adolescent life, leaving her something of a social pariah. Things go from bad to worse when she wakes up from her first grand mal seizure in an extremely unfamiliar world but surrounded but familiar faces. Her hometown is in ruins, the aftermath of a Cold War turned hot.
Thomas, the boy that stomped on her heart a year ago, and his brother Brandon have been hiding her away since the explosion that killed her parents. The Lord Commander, now running the southern territories, believes Madeline died with them and the brothers need to keep it that way.
The biggest problem? The explosion happened when she was twelve.

Madeline isn’t sure what to believe. The brothers insist her memories must be of a dream life she created while in her coma. But when she returns to the reality she knows, they insist this war-torn world must be the dream. She doesn’t know if she’s truly caught in the middle of a brewing rebellion or teetering on the brink of insanity. As she finds herself flipping between the two lives, her heart becomes torn between two versions of the same boy and the lines between her realities begin to blur.

Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK

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About Mara Valderran:

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Mara Valderran is an author of young adult and new adult books, but she's more than just a madwoman with a writing box. She is an avid reader and fan of all things sci-fi and fantasy. She loves roller skating and movies, though typically not together. She hopes to one day meet Daniel Jackson from SG1, or at least the actor who played him. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, playing video games, or counting down the days until DragonCon.

Her debut novel, HEIRS OF WAR, has been met with great reviews and was featured on Wattpad in 2013, raking in over 600k reads. The series continues with the second book, HEIRS OF WAR, CROWN OF FLAMES, released in Summer 2014. Her short story “The Austenation” will is included in the Borderlands Anthology and she is looking forward to publishing her young adult dystopian ALTAR OF REALITY with Curiosity Quills Spring 2015.

Find Mara Valderran Online:




Sunday, February 1, 2015

SOULSPARK Cover Reveal


Soul Spark

 

SOULSPARK is YA Contemporary Romance sure to rip open your heart and stitch it back together.

 

Here's the blurb:

 

Dealing with the loss of her mother, seventeen-year-old Jessica Stone tries to find an escape from the pain by secretly medicating herself with Xanax, but the anxiety increases, crushing her and her grades.

 

Then she meets Caleb Jonas, the pastor’s son at her mother’s church. Between his cute dimples and love of fast cars, Jessica is completely smitten, and the feeling is mutual. But dating a Christian boy isn’t easy. He doesn’t party, and he never goes past first base. Jessica struggles with his faith, since it makes her question her own, but for the first time since her mother’s death, she can breathe. Life is finally shifting into a state of happiness.

 

But that happiness shatters when Jessica catches Caleb kissing her ex-best friend—and step-brother’s girlfriend—Rachel, the girl who used to be like her sister, and the same girl who betrayed her once before.

 

While her stepbrother hints at a deeper connection between the two, Caleb insists it was a one-time mistake and begs forgiveness. With contradicting stories coming at her, Jessica isn’t sure who to believe, but sometimes the truth is better left undiscovered and she’s about to find out why.

 

ADD TO GOODREADS HERE!

 

SOULSPARK is scheduled to release this spring!

 

Author Bio:

 

Author pic 1Eliza graduated from Dowling College with a BS in Visual Communications. When she’s not arguing with excel at her day job, or playing Dragon Age 2, again, she’s writing. Her stories hold a bit of the fantastical and there’s always a romance. She resides on Long Island with her husband, two kids and one very snuggly pit bull. Her YA Fantasy series, The Daath Chronicles, is published by Curiosity Quills Press.

 

Author links: