The Photograph

I received a copy of THE PHOTOGRAPH by Beverly Lewis from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.  This is a standalone novel about the Amish.  As always with a Beverly Lewis book, you know you will fall in love with the characters and need to read it in one sitting to find out what happens next.

Lily Esch disappears after the death of her parents and this weighs upon her sister Eva.  Eva falls in love with Jed.  He has a picture that… well, you’re going to have to read the story to discover what the photograph means to Eva’s family!

I recommend this to fans of Amish and Christian fiction.  I will be passing the book on to my mother.  She and I love to discuss Amish literature.  An Amish community has formed near our home and that has helped to make these books even more real to us.

Something I really liked about this book happened to be the references to LITTLE WOMEN.  That has always been a favorite of mine.  When I was younger, my mother and I read it together.

Note: Despite being a standalone, it is set in Eden Valley – namely THE RIVER – and references characters from that series.  I haven’t read those books yet and it was easy for me to enjoy THE PHOTOGRAPH. 

Nev

I received a copy of NEV by Kristi Ayers in exchange for an honest review.  I read ONE PETAL FLOWER first and I had already fallen in love with the author’s writing style, so I was thrilled to take a dive into this one. 

Kristi Ayers’s has a talent for capturing the persona of a teenage girl in thought-provoking literature. 

Cam is endearing and Nev is one to root for.  I enjoyed how none of the characters were perfect.  Everyone had a flaw that only made the story more raw. 

Easy 5 stars from me!

One Petal Flower

I received a copy of ONE PETAL FLOWER by Kristi Ayers in exchange for an honest review.  I was excited to see this is paranormal romance – one of my favorite genres. 

Realistic dialogue and captivating characters make this an engaging, well-rounded story. 

I loved Darian Moon as a main character.  Kristi Ayers captured the teen girl spirit perfectly.  It took me right back to being a teenager! 

Highly recommended! 

The Hunter King

I received a copy of THE HUNTER KING by Vyzyran in exchange for an honest review.  I met him on Imgur and I was excited to read this book.  Awesome pen name by the way!

I can easily give this 5 stars.  This felt well edited and you can tell the author put a lot of effort into creating an exciting adventure.  I hate to give away spoilers, so I won’t go into too much detail on the plot, but Balor has to go to war in a fantasy land that is one of the most well-developed I have ever read about!

Characters are realistic and well-drawn.   The dialogue never dragged. 

The cover is also quite stellar!

She's Almost a Teenager

I received a copy of SHE’S ALMOST A TEENAGER: ESSENTIAL CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE NOW by Peter and Heather Larson, and David and Claudia Arp, from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review. 

I enjoy books like this – a friend calls them parenting guides – because of my education background.  I started reading these during my college years as preparation for becoming a good teacher and strong guide for my students.  Right now I am teaching in a banking world, but I still enjoy reading these.  I also teach writing workshops to adults and I would like to teach them for children as well.

So for this book… I enjoyed reading the authors mention their daughters.  It made it sound very real.  This wasn’t a dull, boring book.  These were people talking to you in an intelligent, honest, conversational tone.  This book is geared toward moms and dads.  I really liked that, as most I read are more geared toward moms. 

SHE’S ALMOST A TEENAGER features eight sections, or “conversations.”  These are the big-talk picture, the friends talk, the academics talk, the body talk, the faith talk, the boys talk, the money talk, and the tech talk.  No section is overly preachy while still maintaining roots in a firm faith. 

A solid 4 stars from me.  I am recommending this to all my friends who have almost teenage daughters.

Only with Blood

I received a copy of ONLY WITH BLOOD: A NOVEL OF IRELAND by Therese Down from Lion Hudson in exchange for an honest review. 

 

I can honestly say this a top-notch book.  Let me start with the cover.  A girl in a white dress stands overlook water, tall grasses swaying in the wind behind her.  Her long dark hair wavers.  This image evokes so many thoughts.  My imagination was instantly sparked.  The novel itself did not let me down.

 

From the first page, the reader is gripped in raw drama.  You get to experience Ireland during World War II right along with the characters.  In the novel, a farmer, Jack Flynn, sells his daughter, Caitlin, in order to make ends meet.  His beautiful daughter is then married to an older man who isn’t well.  She yearns to attend a university.  Without giving away any spoilers, along comes IRA agent Donal Kelly. 

 

The research in the novel is impeccable.  You can tell the author and editor spent a great deal of time on this novel.  I have read a few books that involve similar situations, but I still learned a lot from ONLY WITH BLOOD.

 

I highly recommend this to fans of historical fiction. 

Bible Stories Gone Crazy!

I received a copy of BIBLE STORIES GONE CRAZY! By Josh Edwards from Lion Hudson from Candle Books in exchange for an honest review.  It is illustrated by Emiliano Migliardo. 

The book shows different scenes from the Bible, such as Noah’s Ark and Daniel in the Pit of Lions.  Each story is accompanied with a paragraph of description and then along the border, pictures and words urge the reader to find different things in the main picture.  I liked that the pages are thick and glossy.  You can circle the picture when you find what you are looking for and the dry-erase marker should wipe away.  The main pictures often have ‘comical” elements, such as a lion floating away on a bunch of helium balloons.

I have mixed feelings about this book.  It is a great way to get children involved in the Bible.  It is also a fun way for children to spend time with adults.  However, I didn’t care for the comical images.  I felt that they distracted from the historical context and would confuse children. 

I shared this book with my boyfriend and mother.  They both loved it and thought it would be great for children.  The pros outweighed the cons, and I give this a solid 4 stars.  

Magic's Stealing

Blurb

For centuries, ribbons of magic have provided the kingdom of Cirena with light, healing, and protection. Then, in a span of minutes, those ribbons fly from their masters, stolen, save for the magic of a few chosen mages. One of these mages is Toranih, a young noblewoman who would rather have a sword in her hand than use her powers to heal or throw fireballs. As a result, her magic skills are lacking. But with former mages dying from magic withdrawal, and the looming threat of an army of shadows who are impervious to mortal weapons, she must either embrace the responsibilities of a mage or watch her home perish.

Magic’s Stealing is a 34,000-word, young adult fantasy novella. This is the first book in The Wishing Blade series.

Excerpt

In the time since the stealing, a crowd had amassed at the steps of the domed building. Toranih pushed through them, not wanting to call attention to herself, then gave up when the mass grew so thick she couldn’t elbow her way through.

She turned and raised her arms. “Hey—hey… quiet!”

The clamor quieted and all eyes turned to her.

She swallowed hard. She liked attention, but only when she had a wooden waster in hand and an opponent on the other side of the field.

She cleared her throat. “Please, we know our magic has vanished. But unless you have the ability to help those who are sick, you need to go home. Wait until we know the nature of this theft, so we can ensure everyone is safe.”

A few people exchanged glances and agreed to leave, but more strayed to the doorstep.

Toranih sighed. At least she’d tried. She turned to go inside and stopped short. A young child in simple yellow robes looked up at her. Tears streaked her cheeks, and she held a bundle of flowers. “Why did Aifa leave us?”

Toranih blinked. “What are you talking about?”

A slightly older boy came up behind her. He peered hesitantly around the door. “No one is supposed to come inside.”

“I can help.”

The boy shook his head. “Without magic, no one can help.”

Toranih grimaced, then lowered her voice. “I still have magic.”

His green eyes widened, and he closed the door to a mere sliver. “You have magic?”

“Yes. Now please, let me in.”

He exchanged glances with the little girl, then shook his head. His golden curls bounced against his ears. “I don’t think we should.”

Toranih gritted her teeth. People were dying, and she couldn’t even get inside. She slammed her body against the door, catching him off guard, and shouldered past him.

He nearly fell on his bum before he righted himself. “Wait!”

She strode through the hall, trying to guess which room was the infirmary.

“The priests are dead,” he blurted.

She stopped. “All of them?”

He gave a tiny nod. The giant hall engulfed him with its larger-than-life painting of the Cirenan pantheon. “Has Madiya gone mad?”

Toranih shivered. That’d be a terrible day. Madiya was the goddess of the dead, responsible for guiding their spirits into the Immortal Realm… or wherever they went after they died. She was among the first of the gods, and thus, more powerful than most.

***

Purchase at Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Magics-Stealing-Wishing-Blade-Book-ebook/dp/B0156P9ZDQ

Purchase at Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magics-Stealing-Wishing-Blade-Book-ebook/dp/B0156P9ZDQ

Purchase at BN.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/magics-stealing-stephanie-flint/1122636794

Purchase for Kobo.com: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/magic-s-stealing

Purchase at Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/576043

Add to Goodreads Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26304119-magic-s-stealing

***

Stephanie Flint (formerly Stephanie Bibb) graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in photography and a minor in creative writing. She merged the two interests into book cover design and photographic illustration, but she particularly enjoys writing speculative fiction. She lives with her husband, Isaac. Together they plot stories in the form of table-top role-play games, and enjoy the occasional cosplay.

Online, Stephanie often goes by the nickname of SBibb.

Moirae

I received a copy of MOIRAE by Mehreen Ahmed in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed his story.  I am a sucker for fantasies, and I found this one most gripping and unusual.  The fantasy world is strongly the Middle East.  That helped me to enjoy it even more – I love to explore our world. 

Faith is a strong aspect in this novel.  That and imagery are the powerful forces. 

I highly recommend this to readers looking to dive into Stream of Consciousness writing/reading.  At first, I stumbled over hat style, but I quickly became immersed and reread the beginning to fully appreciate it. 

Snapshots

I received a copy of SNAPSHOTS by Mehreen Ahmed in exchange for an honest review.  The book discusses the author’s journey around four major continents. 

The telling isn’t dry at all.  In fact, it is quite juicy.  It feels more like you’re having a conversation with the author, rather than reading a text. 

I love traveling.  Locations around the world, especially those that are quite different from where I live have always fascinated me.  Perhaps that’s why I enjoyed this book so much.  I’m envious of the author for getting to do so much!  I’ve only been around North America.  I now have many more places to add to my vacation list!

I highly recommend it to anyone seeking to widen his or her horizons.  

Butterfly Ginger - Cover Reveal

We're thrilled to take part in the cover reveal for BUTTERFLY GINGER by Stephanie Fournet, organized by JenHalliganPR! Check out the cover below, enter the amazing $50 gift card giveaway, and be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

BUTTERFLY GINGER by Stephanie Fournet

Releases November 3, 2015

If you carry a torch for six years, something’s bound to catch fire...

 

Butterfly Ginger is the story of first love getting a second chance. The summer before freshman year, Nate Bradley and Blythe Barnes meet and fall hard. Even with plans to attend college in different cities, they’re convinced that nothing can tear them apart—until everything does. Now, six years later, life in South Louisiana is giving them the chance to put the pieces back together.

 

What do you think of the cover?

Be sure to add BUTTERFLY GINGER to your TBR on Goodreads!

 

 

[caption id="attachment_2604" align="alignleft" width="241"] Credit: Tammie Simon[/caption]

About Stephanie Fournet

 

Stephanie Fournet, author of Fall Semester, Legacy, and Butterfly Ginger, lives in Lafayette, Louisiana—not far from the Saint Streets where her novels are set. She shares her home with her husband John and her daughter Hannah, their needy dogs Gladys and Mabel, and an immortal blue finch named Baby Blue. When she isn’t writing romance novels, she is usually helping students get into college or running. She loves hearing from fans, so look for her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and stephaniefournet.com.

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

Giveaway

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Under his Skin - Cover Reveal

Non-Bloggers

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The Cover

Book Blurb:

Earth girls are never easy. But they're worth it.

Bakery owner Annabelle Sparks' business is booming ever since she won reality TV's Cupcake Wars. The one thing deflating her happy soufflé? The extremely sexy Kaden Chance only sees her as a best friend-and Annabelle wants so much more. After waiting a year for him recognize their chemistry, she's giving up and dating other people.

What she doesn't know is Kaden's heart doesn't actually beat. He's not human. Heck, he's not even from Earth. To retain his intergalactic immunity, no one can ever know he is an extraterrestrial. But when Annabelle starts dating, something strange happens to Kaden's unmoved heart: it begins to beat. Now he faces an impossible choice-tell Annabelle the truth and be deported-or lose his last chance at love.

Release Date: September 21, 2015 

Pre-order Here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you can't use HTML on your site, here is a direct link to the contest:

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Bloggers can also use the HTML from my post. My website is run through Wordpress. If you have Blogger, you WILL need to make adjustments.

For a Limited Time, you can pre-order UNDER HIS SKIN for only $0.99!!!

Earth girls are never easy. But they're worth it.

 

Bakery owner Annabelle Sparks' business is booming ever since she won reality TV's Cupcake Wars. The one thing deflating her happy soufflé? The extremely sexy Kaden Chance only sees her as a best friend-and Annabelle wants so much more. After waiting a year for him recognize their chemistry, she's giving up and dating other people.

 

What she doesn't know is Kaden's heart doesn't actually beat. He's not human. Heck, he's not even from Earth. To retain his intergalactic immunity, no one can ever know he is an extraterrestrial. But when Annabelle starts dating, something strange happens to Kaden's unmoved heart: it begins to beat. Now he faces an impossible choice-tell Annabelle the truth and be deported-or lose his last chance at love.

Release Date: September 21, 2015 

Pre-order Here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

Enter the $100 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card Contest

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Dead Girl Running

Cover Reveal:

Dead Girl Running is a Young Adult/New Adult Crossover Dystopian, and a cross between The Giver, The Handmaiden's Tale, and Agenda 21.

In case you can't read the small print, here's the Back Cover Blurb:

Eight years ago, SILVIA WOOD's father died in an industrial accident. After suffering through years of Psychotherapy Services and Mandated Medications for depression and multiple suicide attempts, she longs to work in Botanical Sciences. When the Occupation Exam determines she must work in Mortuary Sciences instead, she wonders if the New Order assigned her to the morgue to push her over the edge.

To appease her disappointed mother, Silvia enters the Race for Citizen Glory, in an attempt to stand out in the crowd of Equals. After she begins training with "golden boy" LIAM HARMAN, she discovers he also lost his father in the same accident that ruined her childhood. Then Silvia meets and falls for Liam's older cousin, whose paranoid intensity makes her question what really happened to her father. As the race nears, Silvia realizes that she's not only running for glory, she's running for her life.

Scheduled release date: October 26th, 2015

Want to reserve a copy? Here's a PRE-PURCHASE LINK

Meet the Author:

Just kidding, here she is:

Ann M. Noser's Bio:

My to-do list dictates that I attempt to cram forty-eight hours of living into a day instead of the usual twenty-four.  I’ve chosen a life filled with animals.  I train for marathons with my dog, then go to work as a small animal veterinarian, and finish the day by tripping over my pets as I attempt to convince my two unruly children that YES, it really IS time for bed.  But I can’t wait until the house is quiet to write; I have to steal moments throughout the day.  Ten minutes here, a half hour there, I live within my imagination.

Like all busy American mothers, I multi-task.  I work out plot holes during runs.  Instead of meditating, I type madly during yoga stretches.  I find inspiration in everyday things: an NPR program, a beautiful smile, or a newspaper article on a political theory.

I’d love to have more time to write (and run, read, and sleep), but until I find Hermione Granger’s time turner, I will juggle real life with the half-written stories in my head.  Main characters and plot lines intertwine in my cranium, and I need to let my writing weave the tales on paper so I can find out what happens next.

Where to find me:

BLOG

FACEBOOK PAGE

TWITTER

GOODREADS

 

Progeny of Gods: Vertuem Destiny

I received a copy of PROGENY OF GODS: VERTUEM DESTINY by Geoffrey Storm in exchange for an honest review. 

This book took me longer than normal to read.  It wasn’t that it wasn’t enjoyable, I just found a few of the plot points to drag.  However, I still enjoyed it greatly.  I decided to ponder it for a while upon completion, and I am giving it a solid four stars.  I am intrigued by the world and definitely want to read more.

I read a few other reviews and I agree with the point made about excessive swearing.  I wouldn’t give this to a teen because of it, but I definitely recommend it to adults fantasy fanatics.  

Orb of Wrath

I received a copy of THE ORB OF WRATH by Nic Weissman in exchange for an honest review.   It is the first book in the Merchant’s Destiny series.

I notice cover art first, and this one is certainly catchy! 

The book itself does not disappoint.  It is a fantasy, one of my favorite genres.  I found the sentences lyrical.  Everything flowed, nothing jarring.  It is easy to become caught up in the beauty of this work.  

INDEADPENDENCE DAY

I received a copy of INDEADPENDENCE DAY by S. K. Gregory in exchange for an honest review.  First of all, let me grant kudos to the excellent cover!  Addictive image. 

Rachel, the main character, is fun to read about.  She has the perfect amount of sass and adventure.

I highly recommend this to fans of zombie fiction.  I already know a few people who might be interested. 

I will be looking for more stories by S. K. Gregory!