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Author Archive

The Mystic Princesses and the Whirlpool ~ Blast Giveaway

Posted: December 3, 2014 in Action/Adventure, Book Blast, Children's books, Fantasy
Tags: Author PJ LaRue, The Mystic Princesses and the Whirlpool

Book Description: Join Exciting Princess Adventures and Learn Life Lessons Along the Way

Have you ever wanted to ride a dolphin or dreamed of playing on a rainbow as if it were a waterslide? How would you feel if someone tried to kidnap you, and you were forced to move to Hawai’i to hide and live with people you don’t know? That happened to Harmonie. Come meet Harmonie, her new Mystic Princess friends, and find out what happens when her enemies, the Children of Ares, find her again.

Purchase * Goodreads

The Buzz About the Book

“The Mystic Princesses and the Whirlpool has a delightful plot. P. J. LaRue uses mythological characters to tell a lively story of bravery and friendship. The book teaches important lessons on strengths and weaknesses, conservation and safety. This is the first book in the Mystic Princesses series, and I cannot wait for the next princesses’ adventure to come. Young girls will love The Mystic Princesses adventure on their bedside table.” ~ Kelly Santana, Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews

“A lovely book for children with colourful pictures and any child who reads it will be looking for a sequel.” ~ 5 Star Review, Diane, Amazon

“‘The Mystic Princesses and the Whirlpool’ is a confidence boosting book for children, giving them important information. It is the first in a series and I look forward to reading more about Harmonie and her friends.” ~ 5 Star Review, Mary C., Goodreads

“This early chapter book is perfect for children ages six through ten. It does not portray wimpy princesses, but strong, respectful and independent female role models involved in many adventures in which they learn to overcome their weaknesses, act against bullying, and cooperate with friends and family to promote human welfare and peace. Short chapters interspersed with illustrations will maintain interest if the book is read aloud for younger children. Introduce your little princess to this one.” ~ 5 Star Review, Barbara M., Amazon

“The short chapters would make this ideal for younger girls who are newer to reading Chapter Books. The colourful illustrations are excellent, and compliment this warm story nicely. A new series for girls, offering a fun way to learn valuable life lessons.” ~ 5 Star Review, M.J. Kinsmen, Amazon

About the Author: PJ LaRue

PJ LaRue wrote poetry in high school, but she discovered writing children’s books and short stories later in life. Her writing inspirations are hiking, photography and environmental consciousness, but she links these interests to much larger social issues. A person very close to PJ was molested as a child, making PJ passionate about providing child safety tips. And, PJ was bullied in the third grade by girls much larger than she, who demanded that PJ give them her lunch money. As a result, PJ is committed to spreading the word that bullying must be stopped.

One of PJ’s goals is to help educate children, parents and caregivers, in a fun way, using her children’s book series, The Mystic Princesses. Because PJ loves to travel, the princesses will visit many locales, learning about environmental concerns along the way.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Pinterest | Google+ | Goodreads

About the Illustrator: Aristides Rodriguez

Aristides Rodriguez has worked with clients to create websites, social media graphics, print graphics, and logos. His print media projects include cards, posters and magazine ads. He is comfortable working with a team, but has also designed client projects independently. While in school, Aristides participated in job shadows to Central Florida design community members including Disney Event Group, Orlando, SeaWorld, Orlando, and large offset and digital printing companies. Currently, Aristides is a Winter Park Tech Advisory Board member.

Website

* $25 Book Blast Giveaway *

Amazon 25 gift card

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest ends: December 17, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author PJ LaRue and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Christmas Capers ~ Holiday Book Blitz

Posted: December 2, 2014 in Blitz, Holidays, Short stories and collections
Tags: Christmas Capers, multiple authors

Christmas is right around the corner so let’s spread some cheer!

19 holiday short stories by New York Times, USA Toady and award winning authors.

You are invited to share in the cheer!

CYBER MONDAY December 1 – December 4, 2014

This book will only be available December 1 – January 31, 2015

If you can’t post during the initial Blitz the authors would love to
spotlight the book anytime during December and January!

19 holiday short stories by 19 New York Times, USA Today and award
winning authors!

Enjoy these tales of mystery, romance, and laughter
amid the backdrop of pine trees, gingerbread men, and Santas galore!

The perfect short bites for cozying up by the fire with a cup of
cocoa…or waiting in line at gift wrapping!

http://www.gemmahalliday.com/Halliday_Publishing/ourbooks/Christmas/

Stories include:

Rosolio Red (Franki Amato Mysteries) by Traci Andrighetti
Chasing Tinsel (Miranda Vaughn Mysteries ) by Ellie Ashe
Death of a Christmas Witch (A Crewel to be Kind Mini Mystery) by Diane Bator
Queenie Baby: Pass the Eggnog (Queenie Baby Mysteries) by Christina A. Burke
The Holiday Inside Job by Mary Jo Burke
Hard to Catch a Christmas Thief (Hard Targets) by Wendy Byrne
A Christmas Ghost & Zero Regrets (Dead by the Numbers Mysteries) by Jennifer Fischetto
Christmas Canapés & Sabotage (Culinary Competition Mysteries) by Janel Gradowski
Christmas in High Heels (High Heels Mysteries) by Gemma Halliday
Christmas Al Dente (Southern Pasta Shop Mysteries) by Jennifer L. Hart
Santa Claus, Lies, and Murder (Amber Fox Mysteries) by Sibel Hodge
A (Gingerbread) Diorama of Death (Helen Binney Mysteries) by Gin Jones
Mini Pie the Christmas Spy! (Mini Pie Mysteries) by Libby LaManna
Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas (Greatest Hits Mysteries) by Leslie Langtry Ornamental Danger (Working Stiff Mysteries) by Kerri Nelson
Motion for Mistletoe (Jamie Winters Mysteries) by Kelly Rey
Christmas in Venice by Maria Grazia Swan
Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Tahoe Tessie Mysteries) by T. Sue VerSteeg
Santa’s Little Mistake by Stacey Wiedower

This link takes you to the site.

http://www.gemmahalliday.com/Halliday_Publishing/ourbooks/Christmas/.

Purchase Links

Amazon ~ Barnes&Noble ~ Kobo ~ Smashwords

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You can still sign up to take part in this fantastic Holiday Book Blitz!!

SIGN UP HERE

Blogs Participating!

December 1

Books Are Life – Vita Libri

Jersey Girl Book Reviews

Shelley’s Book Case

i blog 4 books

Queen of All She Reads

Lisa Ks Book Reviews

3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!

Jane Reads

fundinmental

Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

A Blue Million Books

Traci Andrighetti’s Blog

Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf

The Gal in the Blue Mask

December 2 –

Queen of All She Reads

Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

Sapphyria’s Book Reviews

Carole’s Book Corner

Celticlady’s Reviews

A Chick Who Reads

Michele Lynn Seigfried’s Blog

MysteriesEtc

Traci Andrighetti’s Blog

Socrates Book Reviews

Christy’s Cozy Corners

fuonlyknew

Mochas, Mysteries and Meows

December 3 –

Queen of All She Reads

Lisa Ks Book Reviews

Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

Christa Reads and Writes

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Kaisy Daisy’s Corner

Bea’s Book Nook

Chloe Gets A Clue

Traci Andrighetti’s Blog

A Cup of Tea, A Friend, And A Book

December 4 –

Queen of All She Reads

Lisa Ks Book Reviews

Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

Libriamorimiei

Brooke Blogs

Cozy Up With Kathy

readalot

Traci Andrighetti’s Blog

deal sharing aunt

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

Teaser Tuesdays #90 ~ Come Along With Me

Posted: December 2, 2014 in Action/Adventure, Children's books, Fantasy, Series, Teaser Tuesdays
Tags: Author Linda lee Schell, Come Along With Me

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

TeaserTuesdays2014e

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page.

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

~~~

My tease is from

Come Along With Me

A Gracie Book: Volume #1

by Linda Lee Schell

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Here is my tease from page 16 of the paperback.

“My name is Gracie. I’m from a different place in a different space.”

and from page 41

…Gracie wondered aloud, “Do you think our little girl will blow our cover?” “No, Gibson replied. “But she’s got something up her sleeve. I just don’t know what.”

~~~

I hope you don’t mind if I share my review.

Gracie is a wee kangaroo from the thirty-sixth universe. And she’s so excited. She’s finally going to visit St. Petersburg, Russia.

When something goes wrong, she winds up on a farm in St. Clair, Pennsylvania. Not quite what she planned.

Once you meet Gracie, you’ll see why her travel plans went haywire. She’s a precocious little roo, plus she’s clumsy and absent minded.

She’s also very brave and arrives in time to save a rather bedraggled city cat from the ferocious farm dogs.

From then on, Gracie and the cat, Gibson, are in cahoots. Each trying to help the other. Gracie wants to go home. Gibson is trying to make the best of it and make the farm his new home.

This was very wordy in the beginning. The prose felt strange yet familiar. Then I got it. It felt like in Willa Wonka or Alice in Wonderland. Otherworldly and zany. I began to suspect much of this was coming from Gracie, the kangaroo from somewhere else. She is a bit rattle-brained and silly.

The last third of the book flowed more easily. And the plot came forward. There’s several other animals that help or hinder the two pals, and one little girl who teaches Gibson how to earn his keep.

I’d say because of the sometimes peculiar use of words, this would be better suited to the upper range of young children. But, I may be wrong. Kids now a days learn to read before starting school, so they may follow the context better than I give them credit for. But there is a rather dark scene on the farm, something that even shocked me. This book is suggested for kids 8 to 12 and I’d recommend it to those closer to 12.

As I read this adventure I was sure it would be a 3 star rating. But that last third of the book sucked me in and by the time I reached the end, I wanted more. I felt that connection to the characters and wanted to know what kind of pickle they would land in next. I don’t give half star ratings and that’s why it went up to 4 stars.

4 Stars

~~~

Synopsis

Come Along With Me will transport eight-to twelve-year old children, their parents, and their grandparents to another world when they read Come Along With Me, an adventure about friendship and caring, the unfortunate consequences of jealousy, and the power of hope.

Meet Gracie, a ditzy dwarf kangaroo from the Thirty-sixth Universe–a creature who lives in a perfect realm. Because she is bored, Gracie longs for an adventure to St. Petersburg, Russia, a place she imagines is filled with beauty and enchantment. Much to the tiny ‘roo’s surprise, her ability to transport herself to the land of the czars has failed. She ends up at a dairy farm in St. Clair, Pennsylvania, where she saves the life of Gibson, an abandoned Maine coon cat.

The unlikely pair become fast friends. While Gracie tries to find her way back home, Gibson carves a life for himself on a farm with his newly adopted mistress, the farmer’s young daughter. There’s one hitch: The overworked farmer demands that Gibson earn his keep. Gibson’s task is thwarted somewhat when he experiences strange visions. But are these visions the result of a thrashing he received from the farmer’s two dogs? Or, maybe Gibson sees parallel universes?

As outsiders the little kangaroo and the cat from the city negotiate the perils of farm life. They meet two malicious rats who hate anyone who is happy. The two devoted friends must contend with stampeding cows and a barnyard of critters that have little use for newcomers.

Will Gibson keep his sanity and become the little girl’s pet? Will Gracie ever see the splendor of the Russian Versailles? Will the farmer survive the evil machinations of the rats, Bratwold and Eastman? Drift back to the days of Barbie dolls, hula hoops, and Sputnik to find out.

~~~

About the author

Linda’s favorite genre is fantasy/adventure, and her goal is to expand the imaginations of children while simultaneously exposing them to a variety of cultures and histories.

Combining childhood innocence with historical verisimilitude and a dash of magical fantasy–that was Linda’s impulse behind writing her first book, Come Along With Me.

Linda was born in Youngstown, Ohio and moved in 1977 to St. Clairsville, Ohio. Her husband of forty-four years and one son now live in Venice, Florida.

Linda is the daughter of an Ohio dairy farmer and an elementary school teacher. Her working years were in a competitive sales and business environment.

Active in Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce, she is a Paul Harris Fellow.

Entering the work force at age sixteen Linda is now retired, and is seriously devoting her attention to writing children’s books.

You can find her on Goodreads HERE.

Other books in The Gracie Series

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

stick out tongue photo: rr-sticking-out-tongue roadrunner-stick-out-tongue.gif

A Year in the Secret Garden ~ Blast and Giveaway

Posted: December 1, 2014 in Book Blast, giveaways
Tags: A year in the Secret Garden, Authors Marilyn Scott-Waters and Valarie Budayr

Book Description:

Award-winning authors Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters have co-created A Year in the Secret Garden to introduce the beloved children’s classic, The Secret Garden to a new generation of families. This guide uses over two hundred full color illustrations and photos to bring the magical story to life, with fascinating historical information, monthly gardening activities, easy-to-make recipes, and step-by-step crafts, designed to enchant readers of all ages. Each month your family will unlock the mysteries of a Secret Garden character, as well as have fun together creating the original crafts and activities based on the book.Over 140 pages, with 200 original color illustrations and 48 activities for your family and friends to enjoy, learn, discover and play with together. A Year In the Secret Garden is our opportunity to introduce new generations of families to the magic of this classic tale in a modern and innovative way that creates special learning and play times outside in nature. This book encourages families to step away from technology and into the kitchen, garden, reading nook and craft room.

Purchase

Great News!

You can purchase your very own copy of this gorgeous book for only $15 (a savings of $5) directly from Audrey Press between Dec. 1 and 7, 2014. PLUS, if you miss these dates, you can still purchase the book between December 8 and 31, 2014 for $15 using the code word “SECRETGARDEN”.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE BOOK NOW!!

Amazon * Audrey Press * Goodreads

Blog Tour Excerpts

The Blog Tour for A Year in the Secret Garden took place Nov. 1 to 30, 2014. Below you will find review excerpts from some of the participating blogs as well as links to a guest post by the author and an interview with the illustrator. Click HERE for the full Tour Schedule and the full list of participating blogs.

“A Year in the Secret Garden is a treasure trove of activities, crafts, games, recipes and information all related to the classic children’s book, The Secret Garden, bringing to life this wonderful book to a new generation of readers. I cannot recommend this beautifully illustrated and detailed, information-packed book highly enough to parents, homeschoolers, teachers, and librarians.” ~ Mother Daughter Book Reviews

“The authors love of the Secret Garden book comes through SO clearly and I am a student of literature so I loved it for the explanations and history of what was happening.” ~ WS Momma Readers Nook

Guest Post by Author Valarie Budayr: “A brief article on A Year in The Secret Garden” ~ Coffee, Books & Art

“A perfect book not only for the summer activities but all through the year. Truly it shows the way into the SECRET GARDEN.” ~ Eloquent Articulation

“These ladies have created a fabulous book that can stand alone or be used as companion to the classic either in a classroom setting, or homeschool setting or for anyone that loves to share great literature and activities with their children.” ~ Adalinc to Life

“While the children enjoyed the activities associated with this book, I was entranced by the beautiful water color illustrations and the scrumptious looking images of foods to make. I am certain that any person who grew up hoping to find that secret key to let them into an enchanting garden will fall in love with the magic inside this book to share with their children.” ~ Books, Babies and Bows

Interview with Illustrator, Marilyn Scott-Waters: “A Year in the Secret Garden Interview” ~ Pragmatic Mom

“This would make such a nice Christmas gift for a young one to grow up with. Why not add a copy of the reading book and maybe even the DVD and some supplies to do an activity or two. ” ~ The Blended Blog

“It is a wonderful, hands on, practical way to take kids on a journey back in time and see how children and families lived in another era.” ~ Hide-N-(Sensory)-Seeking

Month by Month Guide

September

Indian Style Chicken Curry
Rangoli
Magic Carpets
Misselthwaite Manor
Character Study: Mary Lennox
Ploughman’s Lunch

October

Cutouts of the Secret Garden Characters
Planting Bulbs
The English Garden
Character Study: Mrs. Medlock

November

Hot Oatcakes
Jump Rope
Plastic Bag Jump Rope
Jump Rope Rhymes
Shovel, Shovel, Spade
Character Study: Ben Weatherstaff

A Year in the Secret Garden - Inside Pages 26 27

December

Bringing in the Evergreen
Yorkshire Pudding Toad-in-a-Hole
The Oak King vs. The Holly King
The Story of Mistletoe
Character Study: Martha Sowerby

January

Parkin Cake
Wutherin’ Wind Flags
Ice Disks
Yorkshire Phrasebook
Character Study: Dickon Sowerby
Perfectly Good Porridge with Treacle

February

Oaten Pipe
Garden in a Jar
Death in Victorian England
Character Study: Archibald Craven

March

Sticky Toffee Pudding
Nest Building
Seed Paper & Packets
Grow-Me Seed Paper
Seed Packets
Class of Hunger
Character Study: Colin Craven

April

Robin Cake
Dickon’s Felt Creatures
The World of Mason Bees
Making of a Mason Bee House
British Money
Old British Money
Character Study: Dr. Craven

May

Freezer Strawberry Jam
Planting a Rose Bush
Wheelbarrow Race
Wheelbarrow
Spot-Sitting
Character Study: Lilias Craven

June

A Midsummer Garden Tea Party
Ladybug Sandwiches
Rainbow Fruit Kabobs
Simply Divine Lemon Cookies
Daisy Chain Crowns
Midsummer Dancing Ribbon Wreaths
Flower Pressing
Character Study: Victorian/Edwardian Family Life

July

The Secret Meal
Tin Foil Breakfast
The Cooking Campfire
Creating a Garden Journal
Colin’s Exercises
Blindfolded Garden Walk
Colin’s Magic Chant and Affirmations
Affirmation Stones
Character Study: Susan Sowerby

August

Scones and Ginger Tea
A Taste of Summer
Paper Garden Model
Garden Games for Family and Friends
Blind Man’s Bluff
Red Rover
Character Study: Frances Hodgson Burnett

About the Author: Valarie Budayr

Valarie Budayr loves reading and bringing books alive. Her popular website, www.jumpintoabook.com, inspires children and adults alike to experience their books through play, discovery, and adventure.

She is founder of Audrey Press, an independent publishing house, as well as an Amazon and iTunes best-selling author. She has written The Fox Diaries: The Year the Foxes Came to our Garden and The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Valarie is passionate about making kid’s books come alive and encouraging families and schools to pull books off the shelves and stories off the pages.

Book Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Pinterest | Google+ | Goodreads

About the Illustrator: Marilyn Scott-Waters

Marilyn Scott-Waters loves making things out of paper. Her popular website, www.thetoymaker.com, receives 2,000 to 7,000 visitors each day, who have downloaded more than six million of her easy-to-make paper toys. Her goal is to help parents and children spend time together making things.

She is the creator of a paper toy craft book series The Toymaker’s Christmas: Paper Toys You Can Make Yourself (Sterling), and The Toymaker’s Workshop: Paper Toys You Can Make Yourself (Sterling). She is also the co-creator with J. H. Everett of the middle grade nonfiction series, Haunted Histories, (Christy Ottaviano Books / Henry Holt Books for Young Readers). Ms. Scott-Waters illustrated The Search For Vile Things (Scholastic), and created paper engineering for Pop & Sniff Fruit (Piggy Toes Press).

Website | Facebook | Google+

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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

* $100 Book Blast Giveaway *

Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest ends: December 31, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the authors Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways click on the Southern Christmas Charm below.

Bewitching Brews and Devilish Desserts Holiday Giveaway

Posted: December 1, 2014 in Book Blast, giveaways
Tags: Bewitching Brews and Devilish Desserts, multiple authors

You are invited to the Bewitching Brews and Devilish Desserts Holiday Giveaway. We are giving away an autographed copy of the book, a vintage style frilled apron, and some awesome Bewitching Swag

Come see!

Bewitching Brews and Devilish Desserts

A Collection of Cocktail and Dessert Recipes
By Bewitching Book Tours’ Authors

Roxanne Rhoads, Sharon Bayliss, Ami Blackwelder, Cassandra Lawson, Susannah Sandlin, Cherrie Mack, Maggie Mundy, Suzanne Johnson, Katalina Leon, Kay Dee Royal, Sophie Avett, Elizabeth Loraine, G.L. Ross, T.W. Kirchner
Book Description:
Stir up a little magic from our cauldron full of cocktails and desserts.
The authors of Bewitching Book Tours conjured a collection of delicious potions inspired by their books and characters.
Grab your wand (or spoon) and cast one of these spellbinding recipes today.

Available at Createspace and Amazon

~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways click on the Southern Christmas Charm below.

What’s New On My Bookshelf #87 and The Sunday Post

Posted: November 30, 2014 in Freebies!, giveaways, reviews, What's New on My Bookshelf
Tags: The Sunday Post, weekly book haul news

bookshelves photo: Bookshelf bookshelves.jpg

This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

Another fun way to share your book news and enjoy others is The Sunday Post hosted by

Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Head on over and leave a link to your Sunday Post and hop around to visits others.

~~~

I hope ya’ll had a marvelous Thanksgiving.

So now it’s the countdown to Christmas. Are you ready? Are you the type to get your shopping done early or are you the type who likes to wait til the last minute? Do you make a list and know what you are looking for or do you just get out there and browse the aisles?

I have a fun question for you and would love for you to participate. What is the most memorable present you received when you were a young child? The one you still feel that amazing awe about?

I’ll share mine. There were six of us kids and to keep us from knowing who the presents were for, my parents would choose a theme, putting characters names on the presents and keeping it secret until Christmas morning. Each year was different. Sometimes it would be cartoon characters names for each of us. Sometimes it would be Santa’s reindeer. You never knew which name on the gift was yours until they revealed the list. It made it so fun and really ramped up the excitement.

One year I accidentally walked in my mom while she was wrapping presents. There was this awesome set of children’s luggage and this sweet little stuffed turtle. Being the youngest girl in the family, I knew it was for me. Imagine my disappointment Christmas morning when I unwrapped all of my presents and there was no sweet, cuddly, soft turtle. I don’t recall saying anything. I do recall the crushing sadness. I really loved that turtle.

Imagine the joy, the bliss, when I opened one small piece of the new luggage and there was my turtle! I still feel that magical moment. My parents must have been smiling inside, waiting for me to find that turtle.

On a happy note, I just had a birthday yesterday. Yep, my son’s birthday was the 20th and mine was the 29th. His due date was on my birthday but he came early! I look at him, over 6ft. tall, and still see that little baby. I spent the day decorating for Christmas, then we had pizza and a bunch of movies. We stayed up way late and ate a lot of popcorn. Fun times!

Now for the book news. Got lots to show you and a bunch of freebies for ya!

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Here are my new books for review.

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New ones just for me!

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And here are some freebies for ya!

Click on the covers to get yours and remember to make sure they’re still free before you click that buy button.

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Books I reviewed this week.

Click on the covers for my reviews.

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Books I’ll be reviewing next week.

These are ones I was going to review last week. But with the holiday, I decided to wait and post them this coming week.

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And these are more I’ll be reviewing this coming week.

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Interesting posts from around the web.

Candace had this to say on her blog – Making Peace with your To-Be-Read Pile.

How To Market Your Book – An interesting post by Beckie at Bittersweet Enchantment.

Dionne Lister’s post – Review Cheats – Shameful Author Behavior

Jessi’s post on Novel Heartbeat – Do you continue reading a series if you hate the first book?

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What I won.

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I won a signed print copy of The Scale from a giveaway at Tome Tender.

Thanks Dianne and thank you Mika Jolie.

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I won Standing By from a give away on Ali’s Books Blog.

Thanks Alison and thank you Claudia Burgoa.

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What are you worth? Meritropolis ~ Author Interview and Giveaway with Special Sale

Posted: November 29, 2014 in apocalypse, Book Promos, Dystopian, giveaways, Science Fiction
Tags: Author Joel Ohman, Meritropolis, post-apocalyptic dystopian sci fi

In the mood for something different?

I have just the book for you.

Meritropolis has many diverse characters, and curious animal combinations.

Keep reading to learn more about this post-apocalyptic dystopian with science fiction and enjoy the author interview.

This is on sale for a limited time!

There’s a huge giveaway too, so don’t forget to enter!

~~~

In Meritropolis everyone is assigned a numerical Score that decides their worth to society and whether they live or die. After a young boy is killed because of a low Score, his brother plots to take down the System.

Sounds good, right? Well, this exciting YA Dystopia is on sale for just 99 cents Thursday, November 27 through Monday, December 1. You can pick up your copy on Amazon.

To celebrate, we are offering a giveaway for an autographed copy and a $100 Amazon gift card—hooray!

Check out this interview with Joel Ohman, the author of the book critics are calling, “The Hunger Games meets The Village with a young Jack Reacher as a protagonist”, then scroll to the end of this post to learn more about the giveaway. Happy reading, and good luck!

An Interview with Joel Ohman

Who or what was your inspiration to write about post-apocalyptic, dystopian sci-fi?

I’ve read a lot in this genre, so I would say it’s a mix of a lot of different things. I really just wanted to explore this question of, “What gives a person worth?” Is it their usefulness to society? Is it because someone loves them? Is it because of how they look? Is it because of their health or ability? As a Christian, I believe that all people have worth, because they are made in the image of God. I wanted to explore some different takes on this question. I think that the post-apocalyptic/dystopian/sci-fi genre was the best vehicle to tackle some of those deep philosophical questions in a fun and interesting way.

Why do you write? Is it for fun, or because you have something you need to say in your writing?

Some writers are loath to say their writing has a message, because maybe they think doing so diminishes their art (not true, in my opinion), but I think that everyone has a message in their writing, even if they aren’t as consciously focused on it—and that’s a good thing. My message is in my epigraph: “Because everyone matters – Psalm 139”.

Why the title Meritropolis?

I wanted a short one word title that was a clever—or at least semi-clever—play on two different words. I like “Meritropolis” because it combines “Merit” and “Metropolis,” two words that are great for describing a city where each resident’s worth is measured by a score given to them.

In Meritropolis how were the animal combinations decided upon? For example, I know you chose to write about a bion (bull-lion), as well as many other freaks of nature. So what I want to know is how did you decided which animals to meld together and why.

I have a big list of animal combinations that I came up with before I began writing the book, and I tried to work in as many as I could. Sometimes the only criteria was that I liked the way the name sounded. Look for many more in the following books!

Can you tells us about your characters and who/what inspired them?

I am a big believer in John Truby’s approach to building a “character web”, because this deepens the relationships between characters and helps to make each of the characters more complex. Absent building a good character web, it can be all too easy to fall into the not-very-true-to-real-life good-person/bad-person false dichotomy where your protagonist devolves into this I-can-do-no-wrong character and your antagonist is just pure evil. I was very much aiming to show the imperfections and brokenness in each of the characters. My thinking as a Christian influences this to some degree, given that the Bible teaches that we are all essentially the same; we are all sinners—only God is perfect.

Do you have a favorite genre that you like to read?

I read pretty much everything! Fiction, non-fiction, you name it! I am of the opinion that, as an author, I can learn something from almost every kind of writing. Sometimes, it most definitely is a matter of learning what not to do—but, on the whole, I love to read a wide variety of writing styles, genres, etc.

Are there any books that have inspired your own writing?

I read A LOT so there are many different things that have shaped my writing over the years, but I wouldn’t say there was any particular book, or books, that I was consciously looking to for inspiration while writing Meritropolis. Looking back though I can definitely see different threads of influence in almost everything I have read over the years that contribute toward making Meritropolis what it is: the strong protagonist of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series, the philosophical bent of C.S. Lewis’ fiction, the dystopian setting of Hugh Howey’s WOOL series, and many more.

Are there any authors that have emerged in the last three years that have caught your interest?

Hugh Howey is an author that I really like that has caught my attention lately. I would highly recommend his WOOL series!

Don’t forget!

Meritropolis is marked down from its regular price of $5.99, but only for a limited time. Feed your Kindle by picking up a discounted copy for just 99 cents, but make sure you do it before December 2!

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Now enter the giveaway

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Autographed copy of Meritropolis

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The Bleaklisted Books Teaser Tour and Giveaway

Posted: November 29, 2014 in Blog Tour, Excerpt, giveaways, Humor
Tags: A Feline Central Book, Authors David M. and Donna Brown, non-fiction, The Bleaklisted Books

Today I’m excited to share the teaser tour for The Bleaklisted Books by David M. Brown and Donna Brown. This is humorous non-fiction for every cat and animal lover. The Bleaklisted Books releases December 1st!

My mini-irons,

I urge you to embrace the goose-spell of Animal Farm and you will find sanctuary when our difficult war is over. I will add, of course, that given that conquering the world means a long, long, long, long, long war, I will permit you to read another book every now and again.

Just remember which books are bleak-listed; e.g. Barry Potterer, 100 Years of Silly Tudor, Prude and Perjury, The Hungary Olympic Games, The Chronicles of Nerdia and Of Mike and Ben.

In the meantime, here is a list of books I have vetted and will reconsider for approval if the appro… apprap… proper changes are made. Read this manyule carefully mini-irons.

Your Cat-tain Charlie Brown

US Amazon | General link (diverts to relevant Amazon) | Goodreads
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Excerpt

What happens?

Some spy is told to carry out an assignment in East Germany to uncover a double agent but he falls for someone prior to this and love ultimately messes the operation up.

Reason for bleaklisting?

Proper spies don’t fall in love. Wimps they are!What should have happened?Eric is sent on an exclusive mission into East Germany to assassinate a double agent. Before setting off he is approached by an air stewardess named Fiz who fancies him but he turns her down. She does warn him that it’s cold in East Germany and gives him some cough syrup.Suspicious of the bottle labelled poison with a skull on it, Eric tosses the syrup and completes his mission. When he returns home to England he has a runny nose and is coughing a lot. Fiz realises he has seen through the poison expertly disguised as cough syrup and she runs away. She is shot and killed by a traffic warden who believes her car is parked on double yellow lines. Eric ends the novel by nipping to the pharmacy for some genuine cough syrup.Special instructionMake available at MI5, MI6, CIA, B&Q and M&S and rename The Spy Who Came Home with a Cold.

Mr B compares the stories

Dear me, Charlie, I thought you’d like John le Carré’s 1963 Cold War Novel. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold does deal with Communist East Germany where Alec Leamas is sent, under the pretence that he is defecting, and with the intention of locating Mundt, suspected of being a double agent. Alec has a romance with Liz which ultimately throws a spanner in the works. There isn’t anything about cough syrup thankfully and as with Charlie’s other efforts, this one is likely to disappear into the ether. My apologies to Mr le Carré for this despicable alternative to his story.

About the Authors:

Donna: Donna is a longtime book lover and sometime book reviewer and has devoured books from

an early age. She writes short (or long) stories as and when inspiration hits and is married to fantasy author David M. Brown (Fezariu’s Epiphany, A World Apart). She was also co-contributor to David’s book, Man vs Cat, a humorous look at life with six rambunctious rescue cats.

Donna has lived in many different areas of the UK over the last 30-something years but has remained in Yorkshire for the past decade. She ardently disputes the misnomer that ‘It’s grim up north’. You can find Donna on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Goodreads, or visit her and her husband’s shared blog: B-Lines and Felines.

Website | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

David: David Brown could be considered a fantasy fanatic, especially since he has spent the last 10 years developing a 47,000-year history for his fictional world of Elenchera. When converting his obsession into literary form, David commits himself to a rigorous writing and editing process before his work can meet his approval. Combined with the critical eye of his wife and a BA Hons in History and English, David’s dedication leads him to his goal of inspiring readers through heartfelt stories and characters.

Although David is inspired primarily by fantasy fiction, he also finds his muse in the form of anime, world cinema, history, and biographies. His own books, Fezariu’s Epiphany and A World Apart, combine aspects from worlds both old and new into compelling tales of a world not soon forgotten., David himself certainly does not lack a spirit of adventure; in fact, he left his job in 2007 in order to spend a month travelling. Second only to meeting and marrying his wife, David counts this as one of the most amazing experiences of his life.

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Feline Central

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$20 Gift Certificate for Amazon or B&N & paperback or audiobook of Man vs. Cat (INT)Ends December 16th.

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My EX From Hell ~ Giveaway and my review plus a Special Sale!!

Posted: November 28, 2014 in Book Promos, giveaways, YA Fantasy
Tags: Author Tellulah Darling, Blooming Goddess Trilogy #1, My EX From Hell, YA mythological

I hope ya’ll had a marvelous Thanksgiving!

I guess the rush for Christmas has begun.

Come on in and check out My EX From Hell.

It’s a hilarious and sweetly romantic YA Mythological Tale and the first book in The Blooming Goddess trilogy.

There’s a special sale and I’ve added my review.

Also, don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Title: My EX From Hell

Author: Tellulah Darling

Series: The Blooming Goddess Trilogy #1

Genre: Young Adult, mythological

Sixteen-year-old Sophie Bloom wishes she’d been taught the following:

a) Bad boy’s presence (TrOuBlE) + teen girl’s brain (DraMa) = TrAuMa (Highly unstable and very volatile.)

b) The Genus Greekulum Godissimus is notable for three traits: 1) awesome abilities, 2) grudges, and 3) hook-ups, break-ups, and in-fighting that puts cable to shame.

Prior to the Halloween dance, Sophie figures her worst problems involve adolescent theatrics, bitchy teen yoga girls, and being on probation at her boarding school for mouthy behaviour. Then she meets bad boy Kai and gets the kiss that rocks her world.

Literally.

This breath stealing lip lock reawakens Sophie’s true identity: Persephone, Goddess of Spring. She’s key to saving humanity in the war between the Underworld and Olympus, target numero uno of Hades and Zeus, and totally screwed.

Plus there’s also the little issue that Sophie’s last memory as Persephone was just before someone tried to murder her.

Big picture: master her powers, get her memories back, defeat Persephone’s would be assassin, and save the world. Also, sneak into the Underworld to retrieve stolen property, battle the minions of Hades and Zeus, outwit psycho nymphs, slay a dragon, rescue a classmate, keep from getting her butt expelled from the one place designed to keep her safe …

… and stop kissing Kai, Prince of the Underworld.

My Ex From Hell is a YA romantic comedy, Greek mythology smackdown. Love meets comedy with a whole lot of sass in book one of this teen fantasy romance series. Compared to Kai and Sophie, Romeo and Juliet had it easy.

I had such fun reading this book and wanted to share my review!

MY REVIEW

I’ve always had a thing for Greek Mythology. Gods and Goddesses and fantastical beings, what’s not to love.

So, meet Sophie. A normal teenage girl, shuffled off to boarding school and dealing with all that goes with it.

She has two close friends, Theo and Hannah.

Theo is more like a big brother figure, being over protective. You’ll find out why.

Hannah is any girls dream friend. She’ll always have your back and never try to steal your boyfriend.

Can’t forget Kai. I’ll let you discover if he’s a good guy or bad guy.

The thorn in her side, her nemesis is Bethany. It’s not any one thing that started the bullying. Bethany just picked her as her target.

When Sophie eaves drops on a phone conversation between Bethany and some mysterious guy, she begins to form her plan of revenge.

As with all plans, Murphy’s Law kicked in, and her plans came back to bite her in the you know what.

If it weren’t for Theo, she’d be in a world, or worlds, of hurt. Now, she discovers she’s Persephone, the Goddess of Spring, trapped in a young girls body with no memories of her past. No longer your typical girl, she has to be careful who she trusts and get her memories back, quick, as the Gods are coming for her.

Sophie is terrific. She’s smart, funny, and not afraid to stand up for herself. Not a shrinking violet at all. She won’t be putting up with any bullying, neither humans nor Gods.

There’s plenty of action and a blooming romance to keep you turning the pages.

And the world building, both on the school grounds and in the underworld, is incredible and fascinating.

From middle graders, to teens, to mature adults, I’d recommend this book. It’s a quick read, and has lots of adventure, and fantastical beings, good and bad.

Set aside your belief and enjoy this story, It’s good, clean fun.

4 STARS

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My Ex From Hell will be on sale for 99 cents from November 28th to December 12th!

Amazon | iTunes | Kobo

When the going gets desperate, the desperate send email

To: ????

From: bloomingoddess@gmail.com

Subject: Seriously?

Dear Your Royal Imperialness Demeter, Goddess of Grain and Fertility, Preserver of
Marriage, and Bringer of Seasons,

Or can I just call you Mom?

Bet you never thought you’d be hearing from me. Sorry for not having written sooner,
but until about twelve hours ago, I didn’t know you existed. Nothing personal.

See, yesterday, I was plain old Sophie Bloom. My life sucked in your typical 16-year-old
ways. I was stuck here at Hope Park Progressive School on probation again (“mouthy
behavior”), dealing with cliquish poseurs, rampant hormones, blah blah blah.

Then I met a guy. I know that’s the worst cliché ever. But sadly, it’s true. And of course,
me being me, he couldn’t be just any bad boy. No. He had to be Kai, son of Hades, Lord of
the Underworld. Anyway, he was really hot and there was this bone-melting kiss and …
whatever. The point is, before he showed up, I thought I was human. Afterward, well, let’s
just say everything changed. Who knew when I was cramming Greek mythology for my
English final, I was studying the family tree?

They say when you die, your whole life supposedly flashes before your eyes. When Kai
and I kissed, here’s what flashed before mine—Mount Olympus, Zeus, the Underworld,
Hades, and you. But that wasn’t my life. Or was it?

Here’s the Wiki version. (Do you have Wi-Fi on Mt. Olympus?) Turns out I’m
Persephone. Me, Goddess of Spring and Embodiment of Earth’s Fertility? Ew! Which makes
me your kid, Hades’ target, and totally screwed. In the myth version, I’m the innocent
maiden, you’re the grieving mother, and we’re reunited with great joy. Guess that’s why they
call it a myth.

I know I sound like a nut bar. And maybe I’ll wake up in a padded room restrained for
my own safety. But in that moment with Kai, it felt real. Like I knew who I was. Or used to be. Those were my memories flashing before my eyes—not some fantasy or hallucination.
Part of me remembered those moments. But where do I go from here? And is there an online
tutorial I can take?

I don’t exactly have your email. But if you’re a goddess, maybe you’ll know I’m writing.
That I really need my mom right now. And if not—well, I guess I’ll save this for my
obituary. Which I’ll probably need pretty soon because of the gods-wanting-me-dead thing.

Take care.

Sophie

a.k.a. Persephone

a.k.a. Goddess of Spring

a.k.a. Your Daughter

Tellulah Darling

noun

1. YA romantic comedy author because her first kiss sucked and she’s compensating.

2. Alter ego of former screenwriter.

3. Sassy minx.

Geeks out over: cool tech.

Squees for: great storytelling.

Delights in: fabulous conversation.

Writes about: where love meets comedy. Awkwardness ensues.

Sassy girls. Swoony boys. What could go wrong?

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Can a pitcher catch her? A League Of Her Own ~ Pre-Release Giveaway

Posted: November 28, 2014 in Book Promos, giveaways, Romance
Tags: A League Of Her Own, Author Karen Rock, romance

He was attractive, talented…and way off limits.

Heather Gadway may have been a world-class college pitcher and a top university coach, but she’s a rank amateur when it comes to managing the Falcons, her father’s struggling minor league team. And when it comes to managing her aggravating attraction to Garrett Wolf, their talented new pitcher. It’s going to be difficult enough to make it as the first female manager in the league and prove to her overly critical father she’s worthy. No distractions. No missteps. And certainly no romances with players. Everything stands between them—including their troubled pasts—even as Heather’s world falls apart and Garrett’s the one who’s there to catch her…

PRE-ORDER

“What else do you want?” The question came from a part of her she didn’t recognize. Asking a man like Garrett a flirtatious question was playing with fire.

Garrett groaned, longing sharpening his features. “You.”

Without waiting for her response, his lips captured hers. She knew she should push him away, but instead her head fell back, her pulse leaping in her throat. The pressure was exquisite as he nibbled and explored. Soft. Warm. Gentle. His lips moved slowly, gradually exerting more pressure.

This felt incredible. Better than the last time. She had to stop this, but need seized her, shoving aside her good intentions.

Her body hummed and a fuzzy sensation filled her head, making it hard to focus on anything but the feel of him, the evergreen scent of the forest and his aftershave heightening her senses.

His hands gripped her waist as she swayed against him, holding her as his mouth sampled her lower lip, then put pressure on the top. Nerves sent small shock waves through her chest, and her hand rose to stroke the back of his neck, making him tremble against her.

Suddenly his kiss intensified, growing fierce and demanding. His lips moved fast against hers, their tongues tangling, causing warmth to explode in her body, melting every piece of her.

She moaned and Garrett’s arms tightened, bringing her closer still. Her lips maneuvered against his in response, loving his sweet taste. Garrett shuddered, curling his fist into her hair with a groan. She loved how her touch affected him, how it affected her.

At last his lips let her go, and he looked down at her tenderly, pleasure in his eyes, his chest rising and falling hard.

“I wasn’t getting involved with anyone. Planned to focus only on baseball,” he said when his breath came easier. “But I can’t stay away from you. You follow me, even in my sleep. Your eyes.” He kissed each lid. “Your smile.” He pressed his lips to each corner. “These freckles.” His warm mouth brushed her cheeks.

Her chest expanded, taking in his beautiful words. This incredible moment. And then it hit her, reality a cold shower.

She opened her eyes and scooted away. “Garrett. I don’t know.”

His eyes moved out over the falls, tracking the sprays of water as they hit the jutting rocks and tumbled to earth. “You don’t trust me.”

Her mouth opened and closed. He was right. While he touched a chord inside that’d never sounded for anyone else, she still couldn’t put her heart in harm’s way again. And she knew without a doubt that if Garrett let her down, he’d devastate her as much as her mother had. Even more. She’d loved and lost too many times to try again, especially with her father gone so recently.

“I’m sorry,” she said inadequately as he stood and helped her to her feet.

His blank expression gave little away. She wondered if, deep down, a part of him was relieved they weren’t taking things further. He’d said he hadn’t wanted distractions. And now she wouldn’t be one.

“I can’t make you believe in me, Heather.” His voice was steady and strong. “I need someone who’ll give me a chance to earn her trust.”

Karen Rock is an award-winning YA and adult contemporary author. She holds a master’s degree in English and worked as an ELA instructor before becoming a full-time author. With her co-author, Joanne Rock, she’s penned the CAMP BOYFRIEND series with Spencer Hill Press under the pseudonym J.K. Rock. She also writes contemporary romance for Harlequin Enterprises. Her wholesome romance, Heartwarming novels have won the 2014 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence and the 2014 Golden Quill Contest. When she’s not writing, Karen loves scouring estate sales for vintage books, cooking her grandmother’s family recipes and hiking. She lives in the Adirondack Mountain region with her husband, daughter, and two Cavalier King cocker spaniels who have yet to understand the concept of “fetch” though they know a lot about love. To find out about her upcoming releases, appearance and latest news, visit http://www.karenrock.com or follow her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/karenrockwrites or Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/karenrock5!

She’d love to connect with you!

WEBSITE ☆ FACEBOOK ☆ TWITTER ☆ GOODREADS ☆ PINTEREST

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