Home

Friday, July 24, 2015

Review: Her Sister's Shoes

Description


Her Sister's Shoes
Ashley Farley

Set in the South Carolina Lowcountry and packed with Southern charm and memorable characters, Her Sister’s Shoes is the story of three sisters—Samantha, Jackie, and Faith—who struggle to balance the demands of career and family while remaining true to themselves.

Samantha Sweeney has always been the glue that holds her family together, their go-to girl for love and support. When an ATV accident leaves her teenage son in a wheelchair, she loses her carefully constructed self-control.

In the after-gloom of her dreaded fiftieth birthday and the discovery of her husband’s infidelity, Jackie realizes she must reconnect with her former self to find the happiness she needs to move forward.

Faith lacks the courage to stand up to her abusive husband. She turns to her sisters for help, placing all their lives at risk.

In the midst of their individual challenges, the Sweeney sisters must cope with their mother’s mental decline. Is Lovie in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, or is her odd behavior normal for a woman her age? No one, including Lovie, understands her obsession with a rusty key she wears around her neck.

For fans of Elin Hildebrand, Her Sister’s Shoes is a contemporary women’s novel that explores and proves the healing power of family.


About the Author


Ashley Farley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions.

After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save. SAVING BEN is not a memoir, but a story about the special bond between siblings.

When she's not working on her next novel, HER SISTER'S SHOES, scheduled for release in July of 2015, she can be found book blogging at www.chroniclesofavidreaders.com.


Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Review


Her Sister's Shoes was an interesting tale about three adult sisters and their families. Each of the women, Jackie, Sam, and Faith, has problems that escalate during the course of this book. But perhaps it is only by stepping into each other's shoes that they can truly understand what each other is going through.

There was a lot of depth in this book. The sister's problem's include divorce, depression, abuse, and dementia in themselves and their family members. I admire the way the author used the problems to help the characters grow and to begin healing the wounds in the characters lives. Although the amount of problems made the book hard to read sometimes, the end made everything worth it for the characters and for me.

The setting was a small town on the east coast and often featured the family business, a seafood market. The way the overall setting was described made it sound beautiful and fit the descriptions I have heard about that area. The story and the setting blended perfectly in many ways.

Her Sister's Shoes was well thought-out and well-written. I would rather the author have left the curse words out, but otherwise, the novel was very good.

Although Her Sister's Shoes was not a book I generally would have chosen to read, I enjoyed it and found it interesting and well-written.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Review: The Royal Spy

Description


The Royal Spy
Cassie M. Shiels

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Even though Katie is a royal princess, all she knows is how to be a spy. She constantly goes from mission to mission, never getting the chance to understand her birthright. This all changes when her father sends her on a mission to Floric with the cover of being a princess who is trying to win the prince’s heart. This mission proves to be very different from the others with a shadowy figure to chase, secret passages to explore, secrets to keep and the problem of betrayal that she is about to discover.



About the Author


Cassie M. Shiels was born in Idaho, but moved around the Pacific Northwest while growing up. She has always enjoyed books and was one to be found, reading late into the night, on the school bus or before she did her homework. In middle school she determined that she liked creating her own stories as much as she liked reading them; so she decided she wanted to be a writer and keeps working on making that dream come true with every story idea that bounds into her head. She is also a certified childbirth educator and loves teaching new prospective parents about childbirth.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Amazon


Review


This book was amazing. 

The king's antics, the banter, and the bizarre situations the prince and Katie find each other in made me laugh the entire way through the book. I could not help but tell people about the book as I devoured it in a couple days.

I loved the characters, too. Princess Katie was definitely a different princess than the stereotype. Her skills learned through training and spying made her the perfect person for the mission. And the mission was perfect for her own growth as a person.

One theme I noticed was about deciding for oneself what decisions to make. Three characters were forced to choose between the two controlling influences in their lives. One portrayed exactly what obeying two opposing masters looked like--someone undoing his own work and gaining no ground in either direction. This theme is something that impacts my life right now and I have never seen it portrayed so clearly in a book.

The plot combined the perfect balance of intrigue, humor, and romance. The mysteries kept me on my toes, the humor kept me laughing, and the sweet romance kept me wanting more. I look forward to Cassie Shiels's upcoming works.

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Blog Tour: Dragonfriend


Description


Dragonfriend
Marc Secchia
Release Date: 04/11/15
420 pages

Summary from Goodreads:
Stabbed. Burned by a dragon. Abandoned for the windrocs to pick over. The traitor Ra’aba tried to silence Hualiama forever. But he reckoned without the strength of a dragonet’s paw, and the courage of a girl who refused to die.

Only an extraordinary friendship will save Hualiama’s beloved kingdom of Fra’anior and restore the King to the Onyx Throne. Flicker, the valiant dragonet. Hualiama, a foundling, adopted into the royal family. The power of a friendship which paid the ultimate price.

This is the tale of Hualiama Dragonfriend, and a love which became legend.

*Series Note*
Dragonfriend is a stand-alone YA fantasy novel which is set in the same world as the bestselling dragon adventure series Shapeshifter Dragons and Shapeshifter Dragon Legends. It can be read in any order alongside Aranya, Shadow Dragon and The Pygmy Dragon. 

Buy Links:


About the Author


Marc is the bestselling author of 12 fantasy novels. Aranya and The Pygmy Dragon are full of dragons, battles and romance, and are set in a unique island-world above the toxic cloudlands. He's also the author of a bestselling African historical fantasy series set in ancient Ethiopia.

Current projects: Dragonlove, the sequel to Dragonfriend, and the sequel to The Pygmy Dragon are being drafted.
Marc was born Cape Town but now lives and works in Ethiopia with his wife and 4 children, 2 dogs, and a variable number of marabou storks that roost on the acacia trees out back. On a good night there are also hyenas prowling along the back fence.
When he’s not writing about Africa or dreaming about dragons flying across the moon, Marc can be found travelling to remote locations. He thinks there’s nothing better than standing on a mountaintop wondering what lies over the next horizon.



Author Links:


Excerpt


The Roc lifted her five feet and two inches frame with ease. As he manhandled her toward the safety railing which lined the gantry beneath the Dragonship’s hundred-and-fifty-foot hydrogen balloon, Lia saw the unmistakable profile of Ha’athior Island’s double volcanic cone abaft their starboard beam. Ahead and several miles below lay a tiny side-volcano, nestled against its parent like a Dragon hatchling taking comfort against an enormous mother’s flank. After that? Crimson-tinged Cloudlands lapped unbroken from the Islands to the horizon’s skirts, a deathly carpet clothed in immeasurable, brooding majesty.

Strange. She had always wanted to experience Dragon flight.

The touch of cool metal against her back provoked a sudden, final outpouring of strength. Reaching behind her, Hualiama caught her long braid in her fingertips.

“Any birthday wishes, little Lia?” chuckled Captain Ra’aba.

“Rot in–” she inhaled sharply, choking on blood “–a Cloudlands hell.” Reaching up, Lia jabbed her three-inch long, razor-sharp hairpin into his windpipe, several inches below his left jawbone.

He wheezed, “You …”

As Ra’aba recoiled, the flailing of his arms tumbled her over the edge. Lia screamed endlessly as she fell through the ruddy beams of a perfect Fra’aniorian suns-set.


Character Bio



Giveaway


Those who like Marc Secchia's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/authormarc) will be entered in a $50 Amazon gift voucher to those. Open internationally.

Book Tour Organized by:


Thursday, July 16, 2015

Blog Tour: Her Sister's Shoes

Description


Her Sister's Shoes
Ashley Farley

Set in the South Carolina Lowcountry and packed with Southern charm and memorable characters, Her Sister’s Shoes is the story of three sisters—Samantha, Jackie, and Faith—who struggle to balance the demands of career and family while remaining true to themselves.

Samantha Sweeney has always been the glue that holds her family together, their go-to girl for love and support. When an ATV accident leaves her teenage son in a wheelchair, she loses her carefully constructed self-control.

In the after-gloom of her dreaded fiftieth birthday and the discovery of her husband’s infidelity, Jackie realizes she must reconnect with her former self to find the happiness she needs to move forward.

Faith lacks the courage to stand up to her abusive husband. She turns to her sisters for help, placing all their lives at risk.

In the midst of their individual challenges, the Sweeney sisters must cope with their mother’s mental decline. Is Lovie in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, or is her odd behavior normal for a woman her age? No one, including Lovie, understands her obsession with a rusty key she wears around her neck.

For fans of Elin Hildebrand, Her Sister’s Shoes is a contemporary women’s novel that explores and proves the healing power of family.


About the Author


Ashley Farley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions.

After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save. SAVING BEN is not a memoir, but a story about the special bond between siblings.

When she's not working on her next novel, HER SISTER'S SHOES, scheduled for release in July of 2015, she can be found book blogging at www.chroniclesofavidreaders.com.


Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Review


Her Sister's Shoes...


Giveaway


Prizes: 
Enter to win one of 3 prizes: 1st prize: Beach bag with goodies that includes a beach towel, Stay Calm and Buy more Shoes t-shirt, set of cosmetic bags with samples, and an insulated cup. 2nd prize : $25 Amazon gift card, 3rd prize: $25 Amazon gift card (Open to USA & Canada) Ends July 25.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Cover Reveal: The Sound of Silver

Today, I would like to share with you the cover for Rachelle Rea's newest book, The Sound of Silver. What do you think? Isn't it lovely?


Description


The Sound of Silver
The Steadfast Love Series #2
Releases on October 15
Rachelle Rea

The stalwart saint and the redeemed rebel. One is fighting for faith, the other for honor…

After Dirk rescues Gwyneth from the Iconoclastic Fury, she discovers that faith is sometimes fragile—and hope is not as easy as it may seem. Gwyneth continues her quest to learn more about the love of God preached by Protestants she once distrusted.

Meanwhile, Dirk’s quest is to prevent his sullied name from staining hers. Will his choice to protect her prove the undoing of her first faltering steps toward a Father God? Once separated, will Dirk and Gwyneth’s searching hearts ever sing the same song?


About the Author



Rachelle Rea plots her novels while driving around the little town she’s lived in all her life in her dream car, a pick-up truck. As a freelance editor, she enjoys mentoring fellow authors in the craft. A homeschool graduate and retired gymnast, she wrote the Sound of Diamonds the summer after her sophomore year of college.



If you are interested in the series, here is the information about book one, The Sound of Diamonds. I am currently reading it and am finding it lovely.

Description


The Sound of Diamonds
The Steadfast Love Series #1
Released June 15
Rachelle Rea

Her only chance of getting home is trusting the man she hates.

With the protestant Elizabeth on the throne of England and her family in shambles, Catholic maiden Gwyneth seeks refuge in the Low Countries of Holland, hoping to soothe her aching soul. But when the Iconoclastic Fury descends and bloodshed overtakes her haven, she has no choice but to trust the rogue who arrives, promising to see her safely home to her uncle's castle. She doesn't dare to trust him...and yet doesn't dare to refuse her one chance to preserve her own life and those of the nuns she rescues from the burning convent.

Dirk Godfrey is determined to restore his honor at whatever cost. Running from a tortured past, Dirk knows he has only one chance at redemption, and it lies with the lovely Gwyneth, who hates him for the crimes she thinks he committed. He must see her to safety, prove to the world that he is innocent, prove that her poor eyesight is not the only thing that has blinded her but what is he to do when those goals clash?

The home Gwyneth knew is not what she once thought. When a dark secret and a twisted plot for power collide in a castle masquerading as a haven, the saint and the sinner must either dare to hold to hope...or be overcome.

Blog Tour: Half Blood

HFBlogTourBanner
Jaye L. Knight’s new novella, Half-Blood, has been released! Learn more about this prequel story to Ilyon Chronicles and make sure you also enter the tour giveaway at the bottom!

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000040_00026]

Description


Half Blood
Jaye L. Knight

The gasps and murmuring grew. Though some were hardly more than whispers, clear words reached Jace’s ears—dangerous, monster, animal, soulless. He tried to back away from their accusing eyes, but the collar pulled hard against his throat and held him in place.
For all his years as a slave, Jace has known nothing but the hatred people hold for his mixed blood—one half human, the other half the blood of a race considered monsters. Always, he is the outsider and quickly learns it is better to keep to himself. But, when his volatile ryrik blood leads him to do the unthinkable, he is thrown into a world of violence and bloodshed.
Forced to become a gladiator, Jace finds more and more of his heart dying as his master works to break down his will not to become the monster everyone believes he is. When a stranger interferes with his master’s harsh punishment, Jace’s world is upended yet again. But with it comes the possibility of hope that has long since died. Could the man possibly hold the key to escaping the hopeless darkness that is Jace’s life? Is there such a thing as life beyond the cruelty of slavery?
See where Jace’s story all began . . .

amazon-buy goodreads
Haven’t discovered the world of Ilyon yet? Find out more at the official Ilyon Chronicles website!

IlyonChronicles

JayeAuthor2015About the Author


Jaye L. Knight is an award-winning author, homeschool graduate, and shameless tea addict with a passion for Christian fantasy. Armed with an active imagination and love for adventure, Jaye weaves stories of truth, faith, and courage with the message that even in the deepest darkness, God’s love shines as a light to offer hope. She has been penning stories since the age of eight and resides in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
You can connect with Jaye on her website, blog, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Etsy, and on her new fiction forum where you can interact with other readers of the series.


Author Interview



What inspired you to write Half Blood?
 
I’ve always wanted to tell Jace’s background story and had it floating around in my mind for a long time. Occasionally I would write down a scene for it, but I did not intend to write it as soon as I did. It was supposed to be a short story that I thought I’d offer as a freebie to draw new readers into the series. That changed, however, when I just kept going further back into Jace’s life and it ended up being much longer than I originally planned.
 
What was the most interesting part to write?
 
Definitely when Jace first came to Kalli and Aldor’s farm with Rayad. I loved writing it and experiencing all his emotions with him as he comes to discover that there are good people in the world. And it was just fun to show how he first came to meet and get to know them since that wasn’t in Resistance.
 
What do you want your readers to learn from Jace's experiences/from the story?
 
That God is always calling and working in people’s lives. That is ultimately what I set out to tell when I first started writing about Jace. No matter how broken we are as people, God is still working in the background, even if we can’t see it at the time, and He can take our broken lives and make something beautiful from them. Even when we doubt and make mistakes.


Review


Half Blood...


Giveaway


Share in the excitement of the release and enter to win a themed giveaway pack! Prizes include an autographed copy of Half-Blood, a blue feather bookmark hand crafted by Jaye, a bronze sword pendant, and a $5 Amazon gift card! (Giveaway is open to US residents only. Cannot be shipped internationally.)


Tour Schedule


Tuesday, July 14

Wednesday, July 15

Thursday, July 16

Friday, July 17

Saturday, July 18

Sunday, July 19

Monday, July 20

Tuesday, July 21

Wednesday, July 22


Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Blog Tour: Two Hearts

Description


Two Hearts
James Eric Richey

Jaxon Tagget is a cattle-rancher's son, born and raised on the Double T, just outside of Dillon, Montana. In love with his high-school sweetheart, Annie, Jaxon proposes on graduation night, presenting her with a wedding ring made from gold he mined himself. Annie accepts immediately, to the horror of her bitter, man-hating mother.

Jaxon's a wonderful husband, but the warnings of Annie's mother linger in the young bride's ears. And it doesn't help that women continue to fall all over the markedly handsome Jaxon.

Unaware of his wife's persistent doubts, Jaxon is struggling with his own troubles when he finds out his dad is sorely in need of money to save the ranch. But hope glimmers gold when he rediscovers the old mine on the Double T.

While Jaxon travels to verify the mine's productivity, Annie grows increasingly suspicious. Is Jaxon's absence what it seems, or does he have another, less faithful reason for his travels? When Annie sees a picture of the beautiful laboratory owner whom Jaxon is visiting, she's sure the only gold he's interested in is long, blond hair. Is Annie right, or will it be her doubts that forever sever their Two Hearts?



About the Author


James Eric Richey was born and raised in California. He attended Brigham Young University, studying English with an emphasis in Literature. After graduating from BYU he returned home to California to further his education by attending law school. After passing the bar, James practiced in California for several years, but he quickly learned that he did not have a passion for the law.

In 1998 James obtained his real estate appraiser license, which has given him a flexible work schedule and allowed him to pursue his true passion, writing books. Besides his writing, he also enjoys reading, running, and sailing. James currently lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with his wife, Heather, and their two 
daughters.


Connect with the author:   Website  ~   Twitter  ~    Facebook

Author Interview


Can you tell us little bit about yourself?

I am the youngest of nine.  I have five brothers and three sisters.  We had a full house.  My father owned his own construction company and all of my brothers and I worked in construction starting at the age of 12.  From that I learned the value of hard work.  I attend college and studied English knowing I would be attending law school.  I practiced law in California for a short time prior to moving to Wyoming where I am a real estate appraiser.  I have been married for twenty years and I have two daughters.

What were some books that inspired you?

When I was younger, I really didn’t enjoy reading.  In fact, I didn’t really like school that much.  My mother, knowing the value of reading, one summer purchased a Louis L’AmourWestern.  I devoured it.  During that summer my mother kept a list of L’Amour books in the pantry closet.  Every month she would purchase several new ones and mark them off the list as I read them.  I still love to read Louis L’Amour.  That summer was a big turning point in my life.  I love to read, and I haven’t stopped reading since.

What do you do when you are not writing?

Right now writing is my hobby.  I have a full time day job that is very time consuming.  So, when I’m not writing, I’m usually working.  I work at home doing residential home appraisals.  When I’m not working, I love to spend time with my family.  We go to the movies, hiking, sailing, and we love to travel.  I exercise on a regular basis by running three to four times a week.

How did you come up with the idea for Two Hearts?

Before I started on Two Hearts, I was writing a fantasy story-other world creation, magic, and monsters.  I was having a hard time with the details.  For a couple of weeks I kind of just stared at the computer screen struggling with the story.  On April 2, 2012 I had a very specific dream.  When I woke up I knew I had my story.  I quickly wrote down my dream using bullet points for the main ideas.  I immediately started writing Two Hearts.

Why did you choose to include a mine in Two Hearts?

Several years ago I knew a man who had made his wife’s wedding ring.  I thought that was a cool thing for him to do and I also thought that it showed how much he cared for her.  In building the relationship between Jaxon and Annie, I wanted Jaxon to do something that really showed he cared about her.  I wanted him to do something that showed how he felt about her.  I wanted him to work for it instead of just going out and buying a ring.  In my research about Montana, I discovered that one of the state’s nicknames is the Treasure State.  I found that there are hundreds of abandon mines in the State.  It worked out perfectly for there to be a mine on the Double T ranch and for Jaxon to find the gold in the mine that he would use to make Annie’s ring.

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published you would change?

No, it has been a wonderful and fulfilling experience.  Two Hearts is the first book that I published.  I learned a lot from the entire process and I would do it all over again.  Having gone through the publishing process once already, the second time should be faster and smoother.

Is there any advice you would like to give or anything you would like to say to your readers?

Set goals and work your hardest to achieve them! Don’t let anything hold you back from accomplishing your dreams. Don’t be afraid to try new things. 

True love grows when, together, a couple goes through experiences that test their love. When they turn to each other to get through the challenges that is when they experience the devotion and comfort of being together. When problems arise it is easy to give up, but true love grows when the couple weathers the storms together and their two hearts knit as one.

Giveaway


Prize: ​ 
 Win one of 10 copies of “Two Hearts”. Two winners will also each get a $20 Amazon Gift Card (open to USA & Canada) Ends Aug 8

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, July 6, 2015

Book Blitz: The Royal Spy

Description


The Royal Spy
Cassie M. Shiels

Even though Katie is a royal princess, all she knows is how to be a spy. She constantly goes from mission to mission, never getting the chance to understand her birthright. This all changes when her father sends her on a mission to Floric with the cover of being a princess who is trying to win the prince’s heart. This mission proves to be very different from the others with a shadowy figure to chase, secret passages to explore, secrets to keep and the problem of betrayal that she is about to discover.



About the Author



Cassie M. Shiels was born in Idaho, but moved around the Pacific Northwest while growing up. She has always enjoyed books and was one to be found, reading late into the night, on the school bus or before she did her homework. In middle school she determined that she liked creating her own stories as much as she liked reading them; so she decided she wanted to be a writer and keeps working on making that dream come true with every story idea that bounds into her head. She is also a certified childbirth educator and loves teaching new prospective parents about childbirth.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Amazon

Snippet from The Royal Spy


I pushed myself up and nearly stopped breathing again. The man who I had just knocked to the ground was none other then Prince Jarin. Definitely not the shadow, I thought.

“That’s it, you—” the prince began as he pushed himself up and raised his fist.

“Stop!” I guarded my face with both hands.

“Katie?”

“Ah…hello, fancy meeting you here,” I stammered.


Guest Post from Cassie M. Shiels


My top 10 favorite deserts just for fun!1. Ice cream 2: Brownies 3: Shift cake 4. Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies 5. No bake chocolate cookies 6. Shaved Ice 7. Cake with frosting 8. Snicker doodles 9. Smoothies 10. Fun breads.


Facebook Blitz and Giveaway Link


Thursday, July 2, 2015

Book Blitz: Pixelated



Description


Pixelated
Release Date: 06/30/15
Bloomsbury Spark

Summary from Goodreads:

Senior Year. 

Middle of nowhere. 

What's the new girl to do?

For Piper Marks, the answer is simple. She’s determined to have her photography rock the cover of National Geographic someday, and moving to Clarkton, Iowa for her last year of high school is not going to stop her. Even if her usual subjects have changed from bright lights and skyscrapers to fields, cows…and more fields. 

But when photographer at the local paper quits in a huff, she steps into his spot. Her new job keeps Piper busy capturing tackles, and zooming in on first downs and end zone dances, not to mention putting her directly in the path of varsity football star Les Williams IV. Her new friends warn her off, but she can’t resist the pull she feels toward this mysterious country boy. But this small town is keeping a secret, and it’s one that could destroy any chance they have to be together. 

It’s up to Piper to decide what to do with the distorted truth. Can she risk exposing her heart? It might be worth it, 'cause Les is about to change her world from black and white to fully saturated color. 

Buy Links:


About the Author


L.S. Murphy obsesses about St. Louis Cardinals baseball, fangirls over her favorite authors, and watches every episode of Doctor Who like it's the first time. When she's not doing those time-consuming things, the former farm-girl turned city slicker turned suburbanite writes sweet romances for teens and adults.

Author Links:
 photo iconwebsite-32x32_zps1f477f69.png  photo icongoodreads32_zps60f83491.png  photo icontwitter-32x32_zpsae13e2b2.png  photo iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png


Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by: