Born of Persuasion

Born of Persuasion
Jessica Dotta

My Review

Born of Persuasion, by Jessica Dotta, is the story of a young woman who lost everything. Julia puts all her hopes for the future on Edward, who secretly proposed to her many years before. Yet when her hopes are dashed early on, she hires Lady Foxmore, a woman with dreadful rumors surrounding her name, to find her a rich, titled husband. Who will Lady Foxmore find? Will Edward yet come through for her?

Born of Persuasion is reminiscent of Pride Prejudice, with its time period, myriad of personalities, and society. Yet, this book is certainly an original.

I absolutely loved Born of Persuasion! There were so many plot twists, I could never predict the entirety of what would happen next. The sweet little story I thought it was at the beginning turned into a plot of intrigue and chicanery, but I loved it. 

Born of Persuasion comes from a Christian publishing company and has many Christian themes in it, but it is told from the point of view of an atheist who was shunned by her town and vicar because of her beliefs. I appreciated the new perspective it gave, especially since it came from a Christian author.

One thing that irritated me a little is that the main character, Julia, is a bit naïve and foolish. She made many poor decisions, putting her in compromising situations resulting in scandalous rumors and bad reputations even if she had done nothing wrong within the situations. Hopefully, though, Julia will become wiser in the following novels.

Overall, though, it was a masterfully written book and I can’t wait to begin the second.

Entertaining Angels

I haven't posted on here in an age. I hope you all will forgive me. I was busy, but I may begin posting somewhat regularly now.

I'm afraid I couldn't find a better photo.

My Review

Entertaining Angels, by Emerald Barnes, is the inspiring story of a young woman who overcomes her insecurity. Madison begins the story as an overweight, depressed teenager, but her best friend Chase and the hot new boy at school, Zack, help her fight her insecurity with encouraging words and prayers. Ultimately, God’s truth about His creations’ beauty wins. Yet, the story twists and turns—which boy will she choose, what will the horrible Ashley do next, and what does the title have to do with the story?

I loved the story. It was sweet, a little predictable, but I have read few books that were not predictable in some way. The story was more made to encourage the readers than to be original. I was glad that Jesus Christ was the one who gave Madison self-worth, not herself, her friends, or her popularity (or rather, lack of popularity).

One thing I would comment on is that Christianity does not appear to be clearly defined in this book. From the experience Madison had in the church, one might assume that having a special feeling and hearing encouraging words in your head during the worship service automatically makes you a Christian. That is not in the Bible I have read and memorized. It says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31)”… “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (1Cor 15:3-4).” I just thought I should comment on that. I hope no one is offended.

Aside from that, I think it is a lovely book and I hope some young women out there will be encouraged by it.

Sixteen Blog Tour

Sixteen
Emily Rachelle

Description

Nicole "Nikki" Johnson has never gotten along with her mother, so when she meets a great new guy, it's no surprise that Matt's age is all her mom sees. Just because he's twenty-four and she's sixteen doesn't mean he's a creeper! Thankfully, Nikki's dad allows Nikki and Matt to be together and see how things work out. Their relationship is fantastic and Nikki is on cloud nine...

Until the Fourth of July picnic, when things go too far. Now a very changed Nikki has to make choices that will affect her every relationship - with Matt, her parents, her best friend, and most importantly, God.

Amazon*Smashwords*Goodreads*LibraryThing



Author Bio

Born in Panama, Emily Rachelle has traveled throughout the country and the world with her Air Force family. Currently, she lives with her parents and three brothers in middle Georgia. While Emily enjoyed reading as far back as she remembers, writing didn't come to her until she learned the forms of poetry and the basics of story in fourth grade. Since then, she's written scripts for homeschool dramas, poems for birthday presents, and stories for friends and family to enjoy. Sixteen is her debut into the professional world of words. You can find Emily at her blog, Emily Rachelle Writes.

My Review

Rebellious Nikki starts dating a man several years older than her, against the advice of her parents. Eventually, that decision leads to a terrible a terrible mistake for both of them. This is the story of the consequences, both good and bad, of that mistake.

I liked Sixteen. It was a short, sweet story. Everything worked out perfectly in the end--a little too perfectly in fact. But it was still a good story. With a lot of hard work and sacrifice, the young couple worked out their problems and the consequences of their decisions and did the right thing, which I appreciate.

Also, Sixteen helped show that teen girls and their moms can get along and restore their broken relationships, which is something the media tends to tell us is nonexistent or impossible. Many different broken relationships are restored in this book, which I love.

Sixteen seemed a little rushed overall. Things happened too quickly from the time problems came to the time they were restored. In addition, it seemed too perfect, as though everything would work out exactly perfect even though it must truly be terribly hard in real life. But overall, it was a lovely little story of hope.

Things you should know:  *Spoiler Alert*
There are rebellious teenagers, the main character gets pregnant out of wedlock, and the main character lies a little bit in the beginning.

Guest Post

Emily Rachelle has graciously written a guest post for us called Dream Casting. So without further ado, Emily Rachelle.

Dream Casting

Every author has that thought, somewhere in the back of their mind. After all, part of our lifestyle is to always ask questions. What If is a particular favorite. So it’s only natural to hear that refrain in our minds - what if, what if, what if my book became a movie?

 

Tiny, impossible odds, but a thrilling thought nonetheless. Of course, we’d want a say in the movie’s casting -- not at all a realistic request, but one we’d hold to.

My main character, sixteen-year-old Nikki, is quite the rebel, loves ballerina (and has the body for it), and has long, layered blond curls and bright blue eyes. She’s the easiest to cast, for me. I searched online for “blonde teen actresses,” and when I saw Hayden Panettiere, I knew she was the one. She is so completely perfect and fits my idea of Nikki to a tee. Some colored contacts and this girl is Nikki! Even her personal style reflects Nikki's wardrobe.

Next up: Christy is the sweet, supportive best friend. She's a petite girl with short auburn hair and brown eyes. This one was a bit harder to find, but I think I've discovered the perfect girl for the role - and an actress I already love! Of course, I always thought of this girl as a child actress. It’s kind of weird knowing she’s only two months younger than me. Abigail Breslin (especially with this hair color, although a little less eyeliner) seems like the best fit for Christy.

The twenty-four-year-old love interest Matt is very important to this story. He's charming, blond, and has an amazing smile and sparkling green eyes. I had a hard time finding someone to play him, but a little-known actor named Emerson Smith seems to fit the part pretty well.

If I had to choose a more widely known talent, I’d probably choose William Moseley. I’m not a big fan of Peter, but I guess he fits.

Then there's grown-up Nicole, who's actually at the beginning of the book, and her eighteen-year-old daughter Claire. Adult Nicole has brown-dyed hair in a bob and loves to sew, while Claire is quite the punk (like mother, like daughter!) with her ripped jeans, tank tops, and purple pixie haircut. I'm not good at finding people who resemble each other, much less an adult to look like Hayden all grown up. But I think Carrie Underwood looks a lot like her and is the right age to be adult Nicole. I mean, her hair doesn't match, but it does look like Nicole's natural hair, so a nice dye and cut would do the job I think.

Finding an actress who already looks like Claire is probably going to be impossible, but I think the face shape and personality I'm looking for would be well played by Demi Lovato.

Giveaway
Here is the link to the giveaway, or rather, to Emily Rachelle's blog which has the giveaway on it.
Giveaway

Exodus Rising

Exodus Rising
(Tales of Starlight #3)
Bryan Davis

Adrian Masters continues his relentless march toward the bitterly cold Northlands of Starlight. Ravaged by a deadly disease and accompanied by two children, Adrian carries Marcelle in a vegetative state, hoping Alaph, king of the Northlands, will supply
a way to reunite her near-death body with her wandering spirit.

Time is of the essence. Invading soldiers from Major Four are marching toward the Southlands village to do battle against the dragon slave masters, but two great dangers await—the inescapable disease and the unpredictable Benefile, ageless and mysterious white dragons who will kill any infected humans.

All the while, Drexel, the murderer of Marcelle’s mother, has taken on an impervious disguise as a male Starlighter and is using hypnotic powers to gain control of Mesolantrum with his sights set on the entire kingdom. Adrian and Marcelle must battle to free the slav es on one world and protect their own world from Drexel’s malevolent plan or else the freed slaves will return to Major Four only to find another slave master. Performing both tasks seems impossible.

Hope remains in the guise of the little Starlighter Regina. Guided by Cassabrie, Starlight’s great liberator, Regina hopes to accompany Adrian step by step to thwart the plans of slave masters on both worlds.

Amazon    Barnes and Noble   Goodreads


My Review

I loved this book! It was definitely an amazing ending to an amazing series!

There were so many things going on throughout the book. Eradicating the disease, reuniting Marcelle's spirit with her body, Adrian and Marcelle's engagement, a crafty new starlighter determined to take over Mesolantrum and the entire country, and so much more. And these are only things I knew were going to happen since I read the first two books! But I will leave the hows to you to find out.

I loved how everything worked together. This book builds on what happened in the previous books, making it much more exciting, romantic, and dangerous.

The spiritual elements were very good. Marcelle and Adrian both learn much more about trusting the Creator and leaning on Him, not themselves, for their strength, even when it didn't make sense. Also, the villains faced the consequences for their actions, unlike in many books and movies in which liars and thieves succeed and are helped on by their friends, even as the heroes. And yet, mercy triumphed as well for those who were willing to receive it. God gives mercy and justice, a theme that is woven throughout the series.

The only thing I didn't like had to do with Jason, Adrian's brother. Jason is the hero in a teen series of books called Dragons of Starlight set in the same story world. His story fills in all the holes and jagged edges in this series. Anyway, I didn't like that Jason, the mature-ish hero in his own story, is nearly killed as soon as he goes back to his own world! You would think he'd be smarter than that or something, considering all he's just lived through on Starlight! Grr, it was frustrating. Other than that, I have no complaints.

Things you should know:   Spoiler alert!

There is much violence, but it is not gruesome. There are disembodied spirits, kind of like ghosts. One villain has a pocket full of fingers that he cut from the body of the woman he murdered. The characters kiss, and sex is implied, but not done by the characters.

Unclaimed Legacy

I figured I should get back to blogging. After all, I read about 5 books that need reviewing!

Unclaimed Legacy
by Deborah Heal

Description

It's like being there. . . only you can fast-forward and rewind.

"I call it time-surfing," Abby said. "It's like being there,
except no one can see or hear us."

"Whatever you call it," John said, "that was crazy--what we just did.
Beyond realistic. I mean, I was in that guy's head
and knew everything he was thinking."

Abby's weird computer program is working again. And it comes
in handy when she and her friends agree to help the Old Dears with their family
tree.

Except Abby and John learn more about one of the ladies'
ancestors than they ever wanted to know. Convicted in 1871 of murder and arson,
Reuben Buchanan is a blight on the family's reputation. But was he really
guilty? Abby and John must get inside the mind of a murderer to find out.

And while they're rummaging around in the Old Dears' family
history, they also find Nathan Buchanan, a heroic relative connected to the
Lewis and Clark Expedition--and a legacy waiting to be reclaimed. But the most important discovery they make is that God's
promise to bless a thousand generations is true.
Amazon

My Review

After Abby and Merry agree to dog-sit for John's cousin (with his help, of course), they meet their new neighbors, the twins Eulah and Beulah. These old women, who are endearingly called the Old Dears, are trying to put together a family tree. But since they don't know much of their family on their grandfather's side, it proves difficult. Abby, Merry, and John decide to help them by time-surfing in other old or even rotting houses in the area. One clue soon leads to another, and as they unearth the mysteries behind the Old Dears family tree. An illegitimate son? Murder? Or what?

I really enjoyed this book. There was the mystery, the sort of "time travel", and the growing romance between Abby and John. I loved the history! And the Old Dears were quite hilarious sometimes, especially Beulah and her pranks. It makes me want to do my own family tree.

I only would have appreciated more time-surfing. The characters do it quite often, but the story revolves more around the present time than the past.

Overall, a very interesting and unique story.

Things you should know: *Spoiler alert
There a little violence in this book. The violence is not described in detail, but mainly features an abusive husband beating his wife to death then burning her body. Also, there is kissing and even an assumed affair (not described) that is later cleared up. And a minor character is arrested for using and selling drugs. The author clearly does not promote these things (except kissing).

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

Note: I was unable to post a picture of the most updated front cover, which features a rusty doorknob.

Secrets Kept Blog Tour

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Today we have a blog tour for the book Secrets Kept by Jennette Mbewe!

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Secrets Kept Tour!

This tour will explore the World of Nälu:
Where a story with adventure, action, love, betrayal, and a quest takes place.
We will get to visit sites, learn more about the cuisine, and be introduced to some elves, dwarves, and shape-shifters, at the least.

Secrets Kept 

by JL Mbewe
YA Fantasy

October 30th 2013 by AltWit Press

With a curse, she will build an army.
With the dagger, she will undo the last sacrifice.
But first the sorceress must find the secret keeper.

Torn from her homeland and thrust into a betrothal against her wishes, Ayianna learns her family has a deadly secret that now has her on the run. She joins forces with Kael, an embittered half-elf, and Saeed, an elderly High Guardian, to seek answers to her father’s death, the destruction of Dagmar, and the plains people’s bizarre behavior.

Ayianna discovers there is more at stake here than just her mother’s disappearance and her familial duty to her betrothed. The sorceress has cursed the plains people, and it is a race against time to release them before the sorceress resurrects an ancient evil.

Goodreads * Amazon * iTunes * Barnes and Noble

 

Jennette has graciously agreed to tell us a little more about her world of Nalu, specifically the Kaleki and their dragons! Without further ado, I give you Jennette Mbewe!

 



The Kaleki & Their Dragons

Across many watery miles and treacherous seas, is a land of mystery, great beauty, and wonder. Ragged mountains emerge from the depths and loom over lush, colorful gardens. Home to the glowing moonflower, healing waters, and dragons.

Here, you will find the Kaleki. The Sea-people. Otherwise known as the merfolk.

With their slanted, ribbed foreheads, double eye-lids, and the gills on their neck, the Kaleki look the most different, aside from the Haruzo in their feline form. Their lack of facial expression makes others uncomfortable, and they are often mistaken as unfriendly. For many strangers, it is hard to tell what a Kaleki is feeling, but if you watch their eyes, you’ll soon learn their feelings run deep and truer than most outward demonstration of such.

One might think the Kaleki is limited to the water, but that’s a myth. When they exit the water, their gills close and their tail dissolves into legs, but they can’t go too long without their beloved waters or their skin will hurt and their body will begin shutting down. Upon contact with water again, their gills open and their legs form a tail. The transition between land and sea is quick at first, but as the merfolk age, the transition gets harder, slower, and more painful.  Toward the end of their years, a Kaleki will choose where they will die and remain in that form until the end.

Before contact with the rest of the nations, the Kaleki ruled the seas without thought to clothes, but as interaction grew between the people groups, the merfolk were encouraged to “cover-up”. Eventually, they designed a silver fabric that would not become cumbersome in the water. Still, the older generations prefer unrestricted movement and refuse to wear anything but a silver wrap around their hips when out of the water. So don’t be shocked if you see an elderly merwoman running around with no clothes.

Stygian’s rule did not reach the Kaleki until one of his hunting parties returned with a naked merwoman in chains. His thirst for conquest was rekindled, but before he could learn more, she disappeared in a failed rescue attempt, revealing a large undercurrent of resistance among the Saryhemor elves. Stygian turned his focus on squashing the rebellion instead and would never get the chance to claim Ganya as his own. Thankfully so!

Later on, the Kaleki would play an important part in the downfall of Stygian and in establishing the Perimeter to keep the Tainted One and her servants within the confines of Nganjo and the Abyss, but that’s a different story for a different time.

In Dragon Thief, we get a glimpse of the Kaleki and their dragon nurseries. They are the only nation allowed to breed and train dragons. Mostly for the king’s royal guard and defending against pirate attacks. The Kaleki share a special bond with the dragons. Some like to joke it’s because the Kaleki are half reptile, but there’s no evidence they are reptilian at all. One would think they would be closer in relation to the dolphin.

In Secrets Kept, we don’t see much of the merfolk, but we do meet Nerissa, one of the Guardians, and we’ll see more of them in the books to come. I’ve only brushed the surface of these remarkable people. We haven’t even discussed the differences in culture, language, procreation, or even commerce, but as you can see, this is getting quite long. Until next time!

FREE right now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Desert Rose

(A Tale of Nälu #1)

NOW AVAILABLE: Tales of  Nälu (all three short stories in paperback) on Amazon!

Living life balanced between reality and dreams.

Writing as J. L. Mbewe, Jennette is an author, artist, mother, wife, but not always in that order. Born and raised in Minnesota, she now braves the heat of Texas, but pines for the Northern Lights and the lakes of home every autumn. She loves trying to capture the abstract and make it concrete. She has two short stories published in The Clockwork Dragon anthology, and is busily creating worlds inhabited by all sorts of fantasy creatures and characters, all questing about and discovering true love amid lots of peril. Her debut novel Secrets Kept and her short stories set in the world of Nälu: Desert Rose, Dragon Thief, and Indestructible are now available. She is currently living her second childhood with a wonderful husband and two precious children who don’t seem to mind her eclectic collections of rocks, shells, and books, among other things.

For more information about her journey as a writer mama and all things creative please visit her at:

Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Google+ * Pinterest * Flickr

Tour-Wide Giveaway

Kindle Fire Prize Pack (US/CAN ONLY), which includes:

- Kindle Fire

- Chocolate truffles

- Paper backs of Secrets Kept and Tales of Nälu

- Awesome swag (key chain, bookmark, and poster)

Ends January 7, 2014

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour!

12/9: Launch on Colorimetry and Tressa's Wishful Endings

12/10: Kelly P’s Blog

12/11: My Love for Reading Keeps Growing

12/12: The Real Deal

12/12: fundinmental

12/13: Next Page Reviews

12/13: Giveaway Breaking News

12/15: Colorimetry

12/16: Katie’s Clean Book Collection

12/17: Deal Sharing Aunt

12/19: I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

12/20: Tressa’s Wishful Endings

12/22: Mortal Moments

12/23: alwaysjoart

12/24: Mel’s Shelves

12/26: Zerina Blossom

12/27: The Wonderings of One Person

12/29: Fictionally

12/30: Dalene’s Book Reviews

12/31: Grand Finale

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Doon

So, on Black Friday, I went shopping--mostly for books since I'm a major book-a-holic. I had a pretty specific list of books I wanted to buy. But when I picked up Doon, just out of curiosity, and read the back cover, I was hooked! It was the only book I bought that day that I hadn't even heard of before.

Isn't the cover just gorgeous! It has fairytale written all over it! And I LOVE fairytales!

Anyway, here is what the back cover says:

Vee's soft whisper tickled against my ear. "Are we were I think we are?"

What moments ago seemed like a fairy tale now seemed impossibly and unsettlingly real. Yet it couldn't be true. My entire body began to tremble. Keeping my eyes fixed on the castle in the distance, I whispered back, "I seriously hope not."

Don't you see why I was hooked? It sounds like they go to another world!

Anyway, I just finished reading it, and, oh, it is good! I loved the romance (as completely unrealistic as it is)! There were some parts where I wished there was more action, but overall, it did not disappoint me.


And the end? It was amazing--and very frustrating! It was one of those books where I just went "Gah! How can you possibly end there, after that new and terrible revelation?" It was one of those times when someone makes a decision, with no possible way to reverse it, then reveals it was a completely and utterly WRONG decision! I suspected it all along, but then to have her do it anyway? Gah!

However, does that mean there's a new book coming in which the decision is somehow rectified?

Also, there was a second part to the ending that was perfect and amazing! One character finally got her true love, and fulfilled her destiny! Now, I don't believe in destiny, but I still loved that half of the ending!

I hope I didn't give away too much of the ending! I loved the book, and I don't think any of you should not read it just because of that one part that frustrated me.

Anyway, you can find it here!