Thursday, March 27, 2014

Discovering Sophie

Another delightful read by Cindy Anderson!

This time we get to be lost in the jungle of Costa Rica and actually, I felt like we spent an equal amount of time discovering Jack. In fact, that could be an alternate title to this book, Discovering Jack.

There's lots of attraction, soul searching, danger, and love to be found in the jungle as Jack and Sophie search for her missing father. Great characters (Hector quickly became one of my favorites), good romantic tension, plausible storyline and solid writing. Ms. Anderson books are well crafted.

And she always finds killer shoes to go on her covers! I hope that trend continues. She may have to start including the places/sites she finds the shoes at in her publications, so her readers can go buy them!

Would you choose Jack or Peter?

http://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Sophie-Cindy-Roland-Anderson-ebook/dp/B00GSC9KM8/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Sophie Kendrick’s father has gone missing in the jungles of Costa Rica. Desperate for answers to his whereabouts, she decides to search for him herself. She hires Jack Mathison to guide her through the jungle, but the two of them seem to be at odds from the moment they meet. Sophie finds Jack conceited, sarcastic and, worse, very good-looking. He is totally not her type, so how could she possibly be attracted to him?
Likewise, Jack can’t wait to be rid of Sophie and her optimistic outlook. Seriously, how could someone be that nice? Jack isn’t looking for a relationship, and finds the electrifying chemistry between the two of them completely annoying. His job is to lead Sophie to a remote village deep inside the rainforest—her father’s last known location. Still, the jungle is a dangerous place and Jack does everything in his power to protect Sophie, but who will protect his heart?

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Divergent the Film

You should know first that I didn't read the books, so I can't compare the movie to the book. If you're looking for a review that does that, then you should look somewhere else.

That being said, I also didn't know anything about the series except that it's dystopian before I saw the film. At least knowing the genre gave me certain clues as to what I'd be watching.

I liked the film. I hope they make the rest of the trilogy. And, yes, these books are now on my 'to read' list.

This story has plenty of twists and turns and I never really knew where I was going next or where I might be by the end. Would Tris be dead? (Not likely since I know there are two more books). Who would die? Who would live? Would she defy The Society?  Mostly likely. That's usually what heroines do in this genre. Will the Society embrace her? Leave her factionless? Would Four turn out to be a bad guy in disguise?

I thoroughly enjoy movies that constantly raise questions as we flow along. This had great pacing, character motivation, dialogue (I never once cringed) and while it's PG-13 for the violence, the love interest only goes as far as kissing. I don't recall any language.

I was totally good with the casting. Nice to see Kate Winslet play the mean girl for a change. And I'm glad they picked relative unknowns for Tris and Four.

My fave scene was the train once everyone's been 'dosed'.

Frankly,I think being divergent and being able to think outside the 'box' is something the Society should be revering not exterminating. But then, that wouldn't be very exciting, now would it?

So, if you like The Hunger Games, I'd go see this one.

Worth a view? Yes.
Worth a buy? I definitely want to see it again. I'll wait and see if they make all the books into films and buy them as a pack. If not, I'll probably pick it up.

Would you want to be divergent?



Thursday, March 20, 2014

Fair Catch

This is the first book I've read by Cindy Anderson and I'd like to read some more!

The writing is funny, witty, heart-tugging, and a good clean romance. Yes, there is kissing, but not excessively and it is used to express the emotions of the characters as opposed to just straight up attraction run wild. Well done.

I liked the characters. They were very relatable and easy to picture as my own neighbors. I despised the ex-husband as she led me to and I'd figured out the plot a bit ahead of time. Lots of good tension.

I thought it was interesting that these characters are 'faith' based, but not specific to any one faith, which makes them more universally appealing, but I kind of wanted them to be nailed down to one. It was clear they were of a Christ-based faith. I just like to know what religion or branch  I'm dealing with, personally.

Nice way to spend a few hours lost in someone else's life.

Love the fab shoes on the cover!

Would you date an ex-NFL quarterback? Or divorced mother of one?

http://www.amazon.com/Fair-Catch-Cindy-Roland-Anderson/dp/0615838057/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391109042&sr=8-1&keywords=fair+catch

Ellie Garrett never planned on being a divorced, single mother—she also never planned to get married again. Ever. Her ordinary life changes when the house across the street is sold. The new owner is Nick Coulter—quarterback and MVP for the Sacramento Defenders. Oh yeah, he’s also one of People magazine’s top 100 most beautiful people and America’s most eligible bachelor. So why would she pick him to have her first crush on since her divorce?

Recently retired from the NFL, Nick is more than ready to find a wife and start a family. He's tired of his high-profile lifestyle and moves to Pleasant Wood, Colorado, hoping to finally settle down and focus on his foundation Kids Come First. It would just feel nice to be a normal guy. Of course being rebuffed by Ellie the first few times he meets her makes him feel a little too normal.

As Nick and Ellie become acquainted, their mutual attraction is hard to ignore. But Ellie’s been hurt before by her womanizing ex-husband. She’s not sure that Nick has left behind his playboy reputation. Can she risk falling in love with the celebrity football player or will she miss her chance at scoring big in the game of love?

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Houses of Common

Don't miss the excerpt from this book at the end!

About HOUSES OF COMMON: In the 22nd century, pilgrims leave Earth for the nearby planets that terraformers have crafted to meet their needs. Ranyk is a smart-mouthed alien, the best of the world-builders employed by the US government--and he always completes his risky assignments solo, pushing to the deep recesses of space for the good of colonists and to avoid his growing fame.

Until he's handed an on-planet assignment in Ireland, of all places, as an undercover international student of aquaponics. His real plan? To pull scientists and their families out of a country careening toward civil war--and off earth to a world of their own before marital-law lockdown ends their ground-breaking discoveries.

Risking his life is no novelty for Ranyk. He's been battered by asteroids, nearly incinerated in volcanoes, and has out-piloted pirates. But political espionage on Earth is more dangerous that anything he's encountered before, and he's completely ill-equipped for such delicate matters. Now he must figure out who to trust and who to eliminate, or it will mean his freedom, the safety of forty thousand desperate colonists, and the lives of his friends.

Buy Links:

About Derick William Dalton: Mr. Dalton is a professional student who has taken an occasional hiatus for such frivolities as teaching high school science, residential construction, and treating patients as a physician assistant. When not speaking of himself in the third person, he hangs out with his wife and kids and a smart-mouth turtle. He's also planning a mountain biking trip on the moon.

Social Media Links:





Hi everyone, I’m Derick William Dalton. I'm one of those people who had “what I want to be when I grow up” all planned out. Problem is, I haven't grown up yet. In the meantime, I've been a high school science teacher and spend my current days as a physician assistant.
Ms. Swinton invited me to post an excerpt of my novel Houses of Common, now available on Amazon and CreateSpace. A sci-fi thriller with a literary twist, I hope you enjoy a glimpse into one of the characters. Sckiik is a female alien, former Virginia State Patrol officer, and current head of security for her species’ embassy to the United States. With intelligence indicating an assassination attempt on the Ambassador, Sckiik blasts into space, tailing the Ambassador's ship for protection.
                                                            ***

One more hit like that and I'm dust.
Sckiik’s sensors indicated she only had a few moments as the assassin’s third missile approached. She tried venting compressed cockpit oxygen to alter her course, but the valve wouldn't respond. She hit the emergency fire suppression system in the instrument panel, hoping the argon foam might leak out the damaged nosecone and push her out of the way. Instead, the panel shorted out right in her face with a flash of sparks and smoke. With two seconds to spare, Sckiik tried her last plan.
“Survive this.”
Sckiik set off one more reactor burn to increase speed. Then she punched out, the ejection charge blowing her clear of the drone-turned-missile. The assassins' missile was on course, but the energy plating held again despite the detonation.
Sckiik had a spectacular view of the collision between her drone and the assassin ship. The ejection had started the drone in an end-over-end tumble, as she had hoped. It was perpendicular to the ship when they met, and Sckiik watched as it neatly bisected the entire assassin vessel, atmosphere pouring and crystallizing out the halves now spinning in opposite directions. The drone was reduced to metal droplets, vaporized on impact and creating a cone of sparkles along what would have been its path.
“That's my art. Wish I had a brush to sign it.”
Sckiik looked as long as she could before the destructive beauty of high-speed collision shrank into the distance. Her victory would have to be fully celebrated later. Her next concern was traveling through space at nearly a hundred kilometers per second, with only a thin vacsuit and her exoskeleton protecting her. Checking the equipment at her belt, she grabbed for her vectoring gun, but realized its uselessness. Its emission of compressed air could alter her direction or double as an emergency respiration supply, but it would not be enough to stop her. A few silent blue explosions erupted from the assassin vessel, but it all vanished into the distance before she could relocate the Ambassador's ship. Glancing over her shoulder, she was grateful for the initial heading she'd taken, as she would be more likely to orbit the moon at least once than to collide with it or shoot past.
Has anyone ever made a lunar orbit in a vacsuit? I'm making history. Except officially I was never here.
The novelty of her accomplishment wore off as the seriousness of her predicament sunk in. If the Ambassador's ship didn't come for her, her only hope was to be detected in lunar orbit. That wasn't likely. She was in a higher orbit than the satellites, and their sensors would be pointed at the surface. The few facing out to track incoming ships were probably not calibrated for an object as small and cold and nonmetallic as a female Rildj flailing through the void.

Flinging out a leg, she started a slow rotation to prevent one side of her vacsuit from taking too much radiation from the sun. The stars circled in front of her, the moon just peeking into the periphery of her sight as it looped about, and she felt like the center of the universe.
Seeing the stars from a ship is one thing, but this is a perspective like no other. Maybe not worth the risk of death, but what a way to go out.
From within sprouted infrequent but familiar memories. Sckiik as a child, gazing from the Kyrnact, trying in her small mind to perceive the universe. The experience often unfolded as an internal battle. But the rising hopelessness and terror at facing the vast void would lose out to the beauty of it, a calm reassurance from some unseen source washing away fear. She remembered wondering if the sensation was the god or gods humans spoke of, something or someone unseen but felt in moments of quiet reflection. Or was the calm a neurochemical effect, a protection from depression or insanity when having one's insignificance contrasted with the infinity of the universe?
Sckiik found truth in them both. It wasn't unusual among Rildj to hold some belief in the supernatural, but even the particularly religious she knew wouldn't be considered so by human standards. “If we have an official religion,” she had once been told, “one worships by living and living well.” But the explanation felt hollow and forced when feeling very small yet very watched in the expanse of the galaxy. Living, living well, and being looked after.
There was another place, too, in which she had that sense. Sckiik was still working out why certain worship rituals felt the same as the Kyrnact viewport of her childhood, and she pondered it weekly.
Surrounded by women in dresses and men in neckties, her calmness was dulled slightly by self-consciousness. Her vacsuit looked very out of place, but Sckiik could only imagine how much more awkward she would appear in similar dress, even if by some miracle none of it caught on her spines. She wondered at first how uncomfortable others might feel due to her presence; a science-fiction monster, perhaps shorter and with fewer appendages than in movies, but still sitting right next to them singing about Jesus.
Each time she had changed jobs and moved, Sckiik was surprised more people didn't hide their children, and only a few times did someone move to a different pew. She had sensed a pattern after seeing a few congregations in action and could usually pick out the players on day one. There was always the careful avoidance of eye contact from a person or two, indignant she would dare by her very existence to contradict their personal interpretation of the first few pages of Genesis. Sometimes she'd hear comments about her species' cultural lack of theism, an ironically arrogant statement of human spiritual superiority. Someone, usually a young man who had interest in the ministry, would take it upon himself to instruct her at length, quoting verses to excess, about the basics of Christianity. She would parry the patronization into awkward silence with a flirtatious comment. Stares from the adolescent kids were followed by whispered conversations with their parents, asking permission to hear about alien physiology parlor tricks and starship piloting adventures. She could usually get away from that mob if she sat in the back close to the door.
Mostly, though, the pattern was pleasant. Without fail, some family would ask Sckiik to dinner, then hesitatingly, sometimes fearfully, ask about her diet. More people made her feel welcome than not. There was discomfort from those experiencing something new, she had sensed that plainly. But underlying it was a friendliness enough to make her feel welcomed.
Last week had been her first time attending church in D.C. Sckiik had arrived as it was starting, and she pulled off the faceplate of her vacsuit as she entered. She felt distanced enough from everyone without two centimeters of polycarbonate between them. Wearing it in front of others also felt like hiding, as if she were covering something up, preventing someone from reading her. Not that humans could. It also made her feel penitent, trusting; exposing herself to discomfort for the sake of worship. That first day she had sat in the back, sharing a hymnal with a boy of about nine. Until Sckiik sat next to him, he had looked penitent and trusting. Now his expression was somewhere between horror and awe, sitting next to someone from another planet.
Afterward, the minister had approached her as the congregation milled around the pews conversing. The nine-year-old still sat with a stunned look on his face, oblivious to anything but Sckiik. She noted the volume of nearby conversations decrease, and some sideways glances from those too shy or disturbed by her presence to initiate a conversation but too curious to go about their business. Sckiik took no offense. Here were people who made efforts with varying success to be there for others, the better part of human nature. If part of that nature included a fascination with the unusual, Sckiik wasn't one to complain. That same fascination had prompted her to remain on Earth to become a police officer fourteen years ago.
“Good morning, I'm Reverend Garrett.” He stuck his hand out in greeting, then hesitated, a hint of worry between his eyebrows. Sckiik had seen it before, the sudden question of her anatomical or cultural ability to shake hands and the sudden realization at such close proximity this was, indeed, an alien from another planet. That centuries of scientific and religious debate about life on other planets were over, the proof staring him in the face. She quickly put him at ease with a quick grip of her gloved, three-fingered hand.
“Sckiik,” she replied. “Nice to meet you. Do you have a moment?”
“I do. Let's talk in my office.”
Sckiik had followed Reverend Garrett through the foyer as eyes followed her.
What had it taken last time, two months? Not a very long time to become accustomed to an interstellar Gentile.
“You'll forgive me if I'm awkward,” Reverend Garrett began, sitting not behind his desk but beside it. “I've never met anyone from Rildj before, much less been their minister. Let me know if I commit a faux pas.” He smiled, the wrinkles around his eyes becoming more visible next to the salt-and-pepper hair of his temples.
“You'd be surprised how hard that is to do. Consider the vacsuit my Sunday best, and I'll try not to poke holes in the seats,” she said, moving her elbow to accentuate the spine there. She noted his effort in maintaining eye contact, his focus wandering to her alien form. Her acknowledgment of differences gave him permission to do the same.
“It seems you have it figured out,” he replied, nodding toward her legs, lower knees tucked under the seat and to the back, the three-toed boots barely protruding from underneath. “What did you want to discuss?” he asked, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. Sckiik could tell he was uncomfortable despite his outward friendliness. She wondered if the cause was her physical presence or what she imagined was the worst part of being in the clergy: worrying what kind of confession was about to come out.
“I'm sure Reverend Holman told you I was coming and probably mentioned our conversations.”
“He did.”
“So you know I've always worked law enforcement and security jobs. They sometimes get violent.”
“You inflicting violence on others, you mean.”
“Yes. To keep it away from the innocent.”
Reverend Garrett was calm, obviously not surprised. “So tell me what makes you uncomfortable about it.”
“Nothing.”
“You're not uncomfortable with the violence?”
“No. Not at all.”
Now he was not so calm. “Is this why we're talking?”
“I've killed twenty-six people. It's a huge thou-shalt-not, but most people aren't too concerned about military and police service exceptions. Including me. My worry is a lack of remorse. I don't feel it like human cops.”
Garret was silent for a heartbeat. “This is new for me. Is that a typical number?”
She shook her head. “I am good at what I do. I volunteer for assignments where I'm most likely to draw my weapon. I wonder if it's a natural inclination to my strengths. To protect others from dangerous situations. Or if I'm developing an enjoyment.”
Reverend Garrett sat for a moment. “So this is about motivation more than action.”
Sckiik wondered to herself, as she had when meeting other ministers, why she was so open with a stranger, why it was more comforting for her to talk than not. On the first day of meeting this man she was enlisting him in her most personal of struggles. “Yes. Being versus doing.”
“The line between those,” he said with a sigh, “is a centuries-old debate and no small area of contention among scholars and priests. But to be honest, their decisions don't usually translate well into personal life.”
“What does translate well?”
“I've always felt intentions are as important as actions relative to living as we ought.” He leaned forward in his seat. “You wouldn't be talking to me—you wouldn't have talked to others—if the well-being of those around you didn't matter, or if you didn't have at least some belief in the first place.”
“Belief in what? Goodness in general, mine in particular? Or are you speaking more broadly, about belief in the existence of God?”
“It's my understanding there is very little organized religion on your home world.”
“That's true,” Sckiik said, unsure where he was leading.
“Then what happened to you? You feel and act differently. Something made you wonder about your behavior and the motivations behind them. I suspect there is a connection between that event and the answer to your current question.”

                                                            ***
Houses of Common is available on the Kindle here.
Amazon also has the paperback version, but use this $4 coupon code (APSQBFT8), and it’s cheaper from CreateSpace.
Feel free to write a review, as I’m always up for feedback. To keep apprised of new projects, visit my turtle’s website, ShellyTheBoxTurtle.blogspot.com.

Thanks, Ms. Swinton. Random on!


Blood Crown



About BLOOD CROWN: Androids have claimed power over what remains of the human race. They rule without remorse. They are the Mind and humans exist only to serve them. 

But it wasn't always so.

Before the android uprising, select droids, called Servants, were pivotal in engineering a new human race with nanotechnology enhanced DNA. The Blood Crown theorum was to be humanity's crowning glory and the key to their survival in deep space.

But Serantha, Daughter of the West, was the last female to receive Gifts from her Servant and when the Mind mutinied, she was hidden away, and presumed dead. 

Without Serantha there is no hope of the Blood Crown being realized so Nicolai, Son of the East, abandons his crown to join the rebel forces. He might not provide the future for his people he had once dreamed of, but he will not go down without a fight.

When Nicolai discovers Sera among a small compliment of kitchen staff, everything changes--but Sera's Gifts were never completed and she is ill-equipped to face a legion of androids determined to wipe her, and every other human, out of existence.

Their only hope is the Blood Crown--but even if Serantha and Nicolai can realize their potential it may be too late to save mankind.

Release date: February 28, 2014


About Ali Cross: Ali Cross is the sensei of Novel Ninjutsu where she holds a black belt in awesome. She lives in Utah with her kickin' husband, two sparring sons, one ninja cat, one sumo dog and four zen turtles.

Ali is the award-winning author of young and new adult fiction and moonlights as Alex Cross when she can write wild middle grade adventures set in the faraway places of her imagination.


Social media links:
Tumblr/Pinterest/Etc: http://desolationdiaries.tumblr.com/
Indelibles (indie authors): http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com/
Emblazoners (middle grade authors): http://emblazoners.com/


Note there are two Rafflecopter giveaways to enter for. One is for the Grand Prize and the other is for this week's prize. Enter both and happy reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Thor 2: The Dark World

Who knew you could like a Norwegian god with a cape and blond flowing locks who swings a mean hammer so much?

Actually, I was thrilled to see so many of the cast back in action in this fun flick. I especially like the interaction between Thor and Jane and Loki. My favorite part was when Jane punched Loki. He totally deserved it and his reaction is priceless. That's not a spoiler, it's in the trailer. Oh, I finally figured out that Zachary Levi, (the blond sword swinger) is Eugene from Tangled. Who knew?

The story is well plotted and the action moves along. There are intergalactic space time problems to solve, a bad guy to fight and a touch of romance, all the trappings of a good super hero film. It does make you wonder, in a fun way, if this could all happen. I think I'd need the characters of the Big Bang Theory to hash that one out. How cool would that be to have them analyze all the Marvel films? CG work is up to par.

I will miss the one character who won't return for Thor 3. (There is going to be a Thor 3, right?)

Worth view? Yes!

Worth a buy? Yes! I'll be watching this one over again.

Did you think it was a good as Thor I? I did. Are you excited for Captain America 2? I am!




Thursday, March 13, 2014

Hearth Fires

Hearth Fires is a romance suspense novel by Dorothy Keddington and my first read by this author.

I liked it.

Poor Mackenzie Graham inadvertently takes some incriminating photographs and gets dragged into a world of trouble, which starts as burglaries to get back the photos quickly escalates to a hit on her life and running to the backwoods of Southern Utah with a man she barely knows to try and stay alive.

Naturally, life and death situations draw people together and lets romance blossom, even in the desert.

Is the idea plausible? Sure. People fall in love in only a few days all the time. So, just move past that and enjoy the story. It's well crafted with the right amount of danger and romance and peace. Great pacing, dialogue and Ms. Keddington makes it easy to like Mac and Will and watch them fall in love. They've both been around the block with heartache but Ms. Keddington never quite gives us the full details on why those relationships didn't' work out and I like the dirty details when it comes to failed relationships. It's the Nosy Nelly in me.

Great believable characters. Everyone we meet could easily be someone in our family or a friend we know.

I want my own Welsh spoon now. Read the book to find out what I'm talking about. Next Christmas every wife will be wanting one from her husband.

Clean read. No language. Kisses only. No smexy here, just blissful love.

http://www.amazon.com/Hearth-Fires-Dorothy-Keddington/dp/1599928949/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389377039&sr=8-1&keywords=hearth+fires

Mackenzie Graham's ideal assignment - writing an article on storybook homes - takes a dangerous turn when she photographs a clandestine meeting between a prominent judge, a black-market kingpin, and a crooked cop. Rescued from harm's way by a rugged cowboy-attorney, Mackenzie finds her career and life forever changed.

Flying bullets and wild bulls team up with romance and suspense in the classic Keddington tradition. This exciting new novel will warm you on the coldest of nights.

This is the kind of suspense romance I like, well balanced with just a slight tilt on the romance side.




Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Luminescence

Luminescence

by Braden Bell
Paperback, 320 pages
Expected publication: March 11th 2014by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media
ISBN 1462114059

Summary

“He’s alive!” she yelled. “He’s alive!”
As Lexa spoke the words, she knew they were true. She knew with total certainty.
“Dr. Timberi’s alive!”
When Lady Nightwing kidnapped Dr. Timberi, everyone assumed their teacher had been killed. So when Lexa discovers that he isn’t dead, Conner can’t believe his ears.
Determined to rescue their favorite teacher, Conner, Lexa, and Melanie confront their worst fears and use their powers in unexpected ways to defeat Lady Nightshade, the treacherous Darkhand leader. But when the trio makes a terrible choice to save Dr. Timberi, their powers may not be enough to keep everyone alive. A thrilling conclusion to the Middle School Magic series!
Your favorite characters return in this satisfying conclusion of the Middle School Magic series! Filled with plenty of twists, humor, and adventure, Luminescence will keep you guessing until the last page.
Study hall? Definitely. Substitute Teachers? Absolutely. Rescuing people from brutal villains? Bring it on!

About the AuthorBraden_Bell

During his middle school years, Braden Bell was the least-stable, lowest-achieving student in the history of the world. He shocked every former teacher by graduating from high school and college, and then going on to earn both a Master’s degree as well as a Ph.D. A teacher by day and a parent by night, he is around teenagers 24/7. He teaches music and directs plays at a private school, much like Marion Academy in The Middle School Magic series. Whether he fights evil after hours is something he cannot disclose.
Braden Bell holds degrees in theatre from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. from NYU. A committed educator, he has been directing plays and teaching school now for over twenty years. Braden lives with his family on a quiet, tree-lined lot outside of Nashville, TN, where he teaches theatre and choir at a middle school. The author of The Road Show, The Kindling, and Penumbras.
Lean More on his websitetwitterfacebookgoodreadspublisher

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YjhmMWE0NDMzOTZmOTg3OGQzOTg5MzgxYTM3ZTBhOjU5/


a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK REVIEW

Here are my two cents on this trilogy.

I had to read the first two books in order to catch up to read the third and final installment of this trilogy. At least, I think it's a trilogy. It doesn't look like it's going anywhere after this.

When I first looked at the books, I thought, Oh, my, that's 900 pages of reading! And I have other things in my life to attend to! But, the reading went fast, because the writing is solid, captivating and clever. Keep in mind, I'm in the heads of 3 middle grade students all through the series and as they think a bit more linearly than adults, there was a lot less distraction and gobbledy-gook to muddle through. It was an easy and enjoyable read.

Personally, I think writing Middle-grade is the toughest genre to write to. You have to keep it on their level without being insulting or childish, but not begin so adult that it goes over the young reader's head! It makes me tired just thinking about attempting it!

Mr. Bell's trilogy is a master class in how to write MG Fantasy. Totally awesome! And he ties in their emotional hang ups without making them whiny (except in those moments when it's intentional to the character). Great world building and I will never ride It's a Small World at Disney World in the same way after reading this. And, I wish we could all take up streaming.

You can easily hand this to your grandmother, BFF, teenager or 9 year-old. I gave it to my 9 year-old. Here are her thoughts on this trilogy:

It's a great series, full of excitement, joy, and it'll make you cry. It's a wonderful story. It's one of the most exciting books I've ever read. I'd recommend this book to everyone. 

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Ender's Game

I read this book, along with the next 3-4 in the series, somewhere in the last 5 years, so my comparison of the book to the film at this point wouldn't be accurate.

That being said, I think the film is pretty much spot on with what I do recall. The story line is close, if not exact.

I think it's hard to make a space movie. Not a lot of scenery out there. Plenty of special effects.

The casting is solid. Everyone who appears on the screen seems made for their part in the film.

While it's not a dark film, there isn't much levity. Only a few humorous moments. After all, we are talking about a film where the purpose is the extinction of an alien species.

Worth a view? Yes.

Worth a buy? Hmm. Not necessarily. We did. But, I don't think it's one I'll be asking to watch over and over again. Maybe every few years or so.

Did you think the movie held up to the book?

Monday, March 10, 2014

Winners of the Fallen Angel Blog Tour!

It's been an amazing month on the Fallen Angel Blog Tour. The word got out across the web and I nearly made my goal of 100 followers on my FB Author Page. Whoohooo!

THANKS to the awesome people who participated in the blog tour and for the honest reviews it received. Also, to all who submitted entries for the prizes.

The lucky winners are:

Tamera W. $25 Amazon gift card
Lori W. Fallen Angel
Jodi B. Change of Plans
Janae S. Pride's Prejudice

Congratulations! Enjoy!

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Do Over

This is the first book I've read by Shannon Guymon.

I liked the story and the writing for the most part. I liked the characters. Iris and Trey are so easy to route for and funny. Great voice for both of them.

Two things surprised me.

One, the author switches point of view at the drop of a hat. One sentence I'm in Iris's head and the next sentence I'm in Trey's. This is a big no-no in the world of writing, at least as I've learned it. This is the kind of thing I'm told agents, editors, and publishers turn down manuscripts over and yet, there it is. The thing that really amazes me about this is she's not a first time author. She's published half a dozen or more books. Is this allowed once you're established and no one cares anymore?

Second, I'm more than half way through the book when the author decides to mention temple marriage and indicate the characters are LDS. What? Usually if the characters are of the LDS faith it comes up early in the book. It didn't make sense. There are like 3 mentions of it and then it disappears again. Poof! I didn't assume the characters were LDS just because the book was based in Alpine, UT. And I didn't think the characters or storyline needed any mention of faith or religion at all. It just seemed weird.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I stayed up late to finish the book.

There's only one thing I'd have liked included in Do Over. The website or store to buy Iris' boots at! I totally want a pair!

Have you read a book that had a weird element randomly thrown in that didn't seem to fit or serve the story?

http://www.amazon.com/Do-Over-Shannon-Guymon-ebook/dp/B00BHRLRZC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1388796782&sr=8-3&keywords=do+over

Who wouldn't be tired of dating after falling for the wrong woman over and over again? Trey has decided to take a much-needed break from the fairer sex, until Iris tumbles into his life. Their romance will either be a disaster waiting to happen or the best fairy tale since Sleeping Beauty. This final installment of the Alpine series will have you giving love another chance.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Watching this movie was a surprise. Frankly, the first one is fun and even at times clever, but I wasn't sure whether a sequel would be viable or even what they could come up with in terms of a storyline.

So, we're back to the island and this time instead of a situational villain we have a human villain. Choices of ethics. Right vs. wrong. Greed. Friends. Family. Lots of variables in play.

You need to be familiar with puns to figure out what the food animals are on the island. I was a bit slow on the uptake and my family had to explain the names. We never did figure out the marshmallows.

Worth a view? Sure.

Worth a buy? Possibly. We bought it, but I hadn't planned on it.

Do you think they'll make a third?

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Newtimber: Fractured

Introducing Newtimber: Fractured, an exciting YA urban fantasy novel by Karen E. Hoover, author of The Wolfchild Saga and others.





There was absolutely no way a black dragon hovered outside of Newtimber. Sianna rubbed her eyes, but the dragon was still there, clutching a round object that looked like a spotted egg. And then the egg fell, hitting the ground like an atomic bomb, sending out waves of a slow-moving fog that distorted everything it touched.

The citizens of Newtimber change. The old man down the street stretches into a screaming tree. Sianna’s skateboarding friend, Matt, transforms into a giant green dragon. Pegasus. Sirens. Griffins. Vampires. Zombies. Creatures from the myths of every culture come to life through the people.

Even Sianna changes, her skin becoming stone hard, and she gains the ability to travel from the human realm into the dimension of the fae, using it to free her father from prison and enlist his aid in battling the evil bent on taking over the world.

One person to heal a family, a town, and save the world. It seems an impossible task, but with the help of her new friends, it could happen.

Right?


Newtimber: Fractured will be released early summer 2014 by Trifecta Books. Visit www.trifectabooks.com for exciting updates about this great new series!