How fun is this? Love to read? You should be following the "I Am A Reader" blog - and now they are giving away $300 in Paypal cash - here's the details and the link:
Giveaway Details
$300 Paypal Cash
Ends 12/21/14
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW
. . . Stephanie's Book Reviews & Author Interviews . . .
This blog is dedicated to books that I have read and reviewed (sometimes at the request of the author and/or publisher) OR that I have read on my own and want to share with you. Author interviews are also included. Enjoy!
Monday, December 1, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
The Watchers Series ~ Book One: "Knight of Light" by Deirdra Eden
Do you love adventure? Fantasy? Medieval England? Fairies? Witches? Pixies? Demons? Mystical creatures with unique personalities; some fun, others dangerous? Just to name a few of the character types you will run into in "Knight of Light" by Deirdra Eden, Book One of The Watchers Series.
This is an exciting tale of an orphan girl, Auriella. "She's not a witch; she's not human either. She's something much more powerful." And Book One, "Kinght of Light," leads you on an adventurous journey of self discovery, with Auriella, to learn who she actually is; someone who has the power to change this world. Don't miss this middle grade/young adult book that encourages the reader to be have courage and be strong. It is fast-paced and a quick and entertaining read; newly released and already a bestseller.
In England, 1270 A.D., Auriella (pronounced yurr-ee-ella) flees her village after being accused of witchcraft. Pursued by nightmarish creatures, she struggles to accept the truth about her humanity. Filled with fairies, dwarves, pixies, dragons, demons, and monsters, Knight of Light is an enthralling tale that will capture the imaginations of readers young and old.
The Watchers Series has been described as Braveheart meets Supernatural. The mythology for the series is based on many theological texts from dozens of sects with correlating themes. Ancient writings include The Dead Sea Scrolls, The Traditional Apocrypha, The Pearl of Great Price, and The Kabbalah.
“The Watchers” are supernatural beings in human form whose duty it is to protect and guard mankind from the armies of darkness. Unfortunately, as the Book of Enoch mentions, some of these Watchers go bad. Although the mythology is based on these texts, Deirdra Eden’s The Watchers Series is written in a traditional fairytale style with a young girl’s discovery of incredible, but dangerous powers within herself, a cast of humorous side-kicks, a quest for greater self-discovery and purpose, and villains of epic proportions
"My goal in writing is to saturate my books with intrigue, mystery, romance, and plot twists that will keep my readers in suspense. I want to see fingerprints on the front and back covers where readers have gripped the novel with white knuckles! Aside from writing, I enjoy jousting in arenas, planning invasions, horseback riding through open meadows, swimming in the ocean, hiking up mountains, camping in cool shady woods, climbing trees barefoot, and going on adventures."
-Deirdra Eden
Find Deirdra Eden and The Watchers Series online on Amazon, Deirdra's website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Wattpad, and Pinterest.
This is an exciting tale of an orphan girl, Auriella. "She's not a witch; she's not human either. She's something much more powerful." And Book One, "Kinght of Light," leads you on an adventurous journey of self discovery, with Auriella, to learn who she actually is; someone who has the power to change this world. Don't miss this middle grade/young adult book that encourages the reader to be have courage and be strong. It is fast-paced and a quick and entertaining read; newly released and already a bestseller.
The Watchers Book 1: Knight of Light
In England, 1270 A.D., Auriella (pronounced yurr-ee-ella) flees her village after being accused of witchcraft. Pursued by nightmarish creatures, she struggles to accept the truth about her humanity. Filled with fairies, dwarves, pixies, dragons, demons, and monsters, Knight of Light is an enthralling tale that will capture the imaginations of readers young and old.
The Watchers Series has been described as Braveheart meets Supernatural. The mythology for the series is based on many theological texts from dozens of sects with correlating themes. Ancient writings include The Dead Sea Scrolls, The Traditional Apocrypha, The Pearl of Great Price, and The Kabbalah.
“The Watchers” are supernatural beings in human form whose duty it is to protect and guard mankind from the armies of darkness. Unfortunately, as the Book of Enoch mentions, some of these Watchers go bad. Although the mythology is based on these texts, Deirdra Eden’s The Watchers Series is written in a traditional fairytale style with a young girl’s discovery of incredible, but dangerous powers within herself, a cast of humorous side-kicks, a quest for greater self-discovery and purpose, and villains of epic proportions
About the Author
"My goal in writing is to saturate my books with intrigue, mystery, romance, and plot twists that will keep my readers in suspense. I want to see fingerprints on the front and back covers where readers have gripped the novel with white knuckles! Aside from writing, I enjoy jousting in arenas, planning invasions, horseback riding through open meadows, swimming in the ocean, hiking up mountains, camping in cool shady woods, climbing trees barefoot, and going on adventures."
-Deirdra Eden
Find Deirdra Eden and The Watchers Series online on Amazon, Deirdra's website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Wattpad, and Pinterest.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
"Elias of Elderberry" by Theresa Sneed
It is my pleasure to introduce you to Theresa Sneed's newest book, "Elias of Elderberry."
I'm lucky because I have personally known Theresa for many years.I feel like a grandmother of sorts who got to participate in a rather long pregnancy and now the birth of this remarkable story. Theresa often shared chapters of this book at our critique groups as she was writing it. We were mesmerized every time she read to us.
Theresa Sneed is a master storyteller. Her fantasies are always entertaining. She creates thought-provoking tales of wonder, intrigue, engaging characters and endless possibilities. "Elias of Elderberry" is no exception.
Synopsis:
Elias Rey, a fifteen year old student at Penquis Valley High
School, is skinny, has a chipped tooth, and a bad case of acne. His favorite
pastime is drawing dragons, and his room is plastered with his renditions.
Tested out as a genius, he should be in college instead of high school, but he
chooses to be with the only family he has ever known, his foster sister Lizzie,
and his best friend Jaron.
Life is good, except for one thing - Brute, the meanest
student at PVHS. Elias considers moving to be rid of Brute's constant bullying,
until one fated day, when a strange boy pushes a leather pouch into his hands,
and then mysteriously disappears, leaving Elias to wonder who he is.
Shortly thereafter, Elias discovers that the pouch contains
Ilesar, an ancient papyrus that can give him anything his heart desires. He
isn't going to be pushed around. Ever. Again. At least, not by the school
bully.
Some cool things to know about the author, Theresa Sneed:
Theresa grew up in the woodlands of Maine and spent most of
her time climbing trees and looking for snakes under rocks. She has a wealth of childhood experiences from which she creates her magical
stories. As a mother of six, a grandmother of five, and an elementary school
teacher, she enjoys weaving moments of wonder and reflection.
Theresa graduated cum laude with a BA in education and has
written award-winning poetry and stories. Her No Angel series has received
excellent reviews from her readers as well as claiming two Whitney finalists’
spots. Theresa enjoys reading and writing fantasy, romance, and suspense.
To learn more about Theresa, visit her website: www.theresasneed.com. She loves hearing from her readers and may be
contacted through her website.
This book is hard to put down. Do yourself a favor and put it on your summer reading list!
**** GIVEAWAY ****
Rafflecopter Giveaway
Here are a couple of enticing EXCERPTS:
Excerpt #1
He snatched the
pouch up. The drama department was at the end of the hallway. Elias grinned. Dang! That boy is good! He really had me going there! “Hey, Mr. Arnold!”
Elias stuck his head into the office.
“Yes, Elias?”
Mr. Arnold’s beady eyes peered at him over half moon spectacles that looked as
if they’d slip off his nose.
“Yeah well, just
wanted to congratulate you on whatever it is you guys are working on. Whoever
that boy was with the pouch—” He held it up. “Well, he’s pretty convincing—good
job!”
Mr. Arnold
looked at him like he didn’t know what he was talking about.
“You
know—Ooooo-OOoo.” Elias made a ghostly sound and wiggled his fingers in the
air. “He looked pretty freaky, sir.”
Mr. Arnold
leaned back and stroked his goatee. “I
have no idea what you’re talking about, Elias—none whatsoever.”
“Huh.” Elias
turned the pouch over in his hands. “Yeah, well, okay.” He thanked him and went
back into the hallway.
Who was that
boy? If he hadn’t been part of any theater production at the school—what kind
of performance was he in? He nodded as he remembered the white cord tugging at
the boy—great special effects. Destroy them,
the boy had said. Elias shrugged. His gaze fell to the pouch. What was in it? He started to open it,
but thought better and glanced around for a more secluded place to explore its
contents.
What better
place than the boy’s bathroom? He slipped through the door and then into an
empty stall. He studied the brown leather bag holding it closer to his face.
The gold band that ran diagonally up its sides was made to look like a
snake—its diamond-shaped head brandishing two tiny, red jewels. Elias brushed
his fingers over the thin band and a wisp of smoke rose from it. He coughed and
swept his hand through the gray mist—must
have been dust.
All of a sudden,
the bathroom door banged open and Brute’s voice broke the silence. “Hey
zit-face! I know you’re in here!”
Oh crap. Of all the places for Brute to
find him—defenseless—with no one to stop the Brute from beating him senseless,
or even to identify Elias’ lifeless body later. He rolled his eyes. Okay, that
was a bit melodramatic. He’d been hanging around his foster sister, Lizzie too
long. Drama was her thing—not his.
The stall doors
slammed against their hinges one by one—closer and closer. He let out a groan,
as he saw Brute’s size twelve shoes in front of the stall next to his. He
swallowed hard and breathed out slow. “I wish I was home.” A warm buzz came
from the pouch, and he glanced down as it came to life—casting an eerie glow
against the stall door. Then all at once, a steely flash of red light cruelly
stung his skin, deep into his sinewy flesh, as a powerful force twisted him
through an opening—a thin slit in the air.
Excerpt #2
He pressed his
head back against the pillow. So, this was what crazy felt like. He grimaced,
knowing that he was not crazy, but not having any good explanation for what was
happening to him. Suddenly, something nuzzled the crick of his neck.
“Cut it out,
Ilzar.” It let out a tiny bawl, almost like a cough, and Elias turned his head
expecting to see Ilzar. He jumped backward, nearly falling off the bed. “YIKES!”
A miniature,
baby dragon the color of the sky sat on his pillow teetering back and forth as
if it hadn’t quite got its bearings.
“Oh, my gosh,
oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh!” Elias leaped from his bed and stared at the small,
sapphire colored dragon. It coughed again and a tiny blue cloud of smoke came
from its throat.
Elias’ mouth
dropped open. Was this real? The dragon hopped off the pillow and came to the
edge of the bed. It looked up at him with doleful eyes, coughed, than bawled
again—like it was hungry.
Elias’ eyes
widened. What did dragons eat—other than villages of people?
Other books by
Theresa Sneed
Her "No Angel" Series (not completed yet, watch for at
least 3 or 4 more books in this series)
Links:
Remaining Blog Tour Stops:
July 17th
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July 17th
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July 18th
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July 19th
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July 20th
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http://sweet-n-sassy-book-a-holics.blogspot.com/
& www.facebook.com/sweetnsassybookaholics
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Thursday, August 22, 2013
"A Change of Plans" Audio Book Giveaway Blog Tour
Donna K. Weaver is so excited about her audio book that she and her publisher are doing a give-away.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Marked for Death, Separated by War ~ true story of the Famgamou family of West Africa
"GOD DOESN'T WRITE WITH A PEN: A True Story of Undaunted Faith and Mighty Miracles," published by Cedar Fort, ($14.99, 224 pages), written by Christi Lynn Pauline
"...During the mid-1990s, Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, was a war-torn and turbulent country. Belma Fangamou was seeking peaceful means to bring about resolution, but he was falsely accused of helping the rebel cause. Soldiers invaded his pharmacy, killed his employee and he narrowly escaped with his life. Fangamou knew he would endanger his family if he returned home, so he headed to the border by foot, praying family members would be safe. They weren’t...."
This is the most amazing true story of a family who went to hell and back simply trying to keep their family together and serve God in a time of civil war and upheaval in their native land of West Africa. The above paragraph is an excerpt from a book review I wrote for Deseret News ~ you can read it in it's entirety here: True story of West African family's escape from terror
I HIGHLY recommend this book! It is extremely well-written and gripping; hard to put down.I look forward to more books from Christi Lynn Pauline. Nicely done!
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
CONTEST for a free copy of "Checkin' it Twice & Other Heartwarming Holiday Tales" ~ PLUS A BOOK REIVEW
Anyone who knows me is well aware that I am a push-over for a good Christmas story and/or movie. So I was thrilled to find this little book full of stories by various authors. An anthology is so nice during this time of year because you can finish a story in one reading and pick the book up the following day and enjoy an entirely different story.
"Checkin' it Twice & Other Heartwarming Holiday Tales" has 16 award-winning stories just in time for the Christmas holidays. The stories are the outcome of LDS Publisher's 2010 and 2011 Christmas Story Contest.
Follow Savanna, a young mother, whose children help her find a merry Christmas despite the financial difficulties her family is experiencing in "Christmas Gifts from Jesus" by Kasey Eyre.
"Broken Things" by Angie Lofthouse reminds us that forgiveness is the greatest gift of all. It gave me chills as I read the last few lines.
And "With Wondering Awe" by Jennifer Carson Shelton we watch the transformation of a distraught young teen who finds healing through service to honor her younger sister who passed away.
And that's just three examples - get the book to read them all!! Enjoy!!!
You can find out about the book, about the authors and this year's contest at the blog: "Checkin' it Twice" - blog ~ Plus you can even read short samples of the stories!!
"Like" this book on FB to stay on top of any news about it: FaceBook page
Purchase the paperback copy here: Amazon - paperback of "Checkin' it Twice"
If you want a Kindle copy, go here: Amazon - Kindle of Checkin' it Twice
AND ... AND .... if you buy the PRINT copy BEFORE Dec. 15th, there are some cool bonuses in store for you. Check that out here: Print copy bonuses - ends Dec. 15, 2012
One more thing - FREE COPY of "Checkin' it Twice" CONTEST ~
If you want to enter to get a free e-book copy of the book - just comment on this blog AND become a follower to this blog (if you aren't already). Then, on Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 9am there will be a random drawing I'll reveal a lucky winner from among those who qualify. Cheers!!!
Cheers!!!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Desert Night Shift: A Pack Rat Story
by Conrad J. Storad
Even as an adult, I LOVE LOVE LOVE any book by Conrad J. Storad. I am particularly partial to this one, because ... (true confession alert) "Hello, my name is Stephanie and I am a pack rat," just like "Penny Pack Rat." This delightful tale takes place in the Sonoran Desert. It's nighttime and Penny has her backpack on and is in search of a silver spoon for her Grandma.
Even as an adult, I LOVE LOVE LOVE any book by Conrad J. Storad. I am particularly partial to this one, because ... (true confession alert) "Hello, my name is Stephanie and I am a pack rat," just like "Penny Pack Rat." This delightful tale takes place in the Sonoran Desert. It's nighttime and Penny has her backpack on and is in search of a silver spoon for her Grandma.
Told entirely in verse, we follow Penny as she tries to fulfill her nana's wish of owning a silver spoon. Penny braves the dangers of the night; snakes, coyotes and more. Hence, the title: Desert Night Shift.
"Oh, desert days are bright and hot,
Swift, hungry creatures rule,
But every little pack rat learns
That night shift work is cool!"
Although this is written with children in mind, I love Storad's charming approach to desert animals. The illustrations by Nathaniel P. Jensen are vibrant and endearing. At the end of each of Storad's books you can find a page of "Words to Learn" and facts about the animal hero of the book. Conrad Storad specializes in creating science books for children that make learning fun. In 2001 he was awarded the Arizona Library Association's Judy Goddard Award as Arizona's Children's Author of the Year.
I'm also partial to this book because I won my autographed copy while attending a writers workshop Conrad was teaching at this year's American Night Writers Association Annual Conference in February. (As far as ANWA and Conrad Storad are concerned, I'm quick to remind people that I "discovered" him over at ASU when I was searching for guest presenters for one of our workshops a number of years ago. This year was the third time that Conrad instructed aspiring children's writers at one of our conferences. Personally, I can't get enough of the wealth of knowledge he has to offer.
Storad is the author of more than 30 science and nature books for children and young adults. Just reading the titles of his books gives you a clue how fun they are. Here are a few:
Storad is the author of more than 30 science and nature books for children and young adults. Just reading the titles of his books gives you a clue how fun they are. Here are a few:
- Life in the Slow Lane; A Desert Tortoise Tale
- Don't Call Me Pig! A Javelina Story
- Lizards for Lunch: A Roadrunner's Tale
- Don't Ever Cross That Road! An Armadillo Story
He also has some great books that explain scientific information on an elementary level - I used to use his books in my classroom when I taught in grades 1-4: Earth's Crust, The Circulatory System, Hippos, Piranhas, Fossil Fuels and more.
So, if you have kids or grandkids that you want to read something fun and educational to this summer, head over to the library or bookstore and get ANYTHING by Conrad J. Storad - you won't be sorry. Here's his website: Conrad J. Storad ~ oh, and tell him I sent you!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Think you are ready for retirement? Check out this book BEFORE you retire
Hey, Friends - as always, I'm too busy for my own good - so, for now - here's the link to the review I did on a great little book about getting along as a couple 24/7 once you retire. Good food for thought. I hope to get back to this with a review and author interview for this site SOON. :)
Here's the link: Too Much Togetherness: Surviving Retirement as a Couple
Here's the link: Too Much Togetherness: Surviving Retirement as a Couple
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