Review: The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy by Suzanne de Montigny

The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy by Suzanne de Montigny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Did the book description relate to the story? The description matched and provided a wonderful introduction for the story.

How did you feel about the opening / ending sequences of the book? The introduction is both great and sad. Sad that so many creatures will die, sad that so many different animals died. The ending felt perfect for this book.

Who was your favourite character and why? My preference is for Darius. A single lone animal, the last of his kind, wise beyond his years. Someone that has knowledge, wisdom and helpful advice for all.

What were the main relationships explored in this book? Learning to accept change. Change is hard for all of us, it makes a reader wonder how hard change is for animals. Greed is something we all face. De Montigny shows readers how people become obsessed with greed and how it affects out lives.

Was this book worth reading? This is a perfect read for an adult or young tween. I know several friends with children who will definitely love this book.

Disclosure - I received a complimentary copy from the author which did not affect my honest opinion.

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What It Takes To Be A Book Club

 

What It Takes To Be A Book Club

by Eliza Richardson

When one thinks of a book club, one is normally faced with images of an assortment of cakes served with tea and a pile of bright, pastel-coloured, soft-backed books on a coffee table. Throw in a handful of housewives and you’re in middle class suburbia.

But we all know that is a terrible stereotype. Much like the out-of-date stereotype that reading is for geeks. We are now in an age where reading is deemed cool, so it’s fair to think – or you’d hope – that as reading is the norm, so are book clubs. But the question that begs to be answered is what does it take to be a book club? In this day and age, where technology has boomed and kids now find it cool to read from the screen, book clubs may not actually feel necessary. Face it – we barely interact in the flesh anymore. Long gone are the days where people actually discuss a book face to face; we have forums, blogs and even Facebook statuses in the form of soapboxes for those kinds of things.

But say you want to set up/join a book club, be it in cyberspace or in the flesh, what does it take? I say it takes passion. A real and genuine passion for books. You have got to want to read and be ready to discuss it. A Creative Writing lecturer of mine used to get so irked if we would merely say a story was “good” or “bad”. Why was it good? Why was it bad? Now don’t be put off. You don’t have to go into a deep Liberal Humanist analysis of why you liked/disliked a book, but I do think you have to at least get your hands dirty with the words. Treat it like a perfectly wrapped present. Unwrap it until it’s there, in front of you and it’s no longer a surprise.

You also need willingness, I think. You have got to be willing to read anything – even if it steps outside your genre comfort zone. It helps to broaden your horizons too. Reading is a form of education, first and foremost, and it is always good to feed our brains.

You have to be able to debate – in a gracious and fair way. So you log onto your forum/meet up in the local library and you are ready to rave about how much you loved the book. It was the best – you cried, you laughed, etc – but Joe Soap didn’t like it. In fact, he hated it. So he goes into a tirade about what a pile of – yeah, you get it. And you feel mortally offended as though you wrote it yourself. What do you do? You argue. But, remember, only to the point where you don’t look like an idiot. Everyone is entitled to an opinion; so if you can’t see his or hers and they can’t see yours, then just agree to disagree.

In conclusion, book clubs stay alive through its members. As long as you have passion, willingness and the spark for a debate, all you need to follow is a well-thumbed book, or a fully charged Kindle. Personally, I prefer the former.

Now, who’s for a slice of cake and a cuppa?

About Eliza Richardson

Eliza and her husband, Bob are founders of the Quality Reads UK Book Club. What started out as a hobby in 1990 has now grown into a network of almost 2000 book lovers. Some members of the book club have only just started to blog and accept ebooks, we welcome them to the blogosphere and look forward to working with them. You can get more info their website http://www.qualityreadsuk.com/

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Book Blast - Never Give in to Fear by Marti MacGibbon

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Biographies & Memoirs

Rating – R

Connect with Marti MacGibbon on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://martimacgibbon.com/

Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up from Rock Bottom, the enhanced edition of this darkly funny, dramatic memoir, describes an emerging standup comic's drug-fueled descent into the underworld, escape from human traffickers, homelessness, and ultimate redemption. With brutal honesty, humor, and clarity, the author vividly describes her experiences as she rides her downward spiral: a near-miss with a notorious serial killer, a series of tragically hilarious misadventures in the California drug world, and a terrifying account of imprisonment at the hands of Japanese organized crime, to name a few. This revised and re-edited version contains three additional chapters that introduce readers to quirky characters, insights into standup comedy, resilience and recovery, and deliver an inspiring message about healing, hope, and courage to change.

“Marti MacGibbon shows readers just how rough the road to redemption is in her gritty memoir of addiction… Her raw, honest, casual, funny voice permeates every page… A dark yet inspiring look at conquering addiction and regaining hope.” –Kirkus Reviews

“Marti’s natural humor and storytelling help balance out the book into a symmetrical tale of both hurt and healing. Never Give in to Fear is a book everyone needs to read. This is not only a book about the danger of drugs, but about the power of the human spirit.” –San Francisco Book Review

“Her narration is funny—she can laugh at her old self, even as she shows the reader the terror and loss she felt in the past… Honest to a fault… captivating from the very first sentence. A memoir that offers hope, even in the worst of times, Never Give in to Fear is a terrific read.” –Claire Foster, Foreword Clarion Reviews

“It’s amazing that Marti MacGibbon survived her harrowing life and had the guts to recount it… not too preachy, the author’s candor and sense of humor keep the pages turning.” –Suzanne Daly, the bohemian.com

About the author

Marti MacGibbon, human trafficking survivor and recovering addict, is an author, humorous inspirational speaker and standup comic who holds four professional certifications in addiction treatment, including the ACRPS, Advanced Certified Relapse Prevention Specialist. Marti is a member of the National Speakers Association and her articles have appeared in numerous trade publications and magazines. She’s been interviewed in Investors Business Daily and Entrepreneur.

Marti was one of the first women to work as a laborer in the Texas oilfield. She set off explosives for an exploration company for a brief period of time and then learned surveying skills, staking oil wells. She moved on to standup comedy and was scheduled for an appearance on The Tonight Show, but Marti became entangled in the California drug scene and plunged into the underworld and serious drug addiction. After being trafficked to Japanese organized crime and escaping, she suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and was homeless for over a year, but ultimately found true love, recovery and forgiveness. Her darkly humorous and dramatic memoir, “Never Give in to Fear,” tells the story, and the narration brings alive a host of quirky characters and bungling criminals.

“Never Give in to Fear” has received critical praise from Foreword Clarion and San Francisco Book Review. The enhanced edition, “Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up from Rock Bottom,” received an editorial recommendation from Kirkus Reviews and an award for Best Revised Edition from Books-and-Authors.net. This new, small press, revised and re-edited version, complete with three new chapters and distributed by AtlasBooks,was released on October 8, 2010. This release includes expanded e-book distribution. Details:

(Stay Strong Publishing, release date Oct 8, 2012, distributed by AtlasBooks, $15.95 Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-9860067-0-8, 384 pages, $5.99 E-book ISBN 978-0-9860067-1-5)Available through Ingram, Baker and Taylor, Amazon, etc.

*FREE ALERT* - Never Give In to Fear will be free from 28th December to 30th December.

Giveaway is a $50 Amazon.com gift card or cash via PayPal

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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’s permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and emailed after which he / she 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. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Marching With Caesar: Civil War by R.W. Peake

Marching With Caesar: Civil War by R.W. Peake
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

3 things I liked about the book … The historical value, the well-detailed descriptions, the learning twists thrown in by the author.

Favourite character(s) … Afranius

Favourite location / setting … I have so many, it is difficult to pinpoint just one. The author provided so many different locations. I would personally need several notebooks to talk about each location and setting.

Favourite scene …. Titus Pullus is taking down Gaeus Verres Rufus. This little man has more strength than brains and it was enjoyable reading Titus outsmart this character.

Favourite quote … Titus telling Caesar ‘You don’t fear a … Prick like Cato’

Disclosure: I received a copy from the author for an honest review.

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Book Blast – Silver: Inamorato – Keira Michelle Telford

 

BOOK SIX in THE SILVER SERIES.
2330 CE
Ella Cross is fifteen years old and irrepressibly free-spirited. As one of the best Cadets in the Hunter Division Academy, her life is simple: fight, kill, sleep, repeat. She has an innate talent for slaughtering Chimera—the grotesque by-product of a war that nearly caused the extinction of the human race over three-hundred years ago—and with each new victory on the battlefield, she becomes ever more cocksure and reckless.
Unfortunately, the Chimera aren’t the only threat to her safety. As the Hunter General’s daughter, she’s a prodigy, a celebrity and a target. Whether it’s jealous Hunter Division Cadets trying to disgrace her during class, or insecure Hunters trying to knock her down a peg or two during fieldwork, people are always trying—and failing—to put Ella Cross in her place.
She’s strong and determined, and she hasn’t lost a fight yet … but all that changes when she falls in love with a Hunter named Alexander King, and inadvertently incurs the wrath of the fiercest rival she will ever face—his former girlfriend.
---------------------------------
SILVER: Inamorato is the sixth book (a 109,000 word novel) in a 10-book series featuring the character of Ella 'Silver' Cross. Set more than 300yrs in the future, the Silver Series takes place in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world where humans are a species on the brink of extinction. No longer at the top of the food chain, humans are preyed upon by the Chimera--genetic mutants that outnumber humankind 25:1.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Science Fiction / Adventure

Rating – 18A

Connect with Keira Michelle Telford on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.ellacross.com/

Keira Michelle is a British ex-pat, now living in British Columbia, Canada. She is the author of a 10-book series of post-apocalyptic dystopian science fiction books, all centering on the lead character of Ella 'Silver' Cross. The first book (a novella) in this series, Acheron, was released Nov 2011.

Giveaway is $25 Amazon.com gift card

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Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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’s permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and emailed after which he / she 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. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Orangeberry Book Tours – What We Saw by Ryan Casey

 

 

 

 

“Casey’s keen ear and eye for description make for a clean and leisurely read.” - Katherine, Writing Reconsidered

“Powerful… an impressive first novel for Casey – a writer to keep an eye on.” - James, Speaking to the Eyes

If you stumbled upon a shocking mystery as a child, how would you react?

 

What We Saw tells the story of a young boy, Liam O’Donnell, his cousin, Adam, and their experiences at their grandparents’ caravan site one summer. When the disappearance of their dog leads to a terrifying discovery deep in the nearby woods, Liam and Adam are plunged into a very adult world of morals and decisions, and find themselves trapped in the dark clutches of secrecy and suspicion, far transcending mere mystery.

  What We Saw is a touching and thrilling British mystery novel that will have you hooked as the plot hurtles towards a shocking conclusion.

“The writing is clean, the imagery vibrantly descriptive, and the story, though fictional, carries realistic emotion that hits the core of the reader.” - Leanne

 

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Mystery / Coming of Age

Rating – PG15

Connect with Ryan Casey on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://ryancaseybooks.com/

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Book Blast - Dark Side of Sunset Pointe by Michael Allan Scott

 

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Mystery & Thrillers

Rating – R

Connect with Michael Allan Scott on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://michaelallanscott.com/

Lance Underphal was devastated by his wife’s death, and now, the down-and-out crime-scene photographer can’t let her go. He wakes up plagued by premonitions. The double shooting of an Arizona real estate developer and his mistress/bookkeeper immerse Underphal in a world of incomprehensible phenomena.

Frank Salmon, the hard-boiled homicide detective on the case, does his best to blow off Underphal’s “visions.” But the murders keep piling up and the visions are all-too real.

Salmon reluctantly pursues Underphal’s twists and turns, leading him from a popular strip club to a failing community bank, adding a blackmailing stripper’s murder to the body count.

Underphal struggles mightily with his psychic curse, teetering on the brink of insanity. His only hope for redemption is the voice in his head, the voice of his dead wife. Stumbling through dark vortexes of murderous intrigue, he comes to realize his visions will either kill him or lead to the capture of a killer-maybe more than one.

About the author

Born and raised at the edge of the high desert in Kingman, Arizona, Michael Allan Scott resides in Scottsdale with his wife, Cynthia and their hundred-pound Doberman, Otto. In addition to writing mysteries and speculative fiction, his interests include music, photography, art, scuba diving and auto racing.

*FREE ALERT* - Dark Side of Sunset of Pointe will be free from 28th December to 30th December.

Giveaway is a Kindle Fire HD 7″

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Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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’s permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and emailed after which he / she 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. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Faith - 4 Week Mini Bible Study

 

 

 

Faith - 4 Week Mini Bible Study

In this four week mini Bible Study you will examine your faith and what it means to have faith in God. He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20 Our faith begins with what we know and believe about God. Our faith will carry us how far we are willing to let it take us. Faith is a choice and we need to begin by choosing to believe in Jesus and His power to move mountains, heal the sick, and save us from all our sins through His sacrifice on the cross. When we believe in God we then learn to walk in faith and trust God. But first we must believe, and it's up to us, we can either choose to believe in Him or not. But faith will mean nothing until we believe with all our heart that God is who He says He is.

Praise for Faith

Don't have time to read a long book on faith? This study will give you simple tools to understand faith and help you to develop a closer relationship with God. ~Lorilyn Roberts

This is a great book that allows you to start looking deeper into faith. I love the fact that there is a lot of scripture reference so one can look into the Bible and further study the word. ~Shraon

This study was a wonderful lift to my faith. I encourage others to take this short journey to an increased faith. ~Shirley Strait

Purchase

Print * Ebook

Author Heather Bixler

Heather is a Christian Stay at home homeschooling mom of three, married to a firefighter, and a writer. She is founder of www.CSAHM.com among other websites for Christian mothers, and women. Heather is passionate about sharing God's word in a practical and loving way.

Blog * Twitter *  Facebook

 

 

 

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 1/3/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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, Not A Writer http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Review: Blown Circuit by Lars Guignard

Blown Circuit by Lars Guignard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What did the title have to do with the book? The title fit because of the bombs and technology.

Make a list of facts you learned from the story. Michael's dad worked for the CIA. Michael also worked for the CIA. Tesla was a very powerful but experimental weapon that was stolen in 1955. Michael's dad was kidnapped by The Green Dragons. The CIA, Russia and Turkey wanted Tesla. Michael found a journal with many diagrams concerning the where abouts of Tesla. Tesla had to have two parts before it could be detonated.

Is the plot well-developed? Plot was very well developed. Completely believable. This was a good book that offered a lot of discussion during the book club.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Book Blast - Untimed by Andy Gavin

Untimed is an action-packed time travel novel by Andy Gavin, author of The Darkening Dream and creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter.

Charlie’s the kind of boy that no one notices. Hell, his own mother can’t remember his name. So when a mysterious clockwork man tries to kill him in modern day Philadelphia, and they tumble through a hole into 1725 London, Charlie realizes even the laws of time don’t take him seriously. Still, this isn’t all bad. Who needs school when you can learn about history first hand, like from Ben Franklin himself. And there’s this girl… Yvaine… another time traveler. All good. Except for the rules: boys only travel into the past and girls only into the future. And the baggage: Yvaine’s got a baby boy and more than her share of ex-boyfriends. Still, even if they screw up history — like accidentally let the founding father be killed — they can just time travel and fix it, right? But the future they return to is nothing like Charlie remembers. To set things right, he and his scrappy new girlfriend will have to race across the centuries, battling murderous machines from the future, jealous lovers, reluctant parents, and time itself.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – YA / Time Travel & Romance

Rating – PG

Connect with Andy Gavin on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/

About the author

Andy Gavin is an unstoppable storyteller who studied for his Ph.D. at M.I.T. and founded video game developer Naughty Dog, Inc. at the age of fifteen, serving as co-president for two decades. There he created, produced, and directed over a dozen video games, including the award winning and best selling Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter franchises, selling over 40 million units worldwide. He sleeps little, reads novels and histories, watches media obsessively, travels, and of course, writes.

Giveaway is a $50 Amazon.com gift card / cash via PayPal

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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’s permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and emailed after which he / she 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. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Orangeberry Book Tours – The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy

Orangeberry Book Tours – The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy

 

A loud, hissing sound filled the air. The unicorns looked up, their eyes filled with horror.

Azaria, a unicorn colt, is intrigued when the young clairvoyant dinosaur, Darius, foresees a terrifying change in the world. When a giant fireball smashes into the earth, the unicorns struggle to survive the hurricanes and starvation that follow. Danger of a more sinister nature threatens when the creatures-that-walk-on-two-legs settle in the valley and their leader, Ishmael, discovers the healing power of the unicorns’ horns. Azaria, now a young stallion, must use his wits to save the herd from complete extinction.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Middle Grade Fantasy

Rating – G

Connect with Suzanne De Montigny on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.suzannedemontigny.com/

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Book Blast - Rise of the Retics (Rosehaven: the Hidden City) by TJ Lantz

 

 

Book Blast - Rise of the Retics (Rosehaven: the Hidden City) by TJ Lantz

 

For almost a thousand years humanity has been making a concerted effort to eradicate the world’s “retics”, an eclectic collection of non-human, intelligent species. Recently, those efforts have been strengthened and far more successful than ever, though the Council of Rosehaven, the “retics” hidden sanctuary city, cannot figure out why.

No one realizes the danger of this this more than Tyranna Wolfskin, a young girl ripped from her boring, everyday life in the middle of the night by a vicious group of “retic” hunters. Thrust into a struggle for her own survival, Tyranna must find a way to accept what she is and learn to understand a world she never knew existed.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – YA Fantasy

Rating – PG

Connect with TJ Lantz on Facebook

Blog http://rosehaventhehiddencity.blogspot.com/

About the author

 

Though new to the world of professional writing, T.J. Lantz has been a world class storyteller (A.K.A. liar) for many years. Originally forging his craft by creating backstories for each of the lawn gnomes he managed to liberate from the prisons his neighbors called their front yards, lately he has answered to a much higher calling. Namely, making up stories to entertain the small children that people refer to as his “students”. Encouraged by his ability to trick ten-year-olds into believing everything he says is true, Mr Lantz has now decided to offer his amazing manipulative abilities to the rest of the world. He plans on world domination within three months.

Giveaway is a $50 Amazon.com gift card and 5  copies of the ‘Rise of the Retics’.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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’s permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and emailed after which he / she 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. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Orangeberry Book Tours – Black Art by V. T. Davy

 

 

“I would have married her before I went away to war too, just to make sure that someone else didn’t. She was beautiful. It started in her eyes and spread to the set of her mouth and the tilt of her chin. In both pictures there was a confidence, a courage, a spirit of defiance… Not the “smile though your house is rubble and you’re sleeping in a tube station” spirit of the Blitz, but real steel. The kind of backbone that would make you do extraordinary things. Things that the rest us of wouldn’t do.”

Arty Shaw, a genealogist working on a peculiarly British island in the English Channel, is asked by a television company to research Helen Valentine’s family tree. The award-winning British actress wants to know the truth about her grandmother’s wartime exploits and Arty is her choice to do the digging; which is just fine by Arty. When a beautiful blonde like Helen Valentine asks, you don’t say no.

Arty’s investigation reveals that Helen’s grandmother, Kay Marett, was half-Jewish and running resistance ops against the German forces occupying her Island. When Kay disappears in 1942, a concentration camp seems to be her likely destination, until Arty uncovers a trail stretching from the Island, across Europe, to Cold War Dresden. As Arty learns more about Kay’s extraordinary wartime adventures, obstacles to the truth begin to appear in the form of a star of the Island’s amateur theatre, and two menacing East Europeans in suits. Arty must challenge his deepest beliefs to discover what happened to Kay.

Written in the hard-boiled, noir style of detective fiction from the 1940′s, Arty Shaw is the kind of investigator you want on your side. Transsexual and proud of it, with a moral code that means breaking the rules now and again, and a world weary cynicism that takes nothing at face value, Arty won’t stop until the truth is out. And that can make you unpopular with the wrong sort of people.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – Crime / LGBT

Rating – PG13

Connect with VT Davy on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://liberationpublishing.wordpress.com/

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Orangeberry Book Tours – Higher Than Jesus (The Hit Man Series) by Robert Chazz Chute

 

 

Higher Than Jesus is the classic Bad versus Evil thriller: snappy dialogue, hot sex and clever violence. Funny and always surprising, this is the book for you.

You are Jesus Diaz, the sharp but luckless Cuban hit man, hunted by the FBI and the mob and failing miserably at group therapy. When you kill a bad guy on Christmas Day, you can’t anticipate the twisted chain of events that link Chicago’s violent underworld to the White House.

Secrets are revealed as badasses burn. Arms deals go sideways. Vicodin brings you up. Willow, the glamazon of your dreams, goes down. The stakes crank ever higher. You wanted a life in movies? Your life is a movie, but Happily Ever After could prove elusive. Strap in for a deadly new year.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Suspense

Rating – R

Connect with Robert Chazz Chute on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://allthatchazz.com/

 

Check out this giveaway.

http://blog.orangeberrypromo.com/2012/11/virtual-book-expo-daily-events/

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Suzanne Anderson – What Are Your Thoughts On Tradition?

 

 

What are your thoughts on tradition?: The Evolution of Publishing 

By Suzanne Anderson

When I think of tradition, I think of the comfort of the tried and true. Traditional is comfortable because the way has already been taken by those who came before, so you know what to expect.

Non-traditional is riskier. And there are likely to be fewer gatekeepers, which means that anyone can enter onto the gates of the country club.

Which is exactly why I think this is the best time in history to be an author. Yes, indie-publishing has created a crowded field where anyone can publish a book and there are no gatekeepers to pronounce who is worthy of presenting themselves to readers. But for authors it means that you now have more options. You can pursue the traditional route of agent and publisher, or you can do it all yourself. Which is a wonderfully entrepreneurial freedom in an industry which was for so many years dominated by a few huge mega-corporations.

For readers, the blasting open of the publishing world means that they not only get introduced new authors, they’ve enjoyed enormous price reductions in the cost of paper books, and in the case of e-books, a daily download opportunity of free books. When you, as a reader, look back at the books you’ve read in the past year, how many of them were by new authors you would never have considered if not for a free book offering? How many indie-authors have you tried in the past year? How have these changes in publishing changed your reading habits or the books you’ll consider reading?

As with any evolution in business that makes quantum leaps in a few years, due to technological advancements (e-readers), there will be bumps and bruises for both sides. But in the end, I believe the revolution that we are now living through will ultimately be viewed as blood transfusion that saved a dying industry.

Buy now @ Amazon

Genre – Inspirational Fiction

Rating – G

More details about the book

Connect with Suzanne Anderson on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.suzanneanderson.net/

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Review: Lethal Circuit by Lars Guignard

Lethal Circuit by Lars Guignard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Did the book description relate to the story? Yes it did. And I liked that about this book. You had a good idea of what was coming your way and what to expect.

How did you feel about the opening / ending sequences of the book? I liked the ending sequence more than the opening. Michael Chase is sharper by the end and all loose ends are tied up.

Who was your favourite character and why? It would have to be Michael, of course. He appears to be the ideal action hero and you can't help but tune in to his adventures.

What were the main relationships explored in this book? I would say a variety of relationships. Michael doesn't know who to trust and has to question the intention of almost every person in his path.

Was this book worth reading? Overall the book was good but the editing was amateurish. Some bits are perfect and then some bits drift off into this inexperienced mumble. It was strange.

Disclosure - I received a complimentary copy from the author which did not affect my honest opinion.


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Orangeberry Virtual Book Expo - Keri Nola – Writing to me is…

Writing to me is…

by Keri Nola 

Writing to me is … essential.  Like the air we breathe, writing is a sacred lifeline that allows me to fully and completely exist.  It brings me back home to the most Divine and authentic parts of myself as I quietly and sometimes frantically go inward and search for meaning, peace, passion, and clarity and expose what I discover. Writing has always been the most effective way for me to calm my hectic mind and capture the chaos on paper so I could attempt to make sense of it. While writing, I travel into the deepest cracks and crevices of my psyche and gather the trash that I’ve allowed in and consider the treasure that I will choose to turn it into.  It is from this expanded state of being when I take my inner illusions and realize my outer reality that I feel connected with my highest Truth and subsequently feel most alive.

Writing to me is…healing.  Long before I ever wrote with the intention of publication, I began writing for my life—writing with the intention of being able to sort through all the pieces and parts of my inner experience that were too challenging to review, organize, and integrate in the vast and often cluttered spaces of my mind.  In the past, my writing rituals were solely personal. They most often took the form of journaling, letter writing and note-taking; I was keenly aware of the ways these rituals generated feelings of relief and expansion in me. Over the years, my writing ritual has evolved and now takes the form of blogging, social media interactions, and book writing, but the experience of relief and expansion remains the same; I’m just now sharing my discoveries as I feel called to empower and teach those who resonate with my messages.

Writing to me is…purposeful.  Whether I’m writing for myself or with the goal of spreading it far and wide for others to see; it is always a mindful experience.  Before I begin writing, I generally establish and clarify an intention, which guides me in the process. Although I am not certain how my writing will evolve, for now I write self-help material to inspire, to empower, to teach, to heal, and to connect. My sincerest hope is that others may benefit from what I share in ways that enrich their lives and help them reconnect with their Divine essence and life purpose at this challenging time on our planet.

Ultimately, to me, writing is…personal.  It has the potential to take the writer and reader on a unique journey of exploration and growth and often has the power to evoke a broad range of human emotion—from laughter, joy, and peace to sadness, fear, anger and beyond; meeting these reactions with curiosity can help us understand ourselves and one another more intimately.  And isn’t this the purpose of our time in the earth school? It is my wish that through the process of writing and reading, we can find gems of wisdom that support us in more deeply connecting with ourselves and each other.

*****

Keri Nola is a highly regarded Psychotherapist, Author of A Year on Your Path to Growthand Founder of Path To Growth, LLC, an integrative healing center based in Central Florida. She combines traditional and holistic techniques to help people access their inner wisdom and create a healthy mind, body, and spirit and live their most inspired lives. 

Her real life experience paired with her extensive education and work background makes her a compassionate, balanced, and sought-after professional in the areas of personal and spiritual growth and development. For more information, visit www.pathtogrowth.com, join Keri on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pathtogrowthor follow her on twitter @PathToGrowth

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Genre – Self-Help

Rating – G

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Keri Nola on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.pathtogrowth.com/

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Orangeberry Book Tours – Revenge Of A Band Geek Gone Bad by Naomi Rabinowitz

Love. Lust. Blackmail. Romance. Revenge. Is finding love worth getting even?

Shy, overweight Melinda Rhodes’ sophomore year of high school isn’t going so well. Her mother mocks her weight. She spends her weekends holed up in her room making what her friend calls “Freaky eyeball paintings.” Her pants split in the middle of school, earning her the nickname, “Moolinda.” She then loses first chair flute in band to Kathy Meadows, the pretty and popular mean girl who’s tormented Mel for years.

Her luck changes when she catches the eye of Josh Kowalski, a rebellious trumpet prodigy and class clown. Josh has also been hurt by Kathy and asks Melinda to help take Kathy down. Mel figures that she has nothing to lose … and Josh is adorable with gorgeous blue eyes and a winning smile. She agrees to team up with him and looks forward to finally getting back at her rival.

At first, the pair’s pranks against Kathy are silly, and as they work together, Mel comes out of her shell. Wild, impulsive Josh gets her to do things she’d never done before and Mel enjoys being a bad girl. Even better, she and Josh fall in love and their teen romance blossoms.

However, as their schemes become more involved and dangerous, Mel begins to question her loyalty to Josh — and is surprised to find how dark her dark side really is. Just how far will she be willing to go to get what she wants — and is keepng Josh really worth the risk of going against her beliefs?

This is a coming of age tale about finding love, staying on top and staying true to yourself. Is it really possible for Melinda to have it all?

What readers have said …

“I liked the characters and found them to be real.” — Teena In Toronto Book Blog (www.teenaintoronto.com)

“Reading this was pure bliss. I had this smile plastered on my face the entire time.” — Jenny, via Goodreads

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Genre – Young Adult

Rating – PG13

Connect with Naomi Rabinowitz on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://naomirabinowitzauthor.blogspot.com/

 

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Review: Adrift in the Sound by Kate Campbell

Adrift in the Sound by Kate Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Did the book description relate to the story? I loved the book description, it gave me a good idea of the story and the characters I was going to meet. Even from the description, you'll know that this author is eloquent and when you get to the rest of the book, you won't be disappointed.

How did you feel about the opening / ending sequences of the book? Each was unique in its own way. The beginning offered a strong build up for each character The reader is given insight to their secrets and past issues. The ending seems to provide closure for the characters and the reader. If I had to pick one section, it would be the beginning.

Who was your favourite character and why? Lizette, I guess. At one point or another, you become engrossed with their issues and you question their decisions as if they are your own friends. One thing I didn't understand is Lizette's push and pull way of connecting to people. Does she want to move on or not?

What were the main relationships explored in this book? I think it's somewhere between friendship and how our personal relationships assist or prevent a person from moving forward. Lizette is so talented but something keeps holding her back.

Was this book worth reading? Overall this was a very good book and I will definitely recommend this book to others.

Disclosure - I received a complimentary copy from the author which did not affect my honest opinion.

View all my reviews

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Book Blast - Ghost Leopard by Lars Guignard

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Genre – Children’s eBooks / Mystery

Rating – G

(4.6 / 19 reviews)

Connect with Lars Guignard on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.larsguignard.com/

If you loved Harry Potter, if you couldn’t get enough of Percy Jackson, if you’re wondering what to read after The Mark of Athena –  from, Lars Guignard, the bestselling author of Lethal Circuit, comes the brand new, kids’ magic fantasy adventure… GHOST LEOPARD

Imagine you’re totally lost in a strange city with no idea where you are and no way home.

Now imagine that elephants and snake charmers start telling you that you’ve been chosen to save the world.

Would you even believe them? What would you do?

Zoe Guire isn’t sure. Having that elephant talk to her was really weird, and, as a rule, Zoe doesn’t do weird. Except the thing is, when Zoe goes along on her mom’s business trip to India, things get very weird, very quickly. Soon after she arrives, Zoe finds herself tagging alongside a kid named Zak, lost in a crazy city, with no money and no way home.

And those are the least of Zoe’s troubles. Because if she’s to believe the scary-looking snake charmer guy sitting in the corner, she and Zak have been chosen — chosen to protect some kind of mythical animal called the Ghost Leopard from who knows what.

Now, the further they get into the mountains, the more crazily impossible things get. Carpets fly and statues talk and if either Zoe or Zak want to make it back to their parents, or the sixth grade, or anything even close to normal, they’re going to have to make some new friends, learn some new tricks, and listen, really listen to that talking elephant. Because if they don’t, the world will never be the same again.

Join Zoe and Zak as they journey high into the Himalayas to a place few have been and even fewer have returned to tell about it.

Live life beyond the edge.

About the author

Lars Guignard is a former television writer and graduate of both McGill University and the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. His work can be seen on television screens across the globe in such cult classics as Beastmaster and Big Wolf on Campus. His bestselling novel, Lethal Circuit, has been a TOP 100 Amazon Technothriller since its release.

Lars’s work has also been produced for film and published in magazines. Ever since attending high school in the Indian Himalayas, Lars has been an avid backpacker and traveler. He now makes his home in the Pacific Northwest where he is busy completing the next Michael Chase thriller for release in 2012.

*SPECIAL OFFER*

From now till 31st December 2012 the author is offering a 25% discount for a paperback copy of the following books.

GHOST LEOPARD 25% off

Coupon code is CQ3XXT28

Purchase link is https://www.createspace.com/3883138

LETHAL CIRCUIT 25% off

Coupon code is J5B45PUZ

Purchase link is https://www.createspace.com/3775071

Giveaway Details

- $50 Amazon.com gift card or cash via PayPal and 1 ebook copy of Ghost Leopard

- 2 copies of Ghost Leopard

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