Thursday, January 31, 2019

Review: Camp Club Girls: Bailey by Linda Carlblom


Camp Club Girls: Bailey by Linda Carlblom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blurb: 

What's the meaning of the mysterious messages beneath shaggy sheep coats at the Curly Q ranch?  The Camp Club Girls are determined to uncover the clues as they investigate a strange string of events. Will the girls discover the whereabouts of eccentric millionaire Marshall Gonzalez?

Why are wild elk running amok in Estes Park?  During a stay at the historic Stanley Hotel, Bailey and Kate encounter out-of-control stampedes that put the townsfolk and tourists in danger. Will the Camp Club Girls uncover the reason behind the unusual elk behavior before someone gets hurt?

Are the rumors surrounding a valuable turquoise mine true? When Bailey and Elizabeth travel to a Native American village in New Mexico to help out a distant cousin and her children in their pottery shop during the busy tourist season, mysterious rumors begin to stir. The Camp Club Girls have their suspicions about rightful ownership of the mine, but will they be able to prove it?

Who's responsible for the peril at Mermaid Park?  When Bailey and Sydney are invited to spend part of the summer with Bailey’s grandmother in Florida, both girls are fascinated by the local attraction—Mermaid Park. When curious and frightening events begin to take place, will the Camp Club Girls solve the mystery and save the park before time runs out?




My Review: 

Camp Club Girls: Bailey is a fun collection of four mysteries. They include:
Camp Club Girls: Bailey’s Estes Park Excitement
Camp Club Girls: Bailey’s Peoria Problem
Camp Club Girls: Bailey and the Santa Fe Secret
Camp Club Girls: Bailey and the Florida Mermaid Park Mystery

I enjoyed every one of these quick stories. I found Bailey and her friends to be inspiring and great role models for young girls. I would not have any problem handing this book over to my nine year old daughter and allow her to read it. I would love to get the other books in the series to complete the set. I believe she would enjoy it more than me and I loved it. I give it five plus stars. 

I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.


View all my reviews

Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Marine's Return by Rula Sinara


On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Marine's Return
(From Kenya, with Love #6)
By Rula Sinara
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 Pages
January 1st 2019 by Harlequin Heartwarming

He can’t be her hero…

But he made a promise to keep her safe

Wounded marine Chad Corallis just wants to be left alone. Until he discovers his best friend’s very pregnant widow is in danger. A dedicated nurse, she refuses to leave her Serengeti medical clinic when it’s threatened by poachers. Chad is honor-bound to protect her, but who will save him from falling for his best friend’s wife?


Other Books in the Series


About the Author


National and USA Today Bestselling author Rula Sinara lives in rural Virginia with her family and crazy but endearing pets. She loves organic gardening, attracting wildlife to her yard, planting trees, raising backyard chickens and drinking more coffee than she'll ever admit to. Rula's writing has earned her a National Readers Choice Award and HOLT Medallion Award of Merit, among other honors. You can discover more about Rula at her blog A Writer’s Rush, on Twitter, on Facebook as RulaSinaraAuthor or on her website www.RulaSinara.com, where you can also sign up for her newsletter.

Tour Giveaway


1 WINNER WILL RECEIVE:
- Autographed print copies of the first three books of the ‘From Kenya, With Love’ series – The Promise of Rain, After the Silence and Through the Storm.
- A set of three, 15x15in canvas tote bags featuring the first 3 covers of the ‘From Kenya, With Love’ series.
- A 12x18 Harlequin Heartwarming tote bag
- A ‘Teenie Beanie Baby’ (TY trademark) elephant named ‘Peanut’
- Bookmarks

Open internationally
Ends February 6, 2019

Grab Our Button!



My Review

The Marine’s Return is the sixth and final installment from Rula Sinara’s series, From Kenya, With Love. It is, also, my first introduction to both Miss Sinara’s writing and this series. I thought this book was pretty good. Chad and Lexi were great characters that I enjoyed getting to know. The story is one that was sweet, clean and heartwarming. It did tug at my heart at times, too.
I am giving The Marine’s Return four and a half stars. I would love to go back and read the others in the From Kenya, With Love series, as well as, more by Rula Sinara in the future. Great read!
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

VBT and Giveaway: The Young Adult Writer's Journey by Elizabeth Fortin-Hinds / Janet Schrader-Post



The Young Adult Writer's Journey
by Elizabeth Fortin-Hinds & Janet Schrader-Post



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GENRE: Non-Fiction

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BLURB:

Finally, an all-inclusive book on young adult fiction must-do, don’t do and how-to. If you want to write a young adult novel, you need to read this book first. Coauthored by an award-winning YA author and an acquisitions editor, both experts on kids and what they like to read, this encyclopedia contains all you need to start or improve a career as a YA fiction author.

From an examination of the market, genre and its sub-genres, to mechanics and the business, everything is at your fingertips. This amazing writer’s resource is written in a relaxed and interesting style, with plenty of contemporary references and examples for clear understanding and easier application.
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EXCERPT

Joseph Campbell was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College, where he worked in comparative mythology and religious studies. He was strongly influenced by Carl Jung's view of myth. In his 1949 work The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell described the basic mythic structure as follows:

A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered, and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man. (Campbell, Joseph (1949). The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

Princeton: Princeton University Press. p. 23.)

His iconic classic deconstructs universal story patterns. In his study of the myth of the hero, Campbell posits the existence of a Monomyth (a word he borrowed from James Joyce), a universal pattern, structure, found in heroic tales in every culture. While outlining the basic stages of this mythic cycle, he also explores common variations in the hero’s journey, which, he argues, is an operative metaphor, not only for an individual, but for a culture as well. Although the stories may vary to suit the needs and beliefs of a specific culture, the underlying universal archetypes remain.

Christopher Vogler used this hero’s journey to write, The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. He simplified Campbell’s 17 steps into 12, handy in today’s 12-step minded society. What he did that was fantastic is make it more accessible for modern writers, who are not always scholars. There are several similar editions, including one for screenwriters. Women like Maureen Murdock have written books specifically about The Heroine’s Journey. Although the steps may vary, the universal pattern, used in a novel or screenplay, creates a story with themes that resonate across cultures. It is so powerful, creating hit after hit, that it was required reading for Disney executives, a company that knows the importance of creating a hero’s journey to appeal to mass audiences. Using this pattern to construct books in Young Adult novels provides the reader with a satisfying experience.

To illustrate the hero’s journey, it’s easier to understand in the context of a classic young adult book/movie, such as Harry Potter, already used to illustrate points throughout this book. It will be broken down for you according to the different stages in The Hero’s Journey, with particular attention to how the journey relates to a YA hero/heroine, the focus of this entire book. Following are some things you need to think of before you sit down to write your first scene.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Daughter of a Colonel, Janet Schrader-Post lived the military life until she got out of high school. She lived in Hawaii and worked as a polo groom for fifteen years, then moved to Florida where she became a reporter. For ten years she covered kids in high school and middle school. Kids as athletes, kids doing amazing things no matter how hard their circumstances. It impressed her, and it awed her. “How wonderful teens are. They have spirit and courage in the face of the roughest time of their lives. High school is a war zone. Between dodging bullies, school work and after school activities, teens nowadays have a lot on their plate. I wrote stories about them and I photographed them. My goal was to see every kid in their local newspaper before they graduated.”

Janet love kids and horses, and she paints and writes. Now she lives in the swampland of Florida with too many dogs and her fifteen-year-old granddaughter. She started to write young adult fiction with the help of her son, Gabe Thompson, who teaches middle school. Together they have written a number of award-winning YA novels in both science fiction and fantasy.


Elizabeth Fortin-Hinds knows kids well. She spent decades teaching teens and adults to write and improve their reading skills. As a literacy expert and certified coach, she helped both teachers from elementary to secondary and preservice graduate students learn to improve reading and writing instruction. She has taught at both the secondary and graduate level, everything from rhetoric, essays, and thesis statements, to poetry, short stories, and how to write a novel. She has learned to use both sides of her brain simultaneously, but enjoys the creative side the most, learning to play piano, draw and paint, and find time for her own writing since retiring from her “day” jobs. 

A “true believer” in Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, mythic structures, she uses that lens when considering manuscripts for Tell-Tale Publishing Group, a company she founded with some friends from her critique group a decade ago.

The book will be $0.99 during the tour

Wise Words Publishing, an Affiliate of Tell-Tale Publishing Group, LLC

We are a small press, a traditional publishing company bringing you the best in E-books, print and audio books to feed your body, mind and spirit.  Our cutting-edge fiction includes old favorites and edgy speculative fiction for today's eclectic readers.  Our stories will grab your attention and take you on a fast, exciting ride that will leave you breathless. WW, our affiliate, publishes select literature under our Cosmos Imprint and nonfiction titles under our Ivy Tower Imprint. www.wisewordspublshing.com

Founded in 2009, in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Our company motto of "excellence in creative entertainment and learning, " informs our artwork, manuscript selection, editing and publishing. 






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GIVEAWAY 

The authors will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THE TOUR AND COMMENT
ON EACH STOP TO EARN MORE ENTRIES TO WIN!

January 7: Joanne Guidoccio
January 9: Mythical Books
January 10: Bookaholic 
January 15: BooksChatter
January 16: Books,Dreams,Life
January 17: Kit 'N Kabookle
January 18: Edgar's Books
January 21: T's Stuff
January 22: It's Raining Books
January 23: Mixed Book Bag
January 25: The Avid Reader
January 28: Readeropolis
January 29: Independent Authors
January 30: The Reading Addict
February 1: All the Ups and Downs







My Review

The Young Adult Writer's Journey: An Encyclopedia for YA Writers was an interesting read for me. I think it had some good information within its pages. As a reader, it made admire and appreciate writers even more knowing how much work they have to do to craft a story. 

I give The Young Adult Writer’s Journey: An Encyclopedia for YA Writers three and a half stars. I believe many writers who are looking into writing young adult genre books would find this one as helpful. 


I received this book from the publisher. This review 100% my own honest opinion.






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Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Review: The Perils of Autumn by Rusty Blackwood


The Perils of Autumn by Rusty Blackwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blurb: 

From the author of the riveting romantic fiction drama, Passions in Paris: Revelations of a Lost Diary, and the celebrated, 5-star award-winning romantic fiction drama, Willow's Walk, comes the intense romantic drama, The Perils of Autumn. 

This page turner, set primarily in the early 1970's, centers on a young Kentucky woman, Autumn Leeves, born in 1946 to Abigail Leeves, an unwed mother who struggles to make ends meet. By 1970, Autumn graduates nursing school and is sent on assignment by the local hospital to care for the terminally-ill wife of middle-aged English equestrian master, Cyril Landon, owner of Landon Lawns Stables, a most successful thoroughbred racing stable located just outside Lexington, Kentucky in a posh community known as The Meadows. 

Duff Taylor, world renown jockey who is tops in his field, lives full-time above the tack room at Landon Lawns and enjoys the many benefits it brings, but he also has a dark secret surrounding an unsolved racing incident from his past that he will go to any length to protect. 

Autumn arrives to Landon Manor in time to be thrown into the fray, and finds herself caught in the ongoing disruption that ensues.



My Review: 

The Perils of Autumn is my first introduction to Rusty Blackwood’s writing. Within the first few pages, I knew she had gained a new fan. This is a great read, with relatable characters and situations. I felt connected to Autumn right from the start. 

The Perils of Autumn is getting a well deserved five stars from me. I can not wait to read more by this author in the future. I have added her other works on my wish list. 

Highly recommended!

I received this book from the author, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.


View all my reviews

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Review: On Magnolia Lane by Denise Hunter


On Magnolia Lane by Denise Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blurb: 

Falling in love with Daisy was easy for Jack. But finding the courage to tell her becomes problematic when his secret feelings lead to even bigger complications. 

After two years of counseling sessions with Daisy Pendleton, Pastor Jack McReady has earned a permanent spot in her life as a spiritual leader—and nothing more. Jack would never risk losing her trust by exposing the depths of his heart, but he’s hopelessly in love with her

Daisy loves her southern small-town life and her job at her family-run flower shop, but she doesn’t have the thing she longs for most: someone to share it with. Her recent foray into online dating has been a disaster—until she meets TJ. 

Jack could kill his friend Noah for using his initials and some indistinct photos to set up a profile on the dating app Daisy is using. But when he’s finally afforded the opportunity to show her a different side of himself, he’s sucked into the plan before he has time for second thoughts.

Online, Daisy shares some of her greatest fears with TJ, but in person, Jack and Daisy are spending more time together. When a devastating family secret surfaces, Daisy knows that only her trusted friend and counselor can bring her comfort. Jack wants nothing more than to be both men for Daisy, but revealing his secret will prove to be the ultimate test of Daisy’s grace.



My Review: 

On Magnolia Lane, book three from Denise Hunter's Blue Ridge Romance series. I enjoyed this sweet story. Pastor Jack McReady and Daisy Pendleton teaches the reader so many powerful lessons. Including: love, faith, grace and forgiveness.

I give On Magnolia Lane four and a half stars. I recommend this clean, sweet, inspiring and romantic read. As well as, the other books from the series. I am sad to see the end of the Blue Ridge Romance series. 

I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion. 

View all my reviews

Forever Yours and Giveaway: Reina M Williams

 
Italian Honeymoon by Reina M. Williams
 Get whisked away on a sweet, romantic European vacation with the Lovestruck Billionaires! When love strikes, these billionaires must risk their most valuable assets--their hearts. Julia Ross can't believe her sister is married. They'd promised each other they'd stay single, but now it's just Julia, facing another change in her well-ordered life. And then there's the groom's brother, Romeo, who wants to change even more--he and his family want to compete with her family's restaurants, and entice her to work for them. But nothing about Romeo Bianchi is enticing...until he proposes. Romeo Bianchi likes to shake things up--on his terms--and a fake wedding to Julia Ross seems like the perfect opportunity to rattle both of their families. But when their pretend marriage causes real problems, the two decide to face them together, until love strikes and Julia runs scared. Then they both have to decide if change is a price they're willing to pay for their happily ever after.      
She set her glass on a nearby table and brushed her hands, as if to rid herself of this stuck feeling. She needed to do something. She needed a change.
Maybe it was time to plan starting her own restaurant. But not at this moment. Since she’d already said her congrats and all to the happy couple, she headed upstairs to the bridesmaids’ room, where she and Elissa and Zoe had gotten ready before the ceremony earlier.
When she got to the elevator and pressed the button, Danton’s younger brother, Romeo, sauntered up to her, a drink in hand.
“Jules, leaving the party?” He downed the rest of his drink and set the glass on the floor.
Ugh. No consideration. And only her sister and Elissa’s best friend, Zoe, called her Jules. Where did this guy get off? He and his ruthless family could all rot. She crossed her arms and clenched her jaw. She had to be polite, for Elissa’s sake. At least he wasn’t bad to look at, all lean and athletic looking, but deceptively boyish, with that stupid cute smile and dimple in his left cheek.
So she’d eyed him during the ceremony. Checking out the enemy was all. Romeo’s family seemed to have it in for Dad, and she had no idea why. As usual, Dad was closed-mouth about the situation. She tightened her arms against her chest.
Supposedly, Danton had made them stop the takeover attempts. That didn’t excuse Romeo and his family, especially since now there were rumors that they were planning to scoop up some properties in the area to open rival restaurants.
They boarded the elevator. Romeo gave her that stupid smile and asked her what floor. She pushed the button herself. He shrugged, but didn’t push a button. Oh, great. He was either on the same floor or planning on following her. Well, she knew the head of security here, so he’d better watch himself. The doors closed and they glided up.
Romeo looked at her again. Shoot, he had fine eyes, all bluish-grey, like her favorite storm clouds over the city…and fine pecs, and broad shoulders, and, yes, he was fine. But she wasn’t minding that, not one bit.
Ugh. She better watch herself—more like check her eyesight if she couldn’t see right through Romeo Bianchi.
     
Praise for Reina's books:
 "This is the sort of story I would happily recommend to my mum or grandma, or even a teenage reader.” ~Long and Short Reviews “I recommend if you’re looking for something lighthearted.”~Kathleen, Amazon review “A wonderful afternoon read with a cuppa and a few iced tea biscuits....” ~Susanne, Meditative Meanderings “All the stories had lovely themes of opening and awakening – whether it is to new possibilities, love, or a new path in life. …for those who enjoy sweet and light-hearted reads these novellas are a perfect fit!” ~Meredith, Austenesque Reviews        
Author Reina M. Williams
 Reina M. Williams writes sweet romance with a touch of sass, from Austenesque series to contemporary twists on fairy tales. When she's not writing or spending time with her sons, you're most likely to find her watching a period drama or Disney movie, walking in a park, baking, or reading. A California native, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.  
           
Giveaway Details
 $25 Amazon Gift Code or $25 in PayPal Cash Ends 2/19/19 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 may be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, BookBub, Instagram, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader & Clean Wholesome Romance and is sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour and Giveaway: A Love to Behold by Sharlene MacLaren

About the Book


Title: A Love to Behold  
Author: Sharlene MacLaren  
Genre: Christian romance, historical  
Release date: January 8, 2019  
Publisher: Whitaker House

 Two years after the Civil War, Lydia Albright, 27, is an established teacher in Boston when she senses God’s call to leave the comfort and security of her job and go south. She accepts a position to teach in a school for former slaves in Charleston, South Carolina. A church there that’s affiliated with the American Missionary Association offers support, along with room and board at the parsonage. The Ku Klux men are hell-bent on seeing that the new school fails. Lydia’s life is threatened, and the parsonage, church, and school are vandalized. But they haven’t contended with a strong, determined woman like Lydia before. It also helps that she has a couple potential suitors on her side. A Love to Behold is a tale of people who grow strong in the face of adversity and a church that learns love, compassion, and acceptance, even in the face of cruelty and hatred. Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Born and raised in west Michigan, Sharlene MacLaren attended Spring Arbor University. Upon graduating in 1971 with an education degree, she taught second grade for two years, then accepted an invitation to travel internationally with a singing ensemble for one year. In 1975, she came home, returned to her teaching job, and married her childhood sweetheart. Together, they raised two lovely daughters, both of whom are now happily married and enjoying families of their own. Retired in 2003 after thirty-one years of teaching, “Shar” loves to read, sing, travel, and spend time with her family—in particular, her adorable grandchildren! A Christian for over fifty years, and a lover of the English language, Shar always enjoyed dabbling in writing. She remembers well the short stories she wrote in high school, and watching them circulate from girl to girl during government and civics classes. “Psst,” someone would whisper from two rows over, always when the teacher’s back was turned, “pass me the next page.” In the early 2000s, Shar felt God’s call upon her heart to take her writing pleasures a step further, and in 2006, she signed a contract for her first faith-based novel, Through Every Storm, thereby launching her writing career. With eighteen published novels now gracing store shelves and being sold online, she daily gives God all the glory. She dedicated her last novel, Their Daring Hearts, to Jesus. Shar has done numerous countrywide book signings and made several television appearances and radio interviews. She loves speaking for community organizations, libraries, church groups, and women’s conferences. In her church, she is active in women’s ministries, regularly facilitating Bible studies and other events. She and her husband, Cecil, live in Spring Lake, Michigan, with their beautiful white collie, Peyton, and their ragdoll cat, Blue. Shar loves hearing from her readers. If you wish to contact her as a potential speaker for a church function or would simply like to chat with her, please feel free to send her an e-mail at sharlenemaclaren@yahoo.com. She will do her best to answer in a timely manner. You may also find her on Facebook.

Guest Post from Sharlene

My dear readers, It has indeed been my great privilege and pleasure to write this series set in Civil War times. What a thought-provoking, amazing, and heart-wrenching era in American history. If you read all three books in the “Forever Freedom” series—Summer on Sunset Ridge, Their Daring Hearts, and A Love to Behold—you will have gotten some history lessons regarding the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers; Abolition; the Underground Railroad, which the Quakers were instrumental in launching; life as a Union soldier in the Civil War; the Freedmen’s Bureau; and Reconstruction, that period following the war when the south had fallen into great dis-repair. Also prevalent in this third book is a bit of history regarding the origin of the Ku Klux Klan, a hate group that formed during the Reconstruction period. Although I did not appreciate history as a young girl, as an older adult, I’m quite fascinated by it. History itself is a great teacher. Learning about it can be everything from exhilarating to depressing, challenging and yet exciting. It is my prayer that as you read my books, you’ll not only find them entertaining, but also inspiring and uplifting. I aim to encourage, not discourage. Much of history—if we dwell on it—can be disheartening, but focusing our hearts and minds on Christ gives us courage and confidence. Let us learn from history, but let us look to the future with hope in our hearts. With love and a prayer for God’s best blessings, Shar

Blog Stops


Maureen’s Musings, January 22


Genesis 5020, January 23



Splashes of Joy, January 25



Mary Hake, January 26


Daysong Reflections, January 27


Robin is Bookish, January 28



The Becca Files, January 30


Texas Book-aholic, January 31





Bibliophile Reviews, February 3

Carpe Diem, February 4

Bigreadersite, February 4

Giveaway


To celebrate her tour, Sharlene is giving away a grand prize of a $20 Starbucks gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d8d2/a-love-to-behold-celebration-tour-giveaway



My Review

A Love to Behold is yet another fabulous addition to Sharlene MacLaren’s Forever Freedom series. In this installment, it is readers are introduced to 27 year old Bostonian Lydia Albright. She finds it her calling to accept a position teaching former slaves in beautiful post Civil War Charleston, South Carolina. She quickly finds out that she is not welcome and her school and life is threatened by the Ku Klux Klan. Will she be fearful and leave town? Or will she be brave and stay?

I believe A Love to Behold is my favorite from the Forever Freedom series. I just loved Lydia. I admired her bravery, courage, and determination. I felt connected to her right from the start. I had no problem reading the whole book in one sitting.

I give A Love to Behold a very well deserved five plus stars. I most definitely highly recommend this book for readers who love well written and clean historical fiction.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.