Ameca J and the Legacy of Menindus: Review

Ameca J and the Legacy of Menindus
Publisher: Storyteller Publishing
Series: Ameca J Chronicles #1
Pages: 384

Summary:

The Legacy of Menindus...

Teenage life seems vastly unfair to fourteen year old Ameca or Ameca J, as she prefers to be called always being pressured by her Dad to watch out for her stupid and annoying ten year old sister, Fraya. But when the girls are mysteriously transported by The Spirit to a dangerously different world populated by medieval Men, noble Elves, magnificent Dragons, and savage creatures, Ameca's whole perspective has to change and change quickly if they are to escape the clutches of an evil entity known as the Scelestus, who wants them for the magical powers they did not even know they possessed.

Their stressed out and overworked father, Paul is summoned by The Spirit to join his daughters in the mythical land of Mythrania, where he learns that they are the One, the Flame and the Flower . They are the heirs to the legendary High Magi, Menindus, who foretold of their coming to save this world and their own...But this is no fairytale; the dark entity known as the Scelestus has a plan to harness the power of the universe and to completely dominate all life......

Can Ameca and her family stop the Scelestus, and prevent a catastrophe that would see the enslavement of countless worlds, as well as the destruction of their own...?

My Thoughts:

Ameca J, her annoying little sister Fraya, and their father Paul, all get sucked into a completely other world. This world is very different than theirs, full of magic, dragons, elves, werethralls, and all kinds of creepy and evil beasts. They find things out about themselves that they would never think possible. They are heirs to a man they have never heard of, in a land they have never heard of, and they have magical powers! That seems like it would be a total shock, I would think I was going crazy or that I was in some sort of unbelievable dream! They want to go home but cannot until, and unless, they are able to stop the dark Scelestus from overpowering this world and theirs. But will they be able to accomplish this? And more importantly, will they make it out with their lives? You'll have to read it to find out!

This book is full of fantasy, adventure, and twists and turns. I think that children on the younger side of YA would really enjoy this book because they will be able to relate to the characters better due to their age. In the beginning I felt that Ameca was selfish and really mean to her your sister Fraya who I thought was actually a sweetheart. So I basically thought that Ameca was a little brat. She seemed to grow as a person throughout the story and I began to find myself liking her more and more as the story went on. There are scenes that are full of battles and fighting but I didn't find it to be disturbing or too graphic (unless you have a very sensitive reader on your hands). So if you think this sounds like a book you or your kids would like, I say give it a try!

Author Talk:

Paul Xavier Jones is a Welsh writer living in the Swansea Valley with his wife and two daughters. Xavier is his pen name, based on an old nickname.

Paul is and always has been an avid sci-fi and fantasy fan, graduating from Marvel and DC comic book superheroes to the realms of Middle Earth and Cimmeria. Authors who have influenced Paul's thinking and writing are Stephen King, Dean Koontz, J.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Boroughs, Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler and more recently, Andy McNab.

His own work is Epic Fantasy (the Ameca J Chronicles) and the Science Fiction Thriller (Boundary Limit).

He also has the same birthday as me! January 7th! The day all the awesome people were born!*wink*

Author's Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4979731.Paul_Xavier_Jones
Author's Website: http://www.paulxavierjones.co.uk/
Buy a copy of this book: http://www.amazon.com/Ameca-Legacy-Menindus-Xavier-Jones/dp/0984725466/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354084698&sr=8-1&keywords=ameca+j+and+the+legacy+of+menindus

* I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Deadly to Love Cover Reveal

Deadly to Love (The Elementals) by Mia Hoddell

 DescriptionThere is a love that is so dangerous, so powerful, so intoxicating that it embraces your heart and smothers your mind until it leaves you defenceless.

Serena knew that but still, it didn't stop her. His name was Kai. He was the most beautiful, irresistible man she had ever encountered. Their attraction was too compelling to fight and she knew she would go to the end of the world beside him. That is love.

However behind the allure was hidden a deadly secret – a secret that threatened her fragile life... But secrets best left unsaid never remain hidden forever. When Kai reveals his true identity, she is exposed to a frightening world she had no idea existed. Controlled by powerful Elemental forces her life is placed in mortal danger.

Unbeknown to them, their lives have been entwined from the beginning and it leads her to discover an even greater secret about who she really is. As the pieces begin to unravel and death becomes a reality, Serena is forced to decide what is more important...her love or life.

The book will be released on Amazon Kindle on the 28th of November!

Genre: YA, Romance, Paranormal

 

About the Author

Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading and her preferred genre is Young Adult, Paranormal Romance. Before 2009, Mia wouldn't even pick up a book and was more interested in sports. However she finally found some novels that captured her interest and developed a love of both reading and writing. Mia began with poems and after getting two published in separate anthologies she moved onto short stories. Although she enjoyed this, Mia found she had too much to tell with too little space, so later on she created her first series The Wanderer Trilogy and from there other ideas have emerged which she hopes to turn into novels as well. The Elementals is her second series and book two will be out soon.

For more information about Mia, her work or giveaways visit:

Blog: http://miahoddell.blogspot.com

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mia-Hoddell-Author/421368247889610?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiaHoddell

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/miahoddell

 

 

Cat or Dog for President: Review

Cat or Dog for President
Author: Julia Dweck

Summary:

The narrator asks the intriguing question all Americans want answered: Who would win if a cat and dog ran for President of the United States? Cat and dog lovers will both agree that this is a fun rhyming tale with a political heart. Both sides of the campaign are humorously depicted in a clever way that young readers will relate to and understand. The illustrations are rich, bold and colorful. "Cat or Dog for President" will keep readers engaged and laughing from beginning to end.

My Thoughts:

Oh my goodness, I LOVED this book! It was so adorable. This book teaches children about politics in a way that their minds can understand and in a way that will interest them. It also teaches them that sometimes things would be much better if we could all get along instead of always being against each other and I truly think that is an amazing message.

I absolutely loved the rhyming of the story and the illustrations were absolutely beautiful! Kids will love the bright colors in this book. It is perfect for this time of the year with all the election talk that the kids hear everyone talking about. Their parents are talking about it, the news is talking about it, they learn about it in school, and now they can have a fun book about it! I think everyone would love this story!

I only wish that I could buy it as a paperback instead of only on Kindle. Oh well, my kids will still love it. You should all definitely check this book out!

Where you can get a copy of this book: http://www.amazon.com/Cat-Dog-President-ebook/dp/B009YW652M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1351633744&sr=1-1&keywords=cat+or+dog+for+president

Author's Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6429593.Julia_Dweck

Author's Website: http://juleloves2write.com/

Let me know if you have already read this book or decide to check it out! I know you will love it as much as I did! :)

*I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nancy Madore Author Interview & Giveaway!

LEGACY OF THE WATCHERS (the series)

Thousands of years ago, something came out of the sky that changed the course of human history. Testimonies abound of these ‘angels’ and their hybrid offspring, the ‘Nephilim’ giants. These mighty ‘gods’ quickly rose to power, and the ancient world came alive with industry and culture. Many consider this period in history to be the ‘dawn’ of our civilization. People who lived as hunters and gatherers for hundreds of thousands of years suddenly began settling in one place, cultivating the land and even governing themselves. They invented irrigation, the wheel, protective armor and algebra. They somehow acquired knowledge of our solar system that even modern technology wasn't able to confirm until the 1970s. Most importantly, they began to read and write. Yet an undercurrent of terror was spreading like wildfire, carrying whispers of ‘djinn,’ ‘daeva’ and ‘demons.’

The Watchers were supposed to do just that: watch. But humankind proved far too tempting and they ‘fell’ to earth, taking wives for themselves and even having children. But their children grew into unruly giants whose souls didn’t ascend like human souls, but remained here, on this earth. These errant Nephilim souls haunt the earth to this day. They are the ‘djinn,’ the ‘hidden ones,’ also known as ‘daeva’ and ‘demon.’ They have one purpose—to live. But to live they need bodies.

This chain of events has now reached the point where the djinn need more than just our bodies to survive. They must take back control of the earth, just as in the days when they ruled as gods.

THE HIDDEN ONES, Vol. 1

As CEO of her own thriving company, Nadia Adeire is flush with success, but a secret society dating back to the Essenes believes her to be one of the ancient djinn—the notorious demoness of Hebrew legend, Lilith. What’s more, they have reason to believe that she’s plotting a catastrophic attack on the world.

Nadia is snatched from her ‘perfect’ life and trapped in a maze between a present day disaster and the ancient legends of the djinn. The only way out is to retrace the steps of her deceased grandmother, Helene. The deeper Nadia goes into the past, the harder it will be for her return unscathed. But it is the only way to stop the impending disaster that was set in motion five thousand years ago.
________________________________________________________________

Interview with author Nancy Madore

Q: Where are you from?

A: I was born in Somerville, Massachusetts, but I grew up all the way on the other side of the country, in Oregon…and then California, and Pennsylvania, then back to Massachusetts. You might say I get around.

Q: When and why did you begin writing?

A: Having always been a voracious reader, I knew at a very young age that I wanted to write. But I married and began a family before I really took myself seriously enough to contemplate actually pursuing a writing career. I have a great deal of respect for women who can ‘do it all,’ because I personally couldn’t find the time to write while raising a family. And I was much too distracted. So I put it off, figuring I would begin my writing career once my children were grown. In the meantime, I read everything I could get my hands on about writing and getting published. It’s sounds strange, I know, but when my children were grown, I actually sat down and started to write.

Q: How did you come up with the title?

A: ‘The Hidden Ones’ is actually the meaning behind the Arab word ‘djinn.’ It describes a being that, I believe, is one and the same as other beings that were popping up throughout the ancient East around that time and shortly thereafter, such as ‘daeva’ and ‘demon.’ I chose ‘the hidden ones’ because I like the way it sounds, and it actually describes this creature rather well.

Q: Are any of the characters in your novel based or inspired by real people in your life?

A: The idea for the series and its characters was inspired, not by a person, but by my religious upbringing. Bible studies led me to other writings from that era. The characters found in these ancient texts—Lilith, Gilgamesh, Solomon, and so forth—have always fascinated me. I spent my childhood musing over them. So many details are left out! Though I’ve always been skeptical of the divine nature of religious texts (most of the ancient writings are religious, to some degree), I’ve never doubted that the people in the stories existed. I’ve always wanted to fill in the missing details and complete their stories. And that’s exactly what I’m doing with this series.

Q: What was the most fun about researching for your book and did you learn anything new?

A: I’m always learning something new and the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know. The research itself is fun and exciting to me. I can’t get enough, especially when it comes to this topic. If it has anything to do with ancient civilizations, mythology or theology, I’m interested. I could spend all my time just doing research.

Q: If you had to do it all over again, is there anything you would change about your book?

A: I did have to do it all over again. My computer was stolen and I lost everything except my research, which I happened to have stored on a different computer. In re-writing the book, there were two things I changed: first, I wrote the second version from past to present instead starting from the present, and working backwards, as I did the first time around (my book relates the individual stories of three very different women from three different time periods). I recalled that working backwards had resulted in an excessive amount of edits, so this time I started with the oldest story of Lilith in ancient Mesopotamia, then I wrote about my main character’s grandmother, Helene in Qumran, in 1948. And finally, I wrote about my main character, Nadia, in the present day. From there, it was easy to arrange the various stories however I wanted to present them to the reader. This method was much smoother. Oh, and the other, even more important change is that this time I backed up all of my work!

Q: What book are you reading at the moment?

A: I’m currently reading The Persian Empire, by Lindsay Allen. I’m working on the second book in this series, which means my reading will be limited to research for a while.

Q: What is the strangest object on your desk? :)

A: I work from a laptop, so my ‘desk’ is a small table, a chair and the floor all around me. I have books spread out all over the place, and notes and drawings on large pieces of construction paper (I draw maps to keep track of where I am at the moment). I guess the strangest feature would be my stuffed cat (not an actual cat, a stuffed animal). I have no idea how he got there but every now and then I look up, meet his eyes, and get the most peculiar sense of clarity regarding whatever point I happen to be turning over in my mind.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to say to the readers?

A: Yes. Please read my book.

______________________________________________________________
 

Now for the giveaway! 3 lucky winners will win an eBook copy of The Hidden Ones! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below to be entered for a chance to win this prize.

 

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Thank you again Nancy for taking the time to do the interview and for sponsoring this giveaway! It was so much fun. :)

The Peach Keeper: Review

The Peach Keeper
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Publisher: Bantam
Pages: 273

Summary:

In Sarah Addison Allen's riveting novel, The Peach Keeper, an abandoned mansion known affectionately as "the Madam" still presides over a small North Carolina logging town with majesty and pride. Willa Jackson's grandmother, whose family bitterly lost the grand house to the wealthier Osgoods many years back, has told her it is haunted. And Willa, who leads a quiet life running a cafe in town, is inclined to agree. But Paxton Osgood changes everything when she digs up the Madam's old peach tree and finds buried beneath it a suitcase, a battered fedora . . . and a skull. A murder investigation is soon underway, and the truth could threaten the growing relationship between Willa and Paxton and destroy the reputations of all those they hold dear . . . .

My Thoughts:

This story is about four adults who are reunited many years after hight school. When a skull is found buried under a peach tree, it threatens to uncover many family secrets. Willa and Paxton wonder what really happened when their grandmothers were younger and what they were involved with.

I saw this book at a garage sale this past summer and decided to just pick it up. I'm a sucker for books, anywhere I go I just have to buy them!! The one thing that I really didn't understand about this story was why these grown adults (30 year olds) were still so concerned about things that happened when they were in high school. I'm only 22 but I rarely ever think about all the high school drama that I had to deal with. So while I can't really relate to that part of the story, I still enjoyed reading this book.

From time to time throughout this book, mostly in the beginning, I found myself feeling a little bored. Once I got further into the book I started to enjoy it a little more. This book was a nice, light read and also very quick. It has friends, romance, and a little bit of mystery thrown in there. So in the end I did enjoy this book. What is my favorite book? No! Would I consider reading more by this author? Yes I would! So if you think that this may be something you would be interested in reading, I would suggest checking to see if it's available at your library or borrow it from a friend.

Have you read this book or any others by this author? Let me know if you know of any good books by Sarah Addison Allen so I can check them out!

The Chamber of Thousands Caves: Review

The Chamber of Thousands Caves
Author: Gabriel Aznarez
Pages: 229


Summary:

Three young brothers suddenly discover that they are not as common as they thought… and that the all Universe is in imminent danger of falling in hands of Belnaster, master of evil, and his demoniac army.
Living in their grandparent’s house they accidentally discover the entrance to a hallucinating chamber and discover that all they have learn about the universe at that moment is not the whole truth…

The world is divided in 7 Dimensions: 3 ruled by the good, 3 by evil, and one, which keeps those apart. This one, where good and evil is fighting for all eternity, since the beginning of time, is known as Realdan, and is the world we know... In Realdan, exist one magic location that contains the entrance portal to all the other dimensions. This place is called: The enclosure of the thousand caves and there are placed the Seven Dimensional Arcades. Who dominate these Arcades will be able to circulate freely througth them, to all the dimensions. The forces of evil are after this chamber in order to take possession. Our three heroes, becomes the guardians of the 7 Arcades. They become “Andaluins” …
There are thought times to come and it seems that evil forces are winning. After thousands of years, they have discovered the location of the magic Chamber and they are ready to attack. The entire Universe depends in what these 3 brothers can do...
A perfect mix of magic, supernatural powers, science and outer space novel.

This saga has already published 5 books in Spanish language and had been awarded with the “Bartolomé Hidalgo Award” for best children’s and young adult saga. Now available to English language, thanks to the Anthony Shaw´s translation.

The five books already published in Spanish language:
1.- The Chamber of the thousands Caves (Los 7 portales in Spanish)
2.- Rescue in Decadunoll (Rescate en Decadunoll in Spanish)
3.- Journey to the center of the Sun (Viaje al centro del Sol in Spanish)
4.- The blood of the Chosen one (La sangre del elegido in Spanish)
5.- The Sacred Talismans (Los Talismanes sagrados in Spanish)
And Soon the 6th book: Re-incarnation (La reencarnación in Spanish)

The first Book of the Saga is alrready translated to Portuguese and French.

 

*Copied directly from Amazon any spelling errors are not my own.

 

My Thoughts:

 

There are some things in this book that I wasn't sure if people would find appropriate for their children such as the word dammit. So I just want to warn parents out there that there are small things such as this in this book so you can make the decision for yourself whether you want your child to read this or not. I also felt that the writing was for children but in adult language. Does that make any sense? There are some words that adults use that children may not know what they mean. There are also quite a few spelling/grammatical errors in this book.

 

With that being said, this was a very fun story. Two brothers and a sister go to live with their grandparents and they realize that there is a lot of mystery surrounding the house. They discover a chamber and they also uncover a lot of secrets! This book is filled with different worlds and dimensions and the children learn that there is more to the world than they ever thought possible.

 

I'm not sure if I would recommend this book. It was fun, but it wasn't my favorite story. I think that the story was a wonderful idea but I think it could have been much better.

 

*I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review.

Author's Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4034064.Gabriel_Aznarez
Where you can get the book: http://www.amazon.com/Thousands-Bartolom%C3%A9-childrens-Andaluins-ebook/dp/B007OWSMQG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352516152&sr=8-1&keywords=the+chamber+of+thousands+caves

Trust No One: Review

Trust No One
Author: Laurel Bradley
Publisher: Storyteller Publishing
Pages: 317


Summary:

It’s all about secrets.

Taylor Wilson’s husband, Phil, has them. His best friend and art agent, Sean, has them. Everyone has them except Taylor—yet she’s the one someone is trying to kill.

Moments before a bomb destroys Taylor’s home, Phil disappears. Soon after, her landscape design business blows up as well. FBI agent Mark Cochran puts her into protective custody, but whoever is behind the bombings continues to stalk her.

Cochran thinks Taylor’s husband is the culprit, but she refuses to accept it. She believes the cryptic messages Phil is sending her are proof he’s trying to protect her and lead her to where he is hiding. However, while searching for Phil, Taylor learns he may not be as
innocent as she believed.

Will Taylor’s faith in the man she loves keep her safe—or get her killed?

My Thoughts:

After a bomb blows Taylor's house away and her husband disappears, she has to run for her life. Why somebody is trying to kill her, she doesn't understand and neither does the FBI. They think her husband may be at fault but Taylor tries to hold onto the belief that Phil loves her and wants her to be safe. It seems that no matter where she goes or who is supposed to be protecting her, she is never safe.

I really LOVED this book! It is full of non-stop action from the very first page to the very last. It's a really fast-paced and exciting read. Even though Taylor was completely out of her element she seemed like a very smart and strong woman. Throughout the book you wonder why somebody would possibly be trying to kill her and what role her husband plays in this whole mess. The more lies that are uncovered the more questions you have. This book had me guessing you have. This book had me guessing until the very end. I wasn't sure whether Taylor would make it out alive or not because the killer seemed to be very good at what he does and he thought of absolutely everything. I think the story had a great ending that wrapped everything up very nicely. This book has action, suspense, adventure, and a little bit of romance. I think both men and women would enjoy this novel. Although, some of the things in this book are not meant for younger audiences.

Author Talk:

Laurel Bradley believes prayers really do get answered. After eleven years of writing, Bradley has finally achieved her dream of seeing her stories in print. Her Creme Brulee Upset, a contemporary romance novel, was released in early 2008. A Wish in Time, her time-travel romance novel, was a 2008 ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Award winner in romance. Laurel lives in Wisconsin. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a Bachelors of Arts in English. When she isn't reading, writing, or painting with watercolors, she's cross-country skiing or decorating Ukrainian Eggs.

Please, visit Laurel online at www.laurelbradley.com
Author's Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/318560.Laurel_Bradley
Publisher's Site: http://www.storytellerpublishing.com

Here's where you can snag a copy of this book: http://www.amazon.com/Trust-No-One-Laurel-Bradley/dp/0984725423/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352004672&sr=1-4&keywords=trust+no+one

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Win $50 Giftcard on Amazon or Barnes & Noble and the entire Nordic Fairies Series!

I hope you guys all had a wonderful Halloween! I have been asked to share this awesome giveaway with all of my wonderful readers.

Prizes:
One winner will get a $50 Giftcard on Amazon or Barnes & Noble + Entire Nordic Fairies Novella Series (E-books)
Two additional winners will get the entire Nordic Fairies Novella Series (E-books)

Nordic Fairies Series 1-4

 

 

Here is some information about the author:

 

Name: Saga Berg
Age: 33
Birthday: February 25th
College: Malmö University
Major: Marketing and Communication
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Book: Cat’s Eye
 

Saga Berg was born in Sweden during the snow storm of 1979 and knew already at the age of seven that she wanted to become a writer. She studied English and Communication at the University of Malmö, then took her Bachelor in Marketing- and Communications at the same University.
 

After working a few years as a Marketing Manager, Saga Berg started writing the novella series Nordic Fairies, her first published story. The Nordic Fairies series is a low fantasy novella series with a new concept of fairies and introduces Nordic light and dark fairies, Liosálfar and Döckálfar fighting for balance in a contemporary world. The series has been very well received by readers in all ages with high ratings and amazing reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Nobel.
 

To enter this giveaway check out the rafflecopter form below!

 

 

 



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