Seeking a Familiar Face Spotlight

Book Details:

Book Title: Seeking a Familiar Face: The Transformational Journey of Connecting with God by May Patterson
Category: Adult nonfiction, 175 pages
Genre: Christian Living
Publisher: Exploration Press
Release date: September 2017
Tour dates: Dec 11 to 29, 2017
Content Rating: G

Book Description:

The greatest adventure of your life awaits. And it will change everything.

Ever feel disappointed? Like your life isn't as fulfilling as you had always dreamed it would be? Are you laden down with responsibilities, feeling overwhelmed and empty, or maybe even a bit caged?

You're not alone.

Many people in the Bible felt the same way. Most had difficulties. Some felt stuck. Others were depressed, afraid and uncertain. And some just wanted to get closer to God. So they set out on life's adventure —seeking God—and encountered the One who fulfilled their longings and changed their lives forever.

The same can happen for you.

Seeking a Familiar Face guides you on the transforming journey of connecting with God, through simple, yet extraordinary ways. It doesn't matter if you are already seeking Him or just getting started, this book will encourage you to go a little farther toward locking hearts with God.

In this book you will discover engaging narratives from ten biblical characters, along with stories, humor, and practical ideas for seeking God. There are thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter to discuss with a friend or a group. Most of all, "Seeking a Familiar Face" will offer you fresh hope for deepening your intimacy with God.

Buy the Book:

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Video of May Patterson explaining

how she came to write her book:

Meet the Author:

May Patterson has been writing and teaching bible study classes for several years. Her new book, “Seeking a Familiar Face,” was birthed from a Bible study she wrote in 2014 called “A Time to Seek.” She was trained in small group dynamics for over ten years at Bible Study Fellowship, serving as a leader for four years. She has written for several magazines including Focus on the Family, Upper Room Magazine and Shattered Magazine, among others. She is married to her dear friend, Mike, and they have three grown children. She loves to tell stories, laugh, and talk about the adventure of seeking God.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ LinkedIn ~ Facebook

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Cathadeus Spotlight

Book Details:

Book Title: Cathadeus (Book One of the Walking Gates)
Author: Jeff J. Peters
Category: YA Fiction, 344 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Release date: Dec 8, 2017
Tour dates: Dec 4 to 15, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 (fighting scenes)

Book Description:

It has been six hundred years since the Alchemists fused together men and beasts to form strong, mindless slaves. Now, their most vicious creations have attacked the mystical Walking Gates, slaughtering their Keepers and isolating their cities. Wounded in the brutal attack, Braxton Prinn’s mother is on the verge of death and he makes a desperate journey to find the reclusive elven master who can save her. But when he discovers an ancient magic, Brax is caught up in an even greater struggle and soon finds himself hunted for his power. Drawn into the chaos of an impending war and pursued by enemies on all sides, Brax must fight to save his mother and her race from slipping into darkness. Though his untamed magic may be the greatest threat of all . . .

What Readers are Saying about Cathadeus:

“Jeff J. Peters’ strong cinematic writing style allowed me to easily visualize the story and feel that I was right there alongside the characters.”
- Alison W.

“Jeff J. Peters’ writing is so smooth and easy to read – I can’t tell you how much of a pleasure it was…and how quickly you end up being drawn into the story because of it.”
- Amanda R.

“Cathadeus is the best kind of fantasy story - you get to learn along with a flawed main character while you get lost in a richly designed world. You can’t help but keep reading. A cleanly written pairing of characters you wish you could spend more time with and an enthralling world built around them. Cathadeus is the kind of story that plays perfectly off of your imagination, with characters grounded in reality to make it feel like you could really be there.”
- Ryan N.

“Jeff J. Peters definitely has storytelling skills...The story stayed on my mind when I wasn’t reading it. Young readers will be drawn in this imaginative story, while they relate to Braxton’s struggles with temper, insecurity, and young love. Cathadeus is dramatic, with an anxious tone—at times bleak, as the story keeps you wondering until the final battle if good will prevail.”
- Elizabeth C.

Buy the Book:

Amazon ~ Indiebound

Barnes & Noble

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Meet the Author:

JEFF J. PETERS was born in South Africa and immigrated to the United States as a teenager, where he fell in love with all things fantasy. He obtained degrees in digital electronics and computer science and worked as an IT professional for more than twenty years. In 2014, he left his corporate position to focus full-time on writing. Cathadeus is his debut novel. He is currently working on the sequel.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Facebook

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21 Days to Happiness

Author Ingrid Kelada dedicates this self-help book to her supportive number and fellow author father, regularly peppering the text with quotations from real-life figures, and ending each of the titular days with questions about whether they helped the reader. She further gives links to additional resources and webpages, although this reviewer thinks it somewhat inconvenient to visit all the sites while breaking from the middle of the text. This author should mention that he suffers from regular anxiety, and easily forgets commonsense solutions to typical daily issues such as being in a bad mood.

The writer opens with a preface discussing her BHAG, or “Big Hairy Audacious Goal,” and has a brief initial part where she discusses happiness basics, noting that she once lost contact with a childhood friend. She mentions occasional statistics of which this reviewer has been somewhat aware, such as happy people living longer, with three factors to happiness, being genetics, portions within human control, and life circumstances. She occasional delves into the scientific, mentioning the four “happy hormones,” which include dopamine, oxytocin, endorphins, and serotonin, which she suggests the reader give occasional breaks.

Kelada opens the longest second part with the first day, stating that people should be gracious with what they have, and follows with other topics such as listening to music to elevate your mood, laughing to make the world a better place, decluttering one’s living space, enjoying nature, getting good sleep, exercising, paying it forward, enjoying eating and preparing food, and so forth. Overall, this is an enjoyable self-help book, some of whose solutions this reviewer has already begun to implement even without finishing it, although a sizeable fraction of it is common sense. Even so, this reviewer would definitely recommend this book to those seeking to uplift their lives.

Book Details:

Book Title: 21 Days to Happiness: Increase Your Happiness, Productivity and Happiness
Author: Ingrid Kelada
Category: Adult Non-Fiction, 230 pages
Genre: Motivational, self-help
Publisher: Wellness Ink
Release date: September 19, 2017
Tour dates: Nov 27 to Dec 15, 2017
Content Rating: G (The subject is intended more for adults, but there's no explicit language or content.)

Book Description:

Struggling to find work-life balance? Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed and frustrated or just want to increase your happiness, you can learn how in just 10 minutes a day!

For some of us, feeling busy or stressed has become the new normal. Others feel okay, but just want a boost to productivity, energy and motivation.

Instead of hoping for happiness, what if happiness is something you DO, something you CHOOSE every day? The good news: it is and the solutions are simple.

Psychologist and happiness expert Ingrid Kelada provides a practical, step-by-step guide to help you increase your personal happiness and feel more motivated. You can learn how with simple 10-minute strategies. Each day of the 21-day journey focuses on one key area of your life, including:

• Time: how to break the cycle of chaos and manage your time effectively.
• Body Language: exploring the surprising links between body language and happiness.
• Relationships: how to make the most of the number one predictor of happiness.
• Work: how to use your strengths and talents so that you are engaged and motivated.
• Money: what you should spend your money on to feel most satisfied.

The book is interactive. Each chapter features resources like apps to try, videos to watch for deeper understanding, or tools to help you master these new habits. At the end of three weeks, along with increased happiness, you’ll find you’ve become more:

• productive
• focused
• patient
• energetic
• healthy
• motivated
• positive

Happiness is a choice. A daily decision to choose happy can be easy, fun and rewarding. With this book, in just a few minutes per day, you can practice one new happiness habit, add resources to your arsenal, and jot down your notes in the journal section.

Buy 21 Days to Happiness today to create a happier more satisfying life.

Buy the Book:

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Watch the trailer:

Meet the Author:

Ms. Ingrid Kelada is an experienced psychologist and happiness expert. She is a speaker and has facilitated over 1000 workshops all over the world. People find her to be pragmatic, inspiring and funny! She has an online personality questionnaire store to help people identify their talents and interests. With over 25 years experience, she offers her expertise to a wide range of clients. She is bilingual and a member of the professional association of Psychologists of Quebec. Visit her online at www.keladacc.ca

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ LinkedIn ~ Instagram

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First Crush, Last Love Spotlight

Book Details:

Book Title: First Crush, Last Love by Elizabeth McKenna
Category: Adult Fiction, 314 pages
Genre: Romance - Contemporary
Publisher: Elizabeth McKenna
Release date: Aug 1, 2017
Tour dates: Oct 16 to Nov 3, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (There are a few short, mild sex scenes - nothing too graphic. There is swearing by certain characters. Mature themes include drinking/alcoholism, verbal abuse with some physical pushing, AIDS (a minor character is gay), stalking, brief descriptions of child abuse by a step parent, and suicide attempt (overdose).

Book Description:

Remember your first crush? How your heart raced and your cheeks flushed whenever you saw him? Jessie Baxter does, and it’s happening again. Ten years ago, despite her best efforts, Lee Archer wanted to be just friends. Now, he wants more, but Jessie's still recovering from a psycho ex-husband. Can she learn to trust again and make her first crush into her last love?

Elizabeth McKenna’s latest novel will have you remembering the angst of high school, the grief of a failed relationship, and the happiness of true love.

To read reviews, please visit Elizabeth McKenna's page on iRead Book Tours.

Buy the Book:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

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Meet the Author:

Elizabeth McKenna works as a full-time technical writer/editor for a large software company. Though her love of books reaches back to her childhood, she had never read romance novels until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene).

She had always wanted to write fiction, so she combined her love of history, romance and a happy ending to write Cera's Place and Venice in the Moonlight. Her short story, The Gypsy Casts a Spell, is available for free on her site http://elizabethmckenna.com/. She hopes you will enjoy her first contemporary romance novel, First Crush Last Love, as much as others have enjoyed her historical romances.

Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn't writing, working, or being a mom, she's sleeping.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

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The Painter's Apprentice Spotlight

Book Details:

Book Title: The Painter's Apprentice: A Novel of 16th-Century Venice
Author: Laura Morelli
Category: Adult Fiction, 482 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: The Scriptorium
Release date: November 15, 2017
Tour dates: Oct 16 to Nov 17, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 (some adult situations but no sex or explicit violence)

Book Description:

Would you rather sacrifice your livelihood, your lover, or your life? When the Black Death comes knocking on your door, you’d better decide quickly.

Venice, 1510. Maria Bartolini wants nothing more than to carry on her father’s legacy as a master gilder. Instead, her father has sent her away from the only home she’s ever known to train as an apprentice to Master Trevisan, a renowned painter.

When the painter’s servants uncover the real reason why Maria has been sent away, they threaten to reveal a secret that could tear down her family and the future of their trade. She is forced to buy the servants’ silence, but as their greed steadily grows, Maria resorts to more desperate measures. She questions whether her heart’s desire is worth risking her family, her trade, and her future, but Maria’s sacrifices may amount to nothing if the plague arrives on her father’s doorstep before she is able to get back home.

From the author of the award-winning The Gondola Maker comes a rich tale of Renaissance Venice, a heroine with a lust for life, and love against all odds.

Pre-Order Campaign:

Laura Morelli's new book, The Painter’s Apprentice, is out on November 15, and she is offering a set of great bonuses exclusively to her readers. If you like to delve deeper into the “story behind the story,” you’ll want to take advantage of Laura’s pre-order package (ends Oct 31st), which takes readers behind the scenes of The Painter’s Apprentice with videos, pictures, commentary about Renaissance Venice, and other exclusive content. Learn more here and order your copy today!

Buy the Book:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Other digital stores ~ iTunes

Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

LAURA MORELLI holds a Ph.D. in art history from Yale University, has taught college students in the U.S. and in Italy, and currently produces art history lessons for TED-Ed. She authored a column for National Geographic Traveler called “The Genuine Article” and has contributed pieces about art and authentic travel to CNN Radio, The Frommers Travel Show, and in USA TODAY, Departures, and other media. Laura is the author of the Authentic Arts guidebook series that includes the popular book Made in Italy. Her fiction brings the stories of art history to life. Her debut novel, The Gondola Maker, won an IPPY for Best Historical Fiction and a Benjamin Franklin Award.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram

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The Space Between

Author Susan Rooke dedicates this contemporary fantasy novel to Katie, Glen, and especially Denise, the last who read the book first and “believed.” Opening the story is a prologue with a mysterious unidentified narrator who thinks that his fall is going on forever, although he doesn’t fall alone. The main chapters begin with the female protagonist, Mellis, with her dog Orlando in the park. Mellis has three semesters of college under her belt, and has worked the kitchen at Goodwin’s Permanent Care part-time since high school. Mellis quickly finds herself in an otherworld thanks to an old woman named Deidre, who has her companions Fetters and Feldspar.

The mentioned unidentified narrator, later titled the Son of the Morning, gets his own chapters in between the main ones, known as interstices, the first of which describes him as being broken from the fall in the prologue, recovering. The story fuses Christian and Greek mythology, with Satan ultimately mentioned later in the story, and the Titans from the latter towards the end. Another significant piece of backstory is the expulsion of two different sects of angels from Heaven, the first of which are the Evil Fallen, and the second of which are the remorseful Penitent.

Other characters introduced include the talking cat Kindle, not to mention Fellson, who seems to be a person of interest to the Son of the Morning. This story overall will likely please enthusiasts of modern fantasy stories, although it does a tad too much setting up for future installments, particularly regarding the enigmatic interstices, and has several confusing portions, particular regarding the fact that Kindle is actually a talking cat. This reviewer further had difficulty imagining the appearances of the sundry characters, given their general lack of descriptions, although it’s by no means a bad read.

Book Details:

Book Title: The Space Between: The Prophesy of Faeries by Susan Rooke
Category: Adult Fiction, 452 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Publisher: Holynok Press
Release date: September 12, 2017
Format available for review: ebook (mobi, ePub, PDF)
Tour dates: Oct 23 to Nov 17, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 (For some violence. There is no sex or bad language)

Book Description:

Mellis, a courageous and resourceful young woman, is kidnapped from the human world and taken to the Space Between by a tribe of faeries called the Penitents. Because of guilt over an ancient sin committed by their angel ancestors against the Maker, the Penitents have cursed themselves with grotesque physical disfigurements. Mellis can help them reunite with the Maker and find their way back to redemption, but she would need to give up the life she's always known to remain in the Space Between.

As she struggles with this heart-wrenching decision, one of the Penitents, bent on revenge, commits a gruesome attack against the tribe, and they learn he has taken Satan--the Maker's greatest enemy--as his ally. All in the Space Between are facing grave danger. Will a long-awaited act of vengeance save them?

Susan Rooke builds a rich and fantastical world of angels and demons, monsters, faeries and dragons. Abounding with spirituality and humanity, this faery tale for adults has a cast of vivid characters you won't soon forget.

To follow the blog tour and read reviews, please visit Susan Rooke's page on iRead Book Tours.

Buy the Book:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

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Meet the Author:

Susan Rooke is a Pushcart-nominated poet and author of the forthcoming The Space Between Series. Her short stories and poems have appeared in publications such as The Christian Science Monitor and The Twilight Zone Magazine, among many others. She resides on a square of green, peaceful country not far from Austin, Texas, with her husband Glen, who runs a small cattle operation while Rooke writes fiction about angels and demons, monsters, faeries and dragons. Look for her fantasy novel, The Space Between: The Prophecy of Faeries on Amazon.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ facebook

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Tribal Affairs

One could definitely describe this contemporary fantasy novel an odd duck. Several chapters an unidentified female character narrates, who has a husband named Alexander. For most of the story, chapters appear to be in third-person, with the main character being Liana, daughter of the magician Jamison the Great, one of whose performances has a misfire early on. In another dream-dedicated chapter, Alexander hangs beaten and upside-down from a tree, with the narrator soon saying that she has influence over Liana’s dreams.

Liana is still a student in grade school, with a few classmates pranking a slide presentation by including pictures of her father’s failed performance. She is a troubled pupil, under the care of a psychiatrist named Dr. Rattner, who suggests medicating her. Liana quickly finds herself thrust into a fantastical world inhabited chiefly by genies, with one named Stefan serving as something of an antagonist later on. The author divides genies into a few tribes, such as the Marid and Ifrits in a reflection of real-life djinn mythos that adds well to the narrative.

Liana and a friendly genie, Taffi, male, set off on a ship called The Drunken Maiden, with Liana urged to keep control of her supernatural abilities, and while the action isn’t exactly on an epic scale, there is some revelation towards the end, such as who exactly is narrating the story, which accounts for an overall satisfying yarn. There are some derivative aspects such as an apparent inspiration by the Star Wars franchise, and the author does err in mentioning witch burnings regarding the Salem Witch Trials (where no alleged magicians were incinerated), but the book is otherwise recommended.

Appointment With Yesterday Spotlight

Book Details:

Book Title: Appointment with Yesterday: A Novel in Four Parts with a Prologue and an Epilogue
Author: Christopher Stratakis
Category: Adult Fiction, 334 pages
Genre: coming-of-age / WWII / immigrant experience
Publisher: IndieReader
Release date: January 2017
Tour dates: Oct 2 to 20, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (There is no bad language or violence, but there are references to sex and sexual situations (including between a pre-teen and teen)


Book Description:

A poignant and compelling first novel, Appointment with Yesterday tells the story of Yanni, a cheeky and delightful Greek boy growing up in a small town on an island in the eastern Aegean.

Left in the care of his loving grandparents, Yanni endures the deprivation and terror of the German occupation during World War II and finally leaves his beloved homeland and family to rejoin the parents who had left him behind to make a better life for themselves in America.

Filled with heartbreaking and heartwarming stories of love, devotion, disenchantment, and dashed dreams, Appointment with Yesterday is, ultimately, the story of hardships overcome and a determined boy’s journey toward finding his destiny.

Buy the Book:

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Book Depository ~ Books-a-Million

Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Christopher Stratakis was born and raised in Greece. After moving to America, he graduated from Drexel University in 1951 and New York University School of Law in 1955. Shortly after joining the law firm of Poles, Tublin & Patestides in 1960, he became a partner, specializing in admiralty and corporate law.

He has written and published several articles, lectured on professional and historical subjects, served as Legal Advisor to several non-profits (pro bono), and was an arbitrator in maritime disputes. He is the author of Mnimes “Memories” (2010), a book of essays, short stories, and poems that he wrote as a teenager. In 2015, he co-edited Chains on Parallel Roads, a book published by Panchiaki “Korais” Society of New York. In recognition of his extensive community involvement, he has been the recipient of several awards from religious, governmental, and educational institutions.

Mr. Stratakis lives with his wife in New York City. He is the proud father of three and grandfather of three. This is his first novel.

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Awoke

Book Details:

Book Title: Awoke (The Want Series) by K.T. Conte
Category: YA Fiction; 324 pages
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: SugarCane Publishing
Release date: October 2017
Format available for review: print & ebook (mobi, ePub, PDF)
Will ship print books to: Internationally
Tour dates: Sept 25 to Oct 27, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 (mainly bad language)

Book Description:

Katya leads a normal life any teenager would be envious of – popular, pretty and dating the high school elite. Not she enjoys the spotlight, mind you. She wants everyone to believe she is normal.

But when Katya sees the real reason behind the earthquakes plaguing everyone in Boston, the truth rattles and shatters the perfect normal illusion Katya created for herself. An ability to see unearthly creatures and manipulate waves of life energy labels her as anything but normal. And it’s an ability that attracts unwanted and dangerous attention.

She reluctantly finds herself in the company of Gregor, a handsome member of an international spirit military team called the Kyrios. Her simple decision to help thrusts Katya in a world of the undead spirits, betrayal and a perpetual battle between undead monsters and the wardens that keep them in their place.

Katya must decide whether she values the simple and easy life she created for herself over the complex and difficult world now asking her to stand and fight.


Review

This contemporary fantasy and paranormal romance novel opens with protagonist and first-person narrator Katya Stevens intending to have a normal night devoid of the visions that have been plaguing her for some time, and she goes to her friend Amie Espinosa’s eighteenth birthday party at a bowling alley in Boston. A little backstory is exposed in the first chapter about tremors that have been occurring around the world, particularly in unusual locations such as the capital of Massachusetts. Kat is African-American, and has a Caucasian boyfriend named Roger Simmons, a high school basketball player.

At the birthday party, Kat encourages Amie to hook up with a mysterious Scotsman later identified as Gregor, although he rudely rejects her, and Kat consequentially tries to track him down so she can confront him. Oddly, she finds a man kneeling and pleading with the Scot, whom he addresses as a Kyrios, with Gregor indicating that an entity known as a Craver is coming, and Kat having a sensation accompanied by a malevolent force. The narrator ultimately awakes at home, with the Scotsman by her side, who reveals his background.

Kat ultimately finds herself thrust into a world of the supernatural, with the normal human domain being the Live Realm, with occasional further backstory and Christian mythology playing part in the story. She discovers that she has a latent power called the Vis, similar to the force from the Star Wars film franchise, and receives training to hone her abilities. Despite the derivative nature of the novel, it’s still a good start to a new series, although there is slight confusion towards the end, and an oddly out-of-place reference to a character codenamed Mini-Me. Even so, fans of modern fantasy will most likely enjoy this yarn.

Buy the Book:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ IndieBound

iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Bookshout

Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

K.T. Conte is a lover of books, people and all things wild and crazy. She received her B.A. in English from Boston College and her law degree from Suffolk University Law School. While she has and continues to be a licensed attorney, her first love has always been books from the tender age of 2. Originally from Massachusetts, K.T. currently lives in New York City with the monsters in the closet, her husband Everett, a couple of building fairies and her dog, Champ.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

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Carbon

Book Details:

Book Title: Carbon - Book Two in the Watcher Series by AJ Eversley
Category: YA Fiction, 300 pages
Genre: Sci-fi Dystopian
Publisher: Self-published
Release date: Sept 26, 2017
Tour dates: Sept 4 to 29, 2017
Content Rating: PG (No swearing and PG kissing scenes)

Book Description:

Sawyer has lost everything. Her family, the man she loves...her humanity. No longer a Watcher, Sawyer must now begin a journey to understand her new identity. Carbon.

With no where left to call home, and no one left to guide her, Sawyer must rely on the help of a stranger to learn who she really is now, and how to use it to her advantage. In a world where nothing is as it seems, and who to trust is a thin line between friend and foe, Sawyer will turn to the stars that have shaped her destiny long before she even knew she had one. And the man who fate has sent her.

Book two in this epic series, Carbon will answer questions you didn't even know you had. And strangers will become the only ones who can help her. Join Sawyer as the journey to save humanity continues.

Review:

*possible spoilers for Watcher*

Like its predecessor, Carbon, the sequel to Watcher, is a dystopian science-fiction novel set in the future, with most chapters narrated by the female protagonist, Sawyer, with occasional third-person chapters that again feature another important character, Kenzie. In the beginning, she indicates that she is largely unable to move on from death, and is sailing from Kuros to the United Isles. Throughout the story, Sawyer has a mostly love-hate relationship with Max Murray, son of Commander Murray, although he does occasionally attempt to comfort her aboard the ship where the action begins.

As mention, Kenzie returns, his scenes commencing in a space station, with a fortnight having elapsed since he fled Kuros. Kenzie’s superior Coleman interrogates a prisoner for location of a special girl, and suspects a traitor among his ranks. Also introduced early on is the leader of the United Isles, Princess Lena, who has a childlike appearance but is in reality much older. Overall, this is an enjoyable sequel, even if a tad derivative of other dystopian works, but those that enjoyed the first book in the series will most likely enjoy the second.

To read more reviews, please visit AJ Eversley's page on iRead Book Tours.

Buy the Book:

Amazon ~ Amazon.ca,

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Meet the Author:

AJ Eversley is the author of the WATCHER series. A true north Canadian girl, AJ currently lives in Central Alberta with her husband and dog. When she’s not writing, she can be found binge watching Harry Potter, quoting various movies in every day conversation, and eating copious amounts of candy.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

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Alycat and the Monday Blues

Book Details:

Book Title: Alycat and the Monday Blues by Alysson Foti Bourque
Illustrations by: Chiara Civati
Category: Children's Fiction, 32 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: Mascot Books
Release date: Sept 12, 2017
Tour dates: Sept 18 to Oct 6, 2017
Content Rating: G (appropriate for all audiences)

Book Description:

Alycat wakes up with the dreaded Monday Blues and is certain that nothing will go right. But when a mishap sends her astray, she discovers that helping a friend will help her discover her own hidden talent—curing her Monday Blues.


My Review

This illustrated children’s story opens with a foreword by Jennifer Niven (author Alysson Foti Bourque being the main writer of the text), that indicates she knows what it’s like to lose someone and want desperately to fit in with others, not to mention that we’re all unique. The chief writer herself dedicates her book to her siblings, those that purchased the book’s predecessor, Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day (which readers luckily needn’t experience to enjoy its sequel, which mostly stands on its own and has very little, if any, references to outside literature), and those who set their life to music, with the narrative having a musical theme.

Monday Blues stars a cast consistent entirely of anthropomorphic felines, brought to life by illustrator Chiara Civati, with the titular protagonist, Alycat, despising Mondays, and, while personally not feeling up to it, goes to school anyway. Misfortune plagues her on her way home, mainly losing artwork created at school to a rainy day, although she takes solace in hearing her friend Spotty playing jazz music. She decides to sing along to his music, having a knack for it, and ultimately decides to participate in a talent show with both terming their team the Harmonicats, and seeking costumes for their performance, which occurs towards the end.

Song lyrics abound in the book as well, a “da-da-da-dum” prominent in moody jazz music following each line, with which most readers will be familiar, and can consequentially imagine the performances within their minds. Overall, this is an enjoyable children’s book with charming feline characters livened by the illustrations that very well follow along with the text, with this reviewer in particular having an affinity for literature starring anthropomorphic characters, and would recommend it to people young and old who have the same interest in animal characters.

To read other reviews, please visit Alysson Foti Bourque's page on iRead Book Tours.

Buy the Book:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Mascot Books

Book Depository ~ Powells Books

Add to Goodreads

Watch the book trailer:

Meet the Author:

Alysson Foti Bourque is the author of the Rhyme or ReasonTravel series, and the multi-award winning Alycat series. Alysson received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a law degree from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge. She believes that there is an Alycat in all of us, encouraging our imaginations to guide us through new opportunities and adventures.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

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The Sky Throne

Book Details:

Book Title: The Sky Throne by Chris Ledbetter
Category: YA Fiction, 300 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Month 9 Books
Release date: April 18, 2017
Tour dates: Sept 18 to Oct 20, 2017

Content Rating: PG + M (No f-words but there may be some mild profanity, and mild religious expletives such as "damn", "hell" and "Oh God!", some depictions of violence. No drug use or underage drinking. Some semi-mature themes - suggestion of sexual misconduct by certain characters, but not the actual performing of it.)

Book Description:

Duality dwells at every turn, and an adolescent Zeus will learn that all too well when Hyperion attacks his family on Crete.

When the dust settles, his mother is unconscious and his best friend left for dead.

Stacking epic insult upon fatal injury, Zeus discovers the woman who raised him is not his biological mother. But to ensure her safety while she recovers, a heavy-hearted Zeus leaves her behind to seek answers at Mount Olympus Preparatory Academia.

Zeus embarks on a quest to discover who ordered the attack on his home, avenge the death of his friend, and find his birth mother. When some of his new schoolmates vanish, Zeus's quest is turned upside down, and the only way to make things right is to access the power of The Sky Throne, confront a most dangerous enemy, and take his life back.

On his way to becoming king of the Greek gods, Zeus will learn to seize power, neutralize his enemies, and fall in love.


My Review

The fantasy literary genre dates back to the nineteenth century, with several examples of classical fantasy such as Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking Glass, not to mention L. Frank Baum’s massive Oz series. Religious mythology would ultimately become a heavy influence in works such as J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and its prequel The Hobbit, rooted in Norse mythos, and C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, based on biblical themes. Greek mythology hasn’t been heavily utilized, though, except perhaps in works such as Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians cycle.

Modern writer Chris Ledbetter, though, takes a similar stab at Greek-themed fantasy with The Sky Throne, which he dedicates to his father, who introduced him to Hellenic mythology when he was five years old. The perspective is first-person, with the narrator being Zeus, many other characters through the story named after Greek deities, although a few have nicknames, such as Poseidon’s being Don and Hades’ being Shade. The initial setting is the island of Crete in an unidentified period, with the author rarely mentioning his own unique days of the week, appropriate since those in English are largely based on the nomenclature of Nordic gods.

Zeus opens his story with his belief he is an outcast at the Eastern Crete Lower Academy during the two years he has attended, although he does have his talents, chiefly javelin-throwing and wrestling. One of his pranks, however, results in his expulsion, and an ultimate transfer to Mount Olympus Prep, situated on its namesake peak, where much of the action occurs. Several twists abound towards the end of the narrative, with this story generally being enjoyable, if somewhat derivative, particularly with regards to certain familial revelations, although The Sky Throne is definitely a great story for teenagers, particularly fans of Percy Jackson.

To read other reviews, please visit Chris Ledbetter's page on iRead Book Tours.

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Meet the author:

Chris Ledbetter is an award-winning author of short fiction and novels for young adults. “Jason’s Quest,” a short story retelling of the Jason and Medea Greek myth was published in the anthology, Greek Myths Revisited. His first full-length novel, Drawn earned him two awards, Library of Clean Reads Best YA 2015 and Evernight Publishing Readers’ Choice Award Best YA 2015, as well as a USA TODAY “Must Read” recommendation. His second novel, Inked, concludes that duology. The Sky Throne is his newest young adult novel. The second book in the series is set to release in 2018.

He's a proud member of SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) and a strong supporter of the Need for Diverse Books. He now writes and lives in Wilmington, NC with his family, including three cats.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ facebook ~ Pinterest

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Ends Oct 28

Watcher

Book Details:

Book Title: Watcher - Book One in the Watcher Series by AJ Eversley
Category: YA Fiction, 300 pages
Genre: Scifi Dystopian
Publisher: Self-published
Release date: March, 2017
Tour dates: Sept 4 to 29, 2017
Content Rating: PG (No swearing or explicit sex scenes...there are kissing or romantic scenes that are considered PG. The word Hell or Damn is used only a few times.)

Book Description:

"I knew I was not alone. They would never leave until every last one of us was gone." Sawyer Russo has sworn to protect humanity, and as a Watcher she’s done just that. But the Bots and Carbons that took her city are evolving, and they start picking the Watchers off one by one. One last rescue mission will change everything. When someone betrays them, the line between friend and foe is no longer easily drawn. Sawyer made a vow, and she will fulfill it, even if it means ending the person who deceived them, no matter who it might be. It all comes down to one choice... Who can she save? And who does she have to let go?

Review:

Author A.J. Eversley’s Watcher is a dystopian science-fiction novel mostly narrated in the first person by female protagonist Sawyer, although there are occasional third-person chapters focusing on another important character, the young man Kenzie. Before the main events of the novel, the base where Sawyer serves was built in 2024 A.D., three years before the outbreak of the Third World War, the chief timeframe being a century and a half after the base’s construction. The novel gives further occasional glimpses of backstory, such as the mechanic Bots revolting against humanity.

In the book’s “present,” Sawyer watches her city, some time ago destroyed by Bots and Carbons, the latter being human in appearance but having microchips implanted in their skulls, other characters including Adam, fascinated with robots, and Sam the technician. Early fights erupt between the humans and Carbons, with Sawyer getting a gash for which he sees Doc, unsurprisingly a doctor. Sawyer reveals her mother was part of a rebel organization before her death, with her father also being supposedly dead, allegedly passing when she was eight years old.

Kenzie is introduced early on as a secondary protagonist, with Sawyer ultimately tasked with training him to fight the Carbons and Bots. Some twists occur in the novel’s latter portion, with occasional turncoats as well. Overall, this is an enjoyable dystopian novel, although it somewhat goes where other science-fiction stories have gone before, with the mention of a past rebel organization evoking thoughts of the Star Wars franchise, the part-human Carbons reminiscent of replicants from Blade Runner as well. Even so, this is a good start to its series, and is recommended to fans of both sci-fi and dystopia.

To read more reviews, please visit AJ Eversley's page on iRead Book Tours.

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Meet the Author:

AJ Eversley is the author of the WATCHER series. A true north Canadian girl, AJ currently lives in Central Alberta with her husband and dog. When she’s not writing, she can be found binge watching Harry Potter, quoting various movies in every day conversation, and eating copious amounts of candy.

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Ends Oct 7

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Journey's End Spotlight

Book Details:

Book Title: Journey's End: Death, Dying and the End of Life
Authors: Victoria Brewster & Julie Saeger Nierenberg
Category: Adult Non-Fiction; 558 pages
Genre: Resource/Educational
Publisher: Xlibris
Release date: July 20, 2017
Tour dates: Sept 4 to 22, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 + M

Book Description:

In Journey's End, we write about death, dying, and end of life issues. We attempt to define and describe these real-life circumstances, and we discuss ways to proactively deal with them. Multiple personal and professional perspectives provide valuable insights.

What is dying like for dying persons, for loved ones, and for those who lend support in the process? Each experience will have unique qualities. Everyone dies in his own way, on his own schedule. While we explore the dying process, we make no assumptions about how any particular death will unfold.

Grief and bereavement support, training tools, and educational resources are included.

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Amazon ~ Xlibris ~ Amazon.ca

Barnes & Noble ~ Chapters.Indigo

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Meet the Authors:

Victoria has a master of social work degree. She has worked as a case manager with older adults for the past seventeen years and as a group facilitator. Her past work experience was as a therapist with children and families, and as a case manager for adults with mental health issues. She just launched a consulting business, NorthernMSW to focus on end of life issues, planning, training, and advocacy, along with memoir writing and life legacy writing.

Julie was inspired equally by her professional backgrounds as a biomedical researcher and long time educator. Julie values open and lively discussions based on interview and research findings, trends in health and wellness, and exciting new modalities of treatment and professional education. She believes it will be through such discussions that we will create new and more satisfying cultural paradigms within which we may live all the days of our lives with dignity and quality of care.

Connect with the authors: Website ~ Facebook

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Ends Sept 30

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