Follow Friday!

 

Question of the Week: Hard print (real thing) or Kindle/Nook, 

which is your favorite? 

- Suggested by The Realm of Books

Hard print!!! Ever since I got my eyeglasses in 2010, I can no longer read on my phone or 

computer for hours. If I  read an e-book for more than an hour, I'd get headache that 

usually would last til the next day!!  How about you?

For newbies, to join the hop, 

visit Alison Can Read  or Parajunkee's View 

Worldwide Audible Giveaway ends in 4 hours!!!! The Boots My Mother Gave Me by Brooklyn James

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk through life in someone else's shoes? 

Strong-willed tomboy Harley LeBeau puts you in the boots her mother gave her, as she takes you along her journey of escape from an abusive childhood and the desire to find herself as she comes of age. Made to feel a burden to her father simply by her gender, Harley is determined to prove her worth and independence, leaving the small town she grew up in and the one boy who gave her a soft place to fall, Jeremiah Johnson. Torn between saving herself and abandoning her mother and younger sister, Harley chooses her own life in hopes they will choose theirs, too. 

A mature, candid read for everyone. A must for women. The Boots My Mother Gave Me explores the dynamics of abuse and dysfunction, the courage to overcome, the strength in sisterhood, and the ongoing conflict and unconditional love between mothers and daughters. 

Climb into Charlene the Chevelle for a fast-paced story about a girl who is tough enough to survive and tender enough to learn to trust in love. 

Giveaway HERE

Book and Movie Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent 

Book 1

by Veronica Roth

Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; 1st edition (May 3, 2011)
Amazon Hardcover Link

Paperback: 576 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; Reprint edition (September 30, 2014)

File Size: 1836 KB
Print Length: 501 pages

Audible Listening Length: 11 hours and 15 minutes
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Audible.com Release Date: December 6, 2012

Paperback  / Kindle / Audible 

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ 

My thoughts:

Friends told me Divergent's story is similar to Hunger Games. I didn't like HG, can't stand the violence, brutally killing teens for fun. So told them, why would I watch this one. According to their reviews, this was better. Although the story is similar to HG, this was less brutal. So I went and watched the movie last year. Surprisingly, I liked the movie, book? Not much. 

I liked Four but I haven't decided yet if I liked Tris (up until book 2). She seems like a nice person, may be a best friend material, it's just that her 'divergent' attitude and decisions annoys me. She is so unpredictable. Sometimes I compare her to Bella, a weakling and then she would be like a very smart likeable hero. If it's okay with other readers, I am not happy with that kind of character. As for Four, he is definitely a very realistic and memorable character which I think the reason why I continued reading the series up to book 2 (got free book 3 - thanks to Audible!) Other characters are fine. Villain? I much hate Eric than Jeanine. I see Jeanine as Rose Dawson, so not possible to hate her LOLs... 

Plot and writing style are both okay except I initially got confused with all the factions. Took me a lot of back reading to understand how it works. What I still don't understand is why factionless peeps are all homeless? They are the largest faction so why don't they all work together and build houses for everyone? I know it was explained in the book but really, are they all stupid to just roam around the city streets and never realized the need to have a place to live in? Romance part as you guessed is not good enough for me since I have mixed feelings about Tris. Hmm, overall, it was an okay book. 

PS
Not sure if I'm going to post my review about the second book. . . .  felt like I have nothing good to say about that book.... 

About the book:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her. 

About the author:

Veronica Roth was born in a Chicago suburb, and studied creative writing at Northwestern University. She and her husband currently live in the city that inspired the setting of the Divergent Trilogy.

Guest Author: B.A. Sherman

I am honored by Jenai who has allowed me to introduce myself to her and her followers. I write under the pen name of B.A. Sherman but you can call me Brad. I like to write mostly about real things, real tangible life moments that have a flare of “Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone”. I think that nothing is more scarier in this world than humans and what we are capable of which is truly scary to me! Not that I won’t write about other things, but for now that seems to be what I mostly write about.  

I live in the great state of Colorado with my beautiful wife Julie, and my lovely daughter Sophia. I have an older son, Zach who is 21 and has started his exciting new life on his own in this great big world with his eyes wide open, shut.  

I have been in Law-Enforcement since I was 19 years of age, only 8 months past the cap and gown ceremony at my High School in small town Nebraska. I am a part of a small group of people who were able to get into a knobble profession at such a young age. Now in my 24th year of Law-Enforcement I have found something that has revealed itself to me by shear accident, or was it? I ask myself, I found out that I could write a decent story, and even moved this accident into authoring a Novella on Amazon called The Truth. I was just as surprised as anyone at this new found love, especially my High School peers. I am sure a few of my “Party Friends” are saying, “How could Brad Sherman have written a book? He didn’t even get good grades in school”. Yes, I am sure there are a few people saying that and I as well am dumbfounded on this writing thing as they are.  

***

Paperback: 104 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (October 2, 2013)
Paperback Link

File Size: 1090 KB
Print Length: 66 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Kindle Link

Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 1 hour and 42 minutes
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Brad Sherman
Audible.com Release Date: October 8, 2014
Audible Link

***

I do not have any achievements or a degree in creative writing, I just sat down one day with a story idea that had been plaguing me for a couple of years and I wrote down 90,000 words in seven days. My wife, who used to be a news reporter/anchor, read it and surprised me when she asked with a surprising tone, "You wrote this in seven days?" I figured the words to follow after I answered her question, “Yes” with a quite tone, would have been, "Well you spent 6 days and 23 hrs to long on this piece of crap". Much to my chagrin she told me it was good (Yah, I know she's biased-but you don't know how crass she can be when it comes to writing, husband or not). After that confidence booster, I sat down and wrote out 100,000 words for a second book in this series in two weeks, then the third book in a couple of months (It will probably go to 4 or 5 books in the series, once it’s done). 

It's weird how all this works, I feel less confident when I am doing my day in and day out stuff around the house, work and other places about my writing ability, wondering if I can tell a certain story well enough to be happy about it and in the same respect not letting my readers down. I lose all those feelings and thoughts when I sit down and write, the confidence seems to creep in and the story pours out of me onto my Laptop. 

Someone told me a long time ago that if something comes easy to you, it's a gift. When you have to work at something you love, it’s a calling. When you feel like something is draining every bit of your life’s energy, it's not your life or your work. 

During my surprised calling to write, and after I wrote out my three mega books, I channeled an idea for a short story/Novella called The Truth, which is the only book I have self-published (so far). I got the idea on one day and wrote it out on the second day, with a few distractions from my 4 year old daughter at the time. I felt it was a good first book, made some mistakes, should have taken a little more time with it, but it is what it is and I am happy that I put it out into the world. 

The Truth- is a fictional Psychological Thriller Novella. It’s about Brad Johnson who is having nightmares or is he waking up buried memories? While he is at work as a home inspector in northern Colorado he is called to inspect an abandon home near his home town, and the abandon home is a place he knows very well. Johnson, during his inspection finds a body in the crawl space. Scared and nervous that the Authorities wouldn’t believe that he had nothing to do with it, he decides to find the killer himself and then report the evidence and the killer to the Sheriff’s Office. Not long after he does this, Sheriff’s Investigator Nick Marcus is called to investigate the buried body that was found and begins his own hunt for the killer. Who gets to “The Truth” first, Nick or Brad? A fast paced thriller that will reveal “The Truth” and will blow you away!  

The Truth was a fun book to work on, as it was the first book to work on, Laugh..It taught me what the process was to self publish a book and what all went into it, which was a lot of work. The Truth was a success in my book, no pun intended, as it has been downloaded 1,200 times, getting several reviews which have helped me in my writing along with a great confidence builder. This success is never possible unless you have some great followers and fans of your work. Without fans and a great following this could never be possible, and I am fortunate that I have that, so thank you all that have read or will read my work!

I am working on a new Psychological Thriller Series called The Greg Dorn Series, book one called The Test which should come out in March 2015 (Unless it gets published). The first two books in this series are completed and I would love to put them both out at once, (Slow down Brad), but my Editor thinks I should send out quires for agents and publishers first, her idea, not mine. She is one of many supporters, probably more so then I am for myself. She has said that my writing is good enough to be published and is trying her heart out to get me there; and it feels nice hearing those words coming from an award winning Editor, but for me right now I am having fun writing cool, fun stories. 

The new book, The Test was a fun book to work on over a course of a year and half. It started out as a standalone book that I wrote when I was in a dark place in my life, and it felt good to get it out onto paper, or into my laptop I should say. My Editor, read it and called me one day telling me how much she enjoyed reading it. The next words that flowed from her lips into the phone was and what pushed me into this book series. “Brad, I really enjoyed this book and I love the Characters you write about, I just hate to give them up, so maybe you could keep this story going for a few more books”, she asked. I chuckled inside saying to myself, “How the hell am I going to do that, the book has a beginning, middle and an end. How am I going to continue this story further?” I ended our conversation with, “Well I will think on it”. Two days later, I had a different ending, some re-writes around the middle and the second book mapped out in my head. I sat down and wrote out an outline for the series and sent it to my editor, who wrote back in an email, “WoW”…. When it came time to change the original standalone books name to a different one, which went with the newly developed series, it came to me, like lightning shooting out from a storm cloud. I would call it The Test, saying that as if I were the Doctor after he brought Frankenstein to life. I felt it seemed to be a perfect name because the book was a test, and I think it was a test for me from my Editor to see how creative I could be, not to mention it is an important part of what is happening with the main character in the book. So we will see what my fans and followers have to say about this new book series, I hope they all enjoy it.

So that is me, B.A. Sherman with no writing awards, no college of creative writing, or achievements in writing of any kind, but all that will change in the future. What I do have right now, is some great story ideas, a passion to write those story’s and the stamina to sit down and write out those story’s with a sore butt..

Happy Writing and Reading Everyone!

Thanks,
B.A. Sherman
www.basherman.com/ 

Book Spotlight and Excerpt: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading

Kitty Hawk and 

the Curse of the Yukon Gold 

(Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series Book 1)

by Iain Reading

Series: Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency
Paperback: 270 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (December 3, 2012)
Amazon Paperback Link

Kindle Edition
File Size: 2128 KB
Print Length: 326 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1480024406
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link

About the book:

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the thrilling first installment in a new young adult series of adventure mystery stories by Iain Reading. This first book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series introduces Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot with her own De Havilland Beaver seaplane and a nose for mystery and intrigue. A cross between Amelia Earhart, Nancy Drew and Pippi Longstocking, Kitty is a quirky young heroine with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting herself into all kinds of precarious situations. 

After leaving her home in the western Canadian fishing village of Tofino to spend the summer in Alaska studying humpback whales, Kitty finds herself caught up in an unforgettable adventure involving stolen gold, devious criminals, ghostly shipwrecks, and bone-chilling curses. Kitty's adventure begins with the lingering mystery of a sunken ship called the Clara Nevada. As the plot continues to unfold, this spirited story will have readers anxiously following every twist and turn as they are swept along through the history of the Klondike Gold Rush to a suspenseful final climatic chase across the rugged terrain of Canada's Yukon.

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is a perfect book to fire the imagination of readers of all ages. Filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history this book will inspire anyone to learn and experience more for themselves. 

There are currently four books in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold (book 1), Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost (book 2), Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue (book 3), and Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the RMS Titanic (book 4). Each book can be read as a standalone. 

Book Excerpt

Amazon Buy Links

Paperback / Kindle 

Book Spotlight : Fabled Circus by J. Stephen Howard

Fabled Circus

by J. Stephen Howard

File Size: 585 KB
Print Length: 394 pages
Publisher: BookBaby (December 11, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link

Synopsis:   

The world is a circus, and our genes are the clowns.

Fabled Circus, like the characters inhabiting its pages, is a genetic hybrid of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. At the center of the maelstrom is a twelve-year-old named Teddy. In the year 2082, if you have two different-colored eyes, you stand out as something that needs to be fixed. His father, with his right clubfoot twisting body and mentality, has warped his son’s view of himself.

Fleeing the horror scene that was his home, Teddy initially finds refuge in the orphanage, St. Benedict's Home for Boys. But when he believes the police are looking for him, he hitches a ride in the circus trailer parked outside.

His life will never be the same under the Fabled Circus tent where Chiron the centaur and Aello the harpy inspire him to fully realize his identity. Friends like Isaac from the orphanage, whose smart mouth keeps him from ever getting adopted, and Corliss, who ran away from her rich adoptive family to find and be with her real parents at the circus, give Teddy a sense of belonging that he never felt before.

But the sinister underpinnings of Fabled Circus, responsible for genetic mutations like Chiron and Aello, will draw Teddy into its tangled mystery. Once he learns the secret, he'll be fighting more than the ghost of his twisted father.

Chapter 1 Sample

Amazon Buy Link 

Kindle 

Audible Giveaway: The Boots My Mother Gave Me by Brooklyn James

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk through life in someone else's shoes? 

Strong-willed tomboy Harley LeBeau puts you in the boots her mother gave her, as she takes you along her journey of escape from an abusive childhood and the desire to find herself as she comes of age. Made to feel a burden to her father simply by her gender, Harley is determined to prove her worth and independence, leaving the small town she grew up in and the one boy who gave her a soft place to fall, Jeremiah Johnson. Torn between saving herself and abandoning her mother and younger sister, Harley chooses her own life in hopes they will choose theirs, too. 

A mature, candid read for everyone. A must for women. The Boots My Mother Gave Me explores the dynamics of abuse and dysfunction, the courage to overcome, the strength in sisterhood, and the ongoing conflict and unconditional love between mothers and daughters. 

Climb into Charlene the Chevelle for a fast-paced story about a girl who is tough enough to survive and tender enough to learn to trust in love. 

Giveaway HERE

Book Spotlight and Excerpt: A Feast of You (The Epicurean Series Book #3) by Sorcha Grace

 A Feast of You

(The Epicurean Series Book #3)

by Sorcha Grace

Kindle Edition
File Size: 1569 KB
Print Length: 286 pages
Publisher: Sorcha Grace Books (December 10, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link

About the book:

Cat and William have had the right recipe for mind-blowing passion from the very start, and now their whirlwind romance has gotten serious. Very serious.  They’re practically living together, and sharing William’s luxury Chicago penthouse is even more delicious than Cat could ever have imagined.  Whether he’s cooking her an elaborate gourmet dinner or satisfying her every need in the bedroom, William Lambourne knows how to take care of his woman and Cat couldn’t be happier.

But life with Mr. Lambourne in his mansion in the sky quickly becomes complicated.  Demons from William’s past are back and they want to harm what’s most precious to him: Cat. He’ll do anything in his power to protect the woman he loves, even hiring an elite security team to follow Catherine around the city. Cat loves that William wants to keep her safe, but she’s not used to being a target – or being so dependent.  And then there’s Cat’s new boss, Hutch Morrison, the ex-rockstar-turned-world-renowned-chef who stirs up another kind of trouble. Cat’s definitely not used to seeing her stormy-eyed sex god so riled up.  Cat and William may be a perfect pairing, but when dangerous forces threaten to tear them apart, it will take more than just their undeniable chemistry—and their insatiable appetites—to survive it. 

“Absolutely delectable." --J. Kenner, New York Times Bestselling Author (on A Taste of You, The Epicurean Book 1)

Excerpt

Amazon Buy Link

Guest Author: Aric C. Carter

I was recently asked by a fan, “When did you know you were a writer?’ To be honest, I thought to myself, am I a writer? Even though I’m forty and I have published my first sci-fi book, I never really thought of myself as a writer.

I’m the guy in college that got a “B” in English composition. I consistently leave out articles, pronouns, and verbs when I write. I hear them in my head, but they never reach the page. Even if I proofread, I still will mentally insert missing words, which consistently awarded me with less than stellar grades for writing assignments.

For many years, I believed what my grades said about me as a writer. I was mediocre at best. Clearly I was never meant to win a writing contest, especially if the writing was done in class under a time limit. I was sure to fail miserably. I finished my schooling loathing any type of writing assignment.

My tale would have ended there. However, I loved to read. Reading allowed me to escape my mundane world into those of untold mysteries. I didn’t see words on a page. I saw wondrous places with magical heroes, heroines, and villains. Books were movies that played out in my mind in intricate detail.

These stories were not just entertaining. I learned about myself and what it is to be human from these larger than life events and characters. Fantasy characters were seemingly always faced with moral dilemmas and tough situations that I would never experience in my life. However, seeing these books play out in my mind gave me that knowledge. I have grown emotionally and spiritually because of these experiences, all the while being entertained.

Stories entertain, but they also educate us many times without us realizing. My personal journey has led to a deep sense of gratitude and desire to give back to others. I know I would not have become the person I am today without these stories. I wanted to share what I have learned in life. I couldn’t think of a better way to share and enlighten than with an entertaining tale.

Which leads me back to writing…  I left school believing I was not a writer. Everything in my mind plays out as pictures or movies. In order for me to write, I have to try to translate these images into the written word. If you have ever tried to describe a picture to someone over the phone, you get a sense of what it is like for me to write. I then have to read what I have written to see if it creates the image I wanted. Often, it takes many hours for me to get the wording that will create the same image in my mind. Even after hours reworking a page, I still leave out words, and my punctuation is atrocious. 

This doesn’t make me a poor writer; it makes me a very slow writer. I don’t have to be perfect, either. It took me years to acknowledge and accept this. Now I rely on others to help me correct what I write. If I could change anything about how our schools teach, it would be to encourage creativity not perfection. Grading everyone against this standard for a creative process may be more damaging than we know. No one is perfect. However, with practice we can become better at anything. Thinking I was not a good writer discouraged me from wanting to write and the only way to get better at writing was to write.

Thankfully, my life experiences have given me the wisdom to know that the only limits I have are the ones I place on myself. I tossed out the belief that I was not good at writing. I am creative, and writing is a creative endeavor. There is no reason I can’t be a writer. Yes, I write slowly. Yes, I make many mistakes. In the end, it is all worth it, because if I am successful, the words begin to meld into pictures, and a movie starts to play in my mind.

The Saga of Lyn: The Reawakening

by Aric C. Carter

Series: Saga of Lyn
Paperback: 238 pages
Publisher: Aric C. Carter (July 26, 2014)
Amazon Paperback Link

Kindle Edition
File Size: 2403 KB
Print Length: 238 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link

Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 8 hours and 16 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Aric C. Carter
Audible.com Release Date: September 2, 2014
Whispersync for Voice: Ready
Audible Link

Synopsis:

The Saga of Lyn: The Reawakening is a compelling tale of a simple man's adventures as he seeks justice for the murder of his wife and daughter, only to find that his entire world is threatened. When a mysterious visitor destroys jovial Tegain Hostler's tavern, killing his beloved wife and daughter, Tegain is devastated. Not knowing how to pick up the pieces of his shattered life, he turns to his friend, the trader Karl Dunmire, who comes upon the wreckage the following morning. Karl, a former Marshal in the Royal Wayman Dragoons, advises him to travel to the next-largest town to seek legal assistance in tracking down and bringing to justice the murderous villain. Karl agrees to accompany Tegain on this trek. Ever the trader, Karl sells Tegain a battered and rusty old sword that he swears will clean up to a fine instrument of protection. Little does he realize that the sword is unusual in a variety of ways.


During a nighttime attack by a Grimble, a creature thought to exist only in the frightened imaginations of children, Tegain is amazed to find that the sword can cleave the beasts with a single blow. As the two friends continue along their way, they find that other villages are being plagued by mythical beasts, as well, and when Tegain refuses to give up his sword in one such village, Folsum, he is forced to flee while Karl is imprisoned. While Tegain seeks to discover the cause of this mayhem, Karl quietly befriends and secretly begins training his captors. His training and Tegain's courage, along with new friendships, will soon be required as they once again join forces to face down demons from their people’s past that now threaten their future. Carter has peopled a richly-drawn pseudo-medieval world with believable, well-fleshed characters. This sweeping tale proceeds at a rapid pace, and initially seemingly random details are later revealed to have great significance.


About the author:

Aric C. Carter was born the youngest of three brothers in in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida but grew up in El Reno, Oklahoma. After reading Tolkien’s The Hobbit at age 9, he was hooked on science fiction, fantasy and thrillers. 

Carter joined the U.S. Navy, serving five years aboard the USS Enterprise as a Nuclear Machinist Mate and a year as a Navy recruiter. He is a veteran of Bosnia Conflict, Desert Storm and Desert Shield. 

He currently lives in Oklahoma and when he’s not writing he’s  working in the power generation field as a System Operator for Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OGE).

Carter enjoys learning, challenges, and spending time with his daughter.  He is a licensed private helicopter pilot, certified SCUBA diver, personal trainer, actor, and writer. He has an AAS in nuclear power technology from Bismarck State College, ND.

For more information about Carter, please visit http://www.aricccarter.com

Say “hello” on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSagaofLyn 

Buy the Book on Amazon HERE

Thursday Trailer: Fabled Circus by J. Stephen Howard

Fabled Circus

by J. Stephen Howard

Kindle Edition
File Size: 585 KB
Print Length: 394 pages
Publisher: BookBaby (December 11, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link

Synopsis:

The world is a circus, and our genes are the clowns. 

Fabled Circus, like the characters inhabiting its pages, is a genetic hybrid of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. At the center of the maelstrom is a twelve-year-old named Teddy. In the year 2082, if you have two different-colored eyes, you stand out as something that needs to be fixed. His father, with his right clubfoot twisting body and mentality, has warped his son’s view of himself. Fleeing the horror scene that was his home, Teddy initially finds refuge in the orphanage, St. Benedict's Home for Boys. But when he believes the police are looking for him, he hitches a ride in the circus trailer parked outside. 

His life will never be the same under the Fabled Circus tent where Chiron the centaur and Aello the harpy inspire him to fully realize his identity. Friends like Isaac from the orphanage, whose smart mouth keeps him from ever getting adopted, and Corliss, who ran away from her rich adoptive family to find and be with her real parents at the circus, give Teddy a sense of belonging that he never felt before. But the sinister underpinnings of Fabled Circus, responsible for genetic mutations like Chiron and Aello, will draw Teddy into its tangled mystery. Once he learns the secret, he'll be fighting more than the ghost of his twisted father.

Audible Giveaway: The Boots My Mother Gave Me by Brooklyn James

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk through life in someone else's shoes? 

Strong-willed tomboy Harley LeBeau puts you in the boots her mother gave her, as she takes you along her journey of escape from an abusive childhood and the desire to find herself as she comes of age. Made to feel a burden to her father simply by her gender, Harley is determined to prove her worth and independence, leaving the small town she grew up in and the one boy who gave her a soft place to fall, Jeremiah Johnson. Torn between saving herself and abandoning her mother and younger sister, Harley chooses her own life in hopes they will choose theirs, too. 

A mature, candid read for everyone. A must for women. The Boots My Mother Gave Me explores the dynamics of abuse and dysfunction, the courage to overcome, the strength in sisterhood, and the ongoing conflict and unconditional love between mothers and daughters. 

Climb into Charlene the Chevelle for a fast-paced story about a girl who is tough enough to survive and tender enough to learn to trust in love. 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ book review HERE

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Goodluck!!!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

"It's Monday! What are you reading?" is a fun meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey. This is where we share the books we have read the last week and our reading plans for this week.

Book Reviewed

4-star book review here

“When Christmas Comes Again” by Beth Wiseman

Katherine knows the first Christmas without Elias will be hard for her and the children. But when a mysterious Englischer appears with photographs of her late husband, Katherine  begins to wonder what other blessings Christmas could have in store. 

“Her Christmas Pen Pal” by Ruth Reid

Joy was expecting a wedding proposal from Henry; what she got instead was news of another woman. But when her heartfelt letter to a cousin ends up in the hands of a young cabinetmaker, an unexpected correspondence between two strangers gets interesting fast.

“A Gift for Anne Marie” by Kathleen Fuller

Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Now things are evolving . . . in ways everyone else predicted long ago. But when her mother suddenly decides to remarry in another state, Anne Marie’s new chapter with Nathaniel looks doomed to end before it begins. 

“The Christmas Aprons” by Tricia Goyer

Vanilla crumb pie has been Esther’s mem’s calling card for decades. But when Esther finally gets her hands on the secret recipe, she discovers that vanilla crumb pie is more than just dessert . . . it’s bachelor bait.

5-star book review HERE

It is All Hallows Eve and Spencer the spider suddenly realizes that he is no longer alone in his attic.

He is introduced to three enchanted toys and together they embark on a journey that leads them through an abandoned old house where they meet Rumsforth the rat, and a mischievous hobgoblin.

Later that same night, Spencer, and his newfound friends, find themselves deep in the middle of the dark and spooky woods that lie just behind that house. 

They are searching for the withered, old, green-faced witch that lives there, to ask for her help in ridding the house of its troublesome hobgoblin.

Book + Movie for Review 

Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) lives in a futuristic world in which society is divided into five factions. As each person enters adulthood, he or she must choose a faction and commit to it for life. Tris chooses Dauntless -- those who pursue bravery above all else. However, her initiation leads to the discovery that she is a Divergent and will never be able to fit into just one faction. Warned that she must conceal her status, Tris uncovers a looming war which threatens everyone she loves.

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her

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Book Review: Amish Second Christmas by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, Ruth Reid, and Tricia Goyer

Amish Second Christmas 

by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, Ruth Reid, and Tricia Goyer

Hardcover
Series: Thorndike Press Large Print Christian Fiction
Hardcover: 597 pages
Publisher: Thorndike Press Large Print; Lrg edition (January 28, 2015)
Amazon Hardcover Link

Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 7, 2014)
Amazon Paperback Link

Kindle Edition
File Size: 1460 KB
Print Length: 419 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 7, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link

Audible Audio Edition

Listening Length: 11 hours and 40 minutes

Program Type: Audiobook

Version: Unabridged

Publisher: Oasis Audio

Audible.com Release Date: November 4, 2014

Whispersync for Voice: Ready

Audible Link

Note: I received a review copy of this book free from BookLookBloggers.com. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

My thoughts:

Amish Second Christmas is a collection of four Christmas Amish romances. It has been a while since the last time I read an Amish book. As always, the stories are sweet, light and at times funny. Reading this kind of book makes me want to visit one of their communities and experience the simplicity of their life. 

Second Christmas

The Christmas church service may or may not be held on December 25th, but both Christmas and the following day, sometimes called "second Christmas," are holidays for the Amish. This second day is usually one of relaxation or visiting others. (http://www.amishnews.com/amisharticles/amishchristmas.htm)

Out of all the four stories, WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES AGAIN is my favorite. 

“When Christmas Comes Again” by Beth Wiseman
Katherine knows the first Christmas without Elias will be hard for her and the children. But when a mysterious Englischer appears with photographs of her late husband, Katherine  begins to wonder what other blessings Christmas could have in store. 

The story is like an ordinary one but the appearance of the Englischer (non-Amish person) made it an extraordinary story. The twist made my heart ache for Elias, Katherine's husband I never "met" (died in an accident). I am giving the story five stars.

“Her Christmas Pen Pal” by Ruth Reid
Joy was expecting a wedding proposal from Henry; what she got instead was news of another woman. But when her heartfelt letter to a cousin ends up in the hands of a young cabinetmaker, an unexpected correspondence between two strangers gets interesting fast.

I can't imagine Amish people having penpals. From what I understand, they live in a small area, and most Amish are shy and rarely go outside their community. This one was unexpectedly a nice story.

“A Gift for Anne Marie” by Kathleen Fuller
Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Now things are evolving . . . in ways everyone else predicted long ago. But when her mother suddenly decides to remarry in another state, Anne Marie’s new chapter with Nathaniel looks doomed to end before it begins. 

Best friends. . . .  sweet story for teens.... 

“The Christmas Aprons” by Tricia Goyer
Vanilla crumb pie has been Esther’s mem’s calling card for decades. But when Esther finally gets her hands on the secret recipe, she discovers that vanilla crumb pie is more than just dessert . . . it’s bachelor bait.

I don't like stories with a character that has low self-esteem especially if the character is no longer a 'teen'. 

All in all, it was a good read! Looking forward to reading more Amish stories in the future!

About the book:

“When Christmas Comes Again” by Beth Wiseman

Katherine knows the first Christmas without Elias will be hard for her and the children. But when a mysterious Englischer appears with photographs of her late husband, Katherine  begins to wonder what other blessings Christmas could have in store. 


“Her Christmas Pen Pal” by Ruth Reid

Joy was expecting a wedding proposal from Henry; what she got instead was news of another woman. But when her heartfelt letter to a cousin ends up in the hands of a young cabinetmaker, an unexpected correspondence between two strangers gets interesting fast.

“A Gift for Anne Marie” by Kathleen Fuller

Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Now things are evolving . . . in ways everyone else predicted long ago. But when her mother suddenly decides to remarry in another state, Anne Marie’s new chapter with Nathaniel looks doomed to end before it begins. 

“The Christmas Aprons” by Tricia Goyer

Vanilla crumb pie has been Esther’s mem’s calling card for decades. But when Esther finally gets her hands on the secret recipe, she discovers that vanilla crumb pie is more than just dessert . . . it’s bachelor bait.

About the authors:

Award-winning, bestselling author Beth Wiseman is best known for her Amish novels, but she has also written several successful contemporary novels, set primarily in her beloved Texas, including Need You Now and The House that Love Built. Both have received glowing reviews. Beth's The Promise is inspired by a true story. Website: www.bethwiseman.com Twitter: @bethwiseman Facebook: Fans-of-Beth-Wiseman

Kathleen Fuller is the author of several bestselling novels, including A Man of His Word and Treasuring Emma, as well as a middle-grade Amish series, The Mysteries of Middlefield. Website: www.kathleenfuller.com Twitter: @TheKatJam Facebook: Author Kathleen Fuller

Ruth Reid is a CBA and ECPA best-selling author of the Heaven on Earth series. She's a full-time pharmacist who resides in Florida with her husband and three children. Facebook: Author-Ruth-Reid Twitter: @authorruthreid

USA Today best-selling author Tricia Goyer is the author of 35 books, including the three-book Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series. She has written over 500 articles for national publications and blogs for high traffic sites like TheBetterMom.com and MomLifeToday.com. Tricia and her husband John live in Little Rock, Arkansas where John works for FamilyLife. They have six children. Twitter: @triciagoyer Facebook: authortriciagoyer