Friday, January 2, 2015

Ebooks Giveaway : Lithia Trilogy by Blair Richmond

Ebooks Giveaway: Lithia Trilogy by Blair Richmond



Nineteen-year-old Kat Jones has been a competitive runner since she was a young girl, but after her mother's death, the path her life was supposed to take begins to crumble around her -- until one day, she finds herself on the run in a literal sense, this time in a race for her very life.

Kat's journey takes her to the Pacific Northwest town of Lithia, the place of her last good memories, of the days when her mother was still alive. But soon after her arrival, strange things begin to happen in Lithia -- and when one of her new friends disappears under mysterious circumstances, Kat begins to realize that Lithia's inhabitants are not all of this world. Worst of all, she is falling in love with one of these otherworldly locals, and the friend who hopes to save her has secrets of his own.

As Kat tries to rebuild her life, she is also training for a race that will turn out to be her biggest challenge yet, as she must outrun not only the demons of her past but the demons of the here and now, who threaten her very existence and that of the entire town.

At once a paranormal love story and an environmental allegory, Out of Breath offers an exciting new voice in young adult fiction.

You can't outrun your past...

In The Ghost Runner, Kat is still in Lithia, trying not to see Roman’s face everywhere she looks. It’s not easy, but she tries to move on: She starts taking classes at the local college, keeps up with her job at the running store, and is beginning a relationship with Alex.

Yet Kat’s past is never far behind, and as old ghosts begin to catch up with her, she finds herself fighting to defend the things she believes in, from the hope of a new family to the deeply wooded forests that she has begun to call home. As her relationship with Alex begins to crumble, a new secret from her past emerges, and she is once again torn between those she loves as she struggles to reconcile her dark past with her hopes for a brighter future.

The Ghost Runner, continuing Kat's adventures in Out of Breath, brings us further into the mysterious town of Lithia, where the old traditions of logging and gold mining—and the new traditions of development—collide with conservation. Meanwhile, the spirits of the town keep watch over everything—and occasionally find it necessary to intervene…

The Lithia Trilogy, which blends adventure and the paranormal with environmental awareness and Shakespeare, offers an exciting new series in young adult fiction.


In the final book in the acclaimed Lithia Trilogy, Kat has new losses to mourn but also new reasons to live. On the brink of new beginnings, she is back together with Roman, their relationship deepening more and more even as she wonders whether she may still harbor feelings for Alex.

Yet Kat finds it difficult to focus on such things as college and romance, with terror still haunting the hills of Lithia and threatening the entire town. As several recent earthquakes baffle scientists and put residents on edge, it seems that something more dangerous may be looming in Lithia’s future.

Trying to balance a busy life while keeping Lithia safe isn’t easy—and soon Kat realizes that nothing is a higher priority than saving her hometown, along with its abundance of land and animals, from devastation. The only problem is that she can’t find a way to do this without leaving Lithia forever—or risking her own life and the lives of those she loves. And her future with Roman appears as unsteady as the ground under her feet…

In a novel that weaves together stories of love, the environment, and Shakespeare, the natural and supernatural worlds collide in this stunning conclusion to the Lithia Trilogy. 







a Rafflecopter giveaway

Exclusive Excerpt and Illustrations to the First Light / The Second Expedition by Jake Taylor

First Light / The Second Expedition
by Jake Taylor


Ages: 9+, YA, Adults / Fifth Grade+
Publisher: TT&T Publishers
Format: eBook
File size: 2156 KB
Page Count: approximately 213 as PDF
Amazon Kindle Link: 
Language: English (also available in Spanish) 
ISBN: 978-0-9913935-2-7
Includes 35 Illustrations in full color

Synopsis: 

Some call them extraterrestrials, others call them Gods. This is their story.

Sir Henry Johnston finds out that the cadets did not only encounter enemies of Annur’s Empire during this, the Second Expedition, but that they also had to confront the evil remnants of a so called “parallel civilization.” He also finds out that the acquisition of powers does not cease; it actually increases. Now the cadets and some of their companions can produce ugly skin diseases on themselves or on their enemies, by just wishing it! They can levitate, and also produce diamonds and other gems by simply squeezing regular stones with their bare hands. They really like this last power, but seldom use it. They can also transform themselves into anything they want, including water, air, vapor, dust or any kind of plant or animal.


Chapter 8 - Koyannins, Ucaros and Displays of Power
They continue to encounter many mysteries. Gab and Alph may not be who they claim to be, and there’s a host of unresolved issues in a hidden structure that belonged to Bert Nostcal, a dear friend of Emperor Annur’s, who unfortunately disappeared eons ago. There are lots of questions inside the truncated pyramid and its burial chamber. Another big mystery is, ‘Who exactly are the Imperial Envoys, Imperial Interceptors, Kingdom Hawks and Kingdom Legionnaires?’ And to make things worse, the system refuses to answer an important question asked by Yah, the son of the Emperor!

But, not everything is a mystery or an enemy; the cadets also become acquainted with great friends of the empire. In addition, Zam makes a fantastic discovery; the cadets can advance in time!

Read along with Sir Henry and follow the incredible adventures of the cadets in the second volume of the ‘Yah and the Space Cadets’ series: “First Light / The Second Expedition.” 


Excerpt: 

Chapter 10 - Tests and Planet Lurodas
“Your honor, my name is Masara Cleft, and I represent Queen Mella’s government,” said a tall, slender, good-looking woman with reddish hair whose head did not stop wobbling as she spoke. Her chin seemed to tremble but she spoke clearly. “The honorable members of an expeditionary force of her majesty’s government were conducting simple, run-of-the-mill tests with their newly developed rapid-fire missile systems. The tests did not include armed missiles. These were soft-metal, harmless ‘spears’ if you will, used only for target practice,” said Cleft with an unassuming attitude. “They were never knowingly fired at the Audacious to cause her harm. In addition, the Audacious was flying at an enormously fast speed and was protected by an electromagnetic shield that prevented others from detecting her. The monitors that helped guide the missiles must have shown the spacecraft as a blip of one sort or another causing all the missiles to converge on it. However,” she continued with a distinctly different tone of voice, “not only did the dishonorable commander of said ship destroy all our practice missiles, she and all her crew of malevolent cadets, Tesgans, Lesgans and Cargans rejoiced at the destruction of one hundred and eighty-six space cruisers. Two days later, they went scavenging for the remains left after their attack and took an unknown quantity of pieces of equipment, weapons and approximately fifty-two prisoners, most of whom never returned. Therefore, we demand punishment for all the crewmembers, including Commander d’Nor, as well as a total compensation of GC314,576,870 Gold Comets, that is, GC1,677,295 per cruiser and GC2,600,000 for the 52 expedition members at GC50,000 each; plus the customary attorney fees and court costs, of course,” she finished.


Chapter 17 - AquaSoil
“Does the counsel for the defense wish to respond?” asked the judge.


Chapter 21 - Uquet
“Yes, your honor,” said mister Zulep, who, after standing up continued, “The first attack involved fifteen hundred missiles, not ‘spears,’ they were all set to converge on the Audacious with the aim of destroying her completely. It was an unprovoked attack and the Audacious did exactly what any other ship would have done in her place. She defended herself.…

Chapter 29 - Veloceptors
Amazon Buy Link

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Book Review: Spencer the Spider and the Witch in the Wood by Morgan Kostival

Spencer the Spider and the Witch in the Wood 
by Morgan Kostival


Paperback: 50 pages
Publisher: Picture Books by Morgan (September 13, 2013)
Amazon Paperback Link

Kindle Edition
File Size: 1193 KB
Print Length: 30 pages
Publisher: Picture Books by Morgan; First edition (September 10, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link

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

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

My kids (5 and 8 yrs old) love the story! At first they were hesitant in listening to the story as they are not into Halloween theme. The second time I read this to them, they loved it! My kids have at least 30 books (bought moooore this holiday) in the study table and if they liked one book, it would be in the bed. Just a week ago, for one whole week, my eldest kept on checking the book before we sleep. He loves it!

Mom, you might want to pick up this book for your kids! 

About the book:

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.

You will also get to see Spencer’s Halloween adventure documented through the dazzling photo illustrations by author/photographer Morgan Kostival.

About the author:

While most of his childhood friends enjoyed their teddy bears, Morgan Kostival was more partial to sword-wielding animated skeletons, and giant monsters of old Hollywood’s special effects. That is why Kostival decided to combine his love of that old art form with the new graphic arts techniques of today to illustrate his children's book. Kostival's process mimics the techniques of special effects artist Ray Harryhausen and other film pioneers of that time. He starts by actually creating the creatures for his story out of clay, plastic and other standard materials, like a master toymaker. Next, he photographs them against custom backgrounds, sometimes editing them into the picture using computer-aided tools. “The photo illustrations I create to accompany my stories do not tell the story by themselves. Instead they support the story and inspire a child’s desire to want to read and find out what is happening in the photographs.” Said Kostival, artist and author of the new children's book ‘Spencer The Spider And The Witch In The Wood’. “So my goal in all of this is to produce books that will fascinate and fuel kid’s imaginations no matter what their age.” Morgan Kostival holds a BA in Motion Picture Production from Point Park University, in Pittsburgh, PA. He has worked on numerous independent stage, film, and television productions as well as professional stage productions. He currently lives and writes in Lake Worth, FL.
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