Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Book Spotlight ~ "Power In Prayer" by David A. Christensen



Take a minute to gauge your relationship with God. Do you underestimate the power of prayer? This daily guide, with insights from General Authorities, scriptures, personal experiences, and commentary, will enrich and empower your prayers. As these thoughts increase your understanding of the significance of your prayers, your communication with God will be an unprecedented source of strength in your life.






About the Author:  David A. Christensen’s  love and enthusiasm for being a missionary was sparked in a missionary preparation class at Ricks College in the late 60s. His love and testimony for the Book of Mormon was ignited in a religion class the following semester. These two classes combined as a new beginning  for what would one day become not only a passion but also the centerpiece of his professional contribution in the Church Education System and at Brigham Young University-Idaho. David has taught Missionary Preparation and Book of Mormon classes for over 30 years. His testimony was shared and transferred to missionaries and members in the Chile Santiago North Mission when he served as president and again in Central America when he served as President of the Guatemala MTC. He counts his eight children as his most important converts and his favorite companion—his best friend and wife Deena Bond Christensen

Blog Tour ~ "The Luthier's Apprentice" by Mayra Calvani + giveaway

Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840), one of the greatest violinists who ever lived and rumored to have made a pact with the devil, has somehow transferred unique powers to another…  

When violinists around the world mysteriously vanish, 16-year-old Emma Braun takes notice.  But when her beloved violin teacher disappears… Emma takes charge. With Sherlock Holmes fanatic, not to mention gorgeous Corey Fletcher, Emma discovers a parallel world ruled by an ex-violinist turned evil sorceress who wants to rule the music world on her own terms. 

But why are only men violinists captured and not women? What is the connection between Emma's family, the sorceress, and the infamous Niccolò Paganini?  

Emma must unravel the mystery in order to save her teacher from the fatal destiny that awaits him.  And undo the curse that torments her family—before evil wins and she becomes the next luthier's apprentice…


My thoughts:  The violin on the cover of this book is one of the things that drew me to the story.  I love the wind and the beautiful sky behind the model.  I don't write about it often, but I play the violin and the premise of the story sounds wonderful to me.

I wish I could say at the time of this posting that I have read this book.  But I can't. It is one that I will definitely be reading soon and posting my review.  My life became busier the over the last couple of weeks, it's my excuse, maybe not a good one, but it's the truth.


I apologize to Mayra Calvani for not having it done.  




Get a copy for 99 cents!



About the author:  Award-winning author Mayra Calvani has penned over ten books for children and adults in genres ranging from picture books to nonfiction to paranormal fantasy novels. She’s had over 300 articles, short stories, interviews and reviews published in magazines such as The Writer, Writer’s Journal and Bloomsbury Review, among others. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, she now resides in Brussels, Belgium.







Tour Giveaway:  Mayra is giving away a $20 Amazon Gift Card!  Use the rafflecopter to enter.


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The Dystopian Tour Grand Finale!



A Prism Tour with Prism Book Tours

It's the Grand Finale for
THE DYSTOPIAN TOUR!
What will the future bring? We've featuring several possibilities. Did you miss any of them? Check them out now!!

May 28: What Tomorrow May Bring #1

Tomorrow becomes today.
What will it bring?


Our potential for good is matched by that of destruction. At any moment, change can fall on the world, people fight and die, and our comfortable lives can be lost to corrupt leaders. These are circumstances we can’t imagine, but places like this exist in the world today.

What if tomorrow brings that grave reality to us, and we wake to find our lives in flux, poverty and confusion? Perhaps humanity’s insatiable appetites drive us to the brink of survival where sanity is redefined and life, as we know it, changes forever.
Tomorrow, our lives could be very dark.

Dystopian tales take us to these lightless places where suffering is a daily chore. But they also show us that in the deepest part of the night, pitched against a backdrop of despair, a beam of hope will shine brighter than ever before. And in our darkest moments, it can show us the way back.


Goodreads - Amazon

Follow 11 authors into 11 dystopian tomorrows, where the dark portions of our humanity have taken hold of today, where the fabric of society is torn and greed consumes us all. Follow us down a dark path.


May 29: Terra by Gretchen Powell: 

Creating the Cover of Terra: A Behind-the-Scenes Look


No matter what anybody says, it’s pretty much a fact that people do judge books by their covers. And can you blame them? After all, book covers are an art in and of themselves these days – the beautiful images, illustration, and typography that are blasted across the internet pique our interest and drive our readers’ minds. The cover is a reader’s first impression of what your book will be like. It only takes a second for that instant connection to be made: Bad cover, bad book. Great cover, great book. 

Now, that doesn’t always hold true, of course, since I myself have read plenty of incredible books with terrible covers, and vice versa. But it doesn’t change the fact that—especially as a self-published author—covers matter. And I knew from the get-go that I wanted the cover for TERRA to stand out, but still feel appropriate for the genre and would “fit in” with its traditionally-published book brethren. So here’s an exclusive scoop on what went into creating my debut novel’s cover.

 
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Kobo - Apple Store

Terra follows protagonist Terra Rhodon through a dystopian future where the planet’s natural resources have been depleted and the rich and powerful have fled to cities in the sky.


May 30: Stitch & Shudder by Samantha Durante

**What Everyone Had To Say About This Series**

“Seems like your normal, seemingly average university cross paranormal romance story... until the dystopian sci-fi comes in. Everything from there changes… I am gobsmacked.”
– Behind the Pages

“Quite incredible… grips the reader and won’t let go. Officially entered a good book hangover.”
– Parajunkee

  

Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa's body screams at her to run... but yet she's powerless to move.


June 1: Contributor & Infiltrator by Nicole Ciacchella

Unexpected Favorites

One of the things that consistently surprises me when I write is how fond I grow of some characters, especially when they start out as little more than a nebulous concept. Contributor is no exception. When I was peopling the world, I thought a lot about Dara, her parents, her boyfriend, Jonathan, and her mentor, Letizia. I certainly gave consideration to the other characters as well, but this was the core group I focused on, and so imagine my surprise when I developed a major attachment to a couple of the characters I thought would just be minor players.

The first is Javier Gutierrez, one of Dara’s rivals for the position of Assistant to the Head of Engineering...

 
Picture
Goodreads - Amazon

When the Great Famine threatened the existence of mankind, the Creators saved humanity. Humanity has been their loyal subject ever since.


June 2: What Tomorrow May Bring #2

THE DYSTOPTOMISTS: PART 1

WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING, the YA Dystopian boxed set, is a collection of dark yet hopeful stories from eleven different authors. Each wrote a short essay on dystopian fiction calledMy Thoughts On Tomorrow, to introduce their novels. Here are excerpts from six of those essays, the full versions can be found at The Hunt For Tomorrow.

Meet The Dystoptomists: Shining Light on a Dark Future...

Goodreads - Amazon

Follow 11 authors into 11 dystopian tomorrows, where the dark portions of our humanity have taken hold of today, where the fabric of society is torn and greed consumes us all. Follow us down a dark path.


June 3: Among the Joyful by Erin Eastham

Q&A: Among the Joyful

Q: What was your inspiration for Among the Joyful?
A: I happened to see an article about smile surgery, which is a real thing. Some young women in South Korea have a procedure done so that their default facial expression is a smile, no matter what they’re feeling. It made me think about the pressure we all feel at times to act like things are fine when they’re not, to present a happy appearance to the world no matter what’s going on inside. That was what prompted the idea for the world of Among the Joyful, where negative emotion has to be hidden if you want to be a functioning member of society.

Q: What makes Among the Joyful different from all the other YA dystopias out there?
A: I wanted to create a dystopian society that could just as easily be described as utopian. The original founders weren’t setting out to oppress people—they wanted to make life better, and in many ways they succeeded. They created a culture where service to others is valued, where citizens contribute to the public good and take care not to have a negative impact on their community. Of course, there’s a price, and that’s where it gets interesting.


Everyone knows that it’s a citizen’s duty to smile; negative emotion is a social contagion, an aggressive act against society. For Alaire Larkin, staying positive has never been a problem.


June 4: The Annihilation of Foreverland & Foreverland is Dead by Tony Bertauski

AUTHOR's INTERVIEW

Have you written in any other genres besides ya dystopian? What drew you to you this genre?

I’ve been fascinated by consciousness, identity and what this all means since I was young. I would read my grandfather’s science fiction books with elements of artificial intelligence and wonder what happened when they died? I suppose that’s why all of my writing deals with the big mysteries of life in one way or another. In a way, I write for my own exploration, in a sort of thought experiment approach, pulling apart our identities, exploring what makes us who we are. If I lost my memories, would I still be me? If I had my body parts replaced with synthetic replications, at what point would I not be me? Do I even need a body? What am I?

A few years ago, I figured I’d write a romance novel. Since all of my books have a romantic element, I thought it would be fun. Halfway through the novel, I found myself thinking more and more about the next project—a dystopian idea. So 40,000 words in, I scrapped the romance novel and got back to what I love.

 

Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Google Play - Kobo - iTunes

When kids awake on an island, they’re told there was an accident. Before they can go home, they will visit Foreverland, an alternate reality that will heal their minds.


June 5: The Breeders & The Believers by Katie French

Take 10 - Author Interview

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I’ve always wanted to be a back-up singer for some awesome artist. You’d get all the joy of meeting fun people and performing, but do not have to lose your freedom or worry about tabloids and paparazzi.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
Brad Pitt. It would be a really weird, concept movie.

Have you ever read or seen yourself as a character in a book or a movie?
All the time. Right now I’m pretty sure I’m Jessica Day from TV show The New Girl. But without the cute bangs. Man, I should really get some bangs.

 
Picture
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes and Noble

Sixteen-year-old Riley Meemick is one of the world's last free girls. When Riley was born, her mother escaped the Breeders, the group of doctors using cruel experiments to bolster the dwindling human race.


June 6: What Tomorrow May Bring #3 

Meet The Dystoptomists: Shining Light on a Dark Future.

WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING, the YA Dystopian boxed set, is a collection of dark yet hopeful stories from eleven different authors. Each wrote a short essay on dystopian fiction called My Thoughts On Tomorrow, to introduce their novels.

Part 1 featured excerpts from six of those authors.

Here, with Part 2, are excerpts from the remaining five. The full versions can be found at The Hunt For Tomorrow.

Join the mailing list for news on our upcoming dystopian scavenger hunt...

Goodreads - Amazon

Follow 11 authors into 11 dystopian tomorrows, where the dark portions of our humanity have taken hold of today, where the fabric of society is torn and greed consumes us all. Follow us down a dark path.


Tour-Wide Giveaway
Ends June 15th.

US Only Giveaway
Print copy of Terra + bookmarks
Print copies of Stitch & Shudder + bookmarks
Print copy of Among the Joyful

Internationally Open Giveaway
Amazon GC $15 (Megan) + $10 (Erin) + $10 (Samantha)
11 ecopies of What Tomorrow May Bring
Ebook of Terra
Ebooks of Stitch & Shudder
10 e-book copies of the complete Contributor trilogy, including book 3 (Kindle only)
Ebook of Among the Joyful
Ebooks of The Annihilation of Foreverland & Foreverland is Dead
Ebook of A Taste of Tomorrow Boxed Set
5 ebooks of The Breeders & The Believers

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Prism Book Tours

Monday, June 9, 2014

Girls on Fire ~ 10 Volume YA boxed set for 99 cents!

I am very excited for this boxed set.  I have read three of the books in the set and have heard great things about the rest.  This is going to be a wonderful addition to my library!


I've added small pictures of each book, just to see how many you may already be familiar with!  The books I have read are in red. The rest... I definitely want to read.




WITCH FALL – Amber Argyle
High Fantasy

Supreme in their dominion over seasons, storms, and sea, the witches have forgotten the unmatched destructiveness of mankind. And among the weapons men seek are the magical songs of the witches. Born of witches but raised among their enemies, Lilette searches for a way to heal the rift between mankind and the witches. But it may be too late to save either. For if there is one thing Lilette has come to know for certain, it’s that all things fall.


ETERNAL STARLING – Angela Corbett
Paranormal Romance
For centuries, Alex Night and Emil Stone have yearned for Evie Starling. When both men claim to be her soul mate and tell her about an unbelievable past, Evie learns that she’s not the person she thought she was, and her soul is about to become the rope in an eternal tug-of-war.

AWAKENING – Christy Dorrity
Fantasy

When an ancient curse threatens McKayla McCleery's family, she must decide what in her life is real and what is fantasy. Based in Celtic mythology, Awakening is a gripping young adult fantasy that is rife with magic, romance, and mystery.

INEVITABLE – Tamara Hart Heiner
Suspense
Visions of death plague Jayne, who thinks watching her sister die is the worst that could happen to her. But when she witnesses a murder, Jayne realizes that the next death she sees might be her own.

WATCHED – Cindy M. Hogan
Romantic Suspense

Change. She longed for it.
A murder. She will never be the same.

THE FORGOTTEN ONES – Laura Howard
Fantasy

ELEMENTAL HUNGER – Elana Johnson
Futuristic Fantasy

Sixteen-year-old Gabriella Kilpatrick can shoot fire from her hands, which would be great if she didn’t get blamed for a blazing inferno that kills 17 schoolmates. Gabby will have to learn who she can trust, how to control her own power, and most of all, how to lead a Council of Elementals, most of whom have more control over their power than she does. If she can’t, she’ll find herself just like those 17 schoolmates: burned and six feet under.

THE FAERIE GUARDIAN – Rachel Morgan
Fantasy
Kickbutt faerie Violet is about to graduate as the top guardian trainee of her class, but when an assignment goes wrong and the human boy she’s meant to be protecting follows her back into the fae realm, a dangerous plot is set in motion.

PERCEPTION – Lee Strauss
Dystopian/Romance

Eternal Life is to Die For.
A spoiled genetically altered girl needs the help of a jaded “natural” boy to find her missing brother.

INTRINSICAL – Lani Woodland
Paranormal
The gene that allows the women in Yara’s family to see and communicate with spirits seems to have passed her over. Until the night she rescues a local hottie from an attacking ghost. Her act of heroism attracts the attention of the evil spirit, and she finds herself entrenched in the middle of a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening her own life as well as that of her friends.



Publication date: June 16, 2014
Price: 99 cents for 10 amazing YA novels!





About the Authors:
Follow each author’s link to learn more about them and their books.


Saturday, June 7, 2014

Book Review ~ "Deadly Alliance" by A.L. Sowards

Deadly AllianceDeadly Alliance by A.L. Sowards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher to review
Genre: Historical Fiction (WWII)

Book Description: When Peter Eddy and his commando team inadvertently upset the Soviets during their most recent mission, they never imagined the diplomatic nightmares that would ensue. They have one chance to redeem themselves: tasked with destroying a bridge in Nazi-occupied Bosnia, Peter and his war-weary team reluctantly agree to drop behind enemy lines. The assignment should be a simple one—were it not for the fact that they are being deployed on a suicide mission.

Genevieve Olivier is devastated by the news of Peter’s disappearance. After all they’ve endured in this war, the determined OSS worker is unwilling to simply let go of the man she hopes to spend her life with. Desperate for information, her work as a courier soon escalates into a counterintelligence duel with a Fascist assassin—and Genevieve is his newest target . . .



My thoughts: This is the third book in this series. It began with Espionage. Each book has added another layer to understanding the horrors of living in Europe during WWII. I have enjoyed my journey with Peter Eddy and his amazing companions. They bravely go and help others, sacrificing themselves.

The book begins as Peter is forced to go on another mission. He and Genevieve have just been reunited, into to be torn apart as each has a duty to fulfill. This book focuses on the civil war in Yugoslavia. This is an area of history that I am unfamiliar with. The war was brutal. It is heart wrenching to learn of villagers killed, only because they were on another side of the conflict.

This book adds depth to the characters. They are tested, almost beyond what anyone can endure, but the succeed and excel. Friendships are tested and strengthened in this story. New characters are introduced that you can't help but love and respect.

The book is full of action, violence, and death. There is also a little bit of romance. This book keeps you on your imaginary toes. Just when you think you know what is going to happen, things change and the story progresses in another way. You know the outcome of the book, because it is historical fiction, but you don't know what will happen to the characters you have come to love.

My admiration for the abilities of A.L. Sowards continues to grow. I love her writing. She does an amazing job of setting up the story and bringing the action and images to life. Her research is well done. I look forward to see what she has to offer in the future.





If you haven't read the first two books, I highly recommend them.


Goodreads * Deseret Book * Amazon



About A.L. Sowards: A little mystery, a little history, a little romance, and a lot of action, adventure, and suspense. Primarily, I write to entertain. I also hope my books will teach readers something new about history or about life. My books are usually set during wartime, so there is some violence, but I keep the language and romance family-friendly. My goal is for my writing to be thrilling, clean, and uplifting.

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