Teaser Tuesdays and Kindle Book Freebie

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB @Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along. Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Serenya's Song (Tallenmere #2) by Mysti Parker

No one ever said love was easy...
Serenya Crowe may be a half-elf commoner, but she's no ordinary woman. With the ability to interpret dreams, and a birth defect that forces her to wear gloves, she's endured gossip and the cruelty of her husband, Sebastian, The Earl of Summerwind. All she's ever wanted is to live a quiet life and raise a family. When she meets the new stranger in town, her world and her heart, are turned upside down.
Wood-elf Jayden Ravenwing is an ex-secret agent who wants nothing more than to forget matters of the heart. He left the bustle of Leogard and his failed marriage to make a fresh start in Summerwind. He never planned to fall in love again, especially with the enchanting Serenya Crowe.
When a strange portal opens on the Crowe property, Jayden is thrown into an investigation, knowing that if he fails, Serenya and everyone in the town may die.
Together, he and Serenya must overcome an ancient evil, and their own inner demons, to save Summerwind and find the love they've always dreamed of.

"I paced back and forth and told him what we'd learned from Althea and how Serenya's necklace and a secret cult might hav played a part in the portal's appearance.  He paled, trembling all over." (ebook -somewhere around 56%)



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I enjoyed the first book, A Ranger's Tale, (my review here) which by the way is a Kindle book FREEbie!! 

Get it here:


And if you're interested, here's book #3:


>

Memorial Day: Taking a Moment to Remember

“Christian Golcznski, Child of a Fallen Marine From The Iraq War Receives American Flag from Marine Lt. Col. Ric Thompson During a Military Funeral for Staff Sgt. Marcus Golczynski” (source)

On this Memorial Day, I'm taking a moment to remember those brave souls who made the utmost sacrifice to defend the freedoms I enjoy in this great nation.  No sufficient words can express my sincere gratitude to you and your families but know that I remember and give you my deepest respect today and throughout my days.  God bless you and God bless America.

Review and Giveaway: Marriage Isn't For You by Seth Adam Smith

Marriage Isn't For You: It's For The One You Love by Seth Adam Smith, NF, 2014, Hardcover, 48p, My Rating=4
Source: provided by publicist in exchange for an honest review

What is the best wedding advice you ever received? For author Seth Adam Smith, it was the advice from his father who said, Marriage is not for you. It is about the person you marry. These few words completely changed the way Seth looked at his relationship with his wife-to-be. Because at that moment he realized that an expression of love is not about the person expressing it. Rather, it is about the person they choose to be with. It is about making the person you marry feel loved. Seth's blog post on the subject was viewed by more than twenty-seven million people, and he has been featured on several national TV programs including The Today Show. Now released as a hardcover book, these sage words make the perfect gift for newly married couples, those who have been around the block a few times, or anyone who wants to learn how to make their relationships stronger.

I'm one of the 30 million who saw this on cyberspace.  A few of my Facebook friends had shared the link to the story.  The headline caught my eye, "Having been married only a year and a half, I’ve recently come to the conclusion that marriage isn’t for me", so I clicked to read why (original here).  After reading the article, I found it to be sweet and had a great advice.  That same tender, resonating counsel is now in this book with a few changes (big ones: introduction removed and Walmart philosophy reworded). 

Set in beautiful fonts and lovely wedding themed photographs, this book makes for an excellent gift for couples. It serves as a wonderful reminder of a principle that will likely help to make a successful relationship. I agree, so I'm giving a copy to my cousin that's getting married this Friday. I think the sound guidance is a good one to adapt in their journey together. Hence, this is a meaningful book to give for a couple you care about, including your own! 

I do have a suggestion for the publisher to consider. The book cover looks good in print but it shows up pale and uninteresting on the Web. I know, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, but people do. I do sometimes and this one didn’t pop for me, particularly on cyberspace.

About the Author:

SETH ADAM SMITH was born in Anchorage, Alaska. Since 2004, he has produced videos and articles for businesses, nonprofit organizations, youth groups, artists, and political causes. He is the editor-in-chief of ForwardWalking.com. He and his wife, Kim, live in Florida.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Tour Giveaway
Ends May 30th. 

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Teaser Tuesdays: The First Phone Call from Heaven

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB @Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along. Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Just picked this up from the library today ...one of my favorite authors!  I haven't started it yet but so looking forward to!!

The First Phone Call from Heaven tells the story of a small town on Lake Michigan that gets worldwide attention when its citizens start receiving phone calls from the afterlife. Is it the greatest miracle ever or a massive hoax? Sully Harding, a grief-stricken single father, is determined to find out. An allegory about the power of belief—and a page-turner that will touch your soul—Albom's masterful storytelling has never been so moving and unexpected.
Readers of The Five People You Meet in Heaven will recognize the warmth and emotion so redolent of Albom's writing, and those who haven't yet enjoyed the power of his storytelling, will thrill at the discovery of one of the best-loved writers of our time.

I don't want to spoil it for myself so I'm picking the opening lines to the book:

"On the day the world received its first phone call from heaven, Tess Rafferty was unwrapping a box of tea bags.  Drrrrnnn!  She ignored the ring and dug her nails into the plastic."

Cover Re-do (+ $25 Giveaway) for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle by Taylor Dean

Brand new covers for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle!
~A paranormal romance series by Taylor Dean~

OLD COVERS:


"I love my OLD covers. I really do. They're different from the norm and that's why they captured my attention.
For Lancaster House, I liked the idea of a hand reaching out from the grave. It seemed appropriate to the story; Andre reaches out to Zoe from beyond the grave. It was Carrie-like and kind of creepy.
There's just one problem.
This is not a horror novel. Not at all. This is a paranormal romance. People who like horror are drawn to the cover and are sadly disappointed when they realize it's a romance.
People who love paranormal romance are turned off by the cover because it looks too creepy.
In other words, the cover just wasn't working.

I love The Middle Aisle cover because it matched Lancaster House so perfectly. And part of the story takes place in Monterey, California. Monterey is known for its Cypress trees. The tree on the cover of The Middle Aisle reminded me of a Cypress tree and seemed perfect.
But, if the right people aren't reading the first book, no one will ever read the second one no matter what the cover looks like!
Bam! Decision made!
It was time for new covers for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle! I love the new covers because they speak so perfectly as to what's on the inside." ~Taylor Dean

NEW COVERS:


Get it here:

Author Taylor Dean

Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.

WEBSITE * FACEBOOK * TWITTER* GOODREADS

Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 6/8/14

Open Internationally

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Review: Discover America: From Sea to Shining Sea by Katharine Lee Bates, Julie Olson

Discover America: From Sea to Shining Sea, Illustrated by Julie Olson, Lyrics by Katharine Lee Bates, YR -Picture Book, 2014, Hardcover, 32p, My Rating=4
Source: provided by publicist in exchange for an honest review

Follow the patriotic journey of a little red balloon as it makes its way from the West Coast to the East Coast of the United States. Accompanied by the words of one of Americas most beloved anthems America the Beautiful, From Sea to Shining Sea shows the diversity and beauty of our great country through the eyes of our nations children. To add an interactive experience, kids all across the United States will be able to go online to send their own balloons on their own journey

The title tells it all. This book is an invitation to discover America, from sea to shining sea. So when you open the book, you will find illustrations of a few of its beautiful landmarks. The showcasing of America was told through a balloon’s fictional journey from California to New York. The text was directly taken from the first verse of “America the Beautiful”, a beloved national anthem. Those familiar with this song/poem will then be set on a patriotic note. If you love America, then you will likely love this book. Those who are not familiar with America, well then this charmingly illustrated depiction of some of the picturesque tourist spots will likely lure you to love America and thus love this book. Genius! A toddler’s version of a tourist map.

This picture book takes you another step. You are also invited to discover America through the book’s website. There you will find many activities such as fun facts about each state, take quizzes, print out color pages, watch videos, and even launch your own virtual balloon and track its voyage. Pretty cool but doesn’t suit me at the moment. I’m content with just the book. But I’m glad it’s there should I desire to venture further.

No doubt that Ms Olson is a talented illustrator. The beautiful artwork in this book complimented the text well. In fact, I think it’s one of the most gorgeous illustrations I’ve seen in a picture book. It was bright, vivid, and lively.  However, I didn't feel that the book as a whole was original in concept.

Want Free Audiobooks All Summer? Then See SYNC

I discovered this sweet site last year and it's that time again ...their annual summer free audiobook downloads.  SYNC offers 2 FREE audiobooks each week from May 15 - Aug 20, 2014.  Pretty awesome, eh?  And what's so awesome is that each week's books consist of modern YA paired with a classic.  So stop by and check it out.  Oh, FYI, download takes a long time, over 30 minutes ..well, that's my experience with my computer ..yours might be faster. ;)

Here's this year's summer lineup:

May 15 – May 21
WARP: THE RELUCTANT ASSASSIN by Eoin Colfer, Narrated by Maxwell Caulfield (Listening Library)
THE TIME MACHINE by H.G. Wells, Narrated by Derek Jacobi (Listening Library)

May 22 – May 28
CRUEL BEAUTY by Rosamund Hodge, Narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden (Harper Audio)
OEDIPUS THE KING by Sophocles, Performed by Michael Sheen and a full cast (Naxos AudioBooks)

May 29 – June 4
CONFESSIONS OF A MURDER SUSPECT by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, Narrated by Emma Galvin (Hachette Audio)
THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE by Agatha Christie, Narrated by Richard E. Grant (Harper Audio)

June 5 – June 11
ALL OUR YESTERDAYS by Cristin Terrill, Narrated by Meredith Mitchell (Tantor Audio)
JULIUS CAESAR by William Shakespeare, Performed by Richard Dreyfuss, JoBeth Williams, Stacy Keach, Kelsey Grammer, and a full cast (L.A. Theatre Works)

June 12 – June 18
CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein, Narrated by Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell (Bolinda Audio)
THE HIDING PLACE by Corrie Ten Boom, John Sherrill, Elizabeth Sherrill, Narrated by Bernadette Dunne (christianaudio)

June 19 – June 25
I’D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I’D HAVE TO KILL YOU by Ally Carter, Narrated by Renée Raudman (Brilliance Audio)
ANNE OF GREEN GABLES by L.M. Montgomery, Narrated by Colleen Winton (Post Hypnotic Press)

June 26 – July 2
FORGIVE ME, LEONARD PEACOCK by Matthew Quick, Narrated by Noah Galvin (Hachette Audio)
OCTOBER MOURNING: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Lesléa Newman, Narrated by Emily Beresford, Luke Daniels, Tom Parks, Nick Podehl, Kate Rudd, Christina Traister (Brilliance Audio)

July 3 – July 9
TORN FROM TROY by Patrick Bowman, Narrated by Gerard Doyle (Post Hypnotic Press)
PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Narrated by Jim Dale (Brilliance Audio)

July 10 – July 16
CLAUDETTE COLVIN: Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose, Narrated by Channie Waites (Brilliance Audio)
WHILE THE WORLD WATCHED by Carolyn Maull McKinstry with Denise George, Narrated by Felicia Bullock (Oasis Audio)

July 17 – July 23
THE CASE OF THE CRYPTIC CRINOLINE by Nancy Springer, Narrated by Katherine Kellgren (Recorded Books)
THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES II by Arthur Conan Doyle, Narrated by David Timson (Naxos AudioBooks)

July 24 – July 30
HEADSTRONG by Patrick Link, Performed by Deidrie Henry, Ernie Hudson, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine and Scott Wolf (L.A. Theatre Works)
THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE by Robert Louis Stevenson, Narrated by Scott Brick (Tantor Audio)

July 31 – August 6
DIVIDED WE FALL by Trent Reedy, Narrated by Andrew Eiden (Scholastic Audio)
THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE by Stephen Crane, Narrated by Frank Muller (Recorded Books)

August 7 – August 13
LIVING A LIFE THAT MATTERS by Ben Lesser, Narrated by Jonathan Silverman and Ben Lesser (Remembrance Publishing)
THE SHAWL by Cynthia Ozick, Narrated by Yelena Shmulenson (HighBridge Audio)

Review: Diary of Two Mad Black Mormons by Zandra Vranes and Tamu Smith

Diary of Two Mad Black Mormons: Finding the Lord's Lesson in Everyday Life by Zandra Vranes and Tamu Smith, 2014, NF -religion, Hardcover, 221p, My Rating=5
Source: provided by publicist in exchange for an honest review

Are Mormons funny? Oh, heavens, yes! Especially when looking through the lens of Sistas in Zion two very funny ladies
with testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their unique
perspective and diary entries will have you laughing one minute
and saying "Amen!" the next as they talk about personal experiences as well as lessons they've learned from pop culture about relationships, sisterhood, standing up for what you believe,
embracing diversity, dealing with adversity, and what it means to be a Christian. This humorous and poignant outlook on life will strengthen your faith and tickle your funny bone. And you'll soon realize that the authors aren't really mad, they're just crazy funny and inspiring to listen to!

I ate this book up! I ate this book up! Everything on the blurb above was true.  The recipe of diary entries and "Halleluja Holla Back" in formatting this read was genius.  I loved that this book was raw, personal, and laugh out loud funny!! I’m Mormon and I didn’t think Mormons can be that funny …I mean in terms of approaching the gospel. I’m the straight shooter type, you know, the serious, give-me-the-rules-to-follow kind. But now that I’ve been exposed to the Sistas of Zion’s way of approaching the gospel, well, color me perky! Life suddenly got better. I kid you not.  I was edified and stirred to look for, find, and appreciate the Lord's lesson in my everyday life.

I so enjoyed this book so much that my copy is now sitting next to my favorite book, Standing for Something by Gordon B. Hinckley (a prophet!). Both books were incredibly inspiring and left me with lasting impressions. Again, it was amazing to me how both shared the same message of strength found through living the gospel but did so by polar opposite writing styles. Hinckley told it in gentle, authoritative matter while Vranes and Smith told theirs with wit. This is an affirmation to me that the gospel is for all, from the serious to the "mad" (the good crazy, of course).

I cannot recommend this book enough.  Really, GO!  Go get this book now!  Mormon or not, this read will truly excite you to live well.  A book worthy to chill along side books written by modern prophets.

Hallelujah Holla Back,

Jinky ;)

Review: Almost Royalty by Courtney Hamilton

Almost Royalty by Courtney Hamilton, AF -Romantic Comedy, 2014, ARC signed paperback, 302p, My Rating=2
Source: provided by publicist in exchange for an honest review

Courtney Hamilton is a Velveeta-loving attorney driven to distraction by a city that seethes with soul-sucking status seekers. When her friend Marcie formulates an impossibly detailed rating system for acceptable men--the Los Angeles Eco-Chain of Dating--Courtney goes on a self-destructive binge that doesn’t stop until she gets thrown out of group therapy for insulting a former child actress.
Courtney is mortified as she watches her best friends give up stellar careers in law and the arts to marry entertainment royalty and civilian overachievers. Worse, they expect Courtney to do the same. So they hatch plots to get her to give up her career, break her addiction to fake cheese, marry into high-orbit wealth and rule the stratosphere alongside them.
But Courtney resists. She doesn’t want to be a poster child for the Opt-Out Generation. And she certainly doesn’t want to be molded into date bait for the top rung of L.A. society. All Courtney wants is to be left alone so she can search beneath the surface for a meaningful life. But between a meddling, narcissistic mother, a self-absorbed therapist and friends trying to send her to dating re-education camps, it seems that fake cheese is the only genuine thing left in the city. Social ambition combats self-actualization in this biting tale of one woman’s search for certainty in a city full of mirages.

Beautiful book cover and fascinating blurb so I'm not sure what this tells about my sense of humor since I struggled reading this book.  I couldn't get into the rhythm of this class defining romantic comedy.  It literally took me a month to read this because I wasn't getting it.  It felt like reading a boring textbook.  Haha, maybe I'm too low in the "Eco-Chain" to understand!  But seriously I plugged along trying to read between the lines and see a purposeful plot.  Still wasn't getting it.  Not that there wasn't a plot but again perhaps I'm not hip enough to find the novel funny as intended.  Anyway, I wanted to like this Velveeta-loving main character but for a supposed smart, down-to-earth woman she sure makes poor decisions.  Yes, I know that smart and down-to-earth people make bad choices too but there was just too many negative vibes that I got from the read.  Also found many social group classing and stereotypes disconcerting.  Many of the characters would be interesting if given a better venue as well.  Oh, I can't explain it eloquently!  Basically, I think this book just wasn't for me.  I was hoping the ending would make up for the tedious beginning and middle but nope, just finally something good happened.  However, by that time I was exhausted and indifferent. 

Book Blast + $50 Giveaway: Marriage Isn't For You by Seth A. Smith

Marriage Isn't For You: It's for the One You Love

What is the best wedding advice you ever received? For author Seth Adam Smith, it was the advice from his father who said, Marriage is not for you. It is about the person you marry. These few words completely changed the way Seth looked at his relationship with his wife-to-be. Because at that moment he realized that an expression of love is not about the person expressing it. Rather, it is about the person they choose to be with. It is about making the person you marry feel loved. Seth's blog post on the subject was viewed by more than twenty-seven million people, and he has been featured on several national TV programs including The Today Show. Now released as a hardcover book, these sage words make the perfect gift for newly married couples, those who have been around the block a few times, or anyone who wants to learn how to make their relationships stronger.

Praise for Marriage Isn't for You

This is raw, this is real...it reflects what a lot of couples experience... it pulls you in. ~ --TODAY Show

...a tender, honest story. ~ --TODAY.com

...overwhelmingly heartfelt and touching admission. ~ ABC NEWS

This story has become a viral sensation! ~ --The NY Daily News

The Internet is loaded with marriage advice, but rarely does one single tidbit resonate strongly with so many people. ~ --Yahoo Lifestyle

Amazon

About the Author

SETH ADAM SMITH was born in Anchorage, Alaska. Since 2004, he has produced videos and articles for businesses, nonprofit organizations, youth groups, artists, and political causes. He is the editor-in-chief of ForwardWalking.com. He and his wife, Kim, live in Florida.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 5/31/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Teaser Tuesdays: Almost Royalty by Courtney Hamilton

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB @Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along. Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm actually not not too crazy about this book at this point (I'm almost three-quarters away through). Hoping the rest knocks me off my feet. --Full review coming this week.

Almost Royalty: A Romantic Comedy...of Sorts

Hamilton, Courtney

"And you tell your husband that you want and want and want," she replied.  "So you make your husband ambitious, because to shut you up, he has to work."