Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Book Blast: John William and the Bandits of Basswood

 bandits

John William and the Bandits of Basswood

We already know Alexander Drake’s story. His father, John William started it all years before when he entered Azra’s Pith. This is his story. John William was born an explorer; just like his dad before him. His adventure really began with the worst year of his life. He lived everyday in misery until his twelfth birthday. He set out to turn things around and find his smile again. A new friend gave him an invitation he could not turn down… follow me and change your destiny. He never imagined being captured by bandits and taken to a ship riddled with river rats was part of his fate. Not just any bandits – the Bandits of Basswood; known to be a ruthless and wild crew of thieves. Trying to escape would be a ridiculous idea. No one has ever escaped and lived to tell about it. Someone should have mentioned that to John William before he snuck off the ship. The chase out of Basswood was on. He took a chance to change his destiny and ended up on a wild ride to save his life.

   

Author Elizabeth Parkinson-Bellows

lizzie

Being the frizzy-haired tomboy with buck teeth gave me a slight case of shyness as a kid. A colorful imagination meant escape and adventure at the drop of a hat. Over the years I learned that the insecurities I carried around were a waste of time. I still prefer a football game to a manicure any day of the week. That indispensable imagination has found its way into my writing providing a sense of joy and a true purpose.


   

Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 7/10/13 a Rafflecopter giveaway   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 http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Blog Tour: Moonlit

moonlit tour

I'm still reading this novel (so the review I'm going to give is based on what I've read so far).

I'm enjoying the mysteriousness of Lucas as well as the events surrounding Tanzy's father's death. Though I don't normally enjoy first-person point-of-view, the flow of this story works well with the reader seeing through Tanzy's eyes.

Her emotions are very real and at no time did I feel as if the character was two-dimensional or lacking depth. The secondary characters are well-written, too. I am curious to see what will befall Tanzy and I really want to know who Lucas and Vanessa really are.

Based on first impressions, I would definitely recommend this book to others.



MORE ABOUT THE BOOK
   
Moonlit
Eighteen-year-old Tanzy Hightower knows horses, has grown up with them on Wildwood Farm. She also knows not to venture beyond the trees that line the pasture. Things happen out there that can’t be explained. Or undone. Worse, no one but she and the horses can see what lurks in the shadows of the woods. When a moonlit ride turns into a terrifying chase, Tanzy is left to question everything, from the freak accident that killed her father to the very blood in her veins. Broken and confused, she turns to Lucas, a scarred, beautiful stranger, and to Vanessa, a charming new friend who has everything Tanzy doesn’t. But why do they seem to know more about her than she knows herself?

Praise
"Virginia's trees look like they're burning. Most of them blaze crimson or gold, but some still have a chokehold on their green. I wish they'd give it up already. Leaves are more beautiful when they're dying."

And so Moonlit begins. From here the story rolls from one twist to another with many vivid characters whose motives are hard to predict. I found myself being suspicious of everyone, wanting to tell Tanzy to be very careful. The deeper I fell into the plot, the more questions kept rising to the surface. But not to worry, all of my questions were answered. Appropriate for all ages, if you love paranormal fantasy mixed with suspense, mystery and other-worldly romance, you'll love this novel! ~Author Julie Ford

***   Prologue ***
 The first anniversary of my father’s death was even harder on my mother. Back then, I thought she was haunted most by what she didn’t know. I refused to blame her when she raged above me on our staircase that night, drunk and sad and angry. When she made me promise I’d never ride again. When she hurled a half-full bottle of vodka at my face and it exploded on the wooden stairs at my feet. I hadn’t tried to get out of the way. She had just missed. I wanted to tell her that knowledge was no solace, that what you know can burn inside you until there’s nothing left but guilt and ash. I also wanted to protect her from losing the only piece of him she had left. So I didn’t say a word.  

Author Jadie Jones

Georgia native Jadie Jones first began working for a horse farm at twelve years old, her love of horses matched only by her love of books. She went on to acquire a B.A. in equine business management, and worked for competitive horse farms along the east coast. The need to write followed wherever she went. She currently coaches a hunt seat equitation team that competes in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, and lives with her family in the foothills of north Georgia. When she's not working on the next installment of the Moonlit series, she is either in the saddle or exploring the great outdoors with her daughter. Moonlit is her first book.
Blog Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 6/21/13

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

New Feature: E-galley New Look

I finally joined Netgalley (after much prompting by fellow bloggers) and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the titles available.

I've got the following titles in my TBR pile and they will get priority in my E-Galley First Look feature. I plan to post reviews to this feature twice a month.

Here is the list:
  • Runes (book one) - Ednah Walters
  • Scrap - Emory Sharplin
  • A Shimmer of Angels - Lisa M. Basso
  • Compliance - Maureen McGowan
  • Broken Forest - Eliza Tilton
  • Will in Scarlet - Matthew Cody
  • The Dominant - Tara Sue Me
  • Spirit - Brigid Kemmerer
  • Forbidden to Love - D.A. Wills
  • The Bane - Keary Taylor
  • Wild Song - Jane Eagland
  • Mage Fire - C. Aubrey Hall
  • Dragonwitch - Ann Elisabeth Stengl
  • Hero's Lot, The - Patrick W. Carr
I'm still debating on which two I want for this month. First, though, I have to others to finish before I sally forth to this list. Keep checking back to see which ones are reviewed for June.