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Friday, March 15, 2013

Book Review of Bronze and the Brimstone



Book Review of Bronze and the Brimstone
                        Sponsored by Pump Up Your Books
 

Welcome to Books, Books, and More Books.  I am pleased to share my review of this book with you.  Thank you for visiting and please come again.

Blurb:

What could go wrong in the 14th-century for three time-traveling teens? How about – EVERYTHING!

Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln, three teens from the 24th century, are trapped in 14th-century Verona, Italy. They’ve survived many deadly experiences by keeping their wits about them and by introducing futuristic technology into the past. Principal among these inventions is the telescope, which brought them to the attention of the rich and powerful.

But standing out can get you into unexpected and dangerous situations. The nobles of Verona now believe Hansum is a savant, a genius inventor, especially after he brings them plans for advanced cannons and black powder. Being the center of attention is great, but the potential for trouble is now exponentially greater because people are watching Hansum’s every move.
Meanwhile, artistic genius Shamira has fallen for a Florentine artist with bloody and disastrous consequences. Lincoln, considered an incompetent back home in the 24th-century, has blossomed – at least until he’s shot in the head with an arrow. And Hansum, after secretly marrying his new master’s beautiful daughter, Guilietta, is offered the hand in marriage of lady Beatrice, daughter of the ruler of Verona. To refuse could mean calamity for all the teens.
Amazingly, none of this is their biggest challenge. Because a rash illness is spreading across Verona – and it is threatening to consume everyone.

Do they have a future in this past?


Book 1~ Lens and the Looker: 

It's the 24th century and humans, with the help of artificial intelligences, (A.I.s) have finally created the perfect society. To make equally perfect citizens for this world, the elders have created History Camps, full-sized recreations of cities from Earth’s distant pasts. Here teens live the way their ancestors did, doing the same dirty jobs and experiences the same degradations. History Camps teach youths not to repeat the mistakes that almost caused the planet to die. But not everything goes to plan. Like in all groups of youth, there are those who rebel, “hard cases” who just don’t get it. In this first installment of a trilogy, three spoiled teens from the year 2347 are kidnapped back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy. There they are abandoned and left with only two choices: adapt to the harsh medieval ways, or die. Hansum, almost 17, is good looking, athletic and, as his A.I. teacher says, he can charm the fuzz off a peach. Shamira is 15. She has green eyes, auburn hair, and a Caucasian complexion. That's something people don't see that much of in the 24th century. She's sassy, independent and has an artistic genius for drawing. Lincoln, 14, is the smart-aleck. But you don't have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find his insecurities.  There are two types of artificial intelligences (A.I.s) in the 24th-century. The first are authorized by society and very conservative. Then there are ‘genies’. Made by black-market hackers, or blackers, these rascals are the bi-polar opposite of their unadventurous cousins. A genie’s aim in life is to help rebellious youth make mischief. Pan, is a very mischievous genie. A curious mix of past and future, he’s an eccentric, all-knowing, holographic artificial intelligence in the cartoon shape of the vaunted Greek god. Pan's antics and insights get the kids both into and out of trouble.  Our three teen protagonists meet at a History Camp where everything and everybody must act like it is 14th-century Verona, Italy. Society’s plan is to put trouble-making kids into situations where they are “scared straight”. But Hansum knows better. He’s aware that behind the scenes there are armies of humans and A.I.’s making sure they are safe. Using Pan, the teens devise a plan to drive the History Camp enactors crazy, and they succeed. But what they’re not prepared for is that a History Camp elder from the 31st century, (where time-travel is possible) kidnaps them back to the real medieval Verona. Here they are indentured to an alcoholic lens maker. Now, unquestionably, the dangers are real.  All of this is hardly the ideal environment to fall in love – but, for Hansum, that’s exactly what happens. Guilietta is the beautiful daughter of the master the teens are working for. She becomes the star-crossed and time-crossed lover of our story’s Romeo - Hansum. In fact, the novel is peppered with lots of fun allusions to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In an attempt to survive the teenage trio, with Pan’s help, risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them – or it could change history.

About the Author:

“I write Post-Dystopian fiction. After society’s collapse, which is imagined in so many great dystopian stories, humans will either fade into history, with the dinosaurs, or, if it learns the right lessons, society will go on to construct a civilization to last tens of thousands of years. History Camp stories are the exciting adventures of young people doing the latter.” -Lory Kaufman

On the artistic side of Lory’s career, he’s written, acted and directed children’s theatre and musical theatre. He enjoys art, especially sculpture. He loves science fiction and historical fiction and he has been deeply involved in the green movement all across North America. All this shows through when you read his work. Lory has three grown children and works and lives in Kingston, Canada.

Contacts:
 
To find out more about Lory visit www.lorykaufman.com

Review

So I laughed, I cried, I stayed up all night to finish the book… yep, it was that good.  Hansum/Romero is the key player in this book.  He soars to great heights, reaches untold levels of success in the 14th century.  But he also experiences the depths of what the world can offer.  And is his experience justified by the reason for why he had to experience them?  Well you will have to answer that for yourself after you read the book.

I give this book 4.5 out of 5 clouds.

This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.

Book Promo for Afterlife Academy



Book Promo for Afterlife Academy
Sponsored by Enchanted Book Promotions

Welcome to Books, Books, and More Books.  I am pleased to share this book with you.  Thank you for visiting and please come again.


Blurb : 


Even being dead isn’t enough to get you out of maths class.

Dying wasn’t on sixteen-year-old Riley Richardson’s to-do list. And now, not only is she dead, but she’s stuck in a perpetual high school nightmare. Worse still, she’s stuck there with the geekiest, most annoying boy in the history of the world, ever.
 In a school where the geeks are popular and just about everything is wrong, Riley has become an outcast. She begins a desperate quest to get back home, but her once-perfect life starts to unravel into something not nearly as great as she thought it was. And maybe death isn’t really that bad after all…

Welcome to Afterlife Academy, where horns are the norm, the microwave is more intelligent than the teachers, and the pumpkins have a taste for blood.



About the Author:

Jaimie is a 28-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, drinking tea and watching horror movies. She hates spiders and cheese & onion crisps.
She has been writing for years but has never before plucked up the courage to tell people.
 Afterlife Academy is her third novel and she hopes you enjoy it. There are plenty more on the way!

Contacts:

Purchase your copy!

 This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Book Review of Circle of Lies

Book Review of Circle of Lies
         Sponsored by Innovative Book Tours

Welcome to Books, Books, and More Books.  I am pleased to share my review of this book with you.  Thank you for visiting and please come again.

Circle of Lies
Blurb : 

Aiden Wright is trying to figure out who he really is, but the truth could cost him his true mate—or his life.

Life has always been easy for Aiden Wright. He’s smart, athletic, funny, and the ladies adore him. But when tragedy strikes, Aiden discovers the truth about who he really is, and his whole world comes crashing down around him. Aiden thought that being a teenage werewolf was going to be awesome, but it might just cost him the one girl who could make him whole.

Since her mother’s disappearance, Teagan Rhodes’s life has been littered with her father’s empty beer cans and his hollow promises to change. Convinced that others would only let her down, she keeps everyone at arm’s length—but resisting Aiden’s charm is proving to be more difficult than she thought. Throw in a psychotic werewolf hunter out to terminate the species, and one wrong move, one wrong decision could destroy everything.

Book 1 in the Series:
Pack of Lies
April 2012

Seventeen-year-old Allison Wright is convinced she’s losing her mind. Uncontrollable mood swings, hot flashes, and the urge to punch anyone who gets in her way are suddenly becoming everyday occurrences. Before her erratic behavior gets out of hand, Allison’s mother finally comes clean about her dark secret. Her mom is a werewolf, and soon Allison and her brother Aiden will suffer the same fate. When Allison reaches her breaking point, the family leaves their life in Texas to move to Red Ridge, New Mexico where they rejoin the pack that Allison’s mother left behind almost 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, not everyone in Red Ridge is thrilled about Allison’s arrival, especially when she attracts the attention of the very handsome, very taken, soon-to-be alpha, Cade Walker. Little does Allison know, her mere presence is causing a rift in a once unified pack. Not only has Cade been forbidden from being with Allison by his father, the pack’s alpha, Cade’s girlfriend, Kendall Stuart, will stop at nothing to get Allison out of the picture. Well on her way to becoming the next alpha’s mate, Kendall expects to rule the pack by Cade’s side even if it means teaming up with a rogue werewolf with an agenda of his own. Determined to get rid of Allison permanently, when Kendall and the rogue join forces, all hell breaks loose and no one in the pack is safe, especially not Cade and his true mate.

About the Authors:
Both Sara Dailey and Staci Weber are avid readers, English teachers, friends, wives and soccer moms. They have been teaching together for the past ten years and writing together for six.
Born and raised in Houston, TX, Staci Weber is a graduate of the University of North Texas. Staci is a junior high school teacher with an addiction to reading romance novels. She considers herself incredibly lucky to have a close family, some good friends, a fabulous husband and two beautiful little girls.
Sara Dailey co-authored the Red Ridge Pack Novels with her good friend and co-worker Staci Weber. She has a degree in literature from U of H Clear Lake and is a graduate of The Institute of Children’s Literature. Sara is a native Texan and lives with her wonderful husband and son in League City, TX.

Contacts:

ONLINE LINKS:
·         Blog  saraandstaci.blogspot.com
·         Website http://www.saraandstaci.com
·         Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sara-Dailey-and-Staci-Weber/102330932229?ref=nf
·         Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/TheRedRidgePack
·         Twitter  https://twitter.com/Sara_Staci
·         Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17188539-circle-of-lies

Other: 



Excerpt:

“I just don’t get you,” I blurted. “Are you really interested in me, or is this all just a game? Because I’m not into games.” There, I’d said it. I’d admitted that I thought he liked me and opened myself up for ridicule. Still, I felt a bit relieved.

Aiden stood there shell-shocked. “Really, a game? You think I’m playing some sort of game with you?”

“Isn’t that what guys like you do? You have every girl in school eating out of your hand, so you want the one who isn’t standing in line waiting her turn to hang on your arm. That’s a game if I’ve ever seen one.”

“It’s not like that. Why would it be like that?” He eyed me, and a new expression crossed his face. “Why is it so hard to believe that I like you? I, Aiden Wright, like you, Teagan Rhodes.”

“Because life doesn’t work that way,” I snapped. Then I marched away without turning back.

Review

            Okay, so this is a case of the sequel being better than the first book.  When I first got the book for the review I wasn’t sure it could live up to the first book…and there is nothing worse than a second rate book in a series (and you know every series has a book that isn’t as good as the others…yes, even Harry Potter).   But I liked this one so much better.

            Cade (book 1) was arrogant, but Aiden is sweet, sensitive, (yes a bit of a ladies man, but never serious), and doesn’t like to hurt anyone.  He’s just never really been in love before.  And the kicker is, she’s been seriously hurt and thinks he’s just a little too good looking and upper crust for her.  But of course they are true mates…and boy, does that piss the alpha off…a wolf in love with a measly human.  Yum.

            I give this book 5 out of 5 clouds.  If you only read one in the series…read this one.

This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Book Review of Keeper of the Black Stones



Book Review of Keeper of the Black Stones
Sponsored by Pump Up Your Book



Welcome to Books, Books, and More Books.  I am pleased to share my review of this book with you.  Thank you for visiting and please come again.

ISBN: 978-0-9816768-1-4
RELEASE: February 2013
ISBN: 978-0-9816768-0-7Trade paperback
Keeper of the Black Stones
A Stone Ends Book

Blurb : 
 
Jason Evans, a shy, introverted high school freshman, thought that his mundane life was all there was - girls, golf, physics, and the occasional bully. Until he found out about the secrets his grandfather had been keeping from him ... a set of stones that allowed him to jump through time ... a maniacal madman who used the stones to shape history to his liking ... and Jason’s role as one of the few people in the world who could stop that man.
Against impossible odds, a fourteen-year-old boy must take up his legacy, learn everything he needs to know within one short day, and travel helter skelter into the Middle Ages, to join Henry VII’s fight against Richard III, end the Dark Ages, and stop the man who now holds his grandfather captive. In this romp through history, Jason and his friends must race against time to accomplish not one, but two issions.
Save his grandfather.
And save the world.

I've gone by many names, but it has always been me. I met Anne Frank before she wrote her diary. I consulted with Churchill on political doctrine. I crossed the Potomac with Washington. And I even polished Napoleon's shoes, once, though it's not a story I like to tell. I realize that these boasts won't be taken seriously, but I must remind you that at one time the earth was flat, the atom was unbreakable. And the thought of reaching the moon was just as ridiculous as time travel.
I know, because I was there.
My name is Jason Evans, I'm ten days shy of my fifteenth birthday, and this is my story...

About the Author:

PT McHugh didn’t start out as a storyteller. He was, however, born into a family that encouraged imagination. He became a fan of history in school and then went to college to become a construction engineer, to build a world of straight lines, angles, and equations.
He was just as surprised as everyone else when he realized that he believed in magic, and might just know the secret of how to jump through time. Since then, he’s been researching the possibility and learning everything he can about history. Just in case the opportunity arises.
PT was born and raised in New Hampshire and currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, two daughters, and a dog named Bob, daring to dream of alternate worlds and cheering for his beloved New England Patriots.

Contacts:

You can visit his website at www.ptmchugh.com.
Order a signed copy of Keeper of the Black Stones
Order your copy from Quail Ridge Music & Books, Patrick's favorite bookstore.
Patrick McHugh on Goodreads
Come find out what books litter Patrick's shelves at Goodreads
Pre-Order Keeper of the Black Stones NOW!
  • Patrick McHugh
  • Patrick McHugh
  • Patrick McHugh

Order a signed copy of Keeper of the Black Stones
Order your copy from Quail Ridge Music & Books, Patrick's favorite bookstore.
Formspring
Patrick McHugh on Formspring

Ever wondered what it's like to live in the past? Or why Patrick named his dog Bob?
Our favorite questions will be published in the next installment of the Stone Ends series, in a special Q&A segment.
Follow The Quest

Excerpt:

“What is this place?” he asked breathlessly. We were in a dark underground room, much smaller than our basement. The room was lined in thick concrete blocks. There was no light coming from the outside, and I guessed that the room was probably soundproof as well.
Not a room built for entertaining. A room built for keeping secrets.
Paul found a cord in the ceiling and pulled it. We both jumped as several light bulbs clicked on and flooded the room with harsh artificial light. The light revealed a small metal desk with an old wooden straight-back chair against the back wall. A computer monitor and hard drive sat on top of the desk, along with several pens and pencils and one red three-ring notebook. Beside the desk stood two wooden bookshelves, filled to bursting with books. Next to those, a large map of England was taped to the concrete wall.
I ran my eyes over the map to the floor on the left, and froze. The desk and map were odd, but at least they were everyday items. The large black slab of stone lying next to them was not. The cold chill ran down my spine again, and I shuffled backward several steps.
“Oh my God, is that it?” Paul asked nervously.
I ignored the question and inched my way forward, toward the stone. It was large, perhaps 7 to 8 feet wide and 10 to 11 feet long. Easily 3 to 4 inches thick. Hundreds of symbols were etched into the dark surface, in a language I’d never seen before. The stone was glossy, but didn’t reflect light the way it should.
Instead, it seemed to suck the light from the room around us, building its own dark aura. And it hummed. I could feel the pulse of the stone in my bones, like a giant, steady heartbeat. It beat again and again, matching my own heartbeat, and I forgot to breathe. Doc hadn’t been lying, then. The stone did speak to him. And it called to me the same way it called to him. I’d been hearing it for days. I just hadn’t realized it.
As I stood there, transfixed and listening, the writing on the stone began to glow. I blinked and looked again, to see that the glow was gone.
“Did you see that?” I gasped, reaching for Paul and taking my eyes off the stone for the first time.
“See what?” Paul whispered. “The only thing I see is that creepy stone.”
“The symbols ... I think they moved,” I said, surprised that Paul hadn’t seen it.
Paul shook his head. “Didn’t see anything like that, buddy.” He took a step toward the stone and bent over to look at it.
I followed slowly, wondering if I’d been seeing things. Then the humming started again, louder than before. This time it went straight to my head, and I gasped and fell to my knees. The stone thrummed louder, and took on its eerie glow, burning brighter and brighter until the symbols themselves lifted up off the surface. They hovered just above the stone’s surface, ghostly, dark reflections of their physical counterparts. Then they began to move, dancing around the edges of the stone to the humming rhythm of its heart.
“Holy...” I breathed. It was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen.
“Hey, what on earth are you doing?” Paul asked nervously.
I stood, keeping my eyes fixed on the dance in front of me. “You’re honestly telling me that you can’t see that?” I whispered.
“See what? This isn’t funny anymore.”
Paul grabbed my arm, and the dance ended as abruptly as it had begun. The symbols fell back into place, and the stone lost its glow. I moaned quietly. The symbols had been strange, eerie, and frightening, but they’d also been surprisingly familiar. Losing them
was almost physically painful. I focused on the stone, trying to bring them back, or make the slab glow again.
“So how exactly does this thing work?” Paul asked, breaking my focus.
I cleared my throat and tried to find my voice. “Doc didn’t exactly leave directions in his journal. He just said that the stone ... spoke to him.”
“Well what the heck does that mean? That stone doesn’t look like it has any kind of speech capabilities.”
I smiled. “Actually, I think I know exactly what it means.”
Paul didn’t hear me, and reached out to touch the stone. “So this is it,” he said, bending down. “This is the stone that can take us into the past.”
“Stop! What are you doing?” I grabbed his hand and pulled him back.
“I’m just touching it. Why?"
“I don’t know. Who knows what might happen? Maybe you’re not supposed to touch it,” I answered.
“Ah.” Paul nodded. “Good point.” He shoved his hands back into his pockets.
As he spoke, though, a jolt of energy shot from the stone into my bones, and the unearthly glow returned. I felt an irresistible urge to put my own hands on the stone, and allow the symbols to race across my skin. Confused, I closed my eyes, trying to focus and clear
my head. All I could feel, all I could hear, was the stone’s humming, drowning out all other sight and sound. Drowning out thought. Then it was gone, leaving in its place a feeling of calm contentment. Of readiness. And a clear, precise light in my mind.
I could feel the stone beneath my hands, as though I were already touching it. My mind explored the deep, cold grooves in the surface, and felt the light touch of the symbols as they moved. A shot of heat moved from the stone, through my hands, and down my spine.
“I wonder what the symbols mean,” Paul said quietly.
I heard him through the haze of the stone, as though he were standing on the other side of a wall, or under water. I suddenly became acutely aware of my surroundings – the smell of mildew and garlic, the friction of a cricket rubbing his back legs together outside. I could taste the sodium that clung to the salt water embedded in the concrete of the walls around us, and felt Paul’s heart beat as if it were in my own chest. I heard sounds that didn’t make any sense. Horses running, and the sound of metal screeching against metal.
Men yelling, or cheering.   Looking down, I saw a hazy, half-formed path in front of my feet. Listening closely, I heard exactly where it would lead. And when.
I opened my eyes, breaking the spell, and turned to face Paul. His face had gone slack and white as he stared at me.
“I know exactly what the symbols mean,” I said quietly.
“How do you know that?” Paul asked.
“Because,” I replied slowly, “the stone just told me.”

Review

I loved, loved, loved this book.  My favorite part is that my son will love it also.  Finding books my kids will like that I also like are huge for me.  This book was clever, well written, funny, scary, interesting, and educational all in one entertaining story.  Fabulous.

I give this book 5 out of 5 clouds and highly recommend it for you and your kids (a great gift idea).

This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.