Book Review of Don’t Let the Wind Catch You

Book Review of Don’t Let the Wind Catch You

Sponsored by Innovative Book Tours

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

Release 8/15

Aaron Paul Lazar  “Don’t Let the Wind Catch You” paranormal mystery for YA through adults (Sex rating about a 1 of 5)

BLURB: 

When young Gus LeGarde befriends a cranky old hermit in the woods who speaks to an Indian spirit, he wonders if the man is nuts. But when the ghostly Penni rattles tin cups, draws on dusty mirrors, and flips book pages, pestering him to find evidence to avenge her past, things change.

What Gus doesn’t understand is why his mother hates Tully, until his relentless investigation uncovers a hint of scandal about Tully and Gus’s grandfather, Marlowe Wright.

On horseback, Gus and his friends ride through woods overlooking Conesus Lake to Tully’s abandoned house, reportedly still infected with the Genesee Valley Fever from the 1700s. Unafraid, they enter and find shocking evidence that could rewrite history.

Can Gus convince his mother to forgive Tully? And will the proof he found free Penni’s spirit?

Gus summons courage beyond his years in this poignant and powerful telling of the summer of 1965.

• Bridges the gap between YA and adult ala Harry Potter
• “Suspenseful, satisfying, well-crafted, mood-capturing, for both adults and children.”
• Will appeal to readers who crave adventure, who love horses, the sea, or the outdoors, and who may be curious/nostalgic about children’s lives in 1965.
• Will appeal to teachers and parents who want to impart anti-bullying, anti-bigotry behavior; including compassion and acceptance in a thoughtful, sensitive manner.
• Will appeal to mystery buffs who loved the award-winning Tremolo: cry of the loon featuring Gus LeGarde in a prequel to the series in 1964.
• Showcases goodness, morality, understanding, acceptance, courage, persistence, and love.
• Readers can forget today’s furious Internet-driven scene and maybe evoke a few of their own comforting childhood memories and adventures

Author Information: 

Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. The author of three award-winning mystery series and more, Lazar enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Visit his website at lazarbooks.com and watch for his upcoming release from Twilight Times Books, SANCTUARY (2013).

Contacts:

·         Website     http://www.lazarbooks.com

·         Blog            http://www.aaronlazar.blogspot.com

·         Facebook Name:  AaronPaulLazar

·          Twitter Name   :  aplazar

·         Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/629566.Aaron_Paul_Lazar

·        Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Aaron-Paul-Lazar/e/B001JOZR2M/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

·        http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECNEOTE

 

Excerpts: 

Excerpts from Don’t Let the Wind Catch You

By Aaron Paul Lazar

***

I folded my napkin and looked first at my father, then my mother. "Mum? Dad? I have a question."

They both stopped in the middle of their pudding and looked at me with expectant smiles.

"Do you know who lives in the woods in that cabin behind the Ambuscade? He's an old hermit, lives by himself, I think."

My father took a zealous interest in his pudding.

My mother went white. She collected herself, exchanged a worried glance with my father, and lied to me for the first time in my life. "No, darling. We don't know who lives there. But that's private property. You shouldn't trespass in those woods."

***

I saw her in the distance. She lay huddled on her side near an abandoned old house with broken windows and scores of missing shingles. We hurried to her and jumped to the ground. I reached her first, but Siegfried pushed past me to inspect the damage.

He cradled her head and whispered to her with an urgency born of fear. "What happened?"

On her forehead, a bloody gash congealed in a nasty looking puddle. Her left ankle was swollen, all puffy and purple. She tried to sit up, but couldn't.

"I was scouting around this old house, when we flushed a turkey out of the brush over there." She pointed with a shaky finger toward the woods. "Golden Boy shied–really bad–and I fell. My leg got twisted."

I scooted beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Can you get up? We could boost you onto Golden Boy and get you home. You'll probably need crutches, you know."

She shook her head. "I don't know if I can get up. I feel dizzy."

Something inside me took a step toward manhood. "You'll ride with me, then." I stooped over her, put one hand under her knees and the other around her back. With one swift lunge I picked her up and carried her toward Pancho. Siegfried ran ahead and held him while I managed to slide her onto his back.

I turned to Siegfried. "Give me a boost, will you?"

"Ja. Naturlich." He laced both hands together and offered me a step up. "Up you go."

With a swift upward thrust, he propelled me high in the air. I landed lightly on Pancho's back, snugging behind Elsbeth, and clucked to Pancho. "Okay, boy. Let's go. Walk on, now. Nice and easy."

The sensations I felt while pressed behind Elsbeth confused me. Although I'd always been protective of her, this was different. Sweeter, it coursed through my blood and made me want to lay my head on the soft curls on her shoulder. I didn't, of course. I didn't want them to think I was a nerd.

***

"Tully! He's coming this way." I pulled Siegfried to the window.

Elsbeth wasn't flustered. "So? He's nice"

Sig brought her back to reality. "Ja. But we're trespassing and he might tell. We could be in big trouble."

Her eyes darkened. Trouble at her house meant beatings. "Mein Gott. We should go, fast."

Tully cut across the field and was heading straight for us. He'd be there in ten minutes, easy. Just as I turned to head for the stairs, I noticed a movement in the mirror over the little girl's vanity. I froze and pointed.

"What's that?"

The twins joined me and watched as something drew in the dusty surface. The letters were cumbersome and crude. A "P" appeared first, followed by an "E." With dropped jaws we watched the last two letters form: "N" and "I." The aroma of fresh crushed peppermint leaves filled the air.

Elsbeth looked from Sig to me and back again, excitement unleashed in her eyes. "Penni!"

I didn't wait to investigate, but led them out of the house and back to our horses, fortunately tethered behind the house and out of view of Tully. We scrambled onto their backs and leaned low, squeezing their sides hard. In seconds, we'd streaked into the shelter of the woods.

***

It started with a soft moan. I sat straight up and threw back the covers. "Who's there?"

With trembling fingers, I turned on my bedside lamp. My mouth and nose filled with the scent of peppermint.

The sound came again, but this time it almost seemed to resonate from inside my skull.

Tully. Help Tully.

"What?"

Help Tully. Help Tully. Help Tully.

I stood up and looked in the closet, then poked my head out the window. No one stood on the roof or below my window. The words came again, but this time accompanied by a quick flashing vision of the abandoned house. It was as if someone had aimed a super-eight-movie projector on the inside of my eyes, but only for a second.

Blood roared in my ears, and I felt all tingly. "Penni?"

The curtains rose up and took the shape of a young woman, revealing the outline of her lips, nose, and forehead. The fabric moved in and out, as if she were breathing. Right there in my bedroom.

I rubbed my eyes to be sure I wasn't still dreaming, and approached the curtain. "Penni?"

A hand reached out from behind the gauze material, and almost touched mine. Help Tully. Now.

***

At the water's edge, I walked in four inches of water, avoiding children's colorful metal pails and shovels, sun-bleached curly heads with lobster red shoulders, and an array of mothers and fathers who chased after babies or swung them in the water. When we reached the wharf, we hurried up the sand onto the asphalt and once again I hopped around like a clown with a hotfoot.

Siegfried pushed me toward a shady section where drifts of sand covered the tar. "Stand here. We'll order, and you wait in the shade."

I nodded and handed over my wallet. "I want two hamburgers with the works, onion rings, a root beer float, and a pound of saltwater taffy, assorted flavors." I'd memorized the order all week, dying for the promised day when my mother said we could buy lunch out.

I handed him the wallet, then leaned against the side of the building and watched them stand in line, all tan and sandy and tousled. Siegfried's blond hair looked more like Paul McCartney's mop top every day, except in color, of course. Lanky, yet surprisingly poised, he towered over his sister. She stood petite and pretty, as if she were about to leap on stage in a tutu, flying into the air with unbridled energy. A surge of affection rushed through me for both of them. Siegfried had seen his sister reach for my hand several times, but instead of flipping out, he'd averted his eyes and smiled. I loved him for that.

Review: 

This was a great story about growing up, learning about “adult” problems, falling in love, and solving mysteries.  Three children, two boys and one girl, change the history of their town, feel a ghost, and fix a family feud… sort of.

The story is well written, the characters are flawed, confused, in some instances abused, but genuine friends who are trying to do what is right.

I give this story 4 out of 5 clouds.

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

Book Review of Rock Haulter

Book Review of Rock Haulter

       Sponsored by Pump Up Your Book

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: 

The Magic Crystals is a story of the greatest power in the world, a power so supreme that it can control most aspects of life. Amazing if used for good, terribly dangerous if in the wrong hands, the question throughout is exactly how this power should be used.

Should it be wielded to its fullest extent to benefit all of humankind, or tamed in order to protect others from it?

Follow a group of teenagers from out in the bush as they are forced to mature rapidly as the world they always knew unravels around them. Watch as romance blossoms and is then tested by circumstance; listen as the youngsters resort to ridiculous humour in the face of danger just to find something to smile about; and above all, enjoy an intense and somewhat controversial tale of how human society can become so horribly unstuck simply due to mankind’s own insidious nature in the face of power.

Author Information: 

Stephen Hayes lives and writes in Melbourne, Australia. Having been born partially blind in 1986 and lost his limited vision in 2000, he started writing stories at the age of eight, winning the Harold Dickinson Memorial Australian Literary Competition for a short story about a haunted house at the age of eleven. He completed his first novella in Braille at fourteen and by sixteen, had completed the first draft of ‘The Seventh Sorcerer’.

Since 2002, Stephen has allowed his imagination to run wild with The Magic Crystals saga; sometimes pushing boundaries that today’s somewhat moral society deem to sweep under the carpet. Although classified as fantasy genre due mainly to the prominent magic component, Stephen’s writing also includes a good balance of drama, mystery, romance, humour, and he isn’t afraid to address controversial moral issues.

Contacts:

You can visit Stephen’s website at www.themagiccrystals.com

Purchase Excerpt Details

Excerpt:

	In the wake of their miraculous victory over the dastardly Moran, the teenagers of Chopville think they can now relax and enjoy a few days in the sun before attending a simple school camp. Nothing could be further from the truth. The original villain is back, only this time he is on a different mission, taking orders from the evil and cunning Hammerson Sorcerers, and his path will intersect those of John Playman and his friends on Rock Haulter. A desperate race must ensue, Moran and the powers of the Hammersons against the Chopville teens. The prize will be the most powerful of all the Magic Crystals and a control over the balance of life, but such extraordinary power is heavily protected. There is no guarantee that all will live to see the end. The danger faced this week will be greater than anything faced in The Seventh Sorcerer, but that won't stop the teens from having a good time, as only teenagers can. There is to be no shortage of jumping off bridges, feuding with teachers and clashing with their young rivals in this book, but beneath all that, a far more serious situation is simmering. It is only those closest to the Sorcerers who understand how delicate the peace between the Woodwards and Hammersons is, and how quickly that could change.

Taken from The Magic Crystals website.

Review: 

This is the second book in the series.  I loved it.  I loved that it was so “real”.  Other than the fact that these kids could run around town without their parents sending the police after them because they had no idea where they were (our town isn’t nearly that small…we don’t literally know almost everyone in town or perhaps they could), these kids reminded me so much of my kids friends.  They were outrageous, funny, sensitive, sweet, sarcastic… sometimes at the same time.  This is just like the teens I know.

This is a book I would strongly recommend to readers of both genders.  My son often complains that I recommend books that have female leads, but he loved this one too (and the main lead is a boy, but the group is comprised of boys and girls).

I give this book 5 out of 5 clouds and look forward to more from this author and the series.

Link to my review of The Seventh Sorcerer

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

Book Review of Fire

Book Review of Fire

Sponsored by Innovative Book Tours

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: 

 

Normal people sneak out to a party and have fun. Maya Rao ends the evening by incinerating the guy who attacks her.

Nik Lucas, sexy, new in town and totally forbidden, happens to walk in on her. Normal guys would run for the hills. Nik knows a whole lot more than he's telling.

Maya doesn't believe the gods are real, doesn't waste her time with mere mythology. But when gods, demons and hellhound's become the new normal and wielding fire becomes her new skill, she must decide what it is she really believes.

Can Maya accept that normal is something she will never be because it isn't normal to be
...the Hand of Kali.

Author Information: 

I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognise that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practise given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes… I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It’s a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each other's loves – it works wonderfully…

My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands – I shall forever remain cross-eyed.

Contacts:

Website  http://www.tgayer.com/

Blog     http://tgayer.wordpress.com/

Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/TGAyerAuthor

Twitter   https://twitter.com/TGAyerAuthor

Goodreads  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5726831.T_G_Ayer

Shelfari   http://www.shelfari.com/tgayerauthor

 

Excerpt: 

CHAPTER 1

Maya flinched. A thousand tiny knives of white-hot pain splintered through her skin. Her teacher’s knuckles crunched against her cheekbone and she spared a fleeting thought for the beautiful bruise sure to flower across the side of her face by the next morning. It was her own fault. Her attention had strayed. Again. Not that she was very good at any form of martial arts anyway. But she did try.

She should have tried harder. If she had, she wouldn’t be lying flat on her back with the whole room spinning around her. She wouldn't be lying so close to the gym mat that she had to wonder if the odd smell came from the plastic or from the hundreds of sweaty fighting bodies travelling over it every day. Neither would she be cursing the fact that she'd be sporting this hideous bruise all the way until prom.

Darn it.

“Honey, are you okay?” Leela Rao hurried to her daughter’s side, her dark hair escaping from the knot at the top of her head. She knelt and threw a narrow-eyed glance at Maya’s teacher.

At least Mom cared enough to check if I’m still alive. Maya groaned as her mom's fingers probed her cheekbone, only causing further pain. And maybe even breaking off splintered bone.

Her mom tucked a stray strand of Maya's black hair behind her ear and sat on her heels. “It’s fine, nothing broken. But you will have a lovely  bruise for the next few days.”

“Yeah, let’s see what Child Services says.” Maya muttered. She was prone to opening her mouth and spewing out words without thinking. It’s what usually got her in trouble. She immediately regretted the words and hoped her mom hadn't heard. One look at her mom told her otherwise. Leela frowned and shook her head, as if wanting to scold, but knowing  the time and the place was entirely wrong for disciplining her daughter. Still, Maya had no intention of apologizing.

“Come on. If you’re fine enough to be a smart-ass then you’re fine to get back up and practice.” Her Kung Fu teacher smiled, all teeth, and stuck his hand in front of Maya’s face. She glared at the hand. She really had no choice so she took it and allowed him to lift her back to her feet in one fluid move. “No pain no gain, hey Maya?”

She dusted herself off despite knowing full well no dust clung to her. She kept her eyes on the floor, not daring look around. How many of the other students had witnessed her embarrassing knockout?

Nik was there too, somewhere within the broiling group, greeting their instructors and filing out of the studio. Nik who always seemed to be around, ever since his arrival three months ago. If he didn't happen to run in the same circles as her, Maya would have suspected him of stalking. But no, they went to the same school, and within days of Nik’s arrival they shared the same martial arts class, even had a few short and awkward conversations when she’d caught him watching and he hadn’t been able to flee easily.

Nik Lucas, with his dark curling hair, strong chiseled features and deep black eyes.

Nik Lucas. The forbidden fruit.

Nope, only nice Indian boys need apply. Besides, if she’d heard it once she’d heard it a thousand times - when she was ready for boys then she was ready for marriage. Nik remained off-limits. Too white. Not Indian enough. Whatever. Maya couldn't even allow herself the pleasure of daydreams. She’d be setting her heart up for the inevitable break.

Maya tried to stop thinking of Nik, tried to convince herself he'd probably missed the whole debacle. She resumed her position, wide stance, bent knees, weight on the balls of her feet. Her cheek stung, a reminder to keep her eyes on her teacher's hands, or rather her Sifu. She had to call him Sifu during her lessons. Them’s the rules. She really wanted to grit her teeth but the blow to her cheekbone bled icy pain into her jaw.

Maya blocked her instructor’s first strike with an effortless snap of her wrist. He was going easy on her. Which meant he’d bring out the big guns soon enough. She tested her jaw, moving it side to side as she circled him. Eye to eye. Hand to hand. She hoped eating wouldn't be a problem.

Two lightning fast moves later, she froze nose to skin with his fist. He'd spared her the full impact of the punch. He wasn’t usually that generous. Maya blinked, staring at his golden-brown eyes over the edges of his knuckles. Nope, not a hint of sympathy. Nothing.

She sank into her stance again and knew it would inevitably end in trouble. This time he used a smooth roundhouse kick, and whacked her feet from under her. The bone-shattering impact with the ground left Maya in stunned agony. Way worse after the blow to her cheekbone. Way worse when her head hit the floor so hard she almost passed out.

“Dad!” Maya cried, her voice filled with unshed tears and pain.

“Sorry honey, are you okay?” he peered at her, a cheeky grin pasted on his face. It wasn't fair when he did that. In fact he got away with everything because of that stupid, lopsided grin. He pushed wet strands of hair from her cheeks, his fingers moving to her neck to check her pulse. “Maybe we should call it a day, okay?”

Er... Like I’m going to actually say no? Really Dad?. She nodded, and allowed him to help her to her feet. When her knees buckled he swung her into his arms.

So embarrassing. Sixteen years old, and her father carried her as if she weighed the same as she had ten years ago. But she let him, resting her head on his chest. This time she refused to fight him.

Teacher or not, next time he’d better watch out.

***

Maya’s mom fluffed up her pillows and smiled down at her daughter. “You’ll be happy to know this injury will get you out of going to temple this week.”

“Why is that? Wouldn’t it be better to go and show all your friends you are bringing up you daughter the traditional well-disciplined way?” The words were out and there was nothing she could do to take them back.

“Maya,” her mom gasped. But the shock melted from her face as she sat on the edge of Maya’s bed. “Honey, you know we haven’t brought you up in the ‘traditional’ way. You wouldn’t be learning to fight if we did.”

“So why am I? You and dad can both see how terrible I am?. Why don’t you let me give it up?” Maya pouted, glad they’d moved on to another topic.

Her mom tucked Maya's hair behind  ear; she'd always said Maya shouldn't hide her pretty face behind her hair. “Because you have must learn to protect yourself. We need to know that you have at least some ability to defend yourself. Just in case.”

“In case of what? Somerville's probably the safest suburb in the state of California. Maybe even the whole of the western seaboard.” Maya grumbled, grabbing a cushion from beside her she began to pull at the beaded tassels. She’d been training under her dad’s tutelage since she was six years old. He’d been running the school ever since her parents arrived in America when Maya was just a baby.

“Well you just never know-” a note of hesitation in her mom’s voice drew Maya’s gaze. Her mom opened her mouth to say something, but a moment later the urge seemed to subside and  she went silent. Then she sighed and said, “Maya you should send up a prayer or two.” Maya stared as her mom pointed a finger to the ceiling. “You probably need all the help you can get especially with a black eye that bad.”

“Mom,” Maya scolded, shocked she’d suggest such a thing. “You know what I think.”

“Yes, honey. I know you don’t believe now. But someday soon you may no longer have a choice. “Now get some rest.” Her mom stood up, gently patted Maya’s cheek before leaning over to kiss her forehead. Her waist length hair, so like Maya’s swayed as she walked out of the room. At the doorway she turned and winked at her daughter, “If you don’t want the gods to help you then you better be prepared to help yourself.”

The door closed with a snick just as the cushion Maya had been playing with hit it. Maya shook her head, chuckling. Her mom always had a way with words. Although her parents had accepted she didn’t fully believe in the theology of Hinduism, her mom never failed to try her luck at convincing her every so often. Still, she was thankful they didn’t force her to perform all the rituals and customs. They were less Orthodox than the other parents in the community, like Ria’s father. But they still maintained their belief in the gods. It's merely mythology. Not actually real.

But when her mother looked at her that way, Maya had to wonder what it really took to believe.

Review: 

This was a very intense book.  I found it very interesting that this Hindu family was so culturally strict in some ways and so informal in others.  I have several friends who are Hindu and others who have lived in that area of the world and it is rare, particularly for girls to be granted that kind of leniency, especially in first generation families.

Of course, as I read further I began to see the reasoning, but it did give me a different view while reading as I compared it to my friends and exchange students descriptions of their lives or their family member’s lives.

I enjoyed reading this book.  It was exciting, scary, funny, sad, and an excellent read.

I give this book 4 out of 5 clouds.

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