Posts Categorized: Uncategorized

Labyrinth Society Book Blast and $100 Giveaway

30 May, 2014 by in Uncategorized 1 comment

Silhouette of a horse carriage and a medieval castleLabyrinth Society: The Versailles Vendetta

When 12 year-old Mia Cornell is sent to live at the Tarpley Estate, her ninth foster home, she has no idea what she’s in for. Having a kind but mysterious foster mother and three quirky foster sisters is all well and good. Discovering that her new family is a secret society—they use a portal in their garden labyrinth to travel the globe seeking lost art, artifacts, and OSOs (objects of supernatural origin)—is something else entirely.

Mia barely has time to wrap her head around the truth when the Society’s latest job, tracking down Marie Antoinette’s necklace, goes sideways. Mia and her new siblings—Tomi, the historian; Devon, the hacker; and Lily, the muscle—must use their wits, plus a few cool OSOs filched from the Society’s vault, to stay a step ahead of a sinister enemy from their foster mother’s past. But just how far back does Mrs. Tarpley’s past go? And will Mia stand by her new family or cut and run when they need her the most?

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * iTunes

Author Biography

Angie Kelly is the pseudonym of a former member of the Labyrinth Society. When she’s not writing about her adventures, or reading about other people’s adventures, she’s busy traveling the world and indulging her inner twelve year-old. Although she was last sighted lurking around the British Museum after hours, her current whereabouts are unknown.

Pinterest * Blog * Twitter

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Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 6/23/14

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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Favorite Maya Angelou Quotes

28 May, 2014 by in Uncategorized 2 comments

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

 

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

 

“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”

 

“Each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the roads which lie ahead, and those over which we have traveled, and if the future road looms ominous or unpromising, and the roads back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and, carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road into another direction. If the new choice is also unpalatable, without embarrassment, we must be ready to change that as well.”

 

“I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t laugh.”

 

“When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.”

 “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

 

“love builds up the broken wall
and straightens the crooked path.
love keeps the stars in the firmament
and imposes rhythm on the ocean tides
each of us is created of it
and I suspect
each of us was created for it”

 

Rest in Peace Maya!

You have a strong voice that will echo trough time.

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Blog Tour~ Women of Faith in Latter-Days: Volume 3

06 May, 2014 by in Uncategorized 2 comments

I received this book for free from Deseret Book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Blog Tour~ Women of Faith in Latter-Days: Volume 3

Women of Faith in Latter-Days: Volume 3

by Brittany Chapman, Jr., Richard Turley
Series: Women of Faith
Published by Deseret Book on 2014
Genres: Adult, Non- Fiction
Pages: 377
Format: Hardcover
five-stars
Source: Deseret Book
Buy the BookGoodreads

This groundbreaking series tells the stories of women in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whose lives of faith and dedication deserve emulation. Each chapter recounts a woman's trials, triumphs, and testimony, often in her own words.

Volume 3 features women born between 1846 and 1870 and includes well-known women and other publicly unknown. Their lifespans range from the era of the Mormon pioneers to the beginnings of the space age. Al these women knew pioneer life firsthand. Many also experienced the gradual transition to modern life and the expansion of the Church to far-flung parts of the globe.

Here you will encounter such diverse women as Martha Hughes Cannon, the first female state senator in the United States; Tsune Ishida Nachie, and early Japanese convert and dedicated missionary; Ellis Reynolds Shipp, a medical doctor in early Utah; Mere Mete Whaanga, a leading Maori who migrated to Utah; general Relief Society presidents Sarah Louisa Yates Robison and Clarissa Smith Williams; and Cohn Shoshonitz Zundel, a Shoshone women who lived nearly fifty years as a widow.

The faith these women exhibited as they rejoiced in blessings and dealt with struggles provides a model for us in facing our own challenges as we strive to build lives of faith today.

Additional biographies of Latter-day Saint women of faith born between 1846 and 1870 are available in the eBook edition of this volume.

Wow! I had no idea Utah had such a rich early history of women holding political office, being doctors, and fulfilling prominent roles in society. This being the first volume I’ve read in the Women of Faith series, I jumped in at volume three, and at a time period I really love. Utah was just on the cusp of gaining statehood and the women activists were fighting for the right to vote and hold office. Women of religious conviction with large families and often with little ones at home who worked in their community post offices and stores, and traveled to the East to obtain higher education. For instance, did you know “in 1896, Martha Hughes Cannon ran as a Democrat” in Utah for one of the open Senate seats? One of her opponents was her Republican husband. Martha won and become the first female Senator in the United States of America. She served two terms in the Utah state legislature. Utah also had the first woman to serve as a Chaplain for the Senate, Maud Mary Babcock.

Between 1911-1913, five Utah women served on the first all-woman town council in Kanab with Mary Elizabeth Woolley Chamberlain as mayor. Women of Faith vol. 3 shares many stories like these, three of just how strong, determined and active LDS women were. I was fascinated by their desire to get their degrees, to serve in their homes an in their government. Other stories include, a sister in Japan who became like a mother to the missionaries in Tokyo, and a Maori sister who came to live in Utah from New Zealand. If you are looking for historical examples, journal entries, photos and testimony of hte early sister Saints, this is a book you will want to buy to have on your shelves. My testimony was bolstered, my faith encouraged and I came away wanting to pursue my dreams while maintaining roots at home. I highly recommend Women of Faith in the Latter Days volume 3, and I will be picking up the rest of the series!

heather

About the Authors

RICHARD E. TURLEY, JR., Assistant Church Historian and Recorder for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the chairman of the editorial board for The Joseph Smith Papers series. He is the author or co-author of several books, including How We Got the Book of Mormon, with William W. Slaughter; Massacre at Mountain Meadows, with Ronald W. Walker and Glen M. Leonard; and Stories from the Life of Joseph Smith, with Lael Littke. In addition, he is the coeditor of the series Women of Faith in the Latter Days, with Brittany A. Chapman. He and his wife, Shirley, live in Taylorsville, Utah.

Brittany A. Chapman is a historian in the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Learn more at Deseret Book.

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Book Reviewer Yellow Pages Blast and $100 Giveaway

02 May, 2014 by in Uncategorized 1 comment

Fire and Ice is happy to be participating in the Book Blast and giveaway for the Book Reviewer Yellow Pages!

Book Reviewer Yellow Pages Front CoverAre you trying to promote your books? Are you a writer, publisher, or agent?

Promote your book with this bestselling author’s reference, the Book Reviewer Yellow Pages. Make your book promotion easier, and get the publicity you need from book reviewers. Learn how and where to submit your book for review. There are hundreds of new book reviewers listed in this book. Each listing details the individual book reviewer’s:

  1. Contact information,
  2. Pet peeves,
  3. Preferred genres, and
  4. Submission guidelines

Reviewers are rated for quality and influence. This new edition includes several blog tour sites and their submission guidelines. Learn how to get the exposure that your book deserves! Authors and book reviewers can sign up for alerts at: http://www.stepbystepselfpublishing.net

*Note: This book is enrolled in the Kindle MATCHBOOK program. If you purchase the paperback from Amazon, the Kindle edition is free. The paperback has a genre index, which makes searching for accepted genres easy. The Kindle version has clickable website links (which is impossible to do in a paperback), so you can click directly to the reviewer’s site and contact page. The publisher of this book recommends purchasing the paperback and then downloading the Kindle edition for free using Amazon’s Matchbook program, and using both versions to maximize your promotion efforts.

PROMO TIP: This is a reference book with active hyperlinks in the e-book. It is easier to view and use the Kindle edition of this book on a computer using Amazon’s free Kindle app. That way, you can use the full screen to check genre preferences and submit your query right from your desktop.

 

Purchase

Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Amazon

 

Book Reviewer Yellow Pages EditorInterview with Christine Pinheiro, Editor, Defiant Press

The Book Reviewer Yellow Pages is a bestselling author’s promotional reference, designed specifically for authors who need book reviewers for their books.

Where did you get the idea for the Book Reviewer Yellow Pages?

At first, I did it purely out of self-interest! I wrote a nonfiction book in 2007, and I had a very difficult time finding book reviewers. It seemed like an impossible task. All of the regular outlets were closed to me—where do you go when you can’t get a review in the New York Times? Where do the “little guys” go when they need to promote their books? So I started the Book Reviewer Yellow Pages out of my own frustration. At first, the Book Reviewer Yellow Pages was just a big list on a simple website. I added to the list when I had spare time. Book reviewers started seeking me out, and asking to be put on the list, and it just grew from there. In 2009, I published the first “Book Reviewer Yellow Pages,” and the rest is history. The list just grew organically. Now we have hundreds of book reviewers on our list, and thousands of authors subscribe to the newsletter.

How about the book reviewers themselves, what do they get out of it?

Many book reviewers just do it for fun, and they get the benefit of free books and ARCs (advance review copies). Quite a few of them also earn money, either from sidebar advertising, blog tours, or other author’s services. There are so many self-published authors out there right now, trying to promote their books without the help of a traditional publisher, so there’s a lot of little business ventures cropping up to serve them.

Many reviewers list their “pet peeves,” is this something that the authors really want to know?

Yes! It’s the most popular part of the questionnaire—all the reviewers have their own horror stories. Sadly, many authors have terrible etiquette when they request book reviews. Many don’t take the time to even spell-check their queries, or find out if the reviewer is a man or a woman, so they can address them correctly! I used to review books myself, and it’s amazing how many times I’ve gotten a review request with nothing but a link to the book. No signature, no salutation, nothing! Why would I review your book, when you aren’t even willing to take a few minutes to send me a proper review request? We also added an “author etiquette” section to the front of the book, and that seems to help a bit.

Do Book Reviews really help sales?

They’ve helped my own book sales tremendously, and I know hundreds of authors who would say the same. Look, everyone knows that book promotion is boring work. Contacting dozens of book reviewers is time consuming, and you have to deal with rejection, but the payoff from a positive book review is enormous. That’s been the case in my own writing career. Reviews really help sales, and it’s nice to have a public testimonial that customers can refer to when they purchase. On the flip side, many of the reviewers accept ARCs and also work as beta-readers, so if you can get a few good reviewers to read through your manuscript before publication, they might be able to give you valuable feedback. I found a big plot hole in one of my novels that way—a reviewer found the problem, and I was able to fix it before the book went to publication.

Do reviewers ever drop off the list? Can authors get updates?

Yes, on our website. Reviewers get added and removed on a regular basis—and the list goes through a complete overhaul once a year. I do a formal update every April. That’s when we put out a new edition of the book, as well as update the reviewer list on the website. The abbreviated list on the website is free, and authors and publishers can sign up for updates to the list here: http://www.stepbystepselfpublishing.net. The newsletter is also free.

Do you have any advice for authors?

Be polite to book reviewers, always. Not everyone is going to like your book, that’s just the nature of game. But publishing is a business, and it pays to be professional. It’s just like any other creative business. Reviewers are our critics, and they give us valuable feedback that we need to improve. One of the best reviews I ever received on the Book Reviewer Yellow Pages was mildly negative. The writer gave me tons of feedback on how to make the book better. I followed his advice, and the book has been more profitable since. Book Reviewers really want to help authors—I’ve never met a single book reviewer that was interested in just tearing an author down. We are all in this business together!

 

For more information visit:
The Book Reviewer Yellow Pages
Website * Facebook

 

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Blast Giveaway

$100 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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Bookish Quotes I Love

24 Apr, 2014 by in Uncategorized 4 comments

books

 

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” ― Groucho Marx

 

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” 
― Charles William Eliot

 

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” ― Stephen King

 

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” ― Ray Bradbury

 

“A good library will never be too neat, or too dusty, because somebody will always be in it, taking books off the shelves and staying up late reading them.” ― Lemony Snicket

 

“Sleep is good, he said, And books are better.” ― George R.R. Martin

 

“When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.” ― Maya Angelou

“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” ― Margaret Fuller

 

“All morning I struggled with the sensation of stray wisps of one world seeping through the cracks of another. Do you know the feeling when you start reading a new book before the membrane of the last one has had time to close behind you? You leave the previous book with ideas and themes — characters even — caught in the fibers of your clothes, and when you open the new book, they are still with you.” ― Diane Setterfield

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ARCS for Trade and Books For Sale

23 Apr, 2014 by in Uncategorized 2 comments

Fire and Ice is gearing up to go to the American Library Association Convention – ALA, this summer!

I am clearing off my bookshelves to make to make room for new titles. I have the following ARCS for trade and books for trade/ sale. ARCS and books can be swapped straight across title for title, you pay just the cost of shipping. I tend to like contemporary YA, and clean historical reads. You can view my shelves on Goodreads and Booklikes.

I ship US only via USPS media mail.  All of these are like new, unless otherwise noted.

ARCS

$3.00 flat for shipping or trade title for title

Going Underground
League of Strays
Impossible
Choke
Undercurrent: A Siren Novel (Siren Novels)
Witch Eyes
Wintergirls
Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (The Mara Dyer Trilogy)
The Fame Game (Fame Game (Quality))
Betrayal (Empty Coffin)
Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories
Impossible
A Young Man’s Guide to Late CapitalismBlood Rights (House of Comarré)
Where the Rock Splits the Sky
The Summer I Found You
This Side of Salvation
Witch World
Roomies
Ask the Passengers
The Diviners– some wear, small rip on cover

Hardback

$3.00 +3.00 shipping or free for trade

The Book of the Night (Libyrinth)
Before I Fall (some wear on dust jacket)
DeadlyLittle Lies (Touch, Book 2)
Don’t Turn Around
Rules of Attraction
Deadly Little Voices (A Touch Novel)
Deadly Little Games: A Touch Novel
Imaginary Girls
Strings Attached
Sass & Serendipity

Paperback

$2.00 + 3.00 shipping or free for trade

Flecks of Gold
The Farm
Dead Is the New Black
Dead Is a Battlefield
Fang Girl
Just Listen
Deadly Little Lies (Touch, Book 2)
Perfect Chemistry
The Imperfectionists: A Novel (Random House Reader’s Circle)
Penitence (Heavenly) (Volume 2)– signed by author, personalized to Heather
Absolution (Volume 3)– signed by author, personalized to Heather
Little Miss Red– some wear on outside of pages
The Perfect Token– name written inside cover, slight crease on cover
Tropical Kiss– trade paperbck, wear to spine form reading, inside perfect
The Third
Night’s Child: Book Fifteen Super Special (Sweep)– normal wear
The Luxe (Luxe Novel)
Be with Me: A Novel (Wait for You)
Corsets and Clockwork: 13 Steampunk Romances
Taking Chances
Secrets and Shadows: A 13 to Life Novel– some creases on front cover
Over the Moon

If you are interested in swapping ARCS or books, and have a list of your titles, leave me your link.

Otherwise, these are first come first serve.

Once a paypal payment is received at heatoddgardner (at) yahoo (dot) com, I will cross the item off the master for sale list and this post.

Multiple items reduce shipping to $1.00 for each additional book.

Leave me any questions in comments 🙂

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A Year With Six Sisters’ Stuff ~ Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

09 Apr, 2014 by in Uncategorized 4 comments

I received this book for free from Shadow Mountain in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A Year With Six Sisters’ Stuff  ~ Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

A Year With Six Sisters' Stuff

by Six SIsters' Stuff
Published by Shadow Mountain on March 25, 2014
Genres: Adult, Cookbook, Non- Fiction
Pages: 256
Format: Paperback
five-stars
Source: Shadow Mountain
Buy the BookGoodreads
"What's for dinner?" Three words every mom dreads.

Don't panic! The Six Sisters are here to help you answer that question. The Sisters have gathered together more than 150 of their most popular recipes for entrees, side dishes, and desserts and have combined them into 52 stress-free menus of perfectly prepared three-course meals.

Filled with delicious tried-and-true family favorites and oh-so-easy-to-make dishes, A Year with Six Sisters' Stuff features all-new recipes using basic ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Each menu is designed to make your dinner plans as easy as possible—and with such wide variety and a photograph accompanying every recipe in the book, you can easily mix and match menus to create a year's worth of dinner ideas.

In addition, the Sisters share some of their favorite family dinner traditions and crafts, as well as 52 dinner conversation starters, a list of pantry staples, and, food storage plan for beginners.

So what's for dinner? Whatever you'd like.

With more than 150 new recipes, complete with individual pictures, shopping lists, and easy-to-follow instructions, Six Sisters' Stuff transforms an overwhelming list of recipes and ingredients into a no-hassle, tasty meal schedule the whole family will enjoy. You'll also learn how the Six Sisters bring their families to the table with their fun family traditions and kid-friendly meals.
six_sisters_stuff

What an absolutely gorgeous cook book! The pages are thick, the photos are perfect and the design is eye catching with red and turquoise as main colors. I love that Six Sisters’ Stuff uses ingredients  most people already have in their pantry, and the recipes are simple. No gourmet or hard to find things you’ll have to run to  the store and hunt down. They’ve even included their own pantry list of items you should stock up on for food storage.

Deviled eggs, smoothies, Mom’s potato salad and Almond Joy cookies are delicious! I am excited to try the Sisters’ idea of having a crazy family dinner tradition where each member picks out the food for the meal at the store. Along with 52 menu plans, there are crafts, conversation starters and ideas on how meal time can be family together time. My children all picked out recipes they want to make and I found myself stroking the pretty front and back cover. This is a high quality, well-planned cookbook with comfort food for your home.

heather

About the AuthorsSix-Sisters

 

The Six Sisters—Camille, Kristen, Elyse, Stephanie, Lauren, and Kendra—grew up in Utah, but a few of them have lived in other parts of the country since moving out of the house. Between them there are five nieces and three nephews, and all of the sisters love playing “aunt.” The sisters started the blog in February 2011 to keep in touch while they were apart, but it has since gained popularity, garnering more than 9 million viewers per month and more than 307,000 followers on Pinterest.

 

The Giveaway

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Fortune Cookie By Josi S Kilpack Blast and $50 Giveaway

31 Mar, 2014 by in Uncategorized 1 comment

Fortune CookieFortune Cookie

Sadie Hoffmiller has always liked things to be just so. A place for everything and everything in its place. Order over chaos. And of all things Sadie should be able to control, her own wedding is at the top of the list.

With the big day just three weeks away, Sadie is busily adding the final touches to her wedding plans but the arrival of a mysterious letter from San Francisco changes everything. The only person Sadie knows in San Francisco is her older sister, Wendy, whom she hasn’t seen since their mother’s funeral nearly fifteen years ago.

Sadie has faced off against murderers and criminals in recent years, yet the possibility of reconnecting with her sister is both overwhelming and frightening. Sadie soon discovers, however, that the letter is just the beginning when Wendy’s world turns out to be a place of unanswered questions, twisted truths, and more than one person with a motive for murder.

The more Sadie digs into her sister’s past, the more she places her own future at risk.

Amazon * Deseret Book * Barnes & Noble

Culinary Mysteries

Culinary Mystery Series

Fortune Cookie Tour

Tour Schedule

JosiAuthor Josi S. Kilpack

Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series was a finalist in 2009. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, children and super-cute cat.

Website * Twitter * Blog

 

The Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/30/14

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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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