Book Review- Radiance

04 Jun, 2012 by in middle grade books, radiance 2 comments

Radiance
By Alyson Noel
Paperback, 178 pages
Published August 31,2010
by Square Fish
ISBN 978-0-545-34095-3
Book Source: Bought
2 Stars
Summary from Goodreads: Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. When she’s summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who’s definitely hiding something. They return to earth together for Riley’s first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley . . .

Alacia’s Review: Riley has just passed on into the Here & Now with her mom and dad, and is more than slightly disappointed to be there. Upon arrival she spends most of her time spying on her sister who is still on Earth, manifesting new outfits and avoiding going to class. When her parents are able to convince her to go to class, she is amazed at the her glowing peers and is eager to get her glow as well. However, her disappointment quickly returns when she meets her guide, Bodhi, whom she deems “Nerdy Guy.” Her disappointment in Here continues to grow as she meets The Council and watches the replay of her life. After defending herself to The Council, she is informed that she need not fret about her past life, they merely needed to review it in order to “place” her, and that her place is that of a Soul Catcher. She is elated after getting this news as it means she will return to Earth to bring spirits across to Here. As she and Bodhi set off, she is positive she will bring The Radiant Boy across without any problems even though hundreds of other Soul Catchers have failed. Once she reaches the castle where the Radiant Boy haunts, she convinces him to move on and returns to Earth with Bodhi as he attempts to bring his own assignment home. 
I did not care for this book. The synopsis makes it sound like the story lies within Riley bringing The Radiant Boy across, when that actually takes place in 2 pages and moves on to Bodhi’s assignment, and quickly ends with her deciding being dead is not so bad after all. The first half of the book is literally her whining about being dead, trying to decide what to wear, and watching her sister who is still on Earth. I thought this book had awesome potential but was sad it let me down. However, if you are looking for a quick read it will definitely give you that as it is just over 100 pages. So if you are not looking for anything with a serious plot, you may enjoy this book. 


Content: clean 
Alacia

About the Author: Alyson Noel was born on December 3rd in Orange County, CA. She has lived in Manhattan and Mykonos but has returned to her hometown in the OC. She has been on the #1 New York Times Best Selling list several times and has got a perfect score singing Bon Jovi’s WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE on Rockband! If she was something other than an author, it would be an artist, specifically a painter, and loves The Office.
Learn more on Goodreads/ her website


The Most Important Catch Blog Tour and Giveaway

01 Jun, 2012 by in book giveaway, The Most Important Catch 12 comments

We have an awesome blog tour post today with an author guest post and giveaway for
The Most Important Catch
The Most Important Catch
by Jaclyn M. Hawkes
Paperback, 318 pages
Published by Spirit Dance Books 
March 13th 2010
ISBN 0985164808 
Book source: blog tour
5 stars
Book description:  She knew too much, and she’d seen too much. And the police refused to help. Knowing that she was to be the next scheduled death, Kelly Campbell hid under head to toe black leather and a tinted motorcycle helmet and ran for her life.

When the weather turned cold, she turned south. She ended up in North Carolina, home to one of the most famed and eligible NFL football stars in the whole league; only she didn’t know that. She thought he was a businessman. Not being a huge fan, all she knew was that he was incredibly attractive, kind, generous, and that she was safe with him. Or was she?

His brand of fame proved to be all but deadly, but his fame wasn’t nearly as lethal as his attraction. He kept her safe and protected. All except her heart.
 
Author Guest Post

What I Learned About Success From A Little White Hen Named LaFonduh

I have four chickens. I used to have a lot more, but a raccoon got into the pigeon fly door and committed poultryicide. It was truly awful, let me tell you. So I only four left; but they’re charming chickens. Four very pleasant hens, one white and three red, that greet us every morning, lay lovely eggs and wreak complete havoc on my flower beds.

That last isn’t a plus, by-the-way, but when you grew up in the city, you’re willing to put up with thrashed flowers to be able to have charming chickens clucking around in your yard. Which brings us to the crux of this story.

Three of the chickens are red. And three of the chickens are chicken. Not sure if the color has something to do with bravery, but the intrepid chicken is white. A little smaller than the others, the little white hen is my buddy. (My daughter named her LaFonduh–yes, after Napoleon Dynamite). Now LaFonduh The Gutty Chicken has learned to hang with me when I’m working in the garden. She is positively in the way, in a good way, waiting to pounce on worms and creatures as I dig. It’s pretty funny, actually.

The other chickens watch LaFonduh gulping down her plunder, looking on with abject envy, wishing they were brave enough to get under foot like LaFonduh. But alas, they are chickens. Lafonduh, on the other hand, sometimes has to be literally reached around because she is so in the thick of things that I can’t work. You see, LaFonduh has learned one of the greatest classic life lessons on success. She has learned to go after what she wants. To step out. To try.

I’m telling you, this is so, so, SO IMPORTANT in life. At least it has been in mine.

MAKE THEM TELL YOU NO!

So often we hesitate, for whatever reason. But the statistics prove out that a huge percentage of the time if you simply go for it, you get what you want. While, if you’re timid, a la the red chickens, someone else gets all the juicy bugs! And the juicy bugs are what life is all about, you know.

So . . . The next time you want that promotion, or agent, or flaming red Maserati, go for it. Like LaFonduh. The worst that could happen is that someone could tell you no. But you might end up looking hot in a Maserati!

Live like you believe, Jaclyn

Author bio: Jaclyn M. Hawkes grew up in Utah with 6 sisters, 4 brothers and any number of pets. (It was never boring!) She received a Bachelor’s degree, had a career, and traveled extensively before settling down to her life’s work of being the mother of four magnificent and sometimes challenging children. She loves shellfish, the outdoors, the youth, and hearing her children laugh. She and her fine husband, their family, and their sometimes very large pets, now live in a mountain valley in northern Utah, where it smells like heaven and kids still move sprinkler pipe.
Find Jaclyn on her website/ facebook/ twitter
Visit the rest of the blog tour stops at Lexie Book Bug
The Giveaway: Fire and Ice has one copy of The Most Important Catch to give away to our US and Canada readers. To enter fill out the rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Arise Blog Tour, Guest Post and Giveaway

31 May, 2012 by in mundie moms, tara hudson 3 comments

Fire and Ice is thrilled to be today’s stop on the official Arise blog tour hosted by Mundie Moms. We have an exclusive guest post from the author, a key word for the tour riddle and a giveaway so keep reading!

Arise
 Hereafter #2
by Tara Hudson
Hardcover, 404 pages
 Expected publication: June 5th 2012
 by Harper Collins
ISBN0007437285
Summary From Goodreads: Amelia—still caught between life and death—must fight for every moment of her relationship with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some of Joshua’s Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions than answers…and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.Wandering through the French Quarter, Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life…a half-life for which Amelia would pay any price. Torn between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for her.

GUEST POST
By TARA HUDSON

THE REAL LIFE LOVE STORY BEHIND HEREAFTER AND ARISE

ARISE – the second book in the Hereafter Trilogy – contains a sweet, sometimes tumultuous romance between the ghost Amelia and the living boy Joshua. The two have their ups and downs (killer demons count as “downs,” right?), but ultimately they never stop loving each other.

Writing their romance, I really wanted to make the emotions between them unique. As most of you guys already know, every relationship is different, as is every type of love. But when it came to the authenticity behind their feelings, I decided to draw on one of the greatest loves I know: my own.

Believe it or not, I’m not actually very sentimental in my non-writing life. I don’t like to cry, I’m not a good hugger, and I tend to withhold my feelings from the people I love the most. So…I’m a cactus. Or Joshua’s prickly little sister Jillian. Even still, I’ve had a pretty romantic journey that – blushing – I’ll share with you today, in honor of ARISE’s release on June 5, 2012.

 I met this funny, smart, cute, sarcastic, loyal boy. And with qualities like that, how could I not marry him? Only problem: we were both eight years old. Plus…we kind of hated each other. He was too goofy, I was too prissy – you get the gist. Yet I couldn’t seem to shake the guy. His family even moved school districts when my did, so that I ended up in another city with him, during junior high.

There, the hijinks continued. I’d call him a slob, he’d steal my hairbrush and hide it in wood shop, etc. High school wasn’t much better: I’d force him to vote for me in student council elections, he’d steal one of my shoes and hide it in anatomy lab. Somehow, though, we managed to make peace with each other. Even become friends.

This tentative friendship last until we were twenty-four, when I was just coming out of a pretty awful relationship. A hideous one, actually. And there was Robert, that funny, annoying, loyal boy I’d known all my life – waiting, not with romance, but a deeper friendship. And strangely, because he kept being that wonderful boy without any hidden agenda, I fell madly in love with him. Seven years and a son later, I love him even more.


So even though Amelia and Joshua fall in love much faster than Robert and I did, they still share something with us. Amelia is a lost girl looking for a friend and Joshua is a great guy who, in offering her friendship, helps her find so much more.
Thanks so much to Tara for sharing the behind the scene story of her books!
About the Author: Born and raised in Oklahoma, Tara Hudson graduated with a degree in law, mostly because she believed all the horror stories about English majors and their careers in the food-service industry. Luckily, she soon remembered how much she loved telling ghost stories, particularly to her girlfriends who liked visiting abandoned cemeteries as much as she did. Tara currently lives in Oklahoma with her husband, son, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets.

Learn more about Tara on her blog/ Goodreads/ Twitter/ Facebook

Giveaway: Thank you to Tara and Harper Teen, the blog tour will be giving away 1 signed set of Tara’s books.

 In order to be entered to win Hereafter and Arise, you’ll need to visit each blog on the tour and collect the word each blog will be posting.

At the end of the tour you’ll be able to put the words together to unscramble the sentence Tara has picked for this scavenger hunt. Once you’ve collect the words and figured out the phrase, please be sure to come fill out the form below. The first person to guess correctly will win. If there’s any sort of tie than all the names will be put into a bowl and one name will be randomly drawn out to win.

Our word is : GOT
Visit Mundie Moms to see all the stops on the tour, fill out the giveaway form and insert your words. Good Luck! Thanks to Mundie Moms and Tara for inviting us to be on the tour.

Book Review- Becoming Bayley

30 May, 2012 by in Susan Auten, young adult fiction 1 comment

Becoming Bayley
by Susan Auten
ebook
Published May 9, 2012
by Deseret Book Company
A SIN B008224CBQ
Book Source: Publisher
5 Stars
Book Summary From Goodreads: Bayley Albrecht’s dream is to play soccer on BYU’s South Field. When she is invited to soccer camp the summer before her senior year in high school, she just knows she’s one step closer to her dream. Things get even better when she meets Matt Macauley, the star of the men’s soccer team. When they decide to write each other while Matt is on his mission, Bayley figures her life can’t get any better. But it certainly can get worse…

After she receives a minor concussion from playing soccer, Bayley discovers she had a disease called alopecia which causes her to lose her hair. As Bayley struggles to deal with the reality of her baldness she finds herself having to make some tough decisions. Can she still play soccer? Does she even want to? More importantly, should she tell Matt? And will he still want her when she does? Becoming Bayley is the story of one girl’s journey through self-discovery, of the definition of true love, and of the realization that as a daughter of God, she is of infinite worth.

Cathy’s Review: Bayley is a 17 year-old-girl. She loves to play soccer and she’s kind of a tomboy, much to the dismay of her younger sister Fin. Fin is always trying to get Bayley to wear things like mascara and lip gloss and to do something different with her hair, but Bayley wants nothing to do with it, until she goes to soccer camp at BYU and sees the awesome BYU soccer player, Matt Macauley. When her roommates at the camp realize that she really likes Matt, they convince her that she’s going to need to look her very best to get him to look her way. They trim help her with her hair and makeup, and just when Bayley thinks that it was all for naught and he’s not going to see her anyway, he catches her on South Field. She’s not supposed to be there, but the gate was open and she thought that no one would ever know. Matt challenges her to a game of PIG and then insists on walking her home, but he doesn’t ask for her address so he can write her while he’s on his mission. Fate steps in and allows her to see his car on her way back to Wyoming, and she decides to be brave and leave her address there. Just when she thinks it must have blown away, she receives a letter from him, and is surprised to learn that he felt the same connection to her that she felt to him. Soon, however, Bayley’s life will change forever with the onset of alopecia, a disease that causes her to lose her hair. Bayley can’t see how anyone, especially Matt, will ever love her in spite of her baldness. 

I LOVED this book! Bayley was such an amazingly strong girl. I loved her at the beginning and I loved her character even more as the book progressed. I was amazed at the way that her “friends” from her high school treated her after she lost her hair. I can’t even imagine being treated the way she was. I loved Matt, his character was amazing, he was the perfect boyfriend for this book. I can’t believe how real the characters seemed to me in this one. I finished this one yesterday, but I kind of still feel like I’m in Bayley’s world, thinking about soccer and alopecia. I loved the way that Bayley relates the women with the issue of blood from the New Testament to herself and her own situation, it made me think of this familiar story in a different way than I ever have before, I love it when that happens.

Content: clean

Author Bio: I’ve always loved telling stories. My favorite is the one where I sent the wrong letter to the right missionary. We were married the next summer. I attended LDS Business College where I earned an Associate’s in Computer Technology and Brigham Young University where I should have majored in English. I live in a small town nestled in the heart of the Appalachians. When I’m not busy writing, I can be found baking cookies, going to the movies, helping with the homework or catching fireflies with my handsome husband and four adorable children.

Find out more about author Susan Auten: Goodreads/ Website/

Clean Read Review- The Shapeshifter’s Secret

29 May, 2012 by in ya fantasy 1 comment

The Shapeshifter’s Secret
by Heather Ostler
Paperback, 328 pages
Expected Publication Date June 12, 2012
by Cedar Fort
ISBN: 1462110339
Book Source: Netgalley
4 Stars
Summary from Goodreads: Julia is finally discovering what–not who–she is.


Like any sixteen-year-old, Julia’s used to dealing with problems. From her overprotective father to her absent mother to a teacher who definitely has it in for her. But everything changes when Julia’s reactions become oddly vicious and angry—more animal than human. This action-packed adventure has it all: humor, romance, and a plot that will keep you guessing to the very last page.


Cathy’s Review: Julia’s a normal 16 year old girl, or so she thinks. Her dad is really overprotective and that makes her do crazy things like sneaking out of her window at night to go to her friend’s parties. That all changes when the new boy at school hears that she’s been sneaking out. Julia thinks that he told her dad, because right away her dad installs bars on the windows of her room. Julia gets so angry at her dad, and then she feels really weird, but she’s uncertain why and her dad doesn’t seem to want to explain anything to Julia. He also doesn’t want to tell her about her mom that she’s never known, so it’s all a big surprise to Julia when she learns that she’s basically royalty from another dimension, where she’s being hunted by a group called the Guild. To escape them she must learn how to defend herself as well as how to control her Shapeshifting into a werecat. 

This book was amazing! I loved Julia and I really loved the premise behind this story. What girl doesn’t want to figure out that they really are a princess that they all have dreamed about being as a little girl. The plot was fast moving and I really enjoyed the adventure. I liked that I was unable to guess which way the plot was going to go. I did kind of wish that Julia would choose the other guy, but maybe in a second book!

Content: clean

About the author: Heather Ostler grew up near the mountains with a rambunctiously entertaining family. She majored in English at Utah Valley University, and soon began composing stories about masquerades, water nymphs, and shapeshifters. She and her husband, Kellen, reside in Highland, Utah with two remarkably pleasant pugs.

Find out more about author Heather Ostler: Goodreads/ Twitter/ Website

Women of Strength Blog Tour

26 May, 2012 by in tristi pinkston, walnut springs press, women of strength 2 comments

Women of Strength
by Tristi Pinkston
Paperback, 142 pages
Published March 2012
by Walnut Springs Press 
ISBN 1599928469
Book Source: author
5 stars
Summary from Goodreads: The need for courageous, faithful women has never been greater than it is today. As we draw nearer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, we are faced with temptations on every side. But we can prevail as we gain true strength from living the gospel. In Women of Strength, Tristi Pinkston shares inspiring stories, as well as insightful quotes from Church leaders, to demonstrate the power and influence of righteous women. This book invites women everywhere to deepen their relationship with the Savior, rely on the guidance of the Holy Ghost, and learn what it really means to be strong.
Heather’s Review: Women of Strength is  a short but power packed message every woman in our day and age should read. Tristi uses talks, quotes and personal experience to teach about the trials women face and how to maintain their role as protector of the home, nurturer and daughter of God. Her chapters speak to whatever station of life women find themselves in- whether married,  single, or divorced. And her voice is down to earth with an added touch of humor at times. I found the writing smooth and easy to relate to. For me, it was a message so needed and well thought out by a wise author who is trying to help women to w find their place here they can thrive. She invites us to “take a stand” to face challenges head on and guard our castle against those who would hurt our children and spouses.
I highly recommend Women of Strength as a clean, uplifting non fiction read. Tristi is so talented and I’d gladly give her book as a gift to the women around me.
Author Bio: I’m an LDS historical/contemporary fiction author, stay at home mom, homeschooler, freelance editor, and media reviewer. I love to read, I love to share my thoughts on what I’ve read, so GoodReads is pretty much right up my alley. I appreciate recommendations for clean reads and seek friendships with people who enjoy reading the types of things I also enjoy reading.

Book Review- Suffocate by S.R. Johannes

25 May, 2012 by in S.R Johannes, suffocate Leave a comment

Suffocate 
by S.R Johannes
E-Book, 30 pages
Publication Date: May 21st 2012
by Coleman & Stott
Book Source: publisher
5 Stars 
Summary from Goodreads:  Suffocate is the first novelette in THE BREATHLESS series. It is a 15,000 word young adult thriller that combines the dystopic and science fiction genres.

For centuries, the world outside the Biome has been unlivable. Today, marks the first time anyone will attempt to leave the suffocating ecosphere. Eria is not worried because her scientist father has successfully tested the new Bio-Suit many times. It’s a celebratory day until something goes horribly wrong. In the midst of tragedy, Eria uncovers a deep conspiracy that affects the very air she breathes.

If those responsible find out what she knows, they won’t stop hunting her until she takes her last breath.

Crystal’s Review: I first fell in love with S.R Johannes writing style after reading her book Untraceable. I was very excited to read her newest piece of work Suffocate. The book was very short, however the author managed to pack a lot of excitement into this short story. She quickly captured my interest with her description of the current condition of the world and the ecosphere where people now live. The main character Eria, she is a unique character and by the end I felt like I had connected with her character, I knew I was going to want to know what happens with her and be excited to read the next novelette. I was so pleasantly surprised by how many twist and turns the author was able to fit into this story. She revealed enough to get the reader interested while leaving enough unkown to make the reader hungry to read the next part of the story. I did guess the reasoning behind the accident fairly quickly after starting the book having read the goodreads description however I did not feel like that took away from the book as I still wanted to see what Eria would do. The twist at the end is a big one that I would have never guessed. I cannot wait to read the next part of the story and I urge you to get a copy of Suffocate from amazon, you can read it within an hour or so and I promise you will not be disappointed!
Content: Some scenes of violence and death.

Crystal
About the Author: When Shelli was younger, she spent all her time outdoors, hiking, camping and living the Girl Scout Way.

Somewhere along the way, she got away from nature and earned an MBA in Marketing, kicking off an 18-year marketing career in Corporate America.

Eventually, Shelli traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She started her own marketing & communications business where she worked with Spanx, Goody Hair Products, Chick Filet, and the Boys & Girls Club of America.

In addition to juggling nap schedules and client meetings, Shelli focuses on her writing. She is a frequent speaker on marketing and book publicity at SCBWI conferences across the U.S, and runs a popular book marketing blog, Market My Words


In her spare time (yeah right!) and if the kids allow (yeah right!), Shelli obsesses over movies, reads children’s books (over and over), and still dreams of sleeping in on the weekends. But most importantly, she is finally getting back to her roots by running her own Girl Scout Troop in Atlanta, helping girls get back to nature.

She currently lives in Atlanta with her dog (Charley), British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess that someday will change the world.

You can purchase Suffocate for only 99 cents at
Amazon –

Surrender Blog Tour

24 May, 2012 by in posession, simon schuster, surrender 7 comments

Fire and Ice is today’s stop on the official blog tour for
Surrender
Possession #2
By Elana Johnson
Published by Simon Teen
To Be Released on: June 5th, 2012

Summary From Goodreads: Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control…
Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.
All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn. Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque… –
Possession, book one of the series was one of Fire and Ice’s favorite books of 2011 and book two woke me up out of a book rut with its new, fresh characters Gunn and Raine. Elana take readers on a wild ride through the dystopian society that forces citizens to control or be controlled. I was hoioked from page one and would highly recommend this series to fans of Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series. Surrender is sure to make it on our 2012 list of five star favorite reads for teens.

As part of the tour we have a chance for reader to take a peek at the first three chapter of Surrender plus an ARC giveaway
Read the first two chapters of Surrender on Elana’s Facebook page and Fire and Ice has an exclusive look at

Contest for the SURRENDER ARC Giveaway, Week of May 21

Pre-release blog tour badge

So this week, as part of the pre-release tour of awesome, you have the chance to win an ARC of SURRENDER before it releases on June 5. And not just one chance. FIVE CHANCES.

That’s right! There are FIVE (5!) ARCs available to win this week. Here’s what you can do to win one.

1) Comment on each of the pre-release blog posts this week. (1 entry for each comment)

2) Tweet about the giveaway.

3) Purchase the POSSESSION paperback (10 entries – no purchase necessary to enter)

4) Purchase REGRET (5 entries – no purchase necessary to enter)

5) Put the SURRENDER blog tour badge on your blog (3 entries)

Please fill out the Rafflecopter entry widget with what you’ve done. This contest ends at midnight on Friday, May 25, is open in the US and Canada, and winners will be notified over the weekend. Good luck!
Click here for full details and schedule.