Banana Split Blog Tour and Review

13 Apr, 2012 by in Shadow Mountain 5 comments

Fire and Ice is thrilled to be today’s stop on the official blog tour for:
Banana Split: A Culinary Mystery
by Josie S Kilpack
Published February 1,2012
by Shadow Mountain
Paperback, 368 pages
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 stars

Book Summary: Sadie Hoffmiller has survived eighteen months of nonstop adventures filled with murder, deceit, and danger. She could really use some rest—and maybe even some time to heal—relaxing in the tropical paradise of Kaua’i. However, palm trees and sunshine are not as effective a medication as Sadie had hoped. And when she finds herself entangled—literally—with a dead body, she is forced to face the compounding fears and anxieties that are making her life so difficult to live.

Her determination to stay out of danger and to focus on overcoming her anxieties soon takes a backseat when she meets eleven-year-old Charlie, the son of the woman whose body she discovered near Anahola Beach. Charlies has some questions of his own about what happened to his mother, and he is convinced that only Sadie can help him. If only Sadie were as confident in her abilities as Charlie is.

With the help of her best friend and a local social worker, Sadie dives into another mystery with the hope that, at the end, she’ll be able to find the peace and closure that has eluded her. 
I have long been a fan of the Culinary Mystery series by Josi S. Kilpack. Sadie Hoffmiller is a fabulous heroine. She is the quintessential nosy neighbor, yet she makes you love her from page one. Sure, she has to know everything that is going on around her, and that often gets her in trouble. But, Sadie truly cares about her friends and family. 
Banana Split did not disappoint. It begins in tropical Hawaii, with an overstressed Sadie, trying to gain a little inner peace. Unfortunately, peace was in short supply, but she does discover the dead body of a missing local woman. When the woman’s now orphaned son asks Sadie for help, how can she say no? Sadie, being the busybody that she is, gets mixed up in more than she realizes when she tries to help find the cause of this young woman’s death. 

Both the prose and the delicious sounding recipes will be sure to delight. This cozy mystery has many twists and turns that kept me wondering “who dunnit” clear up to the final chapters. 
Content: Clean. There is discussion of drug use and possibly extra-marital affairs, but never in a way that condones the activity.
About the Author (from Author’s website):
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. Her most recent book, Blackberry Crumble, is the fifth book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, four children, one dog, and varying number of chickens. Visit Josi on her website.
 

YA Book Review- Revived

12 Apr, 2012 by in revived 2 comments

Revived
by Cat Patrick
Kindle Edition, 218 pages
Expected Publication Date: May 8th 2012
ASIN B005UK9SXU
Book Source: publisher
5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads: As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger — and more sinister — than she ever imagined

Crystal’s Review: I just finished this book and I am not even sure how to start this review. My mind is still spinning from everything that happened in the book. I can say this, I loved this book! After reading the description I was immediately intrigued. Revived did not disappoint. The story was well paced and exciting right from the start. However there is much more to this book than just a super secret government program. The connections between the main characters in this book felt strong and real to me. I felt in-sync with Daisy as she began to really understand death from a different perspective. It is hard to describe how engrossed I was in this book without giving away important plot points. I guess the best way to put it is I felt like I was going through the book with the main character. I felt excited when she felt excited and sad when she was sad. As she begins to unravel the answers to her questions I found myself continuously shocked. During one of the last chapters when a big twist is reviled I literally sat here with my mouth open. This book kept me interested until the end, I was intrigued by the government program, swept away by the romance and touched by the friendship that develops in the book. You definitely do not want to miss this book! Pre-order Revived now or rush to your local book store when it comes out.

Content: One scene of underage drinking, brief sexual situation.

Crystal


Cat Patrick is an author of books for teens. Her debut novel, FORGOTTEN (available now), is about a girl who can remember the future instead of the past, and was praised by NYT bestselling author of Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher, as a “mindbending,” one-sitting read. The book is being translated into 21 languages and Paramount bought the movie rights, with True Grit’s Hailee Steinfeld attached to star as the main character, London Lane.

Patrick’s second (unrelated) novel, REVIVED, is about a girl who’s part of a secret government program to test a drug that brings people back from the dead. REVIVED will be available in the US May 2012, and in the UK and Australia Summer 2012.

Patrick lives near Seattle with her husband and twin 3-year-olds, and is afraid of zombies, planes, and zombies on planes.

Visit the author’s website/ facebook/ twitter


Autism Awareness Giveaway Hop

11 Apr, 2012 by in Uncategorized 18 comments

Fire and Ice is pleased to once again be a host of the Annual
Autism Awareness Giveaway Hop
from April 11th to 17th
Hosted by:
Lindsay @ Just Another Book Addict
Heather @ Fire and Ice
Pixie @ Page Turners
April is Autism Awareness Month. To help spread the word about Autism we are hosting a giveaway hop.
Each participating blog is hosting a giveaway. You will find lots of variety among the prizes. Some of the blogs are giving away prizes that relate to autism, other blogs are giving away gift cards or other prizes and posting information about autism to help make others aware.
We realize the causes and treatment of autism can bring controversy. The point of this giveaway hop is simply to make people more aware about the subject by sharing information and experiences.

Currently 1 in 88 children in the Unites States is diagnosed with autism according to the Centers for Disease Control Prevention, 1 in 54 boys. In my home state the statistics are staggering, One out of every 47 Utah children have been identified as having an autism spectrum disorder, the highest rate in the country, according to new data released by the CDC. I have two children on the autism spectrum and my goal is to reach out to other parents to make them aware that there is hope.

You can see our story at http://www.parentingpartner.blogspot.com/.

Our giveaway: I have included books that include an autism spectrum character or are resources for children, teens and adults here. We are giving away one book of your choice up to $15 from the list to Fire and Ice readers.

To enter our giveaway fill out this form. Good luck 🙂

For More Information about Autism check these sites:

http://autism-resources.com/

And be sure to check out the over 75 other blogs in the linky for more giveaways!

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Shayla Witherwood: A Half Faerie Tale Blog Tour

10 Apr, 2012 by in Tamra Torero, young adult fiction 2 comments

Fire and Ice is today’s stop on the official blog tour for
Shayla Witherwood: A Half Faerie Tale
by Tamra Torero
Hardcover, 312 pages
Expected publication date: May 8, 2012
by Cedar Fort
ISBN: 1599559633
Book Source: Netgalley
4.5 Stars
Summary: A brief moment of disappointment washed over me as I approached Jace’s lifeless body. Here I was, about to kiss a boy on the lips for the very first time, and he was completely comatose—possibly paralyzed—and would never even know or remember the experience. This was not how I’d envisioned my first kiss—me invisible, him unconscious. 

Shayla Witherwood is not exactly normal. First of all, she’s spent her entire life being homeschooled, traveling in an RV around the country with her grandparents. And second, there’s the kind of inescapable fact that her mom was a genuine faerie. 



But now that she’s starting a real life in a regular high school, Shayla desperately needs to stay out of trouble in both worlds because even her faerie powers might not be enough to protect her from what’s coming. 


In her latest novel, Tamra Torero spins a magical tale filled with laugh-out-loud sarcasm, surprising twists, and spell-binding romance. Perfect for fairytale fans of all ages, this is one story you won’t want to miss!

Cathy’s Review: Shayla Witherwood is just a normal high school girl…okay not really! She’s a half-faerie, she’s been home-schooled for her whole school career by grandparents that she traveled the country with in an RV named Brutus. But now her grandfather has died, so her grandmother decides that it’s time to settle down in a small town and it’s time for Shayla to go to school in the public high school. This doesn’t sound like a wonderful plan to Shayla, and her first day finds her wanting to use her faerie powers to turn herself invisible so that none of the other kids see her, but Grandma has firmly told her that using her powers around others is against the rules. But will Shayla be able to keep her new friends from realizing that she’s a half-faerie? I was excited to read this book, because I really loved her Molly Mormon? series a few years ago. This was a fun story to read, and the characters were fun. Shayla gets herself into some pretty crazy situations when she uses her faerie powers to do things like turning invisible or changing her ears. I liked the ending and how Shayla figured out a bunch of stuff about herself and also her parents and extended family that she had never known. 
Content: Really nothing offensive, clean




About the Author: Tamra Torero fills her life with all things sweet from her nine children and two grandsons, to her husband, Paco. By day she creates sweet things to eat as a bakery manager, and by night she creates sweet stories (which all-too often require “brain food,” a.k.a. Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate). She enjoys reading in the bathtub, watching movies in bed, and dancing in the kitchen. She is the author of seven novels for children and teens.
Find out more on her website/ Goodreads


Book Review- Untraceable

09 Apr, 2012 by in Uncategorized 3 comments

Untraceable
by S.R. Johannes
Kindle Edition, 315 pages
Publication Date: November 29th 2011
by Coleman & Stott
ASIN B0069Z9A74
Book Source: publisher
5 Stars
Book summary from Amazon:
Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival.
When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.
One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father.
Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.
Crystal’s Review: Wow! I sit here in awe after finishing Untraceable. This is by far one of the best books I have read lately. I love a strong female heroine and Grace fits perfectly into that title. The books starts 3 months after her father, a forest ranger, goes missing during a routine patrol. Everyone in town easily accepts the possibility that he drowned while on patrol. Grace seems to be the only person who has not given him up for dead and refuses to stop looking for him until she finds him or finds out what really happened to him. There are so many twists and turns in this book it is hard to keep up. That is one of the things that makes it so great. Every time I thought I had it all figured out something else would happen that would make me rethink my assumption. This story definitely tugged at my heartstrings as I found both Grace and Mo easy to relate to. The world building was marvelous and really helped me to picture some of the perilous situations Grace was in. Every page I read I was hoping to get answers and I was unable to put the book down until the very end. I devoured this book in two days and I will be eagerly awaiting the second book in the series! What are you waiting for?! Go get this book!
Content: Very minor swearing ,Sexual tension, Violence
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, www.bilaninc.com, 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.

Find the author on her :EmailBlog/ Twitter/ Author Facebook/ Author Goodreads/
Read Untraceable now for 2.99
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Harper Collins News and Contests

06 Apr, 2012 by in story crush, veronica roth Leave a comment

HarperTeen has some amazing things going on in the month of April that you will NOT want to miss out on!

If you are waiting on pins and needles for INSURGENT by Veronica Roth
April 2nd was THE CHOOSING CEREMONY. Check these 5 blogs to find out who the faction leaders are:
Divergent Fans— Dauntless
Divergent Examiner— Abnegation
Divergent Lexicon— Amity
The Story Siren— Candor
Bookalicious— Erudite
Each faction has set up its own news stream—which one will you follow?
CHOOSE WISELY. One choice can destroy you.
Then head on over and watch for some awesome grab bag giveaways every Friday on the Epic Reads and Story Crush facebook pages.

and there lots of HarperTeen books up for grabs on Goodreads

THE WHISPERING HO– USE March 13th  – April 22nd
INVISIBLE SUN March 13th – April 22nd
THROUGH TO YOU March 12th – August 24th
TEN March 12th – August 10th
THE OTHER NORMALS March 12th – August 24th
A MIDSUMMER TIGHT’S DREAM April 26 – May 26th
DARKNESS BEFORE DAWN March 29 – April 29th
THE LOST CODE – March 1 – April 22nd
A WANT SO WICKED March 1 – May 11th
THE LOST GIRL February 20 – July 27th
DEFIANCE February 20th – July 27th

Good luck and happy reading!