Posts Tagged: braden bell

Luminescence by Braden Bell- Blog Tour Sign Ups

27 Jan, 2014 by in blog tour Leave a comment

Luminscense_blog_tour

Fire and Ice is thrilled to announce and host the blog tour for

LuminescenceLuminescence

by Braden Bell
Paperback, 320 pages
Expected publication: March 11th 2014
by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media
ISBN 1462114059

Summary

“He’s alive!” she yelled. “He’s alive!”
As Lexa spoke the words, she knew they were true. She knew with total certainty.
“Dr. Timberi’s alive!”

When Lady Nightwing kidnapped Dr. Timberi, everyone assumed their teacher had been killed. So when Lexa discovers that he isn’t dead, Conner can’t believe his ears.

Determined to rescue their favorite teacher, Conner, Lexa, and Melanie confront their worst fears and use their powers in unexpected ways to defeat Lady Nightshade, the treacherous Darkhand leader. But when the trio makes a terrible choice to save Dr. Timberi, their powers may not be enough to keep everyone alive. A thrilling conclusion to the Middle School Magic series!

Your favorite characters return in this satisfying conclusion of the Middle School Magic series! Filled with plenty of twists, humor, and adventure, Luminescence will keep you guessing until the last page.

Study hall? Definitely. Substitute Teachers? Absolutely. Rescuing people from brutal villains? Bring it on!

Goodreads*Amazon

About the AuthorBraden_Bell

During his middle school years, Braden Bell was the least-stable, lowest-achieving student in the history of the world. He shocked every former teacher by graduating from high school and college, and then going on to earn both a Master’s degree as well as a Ph.D. A teacher by day and a parent by night, he is around teenagers 24/7. He teaches music and directs plays at a private school, much like Marion Academy in The Middle School Magic series. Whether he fights evil after hours is something he cannot disclose.

Braden Bell holds degrees in theatre from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. from NYU. A committed educator, he has been directing plays and teaching school now for over twenty years. Braden lives with his family on a quiet, tree-lined lot outside of Nashville, TN, where he teaches theatre and choir at a middle school. The author of The Road Show, The Kindling, and Penumbras.

Lean More on his website* twitter* facebook* goodreads* publisher

Participants in the Luminescence blog tour will be  allowed one entry for their site in the rafflecopter for a $25 Amazon giftcard or Paypal cash.

Click here to sign up.

 

Penumbras by Braden Bell- Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

23 Jul, 2013 by in Penumbras, review 2 comments

Fire and Ice is thrilled to be today’s blog tour stop for Braden Bell’s Penumbras, sequel to The Kindling.

Penumbras 
Middle School Magic #2
by Braden Bell
Paperback, 304 pages
Published July 9, 2013
by Sweetwater Books
ISBN 146211220X
Genre: Fantasy
Age: Middle Grade
Book Source: Author
4 Stars

Book Summary: Conner Dell didn’t meant to blow up the school bus.

Or the bathrooms.

In fact, he only wanted to go to sleep and possibly dream about Melanie Stephens.

But explosions had a funny way of happening when Conner and his friends were around.


Conner Dell wants to be good–he really does. But he is terrified that he might be turning into a Darkhand, especially when new powers start to surface. What’s worse, the Stalker is following Conner, but no one else seems to be able to see him. The Magi think he might be hallucinating, the guilt of what happened in the Shadowbox keeps weighing on him, and his relationship with Melanie Stephens is complicating things. Even for a Magi, Conner knows his life is anything but normal. 

Review: It’s been quite a while since I read book one, The Kindling, but if there’s one thing this series has, it’s “stick-to-it-iveness.” The characters and plot are well crafted and so unique I was able to pick right back up with book two and remember what was going on. It’s also a book that once you put it down it stays with you. 

Conner and his twin sister Lexa are right in the midst of a battle between light and dark, good and evil, but this time around there is a blurring of the lines– shades of gray that are being fought on a personal battlefield deep within the soul. The team of brother  & sister, plus their sidekicks,  Pilaf and Melanie must retreat to Mockingbird Cottage ( don’t you love the name) to train a little harder and protect themselves from the shadows and dark hand forces which seek to destroy them from the inside out. 

Somewhere along the way Conner and Melanie begin to develop feelings for each other and the sweet middle school magic of first love starts to soar. Lexa won’t have it–she begins to feel jealous, like a third wheel and we really see her drama queen side start to come out. She is real, someone you can picture walking right out of your middle school cliques of friends, always thinking the world must revolved around her next starring role. And Pilaf…what can we say? I’m pretty sure he’s somewhere on the autism spectrum, as he is brilliant but admits he can’t read facial clues or nuances in social interactions. Thank you to Braden for painting imperfect people who are dealing with those trials and character flaws we all experience. 

What I loved is that this is a book that explores the trauma related to abuse in a easy to swallow yet understandable way for children. Conner is much more that he things he is–he has divine heritage and the supernatural assistance of workers of light to assist him in fighting those that work against him. While he is facing deep inner conflicts as a result of his time with Lady Nightwing, the evil mastermind of darkness, he also has the aid of light to help heal his soul. There is so much more than magic going on in this book!

Contentwise there was a little too much action for me in the ending scenes (the series really needs to be made into a movie…it would be awesome) and some moderate violence involving a knife and other weapons. But, I think it’s one your middle school children will enjoy.

I recommend it for ages 12 and up as well as adults.

There is much about Penumbras that I will never forget! Wonderful world building, colorful characters, rich descriptions and tons of action. Great job Braden!


EXCERPT:
CHAPTER ONE
SHADOW PUPPETS

Conner Dell didn’t mean to blow up the school bus.
Or the bathrooms.
In fact, he only wanted to go to sleep and possibly dream about Melanie Stephens.
But explosions had a funny way of happening when Conner and his friends were around.
It all started on the annual seventh grade science trip to the Sea Lab at Dauphin Island, Alabama. Fifty-four thirteen-year-olds on a five-day field trip. What could go wrong?
Especially when three of them happened to be Magi.
#
For a fraction of a second, Conner thought he saw shadows slithering along the base of the cinderblock walls. Tensing, he blinked and looked again.
Nothing. He was alone in the darkness of his dorm room.
Well, except for his friend and fieldtrip roommate, Pilaf.
Across the room, Pilaf disturbed the darkness by turning his flashlight on and digging through a giant floral print suitcase. Fishing a book out, Pilaf hunched over, tucked the flashlight under his chin, and read.
“What are you reading?” Conner asked.
“Sorry. Did I wake you up?” Pilaf squeaked. “I couldn’t sleep. I guess I slept too much on the bus.”
“No worries.” Conner burrowed into his sleeping bag. He didn’t like messing with sheets on these trips. The springs of the ancient bed creaked beneath him. “I’m not sleepy either.” Lexa? Can you hear me? Conner reached out in his thoughts, wondering if his twin sister was awake in her room on the girls’s floor. Head-talking was a cool benefit of being one of the Magi—a secret group of warriors who used the power of Light to battle evil.
No answer from Lexa. Her allergy medicine must have knocked her out.
Melanie? He tried Lexa’s best friend, Melanie Stephens—also one of the Magi-in-training. Conner listened for her response, trying to ignore the backflip in his chest that came when he thought of her. No answer. Melanie had taken something for motion sickness on the bus. She must be knocked out too.
Conner jerked up as something skittered across the ceiling right above him. No doubt this time. He grabbed his own flashlight, raking the beam across the ceiling tiles as someone whispered his name.
Coooonnerrrrrr.
“What?” Conner pointed his flashlight at Pilaf, who looked up from his book, blinking behind his thick glasses. Pilaf’s blinks always reminded Conner of the way a light on a computer blinked when it processed data.
“What?” Pilaf squinted back at him.
“Why did you call me?” Conner asked.
“I didn’t.” Pilaf looked down at his book.
On edge now, Conner lay back down, scanning the room for more shadowy movement, his fingers ready to snap his flashlight back on at any second.
Co-n-n-e-r-r-r-r-r-r D-e-l-l-l-l-l.
A whispered, hissing sort of growl sounded in his head as a flicker of movement caught his eye. He whipped his head around in time to see a shadowy tail vanish under Pilaf’s bed. Flipping his flashlight on, he investigated the space under the metal frame.
Nothing there.
“What are you doing, Conner?” Pilaf managed to blink and stare at the same time.
Trying to protect you from slithery shadow monsters that could slurp your soul like a slushie, Conner thought. How could he keep the flashlight on without alarming Pilaf? Out loud, he said, “Uh, it’s a game. Flashlight tag. You’re it.” He shined the flashlight at Pilaf.
“How do you play?”
“Well . . . one person’s it and he shines a flashlight all over the room.”
“That’s all?” Pilaf blinked until Conner wondered if he was broadcasting the telephone book in Morse code. “It seems kind of pointless.”
“Uh, yeah.” Conner said. “You’re right. Lame. How about shadow puppets?” He slipped his hand in front of the flashlight, wiggling his fingers until the shadow resembled a horse.
“Cool!” Pilaf shouted.
A knock at the door interrupted them and a tired-looking science teacher poked his head in, glaring beneath tousled red hair. “What’s going on in here?”
“Sorry, Mr. Keller,” Pilaf said. “We slept on the bus ride, so we’re not tired. Conner’s making shadows with his hands. Look, a horse!”
“Neeeiiiiggghhh.” Conner threw in sound effects as a special feature.
Apparently unimpressed with great art, Mr. Keller frowned. “Get some sleep. We have a full day tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.” Conner swallowed his depression at the thought of a five-day science class. Five days of plankton, ocean salinity, salt marshes, and beach ecology. Five days of science, 24/7. At least they were close to the beach. That might be fun.
“Do another one,” Pilaf whispered as the sound of Mr. Keller’s footsteps retreated down the hall.
“Okay, but be quiet this time.” Conner opened his fingers, making a snake’s mouth, complete with a flickering tongue.
It seemed so real that Conner thought he heard a hiss. Unsettled, he dropped his hands, but the hissing noise continued, twisting into words.
Co-n-n-e-r-r-r-r-r-r D-e-l-l-l-l-l—
Trying to squash the sound, Conner raised his voice. “Here’s another one.” He cupped his hands on top of each other, stuck his thumb up, and opened his fingers slightly.
“Wow!” Pilaf yelled. “A wolf!” He giggled as Conner opened the mouth and growled. “Little pig, little pig let me come in.” Conner prayed that none of the other seventh-grade boys heard he’d been doing Three Little Pigs shadow plays. That would not be cool.
Co-n-n-e-r-r-r-r-r-r D-e-l-l-l-l-l—
The weird voice came louder. Conner dropped his hands away from the flashlight.
The wolf head stayed there.
Fighting panic, Conner switched the flashlight off, but the wolf head remained, darker than the darkest shadows on the wall.
It stretched and grew bigger, becoming life-sized within seconds. It turned and stared at Conner, a three-dimensional head sticking out of the wall like some kind of freaky hunting souvenir.
The wolf growled, then jumped off the wall, and sailed across the room toward Conner.


Author Bio: Braden Bell grew up in Farmington, Utah and graduated from Davis High School. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theatre from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. in educational theatre from New York University. He and his wife, Meredith live  with their five children on a quiet, wooded lot outside of Nashville, Tennessee, where he teaches theatre and music at a private school. An experienced performer, Braden enjoys singing, acting, reading, gardening, and long walks with the dog. 

Find out more on the Penumbras WebsiteAuthor Facebook/ Blog and Twitter
Purchase links: Braden’s website / Amazon / Barnes and Noble
Note: He will be selling both Penumbras and The Kindling through my website for a steep discount–$9.99 (plus s/h) 

The Giveaway: In connection to the Penumbras Blog Tour, author Braden Bell is giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card. To enter, fill out the rafflecopter form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Kindling Book Preview and Giveaway

05 Jul, 2012 by in middle grade books 7 comments

The Kindling
by Braden Bell
Paperback, 304 pages
Expected Publication Date: July 10, 2012
by Cedar Fort, Inc
ISBN: 9781462110278
Book Source: Publisher
5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads: All thirteen-year-old Conner Dell wants to do is pass pre-algebra, play lacrosse, and possibly kiss Melanie Stephens. He didn’t mean to set anyone’s gym shorts on fire or make school lunches explode. But now that the strange powers inside him have been ignited, Conner’s normal teenage life is about to go up in flames! 

This fast-paced novel is non-stop fun for kids and parents alike. With characters you can’t help but root for, a plot that keeps you guessing, and plenty of humor, it’s a guaranteed thrill ride from cover to cover!
Cathy’s Review: Thirteen-year-olds, Conner and Lexa Dell and their friend Melanie Stephens thought that they were normal teenagers, then strange things started happening. Things like middle school bullies pants starting on fire in the middle of gym class and the lights flickering on and off when they are upset or excited. These things seemed a little strange, but then Conner, Lexa and Melanie started noticing other things. There was a huge storm one night and Lexa and Melanie saw a strange man dressed in black, but no one else seemed to and that man in black seemed to have killed all the dogs in the neighborhood…at exactly the same time. Then there are their teachers at school, one of them is always around, even for things like trips to the office for a band-aid or to the bathroom. Weird! Then one day, everything seems to go wrong, each of the three friends earn 7 demerits in one day and all receive detention, which makes their parents furious. None of the three want to attend detention, so they decide to make a run for it and ditch detention…really bad plan. As they are trying to ditch detention in two different places, the kids are attacked by more people dressed in black, luckily they are being pursued by their teachers and the teachers are able to protect them. But they quickly learn that they have “Kindled” they are Magi, able to use light to fight darkness, but they’re only kids. How can they be normal kids and also Magi?

This book was amazing. I loved the engaging plot. I wanted to find out just what was going to happen next and the plot kept me guessing too. I enjoyed the characters, they seemed real to me, and I cared about what happened to them. I love this book, I think that this book will be an amazing book for kids to read, I can’t wait to read more of this series!

Content: Clean

About the author: Braden Bell earned  a Ph.D. in educational theatre from New York University. He and his family live on a quiet, wooded lot in Tennessee, where he teaches theatre and music at a private middle school–the world described in The Kindling (whether his evenings and weekends are spent fighting evil is something he cannot disclose). An experienced performer, Braden enjoys singing, acting, reading, gardening,  and long walks with the dog. 
Learn more about author Braden Bell: Goodreads/ facebook/ Website 
Click here to view the book trailers and here to get a special price on The Kindling at 9.99
The Giveaway: Fire and Ice is giving away one copy of The Kindling by Braden Bell courtesy of the author and publisher, Cedar Fort Books. Entries are optional, choose your options below in the rafflecopter form and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

InterrobangYA Video- Heather Talks May & Summer 2012 Releases

28 Apr, 2012 by in Shadow Mountain, vlog Leave a comment

Heather talks on the InterrobangYA channel about books coming out Tuesday May 1, 2012 as well as a few more upcoming titles for summer 2012.
Featured titles are Surrender by Elana Johnson (Simon Pulse), Black Dawn by Rachel Caine (Penguin), Journey to the Fringe: Stone Mage Wars Book One by Kelli Swofford Nielsen (Shadow Mountain), Middle School Magic: The Kindling by Braden Bell (Cedar Fort), Laughing with the Moon by Shana Burg (Delcorte), Silence: Book One of the Queen of the Dead by Michele Sagara ( Daw), and A Tale of the Dragon’s Bard: Eventide by Tracy & Laura Hickman (Shadow Mountain).

Review: The Road Show By Braden Bell

25 Oct, 2010 by in road show, utah authors 20 comments

Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc
Released : June 8, 2010
ISBN-10: 1599553562
5 stars

Scott Jenson hates everything he knows about road shows: cheap costumes, silly songs, and bad acting. Being asked to create a road show is his worst nightmare come true. Can flawed but talented artist create a piece of art that testifies of Jesus Christ? And is there any way that something so trivial can have a healing effect on the lives of five troubled souls? A pornography addict, a depressed young mother, a sick older woman, a lonely outcast, and a spiritually numb elder s quorum president are about to find out. Braden Bell gives a five-star performance with Road Show: Beauty for Ashes. With true-to-life characters, humorous situations, and tender realizations, this book is guaranteed to make you smile and applaud for more. The Road Show is the powerful story of five broken souls, contemporary Mormons struggling with familiar challenges–and their unlikely journey to ultimate healing and hope through the Savior’s Atonement.

This is one of those books I never would have picked up off of the shelves based on the title alone because I have to admit I’m not a big fan of roadshows. However, it is a far cry from corny or poorly written. The Roadshow introduces us to the lives of five contemporary LDS people and the trials they are dealing with: physical, emotional, and spiritual crosses that feel too heavy to bear.

I was impressed to see how Braden Bells tackles issues that many modern day Mormon people face but won’t publicly admit. Each character reveals their honest feelings through thoughts written in differing fonts through the book’s dialogue. Readers feel they are getting to know the true individuals behind the outer masks they wear.

As the plot progresses each character starts to change and more hopeful loving thoughts are whispered into their hearts. They experience a modern day miracle through their own works, after acting in a simple play portraying scenes from the Savior’s life.

I found myself in tears by the end of the book as a glimmer of absolute hope and peace was offered to those who sought answers. The Road Show teaches that miracles exist today and the atonement is accessible to any who reaches out and prays for help. It is beautifully written, short and concise with universal truths and artistic creativity. Thank you so much to Braden Bell and Cedar Fort Books for sending me a copy for review. To learn more about the author and view a trailer for the Road Show visit his website at http://www.bradenbell.com/

Comment below for your chance to win The Roadshow. Giveaway ends November 25, 2010.