The Brass Giant ~ Review with Giveaway

The Brass Giant
A Chroniker City Story
By Brooke Johnson

Petra Wade wants to be a engineer with the Guild.  But she is a girl and as such is not allowed to enter the Guild.  But Petra knows that she belongs in the Guild, she feels it in her very being.  If only she could convince the members of the Guild that she has the skills needed to earn her a place within its walls.

But Petra doesn't know who she is, she's one of the victims of the Guild fire, she lost her family and her heritage.  Her days are spent working as a shop girl cleaning and tinkering with damaged clocks and similar small machines.

But when she sees a young engineer showing off his automaton, she can't help pointing out its flaws.  Her knowledge and critique convince Emmerich Goss that he needs Petra's assistance if he is to perfect his automaton within the time frame he has been given.

But accepting Emmerich's offered chance will put them both in danger.  And if caught the charge is treason with a possible sentence of execution.  But something about Emmerich and the chance to create an automaton is worth the risk.  

More than her life is at stake if she's not careful, she could lose her heart.

But there is a faction that is determined to change the world forever and Petra's work with Emmerich is about to become the catalyst that will decide the fate of the world.  Who can be trusted?  And who is manipulating the Guild?  Discovering the truth may be Petra and Emmerich's only hope.

The Brass Giant is an exciting and entertaining story.  Fans of Steampunk, Romance, Alternate Histories, Mysteries, or just Fiction in general will find much to love in this book.

I was provided a digital loan of this book in exchange for my honest review, but I enjoyed this book so much I purchased a copy so that I could read it again at a later date.  I, for one, hope to read more Chroniker City stories in the not too distant future.

Title: The Brass Giant
Author: Brooke Johnson
Publisher: Harper Voyage Impulse
Genre: Steampunk
Format: Kindle

Sometimes, even the most unlikely person can change the world

Seventeen-year-old Petra Wade, self-taught clockwork engineer, wants nothing more than to
become a certified member of the Guild, an impossible dream for a lowly shop girl. Still, she
refuses to give up, tinkering with any machine she can get her hands on, in between working and
babysitting her foster siblings.

When Emmerich Goss–handsome, privileged, and newly recruited into the Guild–needs help
designing a new clockwork system for a top-secret automaton, it seems Petra has finally found
the opportunity she’s been waiting for. But if her involvement on  the project is discovered,
Emmerich will be marked for treason, and a far more dire fate would await Petra.

Working together in secret, they build the clockwork giant, but as the deadline for its completion
nears, Petra discovers a sinister conspiracy from within the Guild council … and their automaton
is just the beginning.

To Purchase The Brass Giant:

Amazon

BN.com

 Goodreads

EXCERPT

A machine is more than its function, more than the parts that shape it. 
The gears, pinions, and springs, they make the machine tick, but deeper 
than that—beyond the spindles and bearings, beyond the weights and 
levers—a machine is truth. 

—Lady Chroniker

About the Author:

Brooke is a stay-at-home mom, amateur seamstress, RPG enthusiast, and art hobbyist, in 

addition to all that book writing. As the jack-of-all-trades bard of the family, she adventures through life with her fiercely-bearded paladin of a husband, their daughter the sticky-fingered rogue, and their cowardly wizard of a dog, with only a sleep spell in his spellbook.                                                                                                                                                                                                   They currently reside in Northwest Arkansas, but once they earn enough loot and experience, they’ll build a proper castle somewhere and defend against all manner of dragons and goblins, and whatever else dares take them on.

For More Information

Visit Brooke at her website

Connect with her online at the following:

Brooke and Harper Voyage Impulse are  giving away a $25 Gift Card!

Terms and Conditions:
* By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
* One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift                                                             Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
* This giveaway begins April 27 and ends on May 15.
* Winners will be contacted via email on May 17.
* Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

RAFFLECOPTER

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The Queen of Sparta ~ Review

The Queen of Sparta
By T. S. Chaudhry

What if?  What if the Greek resistance against Persia and her invasion of Greece was strategized by Queen Gorgo by Sparta.
The Queen of Sparta is historical fiction set in a time of war.  This is not a dry, boring reading experience, but rather an intriguing and engrossing story.

But when the imminent threat of Persia is ended with Greece's victory the Greek states and her people begin to turn on one another.  And then there is the matter of Greeks who collaborated with the Persians.

Prince Sherzada, who was Scythian, fought with the Persians and taken as a prisoner by the Spartans.  He provided much insight into the Persians and their mindset following their defeat.  His intelligence and wit seem to be well matched with Queen Gorgo.  But this prince, this Scythian is unusual in that he believes in one God.

As Sparta begins to unravel within as petty bickering threats the state's stability, Gorgo is left with a choice.  Should she stay and fight to save Sparta from itself or leave behind the life, the world, she has always known to save the life of her son and her own?

What follows is an exciting and interesting story based on what if.   This is the story that was shared years later with Alexander the Great during his campaign to conquer the world.

I was provided a copy of this book through PUYB in exchange for my honest review and tour participation.


About the Author

T. S. Chaudhry was born in Karachi, Pakistan. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, a master’s degree from Harvard University, and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. Formerly a Pakistani diplomat, Chaudhry currently works for
the United Nations on peace and security issues in Africa.

The Queen of Sparta is Chaudhry’s first novel. He came up with the idea to write a story about Queen Gorgo being the architect of the Greek resistance against the Persian invasion while reading Herodotus for his A-Level examination in England several
decades ago. “As a lover of history, or a ‘history-buff,’ I have always enjoyed reading both fiction and nonfiction about this period.”

Chaudhry is currently working on a “prequel” to The Queen of Sparta based on
events leading up to the Battle of Marathon, called Fennel Field.

For More Information
 Connect with T.S. on Facebook.
 Find out more about T.S. at Goodreads.

About the Book
Title: The Queen of Sparta
Author: T.S. Chaudhry
Publisher: Top Hat Books
Pages: 383
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Author T.S. Chaudhry offers a new spin on Spartan history in his novel, THE QUEEN
OF SPARTA. In the book, Queen Gorgo, the wife of the courageous Spartan leader,
Leonidas, surreptitiously organizes the Greek resistance against the invasion of the
mighty Persian king, Xerxes, and his massive army. Although founded on the writings of
historian, Herodotus, Chaudhry’s revision of the 480 B.C. invasion challenges readers to
imagine the brilliant and politically savvy Queen Gorgo as the Spartan leader who
wielded her power with stealth and cunning to end the Persian occupation of Greece.

Gorgo devises a strategy using espionage and diplomacy, in addition to Sparta’s military
might, to defeat the Persians and drive them out of Greece. During the last battle of the
war, Prince Sherzada, a Saka, is captured while fighting on the Persian side. He is
imprisoned by Gorgo, who has vowed to kill him. However, an unexpected alliance
blooms between Gorgo and Sherzada, based on common perceptions and a shared dark
secret. As allies, the queen and prince face new dangers from within Sparta that threaten
the safety of Gorgo and her young son, the king.

As the story progresses, Queen Gorgo must choose between confronting the reactionary
forces within Sparta directly or saving her life and the life of her child.

THE QUEEN OF SPARTA begins on the Banks of Indus, and takes the reader through
time and space to Greece, Tuscany, Rome, and the Baltic coast of northern Europe and
attempts to link some of the main cultures of that time period. “In the novel, I tried to
present the conflict through the eyes of two protagonists,” Chaudhry states. “The Greek
viewpoint is presented through Queen Gorgo, and the opposing one is represented by
Prince Sherzada, who becomes her prisoner. The whole story is also a deliberate attempt
to confuse ‘the possession’ of history because, actually, history belongs to all of us.”

THE QUEEN OF SPARTA informs the reader about the politics of ancient Greece in the
5th Century, B.C. and about Sparta, its people, and its culture; the book also describes
what made the Spartans great while sharing the flaws and contradictions within their
society. Chaudhry notes that “fiction is art immitating life. That is how I see the
relationship between historical fiction and history. History has wonderful stories to tell.
And it gets more wonderful the further in the past you go where evidence is sparse, but
the realm of creativity is rich. I love to find out how things happened the way they did.
Ancient history provides us with a rich variety of potential answers that are always fun to
explore.”

The author’s goal in writing THE QUEEN OF SPARTA was to share the message that
“one must stand for one’s principles, for what one believes to be right, even in the face of
overwhelming opposition.”

For More Information

 The Queen of Sparta is available at Amazon.
 Pick up your copy at Barnes and Noble.
 Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Excerpt 

The Agora

Sparta

Autumn, 480 BC 

The man was trying to sit very still. He was on horseback, in full armour, facing a throng
of mostly unarmed men and women. And yet he was trembling. He seemed too afraid
even to dismount his horse.

A man, in front of the crowd, laughed. He was tall, with hair falling well below
his shoulder and an equally long moustache-less beard. “This time they sent us a Greek.
Why did the Persians send you and not one of their own? Are they afraid we would stuff
them down the well again?”

Laughter roared across the marketplace.

The envoy, still shaking, cleared his throat and said, “I bring a message from the
Great King Xerxes to the King of Sparta.”

A small voice shouted, “I am he!”

Looking down, the envoy saw a small dark-haired boy of around eight years
looking up at him. He waited for someone to laugh at the boy’s impertinence or even
shout at him. But none did.

“I am Pleistarchus, son of Leonidas,” said the boy.

The messenger plucked enough courage to say, “Sparta has two kings. I wish to
speak with the older one.”

A young woman had stepped forward. She was long-haired and beautiful.
Standing behind the boy, she placed her hands on his small shoulders. “He is away,” she
said. “You will have to deliver your message to my son.”

 “Go on,” said the boy king, his tiny voice carrying authority.

“His Majesty, King Xerxes, says: I have destroyed your army at Thermopylae. My
forces have occupied Athens. And your turn will soon come. You are advised to submit
without further delay, for if I bring my army into your land, I shall destroy your farms,
slaughter your people, and raze your city to the ground.”

There was silence.

The boy king turned around and looked up at his mother. Her eyes blazed as she stared
into the eyes of the messenger. Her lips curled mischievously as she gave him her
response: “If!”

Blood Oath ~ Review with Excerpt

Blood Oath
The Seaward Isle Saga 3
By Joni Parker

Alex has a new mission a Blood Oath put on her by her elf cousin Prince Darin after Mellen's failed attempt on his life.  An attempt that would have succeeded if not for Alex and her abilty to hear Mellen's Elfspeak conversations.  Whether she wants to or not Alex must track down this danger to the Isle and kill him.

But tracking Mellen is dangeous as he has the ability to summon Shadows to either do battle for him or to enter him - strengthening him.  And he can also attack with a misuse of a Cranial thrust which can kill.

But Alex's quest for Mellen's death is constantly being diverted as the pirates attack and traitors within threaten thee stability of the kingdoms.  But Mellen is at the heart of all the unrest. Will Alex survive or will she finally fall to Mellen or her enemies?

I have to say I would not want to visit Seaward Isle.  The majority of the human men are major jerks. Though it was pleasant to see Alex's brother Beren actually turn into a decent human being who really seemed to care for his little sister.

I was provided a copy of this book by the author through PUYB in exchange for my honest review and blog tour participation.

*Please note that this book may contain subject/language that may be offensive to some readers (PG+). The sneak peek that online retailers offer will not show these scenes.

About the Author:

Joni Parker was born in Chicago, Illinois, but left the windy city at an early age when her family moved to Japan. Upon return to the United States, her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona where she graduated from Camelback High School and began college. However within months, Joni quit college and joined the Navy where she became a Photographer’s Mate. After 3 years in the Navy, she returned to college and got married. She got a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and an MBA before she returned to the Navy. As a Commissioned Officer, Joni attended the US Army Command and General Staff College, completing a Master of Military Arts and Sciences Degree. She retired from the Navy with over 22 years of service and spent several years traveling the United States in a motorhome with her husband. When he died unexpectedly, Joni returned to work for the federal government in a civil service job. Five years ago, she started writing and retired once more to devote more time to her new passion. She currently lives in Texas.

Her latest fantasy books are The Black Elf of Seaward Isle, Tangled Omens and
Blood Mission.

For More Information
• Visit Joni Parker’s website.
• Connect with Joni on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Joni at Goodreads.
• Contact Joni.

About the Book:
Title: Blood Oaths
Author: Joni Parker
Publisher: Village Green Press, LLC
Pages: 323
Genre: Fantasy/Action Adventure
Format: Paperback/Kindle

While on leave from the army, Alex visits her cousin, Prince Darin of the Water
Elves, and arrives in time to thwart an assassination attempt ordered by the
rogue Elf Mellen. Although weakened by poison, the Prince assigns Alex a
Blood Mission to kill Mellen. However, Alex finds the Elf elusive as he organizes
and trains his pirates to take over the harbor at Agana, the best deep water
port on the island.

At the same time, Alex must deal with Colonel Jeffrey, a handsome young
man determined to marry her for her inheritance. Alex rejects his advances
and faces his wrath, becoming the target of several murderous plots.
Unfortunately, her path to success includes Colonel Jeffrey as she needs him
and his soldiers to stop the Elf Mellen before he takes over and destroys the
fragile civilization on the island.


For More Information
• Blood Oath is available at Amazon.
• Watch the book trailer at YouTube.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:

After she left Colonel Penser, Alex marched up to Major Jonnbo's
bedroom and knocked on the door. When he didn't answer the door, she
pounded on it harder and shouted at him.

"It's too early." Major Jonnbo yawned. "Come on in, Alex."

"Colonel Penser wants to talk to us."

"I'll get dressed." He sat up in bed, yawning and rubbed his head.

He stretched his arms and stood up. "So, what's going on?" He opened the
wardrobe, grabbing some clean clothes.

"The Commandant gave me a new mission to kill the Elf Mellen. Isn't it a
little late to be sleeping?" Alex turned around while he put his clothes on.

"That Elf again? You're an Elf, aren't you? You can use your Elfness and
locate him that way, can't you? I don't know much about them." He put on his

"Elfness?" Alex wrinkled her brow.

"You know, Elf stuff. Weird stuff."

"I'm not very good at that. I don't know how to do it like the Elves, but I
can hear what they say when they Elfspeak."

"What is that Elfspeak stuff anyway?"

"They can talk to each other with their thoughts. It sounds just like a
normal conversation, but it's private. They just don't know I can hear them.
It's a little weird. I'm still learning how to use it."

"When did the Commandant get here?"

"He's not here--I saw him at the Regiment before I left." Alex pointed
over her shoulder with her thumb. "I think he wants to see me dead."

"It's his job to assign tough missions to the best tracker, Alex. And that's
you. Let's go." Major Jonnbo pushed her out the door.

Tangled Omens ~ Review with Excerpt

Tangled Omens
The Seaward Isle Saga 2
By Joni Parker

Alex has a new mission - tracking the traitor within the kingdom who is aiding the pirates.  Her ability to listen in on Mellen's Elfspeak has allowed her to discover someone known as the Horseman is helping the pirates to escape from the king's forces and to terrorize those living and working along the coastal regions.

But tracking anyone aligned with Mellen is dangeous as he has the ability to summon Shadows to either do battle for him or to enter him - strengthening him.

Using her brother Beren's upcoming participation in the Southport Sword Tournament as a cover Alex determines to uncover this danger that has found its way into the kingdom.  Little realizing that the treachery runs deeper than anyone could imagine.

Trust is something that is hard to give as many around her give her cause to doubt their loyalty, but the Scinthians have never given her a reason to doubt or mistrust them.  And it is with the Scinthians that Alex feels most at home.  With the aid of these women Alex may succeed in finding and stopping the Horseman - if she can survive the threats against her life.

I was provided a copy of this book by the author through PUYB in exchange for my honest review and blog tour participation.

*Please note that this book may contain subject/language that may be offensive to some readers (PG+). The sneak peek that online retailers offer will not show these scenes.

About the Author:

Joni Parker was born in Chicago, Illinois, but left the windy city at an early age when her family moved to Japan. Upon return to the United States, her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona where she graduated from Camelback High School and began college. However within months, Joni quit college and joined the Navy where she became a Photographer’s Mate. After 3 years in the Navy, she returned to college and got married. She got a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and an MBA before she returned to the Navy. As a Commissioned Officer, Joni attended the US Army Command and General Staff College, completing a Master of Military Arts and Sciences Degree. She retired from the Navy with over 22 years of service and spent several years traveling the United States in a motorhome with her husband. When he died unexpectedly, Joni returned to work for the federal government in a civil service job. Five years ago, she started writing and retired once more to devote more time to her new passion. She currently lives in Texas.

Her latest fantasy books are The Black Elf of Seaward Isle, Tangled Omens and
Blood Mission.

For More Information
• Visit Joni Parker’s website.
• Connect with Joni on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Joni at Goodreads.
• Contact Joni.

About the Book:
Title: Tangled Omens
Author: Joni Parker
Publisher: Village Green Press, LLC
Pages: 320
Genre: Fantasy/Action Adventure
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Alex, now an experienced soldier and proven tracker, goes undercover to
learn the fate of a pirate leader. As she conducts her investigation in the
market, she has her fortune read by the famous Witches of Winden, renown
fortunetellers. Unimpressed, she’s about to leave when a man barges into the
tent demanding his fortune be read. Alex observes and notices similarities
to hers--their omens seem entangled, but she dismisses it as coincidence.
However, she learns that he’s the Horseman, the most dangerous pirate spy
on Seaward Isle and wanted for treason by her King. Although she attempts to
follow him, he sails away on a ship.

When she returns home, she reports the incident to Governor Tyrone who tasks
her to find and kill him or die trying, her first tracker mission. Although she
doesn’t know his real name, she’s the only one who can recognize him. His
trail leads her north, deep into the pirate stronghold of Riverton, her first solo
mission.


For More Information
• The Black Elf of Seaward Isle is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes and Noble.
• Watch the book trailer at YouTube.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:

By the time Alex got to the street, he was a block ahead of her. She saw
him trot up to a large house with a lot of carriages and people in front. Two
girls from Mistress Clarisse's house passed by in long elegant dresses, holding
the arms of handsome young men who wore black top hats. They smiled and
laughed at her as they strutted by. One of the girls turned back to Alex and
giggled. Alex realized they were laughing at her. She stared at her clothes and
wondered if she should go back to change into a dress, but she returned her
attention to her quarry. Where did he go?

Alex had lost sight of the Horseman in the crowd, but soon noticed him
at the entrance of the house where he was greeted and welcomed. She stood
in place, uncertain what to do next.

A man grabbed her arm and put his horse's reins in her hand. "Take care
of my horse, will you?" He put a coin in her hand and rushed off towards the
house.

Alex stared at the horse and didn't know what to do with it. On the
other side of the street, Noel had another horse so she pulled it over to him.
"Noel!"

"Where did you get that horse?"

"I was just standing on the street watching everyone, and a man put his
reins in my hand and asked me to take care of him. He must have thought I
was a stable boy. I don't know what to do with him." She petted the horse on
the nose.

"I'll take him. Let me this one in and come back." Noel laughed.

When he returned, Alex gave him the horse. "Here you should have this,
too." She gave him the brassie the man had given her.

"Thanks," he said. "If you want to earn a brassie, go up to the kitchen,
and help them. They need extra help tonight."

"I think I will. Where do I go?"

Noel pointed to the open door at the back of the large house. "The
Governor's celebrating his new home. All the rich people are here."

Our Dried Voices ~ Review

Our Dried Voices
By Greg Hickey

Our Dried Voices is set in the future on a distant planet. Humanity has called the planet Pearl home for several centuries, but the technological abilities that were used to accomplish this seem well beyond the intellectual abilities of those who live in the colony.

The people of the colony remind me of the Eloi, of H.G. Wells Time Machine.  Not that they are in any way a duplicate of the Eloi, but rather they are simple and emotion seems entirely lacking.  They've allowed the ease of their existence to stunt them mentally.  They don't seem able to think an original thought nor take the initiative to start a task that hasn't been trained into their herd like existence.

But when calamities begin occurring that threaten the existence of both the colony and those who live within its boundaries, a "hero" steps forward.  Samuel notices the incidents and their impact on the colony.  As the effects and troubles continue Samuel begins to think.  And as a result he starts to change.  But why are these people attacking the colony?  What is the purpose behind these acts of sabotage?  Samuel is determined to find out why and to end these threats.

But what he finds is not what he expected.  Will the last remnants of humanity survive?  Or will Pearl finally be rid of this human settlement?

Our Dried Voices is both interesting and disturbing.  A world without want whose sole purpose is pleasure and utter ignorance.  Having come from a world where knowledge was responsible for their ease one would think knowledge would have been valued and passed down through the generations. It's sad to think that knowledge and learning could be abandoned.  Yet this is a common theme in both this work and the earlier mentioned Time Machine and it is a sad commentary on what some view our distant future.  Samuel's growth is welcome one and a glimmer of hope that the thirst and quest for knowledge is not dead, it just needs a spark to ignite it.

I was provided a copy of this book by the author through PUYB in exchange for my honest review and my tour participation.

Book in the Spotlight:

Title: Our Dried Voices
Author: Greg Hickey
Publisher: Scribe Publishing Company
Publication Date: November 4, 2014
Pages: 234
ISBN: 978-1940368931
Genre: Dystopian / Science Fiction
Format: Paperback, eBook (.mobi / Kindle), PDF

In 2153, cancer was cured. In 2189, AIDS. And in 2235, the last members of the human race traveled to a far distant planet called Pearl to begin the next chapter of humanity.

Several hundred years after their arrival, the remainder of humanity lives in a utopian colony in which every want is satisfied automatically, and there is no need for human labor, struggle or thought. But when the machines that regulate the colony begin to malfunction, the colonists are faced with a test for the first time in their existence.

With the lives of the colonists at stake, it is left to a young man named Samuel to repair these breakdowns and save the colony. Aided by his friend Penny, Samuel rises to meet each challenge. But he soon discovers a mysterious group of people behind each of these problems, and he must somehow find and defeat these saboteurs in order to rescue his colony.

Book Excerpt: 

I

The sound of the bells echoed across the colony. They sounded five times, and by the end of
the fifth peal everyone had stopped what they were doing and started to walk toward the
nearest source of the noise. The bells had a tinny, hollow sound to them. To be sure, it was
unmistakably the sound of bells, but it lacked that rich, thunderous, rolling swell once heard
in passing by an old church at the top of the hour. Instead, it was as though the sound of real
bells had been recorded and re-recorded ad infinitum until only bell-like sounds now
remained.

The bells called the people to the midday meal. All across the lush meadow, the colonists fell
into a kind of reverie. Moments earlier, they had been romping through the meadow or
splashing in the river with the joyful abandon of children, while others napped blissfully at
the base of a modest hill or fornicated with some momentary lover in the shade of a
spreading tree. But now their innocent laughter, their hushed excited voices, their
intermittent shrieks of pleasure all ceased for an instant as they moved as one toward the
sound of the bells. As soon as the fifth toll had faded in the air, the human noise resumed as
though it had never been silenced. The colonists walked eagerly but unhurriedly, small,
hairless, brown-skinned people, all barefooted and dressed in simple, cream-colored smocks.

The bell sounds came from the seven meal halls spread throughout the colony—long, tall,
rectangular buildings erected from the black, craggy rock characteristic of the mountains of
Pearl, now smoothed down and cut into bricks and painted a soothing off-white. Another
smaller building abutted one end of each meal hall. Their wan stone façades matched those
of the larger halls and there were no discernible entryways in their solid exteriors.

As the colonists entered each meal hall, they lined up along the right-hand wall to wait for
their food. The walls were painted a pale sky blue, and on the far wall was a small square
hole. One by one, each diner stepped forward in line, a small, red light above the hole
flashed, a short clicking and whirring noise sounded and then a round, firm, dark brown cake
appeared at the edge of the opening. One by one, each colonist took the proffered meal cake
and carried it over to one of the many wooden tables or out into the meadow.

Near the front of the line at one hall, a male colonist turned to face the man behind him.

“Hellohoweryou?” said the first man.

“Goodthankshoweryou?” replied the second man.

“Goodthankshoweryou?”

“Goodthankshoweryou?”

The two men stared blankly at each other for a moment. Then the first man blinked and said

“Goodweathertoday.”

The second bobbed his head and grinned. “Betterenyesterday.”

They continued to gaze at each other with vapid expressions until the first man turned around
and stepped forward in line. The two men were right. It was Tuesday. It rained on Mondays.
And thanks to the colony’s weather modification system, it had rained every Monday, and
only on Monday, for hundreds of years.

****

When about half the colonists at this particular meal hall had received their food, an adult
woman moved to the front of the line. A young boy, no taller than her waist, stood behind
her. The woman stepped up to the wall, the red light above the hole flashed… and nothing
happened. There was no clicking, no whirring, and no meal cake emerged from the hole in
the milky blue wall. Some people a few places behind the first woman, by now so accustomed
to the regular pace of the line, stepped forward in anticipation of her taking the food and
continuing on. When the line did not move, they bumped awkwardly into the colonists in front
of them, very much surprised that there should be a fleshy, breathing, human body in their
path instead of empty space. Those closest to the front of the line fell silent when they saw
the woman had not yet received her meal, and then the silence spread evenly and
rhythmically down the line, like a row of pillowed dominoes falling to the floor. Yet all the
colonists continued to wear the same insipid half-grin on their faces as they waited patiently
for the food to be dispensed and the line to creep forward once more.

A long, loud, whining shriek from the young boy waiting with his mother at the front of the
line broke through the stillness, and it was this sound, not the actual interruption of the food
service, which seemed to have the greatest effect on those in the hall. The boy did not cry.
He shed no tears, and the sound which emerged from his mouth was not a breathless and
choked sobbing, or even the petulant howl of a child’s tantrum. It was a primal, animal moan
that rose from the depths of his unfilled stomach, rushed up his throat with a cold and
persistent ferocity and forced its way over his teeth, throwing his head back as it broke from
his lips. No one tried to comfort the boy. His mother did not even turn around to look at him.
Her weak smile faded, but she continued to stare at the dark hole in the wall, still waiting for
her meal to appear. Then a child some dozen places back in the line picked up the boy’s
howl, and then a woman farther behind did the same. Soon the entire line was wailing loudly.

Those colonists who had already received their meals hunkered over their cakes and stuffed
their last bites into their mouths. One of them stood up, bumping hard into his table. The rest
followed. They walked hurriedly to the door, brushing past the onlookers from outside who
had gathered to see what all the noise was about. Those still in line stared dazedly at the
others around them, at the now half-empty hall, an incipient question forming somewhere
deep in their skulls.

A man in the middle of the line broke their unsteady ranks first. He ran, stumbling over tables
and chairs bolted to the floor in his maddened dash toward the doorway. The rest of the line
scattered in his wake. Out through the door they went, cracking bony limbs on the wooden
furniture in their paths, pushing and trampling one another as they all tried to force their way
through the doorway at once, like blood cells pumped through a clotted artery.

Those who had already finished their meals stood outside in a loose ring several meters away
from the entrance of the food hall, and as the wild runners pushed their way through the
door, they began to run as well, picking up the wail of the unfed as they went. They ran in no
particular direction, a single mass exodus from the hall, teeming out across the gay green
meadows, up and over the soft, undulating hills, and their cries rippled throughout the once-
peaceful fields to fill the void left by the cessation of the bells with a sound far more vibrant
than those stale chimes which had just called them to their uneaten meal.

Purchase The Book:

 Amazon    Barnes and Noble    Goodreads

About the Author:
Greg Hickey was born in Evanston, Illinois in 1985. After graduating from Pomona College in 2008, he played and coached baseball in Sweden and South Africa. He is now a forensic scientist, endurance athlete and award-winning writer. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Lindsay. You can visit Greg’s website at www.greghickeywrites.com.


Connect with Greg:
Author Blog: http://kinesophy.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHWrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/greghickey5
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8421481.Greg_Hickey

Wintergarden ~Review and Spotlight

Wintergarden
By T.M. Wallace

Addy Marten has just learned that what she believed were delusions were in fact actual events.  She did indeed travel into the Fairy Realm.  And worse Connor is still trapped there.  But to return to the Median Realms and free Connor she'll need the help of Mrs. Tavish.

Entering the Wintergarden and the magical labyrinth is the easy part. Finding Connor is a little harder.  The Witch-Queen is spreading her darkness, threatening all realms in her quest for power.

Addy and Connor are destined to be in the realms at this time.  It was the Great Creator's plan, but can they withstand the evil that threatens to destroy them?  Each is the other's weakness, as well as their strength.

Wintergarden is an exciting fantasy with unexpected turns and twists. Addy and Connor both learn truths about themselves that they hadn't expected.  For Connor, who couldn't remember his past, any revelation is a piece to the puzzle of who he was before.

Wintergarden is the sequel to Under a Fairy Moon and unless I'm mistaken the story could quite easily have a third installment (pretty please!). This book will appeal to those teens who delight in the world of fairies, with an occasional dragon thrown in for good measure and added excitement.  Winter has come and summer is threatened forever....

I was provided a copy of this book by the author through PUYB in conjunction with this blog tour and in exchange for my honest review.


About the Author:

Theresa Wallace-Pregent lives with her husband and four talented children
in Ontario, Canada. Her young adult fantasy novel Under a Fairy Moon was a finalist in the Amazon Break-through Novel Awards in 2010 and was published by Brownridge Publishing in the summer of 2011. In 2012, Under a Fairy Moonwon the Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award for Fantasy and the Canadian Christian Writing Awards (Young Adult.) Her sequel to Under A Fairy Moon will be published in the Fall of 2014.

Her latest book is the YA/Children’s fantasy, Wintergarden.



For More Information:
• Visit T.M. Wallace’s website.
• Connect with T.M. Wallace on Twitter.
• Find out more about T.M. at Goodreads.
• More books by T.M. Wallace.

About the Book:
Title: Wintergarden
Author: T.M. Wallace
Publisher: Brownridge Publishing
Pages: 220
Genre: YA/Children’s Fantasy
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Addyson Marten must travel a magical labyrinth to its center in order to reach
her friend Connor and free him from the witch of the Median Realms. Both
Connor and Addy must learn to use their own magical abilities to fight the
growing evil in the Human and Fairy worlds.

Wintergarden is the sequel to the Award-Winning book Under a Fairy Moon,
(Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Awards—Fantasy, 2012, Canadian Christian
Writing Awards—Young Adult, 2012.)

For More Information:
• Wintergarden is available at Amazon.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Galadria ~ Trilogy Review and Excerpt of Book 3

Galadria: Peter Huddleston and the Rites of Passage
Galadria: Peter Huddleston and the Mists of the Three Lakes
Galadria: Peter Huddleston and the Knights of the Leaf
By Miguel Lopez de Leon

The Rites of Passage
Book 1

12 year old, Peter Huddleston has just started the worst summer of his life. Summer vacation has just started and he's grounded and being accused of attacking others in town.  And to top it off he's being sent away to live with an aunt he never knew he had. Worse Aunt Gillian lives 3 days away!

Instead this is about to be the best summer ever.  Well, other than the attempts on his life.  And the classes he has to take to prepare him for his rule of the Galadrian kingdom.  And then there is the Rite of Passage to prove he can and should be Aunt Gillian's heir.

This is about to be an interesting summer...

The Mists of the Three Lakes
Book 2

Peter Huddleston is about to spend his second summer with Aunt Gillian in her earth estate of Hillside Manor.  And he will finally see Galadria.  This year the trip to Aunt Gillian's isn't one of dread, but rather one of anticipation and excitement.

But first there are official state duties he must perform - interviews, speeches, and a dance - all to introduce him to the Galadrian people.  But when Peter is given a warning that Knor Shadowray and the Shadowray family are plotting against him, his summer is about to get a lot more complicated and dangerous.

War is about to descend upon Galadria and ancient legends are about be revealed and lives will be lost.  The only question is who will prevail - the Willowbrooks or the Shadowrays?

The Knights of the Leaf
Book 3

Peter Huddleston has been rescued from the surprise attack.  He's injured but alive and hidden away from the forces of Knor.  Peter is desperate to make his way to the Grand Palace, to rejoin Aunt Gillian and his friends, if they survived.  But Peter's rescuer is about to reveal the truth about the situation and circumstances surrounding death of his mother.

With the threat of the total annihilation of everything connected to the Willowbrooks Peter has no time to ponder this turn of events before he and his grandfather are sent on a mission to rally aid from the Knights of the Leaf and other less certain sources.  But the future Galadria depends upon the success of this mission.

But ultimately the battle is Peter's, he alone must defeat the man who hates him.  But can a 13 year old boy defeat a man who wields such power?  Peter's life and the lives of those he love depend upon on it...

These three books will appeal to preteen boys. There's tigers, magic, and creatures too fabulous to describe gracing these pages.  Adventure and excitement build as the series progresses to it's conclusion.  Take a trip to Galadria with Peter, you just may want to stay for awhile.


I was provided a copy of these books by the author through PUYB in exchange for my honest review and tour participaion.



About the Author:

Miguel Lopez de Leon is a prolific fiction writer with over 30 short stories published in a variety of international literary magazines and anthologies. De Leon, who prefers to write in the mornings, began working on his first novel as a hobby. That first book blossomed into the Galadria trilogy. “One part of the writing process I really enjoy is writing the first draft of a novel...For me, it’s the time when you can lose yourself in the story the most.” De Leon lives in Los Angeles and enjoys reading historical biographies and collecting vintage comic books.

His latest book is the fantasy novel, Galadria: Peter Huddleston & The Knights of the Leaf.

For More Information

• Visit Miguel Lopez de Leon’s website.
• Connect with Miguel on Facebook and Twitter.

Title: Galadria: Peter Huddleston and The Knight of the Leaf
Author: Miguel Lopez de Leon
Publisher: Galadria Worldwide
Pages: 148
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Paperback/Kindle

In book three of Miguel Lopez de Leon’s Galadria fantasy series, GALADRIA: PETER
HUDDLESTON & THE KNIGHTS OF THE LEAF, Peter and his family command a
mystical cast of powerful, exciting new characters in their war against the blood-thirsty
tyrant, Knor Shadowray.

Reviewers of book three of the GALADRIA trilogy praise the author’s stunning artistry
and skill:

“A grand finish to a YA trilogy that never fails to challenge audience expectations.”–
- Kirkus Reviews

“With the close of his Galadria trilogy, Miguel Lopez de Leon packs battles, travel and
adventure into a story that’s ultimately about family ties.”–BlueInk Review

“Once again, the writing in this book is superb and the story is fast paced and action
packed.”–SPR Review

In book one of the trilogy, GALADRIA: PETER HUDDLESTON and THE RITES OF 
PASSAGE, 12-year-old Peter leaves his friendless, uneventful life in the suburbs and
suddenly finds himself spending the summer chomping down magical chocolates and
tossing around an enchanted boomerang at Hillside Manor, the 3000 room home of his
aunt Gillian Willowbrook. While there, Peter learns he is the next in line to the throne
of a magnificent realm called Galadria where his aunt is queen. His position is being
challenged by a ruthless nobleman, Knor Shadowray.

Book two, GALADRIA: PETER HUDDLESTON and THE MISTS OF THE THREE
LAKES shows Peter struggling to play the role of a prince. After being accepted as
the heir of the Golden Realm, his new challenge is to gain command of Galadrian
princely etiquette and survive dangerous adventures with his fearless white tiger, Rune.
At a parade held in his honor, Peter and his aunt are violently ambushed by a band of
screeching monstrosities and a merciless dark army led by the fiendish Knor Shadowray.

In the final book in the Galadria series, GALADRIA: PETER HUDDLESTON and
THE KNIGHTS OF THE LEAF, the story continues where book two left off: Knor
Shadowray’s relentless attack on the ruling Willowbrook family. In a desperate attempt
to save her kingdom, Queen Gillian Willowbrook sends Peter and his grandfather to
the Forests of Fernell to recruit a multitude of diverse warriors to defend the crown.
Populated with serpent priestesses, nature-loving knights, magical weapons, paper-thin
tree nymphs, and political fairies, the final installment of the Galadria trilogy shows
the Galadrian populace at their breaking point as the realm explodes into a full-fledged
civil war. A flurry of riotous battles are fought against the villainous Knor Shadowray’s
ambitious attempt to capture the crown of Galadria.

De Leon developed the GALADRIA series out of a love of the fantasy genre and the
thrill of creating “new worlds, creatures, and story lines...enhanced with magic and
otherworldly mystery.” The trilogy also tells the coming-of-age story of a boy as he
learns to accept himself and discovers the family he never believed he would have. “The
Galadria trilogy is mainly about a lonely boy who, through overcoming obstacles, finds
out who he really is. I think everyone has an element of the extraordinary in them, and I
hope Peter’s story shows that,” de Leon says.

For More Information:
• Galadria: Peter Huddleston & The Knights of the Leaf is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes and Noble.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
• Watch his book video at YouTube.

Book Excerpt:

(From Chapter Nine)

As the group of adventurers strode onward into the thick, soupy fog that seemed to
encompass the entire valley, Peter distinctly noticed that it had gotten much colder.
The plants around them looked putrid and gnarled, more like grotesque weeds than
flourishing plant life, and the few pathetic trees that grew from the muddy earth were
blackened, leafless, and hard. Covering everything was a thick, palpable, unmoving
stew of mist, thin in some parts, thicker in others, but certainly everywhere. The entire
cursed area smelled like rotting fruit ... a moldy, sick, sweet smell that made Peter feel
completely nauseated.

 With Bastian in the lead, his shield positioned firmly in front of him, the ambitious group
continued moving steadily forward. Suddenly, the young knight raised up his hand,
halting his other companions.

 “Crouch down on the ground, now!” Bastian whispered, quickly lowering himself to the
soft earth. “Use the shrubs and fog as cover ... Quiet ... Don’t move!”

 Peter, Henry, and Restella dropped to the ground behind a cluster of decrepit shrubs,
careful not to make a sound. Sabasti silently slithered up next to them, before remaining
completely still.

Seconds passed, as Bastian continued to peer intently in front of them. Peter was gazing
in the same direction as the young knight but saw nothing through the relentless thick
mist. A few moments later, Peter started to hear strange clicking sounds growing louder
and louder. Straining to make out the source of the mysterious sounds, Peter had to stifle
his shock, when a huge garish monstrosity suddenly became visible through the thick,
vaporous haze around them. To Peter, it looked like a gigantic dark blue lobster, as big
as an elephant, completely covered in little jagged horns protruding from all over its
enormous body. The terrifying beast had two huge clicking lobster claws and a long
armored tail, which ended in an odd plume of slimy black feathers. The strange
monster moved startlingly fast, and just as quickly as it had appeared, so too did it turn
back and vanish from sight. As soon as Bastian signaled that it was safe, the silent group
continued to soldier

 “What was that?” Peter whispered to Bastian, as they made their way forward.

 “I’m honestly not sure,” the young knight answered, still scanning the surrounding area.
“As protectors and preservers of nature, the Knights of the Leaf are familiar with most
of the creatures that inhabit our forests, but we rarely travel this far into the Darkened
Valley. We’re not sure why, but we’ve discovered that most of the creatures that
choose to live near the wraiths’ dwelling seem to mutate ... some to the point of being
unrecognizable. I’ve never seen anything like what we just saw ... It didn’t even look
close to any other species I’m familiar with.”

 And so they trudged on, futilely trying to ignore the increasing cold that was steadily
escalating around them.

 Suddenly, the group halted, as a high, feminine voice abruptly pierced the chilly air.

 “H-help me ... ,” the voice cried out. “P-please ... I need help ...”

 As Peter and his companions moved forward, they encountered a small waiflike woman,
with beautiful pale skin and silky black hair, kneeling on the ground. She was wearing
nothing more than a slip of a white dress and seemed to have injured her ankle.

 “Are you hurt ... ,” Peter began, taking a step toward the wounded young woman.

 In unison, Sabasti began to hiss violently, as Restella quickly grabbed Peter’s arm.

“Stop, Your Highness!” the priestess demanded, her yellow eyes focused on the woman in front
of them.

“Something is wrong. This woman is not what she seems ...”

Believers ~ Review with Excerpt

Believers
The Believers Saga
By Tamara D. Taylor

Mari Messais is a non-medi in a world that has catered to the medis for over 400 years.  After all those who live forever deserve to enjoy all that life has to offer.  But when Mari is unexpected promoted to be Joseph Aramat's assistant she finds herself suddenly in the medi world.

Mari finds herself suddenly in doubt about whom to trust - those in her familiar world or those in her new one.  And when she suddenly finds herself subject to attack she must decide quickly whom to trust.  Is Joseph as safe and trust worthy as he appears?  Or is it an act to get at Mari's most guarded secret - one that could cost her and her family everything?

Believers is a journey of trust and a discovery of love in the midst of betrayal.  If you like your books exciting, with danger increasing towards an explosive climax you will enjoy this offering from Tamara D. Taylor.  This is a world different from our own but one can see what once was.  Belief in God has been outlawed.  The world prospers and rewards the elite while subduing the spirit of the lower classes.  It is this world that Joseph is determined to change, if he can be believed, and he wants Mari to help him.

 I'm hopeful that the very fact that this book says The Believers Saga that there will be additional books forthcoming.

It is important to note that are a few situations that may be slightly offensive to very sensitive readers who don't appreciate language that could fall in the PG category.

I was provided a copy of this book through PUYB in conjunction with this blog tour in exchange for my honest review and tour participation.


About the Author:

Tamara D.Taylor was born and raised in the East Bay of California until she moved to Omaha, Nebraska to attend Creighton University. Today, Tamara still resides in Nebraska where she and her husband, John, are raising their five young children.

A life long lover of all forms of the written word, Tamara is an avid reader, and has been writing short stories and poetry since elementary school. After watching her son struggle with succeeding in school, she decided to finally write the novel she had been thinking about for years in an effort to show her son that no dream is too big to achieve.

Her latest book is the YA Believers: Truth in Deception.

For More Information:
• Connect with Tamara on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Tamara at Goodreads.

About the Book:

Title: Believers: Truth in Deception
Author: Tamara D. Taylor
Publisher: Tamara D. Taylor
Pages: 330
Genre: Young Adult
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Mari lives in a world of the future where an anti aging drug has torn society
apart, creating an insurmountable divide between the wealthy and the poor.
Her life is thrown sideways after she receives an unsolicited promotion at work, which leaves her as assistant to one of the most notorious playboys of the wealthy elite.

Mari struggles to find solid footing in a world that drastically conflicts with her
humble upbringing. Her moral compass is tested as she finds herself falling in
love with a man she knows she should not trust,  compromising her relationship
with her childhood sweetheart.

After her life is threatened, she fears for her safety and that of her family.
Will she be able to guard her own secrets to prevent even further danger? Will
death be the consequence of falling in love with the wrong man?

“This is a great book. It contains a world that is dark and focused on the
comforts of the select elite and a world of hope and love for those less
fortunate... all coupled with action and anticipation. Great combinations in my
opinion! I can't wait to read the next book!”-- California Mom

For More Information:
• Believers: Truth in Deception is available at Amazon.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:
What would you do if you knew you could live forever? How would you change 
your life? The world? Would you be the one to make it better? I thought the 
cure for aging would be the answer to so many of humanity’s problems. I really 
believed this little pill would help us make the world a better place. 

Yet all I have seen is the further deterioration of generosity, love, compassion 
and freedom. It has not brought out the better side of the human race. It has 
created a darker side where compassion and generosity are rare traits that 
are almost extinct. It has taken me over 400 years to realize that the end of 
aging does not give one freedom. Your body becomes a prison in which you are 
trapped and from which you can’t escape.

It saddens me that the world has entered such a dark time, to the point where 
I no longer want to stay and witness the pain that we, as people, are putting 
ourselves through. 

To many, this will come as a shock. My success has only forced me to put up a 
wall, one that keeps away even those who feel they are my closest friends. I do 
not trust anyone. The friends I have left only appear to be interested in their 
association with me to advance their own political aspirations in life.

I feel that if I can’t offer the peace that eternal life brings to all, then none of 
us should have it. It is not fair of us to choose a select few to live far past an 
age that God has intended. 

I have watched too many good people come in and out of this world, knowing 
that, “in the end,” I could have saved them. However, like many other people, 
I had started believing that I deserved this gift, that it was my right, and that 
if a person was not smart enough or rich enough to buy this gift, then they did 
not deserve to obtain it.

Looking back on my life, I can see that I am the origin of all the world’s 
troubles. As intelligent as I was to invent this amazing drug, I can’t begin to 
imagine that I am brilliant enough to change the course of our planet.

My heart is broken, my soul damaged and weak. My resilience is nothing but 
a shadow left. I cry, for humanity, mother earth and the faith that we have 
lost in God. So the only thing left I can offer is the end. Tonight will be my 
last. I have settled my regrets, sins and all other misgivings with God and 
look forward to joining all of those I have cared for over my 400 years on this 
planet.

He slowly raises the gun and puts it into his mouth. With a quick fluid motion, 
the trigger is pulled.