Swan and Shadow ~ Review

Swan and Shadow
a Swan Lake story
By Kaki Olsen

Aislin Byrne is under a curse.  For generations it was just a family legend, a barely remembered piece of family history.  But no more.

More than 600 years ago a curse was placed upon the second daughter of the family.  And in all the years since no second daughter has ever met all the conditions in finding true love. And Aislin is now paying the price along with her family.

If Aislin can find the path to true love and stay true to the curses conditions the curse will be broken. But when the hours between dawn and dusk are spent living life as a swan true love's path is difficult to find.  And if she doesn't follow the conditions of the curse exactly she will live out her life as a swan, forfeiting her human hours forever.

Aislin has a champion who is determined to help find her happily ever after ~ her older twin sister Maeve will do anything to to restore Aislin to the life she lived until they were 12 years old.  But how do you explain a "fairy tale" curse to a world that no longer believes?  Aislin's secret must be protected and Maeve is not above playing the part of her sister when called upon.  But will Maeve's assistance help or hinder Aislin when she finds someone who could be "the one"?

Can a first love be true love?  Aislin is about to find out.

If you love a modern twist to your fairy tales and have a fondness for Swan Lake you might want to let your imagination take flight in this new book world.  This is a book YA readers will devour.

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

About the Book:
Aislin’s curse is the standard fare: swan by day, college student by night, true love as the only cure. But does true love even exist outside of fairy tales? After having to cover for Aislin during her swan hours, Aislin’s twin, Maeve, is willing to resort to anything from matchmaking to magic to see her sister live happily (and human) ever after. Will either of them get their wish?

About the Author:
Kaki Olsen is always on the brink of another adventure. If she couldn't be a writer, she'd be a full-time musician or travel guide and she would take her lunch breaks at Fenway Park. Until that happens, she speaks both Spanish and English at her every-day office job, but she has vacationed enthusiastically in such places as Istanbul and Ireland. She has lived in five states, but will always refer to Boston as home.

She regularly contributes academic papers on zombies or wizards to Life, the Universe and Everything, a sci-fi/fantasy symposium originated at her alma mater, Brigham Young University. Her published works have appeared in such magazines as Voices and AuthorsPublish.

She is a doting aunt and librarian of two bulging bookshelves.

A Flying Affair ~ Review

A Flying Affair
By Carla Stewart

Mittie Humphreys has a passion for excitement and exhilaration, unfortunately her mother doesn't think her chosen way of expressing it is proper.  Just wait until she hears about Mittie's newest passion - flying.

It's 1927 and women flying is just starting to be recognized, though many still scoff at the idea of women with their delicate natures and constitutions being able to handle such a machine.  But Mittie has never let the opinion of others dissuade her when she sets her mind to something.  And her father is her secret champion when he doesn't attempt to crush her dreams and even introduces her to Bobby York, a young man who has similar interests - horses and flying.

Bobby may be perfect but Ames Dewberry fascinates Mittie with his daredevil flying and his cavalier ways.  Having first introduced Mittie to the freedom of flight, Ames has a special place in her thoughts.  Could one of these two very different men capture a heart which she thinks uncapturable?

Join Mittie as she joins the earliest ranks of women to take to the skies during the later years of the Roaring Twenties a time of change in all areas of the American life and the role of women.

If you like post WWI historical fiction give this book a spin.  It is interesting to see many of the things we take for granted today not the norm for everyday living in 1927.  Planes, cars, phones, etc are just coming into their own and slowly making a change to life as people knew whether or not they wanted this change to come.

I was provided a copy of this book through TBCN/BookFun in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

Ever since Mittie Humphreys agreed to join dashing barnstorming pilot Ames for a joyride in his airplane, her lifelong love of horses has been surpassed by one thing--a longing for the skies. It seems she's not the only one--with Charles Lindbergh making his victory tour in the Spirit of St. Louis, aviation fever is spreading across the country. Mittie knows flying is the perfect focus for the soaring ambition and taste for adventure within her, and whenever she can slip away from her duties on her family's prosperous Kentucky horse farm, she heads to the airfield. 

Considering their shared passion, it's no surprise that Ames begins to vie for Mittie's time. But when handsome British aviator Bobby York offers her flying lessons, he is equally surprised-and beguiled-by Mittie's grit and talent. Driven to succeed, Mittie will do whatever it takes to compete in the Women's National Air Derby alongside Amelia Earhart. But when Calista "Peach" Gilson, a charming Southern belle, becomes her rival both professionally and in love, Mittie must learn how to navigate her heart's romantic longings as well as the skies.

About the Author:

CARLA STEWART is an award-winning author of six novels. With a passion for times gone by, it is her desire to take readers back to that warm, familiar place in their hearts called "home." Carla's novels from FaithWords include Chasing Lilacs, for which she won the American Christian Fiction Writer's Genesis Award, Broken Wings, Stardust, Sweet Dreams, and her most recent work, The Hatmaker's Heart. Learn more: CarlaStewart.com

Spotlight on BookGrabbr

​BookGrabbr: A great way for readers to discover new books and an innovative marketing tool for authors. 

​For Readers:

BookGrabbr is a social media-marketing tool that allows authors to share both full books and previews of their books with readers. Readers, you can have access to these books by signing in through Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn and using their ability to share as a form of currency. The “Share” is the payment! Share the book, and it will allow you to read it. Just click the “Grabb this book” button next to the book and our system will prompt you to share in exchange for reading!

BookGrabbr contains books of many genres, so visit today, "grabb" a book that catches your eye and start reading!


For Authors and Publishers:

Through their unique marketing tool and platform, BookGrabbr helps authors connect to readers that they wouldn't generally be able to connect to through their friends and their friend’s friends. The noise in the marketplace is deafening, and at times can be a bit overwhelming for authors trying to promote their books.

BookGrabbr created a way to generate some more buzz by harnessing the power of each individual author’s social media platform.  Once you create your profile on BookGrabbr it allows potential readers to read a preview of your book or the full copy and then directs them to your site of choice to purchase your book in the format that you desire. And since BookGrabbr doesn’t make any money on book sales, you can send them to a retailer, or to your own personal page or wherever you choose! BookGrabbr's purpose is to help you sell more books, gain momentum and generate exposure.

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St. Patrick's Day Reading Suggestions

Do you need some Celtic reading suggestions for St. Patrick's Day? 

Here are a few titles that might you enjoy reading

Ellis Island series by Cindy Thomson

	Grace's Pictures
	Annie’s Stories
	Sofia's Tune

Pangur Ban Celtic Fantasies series by Fay Sampson

	Pangur Ban The White Cat
	Finnglas of the Horses
	Finnglas and the Stones of Choosing
	Shape-Shifter: The Naming of Pangur Ban
	The Serpent of Senargad
	The White Horse is Running

The Green Hills of Snowdonia series by Michael R. Phillips

	From Across the Ancient Waters
	The Treasure of the Celtic Triangle

Caledonia series by Michael R. Phillips

	Legend of the Celtic Stone
	An Ancient Strife

The Red Door Inn ~ Review

The Red Door Inn
Prince Edward Island Dreams #1by Liz Johnson

Marie Carrington is running away.  She has been hurt and the person who should have been her champion has other plans for her pain.  And she doesn't trust people.  But for some strange reason she trusts Jack Sloane, a total stranger who took the time to care. 

Seth Sloane has been burned before by a woman and he can't see that Marie is any different.  And he is convinced that she is out to ruin his uncle Jack, just like the gold digger that ruined him.

Jack sees two hurting people who just need time to heal and a place of shelter until they do.  And he has just the place to do this - a run down inn that he wants to restore, fulfilling his late wife, Rose's dream.

There is a magic about Prince Edward Island that begins weaving its spell on these two hurting people. And as they restore the Red Door Inn they are also restoring their own lives. Could PEI become more than a temporary escape?

But when an unexpected set-back bring the past to their doorstep Marie and Seth must confront the issues that are between them if they ever hope to move forward together.

This is the first book in the Prince Edward Island Dreams series and I'm interested to see where this series goes.  The characters are likable with their own unique quirks. And I'm hoping that the Red Door Inn will play an important, if not starring, role in the future books.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Revell in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

"The Red Door Inn took my breath away! Highly recommended!"--Colleen Coble, author of The Inn at Ocean's Edge and the Hope Beach series

Marie Carrington is broke, desperate, and hoping to find sanctuary on Prince Edward Island while decorating a renovated bed-and-breakfast. Seth Sloane moved three thousand miles to help restore his uncle's Victorian B and B--and to forget about the fiancée who broke his heart. He wasn't expecting to have to babysit a woman with a taste for expensive antiques and a bewildering habit of jumping every time he brushes past her. 

The only thing Marie and Seth agree on is that getting the Red Door Inn ready to open in just two months will take everything they've got--and they have to find a way to work together. In the process, they may find something infinitely sweeter than they ever imagined on this island of dreams.

Whose are You? ~ Review

Whose Are You?
By James Bars and Blake Bars

All too often we try to label ourselves.  We create labels based on ethnic backgrounds, occupations, personal beliefs, etc.  But these aren't who we are or even what we are.  Often we get so caught up in this self identification that we lose sight of who we truly are and to whom we belong.

Whose Are You? takes us on a journey through time, examining the discontent that lead to the first turning from God.  Since the darkness came into the world we are often left in moments of insecurity, wondering who we are and where we belong.  But we can have this assurance, we have been given a way to discover this truth.  And Whose Are You? will help one find this truth that has been recorded and given to us in the Bible.

I was provided a copy of this book through TBCN/BookFun in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

Join us as we travel back through the travail of millenniums to a galaxy far, far away. Witness the birth of darkness. Be there as our Liberator begins His counter-intuitive and radically irreligious war for universal dominion and each living souls’ allegiance. 

Discover the Spirit, the Way and the true story behind the veil of History. 

The vital messages contained within this riveting work will help enable you to walk through the valley of decision and perpetually surrender to the True Force of life. 

You will know Whose You Are and be shown the Way to eternal victory as your mind and heart are awakened to the well-hidden truth of what is really happening in and around you even as you read this sentence. 

There exists a deadly conspiracy, the magnitude of which is beyond unenlightened human comprehension, yet to the chosen – it has been revealed. 

“Many are called but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14 NKJV 

Answers are available to these crucial questions: 

Have I been chosen? Why am I here? Who am I? Whose am I? 

Come with us and perhaps a clearer dawn will shine 

upon your own journey homeward.

Guardians of the Heart ~ Review

Guardians of the Heart
Secrets on Sterling Street #2
By Loree Lough

Nell Holstrom is everyone's favorite person. She's always willing to offer a helping hand and an encouraging word.  She's been on her own since the death of her father in the family's gold mine. But when she needs to find a new place of employment she applies at the old Stone Hill Inn.

Asa Stone is attempting to restore his late grandparent's inn, but he needs help.  And Nell's go-get-it-done work ethic is just what he needs to get Stone Hill Inn open.  Asa is not an easy person to work with as he deals with the demons in his past.  Guilt has been Asa's constant companion for years and he can't imagine life without it.

But when nature turns against them Nell turns to what she left behind - a mine that slowly stole her whole family from her.  But Nell is determined that Asa is just the man that she needs to get the mine back in operation and find the gold her father was convinced was there.

Will the secrets of his past keep Asa from seeing himself as worthy of Nell?  Or will his guilt drive him once again from the only home he has ever known?

Guardians of the Heart is set in 1880s Denver and will appeal to anyone who likes a book that leaves you with a feel good feeling after the story is finished.  Historical fiction fans will enjoy this set back in time.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher through TBCN/BookFun in exchange fror my honest review.

About the Book:
Nell Holstrom wanted no part of her grandfather's barren gold mine that had taken the lives of her mother, father, and younger brother; even if there may still be hidden wealth inside. Instead, she went to Denver and took a job as housekeeper at the old Stone Hill Inn. Asa Stone was barely more than a boy when his father dragged him and his brothers to fight with Colonel John Chivington. But Asa refused to participate in the raid on the peaceful Cheyenne and Arapahoe; and when the smoke cleared, his father and brother lay among the slaughtered. Besieged by guilt, Asa wandered the West for years before returning to Denver to rebuild the old inn he'd inherited. Together, Nell and Asa work hard to restore Stone Hill. But when disaster hits the inn, Asa retreats into despair and Nell is forced to return to her family's mine. Asa faces the hard fact: He'll never be the man Nell deserves. Can he overcome the dark secrets of his past? And will Nell still love him when she learns the truth?

About the Author:

Once upon a time, best–selling author Loree Lough literally sang for her supper, performing before packed audiences throughout the Midwest. Now and then, she blows the dust from her 6–string to croon a tune or two for her grandkids or to sing at weddings or funerals, but she mostly just writes. Over the years, her stories have earned hundreds of industry and Readers' Choice awards and 4– and 5–star reviews. Loree has nearly five million copies of her books in circulation, and in March 2014, she added her hundredth published book to the shelves. She has written fiction and nonfiction for kids and adults (2,500–plus articles and 68 short stories), and four of her novels have been optioned for movies. To date, there are almost 66,000 letters in her "Reader Mail" file, and she has answered every one, personally. (A carton of books is on its way to Corinna P. of San Antonio, Texas, for writing the 65,999th letter. Corinna said she plans to donate the books to her local library!) Loree loves sharing learned–the–hard–way lessons about the craft and the industry, and her comedic approach to teaching makes her a favorite (and frequent) guest of writers' organizations, book clubs, private and government institutions, and college and high school writing programs in the U.S. and abroad. A writer who believes in "giving back," Loree dedicates a portion of her income to Soldiers' Angels, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, and several other worthwhile organizations (see the "Giving Back" tab at her Web site, http://www.loreelough.com, for a complete list). She splits her time between a tiny home in the Baltimore suburbs and an even tinier cabin in the Allegheny Mountains, where she continues to perfect her Critter Tracks Identification skills. She shares her life with her real–life hero, Larry, who rarely complains, even when she adds yet another item to her vast collection of "wolf stuff."