Sunday, December 30, 2012

Review of 'Golden' by Monika Pardon

Blurb from Amazon:

With her long golden hair and tragic run-in with three impossibly large bears in a remote cabin, seventeen-year-old Sonora Martin is a modern day Goldilocks. Yet her life is no happy, romantic fairy tale. Instead she finds herself thrust into a dark magical world of the fae and shape shifters and questions who she can trust.

After the sudden death of her grandmother, Sonora is forced to live with an aunt that she barely knows, her cousin, and Luke, her aunt's reluctant boyfriend. A fight with her aunt sends Sonora running into the woods where she inadvertently learns a web of family secrets and of a startlingly pact for revenge with her as the target. Now with the help of a pair of unlikely allies Sonora must travel to the Shadow Realm in search of a way to survive.

**My thoughts**

I was excited when this book was chosen as the monthly read for one of my book clubs, because I had already purchased it. My TBR pile is ginormous, so this allowed me to bump it to the top.  I read it in parts, because I had to get other book reviews done around it. That made me have to backtrack here and there to keep the story straight.

I felt the relationship to the Goldilocks fairytale early on, as the girl with the golden hair entered into a home that was theoretically inhabited by three bears. Unlike most retellings of this story, though, these bears are on a mission to kill the fair maiden. And then the story falls far away from the fairytale, as it enters a world of fae and shifters.

I had to pay close attention to each of the characters to keep them straight. Those who seems to be good may actually be evil. Some of the evil ones are acting against their will, and are actually one of the good guys. You feel Sonora's confusion as she tries to figure out who she really is, and whom she can trust. The book comes to a satisfactory close, yet leaves the story wide open for a sequel. It's a fun start to a new young adult series that fans of shifters and fae will enjoy.

Buy links: Paperback \ Kindle

Super Book Blast for 'The Silver Sphere'


The Silver Sphere
By
Michael Dadich

BLURB:
Shelby Pardow never imagined she could kill someone. All she wants to do is hide from her troubled father… when she is teleported to awaiting soldiers on the planet Azimuth. Here she is not a child, but Kin to one of the six Aulic Assembly members whom Malefic Cacoethes has drugged and imprisoned. He seeks to become dictator of this world (and then Earth by proxy).

His father, Biskara, is an evil celestial entity, tracked by the Assembly with an armillary device, The Silver Sphere. With the Assembly now deposed, Biskara directs Malefic and the Nightlanders to their strategic targets. Unless….

Can Shelby find the other Kin, and develop courage and combat skills? Can the Kin reassemble in time to release or replace the Assembly, overthrowing Malefic and restraining Biskara?

Buy links: Amazon \ Kindle 

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

I’ve been writing since first setting pencil to steno pad at age 8. A year later, I began developing the world of my current series-in-progress, and even created its title, The Silver Sphere. Now, with the support of years of experience, those early maps and back stories have progressed into what I hope is a fresh and entertaining take on the classic young adult fantasy adventure.

Despite my frequent escapes into parallel worlds, I root myself firmly in my very real family and community. When not pacing the yard maniacally after every few pages of writing, I spend as much time as possible hanging out with my studly 9-year-old son, and my inspirational wife Jenna. I also coach several local youth sports teams in Beverly Hills, and alternate between yelling at my two crazy Corgis and hiking with my trained German Shepherd.

For more, join me in my favorite fantasy worlds, from Lord of the Rings to the creations of C.S. Lewis, Anne McCaffrey and Terry Brooks. Even more importantly, stop by and say hello on my Facebook page at AuthorMichaelDadich, tweet me at @MichaelDadich, and stalk my website at http://www.thesilversphere.org.org.

Michael will be awarding a $75 Amazon or BN.com GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

'The Hallowed Ones' Book Tour



The Hallowed Ones
by Laura Bickle
 
Reading level: Ages 12 and up 

Paperback: 320 pages 

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Graphia 

(September 25, 2012) 

ISBN-10: 0547859260 

ISBN-13: 978-0547859262

 

If your home was the last safe place on earth, would you let a stranger in? 

In this captivating thriller, an Amish settlement is the last safe haven in a world plagued by an unspeakable horror…

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenag-ers are free to experience non-Amish culture before officially joining the church. But before Rumspringa arrives, Katie’s safe world starts to crumble. It begins with a fiery helicopter crash in the cornfields, followed by rumors of massive unrest and the disappearance of huge numbers of people all over the world. Something is out there...and it is making a killing.

Unsure why they haven’t yet been attacked, the Amish Elders make a decree: No one goes outside their community, and no one is allowed in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man lying just outside the boundary of their land, she can’t leave him to die. She refuses to submit to the Elder’s rule and secretly brings the stranger into her community—but what else is she bringing in with him?


**My thoughts**


I was first attracted to this book because it was Amish. I adore Amish literature. I have also been enjoying a lot of paranormal stories lately. Imagine my joy when I found the two genres combined! At first, it would seem like combining the two genres wouldn't work at all. I commend Laura Bickle for attempting it and feel that she was able to pull it off.

Katie is familiar in that she is trying to find herself and determine whether or not the Amish faith is really the choice she wants to make for her life. An Englischer shows up who helps her to further question her beliefs and life. There is also some romance thrown in there, to keep it interesting. Oh yeah, and some unearthly creatures wreaking havoc in the Outside world.

I had a hard time putting this one down once I started it. There is plenty of action to keep the pages turning. Sure, some of it is predictable, but you still want to keep reading to make sure you are right. The ending leaves the door wide open for a sequel or a series. I really hope a second book is on its way! I want to read more about Katie and this new dystopian world!

Buy links: Amazon \ Kindle 

About the Author 


Laura Bickle's professional background is in criminal justice and library science. When she's not patrolling the stacks at the public library, she can be found reaming up stories about the monsters under the stairs. 


She has written several contemporary fantasy novels for adults, and THE HALLOWED ONES is her first young adult novel. Laura lives in Ohio with her husband and five mostly-reformed feral cats. For more about Laura, please visit her website at: www.laurabickle.com.
 

Friday, December 28, 2012

'Survivor Roundup' Book Tour & Review



BLURB:

Red always knew she would have to face the man who nearly destroyed her. She just didn’t figure it would happen so soon . . .

With the plague sweeping across the nation, destroying many and turning others into walking corpses, survivors head West in search of a chosen land, a place designed to keep the infected out, while sealing survivors inside. In theory, the idea seems the only way to keep humanity alive. In practice, it doesn’t matter whether a person is on the inside or the out—there is no humanity.

. . . And even though John Gatherum hunted her down and instigated their reunion, Red’s no longer the passive girl he once manipulated. This time, she has a hidden agenda of her own.

Kill him. Save her family. Save herself.

**My thoughts**

Again, I am madly in love with this book and series and with Angela Scott as a writer. This book kept me completely glued, and I finished it within a few hours. I typically hate zombies, and admit to feeling unsettled in my stomach while reading this. But it is such an intriguing story that I didn't care! I have grown to like the characters a lot and really look forward to any future books in the series!

I also recommend any of her other titles to fellow readers. I have read allof Angela Scott's books, and none of them disappoint! 


Buy links: Amazon \ Kindle

  
BIO:

Angela Scott hears voices. Tiny fictional people sit on her shoulders and whisper their stories in her ear. Instead of medicating herself, she decided to pick up a pen, write down everything those voices tell me, and turn it into a book. She's not crazy. She's an author. For the most part, she writes contemporary Young Adult novels. However, through a writing exercise that spiraled out of control, she found herself writing about zombies terrorizing the Wild Wild West--and loving it. Her zombies don't sparkle, and they definitely don't cuddle. At least, she wouldn't suggest it. She lives on the benches of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains with two lovely children, one teenager, and a very patient husband. She graduated from Utah State University with a B.A. degree in English, not because of her love for the written word, but because it was the only major that didn't require math. She can't spell, and grammar is her arch nemesis. But they gave her the degree, and there are no take backs. 

ONLINE LINKS:

Stalk me (I like it) at: Blog . Twitter . Facebook . Amazon . Zombie Book Trailer . Desert Rice Book Trailer


Giveaway: 5 E-Books International


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'Blissful Lies' Blog Tour & Review


Blissful Lies Book Summary:

Things are often not what they seem in the decadent lifestyles of the rich and famous. Life can be messy and at times people do what feels wrong, because in the end it may turn out to be the best decision ever made. A close bond between 5 lifelong friends, now of college age, find the limits of their relationships are tested when multiple secrets and lies begin to surface, which ultimately leave them wondering if it is all too much to move forward as the family they once were. Forbidden love, drug dealing, date rape, betrayal, cheating, and more begin to unravel the strong ties between friends. Can they overcome secrets which warrant a very difficult life altering response?



**My thoughts**

When I heard that this book was being made into a movie, I have to say I wasn't surprised. The plot reads more like a movie or a soap opera than a book to me. Lots of lies and deceit, illicit affairs, and twists in the plot lend themselves to a story unfolding on screen.

I was reminded of several other movies while reading this novel. I thought of The Graduate, with the affair between an older woman and her son's best friend. (Hello, Mrs. Robinson.) Secrets between friends who go away on a trip reminded me of I Know What You Did Last Summer. (I could see Jennifer Love Hewitt as one of the women, standing out in the rain, yelling to come and get her.)

I have to say that some of the plot twists were really easy for me to figure out at an early stage. I kept on reading to find out if I was right. Some of the other plot twists seemed to come out of left field. This falls in line with the soap opera kind of idea, where even though people have known each other forever. strange things happen and deception rules.

If you're a fan of soap operas and drama, you're going to really like this book. I wish Jennifer Brown-Thomas good luck on her movie adventure and future projects!

Buy links: Amazon \ Kindle \ Barnes & Noble \ Nook 

Book links:


Blissful Lies blog tour site:
http://blissful-lies.blogspot.com/


Blissful Lies (the movie) web site:
http://blissfullies.com/

Blissful Lies (the movie) Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/TheBlissfulLies

Blissful Lies (the movie) IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1939656/



Jennifer Brown Thomas's Bio:

At just 25 years old, Jennifer Brown-Thomas is a celebrated book author and movie director. Her first novel, Blissful Lies, combines both of her passions.

At the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, she presented Blissful Lies (the movie) starring Emmy award winning actress, Leann Hunley. YTINIFNI Pictures is working to bring the film to DVD and on-demand television this spring.

Jennifer is a married, Texas Christian University graduate and mother of one. Her newest venture, LBT Enterprises, is set to launch a fragrance, a children's clothing line and more.

Watch for more novels from Jennifer - the next on its way is Vindictive Grounds. In February, Jennifer will begin directing the film version of this novel. She says, "It definitely has more of the explicit sexual contact comparable to Fifty Shades of Grey."

Jennifer Brown-Thomas's Web Site:
http://www.jenniferbrownthomas.com/

Jennifer Brown-Thomas's Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/JenniferBrownThomas

Jennifer Brown-Thomas's Twitter:
http://twitter.com/jennythomas10

Jennifer Brown-Thomas's Blog:
http://blissfullycouture.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Brown-Thomas's Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6421313.JENNIFER_BROWN_THOMAS


Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

 

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Sunday, December 23, 2012

'The Burning of Isobel Key' Book Tour & Review

Contemporary New Adult
Title: The Burning of Isobel Key
Author - Jen McConnel

Date Published: October 1, 2012

Synopsis:

When Lou travels to Scotland, she’s a mess.  She’s twenty-six, unemployed, and unsure of herself.  It doesn’t help that she’s traveling with Tammy, her best friend, who is everything Lou is not.
 
At first, the trip pushes Lou towards the brink of depression, but then she meets Brian, a handsome local tour guide.  When Brian tells the tourists about the countless witches burned in Scotland, Lou starts to listen.  And when she discovers information about Isobel Key, one of the victims of the seventeenth century, Lou finds renewed purpose.
 
Lou has begun exploring the Neo Pagan faith, a dramatic shift from her wealthy Catholic upbringing.  Despite her fears of being too “hocus pocusy”, Lou turns to her new faith as she struggles to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of Isobel Key.  But faith or not, Lou must face her demons if she has any hope of righting the wrongs of the past.
 
Read the first chapter:
CHAPTER ONE

“I quit!” Lou’s words echoed around the checkout line, and customers craned their necks to see what was happening. Red in the face, Lou looked down at her register in embarrassment. Her manager patted her shoulder.
Let’s go back in the office to talk about this.” He turned, expecting her to follow.
No!” Louder than she’d intended, Lou stood her ground. “You heard me. I’ve had enough of this store.” As she spoke, she tossed her nametag on the counter. An errant brown curl flipped over her eye, and she pushed it away. Under the shocked gaze of her manager and the curious stares of a snake-like line of holiday shoppers, Lou fled.
Once she was outside in the bitter December wind, she headed for the nearest T stop, acting out of habit more than conscious thought. She’d walked this easy route between the bookstore and the T for the past four years, and her body took over while her mind churned.
She had a college degree, for Pete’s sake! Cum laude from Duke University had landed her a job selling books and stationary to the snobby suburbanites outside of Boston. Sighing, she paid her fare and took her seat on the train bound for the city center.
Suddenly, the weight of what she had done hit her, and she buried her face in her hands. What was she thinking, quitting her job like that? Lou replayed the afternoon in her mind. Nothing had happened today that hadn’t happened a thousand other times. Maybe it was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back: four years of answering bizarre questions and customers who were always right had finally taken its toll on her psyche.
But now what would she do? Lou wasn’t a person who acted on impulse: she was cautious and considered her options. And now she was unemployed the week before Christmas. Lou slumped in her seat. Unless she figured something out, and fast, she might have to move back in with her family. It wasn’t that Lou had anything against her family, not really: her parents had adopted her shortly after her birth, and they’d never made her feel like anything but their cherished only child. But Lou was almost 27, and it had never been part of her plan to live at home after college. Part of her plan: that was funny, she thought. It sounded like she’d ever had a plan.
Sure, she always knew that she’d attend college after high school. With parents who had both made careers in the medical field, Lou had never doubted that she’d follow their lead and soak up as much education as she could. Money wasn’t an issue, so when she turned 18 and Duke University accepted her, she thought it would be ideal. She moved to North Carolina and spent four years studying the liberal arts, unable to decide on a tangible career path. Nothing seemed to fit, and even though she earned her degree, she didn’t really know what she was going to do after college. It was lucky that her best friend needed a roommate in Boston, Lou mused, or she might have ended up back with her parents four years ago.
Shaking her head, Lou glanced up as the train rolled to a stop. Standing unsteadily, she tried to ignore the raging pity party in her mind. As the doors whooshed open, the cold winter air assaulted her again. For the first time she realized that she’d left her coat behind in the employee lounge. Hesitating for a moment, Lou considered taking the train back and getting her things.
There’s no going back,” she whispered. Even the excuse of her coat might be enough to put her back in her manager’s office, begging for her job back. Shivering, Lou hurried up the stairs and out of the tunnel. The old black light posts were swathed in candy cane stripes, and every window she passed displayed some holiday decorations. What a time to be unemployed, Lou thought sourly as she buzzed the doorman at her apartment.
Unlocking the door on the seventeenth floor, Lou called out nervously, “Hello? Tammy?” Her roommate didn’t answer, and Lou felt relieved. She wasn’t ready to face anyone yet, not until she’d figured out her next step. Checking the kitschy clock on the wall of the hallway, Lou realized it was only a quarter after four. Tammy wouldn’t be home ‘til seven or later. Relaxing, Lou stacked her boots neatly in the hall closet and headed to the kitchen.
The sleek, modern kitchen was a mess: remnants from Tammy’s last party were still strewn across the stainless countertops. Sighing, Lou plugged in the electric kettle and searched for a mug. While she waited for the kettle to whistle, she started to tidy up. She loaded the dishwasher carelessly and overfilled the soap container, but when she was done the room looked much more presentable. Satisfied, Lou added a packet of hot chocolate to the mug. After a moment’s hesitation, she stirred a hearty dollop of vanilla vodka into the chipped Disney World souvenir.
Leaning against the counter, Lou studied the apartment. The kitchen was open to the rest of the space, and from her vantage point, Lou could see the living room and the stairs that led to her lofted bedroom. She sighed, wondering how much longer she’d get to enjoy this apartment with her best friend. Her parents had helped her out with bills from time to time, but Lou felt certain that all assistance of this kind would stop if they found out she was no longer employed.
What’s the matter with me?” She wondered out loud, tears in her eyes. Taking her mug, she crossed to the living room and flopped down on the fluffy red sofa. She began flipping aimlessly through the stack of magazines on the coffee table.
Suddenly, her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. Glancing at the cracked screen, Lou saw that it was Tammy calling. Sighing, she flipped the phone open.
Hello?”
Tammy’s voice was crackly but excited. “Lou? Guess what? You’ll never guess what happened!”
Lou sighed, annoyed. “What?”
They gave me an account!” Tammy squealed in delight. “Did you hear?”
Tammy, that’s amazing!”
And the best part is, guess where the account is based? Guess!”
Not wanting to play games, Lou asked, “Would you just tell me?”
Scotland! Isn’t that awesome?”
Stunned speechless, Lou just stared at the phone.
Lou! Louisa! Are you still there?”
She shook herself. “Yes, I’m here. Tammy, that’s great!”
I know! They want me to go over there next week to check things out and meet everybody.”
But isn’t next week Christmas? What about your family?”
Tammy laughed. “They won’t care. But Lou, wouldn’t it be perfect to spend Christmas in Scotland?”
Lou agreed that it would be. She ignored the small bubble of jealousy starting to form in her heart.
Tammy, I’m really excited for you.”
For us, you mean.”
What are you talking about?”
Tammy’s voice broke into a garbled stream of words.
Tammy!” Lou shouted. “I can’t hear you.”
In the T…we’ll talk… home…”
The cell phone made a crunching sound and the call dropped. Lou looked at her phone and leaned back into the couch cushions. Wasn’t it just like fate to give Tammy something so wonderful, she mused, when she was so miserable? Sniffing, Lou drained her cup of spiked cocoa and headed upstairs to lie down.

**My thoughts**
I really enjoyed this book. I love history and have always been fascinated by the witch trials of Salem in the 1600s. The interludes in this book that tell Isobel's story satisfy that side of me. It makes me wonder if her story is a true one, or at least based on a true story. It is a very believable one, especially considering that time period.

Lou is a mess. She is struggling with working in a crap retail job that has nothing to do with her degree and top marks in college, while her best friend and roommate is making a ton of money and living the good life. Her adoptive parents raised her well, but her mother is condescending and domineering. She longs to find her place in this world and to have some purpose in her life. Her trip to Scotland, and Isobel's story, gives her more than she had ever hoped she would find.

A little romance thrown into the story doesn't hurt any, either! I dream of going abroad and having such an affair!

Lou's story comes full circle and has closure. I would still be interested in reading more about her new life, as well as other stories by this author.    
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Buy links: Amazon \ Kindle
 
Author Bio:
 
Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. Since then, her words have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including Sagewoman, PanGaia, and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).

She is also an active reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.

A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches writing composition at a community college. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.

Contact Links:

Twitter @ProDeaWriter 
 
FOLLOW THE VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR November 23 - December 23


November 23 - Reading Addiction Blog Tours - Meet and Greet
November 23 - Gothic Angel Book Reviews - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
November 24 - Disincentive Reviews - Givewaway/Excerpt/PROMO
November 25 - Hooked in a Book - Review/Excerpt
November 25 - Winged Reviews - Guest Post/Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO
November 25 - For the Love of Film and Novels - Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt/PROMO
November 26 - Book Addict - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
November 26 - Beth Art From the Heart - Review/Excerpt
November 29 - My Seryniti - Review/Interview/Excerpt
November 30 - Lovely Reads - Interview/Giveaway/Guest Post/PROMO
December 1 - Books For Me - Review
December 2 -  Bless Their Hearts Mom - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
December 3 -  Marie Loves Books - Review/Giveaway
December 5 -  YA Novel Reader - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
December 6 -  Bea's Book Nook - Review/Giveaway
December 7 -  Forget the Hosework, I'm Reading - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
December 8 - Bookishly Devoted - Review
December 10 -  Cozie Corner - Review/Giveaway
December 11 -  Kimmie's Bookshelf - Guest Post/Excerpt/Giveaway/PROMO
December 12 -  Genuine Jen - Review/Giveaway
December 13 -  Books Books, The Magical Fruit - Giveaway/Excerpt/Interview/PROMO
December 14 -   What's Beyond Forks - Review/Interview/Giveaway/Excerpt
December 15 -  Pink Fluffy Hearts - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt
December 16 -  Paulette's Papers-  Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO
December 17 - My Miscellaneous Bookshelf - Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO
December 17 -  Reader Girls - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
December 18 -  A Soul Unsung - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt
December 19 -  A Bibliophiles Thoughts - Review/Giveawy/Excerpt
December 20 -  Celtic Lady Book Reviews - Review/Excerpt
December 21 -  Book-A-Holic - Review/Giveaway
December 22 -  Booklovin Mamas - Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt/PROMO
December 23 -  Andi's YA Books - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt
 

"My 10 Favorite Authors" Guest Post by Jen McConnel, Author of 'The Burning of Isobel Key'


10 Favorite Authors & Why

When I was a kid, I catalogued my books. I was thrilled to learn that I owned over 500 by the time I was in fifth grade: is it any wonder I later went on to get a Masters in Library Science? That being said, it’s always been challenging for me to choose favorite authors or favorite books, but I’ll do my best. This top ten list consists of the authors who have influenced me in some way, but it’s by no means exhaustive. In no particular order, here are ten authors who are vital to me.

Anne Lamott

Whenever I am feeling crummy about writing or life in general, I reach for my tattered copy of Bird by Bird. I love Lamott’s wit and voice, and her work is spot-on. I’ve read some of her other nonfiction, and she remains one of the most impactful author’s on my shelf. She reminds me to take it all one piece at a time, and to accept that first (and even second) drafts are NEVER beautiful.

Susan Cooper

My fifth grade teacher introduced me to Cooper when he read Over Sea, Under Stone aloud and then followed it up with a class reading of The Dark is Rising. Every year since, I’ve tried to re-read The Dark is Rising in the depths of winter. Cooper showed me what it looked like to play with myth and magic in a storybook setting, and I continue to marvel at her elegant stories.

Carolyn Keene”

I know a whole host of women (and men) penned the Nancy Drew books, but the pen name is known and loved by many. The different people who wrote as Carolyn Keene introduced me to the mystery genre, and taught me that a girl with good hair could survive any cruelty. Nancy Drew forever!

Margaret Mitchell

When I first read Gone with the Wind, I don’t think I appreciated how revolutionary Mitchell was. Sure, she wrote about stereotypes, but she also wrote about strong women who could face anything and not only survive, but thrive. Scarlet and Melanie are probably my favorite literary foils ever.

Joseph Campbell

The man wrote about myths and said, “Follow your bliss”. How can I not love him? He’s my guru!

Virginia Woolf

When I finally read “A Room of One’s Own”, it resonated. Woolf was a pioneering woman, and I think it’s at least partly because of the risks she took that modern women are finding their way to creative careers. Her words continue to inspire me.

Rick Riordan

Again, it’s the myth thing. But it’s also my teacher-self that puts Riordan on this list: that man has made more children crazy about reading than years of academic instruction can do. I tip my hat to the mythic story machine that is Riordan, and I love him for the impact he’s continuing to make in young readers’ lives.

Ray Bradbury

The Halloween Tree. Fahrenheit 451. Zen in the Art of Writing. Need I say more?

Charles Dickens

I love his lengthy, sprawling style, and the way he created such memorable caricatures as characters. We’ll never forget Ebenezer Scrooge or Madame Defarge.

William Shakespeare

Mom read “The Tempest” to me when I was 8. That statement alone should explain SO much about my hopelessly dorky love of the Bard.

Well, there you have some of my all-time favorites. Which authors have transformed your life?


Author Bio:
 
Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. Since then, her words have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including Sagewoman, PanGaia, and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).

She is also an active reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.

A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches writing composition at a community college. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.
 
Contact Links:

Twitter @ProDeaWriter 
 


Contemporary New Adult
Title: The Burning of Isobel Key
Author - Jen McConnel

Date Published: October 1, 2012

Synopsis:

When Lou travels to Scotland, she’s a mess.  She’s twenty-six, unemployed, and unsure of herself.  It doesn’t help that she’s traveling with Tammy, her best friend, who is everything Lou is not.
At first, the trip pushes Lou towards the brink of depression, but then she meets Brian, a handsome local tour guide.  When Brian tells the tourists about the countless witches burned in Scotland, Lou starts to listen.  And when she discovers information about Isobel Key, one of the victims of the seventeenth century, Lou finds renewed purpose.
Lou has begun exploring the Neo Pagan faith, a dramatic shift from her wealthy Catholic upbringing.  Despite her fears of being too “hocus pocusy”, Lou turns to her new faith as she struggles to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of Isobel Key.  But faith or not, Lou must face her demons if she has any hope of righting the wrongs of the past.
Buy links: Amazon \ Kindle

FOLLOW THE VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR November 23 - December 23


November 23 - Reading Addiction Blog Tours - Meet and Greet
November 23 - Gothic Angel Book Reviews - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
November 24 - Disincentive Reviews - Givewaway/Excerpt/PROMO
November 25 - Hooked in a Book - Review/Excerpt
November 25 - Winged Reviews - Guest Post/Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO
November 25 - For the Love of Film and Novels - Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt/PROMO
November 26 - Book Addict - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
November 26 - Beth Art From the Heart - Review/Excerpt
November 29 - My Seryniti - Review/Interview/Excerpt
November 30 - Lovely Reads - Interview/Giveaway/Guest Post/PROMO
December 1 - Books For Me - Review
December 2 -  Bless Their Hearts Mom - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
December 3 -  Marie Loves Books - Review/Giveaway
December 5 -  YA Novel Reader - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
December 6 -  Bea's Book Nook - Review/Giveaway
December 7 -  Forget the Hosework, I'm Reading - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
December 8 - Bookishly Devoted - Review
December 10 -  Cozie Corner - Review/Giveaway
December 11 -  Kimmie's Bookshelf - Guest Post/Excerpt/Giveaway/PROMO
December 12 -  Genuine Jen - Review/Giveaway
December 13 -  Books Books, The Magical Fruit - Giveaway/Excerpt/Interview/PROMO
December 14 -   What's Beyond Forks - Review/Interview/Giveaway/Excerpt
December 15 -  Pink Fluffy Hearts - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt
December 16 -  Paulette's Papers-  Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO
December 17 - My Miscellaneous Bookshelf - Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO
December 17 -  Reader Girls - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
December 18 -  A Soul Unsung - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt
December 19 -  A Bibliophiles Thoughts - Review/Giveawy/Excerpt
December 20 -  Celtic Lady Book Reviews - Review/Excerpt
December 21 -  Book-A-Holic - Review/Giveaway
December 22 -  Booklovin Mamas - Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt/PROMO
December 23 -  Andi's YA Books - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt