BOOK REVIEW: Short or Tall Doesn't Matter At All / Part Of The Rainbow by Asaf Rozanes

Short or Tall Doesn't Matter At All

Author: Asaf Rozanes

Publication Date: February 3rd, 2018

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Book Description:

This is a story for all those who feel a little different or have been left out.

With bravery, kindness and determination, Mia shows her friends that everyone, no matter how small or different, has talents and skills too.

Every child and grown up goes through struggles to fit in or find their place in a world that is often confusing and sometimes cruel.

Each and every one of us has something which makes us different, unique, special - and that's a GOOD thing!

In this insightful and inspiring book, children will learn what is really important in life by focusing on the following values:

Kindness

Acceptance

Learning to be themselves

Friendship

Kindness

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

I really enjoy a good picture book. They just fill me with joy. Mia gets a lesson on the importance of difference and how being different can be a great advantage. She learns not to worry about the little things in life - no pun intended. There are important things in life one should focus on and other things that you shouldn't really worry about - such as whether you're short or tall.

Why worry about what you can't change instead of thinking about what you can change? As much as the kids made fun of Mia because of her height, she soon came to realise that she's perfect just the way she is and that the world needs both tall and short people.

It was a good lesson to learn, and I really liked the example used to demonstrate the importance of being different and accepting who you are.

VERDICT

Award: Gold

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Source: Author

Part Of The Rainbow

Author: Asaf Rozanes

Publication Date: May 5th, 2018

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Book Description:

Mia’s story is one we can all relate to, the differences between us and learning to accept our own unique traits.

As Mia struggles to find her place in a class devoid of green, she learns how special she is and how all of us, together, make the best rainbow of all.

In this insightful and inspiring book, children will learn what is really important in life by focusing on the following values:

Accept yourself and what makes you unique

Accept others and what makes them different

Together we all create the amazing rainbow of life

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

Another joyous story about being different and accepting who you are. Loved the rhyming scheme. What I enjoy most about these books is that they don't feel preachy. Some kids don't like reading because they feel they're being pressured to be a certain way. This isn't the case here. You completely forget you're learning because the story is portrayed in such a joyous manner. Reading can sometimes feel like a chore, but this book is just pure fun.

We are all unique because we are all different. A wonderful read.

VERDICT

Award: Gold

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Source: Author

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Superhero High by T.H. Hernandez

Superhero High 
Author: T.H. Hernandez
Published by: Soul Mate Publishing
Publication Date: July 5th 2018
Genre: YA Adventure / Science Fiction

Book Description:

Sixteen-year-old Annarenee Stevens is the sole member of her family without a super power. The only time she feels powerful is in the pool. With her sights set on swimming for U.C. Berkeley, she’s ready to win it all at the State championship and secure her future.

When the government unexpectedly ends the secret Genetically Enhanced Asset (GEA) program, Annarenee is uprooted from Dayton, the only home she’s ever known, and relocated to San Diego with all of the other GEA families. Queen of her public school, Annarenee is just another zero at Superhero High, a school without any sports teams.

With the end of the program, her hero older brother now needs a college education, too, meaning the only way Annarenee is getting into Berkeley is on a scholarship. Her dream is slipping through her fingers, no matter how tightly she clings to it. To make matters worse, super hot superhero, Ren Gonzalez, is paying too much attention to her. The kind of attention that has Ren’s ex-girlfriend intent on making Annarenee’s life even more miserable.

But when heroes begin disappearing, zeros and heroes will be forced to team up in order to solve the mystery. If they don’t kill each other first.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Book Blitz - Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga

Kiss of the Royal releases next week! Pre-order your copy today!

Kiss of the Royal

Author: Lindsey Duga

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release Date: July 3rd 2018
Entangled Teen

Book Description:
In the war against the Forces of Darkness, the Royals are losing. Princess Ivy is determined to end this centuries-long conflict once and for all, so her new battle partner must succeed where the others failed. Prince Zach’s unparalleled skill with a sword, enhanced by Ivy’s magic Kiss, should make them an unstoppable pair—but try convincing Zach of that.

Prince Zach has spent his life preparing for battle, but he would rather be branded a heretic than use his lips as nothing more than a way to transfer magic. A kiss is a symbol of love, and love is the most powerful weapon they have—but try convincing Ivy of that.

With the fate of their world on the line, the battlefield has become a testing ground, and only one of them can be right. Falling for each other wasn’t part of the plan—but try convincing their hearts of that.

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Entangled Teen

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Go Home, Afton by Brent Jones

Go Home, Afton

(Afton Morrison, #1)

Author: Brent Jones

Publication Date: June 25th, 2018

Genre: Adult Thriller

Book Description:
We all wear masks, and Afton Morrison is no exception.

A small-town librarian with a dark side, Afton, twenty-six, has suppressed violent impulses her entire adult life. Impulses that demand she commit murder.

Blending her urges with reason, Afton stalks a known sexual predator, intending to kill him. But her plan, inspired by true crime and hatched with meticulous care, is interrupted by a mysterious figure from her past. A dangerous man that lurks in the shadows, watching, threatening to turn the huntress into the hunted.

Go Home, Afton is the first of four parts in a new serial thriller by author Brent Jones. Packed with grit and action, The Afton Morrison Series delves into a world of moral ambiguity, delivering audiences an unlikely heroine in the form of a disturbed vigilante murderess.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ iBooks ¦ Kobo ¦ Smashwords

Cover Reveal - Butterfly Blood (Metamorphosis #2) by Rebecca L. Carpenter

Butterfly Blood
(Metamorphosis #2) 

Author: Rebecca L. Carpenter

Genre: YA Sci-fi

Release Date: August 2018

Lakewater Press

Book Description:

A sixteen-year-old girl who cheated death continues her fight for survival as she goes up against real-life monsters, desperate for her unique blood, while risking everything to reunite with the love of her life, who is battling his own soul-sucking demons.

Pre-Order Links:
Amazon US ¦ UK

The first book in the Metamorphosis series, Butterfly Bones, has a redesign!

Buy Links:
AMAZON US ¦ UK ¦ B&N

EXCERPT from BUTTERFLY BLOOD:

Darkness consumes him.

Choking.

Suffocating.

His lungs burn as if they’ve been lit on fire.

He reaches out for something.

Anything.

But nothing is familiar.

The smells.

The sounds.

The voices.

And he can’t feel anything.

Except numbness.

Someone speaks.

But it’s a foreign language.

Foreign and muffled.

Light enters his brain, blinding and as painful as staring into the sun.

The brightness grows, with it the sharpness of a thousand needles.

He wants to scream.

He opens his mouth to scream.

But only a weak cry slips over his parched lips.

So dry.

So dry.

The light retracts.

Darkness slithers toward him, coiling up his leg …

Moving ever so slowly until it reaches his mouth and slips inside.

And all he wants to do is drink it up.

So thirsty.

So thirsty.

About the Author

Rebecca Carpenter is a native of western Colorado. She is married with two grown children and has been blessed with four amazing grandchildren. She owns and directs a large childcare center where she shares her love for books. In her spare time, she freelances as a copy editor, helping others attain their writing dreams. She finds solace and clarity while spending time with her husband exploring the beautiful mountains of Colorado.

Author Links:
   

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Release Day Sale & Giveaway - Narcissistic Tendencies by Jennifer Peel

Narcissistic Tendencies

Author: Jennifer Peel

Book Description:

"*Warning* Clear all plans before you start this book, because I promise you will NOT want to put it down until the last page has been read!" -Kathy Jo from KJ's Book Nook ★★★★★

"Waiting for that first kiss was sweet torture but was it worth it? Yumma yes! Nick makes fanning yourself a necessity." - Aimee from Getting Your Read On ★★★★★

He wants her future. She can’t forget her past. Psychologist Kate Morgan loves her job evaluating clients for the matchmaking service Binary Search. That is, until the one and only Nicholas Wells becomes a client and the new face of the company. Now Kate must take on a new role as his relationship manager to “fix” the actor-turned-writer-and-producer—not to mention egotistical, possibly narcissistic celebrity—and save Binary Search’s reputation.Once upon a time this would have been a dream come true, but older, wiser, and live-within-her-rules Kate knows more than she would like to about narcissists. Annulment is an ugly word and one she can’t or won’t forget. But is Nick the man he says he is on paper or is he the man she sees before her eyes? An adoring father with a generous heart who’s willing to smooth out some of his rough edges for the right woman, making her think who’s fixing who?

Can this Hollywood playboy and reluctant matchmaker make the ultimate connection?

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Book Blast & Giveaway - The Girl with More Than One Heart by Laura Geringer Bass

The Girl with More Than One Heart

Author: Laura Geringer Bass

Age Range: 8 - 12 years

Grade Level: 3 - 7

Hardcover: 288 pages

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (April 17, 2018)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1419728822

ISBN-13: 978-1419728822

Book Description:

There are times we all feel we need more than one heart to get through. When Briana’s father dies, she imagines she has a new heart growing inside her. It speaks to her in her Dad’s voice. Some of its commands are mysterious. 

Find Her! it says. Be Your Own! 

How can Briana “be her own” when her grieving mother needs her to take care of her demanding little brother all the time? When all her grandpa can do is tell stories instead of being the “rock" she needs? When her not-so-normal home life leaves no time to pursue her dream of writing for the school literary magazine? When the first blush of a new romance threatens to be nipped in the bud? Forced by the loss of her favorite parent to see all that was once familiar with new eyes, Briana draws on her own imagination, originality, and tender loving heart to discover a surprising path through the storm.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ B&N ¦ Book Depository

BOOK REVIEW: Tomorrow is Near but Today is Here by Asaf Rozanes

Tomorrow is Near but Today is Here

Author: Asaf Rozanes
Publication Date: February 3rd, 2018
Genre: Children's Picture Book

Book Description:

The stress, worry and anxiety our children face is greater than any generation before. This tale can help soothe the anxiety that fills your child's mind, allowing gentler thoughts to take root "" thoughts that leave no room for worry and remind them that "Yesterday has passed, today is a gift and tomorrow is brand new."

Building a better tomorrow means being present today.

In this insightful and inspiring book, children will learn what is really important in life by focusing on the following values:

Mindfulness

If you want to change tomorrow, act today!

Enjoy and experience life here and now

˃˃˃ This lesson is universal and applies to both children and parents alike.Kids are not the only ones to experience some sort of Anxiety, Stress, Worry, Over-thinking or feeling different in their daily environment, whether its at work or even with family and friends.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

This is my kind of book. It's not every day you read a story that centres on a young character suffering with anxiety, and I just loved the message told throughout the book. It's one I often use myself: think only about now and not about yesterday or tomorrow. Live in the moment and enjoy it or you might miss out on the wonders life has to offer.

This is a much needed book today, particularly with the rise in depression in young children. It's a good reminder - not only for children but for adults too - to smile and push worrying thoughts aside. Here today, gone tomorrow, so why worry about the negative. Think positive and just smile.

It was a good read. I really enjoyed it.

VERDICT

Award: Gold

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Source: Author

Release Day Promo - Between the Sea and Stars by Chantal Gadoury

Between the Sea and Stars

Author: Chantal Gadoury

Publisher: Parliament House Press

Book Description:

A Legend, 

A Magical Shell 

A Girl Who Dreamed Of Something More... 

Lena, a Merrow girl, lives in the Skagerrak sea with her father, Carrick and her brother, Javelin who tells her of the legend of the Merrow Queen murdered by her human lover when greed takes over. But what’s worth spilling the queen’s blood? Gifted from Poseidon, himself, a magic shell gives any human the ability to control both land and sea. 

When Javelin is called to join a clan of Merrow soldiers bent on protecting their waters from human invasion, Lena resists Merrow law and ventures to the shore with no choice but to swim to land. 

With newfound legs, Lena is whisked away on a new adventure with new friends and new trouble. Everyone seems to want something from her as intrigue lurks around every corner. 

Trying her best to hide who she is and remain safe from the dangers of the human world, will Lena finally find where she belongs, or will she be swept into a strong and stormy current by lust, greed, and jealousy?

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Escape Forbidden by Ruth Silver

Escape Forbidden

(Aberrant Prequel)

Author: Ruth Silver
Publication Date: June 15th, 2018
Genre: YA Dystopian

Book Description:

Fight to stay alive.

The Gravelands are a dangerous place.

In a world of uncertainty, Cora Manning knows one thing without a doubt: getting into Genesis will offer her a brighter future.

When the intake coordinator agrees to let her in because of her genetic makeup, Cora discovers the promised city of utopia is nothing like she imagined.

The rebellion has begun.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Survival of the Richest by Skye Warren

Survival of the Richest

Author: Skye Warren

Publication Date: June 12th, 2018

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

This tale begins with a fall, but it doesn’t end there.Because another man wants me.

A Park Avenue princess…

My story starts with a plunge into the cold water of Manhattan’s harbor. A strong hand hauls me back onto the deck of the luxury yacht. Christopher was supposed to be my enemy, the son of my mother’s latest husband. Instead he protects me with fierce determination when I need him most.

Sutton wants to consume me with a passion more feral than kind. In the lush emotional wilderness I’m not sure I want Christopher to save me this time…

Or if there will be anything left if he tries.

SURVIVAL OF THE RICHEST is a book about finding your soul’s desire, even if the search leads you places you never expect. A woman torn between two men. An impossible choice. And a war fought on the most dangerous battlefield–the heart.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ iBooks ¦ Kobo

BOOK REVIEW - Sex-O-S: The Tragicomic Adventure of an Italian Surviving the First Time by Gaia B Amman

Sex-O-S: The Tragicomic Adventure of an Italian Surviving the First Time

Author: Gaia B Amman

Genre: MG/YA Coming of Age

Publication Date: December 25th, 2017

Book Description:

Is strong-headed teen tomboy Leda ready for her first time?

Italy, the 90s. Leda is not a popular girl. Ecstatic to be dating the brooding bad boy she grew up with, she wonders if her relationship with the player will last… Is it love?

Leda learns to be strong and stand up for herself in the face of her insecurities, family expectations, and peer pressure. Surviving through high school, she will make plenty of mistakes but eventually will realize she is the one that has to love herself. 

Funny, moving, brutal, and emotional, this realistic first-time romance is recommended to adults and teens alike. Breathtaking Northern Italy—including Padua, Liguria, and the incredible Island of Elba—adds to the charm of this addictive book, empowering girls and women to become their brave true selves.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

Self-proclaimed tomboy Leda has certianly grown a lot since she was first introduced to us at the tender age of nine. As she journeys through her later teenage years, she learns that with age comes more responsibility - and more chances of making all the wrong decisions. A lot is changing for Lee and the people around her, and she's not sure she can keep up. When peer pressure starts to take its toll, Lee quickly learns that her expectations and the reality of her world are not seeing eye to eye. Trying to please everyone brings about insecurities that governs the decisions she makes and interferes with past and future relationships. Boys are still a mystery to Lee, especially her long time crush Nico the thug, and although they form a stronger bond and she gets a better understanding of why he is the way he is, her high expectations prove to be a constant stumbling block in their relationship.

I really enjoyed the way this book unfolded. There were some shocking moments and subject matters that I thought the author handled well, though I would have liked a deeper exploration into one or two issues, be it with Nico or Lee's family, but as short-lived as they were, they made me understand some of the characters a little better. I was a little surprised by the fact that many of the secondary characters - her family and high school friends - haven't changed much since the first book. It appears as if it's only Leda and Nico who are changing. Everyone else is as they were since book 1. Perhaps it's because we don't get to delve much into their backgrounds, but I had expected more of a growth with some of the characters. Still, I love how Lee handles the difficult situations she finds herself in. She has been portrayed as being very mature for her age, but there is still a naive innocence about her character that I appreciate. No matter how mature she thinks she is, she's still just a girl in the pursuit of happiness. What that happiness looks like, I don't even think Lee herself knows.

I am definitely looking forward to finding out how Lee's journey ends.

Award: Gold

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Source: Author

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Splash by M.E. Rhines

Splash

(Mermaid Royalty #3)
Author: M.E. Rhines
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication Date: June 12th, 2018
Genre: YA Fantasy

Book Description:

Fawna is happy with the new life she has made for herself on land. She has her child and her youngest sister Pauline by her side—plus an amazing new human boyfriend named Randy. So when an old friend from Atargatis shows up, she immediately feels the weight of everything she stands to lose. But the news can’t be ignored – there’s been an attack on their kingdom; her aunt Myrtle is dead and her mother is missing. Angelique, their middle sister, is now ruling a kingdom to the north, leaving Fawna as the only royal left to help save Atargatis. Torn between responsibilities in two different worlds, the decision is made for her when the powerful sea witch who attacked the kingdom also takes Fawna’s son. Now she has no choice—to save her life on dry land, she’ll have to dive back into the ocean…

The final installment in the beloved Mermaid Royalty series, Splash is a heart-pounding fantasy romance that will have you feeling like you need to come up for air!

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ iBooks ¦ Kobo

Cover Reveal - Keeper of the Bees by Meg Kassel

Keeper of the Bees

Author: Meg Kassel

Genre: YA Paranormal

Release Date: September 4th, 2018

Entangled Teen

Book Description:

“Beauty and the beast like you’ve never imagined!” —New York Times bestselling author Pintip Dunn

KEEPER OF THE BEES is a tale of two teens who are both beautiful and beastly, and whose pasts are entangled in surprising and heartbreaking ways.

Dresden is cursed. His chest houses a hive of bees that he can’t stop from stinging people with psychosis-inducing venom. His face is a shifting montage of all the people who have died because of those stings. And he has been this way for centuries—since he was eighteen and magic flowed through his homeland, corrupting its people.

He follows harbingers of death, so at least his curse only affects those about to die anyway. But when he arrives in a Midwest town marked for death, he encounters Essie, a seventeen-year-old girl who suffers from debilitating delusions and hallucinations. His bees want to sting her on sight. But Essie doesn’t see a monster when she looks at Dresden.

Essie is fascinated and delighted by his changing features. Risking his own life, he holds back his bees and spares her. What starts out as a simple act of mercy ends up unraveling Dresden’s solitary life and Essie’s tormented one. Their impossible romance might even be powerful enough to unravel a centuries-old curse.

About the Author

Meg Kassel is an author of fantasy and speculative books for young adults. A graduate of Parson's School of Design, she’s been creating stories, whether with visuals or words, since childhood. Meg is a New Jersey native who lives in a log house in the Maine woods with her husband and daughter. As a fan of ’80s cartoons, Netflix series, and ancient mythology, she has always been fascinated and inspired by the fantastic, the creepy, and the futuristic. She is the 2016 RWA Golden Heart® winner in YA and a double 2018 RITA® finalist for her debut novel, Black Bird of the Gallows.

Author Links:

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