BOOK REVIEW - Aru's Balcony Garden and Likes and Dislikes by Arundhati Nithiyanandhan

Aru's Balcony Garden

Author: Arundhati Nithiyanandhan

Genre: Picture Book
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2018
Publisher: White Falcon Publishing

Book Description:

Arundhati who lives in an apartment community of a metro city is used to a small garden at her home balcony that is full of blooming plants that she loves. Every morning she likes to spend a moment before leaving to catch her school bus, in the garden looking at the flowers. This story is inspired by this habit of hers and how she likes to water the plants with her parents.

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MY REVIEW

While visiting her balcony garden, a young child finds her plants aren't blooming quite as she'd hoped they'd be.

This is a charming tale, but I did wish there had been a little more to the story. I suspect talking to plants could be a cultural element Aru is familiar with but as there was no hint to this, I may have been led to wonder why the plants were talking back to Aru. Clearly, Aru care's greatly for her garden, which did come across well. Wonderful illustrations. It was a short and sweet read that I would recommend for kids aged between 5-7.

VERDICT

Award: Gold

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Source: Author

Likes and Dislikes

Author: Arundhati Nithiyanandhan

Genre: Picture Book
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2018
Publisher: White Falcon Publishing

Book Description:

Arundhati and Tanisha are sisters who are also each other’s best friends and spend most of their time together. They play, sing, dance and a considerable amount of time together after school. Knowing their likes and dislikes with respect to objects and correlating them with the five senses help them understand each other better. This story is inspired by random conversations between the two sisters playing at the terrace.

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MY REVIEW

Two young girls bond over their likes and dislikes.

This was certainly an engaging story that incorporated imojis and illustrations effectively to allow the readers to feel as though they were a part of Aru and Nishu's story. Although I suspect the girls were sisters, an acknowledge would have been nice to establish the dynamic of their relationship. Utilising the senses as a means of expressing one's likes and dislikes is a fun and effective learning tool for children. Great illustrations. It was shorter than I would have liked, but it was a great read nonetheless.

VERDICT

Award: Platinum

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Source: Author

Cover Reveal - Dorothy In the Land of Monsters by Garten Gevedon

Dorothy In the Land of Monsters

(Oz ReVamped, #1)

Author: Garten Gevedon

Publication Date: October 11th 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy / Paranormal

Book Description:

Shifters, Zombies, and Vampires? Oh my!

My name is Dorothy Gale, and I think I might be dead.

When my dog Toto and I got swept up in a twister, we landed in hell. A very colorful hell. Like a rainbow dripping in blood. Now it looks as though this dreadful underworld plagued with vampires, zombies, and shifters will be the site of my eternal damnation.

They say this terrifying land called Oz isn’t hell or purgatory and escape is possible, but first I must survive the journey down the blood-soaked yellow brick road to the only place in Oz where vampires dare not tread—The City of Emeralds.

With enchanted footwear and the help of my three new friends—a friendly zombie, a massive shifter lion, and a heartless axe murderer of evil night creatures (who also happens to be the hottest guy I’ve ever seen)—Toto and I have a chance to make it to the Vampire Free Zone. When we get there, I must convince the most powerful wizard in this magical land of monsters to send us out of this radiant nightmare and back to the world of the living. They say he’s just as frightening as this monstrous land, that he detests visitors, and even the most horrifying creatures cower in his presence. But I must seek him out. And when I find him, I’ll do whatever it takes to make him send me home.

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About the Author

Garten Gevedon lives in New York City with her family. She's a sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal author who loves taking fairy tales and turning them inside out. You can visit her online at www.gartengevedon.com.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Goodreads ¦ Twitter ¦ Instagram ¦ Bookbub

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - Love Repaired by Deanna Birch

Love Repaired
Author: Deana Birch
Publication Date: July 30th, 2019
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

Attorney Amee sets aside her own needs to juggle the broken pieces of her life and family until mechanic Ben repairs her heart.

Divorce attorney Amee Benton—who has an ex of her own—is pretty sure she’s a #MomFail. Showing up late on a Friday night to retrieve her car from the shop and finding the pink frosted cupcakes she forgot to leave at her daughter’s ballet camp confirms it.

When mechanic, Ben Mathis, confesses to stealing one of the confections and asks who is taking care of Amee, she knows he’s a unicorn—a magical, beautiful beast who surely only exists in fantasies. And she tells him just that. With an f bomb for good measure.

Amee has three things Ben finds irresistible in a woman—brains, a family, and a serious potty mouth. At a chance run-in at Ben’s own personal hell, AKA the mall, he summons the courage to ask her out. Though Amee is leery of dating a younger man, and Ben is more than aware of their social gap, the two take a chance.

But Amee’s life isn’t like his. And when her ex returns and the doubting divorcée blunders, all of Ben’s insecurities are piqued anew. Now, Amee must prove to Ben his worth is much more than stand-in dad and rebound boyfriend or she’ll watch magic gallop off into the forest forever.

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - Kingdom of Mirrors & Roses Boxed Set

Kingdom of Mirrors & Roses: A Limited Edition of Beauty and the Beast Retellings

Publication Date: August 1st, 2019

Genre: NA Fairy Tales / Fantasy

Book Description:

Beauty and the Beast, but not how you remember it

Deep in the forest, a castle hides. No one knows who lives there, but rumors of a beast keep people away.

Cloaked in shadows, hidden from view, a prince destroyed by a curse shuts himself away from the world, ashamed of the beast he’s become.

And in the village, a beautiful girl with her nose in a book, yearns for something more.

True love is the only thing that can break his curse. True love is the one thing she’s looking for, but how can they find true love when neither knows the other exists?

Find out if love really can defy all odds in this set of thirteen captivating retellings of the classic fairytale, filled with love, hope and the strength of two people willing to do whatever it takes…

One click now for your happily ever after.

Other books in the Kingdom of series…

Kingdom of Glass and Ashes (Cinderella retellings)

Kingdom of Salt and Sirens (Little Mermaid retellings)

Kingdom of Sand and Wishes (Aladdin retellings)

Kingdom of Mirrors and Roses (Beauty and the Beast retellings)

Kingdom of Thorns and Dreams (Sleeping Beauty retellings) coming soon

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Cover Reveal - His Smile by Katerina Winters

His Smile: A Mafia Romance

Author: Katerina Winters

Publication Date: August 30th, 2019

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

Roman Mashir was the man that stepped out of shadowed corners wearing a smile. Cruelty and laughter were synonymous in his world. Roman was the devil who caught your gaze and grinned back at you in your nightmares.

Fear was what he liked to see, expected even–bright eyed infatuation was not.

Rahina Chopra was persistent, annoying, naïve, and beyond foolish. While she danced happily in moonlight he was the devil who aimed his sights and pulled triggers.

She had no business fluttering carelessly into his world, he had made too many enemies, laughed in the face of one too many dying men to be allowed the luxury of her beauty.

But she recklessly fell in love with the madman, despite everyone’s warning–despite his warnings.

So, she stepped closer. Further into the psychopath’s hands sliding around her throat and closed her eyes to his grip fastening tightly close. Rahina didn’t want Roman’s status, his power, or his wealth the only thing she wanted was–his smile.

Pre-order Links:

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About the Author

"Her writing is a lot like chocolate, dark and very sweet."

From contemporary to fantasy, Katerina Winters weaves dark tales of romance together with strong possessive men and sexy rendezvous.

Katerina lives in a tiny brick house surrounded by trees in Texas with her husband and their dog. When she isn't writing, Katerina is usually catching brunch with friends or curled up on her window seat with a good book.

Author Links:

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Cave by Amanda McKinney

The Cave

(A Berry Springs Novel)

Author: Amanda McKinney

Publication Date: August 1st, 2019

Genre: Adult Romance / Suspense

Book Description:

After getting trapped in a remote cave, two strangers must work together to survive while being hunted by a ruthless killer… 

Life is full of surprises, rescue swimmer Owen Grayson knows that better than anyone, especially when he’s forced to take an indefinite military leave and return home to pick up the pieces of his dad’s latest mistake. As Owen struggles to settle back into his roots, he is called to a remote cave where he discovers the mysterious death of his uncle wasn’t an accident at all. As the clues begin to unravel, it becomes apparent that the cave is hiding secrets worth killing for… and everyone on site has a target on their back.

Coming off a bad break up and an even worse few days, Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Sadie Hart is brought in to excavate human remains found deep in the treacherous mountains of Berry Springs, in a cave rumored to be haunted, nonetheless. When her team stumbles upon a dead body before they even reach the cave, Sadie quickly realizes this is going to be no ordinary job—especially when she meets a particularly bull-headed Adonis who claims to be related to the victim.

A storm hits, trapping Sadie and Owen inside the cave with nothing but a flashlight and a small backpack with provisions… and someone who wants them dead. As the odds stack up against them, Sadie begins to fear she and Owen will become the next pile of bones found deep in the catacombs of Crypts Cavern…

THE CAVE is a standalone romantic suspense novel.

Only 99¢ for a limited time!

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Guest Post - Mahoney by Andrew Joyce

Mahoney

Author: Andrew Joyce

Genre: Historial Fiction

Publication Date: May 19th, 2019

Publisher: William Birch & Assoc.

Book Description:

In this compelling, richly researched novel, author Andrew Joyce tells a story of determination and grit as the Mahoney clan fights to gain a foothold in America. From the first page to the last, fans of Edward Rutherfurd and W. Michael Gear will enjoy this riveting, historically accurate tale of adventure, endurance, and hope.

In the second year of an Gorta Mhór—the Great Famine—nineteen-year-old Devin Mahoney lies on the dirt floor of his small, dark cabin. He has not eaten in five days. His only hope of survival is to get to America, the land of milk and honey. After surviving disease and storms at sea that decimate crew and passengers alike, Devin’s ship limps into New York Harbor three days before Christmas, 1849. Thus starts an epic journey that will take him and his descendants through one hundred and fourteen years of American history, including the Civil War, the Wild West, and the Great Depression.

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - A Divided Mind by M. Billiter

A Divided Mind

Author: M. Billiter

Published by: Tangled Tree Publishing

Publication Date: July 27th, 2019

Genre: Adult Psychological Thriller

Book Description:

Sometimes that little voice in your head isn’t always yours. 

What if the only friend you have isn’t real? When the voices in his head begin to make sense, high school senior Branson Kovac turns to the one friend he’s still got… only to discover he’s not really there.

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - Defying Gravity by K.K. Allen

Defying Gravity

Author: K.K. Allen

Publication Date: July 25th, 2019

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

Our greatest risk was the one we never took …

It was an accidental spring fling three years ago—one week spent in the mountains of Big Sur and no one was the wiser. Ignore the fact that Tobias James was my neighbor and my best friend’s older brother. Or that upon our return his hoop dreams were waiting for him, robbing us of any potential future we could have shared.

Now, I’m fulfilling my own dreams in L.A. and my biggest dream of all is about to come true. The last thing I expected was for my past and my present to collide.

Not now. Not here. Not him.

But he struts back into my life like he never even left. Unfortunately, I’ll never forget what happened after he did.

The ball is in my court, but Tobias isn’t below stealing—my power, my resolve, my heart… When he wants a second chance to reignite our connection, my answer is simple. We can’t.

Not unless we defy the rules our dreams were built on and risk everything.

*Defying Gravity is a STANDALONE sports romance in an interconnected series. You can check out Center of Gravity here ➞ smarturl.it/centerofgravity

Buy Links:

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - Fate of Dragons by Alisha Klapheke

Fate of Dragons

(Dragons Rising #1)

Author: Alisha Klapheke

Publication Date: March 27th, 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy / Romance

Book Desciption:

An Earth Queen desperate to wake her magic.

An elven prince fighting a ruthless betrayal.

A flood is coming. The Sea Queen has a mad plan to drown the world.

Only the magic of the Earth Queen can stop her. Vahly, the last human, was born to fill that role and wield the power necessary to battle the rising oceans and save the dragons and elves.

But Vahly is the world’s biggest disappointment. She possesses no magic whatsoever.

When she finds an ancient scroll that mentions a human power ritual conducted deep in the homeland of the elves, she gathers her dragon allies and journeys to see the king of that great forest-dwelling race.

Welcomed by a handsome royal cloaked in dark magic, will Vahly find answers or will a twisted and powerful elven lord destroy her chance at saving the world?

Only 99¢ for a limited time!

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - Summer Bucket List by T.K. Rapp

Summer Bucket List

Author: T.K. Rapp

Publication Date: July 15th, 2019

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

Recently graduated from high school, Holland Monroe had no expectations for her last summer before heading off to college to be anything but ordinary.

Until she got a job as a waitress at the local country club to make extra money for school.

Milo Davis was smart, cute, and absolutely not interested in Holland. At least that was what she believed. But the day she started working at the restaurant, everything changed.

Finally together, they were left with only three months to spend time together before she moved away.

Good thing they decided to make their time as memorable as possible.

But will they remain friends? Or will checking off items on their summer bucket list lead them to something they didn’t expect — Falling in love.

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - Lineage by C. Vonzale Lewis

Lineage

Author: C. Vonzale Lewis

Publication Date: July 16th, 2019

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Book Description:

Smart-mouthed Nicole Fontane has a way of getting herself into trouble. She’s been fired from every job she’s had but still refuses to work in her father’s apothecary shop because of his practice of Earth Magick. On Tulare Island where Nicole grew up, Magick has always been a way of life—one she’s determined to avoid at all costs.

With less than two hundred dollars in the bank and rent due, Nicole is forced to take a job at Tribec Insurance as a last resort. Little does she realize, the moment she sets foot inside the building, she becomes a pawn. A sinister force has set its sights on her and will stop at nothing to use her in a sadistic game.

Tribec’s proprietors, the Stewart family, are curiously preoccupied with the Naqada, the mysterious pre-dynastic Egyptian society. Nicole finds it creepy, but on the bright side, the job reconnects her with her estranged friend, Marta. Yet the eerie atmosphere, disappearing Magick wards, and the smell of blood inside Tribec bring Nicole to a startling conclusion—the Stewarts are practicing Blood Magick, the deadliest of the Five Principles. By the time Nicole uncovers the truth, Marta and her four children have gone missing, and all signs implicate the Stewarts and an archaic blood ritual to an Old One, a Naqada god imprisoned on Tulare Island.

Battling the evil of Blood Magick will demand Nicole to confront a hidden past and unlock the Magick buried within. But can she set aside her deep-rooted fears to work with a team of vigilante Mages? Or will the clock run out on Marta and her children—and on Nicole?

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Cover Reveal - Till I Found You by Michelle Fernandez

Till I Found You

Author: Michelle Fernandez

Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019

Genre: Adult Romance Suspense

Book Description:

Former Navy SEAL, Julian “Booker” Cruz, joined an elite security ops agency with one goal in mind: to forget his past. With the overload of work, there’s no time for romance, nor does he want it. His rule—don’t mix business with pleasure. Until one assignment puts that rule to the test. Chloe Channing is not to discover his undercover role as her protective detail from an unknown psychopath. But as their days pass together in tropical paradise, it becomes difficult to keep his desire from compromising everything. Including her safety.

All Chloe wants is to remember, but so much of her memory was lost after her assailant left her unconscious. On a summer trip with friends at her family’s estate in the Bahamas, she yearns for the quiet respite from a previous heartbreak and her tortured nightmares. She never expects a man like Julian to help her find emotional peace and physical healing. But as she falls deeper, her flashbacks slowly come together, and they include glimpses of one handsome, mysterious, yet all-too-familiar face: Julian’s.

Is Chloe’s mind playing tricks on her again… or has she met this man before?

Even if Julian could let go and risk it all, could he ever forgive himself enough to fall in love again?

About the Author

Michelle is a wife, mother and an avid reader of multi-genres. She's always been passionate about reading and impressed by the influence it has on people. Which is why she started writing in the first place. Romance suspense is her most favorite genre. The damsel heroine and the alpha gentleman hero are who she writes about. It started as a hobby. One chapter turned into ten, then a novel was born. Making up worlds and characters for readers to fall in love with, is the most rewarding for her. May her words give you the 'feels' and may it be an unputdownable book!

Author Links:

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

The Forever Girl

Author: Rebecca Hamilton

Publication Date: June 18th, 2018

Genre: NA Fantasy / Paranormal

Book Description:

A young descendent of a true witch, Sophia discovers her familial curse can only be cured by entering a world of shifters, fae, and vampires who want her dead.

Sophia’s ancestor’s body went missing after a Salem Witch Trials hanging. Now, over three centuries later, Sophia is cursed, and the only way to free herself is to find out what happened to her ancestor’s body.

As Sophia uses magic to find answers, she unknowingly paints a supernatural target on her back, making herself a beacon for creatures of the night. And they won’t stop hunting her until they’ve collected what they want.

There’s one man who might be able to help her, but when Sophia finally decides to trust him, his own secrets place them both in more danger.

Fans of True Blood, Twilight, and The Craft are devouring Rebecca Hamilton’s witty, imaginative series.

Scroll Up and One-Click The Forever Girl to start the hauntingly beautiful adventure today!

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - Awakened by Moni Boyce

Awakened

(The Oracle Chronicles, #1)

Author: Moni Boyce

Publication Date: July 9th, 2019

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Book Description:

Secret lineage, a ruthless vampire, and forbidden love.

Willow Stevens dreams of stardom are eclipsed by the real nightmares of a sinister man haunting her dreams. Unbeknownst to her, Eli Walker, her hot but snobbish co-worker, may know the reason nightmares plague her, but their history shows he is more prone to reject her, than help her.

Then Willow passes out at work only to wake in Eli’s apartment. There she has her chance to learn more about her heritage. But, knowing why the vampire king stalks her doesn’t make the nightmares disappear. If anything, they become more real as she now faces off against a slew of creatures she’d always believed were myth.

That Eli is one of those creatures is just her luck. Secret witch guild or not, his natural ways are casting spells her heart can’t escape. As a Protector his only focus should be her safety. Anything else is forbidden. He plans to stay on task, but some women break a man, or tempt him to break the rules.

Can Eli keep Willow alive and safe from the vampires long enough for her to grow her own powers or will both cast aside rules for a reckless passion that will only lead to danger?

AWAKENED is the first installment in The Oracle Chronicles series. This interracial, paranormal romance is a great mix of magic and adventure.

**This book is part of a series and ends in a cliffhanger.**

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