Sheila

Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little-Blog Tour Review and Giveaway

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Dec 122014
 

 

 

Forbidden


Forbidden KimberleyProduct Details

 

  • Title:  Forbidden
  • Author: Kimberley Griffiths Little
  • Hardcover: 400 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins (November 4, 2014)
  • Genre: Romance/Historical Fiction
  • ISBN-10: 0062194976
  • FTC, FYI: Received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Description:
In the unforgiving Mesopotamian desert where Jayden’s tribe lives, betrothal celebrations abound, and tonight it is Jayden’s turn to be honored. But while this union with Horeb, the son of her tribe’s leader, will bring a life of riches and restore her family’s position within the tribe, it will come at the price of Jayden’s heart. Then a shadowy boy from the Southern Lands appears. Handsome and mysterious, Kadesh fills Jayden’s heart with a passion she never knew possible. But with Horeb’s increasingly violent threats haunting Jayden’s every move, she knows she must find a way to escape—or die trying. With a forbidden romance blossoming in her heart and her family’s survival on the line, Jayden must embark on a deadly journey to save the ones she loves—and find a true love for herself. Set against the brilliant backdrop of the sprawling desert, the story of Jayden and Kadesh will leave readers absolutely breathless as they defy the odds and risk it all to be to

 

 


 My Review:
I must admit right off, I love everything that Kimberley writes. She has a way of making her characters seem so real. You become so absorbed into the story, you forget you are actually reading and not living the experience. The main character is Jayden, who lives in the early Mesopotamian time before Christ. Her people were the Nomad Tribes that wandered the desert areas. It is a rich and beautiful time period of adventure, danger, hardships and survival. These people wandered through the deserts to look for food and water. They form bonds with other wandering tribes. This is where the story begins at Jayden’s betrothal ceremony. Soon we find out that this marriage is not one that Jayden wants because frankly, her betrothed, Horeb, is a rich, but mean man. Then of course a very young, handsome man, Kadesh, comes along that does steal Jayden’s heart. This may seem to you that this book is a typical romance, but you’d be so wrong. There is a rich story woven into this romance with plenty of strife and intrigue. Nothing is ever easy in life, and Jayden finds this out too. Though she wants Kadesh in her life, she knows it’s Forbidden because he is not part of her tribe. At this time, and with this people, you really had no choice when a marriage when arranged for you. Oh, it hurt to read about Jayden and the choices she had to make and work through.

Another thing that really pleased me was the fabulous historical research that was done for this book. You can always tell when an author digs deep to make the story accurate for the time period, the people and country of the characters. Kimberley did exactly that: of writing a novel that was realistic and true. This is another reason that this novel is not just another romance, but a story of depth because of it’s historical accuracies. 

 Schedule some good time this winter/Christmas to just sit and read this novel. You will be pulled in and not want to leave. Unfortunately there is a cliff hanger that will make you beg for more in this series. I can’t wait to read more about what will happen in Jayden’s life. I love Kimberley’s writing style and I know I’ll always read a great story that will be remembered way after I’ve finished it. 

Praise for Forbidden
*STARRED* Review, ALA BOOKLIST “. . . At its core, this is a romance, with all the push and pull that goes along with impossible love, and Little elevates the story by creating a perilous landscape, both outward and inward, as Jayden must deal with the hardship of desert life as well as her own desires.” 

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL “This is a fast-paced, entertaining choice which will appeal to fans of historical fiction and romance.” 

“Lush, lyrical, romantic. Forbidden transports readers into a vividly imagined place and time.” –
 -Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author 

 “The harsh beauty of the deserts of ancient Mesopotamia come to life in Forbidden, with beautiful descriptions that will make you crave water and check for sand in your clothes. Your heart will break as you root for Jayden to triumph over the many struggles that threaten to tear her world apart, and the ending will leave you thirsting for more!” –Sara B. Larson, author of Defy    

EXCERPT:  
The night was starkly beautiful under a canopy of jeweled stars. I savored my moments of freedom, which were marred by the realization that it was dripping away day by day. The sizzle of coffee beans roasting in the skillet floated across the still air. Cups clinked on a tray as my father passed them around the circle. The aroma of roasted brew spiced with cardamom seeped into the night. As I tried to slip past, Horeb’s eyes caught mine. Firelight flickered over his face, outlining his jaw and wind-tangled black hair. He was devastatingly handsome just as all the girls said, but his lips curled into a smile that sent shudders down my spine. Horeb’s glance lingered on my body, settling not on my face, but lower, as if he was undressing me right there on the dirt path. His eyes locking onto mine, Horeb rose from the circle of men. I jerked around, breaking off his stare. Walking faster, I turned the corner of the tent just as his arm reached out to stop me. “So, little cousin,” Horeb said. “Have you been enjoying the betrothal ceremony? Tell me, are the women telling stories of marital relations?” My breath caught like a thorn in my throat. The women’s ceremonies were not discussed with any male—only inside the privacy of a marriage bed. “You shouldn’t be saying these things to me,” I said. Running his fingers down my arm, Horeb continued to study me. “There are many things I’d like to say to you, Jayden. Do to you.” There used to be a time when my throat pounded every time Horeb turned my direction. A time when he was growing into those big, dark eyes and that hard, muscular body. Moments when I wanted to touch his thick, black hair, or run my finger along his jaw to discover what a boy’s skin felt like with a newly growing beard. But now that I was sixteen, and he twenty, his stares made me uneasy. My heart still pounded, but not from love. And I wasn’t sure what it was or what to call it.  

 

Author Kimberley Griffiths Little

 

Award-winning author Kimberley Griffiths Little was born in San Francisco, but now lives in New Mexico on the banks of the Rio Grande with her husband and their three sons. Her middle-grade novels, When the Butterflies Came, The Last Snake Runner, The Healing Spell, and Circle of Secrets, have been praised as “fast-paced and dramatic,” with “beautifully realized settings.” Kimberley adores anything old and musty with a secret story to tell. She’s stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland; sailed the Seine in Paris; ridden a camel in Petra, Jordan; shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria.

 

 

 

25_Amazon_PaypalBlog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 1/4/15 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Beam n’ Read Personal Light: Anywhere, Anytime: Product Review and Tour Giveaway

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Nov 142014
 

  Beam n Read

  Beam N Read Hands Free Travel and Reading Light  
New edition Beam n Read Hands-Free Light delivers a wide and bright light that lights up 2 book pages and doesn’t disturb others. It’s a true reading light that works with all printed books, Kindles and other eReaders (whether naked, skinned, or covered), PLUS newspapers, magazines, newsletters, loose documents, and other items that can’t support a clip-on light. Worn around the neck, there’s no need to shift it when reading paperbacks. Included are two 2 special Relaxation Filters: BNR Orange for a softer, warmer light that blocks energizing blue light (especially useful when reading to relax in bed); BNR Red to block blue light and reduce ambient light for sensitive bed partners. Standard alkaline AA batteries (not included) last an extra long 100 hours, far longer than flashlights and clip-on lights resulting in a lower cost to use (and fewer batteries in the trash). This light is still bright when others have gone dim. Save batteries for when you’re on the go with the optional USB/AC Power Kit with 12 ft of cable that lets you plug into the included USB/AC adapter. Or plug into a USB car adapter/charger, or a computer USB port, or a USB adapter/charger for cell phones, etc. In addition to reading, this 3 LED hands-free light is great for crafts, travel, and walking in dim or dark places such as an attic, basement, or around the house during a power outage. Use it for writing journals, working, camping, changing diapers at night, and a lot more.  
 

My Review:

I’m one of those readers that like to read into the wee hours of the night. I’ve tried using other book lights before, but they have always been a real fail for me. The batteries go dead quickly and the light is not what I need to do some good reading. I was very excited to try the Beam N’ Read Personal Light. It met all of my expectations and more!

One of my favorite things about this product were the “Relaxation Filters”. They come with an orange one that is a softer light that is perfect to help me fall asleep faster. With my lamp on, I usually keep reading and reading because the bright light keeps me awake. It’s great to keep reading, except on the mornings I have to get up and teach the next day. So, this product allows me to enjoy some reading(Which I have to do or I can’t fall asleep. This habit started when I was six years old.) and fall asleep sooner than I normally do. I also liked the hands free quality of the Beam n’ Read because you wear it around your neck. The product is so light and small that you forget that it’s even there. The addition of it having a Flip-Up Light was great, because you could change the direction of the light according to if you were sitting up or lying down in bed.

This product is highly recommended for all readers and crafters. I like the Beam n’ Read so much, that I’m buying one for my mom for Christmas. She’s an avid reader like me and also crochets a lot. So this will be the perfect gift! Thank goodness she doesn’t have the internet so she won’t be reading this blog post. ;)

 

 
  Testimonials 
 “I’ve never liked clip-on book lights because they add weight to the book, sometimes fall off, make it awkward to hold the book, and interfere with page turning. The Beam N Read has none of these problems, making them a pleasure to use” – BethFishReads.com 
“The red filter is my favorite. My hubby doesn’t like when I turn on a bright reading light in the dark…It cuts down ambient light, making everyone happy.” – Momwitha.com 
“The Beam N Read is by far the best personal reading light we have ever come across,” – Scott Carmichael, Executive Editor, Gadling.com    
Features
  • For hands free personal light anywhere; extra bright light is easy on the eyes; doesn’t disturb others
  • Wide light from 3 LEDs in a row lights up 2 book pages; works with ALL Kindles, eReaders
  • BNR Orange Relaxation Filter softens and warms the cool LED light and blocks energizing blue light
  • BNR Red Relaxation Filter blocks blue light, reduces ambient light, & helps maintains night vision
  • Alkaline AA batteries (not incl) last Extra Long 100 hours, 3-10x longer than most clip-on lights

   

Also Available
Beam N Read USB/AC Power Kit Beam n Read USB Adapter

  Save batteries for when you’re on the go or the next power outage with the Beam n Read Accessory USB Power Kit. It works with all Beam n Read LED Hands-Free lights (3 and 6 LED lights). In addition to the adapter’s 6 foot BnR to USB cable, this kit includes an additional 6 foot USB extension cord letting you work up to 12 feet from a USB-A socket. Need a longer cable? – just add a standard USB extension cable. Use the included USB/AC adapter or a USB DC car adapter/charger, or a computer’s USB port, or the USB adapter/charger for your cell phone, e-reader, etc. You may leave batteries in the Beam n Read or take them out to make a super lightweight light. Please note this kit is for external power adapter and will not recharge batteries.

Purchase your Adapter from Amazon
Beam n Read (1)
November 10th to December 10th

$25 Tour Giveaway

Enter to win an Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/15/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by readinglight.com. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway — ~Inspired Kathy~ I Am A Reader Book Blasts & Blog Tours Feed Your Reader – Kindle Ebook Freebies &Deals

The No-Stress Holiday Organizer: An All-In-One Guide to Planning and Recording Your Holidays -Review

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Nov 112014
 

 

 

 

 

Product Details

 

  • The No-Stress Holiday Organizer: An All-In-One Guide to Planning and Recording Your Holidays
  • Authors: Angela Baxter, Rod Fife, and Whitney Lindsley
  • Paperback: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Plain Sight Publishing (August 12, 2014)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1462114911
  • FTC, FYI: I received a review e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details
Get organized this holiday season! Make your plans for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s as enjoyable for you as it is for your guests. From calendars and checklists to budget sheets and journal pages, this book saves you the time and money to enjoy family traditions old and new-year after year!

My Review:
With my first glance at this book it blew me away! Could it be possible to have everything to help me get organized…like EVERY detail, for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years in one book? Yes it is! I love everything in here from the calendars, to the check-lists, to the spaces for you to write down your guest lists. I also really liked where you could list the presents you’ve already bought and those still needed to buy. 

Another great thing you’ll find in this book are tips and details to help you budget and stick to it, make detailed lists of items you have stored for the holidays and inventory of what may need to be fixed or replaced, and also a place for recipes used and how to carve a turkey.

If you are looking for some help to get organized for the holidays, this is the perfect gift for yourself. This book will truly take the stress factor out of this years celebrations. 

You can purchase your copy of The No-Stress Holiday Organizer HERE at Amazon.

 Comments Off on The No-Stress Holiday Organizer: An All-In-One Guide to Planning and Recording Your Holidays -Review  Tagged with:

Broken Smiles by Tara Mayoros-Review and Author Interview

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Nov 052014
 

 

 

Product Description

  • Title: Broken Smiles
  • Author:
  • File Size: 584 KB
  • Print Length: 319 pages
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Astraea Press Publishing, LLC (September 22, 2014)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00NU69UMU
  • FTC, FYI: I received a review e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
  • Review by Sheila

Book Description
One fateful night while performing at the Grammys, the pressure from the music industry becomes too much for Laidan. She is quickly carried off the stage, leaving the world audience stunned and amazed by her emotional performance. Accompanying her are a trusted bodyguard and a close childhood friend. Together they make for the jungles of China where she meets Doctor Rafe Watkins, a humanitarian who has reasons of his own for why he has chosen to live deep within the bamboo forests. The handsome doctor is building an orphanage and runs a clinic that fixes children’s broken smiles or cleft palets. Watching him perform his many acts of kind service, Laidan’s “broken smile” is also healing and she begins to fall deeply in love with him. She has finally found a place where she belongs. One problem – because of Rafe’s intentional seclusion from society for the past seven years, he does not know Laidan’s true identity. What will he do when he finds out? Can love conquer all, or is Laidan’s rock star fame too big for his quiet life?

My Review
Broken Smiles has many wonderful things going on in this novel. The beautiful descriptive settings in places like China and Morocco, sweep you away as if you were there. Not only do you “see” what it would look like there, but you also learn many things about the culture. You can clearly see the large amount of research that Author Tara Mayoros has done in the writing of this book.

 I also love the characters in this novel. Main character Laidan is bold, beautiful, honest and kind. She is very different from many heroines in a romance novel that are weak and whiny. She is always trying to find ways to help her family and friends. Laidan’s musical talents bring both happiness and heartache to her life. In the book, we read many of the lyrics that Laidan writes and makes into #1 hits. I have to say, I was very impressed with the lyrics that Tara wrote for her character. I also really liked the male lead character, Dr. Rafe, with his life mission to help the orphan children in China, especially those that needed to have cleft-palet surgeries. Both Laidan and Rafe have many things to overcome from their past, but they really click and their love story is real and melts your heart. This is a book written for adults, so some of the scenes have a little heat, but no sex. I also loved the way that Laidan sticks to her morals and comes right out to tell Rafe that she is waiting for marriage before sex. The side characters are also some of my favorites with Laidan’s quirky best friend Andi and her devoted, Tongan bodyguard, Kort. They both brought much needed humor and support for Laidan. In fact, I’d have to say that they are some of my favorite supporting characters that I’ve read in a long time. 

Let me warn you now, Broken Smiles will bring out many emotions in you. One minute you will be sad, then the next laughing, then you’ll be cheering someone on, then again something will bring you to tears. But in the end, you will be completely satisfied with the ending and wishing for more. Tara is an author who I know will be writing many more great novels in the future, and I’ll be there cheering her on.

I hope that you’ll enjoy this interview that I did with Tara!

 

Interview with Author Tara Mayoros

 

 

 

1. What inspired you to write Broken Smiles?
It is best to read my blog post http://taramayoros.com/2014/04/22/my-debut-novel-broken-smiles-coming-mid-2014/   My inspiration for the novel Broken Smiles came first from song lyrics that came to mind. They would not leave me alone. The dreams soon began and characters talked to me and the settings came to life. Then of course my living in China was fuel for the story and setting.

 

2.What is your favorite place to travel to?
My love for Asia is in my life blood. As a child I lived there and went back to visit many times and then lived in China as a college student. I also love Yellowstone, Moab, and the beach.
3.What are the most important things you’ve learned about being a writer and an author?
Have patience and determination. Those are tools that are crucial when it comes to writing. Things happen very slowly. There are times when you will wonder why this whole crazy process even matters. But there is someone out there who needs your voice and your words. What you write is important. 
4. What book/s are you working on right now?
I have a Christmas Novella releasing very soon called “Eight Birds for Christmas.” It is a companion novella to Broken Smiles.

I am also working on a YA fantasy trilogy called “Vagabond.” It is so different than my women’s fiction, but I am loving writing fantasy with a bit of horror.

5.What is your best advice for aspiring writers?
My best advise for aspiring writers would be to not give up. Seek out critique partners and like minded people who can be your cheering section and brainstorm with you. Be a constant student of the writing craft. No matter where you are in the writing and publication process, there is always more to learn. Go to conferences, enter writing competitions, don’t get discouraged. The process of creation should be fun.
6.What makes you the happiest?
Being with my family makes me the most happy. I have learned to stick to a writing schedule. I used to write whenever the muse nagged at me, even if it took away from family time. Now, I am much more strict about if I will listen to my imagination and itchy fingers when I am not at my scheduled writing time. Balance makes me happy. It is easy to get so wrapped up in your story that things begin to become off tilt. The act of creation, whether it is writing, painting, or playing my music, makes me very happy and it is a huge part of my life.
Author Bio: 
As a child, Tara Mayoros moved to Asia with her family where her love of different cultures and travel began. In college she satisfied her wanderlust by moving to China, filling her head with countless stories, and occasionally writing them down.Years, marriage, children and many adventures later, she picked up her dusty pen and paper (or laptop) and realized that writing took her to different worlds and gave her the experiences that she yearned for. As an author, artist, baker, music teacher, gardener, and nature lover – she sees the beauty in the process, and the miracle, of creation. The Rocky Mountains are her home and they call to her whenever she finds herself in need of inspiration.

You can contact Tara here at her website: http://taramayoros.com/

or at her Facebook page HERE

 Purchase at Amazon,

The Time of the Fireflies by Kimberley Griffiths Little-Review

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Oct 272014
 

 

 

 

Product Details

 

  • Title: The Time of the Fireflies
  • Author:  Kimberley Griffiths Little
  • Age Range: 8 – 12 years
  • Grade Level: 3 – 7
  • Lexile Measure: 720L (What’s this?)
  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Scholastic Press (July 29, 2014)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0545165636
  • FTC, FYI: I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Description:
Critically acclaimed author Kimberley Griffiths Little spins a thrilling story of one girl’s race to unravel the curse that has haunted her family for generations.

When Larissa Renaud starts receiving eerie phone calls on a disconnected old phone in her family’s antique shop, she knows she’s in for a strange summer. A series of clues leads her to the muddy river banks, where clouds of fireflies dance among the cypress knees and cattails each evening at twilight. The fireflies are beautiful and mysterious, and they take her on a magical journey through time, where Larissa learns secrets about her family’s tragic past — deadly, curse-ridden secrets that could harm the future of her family as she knows it. It soon becomes clear that it is up to Larissa to prevent history from repeating itself and a fatal tragedy from striking the people she loves.
With her signature lyricism, Kimberley Griffiths Little weaves a thrilling tale filled with family secrets, haunting mystery, and dangerous adventure.
 
My Review:
Even though this series of books are Middle-grade books written for children ages 8-12, I can’t help but be pulled into the mystery and magic found in Kimberley’s writing and her stories. The Time of the Fireflies takes the reader back to the world that first started in The Healing Spell and continuedin Circle of Secrets and When the Butterflies Came. Though I’ve never really been to the bayou or anywhere close to Louisiana, I feel like I have through the lush, descriptive writing found in Kimberley’s books. 

 The Time of the Fireflies is Larissa’s story about her family and the past. There is an element of time travel, but I’m not giving away the secret of how that happens. I do love how she time travels and who she meets, and how this changes her life and her parent’s lives. Larissa had some hard things that happened to her in the past when she almost drowned in the Bayou Teche. The year before, she fell from the broken bridge that she crossed over on a dare.Now she has a large scar running down the side of her face. Years earlier,her Aunt Gwen drowned the same way. Now she struggles to fit in and deal with the lot that life has handed her. A mysterious, creepy antique doll adds spooky parts to the story, but not too scary for the intended age group. I loved how the history of the town, Bayou Bridge, is shared from Larissa’s trips to the past.

This is another beautiful “coming of age” story for a young girl who learns to let her past anger go, and embrace the wonder of new beginnings. Young people reading this book will be in for a ride of chills, thrills, mystery and learning to love and let go of the past. I would highly recommend this book to my students and my own kids. You too will be swept away with the mystery of the Fireflies and the secrets to be found in the bayou.

Meet Author: Kimberley Griffiths Little:
Kimberley Griffiths Little was born in San Francisco, but now lives in New Mexico with her husband and their three sons.
For such award-winning middle grade novels as When the Butterflies Came, The Last Snake Runner, The Healing Spell, and Circle of Secrets, her writing has been praised as “fast-paced and dramatic,” with “characters painted in memorable detail” and “beautifully realized settings.”
Kimberley adores anything old and musty with a secret story to tell and makes way too many cookies while writing.
She’s stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland; sailed on the Seine in Paris; ridden a camel in Petra, Jordan; shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria.

Her amazing, filmed-on-location book trailers can be found on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/videos/list…

Awards: Southwest Book Award, Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel, Bank Street College Best Books of 2011 & 2014, Crystal Kite Finalist, and New Mexico Book Award Finalist.

Learn more about Kimberley and her other wonderful books here at… http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com

Review of-Spell Check by Julie Wright AND Buy it Now for 99 cents on Kindle through Halloween!

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Oct 252014
 

 

 

 

Product Details

 

  • Title: Spell Check
  • Author: Julie Wright
  • File Size: 1072 KB
  • Print Length: 220 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1941849008
  • Publisher: Heart Stone Press; 1 edition (June 30, 2014)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00LF449GG
  • Amazon • Goodreads 
  • FTC,FYI: I bought my own copy at the Kindle Store!

Book Description

“Spell Check is an impossible-to-put-down, topsy-turvy adventure with fun, romance, and fabulous characters.”
–Heather B. Moore, USA Today bestselling author

A skeleton is rattling its way out of the closet marked
“FAMILY SECRET! KEEP OUT!”

Allyson Peterson believes that being hanged by the
Salem High Witches is the absolute worst thing that
can happen. But when her powers, wrested from the
trolls of ancient Sweden, manifest themselves, she
realizes that a prank hanging by vindictive cheerleaders
is the least of her worries.

Ally accidentally sends her parents to the jungle to fight
anacondas, turns her brother into a mute, and curses the
entire cheerleading team with an illness that has no cure,
proving that her spells need a little checking. Her Swedish
grandmother shows up to help her through the worst part
of all—surviving the Troll Trials and saving the guy of
her dreams from a vengeance that has festered through-
out generations.

The power is in her, if she can just get the magic right. 

My Review:
 Spell Check is a fun story of a young woman, Ally from Salem Massachusetts, whose life is turned upside down in just a few days. Not only does she find out that her thoughtless wishes are coming true, but also that she is a witch. Turning 16 is the key that unlocks her powers and boy does this cause havoc in her and her family’s life, her friends and her “frenemies” lives. I really liked how her magical powers came from the four elements of earth, air, water and fire.  The best part of the book is the humor and the dialogue that will keep you laughing page after page; even when Ally is in very scary predicaments like trying to save her parents in the Amazon and during the Troll Trials.  

Julie has written some of the best side characters, in Ally’s 10 year old brother Robison, and her Swedish Grandmother, Farmor, who is also a witch or a Troll Kvinna. The banter between Ally and her brother and Ally and her grandmother is sarcastic and funny. There is the sweetness and uncertainty of first young love between Ally and Jake, which is all clean, but so realistic for what teens go through. 

This YA Paranormal novel has so much to offer readers: mean girls that are chastised after they’ve bullied Ally for years, magical trolls with trials that can kill, and a rouge troll whose deception puts Jake’s life at risk. This story is one of coming of age where Ally finally learns to love herself and be proud of who she truly is. This was a great message for anyone, especially teens to read. 

I’m ending the review by listing some of the clever chapter titles that kept me smiling. If you like books about magic combined with great humor, you and your tweens and teens will love Spell Check.

-Note to Self: A Troll is a Lame Birthday Gift.
-Note to Self: Sleep is awesome. I should try it sometime.
-Note to Self: Just because a tiny man shows up at your door with an elk in tow doesn’t prove anything about Santa Claus.
-Note to Self: Dragon Boats are sarcastic, unhelpful, and deserve to sink.
-Note to Self: No matter what happens…it can be worse. At least I’m not married to a troll. 

 

 

 Spell Check is on sale for 99 Cents at the Kindle store now through Halloween!! What a great deal! (Follow this link)

Meet Author Julie Wright

Julie Wright started her first book when she was fifteen. She’s written seventeen novels since then: including the Hazzardous Universe Series and the Newport Ladies Book Club series. She won the Whitney Award for best romance for the novel Cross My Heart and the Crown Heart for The Fortune Cafe. She is represented by agent Sara Crowe with Harvey Klinger Inc. in New York. She enjoys speaking to writing groups, youth groups, and schools. She loves reading, eating, writing, hiking, and playing on the beach with her kids and husband. Julie’s favorite thing to do is watch her husband make dinner. Visit her at her website: www.juliewright.com

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