Solstice by Jane Redd-Blog Tour Review and Giveaway

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Mar 172016
 

Solstice20387343Product Details

  • Title: Solstice
  • Author: Jane Redd
  • Series: Solstice
  • Paperback: 294 pages
  • Publisher: Mirror Press (March 1, 2016)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1941145698
  • FTC, FYI:  I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
  • Reviewed: by Sheila

Book Details 
There are four ways to get Banished from the last surviving city on earth: 1. Cut out your emotion tracker, 2. Join a religious cult, 3. Create a rebellion against the Legislature, 4. Fall in love.

Jezebel James does all four.

Jez is on the fast-track to becoming a brilliant scientist, with one goal—save her city f

rom total extinction. But the more Jez learns about the price of a fresh beginning, the more she realizes that carrying out the plan will lead to few survivors, and among the dead will be those she cares about the most.

My Review
This Kindle Scout winner, is a YA Dystopian novel. The world seemed different from some of the other Dystopian worlds I’ve read about before which made it so compelling. It took several chapters in order to figure out what was happening in the story. More details about the world unfolded the longer you read. I kind of wished that things had happened a bit faster than they did. I was so impatient to find out why her roommate Chalice had been taken away by the government.

The main character Jezebel, Jez, was interesting and I liked her a lot. The other character I really liked was Rueben. There is somewhat of a love triangle in the book between Jez, Rueben and Sol. I liked Rueben from the first, but I can’t say the same thing about Sol. I think I felt like Jez couldn’t really trust Sol and it always made me nervous when Jez interacted with him. I felt nervous the whole book in fact because you never knew who to trust and who could possibly turn in people to the governing legislature. There were so many times I thought for sure Jez was a goner. The angst kept the plot moving along as you could feel the tension rise in Jez and her friends as they made choices that could seriously affect their lives and freedom.

This novel has many thought-provoking ideas about religion, falling in love and showing feelings which are all illegal in this world. It was refreshing to read a novel that had action, without a lot of violence that is so prevalent in so many novels. The ending has somewhat of a cliffhanger with a nice surprise at the end. This book is perfect for lovers of YA Dystopian stories and those wanting to discover a new world to get excited about.
Jane Redd Books on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JaneReddBooks/
 
Purchase Solstice Here:Amazon buy link
 
 
Heather’s website http://www.hbmoore.com/
 
***Tour Schedule***

Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt-Blog Tour Review

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Feb 192016
 
Pimpernel  

Product Details

  • Title: Pimpernel
  • Author: Sheralyn Pratt
  • File Size: 3191 KB
  • Print Length: 280 pages
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Wicked Sassy (January 18, 2016)
  • Publication Date: January 18, 2016
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B019DPEL0W
  • FTC, FYI: I received a review e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
  • Reviewed by : Sheila
Book Description:
Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt They seek him here; they seek him there. For centuries, the elite of the world have sought the Pimpernel everywhere. Some want to kill him, others want to hire him, but Jack Cavanaugh knows that the love/hate relationship comes with the job title. At present, Jack is trying to dismantle an investment scheme centered in Las Vegas, but “trying” is the operative word. It’s been a month since he put the face of the scheme behind bars, yet the scam is still going strong. As Jack tries to uncover who has stepped in as the new head, what miniscule evidence there is all seems to point him back to Claire Ramsey, an introverted PhD student studying at UNLV. If ever there as an unlikely head of a investment scheme, Claire’s it. She has a genius IQ, but from all Jack has seen, Claire’s intelligence is as much a blessing as a curse when paired up with her acute OCD. Claire can barely make conversation with the cute guy down the hall, which makes it hard to believe she could be the charismatic salesperson who is getting international businessmen to invest $5—50 million a pop. So what is Jack missing? What is the real story behind Claire Ramsey? And once Jack learns it, will he be able to walk away?

My Review: 
This book was not was I was expecting. It is not a story to read when you are tired, you need to be awake and alert or you will be lost. There is a lot to take in during the first half of the book. The set-up of characters and what is going on can be confusing at first, but soon you are piecing things together. At the middle point of the book is where the surprises start popping up and then you can’t read fast enough.

You have PhD student Claire who is a genius and also happens to have OCD. Right from the first, you know that she is involved in something where she is in over her head. Claire is a character where you really feel for her because of her strange family and her infatuation with her professor who is in jail. You never know what is going to throw Claire into a tail spin and a mental breakdown. With wealthy parents that have always been so cold, and she’s never been kissed, you want something good to happen to Claire.

Jack is the Pimpernel. He is a mystery and Claire isn’t sure if she can trust him. I wasn’t sure about him either as the story unfolded. It was hard to know who to trust at all. It’s crazy to read a book where you have no clue who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. I was stumped for quite awhile. Jack is in neck deep with the organization trying to get to the bottom of the scam that Claire is in the middle of.

It’s really hard to describe what happens in this story without giving too much away. Let’s just say it is intense, exciting and edgy. As the romance starts blooming, you can’t help but wonder if it is real, or part of the scheme. Now that we have been introduced to the characters, main and minor, I hope that the author writes more of this series. I think now that you know them and what they do, the story would move more smoothly along. I liked this book, but felt like I should have been taking notes to try and figure things out. Author Sheralyn Pratt is a great writer, so she is able to pull this off and make you hungry for more of Jack, Claire, Margot, Nate and Ren. If you like to be challenged as a reader in figuring out a mystery, you will love this book and be happy that you read it.

amazon get itExcerpt:
The high-pitched scream from the other side of her apartment door shattered Claire’s thoughts. “Daniel?” That shriek had been way too high to come out of a man. “Help!” Daniel’s voice cried out from the other side of the door. Claire unlocked the door and pushed it open, finding Daniel cowering on the couch in sailor-themed boxer briefs. Classical music played from his bedroom, indicating Daniel had been sewing before he ended up on the couch. On the ground between them lay the lounge robe Daniel had made in his fashion design class along with his house slippers. They looked like they’d been flung at random. “Move!” he shrieked at her, stabbing his finger at the ground like a mad man. “Take the high ground and leave the door open. Maybe it will go back to the gates of hell, where it belongs!” Claire followed the direction of his manic gesturing, freezing when her eyes locked on something the size of her fist with eight hairy legs. “Daniel? Please tell me that is a toy.” “That. Is. NOT. A. Toy!” The spider chose that moment to make its move—which happened to be sprinting her way. Claire shrieked as Daniel motioned for her to join him on the couch. “High ground!” Was he insane? She would have to leap over the tarantula to get to him. Why in the world would she do that when she could just run away and go to a hotel for the night? “Voldemort?” a man’s voice said from behind her a split second before Claire backed into a male body blocking her retreat. Not only did Claire scream, but her body was suddenly possessed by an Olympic hurdler as she scampered across the living room and flung herself into Daniel’s arms on the couch. “You found her!” a flagpole of a man from the doorway said as Claire latched onto Daniel, hiding her face against his shoulder. If she didn’t see the spider, maybe it would cease to exist. “Found it?” Daniel scoffed. “That thing tried to duel me for my sandwich before I batted him off my kitchen table.” Claire shuttered, only vaguely realizing that the shoulder she was hiding her face in was bare. I’ve never hugged a guy who was only wearing underwear before, she thought a moment before Daniel pulled her keys out of her hand and flung them at the ground to join his slippers and robe. “Don’t chase it this way!” Daniel yelled at the other guy. “Come on, Voldemort,” the spider guy cooed. “Let’s get you back into your habitat—Don’t run!” Wait, it was running? Claire didn’t want to see that, yet something compelled her to turn and look anyway. People always said that horrible things seemed to happen in slow motion, but Claire could have sworn the giant arachnid was coming at her in fast-forward mode. In a heartbeat, she had climbed up to ride piggyback on Daniel while he responded by flapping his hands in panic as if he could fan the thing away with a light breeze. Not only did the spider keep running, it was sprinting like an arachnid with a plan—heading straight for the couch. When Daniel backed away, Claire felt her back thump into the wall. Before he could move again, she pushed off his back to stand on the back of the couch, dropping her purse when it threatened her balance. On the way down, it ended up in Daniel’s hands and he wasted no time finding items inside and tossing them at the spider while its owner moved in to act like a human shield. “No!” the tall guy cried as he tried to corral the beast. “Don’t throw things at her. You might hurt her.” Just then, Claire’s favorite lip gloss bounced off the hairy spider, stunning it. That lip gloss was dead to her—not just the tube, the actual brand. She’d never be able to look at it the same again.

add to goodreads     Meet: Author Sheralyn Pratt

SheralynSome describe Sheralyn as a girl who’s been around the block and worked at every shop. This isn’t far from the truth. Writing is what she loves most, however. There’s a magical power in stepping into new perspectives time and again, and seeing the world through different eyes. Few things increase empathy more than walking in another’s shoes for 100,000 words or so. At least that seems to be the trend so far.
Some random things to know about Sheralyn: * She’s a wanderer (geographically) * She can write a novel, but doesn’t have the attention span for one page in a journal * She vehemently disagrees with Stephen King’s stance that authors should not watch TV * She is pretty much incapable of sleeping before midnight

Not Always Happenstance by Rachael Anderson-Blog Tour Review

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Sheila's Reviews
Feb 122016
 
Not Always (1)

Not Always Happenstance Product Description:

  • Title:Not Always Happenstance (Power of the Matchmaker Series)
  • Author: Rachael Anderson
  • Paperback: 250 pages
  • Publisher: HEA Publishing (February 1, 2016)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1941363156
  • FTC, FYI: I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
  • Reviewed By: Sheila

Book Description: Not Always Happenstance 
by Rachael Anderson
Lani has lived in Hana, Hawaii for five years. She’s learned to surf, fish, dive, and manage her grandmother’s bed and breakfast. She’s also learned to take one day at a time the way it should be taken—relaxed and unrushed, savoring every moment.
But, like a large wave on the brink of breaking, her life is about to crash out of control. A proposal of marriage, a conniving grandmother, a cryptic Asian woman, and a handsome guest, and suddenly everything calm begins to churn, everything clear becomes confused, and all that was normal segues into peculiar.
As Lani struggles against the current to hold her ground, she realizes that she can either continue to fight and eventually lose, or take a take a leap of faith, hold her breath, and ride the wave wherever it takes her.

My Review:
 Not Always Happenstance is the second full novel in the Power of the Matchmaker series. If you’ve read my other reviews so far of this series you know how much I love the character of Pearl, the matchmaker. I truly loved in this novel how she played a much bigger role. She was there throughout the book guiding the couple, Lani and Easton. Her words of wisdom and life experiences were told often to both of them.Her guidance was a moving force in Easton and Lani coming together.
Lani lives on Maui with her Grandmother where they run a Bed and Breakfast. Her life revolves around the B&B and kind of being engaged to a man from California who she has dated for many years. Easton is a  world wide traveler who writes about his experiences on his blog. When the two of them meet, they both are so closed off from the possibilities of true love that it takes some huge pushes from Pearl and Puna, Lani’s grandmother. The thing I liked the most about this clean romance was the slow buildup. It was all very realistic in the way they met, interacted and slowly opened up to one another. By the time they are getting closer you are so ready to see this happen. Lani and Easton both have secrets and insecurities like all people, and that seems to step into their way quite often. But with the fun things that happen and the wonderful banter between the two characters you fall in love with this story, the people of Maui, Puna, Lani and Easton.
I truly love the way that Rachael Anderson writes a romance. Her descriptive writing pulls you into the world of her characters and their inner most feelings. I felt that she gave equal coverage to both characters which helped you grow to understand them and their idiosyncrasies. You are pulling for them to get together as much as Pearl and Puna were.
I’ve never been to Hawaii, but I hope to go someday. If it is as beautiful and wonderful as it was written in this novel I know I will love it, and it’s people. This romance as I said is a slow burn, but don’t give up on it. Things really pick up about half way in and then you are totally hooked. This book has some wonderful tender moments with some great kisses by beautiful waterfalls and glorious beaches.
Not Always Happenstance is a wonderful ride in an exotic location, where you will be swept away with this romance and enlightened by the words of wisdom given by Pearl. My favorite thing she said was this, “Every experience-good and bad-has the power to mold and change us into something greater than we were before.” 
***This book is recommended for older teen and adults who love
 a sweet, clean romance.***
***This book is part of the Power of the Matchmaker series that features one recurring character—the match maker—but it is a STAND-ALONE novel.***

amazon get it

add to goodreads

RachaelMeet Author Rachael Anderson
A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

Broken Things to Mend (Power of the Matchmaker series) by Karey White-Blog Tour Review

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Jan 082016
 
Broken Things (1)Blog Tour Schedule

broken things to mendProduct Details

  • Title: Broken Things to Mend
  • Author: Karey White
  •  Series: Power of the Matchmaker
  • Genre: Clean-Romance/Women’s Fiction
  • Paperback: 292 pages
  • Publisher: Karey White (December 9, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1941898106
  • FTC, FYI: I received a review e-copy in exchange for an honest review
  • Review by: Sheila

Book Description:
 Celia is in desperate need of a change–a change of scenery, a change of pace, and a complete redo of all relationships. Not knowing what else to do, she opens a map, closes her eyes, and lets fate decide her future. Then she packs her meager belongings and buys a one-way ticket to a little town on the fringes of Oregon’s Deschutes National Forest called Sisters. She’s wanted a family for years. Will she find one in Sisters? What Celia doesn’t plan to find is a strange Chinese woman whose meddling ways keep throwing her in the path of a handsome, but reserved, forest ranger. But no matter how kind or dependable Silas seems to be, there are some things in Celia’s past that neither of them can escape, and this time, the damage might be too much to mend.  

 ***This book is part of a multi-author project that features one recurring character–the match maker–but it is a STAND-ALONE novel.***

My Review: 
It’s very rare that you read a novel where both main characters are so incredibly vulnerable. In Broken Things to Mend both Celia and Silas are broken in some way from tragic things in their past.

The beautiful Pearl, The Matchmaker, brings them together and then let’s them get to know each other. Pearl only has a small part in the novel, but she is still one of my favorite characters.

Celia, a runaway, has had a hard life and then finds out the consequences of what an act of brutality has done to her. Silas lost his parents as a child and also lost his confidence, as he became a loner with a stuttering problem. Both Celia and Silas have a hard time trusting each other at first, but after many months they can’t help but feel the attraction that is pulling them together. After things are revealed from Celia’s past, Silas has a hard time dealing with them.
Celia has to make a very important decision in her life and is very confused. This part of the book made me have such mixed emotions.

The ending of the book could have gone in different directions. The end also felt a little rushed when the two main characters make a decision. If I had been Celia, I truly can say I’m not sure what I would have done. As a reader you get so emotionally involved, and depending on your own experiences, you hope for Celia to make certain choices. I know that this may seem very confusing, but I do hate to give things away in a review. Let’s just say, this book will have your emotions bouncing all over the place. This book is a fast read and I kept reading every spare second I had. Broken Things to Mend is a beautiful first book in The Power of the Matchmaker series. It is a story showcasing redemption, acceptance, and love.
 

amazon get it

add to goodreadsKarey White 

Meet:Author Karey White 
Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist. She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.

The Traitor’s Trap by Brendan Murphy-Spotlight and $25 Giveaway

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
Dec 142015
 
Traitor's Trap
traitors trap
The Traitor’s Trap by Brendan Murphy 
 It’s tough being a thirteen-year old schoolboy, especially when you’re a coward and the big brother who stuck up for you is dead. Oh, and you’ve been thrust into a magical realm you’re expected to save single-handedly. Sebastian Duffy has to learn an awful lot of skills in a hurry if he is to defeat Phobitor by stealing the Spear of Lugh from the peace-loving Tuath. He’s been given some help of course–a mercurial sorceress, an orphaned druidess, a taciturn warrior, a snuff-sniffing leprechaun and a lovelorn poet– an outfit known as the Hibernauts, but can he really overcome a psychopathic, warmongering god when half the realm is bent on his destruction? If he is to have the remotest chance he will have to do deal with aiia, cluricaun, brigands, woodwose, undead warriors, speckled bats, spies, hunkypunks, traitors, skeletons and battle-swine first. And are those Tuath really so peaceable? If only he could find his courage.
Excerpt from The Traitor’s Trap:
Static fizzed in his littlest fingers. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. He turned to Conall and pointed. Sparks flew from the tips, longer and longer ones that raced across the space separating them. Of a sudden, two streaks of light burst from his fingertips upending Conall who fell perilously close to the edge. Irritated at not finishing him off, Sebastian turned to Roisin and Blodwyn, raising his littlest fingers. Thinking better of it, he span back to Conall. Fearless of the slippery rocks, he sauntered over and delivered a fierce kick to Conall’s loins intending to roll him off the edge. The warrior barely moved. Raising his fingers, he pointed them downward, watching with satisfaction as the sparks crackled and kindled, building up to the killer crescendo. He playfully sent Conall’s prostate body this way and that, edging him ever closer to the precipice. It felt so good to be killing this insect. 

 

A renewed roar arose as the host of knights poured onto the battlefield. Sebastian let his spyglass fall, transfixed. A dreamlike veil began billowing at the edge of his vision, yet it dissolved rapidly and the scene sharpened into crystal clarity. Countless souls were being murdered before his eyes. His defenses breached, harrowing screams flooded his ears; an awful sound he could not bear. He forced his gaze upwards. 


Gobbleratches had arrived in droves and the sky was filled with twisting, plummeting forms. He sank to his knees. 
“I could have prevented this,” he wailed, curling into a ball. “Why did they do this to me? How could they expect me to kill thousands to save more? I’m just a boy.” 
He screwed his eyes shut and pressed his palms against his ears, trying to zone out. It did no good. The battle consumed his senses. He could taste it. 
“Are you alright?” asked Blodwyn, her voice appearing to come at him down a tunnel. 
“Why did you bring me here?” he cried angrily, his hands trembling uncontrollably. 
“I’m so sorry,” sobbed Blodwyn, dropping beside him. “I’m so, so sorry.” 
“I can’t get away,” he screamed. “I’m scared. I want to go away. I want to go home.” 
Feeling her hands on him, he pushed her roughly away, but when she persisted he found he had no fight left and he let her fold herself around him, opening his eyes to her hypnotic gaze. He saw her raise her arm and bring it toward him, felt the branch touch his brow, and as her lips brushed his lobes and her tears kissed his face, heard the words she whispered in his ear, knew, even as he dissolved into sleep, that he had never heard anything so wonderful in all his life. “Child of my heart,” she murmured. “Child of my heart.”

Praise for The Traitor’s Trap:
amazon get it– An imaginative epic…an intricate and fully realised fantasy world with a big cast of likeable characters that are charming, well drawn and endearing, with wonderfully apt names. The depth and breadth of the author’s high-voltage imagination, and the richness of the world created is very impressive. ~Sam Mills, author of Blackout, The Boys Who Saved the World, and The Quiddity of Will Self

– I cannot say just how much I have enjoyed this book … a very accomplished writer with a wonderfully rich imagination and an incredibly inventive mind. Readers will come to love the many wonderful creations in this novel, it is jam-packed with the most wonderful and inventive characters; new, exciting and beautifully realized. ~Cherry Mosteshar, author of Unveiled: One Woman’s Nightmare in Iran    
Brendan 

Author Brendan Murphy Brendan Murphy was raised in Sheffield, England, with dreams of becoming a writer, and has written every day since he was nine years old. After reading medicine in London and psychiatry in Manchester, he moved to Australia in 1999. He is an Associate Professor at Monash University and has written widely on youth mental health. His nonfiction work on the development of football in Victorian society, From Sheffield with Love, was published in 2007. He is contracted to Assent Publishing for his six-book fantasy series, Sebastian and the Hibernauts. The first adventure, Beyond the Gloaming was published in 2014 and the sequel, The Traitor’s Trap, in 2015. He is a columnist for Aontacht magazine. He lives with his wife, Katrina, and their children, Sebastian and Violette, in a sprawling property built for the composer, Dorian Le Gallienne. They share their garden with a mob of kangaroos, a wombat, two possums, any number of creepy crawlies, and some very feisty kookaburras.

    Blog Tour $25 Giveaway
 $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 12/28/15 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.

The Diamond Looking Glass: Cleopatra’s Legacy Book 3 By Dorine White-Review and $25 Blog Tour Giveaway

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Dec 042015
 

I am so excited to be hosting a stop on the the Blog Tour for The Diamond Looking Glass by Dorine White hosted by Fire and Ice

the diamond looking glass

Product Details:

  • Title:The Diamond Looking Glass

  •   Author: Dorine White
  • Series: Cleopatra’s Legacy(Book 3)
  • Paperback: 154 pages
  • Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (November 10, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1517580242
  • Reviewed by: Sheila
  • FTC, FYI: I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Description:
Beauty and the Beast. The world knows it as a cartoon with dancing teacups and broomsticks. To twelve year old Claire La Fleur, it is family history, and the power behind Belle’s mirror is real. Every ten years her family gathers to see if the mirror will awaken, and for the last two hundred years it has slept. This time, Claire’s touch awakens the magic within the diamond looking glass, a direct portal to the past and a way to communicate with Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt. The lure of power brings with it many perils, and a betrayal close to home thrusts Claire into a treacherous underworld. To protect the mirror, she travels into the Louvre museum in the dark of night, searches abandoned subway tunnels, and walks the catacombs of the dead. Welcome to Paris, France- where danger follows in every step. 

My Review:
This book has so many fun things in it like time travel, Fairy Tales(Beauty and the Beast-One of my favorites!), Egyptian lore; specifically to do with Cleopatra and five lost gemstones, and lots of magical elements. These are some of my favorites things to read about so I knew I would like this story. This book can be read as a stand alone, but to get the true flavor of this series, reading the first two books will make it a more enjoyable experience.

Main character Claire is feisty and adventurous and I loved as she set out to find out about the mysteries behind the old family mirror and Cleopatra’s gems. The setting is wonderful as it takes place in Paris, France, and the author supplies so many details you feel like you’re really there. Claire learns a lot about herself as she is tested, but remains true to herself and the family she loves, her older brother and parents. This story moves quickly and keeps the excitement levels ramped up. It was fun trying to guess what would happen as the story played out. There will be other books in the series, as the ending leaves you waiting and wanting more.

There are so many intriguing things about this book and this series. It is written for the middle grade crowd, but I know older teens and adults who like fantasy will also really enjoy The Diamond Looking Glass. 

Purchase:  Amazon * Goodreads

dorine whiteMeet Author Dorine White:

My name is Dorine White. I graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Humanities. I am a stay at home mom with 6 wonderful kids, and call the Northwest home. Writing wise, I am a member of the SCBWI, ANWA, LDS Storymakers and the PNWA. I write middle grade and YA fantasy. My first book, The Emerald Ring, was published May 2013 by Cedar Fort Books. In 2014 the second book was published, The Ruby Pendant. The third book in the series, The Diamond Looking Glass, is due out Oct 2015 from Skyrocket Press. My first YA fantasy novel, The Awakening, came out in 2014 from Skyrocket Press. Author Website * Blog- The Write Path * Twitter @Dorinewhite * Facebook Author Page

fire&ice

The Blog Tour Giveaway

A $25 Amazon gift code and copies of all three books: The Emerald Ring, The Ruby Pendant and The Diamond Looking Glass.   a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Excerpt 1
Claire looked up at the clock. The second hand seemed to creep around it in slow motion, and the five minutes left until the end of the school day dragged on. She looked down at her history handout. Instead of answers, she’d drawn pictures. If any of the other students saw her page, they’d laugh, amused that Claire still liked fairy tales. La Belle et Le Bête. Beauty and the Beast. The world knew it only as a fairy tale from a famous animated film. To twelve-year-old Parisian Claire La Fleur, it was family history. This weekend everybody in the family would be remembering that history, from the great-aunt three times removed, to the cousin nobody had heard from in a decade. This was the weekend of the reunion, the time of the choosing. And Claire could now participate. A small piece of paper hit her in the cheek. She looked up, and Pierre nodded his head toward the teacher, but his hint came too late. Claire had been caught not paying attention. “Mademoiselle Claire,” said Professeur LeBlanc. “Would you like to share the answer with the class?” Claire squirmed in her chair and then looked at Pierre for help. He gestured at the whiteboard. Claire’s eyes scanned the teacher’s notes. The words “Ancient Egypt” were scrawled across the gleaming surface, but she had no idea what the teacher had asked. “Anyone?” he questioned, turning from Claire with a frown. A hand shot up in the front of the classroom. “Oui. Yes, Margeritte?” the teacher asked. Claire clenched her teeth in an attempt not to groan. She should have known that Margeritte would jump on the question. The two were running neck and neck in becoming premier étudiant, first student, among twelve-year-olds, and Claire knew if she let her guard down even a little, Margeritte would catch up. “The land of the dead was ruled over by Osiris,” stated Margeritte. “Oui,” said Professeur LeBlanc. Just then the bell rang. Darn it! Why hadn’t it rung one minute earlier? Then Margeritte would not have scored the class point, Claire thought. She scuffed the toes of her shoes against the floor. “That’s not like you,” said Pierre. He stood in front of Claire’s desk, waiting for her to gather her things. “I know. I know,” sighed Claire. “This weekend’s got me freaking out.” Pierre ran his hand through his brown, wavy hair, moving strands out of his gray eyes. “You’re lucky you held it together until now, or your perfect grades would suffer.” “They’re not perfect. They’re just good.” “You’re the top student in the class,” said Pierre. “Call it what you want.” “Well,” said Claire. She picked up her books and stuck them into her satchel. “Margeritte scored big with her answer.” “Only because you spaced out.” Claire winced. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Excerpt 2:
Together they hurried up a set of stairs and into a room filled with coffins and mummies. “This just keeps getting better and better,” said Claire. But, even she couldn’t complain about the amazing beauty of the golden sarcophagi and their bold colorful engravings. Through an archway, Claire could see into the next gallery running parallel to theirs. Along the wall, covered by glass cases, rested pages from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Without meaning to, Claire began walking toward the display. She heard rhythmic voices in her head and had no doubt they spoke the words from the tablets. The voices began chanting, their words rising and falling like music. “Hey, Claire, this way,” said Jean-Luc. “Did you hear that?” “Hear what? Hurry up.” Claire snapped out of her stupor, shaking her head in confusion. She moved to Jean-Luc’s side and followed him past the rows of coffins. Claire was still wondering about the voices she’d heard and started when she heard shuffling behind her. When she turned, nobody was there. “Is anyone behind us?” she asked her brother. “No, we’re the last. Come on.” Claire scooted down the hallway, but couldn’t get rid of the feeling that someone was following her. She glanced over her shoulder. The remains of a mummy turned her way, pieces of faded yellow wrapping coming undone. What? She focused on the mummy, but this time it was still. Weird, she thought. She grabbed her brother’s hand as they ran. Finally they made it through the exhibit and caught up with everyone waiting for them in the crypt of the sphinx. The director sniffed as they came into the room, and then turned away. “We’re heading to the lower level and into the remains of the medieval Louvre,” he said. “The first part is open to tourists, but once we pass into the restricted level, watch your step.” They walked into a long curving hallway. The stone walls resembled a castle’s exterior, rough and patchy. The air smelled damp and sweet, and Claire sucked in a huge breath. “The fortress was built by Phillip Augustus to protect Paris from attack via the Seine River,” said the director. “You are walking along what used to be the moat.” Claire reached out her hand to feel the roughness of the stones by her side. She let her fingers trail along as she followed the group into a large room filled with arched entryways. Short columns decorated with stone palm fronds sprouted up from the floor. “This is the Salle of Saint-Louis, and to the rest of the world, it is the end of the tour. But follow me, we shall descend one floor lower,” said the director. Down they went, completely surround by heavy rock. The floor became uneven and the lights flickered as they descended. Then they came to an ultra-modern steel door. The director punched in a series of numbers, leaned over to let a red beam scan his eye, and then he pushed the handle of the vault. The door opened with a hiss of air. Heading through the door, Claire stepped into a rotunda. The circular wall before her anchored several steel doors, each the personal vault of someone high up and prestigious. The director led them to one door at the end. Jean-Luc stepped forward and entered the La Fleur family code into the keypad. Again, Claire heard the hiss of air as the door opened. She stepped around her brother, squeezing past several of the guards to get a better view. There wasn’t much to see—just wooden crates and jewelry boxes. Then she looked at the far wall, and she finally understood all the fuss. The oval mirror rested upright against a bed of black velvet. It looked like an old-fashioned, round handheld mirror, with the exception of the large round diamond attached to its handle. They all stood there looking, nobody moving, but then Claire heard a small hum. She looked around, but could not uncover the source of the sound. As the hum grew louder, everybody in the room noticed it, and began looking around, too. Then, the mirror started to vibrate, shaking itself spastically upon its velvet bed. Claire’s eyes widened as she watched the mirror inch off its stand. Then, she ducked as the mirror shot straight off the velvet and cruised right at her head. Jean-Luc reached out with an easy hand and snatched it. The mirror quieted, going still in his grasp.

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