The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters by Frank L. Cole — Blog Tour

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews
Feb 132013
 

The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters

Author: Frank L. Cole

Published: June 2009

Publisher: Bonneville Books (Cedar Fort)

ISBN: 978-1-59955-303-0

Paperback: 99 pages

FTC FYI: Checked out from the library

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Meet Hashbrown Winters. Like any typical Pordunce Elementary fifth grader, he’s got a story. Actually he has several. There’s the story of how he got his nickname, the story of how his treehouse club became one of the most popular groups at school, and, of course, the story of his untimely demise after a mishap with the beloved pet cockroach of Pordunce’s walking death dealer, Hambone Oxcart. Will Hashbrown be able to convince Pordunce’s own mob boss, Cordovo Figanewty, to offer him protection? Or are his days at Pordunce about to come to a swift and painful end? In this hilarious debut novel from Frank L. Cole, every kid who’s any kid has a nickname, and half the fun of the story is figuring out how they got it. The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters will keep kids and parents alike laughing out loud, groaning in sympathy, and turning pages until well past bedtime.

Back Cover

There I stood, hiding next to the vending machines, disguised as a potted plant.  I brushed the plastic leaves from my face and stared down the hallway toward the front double doors.  Snow Cone always said this ridiculous costume would come in handy one day.

Fifteen minutes had passed since the last student left for the buses, but I wasn’t about to take any chances.  Not with my life hanging in the balance.  Leaning forward, I peered around the corner just as the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway.  Was this it?  Could this be him?  Was I about to be pulverized by Hambone while wearing an emergency disguise I had just pulled from my locker?

My Review

The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters is the first book in the Hashbrown series.  Book 4 is coming out soon, so Frank is touring all of these books before it’s release.  Watch for my reviews for all 4 books!

Hashbrown is quite the character.  Pordunce Elementary is school full of kids with nicknames.  You have to earn your nickname in this school.  I thought Hashbrown’s friend “Whiz” had the best name (for obvious reasons).  As the story progresses, Hashbrown finds himself in trouble with the school bully and his hissing cockroach.  The things that Hashbrown has to do to fix his problems are hilarious, even consulting with the school’s mafia.  Yes, mafia.

This book is darling.  I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading.  It is perfect for your middle grade reader, even you.  Frank Cole is a pal, and I know that he is a funny guy.  You can tell that in his writing.  There are many phrases where I was laughing out loud.  I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

4 out of 5 stars.  Frank is also the author of Guardians of the Hidden Scepter and Guardians of Elijah’s Fire series.  They are also very good as well.

Author Links

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Purchase Links

Cedar Fort / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Deseret Book

 

 

 

Blud and Magick by Preston Norton – Blog Tour

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Feb 112013
 

Blud & Magick

Author: Preston Norton

Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.

Published Date: January 2013

Softcover; 256 pages

Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal

ISBN# 978-1462110889

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: received a free digital PDF in exchange for an honest review

Summary

Born from the ashes of the most fierce and powerful entity in all of Trivaesia, Darla was sent to grow up in the outside world with no knowledge of where she came from. When she finds herself wielding new power, she must decide which part of her will rule her heart—the evil from which she was born or the good by which she was raised.

Review

The first chapter of Blud and Magick pulled me in with great imagery and I enjoyed watching the Sages interact at the meeting that sets the stage for the rest of the story. Their different personalities provided contrast and interest that made me want to learn more about them and their world.

The next chapter jumps forward to just after Darla’s 14th birthday. She is about to start yet another first day at a new school and we get a glimpse into her character before everything in her world changes. The rest of the story, told in Darla’s point-of-view, tells of her struggle to understand the life-changing revelation about who she really is and what her future holds.

After a great start with some intense action, the middle of the book slowed down significantly for me. There were a few inconsistencies in the plot line that had me scratching my head. One is a bit spoilerish so if you want to read it you will need to highlight the following text: Edward tells Cirrus when Darla is eavesdropping that at the Blud and Magick school he will have to act as if he doesn’t know Darla so people will not think Cirrus is “in league” with her because of what they both are. Then, after passing through a portal into the magical world of Trivaesia City in order to shop for magic school–in a familiar Harry Potteresque way–Darla and Cirrus are seen together in public again and again by future schoolmates and townsfolk alike. Wouldn’t the two of them being seen together in the city be just as bad as being seen interacting at the school? Maybe even worse?

In Trivaesia, there are magical creatures of all varieties. One of my favorite characters was a satyr named Azezal Baphomet. I liked his personality, and his unexpected, conflicted history gave him a depth I didn’t quite find in the other characters. I’m not sure if this is the beginning of a series or not. There is some great set up for more fully developing Darla’s potential in the next book, especially with the last minute twist at the end. I had hoped to get at least a few hints about a certain character’s motivations, but there were no answers for me at the end. I’m not sure what point Cirrus and Ash serve in the story so far and I’m assuming their roles will be explained and developed in later installments.

The last part of the book picked up for me again. I appreciated the conflict Darla faced at the end and the suspense as I turned pages. Would she or wouldn’t she? What would happen to her if she did? There were a few unexpected events near the end that mostly made up for the slow middle. I did find myself wishing that several characters and plot points had been a bit more developed. I think this author has a lot to offer the fantasy genre and I hope he continues to grow his writing skills. If this is the first in a series, I would most likely read the next one with the hope that my questions about certain characters will be answered.

I think that readers who enjoy magical adventures in different worlds will like Blud and Magick. The tone felt directed more to an older MG/younger YA audience, and there was very little romance so boys who don’t like “kissing books” might appreciate that aspect of the story.

Content

Violence- a high school student is killed (no details), small amount of gore during a battle

Sex- none; a kiss on a cheek; short commentary on if someone was looking at a boy’s butt

Language- no swearing; the word “piss” is used at least once

Find Blud and Magick:   GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Visit Preston Norton:  WEBSITE | GOODREADS

 

Where are the Christians? by Eric Shuster – Chapter 4

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
Feb 102013
 

 

Author Eric Shuster will be providing a series of blog posts summarizing various sections of his upcoming book Where are the Christians? due to be released this spring from Cedar Fort, Inc. We will feature one post each week from now until May 2013. For more information visit www.findyourchristianity.com.

* * *

SECTION 1: WHO ARE THE CHRISTIANS?—a History

Chapter 4: They were Reformed and Scattered (1500 to the Present)

 

The final segment of Christian history covers the year1500 to the present and is called the Reform and Denominational Proliferation period. During this period individuals came forward to challenge the established Christian Church to reform itself from corruption. When reform did not go far enough more schisms took place leading to the formation of the 33,820 Christian denominations we have today (World Christian Encyclopedia).

This period is marked by five major activities including the carryover of corruption, the emergence of refiners, reformers and restorers, Christian movements and influencers, the propagation of published scripture and the proliferation of denominations.

The corruption of the former period continued in ongoing nepotism, immorality, greed, and arrogance. Alexander VI, perhaps the most corrupt pope in history prolonged his crooked reign with more appointments of cardinals for money, arrangements of marriages of his children for financial gain, and the famous Banquet of Chestnuts in 1501 where the pontiff hosted prostitutes for sex on display among his guests. These acts of corruption were not isolated to Catholicism alone.

Exhausted by the state of affairs there came forward three types of individuals calling for an end of church corruption: Refiners—those who sought to change the Church from within (e.g. Saint Francis of Assisi); Reformers—those who sought to change the Church through public debate and open accusation (e.g. Luther, Calvin, Tyndale, Wesley, etc.); and Restorers—those who believed the corruption of the established Christian Churches and its doctrinal base had become so contaminated that a complete restoration to that of the original Church of Jesus Christ was necessary (e.g. Campbell, Stone, Smith, Russell, etc.).

Movements marking this period included the First and Second Great Awakenings in the Americas along with other movements such as the Charismatic, Evangelicalism, Free Grace, Holiness, Methodism, and Pentecostalism. These movements, along with the Protestant Reformation, could not have succeeded without the establishment and availability of the scriptures into local languages—a dynamic that has led to there being 92 translations of the Bible into English alone.

All of this activity led to the explosion of Christian denominations from one in Roman Catholicism around AD 1000 to nearly 34,000 ten centuries later. The World Christian Encyclopedia categorizes the sects of Christianity today into seven segments: 1) Orthodox, 2) Roman Catholic, 3) Catholics (Reformed Catholics, New Apostolic, etc.), 4) Anglicans, 5) Protestants (Lutherans, Methodists, etc.), 6) Marginal Protestants (Unitarians, LDS/ Mormons, etc.), and 7) Non-White Indigenous Christians. The stories and motives behind this proliferation are critical to understanding Christianity today and are covered by the author.

Modern-day Christians are influenced by the past and are products of their own history. It is a history that produced the best and worst of humanity over a 2,000 year period. Our faith walk today is affected by and reflects these four periods of Christian history. Having a better understanding of where we came from as a Christian people we are now ready for the next leg of our journey taking on the question: “What is a Christian?”

Go to www.findyourchristianity.com to watch the book trailer, find out what type of Christian you are, and to order the book.

 

Where are the Christians? by Eric Shuster – Chapter 3

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
Feb 032013
 

 

Author Eric Shuster will be providing a series of blog posts summarizing various sections of his upcoming book Where are the Christians? due to be released this spring from Cedar Fort, Inc. We will feature one post each week from now until May 2013. For more information visit www.findyourchristianity.com.

* * *

SECTION 1: WHO ARE THE CHRISTIANS?—a History

Chapter 3: They were Corrupted and Divided (1000-1499)

 

As the Christian Church neared the millennial landmark it began to be faced with significant issues of leadership that would rupture its unity. Although Christianity was still spreading throughout the world, the organization of the Church would be challenged by its integration with the political structure and an increasingly corrupt leadership. The Corruption and Division period (1000-1499) is marked by four major categories of events and activities including doctrinal evolution, church and state integration, corruption and division.

Although the key doctrines of Christianity had been defined and codified earlier, peripheral doctrines such as the seven sacraments and the concept of Papal infallibility were introduced during this 500 year period.

Organizationally it was common during this era for Church leaders to be appointed by government leaders. For example, in 1049 the Emperor Henry III appointed Leo IX as the Pope. Although this practice eventually ended there was still considerable influence from the government on Church affairs leading to calls for increased separation of church and state.

Church corruption was in full bloom during this period including rampant nepotism. Pope Callixtus III (1455-58) appointed two of his nephews cardinals, one of which (Rodrigo) later became Pope Alexander VI. In turn, Alexander promoted his alleged mistress’s brother, Alessandro Farnese, to cardinal with Farnese later becoming Pope Paul III. Immorality in Church leadership also reared its ugly head. Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503) was said to have several mistresses and fathered illegitimate children while creatively depleting the treasury. Pope Paul II (1464-1471) and Pope Sixtus IV (1471-1484) were both accused of grave immorality during their papal reigns including homosexuality. These acts of corruption were joined by widespread indulgences—purchasing with money or acts of services the ability to forego the consequences of sin (repentance for sale).

Those who opposed the Church during this period were subject to harsh punishment including torture and death. In 1141 Pierre Abelard, a philosopher, was condemned as a heretic for his views on the Trinity and an illicit relationship with a French nun. In 1415 at the Council of Constance John Wycliffe was declared a heretic for his translation of the Bible into English. The Crusades during this period shed additional light on how Christianity at the time was seen as a spiritual, political and military power—a lethal combination that distracted the Church from its main purpose.

Theological and political strife within the Church eventually led to division during this period. The first was the Great Schism of 1054 dividing the Church into what would eventually be known as the Eastern Orthodox Church (Greek) and the Roman Catholic Church (Latin). The second came in 1378, often referred to as the Great Western Schism, whereby the Catholic Church experienced a split within itself. These divisions would continue into the next period of Christianity.

By 1499 there was more than one faction of the Christian Church in operation. Christianity was plagued with theological disagreements, continued power struggles, large scale corruption, and political and societal unrest. It was time for reform.

Go to www.findyourchristianity.com to watch the book trailer, find out what type of Christian you are, and to order the book.

 

Blog Tour Review and Giveaway for, Fractured Soul, by Rachel McClellan

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Feb 012013
 

Product Details

  • Title: Fractured Soul
  • Author:Rachel McClellan
  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc. (February 12, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1462111807
  • ISBN-13: 978-1462111800
  • FTC: FYI: I was given a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Description

Publication Date: February 12, 2013
Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her newfound friends and home, but the dark plot that is threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!
 
My Review
This is the second book in the series. I was blown away by the first book. If you didn’t read the first book, here is a synopsis of what happened…
About Fractured Light

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.

I loved Fractured Light, and I started reading Fractured Soul cautiously. You know about the “2nd book curse” in a series right? Many times they are never as good as the first book. Well…you are NOT going to find that to be the case with this book.It is just as good or better than the first book! Many reviewers rate books by stars,I rate my books by what I’m doing while I’m reading a book. If I’m having a hard time staying awake and can easily put a book down to go to sleep, well…you get the picture. With Fractured Soul…I didn’t EVER want to put this book down, even when I could hardly keep my eyes open. I also was jumping in my seat, and exclaiming things out-loud; such as, “I can’t believe she just did that!”, “Oh no!!”, and, “Run!!”. Yes, people have told me I’m very annoying while reading a book like this or very entertaining.
There are so many things I loved about this book! The action is so consistent and very little down time. Main character, Llona is still a beautiful, independent, kick-butt girl. There really isn’t a love triangle in this book. Llona loves one guy, but there are things keeping them apart. Once again there is a mystery in this second book that keeps you guessing until the end. Speaking of the end….explosive!! You can finally breathe at the very end of the book, because you will be holding your breath in tense excitement. This YA Paranormal thriller is a must read for teens and adults. Rachel has created a story that you will love reading from beginning to the end.
You have a chance to win a copy of Fractured Soul here at my blog, Why Not? Because I Said So! I’m so excited that the publisher is offering you a chance to win a copy!  Also, because I have over 1000 followers, this is opened Internationally! You can enter in the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
Author Bio  

Rachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she’s not in her writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel’s love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was…
Find Rachel
Facebook  |   Blog   |   Website   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads  |  Book Trailer
Buy Fractured Light
Buy Fractured Soul

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Countdown to Christmas 2012 Winners!

 Posted by  Contests, Countdown to Christmas
Jan 312013
 

Countdown to Christmas 2012 WINNERS!

 

Want to know why I love what we do here at LDSWBR?

It’s not all the books I get to read, though that is part of it.

It’s the people. From avid readers to talented authors, I get to meet and interact with the best people out there.

This was proven to me once again last month when my family and I faced the sudden loss of our mother and grandmother. Not only did all of you wait patiently as I dealt with that difficult Christmas week, but you continued to allow me the time I needed this last month to find my momentum again. I know I am not the first to have lost a mother, but it was the first time that I had lost someone so close to me. The kind words of sympathy and understanding offered by LDSWBR readers and authors reaffirmed to me the quality of people I am privileged to know and work with each day.

This is why Sheila, Mindy and I continue to volunteer our time, efforts, and money doing what we do. Other than the free books and PDFs we receive in exchange for our reviews, we receive no compensation except the reward of doing something we love.

And we love to give stuff away. So let’s get to it!

We want to give a big THANK YOU to the authors who participated and for the many authors who donated their books as drawing prizes.

The winners of the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2012 are…..

 

  • Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack (signed paperback copy) – Leigh
  • Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick (paperback or ebook) – Bethany
  • Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke (personalized paperback) – An Ordinary Mom
  • Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston (personalized paperback) – Leigh
  • Athena by Heather B. Moore (autographed paperback) – Chris F.
  • The Kindling by Braden Bell (paperback, signed if desired) – Julie C.
  • Sudden Darkness by Margot Hovley (personalized paperback) – Ranae W. Mackley
  • Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson (paperback) – Cathy Jeppsen
  • The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson (ebook) – Gayle Humpherys
  • The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson (ebook- PDF/.mobi) – Cathleen Moffat
  • Lady Outlaw by Stacy Henrie (signed paperback) – Tara (@gmail)
  • A Note Worth Taking by Lu Ann Staheli (Kindle) – Cathy Jeppsen
  • When Hearts Conjoin by Lu Ann Staheli (paperback) – Tara (@gmail)
  • Paige by Annette Lyon (signed paperback) – Melody Anthony
  • All Fall Down by Julie Coulter Bellon (personalized paperback) – Taffy
  • Smart Move by Melanie Jacobson (signed & personalized paperback) – An Ordinary Mom
  • Shadowed by Stephanie Black (personalized paperback or ebook) – Jolynn R.
  • Demons by Heather Frost (signed copy) – Lacey
  • Pride and Popularity by Jenni James (paperback) – Bethany
  • Northanger Alibi by Jenni James (paperback) – Andrea F.
  • Persuaded by Jenni James (paperback) – Chris F.
  • Emmalee by Jenni James (paperback) – Braden
  • **Bonus Prize** Of Grace and Chocolate by Krista Lynn Jensen (paperback) – Kym

 

And the winner of the $50 Amazon Gift Card is…..

Lexi@BookBug!!!

 

Congratulations!

Winners can send an email to ldswbr(at)gmail(dot)com to claim their prize.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Countdown to Christmas 2012. I had a great time reading every comment left on each post. One of our favorite things about our countdowns is the opportunity to get to know our LDSWBR followers and the authors better. We hope you feel the same.

May 2013 bring all of you many blessings and an abundance of good books!

 

 

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