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

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Blog Tour Review and Giveaway for Smart Move by Melanie Jacobson

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Oct 192012
 

Product Details:

  • Title: Smart Move
  • Author: Melanie Jacobson
  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Covenant Communications Inc; 1st edition (October 1, 2012)
  • Genre: Romantic Comedy
  • ISBN-10: 1608615685
  • ISBN-13: 978-1608615681
  • FTC FYI: I was given a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

 

 

Book Description:

Publication Date: October 1, 2012
The spark was undeniable the night Sandy Burke met the
devastatingly handsome Jake. Conversation flowed easily, so after they
parted, she waited eagerly for his call. It never came. A high-powered
career woman at the ripe old age of twenty-seven, Sandy feels she has
had her heart broken one too many times, and now the redheaded
trendsetter is facing a major quarter-life crisis. After some
introspection, Sandy determines that helping others may be the key to
helping herself. When she’s presented with a job offer in Washington,
DC, as the director of New Horizons, a nonprofit organization benefiting
women in poverty, it seems providential. But now that she’s moved, two
major obstacles threaten the success of her first assignment: The first
is her mother and her constant fog of less-than helpful New Age advice.
Secondly, plans to build another New Horizons outreach center have come
to a screeching halt, thanks to the interference of a pesky lawyer and
his attempts to reverse zoning approval for the building project. After
weeks of verbal sparring over the phone, Sandy is in for a shock when
she comes face-to-face with her foe. The smooth voice at the other end
of the line is a heartwrenching blast from the past. In this twist of
fate, Sandy sees the perfect opportunity to ensure the success of the
outreach center and to enact a little payback on this man she thought
she’d left behind. And so the battle of wits begins. Will Sandy’s
flirt-to-convert plot sway her nemesis’s determination to block the
center, or will his charming and undeniably attractive ways convince the
sassy redhead to give love a second chance?

My Review: 

Sandy’s heart was broken a year ago. With her new move back East to the Washington D.C. area she has a chance to start anew in her life. Little does she know the reason for her heartache has also moved back East to the same town. They soon meet again and sparks fly as they clash in business and in love.

Melanie Jacobson has written a strong character in Sandy Burke who is confident in life, but not necessarily in love. Sandy grew up with a distant mother and an absent father. Trust issues are huge for her and she has built a wall around her heart. Along comes Jake who with his good looks, impeccable style and brains to boot, and this successful lawyer will do anything to win her heart.

I always love the humor that is infused in Melanie’s books. Even with serious issues, her characters seem to find funny things happening to them. One of the most humorous things in the book is when Sandy gets stuck in a cabinet with her behind sticking out.

Ten seconds later, Magdalena’s voice,sounding strangely hollow to her inside the cabinet, asked, “Why is your bottom sticking out of the cabinet Sand Dollar?”

Please let her be alone, Sandy begged silently.

A choking noise that masked a laugh told her that her Ridiculous Situation guardian angel was currently off duty.

“Yes, Sand Dollar,” Jake said from above her. “Why? And how can we help?”

A burn crept up her neck and face. “I’m dusting.”



The other thing I loved in this book was the witty dialogue between Sandy and Jake…



She offered him a slow, mysterious smile, determined to restore some lightness to the evening. “If it makes you feel better, being near you does cause me some serious issues.”

He leaned closer and coked his head, morphing in an instant from goofy to sexy. “Like what, ” he drawled. 

She closed the gap between them until a mere breath separated them. “I have to tell the truth,” she whispered. “being this close to you is hard. I feel this overwhelming urge to…”

“What?” he whispered back.

“Kick you.”

There was a moment of silence, and then he burst out laughing again. When he pulled himself together, he gave her hair a playful tug. “Leave it to me to find the perfect woman and have her hate me.”


There is so much more for you to read, enjoy and laugh about. There are some serious moments as she tries to heal her relationship with her new-age mother, Magdalena. Smart Move is different from Melanie’s other books in that the characters seemed more mature, but this didn’t take away any of the appeal that is always there in a Melanie Jacobson book.  I liked this novel and every fan of Melanie’s will love this new book too!

Guess what? USA readers have a chance to win a paperback copy of Smart Move. I know it’s hard to contain your excitement! I felt the same way when Melanie asked me to be part of the blog tour! Enter in the Rafflecopter form below and good luck!a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Purchase your own copy of Smart Move here.

About the Author:

Melanie Bennett Jacobson is an avid
reader, amateur cook, and champion shopper. She consumes astonishing
amounts of chocolate, chick flicks, and romance
novels. After meeting her husband online, she is now living happily
married in Southern California with her growing family and a series of
doomed houseplants. Melanie is a former English teacher and a popular
speaker who loves to laugh and make others laugh. In her down time
(ha!), she writes romantic comedies for Covenant and maintains her
humorous slice-of-life blog. Visit Melanie on her website or blog.

Blog Tour Review and Giveaway for, Choosing Charity, by Terri Ferran

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Aug 032012
 

Product Details:

  • Title: Choosing Charity
  • Author: Terri Ferran
  • Paperback: 280 pages
  • Publisher: Bonneville Books (July 10, 2012)
  • Genre: Womans Fiction
  • ISBN-10: 1462110657
  • ISBN-13: 978-1462110650
  • FTC FYI: I was given a review copy in exchange for an honest review.


 

Book Description:

I turned my attention back to Alicia. My brown eyes and dark blonde hair looked nothing like
hers and I detected no resemblance between us until she turned her head
and smiled slightly. From that angle, I saw her high cheekbones with a
slight hollow near her hairline. I have her cheekbones.
“We should begin, Arthur,” Alicia said. I detected no emotion in her smooth voice
and I wondered what she was thinking. Can she see a resemblance? Can she
tell I am her daughter?

With a new job, a husband she adores, and a life full of friends, Kit’s life seems pretty much perfect—well,
aside from the fact that her husband is in school and way too busy for
Kit’s liking. And of course she’s still dealing with the fall-out from
her adoptive parents’ divorce.

But when Kit learns that her biological mother wants to meet her, she’s not sure how to react. What
good could possibly come from getting to know someone who left you in a dumpster to die?

Exquisitely written and full of heart, Choosing Charity is a can’t-miss read that’s sure to remind you why Christ like love is the greatest virtue of all.

My Review:

I loved the characters in this book. I haven’t read the other books in this series, but I will be going back and reading them. Now, with that said, this book worked very well as a stand alone read. I loved the main character’s fun and quirky personality. You come to figure out that her past experiences contribute a lot to how she reacts to things. Another thing I wanted you to know, this was yet again a book that was a quick read. I didn’t want to go to sleep, and I stayed up late…ON a school night…to finish this book. This has been happening a lot this summer. I chalk it up to reading many great books by awesome writers!! 

This book has a lot of heart. It will pull at your heart strings. It will make you think “what if…”. Some of the subjects in this book are adoption, abandonment, infertility, organ donation and emotional healing. Some things are quite controversial. Terri Ferran does a great job in the way she covers all of these tough subjects. My favorite characters have to be Kit and Charity. The interaction between these characters made me LOL and cry. I truly felt empty after finishing this book because I missed them and their conversations. This novel is about what could happen to real people, in very real situations, who turn to family and God to make it through their tough times.

Overall I loved this book. I truly like Terri’s writing style and want to read more of her books. Add this book to your summer reading list. I know that it is probably full already, but you won’t want to miss this very moving story.



How would you like to win all three of Terri’s books in this series? The information is down below.All you have to do is comment on this blog post and other blog posts that are part of the blog tour.

 

Giveaway Info:

As part of the tour, Terri is generously offering a grand prize giveaway of the Faith, Hope, and Charity trilogy, including hard copies of Finding Faith, Having Hope, and Choosing Charity. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post or any of the other stops on the tour. (Visit http://thebookbug-hogan.blogspot.com/p/choosing-charity-blog-tour.html the tour page for the full tour schedule.) The more stops you comment on, the more entries you have into the contest!

Launch Party Info:
The official launch party for Choosing Charity will be held on August 11th from 3-7 PM at Seagull
Book in The District in South Jordan. Terri will be joined by three other
authors: Diony George, Carla Kelly, and Wendy Paul. Prizes and refreshments
will be offered so come join the fun!
Other Books in Series:

 

Author Bio:
Terri Ferran grew up in a small Colorado town that offered little in the way of
entertainment. She escaped through reading (and later on a Continental
Trailways bus), and although the town didn’t have a library, she eagerly
anticipated the coming of the Bookmobile and would check out stacks of books at a time.

She moved to Utah as a high school senior where she joined the LDS Church and met her husband, Tod. She dreamed of being a writer but took the safe route of becoming a CPA. She finally got brave enough to quit working in the world of numbers to pursue her dream of writing and also to spend more time with her children. Her first book, Finding Faith was published in 2007 and she is excited to be living her dream of writing in real life.

Terri still loves to read, but she can usually be found writing, doing laundry,
dishes, running errands, napping, eating chocolate, or exercising (not
necessarily in that order).

Social Networking Links:

·       Website:http://www.terriferran.com/

Purchase Links:·