Tag: Book Spotlight Page 9 of 24

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Broken Heart of Arelium by Alex Robins

I’m very pleased and excited today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for The Broken Heart of Arelium by Alex Robins. I couldn’t fit this in to my schedule, sadly, but you should absolutely check out some of the posts about it at https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours. But before you go, let’s learn a little about this book, shall we?

The Broken Heart of Arelium  Tour Banner

Book Details:

Book Title: The Broken Heart of Arelium by Alex Robins
Release date: March 16, 2021
Format: Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 232 pages
The Broken Heart of Arelium

Book Blurb:

None can resist the ravages of time. Knowledge is lost. Memories fade.

But some things must never be forgotten.

Over 400 years ago, twelve great warriors united the beleaguered armies of men and scoured the war-torn lands of evil, pushing the enemy back into the underground pits and caverns from whence they came. To ensure their legacy, each of the Twelve founded fortress monasteries to impart their unique knowledge of war and politics to a select few, the Knights of the Twelve.

But now the last of the Twelve have long since passed from history to legend and the Knights, their numbers dwindling, are harbouring a dark and terrible secret that must be protected at all costs.

Merad Reed has spent half his life guarding a great crater known as the Pit, yearning for some escape from the bleak monotony. Then the arrival of Aldarin, one of the few remaining Knights of the Twelve, sets off a chain of cataclysmic events that will change Reed forever.

To the north, Jelaïa del Arelium, heiress to the richest of the nine Baronies, must learn to navigate the swirling political currents of her father’s court if she hopes one day to take his place. But the flickering flames of ambition hide the shadow of an even greater threat.

And deep within the earth, something is stirring.

Book Links:

Amazon ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Alex RobinsAlex Robins was born in Norwich, England back when it was still trendy to wear lycra tracksuits and bright pink headbands. Norwich School Library was where he first discovered his love of reading, an old converted undercroft packed to the rafters with books. The first fantasy series he read was The Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis & Tracey Hickman, quickly followed by The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and David Eddings’ The Belgariad.

At the age of twelve Alex moved across the channel to Nantes in France. Speaking very little French, the first few years were difficult and sometimes lonely as he scrambled to get a grip on the intricate grammar and vocabulary of the French language. His taste in books branched out from epic fantasy to science-fiction, mysteries, thrillers, and historical fiction, but he always came back to his favourite fantasy authors when looking to escape the outside world.

After degrees in agronomy, project management, and computer sciences, Alex founded his own company dedicated to online voting. He met his wife during a game of badminton and they spent several years getting trounced in various regional tournaments before getting married. Alex now lives in the sunny Loire Valley in western France, surrounded by imposing castles, sprawling vineyards, and two children. After reading fantasy books for the last thirty years he decided to write one. The Broken Heart of Arelium is his first novel, and the first in the War of the Twelve series.

Author Links:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

 


My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Revenge of the Beast by Jack Meggitt-Phillips, Isabelle Follath (Illustrator)

I’m very pleased and excited today to welcome The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tour for Revenge of the Beast Jack Meggitt-Phillips and illustrated by Isabelle Follath. It’s the follow up to their delightful The Beast and The Bethany, which you really should read if you haven’t. I’ll be posting my take on the novel in a bit here, but for now, let’s learn a bit about it.

Revenge of the Beast Tour Banner

Book Details:

Book Title: Revenge of the Beast by Jack Meggitt-Phillips, Isabelle Follath (Illustrator)
Release date: March 22, 2022 (US); September 30, 2021 (UK)
Publisher: Aladdin (US); Farshore (UK)
Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 288 pages

Revenge of the Beast

Book Blurb:

Lemony Snicket meets Roald Dahl in this riotously funny, deliciously macabre, and highly illustrated sequel to The Beast and the Bethany in which Bethany and Ebenezer try to turn over a new leaf, only to have someone—or something—thwart them at every turn.

Once upon a very badly behaved time, 511-year-old Ebenezer kept a beast in his attic. He would feed the beast all manner of objects and creatures and in return the beast would vomit him up expensive presents. But then the Bethany arrived.

Now notorious prankster Bethany, along with her new feathery friend Claudette, is determined that she and Ebenezer are going to de-beast their lives and Do Good. But Bethany finds that being a former prankster makes it hard to get taken on for voluntary work. And Ebenezer secretly misses the beast’s vomity gifts. And neither of them are all that sure what “good people” do anyway.

Then there’s Claudette, who’s not been feeling herself recently. Has she eaten something that has disagreed with her?

Book Links:

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Jack Meggitt-PhillipsJack Meggitt-Phillips is an author, scriptwriter, and playwright whose work has been performed at The Roundhouse and featured on Radio 4. He is scriptwriter and presenter of The History of Advertising podcast. In his mind, Jack is an enormously talented ballroom dancer, however his enthusiasm far surpasses his actual talent. Jack lives in north London where he spends most of his time drinking peculiar teas and reading P.G. Wodehouse novels.


My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Mike Nero and the Superhero School by Natasha Carlow, Kyle Stephen (Illustrator)

This morning I’m pleased to welcome the Book Tour for Natasha Carlows’s Mike Nero and the Superhero School. In a little bit here, I’ll be posting my take on the book, but for now, let’s learn a little about the book.

Mike Nero and the Superhero School Banner

Book Details:

Book Title: Mike Nero and the Superhero School by Natasha Carlow, Kyle Stephen (Illustrator)
Publisher: Kat Biggie Press ‎
Release date: February 1, 2022
Age: 5 – 8 years
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 36 pages

Mike Nero and the Superhero School Cover

Book Blurb:

“Can I tell you something about this school? You see this isn’t a regular school. This is a superhero school…”

First days can be tough, especially for someone as shy as Mikey but Mikey’s new school is a little different. On his first day, he meets his principal and some incredible children who help him discover his own superpower within and he learns that no matter what we may look like on the outside, everyone has something that makes them valuable.

Can Mikey learn to use his newfound superpower to make his school a better place for all students?

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon US

About the Author:

Natasha CarlowNatasha is a wife and mother of two amazing rainbow babies. She resides in Trinidad and Tobago, where she works as an Itinerant Counsellor working in Youth and Guidance. She is the author of the award-winning Happy Tears and Rainbow Babies, which tells the story of how faith brought healing and hope to her family after the pain and loss of miscarriages. Her experience with grief and loss moved her to create avenues for other families in her country experiencing similar things. She is a contributing writer at pregnancyafterlosssupport.org and Her View from Home. Inspired by her son, Natasha wrote her newest book MIke Nero and the Superhero School which focuses on a young boy with special needs and how he comes to discover the superhero within himself. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking fancy restaurant meals at home and eating them in her pajamas.

www.natashacarlow.com

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this Blitz.

Love Books Group

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies

I’m very pleased and excited today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for the first in a Gaslamp Fantasy series, The Cruel Gods, The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies. I didn’t have time to read it, which is disappointing, because I’ve heard nothing but good things for a few months now about this book–but I wanted to take a moment to help spread the word about it with this Spotlight. After you read this, you should absolutely check out some of the posts about it at https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours.

The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies Tour Banner

Book Details:

Book Title: The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies
Release date: October 13, 2021
Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Ebook
Length: 535 pages
The Thirteenth Hour

Book Blurb:

When the saints fail, the sinners step up.

Cruel gods rule the steam-powered city of Chime, demanding worship and tribute from their mortal subjects. Kayl lost her faith in them long ago, and now seeks to protect vulnerable and downtrodden mortals from their gods’ whims. But when Kayl discovers powers that she didn’t know she had—and destroys a mortal’s soul by accident—she becomes Chime’s most wanted.

Quen’s job was to pursue sinners, until the visions started. Haunted by foreboding images of his beloved city’s destruction, Quen hunts soul-sucking creatures made of aether who prey on its citizens—and Kayl is his number one target.

To ensure Chime’s future, Kayl and Quen must discover the truth of Kayl’s divine abilities before the gods take matters into their own hands.

For a city that bows to cruel gods, it’ll take godless heathens to save it.

The Thirteenth Hour is the first book in The Cruel Gods series—a gaslamp fantasy featuring magical portals, gothic cosmic deities, quaint Britishisms, and steampunk vibes. This is an adult book containing strong language and mature themes that some readers may find disturbing. For a full list of content warnings, visit Trudie Skies’s website.

Book Links:

Amazon ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Trudie SkiesTrudie Skies has been living inside fantasy worlds ever since she discovered that reality doesn’t quite live up to the hype. Through the magic of books, she wishes to share these worlds of hope and heroes with other weary souls. Living in North East England, Trudie spends most of her free time daydreaming about clouds, devouring whatever fantasy books or video games she can get her hands on, and chasing after her troublesome dogs, who would like to reassure you they are very good boys.

Her debut YA fantasy series, Sand Dancer, was published through Uproar Books. Trudie is now writing adult gaslamp fantasy with her new series, The Cruel Gods.

Author Links:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads

 


My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

BOOK BLITZ: Twentyone Olive Trees by Laura Formentini

This morning I’m pleased to host a Book Blitz for Laura Formentini’s Twentyone Olive Trees to celebrate its publication day.

Twentyone Olive Trees Blitz Banner

Book Details:

Book Title: Twentyone Olive Trees by Laura Formentini
Publisher: Kat Biggie Press
Release date: January 11, 2022
Format: Ebook/Paperback/Audiobook
Length: 230 pages

Twentyone Olive Trees Cover

Book Blurb:

Nothing could have prepared Laura Formentini for the shocking news of her son’s death by suicide. Seeking solace during her time of grief, Laura turned inward to transform her pain and shock into healing and peace. She accomplished this by writing letters, poems, and fables to her son, Blaise, in the year after his untimely death. This became the beautiful tribute Twentyone Olive Trees: A Mother’s Walk through the Grief of Suicide to Hope and Healing.

This book traces the author’s path from grief to understanding and healing. Laura shares the important message that it is in your power to overcome even the most traumatic events by creating something beautiful in the wake of death, divorce, disease, and destruction from natural and man-made disasters.

Inspired by teachers like Deepak Chopra, Laura achieved her own healing transformation through creatively writing the morals and wisdom she gained in the twenty-one years with her son. The fables, accompanied by beautiful illustrations, have a playful, childlike way of helping the reader cope with loss and embrace acceptance and healing. It is Laura’s hope that these stories will act as a balm for those going through their grief and dark moments, while encouraging them to embrace their new beginnings.

This is the perfect book to help those seeking to heal and transform in the wake of a traumatic loss.

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon US

About the Author:

Laura Formentini is a nonprofit photographer, activist, and fundraiser. A member of Photographers Without Borders, she lives nomadically with her family.

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this Blitz.

Love Books Group

BOOK BLITZ: Byline by Kimberly Paulson

This morning I’m pleased to host a Book Blitz for Kimberly Paulson’s Byline—the first novel in the Sohni Silver Mysteries—to celebrate its publication today. It looks like a heckuva ride.

Byline Blitz Banner

Book Details:

Book Title: Byline by Kimberly Paulson
Series: Sohni Silver Mysteries
Publisher: Cayelle Publishing/Venal
Release date: January 11, 2022
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 320 pages

The Entrant

Book Blurb:

The murder of a university student and the subsequent arrest of a homeless man, set a college town on edge. As the ambitious prosecutor rushes to convict, the young public defender representing the accused, Sohni Silver, begins to doubt her client’s guilt. Puzzled by the police department’s suspiciously incomplete investigation, Sohni searches for answers and finds unexpected assistance from two unlikely allies – each seeking the truth for their own reasons. The investigation, seen through the eyes of three different characters, unexpectedly leads Sohni to a secret worth killing for. To free her client, Sohni must fight against powerful forces, and a killer who has set his sights on her, all while battling her own demons. And she must do it before time runs out – for both of them.

Purchase Links:

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this Blitz.

Love Books Group

PUB DAY BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Shivering Ground & other stories by Sara Barkat

I just don’t have time to read every book that comes my way, but I’d like to do my part to expose them to as many eyeballs as I can. So, from time to time, I’ll post a Spotlight to lend a hand. If you’re in the mood for some short fiction, you should jump on this.


Book Details:

Book Title: The Shivering Ground & other stories by Sara Barkat
Release date: December 1, 2021
Format: pdf, mobi, epub
Length: 150 pages
Publisher: T. S. Poetry Press

Book Blurb:

The Shivering Ground blends future and past, earth and otherworldliness, in a magnetic collection that shimmers with art, philosophy, dance, film, and music at its heart.

A haunting medieval song in the mouth of a guard, an 1800s greatcoat on the shoulders of a playwright experiencing a quantum love affair, alien worlds both elsewhere and in the ruined water at our feet: these stories startle us with the richness and emptiness of what we absolutely know and simultaneously cannot pin into place.

In the tender emotions, hidden ecological or relational choices, and the sheer weight of a compelling voice, readers “hear” each story, endlessly together and apart.

About the Author:

Sara BarkatSara Barkat is an intaglio artist and writer with an educational background in philosophy and psychology, whose work has appeared in Every Day Poems, Tweetspeak Poetry, and Poetic Earth Month—as well as in the book How to Write a Poem: Based on the Billy Collins Poem “Introduction to Poetry.” Sara has served as an editor on a number of titles including the popular The Teacher Diaries: Romeo & Juliet, and is the illustrator of The Yellow Wall-Paper Graphic Novel, an adaptation of the classic story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

Social Media

Instagram ~ Youtube ~ Website

Purchase Links

Amazon

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Faith in the Time of Plague Edited by Stephen M. Coleman, Todd M. Rester

Life events and questionable time management have left me without anything new to post today. So, I’m just going to put up a Spotlight post about one of the works I’m working my way through. I’m also not sure how I’m going to have anything to say about this when I’m done, so this may end up being my only post about it. It’s the kind of book that as you read it, you hope that other people are aware of it so they can benefit from it, too. It’s fascinating and (sadly) timely.

This is pretty much just material I’ve copied and pasted from the publisher’s site. I hope they don’t mind.

Book Details:

Book Title: Faith in the Time of Plague Edited by Stephen M. Coleman, Todd M. Rester
Publisher: Westminster Seminary Press
Release date: September, 2021
Format: Hardcover/Ebook
Length: 400 pages

Book Blurb:

We often hear the Covid-19 pandemic described as “unprecedented”, yet for Christians of earlier times, plague was nothing new. For generations, Church leaders regularly faced the sorts of ethical questions that still prove divisive today.

Selecting from the great “plague writings” of the historic church, Todd M. Rester and Stephen M. Coleman have translated and assembled a one-of-a-kind anthology. The wisdom of the past collected in this book offers much needed and trustworthy illumination for pastors, leaders, and laypeople in times of crisis and uncertainty.

Many of the works appearing in Faith in the Time of Plague have never been available in English until now. Included in this volume are the writings of Martin Luther, Theodore Beza, Ulrich Zwingli, Cyprian of Carthage, Zacharias Ursinus, Gijsbert Voetius, and many more.

Introduced by Peter A. Lillback, Faith in the Time of Plague also includes a Foreword from Mayo Clinic Virologist, Dr. Gregory A. Poland.

Book Trailer:

Purchase Link:

Westminster Bookstore

About the Editors:

Stephen M. Coleman (PhD, The Catholic University of America) is assistant professor of Old Testament and biblical languages at Westminster Theological Seminary, co-editor of the Westminster Theological Journal, and senior research fellow at the J. Alan Groves Center for Advanced Biblical Research. A graduate of Grove City College (BA, 2002), Westminster Seminary California (MDiv, 2005), and The Catholic University of America (MA, 2010/PhD, 2016), he previously served as associate pastor at Wallace Presbyterian Church in College Park, Maryland (2008–2017) and Assistant Pastor of Valley Presbyterian Church in North Hills, California (2005–2008).

Todd M. Rester
(PhD, Calvin Theological Seminary) is associate professor of church history at Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Rester is a post-doctoral research fellow at Queen’s University Belfast (September 2016–present). During his time as a research fellow at Queen’s University Belfast, Dr. Rester has served the institution as a guest lecturer in the Master of Arts, History of Religion department as well as various undergraduate history courses. In addition to his time at Queen’s University Belfast, Dr. Rester has taught as an adjunct professor at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (2010–2016), Kuyper College (2013–2015), and Calvin Theological Seminary (2011–2015). He also works as a translator for the Dutch Reformed Translation Society (2009–present). Dr. Rester’s academic interests include but are not limited to: the history of the doctrine of Scripture and its reception; early modern and Enlightenment conflicts between theology and philosophy on general and special revelation; and early modern and post-Enlightenment models of missiology.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Junkyard Bargain by Faith Hunter

Junkyard Bargain Banner
Today I’m very pleased to welcome the Book Tour for the e-book release of the second Shining Smith novella, Junkyard Bargain by Faith Hunter. Along with this spotlight post, I have a fun excerpt to share. I’ll be giving my take on the novella a little later. Those links’ll work when the posts go live in an hour or two.

First, let’s take a look at Junkyard Bargain.
Junkyard Bargain Banner

Book Details:

Book Title: Junkyard Bargain by Faith Hunter
Publisher: Lore Seekers Press
Release date: October 19, 2021
Format: Ebook
Length: 166 pages
ISBN: 9781622681648
Junkyard Bargain Cover

Book Blurb:

Sometimes before you can face your enemies—you need to confront yourself.

Time is running out for Shining Smith and her crew to gather the weapons they need to rescue one of their own. But will they even make it to the ultimate battle? First, they’ll need to hit the road to Charleston—a hell ride full of bandits, sex slavers, corrupt lawmen, and criminal bike gangs looking to move in on Shining’s territory.

Shining’s human allies will do anything to protect her—because they must. But will victory be worth it if she must compel more and more people to do her bidding? And will her feline warriors, the junkyard cats, remain loyal and risk their lives? Or are they just in it for the kibble?

Purchase Links

Barnes & Noble ~ Amazon

About Faith Hunter:

Faith HunterFaith Hunter is the award-winning New York Times and USAToday bestselling author of the Jane Yellowrock, Soulwood, Rogue Mage, and Junkyard Cats series. In addition, she has edited several anthologies and co-authored the Rogue Mage RPG. She is the coauthor and author of 16 thrillers under pen names Gary Hunter and Gwen Hunter. Altogether she has 40+ books and dozens of short stories in print and is juggling multiple projects.

She sold her first book in 1989 and hasn’t stopped writing since.

Faith collects orchids and animal skulls, loves thunderstorms, and writes. She likes to cook soup, bake bread, garden, and kayak Class II & III whitewater rivers. She edits the occasional anthology and drinks a lot of tea. Some days she’s a lady. Some days she ain’t.

Find Faith online at:

Website ~ Facebook (official) ~ Facebook Fan Group ~ Twitter ~

Yellowrock Securities website ~ Gwen Hunter website

My thanks to Let’s Talk! Promotions for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the book via NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group) they provided.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Adventures of Tevin and Ryn – Part 1 by J. Spackman

I just don’t have time to read every book that comes my way, but I’d like to do my part to expose them to as many eyeballs as I can. So, from time to time, I’ll post a Spotlight to lend a hand. If SF novellas filled with dystopian tech are up your alley, you should jump on it.


Book Details:

Book Title: The Adventures of Tevin and Ryn – Part 1 by J. Spackman
Release date: June 25, 2021
Format: Kindle
Length: 66 pages

Book Blurb:

The Adventures of Tevin and Ryn is a series of fast-moving short novels of a futuristic world filled with dystopian technology. In Part 1, Tevin, a teenage orphan and young first-year professor, learns that Bliss Island has a dark side run by Damian, an evil tycoon. Ryn, pretending to be his student assistant at the university, joins him on many adventures that take them across Bliss Island and the neighboring Ghost Island. Throughout the series, they find themselves in situations where many friendships are formed and tested, love blossoms, mysteries are solved, family secrets are revealed, sporting events are hacked, revolutions are started, children are rescued, treasure is found and lost, and a new society is born of an ancient legend.

About the Author:

Back in 2010, I met with Dr. Stephen Yanchar in the Instructional Pyschology & Technology department of Brigham Young University to talk about my dissertation. The major thought rattling around inside my head centered on treating students like humans with agency rather than like programmable computers or trainable animals. If we were to treat students as humans with agency, then what kind of learning opportunities would be ideal? Dr. Yanchar and I published “Learning as Embodied Familiarization” as our learning theory.

Then I finished my dissertation “Exploring the Narrative-Oriented Qualities of the Learner’s Encounter with Unfamiliarity” and received my PhD.

Following my dissertation, I decided to begin work on creating an example of the type of learning opportunities I initially set out to find where students were treated as humans with agency. In my spare time, that example turned into a six-book series of fast-moving short novels about the adventures of Tevin and Ryn. The main characters exemplify learning as embodied familiarzation and also explore narrative or storytelling as the medium.

Social Media

LinkedIn ~ Facebook

Purchase Links

Amazon

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