Sheila's Books Read

Sheila's bookshelf: read

The Best Intentions
Scotland's Melody
The Secret Society of Salzburg
Secret of the Sonnets
20-40-60-Minute Dinners: Meals to Match the Time You Have
Through the Wilderness: My Journey of Redemption and Healing in the American Wild
Secret Santa Claus Club: A Tool to Help Parents Unwrap the Secret of Santa
Mr. Pudgins
Revenge Never Rests
The Best Mistake
Meriden Park
More Inspirational Stories for Young Women
The Great Tree: A Christmas Fable
To Capture His Heart
The Call of the Sea
Esperance
Livvy and the Enchanted Woodland
Come, Gentle Night
The Bad Boy Theory
Guide To Smart Wedding Planning: What You want to know and everything you haven't thought of yet.


Sheila's favorite books »

2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
Sheila has read 4 books toward her goal of 100 books.
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Friday, April 24, 2015

The Impossible Race-Review and Author Assembly with Chad Morris


23493837 (1) Product Description:
Title: The Impossible Race (Cragbridge Hall #3)
Author: Chad Morris
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Published: March 2015
ISBN13: 9781609079796
Hardcover: 432 pages
FTC FYI: I received a hardcover copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.








Book Description:
Every year the futuristic school, Cragbridge Hall, holds its most popular tournament–the Hunt: a series of challenges that range throughout the school and require the use of its amazing inventions like its holographic time machine! But this year is different. Rather than a monetary or academic reward, this year’s winner will be the recipient of a carefully guarded school secret: a secret that could prove both powerful and dangerous.

Afraid that the secret may be one of their Grandfather’s inventions, Abby and Derick gather several friends and enroll. But when Derick gets a mysterious message from the future, the team of friends must figure out how to succeed even when they know they are destined to fail. The stakes have never been higher. A page-turning, time-travel adventure that teaches powerful lessons about choice and consequence, believing you can do hard things, and valuing our history.
 Book Trailer For The Impossible Race

Chad Morris came and did an authors assembly at my school today where I teach. He rocked the house! 

Me with Author Chad Morris. Look at all of the cute posters my 2nd grade students made for Chad!
Students and Teachers alike loved every minute of his presentation. He was funny and kept the kids very interested in everything he said. He had good ideas to motivate the kids...
Here are more pictures from the assembly.


I highly recommend any school inviting Chad
to their school. He knows how to give a great assembly! The students were all motivated to read, write, and go after their dreams.

My Review:
The first two books in this series were very exciting! This third book continues that theme. I have always loved the concept of this school for gifted children in the future(2074) where they interact with characters from history, use real-like avatars/robots that the kids manipulate through sophisticated technology where they become the animal(like in a computer game but much cooler) and where they can sit in a chair and read out loud literature and the rest of the class can see projected how the reader is imagining the scenes from the book. I know I've said it before and I'll say it again, but I would love to teach at a school like this! 

There are so many creative things that author Chad Morris has done with this series. In this third book, everyone, including main characters Derick and Abby, their parents, and their Grandfather's lives are threatened by the villain Charles Muns. Teams of students must go through a series of intense challenges to win the race and win the keys that could potentially save the school, the Bridge(where you can time travel-this is Grandpa Cragbridge's invention) and many lives. Honestly this book is heart thumping, non-stop action. They do so many things like fighting off dinosaurs, threading their way through a maze to fight a minotaur, and fighting virtual dragons. The ending is a race against time and is tension filled until almost the very end. 

This series needs to be read in order or will be very confusing. I've been reading book one with my class and they have loved it! This series is one that could appeal to 7-15 years old and even adults that love fantasy. The fast pace and fun characters will keep you and your children stuck to the pages to see if Abby and Derick can save the day. 

MEET THE AUTHOR:  

CHAD MORRIS would love to be able to control animal avatars, see history in 3D, and show everyone how he imagines stories. Since the inventions that would make that possible currently exist only in his imagination, he settles for reading, writing, playing basketball, rappelling down an occasional slot canyon, dating his wife, and hanging out with his five awesome kids in his home state of Utah.
 



Amazon *Barnes and Noble *Deseret Book

Monday, April 20, 2015

Fields of Elysium by A.B. Whelan-Free Today and see the other books in the series

Fields of Elysium
by A.B. Whelan
Best seller in Teen and Young Adult Fantasy
4.3 stars on 86 reviews
Price: $0.00 Save $14.35
Award-Winning Author
CAN LOVE MEND A HEART FULL OF HATE?
Small town girl, Molly Bennett, moves to Los Angeles where she becomes an outsider while attending Beverly Hills High School. It seems life cannot be any more dreadful.
Then one day after school, something magical happens. On a secluded hike in the Hollywood Hills, Molly chases her disobedient mutt and only friend into a hidden cavern. She stumbles upon a strange glimmering gateway that transports her to Arkana, a planet that is the cradle of an advanced human race. There, teenagers navigate amazing flying vehicles, compete in perilous games for glory, and possess supernatural powers.
While Molly tries to wrap her mind around this unbelievable discovery, she meets the alluring and mysterious Victor Sorren. He is a Sentinel Apprentice, whose hatred toward people from Earth is beyond understanding. Yet every time Victor unpredictably saves Molly’s life, his heart draws closer to hers, no matter how much he tries to fight against it. It further complicates things that their growing friendship is strictly forbidden. Earth people are prohibited in Arkana, yet Molly continues to cross through the portal to Arkana to see Victor.
Torn between their double lives, they go down a dangerous path, from where there is no return and multiple endings.
Would you fight to be with the one you truly love? What cost would you be willing to sacrifice for that love?
Fields of Elysium Dream Cast
Fields of Elysium Book Trailer
Fields of Elysium Playlist on YouTube
Special Offer
After reading this story you will find your heart racing whenever you enter a cave.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

A Heart Revealed: A Proper Romance by Josi S. Kilpack-Blog Tour Review

23453182 Product Description:
Title:A Heart Revealed
Author: Josi S. Kilpack
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Published: April 7th, 2015
ISBN13: 9781609079901
Paperback: 336 pages
FTC FYI: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.









Book Description:
Amber Marie Sterlington, the Rage of the Season in Regency-era London, has her pick of men, and she knows what she wants most in a husband: a title and a fortune. Why would she ever marry for something as fickle as love? And why would she ever look twice at Thomas Richards, a third son of a country lord?
But when Amber’s social standing is threatened, the character of her future husband becomes far more important than his position. After a public humiliation, she finds herself exiled to Yorkshire. Alone except for her maid, Amber is faced with a future she never expected in a circumstance far below what she has known all her life. Humbled and lonely, Amber begins to wonder if isolation is for the best. Who could ever love her now?

My Review:
A Heart Revealed is Josi Kilpack's first published Regency romance. I have loved so many of her other books, especially her Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series books. 

This new novel centers around main character Amber Sterlington. When first you read about her you are very put off at her whiny, and snobbish tone and attitude towards others. Amber is very vain and selfish. It's hard to find many redeeming qualities to her character. We also meet Thomas Richards who, though not as wealthy as the men Amber is pursuing, he is looking for more substantial things in life. The interesting thing about this book is that these two main characters hardly have any interaction through most of the book. It's not until the last 1/4 of the book that they finally interact face to face. I truly wish that they would have "met" sooner. I would have liked to have seen more of their relationship in the book.

Something happens to Amber's physical appearance and her family bans her from society to a small, lowborn cottage in Northern England. Amber feels abandoned by her family,all except for her kind maid Suzanne. As Amber and Suzanne spend month after month learning to live together and run the house, changes start happening to Amber. Also, surprisingly enough, Thomas lives in this same area and figures out who Amber is, even though the rest of the village knows her as the widow Mrs. Chandler. Amber has chosen to hide away from all people because of her appearance, but finally she relents to have Thomas call on her. Thomas knew of Amber before, but she had rejected him while in London when she'd been the "Rage of the Season", but Thomas couldn't quit thinking of her. Naturally he's noticed the changes in her and is very intrigued by her now. 

One of the most poignant quotes in the book about Amber and her changed personality comes from Suzanne her maid, and now friend. Amber is worried that people in her high class society would never accept her and how she looks now. Suzanne tells her... "I only believe that there are people in every society who would prefer the heart you have grown, to the beauty you have left behind to find it."  Suzanne is my favorite character in the book. She was loyal and kind to Amber through all of this huge trial her mistress went through.That's more than I can say for her deplorable family that I felt like throwing off a bridge and laughing while doing it. Amber's parent's were especially cruel to their daughter and I know that it must have been due to their upbringing, but it was hard to read about the things they said to Amber. Amber's sister also wasn't one of my favorite characters either, though she redeems herself at the end.

There were true class distinctions shown in the novel, so good research was done while writing this novel of this time period. Amber even has thoughts that,..."she had been taught from infancy that she was superior to the classes below her...simply because of her station. Interacting with Suzanne had proven that quite false." 

In the long run, I loved the romance once they came together. I loved Thomas's unconditional love and acceptance of Amber. There were many beautiful reminders about what is truly important in life which left you, as a reader, very satisfied at the end of the book.

Author: Josi S. Kilpack: 
JOSI S. KILPACK published her first novel in 2000. Her seventh novel, Sheep's Clothing, won the 2007 Whitney Award for Mystery/Suspense—several others have been finalists in subsequent years. She was also the Best of State winner for fiction in Utah 2012. She has written twenty-two novels, including the twelve-volume Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series. Josi currently lives in Willard, Utah.

Author Links
Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook 

Purchase Links
Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Deseret Book

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Cover Reveal for: Marrying Christopher by Michele Paige Holmes

 
Release date for Marrying Christopher is July 2015.

About Marrying Christopher:
Having seen both his sisters Grace and Helen happily married, Christopher Thatcher is free to pursue his dream of life in America. With adventure in his heart and mind, he boards one of the first steamships set to cross the Atlantic in the record breaking time of only twenty-five days. Within the first two of those, his resolve—to avoid women and the complications they often bring to a man’s life—falters when he meets Marsali Abbott, a young woman with a past even more troubling than his own. Whether from years of habit protecting his sisters, or simply because he feels drawn to Marsali, Christopher chooses to help her and becomes her friend. As the truth about what awaits Marsali in America becomes evident, he is faced with a more difficult choice, one that will impact their lives far beyond four weeks together at sea.
Add Marrying Christopher to your Goodreads list:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25292540-marrying-christopher


About the Author:

 
Michele Paige Holmes spent her childhood and youth in Arizona and northern California, often curled up with a good book instead of out enjoying the sunshine. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Elementary Education, and found it an excellent major in which to indulge her love of children's literature. 

Michele is the author of six romance novels, including the 2007 Whitney Award winning COUNTING STARS. In 2014 Michele launched the Hearthfire historical romance line with the publication of SAVING GRACE and LOVING HELEN. 

Michele has been a member of the same critique group for over fifteen years and feels that joining a critique group is the single best thing an author can to do help improve his or her writing. She has been a member of RWA and URWA, LDStorymakers, and The League of Utah Writers. Michele enjoys both attending and teaching at conferences.

When not reading or writing romance, Michele is busy with her full time job as a wife and mother. She and her husband live in Utah with their five high maintenance children and a Shitzu that resembles a teddy bear, in a house with a wonderful view of the mountains. You can find Michele on the web at michelepaigeholmes.com and on Facebook and twitter.


 
Purchase the other books in the Hearthfire Romance series:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble