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The Children of Darkness, book one of the dystopian trilogy, The Seekers by David Litwack "But what are we without dreams?"
A thousand years ago the Darkness came--a time of violence and social collapse when technology ran rampant. But the vicars of the Temple of Light brought peace, ushering in an era of blessed simplicity. For ten centuries they have kept the madness at bay with "temple magic," eliminating forever the rush of progress that nearly caused the destruction of everything.
Childhood friends, Orah and Nathaniel, have always lived in the tiny village of Little Pond, longing for more from life but unwilling to challenge the rigid status quo. When their friend Thomas returns from the Temple after his "teaching"—the secret coming-of-age ritual that binds the young to the Light—they barely recognize the broken and brooding man the boy has become. Then when Orah is summoned as well, Nathaniel follows in a foolhardy attempt to save her.
In the prisons of Temple City, they discover a terrible secret that launches the three on a journey to find the forbidden keep, placing their lives in jeopardy. For hidden in the keep awaits a truth from the past that threatens the foundation of the Temple. If they reveal that truth, they might release the long-suppressed potential of their people, but they would also incur the Temple’s wrath as it is written:
"If there comes among you a dreamer of dreams saying 'Let us return to the darkness,' you shall stone him, because he has sought to thrust you away from the light."
“A must-read page turner.” Kirkus Review
“Litwack’s storytelling painted a world of both light and darkness–and the truth that would mix the two.” Fiction Fervor
“The Children of Darkness is a dystopian novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.” C.P. Bialois
“A fresh perspective on our own society...[an] enjoyable read that will make you wonder just how society will judge us in the future.” Lexie
Author David Litwack
The urge to write first struck when working on a newsletter at a youth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the night when lightning flashed at sunset followed by northern lights rippling after dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter's editor, a girl with eyes the color of the ocean. But he was inspired to write about the blurry line between reality and the fantastic.
Using two fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day throughout college and well into his twenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue a career, in the process becoming a well-known entrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies. When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned.
After publishing two award winning novels, Along the Watchtower and The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky, he’s hard at work on the dystopian trilogy, The Seekers.
David and his wife split their time between Cape Cod, Florida and anywhere else that catches their fancy. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful every keystroke for the invention of the word processor.
BookBlast Giveaway
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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.
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Publisher: White Star Press; 1 edition (May 26, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1939203651
FTC FYI: I received a review ecopy in exchange for
an honest review.
Book Description:
Living With No Regrets Is Harder Than It Seems: Finley isn’t exactly sure when her life began to feel unfamiliar. She
suspects the transformation started long before she caught her husband
and fellow garden club member doing the white-trash-two-step on her new
Bernhardt sofa. Now free from the shackles of a loveless marriage, and
with her children off to college, she’s finally able to go searching for
the missing pieces of her heart.
Finley’s best friend, Cathyanne, is already working hard to ensure that
Finley finds true love this time around. But when Finley is unwittingly
tossed into the arms of two men—their sexy trainer and her neighbor, a
popular country star—Cathyanne fears finding the right guy will be more
complicated than she ever could have imagined.
For Finley, building a new life feels as impossible as flying a paper
airplane to the moon. But maybe, just maybe, with the right help, she
will find her whole heart—even if it’s in the very last place she thinks
to look.
Praise for With No Regrets
“The imagery is beautiful, the romance very well done and realistic.”
Rachel Ann Nunes.
Finley is a spunky and snarky Southern woman with a lot of sass! The
romance is swoon-worthy and satisfying. And underneath it all, it's got a
great message. Definitely worth a read!
My Review: I have loved the books written by Julie Ford. You know that you will definitely read a good romance. This book also had a lot of humor and some very spicy characters. The women in this book are Southern, sassy, and don't take things lying down. They stand up for what they want and what they believe in. This can also cause problems along the way. Friendship is a big focus in the book. Finley is the main character who is forty and now a divorced, single mom. Yes, I could totally relate to her thoughts and feelings with starting your life over again mid-life. It's a scary time for a woman in this position and Julie captured exactly how I felt right after my divorce. The characters are shown as humans with faults and stumbling along the path of life. The characters though are good Christian people who in the end find ways to lift each other up.
Finley is confused a lot because of the three men in her life: her cheating, ex husband Roy, her new, younger boyfriend Josh, and her really good friend, country singer Quinton. Now I was just way jealous of this character to have so many options in which to have man troubles. But, through it all and her interactions with them she learns many things about herself and grows from it all in the end.
This book will have you laughing at the funny characters, but the story will also bring you to tears in a few places. If you like stories like Steel Magnolias, you will love With No Regrets. This cast full of characters that will stay on my mind for a long time to come. I may even keep talking with a Southern accent for a while too. Bye Y'all!
Content: moderate innuendo,
kissing (including heavy making out), talk of affairs; mild Southern religious
elements; mild language .
Excerpts: With No Regrets
Excerpt 1:
“All
right, I think we’ve given Finley enough food for thought on her first
day.” Careen waved her arms in a settle-down motion. “As I explained
earlier, each week we focus on one step, and then at the following
meeting report on the progress we’ve made toward completing that step,”
she explained. “So for the benefit of our newest member, how ’bout we
recite the ‘Five Steps to a New Beginning’ before moving on.” She
pointed to a rolling chalkboard. “All together now.”
“Number
one: Subjugate fear,” she started, and the rest of the group joined in.
“Take chances. Learn from and consent to the unexpected.”
“Number two: Defy the rules, embrace the guidelines. Rules emphasize the result. Guidelines focus on the journey.
“Number three: Smash the box. Look outside your comfort zone for the best answers and the greatest opportunity for growth.
“Number four: Brimful heart. If one’s heart is hollow, one’s actions are hollow.
“Number five: Letitgo. Leave the past, live the future.”
Following
along with the words scrawled onto the powder-smeared chalkboard,
Finley felt a cool sweat breaking out on her forehead. Only five goals,
but each one felt like one gaping pit of quicksand after another.
Take
chances and defy rules? Smash the box? Letitgo? What did any of that
even mean? Brimful heart. Finley pressed the heel of her palm to the
center of her chest and felt nothing, nothing but an empty hole where
her heart should be. Just because she hadn’t been particularly sad to
see Roy pack his things and go, didn’t mean his absence hadn’t left a
gap in her life. His leaving had been like pulling a random peg from a
Jenga tower, only to find that it was the last piece still holding the
structure together.
Careen said, “I know these goals can seem overwhelming at first, but taking the first step is the hardest part.”
“Amen to that,” Burlie-Jean agreed.
“Though
some of us are further along than others, we’re all on the same path,”
Careen went on. “Everyone progresses at his or her own pace. One step at
a time, one week at a time until we find our new normal,” she said,
then zeroed in on Finley. “So start with number one, only number one . .
.”
Finley watched Careen’s lips spill words of hope and
encouragement. If only she could bathe in the completeness each syllable
offered until the possibility adhered to her skin, remolding her, body
and soul, into the kind of woman who knew what it meant to be happy, one
who refused to settle for anything less—
“Finley?” Careen
said, causing Finley to start. “This coming week, your first task is to
identify a fear and then make an attempt to overcome that fear. Do you
think you can do that?”
Having already put too much of herself
on display for these strangers’ entertainment, what Finley really
wanted to do was leave and never set foot inside this circle again.
“I’ll surely give it a try,” she promised, though, obviously, she had no
intention of doing any such thing.
“Good.” Careen appeared cautiously optimistic. “Okay, who wants to share next?”
Excerpt 2:
Packed
like corralled cattle between four wood paneled walls, the riotous
crowd filling the bar overwhelmed the echo of Finley’s boots as she made
her way through the darkened hallway. Built during the early days of
Nashville, Tootsie’s was rumored to have launched Willie Nelson’s career
as well as other famous performers like Kris Kristofferson, Patsy
Cline, Waylon Jennings, and in more recent decades, Quinton Townes.
At the end of the hallway, and through an open door, Finley spied her neighbor.
Jagged
locks of ashy-blond hair peeked out from under a worn cowboy hat to
poke at the frayed edges of his western shirt. A dimple split his right
cheek as he smiled, his head bent toward that of a young woman.
Finley
moved closer, watching as the groupie handed Quinton a cocktail napkin.
“Will you sign this for me?” she said, adding a coy smirk.
Quinton
ran his smoky gray eyes over the woman’s skintight T-shirt as he
slipped the paper and pen from her hands, his fingers lingering a touch
longer than necessary on hers. “Who should I make this out to?” he
drawled in that slow, Texas way of his.
Gazing out from under a pair of mascara-laden lashes, she said, “McKenna,” and then bit down on her plump bottom lip.
Finley
rolled her eyes. This one was young, even by Quinton’s standards.
Likely, not much older than her daughter Royanne, or Quinton’s own
estranged daughter, Annie, for that matter. Because she hadn’t known him
back when he was married, it was hard for her to imagine him as
anyone’s daddy. But then he’d become a father long before the world had
known his name. Before his solo career had taken off and he’d mistakenly
boarded a high-speed train running on tequila and cocaine, barreling
headlong into the blinding lights of one forgotten arena after another.
Before he’d traded the unconditional love of a wife and three children
for the fleeting admiration of his fans. Before the cheers of the crowds
had echoed into a deafening abyss where there wasn’t enough booze or
blow in his empty hotel room to silence the void. And certainly before
he’d woken up one morning a homeless, washed-up one-hit-wonder with
nothing but a broken-down Mazerati to call his own. The very day he just so happened to have entered Finley’s life.
Meet Author Julie N. Ford A graduate from San Diego State University with a BA in Political
Science, Julie N. Ford also earned a Masters in Social Work from the
University of Alabama, which has only made her better able to recognize
the unhealthy, codependent relationship she has with writing.
Professionally, she has worked in teaching and as a marriage and family
counselor. She is the author of six women’s fiction novels, including
Count Down to Love, a 2011 Whitney Award finalist. When she’s not
writing, she entertains delusions of being a master gardener, that is,
when she’s not killing the unsuspecting plants in her yard with her good
intentions. She lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with her
husband, two daughters, and the cutest Scottish fold cat you’ve ever
seen. She loves to chat with readers.
Blog Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 6/28/15
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.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
One of my writer friends has a new book she has written called Birthright a dystopian YA fantasy.
Cheri Chesley has entered her book in the
Kindle Scout Program through Amazon and her book is currently up for nominations.
Kindle Scout is reader-powered publishing for new, never-before-published books. It’s a place where readers help decide if a book gets published. That's right--readers help decide. I've actually been reading books for a few months for this program, and one of the books I read won- so I got a free copy!!
About Birthright: The unwanted daughter of a king who must have sons, Verity fights against her father’s betrayal the only way she can—by fleeing the relative safety of her past and taking her chances in the unknown, untamed wilderness. Verity must learn who she can trust—and who wants her dead.
Read more and nominate Birthright for publication through Kindle Press. Voting is open June 3 through July 3rd.
What teenage girl hasn't gone to great lengths to get noticed by her crush?
Charlee Jensen is no exception. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately in the end, Ryan her much older neighbor and unrequited love has no idea she exists during her teenage years, at least not the way she wants him to.
That all changes, though, when Charlee returns home, after eight years, to work for her estranged father and Ryan ... her teen crush. This time, Ryan has no problem noticing her. His only problem is that he isn't quite sure what to do with this woman who is suddenly all grown up, beautiful and annoyingly charming.
Throw in a cute three year old, and an ex-wife that's not quite ready to let go, and you have a whole lot of trouble in Loveland.
Trouble in Loveland is a clean, heartfelt romance filled with humor and tenderness.
"Jennifer Peel's writing captures you from the start and pulls you in. Trouble in Loveland is a fantastic book and was the perfect escape that I look for when I read. It has it all! Drama, humor, and romance. Highly recommend!"
"I have a new favorite author! I am so glad that Jennifer Peel started writing because she writes exactly the kinds of books that I love and Trouble in Loveland is no exception--it's good, clean, romantic fun!"
"Funny and heartfelt! Jennifer Peel creates characters that are so relatable! This story made me both laugh and cry. A must read!"
Excerpt Ryan’s eyes seared into mine. “I was hoping I would get to dance with you tonight.”
“You were?”
“Yes, but you’ve been quite popular.” He pulled back a tad and looked down at my dress. “You look very …”
“Please don’t say grown up.”
He smiled and shook his head. “I wasn’t going to say that, I was going to say …” he tried to think of something.
“You were going to say it, weren’t you?”
He sighed. “Charlee, you really know how to make a guy feel inadequate don’t you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I find I like it.”
“You do?”
He nodded his head. “I also find you to be very …” he hesitated.
“Very what?”
“Beautiful and annoyingly charming.”
“How can somebody be annoying and charming at the same time?”
“See what I mean?” He winked.
In my heels, we were practically eye level, and our faces were mere inches apart. I could smell the sweet smell of honey on his breath; I wanted more than anything to taste it, and the way he was looking at me at that moment, I thought maybe he felt the same way. His eyes quickly turned to confusion though before he pulled me a little closer. I rested my head against his and swayed against him. It was even better than I imagined. I wanted the dance to last forever.
“By the way,” I whispered in his ear. “I find you very beautiful too.”
Meet: Author Jennifer Peel I'm a Colorado native who currently calls Alabama home. I'm the mother of three amazing children who have grown up way too fast. I enjoy the mountains, vacations at the beach, date night with my husband, late night talks with my kiddos, touring model homes, and pink bubblegum ice cream.
I grew up on the Western Slope in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. I learned to love the beauty of the outdoors, but not camping--unless staying overnight at the Marriott counts. I met my husband while living in Denver and then several years later we traded the beauty and majesty of the Colorado Rocky Mountains for the art and culture of Chicago, Illinois. My family and I enjoyed living near this world class city, despite the crazy cold winters, but new adventures awaited in Northern Alabama--just six hours away from Orange Beach, Alabama. These three magical places (the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Chicago, and Orange Beach) are the inspired locations used in several of my books.
Book Blast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 6/21/15
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.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Author David Litwack
The urge to write first struck when working on a newsletter at a youth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the night when lightning flashed at sunset followed by northern lights rippling after dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter's editor, a girl with eyes the color of the ocean. But he was inspired to write about the blurry line between reality and the fantastic.
Using two fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day throughout college and well into his twenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue a career, in the process becoming a well-known entrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies. When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned.
After publishing two award winning novels, Along the Watchtower and The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky, he’s hard at work on the dystopian trilogy, The Seekers.
David and his wife split their time between Cape Cod, Florida and anywhere else that catches their fancy. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful every keystroke for the invention of the word processor.
BookBlast Giveaway
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 7/12/15
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.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
