Chance for Home By Traci Hunter Abramson-Blog Tour Review and Giveaway

{Product Details}

• Title: Chance for Home
• Author: Traci Hunter Abramson
• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc. (April 3, 2017)
• Genre: Contemporary Romance
• ISBN#-10: 1524401889
• FTC, FYI: I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

{Book Description}

Beautiful pre-med student Kari Evans believes she’s found the man of her dreams—right up until the moment she discovers he’s a two-timing cheat. Desperately gathering the pieces of her broken heart, she realizes that what she needs most is space to reconsider her future. A summer in Washington, DC, with her professional baseball player brother, Ben, sounds like just the change of scene she’s after. But if complicated romantic entanglements are what she’s trying to escape, she’s out of luck. Ryan Strobel has had it with spotlight-seeking women. As third baseman for the Washington Nationals, he’s dealt with more than his fair share of opportunistic admirers—but his ex-fiancée, Brandi, may be the worst. When the woman refuses to take no for an answer, Ryan’s teammate Ben offers a crazy solution: Ben’s sister will pose as Ryan’s new girlfriend. Though an unlikely pair, Ryan and Kari find themselves getting surprisingly comfortable with the charade. Soon, the line between fact and fiction is 

blurred, and the very real feelings that develop between the couple are undeniable. But when faced with the interference of conniving exes, family objections, and the reality of their very different lives, are Ryan and Kari destined to strike out in the game of love?

{My Review}

Chance for Home is a contemporary romance that is easy to get into and keeps you reading. With the two main characters being so likable, you can't help but want to see a happy ending which of course doesn't happen at first. 

Both Kari and Ryan have ex's that didn't treat them well and they also won't leave them alone. Kari is nothing like any girl Ryan has ever dated before with him being a rich, successful, major league baseball player. He's used to girls wanting him for his fame and money. Kari is down to earth and doesn't chase Ryan and basically this throws Ryan for a loop. I loved the interaction between these two characters as they get to know each other and realize how opposite they are from their previous romances. Throughout the story Kari and Ryan learn many lessons in sacrifice, humility, seeing others point of view, and of course allowing love in their lives. There were many fun things that happened that bring Kari and Ryan together and I'm not telling you about it because it would spoil your reading experience. 

This romance is for when you want a quick read to escape your busy life and it will make you smile and sigh at all of the nice kisses. It's a clean romance with a great realistic love story and characters, and just enough angst to have you cheering them on to win in the game of love. Share this novel with all ages from older teen girls to your grandma because they'll all love this story.

{Meet Author: Traci Hunter Abramson} 

Traci Hunter Abramson was born in Arizona, where she lived until moving to Venezuela for a study-abroad program. After graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for several years, eventually resigning in order to raise her family. She credits the CIA with giving her a wealth of ideas for suspense novels as well as the skills needed to survive her children's teenage years. She has gone on to write a number of bestselling suspense novels that have consistently been nominated as Whitney Award finalists. She considers shoes an optional accessory which became evident when she won her first three Whitney Awards in 2013 (Code Word), 2014 (Deep Cover), and 2016 (Failsafe.) She currently lives in Virginia with her family where she enjoys sports, travel, writing, and coaching high school swimming.

{Purchase Here}

{Blog Tour Schedule}

*April 24th: http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/, http://rockinbookreviews.com/, https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/, http://www.kindleandme.com/

*April 25th: http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, http://brooklynberrydesigns.com/

*April 26th: http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/, http://ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.com/, http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/

*April 27th: http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://empowermoms.net/ , http://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://sweetlymadejustforyou.com/ 

*April 28th: http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://justcommonly.blogspot.com/, http://www.iamareader.com/ 

{Enter the Giveaway}

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Beyond the Rising Tide By Sarah Beard-YA Paranormal Romance Book Review

{Product Details}

• Title: Beyond the Rising Tide
• Author: Sarah Beard
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc. (June 14, 2016)
• Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
• ISBN-10: 1462118747
• FTC, FYI: I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

{Book Description}
Kai met Avery only once--in the moment he died saving her life. Now when he's not using his new healing powers to help people, he watches helplessly as Avery's life is unraveled by his death. To help her, he risks everything by breaking the rules, dangerously blurring the barriers between life and death.

{My Review}
I really liked this unique story told from two different perspectives,one from Avery and the other is Kai. Six months earlier Kai saved Avery's life and ended up drowning trying to save her. This threw Avery into a deep depression, so Kai has been watching her and slowly falling in love with the girl. Kai now lives his life in Heaven helping other people down on Earth but the one person he wants to help the most is Avery which he can't. This is when the story takes a wild turn as Kai finds a way to gain a physical body and come back to Earth to see if he can help Avery heal from her grief and pain. 

This story is full of raw, powerful emotion. The things that both of the main characters have been through hits you right in the heart. I loved the character of Kai the most. He is such a many-layered character and as you learn more about him, the more you learn to love him. He lived a hard, rough life and didn't always make good choices, but this story shows how he is redeemed through making wise and selfless choices. Avery has also struggled in her life with an eccentric mom dealing with mental health issues. Now Avery is dealing with the guilt about the unknown teenage boy that saved her life but died in that process of heroism. 

I struggled as the two became closer because I couldn't see how any of this was going to work out. I could only see them both ending up with broken hearts and sadness from not being able to be together. At one point it was so gut-wrenching I wasn't sure I wanted to finish it. All I can say though is that the ending will make your heart beat faster and your brain work harder as you process what happened. I didn't guess the ending correctly and I'm glad I was wrong. 

This story is written in a beautiful style with such realistic events, a gorgeous descriptive setting of beaches and Heaven, a myriad of emotions and colorful characters that you'll want to sit and read this book straight through from beginning to end. This is a wonderful book that I will be sharing with my own teenage daughter, though adults will also be enthralled by what seems to be an ill-fated love story that at moments will leave you breathless. This book deserves its 5-star rating.

{Meet The Author: Sarah Beard}

Sarah Beard is the author of YA novels PORCELAIN KEYS and BEYOND THE RISING TIDE. She earned a degree in communications from the University of Utah and is currently pursuing an MFA in creative writing from VCFA. When she's not writing, she referees wrestling matches between her three boys and listens to audiobooks while folding self-replicating piles of laundry. She is a breast cancer survivor, a baker of sweets, a seeker of good love stories, a composer of melancholy music, and a traveler who wishes her travel budget was much bigger. She lives with her husband and children in the shadow of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. You can follow Sarah on twitter at @authorsarahb, or at facebook.com/authorsarahbeard. Her website is sarahbeard.com.
{Purchase Here}

An Unseen Angel: A Mother's Story of Faith, Hope, and Healing After Sandy Hook By Alissa Parker-Blog Tour Review

{Product Details} Title: An Unseen Angel: A Mother's Story of Faith, Hope, and Healing After Sandy Hook  Author: Alissa Parker Paperback: 192 pages Genre: Non-Fiction/Inspirational Publisher: Shadow Mountain (April 4, 2017) ISBN-10: 1629722790 FTC,FYI: I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

{Book Description}

As the mother of one of the children who died at Sandy Hook school in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, Alissa Parker had her world shattered by a mass murderer's rampage. She was left to make sense of her daughter's life and death and to rebuild, seeking a deeply spiritual path to carry on with her life and find new meaning and purpose.

As a co-founder of SafeandSoundSchools.org, a touring national advocacy group that helps people take action to make schools safer, Alissa has talked to hundreds of parents around the country about her ordeal and how she was able to endure the unspeakable horror of Sandy Hook.

An Unseen Angel takes readers though Alissa's complete journey, chronicling the moment-by-moment account of the day that began with every parent's worst nightmare: hearing, "There's been a shooting at your child's school." It follows her faith-filled spiritual path to coping, healing, forgiving, and eventually feeling gratitude for the life and love of her daughter Emilie. She describes a bond of love between a mother and daughter that is so profound it transcends the physical body and touches Alissa and the people who loved Emilie who feel her presence every day. And she articulates her deep Christian faith, which guided the answers to Alissa's gut-wrenching, post-tragedy questioning:

• "Where is Emilie now?"
• "Can love transcend the physical body?"
• "How can I know that Emilie is in a better place?"
• "How do I deal with the 'here and now' when the pain and anger I feel is so overwhelming?"

This is the first book about the school-shooting tragedies with a focus on faith and spirituality. As we learn Alissa's story, we are introduced to a special little girl who was wise beyond her years and whose lessons about life and the transcendent power of love continued even after she had passed away."

{My Review}

An Unseen Angel is a hard story to read. It will bring you to tears. Alissa bears her soul as she writes of her grief after her daughter,Emilie, was killed in the Sandy Hook school shootings in 2012 in Newton, Connecticut. Readers will follow Alissa's hard journey as she learns to live life without her daughter and not let bitterness and grief rule her life. With the help of her religion (LDS) with her belief in life after death and that there are angels around us, she finally finds peace in her life. 

There is much to gain for those readers who are going through the grief process and reading how anyone can heal from a tragic loss by having faith in their life, searching for the peace that can come from forgiving others and forgiving yourself depending on your own circumstances. Despite the tragic story of great loss, readers will be lifted up by the beautiful messages found in Alissa's story.


{Meet Author: Alissa Parker}

Alissa Parker is the mother of one of the twenty children who died tragically in the Sandy Hook school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012.

After Emilie's death, Alissa began TheParkerFive blog as a tool to express the emotions she and her family experienced throughout the grieving process. She is also the co-founder of SafeandSoundSchools.org, which helps people take action to make schools safer, and The Emilie Parker Art Connection, a charity helping local community art programs for children.

• The Parker Five Blog (theparkerfive.com): 3.5 million p/v; Visitors: 922,689
• The Emilie Parker Art Connection (emilieparkerfund.com): 297K Facebook followers
• Safe and Sound Schools (safeandsoundschools.org): Since 2013, 200K+ visitors to the website, 100K people have downloaded free online materials for use in their school or professional community, more than 30,000 people have attended a speaking engagement or workshop, 6K+ social media followers. Organization has also visited schools in 31 states.

{Purchase Here}

Book Tour Reviews and Giveaway for-Tarragon: Key Keeper (Book 1) and Dragon Mage (Book 2) By Karlie Lucas

{Book 2}

After hundreds of years, the gates to Tarragon are open once more, fulfilling age-old prophecy. However, Anwen’s journey is far from over. The dragons still sleep and she has no clue how to wake them. Forced to retreat from the Mountain, she and her newfound friends must devise a new plan to wake the inhabitants of Tarragon.

Meanwhile, the Mage Circle, a group of dragon mages with a vendetta, is camped outside the Gates. Calling on allies of their own, they will stop at nothing to gain control of the Dragon City and all who dwell inside.

To complicate matters even more, Anwen’s mother has joined the party. But even with the help of all her friends, can Anwen overcome the ordeals set before her or will this spell the end of the dragons and the world as we know it?

Purchase your copy here:

~ Amazon US ~ AU ~ CA ~ UK ~

 ~ Goodreads ~ Createspace ~

~ Kobo ~ B&N ~ Smashwords ~

{Book 1}: Tarragon Key Keeper

For hundreds of years, the gates of Tarragon have been sealed from the outside. Prophecy speaks of the day the last Key Keeper will return and wake the dragons from their spell-cast slumber, returning them to their rightful home.

Seeking to fulfill her father's dying wish, Anwen Porter travels to the Drakonii Mountains where she meets Tyler, a mysterious local with a secret. With his help, she learns more about her clouded past and her own abilities. But when Courtney, a lovesick mage, tries to insert herself into their plans, things begin to go horribly wrong.

With death threatening at every turn, Anwen must learn to rely on her newfound friends to survive. But how can she unravel the mystery of her heritage when everything is trying to kill her?

Karlie Lucas is a preschool teacher by day and a writer/artist by night.

A graduate of Southern Utah University, Karlie received a B.A. in Creative Writing, with a minor in art. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, The International English Honor Society, as well as ANWA, the American Night Writers Association.

Karlie is interested in all things magical and mysterious, especially elves and dragons. She is an avid fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling.

When not writing, Karlie can often be found drawing, baking, watching her favorite old school shows, or just spending time with her family.

She currently resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband and a cat named Kally

Connect with the Author here: 

~ Facebook ~ Website ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~

I love stories about dragons so I knew that this series would be a fun read. 

Book One Review:
The world building in the first book was very detailed but it built slowly so it didn't overwhelm you. The real action starts about half way through this first book. You also get a better feel for the characters as you learn more about them at this point in the book. There is real character growth from main character Anwen as she starts her journey of self-discovery and finding out why her parents wanted to her go to the Drakonii Mountains to find out more about her heritage. Anwen soon learns that there is so much more to who she truly is and her family. I felt kind of bad for her through much of this first book as she is always falling or drowning or getting hurt in some way. At first I wasn't sure she was tough enough to handle this quest she'd been sent on. With Tyler and Courtney's help it's amazing what happens in this first book.

Book Two Review

With all of the world building out of the way, book two takes off with a lot of action and never stops! This second book introduces many new characters, such as Anwen's mom and Tyler's friend Walter. They both are essential to helping Anwen and Tyler in helping the dragons. I also loved this book because we see so much more of the dragons and I loved the way the author describes them. I can't wait to read more about them in the next book coming out next year.

The plot is so well developed and after reading both books one right after the other, everything fit together so well like puzzle pieces. There is also a great surprise or two at the end that made for a great and exciting finish to this book. The character growth was huge for Anwen and Courtney in this book and it was very satisfying to see both of these young women grow emotionally and mentally in their respective powers. 

It's not often that the second book is better than the first, but the constant action and more magical happenings put this book as my favorite so far in the series.You truly need to read book one first though or you'll be lost in book two.This book is recommended for fantasy lovers and those that love books about dragons. 

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 

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Defiance: A World War II Story By A.L. Sowards-Blog Tour Review and Giveaway

{Product Details}

• Title: Defiance: A World War II Story 
• Author: A.L. Sowards
• File Size: 2103 KB
• Print Length: 320 pages
• Publisher: Covenant Communications (April 1, 2017)
• Publication Date: April 1, 2017
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
• Genre: Historical Fiction
• ASIN: B06XWKZS9K
• FTC, FYI: I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

{Book Details}
Eight years after immigrating to the United States, German-born Lukas Ley embodies the American dream: successful athlete, gorgeous girlfriend, loving family. But beneath the surface, eighteen-year-old Lukas is driven by ambition, resolved to avenge the murder of his father at the hands of the Nazi regime. Unfortunately, a failed physical throws his plans for flight school off course. Unlike his war-hero older brother, Lukas’s purpose is unclear. He can’t fly, and in the eyes of the military, he’s good for only one thing—the front lines.

From the foxholes of war-ravaged Luxembourg to the devastation of an enormous German offensive, Lukas’s journey is fraught with peril. But when he’s taken as a prisoner of war, he realizes life is about to get much worse. In the enemy camp, Lukas is viewed as a German fighting for the wrong side. Ripped from the innocence of an idealistic youth, he becomes a man beaten by the horrors of war. Now his only hope of survival is to hold tightly to his faith in God and his love of family and home. But even if he manages to make it out alive, can he ever be whole again?

Sometimes survival is the ultimate act of Defiance.

{My Review}

If you see this book getting 5 stars from most reviewers, there is a good reason why... because it truly deserves it! This book takes you on an emotional journey from 1940's America to the war-torn countries of France and Germany during World War II. 

Lukas is a great main character who can't wait to graduate and head to the war to bring honor to his family and his father who was killed by the Nazis years earlier. His older brother has just returned from the war along with a missing limb and a wife. His older brother Bastian tried to prepare him for what is ahead, but nothing truly can prepare you for the ugliness of war as Lukas finds out. Sowards does not hold back in this book and doesn't sugarcoat the brutality of fighting and killing the enemy or seeing your friends being killed next to you. This book was well researched and the author says in the notes at the end that she talked to many World War II veterans about their experiences. There were times the battle scenes were so intense I needed to take a break because I wasn't sure I was ready to read what might possibly happen to Lukas and his fellow soldiers. Some of these scenes are graphic as this book is about a war and the battles that took place and the treatment of POW's by their captors. None of this takes away from the wonderful writing and the story that Sowards has written. This is an amazing story of courage, hope, faith, and enduring through great tribulation. The title of "Defiance" is Lukas showing Defiance against the enemy and against his own doubts about himself and the will to survive. 

I've read most of the books written by A.L. Sowards and in my opinion, this book is the best. The emotions that this story stirs up in the reader definitely makes this a story you will remember for a long time.This book is for all readers that love historical fiction, especially Wold War II, and meant for readers older teens and up. I give this book a solid 5 stars as one that should be read and shared with others. 

{Purchase Here}

{Meet Author: A.L. Sowards}

A.L. Sowards grew up in Moses Lake, Washington, then came to Utah to attend BYU and ended up staying. Now she’s a busy mom with young kids, but she does her best to squeeze writing time in between naptime, stroller rides, and homework sessions. She enjoys reading, writing, learning about history, and eating chocolate, sometimes all at once. As an author, she is known for heart-pounding action, memorable characters, careful historical research, clean romance, and family-friendly language. Her novels include a Whitney Award winner and several Whitney finalists.

For more information, please visit her website, ALSowards.com  
              

{Tour Schedule}

*April 17th: https://atransparentmom.com/, https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/

*April 18th: http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://rockinbookreviews.com/, http://empowermoms.net/

*April 19th: http://ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.com/, http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/, http://thethingsilovemost.com/ 

*April 20th: http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/ 

*April 21st: http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/, http://www.wishfulendings.com/

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The Heart of Escher By Jonathan Dance -Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Born and raised in Hampshire, I spent most of my childhood dreaming up random adventures.

I left the sunny south coast to study Graphic Communication in Bath, where I fell in love with the rolling Somerset hills when I wasn’t walking up them.

Returning to Hampshire 6 years later, after meeting my now wife, Claire, I enjoy a quieter life, walking in the New Forest and relaxing with my wonderful wife and fluffy cat Molly.

I have always enjoyed telling stories, more often than not in visual form, either in films or animations. However, the idea of Escher was too big for me to do visually by myself so I picked up a pen and started writing.

Having written one novel, I am now keen to tell more stories of Escher, while at the same time expressing my imagination with my art. 

Connect with the Author here: 

~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Twitter ~ Tumblr ~

James Fisher, a lonely, bullied schoolboy, finds himself in the dark and twisted land of Escher after wishing himself away from an ill-fated family holiday.

Lost and frightened, James must help heal the dying world of Escher, overrun by the creatures of the Nightmare forest, to return home.

Guided by the emerald-eyed cat, Sam, and befriended by the headstrong resistance fighter, Jasper, James is taken on an adventure through a world mirroring his own nightmares, where he is forced to confront his own fears and the ghostly Shadow in order to save Escher.

Unbeknown to James, not only is he fighting for Escher’s future, but also his own.

First lets take a look inside the book

Snippet:

Up in the clouds, everything was different; James was now shrouded by mist and he was all alone. Where the others had gone, he did not know.

At first, James did not know what to think, everything had happened so fast, and now to be seemingly floating within the clouds seemed rather surreal.

James called for Jasper and Sami, but only rumbles of thunder could be heard. Flashes of lightning rippled through the haze, and with each new burst James saw imprints of sad memories amongst the clouds. 

And now for the Cover

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I am loving this cover!

Purchase your copy here:  ~ Book Website ~

Make sure you join our tour for this book so you can get more content and more chances to win prizes!

Join Here

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 

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Calamity: Book 3 The Reckoners By Brandon Sanderson-Book Review

Calamity by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

{Product Details}

• Series: The Reckoners (Book 3)
• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Ember; Reprint edition (February 28, 2017)
• Genre:Young Adult Fantasy/Science Fiction
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385743610

{Book Details}
When Calamity lit up the sky, the Epics were born. David’s fate has been tied to their villainy ever since that historic night. Steelheart killed his father. Firefight stole his heart. And now Regalia has turned his closest ally into a dangerous enemy.

David knew Prof’s secret, and kept it even when the Reckoners’ leader struggled to control the effects of his Epic powers. But facing Obliteration in Babilar was too much. Prof has now embraced his Epic destiny. He’s disappeared into those murky shadows of menace Epics are infamous for the world over, and everyone knows there’s no turning back…

But everyone is wrong. Redemption is possible for Epics—Megan proved it. They’re not lost. Not completely. And David is just about crazy enough to face down the most powerful High Epic of all to get his friend back. Or die trying.

{My Review}
I have loved this series from the start. Calamity was a great way to finish up with several surprising things at the end. Some things I had guessed about earlier, but others were a complete shock. Though this third book was good, I still like the first book Steelheart the best out of all three books in the series. David grew so much throughout the books, but especially in Calamity. He is such an amazing character and one that I'll always remember. I don't say that about all of the characters I meet in stories.This series overall delivers a powerful story that all readers will love and Brandon Sanderson fans will be once again fully satisfied by Calamity and The Reckoners series.

View all my reviews

{Meet The Author: Brandon Sanderson}

Brandon Sanderson is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Reckoners series: Steelheart, Firefight, and Calamity, as well as the internationally bestselling books in the Stormlight Archive and the Mistborn trilogy. He was also chosen to complete Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series. His books have been published in more than twenty-five languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. He lives and writes in Utah. To learn more about Brandon and his books, visit him at brandonsanderson.com and follow @BrandSanderson on Twitter.