Light Mage: The Black Witch Chronicles #1.5 By Laurie Forest-YA Fantasy Audio Book Review

Book Summary

Journey to the magical world of Erthia in this exciting full-length ebook prequel to The Black Witch by critically acclaimed author Laurie Forest.

Before Elloren Gardner came to possess the Wand of Myth, the Wand was drawn to another bearer: Sagellyn Gaffney.

Sage’s affinity for light magery, a rare skill among Gardnerians, makes her the perfect protector for the one tool that can combat the shadows spreading across Erthia. But in order to keep the Wand safe from the demonic forces hunting for it, Sage must abandon everything she once knew and forge a new path for herself…a dangerous course that could lead to either triumph or utter ruin.

Book Details

• Genre: YA Fantasy
• SIN ‏ : ‎ B077XY3GCF
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harlequin Teen (August 1, 2018)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 1, 2018
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 2742 KB

• ****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, book tours, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****

My Review 

The Black Witch Chronicles has definitely been one of my favorite finds in the past year. I'm loving this series and I'm trying to catch up because another new book is coming out in the series.

Light Mage is a novella #1.5 in the series. Truthfully, I should have read it a lot earlier if I'd known about it. This short book still was loaded with so much information about the world and the magic in The Black Witch Chronicles. I loved Sagellyn Gaffney's story. It made the happenings in the first Black Witch novel make more sense. I also truly enjoyed learning more about Sagellyn and why she did the things that she chose to do. There are so many characters in this series, some I really like and others I don't. Sagellyn is one that I actually admire for her courage to defy her family and her religion and stick with what she knew deep inside was right. All of this leads to Sagellyn being a protector of the white wand until it is finally given to the correct owner who could possibly save Erthia. 

I know I'm not giving many specific details in this review but I'm doing that on purpose. Depending on whether you read this before you've read several books in the series or at the start of your reading journey, I didn't want to provide any spoilers. Just know, this is an excellent addition to this series that will be helpful to you as you learn more about the magical world of Erthia. 

****Meet Author Laurie Forest****

Laurie Forest lives deep in the backwoods of Vermont, where she sits in front of a wood stove drinking strong tea and dreaming up tales full of dryads, dragons and wands.

She is the NY Times bestselling author of The Black Witch Chronicles, including The Black Witch, The Iron Flower, The Shadow Wand, The Demon Tide, and the prequel e-novellas, Wandfasted and Light Mage, which are also available in print as The Rebel Mages anthology.

Learn more about her HERE: https://laurieannforest.com/

~*~*~*~*Purchase A Copy of Light Mage~*~*~*~*

HERE:

Kindle-https://amzn.to/3IoL75A

Audio CD-https://amzn.to/3krRGfH

A Lady's Wager: {Timeless Georgian Collection- Book 2} By Arlem Hawks, Josi S. Kilpack and Sarah M. Eden-Book Review

 Can a lady wager on love?

The Diamond of Bristol by Arlem Hawks
Lieutenant Derrick Owens has always been on his own and wants to keep it that way, but when he saves a shipmate’s sister from a horrible dance partner, Corah Bradford’s sweet temperament and friendly nature make her hard to resist. Unable to find a suitable husband in Bristol who she can also love, Corah is entangled in a wager to secure Derrick’s company for an evening. Despite their reluctance to let go of their convictions, their easy friendship turns to something more. But with war on the horizon and Corah bound for the marriage mart in London, they both must discover what’s truly important—love or their previous expectations.

Women of a Certain Age by Josi S. Kilpack
Over the years, Colletta Markshire has been the driving force in helping young women make their match during the Season in London. Rachel is her lucky thirteen and Etta has every expectation that she will be a triumph ... except that things are not going to plan. Rachel has not taken to London and is determined to grow an acquaintance with a young man not at all the thing. The young man's father, Wynn Firth, is nearly as distracting as Etta's worries, and in every way she felt sure she would never feel distracted again. When Rachel disappears, Etta has little doubt what’s happened and she and Wynn set out together to find the young couple before word gets out. Hours in a carriage with a handsome man can be even more distracting, however, and Etta finds herself entertaining ideas she never thought to have. Etta gave up on love years ago ... and yet, as Women of a Certain age can attest, it is never too late to change one’s mind and change one’s future.

A Most Unsuitable Suitor by Sarah M. Eden
Drowning in debt, Julian, Lord Wesley spends an evening of shared misery with his closest friend at their club and makes a startling discovery: someone has placed a wager that Lady Charlotte Duchamps will not marry before her 21st birthday, with Julian himself receiving £1000 if she does not. Lady Charlotte suddenly finds herself the subject of a great deal of attention from Lord Wesley, a vague acquaintance with a questionable reputation. With Julian and Charlotte, both attempting to solve mysteries and wreak chaos, betting on the possibility of love might just prove the most risky wager of all.

Product Details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mirror Press (February 1, 2023)
• Genre: Georgian Romance
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 303 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1952611318

• ****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, book tours, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****

My Review

I always love reading any of the Timeless Romance Collections. This Georgian collection was written by three of my favorite authors. I have loved all of their previous works and knew before reading that I would be delighted with each story. 

Each of the stories in this book are different but clean and full of a wonderful romance. I especially liked how the characters were of different ages. Being on the "older" side, I particularly enjoyed Women of a Certain Age by Josi Kilpack. It's nice to read that you can still fall in love over the age of 40. Haha! 

If you haven't read one of the Timeless Romance Collections before, then you are in for a real treat. The collections are fantastic reads for busy people who don't have time to read a whole book in a sitting. You can read each novella in a short time. I so enjoyed each story and feel that Romance readers will feel the same way.

****Meet The Authors****

Arlem Hawks

Arlem Hawks began making up stories before she could write. Living all over the Western United States and traveling around the world gave her a love of cultures and people, and the stories they have to tell. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in communications and emphasis in print journalism and now lives in Arizona with her husband and two children.

Learn more about her and her books

HERE: https://arlemhawks.com/

Josi S Kilpack

Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and credits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then.

She began writing her first novel in 1998 and has written thirty-three novels, one cookbook, and several short stories since then. She is a four-time Whitney Award winner, including two Novel of the Year awards for Lord Fenton's Folly and As Wide as the Sky and a Best of State winner in Fiction.

She writes her national women's fiction under the pen name of Jessica Pack (say Josi Kilpack really fast and you'll see why she chose it). Josi currently lives in Northern Utah and is the mother of 4 wonderful kids.

For more information about Josi or her books, please visit her blog, What is a Sundial In the Shade?

Sarah M. Eden

SARAH M. EDEN is the USA Today bestselling author of multiple historical romances, including Foreword Review's 2013 "IndieFab Book of the Year" gold medal winner for Best Romance, Longing for Home, and two-time Whitney Award Winner Longing for Home: Hope Springs. Combining her obsession with history and affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting witty characters and heartfelt romances. She has thrice served as the Master of Ceremonies for the Storymakers Writers Conference and acted as the Writer in Residence at the Northwest Writers Retreat. Sarah is represented by Pam van Hylckama Vlieg at D4EO Literary Agency. Visit Sarah at www.sarahmeden.com

~*~*~*~*Purchase A Lady's Wager ~*~*~*~*

HERE:

Paperback-https://amzn.to/3XW5KMm

Kindle-https://amzn.to/3IPb8fF

Virtually Me by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown-Middle Grade Book Review

 

Book Summary

A mysterious package. A new school. A chance to be someone new.

A new virtual reality school where students get a fresh start.

The pandemic was rough on everyone, especially since school went from being a fun place where you could hang out with your friends to a bunch of heads in small rectangles all trying to talk at once. For Bradley, Edelle, Hunter, Jasper, and Keiko, that’s about to change.

A mysterious box arrives at each of their houses, and they’re invited to attend a virtual school. More than just being online, they’ll be able to create an avatar of themselves and interact with their friends and other classmates in real time using VR headsets.

For each of them, that presents an opportunity to become someone they’re not, or someone they haven’t been. For Bradley, it’s a chance to come out of a self-imposed shell. Edelle hopes everyone will see her for who she really is, not just for how she looks. Hunter is looking forward to pretending he’s still the person he was last year. Jasper wants to get over past assumptions. And for Keiko, it’ll allow her to disappear into the crowd.

For all of them, it’s a chance to see just how much they’ve assumed about each other in the past and maybe an opportunity to become friends.

Book Details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Shadow Mountain (February 7, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Genre: Middle-Grade Contemporary Fiction
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639930531
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639930531
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 11 years
• Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 6

• ****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, book tours, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****

  
  

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• My Review
• Virtually Me is a cute story based on virtual learning during the Covid 19 Pandemic. Each character in this story is dealing with self-esteem issues where they can hide behind a "mask" with their virtual self at the virtual school. 

 There are so many great lessons for kids to learn from this novel. The main characters all have different reasons for going to the virtual school. The reasons all have to do with their outside appearance but find out a lot about themselves emotionally. Bradley, Edelle, Hunter, Jasper, and Keiko all have such different personalities and find themselves in funny situations. The humor is spot on for the age group that will be reading this novel. OK, the humor made me really LOL too. Chad Morris and Shelly Brown have a knack for writing fun, young characters that kids can relate to. This will be another hit with Middle-Grade readers.

****Meet the Authors****

Chad Morris

Chad Morris coauthored Virtually Me, Mustaches for Maddie, Squint, Willa and the Whale, and the upcoming Wild Journey of Juniper Berry with his wife, Shelly Brown. He is also the author of the Cragbridge Hall series (The Inventor's Secret, The Avatar Battle, and The Impossible Race). He has won the Utah Book Award, the Buckeye Award, and the Nebraska Book Award, and the Silver Foreword INDIES award for Juvenile fiction. Chad also wrote one of the short stories in True Heroes: A Treasury of Modern-day Fairy Tales Written by Best-selling Authors. His story was based on JP Gibson, an amazing boy who faced cancer with courage, heart, and a basketball dream.

Chad grew up wanting to become a professional basketball player or a rock star. (Inspired by Animal from The Muppets, he has been banging on drums since he was eight years old.) Neither of those plans quite panned out. After high school, he left the Rocky Mountains to live in Brazil for a few years then returned home to write and perform sketch comedy while going to college. He graduated from BYU with a couple of degrees and became a teacher and a curriculum writer.

He is married to his coauthor, Shelly Brown, and lives in Utah, with his five children.

Shelly Brown

A native to the ocean and transplanted to the mountains, Shelly Brown has always loved children and books so it made sense when she started writing books for children. In her spare time, she helps her husband, author Chad Morris, write MORE children's books. In her extra-extra spare time, she loves the theater and traveling. She is also one of the worst tap dancers you will ever meet. But she does it anyway.

She has no regrets, one husband, five children, eight chickens, and sixty-four Pez dispensers.

For more information on her book, request interviews or school visits, or for review, copies visit shellybrownwriter.com or email shellybrownwriter@gmail.com

~*~*~*~*Purchase a Copy of Virtually Me~*~*~*~*

HERE:

Paperback-https://amzn.to/3m3POKy

Ecopy-https://amzn.to/3IvEQVD

The Marquess and the Runaway Lady by Samantha Hastings- Blog Tour Review, An Exclusive Excerpt, and Other Exciting Things to Discover!!

 

Book Summary

An entertaining Harlequin Historical debut

Will this disheveled runaway…

Become the diamond of the Season?

When the Marquess of Cheswick—Wick—takes in a mysterious woman, he’s shocked to discover she is Lady Louisa, an heiress who’s escaped her cruel aunt! Grieving the loss of two siblings, Wick avoids opening his heart to anyone else and stays away from the marriage mart. But when Louisa needs a husband in order to claim her inheritance, Wick’s determined to help—even if it means stepping back into his worst nightmare: the Season!

From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.

Product Details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harlequin Historical (February 21, 2023)
• Genre: Regency Romance
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1335723765

• ****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, book tours, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****

Please consider following my blog. Look at the right side of the blog under Followers of Why Not? It takes only a minute to follow my blog. I would appreciate the support and you won't receive any emails from me by following.

My Review

The Marquess and the Runaway Lady is a Regency Romance full of wonderful characters, humor, and great intrigue. Author Samantha Hastings has once again written a story that I picked up and read in almost one sitting. 

There is a small underlying Cinderella theme in the novel. The beautiful Lady Louisa has been treated poorly by her relatives ever since her parents died and they became her guardians. She escapes their ill-treatment for a better life and runs into The Marquess of Chestwick, or Wick as he is called by friends and family. The Stringham family takes her in and changes her life. I loved all of the Stringham sisters, along with their humor and quirkiness. They are such endearing characters. Wick tries hard to not fall for Lady Louisa but fails. He is harboring great heartache from the past and doesn't feel deserving of anyone's love. How they come together makes for so many great moments in the book whether at home in the Duke's castle, at a ball, or taking a walk together. It's a sweet romance where both Louisa and Wick can't deny their attraction for one another but has many obstacles standing in their way.

This darling story will capture you from the beginning. It is a quick read with all of the elements of a great romance with characters that are likable and relatable, a main character looking for love and truth in life, and enough sentimental feelings to make you laugh, cry, and at times feel a bit frustrated with the Hero of the story. Those that love a clean romance filled with adorable moments will definitely enjoy reading The Marquess and The Runaway Lady. 

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Watch this Video where Author Samantha Hastings Talks About The Stringham Family Found in

The Marquess and The Runaway Lady and the

future of this new series!!
https://fb.watch/iU4UzwmKGh/

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****Meet Author Samatha Hastings****

Samantha Hastings met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, eating popcorn, having tea parties, and chasing her four kids. She has degrees from Brigham Young University, University of North Texas, and University of Reading (UK). She writes cozy murder mysteries under Samantha Larsen.

Learn more at www.SamanthaHastings.com or connect with her on social media: Twitter @HastingSamantha, Instagram @SamanthaHastingsAuthor, and Facebook @AuthorSamanthaHastings

~*~*~*~*Purchase The Marquess and the~*~*~*~*

Runaway Lady HERE:

Amazon

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Indie: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-marquess-and-the-runaway-lady-samantha-hastings/1141654821?ean=9781335723765

 

Harlequin: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335723765_the-marquess-and-the-runaway-lady.html

 

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Marquess-and-the-Runaway-Lady-Paperback-9781335723765/1346005917

 

Target: https://www.target.com/p/the-marquess-and-the-runaway-lady-by-samantha-hastings-paperback/-/A-87183641#lnk=sametab

 

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BAM: https://www.powells.com/book/the-marquess-and-the-runaway-lady-9781335723765

Read an Excerpt from

The Marquess and the Runaway Lady

Excerpt 1:

 

‘She’s not Miss Nemo anymore, Wick,’ Becca said, not bothering to look up from her kitten. ‘She’s Lady Louisa.’

He blinked at Louisa twice, before taking a step towards her. ‘You’re Lady Louisa Bracken, daughter of the late Earl of Rockingham of Greystone Hall?’

His tone held scorn and her heart plummeted in her chest. Her title and true name meant something to him.

There was no point in denying the truth. Eventually, she would have had to tell the Marquess and his sisters her true name anyway if they were to help her find her Uncle Laybourne and the trustees named in her father’s will. She would need those trustees to access her inheritance and have her London season. Besides, she trusted them. Even Lord Cheswick, who had eyed her with suspicion once he’d realised that she wasn’t a governess. And made her feel hot and breathless and full of an unknown want…

‘I am… How—how did you know my name?’

His lips turned into a sneer. ‘I was unfortunately acquainted with Lord Barnabas Bracken before he was sent down from Oxford because of his gambling debts.’

Louisa touched her hot cheeks. It did not sound as if Wick was fond of her cousin. Not that she liked him either. He was a toad.

Becca cleared her throat. ‘The villain enters the scene and the plot thickens!’

‘Yes!’ Helen’s eyes grew wide. ‘Is he trying to marry you against your will so that he can steal your fortune?’

‘I daresay you’re an heiress?’ added Frederica.

Louisa swayed on her feet and held a hand against her stomach. She couldn’t quite believe that the Stringham sisters had guessed her true circumstances. It was so unlikely. Almost unbelievable.

‘How many times do I have to tell you?’ Lord Cheswick said dismissively. ‘She isn’t the heroine in a gothic novel and you should call her Lady Louisa.’

Frederica tickled her kitten under his chin. ‘And you should read more of them and then you’d know that a delicately nurtured young lady only flees her family home when she is being forced into a distasteful marriage. And why else would her evil aunt try to make her marry her bad cousin unless she was an heiress?’

‘It’s entirely obvious,’ Helen said, lifting her chin defiantly.

Huffing, Lord Cheswick turned his eyes from his sisters to her. ‘Is it true?’

Louisa felt so mortified that she would have been happily swallowed up by floor. She’d hoped that when she told him the truth of her identity the Marquess would show her the same kindness he demonstrated with his sisters.

‘It is.’

‘I don’t blame you for not wanting to marry Lord Barnabas,’ he said, looking at her closely, his voice softening. ‘He’s a rum touch. But why did you not appeal to your other relatives? Surely there is someone in your family who would help you?’

She wasn’t precisely sure what a ‘rum touch’ was, but by the tone of his voice, Louisa was certain that her cousin was one. She rubbed at her forehead. ‘I was trying to seek refuge with my uncle, the Canon of Sherborne, when you found me on the road and mistook me for your governess.’

‘Then why the secrecy with your name? And why did you not wish to continue to find him this morning? I told you I would have provided you with a carriage and a proper escort.’

Louisa lowered her head, unable to meet his disapproving eyes. ‘I am so sorry, my lord,’ she whispered, her hands fidgeting against her gown. ‘I should have left. Only, I feared being returned to my Aunt and Uncle Rockingham. The servants at Greystone Hall helped me escape and I don’t wish for them to get into trouble.’

‘Are Lord and Lady Rockingham your guardians?’ he asked.

Still gazing down, she shook her head. ‘Not anymore. I am turned one-and-twenty. They have never allowed me a season. And in the nearly eleven years they have been my guardians they have only permitted me to leave the estate to attend church. I have so longed for a season, and for an opportunity to be presented to the Queen.’

~~~~~Blog Tour Giveaway~~~~~

I have teamed up with @samanthahastingsauthor to do a paperback giveaway of her release, The Marquess and the Runaway Lady! If you like Cinderella retellings, you are going to adore this one!

The giveaway ends at midnight on March 3rd MT. If the winner is not a resident of the US they will win an e-copy of the book (due to shipping costs). The winner will be notified via email that is left in the comments. 

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