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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Bookblast Giveaway -- First Time: The Legend of Garison Fitch

Tour Schedule
This title sounds really interesting and I can't wait to read it! My review is scheduled for December 11.

First Time: The Legend of Garison Fitch

"What if history didn't happen that way ... the first time?"

Garison Fitch was one of the most revered scientists in the Soviet Americas until he left fame behind to work on a secret project in his log cabin in the mountains of Marx.

But something went wrong. Instead of traveling interdimentionally, Garison has traveled through time ... twice.

Now, he's in something called "The United States of America" and a woman he's never met before is calling herself his wife. It it a hoax? Or, has he somehow changed history?

If so, can he return the world to what he believes is "normal", or must he live in this strange world he created?

Purchase

Praise:


"Sam continues to weave his magic as a storyteller. I always find myself anxious to find out what will happen next and what kind of twist will befall the adventurers. It helps to be familiar with the places that the heroines go, which adds to the story."
~Labdaddy, Texas

"I've had a few very unproductive but enjoyable days thanks to Samuel Ben White. If you haven't read Sam's books you have been missing a treat. These were funny, suspenseful, spiritual and kept you turning the pages."
~Karen S.

"Just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed your books. I have a Kindle and I have purchased all of the Garison Fitch novels. I am in Saudi Arabia and your books have really helped take me away from here."
~Scott, Saudi Arabia


Also Part of the Series:
Saving Time

Two years ago Garison Fitch traveled through time and rewrote history. An accident in the eighteenth century created a whole new world, and even gave Garison a wife he had never met before. Now, he’s got a daughter and he’s coming to enjoy this world he created. Until he’s attacked by men masquerading as Indians, and a funeral procession from out of the past enlists his help, and a tree grows from sappling to full-grown in a matter of minutes, threatening his daughter’s very life. Time itself is unraveling and Garison’s trips through time seem to be the cause. Garison must go back in time once again and keep himself from making the original trip that started the problem. But he can’t use his time machine to go back. How does one sew up a rip in time?
Lost Time

Jason Kerrigan and Brownwyn Dalmouth are pilots with the Republic of Texas Army Air Corps. A world war is going on and bombs have just brought an end to Crockett Air Field in south Texas. Jason and Bronwyn, though, are called away from the battle to be test pilots for a new aircraft that-they're told-will bring the war to an end. The experimental craft lives up to expectations in early tests, but then it lands them somewhere it never should have sent them. Another place? Another time? Another dimension? Somehow, they've taken a trip to the future and changed the past. Or did they? The answer to their change of reality may be known to a Justice of the Peace in Colorado named Garison Fitch. To figure it out, though, Garison may have to team up with his least favorite person: Bat Garrett.




Purchase
Kindle * Nook * Smashwords


Author Samuel Ben White

Samuel Ben White (“Sam” to his friends) is the author of the national newspaper comic strip “Tuttle’s” (found at www.tuttles.net) and the on-line comic book “Burt & the I.L.S.” (found at www.destinyhelix.com). He is married and has two sons. He serves his community as both a minister at a small church and a chaplain with hospice. In addition to his time travel stories, Sam has also written and published detective novels, a western, three fantasy novels and four works of Christian fiction.


Links





Book Blast Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/18/12

*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it when you follow Sam then you can leave the others blank.

Open to anyone 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's permission. 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. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Book Review: Forged in Death by Jim Melvin

This is wonderful, action packed, storytelling!
Forged In Death, Book 1 of The Death Wizard Chronicles
by Jim Melvin

  • File Size: 644 KB
  • Print Length: 260 pages
  • Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (August 20, 2012)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0


Book Description
Publication Date: August 20, 2012
Enter the realm . . .
Book One, The Death Wizard Chronicles.
Only a Death-Knower can die. And live again.
Only a Death-Knower can return from death. And remember.
Only a Death-Knower can tell the world what he's seen. Not all care to listen.
For a thousand years, none have rivaled the power of Torg, the Death-Knower wizard, as he ruled his people and kept peace on Triken.
Now a new threat has suddenly arisen. The evil sorcerer Invictus is greater even than Torg, and his greed and ambition threaten to engulf the land in eternal darkness. When Invictus imprisons Torg in a horrifying pit bored into the solid rock of a frozen mountain, the fate of Triken hangs in the balance.
Torg becomes freedom's final hope, but first he must die to earn the victory.


Review:
Torg is a Death-Knower. You learn later in the book that he has lived for thousands of years... occasionally dying and returning, by force of will, to his body with more knowledge to continue his journeys and his battle of good over evil.

As this story begins Torg is captured by forces of the evil sorcerer Invictus. Torg and his desert warriors could battle the evil army but they would risk the lives of many innocents. Over the objections of his men, Torg trades himself as a hostage for the release of the innocent villagers and the safety and freedom of his own warriors.

Torg threatens death to any of his own who might break the agreement and try to follow him. Yet one brave, and impetuous, female warrior, Sobhana, dares to track him. She receives the unexpected help of a dragon, a mighty and powerful being who is one of the last of his kind. He is not under the mind control of Invictus and he has attempted to remain - or appear to be - neutral.

Torg is placed in isolation in painful torture and depravation. It is quite gruesome to read what Torg suffers. Sobhana schemes to rescue him before he dies, not realizing he can die and return with some strength to fight and escape.

Once Torg returns he has new insights and each day is a new adventure. There are many horrible creatures to fight,  strange new friends to help him recover and mystical powers to be gained from the earth and nature (trees). Torg is visited by a ghostly presence who he helps and who tells him glimpses of his future. Torg’s thousand years of celibacy is broken in trade for assistance and power.

I was consistently pulled by the imaginative fantasy of the characters and the metaphysical world created by Mr. Melvin. There are some harsh images of torture and some sexual scenes that make the story more appropriate for adult reading. This is fast paced with good action and always something new on the next page! If you are a fan of fantasy I recommend that you check this out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Torg is a warrior of integrity and good:
Torg believed that in order to combat Invictus he would need to perform an act of virtue that would help to even the scales between good and evil. Location 371.
Torg explains to another, but less powerful, Death-Knower who is frustrated by his lack of bravery and skill:
“You’re ashamed of your success as a gardener and your failure as a warrior. But what you don’t comprehend is that a gardener is the superior being. Nourishing life ranks among the highest states of wisdom, destroying life among the lowest.” Location 2881
I received this from Bell Bridge Books through NetGalley for my honest review.
I will add this to my New Author Challenge List.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Book Review and Giveaway: Five Days of Fear by David Kovach

This is a solidly engaging crime thriller.
Five Days of Fear
by David Kovach

  • File Size: 614 KB
  • Print Length: 338 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1611530288
  • Publisher: Light Messages Publishing (November 9, 2012)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
Genre: Thriller, Christian Suspense
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0


Book Description
Publication Date: November 9, 2012
During a family picnic, Jessica Britton’s well-ordered world is slammed against a brutal reality and her faith is tested when her mom is kidnapped, her dad is shot, and authorities can find no clues to begin their investigation. Jessica’s own anxiety and fear for her mother’s life compels her to help FBI Agent Dan Hamilton look for motives and clues that would lead to rescuing her mom. By chance, clues begin to emerge, and the once floundering investigation speeds to a hectic race against time and criminal minds in a desperate attempt to save Jessica’s mom and the lives of many in San Francisco’s business district.


Review:
Jessica is an attractive, popular and warm hearted first grade teacher. She hasn’t yet found the right man to interest her. When a peaceful family picnic is interrupted by strangers kidnapping her mother, Angie, and shooting her father, Jessica is set on a path of worry. She finds herself inexplicably drawn to the comforting presence of the steady, competent and controlled FBI agent handling the case, Dan.

Dan is an experienced agent and knows how important it is to pursue all clues immediately in a kidnapping. The problem is they have no real clues on this case. He is very attracted to Jessica, the only  witness who saw the kidnapper.  Jessica appears to be a straight forward, pragmatic, caring and brave young woman. Dan agrees to keep her apprised of the progress of the case and even agrees to let her help in a peripheral fashion.

Dan’s team members, his mentor, Chad, the bickering Ben and Ruth, and the newbie, Kyle, are a little surprised by Dan’s behavior with Jessica but they respect his leadership and are partly glad to see him take interest in a young lady. Surprisingly Ruth and Jessica both focus in on the same news story, involving jealousies and allegations of mishandled funds, as a possible avenue to investigate.

Meanwhile Angie is able to leave a few ‘bread crumb’ hints that, once found, create an urgency of time and help intensify the pace of the investigation. The FBI team races against time to follow the slim clues to try to prevent a bomb attack and also to rescue Angie before it is too late.

I really enjoyed the procedural details in this story.  Mr. Kovach shares methodology on finding possible conflicts of interest, image enhancing software, the use of dogs, following financial records and more. There were a couple of points that I questioned such as Dan taking lunch breaks with Jessica while there were leads that could be followed. I give the benefit of the doubt that other members of the team were doing leg work although that wasn’t made clear.

I can’t quite explain why the writing felt ‘simplified’ to me but it did. It reminded me of the old journalism rule that the article should be written at an eighth grade education level.  That bothered me a little at first but by a quarter or so into the book I was wrapped up enough in the story that it didn’t matter. Then I was fully engaged by the action, the plot details and the character interaction, including the sweet emotions that grow between Jessica and Dan.  There is a soft underlying faith shown by the family’s strength in the face of the trauma.  I recommend this book to those who like strong investigative details, good clean action and sweet romance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are some sections dealing with Jessica’s anxiety issues:
Jessica suspected that Dan liked her. That might be why he was being so nice to her. But her emotions were booked at the moment. To think of anything other than her mom’s safety and her dad’s health was beyond her. She wanted to be free of the fear that gripped her. Page 39.
Jessica tells her dad: “....I wish I didn’t have this feeling of anxiety and fear hanging over me....”
Her father responds: “Different personalities might be one reason. We’re made differently. Also, I think because you posses so many gifts and talents, it might be harder for you not to over-rely on those abilities.”  Page 137.
I received this book from TLC Blog Tours for an honest review.
This story is set in San Fransisco. I will add it to my New Author challenge list.
Learn more about David Kovach at these links:
Check the full tour schedule HERE.



TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for my Review Copy.


For 3 Extra Bonus entries Visit the author's website OR watch the trailer and tell me something you find of interest.

* This contest is open US and Canada.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on December 7, 2012.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED on December 8, 2012.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Mailbox Monday November 26, 2012

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.
FOR NOVEMBER: the Mailbox Monday Tour host is (updated) BermudaOnion's Weblog!

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.  This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) but is now hosted at Mailbox Monday and through various blog hosts.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 


I added more to my book 'forest' this week.
How are your mailbox and TBR piles doing?

Review Titles
I received three review titles -two ARCs and one AudioDrama.

From Sourcebooks: two ARCs for February:


Wait Until Dark
by M.L. Buchman


and
by Grace Burrowes








Received from Audio-Visceral, through Audiobook Jukebox.
by Jeffrey Hatcher




Wins



I got this earlier this month but forgot to post it.
$15.00 Amazon Gift Card from Cym Lowell
for the Wednesday Review Link Up Party
Thank you Cym!





Purchased
I purchased two more titles from my Audible November monthly subscription so that I would have four in November and qualify for a $10.00 coupon.

After Dark: Ghost Hunters, Book 1
by Jayne Castle


by J. D. Robb









Free

I picked up more free titles on Kindle.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? November 26, 2012

This meme starts at Book Journey!

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

The reading this week was good again - five books completed and I am well into another two. I posted four reviews, three with giveaways, plus an Author interview. I posted a Thanksgiving post in addition to the regular Friday Pick Giveaway, Saturday Snapshot, Saturday Sharing Beyond Books Comment Giveaway and Sunday Words.

I got to visit blog sites at the beginning of the week but not too many later.
Thanks again to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:
  • Book Review and Giveaway: Missing by Rhoda Gibb Hinrichsen; Romantic Suspense ; my rating 4.0.  Ends 11/30.
  • Book Review and ARC Giveaway: Where Angels Rest by Kate Brady; Romantic Suspense; my rating 4.5. Ends 11/30.
Finished Reading:
1. Print


Where Angels Rest
by Kate Brady
Whew -lots of good suspense!
Review and ARC Giveaway linked above.




2. Audio/MP3



The Crooked Wreath
by Christina Brandt
Good mystery. Review linked above.





3. eBook/Kindle
 

Forged In Death, Book 1 of The Death Wizard Chronicles
by Jim Melvin
Lots of story telling!
Oops- missed posting that last week so it will go up this week.



4. eBook/Kindle



Shards of Ashley (Book 5 of Family Heirloom Series)
by Karen Weisner
I enjoyed this and will post the review this week.




5. Print



Five Days of Fear
by David Kovach
This is an engaging Thriller.
Review and Giveaway to post
November 27; part of TLC Book Tour.



Line Edits: I'll be uploading the children's title this week - needed minor adjustment.


Currently reading:
1. Audio



Karma's Law
by Kristi Lamb
This is an interesting mystery - tangled.
I'm reviewing for Spoken Word, Inc. Audiobook through AudioBook Jukebox. 
A Tangled Tale of Murder, Malice, and Revenge
Charming Tate Sawyer, a serial Casanova, is found murdered off a popular hiking trail. As the investigation unfolds, Lieutenant Greg Kennedy and his team discover that Sawyer left behind an embittered string of wealthy women, each harboring her own motive for ending his life.
Family secrets and sibling rivalry further complicate this dark mystery.
Who was this man? Is he destined to a bitter, deceitful legacy, or is there more than meets the eye? Karma’s Law is a tale so tangled it resembles the twisted cypress of its Pacific Northwest and Alaskan setting.



2. eBook/Kindle
 


All I Want for Christmas is You
(Contemporary Holiday Romance)
(Fate with a Helping Hand)
by Lisa Mondello
I am enjoying this sweet, quick read.
Posting Review with Author Q&A on December 1;
Part of Bewitching Blog Tour.
Book Description
Publication Date: August 30, 2011
BOOK 1 in Fate with a Helping Hand Series
Sometimes fate needs a little hand...
Santa Claus is going to have a rough season... Lauren Alexander is raising her daughter alone. Abandoned by her family for her decision to keep her daughter Kristen, she has done a pretty good job for the last six years. Or she thought she had. That's why she is crushed when little Kristen gives up her wish for a toy or goodie and instead asks Santa for a present for her mother. She wants Santa to bring a Daddy. Delivering Daddies isn't Santa's bag.
But this Santa has a plan...
Kyle Preston knows what it is like to be abandoned too. Luckily he found the support of loving adoptive parents and has turned himself into one of the most successful Real Estate developers in town.
Building a house is easy. Building someone's trust is a whole other story. But with a little helping hand, a little Christmas magic can make all the difference in the world.



3. Print



His Love Endures Forever (A Land of Canaan Novel)
by Beth Wiseman
I am looking forward to starting this.
Reviewing for Thomas Nelson to post with Giveaway.
Book Description
Publication Date: October 2, 2012
An unplanned pregnancy. An absent father. Can love really endure all things?
Danielle Kent is anything but Amish. But as destiny would have it, she has fallen in love with an Amish man.
Now she’s 18, pregnant, and hopeful that the child’s Amish father—Matthew Lapp—will do the right thing and marry her. She knows Matthew plans to leave his Colorado settlement for a life in the Englisch world. But that plan never included a baby.
When Matthew walks away from her and their unborn child, she has nowhere to turn. Her unlikely friendship with Levi offers some comfort—yet they have so little in common. This wasn’t the plan she had for her life, and she has never felt so alone. She doesn’t want to be pregnant. Doesn’t want to be Amish. Doesn’t want to trust God.
And yet.
God has plans beyond what her mind can imagine . . . loving plans to show a lost young woman that His love never fails but endures forever.
“Wiseman is among the best at writing moving Amish fiction.” —Booklist review of The Wonder of His Love



4. Print



Deliver Me From Temptation: A Novel of the Paladin Warriors
Tes Hilaire
I thought I'd read this before our trip.
Reviewing for Sourcebooks.
Book Description
Publication Date: December 4, 2012
"Dark, sexy, and intense! Hilaire blazes a new path in paranormal romance."—Sophie Jordan, New York Times bestselling author on Deliver Me From Darkness
Logan Screwed Up...Big Time
When things go bump in the night, Logan bumps back. Vampires, demons, succubi—you name it, he's fought it. His job as Paladin angel warrior is to protect humans. Not fall for one.
She Never Believed in Divine Intervention...Until Now
Detective Jessica Waters protects humans too-with her Glock and a good set of handcuffs. She doesn't believe in fate. But if anyone looks like a gift from the gods, it's Logan. And he clearly knows more about her case than he's letting on...



5. eBook/Kindle



Godspeed: a love story
Dan Chabot
I will start this by the end of the week.
Reading for the Author to post in December.
Book Description
Publication Date: September 28, 2012
How far will a man go to atone for guilt?
When Derry and Amedee meet during her first day on the job at the Milwaukee Ledger, it is a collision of destinies. Their love affair is so intense and perfect and pure that they are certain it will be eternal. But when it ends in heartbreak, compounded by the ignominy of a disastrously mismanaged funeral service, Derry descends into an abyss of devastation and remorse and despair.

In his overpowering grief this tormented newspaperman embarks on an obsessive crusade for redemption, an astonishing twist that will leave readers tearful yet smiling in sympathetic admiration. His improbable, tender quest eventually will lead him to peace of mind, and to someone who will help him build a new life from the ashes of the past.

"Godspeed" is a bittersweet story of laughter and tears, irrepressible humor, reckless devotion, the value of true friendship, and unimaginable longing for the "forever" that can no longer be. And as the story and its astonishing twists unfold, a poignant question lingers: How can a lie be wrong if it makes so many people feel so good?



I will probably be starting another audio this week too.

I am again listening to The Listener's Bible NIV read by Max McLean. [Reading and listening on my new MP3.]
Instead of studying with the Tyndall One Year Bible this year I am studying with Through the Bible in One Year by Alan B. Stringfellow. It is a Study that I used for teaching back in around 1989 so I will enjoy it again. The reading this week is 1 Peter.

Line Edits: I have three books that I am completing formats on this week.


I started with 20 or so titles planned for November. Seventeen have been read (fourteen posted). That leaves me working on six to post during the month. I really do intend to get a smaller list going into December!

Scheduled for November
11/27 Five Days of Fear by David Kovach - Review (TLC Tour)
11/28 BookBlast - First Time: The Legend of Garison Fitch by Samuel Ben White

Unscheduled for November
Sourcebooks - done

Hachette - done

Thomas Nelson
His Love Endures Forever (A Land of Canaan Novel) by Beth Wiseman

AudioBook Jukebox - three done; 
added Karma's Law

NetGalley
Uninvited by Heather Graham - I will carry this into December; I started it but need to try again.

Authors - done

I'd like to read at least one "Won"/TBR book and one free Kindle book.:-)
Older Won Book:  DONE
Kindle Read - TBD

Others in line up if time permits -- These will go forward to the December schedule
Double Danger (An A-Tac Novel) by Dee Davis 
The Blessed and the Damned (Righteous Series #4) by Michael Wallace
Won TBR: The Shifters of 2040, a Shifter Dystopia by Ami Rebecca Blackwelder - carry forward

[To be posted - I am setting these up for interview/feature days.
These were read and ready for reviews for Authors.
Quest for Magic by Jean Hart Stewart - Read; review to be posted with interview.
Seeing for the First Time (What You See is What You Get) and To See (What You See is What You Get) by Nicole Zoltack - Both Read; setting up author interview with reviews.]

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