December 15, 2016
Rhynan Saga Book Tour
Duty
Novels of Rhynan Book 1
by Rachel Rossano
Genre: Historical Romance
Honor
Novels of Rhynan Book 2
The Making of a Man: A Short Story Anthology
(Novels of Rhynan)
This is a short story anthology.
The Earl of Dentin returns. Eight stories ranging from short story
to novelette in length give us greater understanding into why Dentin is the complex and enigmatic
man he is. It also includes new adventures that happen between Honor and the next Rhynan novel.
Passing the Mantle – An ill-fated hunting trip
Forging Friendships – Recruiting able-bodied men ineligible for knighthood
The Sword of Korma Monroe – A sword made for trouble
Turning Point – A duke and an earl plot treason
The Bittersweet Pear – A marital misunderstanding
Isbeth’s Redemption – Dentin doesn’t make a good first impression
A Squire’s Love – Reginald’s quest
Restoration – A trip to Braulyn produces unexpected company
Rachel Rossano specializes in clean romantic fiction set in
historical-feeling fantasy worlds. She also dabbles in straightforward historical romance and not
so-strict speculative fiction. A
happily married mother of three small children, she divides her time between mothering, teaching,
and writing. She endeavors to enchant, thrill, entertain, and amuse through her work. A constant
student, she seeks to improve her skills and loves to hear from readers.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
December 14, 2016
Create Family Adventures with Trollhunters This Holiday Season
We are so close to the Christmas holiday break and soon the kids will be out for school for two weeks. While they are always super excited to be home (yay no school!), too quickly the ‘I’m so bored’ can set in. While you may look at them and wonder how can you possibly be bored with all the new gifts, we know this happens year after year. Netflix is here to the rescue with the release of DreamWorks Trollhunters on December 23rd, 2016.
Trollhunters follows the tale of a fifteen year old boy who finds a magical amulet. This amulet gives him the title of Trollhunter, defender of the trolls that live below the human town of Acadia. With his friends, they become tangled in this new world and in the fight between good and bad trolls.
There are twenty-six episodes which total thirteen hours of adventure, suspense and imagination. Parents will love the acts of bravery and friendship, as well as the adult humour tied in there that we get but will go over the kids heads (big thumbs up there!). Kids will love the twenty gross out moments and the forty-six moments that will make them laugh out loud.
To help you out on this adventure (and to keep active children busy), check out this handy battle and armor sword activity to help bring the action to life. Just print out this PDF and get ready for action packed fun. And if you really want to embrace the Trollhunters fun, make some delicious hard rock candy – we all know Trolls love hard rock candy and so will your little adventurer.
So my question to you is: how do you handle the long two weeks of the Christmas break? Do you have any go to favourite movies/activities/crafts?
Disclosure: I am a #StreamTeam Member and receive perks with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.
December 13, 2016
How Do You Binge? #StreamTeam
Binge: a short period devoted to indulging in an activity, movie or anything else in excess.
I am sure so many of you have heard about bingeing habits, especially when it comes to Netflix. You have the extreme, wont move from the couch until they have finished the series viewers or the ones who watch a couple of shows and quit.
I have tried to binge watch my favourite shows but none of them are appropriate for when my children are around (I love Borgia, Orange is the New Black and Call the Midwives would just bore them). I learned the hard way when I turned on Orange is the New Black and the opening scene came on while my kids were running around and I was left scrambling for the controller! I have had to change my binge habits and watch my shows early in the morning or late at night for several hours at a time. Talk about being exhausted the next day! It would be pretty neat to see a study on the bingeing habits of parents – there is so much to take into consideration when choosing shows.
The newest trend? Netflix has found that over 30 million members around the world pair TV shows with movies. So what does this mean? It means that members are bingeing on their favourite TV shows and then take a brief three-day break. During this break members are watching complementary movies that reflect their favourite show or are in contrast to what they just viewed (from horror shows to comedy films).
So what are some common pairings? Check it out:
While we don’t follow this binge habit, it seems like many others do. In our house we alternate in the middle of series to a movie and back again. I really liked this table of choices – they definitely make sense! Marvel’s Luke Cage to Deadpool and Gilmore Girls to Mean Girls, these are definitely choices I would have made.
How do you binge? Do you follow this bingeing pattern?
Disclosure: I am a #StreamTeam Member and receive perks with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.
December 12, 2016
Disruption Book Review
In Disruption, there are two types of people: those who have been hacked and know it, and those who have been hacked and don’t know it.
About Disruption
There are two types of people: those who have been hacked and know it, and those who have been hacked and don’t know it.
Former Naval Intelligence Officer turned secret operative Jake Pendleton finds himself in a pulse-pounding race to stop a cyber-terrorist from releasing a string of the most heinous cyber-crimes the world has ever seen. Crimes that could render the world’s advanced technology useless.
Jake teams with his partner, Francesca Catanzaro, to track down their only lead, a white-hat hacker in Italy known only as The Jew. A man who might hold the key to stop a group of black-hat hackers from causing worldwide chaos—tag named Disruption.
After a search of the hacker’s flat in Rome turns up empty, Jake and Francesca follow the clues—a trail of dead bodies that leads them across Europe. Along the way, Jake discovers a possible link between recent hacks and a Malaysian airliner that mysteriously disappeared.
In the final adrenaline-charged moments before Disruption, Jake and Francesca find themselves in a high-voltage race to stop these cyber terrorists from unleashing destruction against their sworn mortal enemy.
My Thoughts
Hacking is one of the scary topics that you hear about but don’t always understand. I know I don’t understand it as much as I should! We put so much out there on the internet and it is scary to know how accessible this information is.
This novel brings hacking to the forefront in an exciting and scary way. The plot line was fantastic – I could not put this novel down it was so exciting! Between the schemes, terror plots, hacking and murders, my mind was blown!
Our two key characters Jake and Francesca play a central role in a race to try to stop the cyber terrorists from causing global destruction against the Western world that would threaten to push them back hundreds of years. The plot unfolds in a unique manner and you are never quite sure what is going to happen next. It is only near the end that the story fully comes together and you can fully understand and appreciate the plot. The murders add in a whole new level of suspense and fear to this adventure packed novel.
Disruption is a well written, exciting and suspenseful novel. I love the way he writes and have already read this novel again. It is a definite must read that will leave you questioning things you do online and share. I will definitely be looking into his other novels because of his superior writing and plots.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Audible.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Chuck Barrett is the bestselling author of the Award-Winning Jake Pendleton series—Breach of Power, The Toymaker, and The Savannah Project, as well as his latest award-winning blockbuster, BLOWN, the first book in his new Gregg Kaplan series.
In addition to writing thrillers, Barrett speaks and conducts workshops at book festivals, book clubs, reading groups, writers conferences, and writers groups. Some of his topics include Nuts & Bolts of Self-Publishing based on his book—Publishing Unchained: An Off-Beat Guide To Independent Publishing—as well as, Blueprint for a Successful Book Launch, Getting from ‘Idea’ to ‘Finished Manuscript,’ Mysteries & Thrillers: Fact or Fiction, and Adding the “What if” in Storytelling.
Barrett is a graduate of Auburn University and a retired air traffic controller. He also holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate, Flight Instructor Certificate, and a Dive Master rating. He enjoys fly fishing, hiking, and most things outdoors. He and his wife, Debi currently reside in Colorado.
The Giveaway!
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opionions expressed are my own.
December 12, 2016
Relentless Book Review
In Relentless, with the help of an unconventional therapist with secrets of her own, the hunt is on and Gina fights for her life in this harrowing tale of cat and mouse.
About Relentless
“The little girl lay under the hay stack scarcely breathing. Sweat poured down her face and dripped into her eyes; her heart pounded through her thin chest. Tiny flecks of hay clung to her wet skin, making her itch. She squeezed her nose tightly afraid she’d sneeze. Eyes clamped shut, she lay there. Flies buzzed around her, crawling on her. She didn’t move. She didn’t know how long she’d been there in the loft. She didn’t care how long she stayed. She couldn’t move. Not yet.”
Nearly a lifetime after a childhood filled with misery and abuse, Gina, now a successful doctor, finds herself thrown back into a terrifying world where her nightmares become far more than just a dream. With the help of an unconventional therapist with secrets of her own, the hunt is on and Gina fights for her life in this harrowing tale of cat and mouse.
My Thoughts
A very powerful story of abuse, murder and how one young girl escapes only to find her history following her. Gina was abused as a young girl by a family member, while her family stood by and let it happen. Years later and several identity changes, Gina is a successful doctor who has everything going for her. Then the nightmares begin and Gina finds it hard to tell fact from fiction.
As the nightmares return, they do so slowly. Giving Gina a glimpse at a past that she tried so hard to forget and which she did. She struggles very badly with these memories and visits a therapist, who is much more than your average therapist. Murders begin to happen with greater frequency and they seem to match up with the memories that Gina has but just can’t quite access.
The plot was excellent with two stories unfolding – the murders and the investigation into these murders and the unravelling of Gina’s memories and her history. It was frightening and suspenseful watching these two stories unfold and the way they overlapped. I was terrified for Gina and wanted badly for the investigators to solve the murders, I was scared for her throughout the novel. The man who wants to see her murdered is an awful person that just gives you the chills. The end was incredible and the perfect ending to this intense novel.
I loved every moment of this intense novel, I read it all in one sitting. You just don’t want to put it down. It is powerful, frightening and suspenseful – full of mystery and revenge.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Audible.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Love of the mystery/thriller genre combines with psychotherapy training and experience to produce an emotionally supercharged dramatic novel. Nancy Alexander has devoted much of her professional life to helping survivors of childhood trauma; their distress has been ingrained and works to create characters who give voice to their plight. To analyze the evil minds that prey on others and the intricacies of law enforcers who pursue them seemed a natural interlacing of professional, literary and creative interests.
The Giveaway!
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.