Author: cvegnad

May 12, 2017

The Dragon Orb

In The Dragon Orb, the fate of a kingdom rests on the shoulders of three young wizards who couldn’t be more different.

About The Dragon Orb

Bakari is a brilliant scholar wizard who’s more at home in a library than a battlefield. Alli is a beautiful young battle wizard whose grace in battle is both enchanting and deadly. Roland is a counselor wizard with a seemingly limitless depth of untapped power — and the ego to match it.

As the magical barrier protecting the kingdom of Alaris from dangerous outsiders begins to fail, and a fomenting rebellion threatens to divide the country in a civil war, the three wizards are thrust into the middle of a power struggle.

When the barrier comes down, the truth comes out. Was everything they were taught about their kingdom based on a lie? Will they all choose to fight on the same side, or end up enemies in the battle over who should rule Alaris?

My Thoughts

The Dragon Orb is an exciting, magical adventure that both young adults and adults alike can fall in love with. Mike takes readers on an exciting adventure through the wizards world and the politics that divide the wizards and normal citizens. The plot is new, exciting and you never know what to expect next. Mike brings the story and characters to life and makes you feel as though you are a part of the story, that they are your friends, your enemies and it is your home at stake. This is one of my favourite parts about his writing and this story – you are drawn right into the story and become one with the novel.

All three main characters, Bakari, Alli and Roland are my favourites. These each bring a unique spin to the novel and have quirks that you just can’t help but love. While friends (well competitive friends!) and wizards, they are each very different. It is their differences that make them special and it is only when they work together that they can protect their kingdom. While I initially fell in love with Roland’s ego and joy of life, Roland emerges in my mind as an exceptional wizard, friend and warrior – quite the surprise!

The Dragon Orb is a definite must read with young adults (and adults who love well written fantasy novels!) – they will love the plot, characters and the battle for the kingdom. I can’t wait to read the second installment in this series.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Mike has recently released the first book in a new YA/Teen fantasy series – The Alaris Chronicles, following his 2016 trilogy of The Cremelino Prophecy. Please join his mailing list at www.MichaelSheltonBooks.com to continue to get information on these stories and any future publications.

Mike was born in California and has lived in multiple states from the west coast to the east coast. He cannot remember a time when he wasn’t reading a book. At school, home, on vacation, at work at lunch time, and yes even a few pages in the car (at times when he just couldn’t put that great book down). Though he has read all sorts of genres he has always been drawn to fantasy. It is his way of escaping to a simpler time filled with magic, wonders and heroics of young men and women.

Other than reading, Mike has always enjoyed the outdoors. From the beaches in Southern California to the warm waters of North Carolina. From the waterfalls in the Northwest to the Rocky Mountains in Utah. Mike has appreciated the beauty that God provides for us. He also enjoys hiking, discovering nature, playing a little basketball or volleyball, and most recently disc golf. He has a lovely wife who has always supported him, and three beautiful children who have been the center of his life.

Mike began writing stories in elementary school and moved on to larger novels in his early adult years. He has worked in corporate finance for most of his career. That, along with spending time with his wonderful family and obligations at church has made it difficult to find the time to truly dedicate to writing. In the last few years as his children have become older he has returned to doing what he truly enjoys – writing!

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

May 11, 2017

Becky Wade’s ‘True to You’ Prize Pack and $100 Giveaway

Do opposites really attract? John and Nora might just be the perfect match. Find out in True to You, book one in Becky Wade’s new series! Genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now. Former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. But when he’s diagnosed with an inherited condition, he’s forced to dig into the secrets of his past and his adoption as an infant, enlisting Nora to help him uncover the identity of his birth mother. Finding the answers they’re seeking will test the limits of their identity, their faith, and their devotion to one another.

Celebrate the launch of Becky Wade’s new series by entering to win a fabulous prize pack and $100 cash card!

One grand prize winner will receive:

A copy of True to You
A $100 Visa cash card
A prize pack hand-picked by Becky

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on May 30. The winner will be announced May 31 on the Litfuse blog.

May 8, 2017

Old Loves Die Hard Book Review

Welcome to Lauren Carr’s Audiobook-a-palooza Blog Tour! To celebrate the release of Lauren Carr’s mysteries in audiobook format, we have 14 books from her three series on tour – the first stop here is Old Loves Die Hard.

About Old Loves Die Hard

Old loves die hard…and in the worst places.

In Old Loves Die Hard, Lauren Carr continues the rags-to-riches story of Mac Faraday, an underpaid homicide detective who inherits 270 million dollars and an estate on Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, from his birth mother on the day his divorce becomes final.

Mac is settling nicely into his new life at Spencer Manor when his ex-wife Christine shows up-and she wants him back! Before Mac can send her packing, Christine and her estranged lover are murdered in Mac’s private penthouse suite at the Spencer Inn, the five-star resort built by his ancestors.

The investigation leads to the discovery of cases files for some of Mac’s murder cases in the room of the man responsible for destroying his marriage. Why would his ex-wife’s lover come to Spencer to dig into Mac’s old cases?

With the help of his new friends on Deep Creek Lake, Mac must use all of his detective skills to clear his name and the Spencer Inn’s reputation, before its five-stars – and more bodies – start dropping!

My Thoughts

Lauren Carr is by far one of my favourite authors. She writes in such a way that draws you into the story, makes you fall in love with the characters and the plot is always new and exciting. Even though we have a murder mystery, she adds the perfect amount of humour to her writing that keeps you laughing even in the midst of a murder investigation.

In this look at Mac and his friends, Mac’s ex-wife and her ex-lover are found murdered in his hotel. Of course all eyes turn to him and accuse him of murdering his ex-wife even though he had moved on long ago. As Mac works to clear his name, we find that these two murders are just the top icing of this murder investigation! There are many layers to this case and each one is just as shocking, you never quite know where the case is leading until the end. I think this is what I love the most about her writing – you never quite know where the book is heading. You can keep guessing throughout the novel but you never know the truth until the end. And the end in this book is incredible!

Old Loves Die Hard is another excellent novel from Lauren Carr full of murder, mystery, humour and love. You will enjoy every moment of Lauren’s writing and fall in love with Mac and his gang.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Audible.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband and three dogs (including the real Gnarly’s klutzy nephew Sterling) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

May 8, 2017

Seeing Double Review

All that stands between love and war are two families, two brothers and two conflicting versions of the truth.

About Seeing Double

A chill ran up her spine, triggering an alarm that spread through her system. Her eyes studied him as his eyes studied her. In the recesses of her mind, a fragment of a memory tingled…a tiny blip from long ago. An image spiraled and then vanished. There was something about this man, this Ari Ben Aviv. There was something about him that she couldn’t pinpoint.

On the heels of her last mystery, Elisabeth’s new patient is more than meets the eye, and unraveling his secrets will throw her team into a desert storm of double agents and religious extremists. All that stands between love and war are two families, two brothers and two conflicting versions of the truth.

My Thoughts

An exciting adventure that takes us around the world and through past and present. Elisabeth is part of a secret but very important organization. Her newest patient holds many secrets some that tie into her own past. This time, Elisabeth and her organization find themselves trying to extract a young family in the middle of a war torn country and in the camp of a new terror organization. In the midst of this is a family whose Mother Elisabeth knew and her children, whom Elisabeth begins to know quite well!

The plot is intense and very well planned out. It kept you guessing at every second, never allowing (or you wanting!) to put the book down. We are given just enough information at each stage of the novel to help us unravel the story. It is full of suspense, fear, anxiety, hope and excitement. You never quite know what to expect next but she never disappoints you.

Seeing Double is a well written, excellent novel full of suspense and mystery that you will fall in love with from page one. A definite must read.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Love of the mystery/thriller genre combines with psychotherapy training and experience to produce an emotionally supercharged 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 purse them seemed a natural interlacing of professional, literary and creative interests.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

May 5, 2017

Sweet Tea Tuesdays

Three best friends met every Tuesday for twenty-six years. And then they stopped.

About Sweet Tea Tuesdays

Three best friends met every Tuesday for twenty-six years. And then they stopped. From the author of the bestselling Sweeney Sisters Series comes a novel of friendship, family, and hope. When new next-door neighbors Georgia, Midge, and Lula first assembled on Georgia’s porch in Charleston for sweet tea, they couldn’t have known their gathering was the beginning of a treasured tradition. For twenty-six years they have met on Tuesdays at four o’clock, watching the seasons change and their children grow up, supporting each other in good times and in bad. With their ambitions as different as their personalities, these best friends anticipate many more years of tea time. And then, one Tuesday, Georgia shares news that brings their long-standing social hour to an abrupt halt. And that’s only the beginning as unraveling secrets threaten to alter their friendship forever.

My Thoughts

Wow – another incredible, incredible story from Ashley Farley. She had me laughing, crying and heart sore throughout this novel that I just couldn’t stop reading (how could you want to miss a day in the lives of Georgia, Midge and Lula?!).

These three ladies were the best of friends but life has a way of pulling people apart slowly. As their life goals change, their special tea time is changed and this brings their friendship to a breaking point. Their friendship begins to spiral and you really begin to wonder if they can recover from this. As it spirals out of control, we are introduced to more to their past and we begin to uncover secrets from their present. Like any normal friends, they fight, they love, they forgive and sometimes they hold grudges!

It is at one shocking point where the three women are forced to wake up. This life changing event affects not just them but the people around them. This life event is a reminder to all of us to always be in the present, to forgive and to love.

Sweet Tea Tuesdays is an emotional, honest, loving story of the lives of three normal women that we can all relate to. It is a special reminder to live our lives to the fullest, to be honest, to give to others and to be happy in all that we do. It is a truly special book that you will always cherish.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Ashley Farley is the author of the bestselling series, the Sweeney Sisters Series. Ashley writes books about women for women. Her characters are mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives facing real-life issues. Her goal is to keep you turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning. If her story stays with you long after you’ve read the last word, then she’s done her job. After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save. Ashley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions. Ashley loves to hear from her readers. Feel free to visit her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ashleywfarley or twitter.com/ashleywfarley. Visit her website at http://www.ashleyfarley.net

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.