cvegnad, Author at Working Mommy Journal

May 23, 2017

Infinity Book Review

In the second installment of the award-winning Horizon series, Dr. Caeli Crys returns to her war-torn world to fight for those she left behind.

About Infinity

Almagest, Caeli’s home, stands on the brink of revolution. Long hidden from the rest of the galaxy, the once-peaceful planet suffers under a regime that grows more violent and oppressive by the day. Marcus, Almagest’s dictator, is building an arsenal of alien weaponry by selling empathic children into slavery. A resistance has risen, but they are outmanned, outgunned, and in hiding.

Joined by Commander Derek Markham and his elite squadron of operatives, Caeli embarks on a dangerous mission to find the Resistance, rescue her captive people, and save her civilization from destruction.

My Thoughts

The second installment in this series was just as amazing as the first one, Horizon!

In this novel, Caeli’s home is under an evil regime – one who instills fear and despises anyone who isn’t like them. In Marcus version of the world, anyone with the lifesaving and remarkable powers that Caeli and her people have are outcasts and need to be controlled by force. His army has even gone as far as to sell children into slavery and a life of misery and death. From our own history, we can see how easily and quickly this can happen when one person instills fear of others into the majority and how deadly the consequences can be.

Caeli and Derek make the decision to go back to her home, they don’t know what they will do but they know they need to be there. Once she arrives, she learns of the resistance. While small, outgunned and hiding from everyone around them, they are brave and full of hope. It’s not just Caeli’s people who have joined the resistance – it is also members of Marcus’ army, those who have taken in her people and members of Marcus’ city. They know what he is doing is wrong and want to help stand up to him. This begins an amazing and scary adventure of the resistance fighting back, rescue and hope. It is scary, hopeful and full of tears and inspiration.

Infinity is a well written story of hope, fighting for what is right and what you believe in and freedom for all. I loved every moment of this novel – just as much and if not more as Horizon. Infinity does not disappoint!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Tabitha currently lives in Rhode Island. She is married, has four great kids, two spoiled cats, and lovable lab mix. Her degree is in Classics from College of the Holy Cross and she taught Latin for years at an independent Waldorf school, where she now serves on the Board of Trustees.

Tabitha’s debut novel, Horizon, won the Writer’s Digest Grand Prize for Self-Published Fiction in 2016, and was named finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and National Indie Excellence Awards. Infinity, the second book in the Horizon series, will be released in June 2017. Her short story “Homecoming” appears in the anthology Sirens, edited by Rhonda Parrish and published by World Weaver Press, and was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She is also a senior editor for www.BookClubBabble.com.

Visit her blog at www.tabithalordauthor.com where she discusses favorite topics including parenting, teaching, and her writing journey.

The Giveaway!

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

May 22, 2017

Horizon Book Review

Caeli Crys isn’t living—she’s surviving.

About Horizon

Caeli Crys isn’t living—she’s surviving. On the run after the genocide of her empathic people, she witnesses a spaceship crash near her hidden camp. When she feels the injured pilot suffering from miles away, she can’t help but risk discovery to save his life.

Commander Derek Markham awakens stranded on an uncharted planet. His co-pilot is dead, his ship is in ruins, and he’s only alive because a beautiful young woman is healing him with her mind.

As Derek recovers, Caeli shares the horror of her past and her fear for the future. When Derek’s command ship, Horizon, sends rescue, Derek convinces Caeli to leave with him. But his world is as treacherous as hers—full of spies, interplanetary terrorist plots, and political intrigue. Soon the Horizon team is racing to defend an outlying planet from a deadly enemy, and Caeli’s unique skills may just give them the edge they need to save it.

My Thoughts

I loved this fast paced science fiction novel. We start off with Caeli saving the life of Derek all with her mind! This is when we are introduced slowly to Caeli, her people, her past and how this connects with her future. The novel evolves in a way that keeps you hooked to her story, her people and how can she possibly save them.

I felt such pain for her – I can’t even begin to imagine the suffering and hurt she has gone through. She is such a kind soul and her greatest gift is to heal others. I loved how her people had special powers: they could heal, they could read minds, they could create but most of all they were peaceful. All they wanted to do was to continue to live peacefully, learn and grow. This was destroyed by another group on their planet who didn’t share their powers (and who naturally were distrustful of those who had those powers). I think many of us can relate to this – you see so many people today who are fearful of those they don’t understand. The consequences of this hate and mistrust was disastrous.

When Derek begins to fall in love with her, he wants to do nothing more than to protect her from her past, those who may be trying to find her and those who wish to harm her. He convinces her to come with him to his home but would this really be the saving grace that he thinks it will be?

I loved every moment of Horizon – it pulled you in with the emotions and you instantly felt connected to Caeli. You want her to find peace, you want her to save her people somehow and you want her to find love and hope again. Horizon is well written and I couldn’t wait to start on book two – Infinity.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Tabitha currently lives in Rhode Island. She is married, has four great kids, two spoiled cats, and lovable lab mix. Her degree is in Classics from College of the Holy Cross and she taught Latin for years at an independent Waldorf school, where she now serves on the Board of Trustees.

Tabitha’s debut novel, Horizon, won the Writer’s Digest Grand Prize for Self-Published Fiction in 2016, and was named finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and National Indie Excellence Awards. Infinity, the second book in the Horizon series, will be released in June 2017. Her short story “Homecoming” appears in the anthology Sirens, edited by Rhonda Parrish and published by World Weaver Press, and was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She is also a senior editor for www.BookClubBabble.com.

Visit her blog at www.tabithalordauthor.com where she discusses favorite topics including parenting, teaching, and her writing journey.

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 22, 2017

True to You Book Review

True to You is the exciting start of a brand-new series by a contemporary romance fan favorite!

About True to You

After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, 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.

Unlike Nora, 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.

The more time they spend together, the more this pair of opposites suspects they just might be a perfect match. However, John’s already dating someone and Nora’s not sure she’s ready to trade her crushes on fictional heroes for the risks of a real relationship. Finding the answers they’re seeking will test the limits of their identity, their faith, and their devotion to one another.

My Thoughts

I absolutely fell in love with this charming novel! We have sweet and kind Nora, who has given up on romance but still feels the tug at her heart for someone to love her and love them back. She just lacks the confidence in herself! Then she meets the handsome, strong, adventurous John – who is her complete opposite but who attracts her in every way.

He confides the tip of an important secret with her and together they set out to find his birth mother in a race against time. While working together both develop feelings for each other! They are both shy and unsure about these feelings and it was heart warming to watch them realize their feelings and how it developed throughout the novel. We watch as they struggle, learn to accept and try to learn to move forward.

I loved watching Nora blossom as both a person and a woman. She started off shy and so unsure of herself. As the novel continues, she becomes more confident in herself and fights to get over her fear of romance. It was so lovely to see her grow and I found myself keeping my fingers crossed for her! You can’t just help but fall in love with her.

This was a truly lovely novel that had me giggling, praying and hoping for the best. A great weekend read!

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page here. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Becky Wade is a California native who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and settled in Dallas. She published historical romances for the general market before putting her career on hold for several years to care for her three children. When God called her back to writing, Becky knew He meant for her to turn her attention to Christian fiction. She loves writing funny, modern, and inspirational contemporary romance! She’s the Carol Award, INSPY Award, and Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award winning author of My Stubborn Heart, the Porter Family series, and the Bradford Sisters Romance series.

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

May 22, 2017

Deceiving Bella Book Spotlight

Bella may have the answers to decades-old questions he’s been searching for. Reed will risk it all to uncover the truth, but he soon realizes that the deeper he digs, the direr the consequences.

About Deceiving Bella

Isabella Colby has always yearned for normalcy. Now that she’s settled in LA, she finally has it. Good friends, a pretty home, and her thriving career as the Palisades’ top skincare specialist are a dream come true. Bella is content until she meets her hunky new neighbor, but her attraction to the blue-eyed cutie is the least of her worries when contacting her long-lost father threatens to destroy her happy life.

Reed McKinley is more than ready to forget the past. His seven-year stint as an NYPD detective nearly got him killed. His wounds have healed and he’s starting over as Ethan Cooke Security’s latest recruit. With sixty-hour workweeks and little time to himself, the last thing on his mind is a relationship. Then he bumps into the gorgeous woman next door.

Reed and Bella become fast friends. Before long, Reed discovers that Bella is keeping dangerous secrets. Bella may have the answers to decades-old questions he’s been searching for. Reed will risk it all to uncover the truth, but he soon realizes that the deeper he digs, the direr the consequences.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and iTunes.

About the Author

International bestselling author Cate Beauman is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Her novels have been nominated for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, National Indie Excellence Award, Golden Quill Award, Writers Touch Award, and have been named Readers Favorite Five Star books. In 2015, JUSTICE FOR ABBY was selected as the Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Gold Medalist, while SAVING SOPHIE took the Silver Medal. SAVING SOPHIE was also selected as the 2015 Readers Crown Award winner for Romantic Suspense and FALLING FOR SARAH received the silver medal for the 2014 Readers’ Favorite Awards.

Cate makes her home in North Carolina with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernards, Bear and Jack. Currently Cate is working on her twelfth full length novel.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This is a spotlight post, I did not receive compensation for this post.

May 18, 2017

Grow All You Can Eat in 3 Square Feet

Since moving into our home four years ago, I have found a love of gardening. There is something so satisfying about growing your own vegetables! My only trouble? The limited space we have! Which I am sure so many of you can relate to. We have had to learn how to take advantage of every space and planter I can get my hands on. Grow All You Can Eat in Three Square Feet is all the help you will ever need to achieve your gardening goals!

About Grow All You Can Eat in 3 Square Feet

Want to grow your own vegetables and food, but don’t have enough space for a garden? Don’t let lack of space get in the way of growing healthy, organic foods at home. Apartment dwellers, schoolteachers, and anyone else who wants to grow a lot of food in a little space will find a great small garden resource in Grow All You Can Eat in 3 Square Feet.

Small-space gardeners, find your start in Grow All You Can Eat in 3 Square Feet, packed with information on window boxes, potted plants, patio gardening, raised beds, small square-foot gardening, container gardening, and everything else related to growing your own small garden. Whether you want to grow a full garden, grow tomatoes, grow a herb garden, or just pick up great tips for small gardens, Grow All You Can Eat in 3 Square Feet is the resource you need.

My Thoughts

This is an excellent guide for those new to gardening and want to maximize their space – either in an urban setting or those with a smaller outside space. The book covers all the basics (and most important aspects): know your plot, know what you want to grow and how to maximize your harvest.

The basics are covered in the beginning: knowing your soil, how lights affects your crop, watering and what you grow your harvest in. My favourite part of this book is how to maximize your space. I was always nervous about not having space to grow enough of my vegetables so I always stuck to tomatoes and spinach. This book showed me how to take advantage of pots (which to be honest I was always cautious to use) and how to arrange them in a visually appealing way. The bonus? What to plant in spring/summer in pots so that you can fully utilize your pots to grow harvests throughout the best months! They have taken the hard work out for you and matched the crops to grow in each period. That is one of the best parts in this book – they help you with the planning of what to grow and what plants grow well together and in what spaces. Planning your crop appropriately is just as important as how you take care of it! I still remember the first year I planted too many tomato plants and a zucchini plant right next to it – it looked like a jungle! The back of the book contains a resource of common crops, pests, diseases and weeds as well as how to deal with them.

This book is a great resource for those starting to plan out their garden and want to maximize all of the available space to them. It helps you plan, organize and continue to grow a great harvest all through the spring and summer months. A must have for gardeners!

You can purchase a copy of Grow All You Can Eat in 3 Square Feet here.

Rating: 5/5

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