Author: cvegnad

May 17, 2015

Hunter: Part Two of Guy Erma & The Son of Empire

Hunter: Part Two of Guy Erma & The Son of Empire comes alive and is just as good as the first part!

About Hunter: Part Two of Guy Erma and the Son of Empire

Thirteen year old, Teodor is taken by battle borgs of the Dome and now he must fight to survive.

Thirteen year old, Guy Erma has been given a chance to fight for his place in the Dome Elite, a dream he has held on to for a long time. But who will he fight?

Once they were heroes, these men died as heroes in battle. Now they have been reincarnated as the Battle Borgs of the Dome.

These two boys are as different as night and day. They face the same danger, the same enemy and the same fear but can they trust each other.

My Thoughts

While a young adult science fiction thriller, I fell in love with this novel! The second part of this series is just as good (if not better) than part one – I just could not put it down.

The characters in this story are built up and we see into the personal lives of each of them just a tad bit more. We learn what Guy and the Dome Elite have had to endure to become who they are today. They have suffered constantly and this has influenced the decisions they make. They are heroic but still bend to their leader.

The plot definitely thickens in this book, as Teodor’s Mother is forced to make difficult decisions in order to save her son. New enemies walk into their lives – ones you could never imagine being so cruel!

Teodor fights bravely for his freedom in this novel as we get a glimpse of his royalty training and his determination to live. While these boys are as different as night and day, their futures are intertwined so deeply and each turn of the page exposes more truth and light.

The ending left me hanging! She built it up beautifully and leaves you craving for more. I am counting down until the next novel in this series is published.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Sally was born in Wallasey, England in 1964 and moved to the South of France when she was eleven. She spent her teenage years in Monaco learning the languages and cultures. As an English girl in a French school, she would spend her English classes at the back of the class writing stories thus inspiring her love of writing. Sally now writes marketing communications and manages large international websites. Sally currently lives in Farham with her husband and two children. You can connect with Sally on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

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

May 17, 2015

Heart Sisters by Natalie Chambers Snapp

Heart Sisters is for women who want to be and have better friends, and would like a helpful guide along the way.

About Heart Sisters

Author Natalie Snapp uses her own experiences and others of failure and success to illustrate what she has learned about the relationships between girlfriends. Healthy boundaries, honesty, tact, sharing and agape love all play a part in maintaining healthy relationships. She also deals with the challenges that many face in relationships including how to handle life changes, conflict, and when it may be right to break up with a friend.

My Thoughts

Maintaining relationships with other women is vital to our mental and emotional well-being. We need and crave the conversations, the feeling of comfort and the advice of other women. Sometimes the hardest part is how do we become and stay good friends? Are we too pushy, too hurtful or too one-sided? No one wants to be the friend that always gives but never receives.

This is the perfect guide for all young women, women and co-workers to share. We rely on these women in our lives and it’s important to work on these relationships all the time. This guide gives real life examples from someone who has been there, felt it and did it. It is important to share these experiences as we probably have all been in the same position at some time. It is how we deal with these situations and relationships that make us a stronger person and friend.

Heart Sisters is a fun and heart warming book to work through – yes you heard that right, work through! Not only are you learning from personal experiences, each chapter has questions at the end to give you some time to reflect and examine your own actions.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can order your own copy here.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Natalie is a follower of Jesus, a wife and Mother. Natalie is passionate about sharing the grace, mercy and truth of God’s love. She lives in the Midwest and keeps it simple by writing. You can connect with her on her website, Facebook and Twitter.

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

May 12, 2015

The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg #bookreview

The Dream Lover is a historical novel based on the sensuous Parisian life of the nineteenth century writer, George Sand.

About The Dream Lover

At the beginning of this novel we meet Aurore Dupin as she prepares to leave her estranged husband, a loveless marriage and her family’s estate in the French countryside to start a new life in Paris. To celebrate this change she gives herself a new name, George Sand and pursues her dream of becoming a writer and embraces a unconvential and sometimes scandalous lifestyle.

Aurore as George Sand defies the confines of society. As Sand welcomes fame and friendship, she must overcome heartbreak, prejudice, failure and loss. She must work to reconcile the pain of her childhood and the relationships with her Mother and daughters as well as her relationships with men and women.

My Thoughts

An extremely interesting and vivid read of a young woman in the confines of the nineteenth century. This was my first time being introduced to Aurore Dupin better known as George Sand (I know, I am cringing myself too! Especially with all the fantastic work she had done!). I was amazed at all the things she managed to accomplish, goals that she did for herself in a time period where this was not common for a woman. She stood her ground and followed her dreams regardless of who it hurt at times (her children – more specifically her daughter).

We are witness to her childhood, her role as a Mother and finally as she breaks free to follow a career not available to women. We witness her experiment with gender transition, have love affairs and lead a life that was then deemed unacceptable to a female and quite scandalous.

While slow in the beginning as we are introduced to the past that made George Sand who she was, the novel really picks up halfway through making it hard to put down. This is my first time reading a novel by Elizabeth Berg and I can’t wait to read more. She has a lovely way of writing that will keep me coming back for more!

Rating: 4/5

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

May 12, 2015

When Grace Sings by Kim Sawyer

When trouble comes to quiet Arborville in the novel When Grace Sings, Alexa and Anna-Grace find themselves the target of exposed secrets. Can they continue to seek the grace of God during the fog of confusion?

About When Grace Sings

Alexa Zimmerman wonders if the Old Order Mennonite community in Arborville will ever fully accept her. Her family roots are not what everyone thought they were when she first arrived. She is hoping her culinary and hospitality skills will win them over. The bed and breakfast she is operating needs to succeed. Alexa agrees to take on Chicago reporter, Briley Forrester to stay as a long-term reporter not realizing his true intentions.

When Alexa agrees to take on her cousin Anna-Grace, the presence of extended family brings on an insecurity which sets Briley’s on a trail to uncover the truths.

Plans for a secure future and a young romance hang in balance, when the two girls have to face the secrets that bind them in ways they would not believe.

My Thoughts

A lovely read from start to finish with an important lesson for all of us to learn. Briley comes to Arborville under false pretenses hoping to uncover his story of a lifetime. His personal family history has made him into the man he is today, who doesn’t care for religion,God and finds it hard to find faith in others.

Alexa and Anna-Grace have a history that intertwines their lives forever. Only one of them knows the truth, this truth hurts her and we see her carry the full burden of this truth throughout most of the book. It is this truth that Briley uncovers. But how he will use this will affect all of the characters in this book greatly.

Finding the grace of God plays a strong role in this book and the end will leave you crying and overwhelmed. It was a beautiful ending to a beautiful story of faith, trust and grace.

You can find more reviews of When Grace Sings on the Litfuse Blog Page. To purchase a copy of the book, you can do so here.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Kim Sawyer is the author of twenty-nine novels! Her books have won ACFW Book of the year, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is an active member of her church and in her downtime enjoys drama, quilting and calligraphy. Kim, her husband and their three daughters live in Kansas. You can connect with her on website, Facebook and Twitter.

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

May 8, 2015

Grace and Frankie, A Netflix Exclusive! #StreamTeam

With so much stress from life (work, finances, health), when I come home I want to watch television shows that make me laugh out loud, that make me think and sometimes that make me cry (but in a good way!).

Grace and Frankie, a Netflix original series, stars the hilarious Jane Fonda (Grace) and Lily Tomlin (Frankie). These two women have their life turned upside down when their husbands reveal they are gay and are leaving the two women for each other. This unlikely pair form a unique bond when they face their uncertain future together. Together they discover a new definition of family with laughter, tears, and plenty of mood enhancers along the way!

Grace and Frankie is from executive producers, Marta Kauffman (Friends) and Howard Morris (Home Improvement) and takes on aging in a hilarious new way (from joint pain to blind dates) and how life’s little turning points show us who we are.

Jane Fonda is one of my favourite people to watch. She has this way about her that makes you love her, hate her and laugh at the same time. She pulls off this role beautifully while Lily Tomlin is her perfect counter part. These two women, who hate each other with such passion, are thrown together in the worst of situations. I am still laughing as I think about the moment when the men tell them they are leaving them – Jane was at her finest!

While a comedy, Grace and Frankie, paints a picture of life how it really is. Life can be beautiful, ugly at times and can throw curve balls out of nowhere. When you feel that you are finally on the right path, life can just turn you right around. This series shows you how it is and will leave you laughing, crying and gasping at times. With a few swear words and mild inappropriate terms, it is definitely for older teens and adults but it will win over your heart.

Grace and Frankie premieres on Netflix May 8th,2015 so get ready for some good laughs with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin coming your way today!

Disclosure: I am a Netflix #Streamteam member and received early access to this series. All opinions expressed are my own.