Category: book tour

A Deep Divide Book Review

In A Deep Divide, with her past behind her, she has nothing — and everything — to lose.

About A Deep Divide

After being kidnapped as a child, heiress Emma Grace McMurray has seen firsthand the devastation that greed causes in the world, and she wants nothing to do with it. When she discovers her father has offered her up as a bargaining chip to expand his empire, she disappears into the night. Determined to stay hidden, even if it means always looking over her shoulder, she finds herself working as a Harvey Girl at the El Tovar Hotel.

When Ray Watkins arrives at the hotel on business, he is immediately captivated by the beauty of the Grand Canyon. Though his fame-seeking father aims to lure new investors to the Arizona Territory, Ray dreams of one day taking over the family business and doing good with the profits.

Ray immediately admires Emma Grace, and though an attraction begins to form, she can’t let go of the deep-rooted fear that he’s just like every other wealthy man she’s known. When suspicious activity follows Emma Grace and Ray to the El Tovar, they are pulled into a mystery that stirs up their worst fears. And as shocking revelations come to light, they are left to question all they thought to be true.

My Thoughts

Emma Grace is a girl on the run from her past – a past so many would envy from the outside, until they learn the truth of her family, greed and the importance of money over family.

At a very young age, Emma Grace had to learn the hard way that money and power mean more to the world to her Father then even her and the love of family. Despite the wealth and privilege she has, she escapes in the middle of the night and never looked back. While she finds employment that she loves, she is constantly on the run – never allowing herself a break, never allowing herself a friend or ever allowing her guard down. She changes everything about herself to ensure that no one will know her past, mostly out of fear for her own life.

All of this changes when she arrives at the Grand Canyon. Whether it is the sheer beauty of the Grand Canyon in all of its glory and power, or out of exhaustion, Emma Grace learns to trust again. She finds friendship for the first time in a long time, and you find your heart aching for her. You want her to know her worth and that she deserves such a beautiful future, one that is as kind, full of love and patience just like her. When she meets Ray, he is so much like her in his views on society and money, it almost feels to good to be true. You want her to trust him, but you can also understand why she would hold a part of herself back. The story takes quite the turn, when her past collides with the present for better or for worse. She finds herself at a crossroads – she must either walk away or finally confront her past in order to move forward with her future.

I loved every moment of this special story, and would love to see a part two to Emma Grace’s story. I fell in love with her character and her journey through healing, trusting again and overcoming fear and uncertainty to embrace our future. A definite must read!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Kimberley Woodhouse is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than twenty-five fiction and nonfiction books including The Heart of Alaska series and The Treasures of Nome series. Kim and her incredible husband of twenty-nine-plus years have two adult children. She loves the gift of story and is passionate about music and Bible study. You can connect with Kimberley on her website www.kimberleywoodhouse.com.

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

Continue Reading

After She Falls Book Review

In After She Falls, she’s always had that fire in her. She just needs to find it again.

About After She Falls

Strong-willed Adri Rivera nearly achieved her goal of being a professional mixed martial artist, but then she fell in love with a man who knocked all the fight out of her. When their abusive, tumultuous relationship finally comes to a head, Adri flees with their young daughter to her small hometown in the mountains of Pennsylvania. There, she must face the people she left behind and put her broken life back together again.

A hardened Max Lyons can’t believe Adri is back in town after abruptly cutting him and everyone else off years ago. Despite the distance that grew between them, he feels compelled to help her regain her independence and offers her a job at his gym. But regaining each other’s trust is another matter, made even more complicated by the lingering spark between them. As Adri dares to pursue her dream again, she trains for a big tournament with Max’s help, but they’ll both have to confront their own doubts in order to rise victorious.

My Thoughts

After She Falls is an amazing tale of strength, healing and growth as Adri leaves her abusive husband in order to salvage a life for her and her daughter in the town she grew up in. She finds a lot of her healing back fighting – something her heart and mind never gave up on.

Adri is an incredible character who landed on hard times. At a very young age, she met and fell in love with a man who was not all he seemed to be. He pulled her away from her family, friends and everything she loved after she fell pregnant with their child. Adri did everything she could to keep her family together, until enough was enough. She flees their home with their daughter and returns to her hometown and the man who raised and loved her. While she wants to move on with her life, when she comes in contact with an old friend (and flame) and martial arts – she knows the only way to move forward is to complete all of the things that she had left undone. This is true for not only her martial arts but also her relationships.

While this novel could be triggering for some individuals, I do feel it has a very strong message for readers. While her husband did everything he could to control Adri and make her feel no sense of control or worth, once she left him Adri learned how strong she truly was. She learns to let go of her past, things she could not change or control and move forward. She learns to not only love herself but she learns to love and trust in others again. She also finds her strength in competing, allowing herself to dream big and train hard. After She Falls is a powerful story of faith, strength and courage.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Carmen Schober is a debut novelist, wife, full-time mother to two daughters, avid boxer, and Rocky enthusiast. A graduate of Kansas State University, where she earned a master’s degree in English literature and creative writing, she currently lives in Manhattan, Kansas. She has published sports fiction in Witness magazine and Hobart Pulp, and she regularly blogs about faith, family, and fighting. Learn more at www.carmenschober.com.

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

Continue Reading

Gallant: The Call of the Trail

iRead Book Tours

Gallant: The Call of the Trail is a gripping journey of a young girl and a foal who are raised together in The Valley of Hearts Delight. 

About Gallant: The Call of the Trail

A gripping journey of a young girl and a foal who are raised together in The Valley of Hearts Delight. Gallant and Gracie have a special bond, rarely seen between a human and a horse. Separated by a bad accident when Gallant is five, each gets a second chance of happiness pursuing the long-distance sport of endurance riding, neither knowing they are leading parallel lives. Will Fate bring them together again? Gallant’s arch nemesis, The Almighty Flash, threatens to destroy all that Gallant has worked for. His misguided ambition and greed, developed at the hands of an abusive owner, has created a darkness in his soul that turns to blind fury when his endurance career is threatened.

My Thoughts

I fell in love with this touching story of a youth and her love and deep connection with her horse, Gallant and their trials.

From a very young age, Gracie developed a special bond with Gallant. They were more than just a human girl and her horse, they were family. A bad accident separates the two of them and both must struggle through this loss and pain, learning how to move forward and heal (which feels almost impossible at times). We are there as each of them must learn methods to cope and heal through their grieving. While a part of them is healed, it is when they are brought together by chance that you realize how strong their bond is and their reunion was heart warming and anxious all wrapped in one. But how do they move forward? They have both gained new people/animals in their lives, and while those bonds are not quite the same, they are still very much loved. I also loved the story that developed at the same time around Flash. Who on the surface is a mean, ambitious horse but when you really look at his past, his treatment and his lack of love in his life – your heart goes out to him. He has never known any different.

Gallant: The Call of the Trail is a well written novel for both youths and adults – I loved the story myself and could not put it down. It was such a special story of love and nurture – how this affects our growth and development, and our connections to the world around us. It is also a story of grief and loss, and the healing that occurs after this. I loved that we read the book from the perspective not only of Gracie but of the horses as well! I also learned a lot about endurance riding, something I had no idea existed but sounds incredible. This novel is a definite must read.

You can purchase a copy of this book on the author’s website, Amazon and Target.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Award winning Author Claire Eckard combines her love of writing with her passion for animals to create memorable children’s books that are fun to read, but also include valuable life’s lessons. Claire grew up in England and moved to Hawaii in her early twenties where she married her husband of thirty-four years. Together they raised two sons, Mitchell and Matthew. Claire is inspired by her two Granddaughters Mila and Ella, as well as the beautiful backdrop of the Arizona mountains where she lives. Claire has a farm full of animals, and has spent many years as a board member and volunteer of her local animal shelter.

You can connect with Claire on her website and Facebook.

The Giveaway

Enter to win a signed copy of Gallant: The Call of the Trail here.

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

Continue Reading

Alicia Connected: Tricked with Treats

iRead Book Tours

Halloween is here, and it is Alicia’s favorite time of year. What’s not to like about dressing up in a costume and getting free candy? But there is something even more exciting happening this year – learn more in Alicia Connected: Tricked with Treats!

About Alicia Connected: Tricked with Treats

Halloween is here, and it is Alicia’s favorite time of year. What’s not to like about dressing up in a costume and getting free candy? But there is something even more exciting happening this year. For the first time, Alicia and her friends are throwing a virtual party in TullyTown!

Putting together a party in TullyTown isn’t easy, and Alicia and her friends want to do the best they can to make sure it is enjoyed by plenty of avatars in TullyTown. For one of Alicia’s friends, getting ready to throw a TullyTown party leads to looking for easy treats. But what if it’s a trick?

Alicia has been using her tablet for a while and is getting more used to how to use the technology. However, there is always something new for her and her friends to learn.

Our Thoughts

Alicia Connected: Tricked with Treats is an excellent introduction for young readers into the world of technology, gaming and the dangers that are lurking out there.

Alicia and her friends love the game TullyTown – they have created a whole new world of fun, where they can hang out, throw parties, earn reward money and so much more. One of Alicia’s friends gets a little carried away in her excitement and uses a free website to earn rewards and points for free stuff, what could go wrong?

Young children and adults alike love our technology and how easy it has made for us to keep ourselves on track, connect with others and share information. The only downfall? How easy it is for this information to be stolen, hacked or used by others to hurt us. For young children, it is so important to warn them about the dangers of the online world, in a way that they can understand the content and without terrifying them. This book did a great job of this. It showed young readers the fun and the important connection we make with others through technology but also the dangers of oversharing and how this information can be stolen. I also loved how the author incorporated lessons on how to protect yourself online (passwords, etc..) in such an unique manner!

Alicia Connected: Tricked with Treats is a great read for young readers and their parents as it introduces a difficult but important topic to young children. It is a great way for adults to speak with children about both the positives and the dangers of technology and online gaming, as well as how to protect themselves online. It would also be a great starting point to ensure that your child is taking all steps that they must to protect themselves online and if certain changes may be needed to protect their privacy.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, B&N and Indiebound.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Fish

Fisher is an award-winning author who has spent decades in the computer engineering field, with the last 10 years in cybersecurity as a leader, speaker, and instructor. His passion has been to take complex security topics and make them simple and easy to understand. He holds several security certifications and teaches cybersecurity at Temple University, where he is also an external advisory board member to the cybersecurity program. Alicia Connected: Tricked With Treats is the second book in the Alicia Connected series. The first book, Alicia Connected: The Big Gift, was a second-place recipient of the prestigious Purple Dragonfly Award in the STEM category.

Also, ALICIA CONNECTED: TRICKED WITH TREATS has won a 2021 Family Choice Award. 

You can connect with him on his website and Facebook.

The Giveaway!

Enter to win a copy of Alicia Connected: Tricked with Treats here.

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

Continue Reading

Mia and the Hummingbird

iRead Book Tours

Mia and the Hummingbird is the story of a young girl who immigrates to a new country and learns to accept a new life.

About Mia and the Hummingbird

Mia and the Hummingbird is the story of a young girl who immigrates to a new country and learns to accept a new life.She sees the hummingbird building her nest for her babies and thinks that she and the bird are similar as they learn to adapt to their new homes. Mia and the Hummingbird includes information about environmental and social reasons for immigration, the struggle to adapt to a new home and information about hummingbirds.

Included is a glossary about these issues, a bibliography, and references.

You can purchase this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Nancy Carlisle is an author, illustrator and retired architect and manager. She writes hopeful books for kids that interweave facts and fiction about the environment and global responsibility.

During her 38 year career, as an architect and researcher, her focus was on the environment. She led work nationally and internationally on sustainable and energy efficient buildings and communities and won awards for collaboratively designing award-winning sustainable buildings, a laboratory campus, and as part of a team to develop a program to improve the energy efficiency of laboratories in the U.S.

You can connect with her on her website.

The Giveaway!

You can enter to win a signed copy of this book and a $25 Amazon gift card here.

Disclosure: This is a spotlight tour, I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Continue Reading