Category: giveaway

What is the Price of Vengeance?

About the Price of Vengeance

“Liam! What have you done? You know our teachings on revenge,”

“How can you defend him after what he did? To you, to Mom, to my birth parents, to everyone we cared about?”

With a howl of despair and emotional agony, Liam dashed forward, through the shade of his father, blindly running into the sewers.

What is the Price of Vengeance?

One could understand why Liam was angry. He was orphaned at the age of two by a group of giant carnivorous insects called the chitin. Adopted by High Councilor Marcus and his wife, Lidia, Liam was raised with their older son, Randolf in New Olympia, the last remaining city on the planet Etrusci. As an adult, Liam becomes a soldier. After being cut off from the city, Liam finds that there is an alien intelligence behind the chitin. To defeat it, he must discover who he is and how to use his powers. Then, Liam discovers that a traitor, responsible for his birth parents’ deaths, had murdered his beloved foster parents. Will the price he has to pay in his quest for vengeance prove to be an even more unbeatable foe?

My Thoughts

A fantastic, adventure packed science fiction novel that will appeal to all book lovers, with the added bonus of a valuable lesson to be had.

This novel is full of adventure and science, the world as we know it has changed greatly. The human race has been genetically modified and now have powers that we can only imagine (although I would love to have some of the Priestess powers!!). With this comes a whole new level of war, intelligence and power. This is held in careful balance but there will always be those who want to challenge this authority and power. The book gives you just enough of the scientific background to understand the novel but not too much so that you don’t want to keep reading.

The title of this book and the relevance to Liam, is realized about halfway through the novel. He has a difficult choice to make and must base this decision on more than just his feelings. Liam has been hurt in the past and we witness the truth behind who caused him to become an orphan but can he looked beyond vengeance and allow that to remain up to God to take care of. He has to be reminded of the exact price of vengeance – while it may feel good at the time, the negatives that come afterwards far outweigh the positives.

The Price of Vengeance will be a novel you will not want to put down! You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating:5/5

About the Author

Kurt D. Springs is presently an adjunct Professor of Anthropology and Archaeology in New Hampshire. He holds a PhD. in Anthropology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, as well as a Master of Literature in Archaeology from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and a Master of Liberal Arts in Anthropology and Archaeology from the Harvard University Extension School. His main area of interest is megalithic landscapes in prehistoric Ireland. He also reviews science fiction and fantasy on his blog Kurt’s Frontier. You can connect with him online, Twitter and Facebook.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

In Her Sister’s Shoes, three sisters try to balance the demands of careers and family, while remaining true to themselves.

About Her Sister’s Shoes

Samantha Sweeney has always been the glue that holds her family together, the go-to girl for love and support. When an accident leaves her teenage son in a wheelchair, she loses her carefully constructed self-control.

In the after-gloom of her dreaded fiftieth birthday and the discovery of her husband’s infidelity, Jackie realizes she must reconnect with her former self to find the happiness that she needs to move forward.

Faith lacks the courage to stand up to her abusive husband. She turns to her sisters for help, which in turn places all their lives at risk.

In the midst of their individual challenges, the Sweeney sisters must cope with their mother’s mental decline. Is Lovie in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, or is her odd behavior normal for a woman her age? No one, including Lovie, understands her obsession with a rusty key she wears around her neck.

My Thoughts

Remember the saying, to truly understand a person, you need to walk in their shoes? This saying holds true in this story. Even though the three women are sisters, they have different personalities, different communication styles and different lifestyles. All of which combines to make it hard to appreciate and understand the depth of what each other is going through. Isn’t it always easier to just assume that someone’s life is so much easier than our own? That they can not possibly understand hardship?

Throughout the novel, each one of the sisters experiences a life changing event, that gives each the opportunity to learn a lesson or to withdraw from each other. Their unique personalities show through the decisions that they make and react to a situation. The strong one crumbles and the passive one grows strong but through it all they learn that they need each other and that their bonds are stronger than they could have ever imagined. .

I loved how each of the women come through this book and how Ashley Farley uses life experiences that are very real (an affair, an accident and an abusive husband) to help us relate to the characters. You are drawn into the story and feel an emotional connection to each one of the women. At times you want to hug them, at other times you want to shake your head. But in the end, they provide valuable life lessons that we can all learn from. Her Sister’s Shoes will be a book you can cherish with your girlfriends, sisters and co-workers for a long time.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Ashley Farley 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.

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. SAVING BEN is not a memoir, but a story about the special bond between siblings. You can connect with her online, Facebook and Facebook.

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.

Nature’s Confession is a cli-fi quest full of romance, honour and adventure as well as being a LitPick 5 Star Review Award Winner.

About Nature’s Confession

When a smart-mouthed, mixed race teen wonders why the work that needs to be done pays nothing compared to the busywork glorified on holovision news, the search for answers takes him on the wildest adventure of his life. Their planet is choked with pollution. They can’t do anything about it or can they? With the girl of his dreams, he inadvertently invents living computers. Just as the human race allows corporations to pollute Earth into desolation, institute martial law, and enslave humanity, two teens set out to save civilization. Can they thwart the polluters of Earth and other fertile planets. Along the way, they enlist the help of a female droid, Any Gynoid, who uncovers cutting edge scientific mysteries. Will youth lead the way to co-exist with Nature?

My Thoughts

Wow. Nature’s Confession is a powerful and thought-provoking novel from start to finish. This was my first time reading a cli-fi novel and it was incredible. The Earth as it is described is one that can be vividly imagined if we keep on the same path even a hundred years from now. The pollution, corruption and turning a blind eye to these events can be seen now and in the novel.

A novel targeted to youth, Nature’s Confession truly goes the extra mile to remind our youth that they are a powerful force. They can force change and all it takes is one person to start these changes. This is an important reminder for our youth – that they are the change that they want to see.

The novel is well written and developed at a good pace that allows you to absorb and understand the technology and ideas presented (busywork, the rules, etc). The start is slower to build as she explains more but this is something you will need to fully appreciate the book. The middle to end capture and demand every bit of your attention. The characters were brave and adventurous, a small amount of romance is included in this book but definitely does not take away from the themes of this book. As an interesting fact that was shared with me by J.L. Morin, did you know that one round trip from New York to London pollutes as much as one house in a year? Pretty crazy right?!.

This is a definite must read book for all youth and for those who want to step outside their book comfort zone. You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

Make sure you check out this trailer of Nature’s Confession:

Awards:

LitPick 5 Star Review Award Winner, #1 Top Marinovich Fiction Read of the Year, Best of a New Genre, Eco-Fiction Honourable Mention. Nature’s Confession was also included the 12 Works of Climate Fiction Everyone Should Read. New Awards include:  Readers’ Favourite Award Winner, Book Excellence Award Finalist, Top 10 Best Science Fiction, Best Climate and Environment Fiction Book.

About the Author

Novelist and rooftop farmer, J.L. Morin grew up in inner city Detroit and wrote her Japan novel, Sazzae as her thesis for Harvard. It was a Gold Medalist in the eLit Book Award and a Living Now Book Award. She took to the road, travelling, worked as a newscaster, and wrote three more novels. Adjunct faculty at Boston University, she was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2011. She is the author of Travelling Light and Trading Dreams. She also writes for the Huffington Post, Library Journal, Sustainable Cities Collective. You can connect with her online, Twitter and Facebook.

J.L. Morin has offered one of you the chance to win her book, Nature’s Confession! You can now enter via the Rafflecopter form below – good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

I love a heartfelt book even more so when they can be gifted to a special person in your life. Raincoast books has put together a fantastic selection of books just in time for Father’s Day!

Raincoast books has put together a diverse group of books that celebrate the joys and struggles of Fatherhood, one of the most important roles a man will ever take on!

The Quotable Dad has become my favourite book and one that we have cherished with my husband. This book contains over two hundred unique quotations! The Quotable Dad shares thoughts, ideas, humour and advice from the best minds on the challenges that Dads face. It supports, encourages and sheds light on a role that is not always appreciated as much as it should be – being a Dad is tough work!

Rock, Meet Window is a funny memoir from blogger Jason Good who dives into the world of magic, falls, and the meaning of fatherhood. Here he shares the story of his Father, a charismatic and affectionate man who taught him to live and be a good Dad to his own two kids. The moment Jason learned he will lose his Father to cancer and the year that followed, inspired him to reflect on how an imperfect Father can be perfect in all the ways that matter in the end. Jason explores the highs, the lows and everything in between.

The Power of Dad encourages Fathers to parent their child with the knowledge they are vital to the future of their children. Michael Byron Smith discusses the impact of a fatherless home, the challenges of parenting and the hierarchy of fathers that exist. There are absent fathers, present but absent fathers, authoritative fathers, loving fathers, teaching fathers and many more. Any man can look at himself, see where he stands and make changes.

The Better Man Project is 2,476 tips and techniques all focused on men’s health. Men tend to take better care of everything else but themselves. Their own health scares them! The Better Man Project aims to stop this. This guide is a straight forward personal information guide delivered with humour.

Here is the basic training manual for the first three years of Fatherhood! And it was read by Prince William (caught your attention there, didn’t I?!). This guide is practical and contains field tested instructions for caring for new ‘recruits’. It includes how to prepare the home, how to develop sleep routines, feeding, burping and so much more!

The name says it all: How to Survive Anything, A Visual Guide to Laughing in the Face of Adversity. earthquake imminent? Stuck in a middle seat? This book will teach you how to deal with anything that comes your way.

Raincoast books wants you to win three of the above books just in time for Father’s Day! My Canadian readers can enter via the Rafflecopter form below – good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received two of the above mentioned books free of charge. All opinions expressed are my own.