Category: iRead Book Tours

December 12, 2016

Relentless Book Review

In Relentless, with the help of an unconventional therapist with secrets of her own, the hunt is on and Gina fights for her life in this harrowing tale of cat and mouse.

About Relentless

“The little girl lay under the hay stack scarcely breathing. Sweat poured down her face and dripped into her eyes; her heart pounded through her thin chest. Tiny flecks of hay clung to her wet skin, making her itch. She squeezed her nose tightly afraid she’d sneeze. Eyes clamped shut, she lay there. Flies buzzed around her, crawling on her. She didn’t move. She didn’t know how long she’d been there in the loft. She didn’t care how long she stayed. She couldn’t move. Not yet.”

Nearly a lifetime after a childhood filled with misery and abuse, Gina, now a successful doctor, finds herself thrown back into a terrifying world where her nightmares become far more than just a dream. With the help of an unconventional therapist with secrets of her own, the hunt is on and Gina fights for her life in this harrowing tale of cat and mouse.

My Thoughts

A very powerful story of abuse, murder and how one young girl escapes only to find her history following her. Gina was abused as a young girl by a family member, while her family stood by and let it happen. Years later and several identity changes, Gina is a successful doctor who has everything going for her. Then the nightmares begin and Gina finds it hard to tell fact from fiction.

As the nightmares return, they do so slowly. Giving Gina a glimpse at a past that she tried so hard to forget and which she did. She struggles very badly with these memories and visits a therapist, who is much more than your average therapist. Murders begin to happen with greater frequency and they seem to match up with the memories that Gina has but just can’t quite access.

The plot was excellent with two stories unfolding – the murders and the investigation into these murders and the unravelling of Gina’s memories and her history. It was frightening and suspenseful watching these two stories unfold and the way they overlapped. I was terrified for Gina and wanted badly for the investigators to solve the murders, I was scared for her throughout the novel. The man who wants to see her murdered is an awful person that just gives you the chills. The end was incredible and the perfect ending to this intense novel.

I loved every moment of this intense novel, I read it all in one sitting. You just don’t want to put it down. It is powerful, frightening and suspenseful – full of mystery and revenge.

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

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

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

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.

December 12, 2016

The Woman at the Well Spotlight

Get ready for a rigorous spiritual bootcamp in The Woman at the Well.

About The Woman at the Well

Are you ready for a rigorous spiritual bootcamp? This 4-week intensive Bible Study is about a journey of self discovery. One that will incite and ignite something amazing and wonderful in you. This is the story of how one person’s transformation can create a massive wave of change for Jesus Christ in the world.

You can purchase a copy of the Bible Study on Amazon and Leader Guide on Amazon.

About the Author

Rachel was born in Dayton Ohio to a already large family of 5. She was the baby of the family, and literally about killed her Mother on her entrance into the world. Rachel was the 5th child to a school teacher and truck driver and soon found herself as a child of a single Mom of 5 who was forced to work 3 jobs to support her children. So Rachel is no stranger to seeing and living what it means to be a virtuous woman, as she watched her Mother do it, and continue to do it. Rachel is a devoted wife, Mother of 4 and Founder of Women at the Well Ministries. She is an author and currently writing her first in-depth Bible Study. She has been the keynote speaker at Mother’s of Israel conference, and several of her local church’s women’s events.

Her passion is studying scripture and then teaching those lessons to others, with the goal that they will then turn around and pay it forward. Her #each one #teach one philosophy is her mission. She is passionate about helping women by giving them tools to help them break strong holds so they can pursue whatever the Lord has for them. So, training them up for the call! That is what spurred her ministry.

She knows that God didn’t create women to just sit around and get pedicures and swap recipes and tackle the dust bunnies everyday, but to be side by side with the men in fighting the war against evil and taking as many people to heaven with them as possible. She now does life with her best friend, her husband Curt and will tell you, her children are the best kids on the earth. They love to do Bible studies together and love traveling with their family.

If she isn’t at home with her family, you will find her checking something off her bucket list! Her biggest so far would be competing in figure competitions, competing at the Arnold class in fitness, being in a beauty pageant representing her county as Mrs. Miami County in the Mrs. Ohio America pageant, and authoring a 30 day bible study devotional. And, she is only getting started.

She loves to weave her own personal stories in with her message, because she believes she is living her calling day by day, and sometimes it gets pretty funny!

Book Trailer

The Giveaway

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Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 5, 2016

Silence Interrupted Spotlight Tour

An insightful tale of perseverance, Silence Interrupted is a young adult novel about the beauty and peril of traversing the world as a teenager.

About Silence Interrupted

Two months before Troye Saavedra’s senior year of high school, his father’s drinking problem skyrockets. When Troye’s parents make an impulsive move to Georgia in order to “help” him finish high school on a positive note, he is forced to leave behind everything he knows. Things couldn’t get worse for Troye. That is, until he meets three enigmatic teenagers: Adelaide, an independent violinist with radical ideas; Zaidan, fiercely loyal and always funny; and Arabella, a girl who harbors secret struggles. Together, the four friends try to pick up the jagged pieces of their lives without getting hurt themselves. An insightful tale of perseverance, Silence Interrupted is a young adult novel about the beauty and peril of traversing the world as a teenager.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Sania Shaikh is a junior at Cambridge High School. Inspired to write from a young age, she worked on Silence Interrupted, her debut novel, starting in eighth grade.

You can connect with Sania on her Twitter, Twitter and Facebook.

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 5, 2016

Life Outside the Box Spotlight

In Life Outside the Box, get inspired to step out of your box and embrace your potential.

About Life Outside the Box

Get inspired to step out of your box and embrace your potential. From the corporate world, to the arts, to working with the disenfranchised, the message is clear: there is no such thing as a normal way to live your life and no one right solution to any problem. Selected from over a hundred interviews, the stories shared here open a window on the journeys of seven women and three men who have charted their own paths, including Ruthie Davis–top US luxury shoe designer and the winner of the 2014 AAFA Footwear Designer of the Year award; and Geir Ness whose perfume is a staple in Nordstrom, Disney World, and on Disney Cruise Lines. Enjoy a glimpse behind the scenes into the unique ways these individuals have chosen to deal with life’s challenges and how they define success in their careers.

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

About the Author

Marilyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer and speaker with a passion for interviewing. Her career as a writer began in an unusual way, by answering a Craigslist ad. It was while conducting her first interview the world shifted – she had found her passion. Since 2006, she has interviewed over 150 people from as near as her hometown of Vancouver, Canada, and as far away as South Africa.

Whether through a random encounter on the New York subway or via a one-on-one interview with an internationally recognized artist, the goal is the same-to give wings to the unique journeys of inspiring individuals. This goal first led the author to co-launch a successful, innovative magazine focused on professionals working in the fashion industry paired with photography and illustrations by local artists. Then in 2015, Wilson took her passion to a new audience with the release of her first book, the first in a series featuring the lives of real people living real lives.

You can connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

The Giveaway!

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Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 22, 2016

The Stages of Grace Book Review

The Stages of Grace was written out of a desire to share with others who have loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease what I have experience as Grace’ caregiver and friend.

About The Stages of Grace

This book was written out of a desire to share with others who have loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease what I have experience as Grace’ caregiver and friend. I wanted to capture the emotions, the expected and the unexpected issues, the painful times as well as the humorous and loving moments that Grace and I have shared as a result of this disease. This is not mean to be a handbook for dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, but I hope that by sharing my feelings and experiences, readers may recognize they are not alone on this particular journey.

My Thoughts

The Stages of Grace is beautiful, open, honest look into the life of a caregiver and friend. This book had me in tears, laughing and wanting to give both Connie and Grace a hug. Connie writes in such an open and honest manner, that you feel as though you are right there with her having the conversations, talking about the joys and pains of life with a person with Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is not an easy disease for anyone to deal with (not that any disease is but this one comes with its own ups and downs). It can be painful, it can be frustrating but at times beautiful and honest. We watch Grace travel down her road with Alzheimer’s and some times she is there in every moment while others you can feel how alone and scared she must be. I can’t even begin to imagine the fear that must come from not remembering those around you or what happened hours ago. The frustration and fear must be unbearable for the person involved.

The caregiver, in this case Connie, also goes through a great ordeal as they slowly lose parts of the person they love. That person is still there but the glimpses come in bursts. The love Connie has for Grace is beautiful and brought me to tears at many times. She is such a strong, beautiful and kind daughter.

This is the perfect book not only for caregivers but anyone that is dealing with Alzheimer’s disease. It is not a book to guide you on dealing with the disease but instead a way to share emotions, the good, the bad and the ugly. It will leave you smiling, with hope and at times in tears.

You can purchase a copy on Amazon and Amazon.ca.

Rating:5/5

About the Author

Connie Ruben is an entrepreneur with well-developed management skills. She has run several large companies, and prides herself on empowering others to work to their full potential. Connie also has an intimate knowledge of the challenges and joys of caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease, as her mother-in-law Grace was diagnosed with advanced Alzheimer’s disease in 2003. While Connie still struggles to balance her work life and home life, her understanding of this disease has made it easier for her to negotiate the demands of being a caregiver, as well as a wife, mother, and employer. She has written this book in order to share the insights she has gained as Grace’s primary caregiver and friend. Most importantly, Connie wants this book to assure others that caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease can be enjoyable, life-affirming, and emotionally significant. You can connect with her on her website.

The Giveaway

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