Category: iRead Book Tours

November 21, 2016

Falling for the Stars Book Spotlight

In Falling for the Stars, we have a behind the scenes tell all about doubling for celebrity superstars and the compelling life story of an insecure Hollywood arrival who rises to the top of her field but pays a hefty price.

About Falling for the Stars

This behind the scenes tell all about doubling for celebrity superstars and the compelling life story of an insecure Hollywoo arrival who rises to the top of her field but pays a hefty price of addiction, chauvinism and big egos.

Discover the magic and the tragic stories of many great films & TV shows through the eyes of a stuntwoman. Dalton reveals what it took to hang over cliffs, get hit by a moving car, drop from five stories up, dodge an avenue full of speeding cars–and to ignore the Universe’s more gentle prompts that it was time to quit and follow her passion into acting full-time or teaching acting.

The resulting career-ending spinal injury has a story of its own, how she researched medical and alternative paths that form the heart of what she shares with the world today. “What stands out in this book is the indomitable spirit the author has, despite the extraordinary price she paid for her stellar career–including misogyny, a miscarriage, and a life-long back injury. And each juicy story she relays in her fascinating chronicle, brings home an important life lesson for the reader–one that she learned the hard way.

About the Author

From a bullied, dyslexic, messy, freckle-faced, klutzy pixie, Lisa Loving Dalton grew into a statuesque and skillful stuntwoman, actor, director, teacher, author, filmmaker, leadership and life coach, and ceremonial minister. Always seeking and finding the silver lining, she has made the most of whatever life threw at her. She says, “I spill stuff, trip and drip all of the time so I made a career out of it. My advice: Embrace what is as perfect.”

Dalton appeared in more than 200 films, television shows and commercials in New York, Hollywood and Texas, including work in Ghostbusters, Money Pit, Crocodile Dundee, Married to the Mob, FX, Legal Eagles, and Splash on the big screen and ER, HBO’s Carnivale, Dr. Quinn and Melrose Place among her many TV credits.

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

The Giveaway!

This giveaway is open to residents of the USA only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

November 15, 2016

David Travels to the Past

In David Travels to the Past, David wants to learn more about the past and painting, his teacher finds a way for him to do so!

About David Travels to the Past

David is a young and restless apprentice painter who wants to know everything about painting. His intelligent teacher, the Master Messina, invents a way of transporting David through time to prehistory. They go there looking for the origins of art, but once they are there nothing will be as they thought.

In a second adventure they travel towards the unknown art of Mesopotamia. This time they won’t go alone. The sympathetic and intelligent Angela will travel to the past with them bringing her particular point of view.

My Thoughts

I love art and art history. I can spend hours pouring over books and at the museum taking in the art, its history and the culture of the people who came before us. David Travels to the Past is an excellent comic style book for older children to early teens (I even enjoyed it) as David learns first hand about art history.

David is your typical pre-teen (we don’t really know his age but he reminds me of a pre-teen/teen through his actions and words. He is frustrated with some of his work and his teacher decides to take him back in time to experience first hand the art and culture of the people. In the first part of this book, he learns about cave paintings, hunting and the rituals of their people. In the second part of the book, he travels to Mesopotamia and experiences a whole new set of art, a lion hunt and a new travel companion in the form of his teacher’s niece. Because of the nature of comic strips, they had to pack in a wealth of information in a smaller space but they did an incredible job of it! Not only were we able to learn about art history but we also got to experience David’s struggles and excitement of experiencing this very new world. There are two words that are in the book (hell and damn) which I feel would be okay for an older child especially in the context they are used (‘damn deer’) but I wanted to let you know in case this was something that made you uncomfortable. The book also addresses death in a beautiful way in the pre-historic ages as this was a very real part of their lives. This book is a great addition to your older child’s library that will inspire them to learn more about these important times in our history both in their art and culture.

You can purchase a copy of this book in the US through Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble. In the UK through Amazon and Kindle. In Australia, through Fishpond, Booktopia and Kindle.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author and Illustrator

María José is a teacher. She won international illustrations awards.Gonzalo has a degree in art history. He works in museums and as a tourist guide.

You can connect with them on website, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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.

November 14, 2016

Westobou Gold Spotlight Tour

In Westobou Gold, the Indian Queen would risk torture and worse to keep her secrets from these barbarians in suits of metal and their search for cities of gold.

About Westobou Gold

The Indian Queen would risk torture and worse to keep her secrets from these barbarians in suits of metal and their search for cities of gold. They never found the gold. Empires rose; empires fell, the centuries passed. Legend became fireside myths, but no treasure was ever found. Yet, among the grey-green drapes of wisteria and wild jasmine along the misty shrouded lowlands of bayous and marshes of the Westo River, the folktales persist.

In the lazed creep of a near-tropical dawn lit the pungent Turkish coffee permeates Moccasin Hollow. Beyond the kitchen door Lucky, Craige Ingram’s German shepherd gnaws a favorite bone. Looted burial mounds seem a world away until plundered mounds on Moccasin Hollow land brings amateur archaeologist PI Craige Ingram into the cross-hairs of kidnapping. Stealthy hideaways are concealed in old colonial brick-lined river grottoes beneath the big house of Ardochy plantation. Sex-tape underage blackmail and thrill killings on federal land spur a medical examiner’s preliminary postmortem to more than a hired cleaner’s quickie cover-up passed off as drug deals gone sour. Greed tangles a witch’s pigswill of illicit affairs and murder-to-hide-murder. Shady investigators and shadier politics stir an unexpected concoction that threatens the lives of those at Moccasin Hollow in a spiteful plot against ex-SEAL Craige Ingram and the woman he loves.

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

About the Author

Internationally acclaimed author and public speaker, Hawk MacKinney began writing mysteries for his school newspapers. He served in the US Navy Reserve for over 20 years, and was a tenured faculty member at several state medical facilities, teaching postgraduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem, Israel. Since retiring Hawk has authored several novels that have received national and international recognition. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel, was nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award. The Cairns of Sainctuarie, his science fiction series, includes The Bleikovat Event and The Missing Planets, with a third book in the works. Hawk’s latest project focuses on The Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series. Book 1 in the series, Hidden Chamber of Death, was released early 2016.

You can connect with Hawk on his website.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

November 8, 2016

Loreena’s Gift Book Review

In Loreena’s Gift, a blind girl’s terrifying “gift” allows her to regain her eyesight but only as she ferries the recently deceased into the afterlife.

About Loreena’s Gift

Loreena Picket thinks she knows herself. A blind young woman who lives with her uncle, a reverend at a small-town church, she’s a dutiful niece and talented pianist for the congregation.

But they’re both hiding a terrible secret. Loreena can kill people with the touch of her hand.

While her uncle sees her as an angel of mercy, helping usher the terminally ill members of his flock into the afterlife, Loreena has her doubts.

Torn between doing her uncle’s bidding and the allure of the fleeting moments when her eyesight returns on the journey to the other side, Loreena cooperates with her uncle until her troubled older brother returns to town. When she reveals her power by saving him from a local drug dealer, she is drawn into a sinister and dangerous world that will test the true nature of her talent and force her to consider how far she is willing to go to survive.

My Thoughts

A very powerful and thought provoking novel. Loreena has a gift that some made not even refer to as a gift. She has to hide it every day of her life, having simple relationships is difficult for her and even trusting people with the truth is difficult for her. Who can believe this gift and if they do how can they not be terrified? That the simple touch of her hand could kill those she loves and those she does not know.

Her Uncle tries to get her to see past the outside aspect of her gift (the killing) and realize that in some ways it can be a blessing in disguise, especially for those suffering from terminally ill diseases. These people in the novel are suffering a pain that so many of us can not even begin to understand. Loreena’s touch and guidance into the afterlife is a special gift that only she can give. She is there with them as they cross over into their heaven, which for so many of them is a return to the happiest moments of their lives. These moments are actually quite beautiful in the beginning of the novel.

When the wrong people find out about her gift, she is kidnapped and forced to do something she never wanted to do – kill on demand any of their enemies. She was no longer helping the terminally ill, instead she was forced to do the will of an evil person to even more evil people. You can feel the toll this takes on her. She was already conflicted about her gift and this pushes her over the edge. The story really speeds up here as she tries to escape and an unexpected person comes to her aid. This was an exciting, suspenseful and though provoking novel.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository and Chapters.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Colleen M. Story writes imaginative fiction and is also a freelance writer, instructor, and motivational speaker specializing in creativity, productivity, and personal wellness. Her latest novel, “Loreena’s Gift,” was released with Dzanc Books April 12 2016. Her fantasy novel, “Rise of the Sidenah,” is a North American Book Awards winner, and New Apple Book Awards Official Selection (Young Adult). She is the founder of Writing and Wellness (writingandwellness.com) a motivational site for writers and other creative.

Connect with her on: Website and Twitter.

Book Trailer

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.

November 1, 2016

The Perfect Tear Book Review

In The Perfect Tear, Eleanor, a timid orphan, has no clue to her real purpose, but she also has no desire to become a subservient old maid, like the miserable nuns she is forced to with.

About The Perfect Tear

Eleanor, a timid orphan, has no clue to her real purpose, but she also has no desire to become a subservient old maid, like the miserable nuns she is forced to with. Eleanor believes Edward, whom she loves, will save her from being forced to take vows. She knows Mother Superior has no intention of letting her leave–her songs are the only thing keeping the grey mist at bay. Her devastation is complete when she discovers Edward is a prince and heir to the throne, but it is the impetus she needs to leave the safety of the abbey and go in search of her long lost father.

She doesn’t get far before discovering her true destiny. With only her instincts to protect her, she must match wits with a powerful being intent on the destruction of her world. If she does not find The Perfect Tear and release its healing power into the land, she will become an accomplice in the destruction of all she loves.

My Thoughts

An imaginative, unique story that leaves you wanting to know more, especially at the end! The Perfect Tear is magical with Eleanor and her connection to Tsera and the Earth, at the heart of our story.

Eleanor was orphaned at a young age but her childhood was very special. She is a special child who carries with her very unique abilities that are in tune to Mother Earth. She doesn’t understand her true purpose but she knows that her heart desires more than just being with the nuns. She is adventurous, fun and kind – just the type of friend anyone could ask for. She meets Edward, the prince and heir to the throne, but doesn’t realize who he is. They forge a strong bond of love and hope. She begins a quest that she understands in her heart but in her mind finds it difficult to comprehend as she has to save the world from destruction. This quest finds her forging new bonds, losing connections and fighting for everything she loves.

While this is going on in the human world, there is an intricate battle being played behind the scenes by Tsera, one of the ancients who designed the humans. This part was a bit harder to follow, especially in the beginning as we were given a lot of information to sort through and understand in order to fully appreciate the novel. But once you understand the history here, the novel makes so much more sense.

This was a unique tale full of surprise, hope and love. I loved every moment of The Perfect Tear and this would be a great book for both young adults through to adults.

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

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Connie Lansberg is a singer/songwriter, scriptwriter and now author with the publication of her first book The Perfect Tear. Connie studied script writing at AFTR and has had songs placed in major Australian TV series. She has just complete an album of songs connected to the book and will be performing these live at her weekly jazz gig in Melbourne.

Connect with her on Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram

Book Trailer

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.