October 18, 2016
Boots and Bedlam
Wedding bells will soon be ringing in the Lowcountry.
About Boots and Bedlam
Wedding bells will soon be ringing in the Lowcountry. All Sam Sweeney wants is to marry her man on Christmas Eve surrounded by family and friends. But emerging complications, some humorous and some not so humorous, threaten to converge and derail the best-laid plans during the busy stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Amidst the chaos—dealing with real estate, planning a wedding, running a seafood market, honoring traditions, and contending with teenagers—even the weather rears its head when the weatherman forecasts a white Christmas. Never has family support been more needed, but will it be enough to restore order and save the day?
My Thoughts
Another AMAZING book in the Sweeney Sister series! Ashley is an amazing story-teller who draws you into the novel and connects you deeply to the characters. You end up feeling like they are your best friend and sister!
This book was all about Sam, who has suffered so much personal heartache in the past. All you want for her is to be happy but you understand how hard this is for her to. She has a tendency to not trust and get scared, and for good reasons too! If you read the other novels in this series (which you don’t have to understand this book), you will know her reluctance to wed and you find yourself so happy with her decision to finally marry the man she loves and who adores her! My heart was so happy for her. But when little things start to go awry, you feel her frustration and worry. I am so superstitious and I would feel the same – that things are doomed to go wrong! Sam needs to learn to rely on her fiance, her son and her family to help her get through this chaotic time – something she is not used too!
By the end of the novel, you are smiling, laughing and a little teary for all they have gone through. Both Sam and her son are both different people by the end of the novel, growing in spirit and maturity. The actual ending of the novel left me whirling! It was not what I expected but was the perfect way to end this story and lead in to the next book in this series. Which I know CAN NOT wait to read!!!! You will fall in love with Ashley’s writing and her ability to draw you right into the story. This book and whole series are a must read for sure.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.
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.
HER SISTER’S SHOES—June 24, 2015—is a women’s novel that proves the healing power of family.
Look for MERRY MARY this holiday season, a heartwarming story of the powerful connection between a caring soul and an innocent child in need.
October 12, 2016
Skylanders Heroes Come to Life in Skylanders Academy
How many of you have children that are obsessed with Skylanders? Our kids LOVE the video game! They even play with the character figure pieces even when they aren’t playing the video game. And now your little ones can watch their favourite heroes come to life in Skylanders Academy premiering on Netflix on October 28th.
About Skylanders Academy
Skylanders Academy follows the heroic adventures of the Skylanders team, a ragtag group of heroes with unique elemental skills who travel the vast Skylands universe, protecting it from evil-doers. They achieve victory by setting aside their egos, learning to trust one another and fighting as one to maintain harmony and balance in the land. Led by showrunner Eric Rogers (Futurama), the animated action-adventure series features the voices of Justin Long (Dodge Ball) as Spyro, Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical, Phineas and Ferb) as Stealth Elf, Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) as Eruptor and Norm MacDonald (Saturday Night Live) as Glumshanks. Additional voice talent includes Susan Sarandon, Daniel Wu, Parker Posey, James Hetfield, Catherine O’Hara, Chris Diamantopoulos and Harland Williams, among others.
Netflix members worldwide will learn the “Skylander way” –and enjoy all of the humor and heart in between– starting with 12 episodes this Fall and continuing with a second season in late 2017. Skylanders Academy is the first project from Activision Blizzard Studios.
Trailer
Get ready to have fun and watch our heroes protect the universe from evil!
Disclosure: I am a StreamTeam Member and receive perks associated with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 12, 2016
Blinky Bill: The Movie DVD Giveaway
Get ready to venture across the exotic Australian outback with the world-famous Australian koala Blinky Bill when the highly anticipated animated feature BLINKY BILL: THE MOVIE arrives on Blu-ray™ , DVD, iTunes, and VOD on October 11, 2016 from Shout! Factory Kids.
About Blinky Bill: The Movie
Blinky Bill (voiced by Ryan Kwanten) is a little koala with a big imagination. An adventurer at heart, he dreams of leaving the little town of Green Patch and following in his missing father’s footsteps. Mr. Bill went missing in the Outback some time ago and Blinky is the only one who believes his father is still alive. When Blinky discovers a mysterious marker that hints at his dad’s whereabouts, he embarks on a journey that takes him beyond the boundary of Green Patch and into the wild and dangerous Outback. He quickly makes friends with Nutsy, a zoo koala, and Jacko, a nervous frill-necked lizard. Pursued relentlessly by a vengeful cat (voiced by Rufus Sewell) who has a personal score to settle with Blinky, the trio must learn to work together if they ever want to survive the rugged Australian landscape and find Blinky’s father!
Blinky Bill is one of Australia’s most recognized characters and a bona fide icon. The lovable antics of the mischievous koala have captured the hearts of millions since the release of The Adventures of Blinky Bill book series in 1933. In 1992, the first feature film Blinky Bill, The Mischievous Koala was released in major territories. This was followed by several successful TV series and movies which continue to air around the world today.
Bonus Content:
- music video
- The plot
- The Characters
- The Evolution
- The Voice Actors
- What’s Your Favourite Aussie Animal?
- What’s Your Favourite Aussie Food?
Our Thoughts
Blinky Bill is an absolutely adorable must see movie! We were giggling at his antics (he tries so hard to be just like his Dad!) and his adventures. He is adventurous, loving, caring and kind koala bear who wants to be an adventurer. When he decides to go out into the world to find his Father, he meets a fantastic new friend, a relentless foe and a world he could never have imagined. His first encounter of the human world is interesting – I felt sad for the way we have taken over their environment and made it so difficult for them but at the same time they added in some humour as Blinky Bill tries jelly beans and other sweets for the first time!
Nutsy adds in a whole new level of humour to the movie – she just wants to get back to her zoo, maybe have a spa day. She is just too precious in this movie but I love watching her change and grow as a koala as she travels with Blinky Bill.
Blinky Bill: The Movie is an exciting, humourous family fun movie that everyone in the house will love. It had us giggling and wondering what Blinky Bill and his friends would get up to next.
Make sure you print out this colouring page, connect the dots and activity page all on Blinky Bill.
Trailer
The Giveaway!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this DVD in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 10, 2016
Michelangelo’s Ghost
In Michelangelo’s Ghost, a lost work of art linking India to the Italian Renaissance. A killer hiding behind a centuries-old ghost story. And a hidden treasure in Italy’s macabre sculpture garden known as the Park of Monsters… Can treasure-hunting historian Jaya Jones unmask a killer ghost?
About Michelangelo’s Ghost
Filled with the unexpected twists, vivid historical details, and cross-cultural connections Pandian is known for, Michelangelo’s Ghost is the most fast-paced and spellbinding Jaya Jones novel to date.
When Jaya’s old professor dies under eerie circumstances shortly after discovering manuscripts that point to a treasure in Italy’s Park of Monsters, Jaya and her brother pick up the trail. From San Francisco to the heart of Italy, Jaya is haunted by a ghost story inexorably linked to the masterpieces of a long-dead artist and the deeds of a modern-day murderer. Untrustworthy colleagues, disappearing boyfriends, and old enemies—who can Jaya trust when the ghost wails?
My Thoughts
An exciting, adventure and educational full novel that demands your attention and leaves you never wanting to put it down.
I love history, I took the majority of my university electives in anthropology and history while studying for my Bachelor’s degree. I loved learning about people that lived hundreds of years ago, their culture and their beliefs. This story is based on one of the greatest artists in history – Michelangelo. In this novel, we find missing art, unfinished manuscripts, deception and a murder.
Jaya, a strong, intelligent young woman who I admired throughout the novel, heads to Italy with her brother and his new girlfriend to follow the missing trail of art. This is when the story gets very interesting! We find a town wrapped up in superstition (not uncommon for these parts), secrets, lies and a garden full of mystery. Every layer of this novel is intricately woven and revealed to us slowly. The path the novel follows is not one I had expected! I definitely was not expecting the ending that happened but it was perfect and fit the book excellently.
Michelangelo’s Ghost is a well written novel that draws you in chapter by chapter, as you follow Jaya as she seeks to help discover a possible lost art treasure and hiding spot of the great artist. It is full of mystery, suspense and leaves you on the edge of your seat to the last minute. You will not regret one minute of this novel!
You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian is the child of cultural anthropologists from New Mexico and the southern tip of India. She spent her childhood being dragged around the world, and now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Gigi writes the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries, the Accidental Alchemist mysteries, and locked-room mystery short stories. Gigi’s debut novel, Artifact, was awarded a Malice Domestic Grant and named a “Best of 2012” debut by Suspense Magazine. Her fiction has been awarded the Lefty Award and short-listed for Macavity and Agatha Awards. Sign up for her email newsletter at www.gigipandian.com/newsletter
You can connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.
The Giveaway!
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 10, 2016
Killer In the Band Spotlight
It’s the summer of love and murder in Killer In the Band.
About Killer In the Band
Joshua’s eldest son, Joshua “J.J.” Thornton Jr., has graduated at the top of his class from law school and returns home to spend the summer studying for the bar exam. However, to Joshua’s and Cameron’s shock and dismay, J.J. moves into the main house at Russell Ridge Farm, the largest dairy farm in the Ohio Valley, to rekindle a romance with Suellen Russell, a onetime leader of a rock group who’s twice his age. Quickly, they learn that she has been keeping a deep dark secret.
The move brings long-buried tensions between the father and son to the surface. But when a brutal killer strikes, the Lovers in Crime must set all differences aside to solve the crime before J.J. ends up in the cross hairs of a murderer.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
About the Author
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!
Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, romance, and humor.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Connect with Lauren: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
Book Trailer!
The Giveaway!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this spotlight and review later this month. All opinions expressed are my own.