May 6, 2016
Mars….With Venus Rising
In Mars….With Venus Rising, a meddling horse, paper bag floors and a flying saucer on the town square. The little town of Mars has it all including a brand new resident who might spell heartache for one of its own.
About Mars….With Venus Rising
Twenty-something Penn Davenport yearns for an exciting life in the big city and wants to shed the label of orphan that she’s worn for years. To achieve that dream, she must pass the CPA exam then move away from the two aunts who reared her after her parents died in a plane crash.
When John Townsend, full of life and the joy of living, moves to town, he rattles Penn’s view of herself, her life, and her dreams. Which isn’t such a bad thing until she falls for him and discovers he’s a pilot.
My Thoughts
Sweet, funny and romantic all rolled into one in Mars…With Venus Rising. We have a young, orphaned woman who has been so greatly affected by her past that she lets it take over her future. She is torn between staying with her Aunts and the comforts she has known and breaking free from the orphan stigma that she feels she carries.
John is like a breath of fresh air. He is fun, adventurous and everything that a person like Penn needs. He slowly brings her out of her shell with his personality but all of this comes to an abrupt stop when she discovers that he is a pilot. Then he becomes the man who brings back every pain she felt in her past.
Penn goes through many changes throughout this novel, sometimes it is one step forward, two steps back. But throughout the novel, you keep rooting for her. You can feel her pain and uncertainty but you still want her to experience the joys of life, instead of only partially living because of her pain. The end makes you smile, cry, laugh and proud all at the same time!
Mars…With Venus Rising is a sweet and perfect romance for the summer months. A treasure that you will enjoy reading over and over again.
You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of the book here.
Rating: 4/5
About the Author
Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University as well as York Technical College. A member of ACFW, RWA and SinC, she writes for Almost an Author. Before writing novels, she published non-fiction articles on topics ranging from gardening with children to writing apprehension. She cheers for the Pittsburgh Steelers, ACC basketball, and Army West Point Football. Hope and her husband, Kevin, live in North Carolina and chat with their two daughters and twin sons through ooVoo.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
May 4, 2016
Kathryn Kelly: The Moll Behind “Machine Gun” Kelly
Kathryn Kelly: The Moll Behind “Machine Gun” Kelly is a biography of the woman who made a career of crime.
About Kathryn Kelly: The Moll Behind “Machine Gun” Kelly
With a lust for danger, she masterminded the crimes that took her and her husband, and others who included her own mother and stepfather, on a spree across Minnesota, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Texas. Starting with smaller crimes the included bootlegging, smuggling liquor onto an Oklahoma Indian reservation and other petty crimes, she encouraged her husband, George Barnes aka Georgle Kelly, toward a life of more serious criminal activity that escalated into bank robberies, kidnapping and extortion.
Many believe that it was Kathryn, after giving him a machine gun, who developed George’s feared persona and the name of Machine Gun Kelly. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover was even convinced that the two were somehow connected in the Lindbergh kidnapping. Kathryn and Machine Gun Kelly were eventually captured after kidnapping Charles Urschel, a wealthy Oklahoma City oilman, and collecting a $200,000 ransom the largest ransom ever paid at that time.
Eventually, the two were captured in Memphis, where Kelly had grown up as boy. During their trial in Oklahoma City, movie cameras were allowed into the courtroom for the first time as curious spectators across the nation watched. Kathryn, while claiming to be an innocent victim in a bad marriage, remained unrepentant, smiling and primping for the cameras, and writing threatening letters to the judge and attonrys assigned to the case as well as her victims.
Convicted in 1933, Kathryn served twenty-five years of her life sentence at FPC Alderson, West Virginia, when in 1958 she was finally released into obscurity. Although much has been written about Machine Gun Kelly, there is very little known about Kathryn.
Through narrative, FBI files, rare quotes from George Kelly’s son and other relatives and associates, extensive research, and several photographs, Kathryn Kelly ¬The Moll behind Machine Gun Kelly is the first book ever written about a woman who chose to follow a life of crime during the Prohibition era.
My Thoughts
This is one of my first biographies that I have read and reviewed. When I first saw the cover and read the book description, I knew I had to read this book. A woman who was confident, courageous, dangerous and a criminal? I had to find out her story, especially as I had never heard about her before.
The book starts off by giving us some insight into how and whom Kathryn and George grew up. It showed us the turning points for both of them and how they went from small crimes to the one crime that made them famous. We see this intimate side of Kathryn and how she may have helped masterminded the kidnapping. I wasn’t even aware that at the time in history, kidnapping was common for ransom money! We are given very detailed information about the kidnapping, their hideout afterwards and their subsequent apprehension and trial. I was amazed that during this whole time, Kathryn had no fear – she believed she would be out in no time that George would save her.
I loved the amount of detail and research that went into this book. The depth that Barbara goes into is amazing. You feel as if you really know Kathryn, her struggles, fears and what she loves. This novel was an incredible journey into a dangerous time in history full of crime, love and passion.
You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Rating: 4/5
About the Author
Barbara Casey is a partner in Strategic Media Books, and president of the Barbara Casey Agency, representing authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan. She is also a manuscript consultant and the author of numerous articles, poems, and short stories.
Her award-winning novels have received national recognition, including the Independent Publishers Book Award. Her novel, The House of Kane, was considered for a Pulitzer nomination, and The Gospel According to Prissy, also a contemporary adult novel received several awards including the prestigious IPPY Award for Best Regional Fiction. Her most recent young adult novel, The Cadence of Gypsies, received the Independent Publishers Living Now Award and was reviewed by the Smithsonian for its list of Best Books.
Ms. Casey makes her home on the top of a mountain in northwest Georgia with her husband and three dogs who adopted her: Benton, a hound-mix, Fitz, a miniature dachshund, and Gert, a Jack Russel terrier of sorts. You can connect with her on her website.
The Giveaway!
You can now enter to win one of five copies of Kathryn Kelly! Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
May 3, 2016
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir Giveaway
Two brand new superheroes have arrived, welcome Ladybug and Cat Noir on DVD March 3rd, 2016!
About Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
Marinette and Adrien, two seemingly normal kids live what appears to be an ordinary teen life in Paris with daily encounters that create amusing circumstances in school, with friends, family, and even with strangers. But when the evil Hawk Moth threatens their beloved city of Paris, they transform into the superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir using super powers gained with the help of their magical friends. Hawk Moth is using his evil energy to transform normal people into super villains, so our two heroes need to use all their skills to defeat him.
Becoming Ladybug is a complicated process. First, Marinette needs a “Kwami,” which is a tiny magical assistant (called Tikki). She also needs a “Miraculous,” which is a magical accessory (her special pair of earrings). Tikki uses the Miraculous to transform Marinette, but her Ladybug super powers only work for a limited time!
It is a good thing that she gets a little help from her superhero partner, Cat Noir even though she insists she doesn’t need him. If only she knew Cat Noir’s true identity – her school crush, Adrien! It will take a lot – friendship, teamwork and skill – to outwit Hawk Moth. Will Ladybug and Cat Noir be able to balance their double lives and keep Paris safe? Will they ever find out each other’s true identity? Until then – there is a whole city of baddies to defeat…SPOTS ON, CLAWS OUT!
Episodes Included:
- The Bubbler
- Mr. Pigeon
- Stormy Weather
- Timebreaker
- Copycat
- The Pharaoh
- Lady Wifi
- Bonus features include: sing along, episode animatics and cast and crew interviews
The Trailer
Check out the official trailer of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir:
Our Thoughts
Finally we have a strong young woman in the superhero lead in Ladybug! One of my favourite features of this DVD as sometimes we need to toss up our superhero leads a bit. This movie was bright, funny and full of adventure that children of both genders will love (I know it is a girl superhero but trust me boys will love it too!). The animations are fantastic and perfect for the attended age group. You can either watch episode by episode or binge watch all of episodes like we did – whatever works for your family! If you are ready for a new type of superhero, then Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir is definitely for you.
The Giveaway!
My Canadian and American readers can now enter to win their own copy of this spectacular new DVD from Shout! Kids Factory via the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this DVD in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
May 3, 2016
Captain America: The Ultimate Guide to the First Avenger
How can you not love Captain America? He is one of my favourite Marvel super hero. He started off as a kind but small young man and with his bravery he turns into the ultimate hero for his country. In Captain America: The Ultimate Guide to the First Avenger we learn everything and anything there is to know about this special hero.
About Captain America: The Ultimate Guide to the First Avenger
Follow Steve Rogers’ journey from the sickly and small Army volunteer to leader of the Avengers as well as his biggest adventures, battles, allies, and foes. Marvel’s Captain America: The Ultimate Guide to the First Avenger focuses on some of the character’s most famous comic book arcs, starting from the 1941 debut of Captain America Comics to modern day.
This book also features a foreword by renowned former president and chairman of Marvel Comics Stan Lee, Stan Lee, this book is the essential reading for any Captain America fan.
Our Thoughts
Well, our youngest so is the ultimate Captain fan, like seriously he wears his Captain costume everywhere. He was his brother’s school mascot, he plays at the park in his costume and if you are not careful you may just get a shield thrown at you as he practices his Captain throw. So I could not wait to see what he thought about the book.
So what did he think? He LOVED it! The book is in hardcover and is quite large, probably just smaller than a binder. The pictures were large, amazing and true to Marvel format. The inside facts were all new to us and we learned a lot about his character as he evolved over the years. You are able to watch as Captain starts from his humble but brave beginnings to become the saviour that America needed during this time period. We learn about his uniform, his shield, his loves, his support and we even learn how Captain changes from decade to decade as his character evolved.
The book is full of amazing facts and pictures that any Marvel fan and collector would love. Our son truly cherishes this book and will pop it out nightly so that we can read a few pages from it each night before he goes to bed. This is a definite must have for the Avenger and Captain America fan in your home!
You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.
Rating: 5/5
Disclosure: I received the above mentioned book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
May 2, 2016
#LetsTalkRESPs with CST on May 5th
When I gave birth to my children it was magical time for us. I could not believe how much love I had for them and how I wanted them to have everything that I could possibly provide for them. This is why it was so important for me to open them up RESP accounts. I wanted to ensure they had every opportunity to access higher education without fear of debt.
RESPs give parents the ability to save monthly for your child’s post secondary education without causing a financial strain on the family budget, I choose what I want to pay monthly into their accounts and if we need to pull back a little for a couple of months this has always been okay. The best part is anyone can contribute to your child’s RESP, which makes the perfect birthday and Christmas gifts (especially as they get older and you can’t imagine another toy in your home!).
Get your questions ready to join in for the #letstalkRESPs on May 5th with Parent Life Network and Canada Scholarship Trust (CST) Consultants on Twitter for a party! Join us for an hour of fun to get your burning RESP questions answered. We’ll be giving away $1,000 in that hour!
Date: Thursday, May 5
Time: 9 p.m. EDT
Hashtag: #letstalkRESPs
Hosts: Peter Lewis, CST Vice President (and resident expert), @ParentLifeNet & @CSTConsultants
Eligibility: Canada-wide
Please make sure you RSVP to be eligible to win:
For a chance to win a prize during the twitter party you must RSVP by registering here:
Looking forward to chatting with you on May 5th!