5.15.2015

A Twist of Fortune Book Excerpt Tour ~ Excerpt Number 10 with Giveaway

A Twist of Fortune
By Mike Martin

About the Author
Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a longtime freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine.

The Walker on the Cape was his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Sgt.Windflower Mystery Series. The Body on the T was the second book, Beneath the Surface is the third installment and A Twist of Fortune is the newest book in the series.

He is a member of Ottawa Independent Writers, Capital Crime Writers, the Crime Writers of Canada and the Newfoundland Writers’ Guild.

For More Information
 Visit Mike Martin’s website.
 Connect with Mike on Facebook and Twitter.
 More books by Mike Martin.
Contact Mike.

About the Book:
Title: A Twist of Fortune (Book 4 of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series)
Author: Mike Martin
Publisher: Booklocker
Pages: 278
Genre: Mystery
Format: Paperback

A Twist of Fortune is the fourth book in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series and it continues the adventures of Sgt. Windflower as he tries to solve crime and experience the joy and the sadness of life in a small maritime community. Follow along as he feels the
sometimes bitter taste of an east coast winter and the unique culinary delights of this part of the world.


For More Information
A Twist of Fortune is available at Amazon.

Excerpt #10:

When he looked up Tizzard was standing in front of him.
“I’ve got everybody lined up for tonight,” said Tizzard. “Any word from Marystown?” asked Windflower. “They have all been processed and are sitting in a holding cell waiting for the judge to release them,” said
Tizzard. Since the protests and arrests had begun, the procedure had been to have a judge or justice of the peace formally charge the protesters and then release them with the conditions of staying away from the protest site, and agreeing to reappear in court at a later date. “The boys said that Sheila was calm and helped the older ladies who were with her. You should take a break yourself, you know. It could be a long night.”
“I think I will,” said Windflower. He packed up his briefcase and headed out the door, waving goodbye to Betsy on the way out.

Giveaway!

Enter to win an autographed copy of Mike Martin’s The Walker on the Cape
Book 1 of the Sgt. Windflower Mysteries series!  
Leave comments on each blog stop for 5 extra entries!

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5.13.2015

The Brass Giant ~ Review with Giveaway

The Brass Giant
A Chroniker City Story
By Brooke Johnson

Petra Wade wants to be a engineer with the Guild.  But she is a girl and as such is not allowed to enter the Guild.  But Petra knows that she belongs in the Guild, she feels it in her very being.  If only she could convince the members of the Guild that she has the skills needed to earn her a place within its walls.

But Petra doesn't know who she is, she's one of the victims of the Guild fire, she lost her family and her heritage.  Her days are spent working as a shop girl cleaning and tinkering with damaged clocks and similar small machines.

But when she sees a young engineer showing off his automaton, she can't help pointing out its flaws.  Her knowledge and critique convince Emmerich Goss that he needs Petra's assistance if he is to perfect his automaton within the time frame he has been given.

But accepting Emmerich's offered chance will put them both in danger.  And if caught the charge is treason with a possible sentence of execution.  But something about Emmerich and the chance to create an automaton is worth the risk.  

More than her life is at stake if she's not careful, she could lose her heart.

But there is a faction that is determined to change the world forever and Petra's work with Emmerich is about to become the catalyst that will decide the fate of the world.  Who can be trusted?  And who is manipulating the Guild?  Discovering the truth may be Petra and Emmerich's only hope.

The Brass Giant is an exciting and entertaining story.  Fans of Steampunk, Romance, Alternate Histories, Mysteries, or just Fiction in general will find much to love in this book.

I was provided a digital loan of this book in exchange for my honest review, but I enjoyed this book so much I purchased a copy so that I could read it again at a later date.  I, for one, hope to read more Chroniker City stories in the not too distant future.

Title: The Brass Giant
Author: Brooke Johnson
Publisher: Harper Voyage Impulse
Genre: Steampunk
Format: Kindle

Sometimes, even the most unlikely person can change the world

Seventeen-year-old Petra Wade, self-taught clockwork engineer, wants nothing more than to
become a certified member of the Guild, an impossible dream for a lowly shop girl. Still, she
refuses to give up, tinkering with any machine she can get her hands on, in between working and
babysitting her foster siblings.

When Emmerich Goss–handsome, privileged, and newly recruited into the Guild–needs help
designing a new clockwork system for a top-secret automaton, it seems Petra has finally found
the opportunity she’s been waiting for. But if her involvement on  the project is discovered,
Emmerich will be marked for treason, and a far more dire fate would await Petra.

Working together in secret, they build the clockwork giant, but as the deadline for its completion
nears, Petra discovers a sinister conspiracy from within the Guild council … and their automaton
is just the beginning.

To Purchase The Brass Giant:


EXCERPT

A machine is more than its function, more than the parts that shape it. 
The gears, pinions, and springs, they make the machine tick, but deeper 
than that—beyond the spindles and bearings, beyond the weights and 
levers—a machine is truth. 
Lady Chroniker


About the Author:
Brooke is a stay-at-home mom, amateur seamstress, RPG enthusiast, and art hobbyist, in 
addition to all that book writing. As the jack-of-all-trades bard of the family, she adventures through life with her fiercely-bearded paladin of a husband, their daughter the sticky-fingered rogue, and their cowardly wizard of a dog, with only a sleep spell in his spellbook.                                                                                                                                                                                                   They currently reside in Northwest Arkansas, but once they earn enough loot and experience, they’ll build a proper castle somewhere and defend against all manner of dragons and goblins, and whatever else dares take them on.


For More Information
Visit Brooke at her website
Connect with her online at the following:



Facebook

Twitter


Google Plus

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5.12.2015

American Sniper ~ Blu-ray/DVD Combo Giveaway and Exclusive Trailer



American Sniper has taken the entertainment world by storm as both a book and a movie. The movie is about to become available for home viewing.  On May 19th you can view it in the comfort of your own home.  Your purchase of this movie will help the Wounded Warrior Project - read the press release below for more about this donation and be sure to enter the Blue-ray Combo pack giveaway.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“The best film of the year.”
— Kyle Smith, New York Post

EXPERIENCE THE MOST LETHAL SNIPER IN 
U.S. HISTORY WHEN
AMERICAN SNIPER
ARRIVES ONTO BLU-RAY COMBO PACK, DVD 
and DIGITAL HD ON May 19, 2015 FROM 
WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT 

Warner Bros. to donate up to $1 million to 
Wounded Warrior Project



Burbank, CA, April 15, 2015 – From director Clint Eastwood comes “American Sniper,” arriving onto Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD on May 19 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, A Mad Chance Production, A 22nd and Indiana Production. “American Sniper” stars Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, whose skills as a sniper made him a hero on the battlefield. But there was much more to him than his skill as a sharpshooter.

A two-time Oscar® nominee for his work in “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle,” Cooper stars alongside Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Cory Hardrict, Kevin Lacz, Navid Negahban and Keir O’Donnell.

Oscar®-winning filmmaker Clint Eastwood (“Million Dollar Baby,” “Unforgiven”) directed “American Sniper” from a screenplay written by Jason Hall, based on the book by Chris Kyle, with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice. The autobiography was a runaway bestseller, spending 18 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, 13 of those at number one.

The film is produced by Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan. Tim Moore, Jason Hall, Sheroum Kim, Steven Mnuchin and Bruce Berman served as executive producers.

American Sniper” will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack and includes the film in high definition on Blu-ray disc, a DVD, and a digital version of the movie in Digital HD with UltraViolet. Fans can also own “American Sniper” via purchase from digital retailers.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will donate a portion of the proceeds across physical and digital sales to Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP). One dollar of each purchase will be donated up to $1,000,000 from April 21, 2015 through December 31, 2015, void in Alabama, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi and South Carolina. To get involved and learn more, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.com.

The mission of Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To learn more about WWP’s life-saving programs and services, please visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs.

Synopsis
From director Clint Eastwood comes “American Sniper,” starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, whose skills as a sniper made him a hero on the battlefield. But there was much more to him than his skill as a sharpshooter.

Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield, and as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “Legend.” However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. He is also facing a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good
husband and father from halfway around the world.

Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the spirit of the SEAL creed to “leave no one behind.” But upon returning to his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller), and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.

BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS
“American Sniper” Blu-ray Combo Pack & Two Disc DVD contains the following
special features:

* One Soldier’s Story: The Journey of American Sniper

Join director Clint Eastwood and his creative team, along with
Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller, as they overcome enormous 
creative and logistic obstacles to make a film that brings the truth of 
Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's story to the screen.

* Making of American Sniper

Through the generosity of Warner Bros. I have one Blu-ray Combo Pack (SRP $44.95) to giveaway to one (1) resident of the United States.  If you want to help the Wounded Warriors Project through your purchase of this item I have included a link to Amazon for you to purchase this item.

 Rafflecopter Entry form:

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5.10.2015

No Place to Hide ~ Review

No Place to Hide
Hidden Identity #3
By Lynette Eason

When Jackie Sellers goes to check on a longtime friend who's in trouble she didn't realize what she was getting herself into. Helping Ian Lockwood, who has just been listed as a possible terrorist, brings her to the attention of the very people who are now after Ian.

But helping Ian to clear his name is more complicated than either of them anticipated.  And when the people looking for them keep finding them, they have no place to hide.  But how are they being tracked?  And who can they turn to for help?

No Place to Hide is the concluding book in the Hidden Identity series about Operation Refuge agency.  And this time one of their own is in need of their help.

This is an exciting-keep-you-up-all-night suspense.  If you are familiar with Lynette's previous works you will not be disappointed in No Place to Hide.  And if you haven't read her before, but love suspense you are in for a treat.  Her characters have depth and aren't two dimensional figures.  The feelings that the characters exhibit are both believable and relatable to the reader.

Get ready to discover some secrets and be prepared for some intense scenes that will keep you in suspense as to the outcome.

I was provided a copy of this book by Revell through their blogger program in exchange for my honest review.

She'll defend her friend until the bitter end--but is she in over her head?

It's not every day you see your childhood friend and onetime crush on national news. Jackie Sellers just wishes it were under different circumstances. She can't believe that Ian Lockwood is wanted in connection with a terrorist plot, and she's determined to find him and help him clear his name. Unfortunately, she's not the only one looking for him. The FBI wants him captured. The bad guys want him dead. Ian just wants to stay alive long enough to prove his innocence and prevent a catastrophe.

Lynette Eason delivers nonstop action as Jackie and Ian travel a dangerous road--one that may lead straight to destruction.

Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of the Women of Justice series and the Deadly Reunions series, as well as No One to Trust and Nowhere to Turn. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. She has a master's degree in education from Converse College, and she lives in South Carolina. Learn more at www.lynetteeason.com.

Ian Quicksilver: The Warriors Return ~ Review

Ian Quicksilver
The Warrior's Return
Book 1
By Alyson Peterson

Ian's never been noticed, it's as if the first 15 years of his life he has been invisible.  Until now.  New gym teacher Coach Corbin seems determined to make his life miserable.  He's everywhere that Ian is and his eyes seem to glow (not that anyone else has noticed).

And Coach Corbin has just shocked Ian with some really strange news.  Ian's not human and he has to find a missing princess before his sixteenth birthday and they have to fall in love.  Major over the top OUCH!  How's a kid who can't even get his foster family to notice him, much less his fellow students, find a princess and get her to notice him enough to fall in love with him.

The fate of two magical worlds depends upon the success of this quest that he hasn't remembered that he remembers.  And worse the princess he seeks doesn't know who she is or of their unique betrothal.  But when Ian meets Arianna he instinctively knows that she is the one he seeks.

But someone is determined to prevent this peace from occurring, and he is willing to kill Ian and Arianna to do this.

Ian Quicksilver: The Warrior's Return is a story that will delight readers.  Ian is the nerdy nobody that just seems to drift through life until he discovers a purpose, a quest.  Arianna is the beautiful girl that everyone wants to be around, but nobody truly knows.  Can these two unlikely young people rediscover what they have lost and become the heroes that their worlds need?

This is only the beginning with a promise of what may come...

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review and tour participation.
About the book:
Nerdy foster kid Ian just found out it’s up to him to save the galaxy. But the only way he can do it is with help from the hottest girl in school, Arianna—who doesn’t remember that she and Ian are exiles from another planet—or that they’re betrothed. So . . . that’s awkward. Funny and full of twists, this is one sci-fi adventure you won’t want to miss!
About the author:
Alyson Peterson lives in a mountainside gully –of all places– in northern Utah with her neurotic, shed-tastic dog, two ninja kids, and superhero husband.  She spends her time painting, breaking bones at her Martial Arts class (mostly her own) and reading as many books as she can get her hands on.

5.08.2015

The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest ~ Review

The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest
A Medieval Fairy Tale
By Melanie Dickerson

She hunts so that the poor may eat, but poaching upon the lands of the margrave could cost her everything if she is caught.  But no one would ever suspect the niece of a wealthy merchant of poaching.

Jorgen Hartman has become the forester, a gamekeeper, for the margrave Lord Thornbeck.  He is determined to do his duty by the margrave and to bring in the poacher of whom he has found evidence.

Odette Menkels has captured the attention of Jorgen Hartman, but he is beneath her in status.  There is something about her that won't let him forget her.  But a forester has no hope of marrying a daughter of the merchant class, even if she seems taken with him as well.

But Odette has a secret that could destroy any feelings Jorgen has for her.  And Jorgen's determination to bring the poacher to justice could very well reveal her secret.  But Odette has been deceived.  Her efforts for the poor have been thwarted and when she discovers the truth she has a decision to make.

The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest is another delight from Melanie Dickerson.  There is a sweet charm within her books that just draws the reader into the story making it difficult to put down until the last page is turned.  For readers looking for an uplifting, clean read for the tweens and teens in their life this is one you;ll want to add to your library.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher through the BookLook blogger program in exchange for my honest review.

Book Description

Swan Lake meets Robin Hood when the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant by day becomes the region's most notorious poacher by night, and falls in love with the gamekeeper.
Jorgen is the gamekeeper for the wealthy margrave, and he is in pursuit of the poacher who has been killing and stealing the margrave's game. When he meets the lovely and refined Odette at the festival and shares a connection during a dance, he has no idea that at night she is the one who has been poaching the margrave's game.
Odette is caught up in a ring of black market sellers of poached animals. She thinks the game is going to feed the poor, who are all but starving, both in the city and just outside its walls. However, most of the animals are being sold by the greedy leader of the ring-her stepfather. When Odette discovers what he is doing, she threatens to expose him, putting herself in great danger.
The gamekeeper finds her poaching one night and shoots her, wounding her. When he realizes who she is, he hides her to keep her from being executed by the margrave and also to protect her from her stepfather. Jorgen and Odette will band together to stop the black market poaching ring . . . as they fall in love. But what will the margrave do when he discovers his gamekeeper is protecting a notorious poacher?
About the Author
Melanie Dickerson is the author of The Healer's Apprentice, a Christy Award finalist and winner of the National Reader's Choice Award for Best First Book. Melanie earned a bachelor's degree in special education from the University of Alabama and has been a teacher and a missionary. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Huntsville, Alabama.

Aoleon the Martian Girl: Great Pyramid of Cydonia ~ Review

Aoléon the Martian Girl
The Great Pyramid of Cydonia Part 5
By Brent LeVasseur

Gilbert, Aoléon, Bizwat, Helios, and Zoot have made it to the Great Pyramid of Cydonia.  A fifteen hundred mile trek through desert and many dangers has lead them to this the most dangerous part of their quest.

Gilbert's Nintendo gaming is about to pay off in a big way. And this is one skill that they need to help them stay alive.

But they discover more than Aoléon's parents within the structure and their mission just added another step in an already dangerous situation.

With the future of both Mars and Earth in the balance they have to defeat a powerful ancient alien, a computer intelligence with delusions of grandeur, an army of bots, and rescue Earth's cows and Mars' bovars.

Are you ready for the action to kick up?  Because this time they have no choice but to fight if they want to survive.  And the battle has been brought to Earth and there is nothing we can do to stop the invasion...

Aoléon the Martian Girl should appeal to preteens and young teens alike.  The illustrations throughout are colorful and fun.  The graphics are especially impressive in part 5 especially when our group of heroes find themselves on-board the mother ship.  Though not a graphic novel the illustrations will be an added plus for those who appreciate illustrations throughout their reading journey.

Prepare yourself  to be entertained and be sure to experience the entire series as these  parts are all necessary to enjoy it.

I was provided a copy of this book through iRead Book Tours in exchange for my honest review and tour participation.

Meet the Author:

Mr. LeVasseur enjoys crafting good stories based on lovable characters designed to translate well to multiple media formats such as books, games, movies, and toys. He lives in New York when he is not commuting between Southern California and Olympus Mons, Mars. His hobbies include writing, 3D animation, musical composition, and intergalactic space travel. He also enjoys various sports such as skiing, running, and exospheric skydiving.

Connect with Brent:   Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  Aoléon: The Martian Girl 




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