2016-05-24 by Karen

Available for Pre-Order: Tribe of the Snow Tiger (Legends of Windemere) by Charles E. Yallowitz

Now Available on Amazon for Pre-Order!
Coming to your Kindle on June 1st!

Timoran Wrath has a shameful secret that is about to see the light of day.

The noble barbarian has always been a constant source of strength and wisdom for his beloved friends. His loyalty has been unwavering and they know that he would never hesitate to lay down his life for them. Even in their darkest hour, the champions know that Timoran will come through and fight to the bitter end. Now they must return the favor as he reunites with his tribe and willingly faces the executioner’s blade.

Is it possible that the honorable Timoran was nothing more than an illusion?

Don’t forget to add it to your Goodreads ‘To Read’ List too!

Excerpt: The Snow Tiger

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“The snow is too bright and level for me to see anything clearly,” the barbarian growls. The sound of shuffling and mild cursing draws his attention to Nyx who has sunk up to her nose in snow. “What are you doing, fire sprite?”

Nyx shivers while squinting into the distance, her eyes coated in bronze energy. “The reason you can’t see anything might be because you’re too tall. I’m trying to see if there’s anything that breaks the level ground. My eyes are enhanced right now, but I don’t . . . wait a second . . . I think there’s something buried out there. A beast of some kind? It’s a very subtle up and down motion that reminds me of something breathing. It just stopped moving, but I don’t know what that means. I’ll lead the way.”

Not waiting for a response, Nyx pushes through the thick snow and uses wind magic to gradually shift the powder out of her path. She does her best to move quietly and avoid disturbing whatever they are approaching, but the crunch of frozen grass beneath her boots makes the half-elf cringe with every step. A violent sneeze threatens to erupt from her nose, stifled quickly by a silence spell around her nostrils. Rubbing at her cold legs, Nyx is thankful when Timoran puts a vest made of black fur over her. The Ifrit hair warms her body and drives away the looming cold that has been brewing in her chest for the last few minutes. With renewed energy, the channeler walks a little faster and adds a simple heat spell to the wind that is steadily clearing the path.

“Wow. Such a beautiful creature,” she whispers when she steps into a circular clearing that surrounds the dead beast.

The enormous snow tiger’s blue and black fur is thick, the hairs sparkling when touched by direct sunlight. It has long incisors of glistening white that jut out of its mouth due to their size and sharpness. A slender tail lies limp in the exposed grass and still twitches as the muscles continue to lose their tension. Powerful legs and massive paws are splayed on the ground, giving the body the appearance of having peacefully died in its sleep. The gaping wound in the gorgeous snow tiger’s side is the only sign of an attack, the surrounding fur matted with aromatic blood.

Timoran’s rage boils when he spots the three cubs that are mewling and pushing against their dead mother. Judging from their size and faint, black stripes, he assumes they are no older than three months. Rusty manacles are attached to their back legs, the chains running to a stake that has been driven into the muddy earth. Restraining his anger, the barbarian moves within reach of the animals and gently breaks the metal bindings that are bruising their ankles. Scared and confused, the cubs cower against the still warm corpse and hiss whenever one of the adventurers comes close. One of the snow tigers bravely charges at Timoran and bites his boot, proudly returning to the others when the towering figure moves away.

**Need to catch Legends of Windemere from the beginning? Then click on the covers below!**

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Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

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Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
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Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

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Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Interested in a new adventure? Then grab your Kindle & dive back into the world of Windemere! Don’t forget an apple for Fizzle.

About the Author:

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After his wife decided that she was tired of hearing the same stories repeatedly, she convinced him that it would make more sense to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house under orders to shut up and get to work, Charles brings you Legends of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you, and his wife is happy he finally has someone else to play with.

Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com

2014-03-16 by Karen

the MILK of Female Kindness – an ANTHOLOGY of Honest Motherhood by Kasia James (ed.)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Plot
(by Goodreads)

‘Mother’ is a word heavy with associations.

Becoming a mother is surely one of the biggest changes and challenges in a woman’s life. It is at once an absolutely unique experience, and yet one which is so common that it is often overlooked. Motherhood is intense, relentless and absorbing, in all senses of the word.

Popular culture seems to have a split personality when it comes to motherhood – at once holding it up as a sacred ideal, and yet being a little dismissive of women as mothers. A diverse international group of women have been brave enough to share their stories, poetry and artwork to encourage you to think and feel about this most influential of relationships in a new and enlightened way.

***Contains Reading Group Questions***

My Opinion

This book is clearly structured. Cover, Contents, and Introduction are followed by the short stories, collages, poems, and illustrations. The Contributors’ chapter introduces you to the authors, a very nice supplement. The Discussion Questions complete the book, really make it whole.

the MILK of Female Kindness – an ANTHOLOGY of Honest Motherhood is certainly not a fast read. Instead, I needed to absorb the story I just read before I could start reading the next one. Some stories are heart-breaking, all may make you contemplate your life from a different point of view.

The experiences made, differ from one story to the next. While reading, I could often relate. Reading also made me grateful. My family always believed in me and my decisions.

Congratulations to all who participated in creating this book! Reading the MILK of Female Kindness – an ANTHOLOGY of Honest Motherhood does not only mean time well spent. This book provides food for thought even before reaching the reading group questions.

the MILK of Female Kindness – an ANTHOLOGY of Honest Motherhood is a book to read again. The questions for discussion certainly ensure amazing insights.

About the editor:

Kasia James writes primarily science fiction, with forays into other slightly unreal realities, and is the author of the novel ‘The Artemis Effect’.

She reads widely and eclectically, in all genres from classics to mysteries to the occasional romance.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia, with a hydrologist and a big black cat called George.

My statement on reading is described in My train of thoughts on …reading. Now I am asking you. 🙂

My questions for you bibliophiles:
What about you? What did you think about the MILK of Female Kindness – an ANTHOLOGY of Honest Motherhood? Or – if you did not yet read the MILK of Female Kindness – an ANTHOLOGY of Honest Motherhood – are you now interested?

I am looking forward to reading your comments. 🙂

2014-02-28 by Karen

1/1: Jihad-Britain by Jack Everett, David Coles

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Plot
(by Goodreads)

New Years’ Eve: the world parties on unaware as a toll of death far beyond 9/11 and 7/7 spreads across Britain. The UK makes its own rules as 1/1 dawns and they don’t include fair play. A global-warming fuelled disaster engulfs the country. Can its citizens pull together despite differing skin colour and culture? Years later and still at large, the New Year bomber has a private agenda and a nuclear bomb.

My Opinion

When reading this thriller I was impressed by the story’s evolution. The readers not only learn what happens at New Year; they also learn why some of the terrorists started to be trained and to put their evil deeds into action. We also learn what the new Prime Minister, Francis D. Raike is up to – regarding the national safety. The characters are realistic and believable with all their flaws. The story is is best read at a slow pace, which is good, given the alternating locales and protagonists. The story drew me in, making it difficult to put the book away between chapters.

The authors Jack Everett (http://www.jackleverett.me.uk/) and David Coles (http://www.davidbcoles.co.uk/) have written together for many years and are the best of friends.

Congratulations, Jack and David! Reading 1/1: Jihad-Britain means time well very spent. 🙂

A must read for all thriller fans.

I am looking forward to reading further books by David Coles and Jack Everett.

1/1: Jihad-Britain as a movie?! Absolutely!

My statement on reading is described in My train of thoughts on …reading. Now I am asking you. 🙂

My questions for you bibliophiles:
What about you? What did you think about 1/1: Jihad-Britain? Or – if you did not yet read 1/1: Jihad-Britain – are you now interested?

My question for you cinephiles:
If 1/1: Jihad-Britain was filmed – who should direct it, who could you imagine as actors?

I am looking forward to reading your comments. 🙂

Related articles:

Review – The Diamond Seekers

10 Statements – Jack Everett

10 Statements – David Coles

2013-10-24 by Karen

Finding Meara by Lara Schiffbauer

Finding Meara
by
Lara Schiffbauer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free eBook of Finding Meara from Story Cartel in exchange for an honest review.

Plot
(by Goodreads)

To keep her safe, Hazel Michelli’s parents never told her she was adopted, or that her birthplace was in an alternative land where magic and monsters exist. She found out the truth the day a ferocious winged creature stole her from her Denver apartment and delivered her to Lucian, the sadistic Lifeforce magician who happens to be Hazel’s biological father.

“Dysfunctional family” takes on new meaning when she learns Lucian must sacrifice a daughter to maintain immortality and take over the Realm. When Hazel’s younger half-sister disappears just days before the Rite, Lucian moves Hazel to the top of the sacrificial short list.

Afraid, yet compelled to protect her four-year-old half-sister, Hazel races between both worlds, searching for Meara while being hunted by Lucian. Their lives, and the future of the Realm, leave her no room for failure.

My Opinion

It is true: The idea does not seem new at first. Just a few pages into the story you realise that this is different. The story evolves into an adventurous hunt to save a little girl. Hazel is abducted by a winged creature, finds herself talking to a bird, is befriended by a cat, and nothing is as it used to be. It is a pleasure to see how Hazel’s character develops throughout the story. I actually cheered her and her friends on. 😉 No. I will not tell you more. This would spoil the fun of reading this book yourself.

With this first volume of a fantasy series, Lara Schiffbauer proves that it is not required to provide never ending descriptions. You can clearly imagine her surroundings and those she deals with. Finding Meara is a seemingly light read – it provides food for thought, however.

Now I am waiting for the next book in the Adven Realm Adventure series about Hazel, Arden, Quinn, Tavi, etc. 🙂

Lara Schiffbauer (http://www.laraschiffbauer.com) is the very promising author of this fantasy novel (Finding Meara). In 2010, her horror flash fiction story The Copier was published in the anthology Daily Bites of Flesh 2011: 365 Days of Flash Fiction. In 2011, her erotic horror story Phantom Deposit was published in the anthology Steamy Screams, and in February 2012 her urban fantasy short story Bear Hug was published online at Hogglepot.

A must read for all readers who enjoy adventures and a little romance, and good versus evil plots.

I am looking forward to reading more of Hazel’s adventures in the Realm.

My statement on reading is described in My train of thoughts on …reading. Now I am asking you. 🙂

My questions for you bibliophiles:
What about you? What did you think about Finding Meara? Or – if you did not yet read Finding Meara – are you now interested in reading it yourself?

I am looking forward to your comments.

2013-10-04 by Karen

Happy Every Day by Bryan L. Hutchinson

Happy Every Day
by
Bryan Hutchinson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer:
I received a free eBook of ‘Happy Every Day – Simple, Effective Ways to Better Days’ from Story Cartel in exchange for an honest review.

Plot
(by Goodreads)

26 simple, realistic and actionable strategies to help you become happier and live with more passion and satisfaction.

It’s too easy to give in to the daily grind and become filled with stress, anxiety and anxiousness, and then become creatively blocked, unproductive and unhappy. But when you take a few specifically designed moments each day for yourself you can re-energize your enthusiasm, motivation, and passion.

When happy you are naturally more productive and creative.

If you are like most people, then you are conditioned to wait for the next shoe to drop. It’s not your fault, and there’s no one to blame. It’s just the way it is and there’s nothing you can do about it. Or is there?

Happiness is a state of a mind, and you alone have the power to decide how happy you can be. You just might not know it yet.

These strategies will help you recognize and transform your thinking into a positive mindset that has you excited to start each day and live your passion to the fullest. Light, easy-to-digest tips will guide you to happiness not just today, but every day.

My Opinion

It is true: There are lots of guidelines out there, promising you miracles beyond your imagination. This book is certainly not one of them. It is a guide to – as the subtitle very appropriately shows – ‘simple, effective ways to better days’.

Happy Every Day is clearly structured. It consists of two parts “Part 1: Good Things” and “Part 2: Moments in Time” – and it works for those willing to accept the guidance.

Every topic starts with a quote, followed by an explanation and experiences Bryan made in his life. He provides useful hints and suggests journal entries. I would definitely not categorize myself as unhappy. Despite that, I started a journal. When reading this journal, I realized that I knew prior to my entries that some of these apparently small things that make me happy are really impressive on paper. Even if not everything you are going to read in Happy Every Day will be complete news to you, the collection and structure of the sections provides impressive – yet very easy to follow – insights.

Happy Every Day is not too short and not too blown up, therefore it is an attractive read.

About the author

Bryan Hutchinson (www.adderworld.com) is a renowned author and online blogger who writes about his life experiences and life-lessons. He’s sometimes humorous and sometimes serious, but he’s always insightful, positive and enthusiastic. Bryan believes everyone is special and unique, and with a little help and support, are well able to overcome their struggles and live out their dreams and passions.

Bryan’s blogs are: www.adderworld.com and the other about life as a creative: www.positivewriter.com

A must read for all readers who enjoy a guideline on how to be happy.

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My statement on reading is described in My train of thoughts on …reading. Now I am asking you. 🙂

My questions for you bibliophiles:
What about you? What did you think about Happy Every Day? Or – if you did not yet read Happy Every Day – are you now interested in reading it yourself?

I am looking forward to your comments on this worthwhile non-fiction read.