The Chocolate Clouds by Marc Remus - Spotlight

Today, I’m happy to feature one of my favorite authors! It’s Marc Remus, folks! If you’ve been following my blog, you’ve probably seen me review many of his books.

Today, I’m shining a spotlight on a book that’s been on my to-read list and that’s a semi-finalist in the Book Blogger Novel of the Year Award.

Meet… *drum roll*

The Chocolate Clouds by Marc Remus

 

 

Book info

The Chocolate Clouds by Marc Remus

Publisher: Misty Moon Books

Length: 227 Pages

Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Adventure

Publication Date: 31 December 2021

 

Book blurb

Everybody in Sugarland is overweight because there’s no food other than sweets. For decades, delicious Chocolate Clouds soared above Choco-Locoville, the hometown of ten-year-old Henry. They would melt in the intense summer sun and chocolate would drip from the sky. Henry’s family collected the drops and made a fortune, building a candy empire that controlled Sugarland’s food supply.

One morning, Henry wakes up to the shocking news that the Chocolate Clouds have disappeared. With the family‘s empire in jeopardy and Sugarland at risk of starvation, Henry now ventures beyond the scary Monster Mountains and embarks on a wild journey.

Along the way, he befriends magical creatures, learns about healthy food choices, and discovers that the Chocolate Clouds didn’t just disappear but were actually stolen. Now he must visit the creepy Barebone Island, where monsters are said to live…

 

Add The Chocolate Clouds on Goodreads.

Find the book on Amazon Canada, Amazon US, and Amazon UK.

 

Stay tuned for my book review of The Chocolate Clouds by Marc Remus, which I expect will be amazing!

 

About the Author:

Marc Remus is an award-winning German painter and author. His books have received more than twenty literary awards and have been translated into seven languages.

Remus was educated in the United States, graduated with a BA in art and illustration from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, and lived in Japan and Central America for many years. He has traveled to almost seventy countries and visited over a thousand cities, of which he has painted over two hundred. His work has been featured on TV and in many magazines and newspapers in Germany, USA, and Mexico.

During his art studies in California in the 1990s, Remus took his first children’s book illustration class. His college teacher inspired him to start writing and not just illustrating. The result was a picture book called Painting Brian, which led to his first book and eventually to the Magora series. In the early 2000s, Remus studied for four years at the Institute of Children’s Literature. In 2016 the Magora book, which he had initially written more than twenty years before, was finally published. During the five years that followed, eight more books were published, and Remus received many literary awards for his achievements.

Having a sweet tooth since childhood, Remus embarked on a new journey in 2019. Surrounded by many overweight friends and family members, Remus came up with an idea to teach children a healthy way of eating without preaching. This idea resulted in The Chocolate Clouds. It took the author two years to illustrate the book. With over 150 drawings, it is a rarity in children’s literature.

Today, Marc Remus is working on a new children’s book while The Chocolate Clouds are being translated into more languages. He continues to eat chocolate.

 

Discover the Magora series in my book reviews. 5-star reads!

Magora: The Gallery of Wonders (Book 1)

Magora: The Golden Maple Tree (Book 2)

Magora: The Bridge in the Fog (Book 3)

Magora: The Uprising (Book 4)

The Language Thieves

 

Connect with Marc Remus via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and his website.

 

About BBNYA:

This year, the Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the 50 books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 10 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website or take a peek over on Twitter. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

 

Check out more BBNYA spotlights on Nadaness In Motion

All the Whys of Delilah’s Demise by Neve Maslakovic

Becoming Animals by Olga Werby and Christopher Werby

Earthlings: The Beginning by Ray Star

Emma and the Minotaur by Jon Herrera

The Iron Crown by L.L. Macrae

Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson

Ascension of the Phoenix by Jessica Piro

By the Hand of Dragons: Rook by Alexzander Christion

Don’t Think a Single Thought by Diana Cambridge

Dragon's Reach by J.A. Andrews 

The Oracle Stone by Talli L. Morgan

Don’t Think a Single Thought by Diana Cambridge - Spotlight

There aren’t many good women’s fiction novels – not that I’ve seen – these days. That’s why I’m excited to shine a spotlight on another semi-finalist in the Book Blogger Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA).

Meet….

Don’t Think a Single Thought by Diana Cambridge

 

Book info

Publisher: Louise Walters Books

Length: 192 Pages

Genre: Literary Fiction, Women’s fiction, Adult

Publication date: 26 September 2019

 

Book blurb

1960s New York, and Emma Bowden seems to have it all – a glamorous Manhattan apartment, a loving husband, and a successful writing career.

But while Emma and her husband Jonathan are on vacation at the Hamptons, a child drowns in the sea, and suspicion falls on Emma.

As her picture-perfect life spirals out of control, and old wounds resurface, a persistent and monotonous voice in Emma’s head threatens to destroy all that she has worked for...

Taut, elegant and mesmerising, Don’t Think a Single Thought is a captivating exploration of mental health, of women's place in society, and of the inner workings of a picture-perfect marriage.

 

Add Don’t Think a Single Thought by Diana Cambridge on Goodreads

Find the book on AmazonCanada, Amazon US, or Amazon UK.

  

About the Author:

Diana Cambridge is an award-winning journalist. She has written for many national newspapers and magazines, gives regular writing workshops, and is a Writer-in-Residence at Sherborne, Dorset. 

She was Agony Aunt to Writing Magazine. She lives in Bath.

Connect with Diana Cambridge via Twitter.

About BBNYA:

This year, the Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the 50 books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 10 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website or take a peek over on Twitter. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

 
Check out more BBNYA spotlights on Nadaness In Motion

All the Whys of Delilah’s Demise by Neve Maslakovic

Becoming Animals by Olga Werby and Christopher Werby

Earthlings: The Beginning by Ray Star

Emma and the Minotaur by Jon Herrera

The Iron Crown by L.L. Macrae

Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson

Ascension of the Phoenix by Jessica Piro

By the Hand of Dragons: Rook by Alexzander Christion 

The Chocolate Clouds by Marc Remus

Dragon's Reach by J.A. Andrews 

The Oracle Stone by Talli L. Morgan 

By the Hand of Dragons: Rook by Alexzander Christion – Spotlight post

I’m shining a spotlight on yet another novel featuring dragons and this time chimeras too!

This book is a semi-finalist in the Book Blogger Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA).

Now let me introduce you to… *drum roll*

 

By the Hand of Dragons: Rook by Alexzander Christion

 

Book info

Publisher: Self-Published

Length: 551 Pages

Genre: Epic Dark Fantasy, Adult 

Date of Publication: 20 February 2019

Find the book on Amazon Canada, Amazon US, or Amazon UK.

Add By the Hand of Dragons via Goodreads.

 

Blurb

Sheath has just learned that he is not a boy, but a Chimera, a weapon created by powerful dragon magic to be the perfect warrior and win a war almost one believes is coming.

One of an army of 300 child soldiers, he must master every art of war and become powerful enough to defeat a threat that frightens even the Council of Dragons.

Can a boy, no matter how powerful his magic, win against assassins, politicians, giants, the Blood Soldiers of Loria and all the strange creatures, beasts and monsters that call Fuumashon home? He would say yes.

 

About the author:

Crafted and trained in South Florida, Alexzander grew up in sunshine, nice weather and bad schools. Son of a professional kickboxer and a church choir director, Alexzander had a happy eclectic childhood.

A student and lover of music, art and all things martial, he is a military veteran and also an avid anime, comic book, movie, tv and video game nerd.

He received his degree in TV and Film production as well as Communications in Frederick Maryland where he lives with his wife and three kids. If you get the chance, you really should talk to him, awesome dude.

 

About BBNYA:

This year, the Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the 50 books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 10 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website or take a peek over on Twitter. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

 

Check out more BBNYA spotlights on Nadaness In Motion

All the Whys of Delilah’s Demise by Neve Maslakovic

Becoming Animals by Olga Werby and Christopher Werby

Earthlings: The Beginning by Ray Star

Emma and the Minotaur by Jon Herrera

The Iron Crown by L.L. Macrae

Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson 

Ascension of the Phoenix by Jessica Piro 

Don’t Think a Single Thought by Diana Cambridge

The Chocolate Clouds by Marc Remus

Dragon's Reach by J.A. Andrews 

The Oracle Stone by Talli L. Morgan

Ascension of the Phoenix by Jessica Piro – Spotlight

New book I’m excited to feature on the Nadaness In Motion blog. If you know me or if you’ve been keeping up with the blog, you’ll know I’m a HUGE fan of crime and mystery novels.

That’s why I’m happy to introduce you to…

 

Ascension of the Phoenix by Jessica Piro

 

 

Blurb

To rise from ashes, one must be a phoenix.

With her skills in martial arts, detective Leila Wells is considered one of the best cops in New York City because she has apprehended every criminal to cross her path, except for one. And when the serial killer, Bryan Foster, returns, he devastates her world by killing her partner, but oddly leaves her alive.

To cope with this extreme loss, she finds release in street fighting. Successes with her fighting partner grant them an invitation to participate in the Rulers of the Realms Fighting Tag Tournament.

As Leila fights, she begins to heal, to accept how things have changed, and to possibly love again, but suspicions mount that the competition isn’t as innocent as it appears while a power rises within her—a dark and angry blaze urging her toward revenge.

Add Ascension of the Phoenix Goodreads.

 

 

More info about the book

Publisher: Self-Published

Length: 300 Pages

Genre: Suspense Thriller, Action, Adult

Publication Date: 24 August 2020

Find Ascension of the Phoenix via Amazon Canada, Amazon UK, Amazon US.

 

About the Author:

Jessica Piro is the author of The Phoenix Trilogy, writes in multiple genres, and is in a wheelchair with Type 1 Diabetes. Her works cater to young adults, new adults, and adults.

Piro graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She lives in Northeast Louisiana with her parents and two brothers.

Connect with the author via her website, Facebook page, and Twitter.

 

About BBNYA:

This year, the Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the 50 books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 10 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website or take a peek over on Twitter. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

 

Check out more spotlights from BBNYA on Nadaness In Motion

All the Whys of Delilah’s Demise by Neve Maslakovic

Becoming Animals by Olga Werby and Christopher Werby

Earthlings: The Beginning by Ray Star

Emma and the Minotaur by Jon Herrera

The Iron Crown by L.L. Macrae

Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson

By the Hand of Dragons: Rook by Alexzander Christion

Don’t Think a Single Thought by Diana Cambridge

The Chocolate Clouds by Marc Remus

Dragon's Reach by J.A. Andrews 

The Oracle Stone by Talli L. Morgan

Looking for exciting thrillers and mystery reads? Check out these books:

The Lake Templeton Murders by H.S. Burney – Author Interview and Book Excerpt

The Little Grave by Carolyn Arnold

What We Bury by Carolyn Arnold (Book 10 in the Detective Madison Knight Mystery series)

On the Count of Three by Carolyn Arnold (Book 7 in the Detective Brandon Fisher series)

Past Deeds by Carolyn Arnold (Book 8 in the Detective Brandon Fisher series)

Crime Scene Connection by Deena Alexander

Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson - Spotlight

It’s still November, which means there are more books and authors to be featured in the spotlight series celebrating semi-finalists in the Book Blogger Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA).

And will you look at that! Another book featuring… dragons!

Those who know me, know I LOVE DRAGONS! So meet…

 Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson

 

Book info

Publisher: Self-Published

Length: 421 Pages

Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fantasy, Adult

Publication Date: 26 October 2021

 

Blurb

Miss Mildred Percy inherits a dragon.

Ah, but we’ve already got ahead of ourselves…

Miss Mildred Percy is a spinster. She does not dance, she has long stopped dreaming, and she certainly does not have adventures. That is, until her great uncle has the audacity to leave her an inheritance, one that includes a dragon’s egg.

The egg - as eggs are wont to do - decides to hatch, and Miss Mildred Percy is suddenly thrust out of the role of “spinster and general wallflower” and into the unprecedented position of “spinster and keeper of dragons.”

But England has not seen a dragon since… well, ever. And now Mildred must contend with raising a dragon (that should not exist), kindling a romance (with a humble vicar), and embarking on an adventure she never thought could be hers for the taking.

 

Add Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons via Goodreads.

Buy the book via Amazon Canada, Amazon US, or Amazon UK.

 

About the Author:

Quenby Olson lives in Central Pennsylvania where she spends most of her time writing, glaring at baskets of unfolded laundry, and chasing the cat off the kitchen counters.

She lives with her husband and children, who do nothing to dampen her love of classical ballet, geeky crochet, and staying up late to watch old episodes of Doctor Who.

 

About BBNYA:

This year, the Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the 50 books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 10 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website or take a peek over on Twitter. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

 

Check out more BBNYA spotlights on Nadaness In Motion

All the Whys of Delilah’s Demise by Neve Maslakovic

Becoming Animals by Olga Werby and Christopher Werby

Earthlings: The Beginning by Ray Star

Emma and the Minotaur by Jon Herrera

The Iron Crown by L.L. Macrae

Ascension of the Phoenix by Jessica Piro 

By the Hand of Dragons: Rook by Alexzander Christion

Don’t Think a Single Thought by Diana Cambridge

The Chocolate Clouds by Marc Remus

Dragon's Reach by J.A. Andrews

The Oracle Stone by Talli L. Morgan

A Book Club to Die For by Dorothy St. James – Excerpt & Spotlight

Today, I’m hosting a spotlight for a book I wanted to read but knew early on I wouldn’t have the time to do so.

Meet author Dorothy St. James and her cozy mystery A Book Club to Die For.

Read on for a short excerpt from the book!

 

Book info

Series: Book 3 in The Beloved Bookroom series

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Setting - Cypress, South Carolina

Publisher: Berkley

Publication date: 1 November 2022

Number of pages: 304 pages

ISBN-10: 0593098633

ISBN-13:‎ 978-0593098639

Digital ASIN: B09PZSBCVW

 

Synopsis

When a member of an exclusive book club is checked out, spunky librarian Trudell Becket must sort fact from fiction to solve the murder.

The Cypress Arete Society is one of the town’s oldest and most exclusive clubs. When assistant librarian Trudell Becket is invited to speak to the group about the library, its modernization, and her efforts to bring printed books to the reading public, her friend Flossie invites herself along. Flossie has been on the book club’s waiting list for five years, and she’s determined to find out why she’s never received an invitation to join.

But not long after Tru and Flossie arrive for the meeting, they’re shocked to find the club’s president, Rebecca White, dead in the kitchen.

Rebecca was a former TV actress and local celebrity, but was not known for being patient or pleasant. She’d been particularly unkind to the book club’s host for the evening, who also happens to be the mother of Detective Jace Bailey, Tru’s boyfriend. And Rebecca had made it clear that she didn’t think Flossie was book club material.

With her boyfriend and one of her best friends wrapped up in a murder, Tru has to work fast to figure out who cut Rebecca’s story short before the killer takes another victim out of circulation....

Excerpt from A Book Club to Die For 

Librarians are keepers of knowledge, caretakers of truth, and sowers of wisdom. Many of us rush out to share the world with our communities with the enthusiasm of a child who has suddenly mastered a new skill. We want people to know, to know…well, everything.

This is our mission. This is our passion.

We are the bringers.

We are the beacons cutting through the darkest of nights.

I should be thrilled to be able to provide this service to a local book club that calling itself the Arete Society. So why did I have this sudden desire to turn around, march back to my car, and drive home as fast as my old Camry would take me?

I’d been asked to give a presentation. I’d been tasked to share my knowledge of books and my experiences working at the library with a group of ladies who love books as much as I do. I lived for moments like this.

Didn’t I?

Usually, yes.

But.

Not.

Tonight.

“Trudell Becket, what’s got you dragging your feet like this?” Flossie Finnegan-Baker turned her wheelchair toward me. “I do believe a cornucopia of slugs just passed us.”

“Cornucopia? Of slugs?” I asked. That couldn’t be right. But before she could explain that a group of slugs was indeed called a cornucopia, I said, “Never mind.” Flossie was rarely wrong when it came to grammar and etymology. Besides, slugs weren’t important. “This,” I said. “This is a mistake.” I felt the truth of it like a stone in my gut. I stood in the middle of the long, winding sidewalk leading up to Hazel Bailey’s front porch and scrunched my eyes closed. “I shouldn’t be here.”

“You’re suffering from a case of the jitters.” My friend touched my hand. I looked at her, and she smiled encouragingly at me. Flossie had dressed for the book club meeting in muted shades of turquoise and tan. The colors spiraled together on her long, homemade tie-dyed dress, but it was quite a shift from the bright (and often) clashing colors she usually wore. She’d attached a large golden pin in the shape of Edgar Allen Poe’s face to the collar of the thick white button-up sweater she’d worn over her dress. “Honey, even I get the jitters every time I do something new. Everyone does. That’s why you brought me. To have your back. And I do. I’ve got your back. And you’ve got this. Let’s go.”

Our host lived at the edge of town in the middle of a forest of cypress trees that gave the town its name. The cypress’s silvery trunks stood tall and straight, like the spines of books on a shelf, gleaming in the fading embers of the sunset.

Books were the reason I’d been asked to speak to the Arete Society. And those same books were the reason I couldn’t go through with it.

 

About the Author

Dorothy St. James is a former Folly Beach beach bum. She now lives in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, with her family, slightly (OK, terribly) needy dogs, and the friendliest cat you’ll ever meet.

Author of a dozen novels, Dorothy enjoys writing both cozy mysteries and romance.

 

Connect with author Dorothy St. James via her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

Keep up with the rest of the blog tour featuring book reviews, author and character interviews, guest posts, and more spotlights.

 

1 November --> Spotlights via I'm Into Books and The Mystery Section and Author Interview at Christy's Cozy Corners

2 November --> Character guest post via Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic and Spotlights via FUONLYKNEW and Brooke Blogs

3 November --> Character interview at Ascroft, eh?, Book Review at Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book, and Spotlight at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews

4 November --> Book reviews via Cozy Up With Kathy and View from the Birdhouse and spotlight at Celticlady's Reviews

5 November --> Author interview at Ruff Drafts, and spotlights at Maureen's Musings and Sapphyria's Book Reviews

6 November --> Author guest post at – The Book Diva's Reads and Book Review at Books a Plenty Book Reviews

7 November --> Character guest post at Angel's Guilty Pleasures and Spotlight at #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

8 November --> Book review at Book Club Librarian, and spotlight at Lady Hawkeye

9 November --> Book review at Reading Is My SuperPower and spotlight at Nadaness In Motion

10 November --> Author interview at Literary Gold and spotlight at MJB Reviewers