The Sapphire Blade by Dorine White - Spotlight

The Sapphire Blade by Dorine White

The final journey begins!

Travel with past heroes and a new adventurer to the historical romps of London and the scorching sands of Alexandria. Fourteen-year-old Akmir, raised from birth to sacrifice everything in the pursuit of Cleopatra’s magic gemstones, holds within his hands the secret location of the fifth and final mystic gem: the blue sapphire.

His quest leads him to England, where four other gemstone searchers: Sara, Melanie, Kainu and Claire, are on the hunt. A pawn of the Roman Brotherhood, Akmir must choose his own path, whether to follow in his father’s brutal footsteps or stay true to his mother’s Egyptian heritage. Clues, puzzles, and danger rule the day.

What will happen when the power of all five gemstones are brought together? This is a battle for life and death, and only one side can win.

Author Dorine White

My name is Dorine White. I graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Humanities. I am a member of the SCBWI, PNWA, LDStorytellers, and ANWA. I write middle grade and YA fantasy. My first book, The Emerald Ring, was published in May 2013 by Cedar Fort Books. I live in the beautiful, yet rainy Northwest with my husband and 6 children.

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter

This post originally featured a giveaway but the giveaway section was removed after it ended.

The Writer's Pen by Nada Adel Sobhi - Poem

A pen,

Plain and simple

Can bear a thousand words,

Or none at all.

One can write cursive,

Another dots and lines

You don't know what you'll write,

When you hold it to the page

Dots and lines

Hinder your words;

Your mind 
Can't see the writing

On the page

The inky one

Lets your words flow

Like a waterfall,

Quick but steady.

The words vie

For precedence;

All want to land on your page.

All want that cursive-flow writing ink.

Your mind has no control,

The words just fall

One after the other…

Red ink

Blue ink

Black ink

Sometimes the words pick the colour,

Or is it the pen that picks the words?

On and on, they flow;

An avalanche.

This pen;

I shall cherish

For the words

Flow

And will not cease…

Between Hope and the Highway by Charissa Stastny - Excerpt

Between Hope and the Highway by Charissa Stastny

Sometimes things get so messed up you have to pick up and get the heck out of Dodge. That’s what Liz Ruthersford does. Memories can be weapons, and hers have become incoming missiles. Fleeing home and her parents’ pity, she seeks refuge on a remote ranch in Montana where no one knows her tragic past. When she meets Bentley and Rawson Law, brothers with wounds of their own, life veers off course from her plans. Embers of hope and love flicker to life, but will Liz let them burn bright enough to warm her heart? Or will she hit the highway and run once again? A clean, heart-pounding romance and redemption story.

Praise for Between Hope and the Highway

“Stastny has weaved an endearing tale with Between Hope and the Highway. It is a beautiful story about love, loss, redemption, and forgiveness of not only others, but most importantly, ourselves. This is more than a love story, it is a story of family and coming together." –Jennifer Peel, author

“...an epic tale of romance, unconditional love, redemption, and the power of the human spirit to survive and transform amidst adversity. The metamorphosis of the hero makes this a highly gratifying read. He grows with each flip of the page, leaving behind a trail of optimism. This book will make you smile as you witness a true change of heart.” – Taylor Dean, author

Excerpt

As I climbed onto Sidekick Shooter, Rawson winked at me.

“Stop staring.” I urged Shooter into a trot and headed for the foothills.

“Why? The view’s nice.”

“You’re such a liar.”

He caught up to me on his horse and grabbed my reins. “Hold up. Why do you always accuse me of lying when I’m only telling the !@#$%&*!”

I covered my ears as he used the Lord’s name in vain. “Please don’t use His name that way.”

“What?”

“I hate how dirty I feel every time you open your mouth, especially when you use God’s name as if it was worth less than an inflated Mexican peso.”

“Fine. I won’t swear around you if you stop thinking you’re plain and deficient around me.”

“I don’t think I’m deficient. And who uses words like that anyway?”

He chuckled. “I have to put my college education to use. And you do think that. You gave me a whole list of deficiencies on the drive to Bozeman that one time, and just now you accused me of lying when I said you looked nice.”

I squirmed in my saddle. “Give me my reins.”

“Not until you make the deal.” He switched them to his left hand and stuck out his right. “Shake on it.”

I rolled my eyes, but gave him my hand. A pleasant, sizzling sensation rattled me as we made contact. The horses bit at each other as Rawson squeezed my fingers, shooting fiery pulses up my arms.

“Tell me three traits you love about yourself.”

“Why?”

“We made a deal. The Love Triangle game is how I’ll know you’re keeping your end of it. You can hear whether I’m keeping mine, but I won’t know if you’re listing deficiencies in your head. So tell me three things you love about yourself. You have ten seconds. If you can’t do it, I’ll pull out the big guns and let you hear the names I call the cattle.”

“That’s stupid.” I pulled my hand from his to regain equilibrium.

“Ten…nine…eight…”

“All right. Shush. I can’t concentrate if you’re counting.”

He held out his hand and dropped a silent finger for each number. As he lowered the second to last one, I pushed his hand down.

“I like my hands.”

“Your hands?” He grabbed mine again. “Me too. They’re graceful and soft…very soft.”

I yanked it from his grip. “They’re calloused and scratched up more than a cat tower.”

“Damn it, Lizzie. You’re not supposed to tell me deficiencies.”

I puckered my lips. “Okay. I like my hands because they’re calloused and scabbed. Are you satisfied?”

He grinned. “That’s one. Give me two more.”

“You cussed. The deal’s done.”

“I cussed because you lashed out at yourself. Fair’s fair. You tell me a negative, I’ll throw out an ear scorcher. Now hurry before I lose my patience. You’re as infuriating as a heifer.”

“Did you just call me a cow?”

He had the gall to laugh. “No. I likened you to a heifer. Big difference. A cow has had calves. A heifer has not. Therefore, as a single adolescent female, you would not be a cow…unless you had a teen pregnancy and gave up a child for adoption I don’t know about; in that case, you’d be a first-calf heifer.”

I scowled. “Don’t ever call a woman a cow or a heifer…or you would be a first-class idiot.”



Author Charissa Stastny

Charissa Stastny is married to her high school sweetheart and has four children who are the light of her life. She’s an avid reader, happy writer, BYU graduate, and lover of irises, clouds, chocolate, sushi, and nature. Though born and raised in Las Vegas, she has never pulled a handle of a slot machine and can’t shuffle cards to save her life. She shuffles kids, laundry, and church responsibilities rather well though. She currently lives in Utah with her family, where shuffling cards isn’t required.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Instagram * Pinterest * Blog

Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 10/31/16

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



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Takhayyal #WritingPrompt no. 46: Witch Walking

Welcome HALLOWEEN! And welcome Ladies and Gentlemen, Ghosts, Vampires, Werewolves, Fae, Zombies, Artists, Poets, Writers, Authors, Dreamers, Friends and Family; WELCOME EVERYONE to Nadaness In Motion's bi-weekly picture-prompt writing challenge Takhayyal!

There will be two prompts this Halloween and this is the first of them.

Who is she? What is she up to or what has she done? 

Arabic for Imagine, Takhayyal is a means to get inspired and spark our writing once more.

Your post can be in English or Arabic, prose, poetry, short story, flash fiction; you name it and write it.

General rules:

·        No nudity, violence, and/or abuse.

·        Leave the link to your post in comments below OR post your piece as REPLY to this post

·        Your piece MUST be inspired in some way or other by the above picture

·        Multiple entries allowed

·        It is not required but it is a nice and encouraging gesture to comment on others' pieces.

·        Feel free to add your Twitter handle (@....) so I can tag you in my tweets!

Let's IMAGINE!

Rice & Rocks - New children's book by Sandra L. Richards + Giveaway

Rice & Rocks by Sandra L. Richards

Tradition takes flight in Rice & Rocks, a picture book celebrating culture and diversity.

Giovanni’s friends are coming over for Sunday dinner, and his grandmother is serving rice and beans. Giovanni is embarrassed—he does not like “rice and rocks” and worries his friends will think the traditional Jamaican dish is weird. But his favorite Auntie comes to the rescue. She and Giovanni’s pet parrot, Jasper, take him on a magical journey across the globe, visiting places where people eat rice and rocks. This exciting story celebrates the varied traditions of every culture while also highlighting the delicious similarities that bring us all together.



Praise for Rice & Rocks

"I feel as if Rice & Rocks was written for the 7 year old me stuck in a foreign country. I wish I could have read it when I was a kid since it would have really helped me to feel a lot more comfortable with my roots, my traditions, in a foreign place with people of other colors & customs."

- Melissa Robles, The Reader and the Chef

"Rice & Rocks is a beautifully illustrated, culturally diverse children's book centered around my favorite topic...food!...Parents will enjoy reading it with/to their little ones because the illustrations compliment the story perfectly. This book will also work as a good conversation starter for acceptance of self and others for school age children."

- D.S. White, Divine Perspective

Author Sandra L. Richards

Sandra L. Richards is the debut picture book author of Rice & Rocks. With Rice & Rocks, Sandra brings a unique contribution to the world of children’s books. An American-born daughter of Jamaican immigrant parents, she hopes the book will serve as an educational resource for families seeking to teach their children the value of their heritage and the importance of cultural diversity.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 10/28/16

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Nine Candles of the Deepest Black - Book Review

Nine Candles of Deepest Black

by Matthew S. Cox

Published by: Curiosity Quills Press

Publication date: September 15th 2016

Genres: Horror, Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:

She saw it coming. She knew it would happen―but no one believed her.

Almost a year after tragedy shattered her family, sixteen-year-old Paige Thomas can’t break free from her guilt. Her mother ignores her, doting on her annoying little sister, while her father is a barely-functioning shell. He hopes a move to the quiet little town of Shadesboro PA will help them heal, but Paige doesn’t believe in happiness anymore.

On her first day at school, a chance encounter with a bullied eighth grader reawakens a gift Paige had forgotten, and ingratiates her into a pack of local outcasts. For weeks, they’ve been trying to cast a ritual to fulfill their innermost desires, but all they’ve done is waste time. After witnessing Paige touch the Ouija board and trigger a paranormal event, the girls are convinced another try with their new fifth member will finally work.

Once the darkness is unleashed, it’s not long before they learn it will give them exactly what they asked for―whether they want it or not.

Review

Nine Candles of the Deepest Black by Matthew S. Cox is a fast-paced horror/paranormal novel with lots of magic.

The main character is Paige, who has been trying to heal after losing her older sister in a car crash, which she claims to have had a premonition about. Also trying to heal are her parents, who move to the supposedly quiet town of Shadesboro. There, Paige makes friends on the first day and they invite her to a Ouija game and later a spell-casting, which she doesn't believe in but agrees to do anyway.

In the spell, each girl asks for what her heart desires, but the spell is mostly infused with dark magic and intentions. Once the spell is cast, the girls realise that in order to get what they want, the magic will take something in return. They also release a demon.

The novel opens with a tense start especially in terms of conversation, however, Paige's sarcasm makes way for a light mood. "Now I know how sharks feel with those little fish clinging to their ass."

Paige is a likeable goth-character. I enjoyed seeing her transition from constant anger to kind and caring for her younger eight-year old sister, Melissa. Her character development is significant and realistic.

Other characters who also progress in the course of the novel are her parents. (Which I truly liked). Melissa is a fun and adorable character, who gives a lot of warmth to the mostly cold-inducing novel.

The part that bugged me though was the excessive description towards the end. I felt I wanted to know what's going on more than details about Paige. The parts behind the mirror were rather fuzzy and hard to imagine for me, as well. The grit at the end was a little over the top for me.

I also liked that the novel isn't purely good versus evil – I mean there is evil and a demon and all, but the original evil came in the form of greed and heartlessness.

"The sight of [the candles] stirred an odd feeling in the pit of Paige's gut. Rather than normal black-coloured objects, they seemed to absorb light, appearing to be candle-sharped holes in reality."

Nine Candles of the Deepest Black kept me cold and on edge all the time. Paige seemed to have a series of horrifying happening one after the other.

Overall rating: 3.75 stars.

Note: I received a free copy of Nine Candles of the Deepest Black in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour with Xpresso Book Tours.

Add the book on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26832363-nine-candles-of-deepest-black?ac=1&from_search=true

Purchase via Amazon. 

About the Author:

Born in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.

Author links:

http://www.matthewcoxbooks.com/wordpress/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7712730.Matthew_S_Cox

https://www.facebook.com/MatthewSCoxAuthor

https://twitter.com/mscox_fiction

The Book Club Murders by Leslie Nagel – Book Review

The Book Club Murders by Leslie Nagel is the first instalment in The Oakwood Mystery Series. And damn that was a super-paced good read, perfect for a bibliophile and a mystery lover!

The story's main character Charlotte – Charley – Carpenter, the owner Old Hat, a clothing store, is part of a reading group focused around mysteries. She joins the rich-women's book club with the ulterior motive of attracting buyers to her vintage shop.

The book opens with the scheduled books to be read between August and December. The group of 8, called the Agathas Book Club, with each member labelled "an Agatha", tackles a book each month. Set in the small town of Oakwood, Ohio, the book also opens with the shocking revelation of a murder. 

The Agathas are shocked to discover that the victim is an acquaintance. They also realise that the victim was positioned in a way that reflects the murder of the book they were reading. Soon after, another dead body emerges, also linked to the book club members.

"Most of the Agathas seemed to be enjoying themselves, as if the poor woman had been killed for their entertainment. Be honest, Carpenter. You're just as curious as the rest of them."

Each character in the novel has a role to play:  corpse, amateur sleuth, killer, suspect, police officer, helping hand.

The detective investigating the killings is not-an-old-friend of Charley, but her high school crush Marcus Trenault. As soon as they meet, old love and trouble are rekindled. As the two suspect that the killings are done by a woman, Charley suggests that they are likely to have been committed by an Agatha and convinces Marc to use her as an informant to infiltrate the Book Club.

"Don't be fooled by the expensive armour, most of these women are scared to death, usually of one another."

Charley is a fun, slightly sarcastic character. She's smart, brave and passionate. She's also realistic and down to earth. At one point, she faces Marcus and tells him: "You owe me an apology."

I felt that The Book Club Murders was more crime and sleuthing than plain cozy mystery. I loved it nonetheless and would definitely pick up the next books in the series. I also enjoyed the romance aspect of the novel.

The imagery and emotions in the novel are well-written, with lots of "show don't tell".

I absolutely loved the mystery-book references and how the author brought in published mystery novels and used them in the murders. This book will have me picking up several mystery novels and adding them to my lengthy – possibly never-ending - to-be-read list.

"No one is going to believe that for a second. Look, this is the twenty-first century. Everyone watches CSI and Law & Order or whatever. If you start asking questions about who left when, and did you notice anyone acting suspiciously, how long do you think it's going to take before people figure out what you're really up to?"

And the mystery… that was plain wicked!

Note: I received a free advanced readers' copy (ARC) of The Book Club Murders by Leslie Nagel as part of a blog tour via Lori Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, in exchange for an honest review.

About the author:

Leslie Nagel is a writer and teacher of writing at a local community college. Her debut novel, The Book Club Murders, is the first in the Oakwood Mystery Series. Leslie lives in the all too real city of Oakwood, Ohio, where murders are rare but great stories lie thick on the ground. After the written word, her passions include her husband, her son, and daughter, hiking, tennis and strong black coffee, not necessarily in that order.

Connect with the author via her Website, Twitter and Goodreads.

Takhayyal #writingprompt 45: Starry Night

Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen, Artists, Poets, Writers, Authors, Dreamers, Friends and Family; Welcome EVERYONE to Nadaness In Motion's bi-weekly picture-prompt writing challenge Takhayyal.

Today, I'm featuring student and artist Yomna Ibrahim El-Mahany, whose artwork I've been dying to share with you. The artwork is original, so if you'd like to use it in your post, please credit the artist and add her name in the caption.

 

Starry Night by Yomna Ibrahim El Mahany

Arabic for Imagine, Takhayyal is a challenge for writers of all ages and genres; a place to spark creativity and explore new genres.

Your post can be in English or Arabic, prose, poetry, short story, flash fiction; you name it and write it.

General rules:

·        No nudity, violence, and/or abuse.

·        Leave the link to your post in comments below OR post your piece as REPLY to this post

·        Your piece MUST be inspired in some way or other by the above picture

·        Multiple entries allowed

·        It is not required but it is a nice and encouraging gesture to comment on others' pieces.

·        Feel free to add your Twitter handle (@....) so I can tag you in my tweets!

Let's IMAGINE!

Alice and Claudio in a Tuscan Garden - Guest post by E. Graziani

Today, I'm featuring author E. Graziani as part of a blog tour for her new novel Alice-Angel of Time with a guest post.

Hello to my good friend Nada and all her followers. Many thanks for hosting me on this blog tour celebrating the launch of my newest title, the sequel to Alice of the Rocks… Alice-Angel of Time in which the conclusion of Alice and Claudio's journey will be available for all to read!

Book: Alice-Angel of Time

Author: E. Graziani

Publisher: Morning Rain Publishing

Publication Date: September 2016

Synopsis:

Their love transcends time, space, and conflict. 

Alice Ferro did not travel 500 years into the past to save her soulmate from persecution only to discover her journey had been in vain! Forced to return from 1512 Italy to 2029 Canada without him, she cannot focus on family, school, or friends as thoughts of Claudio constantly flood her mind. When she discovers her love’s future is dire, Alice decides she must return to the past to save him once and for all.

With some help, a bit of deceit, and a lot of determination, Alice sets off to rescue Claudio. Unfortunately, she hadn’t planned on things going so terribly wrong, and she soon finds her own life in peril.

Written with charm and intelligence, the sequel to Alice of the Rocks encompasses everything you could want in a young adult, time-travel romance. Adventure, true love, intrigue, and dynamic characters fill the pages alongside the elegant landscape of Renaissance Italy.

The theme of the tour is A Virtual Tuscany Tour with Ali and Claudio

I thought that since I recently traveled to Italy, that I would share some pics that relate directly back to my novel, Alice-Angel of Time. I hope they inspire you to pick up a copy! I also want to send out a huge thank you to Priya Prithviraj, of Writerly Yours for putting all this together. This blog tour would not have happened if it were not for Priya and Jennifer Jaquith, my managing editor at Morning Rain Publishing. Go to the Writerly Yours website for a full schedule of the entire tour – there are lots of interviews, reviews and other great stuff coming up!

In the meantime, I would like to share some inspirational pics with you – they are pictures taken by me, this summer when I travelled through Italy. 

Some of the sites we visited follow in the footsteps of our feisty heroine, Alice and her one true love, Claudio as they walked in Alice of the Rocks. 

Live every twist and turn in the plot, walk in the garden with them when they share their first kiss, and race through the streets of Renaissance Florence with them to escape the Medici guards. Its sequel was released on 15 September, 2016, and I am so excited for all my friends out there to read it - Alice-Angel of Time!

The first picture is of the Boboli Garden. This green oasis in Florence is the setting of Alice and Claudio’s first kiss, where they fall hopelessly in love.

The second is of a quiet spot in amongst the sprawling garden, where Claudio explains to Alice who she really is and where she comes from – it took a lot of convincing, but she finally did believe him.

I hope these lovely images of a calm garden in the city of Florence have pleased you – thanks to Nada Adel Sobhi for having me as her guest.

Keep up with the rest of the tour for more guest posts, book reviews and other posts at Priya’s blog here.

Find Alice-Angel of Time on Goodreads.

Author Bio

E. Graziani is a teacher, author, speaker and life-long learner. She enjoys incorporating strong female characters into her writing, to help inspire her readers. She has worked with the Alzheimer Society of Canada to raise awareness and educate people regarding this disease. Graziani regularly speaks to young people about her books, inspiration for writing and the publishing process.

Graziani has written War in My Town (Second Story Press), which was selected by Canadian Children's Book Centre as one of their "Best Books for Kids and Teens" - Fall 2015.

Graziani has written three other books, Alice of the Rocks and Alice-Angel of Time for young adults and Jess Under Pressure, a women's fiction novella (Morning Rain Publishing). She resides in Ontario, Canada with her husband and four daughters.

Connect with E. Graziani via Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Her website.

Also, check out Nadaness In Motion's five-star book review of Jess Under Pressure.