Tis the season to win BIG with our $900 Holiday Giveaways! We guarantee two lucky readers are going to have a super duper Christmas because we’re giving away 1 – $400 Amazon gift card and 1 – $500 Amazon gift card–two giveaways–two awesome gifts. That’s $900 in prizes. So ho ho ho that, Santa Clause. We’re going to make this the best holiday season ever!
But we want to do more than give away fantastic prizes and introduce you to our incredible group of authors. We want to raise money for the Salvation Army in a BIG way, but we need your help. Not only does a portion of every purchase from our giveaway sponsors’ book go to the Salvation Army, you can click on the red bucket and donate anytime. So let’s make this a special holiday for our authors by showing them some Christmas love — support their work. Enter the Rafflecopter form below. Enter. Share. Support. Donate.
Our $900 Holiday Giveaways are easy & fun. Enter today. You could win one of our $900 Holiday Giveaways!
WHAT: $900 Holiday Giveaways (1 – $400 Amazon gift card, 1 – $500 Amazon gift card)
WHEN: Dec. 7 – 21, 2015
HOW: Click on each of the giveaway images below, scroll through the sponsors’ book covers on each page, and then enter the Rafflecopter form on each giveaway page–click both images below to enter.
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Night Court by Ashley Fontainne is a psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat, unable to quit reading. My knuckles were white, I held by breath. I love vigilante characters and I am behind her 100%, right from the opening pages.
Judge, Jury, Executioner
An irresistible tagline that sucked me in. I had to know…Who? What? WHY?
Merry trained herself to ignore pain and steel her heart. Addiction ruined her life and someone was going to pay. She lived for one thing…revenge.
Where was her justice? Did no one care? The legal system had failed her.
What happens when you step outside yourself seeking justice?
I am behind her from the opening pages. What would you do to get justice?
Her brother, Derek, is a cop, but things don’t go down the way you will imagine.
Ashley Fontainne’s Night Court is full or surprises and not all of them are good. Her ability to describe the characters and their feelings, like the judges eyebrows and Merry’s thoughts, bring them to life in my heart and mind. I can’t help but smile.
Everything’s going according to plan, but I don’t believe it will continue.
Love Merry, I can understand and relate to her. How much can the human heart and mind take before it breaks? Have you ever felt the pressure building inside yourself, struggling to hold it in, to act normal, to keep it together, unable to sit or stand still, pacing, like a volcano waiting to erupt? What would be the final straw that would break your back? How long can a person function under that kind of pressure? What happens when the explosion comes?
I feel her rage and want to punch something or someone. This can’t end well, can it?
She finds some solace in an unlikely friend, but this is one of the gems that I would like you to discover for yourself. You will thank me for not sharing.
And life gets shittier.
I never saw how far down the rabbit hole Ashley Fontainne would take me. I couldn’t help but scream out WTF!!!! How could you do that? That fucker is SCUM. OMG! I can’t believe it. Poor Merry. My heart aches for her.
I’m at 90% and I can only see this ending one way. Will I be right?
Night Court is a masterpiece and Ashley Fontainne’s writing is so good, I’m caught so off guard with how far she went. I am so engrossed in Merry’s life now, that I am not ready for the end, but here goes.
Oh no, enough already. Ashley Fontainne has to snatch my feet right out from under me, leaving me stunned, silenced, my jaw dropping to my chest. The gut wrenching ending leaves me smiling through my teary eyes.
Night Court by Ashley Fontainne delves into the human psyche, not allowing the monsters to stay hidden. The twists and turns are amazing and surprising, so don’t think you know where this will end. If you want to cry for a character, scream at a character, beat a character to a pulp and then beat him again, this is a story for you. My emotion roiled, boiled, screamed and raged to be let loose. CAUTION: May make you want to throw your ereader!
I received a copy of Night court by Ashley Fontainne in return for an honest review.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Judge Merry watches, her presence cloaked by the shroud of nightfall. Nothing moves except her eyes which focus on her target. No remorse. No regret. No second guessing the decision to end the lives of the monsters who turned her into a killer. Jury The peddlers of death from potent chemicals are found guilty. Punishment for their crimes–death. Appeals denied. Sentencing to commence immediately. The leeches who sucked out the life of addicts with each snort, shot, swallow, and injection will now pay the ultimate price. Executioner The idyllic world of Merry Marie Hall, once the loving wife of Harold and mother to their only child, Joshua, is over. Extinguished when Joshua overdosed and Harold died of a heart attack at the funeral. Now Merry hunts down the guilty parties, and one by one, carries out her internal court’s orders. Court is now in session. *This book was inspired by one mother’s journey. A trip down the dark path paved by the demon that came looking for her son-and found him. Her boy’s life turned from the pursuit of a football scholarship to the relentless need for heroin. His life was stolen by the demon. What’s a mother to do? What can a mother do? This fictional mother did what so many only dare to consider behind closed eyes, in their nightmares, and in their dark fantasies.*
ABOUT ASHLEY FONTAINNE (from her website)
Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader of mostly the classics. Ashley became a fan of the written word in her youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters that lurk within us are her favorite reads.
Her muse for penning the Eviscerating the Snake series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Ashley’s love for this book is what sparked her desire to write her debut novel, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy. With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into just what lengths a person is willing to go when they seek personal justice for heinous acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, Zero Balance. focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries answered that question: far and wide.
Her short thriller entitled Number Seventy-Five, touches upon the sometimes dangerous world of online dating. Number Seventy-Five took home the BRONZE medal in fiction/suspense at the 2013 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards contest and is currently in production for a feature film.
Her paranormal thriller entitled The Lie, won the GOLD medal in the 2013 Illumination Book Awards for fiction/suspense and is also in production for a feature film entitled Foreseen.
Ashley’s decided to delve into the paranormal with a Southern Gothic horror/suspense novel, Growl, which released in January of 2015. The suspenseful mystery Empty Shell, released in September of 2014. Ashley will be teaming up with Lillian Hansen (Ashley calls her mom!) to pen a three-part murder mystery/suspense series entitled The Magnolia Series. The first book, Blood Ties, is due out the Summer of 2015.
Ashley also hosts The WriteStuff, a popular BlogTalk Radio show, each Friday night at 10 p.m. CST.
Ashley Fontainne has offered an amazing giveaway…ALL HERE EBOOKS. Entry is easy, leave your email and answer the question:
Have you ever felt the pressure building inside yourself, struggling to hold it in, to act normal, to keep it together, unable to sit or stand still, pacing, like a volcano waiting to erupt? What would be the final straw that would break your back?
Murder Fir Christmas will have you humming carols and ho-ho-ho-ing quicker than the Big Guy’s sled makes it around the world! ~Back Porchervations!!
Masterfully written…filled with intrigue, action, laughter, joy, and a mystical beauty that touched my heart, MURDER FIR CHRISTMAS has beat out every book this year to become my number one favorite book of 2015. ~Lisa K’s Book Reviews
This has mystery, humor and a touch of paranormal that combine to entertain you. ~readalot
Joyce and Jim Lavene write wonderful stories, where the mystery and characters keep me coming back for more.
Bonnie Tuttle’s family had come from a small town in Tennessee, but she left to strike out on her own. Now, her new job as a wildlife ranger and her ailing mother have brought her back to Sweet Pepper and Christmas Tree Valley. Small towns can be a bit claustrophobic. Not only does everyone know your name, they know your business.
Some people thought she was stubborn, but she believed she was just determined.
Bonnie and Matthew are drawn together by circumstances and events out of their control.
Her first day, she is forced to deal with a fire, a couple of murders and a snowstorm. She also meets some ghosts. In Sweet Pepper they are accepted as a part of life. They can be helpful, even going so far as to open the door for the ladies. But are they good or bad? Will they help her or hurt her? Could that slight puff of air on your neck be a friendly ghost or your worst nightmare? How about the stuck door? Do they not want you to leave?
She has friends in the animal world. They are drawn to her when in need of help, but will they return the favor when she is in trouble?
Oginali became my favorite character. He is persistent, patient and determined.
I love the Indian mysticism. I am reading about a protector of the animals and earlier I was watching a TV show about their Extinction.
The Native American beliefs and mountain magic make all things seem possible in Bonnie’s world.
If the mystery isn’t enough to chill your bones, Joyce and Jim do a great job of bringing back memories of the need to shovel and plow the snow, scraping the windshield as the car warms up, and the dangerous driving. I do not miss it!
The humorous writing keeps the story light, even though there is plenty of murderous greed to go around.
In case you work up a hunger, we have some delicious Christmas recipes to share.
I received a copy of Murder Fir Christmas by Jim and Joyce Lavene in return for an honest review.
4 Stars
SYNOPSIS
Down the mountain from Sweet Pepper, Tennessee is Christmas Tree Valley, a place filled with hundreds of Christmas tree farms where generations of growers have made people’s lives brighter. Yet even here in this quiet, postcard-perfect corner of the world, darkness and murder can still stalk the night.
Federal Wildlife Agent Bonnie Tuttle has always had a special gift with wild animals. It was one of the reasons she decided to train with the wildlife agency. She’s spent the last ten years in Alabama working, but her mother needs her home and she’s back despite all the bad parts of her life she hoped to leave behind.
Her first day home begins with a fire on the island in Sweet Pepper Lake and the death of Harvey Shelton, the wildlife agent she’s supposed to replace. Bonnie manages to rescue dozens of animals from the fire – including a wolf pup that was shot with the same bullet that killed Harvey.
Now she’s hot on the trail of Harvey’s killer and trying to reintegrate the wolf back into the wild even though he seems to want to stay with her. Yet old memories persist in the small community where she grew up, and the killer now seems to believe that she has what he killed Harvey for. All she has to do is figure out what that is before it’s too late.
Christmas Recipes included!
About The Authors –
Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family.
Welcome to my tour stop for A Storm of Secrets by Shona Perrett! This is a new adult psychological thriller. The tour runs December 1-11 with reviews, interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page for the full schedule.
About the Book:
Special Agent Rios wakes up in an abandoned aeroplane. He finds himself on an unfamiliar island in the Bermuda Triangle, suffering from what appears to be amnesia. He must search for clues about his identity, as well as decipher the secrets of the island itself.
But will the truth be too terrifying to live with? Strangers hell-bent on murder, stranded young pilots, and signs of organized weapons trade. These things only touch the surface. What lurks in the skies above is far more sinister.
There is a strange energy high above the clouds, stewing deep within the Bermuda waters. And it grows restless. A storm is coming. A storm like no other, seeking to invade their minds. With the help of his newly acquainted team of special ops pilots, Rios must find a way to stop the storm before it destroys them…from the inside out.
Timothy had just about taken his first mouthful, but then hesitated. He looked at Rios and Yale who were talking, smiling. Acting ordinary. But they weren’t ordinary, were they? They were operatives.
What if they had been instructed to eliminate the group tonight? What if they had been ordered to solve the problem of the three civilians that had survived unexpectedly? Rios and Yale would have to follow orders.
Timothy flinched and dropped his fork onto his plate. Rios glanced at him, then continued to talk with Tia. Timothy looked at Yale, who got up from her seat on the kitchen bench and walked into the bathroom. What was she doing? Getting into an opportune position to strike from behind? No, surely not.
She had kept the group alive these past few days. They had become friends, hadn’t they? Friends don’t assassinate other friends. Unless they’re government operatives, maybe.
“Rios” Timothy said, not knowing what to say next, but sensing the urgency to intervene on the potentially poisoned dinner Tia and Aiden were about to consume. “You mind testing my fish for me? I’m allergic to soy.” He shrugged. “Maybe it’s in the marinade.”
Rios paused for a while, flicking his eyes between Tia, Aiden and Timothy. “There’s no soy.”
“Better safe than sorry though, right? I’ll swell up like a balloon. It’s very unpleasant to behold, trust me, I’m doing you a favour.” Timothy held out his plate to Rios, opposite him at the dining table. “Be a pal, yeah?”
Rios stared at the plate, a slight frown on his face. “Alright.” He picked up his own fork and cut off a chunk.
“I didn’t know you were allergic to soy man” Aiden said.
Timothy nodded once, eyes staying on Rios. Yale was still in the bathroom. Tia leaned her head down against her palm absent-mindedly, her arm resting on the table.
“You’re good” Rios said with a side grin, chewing.
“See, no worries” Aiden said. “Now how ‘bout that whiskey I spotted in your purse Rios?”
Timothy and Rios held their stare a fraction longer, Rios pointedly swallowing the piece of fish. He smirked, which seemed in mockery of Timothy’s paranoia, then chucked a bottle of whiskey from his satchel without looking, into Aiden’s hands, who opened it and poured himself half a glass.
A flush came from the bathroom.
Timothy breathed out, realizing his mind had gotten away on him.
He had to trust them. Rios and Yale were the group’s best chance at getting off the island.
***
About the Author:
Shona Perrett is a first time author, blogger and closet poet. Her novel A Storm of Secrets is due to release November 2015. Shona studied applied writing in her home town of Whangarei, and is now looking to branch out into creative business enterprising.
Passionate about finding beauty in the dirt, she aims to write stories of redemption. Shona believes that narratives exist to teach us how to love one another. That every day, we all communicate through the medium of story, seeking out ways to connect with the world around us.
She believes they are one of the most ancient forms of creative expression and vulnerability, and are therefore a fundamental part of what it means to be human.
Prizing is provided by the author. Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.
Kim Kash is the author of two novels in the Jamie August series: Ocean City Cover-up (2015) and Ocean City Lowdown (2013). She also wrote the bestselling Ocean City: A Guide to Maryland’s Seaside Resort (2009), and is currently working on the next installment in the Jamie August series. Kim divides her time between Maryland and the Middle East, which can be weird.
What inspired you to write your first book?
As a freelance writer back in 2008, I wrote a travel guide to Ocean City, Maryland for the Tourist Town series (Ocean City: A Guide to Maryland’s Seaside Resort). While I was researching that book, I wanted to read some good mysteries set in the region—and I found that there aren’t very many. Ocean City is a gold mine of funny characters and kitschy, fun scenery, and it holds plenty of memories from my own life. I was surprised that the OC-inspired fiction choices were so thin, so I decided to chime in with my own series.
Have you ever disliked something you wrote?
I dislike everything I write, the first time around! I have done a lot of work as a professional editor, and it’s very difficult for me to just shut up and write, you know? My first drafts are always a mess, and I hate them. But I’m finally getting into the rhythm of it and learning to get out of my own way and just get the draft done. Then I edit, edit, and edit again. In terms of disliking any finished pieces? I’m pretty happy with my creative writing. I try not to get my ego too caught up in any of it, though. I write campy genre fiction, with glee! I love it that readers enjoy my stuff, but when I get a cranky Amazon review, it doesn’t cause much existential angst.
How has your writing career changed in the past year?
My writing career just changed in the last month, because I have taken a full-time job. I’m coordinating logistics for the expatriate school in my community, which definitely scratches my organizational itch. I’m really happy about this change. And yet…. I haven’t had to report to work wearing real clothes and makeup in almost ten years. No more days of working in my pajamas on the couch with only my cat Eddie for company. I am still adjusting to the time crunch, trying to figure out put in a full day’s work and still eat healthy, exercise and get enough sleep–plus finish the third novel. Good Lord! Other people do this, I keep telling myself. And it is getting better: I’m getting more efficient, and I have every intention of finishing the next book in my series.
What are you reading now or what do you have in your TBR pile?
Next up is Bad Citizen Corporation, the debut crime novel of fellow UCSB grad S.W. Lauden. It came out last month with some wildly enthusiastic reviews, so I’m pretty excited to read it—and not just because we cut our teeth at the same college newspaper. Lauden is a big supporter of indie fiction, interviewing fellow authors and organizing readings and events in Southern California. We need somebody like Lauden on the East Coast—or maybe we have one, but I haven’t been invited to the party yet. Living in Saudi Arabia but writing about Ocean City, Maryland does leave me rather disconnected with what’s going on with my community of authors.
What are you working on now?
I’m well into Ocean City Getaway, the third in the Jamie August series. In this installment, Jamie faces such daunting challenges as infiltrating a ring of con artists working the eastern seaboard; fighting against her vegetarian boyfriend’s campaign to make her stop eating crabcakes (this may involve a breakup); and smiling through her best friend’s beach wedding while wearing an off-the-shoulder lavender bridesmaid’s dress.
Ocean City Lowdown: A Jamie August Novel (Book 1)
Ocean City Lowdown introduces Eastern Shore Maryland reporter Jamie August, who has a talent for unearthing more than her editor wants and a weakness for Ravens jerseys and sparkly underwear. She is assigned to cover the grand opening of a big new housing development in Ocean City, Maryland. But instead of writing about wrap-around porches and rattan furnishings, she uncovers kickbacks and payoffs, blackmail and murder. Jamie’s tenacity, smarts, and sheer recklessness—plus some smokin’ striptease dance moves—can get her out of some tight spots, but are they enough to save her from a psychopathic arsonist and two generations of corrupt real estate tycoons?
Ocean City Cover-up: A Jamie August Novel (Book 2)
Euro-trash collides with American gangsta in Maryland’s gleefully cheesy beach resort. Reporter Jamie August befriends a spoiled heiress who is being pursued by Russian mobsters—and a chart-topping rap star. Meanwhile, a raging crime spree is keeping Jamie busy—and so is a hot new boyfriend and a strict jogging and frozen custard fitness plan. Action careens from OC to Dubai, from the wild shores of Assateague to a wild-west campground. Will Jamie survive to debut her fringed leopard-print bikini?
Life as a private investigator is tough, but it’s even worse when you’re a semi-immortal wizard private investigator whose tolerance for humans grows thinner by the day. Just when he thinks things can’t get worse, in she walks.
Kate West, beautiful and complex in equal measure, with a problem only Jack can solve. Daemons, magic, voodoo, and vamps; it’s all very real, and Jack Bridge is the last line of defense against the creatures of Elsewhere.
Adam Millard is the author of twenty novels, ten novellas, and more than a hundred short stories, which can be found in various collections and anthologies. Probably best known for his post-apocalyptic fiction, Adam also writes fantasy/horror for children. He created the character Peter Crombie, Teenage Zombie just so he had something decent to read to his son at bedtime. Adam also writes Bizarro fiction for several publishers, who enjoy his tales of flesh-eating clown-beetles and rabies-infected derrieres so much that they keep printing them. His “Dead” series has recently been the filling in a Stephen King/Bram Stoker sandwich on Amazon’s bestsellers chart. Adam writes and edits for UK horror website This Is Horror, whose columnists include BC Furtney, Simon Bestwick and Simon Marshall-Jones.
Adam lives with his beautiful wife, Zoe-Ray, and their wonderful son, Phoenix Justice. There are also chickens, rabbits and cats, but the less said about that the better.
A paperback copy of Soul of Dust and a $10 Amazon Gift Card!
a Rafflecopter giveaway Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing’s marketing department.
**all images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**
**The small amount helps keep my blog running**
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This week, I will be sharing some freebies, what was happening last week and what’s coming up this week. I have missed the past few weeks and would have a super long post if I tried to play catch up, so I’ll just share a few freebies and what’s been happening last week and next week on fundinmental.
We had some turkey…
Did some road trips and lots of reading. Spent time with family and am preparing myself for my mother’s last days with us before she heads back north.
Hope you had a great turkey day and are looking forward to the upcoming holidays.
What is your motivation behind Sophie’s Quest? Why did you want to write it?
The character of Sophie Topfeather popped into my head many years ago when I was teaching a multi-faith class at St. Mary’s International School in Tokyo, Japan. According to many stories, owls are supposed to be wise, and it felt like we could use a wise owl in our class to help me answer all the kids’ great questions about God. Then, about fifteen years ago, my five-year-old daughter got into heated discussion about God on the playground with two other students from different religious backgrounds, and my wise owl popped back into my head again. I wanted to write a story that would help her understand others better in our diverse community, and for her friends to also understand her.
What do you hope readers take with them after they’ve read it?
I hope that first of all, they take away the feeling that they have made some special friends on the journey, and want to know what happens next! I also hope and pray that readers will have developed compassion for others who believe differently than they do, and an increased desire to know the true Sky Painter–Jesus, Immanuel, God with us.
Do you have a favorite scene?
I love all the scenes with Sophie and Timley, but some of my favorite scenes are between the Great Wise Horned Owl and Timley’s very frightened mother. Their love for their missing children helps them forge a strong bond that is very special.
What is something about you that is unique?
I write from home with a view of Puget Sound. While writing Sophie’s Quest, I would watch container ships go by and imagine Sophie and Timley on board.
— Sonja
Sophie’s Quest by Sonja Anderson
Middle Grade Adventure
Paperbook & ebook, 2260 Pages
June 7th 2015 by Sunberry Books
Sophie Topfeather loves to collect people-things with which to decorate her life and home. When she finds a golden necklace, she is intrigued by its shape and shows it to her grandfather, the Great Wise Horned Owl of the Park. His reaction only stirs her interest even more; he calls it a holy symbol, and then a ‘t’ for ‘trouble’! All of which sets our young owl off on a Quest to learn its true meaning. Little does she know that a day-dreaming, over-protected, adventure-seeking Pirate – er, mouse – named Timley has leapt into the brim of her hat as Sophie flies off on her Quest! And suddenly, their adventure takes its own turn as they find themselves on board a ship bound for the Holy Land. Thorns and thistles! Has the trouble started already? Can Timley convince Sophie she should not—I repeat, NOT—eat him?
This is also the story of the mysterious Sky Painter, who seems to be with them—no, leading them—on their Quest. So, why is he always leading them straight into trouble? Was the Great Wise Horned Owl right all along? Come along on the Quest to find out! Cross oceans with Sophie and Timley to a land of mosques and synagogues, markets and Bedouin tents, and, like our unlikely friends, you may never be the same again!
Author Sonja Anderson has a Master’s degree in Education and a Bachelor’s degree in History, has worked as an elementary school teacher, a resident counsellor in a children’s home, taught Sunday School, and has served for 12 years as the Christian Formation Coordinator for the North Pacific Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the NW Christian Writers Association. Married with two daughters, she has called Seattle home for over 20 years.
Shadow in the Sea by Sheila A Nielson is a fantasy mermaid story. The opening made me feel, drat been there done that, but as I read on, I thought, okay this is a bit different. I know it is hard to come up with a unique and original twist on a common theme, but I think Shelia A Nielson was able to accomplish this in a big way.
Accused of murder, Sade was waiting for her death…until she found herself adrift in the ocean. Tossed overboard and meant to die, she was given a second chance. She was washed up on the shores of the mysterious Winwaithe Island.
Sade pretended to have amnesia. She hid from the others, was she also hiding from herself?
She is terrified of the water, yet unable to resist its call.
She knows the value of all life, whether man or mouse, literally.
I love to hate a villain and Captain Westwood fits the bill.
The characters are wonderful, fully developed and complex. They grow and develop throughout the story.
Is Shadow in the Sea predictable…yes and no. There is something extra that I wasn’t expecting and that is always a very good thing. We have some romance, Sade is a young woman after all. She has loved and lost. Tragedy, yes, we have a violent beginning to what becomes an amazing “tail” of love and sacrifice.
I have never entered a merworld so creative and wondrous. I was enthralled, loving the visualization created by Shelia’s words as we entered her underwater world.
A merman with a beard. Clothes. A city. Dancing. Laughing. Children. Let your mind run wild…mine did and I loved it so much I hated for the story to end. Shadow in the Sea, Sade’s story, is Book II in the Forbidden Sea series, but I don’t feel it affected my reading, other than making me want to go back and read Book I, Adrienne’s story, to see what I missed.
I received a copy of Shadow in the Sea by Sheila A Nielsen in return for an honest review.
5 Stars
Book & Author Details
Shadow in the Sea by Sheila A. Nielson
Publication date: July 15th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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SYNOPSIS
When sixteen-year-old Sadelyn Hanson washes up on the shores of Windwaithe Island, her beauty and the strange marks on her wrist make superstitious locals suspect she is a mermaid. Feigning amnesia, Sade hides a far worse secret: she was sailing to her own murder trial when she was thrown overboard by the real killer, the cunning and cruel Captain Westwood.
Sade’s quiet effort to rebuild her life on the island is threatened when she meets an actual young merman. Unable to speak his language, Sade still longs for the warm companionship he offers, despite the locals’ dire legends about merfolk and their dark magic. But her confused feelings for the impossible boy become the least of her problems when Captain Westwood’s ship docks at Windwaithe. With nowhere to escape, Sade must trust in the one person who doesn’t fear the merfolk. A woman who had dealings with them herself—years ago.
Sheila never did figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up. She graduated from college with a BFA in illustration, has worked as a children’s librarian for over eighteen years, and would eventually like to be a full-time author. Why pick one career when you can have many? Sheila lives with her two pets, a goffin cockatoo and a tiny toy poodle. She was born and raised in California but has come to also love her adopted home in Utah where she currently resides.
1 grand prize package which includes: 1 twin sized mermaid bedspread, 1 pair of light-up earrings, 1 signed paperback copy of Shadow in the Sea, 1 signed hardback copy of Forbidden Sea
1 runner up prize package which includes: 1 mermaid in a cup figurine, 1 pair of light-up earrings, 1 signed paperback copy of Shadow in the Sea, 1 signed hardback copy of Forbidden Sea
3 combo prizes which includes: 1 pair of light-up earrings, 1 signed paperback copy of Shadow in the Sea, 1 signed hardback copy of Forbidden Sea
2 prize packages which include: 1 pair of light-up earrings, 1 signed paperback copy of Shadow in the Sea
Author, Vicki L. Weavil, also shares her thoughts on the cover.
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
I love this cover because it reflects the book so well. The image of a girl standing alone on a desolate world is a perfect depiction of my protagonist, Ann, as well as her “sand over stone” world, Eco. But it’s also symbolic, because although Ann isn’t really alone, she often feels isolated on her frontier planet. The addition of the image of the Earth is also appropriately symbolic. Ann can’t actually see the Earth from Eco, but since her goal is to live on Earth it’s always on her mind, so the inclusion of the Earth image is a wonderful metaphor for her hopes and dreams.
For a ticket to Earth, seventeen-year-old Anna-Maria “Ann” Solano is willing to jettison her birth planet, best friend, and the boy who loves her. Especially since all she’s required to do is escort Dace Keeling, a young naturalist, through the wilderness of the partially terraformed planet Eco. Ann‘s determination to escape the limitations of her small, frontier colony never falters, until Dace’s expeditions uncover three secrets. One offers riches, one shatters Ann’s perceptions of herself, and one reveals that the humans stranded on Eco are not its only inhabitants.
Ann’s willing to sacrifice friendship and love for a new life on Earth. But when an entire species is placed in jeopardy by her actions, she must make a choice – fulfill the dream that’s always sustained her, or save the planet she’s never considered home.
Facsimile (Facsimile #1)
by Vicki L. Weavil
Publication Date: March 8, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books
Vicki L. Weavil is represented by Fran Black of Literary Counsel. Her Young Adult Fantasy, CROWN OF ICE — a dark YA retelling of H.C. Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” — is published by Month9Books. Two companion books to CROWN OF ICE — SCEPTER OF FIRE and ORB OF LIGHT — will be published in 2016 and 2017.
Her YA SciFi — FACSIMILE — will be published by Month9Books in 2016, with a sequel, DERIVATION, to follow.
A new YA Fantasy, THE DIAMOND THIMBLE, will be published by Month9Books in 2018.
She also writes adult SciFi.
Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
5 Stars
