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Something's Missing Book Review & Giveaway

4/30/2014

Something's Missing: A Viking Club Mystery
~Written by Maureen Grenier

Book Synopsis

Something’s Missing

A missing father …
A missing team …
A missing friend …
What more could happen? Oh, no, something else is missing!

Three young hockey players struggle with something missing in their lives as they and their teammates play in the annual Vikings versus Pirates Tournament. As well as being anxious to help wrest the trophy from their archrivals by winning first place in their respective age groups, the three Vikings have other worries.

Chris is mourning his absent father, desperate for his dad’s encouragement since there is never any from his coach; Jaylon can’t seem to forget his former winning team, and knows he is now a loser on a team that can’t seem to catch a break (and probably can’t help win the trophy); and Rebecca is devastated when her best friend betrays her. But a father, a winning team, and a friend aren’t all that’s missing. Something else has disappeared and if it’s not returned, fingers will be pointing at the whole Viking organization!

Chance draws Chris, Jaylon, and Rebecca together as the last game of the tournament is played. Can they head off the disaster facing the Vikings and the whole town? The three friends put their own problems behind them and concentrate on trying to solve the mystery before the tournament ends. (Amazon)

My Review

Something's Missing takes young readers on an exciting and mysterious journey into the world of hockey where a championship is at stake and the winning trophy is missing!

The Vikings are taking on the Pirates in a tournament that will result in one team being the champs. The Vikings long to get the trophy back from the Pirates and they play hard to make sure that happens. It comes down to the final game and Chris, Jaylon, and Rebecca, having already played their games, remain at the arena to root for their fellow Vikings. However, when the trophy turns up missing the kids team up to solve a mystery. Will they find the trophy in time?

Something's Missing is a well written early chapter book that's perfect for sports fans. The fast pace and easy to follow plot will captivate young readers and the mystery will have them recalling the clues from earlier in the story, keeping them engaged.

I recommend picking up a copy of Something's Missing. Available on Amazon.

Something's Missing by Maureen Grenier
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Faery Swap Book Blast & $25 Giveaway

4/30/2014

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About the Book

Title: Faery Swap | Author: Susan Kaye Quinn | Publication Date: December 19, 2013 | Publisher:Independent | Pages: 281 | Recommended Ages: 10+

Summary: Warrior faery princes can be very stubborn. Especially when they possess your body. Fourteen-year-old Finn just wants to keep his little sister out of Child Protective Services–an epic challenge with their parentally-missing-in-action dad moving them to England, near the famous Stonehenge rocks. Warrior faery Prince Zaneyr just wants to escape his father’s reckless plan to repair the Rift–a catastrophe that ripped the faery realm from Earth 4,000 years ago and set it adrift in an alternate, timeless dimension. When Zaneyr tricks Finn into swapping places, Finn becomes a bodiless soul stuck in the Otherworld, and Zaneyr uses Finn’s body to fight off his father’s seekers on Earth. Between them, they have two souls and only one body… and both worlds to save before the dimensional window between them slams shut.

Faery Swap is an action and druid-magic filled portal fantasy, told by both a runaway faery prince and the boy he’s tricked into taking his place. This Prince and the Pauper meets Warrior Faeries tale is suitable for all ages.

NOTE TO TEACHERS: A 2 minute book trailer and a 9 minute Virtual Author Visit video brings Author and Rocket Scientist Susan Kaye Quinn (Ph.D. Engineering) into your classroom, sharing her background in science and engineering and talking about her book, Faery Swap. A downloadable Teacher’s Guide includes discussion questions, activities, and a Knowledge Seekers card-based game designed to be played in the classroom – all aligned to Common Core reading, writing, and college readiness standards for Grades 3-6. (Virtual Author Visit can be found at Susan’s website: www (dot) susankayequinn (dot)com/p/virtual-author-visit.html)

Book Video Trailer

Purchase
Amazon(Print) | Amazon(Kindle) | BarnesandNoble

The Buzz

“I’ve seen and enjoyed this theme before, but never in a book for this age group and Ms. Quinn carries it out beautifully. The kids were fun and acted like kids, which makes them believable for all ages. The pace and action will keep readers flipping pages greedily. Also, telling the story from the two viewpoints greatly added to my overall enjoyment. Highly recommend for ages 9 and up.” ~ 5 Star Review, Alan T., Amazon

“I am a 10 year old boy. My mom recommended this awesome book to me because she knows Kai Strand, who knows Susan Quinn. I was hooked from the first paragraph! This is a wonderful ( and quite thrilling) story! Good for all ages and I wish I could rate it 100 stars! … I can definitely recommended this to almost anyone! Good job to Susan Quinn. The story is balanced neatly between Zaneyr and Finn, by Finn’s perspective in the first chapter, Zaneyr’s perspective in the the next, then Finn again, and so on. Great book and is a must read.” ~ 5 Star Review, Red Rose, Amazon

“I LOVED this book. This is one of those books that grabs you and doesnt let you go. Susan Kaye Quinn is an awesome writer! Feary Swap is funny, well paced, and filled with adventure. It’s a book no kid will want to miss. I especially loved the witty humor that kept me laughing page after page. The world building was vivid and phenomenal. I could just see this as a movie in my head. I liked how the author sneaks those educational moments in there without you even knowing it. A delightful book for old and young readers alike. Get it!” ~ 5 Star Review, Daddy’s Girls Book Reviews, Amazon

About the Author: Susan Kaye Quinn

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, which is young adult science fiction. Faery Swap is her foray into middle grade, which is her first writing love. Her business card says “Author and Rocket Scientist” and she always has more speculative fiction fun in the works. You can subscribe to her newsletter (BONUS: new subscribers get a free short story!) or stop by her blog to see what she’s up to.

Website ~ Virtual Author Visit Page ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

*$25 Book Blast Giveaway*

Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)
Contest ends: May 29, 11:59 pm, 2014
Open: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Susan Kaye Quinn and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

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Holding On To Love Release Day Blitz

4/29/2014

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Title: Holding On To Love (Holding On, #1)
Author: A.E. Neal
Genre: New Adult, Romance
Series: Holding On
Release Date: April 29th, 2014

There is always a moment in your life when you have to break up with the past in order to move on...

Allyson Monroe has everything she's ever wanted out of life. She has a promising career, a brilliant best friend, and she's engaged to the man of her dreams. In one heart wrenching moment, Ally’s perfect world is turned upside down. As she succumbs to the heartache and tragedy that has left her utterly devastated, Ally relies on her best friend’s support more than ever. Eventually, she begins to pick up the pieces of her shattered life and move forward. However, the one thing she can’t seem to repair, is the huge void left in her heart.

Local hockey star and bar owner, Brody McCabe, has had many titles bestowed upon him in his life — "Nice Guy" was never one of them. After a horrendous childhood, the only kind of love he seems to be capable of, is that of material possessions and his three staples — women, whiskey and wealth. Brody is completely unaware that the universe plans on handing him the hat-trick of a lifetime.

After a chance encounter, Allyson and Brody are baffled by the heated connection they have towards each other. Will they be able to overcome the tragedies of their pasts, or can they grasp and hold on to a new love and a future together?

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AbouttheAuthor

A.E. Neal is the author of Holding On To Love & Trick Her, Treat Her. She has been writing since she was six years old, everything from short stories to poetry. Her debut novel released in September 2013 and she is currently working on the follow-up novel, Holding On To Us, which will be released May 2014. Her inspiration for the Holding On Series is her love of hockey, cocky bad-boys and true love. While she spends most of her time writing, she also enjoys reading and catching up on her favorite TV shows. She currently resides in Colorado with her family, including two dogs, two cats and a goldfish. Be sure to visit A.E. Neal's Facebook page for exclusive teasers and updates.

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Author Interview: Brendan Sullivan

4/29/2014

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Meet Brendan Sullivan, Author of Irish Blood

Brendan Sean Sullivan is an author, lawyer, and former journalist. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and emigrated to the United States in 1970. Brendan attended The Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a BA degree in Journalism. He also received his Juris Doctorate degree from Temple University School of Law. He recently published his first novel "Irish Blood" which is an historical fiction thriller set in Belfast in the late 1990's. Brendan lives just outside of Philadelphia with his wife and five children. (Amazon)

BBB: What inspired you to become a writer?

BS: As a kid, I always loved movies and television, especially things that had to do with intrigue, crime, suspense, mystery, espionage, etc… anything with action really. I was always drawn to stories with unexpected twists and turns but which also had characters who bore their souls and showed their human side. Also, I read a lot of George Orwell – his characters always resonated with me, especially how they always struggled with society, our institutions, governments, and their own thoughts and beliefs. As an adult, I read anything from crime, to espionage, to terrorism, to history to war novels, and these subjects often got my mind swirling with ideas – to the point that I would daydream stories, turning them back and forward in my head over and over again. Eventually, I started to jot down ideas and themes for books and short stories.

BBB: How did you come up with the idea for your book, Irish Blood?

BS: I wanted to write an action packed thriller that wasn’t the typical murder, spy, detective, mystery story that had been repackaged over and over again a thousand times. Irish Blood came about because I had kind of a different background than most people, which gave me a unique perspective and story to tell. I was born in Belfast and my parents left for the United States in 1970, when I was two years old. My family life was vastly different than most of the people in my neighborhood. We lived in a row home in Philadelphia like a lot of other people but my parents always kept us really close to our Irish roots and a lot of very interesting Irish characters. My brother, my sister, and I all grew up with an incredible sense of Irish pride and were raised to believe that we were different – not better than others – but different in the way we viewed our connection to Ireland – to never forget the struggles going on at “home” as my parents called it.  Although Irish Blood is a fast-paced fictional thriller set in Ireland and America in the late 90’s, many of the events that take place in this book are loosely based on my own experiences or those of people I came across in my life growing up as an Irish kid in the US.  Most of the characters are based on individuals I met first hand, was told about, or read about since I was a young boy.

In addition, I wanted my story to touch on Irish American sympathies for “The Troubles” in Ireland, and the interplay between the FBI and those suspected of running guns to the IRA from the US in the 1980s and 1990s. It was important to me that the story also subtly revealed the transformation of Northern Ireland over the last fifty years, without hitting the reader over the head with a history lesson. I have been back to Ireland three times since I left and each time I came back with a different perspective.  At age five, I was an innocent and clueless child led around by hand in a war torn land. Oddly, I still have memories of that. When I was fifteen, my parents took me to Belfast again and I returned to the US, rebellious and enamored with the IRA, totally enthralled by anything involved with the fight for Irish freedom.  Just a few years ago, when I was forty, I took my own family back to Ireland and returned to a country that seemed newly healed due to the vision of men convinced that open discourse rather than violence could bring about peace.  These trips influenced me a great deal and sort of compelled me to write the book.

BBB: Tell us about your main character, Mick McKenna.

BS: We meet Mick McKenna on what is probably the most horrible day of his life – the day he buries his wife, Sarah.  The book begins by telling the story of Sarah’s death while the couple honeymooned in Ireland and the difficulties our hero encounters thereafter as he tries to deal with the reality that she is gone and has been murdered for reasons he cannot even begin to understand.  Early on, we find Mick dealing with some fairly typical post-traumatic stress, which causes him to irrationally head back to Ireland to seek answers. Mick travels in some Catholic circles that eventually lead him to those most afflicted by The Troubles. Meanwhile, he struggles with an extreme amount of guilt, which stems from his attraction to a young woman named Jillian, who helps him to deal with his grief and to understand the war torn land where his life was viciously ripped apart. As he starts to move toward some sort of rationale for Sarah’s death, the story takes a drastic turn and our intrigue really starts to build.

Mick is a character to whom most Irish Americans will immediately connect. He is proud of his Irish heritage but ends up getting a lesson in love of country that completely transforms him as a person. His journey is one of grief, faith, love, forgiveness, and healing.  Through this roller coaster ride, we find out that he’s kind of a badass and also that he’s one smart cookie who has to fight against time, an IRA splinter group, and even the FBI, to protect the people and the two countries he loves.

BBB: What do you think readers will enjoy most about your book?

BS: Readers will enjoy being sucked into the story from the very first page due to both the amount of action involved and also because of a need to find out what happens with these characters who really kind of touch your soul. This is not the type of thriller which has dead spots or chapters that you know the author wrote merely to make the book longer.  We get right into the thick of the story immediately and we have action.  There are bombings, arms dealing, murder, espionage, and international terrorism, but that is all surrounded by an intense and personal narrative with deeply human characters who we almost want to reach into the pages and help.  I’ve had more than a few people tell me that they have cried at parts during the book or that it brought them back to various times in their lives, so I think the story really resonates with people.  There’s a lot of sadness and passion woven into the book that keeps the reader’s interest since everyone wants to see if and how that can all be resolved.

BBB: Are you currently working on another book?

BS: Yes. It’s another thriller set in New York City but this time the hero is a young man of Yemeni descent who lost his parents in the attack on the Twin Towers but who is thrown into the post 9/11 world of radical Muslim terrorism. It will explore themes facing young people today who have grown up in the first generation to see and fear terrorism on US soil. Most of us grew up during the Cold War, fearing the Russians half way around the world and some almost abstract threat of a nuclear holocaust. Now, my children grow up in a world where we fear al-Qaeda and individual terrorist attacks that we see on TV every day. It's a topic that a lot of people are interested in right now and I really think my readers will enjoy it – so, stay tuned!

BBB: How can readers connect with you?

BS: Readers can follow me on:

The Irish Blood Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ByBrendanSullivan

Twitter: @sullibeeone

Book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Irish-Blood-Brendan-Sean-Sullivan-ebook/dp/B00BXQ565O

Website: http://sullib1.wordpress.com/

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Dominic Book Blitz

4/28/2014

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Title: Dominic Author: L.A. Casey Genre:New Adult, Romance, Contemporary Series: Slater Brothers, book #1 Publication Date: March 17th, 2014

After a car accident killed her parents when she was a child, Bronagh Murphy chose to box herself off from people in an effort to keep herself from future hurt. If she doesn't befriend people, talk to them or acknowledge them in any way they leave her alone just like she wants.

When Dominic Slater enters her life, ignoring him is all she has to do to get his attention. Dominic is used to attention, and when he and his brothers move to Dublin, Ireland for family business, he gets nothing but attention. Attention from everyone except the beautiful brunette with a sharp tongue.

Dominic wants Bronagh and the only way he can get to her, is by dragging her from the boxed off corner she has herself trapped in the only way he knows how...by force.

Dominic wants her, and what Dominic wants, Dominic gets.

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The Princess Fables Book Blast & $50 Amazon Giveaway

4/28/2014

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About the Book

Title: The Princess Fables | Author: Marc Clark | Illustrator: Eric Hosford | Publication Date: December 5, 2013 | Publisher: Seven C's Productions | Pages: 115 | Recommended Ages: 3+ Summary: The Origins of THE PRINCESS FABLES: When the author's daughter was just beginning the first grade, she was not happy about school. So when he would wake her each morning, whatever she would say to get out of going became the subject for a PRINCESS FABLE. If she'd say, "I don't want to," he'd make up a tale about The Princess Who Always Said, "I Don't Wanna". If she pulled the covers over her head, he'd tell her the story of The Princess Who Hid Under The Covers. By the end of each Fable he'd have her dressed and ready for school, with her eyes wide open and full of hope... THE PRINCESS FABLES are eleven inspirational stories for young girls who may still dream of being a Princess. Each Princess embarks on an adventure of self discovery and along the way, learns about the importance of trust, devotion, courage and the power of love. These classic tales transport little girls to a time and place where they are the heroines and can create their own happy endings. Every delicate pen and ink illustration reflects the classic fairy tale drawings of the late 19th century. Award: The Princess Fables was just awarded an Honorable Mention at the 2014 Los Angeles Book Festival.

Purchase

Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Print)

The Buzz

In a recent review by the Island Waves publication, Trey Seal wrote, “The Princess Fables is a book that brings back the nostalgia of the classic fairytales from our youth and is highly recommended for young children.”

Excerpts From Amazon Reviews:

"Marvelously original, soulful, and witty tales! Modern fables with funny and moving twists. I hope these stories make their way to kids everywhere!"

"What a beautifully illustrated and well-written book."

"A charming and witty read, with stunning illustrations. The Princess is adorable and the book conveys a very positive image for little girls."

"Great read for the little princess in us all!"

About the Author: Marc Clark

Marc Clark is the author of several plays and screenplays, a writer and producer of commercials, promos and television content. Marc is the father of two and currently resides in Manhattan.

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* $50 Book Blast Giveaway *

Prize: One winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest ends: May 27, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Marc Clark and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway