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Wednesday, November 30, 2016

The Soulstealer's Child Blitz




Brandon Gray is the pen name of Braden Bell (Brandon writes YA fiction; Braden writes for middle grades). Braden holds a Ph.D. from New York University. He and his family live on a quiet, wooded lot in Tennessee, where he teaches middle school theatre and music. An experienced performer, Braden enjoys reading, gardening, and long summer afternoons writing in his hammock. His most notable skill is being able to eat a full rack of BBQ ribs with one hand on long drives.



Connect with the Author here: 
~ Facebook ~ Website
 ~ Amazon ~ Twitter
 ~ Goodreads ~




Can a human heart overcome a demon soul?



When soul-eating demons overrun his world, Kaelis, a young seraph warrior, uses the Queen’s ring to open a portal in space and flee with the infant heir to the throne, landing on earth. Unbeknownst to him, the demon leader, Nsark, follows through the portal, determined to devour the soul of every last seraph, especially the Queen’s heir. After Kaelis hides the baby, Nsark creates the ultimate weapon by fathering a half-human, half-demon: a soul-stealer’s child. 



Sixteen years later, an awkward teen named James struggles to fit in with his peers. In a last-ditch effort, he joins the school play, where he meets Lucy. Something deep draws them together, and their friendship reveals their hidden pasts: one is an angel, one is half-demon. Lucy and James find themselves pulled into an age-old war between their peoples. Hunted by relentless enemies, and grappling with deep-seated instincts and strange new powers, they must fight for their lives, their souls, and each other.






Top Ten List:

1. My wife
2. My kids
3. My students
4. Dr. Pepper
5. BBQ ribs
6. Amazon gift cards
7. Old Christmas movies
8. Turner Classic Movies
9. My new Amazon Firestick (love this!!!)
10. My job--teaching choir and theatre at a middle school.



To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 



Thursday, November 17, 2016

Doorway to Murder Review!




Secrets lurk in a small New York town and betrayal is just around the corner. The morning after the worst blizzard of 1934, Detective Steven Blackwell takes on a highly charged murder case. The investigation starts badly: one clue, lots of lies and alibis. To make things worse, Steven is seeing visions of a woman in his house.

One night, she speaks. Her name is Olivia Watson and she lives in 2014. She believes time has folded over in the house they share. As their relationship deepens, Steven’s investigation intensifies. Soon he can no longer trust anyone in his own time. Can Olivia help crack the case—and catch a killer?




Reviews:
The past collides with the present in DOORWAY TO MURDER, an exciting new mystery by debut author Carol Pouliot.

With its fresh premise covering two eras that crackle off the page, Carol Pouliot introduces compelling characters to lead her series forward. Add a sharply written mystery with clever plot twists, and you have all the elements that make DOORWAY TO MURDER an accomplished debut.
Marni Graff, award-winning author, The Nora Tierney series and Death Unscripted
Mystery. Romance. Time-travel adventure. DOORWAY TO MURDER is the total package. Carol Pouliot interweaves the past and present as easily as I turned the pages. I highly recommend this fun read.
Betsy Bitner, award-winning humor columnist, Times Union (Albany, NY)
There's nothing I like more than a time-travel tale, but how much better to get a crisp, fair-play police procedural, too. The atmosphere grabbed me. The ending surprised me. I'm already looking forward to Steven and Olivia's next adventure.
Catriona McPherson, multi-award-winning author of the Edgar-shortlisted The Day She Died
Steven and Olivia make a great couple of crime busters in this era-jumping romance and hard-boiled police procedural. Join them. You’ll be glad you did!
Steve Axelrod, author of the Henry Kennis Nantucket mysteries





I have learned more and more to enjoy a good murder mystery - but what I loved about this one is that there isn't a lot of blood and gore, nor the feeling that the murderer is standing around a corner waiting to do it again. That's why it grabbed me! It was a unique story with a murder that was quite obviously out of the ordinary for the murder, and thus not a rampant killer on the loose. This made it harder to follow clues and to piece together a motive and logic. I loved that even though there is time travel in this book, it is not the type that risks changing history or changing the future. It's almost a side story but still adds depth to the situation in both story-lines from the 2 different times. I admit that I was interested in the book from the start but it wasn't a bit further down on the long to-do list I had. So when I got it I was very surprised that it gripped me and didn't let go. I literally took it with me everywhere on my kindle and listened to it while driving with the Voiceover app just so I didn't have to stop reading. It is that good! I highly recommend it!





Hi! I’m Carol Pouliot. (French pronunciation the “t” is silent.)            


I’ve always loved books and learning. I can still picture the library my family went to when I was little. I remember my excitement picking out books. Now, the bookshelves lining the walls of my house are stuffed to over-flowing mysteries, political thrillers, time-travel, ancient Egypt, French literature, biographies of British kings and queens, and favorites from my childhood. I guess it was inevitable I’d want to write.

I fell in love with France and all things French at age 11. Throughout high school, I dreamed of getting my passport, packing my suitcase, and going to Paris. I graduated from SUNY Oswego with a BA in French and Spanish and got my MA in French at Stony Brook University. Then, I headed to France for my first teaching job.

After returning home to upstate New York, I taught French and Spanish for over 30 years. I also started my own business an agency that provided translations in over 24 languages.

I’ve always felt very much a part of the world and at home everywhere I’ve ever been 5 continents so far. I did volunteer work for a couple of international organizations. I loved getting to know people from all over the world. A friend from Kenya taught me some Swahili; a woman from Japan showed me how to make her mother’s favorite chicken recipe; a friend from Panama taught me to salsa. All these wonderful experiences have enriched my life beyond measure.

I currently live on several acres of woods in the lake-effect zone. This means I get about 10 feet of snow every year thanks to the strong winds off Lake Ontario. I enjoy seeing the deer, chipmunks, and foxes. I also love watching the birds at my kitchen-window feeders over 25 different kinds at the latest count.   

Connect with the Author here: 
~ Website



To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 



Tuesday, November 15, 2016

The Wrong Side of Magic Review!!





Hudson Brown stopped believing in magic long ago. That is, until the day he is whisked away to the magical land of Logos by a curious compass given to him by his off-beat neighbor, Charlotte.

Hudson discovers that Logos is a land ruled by words, thoughts, and memories. A fairy might ferry you across the river for the price of one memory. But be sure to look out for snarky unicorns, as they will see through those who are not pure of heart.

Not understanding the many rules of Logos, Hudson is quickly saddled with a troll curse. Charlotte, who, along with her father, was banished from Logos, can help get rid of the curse--but only if he agrees to find the lost Princess of Logos in return.










I have always enjoyed Janette Rallison’s books, and this was no exception. It was different than the books I’ve read previously by this author, but oh so much fun. I laughed so many times and I was eager to turn the page every time – to see what was going to happen. I absolutely loved her images of unicorns and mermaids, the way she portrayed them and the personalities of each character/creature they came across. This was one of those books I couldn’t put down until the end, and afterward (2 days later) I found myself laughing out loud when thinking about part of the story. My husband thought I was crazy, but a good story is worth thinking about for days afterward as this one was. I’m very eager to read it again and I will be recommending it to everyone, even if this is not your typical genre. The writing alone is worth reading and the story is fantastic.
Thanks Janette for writing books we love.
I’ll keep reading her books without hesitation because I know she will always provide the best.




Janette Rallison/ CJ Hill writes books because writing is much more fun than cleaning bathrooms.  Her avoidance of housework has led her to writing 26 novels that have sold over 1,000,000 print copies and have been on many reading and state lists. Her books are fantasy, sci-fi, and romantic comedy because hey, there is enough angst in real life, but there’s a drastic shortage of humor, romance and hot guys who fight dragons. She lives in Arizona with her husband, kids, and enough cats to classify her as eccentric. 

Connect with the Author here: 
~ Goodreads ~ Website ~
 ~ Amazon ~



To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 



Monday, November 7, 2016

Swim Season Tour and Review!






Sometimes winning is everything. Champion swimmer Aerin Keane is ready to give up her dreams of college swimming and a shot at the Olympics. As she starts senior year in her third high school, Aerin's determined to leave her family troubles behind and be like all the other girls at Two Rivers. She's got a new image and a new attitude. She doesn’t want to win anymore. She's swimming for fun, no longer the freak who wins every race, every title, only to find herself alone. But when her desire to be just one of the girls collides with her desire to be the best Two Rivers has ever seen, will Aerin sacrifice her new friendships to break a longstanding school record that comes with a $50,000 scholarship?







~ Amazon ~ Amazon UK



This was a fantastic book about coming of age, learning to push past your own fear, and to not settle with mediocre when you can be great. I story was not rushed but was still captivating. It was great to follow along with girls as they grew, learned, and pressed each other to do better. It wasn't a book about some big adventure, but rather the realities of every day life and how they change you and who you are and how you think. I found myself eager to see what would happen and how the characters would react. The "mean girl" wasn't the typical cheerleader and her motivations were unique. The competition between the girls as they learned to work together, get past their own petty divisions, and push each other was really fun, and very real. I enjoyed this book. I would highly encourage it. It wasn't about getting the guy and proving you are cool, it was about learning who you are and what you want. Yes there is some minor teen romance, but it was to the side and that made it really unique and special. Absolutely worth the read!




During swim season you can find Marianne Sciucco, a dedicated Swim Mom for ten years, at one of many Skyline Conference swim meets cheering for her daughter and her team, the Mount Saint Mary College Knights.
Marianne is not a nurse who writes but a writer who happens to be a nurse. A lover of words and books, she dreamed of becoming an author when she grew up but became a nurse to avoid poverty. She later brought her two passions together and writes about the intricate lives of people struggling with health and family issues.
Her debut novel "Blue Hydrangeas," an Alzheimer’s love story, is a Kindle bestseller, IndieReader Approved, a BookWorks featured book, and a Library Journal Self-e Selection. She also has two short stories available on Kindle, "Ino's Love" and "Collection.”
A native Bostonian, Marianne lives in New York’s Hudson Valley, and when not writing works as a campus nurse at a community college.


Connect with the Author here: 



To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page