Tuesday, December 22, 2015

SLOW ECHOES by Kristina M. Serran


  SLOW ECHOES will be released for purchase January 14th 2016
Something to look forward to. 






Selk Baioumi is Croatian. She’s also Egyptian. And American. Despite her vast heritage, the only family she has known is her mom and late grandfather. Other than that, the closest relationship she has is with her boxing/kickboxing instructor, Cliff. And she’s perfectly happy with her life, until two new men show up in her cozy hometown of Snow Hill, Maryland. The first, Whistler, an ill-reputed boxer with a paranormal secret. The second, Zahid, the Egyptian father who’d left her mother the day after Selk was born.

Zahid’s return brings the truth about Selk’s ancestry and promises of death for many, including Whistler, the not-so-bad boy who’s stolen her heart with his dry smile and effortless empathy. In order to obliterate those promises, Selk and Whistler must enter and survive an alternate Egypt where crocodiles swim in venom, stained-glass labyrinths come to life and mummies can slow your every move, even speech—if overprotective Cliff doesn’t kill Whistler first.


About the Author


After starting college at sixteen, Kristina M. Serrano graduated from Cape Fear Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Arts, as well as a BFA in Creative Writing Fiction and a Certificate in Publishing from The University of North Carolina Wilmington, landing on the dean’s and chancellor’s lists. She was the Executive Editor and Prose Editor of an online literary magazine, and, while in college, had the privilege of singing the national anthem at four large events. SLOW ECHOES is her first published novel, but she has dozens of unfinished YA fantasy and paranormal romance novels stored away for a rainy day. She currently resides in North Carolina with her hyper Bichon Frisé, Jake.

http://kristinamserrano.wix.com/author







Saturday, November 21, 2015

The Watchers - Knight of Light - Audiobook



Last year The Watchers, Knight of Light broke sales records and held its place on the Amazon Bestseller List almost the entire month it first released.

More books sold in the first 10 days than, statistically, what most authors sell in a lifetime.
The Watchers got picked up by Costco and other retailers and was nominated for literary awards.



Amazon contacted us and gave us a grant to produce The Watchers, Knight of Light into an audiobook.

We had access to New York talent and the same quality production as the big five publishers.

Auditions flooded in. My book manager listened to many voice actors then passed the best on to me. My husband and I listened to so many great readers, but when we heard Julia Farmer, we knew she was the one.

I hope you love her as much as we did.

Available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes,

In England, 1270 A.D., Aura flees her village after being accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death. Pursued by creatures of darkness, she struggles to accept the truth about her humanity and choose what side of an eternal war she will fight. Filled with fairies, dwarves, pixies, dragons, and epic villains, Knight of Light is an enthralling tale that will capture the imaginations of readers young and old.

 Deirdra Eden's, The Watcher's Series, is written in a traditional fairytale style with a young girl's discovery of incredible, but dangerous powers within herself, a cast of humorous side-kicks, a quest for greater self-discovery and purpose, and villains of epic proportions.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Book Review: Wise Bear William: A New Beginning by Arthur Wooten, illustrated by Bud Santora





From Amazon:

In Wise Bear William: A New Beginning, toys long forgotten in an attic discover that children are coming up to rescue them.

All wanting to be picked, each toy examines their own self-described shortcomings and turn to one another for comfort and advice. But the most important thing they discover is that as much as you fix things up on the outside, it's what's on the inside that really counts.

With an emotional and surprising ending for all the toys, this heartwarming and timeless tale of love and friendship is destined to become a favorite of young and old for years to come.









Kal'el's Review:

It is cool, because it has cool pictures. I liked it when the bear got picked again. It was so cute. I liked that the rag doll got helped to get dressed up pretty again so she could get chosen by a child.

I was surprised by the ending when the bear got chosen and who the grandpa was.


Deirdra's Review:

The story reminded me a little of a vintage style Toy Story where the toys are alive and want to play with children. The toys in this story spent many years in the attic and help each other get dressed up, cleaned, and repaired for the anticipated day when the children will come into the attic and each pick one of the old toys to play with.

There is a good moral to this story as none of the toys were able to reach their goals without the other's help. I love how this applies to economics and business success. We are most successful when we lift each other up instead of shoving each other down to get ahead.

Kal'el asked many good questions and was engaged while we read.

I loved the rich and vibrant illustrations.The illustrations set a mood for the book that is classic, festive and compliments the author's story telling style.

The pages each have a high word count, but the elaborate detail in the illustrations keep the eye and imagination busy while the child is being read to.

The book itself is well constructed and has an heirloom feel to it, as if it is a special book to be read by the fire during Christmas or other special occasions and visits.


You can purchase your copy of Wise Bear William on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Wise-Bear-William-New-Beginning/dp/0983563160



All Children's books reviewed by A Storybook World are donated to schools after reviews.


Thursday, October 22, 2015

Girl from the Stars Book 1: Daybreak GIVEAWAY by Cheree Alsop


Please leave a comment and your email below for a chance to win a free e-book of Girl from the Stars Book 1: Daybreak by Cheree Alsop.

Liora Day, half-human, half-mess with her and you’ll die Damaclan, had been thrown onto a rough path at a very early age. But when she is broken out of a cage by Devren, the young captain of the SS Kratos, she is shown that perhaps humanity does have a heart. The Kratos is set on a mission to rescue fallen surveyors from the Revolutionaries, and Liora is given the choice to follow her Damaclan instincts, or trust Devren’s dark eyes and captivating smile that promise an adventure unlike any she has ever experienced.




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Monday, October 19, 2015

The Fourteenth Quilt




About The Fourteenth Quilt:

Annie, Celia and Lynn are all that are left of the Relief Society quilting class, but they are still determined to make baby quilts for the new mothers at church. Annie, who is just south of eighty years old, calls the quiltsters (short for quilting sisters) together to ask for more. She wants to make lap quilts to give to some of the “forgotten” oldsters she sings to each week at the nursing home—something to wrap them in love at Christmastime. It’s a good idea, but the trio discovers that life and making quilts don’t always go as planned.

The quiltsters discuss recipes and quilting ideas including a crocheted cat mat to use up their fabric selvage and trim scraps, all of which they share in the book.

Sarah and Brian meet at the university. Their first date is after Sarah’s First Saturday Block of the Month class she attends with her mom at the local quilt shop. Their romance grows, and they plan their future together—a plan that will require them to be separated for six months before their wedding. But, can they bear to be apart that long?

What wraps together this Christmas tale? The Fourteenth Quilt. 

Excerpt #1:          (Getting to Know You)         

“Would you like to go on a date?”
          “No. Oh, no,” Sarah shook her head even more vigorously. “Right now the only thing I’m interested in is getting through finals. I’m not really interested in meeting a bunch of guys and doing the dating scene.”
          “I wasn’t thinking of a bunch of guys. I was wondering if you would like to go on a date with me sometime.”
          Sarah had not expected this. She forced herself to not let her mouth drop open. She looked up again and stared at Brian as if seeing him for the first time. He didn’t have the most rock star handsome face she had ever seen, but he was good-looking. Unlike most of her family who were tall and heftily-built people, he was thin and wiry. She wondered, when they both stood up, would he even be taller than she was?
          With her eyes locked on his, she witnessed kindness as he patiently waited for her answer. Then again, for a second she worried the hint of laughter in his eyes indicated he enjoyed witnessing her discomfort.
          Sarah didn’t know what to say. He looked like a nice guy, but she didn’t really know anything about him.
          “I…I don’t know,” Sarah stammered. “We really don’t know each other. It’s not like Jenna actually introduced us or ever told me anything about you.”
          Brian chuckled.
Brian
          “You need to understand, Sarah, I didn’t know anyone on your bench. I was sitting here because I’m Len’s friend, and I’ve met his girlfriend, Terry. Terry is friends with that dark-haired girl. I think her name was Angie. Evidently, Angie knew your friend. What was her name?”
          “Jenna,” supplied Sarah. “I don’t know her all that well, although she seems to be really nice. We share a class together.”
          “But, you know her name,” Brian pointed out. “I suspect that Jenna didn’t make intros because, other than Angie, who was sitting next to her, she didn’t know anyone on my bench.”
Sarah
          Sarah shrugged. She could see how that could have happened.
          “I don’t want to pressure you if you don’t feel comfortable going out with me,” said Brian. “But, I like you and would like to get to know you better.”
          He doesn’t want to pressure me if I don’t feel comfortable?
Sarah blinked as she thought about his words. It seemed like everyone she knew was always trying to push her out of her comfort zone. 



About Robyn Echols:



Robyn Echols has been writing since she was in junior high school. By choice, she spent most of her evening hours in her "dungeon", as her mother called her downstairs bedroom, writing stories, only joining her family in front of the television upstairs when her favorite programs were playing. She has spent hours learning and teaching family history topics, and focuses on history from a genealogist's perspective of seeking out the details of everyday life in the past.


Now Robyn resides with her husband in California near the “Gateway to Yosemite” and has fun researching and writing the books that she hopes will interest and entertain her readers. She writes Young Adult/New Adult and contemporary fiction under Robyn Echols and adult historical romance under her pen name, Zina Abbott.

The author is a member of Women Writing the West, American Night Writers Association, and Modesto Writers Meet Up. She currently lives with her husband in California near the “Gateway to Yosemite.” She enjoys any kind of history including family history. When she is not piecing together novel plots, she pieces together quilt blocks.


Author Links:

Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest


Quilt Gateway blog (See posts for September 2015)



Purchase Links:



 
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