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:



 

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Magelica's Voyage and The Rescue Book Review

All children's books that A Storybook World reviews are reviewed by my almost 7-year-old then donated to a school library.


Magelica's Voyage and The Rescue came in the mail at a perfect time. Kal'el had really bad day at school with a bully. It brightened his day when he came home to this gift package that you can also get here:
http://www.magelica.com/product/book-1-2-gift-set/



Kal'el put the necklace on right away which is gender neutral jewelry.
As he was reading the book, I watched his expression lighten and he said, "Hey, we have the same magic necklace." He continued reading about Magelica and her magical adventures to the Isle of Dreams. Kal'el loved this book, especially the unique characters and mythology.


Magelica is a fairytale character with green hair and wings. She goes on an incredible journey in a flying bathtub in the first book of the Magelica’s Voyage Trilogy, and in the second book Magelica’s Voyage: The Rescue, she bravely helps rescue a prince stranded on a mysterious island!


What I loved as a parent was the good messages in the books.

The author took the time to write Kal'el and told us a beautiful story about bullies.

She said, "In Magelica’s Voyage we try to help children discover that love is the most powerful feeling of all."


She also wrote, "I hope Magelica inspires your son to discover the magic of life. In Magelica’s Voyage: The Rescue, the prince tells Magelica that there are no coincidences in life and that everything happens for a reason. Hopefully you receiving Magelica’s Voyage today is no coincidence. I hope you and he enjoy the adventure!"

After reading this I became a fan and I knew there was something special about this book because the author is something special herself.


As far as the illustrations go, they are top of the line. The quality is something I would compare to Disney. As an art critic and illustrator myself, this isn't something I say lightly. The illustrations are fabulous.

You can see the book trailer here:








Check out the author's website here: http://www.magelica.com/

















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