Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind!
This is a Child Friendly area. I will be reviewing YA and Childrens books and posting ages I feel they are appropriate for. We will also host tours of new books and plenty of giveaways of book related gear and ebooks. We will also discuss things specifically related to home education. Bullying and Special Needs are topics we will be discussing here on this site. Thanks for stopping by, hope you stick around!
Ixeos Rebellion With rebel leader Darian free at last, the humans and outsiders on Ixeos must find a way to join forces and defeat the Firsts. The problem? All slaves are tracked with GPS, the Firsts are the only ones with power, and roving gangs hate the rebels just as much as they hate the aliens. As Darian and the outsiders from Earth travel the globe through the mysterious tunnels in Paris, they learn that the Firsts are preparing to launch another wave of biological warfare. With a transporter that will allow the aliens to target any city, anywhere on the planet, the rebels know they must stop them at all costs. As things get more dangerous on Ixeos, the outsiders find that they're pushed to their limit. Will they fight for freedom, no matter the price?
The McClellands are enjoying a lazy summer vacation at the beach when they are lured from our world into Ixeos, an alternate Earth. Finding themselves lost in a maze of tunnels under Paris and surrounded by strangers, they discover that they have been brought to Ixeos for one purpose: to take the planet back from humanoid aliens who have claimed it. With the aid of the tunnels and a mysterious man named Landon, the teens travel the world seeking the key that will allow them to free Darian, the long-imprisoned rebel leader. But the aliens aren't the only problem on Ixeos -- the McClellands have to deal with brutal gangs, desperate junkies, and a world without power, where all the technology is owned by the aliens, and where most of the population has been killed or enslaved. The worst part? There's no way home.
Author Jennings Wright
Born and raised in Florida, Jennings spent her early years reading anything she could get her hands on, when she wasn't spending time in and on the water. She won a prize in the 6th grade for her science fiction stories.
Jennings attended the University of Tampa, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, and almost enough credits for B.A.s in both English and History. She attended graduate school at the University of West Florida, studying Psychology. She spent time over the years doing various kinds of business writing, editing, and teaching writing, but mostly having and raising her family, homeschooling her children, owning and running a business with her husband, and starting a non-profit.
Thanks to a crazy idea called NaNoWriMo Jennings got back into creative writing in 2011 and hasn't stopped since. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, also a business owner and writer, and two children, and travels extensively with her family, and her non-profit in Uganda.
Book Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 7/28/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Seventeen-year-old Evan O’Fion has it all: excellent grades, shining extracurriculars, and a loving family that wants nothing but the best for her. The problem is, something is missing. For as long as she can remember, there’s been a hole inside of her that she can’t quite fill, not with drugs, or drinking, or mosh pits. It’s a hole too deep to fix and it’s slowly consuming her.
Book Info-
Title: Kojiki
By: Keith Yatsuhashi
Published: April 19th, 2013 by Musa Publishing
Word Count: 109,000
When eighteen-year-old Keiko Yamada’s father dies unexpectedly, he leaves behind a one way ticket to Japan, an unintelligible death poem about powerful Japanese spirits and their gigantic, beast-like Guardians, and the cryptic words: “Go to Japan in my place. Find the Gate. My camera will show you the way.”
Alone and afraid, Keiko travels to Tokyo, determined to fulfill her father’s dying wish. There, beneath glittering neon signs, her father’s death poem comes to life. Ancient spirits spring from the shadows. Chaos envelops the city, and as Keiko flees its burning streets, her guide, the beautiful Yui Akiko, makes a stunning confession--that she, Yui, is one of a handful of spirits left behind to defend the world against the most powerful among them: a once noble spirit now insane.
The Earth itself is at stake, and as Keiko fights to save it, strange, dormant abilities stir within her. She suspects they are vital to her world’s survival, but to summon them, she must first unlock the mysteries within herself and a past shrouded in mystery.
Secure under its Mage-powered shield, Lyarne ignores the war that has taken the rest of the country.
Inside its borders, refugees are first pitied, then assimilated.
Mieshka knows this well. Coping with the loss of her mother and the grief of her father, she keeps her head down at school and maintains a neutral stance with her new Lyarnese friend.
Things change when she meets the Fire Mage. There's a lot more to this city—and herself—than she could imagine.
And Lyarne's shield is not as impenetrable as the city would believe…
Title: Witchling Author: Ari Harper Series: Curse of Kin Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Publisher: Lycaon Press Release Date: November 30 2012
Blurb/Synopsis
Nera is a normal teenage girl living in Ireland, or so she thought until she discovers the family secret.. Now her world is forever changed.
Descended from a long line of witches, she discovers is the one who has to stop the curse that has taken the life of every girl before her.
And if that isn't enough, she must learn to use magic from the man called Bones. He is the son of Mari, Queen of the Witches...and a god. It is Bones who has been entrusted to teach her the skills she needs to stay alive, which wouldn't be so bad if he didn't have an uncanny knack for pushing her buttons.
Can Nera succeed and resist the charms of the man who gets under her skin at every opportunity?
Joel Cranston shouldn’t exist. He just doesn’t know that yet. He’s lived a pretty normal life for the last sixteen years. If you consider being almost seven feet tall and good at about every sport you’ve ever played normal. Normal ends the day Newstead shows up with an invitation to come to their school.
the school.
Newstead is a private high school in Central Vermont by the Green Mountains. It’s a great place to hide a few hundred people who shouldn’t exist while you train them to become tomorrow’s rulers, tomorrow’s dictators, tomorrow’s gods.
the unexpected.
Rachel Newell thinks she’s just passing through. She never stays any place more than four months and with Newstead so close to Weston, she has even more reason to make this her shortest stop ever. The last thing she expects is to have a reason to stay. Together Rachel and Joel uncover the truth behind what is the newstead project.
This story is an interesting fantasy story. First have Joel who is a large boy, who loves sports and is invited to attend Newstead. He lives alone with his mother and has never met his father. Then we meet Rachel who lives with her cousin and Aunt and seems to move around a LOT.
This book had a few spots that were hard to follow or just a repeat of what you had previously read. The author chose to write from the two points of view Joels and Rachels, so we do have quite a bit of repetitive storyline when we switch between the two POV's. Personally I didn't think it was necessary to go over every single thing like that. At times we've moved on from the particular moment and we are sucked back in time again to go over the other POV. This does have a confusion aspect to it and does make the reader go "huh?" and wind up re-reading that spot.
As for Character creation, I do like Joel, but I do think he was a bit submissive of a child for someone so large and powerful. I also think he does grow in the story which I always like. Rachel meanwhile is an interesting young girl.
I will say I did enjoy this book. I enjoyed the school and the characters. I really have to say I liked Joel and Rachel. I can't wait to continue on this story to find out what happens in the lives of Joel and Rachel. We were left a bit hanging in that we don't really know what Rachel is or who she is. There is some Biblical relevance in this story and particular things from the Bible are mentioned. So if you have something against the Bible I would advise against it. But all in all this is a fun story to read and more so since it happens to be about a particular thing... sorry can't say or it may spoil the story for you.
I give this book 4 stars and will definitely continue the story.
Details/Disclaimer: Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.
Book Trailer
Author Melanie Schulz
I live in Upstate New York with my husband and three children, where I’ve pretty much been planted my entire life. Which is fine, because it’s beautiful here. My only complaint is that most people assume that New York means NYC, which it doesn’t. There. I’ve done my part in exposing the truth.
Truth. The truth is I’m not a writer; storyteller maybe, but not a writer. It wasn’t something I spent years dreaming of, or even what I went to school for. I’m a nurse. I love being a nurse. So why write? I don’t know. I do know when it started, though. September 3, 2010. I know this because I nature journal, and on that day Joel made it into my notes. I guess that’s fitting. Someone like him needed to be birthed out in the woods.
If you were to meet me, and I hope someday you do, you would not connect me with this story. I’m a wife, a mother, a nurse. The person who wrote this should’ve been a guy, first off, secondly he should be some militaristic strategist; that’s who you’d expect to see if you were to come to a book signing, not me. But I’m there, in every line. So if I don’t have the good fortune to meet you in person, I hope to see you in THE NEWSTEAD PROJECT.
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author.
Sixteen-year old Peyton Jones had it all: straight A's in school, the perfect boyfriend, and nothing to worry about but keeping her GPA up. Then one night her perfect world is suddenly ripped away from her. Everything she has ever known changes and she goes from having a perfect plan to watching her world crumble around her.
Steve Gibbons was the quarterback of his high school football team...until the new guy showed up and stole his spot, causing him to lose his chance at a scholarship. Football was his life and now he feels like he has nothing.
Drawn together after losing hope for their futures, Peyton and Steve become best friends, but as they grow closer, a colossal secret is revealed changing everything. Will Peyton be left to face her inevitable future alone, or can she trust enough to let someone else in?
Author Bio:
Kelsie Blanton is a fun-loving young woman from a small town in Kentucky. Writing has always been her passion and when she’s not working at her full-time job, she is at home writing on something. Her hobbies include reading, writing, singing (poorly), dancing (again, poorly), and talking…a lot.
Surrounded by amazing friends and family that support her, Kelsie is following her dreams. Happy reading!
EXCERPT: I froze, too afraid to move. The steps began to get louder as each second passed. My heart was pounding to its own quick rhythm. A hand grasped my shoulder and I squeezed my eyes shut expecting the worse. I began to quiver uncontrollably, wanting to scream, to run as hard as I could, but my feet were frozen. I could only stand there as my tears mixed with the rain pouring over me.
The grip was released, and suddenly an arm snaked around my back turning me in the opposite direction. I couldn’t muster up the courage to look at the person helping me. I could only assume it wasn’t Aaron. Whoever it was had too gentle of a touch. Yet instead of feeling relief a sense of nausea washed over me. Granted, I was momentarily safe, but the emotions coursing through me had made it—for a brief moment—feel like it was happening all over again.
I didn’t want to be vulnerable in front of anyone who could take advantage of me. With my heart going 100 miles per hour in my chest, I tried to push away from the person and nothing happened. They didn’t budge and their grip around me was too strong. After many deep breaths, I got the courage to glance up into eyes the color of emeralds—eyes filled with concern. My legs gave out and I sagged in his arms. Steve didn’t hesitate. He slowly lowered me to the wet asphalt and sat there while I sobbed into his already wet shirt.
Seventeen-year-old Raine Cooper has enough on her plate dealing with her father's disappearance, her mother's erratic behavior and the possibility of her boyfriend relocating. The last thing she needs is Torin St. James*a mysterious new neighbor with a wicked smile and uncanny way of reading her.
Raine is drawn to Torin*s dark sexiness against her better judgment, until he saves her life with weird marks and she realizes he is different. But by healing her, Torin changes something inside Raine. Now she can*t stop thinking about him. Half the time, she*s not sure whether to fall into his arms or run.
Scared, she sets out to find out what Torin is. But the closer she gets to the truth the more she uncovers something sinister about Torin. What Torin is goes back to an ancient mythology and Raine is somehow part of it. Not only are she and her friends in danger, she must choose a side, but the wrong choice will cost Raine her life.
Links: where Runes will be available for a sale price of $0.99
HOLY RUNES!I really enjoyed this story especially Torin *swoon*. Ednah did a wonderful job on Runes! It is a must read for fans of YA books!...Breanna-http://two-tall-tales.blogspot.com/
Wow! I*ve got to start by saying that it takes something original and excellent to surprise me, and this book did just that! I found myself about 75% of the way through the book with my mouth hanging open... Carrie Williams (Goodreads)
Oh HOLY COW! This book was a mind blowing surprise! I loved the way it turned out and I am literally going crazy over the ending. I was not expecting it to turn out the way it did....Maida...full review May 23-http://loveaffairwithabookreviews.blogspot.ca/
EDNAH WALTERS grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and dreaming of one day writing her own stories. She is a stay-at-home mother of five humans and two American short-hair cats (one of which has ADHD) and a husband. When she is not writing, she*s at the gym doing Zumba or doing things with her family, reading, traveling or online chatting with fans.
Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released by Pill Hill Press in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, will be released April 2013. She*s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN.
Ednah also writes New Adult paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. She is presently working on book 2, IMMORTALS.
Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published four more books in this series. She's presently working on book six. You can visit her online at www.ednahwalters.com or www.ebwalters.com.
So today I have a little something special. A wonderful little book full of life's lessons from the kitchen. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the book "From My Mama's Kitchen" by Johnny Tan.
This book is a wonderful little read. Johnny Tan touches on one very important factor, the Love a mother has for their children.
At first I thought it was going to be a cookbook. Due to the name, however I quickly realized that it was a book full of stories about motherly love. As the mother of 3 daughters and 2 step-sons. I not only have the unique love of a biological mother but also a mother who chose to be one. There were so many inspirational stories in this book, and it truly reminded me of when I was growing up. I had quite a few "moms" when I was a kid, and now that the shoe is on the other foot and i'm a mom, I likewise have quite a few "kids" who are not my own flesh and blood.
This book does have a few recipes all of which are oh so yummy. This book is PERFECT for Mother's Day. It is inspiring and light-hearted and the back of the book has spots to put your own thoughts. It's a short read but well worth it!
Details/Disclaimer: Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.
The Tale of Mally Biddle by M.L. LeGette When Mally Biddle agreed to spy upon the King of Lenzar and his overbearing knights she knew she was heading into danger. She didn't know she'd find a family unlike any other. Posing as a servant in Bosc Castle, Mally serves tea and tends fires for the most dangerous men in the kingdom. Her goal is to learn the truth of what happened sixteen years ago, when the infant princess met her death ... a death that is surrounded by more questions than answers. Along her search for the truth, Mally meets the energized Lita Stump, the strict and matriarchal Meriyal Boyd, and the opinionated Archibald Diggleby. Then of course there are the knights: Leon Gibbs who is slicker than a greased hog, Adrian Bayard, hot tempered and violent, and the worst of the lot: Sir Illius Molick, Captain of the Knights. And then there is Maud, a mysterious woman who just might know everything...
Praise "To say I loved this book is an understatement. Mally is a wonderful character and she encounters so many quirky folks on her assignment. Very well written and engaging story! And an added bonus of a love triangle! I enjoyed it from beginning to end!! I will definitely be looking for more from this author!" ~April Holgate
Author Melissa LeGette Melissa LeGette lives in Georgia where she helps run a family farm, so her nails are a fright. The Tale of Mally Biddle is her second novel.
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