Review & Giveaway: Once Upon a Camel by Kathi Appelt

ONCE UPON A CAMEL

by Kathi Appelt

Categories: Middle Grade Fiction / Historical / Friendship / Ages 8-12
Publisher: Atheneum / Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Pub Date: September 7, 2021
Pages: 336 pages

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Zada is a camel with a treasure trove of stories to tell. She’s won camel races for the royal Pasha of Smyrna, crossed treacherous oceans to new land, led army missions with her best camel friend by her side, and outsmarted a far too pompous mountain lion. But those stories were from before.

Now, Zada wanders the desert as the last camel in Texas. But she’s not alone. Two tiny kestrel chicks are nestled in the fluff of fur between her ears—kee-killy-keeing for their missing parents—and a dust storm the size of a mountain is taking Zada on one more grand adventure. And it could lead to this achy old camel’s most brilliant story yet.

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Once Upon a Camel by Kathi Appelt is a heartfelt story with beautiful illustrations by Eric Rohmann. It is a delightful mix of prose and adorable puns, as well as a tale of adventure and true-blue friendship. What could have easily just been the journey of a camel traversing a Texas desert with two baby birds on her head, Appelt has painted a lush tale of immigration from Turkey to West Texas. She envelopes the reader’s every sense in her description of the sights, sounds, and smells of each location.

Appelt also deftly slips in educational tidbits quite effortlessly (i.e., historical facts, the evolution of a species, etc.) without being distracting. There are even links in the back of the book for anyone who wants to learn more about camels and West Texas. While I didn’t need it personally, I appreciate that she also placed a glossary in the back of the book to define the Turkish, Latin, and French phrases used throughout. I feel that Appelt does an excellent job of providing context clues so that young readers can surmise the definition of an unfamiliar word or phrase. She provides a fun way for children to practice the various reading skills that are taught in school.

This book is targeted towards children in grades 3-7, but I think that it could even be used in the upper grade levels because of how much substance resides within the pages. I hope that I don’t ruin the story for anyone, but I feel like it is a commentary on issues such as identity, gender roles, prejudice, self-esteem, class systems, and I’m sure that I’m missing many more. I would also definitely recommend that this book be included in children’s literature courses at the college level.

Kathi Appelt is the author of the Newbery Honoree, National Book Award finalist, and bestselling The Underneath as well as the National Book Award Finalist The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, Maybe a Fox (with Alison McGhee), Keeper, and many picture books including Counting Crows and Mogie, the Heart of the House. She lives in College Station, Texas, with her husband and five gifted and talented cats.

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Blitz: The Takeaway Men by Meryl Ain

 

THE
TAKEAWAY MEN
By Meryl Ain

 

Publisher: SparkPress

Pub Date: August 4th, 2020

Pages: 265 pages

Categories: Historical / Jewish Literature / Sibling Fiction / Holocaust

With the cloud of the Holocaust still looming over them, twin sisters Bronka and Johanna Lubinski and their parents arrive in the US from a Displaced Persons Camp. In the years after World War II, they experience the difficulties of adjusting to American culture as well as the burgeoning fear of the Cold War.

Years later, the discovery of a former Nazi hiding in their community brings the Holocaust out of the shadows. As the girls get older, they start to wonder about their parents’ pasts, and they begin to demand answers. But it soon becomes clear that those memories will be more difficult and painful to uncover than they could have anticipated.

Poignant and haunting, The Takeaway Men explores the impact of immigration, identity, prejudice, secrets, and lies on parents and children in mid-twentieth-century America.

PRAISE FOR THE TAKEAWAY MEN:

“At a time when the darkness of the Holocaust is being whitewashed, Meryl Ain’s remarkable debut novel illuminates the postwar Jewish American landscape like a truth-seeking torch. An emotionally rich and lovingly told saga of survivors, with great sensitivity to what was lost, buried, and resurrected.” — Thane Rosenbaum, author of The Golems of Gotham, Second Hand Smoke, and Elijah Visible.

“The author’s tale is sensitively composed, a thoughtful exploration into the perennially thorny issues of religious identity, assimilation, and the legacy of suffering.” — Kirkus
Reviews

Purchase Links: 

Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes and Noble | AppleBooks | GooglePlay | Indiebound

Meryl Ain’s articles and essays have appeared in Huffington Post, The New York Jewish Week, The New York Times, Newsday, and other publications. In 2014, she co-authored the award-winning book, The Living Memories Project: Legacies That Last, and in 2016, wrote a companion workbook, My Living Memories Project Journal.  She is a sought-after speaker and has been interviewed on television, radio, and podcasts. She is a career educator and is proud to be both a teacher and student of history. She has also worked as a school administrator.

The Takeaway Men is the result of her life-long quest to learn more about the Holocaust, a thirst that was first triggered by reading The Diary of Anne Frank in the sixth grade. While teaching high school history, she introduced her students to the study of the Holocaust. At the same time, she also developed an enduring fascination with teaching about and researching the Julius and Ethel Rosenberg case. An interview with Robert Meeropol, the younger son of the Rosenbergs, is featured in her book, The Living Memories Project. The book also includes an interview with Holocaust survivor, Boris Chartan, the founder of the Holocaust Museum and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, New York.

Meryl holds a BA from Queens College, an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an Ed.D. from Hofstra University. She is a lifetime member of Hadassah and an active supporter of UJA-Federation of New York.  She lives in New York with her husband, Stewart. They have three married sons and six grandchildren. This is her first novel.

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Review & Giveaway: Longing for a Cowboy Christmas

LONGING FOR

A COWBOY CHRISTMAS

with stories by

ROSANNE BITTNER, LINDA BRODAY,
MARGARET BROWNLEY, AMY SANDAS,
LEIGH GREENWOOD, ANNA SCHMIDT Genre: Romance Anthology / Western / Historical
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Date of Publication: September 24, 2019
Number of Pages: 528

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Find your very own cowboy to keep warm these long, wintry nights as you cozy up with six sweeping, epic tales of heroism, passion, family and celebration from bestselling authors Leigh Greenwood, Rosanne Bittner, Linda Broday, Margaret Brownley, Anna Schmidt, and Amy Sandas.

 

 

Fall in Love with Christmas

Whether it’s a widower finding an unexpected new start, a former outlaw and his new wife welcoming their very own Christmas miracle, a long-lost lover returning just in time for a special holiday celebration, a second chance at love between two warring hearts given peace at last, an unlikely pair working together to bring joy to a small Texas town, or a cowboy and his dark-eyed beauty snowed in one unforgettable wintry eve…every Christmas with a cowboy is filled with light, laughter, and a forever kind of love.

 

“It’s not the size that matters, it’s how you use it.” That double entendre is among my favorites and it fits this book perfectly. When I picked up this midsized paperback, I was a little skeptical that it could hold six stories that would satisfy me in such a small amount of space. I am glad that I was proved wrong. I believe that one of the stories is a snippet of a full-length book while the other five are novellas, but they all very much represent the best of this genre. While each story has its own distinct flavor, the high-quality editing is evident throughout the whole package. There are no messy typos or confusing text in this little gem. (ETA: Oh darn, the page numbers on the index are a bit off in the ARC, but I’m sure they fixed it in the final copy.)

Greenwood’s A Fairy Tale Christmas and Brownley’s A Love Letter to Santa has descriptions that make my brain dance with delight. I could see everything because they described every detail so carefully. I read those stories deliberately so that I wouldn’t miss anything. A Fairy Tale Christmas is the perfect story to start the anthology with because it is the least steamy of the six. Although A Love Letter to Santa is also pretty tame in the sexy department. But don’t get me wrong; there is tons of delicious tension between the love interests. However, if you’re more accustomed to historical romances that follow the “normal and proper” rules of courting behavior from that era, those two stories will leave you breathless but not quite flushed.

If you want to feel the heat and read a happy ending (double entendre strikes again!), Bittner’s Christmas in Paradise, Broday’s A Christmas Wedding, and Schmidt’s One Snowy Christmas Eve are juicy appetizers to the sinfully sensual Through the Storm by Sandas. I don’t know if it’s because of the time period, but I appreciate that the couples in these stories have way more going on under the surface beyond just pure, animal physical attraction. With the exception of One Snowy Christmas Eve, the lovers in all of these particularly steamy stories fell in love pretty quickly but it is obvious to the reader that they found their match and simply were not wasting any time in expressing their love for each other.

I really enjoyed how this anthology featured scenarios that I’m sure existed at the time but I never put much thought into before. For example, A Christmas Wedding is set in a town populated by asylum refugees, ex-outlaws, and other society castoffs. Christmas in Paradise’s male protagonist is a divorcee and One Snowy Christmas Eve’s female protagonist turns down the love of her life to become a doctor. I feel like the common thread in all of these stories, besides the Christmas bit, is an independent woman who finally falls in love when she meets a man strong enough to catch her. Take your pick of wine or hot cocoa and settle in. You need these stories in your life!

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PRAISE FOR LONGING FOR A COWBOY CHRISTMAS: 
“Greenwood is a master at westerns.” ―RT Book Reviews for Leigh Greenwood

“An emotional powerhouse! This classic historical western is destined for the “keeper” shelf.” ―RT Book Reviews, Top Pick for Rosanne Bittner

“Fun and sensual…great for fans of history, romance, and some good old Texas grit.” ―Kirkus for Linda Broday

“A great story by a wonderful author.”―#1 New York Times bestselling author DEBBIE MACOMBER for Margaret Brownley

“The perfect read.” ―RT Book Reviews for Anna Schmidt

 

“A genuine page-turner…electric and absorbing.” ―Kirkus for Amy Sandas

Blog Tour Participating Authors (L to R): Rosanne Bittner, Linda Broday, Margaret Brownley, Amy Sandas

Rosanne Bittner:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads * Blog * Amazon
Linda Broday:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads * Pinterest * BookBub * Amazon 

Margaret Brownley:
Website * Facebook  * Twitter * Goodreads * Amazon

Leigh Greenwood:
Website * Goodreads

Amy Sandas:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads * Instagram * Amazon

Anna Schmidt:
Website * Pinterest&nbsp* Goodreads

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Grand Prize: Copies of: Longing for a Cowboy Christmas, The Cowboy’s Honor,

Logan’s Lady, Cowboy Charm School + $25 Amazon Gift Card

2nd Prize: Copies of:  LFACC, The Cowboy’s Honor, Logan’s Lady + $25 Amazon Gift Card

3rd Prize: Copies of: LFACC, Logan’s Lady

October 15-October 25, 2019 

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

10/15/19	Book Trailer	Carpe Diem Chronicles
10/15/19	BONUS STOP	Hall Ways Blog
10/16/19	Review	Book Fidelity
10/17/19	Author Spotlight	That’s What She’s Reading
10/18/19	Review	Chapter Break Book Blog
10/19/19	Author Spotlight	All the Ups and Downs
10/20/19	Author Spotlight	StoreyBook Reviews
10/21/19	Review	Reading by Moonlight
10/22/19	Author Spotlight	The Page Unbound
10/23/19	Review	Missus Gonzo
10/24/19	Review	Forgotten Winds

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Review & Giveaway: Angel Thieves by Kathi Appelt

ANGEL THIEVES

by

KATHI APPELT

Young Adult / Magical Realism / Historical / Contemporary
Publisher: Atheneum / Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

Date of Publication: March 12, 2019

Number of Pages: 336

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An ocelot. A slave. An angel thief.

Multiple perspectives spanning across time are united through themes of freedom, hope, and faith in a most unusual and epic novel from Newbery Honor–winning author and National Book Award finalist Kathi Appelt.

Sixteen-year-old Cade Curtis is an angel thief. After his mother’s family rejected him for being born out of wedlock, he and his dad moved to the apartment above a local antique shop. The only payment the owner Mrs. Walker requests: marble angels, stolen from graveyards, for her to sell for thousands of dollars to collectors. But there’s one angel that would be the last they’d ever need to steal; an angel, carved by a slave, with one hand open and one hand closed. If only Cade could find it…

Zorra, a young ocelot, watches the bayou rush past her yearningly. The poacher who captured and caged her has long since lost her, and Zorra is getting hungrier and thirstier by the day. Trapped, she only has the sounds of the bayou for comfort—but it tells her help will come soon.

Before Zorra, Achsah, a slave, watched the very same bayou with her two young daughters. After the death of her master, Achsah is free, but she’ll be damned if her daughters aren’t freed with her. All they need to do is find the church with an angel with one hand open and one hand closed…

In a masterful feat, National Book Award Honoree Kathi Appelt weaves together stories across time, connected by the bayou, an angel, and the universal desire to be free.

 

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PRAISE FOR ANGEL THIEVES:

Spiritual, succinct, and emotionally gripping. 

— School Library JournalA heartfelt love letter to Houston that acknowledges the bad parts of its history while uplifting the good. — BCBB

Shows the best and worst sides of humanity and underscores the powerful force of the bayou, which both holds and erases secrets.

— Publishers WeeklyNarrative strands are like tributaries that begin as separate entities but eventually merge into a single thematic connection: that love, whether lost or found, is always powerful. — Horn Book

Richly drawn and important. — Booklist, starred review

 

It was a little eerie reading Angel Thieves amid all the rain and flooding here in Houston. While I normally think of my city’s flooding as a byproduct of excessive precipitation mixed with overdevelopment and trash, Appelt’s novel clued me in to the fact that this area has a history of floods and how the path of the Buffalo Bayou has relocated many times because of them.

But more on that in a bit; let’s talk art for second. The book jacket has that distinct YA look and is very appealing with its shiny, black background and light blue mixed with white in the text and imagery. The angel statue has line drawings within it of a manacled wrist, an ocelot, and a slave woman with a headwrap. I really dig the font used, graffiti-like with black paint splattered on it. When you take the jacket off, there’s a beautiful surprise of a bright white background with a blue ocelot filling most of the front cover and spine. Within its image, you see the same line drawings from the jacket – it looks like an expansion because now we can see both manacled wrists, the full image of the ocelot and slave woman, in addition to a treble clef staff, a chapel, a slave girl picking cotton, and the words “Reward” and “Wanted” – all important parts of this story.

Appelt’s writing style can be compared to flood water – it flows quickly and sucks you in before you realize just how strong and deep it is. The chapter lengths vary depending on whose perspective we are reading from. Thankfully there are cues to location and time period at the top of each chapter. Ever wondered what it was like to be an ocelot or a body of water? After reading this book, I sort of feel like I kind of do. I must confess, it took me a little while to get my bearings because each new chapter was a revolution of the revolving door that brought out a different character. I really liked the distinction between each character and their unique names.

I am always amazed when I read books that weave so many different stories together into one beautiful literary tapestry. Appelt accomplishes this effortlessly and I was truly invested in each story line. I am impressed with the amount of research that went into writing this book, and how she took random ideas and turned them into a captivating story. As seamlessly as the author tied up the loose ends, I still wished to know more about the details of Achsah’s journey and whether Cade ultimately found what he was looking for. Ok, maybe I don’t want to read more from the perspective of the bayou, but I could read more about the ocelot.

I really don’t have many notes on this book because I thought everything was executed so well. I did have one question though: twice in the book, “I’m here for you” is crossed out and “There’s love enough” is written in its place. Will this be done in every printed copy of this book or did I just get an early version that didn’t have the correction in it? I ask because, while I like the line better, its first use in the book doesn’t set up the following chapter the same way that “I’m here for you” does. The revision disrupts the flow of the story a bit in my opinion.

This book is joining the modest sized YA section of my bookshelf. I plan to reread it on rainy days and can’t wait for my son to grow up and read it as well.

Kathi Appelt is the author of the Newbery Honoree, National Book Award finalist, PEN USA Literary Award–winning, and bestselling The Underneath as well as the National Book Award finalist The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, Maybe a Fox (with Alison McGhee), Keeper, and many picture books including Counting Crows and Max … Attacks. 

 

She has two grown children and lives in College Station, Texas, with her husband and their six cats. She serves as a faculty member at Vermont College of Fine Arts in their MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program.

Website  ║  Twitter ║ Facebook ║ Instagram 
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9/24/19	Book Trailer	The Page Unbound
9/24/19	Book Trailer	StoreyBook Reviews
9/25/19	Review	Missus Gonzo
9/26/19	Guest Post	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
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10/2/19	Review	The Clueless Gent
10/3/19	Review	All the Ups and Downs

 

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Guest Post & Giveaway: Dragonfly by Leila Meacham

DRAGONFLY

by

LEILA MEACHAM

  Genre: Historical / WWII / Espionage

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing 

Date of Publication: July 9, 2019

Number of Pages: 576

Scroll down for giveaway!

 

From the New York Times bestselling author of Roses comes a gripping new novel about five young spies embedded among the highest Nazi ranks in occupied Paris

 

At the height of World War II, a handful of idealistic young Americans receive a mysterious letter from the government, asking them if they are willing to fight for their country. The men and women from very different backgrounds-a Texan athlete with German roots, an upper-crust son of a French mother and a wealthy businessman, a dirt-poor Midwestern fly fisherman, an orphaned fashion designer, and a ravishingly beautiful female fencer-all answer the call of duty, but each for a secret reason of her or his own. They bond immediately, in a group code-named Dragonfly. 

 

Thus begins a dramatic cat-and-mouse game, as the group seeks to stay under the radar until a fatal misstep leads to the capture and the firing-squad execution of one of their team. But…is everything as it seems, or is this one more elaborate act of spycraft?

 

 

PRAISE FOR DRAGONFLY:

“Meacham’s impeccable pacing and razor-wire tension evoke the daily drama of life under a Reich whose French reign might have lasted little more than four years but felt like the thousand years that it threatened to endure.” ―Bookpage

 

“Meacham’s nail-biting tale will please fans looking for an intricate story of spycraft and deception.” ―Publishers Weekly

 

“Meacham ratchets the suspense ever tighter, while providing fascinating backstory on the intrepid five [American spies] as well as delivering a detail-rich portrait of Paris during the Occupation.” ―Booklist

 

“Complex, epic, and rich in historical detail-an uplifting story of finding friendship behind enemy lines.” ― Kirkus

 

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The Man Who Ultimately Inspired Dragonfly
Guest Post
By Leila Meacham

As a writer of historical family sagas, I have been asked what prompted me to deviate from that genre to write a novel posed against the background of World War II, especially the backdrop of Paris during the German occupation. My answer would have to be the Office of Strategic Services, the OSS. The germ was implanted way back in the fall of 1945 when I was seven years old. The son of a neighbor, a gentle man, kind to children and animals, returned to our hometown after peace was declared earlier that year. He limped, and part of an earlobe was missing, but he had not served in the armed forces. So what accounted for his injuries suffered when he was “over there”?
Years later, when he died an early death, it came out that he had volunteered to serve in a secret government agency known as the OSS and had been assigned to Paris where he was caught and tortured by the Gestapo, both strange names until research revealed the origins and purposes of both organizations. They were enough to raise the hair on one’s head. Even then, long before I ever thought to become a writer, I was left to wonder at the makeup of men and women of the OSS who would risk life and limb, horrible treatment, and death to serve their country through an organization where their names, bravery, and sacrifice might never come to light.
Thus it was that eight decades later, Dragonfly came to be. It is the story of five young Americans the OSS hand picks to insert into German-controlled Paris in the years 1942-44. Because of the extensive research, the narrative took nearly three years to write. Involved was a study of the history of the OSS and its founder, William J. Donovan, for which I am thankful for the biography “Wild Bill Donovan” that gave me an insight into the man and his agency. Other major sources besides the Internet, from which I gathered a staggering amount of information, were Ronald C. Rosbottom’s riveting When Paris Went Dark; Patrick K. O’Donnell’s Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs; and Douglas Wallers’s Disciples.
When all was said and done, I believe that germ imbedded in the back of my mind those many years ago may have inspired the nucleus of Dragonfly as a tribute to the memory of the man none knew was a hero living next door.

Leila Meacham is a writer and former teacher who lives in San Antonio, Texas. She is the author of the bestselling novels Roses, Tumbleweeds, Somerset, and Titans.

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August 7-17, 2019

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8/7/19	Excerpt	Texas Book Lover
8/7/19	Review	Reading by Moonlight
8/8/19	Review	Nerd Narration
8/9/19	Guest Post	The Page Unbound
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8/14/19	Audio Review	Sydney Young, Stories
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Review & Giveaway: Bonnie and Clyde: Radioactive by Hays & McFall

RADIOACTIVE

Bonnie and Clyde #3

by

CLARK HAYS AND KATHLEEN McFALL

Genre: Historical / Alternative History / Romance 
Publisher:  Pumpjack Press on Facebook

Date of Publication: March 23, 2019

Number of Pages: 332Scroll down for the giveaway!

Bonnie and Clyde: Defending the working class from a river of greed.

It’s January 1945, the height of World War Two. As the bloody conflict drags on, America has undertaken a massive top-secret effort to unleash the power of the atom and develop the first nuclear bomb. A network of Nazi and Soviet spies is determined to steal the technology, or failing that, sabotage the project. 

But first, they have to get past Bonnie and Clyde.In a heart-pounding adventure spanning the windswept landscapes of eastern Washington to an isolated internment camp in the California mountains, Bonnie and Clyde face deception at every turn.Can the former outlaws put aside their desire for revenge long enough to help end the war?

As in Resurrection Road and Dam Nation, the story cuts back and forth between 1984 where Royce, a washed-up investigative reporter, teams up with the now-elderly Bonnie Parker to hunt down the truth about their past, and the 1940s undercover exploits of the young Bonnie and Clyde.

And in Radioactive, Royce and Bonnie finally discover the devastating truth: Who Sal — the brains behind forcing Bonnie and Clyde into covert service defending the working class all those years ago — really was.

 

CLICK TO PURCHASE

After the exhilarating ride in the last book, Dam Nation, I was anxious to get my hands on this third and final book of the Bonnie & Clyde saga. Fifteen years have lapsed since the original ride or die couple was working the Hoover Dam assignment, but we pick up where we left off with Bonnie and Royce the journalist, sometime in the ‘80s.

Time hasn’t taken anything away from Bonnie and Clyde. Their smarts and toughness haven’t dulled after over a decade of living covertly, and their passion for each other still burns at a hot and heavy roar. As I read their banter and became reacquainted with the couple, it got me thinking that this fictionalized relationship is probably based quite a bit on the stuff that powers the couple who wrote this series. I don’t know how they split their writing duties, but Hays and McFall write a seamless story. Hell, I’ve read books written by ONE author that felt like crashing into a brick wall every time the perspective changed. But this writing duo jumps decades as smoothly as Bonnie and Clyde lie their way out of sticky situations.

I remember raving about all the different characters in the last book, and Radioactive delivers USA Network-worthy (“Characters Welcome”) cast. Not to be sexist, but I especially loved Anna. I don’t want to spoil anything but seriously, it felt like Bonnie might have met her match. A young, attractive woman with a knack for manipulation who can give our duo the slip? It was enough to make me nervous for Bonnie a few times, both as an operative and as a woman.

I really marvel at how much description, story, and character development are compiled in just a 332-page book. This story is screen-ready, as are the other two in the series. If you haven’t already read them, you need to. I know that this is supposed to be the last book, but there was a little something near the end that made me think it was possible to still sneak a few more books in if Hays and McFall find it difficult to part ways with Bonnie and Clyde for good.

Clark and Kathleen wrote their first book together in 1999 as a test for marriage. They passed. 

Radioactive is their seventh co-authored book. 

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Kathleen: Goodreads ║ Amazon  

 

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TWO WINNERS: Choice of print or eBook copy of Radioactive

May 23-June 1, 2019

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

5/23/19	Review	Hall Ways Blog
5/23/19	Review	Momma on the Rocks
5/24/19	Review	Forgotten Winds
5/24/19	Review	Missus Gonzo
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5/25/19	Review	The Love of a Bibliophile
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Review & Giveaway: Einstein’s Compass by Grace Blair & Laren Bright

EINSTEIN’S COMPASS

A YA TIME TRAVELER ADVENTURE

by

Grace Blair & Laren Bright

Genre: Young Adult / Historical / Fantasy / Science Fiction
Certified Lexile Measure: 860L
Publisher: Modern Mystic Media
Publication Date: January 2, 2019

Number of Pages: 394 pages
Coming on Audio, February 2019!SCROLL DOWN FOR THE GIVEAWAY! 

How did Albert Einstein come up with his wondrous theories of light and time? In Einstein’s Compass: A YA Time Traveler Adventure, a young Albert is given a supernatural compass that allows him to travel through time and space and find wisdom in other dimensions, including the lost city of Atlantis. But evil forces seek the power of the compass, including a monstrous, shape-shifting dragon from a different age. Can the compass protect Albert from such villainy?

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PRAISE FOR EINSTEIN’S COMPASS:

“This is an amazing story. Everyone should thoroughly enjoy reading it. I was impressed with how the authors managed to incorporate the known information on the lost continent of Atlantis, Light Workers, souls, reincarnation, time travel and the early years of Albert Einstein before he became famous, into a mesmerizing work of fiction readers will have difficulty putting down. 
–Doug Simpson, Author of We Lived in Atlantis

 

“I could not stop reading this book. I read at stop lights and in line at the grocery store. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.” –— award winning children’s author, Lisa Reinicke

This is highly recommended for those who enjoy a saga of good vs. evil that spans tens of thousands of years, for readers who devour novels that blend history and fantasy, and for anyone who is simply looking for a unique story that they will not want to put down.

— Author Jacqui Murray, Ask a Tech Teacher blog

The weaving of the story between the religion realm and Albert’s world is a captivating tale that keeps the reader’s attention. The good and evil of the timeless religious realm is like watch a chess match to see who outwits whom … I hope there is a next book somewhere in my future. 

–- Rox Burkey, author of the Enigma Series

 

As someone who struggled to understood math and science while in school, I have a deep appreciation for science fiction books that discuss complicated ideas in a way that not only do I understand but also stokes my interest. I also have particular affection for books that marry science fiction with fantasy, and, even more so, I adore historical re-imaginings. Needless to say, I was very excited to get my hands on this book.

Now, as someone who nerded out on mythology for fun in the fifth grade, I was a little thrown by the Raka story in the beginning. It seemed to stretch onward and I wasn’t sure where Einstein would fit into all of it. Fast forward a bit and we’re heading toward Biblical times, where my Christian upbringing couldn’t help but sit up and lean in. It was like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade grafted itself to Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. I knew I was in for a wild ride.

And finally we meet Albert at the wee little age of 6. I knew nothing about Einstein’s upbringing prior to this, and I really enjoy learning about historical figures in this manner. It makes them all the more human rather than reading their stats in an encyclopedia. But from the moment Einstein is given the compass, I am reminded that I’m reading fiction, so I shouldn’t get too attached to what I was reading and embrace it as fact.

I don’t know what I enjoyed more: the chapters about Einstein growing up and his descent into genius or the historical figure cameos. About a third of the way through the book, the story truly brings it focus on Einstein to the point that it’s a little jarring when we leave his timeline for an interlude. Kudos to the authors’ ability to change tone and style so quickly and completely. (Or did one author write the Einstein chapters while the other tackled the rest?) Nonetheless, the Einstein chapters are written in a way that feels very historical fiction, whereas the Raka-Ezekiel storyline has a very distinct fantasy vibe to it.

I feel as though I could go on and on, but you really just need to read the book. It’s a YA, but I feel like it reads pretty adult. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good historical fiction, fantasy, or science fiction book because, honestly, it satisfies all those literary cravings.

Grace Blair is an award-winning self-help and motivational author, and podcast host, who has assisted thousands to find their spiritual wisdom to solve everyday challenges. Throughout her adult life, Grace became a serious student of the spiritual. She found that, often, psychological principles and practices were incomplete, but could be filled out by adding the missing spiritual component. Her approach was always to see practical applications for what she uncovered in the mystical. It was through immersing herself in this field of study and experience that she came up with her idea for her book, Einstein’s Compass. She lives in Lubbock, Texas, with her husband, Dr. John Blair.

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Laren Bright is a three-time Emmy nominated award-winning writer who has written nearly 100 children’s animated cartoon scripts. He has spent the majority of his professional life over the last two decades assisting authors to produce topnotch books with titles and other promotional writing indistinguishable from those of mainstream publishers. During that time, in addition to Einstein’s Compass, he also co-authored a young adult fantasy series and several books for young children about positive values. Laren lives in Los Angeles with his wife, computer, and two grand-dogs.

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JANUARY 2-11, 2019

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

1/2/19	Guest Post	All the Ups and Downs
1/2/19	Theme Song	Hall Ways Blog
1/3/19	Review	That’s What She’s Reading
1/4/19	Book Trailer	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
1/4/19	Author Spotlight	Chapter Break Book Blog
1/5/19	Review	Reading by Moonlight
1/6/19	Review	Forgotten Winds
1/7/19	Excerpt	Max Knight
1/8/19	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
1/8/19	Author Interview	Book Fidelity
1/9/19	Character Spotlight	The Book Review
1/9/19	Character Spotlight	Rainy Days with Amanda
1/10/19	Review	The Clueless Gent
1/11/19	Author Interview	Sybrina’s Book Blog
1/11/19	Review	Missus Gonzo

 

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Review & Giveaway: Dam Nation by Hays & McFall

 

DAM NATION

Bonnie and Clyde #2

by

CLARK HAYS AND KATHLEEN McFALL

Genre: Historical / Alternative History / Romance

Publisher: Pumpjack Press on Facebook

Date of Publication: March 24, 2018

Number of Pages: 266

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Bonnie and Clyde: Defending the working class from a river of greed.

The year is 1935 and the Great Depression has America in a death grip of poverty, unemployment and starvation. But the New Deal is rekindling hope, with federally funded infrastructure projects, like Hoover Dam, putting people back to work. Set to harness the mighty Colorado River for electricity and irrigation, the dam is an engineering marvel and symbol of American can-do spirit.

So, why is someone trying to blow it up?

When an informant on the construction site is murdered, Bonnie and Clyde—spared from their gruesome deaths and forced into a covert life working for the government—are given their second assignment: stop the bomb and protect the thousands of laborers and families in the company town. It’s their most dangerous mission yet: working for a living.

Can the notorious lovers put aside their criminal ways long enough to find out who wants to extinguish the American dream, and hopefully reclaim a shred of redemption along the way?

The thrilling story cuts back and forth between the modern era where a reporter interviews the now-elderly Bonnie Parker, and the dangerous 1930s undercover exploits of Bonnie and Clyde, as they are thrust into a fight to defend the working class against corporate greed.

Dam Nation, a historical thriller with unsettling contemporary parallels, continues the explosive “what-if” series, started in Resurrection Road, about two unlikely heroes fighting to defend the working class during America’s Great Depression.

PRAISE

Crisply written, well-researched, thoroughly entertaining. As in Resurrection Road, Hays and McFall evoke time and place well in this sequel. The story’s politics are fresh and timely. Readers will find Bonnie and Clyde to be great company, and the novel’s framing story (the widowed Bonnie’s 1984 recollections) gives their relationship an extra layer of poignancy. — Kirkus Reviews

“Dam Nation” highlights the real-life turmoil of the 1930s as only Hays and McFall can — shadowy intrigue, plenty of suspects and enough behind-the-scenes and under-the-covers action to keep the narrative sizzling along to the final page. — East Oregonian

A rollicking good read. The real history of the rise of unions and worker rights against the backdrop of a nation recovering from the Great Depression contributes an engrossing, realistic scenario; a vivid read that blends fiction with nonfiction elements in a way that makes the book hard to put down. — Midwest Book Review

CHECK OUT THE TRAILER FOR RESURRECTION ROAD, BOOK ONE IN THE BONNIE AND CLYDE SERIES

https://uw-media.shreveporttimes.com/video/embed/101461998?placement=embed

Imagine that Bonnie and Clyde didn’t die in 1934. Imagine that another couple had been ambushed in Sailes and that the real Bonnie and Clyde were recruited – well, maybe blackmailed is a better word – to do bad things in order to protect the good things in America. Book 1 of the Bonnie and Clyde series, Resurrection Road, kicked off that very premise and posed the questions: (1) who are Bonnie and Clyde working for and (2) who is the couple that got killed?

Dam Nation, the sequel, continues the pursuit for those answers since book 1 didn’t even come close to revealing them. Other things that carry over from the first book is the fast paced writing and witty dialogue. There is never a dull moment in these books. Every character is colorful, even if that color might be a little gray, and there is certainly a large cast. Surprisingly, I didn’t need to refer back to remember who was whom since the character names were so different from each other and they were truly unique individuals.

Bonnie and Clyde have always been romanticized as the original ride or die couple, and this book backs that claim up. Not only are the two super hot and heavy at the drop of a hat, but they are fiercely protective of each other. I especially enjoyed how Clyde would say something to the effect of, “Oh, you’re in trouble now” or “she’s the one you should be worried about” when their foes try to belittle Bonnie. It’s hard to dislike the notorious couple when you see their compassion spread outward to their few friends.

This book ties up all the loose ends from the prequel but it ends on a somewhat dissonant note. It makes me wonder if there will be a third book. If there is, I’m reading it.

Clark and Kathleen wrote their first book together in 1999 as a test for marriage. They passed. Dam Nation is their sixth co-authored book.

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Check out the other blogs on this tour

5/16/18	Excerpt	Chapter Break Book Blog
5/17/18	Review	Forgotten Winds
5/18/18	Author Interview	StoreyBook Reviews
5/19/18	Notable Quotable	Bibliotica
5/20/18	Review	Missus Gonzo
5/21/18	Character Interview	Books and Broomsticks
5/22/18	Notable Quotable	Tangled in Text
5/23/18	Review	Hall Ways Blog
5/24/18	Guest Post	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
5/25/18	Review	Momma on the Rocks

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Dam Nation book release blitz

 

DAM NATION 

BOOK RELEASE BLITZ 

Bonnie and Clyde #2

by

CLARK HAYS AND KATHLEEN McFALL

Genre: Historical / Alternative History / Romance 
Publisher: Pumpjack Press
Date of Publication: March 24, 2018

Number of Pages: 266


CLICK TO PURCHASE

Bonnie and Clyde: Defending the working class from a river of greed.

The year is 1935 and the Great Depression has America in a death grip of poverty, unemployment and starvation. But the New Deal is rekindling hope, with federally funded infrastructure projects, like Hoover Dam, putting folks back to work. So, why is someone trying to blow it up? That’s what Bonnie and Clyde set out to uncover in the novel Dam Nation by Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall, the second book in a provocative speculative fiction series that re-imagines the outlaws’ lives. 

“A rollicking good read!” — Midwest Book Review 

EXCERPT

WHAT IF?

The Texas Ranger looked up at Sal, a mixture of fear, respect and revulsion in his eyes. “Let’s pretend for a minute it wasn’t Bonnie and Clyde in that ambush,” he said. “Why? Why would it be different people in that car?”

“How would I know?” Sal asked. “I work for the government. I trust that the government has my best interests at heart. I follow orders. You didn’t.”

“I won’t be quiet about this unless you can tell me why anyone would try to save them outlaws.”

“If they were still alive, I would tell you that everyone has a purpose in life, and perhaps they are fulfilling theirs. And if they were still alive, I would tell you that you don’t use good dogs to guard the junkyard, you use the meanest goddamn dogs you can get a collar around.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Clark and Kathleen wrote their first book together in 1999 as a test for marriage. They passed. Dam Nation is their sixth co-authored book. 

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BONNIE AND CLYDE: DAM NATION
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Excerpt 4 & Giveaway: Beyond Scandal and Desire by Lorraine Heath

BEYOND SCANDAL

AND DESIRE

Sins for All Seasons, Book 1

by

LORRAINE HEATH

  
Genre: Historical / Regency Romance
Publisher: Avon

Date of Publication: January 30, 2018

Number of Pages: 320

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At birth, Mick Trewlove, the illegitimate son of a duke, was handed over to a commoner. Despite his lowly upbringing, Mick has become a successful businessman, but all his wealth hasn’t satisfied his need for revenge against the man who still won’t acknowledge him. What else can Mick do but destroy the duke’s legitimate son—and woo the heir’s betrothed into his own unloving arms . . .

Orphaned and sheltered, Lady Aslyn Hastings longs for a bit of adventure. With her intended often preoccupied, Aslyn finds herself drawn to a darkly handsome entrepreneur who seems to understand her so well. Surely a lady of her station should avoid Mick Trewlove. If only he weren’t so irresistible . . . 

As secrets are about to be exposed, Mick must decide if his plan for vengeance is worth risking what his heart truly desires.

PRAISE FOR BEYOND SCANDAL AND DESIRE:

“Heath builds a community of fascinating, intertwined characters that readers will be eager to get to know as they cheer for the driven hero and the spunky, smart heroine.” — Publishers Weekly

“RITA Award–winner Heath’s new Sins for All Seasons series is off to an impressive start with an unforgettable, emotionally charged love story that will dazzle and delight readers with its exquisitely crafted characters, deliciously sensual romance, and impeccably rendered historical setting.” — Booklist/ *STARRED* Review

“For the first book in the Sins for All Seasons series, Heath returns to the world of dark London — a world she understands as well as Dickens. Heath illuminates the city’s underbelly with a powerful romance of healing and redemption. Her talents for drawing readers into the era with her well-drawn, three dimensional characters and realistic dialogue sets her novels apart. The unexpected twists and turns of the plot guarantees it will be placed on your keeper shelf.” — RT Book Reviews/ “Top Pick” Review

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Excerpt from Beyond Scandal and Desire

by Lorraine Heath

“Why would someone think I was worth robbing?”

 

“Because you’re dressed in finery like a lady who might be silly enough to walk around London with a thousand quid stuffed in her—” He waved his hand at her as though he thought she might have stashed it in an unmentionable area.

 

“My reticule.”

 

“Well, he’d have not stopped with the taking of it. He’d have given you a thorough search—”

 

She didn’t care to hear where he might have searched. “As I said, I did not walk. Well, except up your steps, and then there was your man to look out for me.”

 

The fury seemed to deflate out of him. “There are men around here who would kill for a thousand quid.”

 

“I suspect there are some who would cheat for it, as well. Did your bricklayer cheat while playing cards with Kipwick?”

 

“No. My people know I don’t tolerate cheating. I’d have let him go. A man who cheats at cards might cheat elsewhere, including in the work he gives me. Besides, my brothers were watching. The problem, Lady Aslyn, is that your fiancé bends his elbow as much as he holds the cards. Guzzling too much drink hampers a man’s judgment, his ability to calculate

the odds of winning.”

 

She feared drinking wasn’t the only problem Kip had. “Since he lost fair and square then, and you’ve offered to sell the items to me, tell me how much I owe you.”

 

“I told you. A pound.”

 

“I don’t believe you.”

 

He arched a dark brow over one of those beautiful blue eyes. “Are you calling me a liar?”

 

She angled up her chin. “Yes. I quite believe I am.”

 

His laughter, deep and masculine, circled around her, sent the calming butterflies back into flight. “No one has ever dared call me a liar—at least not to my face.”

Lorraine Heath always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals, press releases, articles, and computer code, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she not only became hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She’s been writing about them ever since. Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including RWA’s prestigious RITA. Her novels have appeared on the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists.

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

1/30/18	Excerpt 1	Hall Ways Blog
1/31/18	Review	Books and Broomsticks
2/1/18	Author Interview	A Novel Reality
2/2/18	Review	Margie’s Must Reads
2/3/18	Excerpt 2	Book Fidelity
2/4/18	Excerpt 3	StoreyBook Reviews
2/5/18	Review	Reading by Moonlight
2/6/18	Author Interview	Chapter Break Book Blog
2/7/18	Excerpt 4	Missus Gonzo
2/8/18	Review	The Librarian Talks

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