{Blog Tour - Book Blast/Giveaway} Feathered: Being a Fairy Tale by Tom Weston

Welcome to Tom Weston's Feathered Book Blast! Here's your chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash PLUS an autographed copy of his new fantasy, Feathered: Being a Fairy Tale! Feathered is the 3rd book in the Alex and Jackie Adventure Series and we're so happy to bring you not only a great giveaway but tell you all about Tom and his new book. This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents and ends on March 29.

Whenever Alexandra Caroline O'Rourke, AKA Alex, met with trouble, she generally blamed her younger sister, Jackie. And Alex's sudden engagement to marry a Viking prince, against her will, probably classified as trouble. If nothing else, a wedding held in 11th century Ireland would make it difficult to invite her friends from San Diego. Regardless of blame, Jackie was the only person who could help Alex, but Jackie was still in the 21st century. And Jackie had her own problems, which included uncooperative fairies and strange songs which only she could hear. But most of all, if Jackie could not find a way to make it rain, marauding Vikings would be the least of their worries, because this is Feathered: Being a Fairy Tale and this is an Alex and Jackie Adventure.

Purchase Your Copy:

Amazon

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The Author:

Award winning writer and film-maker, Tom Weston, returns to the fantasy genre for his 3rd novel in the Alex and Jackie Adventure series, FEATHERED: BEING A FAIRY TALE. Originally from England, Tom now resides in Boston, Massachusetts. Before turning his hand to fiction, Tom had a successful career as the CEO of a consulting company, conference speaker and writer of industry articles and business books. But determining that the business world lacked a sense of humor, Tom decided to hand in his jacket and tie and instead turned to the world of literature. His novel, FIRST NIGHT, set in Boston during the New Year's Eve festival, introduced the unlikely heroines, Alex and Jackie, and the ghost of a 17th century Puritan named Sarah Pemberton. FIRST NIGHT won an Honorable Mention in the Middle-Grade/Young Adult category, in the Writers Digest 17th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards. The sequel to FIRST NIGHT, called THE ELF OF LUXEMBOURG, was published in January, 2010. As with FIRST NIGHT, THE ELF OF LUXEMBOURG is also a supernatural mystery, with a blend of humor and history that has become Tom's trademark. Following the publication of THE ELF OF LUXEMBOURG, Tom turned to the medium of film to produce and direct the award winning animated short, THERE BE MONSTERS!, based on one of his TALES FROM THE GREEN DRAGON TAVERN. Tom also wrote the critically acclaimed and award winning, Historical Fiction novel, FISSION, based on the true life story of scientist, Lise Meitner. Tom is now working on a new animated short called DANCING DAISY DAY.

Visit Tom Online:

Website

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And now for the GIVEAWAY!!! Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win a $25 Amazon GC or Paypal Cash and an autographed copy of his book, FEATHERED!!! (Ends March 29, 2013)

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{Review} American Princess by Brittany Nicole Sanford

ISBN #: 978-1451527117

Page Count: 228

Copyright: April 27, 2010

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Description:

(Taken from back cover)

The unlikely heroine is a girl named Penny Jackson. She was born with an unfortunate nature of having extra large ears - among other unflattering qualities a typical teenage girl can obsess over.

She is quite particular about what she likes to hear so Penny takes to ignoring whatever is unpleasant to her adept ears. She and her music device are inseparable. When the beat starts, Miss Jackson is constantly swept away into her own world; in this fantasy she is a rock star and a fashion goddess.

Very quickly Penny develops a new talent - one that takes ever far far away from reality.

Charlene's Review:

Penny is your typical teenager. Whenever she has to deal with something boring or mundane, she puts on her earphones and proceeds to block out the world. She is also no stranger to trouble, as her daydreaming ways often find her in detention, or worse. However, her daydreams start bringing her a new reality one day that makes her appreciate her life just a little bit more.

American Princess is a fun, light read with heaps of creativity and mysticism. A very simple writing style that occasionally gets off track, but the basic storyline is enjoyable and the teen angst and emotion is spot-on. I especially enjoyed the illustrations, also done by the writer, Ms. Sanford. They added a fun, quirky quality that most books do not have. This is a dreamy, young adult fantasy by a very imaginative writer.


*A physical copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} Mental Pause by Anne L. O'Connell

ISBN #: 978-0984927227

Page Count: 228

Copyright: March 7, 2013

Publisher: Anne O'Connell

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Abbie Slocum, a forty-something, average, middle of the road, housewife and mother of teenage twin boys, tries desperately to keep her outwardly idyllic life together while spiraling into a dark pit of menopausal insanity. Her mind races with suicidal, murderous thoughts so outside of her normal character that it frightens her. The only person she can share the graphic images from her hormonally addled mind with is her best friend, Rachel, recently separated, and the mysterious and titillating Joan, a new friend from Rachel's singles support group.

Women have survived this female passage of life since the beginning of time! Why was Abbie having so much trouble handling it? As the battle to maintain her sanity rages on, Abbie, Rachel and Joan stumble into unfortunate, borderline comical, circumstances that lead to wild nights, experimenting with drugs and two suspicious deaths.

Abbie's cop husband, Conrad, tries desperately to understand what's happening to his normally sweet wife. While vying for promotion, his family gets embroiled in a media frenzy that swirls around a murder trial in which Abbie is the primary suspect.

Abbie takes the reader on an old jalopy ride of uncharacteristic outbursts and wild escapism that leads to tragedy and finally into court where she just might have to plead 'temporary insanity.'

Mandy's Review:

Wow.

Talk about having a mental breakdown, or pause!

Abbie has been experiencing hot flashes and night sweats, but not just normal ones. These are like the mother of all hot flashes and night sweats. Of course, what is normal when it comes to this body change? I am not of the age to begin experiencing this life change, but I've seen my mother and co-worker go through it. Their symptoms were bad, but nowhere near as bad as Abbie's. It makes me wonder if Abbie's were exaggerated ... of course, this is fiction so why not exaggerate them?!

On top of the emotional turmoil of going through menopause, Abbie has been in the wrong place at the wrong time ... twice. She has been arrested and goes on trial for two murders. Abbie didn't commit the murders (no spoiler, the reader is aware of this the entire book), but can her lawyer prove to the jury that she's innocent?

I was surprisingly pleased with this book. It is well-written and, for the most part, realistic. The book flows easily so the reader has no trouble staying engaged in the story. While it's not an edge-of-your-seat-thriller, it is a nice quick escape into the world of mild suspense. If you enjoy mysteries or suspense stories but don't want anything too "heavy," then this is the book for you.


*An ecopy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} When Smiles Fade by Paige Dearth

ISBN #: 978-1475096927

Page Count: 464

Copyright: January 23, 2013

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Description:

Emma was unloved from the moment she was born. Her earliest memory is being severely beaten by her father, Pepper Murphy, when she was just eight-years old. Seething with resentment over the sacrifice of his dreams for a woman he cares little about and children he never wanted, Pepper chooses to blame his older daughter. Her mother, Valerie, makes matters worse with her verbal abuse, leaving Emma isolated with a man that had no boundaries in punishing his daughter, taking his abuse to unimaginable levels.

Emma's father's coldblooded beatings and the ultimate abuse to which he subjects her, lays the foundation of the person she becomes. As she matures into a resourceful teenager, she is unwilling and unable to stifle her desire for revenge. Reaching her breaking point she can no longer control the impulse to fight back and finally takes matters into her own hands.

Having learned the art of hatred from her father and the mastery of manipulation from her mother, young Emma now sets out to make a better life for herself, leaving the memory of the abused child she had once been behind her. Hardened by the heartless brutality she encounters and the dangerous situations she must overcome in the course of her journey, she faces every challenge that comes her way in her quest for a normal life for herself and for those she loves.

Finally a person emerges from within that guides her toward a better life until she learns of a secret that sets her on the path of ultimate redemption.

Charlene's Review:

Emma and her sister Gracie are born into a frightening cycle of abuse at the hands of their parents. When their father dies, their mother finds a new man that continues the abuse, as she looks on. When Gracie is nearly killed by the man, the girls leave home in search of safety and peace. Living on the streets introduces them to new levels of violence, but Emma is focused on the future, and nothing is going to stop her.

When Smiles Fade is a formidable tome. Not only is its sheer size a challenge for the light reader, the magnitude of the contents and their graphic nature lends itself to careful reading. This is not a book for the squeamish, and I strongly caution child abuse survivors of possible triggers in the storyline. The levels of abuse are horrendous and made even more so because they are sadly believable.

Ms. Dearth has a gift for storytelling that she herself describes as an escape from her own child abuse. While I found some of the details extraneous, the whole of the book is astounding in its detail and emotional zest. The ending is truly unexpected and left me breathless. This is the second of Ms. Dearth's books I have reviewed and, given her success thus far, I see many more in her future.

4 out of 5 stars.


*A paperback copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

{Book Tour/Review} Goodnight, Brian by Steven Manchester

ISBN #: 978-1611880618

Page Count: 308

Copyright: January 8, 2013

Publisher: The Story Plant

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

Fate was working against little Brian Mauretti. The food that was meant to nourish him was poisoning him instead, and the doctors said the damage was devastating and absolute. Fate had written off Brian. But fate didn't count on a woman as determined as Brian's grandmother, Angela DiMartino - who everyone knew as Mama. Loving her grandson with everything she had, Mama endeavored to battle fate. Fate had no idea what it was in for.

An emotional tale about the strength of family bonds, unconditional love, and the perseverance to do our best with the challenging gifts we receive, Goodnight, Brian is an uplifting tribute to what happens when giving up is not an option.

Mandy's Review:

Anybody who read my review of Steven's other book, Twelve Months, knows how much of an emotional impact he made on me. He quickly became one of my must-read authors, so I had to say "yes!" when I was offered the opportunity to review Goodnight, Brian for this virtual book blog tour hosted by Providence Book Promotions.

Angela DiMartino became the focal character in this book, not Brian (at least for me). She was the one making personal sacrifices. She was the one determined that Brian beat the odds and she made sure everyone else in the family took part in his success. She was the one whose house everyone gathered at twice a week. She was the one calling Brian every night to see how his day was. Angela, or Mama, was definitely the main character, and a great one. Reading about her as a person and her role in her family made me want to know her and call her my grandmother.

When I read Twelve Months, I thought Steven writing in a timeline format was for the purposes of that book. As I began reading Goodnight, Brian, though, I realized that the timeline formatted writing style is simply Steven's preferred way to write. Each time period is segmented in some way so that the reader doesn't get confused. This style doesn't work for a lot of authors, but it seems to work well for Steven. If it's not broke, don't fix it and all that ...

While Goodnight, Brian had some emotional moments, it didn't grip me by the heartstrings like his other book. I enjoyed the story, but it wasn't my favorite. I would still recommend Steven as an author you need to read, especially if you enjoy faith-filled fiction based in reality.


*A paperback copy of this book was provided by the tour host for the purposes of this tour and in exchange for an honest review.