Winner: April's BintoM Giveaway

For April's BintoM Giveaway, a slightly used copy of Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood novel by Rebecca Wells and a new copy of the same movie were the prize.

April's prize pack was chosen by you, dear readers.  So, if it wasn't something you were interested in, I encourage you to vote for what you want.  Also, please help spread the word ... a person does not have to be a GFC follower to win ... AND ... it's an international giveaway!  How easy is this?!!! =)

Now, it's time to announce April's winner.  Congratulations go to ...

Megan

from

Reading Away The Days

Come back on the 24th to see which book/movie prize pack won the spot for May's BintoM Giveaway!

Review: The Digital Sea by Thomas K. Carpenter

ASIN #: B004GUSB5G

Page Count: 210

Copyright: 2010

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

It’s 2052. A new reality is just a download away.

Decay is ubiquitous as the world's population shrinks under Sagan's Law. But no one cares as their lives are consumed by the Digital Sea: an immersive augmented reality that’s always on, seen through eye-screens and controlled by the mind.

Zel Aurora, a skilled reality-hacker, can change the Digital Sea with a thought, but all that power can't save her daughter from a deadly disease. So Zel makes a deal with the Djed, a powerful crime lord that she's betrayed once before, to stop the new realities threatening his global empire. When the Djed sends along his murderous bodyguard that’s immune to her powers to make sure she completes the job, she’s forced to make a choice that may cost her daughter’s life.

Mandy's Review:

Cover/Title

The cover has a simplistic design.  It's not really eye-catching or contemplative.  The title, though, automatically makes you think of electronic technology and the vastness of it.

Plot

When you first begin to read the book, each chapter takes the time to introduce you to each of the main characters that you need to know about.  Eventually, you start to see them intermingle until, by the end, they are full immersed in each other's stories and everything ends up making sense.  The action in this story was supported by the futuristic technological advancement of our society.  It was easy to believe that, one day, our country (no matter where you are) would be like those depicted in the book.

The ending didn't answer all of the questions I had so I'm expecting a sequel to pop up sometime soon to continue this engaging story.

Characters

Zel Aurora - A woman willing to do anything to find and give her daughter peace.

Sasha - Zel's companion throughout much of the book, until he meets an untimely demise.

Jartelle - A man who travels all over the world and is not who he appears to be.

Overall

From the beginning to the end, The Digital Sea dragged you into its depths and drowned you with a futuristic reality that threatened to overload your senses.  With its action-packed storyline, it will keep the reader turning page after page until the end.  I would recommend this story to anyone who appreciates future-based story lines mixed with surrealism.

Blog Tour: Deed So by Katharine A. Russell

ISBN #: 9781453775035
Page Count: 433
Copyright: 2010
http://www.deedsonovel.com/

Welcome to Katharine A. Russell's Deed So Blog Tour promoted by Tracee at Pump Up Your Book!

Below you will find author info, book summary, my review and (with hope the author won't mind) some of my favorite passages.  Hope you enjoy!  =)

Author Info:

(Taken from last page of book)

Katharine Russell is a former executive in the healthcare industry.  She has a Bachelor's degree in History from Northwestern University, a Master's degree in Journalism from Boston University and a certificate in creative writing from UCLA's Writers Program.  A descendant of Maryland colonists, who grew up in Southern Maryland, Russell divides her time between Baltimore, MD, and Palm Desert, CA.  Under the pen name Kath Russell, the author writes the Pointer Mystery series.

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

A young girl struggles to understand a tightening web of racial and generational tensions during the turbulent 1960s in the astonishing new novel, Deed So by Katharine Russell.  All twelve-year-old Haddie Bashford wants is to leave the closed-minded world of Wicomico Corners behind, in the hopes that a brighter future awaits elsewhere.  But when she witnesses the brutual killing of a black teen, Haddie finds her family embroiled in turmoil fraught with racial tensions.  Tempers flare as the case goes to trial, but things are about to get even hotter when an arsonist suddenly begins to terrorize the town.  Can Haddie help save her town, and herself?

Mandy's Review:

Cover/Title

Reading the summary, I knew why there were pictures of protestors on the front cover (in the orange sky and clouds ... looks like part of the picture, huh?), but not why there were swans.  Thankfully, this isn't some random, elusive depiction of the novel.  The swans make an appearance.

I was also wondering what the title meant ... Deed So ... hhmmm ... Thank you, Ms. Russell, for explaining the title within the first few chapters.  Once I read the explanation, and then the rest of the novel, the title made sense and also made me think about the title's deeper meanings.

Plot

I cannot say enough about this plot.  It was definitely well-written, action-packed, kept you on the edge of your seat and kept you guessing and wondering what would happen next. 

When the first dilema (for lack of a better word) was explained, I thought that would be it.  Then I saw I still had almost 250 to 300 pages left to read and I wondered how in the world the author would keep me engaged.  Well, fear not future readers, you will remain engaged.  The story flows effortlessly from situation to situation ... not in a crowding, "okay I have to remember what's going on" way, but in a seamless "okay, that was resolved ... ooh, what's this?  Another dilema!" way.

Characters

Haddie - A girl on the verge of her teens in a small town with dreams of leaving one day and not looking back.

Gideon - A war hero who, like most soldiers, comes back disturbed.

Sarah Jane - Haddie's friend who is wiser than she should be about the way the world sometimes works.

Farley - Gideon's friend who has a terrible home-life that affects him more than anybody thought it would.

Overall

I fell in love with this story.  I can easily see this being filmed and put on the silver screen.  It is an exquisite look into a small-town segregated life and the changes that happen when racism rears its ugly head.  I recommend this novel to everyone.

Favorite Passages:

The reason I wanted to add this portion to this blog tour post is so you can see the author's writing talent.  I chose the passage below because they are just a few examples of the pictures the author is so adept at painting with her literary brush ... it is amazing ...

The amber lights of the Ferris wheel behind the low white structure were just beginning to glow against the pink twilight of the sky.  The humble exhibit hall had become the pot at the end of the rainbow. (Pg. 109)

The only person who wasn't moving was Elmer.  We were two youngsters at sea in an adult maelstrom.  I locked eyes with him and held on.  It was all I could do for him. (Pg. 150)

Lightning?  We didn't get lightning in December.  Nonetheless, crimson and yellow flashes danced along the ceiling of my bedroom, a bevy of crazed Tinkerbelles. (Pg. 151)

Mother gasped in relief when she spotted my father's head bobbing through the packed bodies.  His progress was slow because people stopped him to ask what was happening.  He popped out of the last row of people with the definitiveness of a champagne cork. (Pg. 298)

Review - Otherworld Tales: Irish the Demon Slayer by C. T. Markee

ISBN-10: 0982898703

ISBN-13: 978-0982898703

Page Count: 244

Copyright: 2010

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

In this action-adventure-fantasy about 12-year-old Pete (Irish) Kehoe who thinks he’s an ordinary kid—until trees start talking to him and an old woman tells him he’s chosen to defend the mystical Otherworld against the King of Demons.

“No way!” He says, until a demon kidnaps his kid sister, Kathy. Then Irish and his two friends, Streak and Huff, time-hop to the besieged world to rescue her. But . . . are they ready to deal with a shape-shifter, a death fog, demon warriors, killer earthquakes and vicious flesh-eating wulgoars to get her? Can Irish’s ancestor, the ancient Celtic warrior hero Cuchulain, or the talking trees, help the boys triumph over evil?

Charlie's Review:

Abaddon, the most evil of demons from the Underworld, is fighting for power of the Otherworld, and ultimately, our world. Pete “Irish” Kehoe is chosen to save the Otherworld from Abaddon, due to the warrior blood of his Irish ancestors, and the magical power of their gods. Abaddon kidnaps Irish’s sister, Kathy, in order to scare him out of fighting back. Instead, Irish and his two best friends, Huff and Streak, enter the Otherworld in search of Kathy, and meet evil head-on with their own special powers.
There they are met by Cuchulain, a warrior, and the queen of the Sidhe, ancestors of present day fairies, who will fight alongside them for their freedom.

This story starts out fast and strong, and never slows down, right through to the end. A well developed plot, likable characters, and an eye for detail help this story along. Lovers of mythology will appreciate the parallels to the land of Old Ireland. The characters are well defined, each with distinct traits. I found myself rooting for them. The otherworld creatures are described in beautiful, grisly detail. You can almost see them charging at you. A lesson in teamwork also runs throughout the book, showing how all must work together to achieve good, and all have their own part to play. Although I am not a big reader of fantasy stories, and didn’t expect much from a “middle grade adventure,“ I have to say the action kept me riveted, and I am now a fan of C.T. Markee.

Review - Catalyst: The Passage of Hellsfire by Marc Johnson

ASIN #: B004SY5P68

Page Count: 197

Copyright: 2011

Book Summary:

(Given to me by author)

For centuries, the kingdom of Alexandria has protected Northern Shala from the monstrous creatures lurking in the Wastelands. Now, a dark force threatens that fragile peace.

Far from home, Alexandria’s princess is abducted. When a young villager named Hellsfire stumbles upon her and her captors, he rushes in to rescue her, alone and unarmed. His fear and fury unleash an uncontrollable magical force that grants him the power to save the princess—and change the world.

Hellsfire has never craved nor dreamed of power. But such magic as he now possesses has not been seen in Northern Shala for a thousand years, since the devastation of the War of the Wizards and the creation of the Wastelands.

Now Hellsfire must leave all he’s ever known, and make a dangerous journey to learn to master this wild, ferocious power—power he knows he is not ready to wield. More difficult still, he needs to master his emotions. If he can’t, the power will consume him, Alexandria will fall, and darkness will eclipse the land, destroying everyone he loves.

In the dead of cold, the spark shall burn...

Brief Note:  Welcome a new part-time reviewer to the Literary R&R review team ... C.J.!!!!

C.J.'s Review

First: To say I enjoyed this book is an overstatement. 

Second:  If this was the author’s first attempt at a book, he did an excellent job in his first book.

The book has a start that I, for one, do not enjoy.  Once the prologue is over, the book skips 14 years into the future to adolescence of the main character.  The prologue would have been better suited as an addition to one of the other chapters in the book to bring clarity later. 

The main character, Hellsfire, is an adolescent boy trying to escape the taunting nature of the town bully, and in doing so comes upon “a beautiful maiden” in distress.  Which, by the way, has been used a hundred times over in other fantasy novels….  He saves her and thwarts her would-be attackers by spewing fire from his eyes?!  I understand this is a fantasy book, but that’s even a little over the top for me.  So, anyway, it goes on to tell of a young boy who goes off to become a “wizard in training”. 

The book then skips another three years.  During these three years he is training to be a wizard under the watchful eye of Master Stradus, the “good” wizard of the book, and a dragon named Cynder.  Next to Smaug from The Hobbit, Cynder has to be one of the coolest dragon names I’ve ever heard.  Good job author!

So, after these three years of training, this moron still does not understand what it is to be a wizard or even how to use the full extent of his abilities.  He’s been training with his “gift” for three years and he’s still not sure how to fully grasp his gift! Who is Master Stradus mentoring here?  Hellsfire or Carl from Slingblade? 

Regardless of who he is, or how smart he is, Hellsfire goes off and tries to save Alexandria from being overtaken by the “bad” wizard, Premier.  Along the way, he uses the assistance of Elves(wow), and ……you guessed it, Dwarves(predictable).  Let’s go over the prerequisites for a fantasy novel, class:

1. Good Wizard and Bad Wizard? check
2. Know-it-all main character turned hero? check
3. A dragon? check
4. Elves and Dwarves? check

See a pattern yet?

Here’s an idea:  Come up with something original like what Salvatore did with Drizzt.  He (Drizzt) was a Dark Elf called a Drow.  Now that’s some cool s%&$.  Have someone die early!  Not just anyone, someone special to the plot….say maybe the dragon or something.  Spice it up!  I literally fell asleep more than twice while trying to drudge through this book.

The main character still lost his temper, and with it control of himself, up to the end of the book.  Can someone say temper tantrum?  He’s 17 and spent three years being mentored by a Wizard and can’t control his thoughts and actions?  I’ve got to definitely lean toward Carl from Slingblade for that category. Yet somehow in the end it all works out for good old Hellsfire and he’s suddenly some kind of hero.

Author, please take one or two of my opinions and use them.  The plot of the book was mundane and predictable and so were the characters. 

Listen, like I said at the beginning, the author did an excellent job with his first attempt at a fantasy book….I would like to see more fight scenes, more characters, and more plot lines.  Overall, the book was just ok for me, I will read the sequel just to see if gets better than the first.