Opal Moon ~ Review by Tori Peterson

I am fascinated with anything historical in time. Whether it is from the U.S. or another country, I just crave to learn more about the historical way of life, customs, etc. That is one of the reasons I was drawn to this book aside from the mysterious woman on the cover. It promised a great love story, suspense, and the chance to learn of historical customs in China.

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• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Co (November 11, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1434912183
• ISBN-13: 978-1434912183

From the back of the book::

The land of China is under the rule of Emperor K'ang-his. As an upright and efficient leader, he favors his fourth son, Yin-chen, a young man of upstanding character, over his corrupt heir apparent, Yin-jeng, who brings nothing but trouble to the family. The latest is an attempt by Yin-jeng on the life of Opal Moon, a teenage orphan girl whom Yin-chen rescues with the aid of his chamberlain.

Captivated by Opal Moon's beauty, he takes her under his care and presents her as a boy to ensure her safety as his ward. But the pretense cannot suppress their feelings and they eventually give in to their hearts' desires, setting off a course of events they could not have foreseen.

My Thoughts::
This book didn’t turn out to be what I thought it would be. There are a lot of events that disturbed me in this novel, and if you surprise easily I wouldn’t recommend it. One of the most disturbing to me was Prince Yin-jeng’s sexual encounters with young boys. I couldn’t hardly stomach the details in which the events were explained, even though that is how things were done in imperial court back then. All in all I felt it was a very sad novel, and I was very upset by the ending. I felt the book focused on more carnage than anything. Without spoiling the novel I will just say that there was no way I could have at all predicted how things would turn out for our characters so the unpredictability of the novel was what kept me reading. The one thing I did like about this novel is Opal Moon’s will to overcome all obstacles thrown her way. Having been abandoned by her mother at a young age and raised by foster parents serving as their maidservant, she had to learn at a young age to be independent and diligent. This shows through her character and it was easy to admire her at times despite her young age. Even though she succumbed to her passions with Prince Yin-chen eventually, and despite her ardent Christian beliefs she continued to try to do the right thing. The problem arose when there became too many obstacles for her to try and overcome all alone and instead of seeking wiser help she tried to take things into her own hands.
I wouldn’t recommend this book for anyone under the age of eighteen due to sexually graphic/disturbing content. Despite the fact that this novel wasn’t quite what I expected it was very well researched, and very well written. I was hooked in by Opal Moon, and I couldn’t wait to see how things would turn out for her in the end.

All in all I would rate this book: 4/5 stars


This book is available in Print, Kindle, Nook, and PDF formats.




Review written by: Tori Peterson
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for review purposes. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

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The Safety Expert by Doug Richardson

Ben Keller lives life by one simple rule. Safety first. Ben is keenly aware of life’s hidden dangers. Ben never smokes. Ben always uses the crosswalk. Ben always drives within the speed limit. He has to because safety is his business. From his home in Simi Valley, California, one of the safest cities in the United States, Ben works hard at living a perfectly normal, perfectly uneventful, perfectly safe life.

And life is good until the past reaches into the present. In the dark of the night, a man crosses a lonely intersection and is struck by a car, setting events in motion that will unravel the finely stitched strands of Ben’s cocoon, from a recently retired porn actress who is desperate to be a mother to the butch cop determined to shield her young son from the whisperings of the queen bee moms at his private school to the addict who is clawing to hold onto the sobriety which cages the violence within him.

A long dismissed demon has resurfaced, presenting Ben with a most unsafe dilemma: preserve the haven he has carefully built for himself or confront the evildoer who decimated his carefree young life all those years ago.

Ben is in danger. Ben’s world is unsafe. Ben’s life will be changed forever. Again.

There was a very sad storyline to this book, A man, Ben, thought he had finally moved on with his life after his wife and young twin girls were brutally murdered all for the contents of the safe.
Ben met Alex his present wife at the grieving counselling sessions he attended. They later married and he took on her 3 daughters.
All was going well, Ben had his own business and was dubbed “The Safety Expert” and he calculated risk for everything and tried to get the safest option for things.
When he received a tape recording from an dying old man from prison which told him the name of the man that murdered his wife and twins Bens world turned upside down.

The Safety Expert was hard to get into at first I must admit, however once the story line had began to get established and I got to ‘know’ the characters and what parts they played in the story I had to keep reading to see how the whole thing unfolded, Would Ben find the murderer? And if he did what would he do? All questions that leapt in my head and thankfully all answered too.

There were a few surprises along the way too which kept it interesting all the way to the end.
I have read books in the past that have left me a little disappointed with the way it ended, This is not one of those books I’m happy to say.

I would rate this 4 stars out of 5

Check out Doug Richardson’s Website http://dougrichardson.com/

You can purchase The Safety Expert available  from Amazon and  Barnes & Noble

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Loose Girl-A Memoir of Promiscuity by Kerry Cohen Book Review

Kerry Cohen learns at a young age how to use her body to her advantage. She quickly finds that she can feel needed simply by having sex. However sex and an endless string of men cannot seem to curb her appetite for attention and approval.
It doesn’t help matters that she has no parental control whatsoever. Her mother abandons her and her sister to pursue her dreams of becoming a doctor. As Kerry and her sister are sent to live with their pot-smoking immature father things only spiral out of control. While Kerry’s sister becomes depressed and locks herself away in her room, Kerry is left to fend for herself. Her father is hardly ever home, and when he is he acts like one of her peers. Her father provides drugs for her friends, and seems to even approve of her promiscuous lifestyle. This leads to Kerry going with her friends to bars and parties where they meet up with men and pursue sex. Kerry’s adolescence is filled with drug experimentation, pregnancy scares, sexual interludes, parties, and a string of minor STD’s. Kerry’s sexual partners become too numerous to count, and she doesn’t recall most of their names. Still sex is her main drug, and she becomes codependent on the short fulfillment it provides her. As she progresses from high school to college things begin to spiral more out of control, and she tries desperately to take control of herself. As she shifts the blame of her actions between herself and her parents she struggles to find herself.

~My Thoughts~I really felt bad for Kerry in this novel. Even though our choices are our own, she was never given much attention even from a young age. Her mother was flighty and self involved, and her father didn’t provide much structure to teach her how a young girl should behave. Her father could care less about her sexual acts, never questioned her choices, and even seemed to approve of her experimentation. I was appalled at how often and easily Kerry gave up her body or participated in sexual acts even when she didn’t want to. She never said no, and wasn’t afraid to take a friend’s boyfriend if she had the chance. She wanted to feel loved and needed so badly she would do almost anything to get it. This book is a great deterrent for a almost any teen girl to read. The fact of the matter is, whether we believe it or not, there are girls like Kerry Cohen all over the place. Girls without structure, lack of parental guidance, and who harbor misguided beliefs. Girls who crave fulfillment reach for sex or men to replace what they lack. It's refreshing that someone would write this memoir and let the truth out about the emotional turbulence involved when you crave the things as Kerry Cohen did. Hopefully this proves to be eye opening for many girls who find themselves in the same situations. The events in this memoir are very rich in detail and it will leave you wanting to see how Kerry progresses in her journey of finding herself and somehow ending her destructive sexual addiction.

PRODUCT DETAILS:

Paperback: 240 pages

Publisher: Hyperion; Reprint edition (June 2, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1401309925

Find out more about this book or make a purchase HERE

Disclaimer: I did not receive a free copy of this book nor did I receive any compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

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An Amish Journey-Set Free-Volume 2-The Hat on the Water Review

An Amish Journey-Set Free-Volume 2-The Hat on the Water
By George Michael Loughmueller

About the book:

His last chance was their only hope.
In this new periodical short story series from Trestle Press, a man on the brink of self-destruction is given the opportunity to start over.
Allan and his family are faced with many new changes on their first day. This creates instant friction with the children. Allan considers the offer to take his old teacher’s place at the schoolhouse. His decision leads to an unexpected event.

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An Amish Journey-Set Free- Volume 1-Coming Home Review

An Amish Journey-Set Free- Volume 1-Coming Home
By George Michael Loughmueller

About the book:

His last chance was their only hope.
In this new periodical short story series from Trestle Press, a man on the brink of self-destruction is given the opportunity to start over.
Allan Howarth is unhappy in work, in marriage, in family. He is stressed by finances and relationship problems. When a letter arrives from a long forgotten friend, Allan suddenly finds an opportunity to help himself, his wife and their two teenage children.
The letter presents Allan with a unique possibility which leads him on an Amish journey.

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House on Plunkett Street Review

House on Plunkett Street
By Lorena Bathey

About the book:

Phoebe Bertram is boring, bland, and unexciting. She works a job that is inadequate of her abilities. She has a boyfriend that is a dud. She is on the treadmill of her life and doesn’t know how to get off.

With changes in her job and her apartment going condo, she must find a new place to live. Her friend Meghan brings her to the perfect apartment and the moment Phoebe steps in the door she knows there is something atypical about this perspective residence.

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A Cold Creek Secret Review

A Cold Creek Secret
By RaeAnne Thayne

About the book:

Just back from a tour of duty, all Major Brant Western wanted was a hot meal and a warm bed. What he didn't need was the stunning socialite in disguise who'd just shown up at his family's Cold Creek ranch. Scandal trailed bad girl Mimi Van Hoyt—aka "Maura"—everywhere she went. But once Brant discovered her secret, how could he turn her away?

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The Treelanders: Journey to the Giants by Stephen Beccia

About the Book:

If there ever was a beginning of a hero's life, this was it for Avry. He and Captain Slaughter's swords connected with great force. Sparks rained into the air as the swords clashed. It sill remains a wonder why the vibration didn't crack the egg open. The Treelander had never fought a pirate before, but he was trained by Prince William, one of the best swordsmen in Epalushia, and he fought without fear. His sword crashed down on Slaughter's shoulder startling the pirate. Slaughter looked stunned as he clutched his bloody shoulder. While he was distracted in pain, Willow kicked him in the leg and the egg rolled back into the water.

Where can you befriend a wizard, save a dragon from extinction, battle pirates, meet mermaids, get tricked by leprechauns, travel with unicorns, dance with faeries, join the brotherhood of knights, and tangle with evil giants?

Avry Blain and his four siblings quickly find out when they enter a forbidden land in a struggle to save their lives and the lives of the people from their village. Little do they know that an evil warlock named Kildane is sabotaging their world. Will their people succumb to the warlock's curse? 

My Thoughts:


What an amazing adventure! There were so many unique encounters throughout this story. It reminded me a little of Alice in Wonderland. Who knew you could have pirates and sea monkeys engaged in battle while you travel this mysterious land meeting leprechauns. This is a fast paced story that kept me engaged the entire time. I was always meeting someone new with a different power or magic.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book and was very surprised by the ending. I could not predict the outcome of this book at all. It definitely wasn't what I expected. The only thing that I would have liked to see done differently would be to get more true emotions out of the characters. The main characters are young but never seemed to be scared enough in my eyes. I thought that they should have been more scared at time and not so comedic.

Overall this is a good read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone seeking a little adventure in their reading.


To purchase your own copy of Treelanders: Journey to the Giants go to:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

To learn more about Stephen Beccia:

Website
Goodreads

I received a copy of this book at no cost from the Author in return for my honest review. The opinions are my own and were not influenced by anyone else.

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Dreams Both Real and Strange Review

Dreams Both Real and Strange
By K.W. McCabe

About the book:

Choices: A Short Story
- The Reaper requires an answer to a question: what choice would you make?

Rebirthed: A Short Story
- Dreams of Rebirth

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Open Minds Review

Open Minds
By Susan Kaye Quinn


About the book:

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.

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Harvest of Grace Review

Some books can stand on their own enough to let you become immersed in the character's lives even though you haven't read books 1 and 2. Harvest of Grace is not one of those books for me. I recently received a free copy of The Harvest of Grace: Book 3 from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing for the purpose of this review.

I have read several books by Cindy Woodsmall in the past and really enjoyed them but Harvest of Grace has too many complex story lines happening to jump in at book three. With that said, I do enjoy Woodsmall's books normally. It is to her credit that the characters can develop such multi-level aspects and intertwined relationships that you really want to start at the beginning and then follow their lives from book 1 till the end of the series. I found it interesting that one of the characters in Harvest of Grace actually crosses paths with the characters from another Woodsmall series - Sisters of the Quilt.

About the Book Reeling from an unexpected betrayal, can Sylvia find relief from the echoes of her past…or will they shape her future forever? After months in rehab, Aaron Blank returns home to sell his Daed’s failing farm and move his parents into an easier lifestyle. Two things stand in his way: the father who stubbornly refuses to recognize that Aaron has changed and the determined new farmhand his parents love like a daughter. Her influence on Aaron’s parents could ruin his plans to escape the burdens of farming and build a new life. Can Aaron and Sylvia find common ground? Or will their unflinching efforts toward opposite goals blur the bigger picture— a path to forgiveness, glimpses of grace, and the promise of love.

You can interact with Author Cindy Woodsmall on her blog Plain Talk.

About the author: Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author whose connection with the Amish community has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. She is also a veteran homeschool mom who no longer holds that position. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter as she aimed for what seemed impossible. Her first novel released in 2006 to much acclaim and became a best seller. Cindy was a 2007 ECPA award finalist, along with Karen Kingsbury, Angela Hunt, and Charles Martin.

Read an excerpt of the book here

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Ionshaker Review

Ionshaker

By Felix Timothy

About the book:

Trey's wife, his wife's shrink and his attorney are shot dead as his ex-girlfriend Robin Ironside disappears from an ICU ward. All of them knew about Ionshaker - a cutting edge nuclear arming/disarming software.

Brett - the lead FBI detective pursuing Trey - the sole murder suspect is soon framed for two new murders and becomes a fugitive just like Trey, when he learns about Al Fakir - a suspected Al Qaeda off shoot that has stolen Ionshaker.

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Decision Points Review

I enjoy reading memoirs of famous people that give me a chance to see what makes them tick and how they view their life. Recently I received a copy of the book Decision Points by George W. Bush from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing. No matter where you stand in the political arena, the chance to get a first hand look at the life of a president is time well spent.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I don't enjoy dry political rhetoric but I really enjoyed this book. Rather than a historical look at each aspect of President Bush's life, this book takes a chapter approach to different decisions that shaped his life and our country.

From the very first chapter where Bush discusses his resolve to quit drinking, the secret Thanksgiving trip to visit the troops in Iraq and the strong bond with his parents, this book gives a completely different insight to the life and thoughts of George W. Bush.


You can read the first pages here.


You can order Decision Points from Amazon or request it at your local library.

I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review.

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Review: My Little Pet Dragon, A Picture Book Adventure by Scott Gordon

About the Book:

My Little Pet Dragon is an amusing picture book featuring 28 adorable pieces of computer-generated artwork (similar to what you would see in a Pixar movie). The book is about 30 pages in all, and is best viewed in color.

As an added bonus, 100% of the proceeds from each sale will be donated to the family of Alyssa Mowery. Last October, Alyssa was struck by a car while crossing the street with her friend Mia Decker (deceased) and sister Rain (minor injuries). Although Alyssa has awakened from her coma and said her first word since the accident, she has a long way to go.


My Thoughts:


If you are looking for a cute read for your young child then this is a book worth purchasing. The pictures in this book are so vivid and entertaining. The story is sure to generate a few giggles too. My three year old wanted me to read it over and over again. I absolutely loved it! I would definitely recommend purchasing this book. Even if you don't have a child the proceeds are going to a good cause. So run, don't walk, and purchase this book and help a young girl on her road to recovery!


To learn more about the author, Scott Gordon, and his cause please visit:


http://segordon.blogspot.com

To learn more about Alyssa Mowery and to lend your support please visit:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/These-3-Angels/164870380273313

To purchase My Little Pet Dragon, A Picture Book Adventure:

Barnes and Noble
Amazon


And if you like My Little Pet Dragon then I know you will love the second book, My Crazy Pet Frog. Proceeds from this book also go towards Alyssa Mowery's care.


Amazon, My Crazy Pet Frog






 
 I was not compensated in any way for this review. I received a copy of this ebook at no cost from the author in return for my honest review.

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