Bee's Knees Reviews

Thursday, March 29, 2012

8:02 PM Celticlady's Reviews No comments

From the authors website

"Conquering Your Goliaths"

A Parable of the Five Stones

David gathered 5 smooth stones to meet and defeat Goliath. What did these stones represent and how can you use them to conquer Goliaths in your own personal quests? Ms. Virginia Bean will show you how.

Travel with her on her own personal journey. See what she does. Learn how she grows. Discover what she becomes.

“Conquering your Goliaths—A Parable of the Five Stones” is for anyone desiring to travel beyond mediocrity, pain and fear. Learn of the great power within you, a power given to you from God, a power that must ultimately be unleashed to conquer the Goliaths in your own life. Come to an even deeper understanding of God and what he wants for you. Come…

About this author

When I was young I thought I had to sound like a great writer to be one. It was all so overwhelming; now I know I only need to sound like myself. My ideas come from two primary sources. My work might spark from the enlightening words of a friend, teacher or writing prompt. At other times, I am sitting in a very still space and the words I should write come to me like a powerful and glowing wind.

My favorite tool is the pen. Though computer keys get the words down quicker and easier, I like to put pen to paper, smell the ink, see the words as they are developed and renewed by new phrases or thoughts.

I enjoy traveling to wherever the character takes me. This often means even I am surprised and warmed at the outcome. In the end, when my writing is done, I like to watch the eyes of the reader whenever I can. Their reflective expression gives me the greatest glimpse into what my writing has become.

Before I was one, I loved to read books-or at least, pretend to. I couldn't walk yet but I would crawl to the bottom shelf for what I wanted. My Grandma says my books were placed near the floor for that very reason, and my mother speaks of me pulling my favorite book from the shelf and crawling back to the couch with the book safely in tow.

I would sit on the couch and pretend to read, speaking the language of some foreign diplomat-or perhaps, the tongue of angels, my mother wasn't quite sure which, and when I was done, I would crawl back to the shelf for another story.

When I am not writing I'm reading. I am an avid reader of the scriptures and books of spiritual merit. I have been married 30 years and enjoy teaching and working with youth and children-including my own three girls,three grand-daughters and grandson.

A published writer since 1987, I have published various newspaper and magazine articles for teens and adults.

My Thoughts:

A parable is a brief and to the point story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive principles, or lessons. In Conquering your Goliaths the reader is introduced to an analogy to David and Goliath in that Goliath had 5 stones instead of one. This parable is a realistically told story that seems probable and takes place in a familiar setting of life, meaning the life of Ms. Virginia Bean. She recently lost her job and finds herself going to an interview for a new one. There she finds herself in the presence of God and with His help, learns things that she thought did not pertain to her. She is given 5 different stones. They represent listening, trust,optimism, tenacity and constancy. She learns that these are the 5 things we need to remember to guide us through our lives. Ms.Bean relalizes that things are not always as they appear, the future is not always clear, stay optimistic, no two people have the same journey in life and to be constant as to what matters most. Valuable lessons to be learned for sure. I found this short book to be very enlightening and a pleasure to read.
You can read more about Kathryn and her books at her website

I received an ecopy of this book from the author and was not monetarily compensated for my review.

Sela By Jackie Gamber

10:35 PM Robin Blankenship No comments

Synopsis: Sela picks up a few years after the events of Redheart. Vorham Riddess, Venur of Esra Province, covets the crystal ore buried deep in Leland's mountains, and his latest device to obtain it is by marriage to a Leland maiden.

Among Dragonkind, old threats haunt Mount Gore, and shadows loom in the thoughts of the Red who restored life to land and love. A dragon hunter, scarred from countless battles, discovers he can yet suffer more wounds.

In the midst of it all, Sela Redheart is lost, driven from her home with only her old uncle to watch over her. As the dragon-born child of Kallon, the leader of Leland's Dragon Council, she is trapped in human form with no understanding of how she transformed, or how to turn back.

In a world where magic is born of feeling, where the love between a girl and a dragon was once transformative, what power dwells in the heart of young Sela?

My Thoughts: Sela was a very fast moving and enjoyable fantasy. It is the second book in the Leland Dragon series that began with Redheart. I think that it has moved to one of my top ten favorite books of all time. I love fantasy and I love engaging, intelligent, strong women in fantasy and just like in Redheart, Sela did not disappoint.

Something that struck me in Jackie Gamber's first book and holds true in the second her writing style makes the fantasy fun and engaging. Many times fantasy is all about the set up with her it is the pay off. She makes characters that are easy to see, feel and like. Jackie Gamber has the uncanny ability to make twists and turns in a story that keeps you turning page after page. She is a true storyteller. Some people just write books and some tell tales and she is the latter. I really believe she loves her characters and feels excited to be the one telling their stories.

Another element I love was that never in a book has a first kiss moved me so much. Sweet moving romantic. Perfection. Sela a sweet young girl so confused and lost but able to find hope and love.

This book had action, adventure, dragon hunts, love and real relationships. The interaction between Sela and her parents was so true of a rebellious teenager and parents that are just trying to figure it all out.

I enjoyed seeing many of the Characters introduced in Redheart continue in this book and the new characters just added to the story. Bannon and Leesa are amongst a couple of my new favorites and I love how she continued Jastin's story. Jastin may be a dragon slayer but he is one I feel such sympathy for.

Be sure to read Redheart the first in the Leland dragons series. While Sela is truly it's own story Redheart is the story of where Sela comes from. And it also is a great fantasy story. I am stickler for reading books in order and was glad that I had read Redheart first.

Sela will be released in softcover and eBook versions during the first week of April, following the launch party at MidSouthCon in Memphis, TN during the March 24-26 weekend. Continuing the Seventh Star Press tradition of releasing collectible, limited edition hardcovers, Sela is now available for pre-order in a beautiful hardcover edition that is strictly limited to 75 copies.

The limited hardcover edition is signed and numbered by Jackie Gamber, and includes a bonus illustration from Matthew Perry not included in other editions. It will be accompanied by an assortment of collectibles, including a set of glossy art cards, bookmarks, and magnets. The limited edition hardcovers will also be bundled with the eBook version, with buyers able to choose an ePub, Kindle, or Nook version. Those interested in securing one of the 75 limited hardcovers can place a pre-order at: Pre-Order

The Soft Cover editions can be pre-ordered as well and that will also be signed.

I have enjoyed several books by this publisher and with each order you always get very cools extras, like art cards, bookmarks and magnets.

More Information can be found at the publishers website. Seventh Star Press
Jackie Gamber can be found on Facebook and at her website. Jackie Gamber or Twitter. Jackie is a delightful to talk to and does this amazing thing called book tasting.

As I said it this book as moved into my top ten. I loved it. I give this one a 5 out of 5. I look forward to more adventures in Leland.

I was truly fortunate to be able to receive an early copy of this. I received a copy from the publisher and was in no way compensated for my review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

11:32 AM Celticlady's Reviews 1 comment

On The Bright Side by S.R. Johannes Review

On the Bright Side is a hilarious road to guardian angeldom paved with so much drama and due-paying that it makes middle school look painless.
As if the devil’s food cake at her wake and the white fat pants she’s stuck wearing for eternity weren’t bad enough, fourteen year-old Gabby is quick to discover that Cirrus, the main rung of Heaven, is a far cry from the Pearly Gates. Here, Skyphones and InnerNets are all the rage. Until Gabby finds out she has to protect Angela, her school nemesis, in order to move up through the training levels of heaven. Problem is, Angela is now hitting on Gabby's should-have-been boyfriend. (awkward!)
Instead of protecting Angela, Gabby pranks her (like tripping is a sin?) at the hopes of cooling off the new couple. At first, they seem harmless until the school dance sabotage gets completely out of control. Then, her Celestial Sky Agent, who happens to have anger management issues of his own, puts Gabby on probation, threatening her eternal future.
Determined to right her wrongs, Gabby steals an ancient artifact that allows her to return to Earth for just one day. Without knowing, she kicks off a series of events and learns what can happen when you hate someone to death.
About the author:

S.R. Johannes is the author of Untraceable (a teen wilderness thriller) and On The Bright Side ( a tween paranormal).She started out writing for her local school paper, winning a state Nutrition essay contest for “Be a Smart Cookie”, and singing in a local Jazz band. Somewhere along the way, she earned an MBA in Marketing and embarked on an 18-year marketing career in Corporate America working as a marketing and communications consultant.In 2000, S.R. traded in her expensive suits, way-too high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She started her own marketing & communications business, www.bilaninc.com, and continues creating materials for a variety of large profit and nonprofit clients, including Spanx, Goody Hair Products, Chick Filet, Delta, CARE, and the Boys & Girls Club of America. S.R.’s dream is to publish children’s books and magically imprint the imaginations of kids. In addition to juggling nap schedules while attending client meetings, Shelli focuses on her writing. She is a frequent marketing speaker at SCBWI conferences across the U.S and runs a popular marketing blog, Market My Words(www.faeriality.blogspot.com) where she provides marketing advice for authors in the hopes of helping them better market their words.In her spare time (yeah right!) and if the kids allow (yeah right!), Shelli obsesses over movies, reads children’s books (over and over), wishes she could squeeze in Bikram Yoga sessions, and dreams of sleeping in on the weekends.She currently lives in Atlanta with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess that someday will change the world.

My Thoughts:

This has to be one of the cutest books I have read in awhile. Not taking anything away from the story by calling it cute at all. I found this story refreshing and written in such a way that I was able to read it through in a few sittings. Gabby is a little spitfire who dies way too early and is sent to Cirrus to become a guardian angle if you will to her nemesis Angela. Gabby feels that Angela is petty and shallow. I loved the humor that is Gabby. Trying so hard to be good but finding herself in trouble every step of the way, will she be able to get her wings??? Go get yourself a copy and read it for yourself... i enjoyed the book immensely and recommend it to YA and adults alike.

I was provided with this review copy and was not monetarily compensated for my review.
ebook: (available jan 31^st)

ISBN 10 – 0984799117

13 - 978-0-9847991-1-4

paperback (available in Feb)

ISBN-10: 0984799133

ISBN-13: 978-0-9847991-3-8

How to Buy:

Paperback will be available in Feb.

To buy the Kindle ebook - The ebook is $2.99 and can be purchased at amazon

Book Trailer:

http://faeriality.blogspot.com/2010/01/on-bright-side-trailer.html

Creature Kid Book Tour

11:10 AM Crossroad Reviews No comments

click for tour page

Product Description

Why do the movies always portray mutants as having some kind of glorious plight? If a kid got bit by a radioactive spider he’d probably puke webs right before he died. Men that can walk through bullets and fly don’t dress in tights and pretend to be newspaper reporters. And there are no special flashlights to shine in the air to signal you when there’s trouble. You want to be a superhero and fight crime? Prospects are unlikely at best. Chances are you’d just get sued by the criminals you arrested and put in prison for delivering your own vigilante justice.
The truth of the matter is living as a mutant is risky business. Uncontrollable outbreaks, delusions of grandeur and don’t forget the horde of scientists eager to pick you apart to figure out what makes you tick. Did you really expect a special school to crop up just to take care of all the misfortunate adolescents? Or you could create your own little team by adding Fantastic, Super, or Glorious to the front of a number. No, you wouldn’t be so lucky. And neither was Anthony Dimair, as a matter of fact he was the exact opposite. Now he must survive long enough to find the meaning of his Uncle’s cryptic message while avoiding capture, fighting the elements, and trying to not end up as dinner.

› Visit Amazon's Rashad Freeman Page

Biography

Rashad Freeman is a Florida native and avid water sports enthusiast. When he's not chasing his 3 boys around or working hard for his real job he writes young adult action adventure and paranormal novels and adult mystery/thrillers. His first title "Creature Kid Volume I" debuted January 1, 2012 and is the first in a long string of action packed stories floating recklessly around in his head.

Review:
I am so happy to be part of this tour! Sorry for the late post I had to have Jessica post this for me because of computer issues.
When I started this book I was a little scared that it was so short that how much could really happen? However, I was surprised with tons of action!!! I read this book in one day it was so good! This has got to be the best book I have read this year. And Cant wait for the next volume!

Come join us for Book Tours with Honest Reviews!

Diary in The Attic - Reviewed By: Crystal Trent Dotson

7:13 AM Crystal Trent Dotson 1 comment

By: Cindy L. Freeman
Reviewed By: Crystal Trent Dotson

Margaret Monroe is called to Corrine Meltons death bed, where she learns of a shocking secret, and when Corrines mother is found dead the same night, the police suspect Corrine. Now Margaret has to try and get into the house to unravel the secrets that went on behind closed doors.
Four Star Rating

I received a complimentary copy of Diary in the Attic as a member of the
Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team. Visit dorrancebookstore.com
to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team.

Ethereal (Celestra Series Book 1) by Addison Moore

11:07 PM Unknown No comments

I got a Kindle for my birthday, in the heat of summer, when I also happened to be seven and a half months pregnant. It was the original Kindle, and I loved how light it was; I could lie on my side and hold it with one hand. Knowing nothing about Kindle and not being very tech savvy, I started working my way through various Amazon lists--mainly teen and "children's." Addison Moore's Celestra series was on its second or third book I think. I had no idea who she was, but Ethereal appeared on several lists and sounded interesting, and for .99 it was a deal.

Addison Moore's prose was easy on the brain, with short sentences and minimal descriptions.The pace sometimes felt too fast, the writing too choppy and lowbrow, but the book had a high novelty factor so those things weren't hard to overlook.

I'm not a huge fan of lengthy scene-setting and descriptions; I prefer to read more about the characters and their interactions, so I'm not complaining about the lack of uber-descriptive-ness, but occasionally the pace of this book was so fast that either a) I didn't have a clear impression of what was going on or b) I got exhausted from the number of dramatic events and revelations, and despite the book being very exciting, I would have to put it down.

Overall, the dramatic events and revelations made this book refreshing and fun, but sometimes it felt like a grocery store tabloid: lots of exciting things were happening, but there wasn't much substance.

While Skyla was spunky and relatable, with self-esteem too-often lacking in YA heroines, she was also shallow, impulsive, and sometimes annoying because of her tendency toward stupid decisions. (I'm obligated to point out that her stupid decisions also made for pretty good entertainment).

Over and over, I thought what a realistic teenage girl she was, but her occasional bouts of brattiness, fickleness and self-interest definitely got a little old. (Still, I admired the realism inherent in shallow, impulsive teenage characters; that's how some teenagers are, though probably not the ones buying books on Kindle).

Addison Moore seems to have traded character depth for excitement with a capital "E." It would have been nice if the book had had both. One of my favorite things about YA books that feature a romantic line is crushing on the heroes, and neither Logan nor Gabe was very swoonworthy for me. I never felt like I knew them well enough.

In a lot of ways the story felt thrown together, as impulsive as its heroine. But it really was exciting. If I recall, I bought book two with a fair amount of zeal and felt that my .99 was well-spent in exchange for the entertainment value Skyla and her clan offered.

I'm at the end of my review, and I realized I haven't mentioned anything about the paranormal elements. The book was so much about high school drama that, to me, the paranormal elements almost faded into the background. Still...they were a big part of the story, and I thought Addison Moore did a nice job creating a spooky town where danger seemed to be everywhere, and an interesting clan of supernatural characters with lots of hidden motives and secret plans.

I would recommend this as a good, quick beach read or something to take with you on a plane or to the hospital, or any other such place where a solid diversion is needed. If you're looking for depth and characters to strongly connect with, stick with more thoughtful writers like Maggie Steifvater.

Genre comparisons, just for the fun of it:
-Ethereal vs. Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen... Ethereal has a stronger setting/sense of "magic" and a lot more fun surprises, but Fallen Star has stronger characters and a bit more depth.

Free YA romance ebook

2:33 PM Unknown No comments

Hi guys! I'm Ella James, one of the new owners of the site. I couldn't resist pimping one of my books - Before You Go - a YA romance that's free today and tomorrow on Kindle! If you don't have Kindle but have another e-reader or would be interested in reading via Amazon's "Cloud Reader" (in your browser window), e-mail me and I'll hook you up.

Here's a summary:
Margo Ford just became an heiress. Not the Paris Hilton kind. Her billions came after her father died and her insanely wealthy, insanely absent mother officially claimed her. Unfortunately, some terrorists noticed, and they hatched a plot to kidnap her. After a news report goes awry, reporting that Margo *has* been kidnapped, and her mother offers the humiliating sum of $500,000 for her return, Margo doesn't want anything to do with her *#$!@ of an egg donor. Then she is sentenced to a summer of "protection" on her mother's private island. Not the Oprah Winfrey kind. This one has an astronomical observatory filled with scientists, including Logan Greer, a super hot, super infuriating planet-hunter. Hiding out from kidnappers has never been so boring... until suddenly it isn't anymore.

INSTYLE.COM - INSERT

6:22 PM DisneyMom No comments

Guest post of the week by Deangelo Spencer

I have been having so much fun with my Clearwirelessinternet, getting on Instyle.com. They have a really cool software program that you can join for free. You can take your picture and upload it. You can try on a number of different celebrity hairstyles to see what you would look like if you were to change your hair cut and style. If you find a style that you really like, you can also change the color of the hair to find a color that suits your skin tone best. The other cool thing is that you can try on all different types of makeup. The makeup that you try on is actually real colors from real manufacturers. If you find something that you like and that looks good on you, then you can order it straight from the internet. The internet is getting cooler and cooler. I found a really pretty Dior red lip gloss that looked great on me. I ended up ordering it and was really pleased when I got it in the mail. It looked exactly like I expected it to look—fabulous!

Go Ask Alice

3:33 AM ItsAPenPalWorld 3 comments

Go Ask Alice- By Beatrice Sparks Review by Samantha Stroy.

First, I want to say before I get to the review is I didn't have to read

this. In fact I read it for all the wrong reasons. My husband 's high

school English class was reading it and he has never been the best at

studying and reading books. ( he's a great reader, just hates to read.)

So, he brought home his homework and was struggling with it. So, I

decided to get my own copy and read it and help him with his

homework. Anyway, I fell in love with the book and what was

suppose to read 30 pages of it just to help him, well I read the whole

thing. I have read it a total of 7 times and love every minute of it.

The story is about a 15 year old girl in the 1970's and receive's a

diary to write her feelings and emotions in. It started out innocent

but somewhere along the line she was slipped a LSD drug at a party

and somehow she liked it and wanted more. She would do anything

she could think of to get high again. She met and started hanging out

with some bad kids at school. Then, she was kicked out of school for

selling drugs and being on drugs, then kicked out of her house.

house.
She ended up running away from her town to San Francisco,

California to start a new life. She ends up hitting an all time low

and started sleeping with guys, and other random things just to get

money for her next dope baggy. All at the same time she is writing

her journal entries on paper bags, napkins, random scrap paper, and

anything else she can think of to write on. she ends up back home

and put in rehab to get rid of her withdrawls and to start clean and

not be on dope anymore.

Everytime I read this book I like it all over again like the first time.

It's one of those books you can read over and over and not feel guilty

reading it. I have always liked the whole diary format books. It's a

great way of writing and the reading is more fun.

There are way more books in the same format that Beatrice Sparks

writes. Her way of writing reminds me of Ellen Hopkins books.

This is on the banned books list of reading material which I

understand if you are 14 and under. But, for high school reading

material, you are old enough to read a book like this and learn a

positive message from it.

It's a book that even though its about a negative subject, you can

learn from it. Like, learning from other people's mistakes.

"This groundbreaking classic is more compelling than ever for today's

readers. A sensation when it was first published and a perennial

bestseller ever since, this real-life diary charts an anonymous

teenage girl's struggle with the seductive--and often fatal--world of

drugs.

" Taken from Goodreads.

also posted at http://itsapenpalworld.blogspot.com/ please feel free to add me as a friend and dont forget to leave a comment with your blog so I can follow you also.

Toys In The Attic by David Cleinman

8:59 AM Crystal Trent Dotson 1 comment

By: David Cleinman

Reviewed By: Crystal Trent Dotson

This is a great book to say the least. Sara's character is beyond strong. After losing her mother, she endures both mental and physical abuse from her father, but when she hits her breaking point, she kills him. But her pain isn't over yet. She learns she is pregnant with her father's child. Will Sara be strong enough to overcome the pain she has encountered and be able to love her child, or will she give up on life itself?

This is a very captivating story. It grabs you and makes you wish you could save Sara. The abuse she goes through is painful and heart-wrenching.