Creatures of the Desert World

Author: National Geographic Society

Title: Creatures of the Desert World

Publication: January 1, 1991 (4th edition)

Publisher: National Geographic Children's Book

Genre: Children, Pop Up, Educational

Pages: 16

Audience: 3 and up

Rating: 5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

 Goodreads Synopsis:
People, animals, and places, from ancient times to the present, spring to life from these imaginative and entertaining pop-up books. Multi- tiered illustrations will delight young readers as well as adults. These highly involving books have from five to seven pop-up spreads and, in most cases, one or two action devices on every page.

My thoughts:
I know this book is probably older than me, considering the fourth reprint/edition was put out in 1991, but it is so cool. I picked this up the Friend's of the Library for my nephew. However, it is at my apartment and I live three hours away....so I've been playing with it. Not only is the book educational- it is a POP UP BOOK! I don't care if you 100 or 2- pop up books are awesome! Some of the pop ups move, so I've been making the bats fly, the mountain cubs play, and the snakes slither all while learning about the desert creatures. I cannot wait to give this to my nephew!

Blueberry Girl

Author:  Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Charles Vess

Title: Blueberry Girl

Publication: March 2009

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre: Children

Pages: 32

Audience: 4 and up

Rating: 5 out of 5

Source: Public Library

 Goodreads Synopsis:

This is a prayer for a blueberry girl . . .
A much-loved baby grows into a young woman: brave, adventurous, and lucky. Exploring, traveling, bathed in sunshine, surrounded by the wonders of the world. What every new parent or parent-to-be dreams of for her child, what every girl dreams of for herself.

My thoughts:
I'm currently trying to read all of Neil Gaiman's published and readily available works. I have heard great things about Blueberry Girl and thought I would check it out. Neil Gaiman and Tori Amos are really good friends. He wrote this novel for Tori's daughter, Tash. It is a beautiful little poem about wishing the best for the little girl(s) in your life. It is really sweet. I think this would make a perfect gift for a baby shower, if the baby is a girl. I even think this would work as a great graduation gift. I am not a parents myself, but I am an aunt and I know I wish the best for my niece and for her to just be herself.
The artwork is lovely and it fits the book very well. It really brings a warm, springtime feeling to the book. A time of birth, rebirth, renewal. If you need a pick me up, a gift for a baby shower or graduation, I would recommend this book.

Excerpt & Giveaway: Forty days by Stephanie Parent

Title: Forty Days

Author: Stephanie Parent

Publication: February 12, 2013

Publisher: Stephanie Parent

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Synopsis:
The entire village knows Neima’s grandfather is a madman. For years the old man has prophesied that a great flood is coming, a flood disastrous enough to blot out the entire earth. He’s even built an enormous ark that he claims will allow his family to survive the deluge. But no one believes the ravings of a lunatic…

…until the rain starts. And doesn’t stop. Soon sixteen-year-old Neima finds her entire world transformed, her life and those of the people she loves in peril. Trapped on the ark with her grandfather Noah, the rest of her family, and a noisy, filthy, and hungry assortment of wild animals, will Neima find a way to survive?

With lions, tigers, and bears oh my, elephants and flamingos too, along with rivalries and betrayals, a mysterious stowaway, and perhaps even an unexpected romance, FORTY DAYS is not your grandfather’s Noah’s Ark story.

FORTY DAYS is approximately 45000 words, the length of a shorter novel, and is the first installment in a two-part epic story. It does contain a cliffhanger ending.

Readers looking for a traditional, religiously oriented version of the Noah’s Ark story should be warned that FORTY DAYS may not appeal to them. The novel will, however, appeal to lovers of apocalyptic fiction, historical fiction, and romance, as well as anyone who’s ever dreamed of having a baby elephant as a pet.

Excerpt: 

 A crash comes out of nowhere, a sound not of water but of something solid rending, splitting, falling, followed by shill screaming.  I run to the door without thinking and the water hits me like a wall, blinding me, pushing me back.  It takes all my strength to force my way outside, where, eyes narrowed, I make out children bracing themselves, hands on knees, some down on all fours in the now-slippery earth.  The rains can be ferocious, yes, especially when they first arrive…but have they ever been like this before?  Not in my lifetime, I don’t think.

            I struggle forward till I can just glimpse the cause of that solid crash, blurred through a curtain of rain: a cottage has crumbled to the ground, its roof split down the middle, its foundation collapsed under the weight of the roof and the water.  My throat tightens: that is—or was—Hannah’s dwelling.  As a widow with no sons, Hannah had no one to shore up her cottage before the rainy season.  How many years have passed since anyone’s even offered to patch her roof?

            I look for Hannah herself, knowing Mother would want me to offer her shelter, but I can’t see past the crowd of taller villagers quickly forming around her cottage.  Someone will take care of her, at least.

            Another crash rings out over the rain, the sound reverberating down to my bones, and before my eyes the roof of another cottage slides forward, over the still-standing walls and all the way down to the ground, as easily as mud sliding down a hillside.  And this is Emir’s house.  I saw him repairing his roof just a day or two ago.

            I’m trapped in place, suddenly, my body turned solid as stone in my bewilderment and fear, even as the world is tearing to pieces before me and the rain seems determined to knock me onto my knees.  And then, through the swirl of wind and water, a single word rises, a harsh, cutting word, repeating and gathering strength like a chant:

            “Curse.  Curse.  Curse.  Curse.  The ark has brought this curse upon us.”

Author Bio:

Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

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Giveaway: 

This giveaway for one (1) ebook copy of Forty Days and is open internationally. Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter. 

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Sneak Peek: Awaken by Jamie Guerard

Title: Awaken

Author: Jaime Guerard

Expected release date: March 15, 2013

Genre: Paranormal Romantic Thriller    

Age Group:  Young Adult; 14 – 20+

Cover Designer: B Design

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Goodreads 

Synopsis:

Three things run through my mind at this very moment…

ONE, my life as I once knew it will never be the same.

TWO, the person I’m in love with might not even exist.

THREE, the deception that has unfolded before me has the power of life and death.

 Sixteen year old, Breanna Davis, has heard the saying; life isn’t always what it seems…well, that saying rings true now more than ever. As horrifying visions appear before her, revealing tragedies that will forever change the fate of those she loves, she realizes that she may be the only person who can stop them from becoming reality.

Amongst the chaos of this new discovery, Bre is faced with a stranger, Eve, who moves in on Bre’s friends and begins to follow her every move. As Eve’s true motives begin to surface, Bre must fight against, not only the visions, but the dangers Eve holds close.

There is another secret kept- Collin, a boy held captive in Bre’s dreams, the boy she is secretly falling in love with but isn’t sure he even exists. As she tries to make it work with Austin, an old friend who could possibly be more, Bre battles against her feelings for Collin.

Bre is faced with an almost impossible decision, to choose her life or follow her destiny.  If she doesn’t intercede, people will certainly die. If she does, her own life could be at stake. In the end, if she fails, she’ll lose everything.

Author Bio:

Jaime grew up in a small town in Northern California. Having a passion for dance and music, never would she have thought herself to become an author.

In late 2008, a story was born and a writer was developed. Jaime found the pieces of her novel beginning to take form and soon she had a full novel in her hands. Awaken is Jaime's first published novel. With many features still in the works, this debut novel is just a taste of the action-packed romantic thrillers to come from this aspiring new author.

Jaime is a committed wife and mother of 3, who loves life and doesn’t take anything for granted.

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The Silver Sphere by Michael Dadich

Title: The Silver Sphere

Author: Michael Dadich

Publication: November 19, 2012

Publisher: Evolved Publishing

Source: Publisher/Author

Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Fantasy

Audience: 14 and up

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Synopsis:

Evolved Publishing presents a wild journey to a sister planet of Earth, in “The Silver Sphere” by Michael Dadich. [YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi] 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shelby Pardow never imagined she could kill someone. All she wants to do is hide from her troubled father… when she is teleported to awaiting soldiers on the planet Azimuth. Here she is not a child, but Kin to one of the six Aulic Assembly members whom Malefic Cacoethes has drugged and imprisoned. He seeks to become dictator of this world (and then Earth by proxy).

His father, Biskara, is an evil celestial entity, tracked by the Assembly with an armillary device, The Silver Sphere. With the Assembly now deposed, Biskara directs Malefic and the Nightlanders to their strategic targets. Unless….

Can Shelby find the other Kin, and develop courage and combat skills? Can the Kin reassemble in time to release or replace the Assembly, overthrowing Malefic and restraining Biskara?

Author Bio:

I've been writing since first setting pencil to steno pad at age 8. A year later, I began developing the world of my current series-in-progress, and even created its title, The Silver Sphere. Now, with the support of years of experience, those early maps and back stories have progressed into what I hope is a fresh and entertaining take on the classic young adult fantasy adventure.

Despite my frequent escapes into parallel worlds, I root myself firmly in my very real family and community. When not pacing the yard maniacally after every few pages of writing, I spend as much time as possible hanging out with my studly 9-year-old son, and my inspirational wife Jenna. I also coach several local youth sports teams in Beverly Hills, and alternate between yelling at my two crazy Corgis and hiking with my trained German Shepherd.

For more, join me in my favorite fantasy worlds, from Lord of the Rings to the creations of C.S. Lewis, Anne McCaffrey and Terry Brooks. Even more importantly, stop by and say hello on my Facebook page at AuthorMichaelDadich, tweet me at @MichaelDadich, and stalk my website.

Cover Reveal: Faster We Burn by Chelsea M. Cameron

Title: Faster We Burn by Chelsea M. Cameron (Deeper We Fall #2)

Author: Chelsea M. Cameron

Publication: April, 2013

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Goodreads

Synopsis:

The last thing Katie Hallman needs is another guy in her life, but Stryker Grant is there anyway. What starts out as just an escape from her previous relationship disaster soon turns into something more. Stryker gets under her skin the way no one has before, and soon she realizes she can't shake him, even if she wanted to. But is Katie ready to trust her already-battered heart to the guy who could shatter it into a million pieces?

Author Bio:

Chelsea M. Cameron is a YA/NA New York Times and USA Today Best-Selling author from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car and tweeting. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is. 

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The series: 

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Excerpt: Dominion by Melody Manful

Title: Dominion

Author: Melody Manful

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Synopsis: 

I Dare You.
Look Over Your Shoulders.
Do You See Them?
They are behind you...
They are always behind you.

Abigail Cells had a nightmare the day beforeshe met Gideon, the new guy in school
who has every girl drooling just to be near him. In her nightmare, she was murdered by a magical creature. As she gets to know Gideon, she begins to remember pieces of her nightmare and was shocked when Gideon turned out to be the creature from her nightmare. Who is Gideon really? Should Abby allow herself to fall completely for him, or is he the next disaster waiting to happen?

Excerpt: 

Dominion has 44 long chapters, although the book has only 258 pages. I took it upon myself to write quotes at the beginning of each chapter, a quote that summons the things that happens in the chapter. Each one of them includes a spoiler to the chapters, so below I want to share with you all three of those quotes and the chapter titles.

Chapter 44: Heaven Can Wait

Quote: “Make no mistake, when the trumpets sound. 
 I won’t be among the people running, praying, or crying. I’ll be the one who looks up and yells,
 ‘Shut the hell up, and get it over with!’.”

Being the last chapter of Dominion, this chapter gives spoilers to the next book in the series, and the quote itself it’s exactly what happened in the last chapter.

Chapter 37: Galaxy Distance

Quote: “Sometimes I’m insecure and I’m full of doubt, but when you appear you lighten up my heart. People say it’s wrong that it has to be you, but I don’t really care, I’m falling into you.”

This quote is from the Series theme song, which you can listen to here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HSSSD2PXlmc

The song itself contains major spoilers to the entire series, so be sure to listen to it more than once or twice.

Chapter 34: Broken Angel

Quote: “Silence makes me want to scream. Screaming makes me angry. Anger makes me feel lonely. Loneliness makes me want to fell in love. But love leads to a broken heart, and a broken heart screams until there’s only silence.”

Being one of my favorite quotes, this one was fun to write. What you get is what you see, the quote is exactly what happened in the chapter.

I’d like to share more quotes with you, but I’m afraid I’ve given away more than enough. Dominion comes out on the 16^th of February, please give it chance when it comes out. For more quotes go to my website www.melodymanful.com see you there!

Author Bio:
Melody Manful was born on June 8, 1994, in a town in Ghana called Tema. She started writing at a very early age and has been doing it ever since. Melody has two siblings and lives in Denmark with her family. She loves music, reading, and writing, and she puts a great deal into making her friends happy.

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Giveaway: This Giveaway is open Internationally. Please use the rafflecopter form below.

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