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Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Mini Review: Rutabaga the Adventure Chef by Eric Colossal!



Title: Rutabaga the Adventure Chef
Series: Adventure Chef #1
Author: Eric Colossal
Format: ARC
Pub. Date: March 31st 2015
Source: Won


Book Description:



A fantasy graphic novel series follows an "adventure chef" named Rutabaga, who travels to a fantasy land to find bizarre ingredients to cook in his enchanted cauldron. The books will include pages straight out of Rutabaga's cookbooks, with recipes that readers can make at home.





Review:


★★★★★

This is the cutest book. I was intrigued by it because I love stories to do with cooking and food. My dad was a chef and I grew up in the kitchen, so it's a nice relatable bit of nostalgia for me.

The artwork is adorable. It's fun for kids with good details and even better facial expressions. I could very easily see this as a fun anime-styled cartoon on the Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon, or even PBS Kids. It's a high adventure mixed with a lot of humor. Reading it made me smile even as an adult, and I think that says a lot for a book aimed at younger folks. My ARC was not a full color copy, though the finalized version is in full color I'm told. I think the color would certainly make it more fun, but even in black and white it was well received.

I think it's cool that there's little recipes and cooking steps throughout the book. Some of them are for fantastical ingredients that the chef finds on his culinary adventures, but others are things that kids can try to make at home.

It's a silly, funny quest that I think elementary school kids will love. Like a Baby Einstein's version of the show No Reservations. I'd definitely pick up the second book in this series.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Review: Date with Disaster! by Shea Fontana



Title: Date with Disaster!
Series: DC Super Hero Girls Graphic Novels #6
Author: Shea Fontana
Format: eARC
Pub. Date: February 6th 2018
Source: DC Comics


Book Description:



Shea Fontana continues her mega-popular DC SUPER HERO GIRLS series with DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: DATE WITH DISASTER!

The girls think they have a day off, when suddenly there is a big explosion over at S.T.A.R. Labs. Not to worry, Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Bumblebee, Ivy, Catwoman and Katana are off to the rescue! As the heroes work together to save the day, Lois Lane investigates the incident and discovers something fishy. In her search for the truth, Lois must team up with the DC Super Hero Girls to unravel what really happened at S.T.A.R. Labs.

Meanwhile, Batgirl takes on a side project: finding a date for her dad! She sets up an online dating profile for Commissioner Gordon and gets the perfect candidate lined up. Can Jim Gordon find love again? Will Lois Lane and the team be able to uncover the truth about the explosion? Tune in to find out in DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: DATE WITH DISASTER! This story continues to develop the relationships forged in DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: FINALS CRISIS, HITS AND MYTHS, SUMMER OLYMPUS, PAST TIMES AT SUPER HERO HIGH and OUT OF THE BOTTLE. Written by Shea Fontana, this Batgirl-centric story is perfect for girls ages 6-12.






Review:


★★★★

I'm in love with the idea of this series. Admittedly, I even own a Harley Quinn Super Hero Girls doll. I think it's a fun way to make classic DC Comic book characters more approachable to a wider audience. Even though it's recommended audience is girls aged 6-12, I think it's fun enough for any gender of the same age group, and it's perfect for those comic book fans who now have kids of their own that they want to share in this adventure.

The artwork of this comic book is super fun. It's very nostalgic and childlike, which is fitting. It's like a vivid cartoon. I like the design of these characters in a school aged setting.

The story arc for this particular book in the series was okay. I think it could have been done a bit better, a bit more organized. There seemed to be a lot going on that was flushed out rather quickly, making it seem rushed and forced in some places.

But all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this installment, and would definitely pick up the next one. It's perfect for kids who love super heroes (or super villains- I don't judge!) but who aren't quite old enough for some of the darkness that appears in so many great DC comics.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you.

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Mini Review: The Prosperous Pagan by Kathy Cybele



Title: The Prosperous Pagan: How to Shed the Myth of Pagan Poverty and Thrive
Author: Kathy Cybele
Format: Paperback, 196 pages
Pub. Date: January 30th 2014
Source: Goodreads First Reads


Book Description:



If spells and rituals were all it took to secure prosperity we'd all be rich! So what is it that separates Pagans who easily generate prosperity from those who keep trying and trying with little success? Highly prosperous Pagans understand how prosperity works and have aligned their belief systems to support a prosperous life and bring success to all their magickal workings. The process of becoming a truly prosperous Pagan is a journey of self-discovery that can be eye opening and life changing. Kathy Cybele offers a comprehensive guide that will help you shift your beliefs about prosperity and assist you in moving into a space where attracting good things comes easily. Through The Prosperous Pagan Kathy Cybele will take you on a journey to: Discover what prosperity means to you. Prepare yourself for prosperity. Learn how to create prosperity. Use magick to enhance your prosperity. Your prosperity journey can begin today! A more prosperous life is within your grasp.





Review:


★★★.

I was interested in reading this book for pretty simple reasons: I'm a pagan, and I could always use a bit more prosperity.

All in all, this was an okay read. There was a certain "if you can dream it, you can do it!" self help type vibe to it, which wasn't really what I was looking for.

Most of the information and recommendations for spells/words were things I've read similarly in other books.

I think this would be good for beginners, but for me it was just an average book.

Thanks to Goodreads First Reads who gave me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Monday, March 12, 2018

Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway: Sparrow Squadron by DL Jung!



Title: Sparrow Squadron

Author: DL Jung

Genre: YA Historical Fiction/Action-Adventure

Publication date: February 2018



About the Book:


"There was a time when flying didn't mean looking over my shoulder for death coming at me."

World War II. June 1941. Hitler's war machine turns to the Soviet Union.

Escaping her hometown ahead of the Nazis, 16-year-old Aelya Makarova seizes a chance to live her dream. Obsessed with flying, she joins a women's fighter squadron to defend her homeland against the invaders. She'll go faster and higher than she's ever gone before.

But the harsh reality of Air Force life shatters her expectations and forces her to grow up fast. The squadron is split by petty rivalries, male pilots treat them like a joke, and the ideal country she thought she was fighting for doesn't really exist.

Finally given a chance to prove herself in battle, Aelya is pushed to breaking point. With all her talent, the help of her comrades, and a lot of luck, she might just make it through. But will there be anything left of her humanity?

With fast-paced action and a heart-rending mix of humour and tragedy, Sparrow Squadron is an adventure novel for young adults that brings an overlooked episode of history to life.

Get It Here:


Buy It Here!


Follow the Tour:


Here!

About the Author:
DL Jung has been an enthusiastic student of history since grade school, when he spent lazy afternoons flipping through an old Encyclopedia Britannica set. He enjoys blogging about history and writing historical fiction. He also writes fantasy and horror fiction as Darius Jung.

Jung is married, with two children, and lives in Toronto, Canada. They are lucky enough to spend part of the time in New Zealand. Outside of writing, he has tried stints as an industrial engineer, a film and TV script supervisor, an IT consultant, a professional game show contestant, and a grossly under-qualified business wear model. Sparrow Squadron is his debut novel.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Amazon

Giveaway:


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Saturday, March 10, 2018

Cover Reveal: Esher by Felicity Heaton






Esher (Guardians of Hades Series Book 3)

Felicity Heaton

Prince of the Underworld and Lord of Water, Esher was banished from his home by his father, Hades, two centuries ago and given a new duty and purpose—to keep our world and his from colliding in a calamity foreseen by the Moirai.

Together with his six brothers, he fights to defend the gates to the Underworld from daemons bent on breaching them and gaining entrance to that forbidden land, striving to protect his home from their dark influence. Tormented by his past, Esher burns with hatred towards mortals and bears a grudge against Hades for forcing him into their world, condemning him to a life of battling to keep a fragile hold on his darker side—a side that wants to kill every human in the name of revenge.

Until he finds himself stepping in to save a female—a beautiful mortal filled with light and laughter who draws him to her as fiercely as the pull of the moon, stirring conflict in his heart and rousing dangerous needs long forgotten.

Aiko knows from the moment she sets eyes on the black-haired warrior that he is no ordinary man, just as she’s no ordinary woman. Blessed with a gift, she can see through his stormy façade to the powerful god beneath, and the pain and darkness that beats inside him—pain she grows determined to heal as she falls deeper under his spell and into his world.

When the daemon bent on turning Esher against his brothers makes her move, will Esher find the strength to overcome his past and fulfil his duty, or will the lure of revenge allow the darkness in his heart to seize control, transforming him into a god intent on destroying the world?

PRE-ORDER LINKS AVAILABLE AT: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/guardians-of-hades-esher-paranormal-romance-book.php


The special sneak preview for Esher begins on March 16th, exclusive to Felicity’s mailing list. Every subscriber is entered into the giveaway to win a signed personalised paperback copy of Esher, with a chance to win a copy in each of the four exclusive sneak peek chapters being sent out.

Not only will joining her mailing list ensure you’re in with a chance of winning one of the signed copies of Esher, it means you’ll start receiving her newsletters, where she gives away 2 x $25 Amazon Gift Cards in each issue, and rewards subscribers with exclusive excerpts, teasers, flash fiction and cover reveals, and plenty of fun! Plus, you’ll receive FOUR FREE EBOOKS in her Series Starter Library just for signing up!

Join her newsletter at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/newsletter.php


Esher drew his hand away from his right side and frowned at the blood coating his palm. It caught the light of the narrow signs that jutted out from each building, running their entire height to mark what was on each floor, and reflected white, red and yellow back at him.

The wound would heal rapidly, not like the wraith wound, but he would have to conserve his strength until it had knitted back together, which meant he couldn’t teleport home. Stepping, as he and his brothers called it, would drain him, and it was only just gone one in the morning, meaning there were still another four or five hours of darkness in which another daemon could attempt to find the gate.

Or a Hellspawn, one of the accepted species in his father’s eyes and one allowed to enter the Underworld via the gates, could call on him to open it.

So, he would have to do the unthinkable.

Public transport.

He ground his molars and reached into the breast pocket of his shirt, tugged the tiny headphones out and jammed them into his ears. Instantly, the soothing melody of Bach filled him, swamping the song of the rain and the grating noise of Tokyo.

Esher took a few deep breaths, giving the beautiful classical piece time to do its work, and then trudged forwards, past the two dead daemons. He didn’t look at the dead mortal as he passed the male, kept moving onwards on auto-pilot, slowly constructing a wall of calm inside himself, a barrier that would shut the world out and allow him to venture down into the train station and tolerate the presence of the mortals as they surrounded him.

Crowded him.

As the strings rose, he spotted the airplane-wing canopy that stretched above the central entrance of Tokyo station, extending from the glass skyscraper to its right. Clouds swirled around the top of the towering structure, glowing yellow from the city lights. The rain continued to pour, soothing Esher as much as the music, but as he approached the entrance and the number of mortals rose, hurrying to catch the last trains, his grip on calm began to weaken.

He could do this.

He balled his right hand into a fist, and grimaced as the cut across his forearm stung as his muscles flexed beneath it, a flash of fire that tested him. He breathed deep, letting the flare of irritation fade without affecting his mood.

He was calm. In control.

Calm. Control.

Esher breathed through it, steeled himself and moved forwards, avoiding the busier paths into the building.

It was only a short trip. Barely fifteen minutes. He could do this.

A mortal female passed close to him and he tensed, his breath seizing in his throat as he leaned to avoid her even though she was more than ten feet away.

Breathe.

Calm. Control.

Keras would fucking kill him if he lost his shit and caused a bloodbath. His oldest brother had lectured him more than once about playing nice around the weak little mortals. By the gods, he tried. He could almost tolerate them now. He had even managed to speak with some when he was feeling strong, able to cope with breathing the same air as them.

But he wasn’t feeling strong.

The coppery odour of blood clouded his senses, tugging at his memories, and it was hard to keep them shut out, to hold the wall of calm in place.

He shoved the bloodied fingers of his right hand through the longer lengths of his black hair, pushing the damp strands out of his face, and scrubbed at the shorter sides.

He could do this.

He took another step towards the building, a pressing sense of urgency building inside him and driving him to move as he picked up the warning over the public-address system. It was last train time.

Now or never.

He froze as a male passed him, flicking a glance his way that turned into a double-take before he pivoted on his heel and hurried away from the station.

Esher touched his face, drew his hand away and looked at his fingers. Black smeared their pads. Daemon blood.

He huffed, grabbed the handkerchief he always kept in the back pocket of his dark blue jeans and wiped the blood away, scrubbing his neck and face, and then his hand to clear it of both daemon and his own blood.

It took barely a second for the blood to roll back down to his fingers. He buttoned his coat to hide the crimson stain on his shirt, tugged the sleeve back and wrapped the handkerchief around his forearm, covering the wound there. It would have to do.

The last of the mortals ran into the building ahead of him.

Esher strode towards it, his left hand closing over his right side again as the wound below his ribs burned. He pressed hard against it, stopping the flow of blood down his side, and trudged forwards, moving as quickly as he could manage.

The lights inside the station stung his eyes and he lowered his head, letting the hand-length ribbons of his black hair fall forwards over his brow to shield them. He kept his head bent as he hurried past the closed shops towards the Yamanote Line. It would stop at Yoyogi Park and he could walk from there. The streets in that neighbourhood would be quiet.

Unlike the immense room around him.

Someone almost ran into him as they rushed towards the ticket barriers, and he bared his teeth at their back. Keras would have to forgive him if someone bumped him, because he wasn’t sure he had the strength to stop himself from hurting them.

It was leaking from him as he passed his bloodied right hand over the card reader on the barrier, using his abilities to force it to open for him. It swung open and he passed through, scanned the area ahead of him and spotted the sign for the line. It was further than he remembered. He was going to have to use a little bit of power to make it to the train.

Not stepping. Just running.

He clutched his side and sprinted, passing the mortals with ease, and reached the platform just as the last train pulled in. He boarded at the first door, and moved down through the carriages until he found one that was quiet.

The seats near the next car were empty, so he slumped into them, arranging himself in a way that put off the mortals who were eyeing the spot beside him. He looked at his bloodied hand, felt a few mortals glancing there too, and then moving away. He was tempted to wipe it on his jacket, but since it was acting as a nice deterrent, he kept it on show. Another barrier to keep the mortals at bay.

He couldn’t believe he had been reduced to using public transport. He eyed a few of the humans, issuing glares to the braver ones who looked as if they might chance it and sit beside him on the three-seater bench. Wretched creatures. The wall of calm cracked a little, and he drew in a deep breath. Mistake. His right ribs protested, a sharp pain echoing along them from the wound, worsening his mood and adding a few more cracks to the wall.

He closed his eyes as the train pulled away, meaning to shut out the crowded carriage so he could claw back the calm.

Not meaning to fall asleep.

He woke with a jolt as the train rounded a bend, and his black eyebrows pinched in a frown as he swept his blue gaze around the carriage. It was almost empty.

“Fuck,” he muttered and peered out of the window, trying to see where he was as he silently berated himself for succumbing to sleep around so many humans. They weren’t to be trusted. Fuck knew how many of them might have taken the opportunity to kill him if they had known what he was.

Building after building whizzed past outside, none of them standing out to him. The damned city looked the same no matter where he went in it. He rubbed his tired eyes and squinted at the display screen above the doors. Broken. Just his luck.

Had he missed his stop?

He looked at the two people in his carriage, assessing them, and then squeezed his hand over his side as he leaned forwards and looked to his left, into the next one. Five people in that one, none of them a threat.

He leaned back into the padded seat.

A shriek rose from his left.

Esher edged forwards again and glared into the next carriage. A petite raven-haired female with bunches and a fringe that cut a straight line above her eyebrows swatted at a male with her black backpack. Her thick-soled patent leather shoes skidded on the floor of the car as she swung again, causing her short black dress to rise up and reveal the tops of her stripy black and white stockings.

A little Lolita with a vicious streak.

Or a terrified little Lolita.

He canted his head, trying to figure out which one it was, and growing increasingly annoyed and disgusted with everyone in her carriage as they all pretended not to notice her plight.

“Chikan!” Pervert.

A public transport one in particular.

The male grabbed her again, snapping his hand tight around her delicate wrist.

Still no one moved to help her.

Why the fuck was he forced to protect a people who cared nothing about their own kind? No Hellspawn or god would tolerate this female’s cries.

She battered the male again, but the bastard pulled her towards him, undeterred.

Esher growled and shoved to his feet, not pausing to consider what he was about to do.

He was going to save a human for the first time in his life.

PRE-ORDER LINKS AVAILABLE AT: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/guardians-of-hades-esher-paranormal-romance-book.php

Book 1: Ares

Book 2: Valen

Book 3: Esher

Book 4: Marek – Coming in 2018



Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you’re a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.

If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:

WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | INSTAGRAM