"Kaylen's Rising" by Yves Robichaud

EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY

Kaylen's Rising
(Tomes of Taria Book 1)

by Yves Robichaud

This book blast and giveaway for Kaylen's Rising is brought to you by Goddess Fish Promotions. Please be sure to visit the other participating blogs as well.

Description

Kaylen has been in the dark for fourteen years – in every sense. His people are hunted, so they must struggle to survive within underground caves. His community despises his family, taunting him constantly. His parents keep him housebound, forbidding him from wielding sword or wand.

When he is finally allowed to attend school, the harsh truth reveals he has much to learn – including a unique magical ability. Kaylen can summon and control skeletons!

With surface-dwellers threatening war, he will need every friend he can make, and to stay true to himself if he is to survive what is to come.

Book Video

Excerpt

Chapter 3: Kaylen summons his first skeleton

As Kaylen repeated the words, the strangest thing happened. The earth in Kaylen’s hand started moving. At first it was very slow but then much quicker, in a circular motion like a tiny tornado. The small twister then hopped off of Kaylen’s hand and headed straight for the ground. Once it hit the ground, it disappeared into the floor.

As this was the first sign that Kaylen had any magical powers, he was smiling brightly when he asked the professor what was going on.

“Wait,” said the professor, not looking up at the boy. His eyes were still trained on the floor.

Suddenly, the ground started shaking. In the middle of the floor where the dirt had disappeared, a skeleton hand popped out from the ground. Then a second skeleton hand popped out. The hands seemed to brace themselves on the floor to pull up the rest of the body as the head, torso, and, eventually, the legs magically appeared from below. The full skeleton stood up in the middle of the room. It was at least six feet tall, with sparkling white bones, and… strangely enough… it had Kaylen's bright green eyes.

Praise for the Book

"Remember that magical feeling you experienced when you entered a fantasy world – for example the one in Harry Potter? That’s exactly what you will get reading Kaylen’s Rising." ~ Roxana Turcitu, for Review Worm

"Kaylen’s journey to self-awareness is finely woven through his exciting adventures. Readers of all ages will enjoy this fantastical coming-of-age tale." ~ Paige W. Pendleton, author of The Keeper and the Runestone

"Kaylen’s Rising is a fast-paced, action-packed adventure with a full cast to thrill the young fantasy reader; dwarves, elves, humans, witches, vampires and more grace the pages of this book." ~ Jen Barton, author of Fiona Thorn and the Carapacem Spell

"Kaylen’s Rising took on the form of a classic; magical adventure that surprisingly reminded me of the Hobbit. It had one of those real effortless qualities, where you almost flew through the pages … " ~ Eddie for The Book Gazer

"I felt Kaylen’s pain and joy, I felt Turin’s awesomeness, I felt Avery’s hatred and I felt just about what every character felt. For a shining moment (that is the entire duration of the book), I lived in another world." ~ Trisha Dawn Daffon for Readers’ Favorite (5 star review)

"Yves pens Kaylen’s Rising in a action packed magical fantasy plot filled with witches, elves, dragons and more interesting and well written characters. A nice fast paced read that will keep your child captivated. A must read for all YA readers." ~ My cozy corner book reviews

About the Author

Yves Robichaud is originally from the small Acadian community of Grand-Barachois, New Brunswick, Canada. He has studied Business Administration and Information Technology, currently works for the federal government, and is the proud father of one son: Jeremy. Inspired by a love of fantastical, magical tales, Kaylen's Rising is Yves' first attempt to share this literary passion with his son and the rest of the world.

Giveaway

Enter the blast-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Links

Add to Goodreads

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Amazon US author page

Amazon UK author page

Blog

Facebook

Goodreads

Google+

Twitter @yvesr72

Website

YouTube

"Omari and the People" by Stephen Whitfield

EXCERPT

Omari and the People

by Stephen Whitfield

Omari and the People is currently on tour with Reading Addiction Book Tours. The tour stops here today for an excerpt. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

In an ancient time, a people made homeless by a devastating fire are led across a treacherous desert by a thrill-seeking thief, to a land he doesn't believe exists - and he started the fire.

In a squalid ancient city on the edge of a desert (based on descriptions of the African Sahara’s Empty Quarter,) a weary, thrill-seeking thief named Omari sets his home on fire to start anew and cover his many crimes. When the entire city is unintentionally destroyed by the flames, the cornered thief tells the displaced people a lie about a better place to which only he can lead them, across the desert. With the help of an aged, mysterious woman who knows a better place actually does exist, they set out. The disparate people must come together to fight their way through bandits, storms, epidemics, and more. As a result of Omari's involvement with Saba, a fiercely independent woman who is out to break him in the pay of a merchant whom he has offended, his ability to lead - his very life - is jeopardized.

Excerpt

As was his way, bin Aswad took no part in the celebration, and actually enjoyed his time alone as everyone else danced, sang and ate. Indeed, he had always found great pleasure in his love of numbers – calculating expenses, inventories and ultimately, profits. Despite Omari’s warnings about making money from the needs of others, bin Aswad had found it profitable to provide specialty clothing for those who could afford it. He found that some people paid well for themselves and or their family to look good in new clothing, and he was very clever in the re-use of old clothes to make new garments, as his cloth supply dwindled. Instead of being rich in coin, he now had more than his share of food, water, tools and other valuables.

He was happily humming a tuneless melody while he sat counting a number of small gems, when his tent flap flew open. A stunning young woman moved in quickly and stood over him. Astonished, he scrambled backwards with his eyes and mouth wide open, spilling the gems onto the tent floor.

“Ho, bin Aswad. Easy,” said the woman in a husky voice, and a bright smile that revealed white, even teeth. “I wish you no harm.” She raised her palms to calm his fright and sat down. “In fact, I believe I might be of some service to you.  My name is Saba Khan. Did you drop something?”

No longer terrified, bin Aswad was still too surprised and embarrassed to form any reply, except to start picking up his gems while glancing up at the stranger. At first glance, Saba Khan possessed what might be called an extraordinary beauty – enough to turn heads, and very pleasing to the eye. In bin Aswad’s lamplight, her complexion was a satiny smooth, golden brown that seemed to blend into the darkness. Her finely sculpted face framed dark amber, almond-shaped eyes, which made him pause. For the brief moment he held her gaze, he was so struck by their sheer intensity, intelligence and perceptiveness that he stopped picking up his gems. His attitude changed to awe and he was willing, even eager to hear what she had to say.

“How do you know my name?” he mumbled, too awestruck to ask all the questions in his mind.

“You are well-known, bin Aswad. You have many customers—people you talk to and trade with. Some of the things you receive in trade are precious gems, such as that one you missed, just there.” She pointed a slender finger at a ruby behind him.

“That gets people’s attention. Some of the things you’ve said are bound to get even more attention – such as the fact that you are unhappy with Master Omari’s leadership.” She leaned forward and opened her eyes wide. “Allow me to offer you some free advice – trade your gems away and keep your opinions to yourself.”

Bin Aswad noticed the hilt of a dagger in her waistband. As the idea of danger began to form in his mind, beads of sweat broke out on his upper lip. “That’s some strong advice,” he said, in an effort to sound self-assured. “What do you have to do with my opinions or my gems?”

Saba Khan chuckled. “I’m not here to harm you, bin Aswad. I’m here to suggest that I might be able to help you solve your problem with Master Omari…for the cost of some of your gems.” She raised her brow and tilted her head to the side. “Are you interested in seeing someone else in charge of the caravan? Someone more sensitive to your business interests?”

He frowned and leaned forward. “And how would you…”  

“You don’t need to know that,” she said.  “All you need to know is if you pay my price, your satisfaction is guaranteed.”

He stared at the woman in amazement. “What do you do?  Are you some kind of killer? I don’t want to kill anyone.”

“I make things happen,” she replied. “And don’t worry; you don’t have enough gems for anyone to be killed. Not even that great blue jewel you have hidden in your robe.”

Bin Aswad’s eyes widened again. “You know about the jewel?”

“That is why I’m here,” she said in a low voice.  “Remember my first advice? You’re not going to be able to hang onto such a stone much longer anyway. Too many people know about it. Right now, all you have to do is say ‘yes’ to the deal. If you do, I will give you more details later.  Of course, whether you agree or not, I must refer you back to the second advice – keep your business to yourself. Now, do we have a deal?” She leaned forward and smiled as if she knew the answer.

Praise for the Book

"I just loved this book! The story of this people was so fascinating I had to drop everything else I was reading and concentrate only on this. [...] This book is highly recommended to anyone looking for an epic adventure, a tale of friendship, love and betrayals with a touch of magical realism." ~ Book For Thought

" ... if you love an epic novel with a charismatic but troubled hero and multi dimensional characters around every corner, you can't do better than this one. I'm keeping this one in my library without a doubt and can only sit impatiently in the hopes that the author will make a sequel." ~ A. Stacco

"I never thought of myself as an avid reader, but the cover's exotic artwork and alluring excerpt arose my curiosity; the tension, the romances, the mysteries, the climax definitely kept my attention." ~ J.J.

"Omari and the People is an extraordinary epic adventure full of friendship, love, loss, betrayals and survival. The touch of magical realism is what brings the story full circle. Beautifully written, the author, Stephen Whitfield has done an amazing job with his characters and storyline from beginning until the end. He is a gifted storyteller and I can't wait for another book from him. [...] This is a great action-packed tale that will stand the test of time. Truly Great Read!!!! Highly Recommended!!" ~ BookLoverRome

"This is a beautifully written piece. The author does a good job describing the scenery and the tension with the characters. The book is filled with suspense and intrigue. It is a captivating piece from cover to cover. This is not your typical novel. The author successfully integrates the themes of leadership, love, loss, hope and survival into a smart and engrossing book." ~ Stephen A. Drake

"This was an action-packed read in an interesting setting with good character development; a bit of fantasy, adventure, and romance all bundled into a real page turner. I found myself absorbed in the story, as if transported to the scene of the events as they unfolded. Would definitely recommend!" ~ Linda

About the Author

Chicago-born Stephen Whitfield began writing as a Marine Corps print journalist. His writing has appeared in military publications, as well as the Kansas City Star and the Jersey Journal. He holds degrees from Loyola University Chicago, Chicago Theological Seminary, and Indiana University. Stephen currently resides near Orlando, Florida.

Links

Add to Goodreads

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Amazon US author page

Amazon UK author page

Barnes & Noble author page

Blog

Facebook

Goodreads

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Twitter @xhosa60

Website

"Snitch and Sneer Hit the Hood" by Julia Dweck

NEW RELEASE and REVIEW

Snitch & Sneer Hit the Hood
(Fairy Tale Crashers Book 1)

by Julia Dweck

Snitch & Sneer Hit the Hood is Julia Dweck's latest release and the first in her new Fairy Tale Crashers series of comic book style picture books for young readers. In their first adventure, Snitch and Sneer crash "Little Red Riding Hood". You can read my review below.

You can also check out my earlier blog posts and reviews of other books by this author: Blucy (blog post), Mary had a Sleepy Sheep (blog post), Humpfree: The Humpless Camel (blog post), Faux Paw (blog post), Zippity-Zoo (blog post), Monkey Fun! (blog post), Jump! (blog post), and Crowned! (blog post), and Frostbite! (blog post).

Description

Set your tasers to "have a blast" in a slapstick fairy tale adventure that’s out of this world. Snitch (the dog) and Sneer (the cat) are the extraterrestrial stars of this sensationally silly graphic picture book, Fairy Tale Crashers. In their first adventure, Snitch and Sneer hit the hood to create chaos, laughter and general mayhem with little Red Riding Hood, the Wolf, and dear ol’ Granny like you’ve never seen her before.

This duo of fairy tale crashing, galactic goof balls are sure to appeal to even the most reluctant reader. So, warp speed ahead into the zaniest fairy tale adventure to ever hit the solar system.

My Review

By Lynda Dickson

Snitch (the dog) and Sneer (the cat) travel in their spaceship to Fairy Tale Land. There, they decide to visit Little Red Riding Hood, so called because she always wears a red hoodie. Snitch and Sneer insert themselves into the story with some hilarious results.

There are some laugh-out-loud moments, with some humor aimed at the kids but with some targeted at the adults as well. The illustrations by Daryll Collins and bright and colorful, with Red being particularly cute (until she isn't). At the end of the book, Daryll teaches us how to draw the Big Bad Wolf and Snitch and Sneer answer some tricky questions.

I look forward to sharing Snitch and Sneer's further adventures in Fairy Tale Land.

About the Author

Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose.

Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read and what makes them giggle. She's collaborated with leading artists in the world of children's literature to produce over thirty books. Her titles have garnered placement on Amazon's bestsellers lists, "Kindle Daily Deals", and customer top rated lists.

In her spare time, Julia is a designer of educational adjuncts for children's literature, and has worked with such notable publishing houses as Penguin Young Readers. She presented at the 2012 National Center for Family Literacy for her creative use of technology in the classroom.

Giveaway

This fairy tale series is written with slapstick humor to encourage young readers to do what teachers and parents love best, read! Young readers are encouraged to post their "fairy tell" questions to Snitch and Sneer on their Facebook fan page. This is a meaningful way to practice writing skills. For the next two months, a randomly picked winner will receive a S&S t-shirt each month.

Links

Add to Goodreads

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon US author page

Amazon UK author page

Barnes & Noble author page

Facebook - Julia Dweck

Facebook - Sleepy Sheep Productions

Facebook - Snitch and Sneer

Goodreads

Google+

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Twitter @juleloves2write

Website

YouTube