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Monday, June 23, 2014

Book Spotlight: Lingering Echoes

LINGERING ECHOES

BY: Erica Kiefer
New Adult Contemporary Romance
(Also Young Adult Appropriate.)
Clean Teen Publishing

She's broken with guilt.
He harbors a chilling past.
It's safer if they keep their distance...
But, the echoes that linger connect them. 

Returning to Hidden Pines is the last thing Allie Collins wants to do during her final summer before college. For her, the family cabin she spent her youthful summers in, now holds a dark memory that has haunted her every day for the last year. 

While struggling to forget her past, Allie runs into Damien, a local rebel with secrets of his own. He's dark, dangerous and he keeps showing up when Allie least expects him to. She has every reason not to trust him. So why does she find herself opening up to him in a way she hasn't been able to with anyone?  

As pieces of Damien’s identity emerge, answers to a rumored mystery begin to unfold. By the time Allie unearths the secrets of Damien’s past, she realizes just how intricately they are connected. Now she is caught in a dangerous battle that threatens her life and those she loves.



About the Author: 

Erica Kiefer was born on Christmas Eve in Southern California to an American father whose ancestors arrived from Europe during colonial times and a Thai mother who moved to the US during high school. Adding to her rich and varied heritage, Erica grew up living abroad in Asia, including Taiwan, Fiji, Thailand and Indonesia. She gained a great respect for the beautiful mosaic of cultures found in various parts of the world. After graduating from International School Bangkok, she attended Brigham Young University in Utah, where she earned a degree in Recreation Therapy. Her career as a Recreation Therapist has allowed her to work with at-risk youth since 2007. 

Erica made the best decision of her life by marrying her husband in 2005 and is currently a mother of three, one of whom awaits her in heaven. Erica also loves singing, reading, writing and satisfying her sweet-tooth with chocolate-chip cookies. Playing collegiate rugby was one of the most memorable experiences of her life, thus far. 

Erica's first book, Lingering Echoes, was signed by Clean Teen Publishing and is scheduled to release in early November 2013. 


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And please check out my latest Young Adult adventure/romance, 
Deep Green, 
available in Print & e-Book
*25% off with the promo code 20EPdb14

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Thursday, June 19, 2014

Review: Quick No-Cook Low Carb Recipes

Title: Quick No-Cook Low Carb Recipes
Author: Lisa Shea
ASIN: B00492CMQK
Genre: Cookbook



The Quick No-Cook Low Carb Recipes cookbook features 42 recipes ranging from easy cheese-plate ideas that any college student or after-school kid can try to more advanced recipes like tuna tartare which involve more complex flavors.

This is an nice resource for simple, healthy, no-cook meal prep. The recipes I tried were indeed easy and tasty, and I'm looking forward to trying more. I only wish I'd had it in college! All you need is a fridge and some ingredients! 

The book is a little over 100 pages and sensibly broken up by main ingredient. It covers Eggs, Dairy, Nuts, Salads, Veggies, Juices, Dips, Meats, Desserts, and even how to use and spruce up pre-made items. Some sections are fuller than others. The nuts section is more about nuts and using them than specific recipes, and the dessert section is really just about putting together a nice berry plate or cheese plate. The salad section has some great ways to make a tasty salad, outside the add-some-ranch-to-lettuce type that tends to come to mind first. The Oriental Cucumber Salad or the Tomato Mozzarella Basil Salad recipes would be great for a crisp side this summer. I'll be trying the Celery Egg Salad Appetizers the next time I'm tasks to bring apps to a party. 

One of the strongest parts of the book, surprisingly, are the appendices. There's one on carbs and the glycemic index, a low-carb food list, tips on stocking a low-carb pantry, a handy shopping list, and must-have spice list.

The Kindle version is currently only $0.99, so if you're interested in some simple ideas for preparing healthy bites, or looking for a little grad gift for someone heading off to college, you might consider this!

You can find out more about the author at http://LowCarb.BellaOnline.com or participate in their low carb forum discussions:

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And don't forget to check out my latest Young Adult adventure/romance too, Deep Green, available in Print & e-Book!

*25% off with the promo code 20EPdb14

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Interview: Leah Cypress


Interview with
Leah Cypress,
author of
Death Sworn



Today, the Happy Book Reviewer welcomes acclaimed author Leah Cypress to talk about Death Sworn, the first book of her new young adult series. Teen Vogue says it is "impossible not to fall deep into the dark yet alluring world of sorcery and secret assassins."

In Death Sworn, Ileni is a young sorceress losing her magic. And that means she's losing everything: her position as the rising star of her people, her purpose in life, and even the young man she loves. Sent to the assassins' cave, hidden deep within the mountains, she expects no one will ever hear from her again. The last two sorcerers sent died within weeks of each other. As Ileni navigates the dangers—both natural and human—of the caves, she'll discover secrets that have been kept for decades. And she'll find an ally in Sorin, the deadly young man who could be the assassins' next leader. With Sorin determined to protect her, sparks—magical and romantic—will fly. But will even he understand the choice she must make in the end?


So, what inspired this magical, mysterious tale?

Leah Cypress: I was reading the first book in the Elenium, a trilogy by David Eddings, in which a pacifist sorceress has to tutor the soldiers of a religious military order. In Eddings' book, this worked out well and they were all one big happy family. But I started to wonder: what if there was a similar scenario in which this didn't work out well? What if the sorceress and her students not only hated each other, but were hiding dangerous secrets from each other?


I actually just finished David Eddings' Belgariad series, but I've never read the Elenium. I love that it sparked Ileni's tale. 


What were you like when you were Ileni’s age? Did you draw on your experiences as a teenager as you wrote of Ileni’s (by that I mean, how she perceives and interacts with the world, not her experiences as a sorceress!)?

Leah Cypress: Like Ileni, I grew up thinking I was destined for great things -- without quite as much support from the rest of the world, of course. But I had dreams of various destinies awaiting me, and spent a lot of time wondering whether it would be better for me to cure cancer or be an Olympic gymnast or design fabulous houses with interior water slides. Eventually, I had to realize that my talents in some areas did not live up to my dreams. (I.e. I couldn't get bacteria to grow on a petri dish, so there went my career as a scientist.)


But before this gets too pessimistic -- one of my most constant dreams was to be a published author, and there were times when I thought that was a dream that would never be realized for me. But hope is not always wishful thinking. Ileni will discover that, too.


If you've always dreamed of being an author, then you must have always been an avid reader; they sort of go hand-in-hand. What book are you reading at present?

Leah Cypress: Well, I'm currently reading The Nature of Horses by Stephen Budiansky, but that's for research (though it is also fascinating). In terms of fiction, I just finished Sleep No More by Aprilynne Pike, and next on my TBR list is Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor and/or Skin Game by Jim Butcher. (I have a hard time making up my mind, sometimes!)


And is there a book you wish you had written?

Leah Cypress: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge. I am so blown away by how awesome that book is. 


I know that feeling! What was the first creative piece you ever wrote? Do you still have a copy of it?

Leah Cypress: When I was in first grade, I wrote a story from the point of view of an ice cream cone being eaten. (But it was a happy story. Really. The ice cream cone wanted to be eaten!) I believe my parents still have a copy of it.



That's so cute! 


Are you working on the next book in the Death Sworn series? Do you have a title yet? Can you give us a hint on what it is about?

Leah Cypress: I just finished the copyedits for the next (and final) book in this duology. It will be called Death Marked, and in it, Ileni will find out a lot more about the Empire -- and have to make a very difficult choice that will test not only her loyalty and her love, but her sense of who she is.


How exciting! I'll be watching for it! One last thing: I collect book quotes, so add to my collection! What is your favorite quote from Death Sworn?

Leah Cypress: “How can you know what your life is worth if you don’t know what you would trade it for?”
 

Thank you so much, Leah, for chatting with me today! Readers can find Death Sworn at:

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And don't forget to check out my latest Young Adult adventure/romance too, Deep Green, available in Print & e-Book!

*25% off with the promo code 20EPdb14

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Monday, June 16, 2014

Book Highlight: Losing Logan


LOSING LOGAN by Sherry D. Ficklin

AVAILABLE NOW! 
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Suspense

"What if the one thing you never meant to hold on to, is the one thing you can't let go of?" 




Losing_Logan_EbookNormally finding a hot guy in her bedroom wouldn’t irritate Zoe so badly, but finding her childhood friend Logan there is a big problem.


Mostly because he’s dead.


As the only person he can make contact with, he convinces Zoe to help him put together the pieces surrounding his mysterious death so he can move on. Thrust into his world of ultra popular rich kids, Zoe is out of her element and caught in the cross-hairs of Logan’s suspicious ex-girlfriend and the friends he left behind, each of whom had a reason to want him dead. The deeper they dig to find the truth, the closer Zoe gets to a killer who would do anything to protect his secrets. And that’s just the start of her problems because Zoe is falling for a dead guy.




Sherry's-an-Author-030Sherry D. Ficklin is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her husband, four kids, two dogs, and a fluctuating number of chickens and house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel and meet new people. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she’s on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.

She is the author of The Gods of Fate Trilogy now available from Dragonfly Publishing. Her previously self-published novel After Burn: Military Brats has been acquired by Harlequin and will be released in 2015 with a second book in that series to follow. Her newest YA steampunk novel, EXTRACTED: The Lost Imperials book 1, co-written with Tyler H. Jolley is now available everywhere books are sold and her newest YA novel, Losing Logan, is due for release in 2014 from Clean Teen Publishing.




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And don't forget to check out my latest Young Adult adventure/romance, Deep Green, available in Print & e-Book: AMAZON or Eternal Press (25% off with the promo code 20EPdb14)


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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Book Highlight: Deep Green


DEEP GREEN

by Trisha Haddad

Genre: Young Adult (Adventure and Romance)
Publisher: Eternal Press



Leah Taylor prefers the quiet adventure and romance of books, but during a cruise with her parents, a terrorist attack leaves her adrift in a lifeboat with strangers. Together they face danger after danger as they fight for survival. Leah also struggles with the growing attention from the men she's stranded with, and her mixed emotions toward them.
When Leah learns the dark secrets her fellow survivors hold, the truth will blow apart any semblance of civility and test Leah’s preconceived notions of just how far dedication can go before it crosses over into fanaticism.

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Book critics are saying:

"Deep Green is a harrowing adventure story… and will leave the reader anxiously awaiting Book 2 to follow this tale of adventure and romance on the high seas." --InD'Tale Magazine

"Haddad has created a brave and wise heroine." --The Story Sanctuary

"I was on the edge of my seat!" --Rather Be Reading YA

"Deep intrigue and intense plot are carefully weaved throughout the story...I see similar qualities to Life of Pi, as Haddad adds intellectual reflection and discussion from her main characters.." --A Little Something to Chew On



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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Trisha Haddad was born and raised in Southern California. Although she romanticizes snowy climates and mountain towns, she simply can’t tear herself away from the year-around sunshine of her native state.

After graduating from Vanguard University of Southern California, she began a career in scholarly publishing. After the excitement of working all day with a team of talented and passionate folks, she gets to come home to the sweetness and fun of a home filled with “The Guys” (her husband and their little sons).

She writes at night on an old Mac in room with poetry framed on the walls, surrounded by many shelves of books. Four of the books on those shelves are ones she wrote: Breathe Deep, Deep Green, Nihon Nights, and Best of Luck Elsewhere. 





Monday, June 9, 2014

Adventure and Romance on the High Seas



Anyone here read InD'Tale Magazine? I love their reviews, especially when they say nice things about my books!  The book critic at the magazine wrote in the February issue:

"Deep Green is a harrowing adventure story… and will leave the reader anxiously awaiting Book 2 to follow this tale of adventure and romance on the high seas."
             --InD'Tale Magazine

Check out the full review here!

You can get the e-book hereOR BETTER YET, get it directly from my publisher and get 25% off with the promo code 20EPdb14!

You can get a print copy from Amazon here or an autographed copy from me directly here!




Sunday, June 8, 2014

Book Quote of the Day

“What are we but our thoughts and loves?” 
                      –St. Augustine


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Please check out my latest Young Adult adventure/romance, Deep Green!

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Saturday, June 7, 2014

Book Highlight: Rising

RISING by Holly Kelly

New Adult- Paranormal Romance
Clean Teen Publishing

In a war between the humans and the inhabitants of the sea—humans will lose. Xanthus Dimitriou—the most lethal Dagonian to rise from the ocean—is on a mission to save mankind from annihilation. But first there’s one small thing he needs to do… kill a beautiful young woman in a wheelchair.

Killing her doesn’t start out as part of his plan. He entrenches himself deep in the human world. Aligning himself with his enemies, he prepares to send them to Triton to face their punishment. Then Sara Taylor rolls onto the scene. Xanthus knows at once she’s a criminal. And her crime? Being born. She’s a human/Dagonian half-breed, an abomination. Killing her should be an easy job. All he has to do is break into her apartment, slit her throat, and feed her body to the sharks. Simple, right? Wrong. If only she weren’t so beautiful, so innocent, so sweet...

Saving the world may have to wait. It appears Xanthus has a woman to save. But protecting her may cost him his own life.


About Holly Kelly



Holly Kelly is a mom who writes books in her spare time: translation--She hides in the bathroom with her laptop and locks the door while the kids destroy the house and smear peanut butter on the walls.


Holly was born in Utah but lived in Salina, Kansas until she was 13 and in Garland, Texas until she was 18. She's now back in Utah--"happy valley". Holly is married to her wonderful husband, James, and the two of them are currently raising 6 rambunctious children. Her interests are reading, writing (or course), martial arts, visual arts, and spending time with family.

Holly Kelly's first published book is: Rising. Rising was published by Clean Teen Publishing on September 6, 2013.


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And don't forget to check out my latest Young Adult adventure/romance, Deep Green, available in Print & e-Book!

*25% off with the promo code 20EPdb14

Friday, June 6, 2014

Book Quote of the Day

“God warns us not to love any earthly thing above Himself, and yet he sets in a mother’s heart such a fierce passion for her babes that I do not comprehend how He can test us so.”


--Geraldine Brooks, Year of Wonders 
(One of the best books I've read in the last 10 years)



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And don't forget to check out my latest Young Adult adventure/romance, Deep Green, available in Print & e-Book:

*get 25% off with the promo code 20EPdb14





Brave & Wise



There's a brand new review of Deep Green up at The Story Sanctuary, which is a site for book reviews from a Christian perspective. The book critic wrote:

"Haddad has created a brave and wise heroine. She responds calmly to frightening situations, always able to talk herself down from hysteria... she remains polite and kind to all as the story swerves from one misfortune to another."
             --The Story Sanctuary

Check out the full review here!

You can get the e-book hereOR BETTER YET, get it directly from my publisher and get 25% off with the promo code 20EPdb14!

You can get a print copy from Amazon here or an autographed copy from me directly here!




Thursday, June 5, 2014

2014 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge

2014 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge Launches Today, Free Program for Schools and Families to Prevent the "Summer Slide"


Students Log Reading Minutes as They Seek to Break the World Record for Summer Reading; Teachers/Schools Can Register All Their Students
Prizes and Sweepstakes for Kids; Free Resources for Parents and Teachers

Scholastic launched the 2014 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge, a free, global reading program that motivates children to read throughout the out-of-school summer months by logging their reading minutes, and earning rewards, with the goal of setting a new world record for summer reading. Last year’s participants set the world record of 176,438,473 minutes read. Teachers, schools and families can register their children in grades K–8 starting today at scholastic.com/summer and children can log minutes from May 5th - September 5th, 2014.
The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge was created to give schools and families a free and engaging way to encourage more children to read during the summer and prevent the ‘summer slide’– the learning losses that set children back academically when they do not read during the out-of-school summer months. Children sign up to read on behalf of their school and the schools compete to win top prizes. The top elementary school with the most minutes read will win a visit from bestselling author-illustrator David Shannon (Bugs in My Hair!) and the top middle school will win a visit from bestselling author Gordon Korman (The Hypnotists). The top 20 U.S. schools with the most reading minutes recorded by September 5th will be featured in the 2015 Scholastic Book of World Records.  
This year’s Summer Reading theme is Reading Under the Stars, and is powered by EVEREADY®, the maker of batteries and flashlights, to encourage families to discover new and fun ways to explore reading outside this summer.  Reading Under the Stars comes to life for children online as they enter reading minutes and, throughout the summer, the site will unlock interactive star constellations containing special video messages from NASA astronaut Leland Melvin. Children will also have the opportunity to take an extra “Chapter Challenge” and learn more about space from Pascal Lee, a planetary scientist from the SETI Institute and Mars Institute and author of Mission: Mars. Parents can support their child’s reading all summer with the free “Reading Under the Stars Guide,” which includes summer reading book lists, curated by Scholastic experts, Read Under the Stars videos, expert articles, tips and family activities.
“We know that the more children read, the more they succeed and time spent with books is especially important during the summer months so students return to school ready to tackle more challenging texts,” said Francie Alexander, Chief Academic Officer at Scholastic. “In the summer, we want our kids finding books that fit their personal interests because those are the books that will make them fall in love with reading.  Being part of the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge motivates kids to build up their reading minutes and earn rewards, while parents and teachers can monitor progress. Everybody wins!”

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If you're looking for a great Young Adult book to add to your summer reading list, 
imagine yourself shipwrecked on an island and read Deep Green
You can get the e-book here
OR BETTER YET, get it directly from my publisher and get 25% off with the promo code 20EPdb14!

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Here are ways parents, children and educators can get involved in the 2014 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge.
  • Facebook calendar app and live chats:  Parents can find something every day on the Scholastic Parents Facebook including a summer calendar app with expert tips and articles and activities. Every Friday, parents can enter for the chance to win an EVEREADY® “Reading Under the Stars” prize pack including a picnic blanket, EVEREADY® flashlights and headlamps and EVEREADY® Gold® batteries. Plus, parents can join “Book Swap” live chats all summer with top parenting and reading experts.
    • The first live chat will be hosted by Lori Ess, Associate Director of Title Presentation, Scholastic, and Betsy Bird, Youth Materials Collections Specialist New York Public Library, tonight, May 5th at 9 p.m. ET.
  • Reading minutes mobile app: Parents can monitor their children’s progress and help their children enter minutes on-the-go via mobile on the Scholastic Reading Timer app.
  • 2014 summer book list:  Curated by Scholastic experts, this list features more than 700 books for children in Pre-K–8, including this year’s “Reading Under the Stars” themed list, which showcases books about space, stars and astronomy, as well as spooky stories to read by a campfire.
  • EVEREADY® free book on pack program – Parents can receive a free Scholastic book by mail when they buy two specially marked packs of EVEREADY® Gold® batteries or EVEREADY® flashlights and redeem the package codes online. Visit eveready.com/reader to learn more. 

  • Events at museums and planetariums: Special “Reading Under the Stars”–inspired overnight events with free books, EVEREADY® flashlights and activity sheets for attendees.  Events will take place at planetariums and museums across the country including:
    • Carnegie Science Center “Science Sleepovers” (Pittsburgh, PA, May 9)
    • Milwaukee Public Museum “Overnights” (Milwaukee, WI, May 16)
    • The Smithsonian: National Museum of Natural History “Smithsonian Sleepovers” (Washington, D.C., May 17)
    • Adler Planetarium “Astro Overnights” (Chicago, IL June 6)
    • California Academy of Sciences “Penguins + Pajamas” (San Francisco, CA, June 13)
  • Reading rewards & prizes: Throughout the summer, children who join the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge read to earn digital badges and take the extra Chapter Challenge and win a chapter from a favorite book.  Elementary school readers will win weekly chapters that make up a full Geronimo Stilton:Mini-Mystery book. Middle School readers will win weekly chapters from a variety of bestselling titles including The 39 Clues®Spirit Animals™ and more.
  • Monthly sweepstakes: Once children log minutes, they will have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win Ricky Ricotta series books, a Harry Potter paperback box set, Jedi Academy series books, and a multiplatform prize pack (The 39 Clues Book 1: Maze of Bones, Infinity Ring Book 1: Mutiny in Time, Spirit Animals Book 1: Wild Born).
  • Virtual map: Children can track their school (and any other participating school) to see how many minutes have been read and keep tabs on which schools are in the lead.

  • Educator dashboard: Teachers can register up to 100 students and track their reading throughout the summer. Teachers who register by June 30th can enter a sweepstakes for the chance to win a Scholastic classroom library.
  • Emails to parents: The educator dashboard provides automatic emails for teachers to send to all their students’ parents to ensure children are entering their reading minutes all summer, when they are out of school. Emails are available in English and Spanish.
  • Free resources in English and Spanish: Teachers can access bi-lingual information including: letters to parents, printable activity sheets, reading logs and reading certificates in addition to videos for parents.

To support the students in their states and encourage summer reading throughout America, many of the U.S. Governors and Governors’ Spouses are joining Scholastic as “Reading Ambassadors” for the 2014 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. The 2014 Reading Ambassadors, whose names will be announced soon, will host summer reading events at schools in their respective states, and, in honor of each Reading Ambassador, Scholastic is donating 500 books to the school of his or her choice.
For more information about Scholastic and the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge, please visit the Scholastic media room.