Canoples Investigatons Versus Spacers Rule by KC Sprayberry

They're baaaack... :) Woot out to my friend and fellow author, KC Sprayberry! Her latest Canoples Investigations novel just released today!

If you know any teenage boys (although I think girls love 'em too...) that are looking for a great, fun read - tell them to check this out. I mean, we're talking more than just your typical teen story of boyfriend vs. girlfriend in clique-land. There are SPACE PIRATES. Re-kats and Space Gangs.

If the sci-fi angle has you worried it's going to get cheesy or lame, then think again because KC Sprayberry has a great way of getting inside of her characters heads and making them come alive with all the real to life reactions you'd expect from the kid in the desk next to you.

You can read an excerpt and follow all of the latest news about Canoples Investigations at the KC's blog Out of Control Characters.

Canoples Investigations Versus Spacers Rule

Be sure to check out book one first!

 

Canoples Investigations Tackles Space Pirates (Book 1)

 

 

About the Author:

 

KC Sprayberry began writing young, with a diary followed by an interest in English. Her first experience with publication came when she placed third in a Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge contest while she was in the Air Force, but her dedication to writing came after she had her youngest child, now a teen getting ready to enter his senior year of high school. Her husband, son, and she live in Northwest Georgia where she now spend my days creating stories about life in the south, and far beyond. More than a dozen of her short stories have appeared in several magazines. Five anthologies feature other short stories, and her teen novel, Softly Say Goodbye, was released last year. 

CFBA: Greetings From the Flipside by Rene Gutteridge

Song Stuck on the Brain: What Does the Fox Say... you know the part where it says "communicate with mo-o-o-orse, mo-o-o-rse..." then later I started singing Oh Victory in Jesus and Oh Happy Day. It's been a random and varied song day.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:     Greetings from the Flipside B&H Books (October 15, 2013) by   Rene Gutteridge



MY TAKE:

My book arrived in the mail on Monday, so I haven't had a chance to finish the book, but so far? Loving it. We're talking about a very talented and funny author here. The lines are sharp and the story so far has been really well formed. With pages to go, I can say this is definitely a book worth reading. Enjoy!


ABOUT THE BOOK:

Hope Landon has been rewriting other people's greeting cards since she was six years old -- there's always a funnier caption. She's all set to chase those creative dreams with her musician fiance in New York City until he leaves Hope at the altar, deciding he must not really love this girl if he can't write a song for her. That may give her something to write about . . .

Hope disappears alone on what was supposed to be the couple's month long honeymoon. Upon returning she learns of her funeral -- everyone in her life concluded Hope must have killed herself after being jilted. Needing a fresh start more than ever, she heads for the Big Apple only to discover it's not that easy to rent a place when you've been declared dead.

Taking shelter at the YWCA, Hope soon lands a job at a Christian inspirational greeting card company as an assistant to Jake, a guy who shut down his organization's humor department. She has lost her faith in love; he needs to find something or someone that will make him laugh.

Is there anything in the cards for these two? Find out in the truly original Greetings from the Flipside by authors Rene Gutteridge (Boo) and Cheryl McKay (screenplay for The Ultimate Gift).

If you would like to read the first chapter of Greetings from the Flipside, go HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rene is the author of seventeen novels. She also has extensive experience writing comedy sketches, and worked for five years as the director of drama for a church. She has a degree specializing in Screenwriting, for which she earned the Excellence in Mass Communication Award, and graduated magna cum laude.

She is married to Sean, a musician and worship leader, and has two children. They reside in Oklahoma, where Rene writes full time and enjoys instructing in college classrooms and writers conferences.

CSFF: Martyr's Fire: Merlins Immortals by Sigmund Brouwer

Song Stuck on the Brain: Radioactive by Imagine Dragons


Today I'm touring with the CSFF blog tour:

Martyr's Fire

         Book 3 in the Merlin's Immortals series           

 

 

by

 

Sigmund Brouwer

 

 

 

 

MY TAKE:

 

Merlin's Immortals has been a tremendous series. Set in 14th century England Thomas finds himself the unwitting pawn between two very secret organizations. SO secret, he doesn't even know why they're so desperate to haunt his every move. Spies, secret passages, magic like miracles to confuse and control the masses. Thomas has decided he is on his own to fight this and find the truth.

One of the things I love most about this series is the intricacies of the plot. Who's really a friend? Is this character a mere peasant or a secret Immortal or Druid? I also love that although the author brings in what seems to be magical or fantasy, he also explains the science behind it. Proving that often what seemed impossible was mere slight of hand or chemistry.

The series has been exciting, fast paced and addictive. I can't wait to see more.
 

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

 

Will this dangerous quest lead the outcast Orphan King toward an ancient secret—or to certain destruction?
Posing as a beggar, Thomas escapes Magnus after fifteen men, who are calling themselves the Priests of the Holy Grail, arrive and take control of the castle through wondrous acts and apparent miracles. With the help of his longtime friend Gervaise, Thomas sets out on a journey that leads him to the ancient Holy Land. Unaware that Katherine and Hawkwood are watching over him, Thomas is tested in his beliefs and comes face to face with the ancient power that the Merlins and Druids have long been searching for.

Enter the world of Merlin’s Immortals, where ancient secrets and evil conspiracies take you on a breathless adventure of discovery, intrigue, and hidden knowledge.

 

If you haven't read book 2, Fortress of Mist, be sure to check it out HERE.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

Sigmund Brouwer is a well-known author in evangelical Christian circles. He has written scores of books across many genres, from children's picture books to scientific thrillers, and more.

Born in 1959 as one of six children to a family with Dutch heritage, Brouwer is a native of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. He is married to Christian singer Cindy Morgan and has two daughters. Brouwer divides his time between Nashville, Tennessee and Red Deer, Alberta, and enjoys sports such as ice hockey and golf.

A favorite cause of Brouwer's is to encourage non-readers to begin reading. He visits schools and speaks about writing often. He likes to tell people he had the worst grade in his English class at one point during his childhood, and that it took him ten years to get his first book published. - NewReleaseTuesday

Check out the other tour members at:

Red Bissell
Beckie Burnham
Theresa Dunlap
Emma or Audrey Engel
Victor Gentile
Nikole Hahn
Becky Jesse
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Rebekah Loper
Jennette Mbewe
Amber McCallister
Shannon McDermott
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Writer Rani
Nathan Reimer
Jojo Sutis
Steve Trower
Phyllis Wheeler
Deborah Wilson
Rachel Wyant


In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Kregel: The Reichenback Problem by Martin Allison Booth

Song Stuck on the Brain: House of the Rising Sun by The Animals

The Reichenbach Problem

by
 

Martin Allison Booth

 

 

 

 

MY TAKE:

I love Sherlock Holmes. His curmudgeonly brilliance and tactlessness is somehow endearing despite every bit of reason that says it shouldn't be. I've enjoyed Sherlock and Doc Watson in just about every form presented. SO I was sure I would love the fictional tale of Arthur Conan Doyle. A brilliant man who most likely was more like Sherlock than he ever cared to admit. I was rather excited to start this book.

Then I actually did start the book and found myself forcing myself to turn pages and propping my eyelids open. The begining is very slow and dry, in my opinion, and it takes way too long for the mystery to truly begin. It was too slow paced and dry for my tastes, I believe I'll stick with the original Sherlock himself.

I have to give the author credit for a feeling of authenticity, the language and feel of the setting felt very much like a Sherlockian/Conan Doyle book. And the character Conan Doyle himself was interesting. How could he not be? The man did a little bit of everything! The book did have it's moments of pleasure, just not enough for me personally to balance the scales.

I will say, to each his own. Everyone's tastes vary, so if it looks intriguing to you, please don't let my opinions stop you from trying it yourself. For your info, the book description, excerpt and trailer is below.
 

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:
 

Arthur Conan Doyle is on the run from his own fame. Taking a much needed holiday, Doyle flees to a picturesque village in Switzerland nestled beneath the imposing Reichenbach Falls. There he hopes to find anonymity, but even in this beautiful rural setting, peace eludes him when he finds himself immediately recognized by a fan who pressures him into looking into the death of a fellow visitor.

All too soon, Doyle’s somewhat unwilling gentle probing into the case begins to cause the finger of suspicion to turn towards him. But can the creator of the famous detective actually do the sleuthing himself? Although able to pen the character of Sherlock, he soon begins to learn he does not share his leading creation’s characteristics, but rather Watson’s. Can the “sidekick” see enough of the picture to solve the case for once?

Sherlock Holmes has fascinated readers ever since he first burst into fiction, over one hundred years ago. In this novel, the first in a trilogy, we meet his author and discover the difficult relationship between them.

 

Read an excerpt HERE.

 



CFBA: A Bride for Keeps by Melissa Jagears

Song Stuck on the Brain: All These Things That I've Done Lyrics - The Killers (I'm singing the refrain over and over "I got soul but I'm not a soldier....")

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:   A Bride for Keeps Bethany House Publishers (October 1, 2013) by   Melissa Jagears


MY TAKE: 

Everett Cline has quite the track record with mail order brides, it's no wonder he's bride shy now. But his best friends wife has other plans and she's been quite sneaky about it! She knows Julia is right for Everett, but needs to give him the chance to see that himself.

Melissa Jagears does a fantastic job with Everett and Julia's stories. They each have such a strong back story that adds so much to present events. The humor, drama, tension...Two strong souls and personalities that learn to love again despite their pasts. More importantly there's a beautiful message of faith and learning to open up to God for His healing. It was a great read that was fun and touching.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A Tender Tale of Love on the Prairie Perfect for CBA Readers!

Although Everett Cline can hardly keep up with the demands of his homestead, he won't humiliate himself by looking for a helpmate ever again--not after being jilted by three mail-order brides. When a well-meaning neighbor goes behind his back to bring yet another mail-order bride to town, he has good reason to doubt it will work, especially after getting a glimpse at the woman in question. She's the prettiest woman he's ever seen, and it's just not possible she's there to marry a simple homesteader like him.

Julia Lockwood has never been anything more than a pretty pawn for her father or a business acquisition for her former fiance. Having finally worked up the courage to leave her life in Massachusetts, she's determined to find a place where people will value her for more than her looks. Having run out of all other options, Julia resorts to a mail-order marriage in far-away Kansas.

Everett is skeptical a cultured woman like Julia could be happy in a life on the plains, while Julia, deeply wounded by a past relationship, is skittish at the idea of marriage at all. When, despite their hesitations, they agree to a marriage in name only, neither one is prepared for the feelings that soon arise to complicate their arrangement. Can two people accustomed to keeping their distance let the barricades around their hearts down long enough to fall in love?

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Bride for Keeps, go HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A Word From The Author:

I am a stay at home mother on a tiny little farm with a fixer-upper house. As much as I love writing and reading about homesteaders, I am so glad I’m a homesteader during an era with modern grocery stores to take up for my slack. I am an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher by trade, and I still work occasionally in that field along with being my church’s financial secretary and writing novels.

My husband and I have been married since 2001 and have a daughter and two little boys. My husband shares my fascination with traditional living except for being more hands on. He loves blacksmithing, knife smithing, traditional archery, hunting, etc. Generally whatever a mountain man does, he does it or has or wants to attempt it. He comes in handy for research! And of course, the rest of the family gets involved. I have my own blackpowder rifle, named Calvin, that my husband made for me. And I’m pretty sure my daughter is probably one of very few her age who can instruct adults how to shoot a longbow properly. The boy digs random holes in my yard to make “cement” with dirt and water making our yard a tripping hazard. The baby does what babies do.