Showing posts with label Charity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charity. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Wizard Talk: 10 Magical Phrases for Potterheads Courtesy of Reader's Legacy

Today I am featuring Reader's Legacy, the World's Largest Book Club.


Wizards, Witches, and Muggles, Oh My!

The votes are in, and in a remarkable landslide, J.K. Rowling has been identified as the top author of Reader’s Legacy! To celebrate Ms. Rowling’s literary triumph, we looked into our Goblet of Fire and pulled these out 10 magical phrases; sure to guarantee any Potterhead the Hogwarts acceptance letter they’ve been waiting for!
  1. “It’s no good crying over spilt potion.” – Meaning there is no use in worrying about events that have already taken place, and that cannot be undone.
  2. “In the name of Merlin.” – An expression of bewilderment. EX: “What in the name of Merlin, are you doing?”
  3. “Like bowtuckles on doxy eggs.” – Meaning to stick to someone or something, incredibly close. Used in a sentence, “She took to potions like bowtuckles on doxyeggs.”
  4. “I’ll take Cadogan’s Pony.” – Meaning to make light of a dark situation.
  5. “The fire’s lit but the cauldron’s empty.” – Meaning someone seemingly functions in a proper manner, but is actually socially inept.
  6. “The tip of the dungheap.” – Synonymous to the muggle idiom, ‘Tip of the Iceberg’, it symbolizes a smaller piece of a larger picture.
  7. “To have a hairy heart.” – Meaning, someone bitter. To have a cold and unforgiving way about you.
  8. “Don’t count your owls before they are delivered.” – Meaning to not plan on anything expected to happen in the future, as said to Harry Potter by Dumbledore in ‘The Half-Blood Prince’.
  9. “Hanged for a dragon as an egg.” – A larger punishment for a minor offence in order to bring the point across stronger to the offender.
  10. “Time is Galleons.” – Meaning, time is money.
As an added perk of Reader’s Legacy’s Rowling celebration, we will be holding a special 20% off sale for each of her novels from April 25th to April 30th – ReadersLegacy.com/JKRowling. 
The sale not only celebrates J.K. Rowling, but was also brings attention for a special grant program we have created in order to give away 1 million physical books in support of literacy programs! Spreading a love of books, and ending illiteracy around the world is 100% possible, and with the help of reader’s on the site, we believe will be one step closer to achieving that goal! Get in on this sale HERE.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Review: Inspector Dewey by Kristen Heimerl + Giveaway


Inspector Dewey

Written by Kristen Heimerl
Illustrated by Irene Bofill

Children's Picture Book
August 2015

My name is Dewey--Inspector Dewey.

I live in the big green house on Hampshire Avenue with my family: Thumper, Lily, and Anna. I am the Big Cat—responsible for keeping everyone safe and in order. I do this quite well, in spite of the fact that managing my family is like, well, herding cats!

Mostly our life is peaceful. But one night it wasn’t. That was the night the bad guy showed up on our block. Of course, I knew exactly how to outsmart the outlaw, but—miserable mullet!—would Anna and the police understand my instructions?

To find out how the adventure ended, you’ll have to read my book. But I’ll give you a hint: there’s a reason I’m called Inspector Dewey.

Fifty percent of the profits from the sale of this book will fund veterinary care for pets whose families are in financial need, so that the animals can remain in their homes and out of the shelter system.

BECAUSE PETS BELONG WITH THEIR PEOPLE™

To learn more, visit threenorwegians.com


Review: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

Absolutely adorable. Yep, that describes Inspector Dewey to a tee. Charming characters, a fun plot, and beautiful illustrations make this children's story a winner in my book. The copy I received for review is huge and very high quality-- and this is a galley copy. I'm assuming the read deal is even nicer.

The story was fun and exciting. I loved that the kitties' owner helped them stop the crime. How cool is that? So many books have the animals working together, but the adults are always in the dark. Not in this story. Owner Anna crawls right along with Dewey, Thumper, and Lily to help the police catch a criminal.

I loved the illustrations. They were soft and beautiful. The cats just looked so happy :) I love reading a book that leaves me smiling!


About the Author

Kristen Heimerl

Marketing Officer, Strategy Expert, Innovator and Brand Builder, Kristen’s business career spans 20+ years serving the biggest brands in industry and the biggest hearts of start-ups and entrepreneurs. Kristen revels in bringing compelling products and services to life and helping leaders and individuals with big dreams realize their big goals.


Kristen’s life joys include her 2+ year obsession creating the most beautiful self-published picture book possible, the breathtaking forests and lakes of her Minnesota birthplace, the family that really does love her no matter what, and her three magnificent Norwegian Forest Cats who together, with Kristen, helped catch the bad guy on their block that inspired her upcoming book (stake out and high speed chase included!)

She holds a master of science in eCommerce from Carnegie Mellon University, an MBA from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, and a BA from the University of St. Thomas. As the great transformer in her life, Kristen supports others’ education and literacy as an adjunct professor of business and strategy and, more recently, through her children’s book, Inspector Dewey (Available September 2015).

Kristen’s site for her work “Inspector Dewey” will be premiering on May 31st, 2015. In addition, you can read more about Kristen’s work at threenorwegians.com, also live on May 31st.

Connect with Kristen:   Website  ~   Facebook Author  ~   Facebook Inspector Dewey 


Tour-Wide Giveaway



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Wednesday, July 1, 2015

New Release Alert! Beneath the Cape - The Superhero Anthology - Review



Beneath the Cape
The Superhero Anthology

Created with the sole purpose of benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project.

Publication date: July 1st, 2015.
Only available through September 30th.
Contemporary, New Adult, Superheroes, Military, Anthologies


Superheroes. Save the world and protect mankind.

But what’s beneath the cape? Behind the mask? Under the steel-plated façade?

Eight bestselling New Adult romance authors have come together to bring you seven stories about superheroes and what it takes to win their hearts. From the skies, to the cities, to the ocean, our superheroes face death, fight villains, conquer evil and—

Find love.


The world is full of heroes. Every-day men and women who risk their lives for the sake of others—for life, liberty, freedom, and justice. Often these men and women are wounded—physically or mentally—in the line of duty. Therefore, we have created this anthology with the sole purpose of benefitting the Wounded Warrior Project.

Because heroes should never be forgotten.


The stories:


Reaping Angels by Laura Thalassa:
The Executioner’s touch can kill.
Angel’s can heal.
A villain and a hero. One who stood for death, and the other for life. Mortal enemies until the impossible happened.
A touch.
A kiss.
And now, a manhunt.

Cat Love by Sunniva Dee:
A sexy thriller about the animal in all of us.

Aidan uses his superpower to stabilize minds at the Hollyreed Specialist Hospital. Ulani uses hers to chase rats on rooftops. Until she’s caught and deposited in Aidan’s care.
At the hospital, Aidan finds Ulani's room empty—save for a cat, whose fur retracts in favor of silky skin and a vamp-gorgeous femme fatale.
Aidan’s obsession with Ulani grows, while patients go missing.
Making the couple use their powers to bring criminals to justice.


Gypsy Love by Angela McPherson & Lynn Vroman:
For two hundred years, Adrian vowed to seek revenge against the Gypsy woman who bound his spirit for eternity.
Until her.
The one man Mia wants only exists in dreams.
Until he doesn’t.
The curse may be broken, but not without a price.
One love must end for another to begin.

The Only Difference by Magan Vernon:
The Only Difference between a hero and a villain is what they do with their power.
Leonel "Short Stack" Garcia-Shapiro's life changed the night he decided to stop one of his fraternity brothers from taking advantage of a girl. Now he can't stop thinking of that girl and how he can save her.

Heroes by Christine Zolendz:
Kelly Black can’t believe she’ll be the new teaching assistant to Alexander Masters. The Alexander Masters—the head of the entire biology department. As soon as they begin to work together sparks fly and danger swirls around them.

Breaking Through by D. Nichole King:
Two years after her brother Nate died during a Navy operation, aquator Nautia Olson’s nightmares began, and her ability to manipulate water became erratic. Anger, fear, joy, desire—they all trigger disaster.
Now, the Navy wants her for a top-secret mission, but Captain Riley Barton has his reservations. He’s read her file. He knows the damage she’s capable of, and yet—
If he can harness her ability—break through her walls—
She’ll be unstoppable.

Villain by Cheryl McIntyre:
How can you tell a hero from a villain?
If you’re Ember Willis and the villain is Lanely Frost, you can’t.
How can you tell a superhero from a delusional young woman?
If you’re Lanely Frost and the woman is Ember Willis, you don’t care.
For both, finding the balance between right and wrong and love and lust are not the only battles they’ll face.

I was lucky enough to receive the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I adore anthologies. They are a great way to discover new authors. When they also benefit a fantastic cause, well you just can't go wrong. Each story in this anthology is novella length, and they are all quite enjoyable. I read it on the lanai of our vacation rental in Grand Cayman. Perfect summer reading.

One thing I really liked was how different the stories were, and yet they all seemed to mesh together so well. I love a good hero, and I love to hate a good villain. Mix it all up and that's even better.

The first story pulled me in with the alternating first person viewpoints- I always enjoy seeing things from multiple perspectives. I loved Ulani, the kitten shifter, along with the thrilling mystery in Cat Love. The gypsy love curse in the third novella was intriguing, making the story a real page-turner. The Only Difference had a wonderful contemporary feel to it. Number five was electric- literally and figuratively :) Breaking Through ends with a cliffhanger- I really enjoyed the intriguing plot but wish I didn't have to wait for the rest of the story. Villain was character driven with great interactions between Ember and Lanely.

I highly recommend this anthology to everyone 18+ (some of the stories contain adult material). The variety of plots and characters keep the pages turning. Not to mention, all of the novellas are fast-paced and rather difficult to put down.



About the Authors

Angela McPherson: author of the new adult Distraction series and the paranormal Hope's Decree.
Cheryl McIntyre: author of the new adult Sometimes Never series, Dirty, Infinitely,  the paranormal Dark Calling, and the erotica Hard.
Christine Zolendz: author of the paranormal Mad World series, the new adult Beautiful series, and Triple X. 
D Nichole King: author of the paranormal Spirit trilogy, and the new adult Love Always series.
Laura Thalassa: author of the paranormal The Unearthly series, the sci-fi new adult The Vanishing Girl series, and the dystopian new adult The Queen of All that Dies series.
Lynn Vroman: author of the young adult fantasy The Energies series, the young adult lesbian Summer Confessions
Magan Vernon: author of the new adult short series Forever Wild, the young adult The Only series, the new adult My Paper Heart series, and the sci-fi My Alien Romance series, and the contemporary Life, Love, and Lemons.
Sunniva Dee: author of the paranormal Halos series and the new adult/erotica Deepsilver series.


Authors' contact info:

Angela McPherson:
Twitter: @abt3mcpherson

Cheryl McIntyre:

Christine Zolendz:
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ChristineZol?ref=hl

D Nichole King:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dNicholeKing

Laura Thalassa:

Lynn Vroman:

Magan Vernon:

Sunniva Dee:


Monday, March 16, 2015

Secrets & Doors Anthology Benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation




First, let's introduce you to all these fantastic authors!


ANGELA HARTLEY spent much of her childhood being shuffled from house to house with only books for companionship. The magic she found in the written word saved her in many ways, transporting her into worlds far more enjoyable than the one she resided in. Literature became a passion and the idea of writing carried her through years of uncertainty. Following her father’s tragic death in 2005, she decided it was time to let go of the past and pursue her dreams. With the love and support of her family, she’s built worlds of her own full of procreating angels and demon rock stars. Her debut New Adult horror novel, Copper Descent, was released through Fox Hollow Publications in May 2014. Angela currently resides in Midway, Utah with her three children and husband.

www.angelahartley.blogspot.com



TERRA LUFT is a speculative fiction writer and prolific blogger. An overachiever by nature, she
tackles every project with coffee and sarcasm and believes all rules exist to be broken. She works full-time by day and writes by night, always searching for that ever elusive work/life balance people tell her exists. She lives in Utah with her husband and two daughters, their naughty dog, and a cat who stole her heart.
www.terraluft.com   





CHRISTINE HAGGERTY, author of The Plague Legacy series, grew up in rural Utah with three brothers, a sister, several chickens, a goat, and an outhouse. She always loved the escape of fantasy and the art of writing, and her life's passion is to craft stories of strength and survival. As a former high school language arts teacher and a black belt in karate, Christine has found a niche
combining both skills to help authors write effective fight scenes.

www.christinehaggertyauthor.com




MERIANN BOXALL resides in the mountains of Northern Utah with her husband and two children.
A work-at-home mom she has a Master’s degree in Business Administration. She finds herself teaching college courses online and writing grants for nonprofit organizations. Growing up in a small town rich with culture she developed a love for the art of storytelling. She is an avid reader who loves being outdoors, boating, and trail-running in the mountains that surround her home.
www.meriannboxall.com



C. R. ASAY joined the Utah National Guard at the age of seventeen. After spending time in the 625th Military Police Corp she transferred to the 19th Special Forces group as a counterintelligence agent. She retired from the military after marrying her best friend, and graduated from college so that she could embark on the most exciting adventure of all; being a
mom. The short story version of her first novel, Heart of Annihilation, earned an honorable mention from the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest. C. R. Asay currently resides in West Jordan, Utah, with her husband, four children, and a dog. There is always a dog. www.crasay.com


MICHAEL DARLING has been a butcher, a cartoonist, and an award-winning magician. He fell in A Wrinkle in Time. The synergistic mingling of words, art, theater, and magic have led to many projects in the years since. Michael’s fiction was first published in college and his non-fiction has appeared in the book Teach by Magic and MAGIC Magazine. Death by Magic and The Mystery of Dr. D’Arq have been produced for the stage along with radio scripts for The Faith and Families Report that aired in more than 80 markets worldwide. As an actor and singer, Michael has appeared in more than 15 plays and musicals. As Michelangelo, he has entertained audiences with his own brand of magic and illusion in hundreds of shows and has appeared with the Utah Symphony and toured with Odyssey Dance Theatre’s Thriller production. Michael is currently working magic with an urban fantasy novel as well as an epic fantasy series for young adults. His short stories have been accepted for publication in 2015.
love with science-fiction after reading Madeleine L'Engles’ 




JOHNNY WORTHEN is the tie-dye wearing author of the nationally acclaimed young adult paranormal Eleanor, the Unseen, and the adult occult thriller, Beatrysel, and Dr. Stuart's Heart. His short story, The Point, appears in the Dark Fiction anthology Little Visible Delight, and look for his genre-bending comedy noire, The Finger Trap in 2015. Trained in modern literary criticism and cultural studies, Johnny writes upmarket multi-genre fiction. “I write what I like to read,” he says. “That guarantees me at least one fan.” Johnny lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife and sons.


SAM MCCLENDON is a world championshipmartial artist and Science Fiction/Fantasy enthusiast.
Having survived cancer, he now pursues his dream of becoming a published writer, and works to help build a community of support for aspiring writers in Utah. Currently living in Salt Lake City, Utah, he works in the IT field for a local software company

LEHUA PARKER is the award-winning author of the MG/YA series the Niuhi Shark Saga: One Boy, No Water; One Shark, No Swim; and One Truth, No Lie. Originally from Hawaii and a graduate of The Kamehameha Schools, Lehua is currently an author, book doctor, public speaker, soccer mom, and playwright. An advocate of literacy and indigenous cultural narratives, you can find her at www.LehuaParker.com, lurking on Facebook when she should be finishing her next novel, or folding laundry.

JESSICA PARKER is a fantasy author currently working on a fairytale series. Her adventures in the
written word have occurred as long as she can remember; reading stories of dragons, magic, romance, and the power of one person inspired Jessica to write stories of her own. Aside from reading and writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, camping, swimming, movies and cooking.







ADRIENNE MONSON is the award winning author of the Blood Inheritance trilogy and a paranormal Regency novella, Eyes of Persuasion. She resides in Utah with her husband and two children where she works on more stories to share with the world. She also enjoys reading, kickboxing, and cooking.

The Editor
CALLIE STOKER gained a love for stories early in life. Her first favorite series was The Indian in the Cupboard. The idea of a boy's toy coming alive in a magic cupboard gripped her imagination and never let go. In the past decade, Callie has honed her editing skills by studying the writing craft and defining the elements that make a story work. She can read any story, any rocky first draft, and provide the first aid it needs to live off the page, and resonate in the minds of readers. She works with new writers and published authors by treated editing as an opportunity to teach and encourage, instead of just correct. Her business, The Manuscript Doctor, offers several services dedicated to help stories at every stage reach their potential and change their readers forever.

The Cover Designer
FAUN JACKSON began her career in photography when her four children were young. She has been involved in multiple art forms for 21 years, and her extensive training and experience as an artist has allowed her to transform her photographs into works of art. She and her husband enjoy living in a beautiful Southern Utah town, and are the grandparents of four children. Faun continues to develop her talents and establish her career in fine art photography.

The Publisher
JOSHUA ROBERTSON, CRIMSON EDGE PUBLISHING COMPANY, is a small publisher specializing in Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dystopian Fiction, Horror, and Tabletop Game Guides. It is our mission to publish quality, progressive fiction to meet the literary needs of the book community. It is our goal to adapt and evolve with market trends and competition, pursue effective communication with our authors, and provide exceptional service that will ensure our clients and readers are satisfied. Please check out our website to learn more and to check out our other publications. 
www.crimsonedgepublishing.com


Awesome, right? Now for the book:

Synopsis:

Open the door and unlock the secrets in eleven short stories from The Secret Door Society, an organization of fantasy and science fiction authors dedicated to charitable work. All proceeds from this anthology benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in their quest to cure Type One Diabetes (T1D).

In these pages you’ll discover a modern woman trapped in an old fashioned dreamscape, a futuristic temp worker who fights against her programming, a beautiful vampire’s secret mission disrupted by betrayal, a sorcerer’s epic battle against a water dragon, the source of magical mirrors—and more. There are tales for every science fiction and fantasy taste, including new works from award-winning authors Johnny Worthen, Lehua Parker, Christine Haggerty, and Adrienne Monson.
Join us in the fight against T1D as you peek into a world of magical and mysterious doorways—if you dare.


Room 517 
By: Angela Hartley Head
strong, quirky Elise is always leaping before she looks. This time she’s landed on an accidental time-travel adventure. Running from her controlling ex (who also happens to be a wizard), she discovers what put the ‘evil’ in medieval, and that snakes are always better as handbags. Join Elise on this wacky journey of self-realization, and you too will unlock her secret.

Reflection 
By: Terra Luft
Jadayell is devoted to abolishing the ban on reflections, but her family is responsible for upholding it and protecting the real reasons behind it. In her quest to satisfy her personal desires, she uncovers a secret with the power to destroy the world. Will she choose the greater good of the people, or her own selfish needs?

Simple Magic 
By: Christine Haggerty
After Soria and her companion are sent by one of the Five Elders to the earth’s surface to kill a human family, Soria discovers that a deeper secret lies beneath the command.

The Red Portal 
By: MeriAnn Boxall
Isabelle is tired of hiding what makes her unique. She is ready to stand out and stand up. As the Princess of Aylan it is her duty to lead her people by exposing the biggest lie of all. In order to do so, she must face her past and her mother’s abandonment head on. What she discovers may be more than her kingdom can handle.

Good Enough to Die For 
By: C.R. Asay
Molly, an unwanted shelter dog, is given a second chance when she bonds with a lady, carrying the tangy scents of otherworldly fear.

Temp 
By: Michael Darling
A futuristic temp worker finds romance and a terrible secret in her new crew. To preserve the truth that could change her life, she’ll have to overcome the programming used by the UP corporation to control her. But the price may be more costly, and personal, than she bargained for. True Sight




Pick up an eBook of Secrets & Doors here   

And it will be available soon in paperback here

 Follow along to find out fun facts about the Authors and to get sneak peaks into the book.






Inside Peek!

Inside look at Secrets & Doors

The Red Portal
By: MeriAnn Boxall


Isabelle is tired of hiding what makes her unique. She is ready to stand out and stand up. As
the Princess of Aylan it is her duty to lead her people by exposing the biggest lie of all. In order
to do so, she must face her past and her mother’s abandonment head on. What she discovers
may be more than her kingdom can handle.

Excerpt:
“We were once a great, happy people. We had freedom. We had courage. I want to bring that
back. Today, I return that to you by bringing back what we thought was lost.” I looked around,
“Mother?”

Unique Thing
MeriAnn loves pushing herself to the limits through trail running and an Ironman Triathlon laterin 2015.

Room 517
By Angela Hartley


Head-strong, quirky Elise is always leaping before she looks. This time she’s landed on an
accidental time-travel adventure. Running from her controlling ex (who also happens to be a
wizard), she discovers what put the ‘evil’ in medieval, and that snakes are always better as
handbags. Join Elise on this wacky journey of self-realization, and you too will unlock her
secret.

Excerpt:
“Kill the witch! Kill the witch!” Villagers chanted. They gathered around the house.
Great! Now they resorted to name-calling. Really mature. So I did what any strong, capable
twenty-year-old would in my position. I opened the window and shouted. “Seriously?!”


Interesting author tidbit:
Room 517 was my first attempt at writing humor, but Diabetes is no laughing matter for me.
My oldest daughter has lived with Type 1 for over 9 years. She’s my hero and my heart.

True Sight
By: Jessica Parker


Rothe has strived for twenty years to complete the spell to fix everything. Summoning a
dragon to gain the final ingredient is only the beginning.

Excerpt:
A loud sucking noise sounded from below. Rothe hurried to the cliff edge to see
a whirlpool opening a doorway into the ocean depths. A dark shadow shifted
under the surface and Rothe moved away from the edge.
 
Interesting tidbit:
I have insulin resistance. While not the same as diabetes, many of the effects are
similar. That being said, it hasn't stopped me from enjoying the outdoors where
I drew inspiration for my story. I'm happy to support such a great cause


Tour Schedule:

March 12
March 13
March 14
March 15
March 16
March 17