Judy Carlson - The White Knight, the Lost Kingdom and the Sea Princess

30. The White Knight, the Lost Kingdom and the Sea Princess by Judy Carlson (2015)

Length: 449 pages

Genre: Fantasy

Started: 26 July 2015

Finished: 14 August 2015

Where did it come from? Many thanks to Kathleen at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.

How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 25 July 2015 as an ebook; Since 3 August 2015 as a physical book.

Why do I have it? I like fantasy and Judy Carlson is a new author for me.

It has been a decade for the people of the Kingdom of Ajar; a decade since their beloved ruler - the benevolent King Elmern, and the entire royal family - were brutally murdered - and the malevolent and despotic Lord Regent ascended to the throne. During his tyrannical reign, the Lord Regent and his infamous Black Guard have effectively held the citizens of Ajar captive by dark sorcery and killed anyone who would openly oppose their new King. There are a brave but determined few who have created an underground resistance to the Lord Regent's tyranny, but they are beginning to lose hope that they will ever be liberated from their captivity.

According to an ancient prophecy, freedom will come from the neighboring Northern Dominions - from the demesne of the benevolent monarch, Emperor Haroldson. Since childhood, Prince Lael and Prince Cristin - the twin sons of the Emperor - have both been raised with a strong sense of righteousness and a deep knowledge of their royal duty. In an effort to fulfill that duty, Prince Lael will undertake a perilous quest to prove himself worthy of his subjects' continued fealty; he must first prove his strength and loyalty when he is challenged by an insidious enemy. The tragic loss of loved ones will only fortify Prince Lael's resolve to fight for the freedom of the Lost Kingdom.

Cousins Clara Mae Bennet and Ian Halverson - two children from Minnesota - suddenly find themselves dropped into the mystical realm of the Northern Dominions, and immediately swept up into an incredible adventure. Together, the cousins will search for a way home again; joining in the quest to free a captive Sea Princess, battling evil, and conquering lurking temptations. Clara and Ian will eventually meet the legendary White Knight - Lord Aryel - and along the way the children will gain better insight and wisdom about themselves, experience enduring love, and form the most extraordinary friendships.

I have always enjoyed reading mythical and epic tales of fantasy, and this book was certainly no exception. In my opinion, it was an intricately-woven and well-developed story that moved along at a leisurely, yet intriguing pace. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind reading a fantasy with strong Christian themes - I would give it an A!

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Blog Tour For the Dream Series by J. J. DiBenedetto From November 2, 2015 to November 25, 2015 - Come Join Us!

Hello Everyone! I am extremely happy to announce that J. J. DiBenedetto will be touring the blogosphere to promote his 10-book paranormal mystery series The Dream Series. This is James' first virtual book tour with Pump up Your Book! He will be coming to a blog near you from November 2, to November 25, 2015! Come join us for all the fun!

The Dream Series Blog Tour Information:

Meet J. J. DiBenedetto 

J.J. (James) DiBenedetto was born in Yonkers, New York. He attended Case Western Reserve university, where as his classmates can attest, he was a complete nerd. Very little has changed since then.

He currently lives in Arlington, Virginia with his beautiful wife and their cat (who has thoroughly trained them both). When he’s not writing, James works in the direct marketing field, enjoys the opera, photography and the New York Giants, among other interests.

The Dream Series is James’ first published work.

Connect and Socialize with J. J.!

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

About Dream Student:

College junior Sara Barnes thought her life was totally under control. All she had to worry about was her final exams, Christmas shopping, applying to medical school – and what to do about the cute freshman in the next dorm with a crush on her. Everything was going according to plan, until the night she started seeing other people’s dreams.

It’s bad enough that Sara is learning more than she ever needed to know about her friends and classmates, watching their most secret fantasies whether she wants to or not. Much worse are the other dreams, the ones she sees nearly every night, featuring a strange, terrifying man who commits unspeakable crimes. Now Sara wonders if she’s the only witness to a serial killer - and the only one who knows when and where he’s going to strike next.

Dream Student is the first book of the Dream Series.

About Dream Doctor:

Between adjusting to life as a newlywed and trying to survive the first month of medical school, Sara Alderson has a lot on her plate. She definitely doesn’t need to start visiting other people’s dreams again. Unfortunately for her, it’s happening anyway.

Every night, she sees a different person and a different dream. But every dreamer has one thing in common: they all hate Dr. Morris, the least popular professor in the medical school, and they’re all dreaming about seeing him - or making him - dead.

Once again, Sara finds herself in the role of unwilling witness to a murder before it happens. But this time, there are too many suspects to count, and it doesn’t help matters that she hates Dr. Morris every bit as much as any of his would-be murderers do.

Dream Doctor is the second book of the Dream Series.

About Dream Child:

Dr. Sara Alderson can deal with eighty-hour workweeks as a resident at Children’s Hospital. Dealing with crises in the Emergency Room or the OR is second nature to her. But now she faces a challenge that all of her training and experience hasn’t prepared her for: Lizzie, her four-year-old daughter, has inherited her ability to see other people’s dreams.

After Lizzie befriends a young boy on a trip to Washington, DC, and then wakes up in a panic that night because of a “bad funny dream,” Sara knows exactly what it means: her daughter is visiting the boy’s dreams. Complicating matters is the fact that the boy’s father is a Congressman, and he’s dreaming about a “scary man in a big black car” threatening his Daddy. 

Unraveling a case of political corruption and blackmail would be hard enough for Sara under the best of circumstances. But when she has to view everything through the eyes of a toddler, it may be an impossible task.

Dream Child is the third book of the Dream Series.

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Other Books in the Dream Series by J. J. DiBenedetto:

Dream Family 
Waking Dream
Dream Reunion 
Dream Home 

Dream Vacation 

Fever Dream 

Dream Wedding 

Dream Fragments: Stories From the Dream Series

Monday, November 2 - Interview at I’m Shelf-ish
Tuesday, November 3 - Interview at The Book Rack
Wednesday, November 4 - Interview at The Writer’s Life
Monday, November 9 - Book Featured at What Is That Book About
Tuesday, November 10 - Guest Blogging at Kristy Centeno’s Blog
Wednesday, November 11 - Book Review at Emeraldfire's Bookmark
Monday, November 16 - Book Review at Ashley’s Bookshelf
Tuesday, November 17 - Interview at Becky on Books
Wednesday, November 18 - Guest Blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner

Monday, November 23 - Book Review at I Smell Sheep

Tuesday, November 24 - Book Featured at Jody’s Book Reviews

Wednesday, November 25 - Book Review at Book Bite Reviews

Wednesday, November 25 - Book Featured at Around the World in Books

May you read well and often

Introducing the Lei Crime Series by Toby Neal!

Hello Everyone! I hope that you're all having a wonderful day today. Since I have already done several book release posts for the novellas of the Kindle Worlds Lei Crime Series, I thought that I would also begin to highlight the novels of The Lei Crime Series written by popular mystery author Toby Neal. I would advise you to grab your own copies of these novels as soon as possible!

Hawaii is palm trees, black sand and blue water - but for policewoman Lei Texeira, there’s a dark side to paradise. Lei has overcome a scarred past to make a life for herself as a cop, but often the cases she works activate wounds and complications from her tangled family history. Lei is affected deeply by her cases even as she solves them with persistence, obsession, and intuition. She falls in love with Michael Stevens, the charismatic detective she works with, and they make a life solving crime in contemporary Hawaii with all its beauty and deadliness.

 Meet Toby Neal

Toby Neal was raised on Kauai in Hawaii. She wrote and illustrated her first story at age five. After initially majoring in journalism, she eventually settled on mental health as a career and loves her work, saying, “I’m endlessly fascinated with people’s stories.”

She lives in Hawaii with her family and dogs and enjoys many outdoor sports including bodyboarding, beach walking, gardening, hiking, wondering about human nature and coming up with original plots.

Toby credits her counseling background in adding depth to her characters - from the villains to Lei Texeira, the courageous and vulnerable heroine in the Lei Crime Series.

Dark Lava by Toby Neal (2014)

Length: 390 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Dark Lava Blurb:

Maui is sacred places, ancient artifacts, and the dark lava of deepest passions.

Nothing ever goes easy for detectives Lei Texeira and Michael Stevens. An investigation into heiau desecrations must take a back seat to the emergence of an enemy who targets those closest to them, leaving shrouds as a calling card. Lei and Stevens face challenges of the body, mind and heart in this seventh in the bestselling Lei Crime Series.

“Neal is a powerful writer, and her prose is often effortless and elegant.” Kirkus Reviews

Fire Beach by Toby Neal (2014)

Length: 250 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Fire Beach Blurb:

***FINALIST: Best Mystery Thriller, International Book Awards 2016***

Hawaii is cane fires, lush jungles, and feuds that won’t die until everyone’s dead.

Detective Lei Texeira stalks the shroud killer on her own terms as Michael Stevens finds himself engulfed in the flames of a case with tangled consequences. In this eighth of the bestselling Lei Crime Series, Lei and Stevens find out just how far hate and love will go.

"Toby Neal's Lei Crime Series is a wonderful achievement in consistency and style, introducing us to a rich landscape filled with memorable characters. Eight books in, I'm already anxiously waiting for number nine!" Detective (Ret) David Swinson, author of A Detailed Man

Rip Tides by Toby Neal (2015)

Length: 246 pages 

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Rip Tides Blurb:

***WINNER***2016 Independent Publishers AWARD (IPPY) Bronze Medal for Best Suspense/Thriller!

Poised to win the prestigious Triple Crown of Surfing, Maui surf star Makoa Simmons washes up tragically dead. Detective Lei Texeira plunges into a high-profile case whose dark and tangled motives reach deep into the elite world of professional surfing on the North Shore of Oahu. Lei must follow her instincts into new territory even as husband Michael Stevens struggles with heartbreak of another kind.

“Another fantastic mystery featuring Lei Texeira and the wonderful, deftly drawn characters populating the Lei Crime Series. Toby Neal just keeps getting better, and Rip Tides is my new favorite.” Emily Kimelman, author of the Sydney Rye Mystery Series.

May you read well and often

Calling All Book Reviewers!

So, what with the recent June release of the third book in The Spookie Town Mysteries Series - Ghosts Beneath Us - Kathryn Meyer Griffith, the author of The Spookie Town Mysteries - would like to mention that the first book of the series, Scraps of Paper, is now perpetually free to download from Amazon. Also, if you'd be kind enough to write a brief but honest review of any of Ms. Griffith's books on Amazon, she would be absolutely delighted. Just email her at rdgriff@htc.net, and she'll be happy to send you a complimentary copy to read. All three books in the series are also available on Audible as well!

Scraps of Paper by Kathryn Meyer Griffith is the first book in her Spookie Town Mysteries Series, and I had the pleasure of reading Book 2 in the series - All Things Slip Away - back in March of 2014! Here is my review. I'm delighted to say that I actually have Books 1 and 3 on my TBR pile as well, and I hope to read them some time soon. You can also download the other two books in the series - Check 'em out! ;)

Meet Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Since childhood I’ve been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. But I’d already begun writing novels at 21, over forty-two years ago now, and have had twenty (ten romantic horror, two horror novels, two romantic SF horror, one romantic suspense, one romantic time travel, one historical romance and three murder mysteries) previous novels, two novellas and twelve short stories published from Zebra Books, Leisure Books, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books/Eternal Press; and I’ve self-published my last five novels with Amazon Kindle Direct and my dinosaur novels are my best-sellers.

I’ve been married to Russell for thirty-six years; have a son, James, and two grandchildren, Joshua and Caitlyn, and I live in a small quaint town in Illinois, which is right across the JB Bridge from St. Louis, Mo. We have three quirky cats, ghost cat Sasha and Cleo, and live cat Sasha (Too), and the five of us live happily in an old house in the heart of town. Though I’ve been an artist, and a folk singer in my youth with my brother Jim, writing has always been my greatest passion, my butterfly stage, and I’ll probably write stories until the day I die…or until my memory goes.

2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *FINALIST* for my horror novel The Last Vampire - Revised Author’s Edition ~ 2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *FINALIST* for my thriller novel Dinosaur Lake.

Connect and Socialize with Kathryn!

Website * Facebook * Goodreads * Amazon Author Page

Scraps of Paper - Revised Author's Edition by Kathryn Meyer Griffith (2013)

Length: 192 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon and Audible!

Scraps of Paper - Revised Author's Edition Blurb: 

Abigail Sutton's beloved husband walks out one night, doesn't return, and two years later is found dead, a victim of a long ago crime. It's made her sympathetic to the missing and their families.

Starting her new life, Abigail moves to small town and buys a fixer-upper house left empty when old Edna Summers died. Once it was also home to Edna's younger sister, Emily, and her two children, Jenny and Christopher, who, people believe, drove away one night, thirty years ago, and just never came back.

But in renovating the house Abigail finds scraps of paper hidden behind baseboards and tucked beneath the porch that hint the three could have been victims of foul play. 

Then she finds their graves hidden in the woods behind the house and with the help of eccentric townspeople and ex-homicide detective, Frank Lester, she discovers the three were murdered. Then she and Frank try to uncover who killed them and why...but in the process awaken the ire of the murderer.

All Things Slip Away - Revised Author's Edition by Kathryn Meyer Griffith (2014)

Length: 264 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon and Audible!

All Things Slip Away Blurb:

Ten years ago Frank Lester, a Chicago homicide detective, thought he had rid himself forever of the Mud People Killer who’d kidnapped and murdered six people. Frank had shot him as he’d fled through a snowy night; had killed him, he believed, though a body was never found.

But the killer wasn’t dead. He’d only been waiting to take his revenge on Frank and those he cares about now…ten years later. Frank retired early and is living back in his hometown of Spookie when the killer resurfaces to take up where he left off. Kidnapping more innocents and tormenting Frank and the people he cares about.

Unless Frank and his artist girlfriend, Abigail Sutton, can find and stop him before he kills more people and perhaps both of them.

Ghosts Beneath Us by Kathryn Meyer Griffith (2015)

Length: 343 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon and Audible!

Ghosts Beneath Us Blurb:

Someone is terrorizing the elderly in a certain neighborhood in Spookie and vandalizing their homes. As usual, Abigail Sutton, a freelance artist, and her boyfriend Frank Lester, a retired homicide detective, are called in to help find out who’s doing these awful acts. The two seem to have an uncanny knack for unraveling mysteries and getting to the bottom of such strange happenings. 

Some of the old people think it’s ghosts in their basements, in their homes, doing these destructive deeds but Frank doesn’t believe in ghosts; while Abigail isn't so sure. Then the old folks begin to disappear one by one or to die suspiciously and Frank thinks there’s a sinister plan behind the crimes and is determined to uncover who or what is responsible. In the end, they, with a little help from their friend eccentric old Myrtle, must solve the mystery or more of the old ones in town might end up dead. Sequel to Scraps of Paper (Spookie Town Murder Mystery #1) and All Things Slip Away (Spookie Town Murder Mystery #2)

May you read well and often

Emily Kimelman - A Keiki Mystery: Warrior Dog

29. A Keiki Mystery: Warrior Dog by Emily Kimelman (2015)

Kindle Worlds Novella: Lei Crime Series Book 4/The Keiki Mystery Series Book 1
Length: 60 pages

Genre: Short Story

Started/Finished: 4 August 2015

Where did it come from? Many thanks to Emily Kimelman's assistant Jen for sending me a copy of this book to read.

How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 27 July 2015

Why do I have it? I like short stories and Emily Kimelman is a new author for me.

Deep inside of all animals there dwells an innate fear of fire; and for the Rottweiller Keiki - Detective Leilani Texiera's most loyal friend and fiercest ally - the fear of fire is no less insidious or terrifying. As a decendant of the Drover Dogs of Rome, Keiki definitely understands the enormous legacy that she must honor. In ancient Roman times, these Rottweiller ancestors followed men into war, helped herd animals, and protected the flock from predators. All these tasks required a certain bravery and great skill to accomplish; yet it was also a noble responsibility for such creatures to undertake.

In more modern times, Keiki's role remains much the same. She must protect Lei and her family from any and all predators. They are members of her pack and rely on Keiki's indomitable strength and wily intelligence for their protection. This is a responsibility that Keiki takes enormous pride in and treats very seriously.

Yet, when the enemy that you must face is also one that fills you with the most shameful fear, what is a mighty protector to do? How will Keiki save her family from such a raging, uncontrollable beast? For the sake of her pack, Keiki must rely on her own protective instincts, and the assistance of some new friends in order to do what needs to be done. Because when you're only one dog - the protector of the pack - and facing off against a particularly devious enemy, your number one priority in this mission becomes crystal clear: protect the family.

I must say that while I do have at least five books by Emily Kimelman sitting on my virtual TBR pile, this was the first book by this author that I've actually had the pleasure of reading. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; it was extremely fast-paced and very well-developed for its length, and I absolutely loved both Keiki's and Blue's character development. I give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often

Introducing the Cover For Never Been Texted by Linda Joy Singleton!

Meet Linda Joy Singleton

Linda Joy Singleton has published over 35 young adult and middle grade books about Goths, psychics, mermaids, aliens, cheerleaders, clones, parallel worlds, spies, dogs and ghosts. Her Young Adult series, Regeneration, The Seer and Dead Girl, were honored as YALSA Popular Paperback/Quick Picks. Her series for younger readers include, Strange Encounters and her 2015 release, Curious Cat Spy Club.

When she was 8, she wrote animal stories and by age 14 she was writing mystery novels. In 1986, she had the unique experience of co-writing a mystery, The Talking Snowman, with her favorite childhood author, Margaret Sutton (Judy Bolton Mysteries). Her goal was to have a mystery series of her own that that happened in 1994: My Sister the Ghost Series (Avon Camelot Books). Recently she’s crossed genres to publish her first picture book, Snow Dog, Sand Dog (Albert Whitman 2014).

When Linda isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, movies, country walks, camping, bowling and reality shows (she’s never missed a season of Survivor, Amazing Race or Big Brother). She also collects vintage girl series mysteries like Nancy Drew, Judy Bolton and Trixie Belden and in 2014 spoke at a Nancy Drew convention. She’s a longtime member of Sisters in Crime and SCBWI, and enjoys speaking at school, libraries and writing conferences.

She lives with her husband, David, in Northern California, in a country home where she’s surrounded by horses, peacocks, dogs, wild turkeys and demanding cats.

Never Been Texted by Linda Joy Singleton (2015)

Length: 211 pages
Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Never Been Texted Blurb:

When Ashlee’s stepdad completely forgets her birthday she takes matters into her own hands to get the one thing she really wants: her own cell phone. But text messages start rolling in from a broken-hearted boy, and though Ashlee knows not all stories end happily, she’s determined to make hers the best it can be.

Never Been Texted Cover Reveal:

May you read well and often

Reading Wrap-up For July at Emeraldfire's Bookmark

Hello everyone out there and I hope that you all had a terrific reading month for yourselves. I am known as Emeraldfire around the Internet and this is my new personal reading blog.

Anyway, I started out July with about two hundred unread books lying around the house and ended the month with...umm...uncountable amounts of books unread. All of the books that I acquired this month came from Bookmooch, authors, Netgalley and Amazon.

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Changes to the TBR pile

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- Hidden Poppies by M. L. Doyle
- Witchcraft Couture by Katarina West

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! :))
- Bunnicula Strikes Again! by James Howe
- Madison's Song by Christine Amsden
- An Epiphany Gift For Robin: A Short Medieval Christmas Story by Joyce DiPastena
- Heavenscribe Part 3 by Christine Nolfi
- The Search For the Stone of Excalibur by Fiona Ingram
- Pokergeist by Michael Phillip Cash
- I:32 P. M.: A Short Story by Shannon Celebi
- The White Knight, the Lost Kingdom and the Sea Princess by Judy Carlson
- A Keiki Mystery: Warrior Dog by Emily Kimelman
- The Avalon Relics: Lilith Links by J. L. Clark
- Seal of a Monk by Eden Baylee

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))
- Saint Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters
- Hidden Poppies by M. L. Doyle

Well, there it is...the breakdown! All in all, a very good reading month for me, considering. Here's a further breakdown:

Books Read: 2
Pages Read: 425
Grade Range: A!

So, there you go! The reading month that was July. I hope that you all had an equally good reading month; if not a little better. :) See you all next month! :)

May you read well and often