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Communities
Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword by Eric Reinhold
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It is April FIRST–no foolin’–, time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! ) The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and his/her latest book’s FIRST chapter!
The special feature author is:
and his book:
Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword
Creation House (May 2008)
Illustrated by: Corey Wolfe
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Eric J. Reinhold is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. The former Naval officer writes extensively for a variety of national financial publications in his position as a Certified Financial Planner® and President of Academy Wealth Management. His passion for writing a youth fantasy novel was fueled by nightly impromptu storytelling to his children and actively serving in the middle and high school programs at First Baptist Sweetwater Church in Longwood, Florida.
Visit him at his website.
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:
The Angel’s Visitation
It first appeared as a gentle glow, almost like a child’s night-light. Heavy shadows filled the room as the boy lay face up, covers tucked neatly under his arms. A slight smile on his face hinted that he was in the midst of a pleasant dream.
Ryann Watters, who had just celebrated his twelfth birthday, rolled lazily onto his side, his blond hair matted into the pillow, unaware of the glow as it began to intensify. Shadows searched for hiding places throughout the room as the glow transformed from a pale yellow hue to brilliant white.
Ryann’s eyelids fluttered briefly and then flickered at the glare reflecting off his pale blue bedroom walls. Drowsily, he turned toward the light expecting to see one of his parents coming in to check on him. “What’s going on?” his voice cracked as he reached up to rub the crusty sleep from his eyes.
***
Under a pale half-moon, Drake Dunfellow’s house looked just like any other. A closer inspection, however, would reveal its failing condition. Water oaks lining the side of the curved driveway hunched over haggardly, like old men struggling on canes. The lawn, which should have been a lively green for early spring, was withered and sandy. A few patches of grass were sprinkled here and there. Rust lines streaked down the one jagged peak atop the tin-roof house. The flimsy clapboard sides were outlined by fading white trim speckled with dried paint curls. Hanging baskets containing a variety of plants and weeds all struggling to stay alive shared the crowded front porch with two mildew-covered rocking chairs. Inside, magazines and newspaper clippings both old and new were carelessly strewn about. Encrusted dishes from the previous day’s meals battled each other for space in the bulging kitchen sink. In the garage, away from the usual living areas, was a boy’s room. Dull paneling outlined the bedroom, while equally dreary brown linoleum covered the floor. The bedroom must have been an afterthought because not much consideration had been given to the details. A bookcase cut from rough planks sat atop an old garage sale dresser.
Moonlight pressing through the dust-covered metal blinds tried to provide a sense of peacefulness. Instead it revealed bristly red hair atop a young boy’s head poking out from beneath a mushy feather pillow. His heavy breathing provided the only movement in the quiet room. Tiny droplets of perspiration lined his brow as he began jerking about under the thin cotton sheets.
Starting at the edge of the window, the blackness spread downward, transforming all traces of light to an oily dinginess. Drake was slowly surrounded and remained the only thing not saturated in the darkness. Bolting upright to a stiff-seated attention, Drake’s bloodshot eyes darted back and forth. He stared into the black nothingness shuddering and aware that the only thing visible in the room was his bed.
“Who . . . who’s there?” Drake cried out, puzzled by the hollow sound that didn’t seem to travel beyond the edge of his mattress. Beads of sweat trickled down his neck, connecting his numerous freckled dots. He strained, slightly tilting his head, ears perked. There was no reply.
*** Read more
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Review: For Pete’s Sake by Linda Windsor
Ellen is a tomboy at heart. She rides a Harley. She hates dressing up. She doesn’t mind getting dirty from time to time. She wonders if she’ll ever meet her true love.
Then widower Adrian moves in next door with his son Pete. There’s something special about Pete, and Ellen is drawn to him right away. And Pete’s dad isn’t bad looking, either. As Ellen spends time with Pete, helping him through some of his troubled times, she finds herself falling for Pete’s dad.
There’s only one problem. Adrian is engaged. That doesn’t seem to matter to Ellen’s meddling mother, who is determined that Ellen and Adrian are made for each other.
What I Liked
For Pete’s Sake is a sweet story, and I loved all of the relationships in the story. Adrian and Pete. Ellen and Pete. Adrian and Ellen. And there were so many more.
I loved the fact that Linda Windsor crafted Pete as a loveable kid with an increasingly common disability. That made the story even more real for me. I think it also broke down some stereotypes about this particular issue. (And I won’t tell you what it is, so I don’t spoil the story for you).
The story contains plenty of intrigue, with Adrian trying to figure out who has hacked into his computer files and is compromising his business. It contains plenty of romantic angst between Ellen and Adrian and Adrian and his fiance. And I especially love seeing how Pete grows and develops throughout the story.
What I Thought Could be Better
At times I thought the story was a little predictable. I had the ending figured out before I got there, and that bugged me a little bit. But other than that, I thought it was a good story.
In the end I give For Pete’s Sake three and a half stars. It’s not gripping, but it is fun!
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Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Bethany House (February 1, 2008)
by
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Julie Carobini is an award-winning writer whose stories often spotlight her family, the sea, and God’s timely work in the lives of those around her. She lives with her husband, Dan, and their three children in Ventura Beach, California.
She also likes to blog! Go leave her a comment at Waves of Grace.
Julie left you all a special message:
To celebrate my upcoming CFBA tour March 5-7, I’ll be giving away a copy of Truffles by the Sea AND and a 1/2 lb. box of yummy truffles to three of your readers.
All they need to do is drop by my blog http://juliecarobini.blogspot.com/ during the tour and leave a comment and a way to contact them if they win!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
If you read, Julie’s first book, Chocolate Beach, then you might remember Gaby as Bri’s dramatic, lovesick best friend. Unfortunately, things get worse—much worse—for her before they get…well, best not to give it away.
Sometimes all a girl has left is chocolate…
Gaby Flores has a penchant for drama and an unfortunate knack for dating Mr. So Wrong. After breaking off yet another relationship, watching her apartment building burn to the ground, and discovering that her dippy delivery guy has run off with most of her business, Gaby decides it’s time to turn things around.
So she moves to a tiny waterfront loft and takes on a new motto: “Be gullible no more!” With help from her friends, she works to rebuild her flower shop—and her life. But when legal troubles and quirky neighbors and two surprising romances enter her beachy world, Gaby’s motto and fledgling faith are put to the test.
Can a young woman prone to disaster in both work and love finally find happily ever after?
"Truffles by the Sea is delightful! Julie Carobini has a new fan in this reader, and she’s earned a spot on my keeper shelf." –Kay James, RomanceReaderatHeart.com
"This book is a delight to read, and the author has us rooting for Gaby from page one. This girl’s never-say-die attitude is incredible, and her life is filled with all kinds of foibles. This is chick lit with heart – about so much more than finding a man…. While keeping the light chick lit tone, this book satisfied while avoiding the tired old formulas. Just when I’m ready to give up on the genre, I stumble across an author who can write without relying on stereotypes." –Cara Putman, writerinterrupted.com
"I liked Julie Carobini’s first novel, Chocolate Beach, but her sophomore release, Truffles By The Sea, greatly surpasses it. I thoroughly enjoyed Carobini’s second book and felt her writing was much stronger throughout. The characters are deeper and yet funnier – a great combination…. It’s a great read for a cold winter day – you can curl up with the book, a nice fire and pretend you’re the one by the sea." –Jill Hart, RadiantLit.com
You can buy your copy of Truffles by the Sea right here.
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The Winner of Awaken My Heart Is…
Comment #46, which is Carrie, who said
I love Christian books and this one looks like a great read. Please enter me!
I will be emailing Carrie shortly to get her mailing address. Thanks to all who entered! And congratulations Carrie! Your copy of Awaken My Heart will be on it’s way soon!
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Giveaway: Awaken My Heart by DiAnn Mills
Do you like Christian fiction? If so, this is the giveaway for you! As part of the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival, I’m giving away my once read copy of Awaken My Heart by DiAnn Mills. This book isn’t even set to be released until next week, so if you win, you’ll be among the first to read it!
I really enjoyed Awaken My Heart. To read more about the book, see the synopsis and my review here.
To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post. Make sure you enter a valid email address in the comment form, as that’s how I will contact the winner. This giveaway is open to both United States and International residents. Please only comment once, as multiple comments will be deleted.
I will be closing comments at noon on Friday, February 1 and drawing a winner using a random number generator at random.org.
Best of luck, and to see all of the great giveaways, visit bloggygiveaways.com!
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