Book Review: Educated

Educated by Tara Westover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well that was highly depressing! If I wrote this story as fiction, no one would believe human beings could act so horribly--mentally ill or not. One things that was missing for me in her journey was her own freedom from the religious conservatism she was brought up with. I mean, it sounds like she was having sex (and out of marriage), so how did she get to that point when boys made her cringe at their touch?

This book is not for the tender of heart, even more so because these violently aggressive crazy people are still alive and out in the world. Trigger warnings abound for anyone who has suffered domestic abuse. That Tara accomplished what she did in life is beyond remarkable and an important lesson for anyone in a position to help others--financially or through education. You may be the only shot they get.


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Book Review: Over the Moon by Natalie Lloyd

Over the Moon by Natalie Lloyd
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Once again, Natalie Lloyd does not disappoint. This story is poignant and delightful and sad and full of hope. It reminds me of the Shel Silverstein poem about the mustn'ts. Listen to all the mustn'ts, but remember that anything can be. Stop listening to the nay-sayers, Mallie would say, who tell you what can't be done and what's impossible, how you need to stay in your place and live the life you've been given. Fight for the light and for joy and freedom. And if you can do it on a magical horse, all the better! Highly recommend this for readers of all ages.


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New Release: A Rough Draft

All Kayla Cash has ever dreamed is to be a writer. Her quiet little house, nestled in the Rockies of Wyoming, is the perfect inspiration for her novels. That is, until a new neighbor moves in and turns her serene piece of property into a construction zone. Her tranquility is further rocked when she finds the one making all the racket is none other than the one that broke her heart, Sawyer Evans. To Sawyer, Kayla is the one that got away and he can’t shake the feeling that moving next door to her is his chance to, not only make amends, but to win her heart again. He could only hope living next to Kayla in a place called Heart Mountain was more than just a coincidence. Kayla must decide how to write the ending to her own story. Will she risk letting Sawyer into her heart again, or will he forever remain a rough draft?

Join the Facebook party on June 11th for this new romance novel!!

A Rough Draft by Jennifer McMurrain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A delightful story full of second chances with an exciting conclusion. An extra star for the ongoing conversations about strawberry tarts. And it's about an author, so that gets it an extra star too. A perfect choice for readers who love a good romance.


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Purchase your copy from Amazon.com!!

About the Author:

Having a great deal of wanderlust, Author Jennifer McMurrain traveled the countryside working odd jobs before giving into her muse and becoming a full-time writer. She's been everything from a “Potty Princess” in the wilds of Yellowstone National Park to a Bear Researcher in the mountains of New Mexico. She has won numerous awards for her short stories and novels, including hitting #1 on the Amazon Best Seller list, in the paid market, with her debut novel, Quail Crossings, and being a 3rd place finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards for her paranormal romance novel, Winter Song. She has eight full length novels, eight book collaboration, and numerous novellas and short stories published. She lives in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, with her family. You can find more information at www.jennifermcmurrain.com.

Mystery of the Painted Book, Pen & Quin: International Agents of Intrigue

As a part of Children's Book Week, I'm excited to announce the release of The Mystery of the Painted Book, a Pen & Quin: International Agents of Intrigue story.

When twelve-year-old twins Penelope and Quintus Grey Reyes are sent to Mexico to spend the summer with their grandparents, Pen creates a website advertising their services as international agents of intrigue. A mysterious client hires them. The assignment? To locate the Codex Cardona - a rare 15thcentury painted book.

The twins discover Abuelito, their grandfather, once searched for the same book, but he gave up the search when a friend disappeared. The book is rumored to be cursed, but Pen knows curses don't exist. Quin isn't so sure, and when Abuelito is attacked at the museum where he works, both twins are certain it has something to do with the missing codex.

While Pen and Quin track down the mysterious book, greasy art professor Flores follows their every move, but someone else is watching them too - someone who doesn't want the Codex Cardona to be found. The twins must draw on their combined skills of art and technology to uncover the mystery of the painted book.

I met the author for the first time several years ago when we ran our guesthouse in Eureka Springs and she came to stay with a group of friends. We run in the same NW Arkansas author circles, so we've bumped into each other several times since then, including recent video interviews with More Than A Review we both recorded. I'm thrilled that she accomplished her goal to have a book published!

You can find out more about this book and her tour schedule by tapping here.

CONGRATULATIONS, KS MITCHELL!!!

Children's Book Week Ebook Sale

Happy Children's Book Week! Just a quick note to let you know that all of my children's ebooks are on sale for 99 cents each through the end of the week. We started by celebrating Kimba and Hiro's 12th birthdays, but I decided to let the sale run through this celebration as well. You can even find Why Kimba Saved The World for free at Smashwords and other sites (but not Amazon so far).

Here's the links, for your convenience. Enjoy and feel free to share the kidlit love!

Why Kimba Saved The World
Vacation Hiro
Miss Fatty Cat's Revenge
Slinky Steps Out
Max's Wild Night
Dottie's Daring Day
Bianca: The Brave Frail and Delicate Princess

And for those of you who like hard copies, Amazon has several of my hardcovers for ridiculously low prices. The last I checked, Why Kimba Saved The World was less than the paperback version! I have no control over these prices, but you can get to them through the same links.

Happy Children's Book Week!!

This Cursed Flame Release Blog Tour

Sometimes we put ourselves in the bottle...

Six years ago, Janan was transformed into a genie by an evil djinn, ripping her away from her home, her life, and her humanity. She has been on the run from him ever since. Worlds away, high school honors student Laurelin just wants to get into the chemistry program of her dreams.

When Laurelin discovers a crystal bottle that sucks her into the djinn realm, the girls find themselves working together to escape Janan's creator and get Laurelin back home. But war is brewing in the djinn realm--a rebellion led by the same evil djinn they've been trying to escape. And he is determined to rule both the djinn and the human realms. As his creation, Janan is the one person standing in his way.

But to stop him, Janan must learn to overcome the fears he instilled in her and embrace her own dark magic while Laurelin must accept that some things are more important than an A+. Now, they will have to trust each other, and themselves, to stop the encroaching evil. Otherwise, both the human and djinn realms will fall to the tide of death and dark magic this war will unleash.

About the Author

Selina is a biologist-by-day, writer-by-night native of Pennsylvania. She lives with her husband, dog, and two cats and spends her time writing, reading, creating art, and dreaming about fictional worlds. Besides writing and sciencing, Selina also runs an author support business, Paper Cranes, LLC, that provides editing, consulting, and mapmaking services to authors, writers, and students. She has written two fairy-tale retelling short stories that were both finalists in Rooglewood Press short story contests and an exclusive fantasy short story, Queen of Mist and Fog, available through her newsletter. This Cursed Flame is her first novel.

Selina can be found online on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, her blog, and through her email newsletter.

Book Links

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43746186-this-cursed-flame

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/This-Cursed-Flame-Selina-Eckert-ebook/dp/B07PY8VRMH

All other retailers: https://books2read.com/u/4AJvgo

Facebook Party Link (with giveaway): https://www.facebook.com/events/265769490997758/

Be sure to visit other stops on this blog tour for reviews and other book release fun!

Selina J. Eckert https://sjeckert.wordpress.com/
Selina J. Eckert https://sjeckert.wordpress.com/
H. L. Burke https://www.hlburkeauthor.com/
Michaela Bush https://tangledupinwriting.com
Selina J. Eckert https://sjeckert.wordpress.com/
Selina J. Eckert https://sjeckert.wordpress.com/
Michaela Bush https://tangledupinwriting.com
Kelly Jane http://www.kellynjane.com/researchandrambles/
Savannah Jezowski http://dragonpenpress.com
Kandi Wyatt http://kandijwyatt.com
Selina J. Eckert https://sjeckert.wordpress.com/

Where the Crawdads Sing Review

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was fabulous. Beautifully written. Had me totally wrapped up. Make sure you set aside time for the last 100 pages in one go because you won't be putting it down. The hype and fuss around this book are deserved.


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