Release Day Blitz: Underground and Silence by Janelle Stalder

I'm a day late and a dollar short this weekend, and I apologize to the author for not having this up on the actual release date, which was yesterday by the way! Happy Valentines Day y'all!

Let's give you a quick rundown and some buy links so you can run over and get these two books.

First, you'll want to start with Underground which is book 4 in the New World Series. Here's the rundown on what Underground is about.

Love isn't something you find.  

Love is something that finds you. 

Phoenix has spent her whole life fighting. All she's ever wanted was to return the world to a peaceful state, and bring down the New World Order. But now she finds herself in a different sort of battle. No longer set in the streets of New Berlin, the fighting has moved beneath them, in a vicious underground fighting ring run by outlaws bent on causing trouble. And if that isn't hard enough, she's stuck with the one person who loves to fight more than she does - Trent McKay. Now the race is on to get out of their new prison and back home - before they end up killing each other. 

Or worse - fall in love.  

***This book is for mature audiences due to strong language, violence, and sexual situations. 

Hello! I'm a mature audience. That sounds wonderful!  You'll want to click HERE to get it on Amazon and HERE if you want to go to Smashwords. And of course, you'll want to log it in on Goodreads, so click HERE to do that!

OK, we're all about book 4 now, and we have to wait for book 5, because there just has to be a book 5, RIGHT? But it will take our dear Janelle a little bit of time to get that done. So, she's given us book 4.5 to wet our whistle. So, let's hear a bit more about Silence shall we?

It is better to be seen and not heard… 

A firm believer of observing and listening rather than adding to the noise surrounding her, Pixie has always been the quiet one out of the Archers. Her intelligence and quiet confidence makes her the perfect choice to join Garrett, Tyler and Missy on their mission to get their friends back. But when she enters the underground network run by Sebastian Black, she suddenly finds her voice. Bastian rattles her like no other, breaking her silence. He sees and hears her more than anyone has in her entire life. But how can she trust a man like him? Now it’s a battle of wills, between what her head tells her, and what her heart insists. 

***This is a companion novella to Underground. It is recommended to read Underground first in order to follow the storyline of Silence. **This book is for mature audiences only, due to strong language, violence, and sexual situations. 

Squee, this sounds good. I wish I could start here, but....we have to do things in order don't we? So let's give you the Amazon link HERE, and the Smashwords link HERE and don't forget to leave your review on Goodreads HERE.

So, let me know  - are you as excited about this as me? Let me know what you think in the comments. I always love to hear from you.

Review: Diary of Anna: The Girl Witch by Max Candee

Title: Diary of Anna: The Girl Witch

Author: Max Candee

Buy Link: CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight:

What do you do when you discover you’re a witch? 
And that using your new powers destroys your soul a little each time? 

Set in the Swiss countryside, this story blends ancient folklore with a coming of age tale about a young witch on the brink of womanhood. Anna Sophia has always known she was different. She didn’t know just how different until now.

Through a story of otherworldly magic, Anna Sophia finds a sense of real-world belonging. With its cast of strong characters, inventive setting, and engaging storyline, this fantasy adventure is a relevant novel for middle grade children or young adults.

Review:

OK, call me a child, but I can't help but love middle grade and YA books. It's a nice break from the more intense/harsh adult books.

I must say that Mr. Candee was very good at putting an intense dynamic into this book without scaring the reader too much. I can't tell you what happened, because...well SPOILER ALERTS! But it's something that will have you wanting to turn the pages rather quickly to see what happens.

You will notice that this book is not written by someone in the US. Some of the words are spelled a little differently and the landmarks are certainly not ones you would find here. I found that quite charming and quaint.

My only complaint with the book is that in the beginning Anna seems to be a young child, and seemingly childish. Then by the end of the book she seems much older and "into boys". It just didn't mesh well with me.

If you're looking for a good book for your child, I would recommend this one. There is intrigue, emotion, and fun.


************
I received this product for free/at a discount in exchange for an honest review, but all opinions are my own. Most books are donated to the local library for circulation, or donation to the Friends of the Library. This was an ebook and will be deleted from my Kindle after the review is published.

Review: My Coloring Journal and 2016 Coloring Quote Calendar

Title: My Coloring Journal and 2016 Coloring Quote Calendar

Author: Samantha Snyder

Buy Link: CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight for My Coloring Journal:

My Coloring Journal--Live, Laugh, Love shares 60 beautiful doodle designs of inspiring sayings and words from A New Day, Believe, and Dream Big to Life’s a Journey, Live Your Dream, and Work Hard. Also included are beautiful doodle themes of flowers, shapes, and stars as well as pages to create your own doodles, record things you are thankful for, and list your favorite things.

The journal is designed so that you begin and finish each and every entry with plenty of enjoyment, inspiration, and relaxation.

Publisher's Insight for 2016 Coloring Quote Calendar:

The 2016 Coloring Quote Calendar is a great way to have fun while staying organized each and every month with "to do," "goals," and "event" lists.

Beautiful doodle designs and quotes for each month along with monthly calendars are sure to inspire the spirit and relax the mind.

Quotes from famous authors include Charles Dickens, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Eleanor Roosevelt, William Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, and more.

Seasonal themes—from hearts, leaves, and snowflakes to stars, sunshine, and waves—provide plenty of fun, inspiration, and relaxation.

Review:

I normally don't review two items at the same time, but Samantha made it easy for me to do so this time. Not only do the books look the same on the cover, but...they kinda go hand in hand.

It's said that journaling every day is something that can be quite cathartic, so being able to have a calendar to remind you (it has a to do list!) to do so, you'll be much more likely to actually do your journaling.

Samantha catches each month's quote wonderfully. I colored January, but since I just got to February (Happy February ya'll!) I colored it last night to show you how awesome the quotes are.

Since my wonderful boyfriend's birthday is on the 14th, this quote was just perfect and I showed it to him and told him it was for him. <3 

In addition to really kick butt quotes there are wonderful extra pages. You just have to see the coolness of the additional pages.

Aren't they just the cutest? It really does make you want to do something. To make a list and stick to it.

I love the journal, it's really helped me out this month with some feelings I've been going through. My husband died 12 years ago February 4th and I've actually had to use the journal to get some feelings out about him:

After dealing with such a heartfelt entry, I really needed something to bring me down, so coloring that doodle really helped me out.

Each book was so wonderfully thought out and designed perfectly. You do have to use colored pencil with this one, which is good for me since I have the Crayola Twistable ones, and they ROCK!

Thank you Samantha for being such an inspiration and a motivation for so many people. You are a blessing to me.

Make sure to visit Samantha at http://www.akabooks.com/ to get her books, and http://www.doodle-art-alley.com/. You'll love it.

************
I received this product for free/at a discount in exchange for an honest review, but all opinions are my own. Most books are donated to the local library for circulation, or donation to the Friends of the Library. These books will not be donated as I have colored and written in them.

Review: Switch a Wish by M.B. Earnheardt

Title: Switch a Wish

Author: M.B. Earnheardt

Buy Link: CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight:

Chris and Amanda Claridge are that couple. They look happy. They live in a well-kept home, have three little girls and fit squarely into the roles of husband and wife. 

Chris is a handsome college professor who easily charms everyone he meets. He loves his job and can't wait to go to work everyday. Amanda is a dedicated mother and caretaker. She tends to the kids and appreciates how important her job is, even if others don't get it. 

Underneath the surface of this functioning family, things are unraveling. Marital problems are about to split them apart when something magical happens.

Chris and Amanda make a bedtime wish that forces them to live life as the other person. Chris must pretend to be his wife as he takes on childcare and household chores. Amanda steps out of her heels and into her Chris's shoes to tackle his job as a college professor. 

The role reversal is a revelation for the couple. Neither one has it as good, or bad, as they expected. 

Can Chris and Amanda make it past the secrets they have kept from each other? Will this new perspective give them the chance to find their way back to love?

Review:

Let's be honest here for a moment, I was scared that this book was going to be yet another Freaky Friday! But for some reason I decided to give it a chance, who knows what forces made me do it, but I'm glad they did!

Switch a Wish was a wonderfully delightful look into the lives of a dysfunctional married couple. Something most of us have first hand knowledge. *points no fingers* Amanda and Chris get to literally walk a mile in each other's shoes. For three whole days, this couple gets to know the other in an intimate way.

Amanda, who is tired of being in a marriage where there is no contact or appreciation.

Chris, who is tired of being in a marriage with no affection or understanding.

One mystical night, while putting their two daughters to sleep, they unwittingly wish for the same thing in a bedtime ritual, "I wish my wife/husband knew how hard it was to be me." The next morning all hell breaks loose, and it's hilarious and genuinely human.

Throughout the book M.B. puts in all the things we wish we knew about the opposite sex, and makes it lighthearted and real.

There's a twist in the end for Amanda who has to decide if being married to Chris is worth the effort.

I'm really impressed with how heartfelt and, as I said before, human this book is. It's a true delight to read, and I'd read it again. (Which says a lot for me.) I hope to read more from M.B. in the future.


************
I received this product for free/at a discount in exchange for an honest review, but all opinions are my own. Most books are donated to the local library for circulation, or donation to the Friends of the Library.

Review: How to Think by Rick Norwood

Title: How to Think

Author: Rich Norwood

Buy Link: CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight:

Thinking is what humans do best, and yet in America we seem to have given up on the idea of teaching students how to think. "How to Think" teaches basic critical thinking skills.

To think clearly, you must understand:

• Sometimes you are going to be wrong.
• Always ask yourself, “Why do I think that?”
• Some of your best thinking happens when you are asleep, but you first need to learn the facts so that your subconscious mind has something to work on.
• There is no group of people in which everyone is alike. If anyone tells you that everyone in a group is alike, they are not worth listening to. 
• In thinking about politics, listen to what the candidates say and do, but never pay any attention to what one party says about the other party.

The author teaches critical thinking skills in several courses, including Logic and Problem Solving, Mathematical Reasoning, and History of Mathematics.

Review: 

How to Think, by Rick Norwood, explains how to think more clearly and manage your thoughts in order to improve your life.  This guide includes an exercise at the end of each chapter to reinforce the information presented. The practice of doing the exercises helped me to understand and retain the concepts for use in everyday thinking and decision making. 

The topics covered include how to control your thinking in order to be happier and better at problem solving, more innovative and productive, and less influenced by stereotypes; how to think critically and identify falsehoods; how to make rational decisions; and how to deal with fear and anger. Fallacies, laws of logic, and confirmation bias are defined, and examples are provided. Learning this material helps with evaluating communications from others and communicating more effectively yourself. 

This book presents knowledge and strategies that are valuable for the minds of adults and children alike, at all ages and stages of life.

*****

Review brought to you by the newest and brightest star in the Page Turner's reviewing team: Lora L.

   
Lora will be keeping this book for future reference. I'm glad she was able to find one that she would keep for that purpose.