Valentine's Day is nearly upon us, which means the floral shops will be working overtime and the department stores will be flooded with men trying to buy their loved ones a last minute gift. Don’t expect to get your mail early that day as I’m sure the postal workers will be overloaded with Valentine’s Day cards to deliver.

The majority of people probably think Valentine’s Day was created by Hallmark, but it was actually based on an early Christian saint named Valentinus. He was imprisoned for preaching to Christians and for marrying soldiers who were forbidden to marry. It was rumored that he healed the daughter of a jailer. When he died he left a final message “from your Valentine” to her.

Since all my relationships are doomed to begin with, I always spend my Valentine’s Day alone, not unless you count trading cards back in elementary school. Every year the room mothers would have a little party. The students (including me) would bring a homemade valentine’s box, which the best box would get a prize. Each kid would go around and drop a valentine into the box. It didn’t matter if you didn’t like that person as your mother would make you give a valentine to everybody, even the teacher.

A Hero's Throne
The Ancient Earth Trilogy
By Ross Lawhead
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pub. Date: January 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1595549105
ASIN: B00AE9I1OE
Pages: 336

Review:

I read anywhere between 100 to 250 books in any given year and only a few standout for me. One of those books happens to be the fantasy adventure The Realms Thereunder by Ross Lawhead released in 2011, so I was excited about reviewing the sequel A Hero's Throne, courtesy of Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review.

The sequel finds Daniel and Freya on the quest to save the hidden land of Nioergeard by stopping the dark forces from opening the portal and entering into our world. The land rests under the streets of England and only a few know that it exists. Eight years ago, Daniel and Freya stumbled upon the gateway, where they found the stone city and the sleeping knights.

The future of both worlds is in jeopardy. Daniel and Freya must rely on a Scottish police officer and ancient knight to help them return to Nioergeard and awaken the sleeping knights before the dark forces take over forever.

Trouble on His Wings
Director; Jim Meskimen
Voice Cast: Jennifer Aspen, Bob Caso, R.F. Daley, Jim Meskimen and Matt Scott
Studio: Galaxy Press
Release Date: March 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1592123087
Approx. 2 hours 7 minutes

 

Review:  

There was no internet, cell phones, or cable TV during the 1930s and 1940s, so people would find entertainment by seeing picture shows, listening to the serials on the radio, and reading magazines. The magazine stands were full of pulp magazines with ragged edges, pulpwood paper, embellished covers, and cheap prices. Pulps contained countless adventure stories by real storytellers of the time, such as H.P. Lovecraft, Elmore Leonard, and Ray Bradbury. Stories from the Golden Age is releasing all of author L. Ron Hubbard's short stories from the 1930s and 1940s onto audiobooks. Galaxy Press nicely sent me the award winning audiobook, Trouble on His Wing, originally published in the January 1939 issue of Five-Novels Monthly.

Trouble on His Wings is about a journalist (AKA a picture-chaser) named Johnny Brice, who will do anything to get the best story for World News. Along with his cameraman sidekick, Irish Donnegan, Johnny plans on getting the best newsreels of the cruise ship that caught on fire at sea. By time he arrives, the waters had claimed the cruise ship and the survivors were rescued. Johnny comes up with the bright idea of paying $5,000 for the pictures that the survivor took. It was great idea until Johnny risked his life saving a woman from the ocean. He has looses all footage from the shipwreck and gets stuck with a beautiful woman whom he names Jinx.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rise of the Turtles
Starring: Jason Biggs, Sean Astin, Rob Paulsen, and Greg Cipes
Studio: Nickelodeon/Paramount
Release Date: February 26, 2013
ASIN: B00AEVXGFG
DVD SRP: $14.99
Running Time: 145 minutes
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crawled their way out of the sewers and back onto the small screen with a brand new series that debuted last fall on Nickelodeon with the talented voice cast of Jason Biggs as Leonardo, Sean Astin as Raphael, Rob Paulsen as Donatello, and Greg Cipes as Michelangelo. Rise of the Turtles will be released February 25, 2013 on DVD featuring the first six episodes, including the double-length series premiere and the special features,  6 "Making of Animatics" and the Theme Song Karaoke Music Video.

The new series finds the four turtles venturing out of the New York City sewers for the first time where they run into the Kraang (brain-shaped aliens piloting robots) who have kidnapped a young April O'Neil and her scientist father, Kirby. The turtles are only able to save April, who becomes their most trusted ally. To make things worse,  Oroku Saki (Shredder) learns that his old enemy, Hamato Yoshi (the turtles' mentor, Splinter), is living in New York and he dispatches his highly trained Foot Clan to go to New York and find Yoshi.

Throughout these six episodes, the turtles encounter a giant mutant plant Snakeweed, the spider-like mutant Spider Bytez, and the mad-scientist Baxter Stockman.

Love Finds You in Glacier Bay Alaska
By Tricia Goyer & Ocieanna Fleiss
Publisher: Summerside Press
Pub. Date: Jan. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1609365691
ASIN: B00B4GPJWS
Pages: 320
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/gQiNn
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/Tgoyer
 
Review:

I've never been to the state of Alaska, but after reading a few other books set there I became interested in it, therefore I was excited about reading Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska from Summerside Press, which I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

Life seems to be going great for the rising singer Ginny Marshall as she has just received a major recording contract, but she is hesitant to sign it. Being a famous singer is not as easy as it comes with many responsibilities and demands. Feeling too much pressure, Ginny travels to Glacier Bay, Alaska to seek the advice of her ex-fiancé, Brett Miller.

When Ginny arrives, she learns that Brett is on a kayaking trip. Instead of leaving, she decides to stay with Brett's Grandma Ethel. While she is waiting for Brett's return, she begins reading a pile of letters that Grandma Ethel left out. As she reads the letters, she unravels a love story between a missionary named Clay and the governess, Ellie, he hired to take care of his children. Through the letters, Ginny might find what is missing for her own life.

Safe in His Arms
By Colleen Coble
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pub. Date: January 29, 2013
ISBN: 978-1595549143
ASIN: B008R9CE50
Pages: 320
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/hc6cu
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/CCoble 

Review: 

In this sequel to last year's Blue Moon Promise, Margaret O'Brien was born and raised on a ranch in Larson, Texas. She doesn't care for household chores as she would rather be out helping her father on the ranch. Her brother had died in the war and ever since she has taken over his role in running the ranch. She hopes to one day inherit the ranch, but her dreams change when her father announces that he is soon to retire and he is leaving the ranch to her cousin. He wants her to fall in love, get married and raise a family instead of working as a rancher.

Margaret had given up hope of finding a husband and having children. She had accepted that her life is on the ranch, but know matter how she explains it to her father, he won't listen to her.