Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Review - Mark Of Evil

Mark of Evil
The End Series, book 4
By Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall
Publisher: Zondervan
Pub. Date: February 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-0310334545
Pages: 416

Review:

There have been many 'end of times' fiction novels written over the years, but the best has been the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. After the series ended, Tim LaHaye teamed up with author Craig Parshall for The End Series. For some reason, I thought the series concluded with Brink of Chaos, but I was wrong, as the fourth novel, Mark of Evil arrived in bookstores last month.

Similar to the Left Behind series, the rapture has occurred and millions of people have disappeared in the blink of an eye. The non-Christians (of the sinners) are the only ones that remain on Earth, as the Antichrist reign of terror is about to begin.

Mark of Evil centers on Ethan March, who has now become a Christian after the rapture. Ethan, along with Jimmy Louder, Rivka Reuban and other believers are hiding from the Global Alliance Police, whom are under the influence of the Antichrist.

This is unlike the world we have known, there are now BID-Tag implants in people, robotic police units and flying drone-bots, in which all of these things are used to stop the believers from spreading God's message to others.

5 Fun Facts About After The Summerland


Hello Coffee Addicted Writer readers! I’m Patricia Proctor, author of the Witches of Spring Hill series. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to share with you a little about my first book in the series, After the Summerland. It’s a paranormal coming of age story about teen triplets that discover the purpose of their existence, explore new powers, new relationships, and overcome family secrets, all while becoming stronger witches. Here are some facts about my book that not many people know...




5 Facts about My Book That Might Surprise You

1. The idea for the book came from a dream I had about three teens that discover they are the reincarnation of witches. I didn’t know what else was going to happen until I sat down to write, but the main idea came straight out of my dreams. So write down those dreams as soon as you wake up— you never know what will come of them!

2. When I initially brainstormed about this story, the Alexander triplets were all going to be girls. Then I decided it would be more interesting to throw a male witch into the mix, and voila! Kaiden was created. I think adding the male perspective gave all the characters a little more depth. It created a brother/sister relationship that added an interesting dynamic between the characters. It also gave me the chance to introduce a female witch opposite him that he could fall for!

3. Although there isn’t actually a Spring Hill, North Carolina, much of the scenery and the idea of the town is based on small towns I’ve visited when I lived in North Carolina. I lived in Greensboro, NC for three years and had the wonderful opportunity to explore the state a great deal. I was charmed by the history in the small towns, enthralled with the forests and parks, and inspired by the mountains and the ocean. And since I had my dream while I lived there, it made perfect sense for me to create Spring Hill, North Carolina as the setting for my first book.

Review - Princess Ever After

Princess Ever After
The Royal Wedding Series
By Rachel Hauck
Publisher: Zondervan
Pub. Date: February 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-0310315506
Pages: 368
Buy Link: Paperback, Kindle
Blog Tour

Review:
 
There have been a huge surge of wonderful books being released this year, especially sequels. Last month, Rachel Hauck released the second installment in The Royal Wedding Series titled Princess Ever After. Yes, I know this is a romance novel, but if you have followed my blog regularly, then you would know I do like reading romances.

Princess Ever After is a modern day fairy tale, which centers on a simple small-town girl, Regina Beswick. (Isn't Regina the name of the wicked mayor/queen on ABC's Once Upon a Time?)  She is living an ordinary life working at classic auto restoration shop. Let doesn't know that she is actually a real life princess.

Tanner Burkhardt is the Minister of Culture for the Grand Duchy of Hessenberg, who has been assigned the task of hunting down the heir to Heseenberg - the-long-princess, Regina Beswick. It seems Regina's ancestors fled Hesseenberg in the early 1900s and she was never told about her heritage, until now.

DVD Review - Slugterra: Heroes Of The Underground

Slugterra: Heroes Of The Underground
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Retail: $12.99
ASIN: B00GSTHC5I
Running Time: 110 minutes
Rating: TV-Y7

Review:

Though I consider myself a cartoon buff, there are many new animation series that slip by my radar screen, including Slugterra, which is a Canadian animated series that airs on Disney XD. Shout! Factory has been releasing the series on DVD, which the newest volume titled Slugterra: Heroes Of The Underground arrives in stores tomorrow, featuring five exciting episodes. Bonus features are "Drawing Your Own Slugs!"and Slugisodes.

The series centers on Eli Shane, a young man who is determined to become the best slug-slinging hero anybody has ever seen on Slugteera. Along with his friends (Pronto Geronimole, Beatrice "Trixie" Sting and Kord Zane), Eli  Shane goes after the dreadful Dr. Thaddius Blakk and his goons, slugs and ghouls.

The five episodes on the single-disc DVD are:

Monday, March 3, 2014

Snickers Ultimate Movie Giveaway Pack

Last night during the 86th Annual Academy Awards, Snickers debuted their newest commercial. Snickers can make a delicious snack, as it has a blend of chocolate, peanuts, caramel and nougat, which can provide #MONSTERSATISFACTION.



To celebrate the release of the new Snickers “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” commercial, Snickers wants to hear about your most satisfying movie experience. So tweet with the #MONSTERSATISFACTION hashtag about that incredible first date, or the first time you saw your favorite movie of all time on the big screen.



Giveaway Details:

The Book Thief Blu-ray Giveaway

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE YOUNG ADULT NOVELS TURNED INTO MOVIES 


To celebrate the March 11th Blu-ray and DVD release of The Book Thief, the film adaptation of Markus Zusak’s bestselling novel starring Sophie Nelisse and Geoffrey Rush, we’re taking a look at some of the best young adult literature that has made the move to the silver screen in recent years.

Harry Potter

The mother of all young adult book franchises also became one of the highest-earning movie franchises in history. The films have grossed over $7.7 billion worldwide and launched the careers of young acting phenoms Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe.

The Hunger Games

America’s reigning sweetheart, Jennifer Lawrence, was already an Oscar-nominee before landing the coveted role of Katniss Everdeen in the adaptation of the outrageously popular book trilogy by Suzanne Collins, but the film’s success made her an international superstar.

The Twilight Saga

It’s hard to imagine a world where teens didn’t erupt in fits of excitement at the mere mention of Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner, but before the 2008 adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s tale of supernatural young love hit theaters, both were relatively unknown.

DVD Review - The Venture Bros.: The Fantastic Fifth Season

The Venture Bros. The Fantastic Fifth Season
Studio: Cartoon Network/Turner Home Enertainment
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Retail: $24.98
ASIN: B00GSSD73K
Running Time: 198 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Since 2001, Cartoon Network has had an Adult Swim lineup of animation and a few live-action series aimed for young adults and adults. One of the most popular series from Adult Swim is The Venture Bros., a spoof of Johnny Quest, which the sixth season is currently in product for either a Fall 2014 or Early 2015 premiere. Until then, fans can enjoy tomorrow's release of The Venture Bros.: The Fantastic Fifth Season, featuring all eight episodes and two specials. Special features include deleted scenes and commentaries from the series creator Jackson Publick and writer, director, and executive producer Doc Hammer.

The series focus on fraternal twins, Hank and Dean Venture, as they try to have a normal teenage life. They live with their father Dr. Thaddeus "Rusty" Venture at the Venture Industries, which was created by their late grandfather, Jonas Venture. Since their grandfather's death, the Venture Industries has slowly declined, though there is still a base on Skull Island and a space station called Gargantua-1.

Season five picks up shortly after the climax ending of season four, sending the Venture Bros. and crew to the steamy jungles of Central America, to the sands of the Greek Islands and to the jagged cliffs of By-Golly Glutch, as they try to out think their enemies.