Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Q&A with Joe Vercillo, author of Age Six Racer



Now available from Wild Thorn Publishing is the coming of age adventure Age Six Racer by Joe Vercillo.




The author has taken a few minutes out of his  busy schedule for a Q&A about his novel. 



When did you become interested in storytelling?

I started songwriting when I was about 12, which is sort of like storytelling I guess. But I’ve always had a wild imagination, and Age Six Racer was a combination of that and life experiences.

What was your first book/story published?

AGE SIX RACER is my first!

What inspired you to write Age Six Racer?

Last summer I found a dead mouse in the garage. I made a joke about the mouse’s back story to my fiancé, who is an indie author, and she encouraged me to turn it into a book (haha).

What character in Age Six Racer is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Release Day Tuesday: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Available today on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and On-Demand from Lucasfilm is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story!

Directed by Gareth Edwards ("Godzilla"), the film marks the first standalone Star Wars movie. It stars Felicity Jones (“The Theory of Everything,” “Like Crazy”), Diego Luna (“Milk,” “Elysium”), Ben Mendelsohn (“Bloodline,” “Animal Kingdom”), Mads Mikkelsen (“Casino Royale,” TV’s “Hannibal”), Alan Tudyk (“Frozen,” “I, Robot”), Riz Ahmed (“Nightcrawler,” “Jason Bourne”) and Forest Whitaker (“The Last King of Scotland,” “The Butler”).

Best Buy; Walmart
Bonus Features include:

A Rogue IdeaHear how ILM’s John Knoll came up with the movie’s concept – and why it’s the right film to launch the Star Wars stand-alone films.

Jyn: The RebelGet to know Rogue One’s defiant, resourceful survivor, and hear what it was like for Felicity Jones to bring her to life onscreen.

Cassian: The SpyDiego Luna shares insights into his complex, driven character, who becomes a hero through selflessness, perseverance and passion.

Review - Because You're Mine


Thomas Nelson; 226 pages; $12.99; Amazon

One of my go-to authors I can always rely on for a good read is USA Today bestselling author Colleen Coble, who has written dozens of novels, from historical romances to contemporary ones. Whenever any of her new titles becomes available to review, I eagerly sign up to review each one; which happens to the case for Because Your Mine. I had signed up to review it back in late December or early January through the Book Look program from Thomas Nelson, but I'm just now getting around to reviewing it.

The novel centers on Alanna, a pregnant Irish singer who's husband, Liam, was killed in a car bombing while their Celtic band was on tour in Charleston, South Carolina. Why would someone kill her husband? Well, at least that's the question both Alanna the police are asking.

Before she can even mourn Liam's death, her father-in-law is threatening to fight for custody of her unborn child. Fearing the possible loss her child, Alanna agrees to marry her agent, Barry, so she can stay in the country, and hopefully protect her child.

Monday, April 3, 2017

Review - Broken Glass by V.C. Andrews

*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.
Pocket Books; 440 pages; $7.99; Amazon

I hate to admit that I've fallen behind, yet again, on my reviews. I meant to review Broken Glass on it's release date on February 28th, but thanks to a few setbacks, an unwanted cold/flu bug, and a few other things that I not going to talk about on here, I have gotten terribly behind on writing my posts.

Published by Pocket Books, Broken Glass is the second in the Mirror Sisters series. Despite the fact that the name V.C. Andrews is printed on the cover, she's not the author. The real V.C. Andrews died in 1986. Shortly after her death, a ghostwriter, Andrew Neiderman was hired to write under name.

It's no big secret that I'm not the biggest fan of ghostwriter's work in recent years. The books have loss their Gothic vibe and have slowly turned into the run-of-the-mill young adult thrillers. A few of these titles are decent reads, while others are horribly written. In my humble opinion, it's time for a new ghostwriter, preferably a female author who can write in a Gothic tone, but until then (if ever) I will tolerate the current novels and hope for the best.

In the first novel Mirror Sisters (you can read my review here), we (us readers) were introduced to Haylee and Kaylee Fitzgerald, identical twins who shared literally everything thanks to their controlling mother. It ended in a cliffhanger with Haylee planning on meeting up with an older man she had met on the internet. Not feeling very well on that very night, and not wanting to disappoint the man, she talks her sister, Kaylee, into taking her place. Unexpected to them, the man happens to be a nutcase and kidnaps Kaylee.

Q&A with Annette Drake, author of Building Celebration House




Now available from Baskethound Books is the paranormal romance Building Celebration House by Annette Drake.





The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.



When did you become interested in storytelling?

I remember writing my first song when I was six years old!

What was your first book/story published?

My debut novel, “Celebration House,” was published by a small press in 2013. Last year, I bought the rights back to the book, revised, and republished it on March 1st. “Building Celebration House” is the first installment of this trilogy.

What inspired you to write Building Celebration House?

I woke from a dream with the characters and plot clear in my mind. I jotted down everything I could remember and began working. When I had a brief period of unemployment in 2013, I finished the book.

What character in Building Celebration House is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Is There a Way to Make Sure You Are Sending the Perfect Easter Gift?

*This is a sponsored post.

The Easter holiday is nearly upon us. This means that it's time to start thinking about Easter egg hunts, bunny suits, visits to your local church, and all manner of holiday celebrations. It's also time to consider whether or not you are equipped to start handing out the Easter gifts. If you have children, you will naturally want to make sure that they get their share of Easter eggs and candy. You'll probably want to include all of this in a sweet little Easter basket, especially if they are still very young. But what can you do for friends and relatives who may live far away on the other side of Canada?

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Review - The Berenstain Bears: Bless Our Pets


Zonderkidz; 24 pages; $3.99; Amazon
Now available from Zonderkidz is the newest entry in the Berenstain Bears' picture book franchise, titled "Blessed Our Pets" written and illustrated by Mike Berenstain, the son of the original creators Stan and Jan Berenstain.

Many of the newer titles have added Christian themes to the plots, which have received mixed reactions from older fans (readers) of the series.

"Bless Our Pets" centers on the Chapel in the Woods having a "Blessing of the Animals" event, where the Preacher Brown is going to bless everyone's pets. Of course Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear are excited that they get to bring their pets, Little Lady (a dog), Gracie (a cat), and Cutesy (a parakeet), to church with them.

Almost the entire population of Bear Country bring their pets to the blessing. There are animals of all kinds there. Everything goes as plan, well, until a dog chases a cat up a tree and then all chaos occurs.