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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Enter to Win an iPad Air and MANY more prizes for the blog giveaway in October!


We are celebrating author Claudia Y Burgoa's Birthday AND Halloween in October :)  Come and join in the fun and enter to win an iPad Air and many smaller prizes from lots of different blogs!  

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WS Momma Readers Nook's contribution is a $5.00 Amazon Gift Card


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Beginning on October 5th a winner will be selected for a prize leading up to the iPad Grand Prize giveaway.  Earlier winners for smaller prizes will still be eligible to win the grand prize too!


"Under Pressure" is the theme for this months Groovy Lab in a Box!

This is a sponsored post that contains affiliate links.

http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=870137&m=54395&b=626817

Do you have a child that just LOVES Science????  Then you really need to check out Groovy Lab in a Box!  Every month a different theme and new projects, this month is called "Under Pressure" :)

What Is This Month's Theme For Groovy Lab in a Box?

Are your STEMists fascinated with the weather? If so, they will love Groovy Lab in a Box's September's "Under Pressure" weather-themed box.

Here is this month's Engineering Design Challenge: Is that a storm brewing ahead? You can find out with your “Under Pressure” Groovy Lab in a Box! Using only the materials from your box, build a working weather station that allows you to measure humidity, rainfall, wind speed and direction, and atmospheric pressure.

Don't forget: Every Groovy Lab in a Box comes with our groovy, retro-themed Lab Notebook and access to Beyond...in a Box, their special web portal for additional activities and learning.

Be sure to start your subscription today so you can receive "Under Pressure" before it ships on September 30.

Click on the image at the top of this post to order your Groovy Lab in a Box today!  These make great gifts too and we all know how close Christmas is getting (ooops I said it the C word!)

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase I will receive compensation. 

Sunday, September 28, 2014

The Watcher by Lisa Voisin Book Blast and Giveaway!


Genre: Paranormal Romance

Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her. Can he face her without falling again?

Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings--soft and silent like snow--and somebody trying to steal them.

When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn't understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them--but not from any textbook.

In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both?

Ancient history is only the beginning.


~Excerpt~


Michael leaned against a nearby rock, still watching me. With the orange-cast light from the street lamp playing off his skin, shadowing the muscles of his shoulders and arms, and the flickering of golden light his halo cast around him, he looked positively heroic, like a statue of an ancient god.

“Where to now?” I asked, approaching him.

The wind had swept his hair into a tangle of curls splayed in every direction, forming a dark, shadowy crown of their own. I reached over to smooth it, as if doing so was the most natural thing in the world, and he brushed his hand up my spine. Even through my jacket, a burning heat coursed through me. Touching the back of my head, he found my braid and pulled it out. He twisted it between his fingers, examining it, then looked up at me, his gaze open, unguarded, his pupils as wide and black as the night sky. A flush warmed the back of my neck and I stood there mesmerized by him, unable to look away.

Arcing his other arm around me, he pulled me toward him and whispered, “I shouldn’t,” against the side of my face, as though it were a confession. Then, his lips cool and salty from the sea air, he kissed me with such tenderness it made my chest ache.

But I didn’t need tenderness. I needed him. Since the last time we’d kissed, I’d been so careful around him, trying not to cross the invisible line that would either damn him or scare him away. I couldn’t be careful anymore. Gripping the front of his shirt, I pulled him closer, and he locked his arms around me like I’d always wanted him to, like maybe he’d never let me go. Sitting on the rock, he gathered me into him, sliding me onto his lap. My thighs straddled his hips and he let out the softest of moans, his lips grazing my throat, the side of my neck, the line of my jaw, before returning to mine.

With a sharp inhale, he tensed and stopped kissing me. His eyes flashed a warning look—full of fear, as though he’d gone somewhere fathomless inside himself that he’d sworn he’d never go. Standing, he guided me off his lap. When he spoke, his voice took on a deep timbre.

“We’re not alone.”
  
Buy Links:  Amazon  Amazon.CA  Indie Bound  Kobo   Indigo

~Watch the Trailer~



~About the Author~

A Canadian-born author, Lisa Voisin spent her childhood daydreaming and making up stories, but it was her love of reading and writing in her teens that drew her to Young Adult fiction.

A self-proclaimed coffee lover, Lisa can usually be found writing in a local café. When she's not writing, you'll find her meditating or hiking in the mountains to counteract the side effects of drinking too much caffeine!

Though she’s lived in several cities across Canada, she currently lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her fiancĂ© and their two cats.


Author Links:  Twitter  Facebook  Website   Blog  Goodreads


~Giveaway~


Lisa is giving away a $10 Amazon GC during her tour.
For a chance to win please fill out the rafflecopter below.


Perfect Portions Digital Scale + Nutrition Facts Display Review


Perfect Portions Digital Scale + Nutrition Facts Display Review

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/b003cmyv58

Link to my review on Amazon:

PERFECT PORTIONS DIGITAL SCALE

#perfecportions

***My Personal Review***

Perfect portions is the perfect description for this scale!  It is right on the money each and every time.  No more questioning whether you are getting the proper amount of food for your diet or the appropriate amount of ingredients for your baking or cooking.  Nice size, not too big and not too small - fits perfectly into a space that a cookbook would fit into for storage and you can grab it and go whenever you want. 

Comes in 5 different colors - blue, red, silver, black and white.  I received the silver scale for my review.   This scale not only calculates weight but also surprisingly can deliver your percentage of daily value for several options including cholesterol, fiber and protein!  It also saves these totals, so it is a PERFECT solution for diabetics and people who really have to watch everything they eat.  Amazingly this also has a total of 1999 foods stored in memory PLUS you can add up to 99 of your own foods.  That is a huge amount and so it can handle pretty much any kind of food you need and you can customize it to your own needs.


This product is super easy to use, it has the smooth top on it so it will wipe right off, and I found it easy to use - you can basically consider the amounts on the side just like reading off of the box of food that you buy - with the exception that with this you can mix and match your OWN food and find out instead of trying to look at several different boxes/packages of food in the store and figure it out.  It is made of glass but it is sturdy and strong so I think it would take a lot to break it.  It also has fairly large keys on it so that people with larger fingers will have an easier time entering their information or pushing the buttons.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Gluten-Free Dining Cards Review


Gluten-Free Dining Cards Review

 http://www.amazon.com/Restaurant-American-Japanese-Vietnamese-Cuisines/dp/B000BWBPF6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411957980&sr=8-1&keywords=triumph+dining+cards

Link to my review on Amazon:

GLUTEN FREE DINING CARDS


#triumphdining

TRIUMPH WEBSITE

***My Personal Review***

These are amazing!  Anyone on a diet or who has to be on a gluten-free diet needs a set of these cards.  They are small and easy to carry in your purse or handbag, and they have so much information on them that can help.  Someone who has dealt with gluten-free foods for a long time might understand more, but for someone like me who knows nothing about gluten-free foods, these are great.  These basically are just laminated cards that come in 10 different languages that you can hand to your waiter and it will explain that you require a gluten-free menu or food so that you can stop worrying about having something in your food that will cause you problems.  


These would also be awesome if you were taking a trip outside of your native country and were not completely familiar with the language of the country you are in.  If you are allergic to gluten products then this would most definitely be a life-saver!  I have been to a few restaurants where they really take good precautions to avoid cross-contamination for those that have allergies, but most of them just state that if you have allergies don't dine here!  That should NOT be the case!  With the amount of people in todays society that have food allergies and celiac disease there should be more care taken in restaurants to accommodate those people.


Each card is also customized for each different type of food - like for Mexican food it will state no flour tortillas.  So you can be sure that the chef can quickly look over the cards and see what you can and cannot have.  Then you can make sure you get what you need!


Check out Triumph Dinings Website to order these cards today!  You won't be sorry and it could actually help you avoid something terrible!  Just check out their testimonials - a lot of people use them for many different purposes and have had wonderful experiences with them! 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Phantom Fit Reflective Ankle Bands Review

Phantom Fit Reflective Ankle Bands Review

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MN21BII/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Link to my review on Amazon:

PHANTOM FIT ANKLE BANDS

#phantomfit

PHANTOM FIT WEBSITE

***My Personal Review***

This is my second Phantom Fit item to review, I was lucky enough to get the Loop Bands as well and they were amazing as are these :)  If you are a runner or do ANYTHING at night these are a great way to stay safe.  They are amazing for exercising and still being able to be seen at the same time.  They come in a neon green with black lines on the top and bottom and also come with a handy little carrying case so they fit into practically anywhere including a purse.  I found them to be extremely stretchy and easy to wear, and you don't need batteries to make them work!  They are both reflective and will give you double the visibility up to 1000 feet away.  And as I said before they are not just for runners, you can put these on your kids when they are going to be out after dark walking - these would be AMAZING for Halloween!  They fit well, I am a large person and they still fit my ankles and my wrists.  You can also wear them on the tops of your arms if they fit.  They have a REALLY strong velcro on them, and unlike some velcro where stuff gets stuck in it and after a few times it won't work well this did not do that, it maintained the strength and as long as you keep them in their bag you will find that they give you a great fit!  One thing I did notice is that they are a bit tight in the beginning but as you wear them they loosen up a little bit.  But I would definitely grab a pair or two of these for the price and keep them on hand even if you are not an exerciser!


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Sing-Along Construction Song by Louise Lintvelt Book Review Blitz!!! Ages 1 to 5 :)

About the Book

Title: Sing-Along Construction Song | Author: Louise Lintvelt | Illustrator: Julie Sneedon | Publication Date: August 11, 2014 | Publisher: Independent | Pages: 32 | Recommended Ages: 1 to 5

Summary:  
** This book features vivid illustrations and kindle pop-up text**
** A free song download for this book is available at LouiseLintvelt.com **
A fun sing-along book for little construction enthusiasts.  Visit the construction site early in the morning and join the rough and tough construction vehicles, as they go about their daily work.

The Early Buzz About the Book

“This may very well be the most beautiful construction book on the market – definitely the best I’ve ever seen on the subject.  Sing-Along Construction Song has gorgeous watercolor illustrations and the rhymes are quite obviously very well thought out. This book makes the PERFECT read-aloud for an all-age group and isn’t just a “boy book”. ~ 5 Star Review, Jenny, Amazon

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***My Personal Review***

 This is a great book for little kids - I think boys would like it more because of the theme but it is so cute that a lot of girls would be interested as well :)  The author tells the story of the construction vehicles to the tune of "All Around the Mulberry Bush" and so you can either just read it or you can sing it to your own music!  My daughter loved it, she loves music so having mommy sing her a book was absolutely awesome to her.  Not only does it tell the story through song, but the ebook also comes with an audio download to help you sing it!  The story explains what each vehicle does in the construction process, like a dump truck and a crane - and the story is put into little "dirt boxes" to make it look like they are surrounded by the dirt.  SUPER CUTE!  The illustrator has done a superb job with this book, the vehicles are not just sedentary vehicles, but they have eyes and are literally brought to life on the page for kids.  So when they are reading it they actually get the sense that the vehicle characters are actually the ones singing the words.  Every page was a whole page of illustration, not just a certain portion or certain pages - so the illustrations were just as much a part of this book as the story itself.  They are very nice, look kind of like watercolor but much more in-depth.  I have to give this book 5 stars, I would give it 10 if I could!  It was such a great and cute read, perfect for 1-5 year olds :)

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About the Author: Louise Lintvelt

I am from South Africa and I live in a city called Pretoria. I am a Chemical Engineer by day and a children’s book writer by night. I am married to a wonderful man and we have a beautiful two year old daughter called Allegra. I love writing stories for my daughter, who is a constant inspiration.
Louise LintveltI have always loved reading. My childhood was filled with books and you would often find me crouched the corner of my room devouring the pages of my favourite book. I lived for Tuesday mornings as this would bring with it the excitement of a trip to the local library for story hour and the opportunity to take home a new book. I was the local librarian’s worst nightmare. I would arrive a few minutes early to check that she had not mistakenly chosen a book that had already been read in story hour.
I was a very bossy three year old with an insatiable appetite for books! This has not really changed much in the last twenty seven years. Dr. Seuss was my absolute favourite and to say that my copy of One, Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish was well read would be an understatement.
When it comes to writing, my daughter is my biggest inspiration. I love seeing her face light up with excitement when we sit down to read a book before bedtime. My daughter was fascinated by giraffes after we went on a safari trip in late 2012. This planted the seed for my picture book called How Andrew Got His Spots which is a rhyming adaptation of a story I originally wrote in the third grade. My daughter has since grown into a healthy two year old with a passion for aircraft which was the inspiration for writing Goodnight, Sleep Tight, What a Wonderful Flight.
I am sure that there are many parents in the world (myself included), who are quite decidedly sick and tired of reading the same favourite picture book night after night. I believe that the words of Oscar Wilde best describe how children should feel about picture books when he said, If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.
Happy Reading!

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Amazon Author Page  Author Blog  |  Google+

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Parallax by Paul Williams Blog Tour!

Title: Parallax
Author: Paul Williams
Release Date: September 2014
Publisher: Illusio & Baqer


Danny Anderson lives in Sulphide, a copper mining town in the outback of Australia. Taking refuge from a gang of bullies who tortures animals, he and his two friends Jennifer and Gustave discover a parallel universe through a cave. In this universe, bullies are eaten by the animals they torture, Animal Police arrest people for the crime of cannibalism (eating meat), and pain inflicted on others is felt by the perpetrators.

But far from being the Eden they first envision, it is a frightening world where justice is harsh. They escape into a series of worlds, but each parallel universe is worse than the previous one, until they discover a perfect utopia, where—it seems—everything they wanted the world to be is true: animal suffering is abolished, humans live in harmony with nature, and justice is done—but not all is as perfect as it appears.



About the Author
Paul Williams has his PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin, and is now a Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of the Sunshine Coast. He has published fiction, young adult novels, a memoir, educational readers, short stories and articles, and his books have been set in schools across Africa. Paul currently resides in Australia and you can learn more about him on his Website (http://paul-a-williams.com/)

Interview Questions

What inspired you to write your first book? I love reading young adult literature, but I was living in a place where no YA novels were set, so I decided to write one about the place I lived.

Do you have a specific writing style? 
I tend to just pour out my soul, emotions and over write and then edit by trying to be minimalist, cutting every unnecessary word.
How did you come up with the title? 
I had many ideas for titles, but I wanted to find a scientific word that somehow explained the idea of parallel worlds.Parallax means ‘alteration’ in Greek and is about how objects look in a different place. In my novel, the whole world is altered and seen from a different angle.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? 
Yes: I think the message is obvious, but for those who don’t get it, it’s about being kind to all animals… and treating them with respect.
How much of the book is realistic? 
A lot! When I was eleven years old, I felt this burning sense of the world being wrong, and wanted to change it. I also lived in a pokey little mining town in the middle of nowhere, like my characters, who are seeking some adventure to make their lives exciting.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? Based on me. I wanted so badly for there to be an entrance to another parallel world somewhere and used to fantasize about the caves I explored, wishing behind that crevice there would be a portal to another world.  

What books have influenced your life most? 
My dad read Huckleberry Finn to me when I was young and that stuck in my mind somehow, about a young boy trying to fight against the whole of his society, and be himself, to be free.
 
What book are you reading now? 
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler. It’s about a young girl who (***Spoiler Alert!!!***) is brought up with a chimpanzee as her ‘sister’. Amazing story. Amazing title too!

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? 
The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared  by Jonas JonassonI was captivated by the title and as soon as I began to read it, the story swallowed me up! (I seem to be influenced by interesting titles!)
What are your current projects? Can you share a little of your current work with us? I am working on the sequels to Parallax with the same characters Danny, Jennifer and Gustave who return to their home town to find it all bought by some mine corporation which is destroying the places they grew up in. They have to do something -- maybe get help from another world!

Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members. My English teacher believed in me at school and supported me experimenting with my writing and going ‘outside the box’.

Do you see writing as a career? 
Yes. I write all the time and hope one day to make enough money to quit my day job!
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? 
No, I think I like it as it is. I did rewrite it a lot and changed so many things, but finally I am happy with the characters and the story.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? 
From reading! I loved entering imaginary worlds and didn’t want to come out into the ‘real’ world.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? 
Trying to get the writing to be like the picture I have in my head.
Do you have any advice for other writers? 
Don’t give up. It takes time to get it right, and you have to be OK with failure and feeling that it doesn’t work. Because one day it will work if you persist.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? 
The book is for middle grade readers because the characters are age 11. But I didn’t write it just for younger readers: the book deals with big issues that all readers would appreciate, and issues that adults also need to deal with.
What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?
I set this novel in an imaginary mining town in the middle of the Outback in Australia, so I had to do a lot of research about what such a town would be like. I used the mining town I grew up in but had to make it more ‘Australian’. I also had to research the slang kids use around here as well.
What genre do you consider your book(s)? 
MG/Young Adult speculative fiction. It’s one of those stories that begins with the idea-- ‘what if?” What if the world could be exactly how you want it? What if there are parallel worlds that are almost like this one but slightly different?  
Do you ever experience writer's block? 
Yes! I often get stuck with ideas and what to do next with my story and characters. I usually need a lot of dreaming time to think about what happens next. But sometimes the story just comes to me and I have to write it down as fast as I can before it disappears. When I get writer’s block, I sometimes just go over the stuff I’ve already written and edit it, and the ideas start coming back to me.
Do you write an outline before every book you write? 
Yes and no. When I write an outline and I never stick to it because the characters always take the story somewhere else. I prefer to start with an idea or a feeling or an image and go from there, trust my intuition!
Have you ever hated something you wrote? Often. When I hate something I have written, it’s often because I haven’t got it right yet. When I get it right, I stop hating it.
While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters?
I identify mostly with the main character Danny Anderson, because he is exactly how I used to be at that age, a little insecure, with big ideas to change the world, in love, always ready for an adventure. But I also identify with the other characters. If I had been born a girl, I would want to be exactly like Jennifer: strong headed, stubborn and a tom boy.
What are your expectations for the book?I want people to love reading it! I want it to be a book readers will talk about to their friends and say ’have you read this?


The Emissary Blog Tour and Giveaway!


ABOUT THE EMISSARY:

Title: The Emissary

Publication date: September 23, 2014

Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.

Author: Kristal Shaff



For hundreds of years, dark clouds covered the skies of Adamah, and an ageless king ruled. Those who emerged with one of six extraordinary Shay powers were forced into the king’s army, an unmatched force with inhuman Strength, Speed, Accuracy, Perception, Empathy, and Healing. With the army behind him, the king—a man who wields all six abilities—was invincible and unquestioned in his rule. To most, serving the king was an honor. But for others, it was a fate worse than death.



When seventeen-year-old Nolan Trividar witnesses the transformation of his brother from kind to cruel after entering the king’s army, he vows never to follow the same path.



So when his own power—the Shay of Accuracy—comes upon him at the Tournament of Awakening, Nolan conceals his emergence instead of joining the king’s ranks. For years, he traitorously hides his power, pretending to be only a gifted scribe. But when Nolan comes face -to-face with a deserter, the man discovers his secret.



To evade detection and a death sentence, Nolan escapes with the deserter and flees into a night filled with dark creatures who steal both powers and souls. He joins a resistance, a village hidden deep in the forest, filled with others who secretly wield a Shay. But his peace is short-lived when they discover that the dark clouds, undead creatures, their own decreasing powers, and even the king, are all connected.


   

Purchase Links:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | IndieBound

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***Author Interview***



What was the hardest part of writing your book? 

If you would’ve asked me years ago, I would’ve said the first draft was the hardest. And in most cases, I would still answer in the same way. Getting the first draft on paper is challenging for me. But after sooo many edits of THE EMISSARY, I would definitely say the last several passes were the absolute hardest, even more so than the draft. I’d reached a point where I had to force myself through every. Single. Sentence. It’s hard to see things objectively after editing so much. It becomes easy to just gloss over the words. So at the finish line is the most challenging, imo.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? 

Oh, I learned tons. When I first started writing this book, I’d been out of English class for quite a few years. It’s amazing how much you forget when you don’t practice a skill. So I had to relearn a lot of grammar. I studied many books on writing and figured out what to do and what NOT to do. I also learned the importance of editing. Writing a book isn’t just slapping it on paper and calling it done. It’s a process. A long one, too. And you learn each time you go through it.

While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters?

Always. Writing, in many ways, is a form of acting. You need to mentally be your characters to really get in their heads

Do you ever experience writer's block? 

Almost every time I sit down to write I experience a form of writer’s block. Sometimes it comes from myself. Sometimes it comes in the form of these strange beings that run around my house...otherwise known as “my kids”. It varies. And every once in a while, I get the glorious moment when words spill from my fingers. Usually that’s when my kids have to ask me a question, so it doesn’t last long when it happens. :)

Have you ever hated something you wrote? 

Frequently.  Hating what you write is a part of being a writer. I think a person should be more concerned if you believe your writing is perfect. If you look at your writing and see the flaws, use it as an opportunity to improve. And even if you love something you’ve written, it’s a good chance you won’t when you read it the next day. It’s the curse of being a writer.

What is your favourite theme/genre to write about? 

I love the creativeness of fantasy. It’s fun to see what emerges from your imagination.

Can you share a little of your current work with us? 

Certainly! My current work is a Middle Grade Speculative fiction, about a boy who is half Native American. Through a series events, he learns that the world of Native American mythology is real.
 
What are your expectations for the book?

My expectations for THE EMISSARY? I’ve learned not to have expectations. I would much rather go along for the ride. The problem with being a writer and having a creative mind, is that you can imaging quite magnificent things, such as becoming a bestselling author and getting that movie deal. At this point, I’m just happy to finally have my book in the world. Though, in all honesty, it terrifies me, too. Writing is such a personal thing, where people can see the darkest reaches of your mind. So my hope, not expectation, is that I get lots of people to read and enjoy disappearing in my world.
 

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ABOUT KRISTAL SHAFF:

 

Kristal Shaff grew up with books (and used to drive her mom crazy when she wouldn’t leave the library); her first job was even shelving books at the library. She loves anything creative, and you can often find her exploring strange and fantastical worlds in her choices of movies and fantasy fiction. Kristal resides in Iowa with her farmer husband, numerous pets, and 3 awesome  kids (plus one more on the way though the journey of adoption). When she isn’t writing, she is a professional face painter who enjoys making children smile.



 





Author Links:  Website  | Twitter Facebook | Goodreads

Five winners will receive a digital copy of The Emissary (INT)


a Rafflecopter giveaway