Book Review: Kiera's Quest Awakenings by Kristy Brown

Kiera's Quest: Awakenings

Book One in Kiera's Quest series

A MuseItYoung Novella by: Kristy Brown

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 75

ISBN: 978-1-927085-91-2

Price: $3.50  

Available at MuseItUp Publishing , Smashwords  and major online booksellers.

Back Cover:

Meet Kiera, a pretty, intelligent, and talented girl, brought up by her uncle, and abandoned by her parents. Life is as normal as she believes it to be, apart from the deep ache inside her, telling her she’s different. For years, Kiera had dreams where she ventures into a different reality. She’s not alone; a presence is always there, keeping her safe, yet she feels vulnerable, and hunted.

Zakk, Prince of Zantar, is under the Witch Queen’s spell as she tries to take over his world. He crosses paths with Kiera, and their fates are entwined.

As their journey unravels, she learns that she is not the only one affected by this prince. Who is on her side? Will she find out why she has been chosen? How can someone so young, defeat such evil? Will she find the strength to save the ones closest to her? Will this be Kiera’s only Quest?

Book Review by J.Q. Rose

If you are a reader of fantasy, then you are in for a great read when you choose Kiera's Quest Awakenings. I loved the really, really wicked Queen and the complete opposite of wickedness, Kiera, the main character. The story is told in a quaint English language which adds to the atmosphere in the tale. 

Kids will identify with Kiera in her contemporary world of school and friends. But her life becomes woven together with Zakk, Prince of Zatar, who is from another world. The story has suspense, mystery, and dark action which may be too intense for young readers. 

The imaginative storytelling kept me turning pages.  I raced to the end of the story to discover what would happen to Zakk, Kiera, and her friends. I was disappointed to discover the story does not wrap up all the loose ends, but rather, Kiera has to go on another quest to discover the answers. There are two more books in the series. If you don't mind reading a serial, I think you would enjoy this lively story.

New Book Release: Julius Caesar Brown and the Green Gas Mystery

Please welcome imaginative children's author Ace Hansen to the Girls Succeed blog! You have got to read on to discover this fun and entertaining new book. It's a fun day. Not only do I get to giggle with Ace on this blog, but also I am a guest on Ace's blog. So hop on over and say hi and discover probably more than you'll ever want to know about me.

 The world is farting green! Who will stop the green gas crisis!

THE STORY BEHIND THE BOOK by Ace Hansen

Whilst I was cruising the Milky Way Galaxy in search of better tasting food, I crash landed into Meteor Crater, near Flagstaff, Arizona. Never having been on Earth, I hopped over to the closest city and began searching for nourishment. Everywhere I went people pointed and laughed, especially after I'd let out a few flaturific emissions. I couldn't understand why my green gas was so funny, until I realized Earthlings emissions were invisible! So I began to wonder, what if Earthlings started blowing greenies? 

The next thing I know, I'm being chased all over town by scary men in dark blue suits 'cause apparently you Earthlings think you have to pass around some kind of dark green and white paper in order to get the food you need. Crazy! So after spending a short stint behind bars, I figured I could get cash by making up funny stories for the miniature Earthlings, especially the ones who giggled and snorted every time they saw one of my green poofs. 

And thus JULIUS CAESAR BROWN AND THE GREEN GAS MYSTERY was born! 

Excerpt:

 Chapter One 

The real Julius Caesar conquered the world.

All I wanted was to conquer a simple spelling test.

“Having trouble?”

I set down my pencil and glared at Ben Purdee, the brainiest kid in fifth grade. “No problem.”

Yes, I had a problem. And it wasn’t just how to spell brocolee. Or was it brockoly?

Mrs. Tucker closed her book. “Time’s up. Pass them forward.”

I handed my test to Ivy Chen, who sat in front of me, and pushed my chair away from the desk. The legs scraped the floor. A loud, embarrassing noise echoed through the classroom. Heads turned. Ivy stared, her brown eyes wide as pie.

Ben nudged me and smirked. “Did you just—?”

“No. It was my chair. See?” I scooted back and forth trying to remake the suspicious sound, but I failed. Ben moved his desk away from mine. Ivy’s nose twitched. My cheeks grew hot. “It really was the chair,” I mumbled.

# # # #

Now go buy my book, so I can go buy some gummy worms. Or maybe you want to send me a big bag?

If you'd like to purchase JULIUS CAESAR BROWN AND THE GREEN GAS MYSTERY it's available as an ebook now and is coming in print Fall 2013:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

iBookstore
MuseItUp Publishing

About Ace:

Ace Hansen doesn’t pass green gas. The author grew up in a household of boys and knows all about deadly stinkers, tree houses, and scary neighbors.

   Ace enjoys all kinds of creepy things and has been known to devour entire bags of worms* while writing outrageous fiction.

*Gummy, of course. What were you thinking?

If you'd like to learn more about Ace (of course you do!) you can find him on:

Ace Hansen's Website

Twitter and Facebook

Five Star Book Review for Girls Succeed

Inspiring and empowering girls to achieve the careers of their dreams.

Really excited to receive such a glowing review of Girls Succeed. I especially smile when I read " highly recommended." Take a peek.


5.0 out of 5 stars Read, Learn, Be Inspired and Go for It! July 8, 2013

By Sarah M

Format:Kindle Edition

One of the most oft repeated advice of personal coaches, and I believe it to be excellent advice, is for one to surround oneself with individuals who radiate positive energy and a can do attitude; the kind of people who attain their sought after goals and who by doing so encourage and inspire others to pursue their passions and their dreams. In "Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women", J. Q. Rose facilitates an introduction to fifteen incredible women whose stories and achievements in a myriad of fields that include horse training, medicine, writing, athleticism, entrepreneurship, to name a few, are inspirational and motivating. If you are a young girl (or not so young) dreaming about a career in field you are passionate about and if you seek to infuse your life with an optimistic proactive vitality, add the ladies of J.Q. Rose's book to your circle of friends. A highly recommended well worth investment for girls and women of any age.

Girls Succeed Book Trailer:

Links to Girls Succeed

Smashwords Link http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/241825

Amazon Link  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009NY6ZAS

Kobo Link http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=girls+succeed%3A+stories+behind+the+careers+of+successful+women

Barnes and Noble Link http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/girls-succeed-jq-rose/1114041658?ean=2940045118033

Sony Link https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/j-q-rose/girls-succeed-stories-behind-the-careers-of-successful-women/_/R-400000000000000883970

Trailblazer: Alice Ramsey First Woman to Drive Across the USA 1909

Are you taking a road trip this summer? Traveling the Interstates and the highways that crisscross America? Imagine trying to drive across the United States in 1909 when there was only 152 miles of paved roads and in other places only muddy two tracks or Indian trails to lead you across the rugged country.

Alice's account of her journey across America in 1909.

Twenty-one year old Alice Ramsey was the trailblazing woman who set out from New York City and traveled over 3800 miles arriving in San Francisco, California worn out but exhilarated by her accomplishment which opened opportunities to women who wanted to drive cars and travel. She and her three female friends completed the sometimes muddy, sometimes dusty "road trip" in forty one days. They were plagued by flat tires, break downs, wrong directions, and more but they also celebrated milestones along the way.

Take a peek at this video about Alice's trip and Emily Andersen who re-enacted Alice's journey on the 100th anniversary of the ride which began June 9, 1909.

How would you like to take a road trip like this? No air conditioning, DVD player or even a radio, no fast food restaurants or even restaurants to stop for meals, and no gas stations or rest areas to stop for, well you know what I mean! 

Malala Yousafzai Speaks to the World

Malala Yousafzai is an extraordinary 16-year-old girl who has changed the world. This is a true story of a girl from Pakistan who stood up to fierce terrorists, the Taliban, who shot her in the head and neck to silence her. She fought back determined to live and carry her message of education for girls and rights for women to the world. The Taliban, a group of extremists, use force to get their way. They do not want women to have any rights and freedom. Malala changed that.

Because of her brave act of resistance to the Taliban, according to CNN.com, girls in her community have been emboldened to continue their education. Instead of shutting up Malala, she is now speaking up against the repression of women and appealing to the world's nations to educate the girls in their countries. In fact, Malala spoke to those nations at the United Nations today on her 16th birthday.

Video from Telegraph.com.uk

In her speech to the countries of the world gathered at the United Nations in New York City, she said "Let us pick up our books and our pens. They are our most powerful weapons," Malala urged. "One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first." --abcnews.com

Malala is a beacon to all girls and to all women to follow her lead to demand schooling for girls and the rights for every woman in the world.

Book Review: Author Lisa Orchard's The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer

I love the eye-catching book cover for Lisa Orchard's The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer. It certainly portrays the mystery and danger in the story. My review follows the synopsis.

Get in on the discussion at Lisa Orchard's blog today on how each of us are unique.

  The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer opens in a small town in Michigan where fifteen-year-old Sarah Cole is stuck spending the summer at her Aunt and Uncle’s with her sister, Lacey. She’s not happy with the situation until she befriends a girl named Jackie. The three girls stumble upon the ruthless murder of a reclusive neighborhood woman. One of the officers investigating the crime believes the girls are responsible for her death. Fearing that this officer will frame them for the murder, the girls organize their own detective squad. They become the Super Spies and start their own fact-finding mission.  The Super Spies can’t understand why anyone would want to murder the “Cat Lady” until they start digging into her past and discover a horrible crime that happened thirty years ago. They uncover a connection between the two crimes and attempt to bring this information to the police, only to be reprimanded for meddling in the inquest. Not only are the girls upset by the admonition, but they also struggle with the fact that their exuberant investigating could provide a legal loophole allowing the killer to go free. To make matters worse, the police don’t even believe them. Frustrated by this turn of events, the Super Spies realize it’s up to them to snare the Cat Lady killer, or die trying.

REVIEW:  Lisa Orchard's tale of murder in a small town is a romp through the minds and relationships of three girls who take on the task of discovering the murderer. Why, you ask, would teens want to find a killer? Because a policeman wants to "pin the murder" on the girls and they learn more about the dead woman who has lost a child. Orchard lays out the details in a an easy to read style and paces the book so the reader can discover clues and absorb the story as it develops. I enjoyed the easy banter between the girls and watching how their friendship becomes stronger throughout the scenes. I wonder if you will be able to figure out the murderer before the end of the book!

AMAZON LINK: 

The good news is there is a sequel to this book, and at this writing the e-books are priced at only 99 cents! Take a peek at the next mystery involving the Super Spies.

The Super Spies and the High School Bomber

This book opens in a small town in Michigan where Sarah and her sister Lacey are now living with their Aunt and Uncle. Still reeling from the fact her parents have disappeared, Sarah starts the school year with her new friend Jackie Jenkins. When Sarah learns the school has been bombed, she’s filled with dread. Uncle Walt is a teacher, and he was in the school when the bomb exploded. Taking matters into her own hands, Sarah decides to search for him. The rest of the Super Spies are right behind her. When a fireman chases them away from the school, Sarah becomes suspicious. She decides to investigate. The FBI arrives on the scene. Sarah realizes this bombing could have even bigger implications. Searching for the bombers, Sarah is introduced to the world of terrorism. She fears that the bombing and her parents’ disappearance are connected and terrorists are involved. To make matters worse, the bombers are determined to finish the job. Can the Super Spies find the bombers before it’s too late?

AMAZON BUY LINK

Happy Fourth!

Wishing you all a fantastic Fourth of July!

Be safe and don't eat too many hot dogs!!