GHBT- Orenda by Ruth Silver- Review

Orenda
Orenda #1 
By Ruth Silver
Genre- YA/MG Fantasy
Published By- Patchwork Press

Join forces with a parallel universe.

Dark forces, magical creatures, and the world Lil thought she knew collide when a dream transports her to the strange world of Orenda. Stunned and terrified, Lil comes face to face with her doppelganger, Willow, who possesses the ability to travel between the two worlds. Everything Lil knows logically says that Orenda can’t exist, but a small clue may be proof that it was more than an ordinary dream. With the threat of her sister in danger, Lil crosses dimensions but it may cost her even more than she bargained for.

A sword wielding girl, the eternal suit, and a parallel universe come together in this action-packed Young Adult fantasy adventure that will keep readers of all ages turning the pages. Orenda is the first novel in the Orenda series.

GHBT- Review- Eyes of the Enemy by Kelly Hess + Giveaway

Eyes of the Enemy

BlackMyst Trilogy

By: Kelly Hess

Genre: YA/MG Fantasy

Publication Date: August 26, 2014 

Published By: Booktrope Publishing 

When a rogue band of the dreaded Sorak attacks his village, twelve-year-old Beynn Firehand escapes into the darkness of BlackMyst Forest to find help. During his quest, Beynn discovers his own powerful magic abilities. 

The price of his newfound powers, however, may be higher than he ever imagined.

GHBT- Benjamin McTish Series Review Blast- Benjamin McTish and the Wizards of Coranim by June M. Pace Review

Benjamin McTish and The Wizards of Coranim 

Benjamin McTish Book #2 

By- June M. Pace 

Genre- YA/Fantasy 

Book Two in the Benjamin McTish Series 

Benjamin and his friends find themselves on a ridiculously amazing ride through all that is the World of Coranim. From the enchanting magical city of Na’Talom and the splendiferous flying contraptions of one, Pips P. Toggleton, inventor slash artist of the extraordinary, to the far off outer edge Steam Powered Metropolis of Pancilet, with the expanse of Aurorus Jungle residing in between. And always close by is their mentor and guide, Esmerelda Fet, the endearing but brash Light Sorceress and the most accomplished Medicine Elder alive. 

The Wickcliff sisters receive the utmost in unique lessons in the Land of the Winter Light from three very idiosyncratic Wizards, while Benjamin finds himself confronting the most elusive individual yet, an Aboriginal Gnome Wizard known as Locke, who is able to tweak at Benjamin’s psyche every chance he gets. 

This journey broadens in scope with the addition of two family members who find themselves in the Gilley Forest in search of the missing children. After their shocking encounter with the Dark Queen in her battle of monumental proportions with the Villa, we find Claire and Emmagene traveling with the Elves to their home in the Darmon. Once in the Elven city they are inundated with the mystery and the magic of such mind boggling wonders as the Transcendental Collay Birds and the Na Temple. They also meet up with a quirky character known as Beedlebee, a Mystic Seer who owns the Shoppe of Insight and shakes up the status quo. Can they make their way into Pancilet to find Benjamin, Annabel and Mathilda...or what of Edward, Braxton and Emeline? Did they, along with the rest of the Chickerings make their way safely into Pancilet? Is everyone out of danger from the wrath that is Tar Vigorn?

The sites and bustling of the Wizard city of Pancilet is an overload to the senses as great devices of transport wheel down the glistening cobblestone roads. Parasols and Top Hats dot the sidewalk strolls of the button gloved shoppers on their way to the nearest Pub for afternoon libations. However, all is not as it seems...nor is it ever, dear reader....there are a few surprises yet in store for you as you delve into the deep waters of Coranim and the ever mysterious story of a family that appears to have some very deep secrets of their own.

Our journey begins exactly where last we left....in a Shoppe, in a magical little city in another dimension and a portrait of a woman....a woman wearing the necklace belonging to a Vila...

 

Benjamin McTish and the Wizards of Coranim is the second book in the Benjamin McTish Series by June M. Pace. This story continues with the same entertaining characters in Benjamin McTish and the Door Through the Grandfather Tree (review HERE), but now they are swept into the magical world of Coranim, along with many other amazing places. Pace describes the worlds she has created with such beauty that it is impossible not to see everything blossoming into amazingness in your mind when you read it.

I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm going to keep it brief, but I can say if you enjoyed the first book in this series you will not be disappointed. Pace keeps the humor up while the action rolls and pierces your heart. Definitely one of those reads that throws you on the edge of your seat without giving you a stroke. If you liked the Harry Potter series, you can't go wrong here!

My Rating:

June lives with her soon to be husband and best friend Ray, with his youngest son and their two dogs, seven chickens and two ducks, in Santa Cruz Ca. Ray’s two older kids live respectively in LA and San Francisco.

June spends her days writing and sometimes painting her well known series of Rock n Roll icons. June and Ray are designing a line of unique, one of a kind, hand-made furniture/accessories, coming out the winter of 2013, Madrona Rust.

This series of work, the McTish characters, are a part of June in every sense of the word. “This work brings a deep sense of joy and passion for me in a very profound way, like nothing else that I do.”

   

*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews---we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

GHBT- Benjamin McTish Series Review Blast- Benjamin McTish and the Door Through the Grandfather Tree Review

Benjamin McTish and the Door Through the Grandfather Tree

Benjamin McTish Book #1 

By- June M. Pace

Genre- YA/Fantasy 

It’s Harry Potter meets the Celestine Prophecy in this magical and thrilling ride! The McTish Series is an explosive adventure through a dimensional Gateway into another world, a world of beauty and magic, Coranim...a land of insight, thought and possibilities, that sits beneath the enchanted Gilley Forest. 

There is local legend in the small town of Grandlochcheshire that has been passed down for a 100 years about the mysterious disappearance of the Chickering family, that trails on the coat tails of the equally shocking abduction of the Skeffington Union Rails heirs, Connor and Shelbe. The circumstances that follow this notorious tale enter into the modern world of Benjamin and his two best mates. 

One day Benjamin watches from behind the Rhododendron as a mysterious little woman steps out of a taxi in front of the cream colored house with the forest green trim next door and in one synchronistic moment their eyes lock and a series of visual snippets of unfamiliar events unfold in his mind’s vision. His razor sharp sixth sense allows him the freedom to explore the extrasensory messages coming at him in a frenzied speed, like a derailed freight train.

And when Benjamin finds a peculiar old relic of a key in his grandmother’s garden shed, he could never know his world was about to change forever.

Annabel and Mathilda, two sisters who have moved to Grandlochcheshire from America, have become more than mere friends to Benjamin, they have all become the three Muskydeers (Mathilda’s mispronounced version of Musketeers, which was a huge laugh and of course it stuck), as they are plunged head first into this curious journey. 

In the Gilley Forest they discover that the path they have chosen is inundated with many obstacles as well as intrigue. Alliances are made with the Forest clan of Gnomes known as the Set, and with the aid of the Vila sisters, Sethina and Morel, as well as some surprising and unexpected allegiances, the three friends take on the test that is the Grandfather Tree. They must stay on the pre ordained Path of prophecy, portended by the ancient seer Pajah Set, whose ancestry comes from the home of the oldest living beings on the planet, the Elves of the Darmon However, this is no easy task for the Muskydeers as they have the foulest of sorcery hunting their every move, the powerful dark beauty known to all as Tar Vigorn.

This ruthless Queen is not without humor however, and loves a good game of cat and mouse, as long as she’s the cat. With her biting sense of sarcasm and calculated taunting, she knows just how to unnerve the young Benjamin. Her phantom army known as the Blunt are searching for a way into the Grand Tree and will stop at nothing to infiltrate the pristine world beneath his giant roots.

Once in Coranim the children make the acquaintance of the greatest Medicine Elder alive, Esmerelda Fet. A most powerful Light Sorceress with a brazen in your face attitude and a thick Irish brogue, who guides the trio on their Path of destiny. “All tings be possible ya wee chil’ren, if’en ya put yer mind to it! Thar be nothin ya can’t accomplish. Ya just need ta be placin all yer carage inta tha middle of yer core whar yer Spirit shines...an ya can do anythin! Ha!” 

Filled with many wonders, and home to the Fet clan of Gnomes, Coranim is a magical world of art, sound, thought, invention and discovery....and home to the World Library of Identity, with none other than Dunston Tibbitts at the helm. 

Every being on the planet has a book dedicated to the entirety of their lives. Dunston reports to Benjamin, “according to what I see here now, this very minute, whatever it is that you are seeking will show itself today and change your Path immediately. It will put you into a whole new dynamic as they say.”

What could alter the overpowering trajectory Benjamin has followed to Coranim? How will it change his life?

Find out as our three heroes delve into the mystic, as well as their own inner character, as you watch from the edge of your seat.

  

GHBT- The Whispers of the Fallen: Rebellion- Review

Rebellion

The Whispers of the Fallen Series #2

By J.D. Netto

Release Date: May 30th, 2014

Smoke rises from the ruins of fallen kingdoms. Forgotten secrets have been revealed. In the darkness of the world, Lucifer’s army grows.

The quest of the book-bearers grows even more perilous when Isaac and his companions discover that ancient enemies have risen from the Heart of Elysium, seeking to snatch the Book of Letters from their hands. The Nephilins are now aided by Xavier, one of the Fallen Rulers. Villages have been brought to the ground by armies of Shadows. Creatures from the Abyss now lurk in the mountains and forests, longing to kill whoever crosses their path.

Isaac and his companions must find courage to overcome their fears as they continue their journey throughout Elysium.

GHBT- Whispers of the Fallen by J.D. Netto- Review

The Whispers of the Fallen

Whispers of the Fallen Series #1

By J.D. Netto

Release Date: November 2012

Ever since the dawn of days, rumors about the Diary of Lucifer echoed throughout Elysium. Hidden from all human knowledge, the Diary was kept a secret, locked away in the small village of Agalmath.

Isaac and Demetre find themselves in a dangerous journey as they uncover the truth about the Diary and those who guarded it for all these years. However, for Isaac and Demetre, danger lies at every step, hidden in the most unexpected places.

Hunted by the Nephilins and the Fallen Stars, they must find others who will join them in the battle against the coming darkness.

GHBT Blog Tour- Audiobook Review- The Iron Queen by Kaitlin Bevis

The Iron Queen

The Daughters of Zeus Book # 3

By Kaitlin Bevis

Genre- YA Paranormal 

Life is hell for Persephone. Zeus will stop at nothing to gain access to the living realm and the Underworld, and as the only living god with a right to both, Persephone’s in trouble. Captured and tortured beyond the limits of her resolve, Persephone must find the power to stand against Zeus. But will she be strong enough? 

Meanwhile, Hades contemplates desperate measures to rescue his queen. Persephone never thought of herself as dangerous, but there’s a reason gods never marry for love. A being with the power to destroy all of creation shouldn’t place more value in one individual than the rest of the planet. But Hades...Hades would break the world for her.

To save the world and stop both Hades and Zeus, Persephone must make a difficult choice. One that may cost her everything.

 

GHBT- Blog Tour- Audiobook Review- Daughter of the Earth and Sky by Kaitlin Bevis

Daughter of the Earth and Sky

Daughters of Zeus Book # 2 

By Kaitlin Bevis

Genre-YA Paranormal 

Some vows can never be broken.

Persephone thought she could go back to her normal life after returning from the Underworld. She was wrong. 

The goddess Aphrodite is born among the waves with more charm than she can control. Zeus is stalking Persephone and her loved ones, and Thanatos is no longer content with Persephone's silence.

He wants her soul.

Persephone can't tell anyone about Thanatos' betrayal, and it drives a wedge between her and Hades. Her mother is still keeping secrets, and Melissa's jealousy of Aphrodite threatens to tear their friendship apart.

Alone, Persephone turns to a human boy for comfort. But will their relationship put him in danger? 

Sacrifices must be made, and Persephone must choose between her human life and her responsibilities as a goddess. If she doesn't, she could lose them both.

But will either life be worth choosing once Zeus is through with her?

 

GHBT Blog Tour- Audiobook Review- "Persephone" by Kaitlin Bevis

Persephone

Daughters of Zeus Book #1

By Kaitlin Bevis

Genre-YA Paranormal

There are worse things than death, worse people too.

The "talk" was bad enough, but how many teens get told that they're a goddess? When her mom tells her, Persephone is sure her mother has lost her mind. It isn't until Boreas, the god of winter, tries to abduct her that she realizes her mother was telling the truth. Hades rescues her, and in order to safely bring Persephone to the Underworld he marks her as his bride. But Boreas will stop at nothing to get Persephone. Despite her growing feelings for Hades, Persephone wants to return to the living realm. Persephone must find a way to defeat Boreas and reclaim her life.

 

GHBT- Aqua by M.A. George- Excerpt/Spotlight & Review

Aqua

By M.A. George

Genre- YA Paranormal 

Expected Publication Date- April 16th, 2014 

Blurb-

Meet Layla McKelland: 

Novelist (unpublished, but cut her some slack…seventeen is a bit early to despair), 

Slightly neurotic introvert (Alright, let’s be honest…there’s no “slightly” about it), 

International Woman of Mystery, and…

Okay, just scratch the bio.

The only real “mystery” in Layla’s life is why her father has never been on the scene. Or why her mother drags Layla to a new coastal home every year. 

Nothing about the latest hometown seems too newsworthy…until a routine day at the beach leaves Layla questioning whether she’s read one too many paranormal fantasy novels. The plot thickens when a random guy claims to know things about her father—a bizarre claim he backs up with an equally impossible stunt. And Layla soon finds herself on the wrong side of a mysterious attempted drowning…on her own kitchen floor.

When all is done, Layla will attest that fact is far stranger than fiction. And nothing in real life is ever as transparent as it seems…Not even water.

Especially not water.

GHBT- Review- Ride of Your Life by Shevi Arnold

Book Info-
Title- Ride of Your Life
By- Shevi Arnold

Blurb-

Seventeen-year-old Tracy Miller met the love of her life . . . thirty years after her own death.

Tracy was working at the House of Horrors at the Amazing Lands Theme Park when the fire broke out. Instead of running, she lost her life trying to save eleven-year-old Mack. Now thirty years have passed, and suddenly everything changes with the arrival of two new ghosts: a little girl named Ashley and a cute, seventeen-year-old boy named Josh. Josh would do anything for Tracy, but can he help her let go of the past?

Ride of Your Life is a bittersweet, romantic, YA ghost story that was inspired by a true event, the Great Adventure Haunted Castle fire, which killed eight teenagers in 1984, exactly thirty years ago this May 11th. It is a fantasy novel about undying love, and it won third-place in Smart Writer’s Write It Now (W.I.N.) contest in the YA category, which was judged by Alex Flinn, the author of Beastly and Cloaked.

Hang on. Love can be as terrifying as a roller coaster, but it can also be the ride of your life.

Additional information about the Six Flags Great Adventure Haunted Castle fire- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haunted_Castle_(Six_Flags_Great_Adventure)