About my blog


When I was a little girl, I struggled to read. Reading did not come naturally to me; however, over the last 30 years I have become an avid reader, I love books. I love LDS (Latter Day Saint) Historical fiction, I love romance, I love biographies, I love stories of hope, and ways to help. I will post books that I have read, ones that have warmed my heart and given me hope!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

The Crystal Prince: Love is the Only Way












I was given the opportunity to review the Crystal Prince: Love is the Way by: Jeanette Clinger Hurley. This book was provided to me by Media Guests, I was not paid for this review, only provide a free copy of this book. The review is my own words.





I was anxious to read this book, it looked cute and since it was a children's book I believed that it would be a fun read for my three children.


About the Author:


Jeanette Clinger Hurley is an accomplished world-class singer, songwriter, story teller, entrepreneur and lifelong dreamer. As a child she and her family, The Clingers, performed with luminaries such as Bob Hope, Liberace, Sammy Davis Jr. and Gene Kelly to name just a few. In the 90's, Jeanette fronted and recorded with the best selling jazz contemporary artist Hiroshima, as well as recording and touring with Yanni and many others. She's written, produced and recorded several CD's of her own with abundant success. The Crystal Prince marks her first foray into children's literature and her passion and persistence having finally come to fruition in the book you now hold in your hands. Jeanette is a loving wife and proud mother to Logan and London, who are her greatest and proudest accomplishments to date. She currently resides in beautiful Provo, Utah.


About the Book:


Escape into a world of spellbinding adventure, a world where kindness is king, a world where faith and imagination separate life from death, a world where love is the key that unlocks both mystery and magic...Escape into the world of The Crystal Prince.


Jeanette Clinger Hurley transports you to a land where darkness and light are in constant battle, a place where good &evil equally wage war on the heart...challenging both faith and destiny.


Come along and join the charmed prince Xabian and the beautiful Jenevieve on their enchanted and courageous journey, as they discover...The heart is mightier than the sword, that faith conquers fear and that the true magical and transformational miracle of life is simple and pure...That love is the way, love is the only way.


My Review:


I love this fantasy book, the wonderful story of love and faith intermingle with suspense is what dreams are made of. I love the story between Xabian and Jenevieve, this story is so sweet. I love that her angelic lullaby could calm him and sooth him as he was scared and alone. What a tender story of their love for each other, a love that stood the test of time, the type of love that most girls dream of, and rarely find. The story tells a tale of good and evil, and it is illustrated beautifully in this children's book. I would suggest that this book for older children and not for little ones, unless the parents are actively involved and reading the book with the child.


This book was a fun easy read. I would recommend it but warn parents that some of the names are difficult to pronounce, therefore, be able to assist their child with these words. Otherwise, this is a delightful story.



Sandie

Thursday, September 1, 2011

The Liquid City





Again, I am late in posting this review, between travels and the kids starting school, I have been swamped. However, I finished the book in the wee hours of the morning this morning and I have to say this is one of the best books I have read in a long, long time. I was given a copy of the book to review by Media Guests the review is my own words, I was not paid to review this book. Thank you to Media Guests for allowing me to read such a fun and exciting book!

About the Author:
My passion and impetus to write has been in existence since birth. I pursued adolescence in the shadow of Ian Fleming's 'Bond'; survived my teens in the company of John D. MacDonald's 'MeGee'; and grew to adulthood under the guidance of Robert B Parker's 'Spenser'. My infatuation with literature's lethal lotharios, including Spade and Marlowe, is as innate as it is undeniable, and is much of not only who I've become, but of who I've come to encapsulate within my writings. I hope I have done my predecessor's proud, and that the legends will continue to mentor and wax immortal within my written pages. Please enjoy, for it is truly a writers only silent ovation! Curtis J. Hopfenbeck

About the book:
Shadoe Kilbourne is the consummate intellectual assassin, with an impressive arsenal of both wit and weaponry at this disposal. As Seattle's most successful nightclub owner and restaurateur; he is also a man of great resource, humor and humanity. His lethal charms and deadly ideologies are a devastating double-edged sword; brandished at will to put the bad guys in their place and get the good girls back to his. Driven by vengeance, derived from a painful and poignant past we can only speculate on, his ties to the highest echelons and lowest corridors of humanity also make him the perfect middleman for those who seek to solicit his fervor and favor in the hunt for the brand of justice, both inside and outside of the law.

My Review:
I read this book a little here and a little there, until this past weekend when I got sick and had to stay down. I was so engrossed in the book that I did not want to put it down for anything. I have never read a book that was so funny, serious, and made me think more. I laughed, I was tense, I thought about what I would do in a situation. This book was so full of one liners it made me burst out laughing in the oddest places. One of my favorite scenes that almost made me spit my water across the floor, was when Shad goes to see Mr. Rawls. Prior to going into his office, Shad drops to one knee and the ensuing next few lines had me laughing out loud. I loved this book.

I found this book to tap into my intellect and into my serious side, and I laughed often. I loved the relationship that Shad had with Pablo, that relationship made my heart happy. The one thing that bugged me was I wasn't sure if Shad was just an honest great guy or a player with women, dangling three women who were in love with him. I hate men like that, and that was the only negative thing I could see. This book was clean and filled with history, Curtis Hopfenbeck developed his characters well and left little to the imagination, I could picture these people in my head.

This book was one I hated to see end, and I hope there is a sequel. I would whole heartily recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story!

Sandie