Legend of the Stone Review

Legend of the Stone: Chapter I (Loserville Engineering The Successions Book 1)

By L.R. Ballard

In this future the world has been destroyed by are own hands during the apocalypse war. The year is 3022, infant space age technology has developed as we were forced to move to the moon. Only getting water from chemical contaminated water from earth. This might be our future, the realistic direction of our society and social problems may have some insight to a further future. A science fiction story like not many others.

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***MY HONEST REVIEW OF LEGEND OF THE STONE***

On a Moon colony, in the year 3022, Lucas seizes the opportunity to escape from being a lifelong prisoner of scientists and soldiers. After all his years of being tortured and experimented on, Lucas has become the ultimate fighter. Trapped outside of the colony, he is saved by Juan, an older retired soldier. They join forces to escape the Moon, by stealing a ship and wreaking havoc in the process.

The characters of Lucas and Juan really flowed and played off of each other. Even after all that Lucas had been through, he was still very likable. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. I really liked how easily Lucas and Juan connected. Although this was a very short read, it was fully packed with action, and even some levity.

As a side note, the author didn't use pronouns, making it seem like the book was written by an adolescent. That, along with all the broken sentences became very distracting.

My review can also be found at:

    AMAZON     GOODREADS

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**The above opinions are 100% my own, whether I purchased the book or it was given to me to review.

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About the Author

L. R. Ballard is an author of, Legend of the Stone: Chapter I, as well as a children's author from such work as, Leap of Faith (Non-picture version), Buddhist Boy (Non-picture version), and a few others. His background in religious philosophy as a hobby and creative outlets has made him ranged in his views and outlooks of always trying to find the truth about a story on both sides of a story. Very intuitive in getting the right stuff for his audience and always caring how it affects other people while caring about deeper things.

Break Free Review

Break Free: To Reboot With Confidence, Playfulness and Adaptibility

By Robert E. Lewis 

You were born with insatiable curiosity, wonder, and desire for adventure. As a young child, you played with passion and abandon, living fully in the moment and accepting failures as opportunities for discovery rather than faults. Life was a wondrous, evolving, and independent journey without a destination.

But in the process of growing up in a system of conformity and learned destinations, such as college degrees and a responsible career, you lost your need for that empowered independence. You were taught to simply do what you’re told, then sent out into the world to make of it what you will. Today, no matter what your age is, you have an opportunity to break free of this learned conformity, to rediscover your originality, and regain that ability to play and live fully in the now.

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***MY HONEST REVIEW OF BREAK FREE***

These days of technological advances, everyone is falling into the category of following the crowd, and losing their uniqueness. Without individuality, we are losing the battle of separateness and distinction. The author explains how and why this is happening in detail. He lists “power zappers” and how to overcome them, and ways to reverse stagnation by making changes.  He also gives guidelines on how to gain the power of independence.

This was an eye-opener for me. I know I am guilty of many of the things he stated that are dragging me down, even though I don’t fully embrace today’s lifestyles. I am now aware of my taken-for-granted daily routines that are destructive mechanisms. I like that not only does the author bring clarity to what is destroying our culture, but he explains how to overcome and reverse it. I totally agree with his assessment that discovery happens when people get out of the way of themselves.

My review can also be found at:

    AMAZON     BARNES& NOBLE     GOODREADS

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**The above opinions are 100% my own, whether I purchased the book or it was given to me to review.

Buy the book from...

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About the Author

Robert E. Lewis has thirty years' experience helping students and professionals rediscover their independence and creativity. Immediately after graduating from New England College, he enlisted with the US Army for a tour of duty in Europe. While there, he intently studied the arts and media by sneaking away and reading where he wouldn't be found or bothered. This was a rite of passage that awakened his passion to help others discover their own independence and authenticity. After working as a structural engineer in Boston, Lewis decided to earn an MFA in photography from Ohio University. From there he began teaching photography, became director of communication programs at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and finished his career in education as chair and professor of the art department at the University of Memphis. Today, Lewis is a full-time speaker and teacher who guides adults to an authentic and lasting, singular adventure

Tending Her Heart Giveaway

Sweet, Fun Romance--Set in 1971, nurse Julie Peters is ambitious and tenacious, but her plans to modernize Waterside Hospital's labor and delivery protocols are thwarted by old-school doctors and brown-nosing colleagues. The last thing on her mind is falling in love as she confronts her career-related demons. Still, she feels the pull of attraction to one special doctor.

Dr. Michael Young turned away from a prestigious research position at Duke University to practice medicine in a smaller, less intense setting at Waterside Hospital. While nurses chase him by the dozen, he is intrigued and satisfied with building a nest-egg for when the right woman finally happens along.

When Julie is faced with choices that put her job, her life’s dream in peril her relationship with Michael begins to ignite. Can a Thanksgiving stay in the regal home called Bliss give her the space she needs to right her future and fall in love? Will their growing love mean Julie loses herself? Humor, love and a similar attitude toward medicine seal their love, but will it destroy their careers?

Available to buy from.... 

Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk    Barnes and Noble

"I love Julie Peters and the Endless Love Series! Julie's relationship with Dr. Young was just so sweet and fun and I hope there's more to come about this couple. There is nothing like reading Kathleen's books--moving, funny, page-turning and Tending Her Heart is all of that--just fun."
 L. McShea

Praise for Home Again and Return to Love--Don't miss out on reading book 3 in the series!
"lyrical writing that is a joy to read!" L. Zottola 

"A spell-binding story of a love which seemed to transcend time, space and circumstance." 
N. Budden

 "Shoop's character's breathe" Bev Rosenbaum

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***MY HONEST REVIEW OF TENDING HER HEART***

Nurse Julie Peters is tired of the antiquated procedures on the labor floor of the hospital where she works. Not being one to hold her tongue, she becomes a thorn in the side of Dr. Mann, the lead doctor, who is very set in his ways. Her only ray of hope is the handsome Dr. Young, who seems to share her opinions. But with her stubbornness, will he be enough to save her from herself?

I like how the love story simmered through most of the book, and then sizzled afterward. I felt robbed though when Trish didn’t get her comeuppance. I mean, come on, she was beyond irritating.  It felt good reading about April again, a year after her tragedy. I liked that she was so bubbly and no longer a dark character.

My review can also be found at:

    AMAZON     BARNES & NOBLE     GOODREADS

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More of my Kathleen Shoop book reviews:

The Last Letter

Return To Love

Home Again

After The Fog 

Holiday Bliss

Also available.......
Endless Love series. Book one, Home Again

1969-- Set on the shores of the Albemarle Sound, April Harrington has fond memories of summers at her family home, Bliss. After her fairytale wedding disintegrates, it becomes her refuge—the one place where she can attempt to pull the unraveling threads of her life back together. Unbeknownst to April, the stately house has been neglected in recent years. The once-sturdy roof is leaking in a few dozen places, and the wharf is rotting. Nothing is the same as she remembers. Nothing except for Hale, a Viet Nam pilot who is haunted by a dreadful secret, and who is also her brother’s best friend, a brother killed in the conflict that is tearing the country apart.

In Hale’s presence, April finds familiarity and solace. They share grief for a lost loved one, and from the comfort of Hale’s arms, passion blooms. Yet, April’s future is unresolved. Her wealthy, arrogant almost-bridegroom wants her back and the ghosts of Viet Nam are whispering to Hale. Can they find new love in an old treasured home, the kind of affection and trust that lasts forever?

Home Again, was named a finalist in the 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

Buy the book from.......

Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk    Barnes and Noble

Endless Love Series, Book Two, Return to Love

Sweet Romance… Fresh off their whirlwind nuptials and unexpected, but joyous pregnancy, April and Hale Abercrombie are gleeful about their life together. But, while Hale is serving his country in Vietnam, he receives news of the loss of their newborn daughter.

Back home on leave, Hale can barely wait to hold his wife. Their reunion is passionate and their physical connection, strong and soothing. His embrace, his touch, and his love are just as perfect as April remembered. But nothing, not even Hale, can ease April’s heartache.

Hale stumbles through his attempts at convincing her that their future will be rich and full of wonder despite their loss. His good-hearted, but take-charge approach causes her to retreat. Even in grief, April recognizes Hale’s earnestness, yet she can’t help but distance herself from him. With only a short time before Hale must return to war, the couple begins to understand that hope starts with them—that the bliss they once knew will return only if they are willing to trust again.

Set on the beaches of the Outer Banks, Return to Love is the second book in the Endless Love series.

Buy the book from.......

Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk    Barnes and Noble

About the Author

A Language Arts Coach with a Ph.D. in Reading Education, Kathleen lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.

Kathleen has also written award winning Love and Other Subjects, After the Fog and her debut novel, The Last Letter,  Recently, Kathleen has released the her first romance novella, Home Again (Book One of the Endless Love Series), Return to Love (Book Two) a novel-length work and has just released Tending Her Heart (Book Three).  Books Two and Three in the historical fiction series that started with The Last Letter are nearly complete and should be shortly.

Kathleen has been featured in USA Today and the Writer’s Guide to 2013. Her work has appeared in The Tribune-Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and Pittsburgh Parent magazine.

Find the Author on the following sites....

 Website   Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Google+   Goodreads 

Book Tour Dates

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

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Get Your Adidas On!

Today through Saturday, save an extra 15% off markdowns online through the Adidas website. Just enter the code EXTRA15, and you can save up to 40%.

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Remember, the code is only good through Saturday, January 31st. So, hurry on over and rack up the savings.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. 

30 Days of Maker Giveaways

Zazzle is running a 30 Days of Maker Giveaways campaign where each day they'll be giving away a product from one of their Makers ! 

Not only that, but they are adding a Grand Prize of a $1000 Zazzle spree!

30 Days of Maker Giveaways on Zazzle

Welcome to Zazzle's "30 Days of Maker Giveaways" Sweepstakes! We’re excited to showcase our Makers, 3rd party partners comprised of artisans and crafters who are creating outstanding customizable products. Each day, we’ll be featuring a Maker and giving away their product to 1 lucky winner. Don’t worry, if you don’t win the daily prize, every daily entry also counts as an entry for the Grand Prize…a $1,000 USD Zazzle shopping spree! Good luck. Our fingers are crossed for you.

30 Days of Maker Giveaways on Zazzle

Hurry over and check out each day's prize. The longer you wait, the more you miss out. 

30 Days of Maker Giveaways on Zazzle

The Charcoal in the Dust Review

The Charcoal In The Dust

 By Nadia Aftab

The writer provokes thought envisioned in the inspiring of inner meaning, presented through a spiritual perspective. There is also a quality of sobriety in the somber realization of the ongoing battle between emotion within man from the depths of sorrow to a sense of elation. - The Charcoal in The Dust by Nadia Aftab

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***MY HONEST REVIEW OF THE CHARCOAL***

This book of poems will take you on a solemn journey. The words gave me a plethora of feelings, including despair, depression, and even foreboding. The ones on love though, did give a different, uplifting feel, almost secretive.

The poems didn't seem to be categorized, which had my mood swinging back and forth. I think it would help to swap them around, so that sorrow is with sorrow and happiness with happiness. This would give the book a better flow. Out of all of the poems, my favorite was the one specifically for the author’s father. I could really relate to it.

My review can also be found at:

    AMAZON     BARNES& NOBLE     GOODREADS

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**The above opinions are 100% my own, whether I purchased the book or it was given to me to review.

Buy the book from...

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Monarchs and Mendicants Review

Monarchs and Mendicants

By Dan Groat 

A JOURNEY FROM DESPAIR TO HOPE

When a fourth homeless man is murdered by the Hacker, Gifford Ulrich leaves downtown St. Louis carrying his belongings on his back and wanders into the Benoit Neighborhood searching for shelter and safety. He finds abandoned buildings and abandoned people; drunks, drug addicts, gamblers; the outcasts; the unusual, the unbalanced, and the unlucky. His job cleaning bricks leads him to discover hidden forces at work in Benoit that throw him in the middle of danger and death. To fight his way off the streets, Giff must rely on his military training, his knife, and an anger born of loss. The only way to survive the passage from tragedy to triumph is to kill or be killed.

BOOK 1 IN THE GIFFORD ULRICH SERIES

THE JOURNEY BEGINS:

Gifford Ulrich didn’t know the distance from despair to hope, but he knew hope didn’t sleep in alleys. On this morning his first waking moments were filled with the audible lamenting breath of having survived another winter night on the streets of St. Louis, those onerous recurring sighs that had become his respiration. Endurance was not an uplifting miracle to him, but a depressing fact. Not the surprise, “Hallelujah, I’m alive,” but the admission, “Oh, I’m still here.” 

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***MY HONEST REVIEW OF MONARCHS AND***

The homeless living on the streets of St. Louis are being picked off by a serial killer. After his only friend becomes a victim, Gifford adopts his dog Tobias and moves on to another area further on. He takes a job that pays enough to survive on, but being surrounded by other homeless it becomes a constant struggle to stay the loner he had become. Before he knows it, he has been drawn into the brotherhood of his fellow miscreants and becomes a leader he never wanted to be.

Gifford was pretty rough around the edges, but like the rest of the characters in this book, I was drawn to him and his strength. I kept hoping that he would soften to all the kindness and friendship he was offered. I like that this story had mystery, suspense, drama, and even a little history, all rolled into a plot that had you wondering how the story would end for Gifford. And all of his surrounding characters had equal depth, so that you either liked or hated them. Nothing in between. Even though this story had an ending, I’m so glad that Gifford’s story continues. 

My review can also be found at:

    AMAZON     BARNES& NOBLE     GOODREADS

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**The above opinions are 100% my own, whether I purchased the book or it was given to me to review.

Buy the book from...

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About the Author

Dan Groat gathered his formal education from the elementary and secondary public schools of DeSoto, Missouri, Jefferson College, the University of Missouri, and Southeast Missouri State University. 

How to Make Money Blogging Review

How To Make Money Blogging: How I Replaced My Day-Job With My Blog and How You Can Start A Blog Today (Blogging Guide Book 1)

By Bob Lotich 

Thanks to all the readers who helped make this book the #1 Bestseller on Amazon in the Blogging category!

Bob Lotich founded ChristianPF.com back in 2007 and after getting laid off in 2008 he took the leap into full-time blogging. Less than a year later he was earning more from his blog than his previous day-job. While his results are not typical, this book covers all the steps he took to make money from his blog over that two-year period. 

Who this book is written for:

• Those who want to get started blogging 
• Those who are already blogging but aren't making as much money as they'd like to. 

Who this book is NOT written for:

• People looking for a get-rich-quick system that requires little effort.  
• Experienced bloggers making over $1000/m (though the book will still probably be helpful, it isn't written to this audience)

Some of the topics covered in the book:

• 4 Steps to Start Blogging in 10 minutes
• Blogging Basics
• How to setup a Self-Hosted Blog
• The importance of a Customizable Wordpress theme
• 3 primary ways to earn from your blog
• How long does it take to make money from your blog?
• How to get traffic to your blog
• SEO Tips for bloggers
• How I increased Adsense earnings $1500/m in less than 3 months
• 10 helpful tools that made it all possible

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***MY HONEST REVIEW OF HOW TO MAKE***

This book is well researched and written. The author did a very good job of explaining how to begin blogging on your own. He tells what he did, what he should have done, and what he would do differently, or not, now that he has experience. He gives a list of hosting companies he has used, along with their prices, and his experience with them. And for those looking to make money from their blog, he even tells you how, along with names and links to put you on track.

I wish I’d had this to read when I first started blogging.  It would have been so much easier on me. There’s tons of information and reference in this book, making it priceless. Even with what I know, I’m glad I have this on my bookshelf to refer to when needed now 

My review can also be found at:

    AMAZON     BARNES& NOBLE     GOODREADS

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**The above opinions are 100% my own, whether I purchased the book or it was given to me to review.

Buy the book from...

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About the Author

Bob used his passion for personal finance to launch his award-winning blog, ChristianPF.com, back in 2007. His writing and advice has been featured in Men's Health Magazine, Real Simple Magazine, Yahoo Finance, Forbes, and many others. 

He regularly writes for the blog and currently serves as the editor of a team of writers. The site has seen over 20 Million visitors since it's inception and is home to nearly 2000 personal finance articles.

Alexia's Legacy Review

Alexia's Legacy: Lessons for Leadership and Life

By Ray White and Austin Hatcher

Learn lessons about leadership and life through the real-life examples and experiences of Alexia Ardeleanu. She was tragically taken from us by a drunk driver, but her legacy lives on. She had a 4.0 GPA in a double major of Accounting and Finance, was preparing for a double Masters of Law with an MBA, worked as a Resident Assistant in the Honors Hall, had an internship with a Fortune 500 company, and was President of the Professional Leadership Program at the University of North Texas. Through Alexia’s personal emails and stories from people whose lives she touched, you will see the challenges, obstacles, and opportunities leaders face in real life. Each leadership lesson includes a real life example, a summary of what can be learned, and an opportunity for you to integrate it into your own life. 

Profits benefit the Alexia Ardeleanu Memorial Fund. Help us preserve Alexia’s memory so her example can shine through for the rest of the world. You can donate at 

https://one.unt.edu/alexia.

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***MY HONEST REVIEW OF ALEXIAS LEGACY***

Alexia was an extraordinary person who died at the hands of a drunken driver. This book celebrates the last year of her life, by teaching lessons in leadership and life in general. In reading through her humble journaling to her mentor and friends, I get a glimpse of how sincere and pure she was. I feel a kinship to her, even though I never knew her.

I applaud the way this book is structured. With lessons on habits, goals, discipline and organization, I learned how to bring success and happiness into my professional and personal life. I never knew Alexia but now will never forget the lessons I have learned from her within the pages of this book. Like so many others, she has now touched my soul as well.

My review can also be found at:

    AMAZON     GOODREADS

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**The above opinions are 100% my own, whether I purchased the book or it was given to me to review.

More of my Ray White book reviews:

Connecting Happiness and Success

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About the Author

Ray's Higher Purpose and Definition of Success are helping people be happy and successful. He wakes up at 5 am every morning to work on his blogs or books before starting the day with his paying job in advertising. Ray White has been married for 25 years and has 3 wonderful teenagers. He is a C-Level executive with 30 years of business experience helping start-ups and Fortune 1000 companies improve performance and profitability by focusing on developing successful employees. Ray speaks and teaches business classes on Leadership, Happiness,and Success at all levels of the business hierarchy from new employees to C-Level executives. Ray is on the board of Pursuit-of-Happiness.org and the University of North Texas Professional Leadership Program. You can find more information about Ray and Connecting Happiness and Success at ConnectingHappinessandSuccess.com.