BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Ark by Laura Liddell Nolen

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're playing host to a BOOK SPOTLIGHT along the Pump Up Your Book tour for a Young Adult Sci-fi pick that you might want to add to your "to read" list.  It takes place her on Earth as it's about to become meteor chum.  *-*  Ready or not, make way for today's book spotlight title...

The Ark

by

Laura Liddell Nolen

HarperCollins

There’s a meteor headed for Earth, and there is only one way to survive.

It’s the final days of earth, and sixteen-year-old Char is right where she belongs: in prison. With her criminal record, she doesn’t qualify for a place on an Ark, one of the five massive bioships designed to protect earth’s survivors during the meteor strike that looks set to destroy the planet. Only a select few will be saved – like her mom, dad, and brother – all of whom have long since turned their backs on Char.

If she ever wants to redeem herself, Char must use all the tricks of the trade to swindle her way into outer space, where she hopes to reunite with her family, regardless of whether they actually ever want to see her again, or not . . .

AMAZON   |    B&N

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Goodness!

Who gave them the right to decide who is worth saving and who isn't?  Sad part is, I can TOTALLY see this happening if circumstances actually came to having to leave the planet, couldn't you?  Yep, that's what I thought.

I do like the sound of our potential heroine though.  She's got spunk, especially if she's going to fenagle her way on board a ship where she's not a listed passenger in the hopes of seeing those that would rather not see her.  Guts girl!  You're made of them!

DID WE LEAVE YOU WANTING A LITTLE MORE?  GOOD!  BUT SERIOUSLY, FOR AN EXTENDED TEASER, CLICK HERE TO READ CHAPTER ONE!

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About the author...

Laura Liddell Nolen grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where she spent lots of time playing make-believe with her two younger brothers. They supplemented their own stories with a steady diet of space- and superhero-themed movies, books, and television. The daughter of a comic book collector, she learned how to handle old comics at an early age, a skill she’s inordinately proud of to this day.

Laura began work on her first novel, The Ark, in 2012, following the birth of her daughter Ava, a tiny rebel and a sweetheart on whom the novel’s main character is loosely based. Completion of The Ark was made possible in part due to an SCBWI Work-in-Progress Award. 

Laura loves coffee, dogs, and making lists. She has a degree in French and a license to practice law, but both are frozen in carbonite at present. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and two young children, and their dog Miley, who is a very good girl.

SITE   |   FACEBOOK   |   TWITTER   |   BLOG

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Special thank to Dorothy at Pump Up Your Book for the chance to participate in this promotion.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the tour, the author, or those promotions on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!

Taste Testing Tuesdays with Author Joshua Braff!

Hi there everyone!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're taking our usual Taste Testing Tuesdays post in a slightly different direction as I share a guest post from the author behind the curiously fun Fiction book, The Daddy Diaries.  Now, before you scratch your head TOO much wondering why you haven't heard of this title (or at least seen it on my site) until now, it's simple really...I've not reviewed it quite yet.  Call it a work in waiting if you will, but you won't be waiting much longer as it's just on the horizon (so stay tuned!).  Anywho...

As an early introduction of sorts, I thought today's post would work REALLY well.  How so?  Well you see, it's all about what's real in The Daddy Diaries!  That's right.  You know you always wonder just how much of "real life" goes into an author's fictional work, well here's your chance to find out! Take it away Mr. Braff!

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What's real in The Daddy Diaries?

...by Josh Braff

It’s easier to assess the patterns of a certain literary voice when there are a few books to assess. I too can see what it is I’m doing that’s “working” in this form. I take my own truth or the truths of people I know, and mix them with fictional occurrences so as to shape a story that reflects the emotional causeways of the human experience. My family moved to Florida from Oakland when my wife took a job in St. Petersburg, near Tampa. She’d go off to work, I’d take the kids to school and find a Starbucks to write bits of prose about being a dad. Maybe I’d write funny things my daughter said or talk about my son’s huge feet. Bake sales, toilet overflow, lizard in the mailbox. Parenting cannot be predicted. It’s an organism unto its own and needs to be lived, seen and smelled in the NOW to be realized wholly. I wrote and wrote and wrote. In time these entries would form into well-oiled chapters, which I then stacked like a tower. I’d then read the entire tower as objectively as possible and choose how to restack them so they flowed naturally.  

Day in, day out, the characters grow in dimension and I make them speak to each other. If it all works well it’s the characters that tell me the story. I use less of an outline and more of a trust that the setting I’ve chosen and the people I’ve built will evoke meaning, texture, familial recognition, maybe even existential thought to the reader. So it’s a yes and a no as far as the family being my family and the story being mine. I also draw from things my friends and acquaintances have told me about their children and their experiences in child rearing. Where it might be easy to believe that the son in the story is my son, there are many things about “Alex” that are very unlike my boy. My characters are often amalgamations of my observations.

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About the author....

I grew up in South Orange, New Jersey, and went to Columbia High School. I graduated from NYU in ’91 with a BS in Education. In 1995 I entered St. Mary’s College of California. There I received an MFA in creative writing/fiction. I published three short stories during this time in national literary journals before I wrote a first novel called Digging Suburbia. I was never able to sell it but acquired my first literary agent with the book. I wrote The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green after my son turned 6 months old. The book would have three publishing offers right after I finished it two years later. I started writing Peep Show after hearing a story about a man who was an orthodox Jew, living in Long Island, who commuted to Times Square to run peep houses. The book turned out to be a complex ride about familial relationships and the tangles that disenchantment and history and self-absorption can cause. I live in California with my wife of almost 20 years and my two children, Henry and Ella. I love the game of baseball and played until I turned 40. I also love acrylic/oil painting in the Color Field genre. I’m most inspired by the painters, Barnett Newman, Dan Christensen, Kenneth Noland and Mark Rothko. I also play the guitar and drums.

SITE   |  FACEBOOK   |  TWITTER

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Special thanks to author Josh Braff and Meg over at Tandem Literary for the chance to share this post with all of you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or what's on the horizon, please feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing....and remember, stay tuned for the review coming soon to a blog near you (as in THIS blog ^_^)!

Until next time...happy reading!

A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison

Hi guys and gals!

Welcome back to another week here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers, where we strive to help you kick off each and every week right.

In the book spotlight today is a title that released at the start of the year via Random House.  It's the first book from an author that's had her short story work already in print, and stars a tale of passion and pain, romance and entanglements, secrets and misplaced revenge.  Sound good?  I'll let you be the judge but one can't even begin if not introduced, so let's get on with the show!  Today's book of choice is...

A Small Indiscretion

by

Jan Ellison

9780812995442

Random House

About the book...

At nineteen, Annie Black trades a bleak future in her washed-out hometown for a London winter of drinking to oblivion and yearning for deliverance. Some two decades later, she is married to a good man and settled in San Francisco, with a son and two daughters and a successful career designing artistic interior lights. One June morning, a photograph arrives in her mailbox, igniting an old longing and setting off a chain of events that rock the foundations of her marriage and threaten to overturn her family's hard-won happiness.

The novel moves back and forth across time between San Francisco in the present and that distant winter in Europe. The two worlds converge and explode when the adult Annie returns to London seeking answers, her indiscretions come to light, and the phone rings with shocking news about her son. Now Annie must fight to save her family by piecing together the mystery of her past -- the fateful collision of liberation and abandon and sexual desire that drew an invisible map of her future.

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INDISCRETION:  

Behavior or speech that is indiscreet or displays a lack of good judgment.

Oh there are so many places I could go with a definition like that as it applies as much to the story and individual characters as it does to my overall experience...but we'll leave that alone for a moment.  Let's jump in with two feet, shall we?

Annie Black is a curious woman.  Much like any other, she lived a life filled with curious happenings (work/study abroad, romantic engagements with an older MARRIED gent and a playboy involved with the wife!) and worldly wanderings (London! Ireland!) in her younger days, only to land in a safe harbor of a life with a loving husband, children, and a family dog.  Yes indeed, she was living the life until a series of events played out (a strange picture's arrival, a young woman seeking refuge, a crash, and potential loss of all she holds dear) and the past caught up with her in a most unexpected way.  I'm sure you've heard a phrase along the lines of don't do today what you may regret tomorrow...well, let's say that although most of what was done was certainly without regret, that lingering tinge of guilt would prove a point of undoing.  Getting to know Annie was a multi-layered task and the glimpses we catch are never fully developed but by book's end, we come to see as does she that some things can stand the test of time as well as those of life.

The gents in her life all have starring roles as well.  From the married Malcolm to the strangely enticing Patrick, the handsome manly Jonathan and her beloved son Robbie, they all have parts to play in this mystery in the making...some don't even realize it.  The roles they had in her younger days all mix and mingle to created a woven tapestry that is certainly hard to unravel, but unravel it does as Robbie is drawn unwittingly into the web with potential deadly consequences.  I can't allude to much without spoiling it all, but some things are best left in the past for a reason, and some things are best left said rather than made permanent in ink and paper form.  Now, we've discussed characters and story, let's talk writing style and overall experience....

For the life of me, I could not connect with the story on any permanent level.  Nope.  Try as I might, it wasn't happening.  The narrator felt distant, just outside of my grasp, despite it being our leading lady.  The story bounced between past and present as promised but in leaps and bounds that weren't always easy to follow.  The present as it was was being told as if reading her personal thoughts from a journal about the day, not as they transpired so in essence you were constantly in the past tense of things.  It just didn't work for me.  

In the end, my thoughts on the read were a bit scattered.  Did I get the overall story?  Yes.  Was a captivated by each and every page?  Not until the final few chapters...and those I was certainly hanging on every word.  Would I recommend it to fellow readers?  Yes, so long as you go in knowing about the jumps and story telling style so it doesn't take you unawares.  I enjoyed the final assembly of Annie's pieces at book's end, but the journey was more task than joyride.  There, I've said my piece...but, I am MOST curious to hear what other readers say.  So if you've read it, DROP A COMMENT!  If you haven't but do, stop back by!  I've love to see what you took from the narrative and compare notes.

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About the author...

Jan Ellison is a graduate of Stanford University and San Francisco State University's MFA Program. She has published award-winning short fiction, and was the recipient of a 2007 O. Henry Prize for her first story to appear in print. Her work has also been shortlisted for The Best American Short Stories and the Pushcart Prize. She lives in Northern California with her husband and their four children. A Small Indiscretion is her first book.

SITE   |   FACEBOOK   |   TWITTER

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Special thanks to Leyane at FSB Associates for the review copy and the chance to bring this promotion to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on the title, author, publicist, or publisher, please feel free to click through the links above.  This title is available now via Random House, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!

Tales of the Deep Forest: The Little Brown Animal by DiMari Bailey

Hi there!

Welcome to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

It's another weekend here on the site, but that doesn't mean the reading stops...if anything, it moves forward in leaps and bounds!  Now, this post is usually seen on a Saturday but we were busy celebrating a cover reveal so this week we'll have Storybook Sunday.  Sound good?  I thought you might be agreeable.  Anywho...

Today, we're shining the spotlight on a Children's title that's the first in a planned series entitled, Tales of the Deep Forest.  It stars an adorable little animal that thinks less than highly of himself and the transformative path his life takes once he lends an ear to really listen to his surroundings.  Ready or not, here comes today's book of choice...

The Little Brown Animal

by

DiMari Bailey

Illustrated by

R. Brit Bailey

9781939739506

Piscataqua Press

As I said, the star is (as the title implies) a little brown animal.  Drawing wise, he reminds me of my dachshund Winston (may he rest in peace).  He has short little legs, little brown ears, and a short stumpy tail...okay, so maybe not the tail, but he sounds SO CUTE!  Why he ever wished to be something else to be more beautiful was beyond me...but then again, that's one of many points.  Take it as the whole "BE YOURSELF" message you've heard time and again, only this time, it's literal and with an unexpected ending you won't see coming.  Along the way, our little guy discovers that he's never truly alone because there is life all around him in the forest, and those lives all have stories to share if only someone would listen.  Listen he does and before long he is sharing his new found tales with all the animals he so longingly wished to be, becoming a part of something he never truly felt he could be a part of.  It's enough to bring a tear to your eye seeing him come into his own, though there is plenty of curiosity and wonder to spark the imaginations of wee ones along for the reading journey.

I'd be remiss if I didn't spend some time on the illustrations seeing as how the story is told just as much through them as the words on the pages.  From the moment we meet our sweet little brown friend to the final transformation (nope...not telling!), you'll be delighted to see his cuteness grace the pages.  You'll sadden as he gazes at the animals he wishes to be but explode with delight as he discovers those that make him feel happiness down to his toes.  As he ages, you'll chuckle at the draw and appeal he has garnered with the other forest animals throughout the years and when his life path is finally revealed, you won't be able to contain your smile.  The pictures may be simple in design and lack the details that others bring, but it fits with the story and works its magic all the same.

In conclusion, the first of a new Children's series all about the "transformative power of faith and humility" that lets its true colors show.  I can honestly see this becoming a fast favorite for those kiddos with growing imaginations and the lessons it imparts will go with them as they grow.  Recommended for all ages, shapes, sizes, and colors....from the tall to the small, the purple to those little and brown.

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About the author...

After completing her BA in History, DiMari spent many years living and working in Oslo, Norway. She worked in a bookstore, then as a buyer and marketing manager for a chain of bookstores, and an editor for a small press. In addition, DiMari worked as translator and taught ESL to adults and Norwegian as a second language to immigrant children, working closely with children and parents from Vietnam, Chile, and Turkey. Since returning to the United States, she completed a Master’s in Education and has worked in various capacities in the education industry and public schools.

The Little Brown Animal is the first story in a series called Tales of the Deep Forest. Next up is The Golden Griffin. DiMari is actively seeking books to translate from Norwegian to English as well as publishers for the translations. She is currently working with Norwegian authors Peter Normann Waage, Nina Karin Monsen, and Jørn Simen Øverli.

SITE   |   FACEBOOK   |   TWITTER

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About the illustrator....

R. Brit is a US Marine currently stationed in Japan. She graduated from Berwick Academy and attended Gettysburg College, York County Community College and UMass Amherst. She is completing her degree in Linguistics online at Ashford University.

Her true gift is her art. Since the time she could hold a pencil, she started drawing dozens of pictures every day. She studied art at Berwick Academy and continues to draw and sketch and paint.

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Special thanks to Penny at Author Marketing Experts, Inc. for the review copy.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the publisher, or the publicists, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title was released February 2015 via Piscataqua Press, an imprint of RiverRun Bookstore.  Stay tuned for the second book in the series entitled The Golden Griffin

Until next time...happy reading!

COVER REVEAL: Home No More by Leddy Harper

COMING June 12th...

...a New Adult Romance...

HOME NO MORE

by

Leddy Harper

**Recommended read for 18+ due to sexual content**
* Contains adult language.

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Never take for granted where you came from...

or where you may end up.

My name is Kendall Carrington—or so I thought…

When 17-year-old Kendall gets pulled over during an impromptu joy ride, she not only discovers she is not the girl she thought she was, but neither is anyone else. Kidnapped when she was young, she is thrust back into a life she doesn’t remember. One where her name is Danielle Tucker and betrayal seems to be lurking around every corner. No longer able to decipher the truth from the lies, she enlists the help of blue-eyed hottie Lincoln Hunt on her quest for truth.

Will she come to terms with her new life? Or will she go running back to the only home she’s ever known?

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Whoa.

Could you just imagine?

You leave the house one person only to find out through a chance series of events that you are really someone else?  Definitely head spinning stuff, but it doesn't sound like she'll be all alone in her quest to discover who she really is.  That Lincoln Hunt fella sounds pretty handy...

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leddy Harper had to use her imagination often as a child. She grew up the only girl in a house full of boys. At the age of fourteen, she decided to use that imagination and wrote her first book, and never stopped.

She often calls writing her therapy, using it as a way to deal with issues through the eyes of her characters.

She is now a mother of three girls, leaving her husband as the only man in a house full of females.

The decision to publish her first book was made as a way of showing her children to go after whatever it is they want to. Love what you do and do it well. Most importantly Leddy wanted to teach them what it means to overcome their fears.

Connect with her at:

Website  *  Facebook  *  Twitter  *  Google +  *  Goodreads 

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Special thanks to Tia at Worldwind Virtual Book Tours for the chance to bring this promotion to all of you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on the title, author, or future tours on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  Remember, this title is set to release June 12th via Booktrope so mark your calendar

Until next time...happy reading!

BLOG TOUR: Kidnap by Sally Ann Melia

Happy Friday fellow readers!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're helping to close out the book-abration of a title via iRead Book Tours (Hi, Laura!).  It stars the first book in a Young Adult Sci-fi trilogy about far off places, cy-sects, a kidnapping most bizarre, and identities to be discovered.  Ready or not, here comes today's book of choice...

KIDNAP

Guy Erma and the Son of the Empire, Part 1

by

Sally Ann Melia

9781508945956

Createspace

About the book...

I don’t want to go… Do I have to go?

13-year-old Prince Teodor of Freyne knows his duty to the memory of his father and his kingdom. Always, he must help those less fortunate than himself. Yet a frightening nightmare fills him with foreboding, but still he must do - into the Dome.

13-year-old Guy Erma lives in the shadow of the Dome, he has no father and no mother and his future is uncertain, he must start earning a living when he turns 14. He knows not where he will live or even how he will eat, and his only dream is to enter the military academy - at the heart of the Dome.

Two boys as different as any two boys might be. One act of cruelty will throw their lives together, but who dare they trust?

AMAZON:  US  |  CD   |   UK

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As you may know from visiting my site (which hopefully you do on the regular....right?  *-*), I'm not one to dabble in the Sci-fi genre that often.  Something about the whole world, language, society, etc creation just boggles my mind a smidge and creates a broken junction between my reading enjoyment and the actual story.  This time around, the results were much less dismal...in fact, I dare say they were enjoyable!

While it certainly wouldn't make me a convert to the genre (sorry, just not my thing), I was intrigued enough with the plot and characters to scurry along through the pages like the avid reader I am.  True, if asked I couldn't necessarily tell you which planet whom was from and where they were going, planning to take over, or plotting against (none of which is the fault of the author), but I got the gist of it all and for someone not at home in this particular reading box, that's saying a lot.  Now, regarding the story...

The opening reveals some disturbing information about the travels of particular otherworldly beings to areas in which they aren't to be as well as some bricks that are missing.  What's important about a few bricks?  Ah, good question.  They aren't your ordinary mud and mortar type but clear housings for cy-sects...nasty little things that carry poison and can multiply faster than you can say bunny.  Just where they went is a mystery, as is the why, but things start to become a little clearer as the story progresses.  Jump forward a bit and we've moved the spotlight to Guy Erma, a talented orphan child held back by his lack of parents but not for long if he has any say in the matter, and Prince Teodor, a child of similar age yet different circumstances....from the outside at least (one of those "don't judge a book by its cover" moments).  These two may be at odds even they don't understand but I have a feeling they share more than they know.  However, during the course of this story, one will loose his freedom while the other fights to see through the allusions presented them.  

It's a tough nut to crack, but thankfully Regent Sayginn (Teodor's mother) is more than up to the task (at least in my opinion).  Oh, did I mention the Emperor is demanding her hand in marriage?  Yes, yes...it seems it would be better for all involved and truly set their worlds at peace.  (*cough cough*  Yeah right!  *cough cough*)  Let's just say that there is certainly more going on behind his doors than just peace treatys and frankly, he gives off a Darth Vadar vibe (before he sorta showed his heart).  ~shudders~  His intentions are less than honorable and the fact that he is hiding something doesn't escape the Regent nor an unexpected ally, Karl Valavanchi.  The plot thickens and things come to a head only to...end.

The only true drawback I could see was the ending...or rather the EPIC cliffhanger that leaves you wondering WTH!  HOW could you leave us this way!  What's going to happen to...and what about...and I think that maybe Guy is really...and, and, and....well, you get the picture.  There are A LOT of unanswered questions and the groundwork has certainly been laid to lead readers right into book 2.  I know it's on my wish list.  

So in conclusion, whether you're a steadfast star gazing reader content to search for other worlds within the pages, or merely a sampler of reading delights that catch your eye, this one could certainly be for you.  It has a little bit of everything yet not enough of any to overwhelm.  The writing flows nicely, allowing the reader to be a part of the adventure without inundating us with detail.  I'd definitely call it a win win for all.

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About the author...

The author was born in Wallasey, England, in 1964, and moved to the South of France when she was eleven. She spent her teenage years living in the cosmopolitan city state of Monaco and became immersed in its many languages and cultures. An English girl in a French school, for three hours each week she would sit at the back of the class as her colleagues learnt English. To pass the time, she wrote stories. This led to a lifetime of writing novels, scripts, stories and articles.

In her working life, Sally writes marketing communications and manages large international websites.

In 2010, Sally joined the Hogs Back Writers, a club located on the outskirts of Guildford, and she set about turning an old manuscript into this novel: Guy Erma and the Son of Empire. Sally currently lives in Farnham, and she is married with two children.

Connect with Sally...

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Pinterest

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Special thanks to Laura at iRead Book Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on THIS TOUR, this title, the series, the author, or those tours on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available for pre-order now, so be on the lookout for it at a virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!

Do you believe?: Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu

Why hello there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're celebrating the PRE-PUB release of a unique Young Adult title set to hit stores shelves this June via Roaring Brook Press.  (Note it....I'll wait....)  It's a contemporary story that deals with the subjects of faith, beliefs, family, and finding your own way, with a cast that could have easily come from a few of the reality TV shows currently on air.  What brought about my review?  Ahh, now that is an interesting story...

Well, first off, my utter enjoyment of the title, which I shall share more of just a moment (okay, so that wasn't that unexpected).  Second, the revelation from a coworker that has recently "settled her soul".  There's more to that story too (that I won't divulge) but the gist of it is them finding themselves again and being eye to eye with the big G upstairs.  It was her sudden outpouring of faith filled words that reminded me of this little gem sitting on my "read-but-need-to-review" shelf.  It very much brought our leading lady's family to mind.  Will my review upset some readers?  Perhaps, but again...it's my own point of view; your buy in is not required but your thoughts are appreciated.  Anywho, ladies and gents, make way for today's book of choice...

Devoted

by

Jennifer Mathieu

9781596439115

Roaring Brook Press

About the book....

Rachel Walker is devoted to God. She prays every day, attends Calvary Christian Church with her family, helps care for her five younger siblings, dresses modestly, and prepares herself to be a wife and mother who serves the Lord with joy. But Rachel is curious about the world her family has turned away from, and increasingly finds that neither the church nor her homeschool education has the answers she craves. Rachel has always found solace in her beliefs, but now she can't shake the feeling that her devotion might destroy her soul.

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Ring any bells?
Perhaps a certain high-number-and-counting show that's mega popular and even has the "modest" family starring in pop culture magazine articles?  Yeah...it's pretty close in general nature and beliefs but offers readers a way to peer into the culture on a somewhat fictitious level.

I readily admit, the family's strength in their beliefs is certainly to be respected, to each their own on that matter, however some of the requirements or rules set for each sex are downright hard to swallow.  Young girls learning (pretty much solely) to be helpmeets to their future partners, obeying their every command and helping them to fruitfully multiply, all while keeping their every thought and action pointed to One above.  Umm, yeah...sorry.  Can't do it.  While I think having perfect faith in something, anything would be wonderful, I simply question too much to submit to their belief system, not to mention that a time or two I really wanted to smack the parents, the siblings, heck EVERYONE who kept going on about the littlest of things.  *ahem*  Moving on...

I really admired Rachel for going against the grain.  It wasn't easy and it certainly wasn't the popular choice, but she did it.  She struck out, discovered her own relationship with the Almighty and with the world in general, doing it with the grace and dignity her family couldn't afford her.  Okay, that was unfair of me...one of her sisters does seem to accept her choices and may even perhaps have her own odyssey of sorts in the future, but still, the term cold shoulder would have been a gentle response compared to the utter disdain her so called loved ones show her.  Thankfully, her landing is softened by those that came before her, namely one Lauren Sullivan.  Her influence weighs in greatly on Rachel's decisions but only at first.  Once she begins to get her balance in the "new world", she discovers that although she may not have all the answers, she needs to be in control of her own destiny to find her way...and a little helping hand from above is always there when needed most.

Overall, a book I'd highly recommend for Young Adult fans of all ages.  Whether you're curious about what goes on behind the beliefs in the "Quiverfull" culture, or simply looking for a contemporary read to pass a few hours with characters that will really move you, this is a book that should be on your radar.

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About the author...

Jennifer Mathieu started writing stories when she was in kindergarten and now teaches English to middle and high schoolers. She lives in Texas with her husband, her son, her dog, and two cats. Nothing bad has ever been written on the bathroom stall about Jennifer. At least she doesn't think so. The Truth About Alice is Jennifer's debut novel.

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Special thanks to Mary at MacMillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, or your chance to pre-order the title now, feel free to click through the links provided above.  REMEMBER...this title is set to celebrate its book birthday THIS JUNE!  Don't miss out!

Until next time...happy reading!

BLOG TOUR: Running Fire by Lindsay McKenna

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're playing host to a stop along the TLC Book Tours circuit for a Romantic Suspense novel you won't want to me.  It has action and romance.  Battles won and lost.  Strengths found and weaknesses preyed upon.  Have I caught your attention yet?  Okay, well for those still seeking a little something more, would a Kentucky born gentleman in SEAL clothes with a heart of gold and looks to kill (in all respects) weigh things greater in its favor?  Yeah, because it has ALL THAT and more.  ^-^  So, ladies and gents, with out further ado, today's blog tour guest and book of choice is...

Running Fire

Shadow Warriors, Book 8

by

Lindsay McKenna

9780373788934

Harlequin Books

About the book...

He was a haven in the midst of Hell… 

Temporarily assigned to the Shadow Squadron in a troubled region of Afghanistan, Chief Warrant Officer and pilot Leah Mackenzie is no stranger to conflict—even if most of her physical and emotional scars are courtesy of her vicious ex. Still, she's got a bad feeling about picking up a team of stranded SEALs. A feeling that's all too justified once enemy fire hits their helicopter and all hell breaks loose… 

SEAL Kell Ballard's goal was to get the injured pilot out of harm's way and find shelter deep in the labyrinth of caves. It's a place of dark intimacy, where Leah finds unexpected safety in a man's arms. Where prohibited attraction burns brightly. And where they'll hide until the time comes to face the enemy outside…and the enemy within their ranks.

AMAZON   |   GOODREADS

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I've had a run recently of several REALLY GOOD reads.  

This one...just happens to be one of them. 

Yay me?  Oh no, yay US!

When I first read about this one, I was of two minds.  On one hand, the story sounded really promising but on the other hand, I was afraid the romance aspect would get in the way of the whole story.  Boy was I happily surprised to find out that not only did story stand on its own two feet, but the romance was a happy (and guilty) pleasure.  We start with a female pilot as part of the elite Shadow Squadron fighting for her life among the wreckage that was her helo and flight crew.  She's wounded and in enemy territory.  Thank goodness SEAL Kell Ballard was close at hand!  Now before you go letting your imagination run wild, it's not a damsel in distress type rescue leading to romantic entanglements and happily-ever-afters...though some of those things DO actually happen.  No, Kell is a professional and a gentleman.  Despite all that interests him about the woman who has landed in his backyard, he keeps things on the up and up, allowing her to get her barrings and heal.  But the wounds we see are just the beginning, for although she is a strong military presence, there is a darker side to her life that she's hidden for many years.  Trauma has a way of breaking down the barriers we've built to protect ourselves...luckily so does love.

I really enjoyed getting to know our two leads.  Leah was so strong and unyielding.  Even in the face of her own death, she just couldn't let go.  To see the difference in her personality when it came to matters of the heart, broke your own heart in two.  No one should have to endure what she did but times change and so did Leah.  She just needed someone to help shine a little light on that new found growth.  Enter the light bearer, aka Kell.  Now, I'm not one of those girls that goes all gaga for a man in uniform or loves a Southern drawl (perhaps one of my least favorite actually...sorry boys) but really, if Miss Chief Warrant Officer didn't snap him up, I was next in line!  *wink wink*  He's one heck of a catch.  The kindness he shows Leah in her time of need is heart melting.  The protectiveness he feels towards her is honor worthy not stalker-ish.  His desire to help make her see herself as she truly is and not how she was made to believe is astounding...and we're not even talking about what the man can do when inspired.  (I'll let you interpret that...*ahem*)  Suffice it to say that he's one of the good guys without a doubt and anyone would be lucky to know him let alone call themselves his better half.  Now, back to that story...

The twists and turns that the story takes you through will make your breath hitch, in more ways than one.  We've got warfare and intel.  Danger lurking around every corner from enemies that surround but that also dwell within.  The darkness in Leah's not-so-distant past (spousal abuse) resurfaces building to a crescendo that won't be denied (think ultimate showdown).  Who wins in this unplanned duel?  Nope...sorry.  NO can do.  You'll have to read it to find out but I will tell you this, as much healing as there has been already, there is quite a ways to go before peace will be restored among these ranks.

In conclusion, a story that has a little bit of everything:  strong characters that lead with their heads and their hearts, skeletons that won't stay in their closets much to their own demise, and a love that burns like the Afghani sun.  You may not able to hurry love, but you sure can help it along when you show the true colors of your heart, consequences be darned.  Recommended read for adult readers due to some sensual content.

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About the author...

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Lindsay McKenna is a pseudonym of multiple-award winning  writer Eileen Nauman.  She writes military romances and romantic suspense.  She has had 100  books published under the McKenna name since 1981, most dealing with military or mercenary subjects, for several publishers.  She is known as the “Top Gun of Women’s Military Fiction.”  She created the military romance in 1983 with the publication of “Captive of Fate”, Silhouette Special Edition under her Lindsay McKenna pseudonym.  Since then, it has become a vital and vigorous genre in the romance world.

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Special thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours and the Harlequin Books team for the chance to bring this tour to all of you and the review copy.  (THANKS!)  For more information on THIS TOUR, the series, the author, the publisher, or those tours on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!