Lumiere by Jacqueline Garlick

One determined girl.

One resourceful boy.

One miracle machine that could destroy everything…

After an unexplained flash shatters her world, seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth sets out to find the Illuminator, her father’s prized invention. With it, she hopes to cure herself of her debilitating seizures before Professor Smrt—her father’s arch nemesis—discovers her secret and locks her away in an asylum.

Pursued by Smrt, Eyelet locates the Illuminator only to see it whisked away. She follows the thief into the world of the unknown, compelled not only by her quest but by the allure of the stranger—Urlick Babbit—who harbors secrets of his own.  

Together, they endure deadly Vapours and criminal-infested woods in pursuit of the same goal, only to discover the miracle machine they hoped would solve their problems may in fact be their biggest problem of all.

When darkness is safer than light…

I do believe this is labeled as a "romantic steampunk".  This is the second book of this flavor that I have read in the last couple months.  I can't help but compare a bit as it's the same genre, but I really shouldn't because the two books were nothing alike.  The feel, the way they were written were completely different.

I will admit that it took me awhile to become invested in this book and it's characters.  The storyline is a good one though.  A magic machine, an evil madman, a girl searching for answers.  Eyelet is the underdog.  You can't help but root for her.  She is smart and curious and she is determined to find the truth.  I liked her no whine attitude.

If you think rooting for one underdog is good, you should try two.  Urlick is an underdog too.  Put Eyelet and Urlick together and you get, well, underdog squared.  ha!  They sort of have an annoying relationship at first that I didn't quite get, but after they started working together, I really enjoyed them both.  That's when the book turned around for me.  Up until then I just wasn't in.

There are all kinds of things against Eyelet and Urlick.  The before mentioned evil bad guy, deadly vapors, zombie like creatures in the woods and a couple other surprises thrown in for good measure.  The flying machine creature is good.  I really like it.

As far as content, there was frequent profanity and swearing.  There is an "almost" sex scene but it is interrupted so it never happens but they both verbally consent to it.  The almost sex scene was so out of place.  The two characters hadn't even shared anything as intimate as a real kiss.  They had a day of adventure but honestly, not much more than that.  The emotional connection was underdeveloped.  I felt there was a bit of a physical attraction but not much more than that.

I would say that overall this was a good concept.  The characters were good but my connection to them didn't run very deep.  The second half was definitely better than the first half.  I could have done without the profanity and swearing.  

Oh, and I love the cover.  So, so pretty!

You can purchase Lumiere at Amazon.

About the author:

I'm Jacqueline Garlick. Author of YA, New Adult, and Women's Fiction. I originally hail from the shores of Bournemouth England. No I don't, I'm just kidding, but my father's parents did! Actually, I hail from another familiar shore though. I grew up on the banks of the Thames River in Chatham, Ontario, not Chatham, England, but trust me it's just as murky. I love strong heroines, despise whiny sidekicks, and adore a good story about a triumphant underdog. (Doesn't everyone?) I love to read, write, paint (walls and paper) and plan cool writing events for cool writers (check out niagarawritersretreatandconference (dot) com.) I have a love/hate relationship with chocolate, grammar, and technology (doesn't everyone?) and would rather hang out with a dog, than a cat. I prefer creating things to cleaning things, and believe laughter is a one-stop-shop solution to all that ails you. It is also my position that ELO’s Mr. Blue Sky can improve on any bad day. You will always find a purple wall (or two) in my house (perhaps even a door) and a hidden passageway that leads to a mystery room. (Okay, so you won’t find a hidden passageway but a girl can dream, can’t she?) Oh, and tea. There will always be tea. I love specialty teas...and collecting special teacups from which to drink them (doesn't everyone?) (See website for collection.) 

In my former life, I was a teacher (both grade school and college-don't ask), but more recently I've been a graduate of Ellen Hopkin’s Nevada Mentor Program and a student of James Scott Bell, Christopher Vogler and Don Maass. An excerpt from Lumière earned me the 2012 Don Maass Break Out Novel Intensive Scholarship.

Because of my edgy, rule-breaking, Tim Burton-esque style of writing (yes I did just start a sentence with 'because'...it's legal now, get over it) I am often referred to as the Quentin Tarantino of YA among writing friends (in particular my agent.)  

Lumière—A Romantic Steampunk Fantasy—is my debut novel, Book One in my young adult The Illumination Paradox Series. I am represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary.

He Is Risen by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square

The 360 members of this remarkable choir represent men and women from many different backgrounds and professions and range in age from 25 to 60. They reflect a medley of unique lives and experiences and are brought together by their love for singing and their faith. Their incomparable voices are the common chord that unites to form the choral group known all over the world as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

I am a girl who loves music.  Music holds such power- it can fill you with all kinds of emotions.  Memories are attached to music- good and not so good.  Music is a universal language.  Sometimes you just have to let it all out, shake it and get your groove on.  Other times you need music to fill the empty spaces or to let emotion out.  This CD represents the times where my spirit needs to speak; to praise and to remember how blessed I am.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is an amazing group of singers.  The conductors and singers all represent talent and devotion.  This CD is being released just in time for Easter.  Spring is upon us, new life is sprouting and this is the time we remember the death and ressurection of Jesus Christ.  For Christians everywhere, this is a special time of the year.

This CD is shorter than most, only 6 tracks, and is also less expensive.  All the songs are, of course, about Jesus Christ.  It is a spiritual and religious CD.  Although this album is performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, it is not "Mormon" specific but "Christian" specific.  For example, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" was written by Gilbert Martin who dedicated it to his alma mater, Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey in 1968.

My favorite track was "In the Garden".  This was written by Charles Miles who wrote gospel songs.  This song was written in 1912 while Miles sat in a dark room in a cold, windowless basement.  I have always loved this song.  The chorus goes:

And He walks with me,

and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share

As we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

This is the perfect music to fill my home on Easter Sunday.  It feels good and breaths peace and rejoicing to my soul.  I am so grateful for music.

You can purchase "He is Risen" at Amazon, Deseret Book, and I-tunes.

Silver Linings by Kaylee Baldwin: Review, Excerpt and $25 Giveaway!

Drew Westfall wants nothing more than to forget what he had to do in the name of "smart" business. Cutting off all ties with his parents—including handing over the entire contents of his trust fund to a charity—he takes off for Bridger, Colorado where his best friend has an extra room for him. It doesn't take long for him to realize that his business degree won’t do him much good in a town as small as Bridger, but he's broke and has nowhere else to go. Eden Torresi has every reason to wallow. Not only did she have to sell her house to pay for her mother’s medical expenses, but she also had to drop out of school and is in a relationship with a guy unwilling to commit. But Eden isn't the wallowing type. Instead, she chooses to spend most of her time taking care of the seniors at Silver Linings Assisted Living. When she learns that her boyfriend's new roommate is down on his luck, her caring nature makes her want to reach out to him and offer what help she can. But the more time they spend together, the more complicated things get, especially when the seniors of Silver Linings decide to play matchmaker.

I sure am loving these books in the Ripple Effect series. Clean romance is one of my all time, favorite genres and this series is perfect for me. I love all these authors and these books leave me feeling happy.

Silver Linings was so sweet. The main character, Eden, has so, so much on her plate. Emotionally especially. Her mother is struggling with (and dying from) lung cancer. This especially hit close to home as my mother in law recently passed away with the same struggle. I could easily identify with Eden and the tremendous load she carried as she cared for her mother on top of working to make sure they had enough money to survive.

I especially loved the sense of community that is unfolded, bit by bit. The people who surround Eden love her and want to help. Drew becomes a large part of that as well. I just loved him. His heart is full of goodness and generosity. Drew had a brief cameo in the first book in this series, Home Matters. We didn’t really know anything about him and his random decision to donate all his inheritance so I’m glad we got a closer, more personal look into Drew and his motives.

This was just a sweet, feel good book. I loved reading it and I’m so happy to be a part of this continued blog tour. New books in this series come out every few weeks and in the end will make an awesome collection to be read and re-read.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

Author Kaylee Baldwin When Kaylee Baldwin isn’t writing, she’s usually chasing after her four children, checking her email, trying to get motivated to train for that race she shouldn’t have signed up for, hanging out with her pretty awesome husband, and reading whatever good book she can find. She graduated from Arizona State with degree in English Lit. Her published books are Meg’s Melody, Six Days of Christmas (part of the All I Want collection) and Silver Linings.

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The Ripple Effect Romance Novella Series Enjoy this exciting new series of clean novellas by six critically-acclaimed authors. "Like a pebble tossed into calm water, a simple act can ripple outward and have a far-reaching effect on those we meet, perhaps setting a life on a different course—one filled with excitement, adventure, and sometimes even love." Book 1: Home Matters by Julie N. Ford Book 2: Silver Linings by Kaylee Baldwin Book 3: Righting A Wrong by Rachael Anderson Book 4: Lost and Found by Karey White Book 5: Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver Book 6: Immersed by Jennifer Griffith

Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 4/14/14
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Magic Within by Sara Fitzgerald

Nancy, a purple-haired witch, has never fit in with the kids in town. She has always felt something was deeply wrong with her. When Josh, her best friend, is attacked by a werewolf, Nancy seeks a potion to save him from the werewolf curse within him. But Josh’s fate--werewolf or human--is his to decide, when the potion is injected during his transition at the full of the moon.

Nancy, too, must make a choice. Her mother, her best friend, and a steadfast young man all see the magic within her. Can she finally accept who she is and give love a chance?

It's all about werewolves in this YA paranormal book!  Poor Josh gets bitten in a desperate attempt to save his sister from the vampire fate.  The consequence of being bitten by a werewolf is that you eventually turn into a werewolf yourself.  Well, that is if you survive the transition from human to werewolf on the night of the next full moon.

Josh is a witch, not a werewolf.  He has always believed werewolves to be horrible, evil creatures so when he realizes that he will become one of them he is understandably upset and angry.  As Josh lives among the werewolves and gets to know them, he learns some important lessons.

Nancy is a smart girl/witch with a healthy dose of self doubt.  It was nice to see Nancy transform through the book from insecure to confident.  I loved her loyalty to her friend, Josh and her determination to save him.

I felt like the book stayed pretty much on the surface.  I wish I would have had more of a back story or understanding of why things were the way they were.  The story just sort of started and ended without me understanding when it came from, if that makes any sense.  The surface story was there without any foundation, I guess.  I was looking for some meatier substance.

I did enjoy the book though.  It was easy to read and kept me mostly interested throughout.  One theme I liked from this book was that you shouldn't ever judge someone based on who you think they are or where you think they come from.  People can surprise you and when you take the time to really get to know people, you will probably change your mind about some preconceived notions you had.  It happens in this book and I really liked that.  It's an important lesson to learn.

Excerpt for Josh

In the blackness of the night, Josh growled from deep inside his body. The pain was intense. More than anything he’d experienced. He gasped and stared at the alluring full moon. His body violently twisted.

He looked at his contorted hands; claws were forming. He was changing into a werewolf. This couldn’t be possible. He never even tasted human flesh and yet he’d always envied the power and freedom of Eric. To have no restraints. Nothing to constrain his behavior. Pure freedom.

“No!” he screamed into the night. Not him. Yet the stupid darkness had always appealed to him. He had even wanted to be a bloodsucker. Did evil lurk within his soul? Was this his fate? To be changed into a monster?

He frantically looked for Nancy, Nick and his sister. They were floating barely above him on the broomsticks. Horror flooded their faces, and tears filled his sister’s eyes.

Samantha dipped her broom lower. “No, Josh, please don’t do this.”

Nick raised his gun. Nancy quickly pushed it down.

Josh’s body quivered. “Kill me.”

You can purchase "The Magic Within" at Amazon.

Author Biography:

Sara lives with her husband and seven-year-old daughter in Salt Lake City.
She loves romance, intrigue, writing and exploring the city with her family.
Her two favorite parts of the day are reading bedtime stories with her daughter and hanging out with her husband.

Fool For Books Giveaway Hop! Enter to Win a Book of YOUR CHOICE!

It's no joke that I love books.  I love reading books, I love buying books and I love giving books away.  What is better than getting a new book that you have been eyeing for weeks?  Not much.  :)  

Hopefully you love books too and that is why you are here.  Today I'm giving away a book of your choice, $12 or less from Amazon if you are US and The Book Depository if you are INT (and they ship to you for free).  You may also choose an ebook if you prefer.  This giveaway is for a book- not a giftcard or any other item.

I'm so happy you stopped by today!


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Fortune Cookie by Josi Kilpack $50 Book Blast

Sadie Hoffmiller has always liked things to be just so. A place for everything and everything in its place. Order over chaos. And of all things Sadie should be able to control, her own wedding is at the top of the list. With the big day just three weeks away, Sadie is busily adding the final touches to her wedding plans but the arrival of a mysterious letter from San Francisco changes everything. The only person Sadie knows in San Francisco is her older sister, Wendy, whom she hasn’t seen since their mother’s funeral nearly fifteen years ago. Sadie has faced off against murderers and criminals in recent years, yet the possibility of reconnecting with her sister is both overwhelming and frightening. Sadie soon discovers, however, that the letter is just the beginning when Wendy’s world turns out to be a place of unanswered questions, twisted truths, and more than one person with a motive for murder. The more Sadie digs into her sister’s past, the more she places her own future at risk.

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Culinary Mystery Series

Tour Schedule

Author Josi S. Kilpack Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series was a finalist in 2009. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, children and super-cute cat.

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 Blast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 4/30/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Unplanned Motherhood: A web comedy series + a $100 Giveaway!

Unplanned Motherhood

Unplanned Motherhood is a non-fiction collection of short stories written by moms and dads about their funny inspirational or motivational journey as a parent. Unplanned Motherhood is based on the web series created by Lena Sledge.

Unplanned Motherhood is a comedy web series for perfectly imperfect families, starring Lena Sledge as Layla, a wife and mother of five that gives parenting advice on her real life mommy blog. Her unique parenting style contradicting with her perfect parenting advice lends to a distinct brand of humor. With each episode we see Layla teaching her kids life lessons as she discovers more about herself and the advice she gives to her readers. Unique to this web series is the actual blog that Layla writes where she gives the perfect parenting advice and after many of her posts, follows the tag line; to see how I really handled the situation watch this week's episode.

This web series is special because the viewers of the web series and the readers of the real life blog get to interact with Layla and let her know if her advice is on the money or share their own parenting advice. To follow the Unplanned Motherhood blog go to www.lenasledge.com. Stay tuned. Unplanned Motherhood debuts March 28th!!!!

If you'd like to submit a short story to be included in the book Unplanned Motherhood, send 500 words or less tosonnybrookfilms@yahoo.com. Short story must be clean, family friendly as well as funny, inspirational or motivational.

 

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Sneak Peek:

   

Unplanned Motherhood Cast

Starring Morgan Hamilton as Sonny, Stefani Colvin as Brooke, Grayson Kilpatrick as Deacon, Aidan Heuer as Spoon, and Ari Heuer as Ari.


  Episode 1:  

 

Author Lena Sledge Lena Sledge is an awarding winning author. Her first book, a collection of short stories called If I Had My Way, won the 2012 African American Literary Award for Best Short Story/Anthology. Her short film, Grandma's Hands, won 3rd place at the River City Film Festival in March 2014. Her most recent project, a comedy web series called Unplanned Motherhood debuts on March 28th on Youtube. Lena Sledge has collaborated on many literary projects as well as tv and film projects. She offers advice, resources, and tips on writing, navigating the independent film industry as well as reviews and highlights about upcoming books and authors. Lena Sledge also enjoys photography, you can view some of her photography work on her website as well as Flickr.

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Flickr * Pinterest * Blog * Goodreads * Amazon

    

 Blast Giveaway $100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 4/21/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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