Book Review & Giveaway: The Emerald Ring by Dorine White

I'm excited today to be kicking off Dorine's tour for The Emerald Ring.  As you will see in my review below, I loved this book. I'm also very excited for the second book in the series, The Ruby Pendant and I can't wait to see when that will be released.  Dorine should know the release date any day now.  I will be first in line to get a review copy of that one because I am captivated with the characters and the premise now!  So read my review and make sure you enter to win a copy of The Emerald Ring by Dorine White.


My Review:
While I had just a bit of trouble getting into the flow of The Emerald Ring in the first few pages, it wasn't long before I did get into it.  And when that happened I could not put The Emerald Ring down.  While geared toward middle graders, I can see all ages and both genders getting into this book.

Sara is a great character, she seems typical of a tween embarking upon the middle school years.  She's into boys, has a best friend and just wants to get by without embarrassing herself during her sixth grade year.  She's wise, into books and very put together it seems, but as is typical with middle school, she is still trying to figure herself out.  When she tries out her Grandmother's ring and it becomes stuck on her finger, strange things start happening.  Then there are the dreams.  She has research and her friends Heidi and her new friend Kainu to help her out.  Heidi and Kainu made great characters too.  Kainu seemed to be more than he seemed and Heidi was a great best friend, she stuck with Sara even when she wasn't sure what was going on.  And I liked Sara's parents.  They weren't absentee parents, they were watchful and careful with Sara, but they did give her some freedom to grow and become more.  So to me they were typical parents and it's refreshing to have parents in MG/YA fiction.

The story was interesting.  What is it about the ring? What about Sara's strange dreams?  There is so much more to the story and it is a wonderful read.  After getting into the book, (which really only took 10-20 pages, which I find is typical for me reading MG fiction) it was very fast-paced and exciting.  I can see MG-fiction readers really enjoying this one.  I plan to let my older son see if it is his speed and reading it with my younger son.  The plot has a great mystery with paranormal elements and it's different from other books I read so that made it more interesting as well.  It concludes with a finish for this chapter of the story, but leaves a lot open for the continued series which I am looking forward to.

Ms. White does an amazing job with characters and plotting.  The Emerald Ring is a great start to what looks like will be a wonderful series for MG and older (and great to read with younger children who are more advanced readers).  It has mystery, the paranormal, friendship and middle school.  What more could you ask for?  Oh well you could be like me after you finish and be anxiously awaiting The Ruby Pendant!

My Rating: 5.0/5.0

About The Emerald Ring:

Ordinary tween life turns upside down when Ancient Egypt intrudes on modern middle school life. Twelve year old Sara Guadalupe Bogus reads about adventures, but unexpectedly is drawn into one when a mystical emerald ring that once belonged to Cleopatra becomes stuck on her finger.
A series of burglaries spook Sara’s small Ohio hometown. Concluding that the root of all the crimes is the emerald ring, Sara realizes it’s up to her and her friends, Heidi and African exchange student Kainu, to save the town and protect Cleopatra’s legacy. Filled with magic, the ring thrusts Sara into a world filled with nightmares, allows her to shape shift into an Egyptian cat and battle assassins.

Buy it Now:

Amazon.com
BarnesandNoble.com

Deseretbook.com

CedarFort.com

IndieBound.org

 

About Dorine White (from Goodreads):

My name is Dorine White. I graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Humanities. I am a member of the SCBWI, ANWA, LDS Storymakers and the PNWA. I write middle grade and YA fantasy. My first book, The Emerald Ring, was published May 2013 by Cedar Fort Books.

Author Website- http://www.dorinewhite.com/

Blog- The Write Path- http://www.dorinewhite.blogspot.com/

Twitter @Dorinewhite- https://twitter.com/DorineWhite

Facebook Author Page- https://www.facebook.com/dorinewhite

Giveaway:

Dorine is giving away one (1) paperback copy of The Emerald Ring to a lucky winner in the US or Canada.  Enter using the Rafflecopter below.

Note: This giveaway will be mailed by the author. 

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***I received this book from the author for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Cover Reveal: The Accidental Marriage by Annette Haws (+ $25 cash giveaway!)

It's time for another exciting cover reveal.  Today it's for The Accidental Marriage by Annette Haws from Cedar Fort Publishing and it will be released on December 10, 2013.  So find out what it's about and then check out the great cover!

About THE ACCIDENTAL MARRIAGE: 

Publication Date: December 10, 2013

ISBN: 9781462113743

Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing

Nina Rushforth was born with a silver spoon caught in her throat. She and her father have mapped out a future that includes a brilliant legal career, a marriage to an equally stellar attorney or Wall Street whiz kid, and eventually the production of three perfect children. A semester at St. Andrew's University in Scotland, was part of the plan, but falling in love with a handsome missionary was not.

Six months later, after Elliot returns from his mission and after a tumultuous courtship, Nina finds herself teaching at a junior high school, learning to keep house in a minuscule apartment, and living with a man who doesn't know any more about being married than she does. Intimacy, cooking, laundry, lesson plans, and a tug-of-war with a possessive mother-in-law prove to be more overwhelming than Nina can successfully manage. The newlyweds awaken to realize the head on the adjacent pillow belongs to a stranger.

This novel captures the heartbreak of young love caught in the turbulent social crosscurrents of the 70's, at a time when brave women struggled to find dignity and equality in the workplace, as well as peace at home.

And now for the cover:

Buy Links:

Praise for THE ACCIDENTAL MARRIAGE:

“A thoughtful, heartbreaking, and often laugh-out-loud romp… Annette Haws explores the interesting question: What keeps a marriage together?”

--Terrell Dougan, a columnist for the Huffington Post and the author of That Went Well: Adventures in Caring for my Sister

“Haws delivers a story that makes you want to rush to the end to find out what happens and prose that makes you want to slow down and savor it.”

--Karey White, author of For What It’s Worth, Gifted, and My Own Mr. Darcy

“If you want a story with plot, character and real, deep meaning that will leave you thinking long after you’re done, this is the book for you.”

--Shannon Guymon, author of Do Over

About Annette:  

Annette Haws’s literary strengths are based upon her experiences in the

classroom. She began her teaching career as a junior high teacher in Richmond, Utah and ended it teaching Sophomore English at Murray High School in Salt Lake City. However, her favorite assignment was a five year period at Logan High School teaching English, coaching debate and mock trial, and watching the antics of her own three children who were also students in the same school.

Her first novel, Waiting for the Light to Change, won Best of State in 2009, A Whitney Award for Best Fiction, and the Diamond Quill Award for Best Published Fiction in 2009 from the League of Utah Writers. In July of 2008, the Midwest Book Review selected it as a Top Pick for Community Library Fiction Collections.

Social Media Links:

Facebook 

Website

Blog 

Book on Goodreads

Annette on Goodreads

Giveaway

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Book Review & Tour: Enduring Light by Carla Kelly

Enduring Light by Carla Kelly

Publisher:Cedar Fort Publishing

Publish Date: January 8, 2012

Paperback, 392 pages 
Fiction, Historical, Romance
 ISBN: 978-1599559841

My Review:
This is another books, that while I was reading and when I finished, I just thought, "Wow".  The story is poignant, it's beautiful.  It has meaning and love.  It has one of those love that goes past the mushiness and the superficial.  When I think of Paul and Julia, I think of a love for all eternity and a deep and abidinig love that nothing that can stop.  Ms. Kelly crafts this love into this story and does a beautiful job with it, making it believable and so interwoven into the story and into your thoughts as you read it that you can't put it down.

Enduring Light is the second book in the series that started with Borrowed Light which I did not read.  And while I felt slightly lost at the beginning of the book.  I quickly was filled in on what was going on and got  a feel for the characters.  Once I got a feel for the book and characters I could not put the book down.  That is when the story really took on a lilfe of it's own for me.  Ms. Kelly just seems to have a way with a romance novel.  She made the setting, the life of being a cattle rancher's wife and the life of being a Mormon come to life.  And all the while kept me enthralled with the love story and a little bit of suspense on the side as well.

One of the many things I love about this book is even though Paul and Julia are striving to live a live according to the teachings of The Book of Mormon and their spiritual leaders, Ms. Kelly never shys away from the romantic elements of the book.  It's not overt, but you know that Paul and Julia enjoy themselves.  Everything is off the page, but their relationship is very heated and passionate like newlyweds saving themselves for marriage would be and I like that she showed that without being graphic about it.  There is also quite a bit of humor during the book.  I often found myself chuckling out loud while reading at some of the antics of Paul and his workers and even Julia who is no shrinking violet.

That brings me to the characters.  Julia and Paul are just amazing.  Julia is a strong female who loves her husband and wants to do right by him.  Paul is every bit a virile cattle man, but when it comes to Julia, he would do anything to protect her and anything to help her.  They share their secrets, they share their love.  You just have to read it to see.  I promise if you enjoy romances, historical or not, you will enjoy this one.  I must now go back and read Borrowed Light because I want more of these two and I want their back story.

Timeless, heart-stopping romance.  Amazing characters. A plot that will keep you interested from the first page to the last.  An interesting historical backdrop of the old west during the early 1900s all made Enduring Love a winner in my eyes.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

My Rating: 5.0/5.0


About the Book:

Julia Darling is finally able to marry Paul Otto for eternity. But it’s a harsh world for a rancher in turn-of-the-century Wyoming, especially a Mormon rancher. When alienation and threats begin, Julia must prove she’s her husband’s equal in strength and endurance as she learns to let go of scars on the outside and inside.

Bestselling author Carla Kelly has woven a new story of a determined rancher, his wife, and how they discover the depths of love.

Book Poster Page



About the Author: 

A newcomer to Cedar Fort, Inc., Carla Kelly is a veteran of the New york and international publishing world. The author of more than thirty novels and novellas for Donald I. Fine Co., Signet, and Harlequin, Carla is the recipient of two rita Awards (think oscars for romance writing) from romance Writers of America and two Spur Awards (think oscars for western fiction) from Western Writers of America.

Recently, she's been writing regency romances (think Pride and Prejudice) set in the royal Navy's Channel Fleet during the Napoleonic Wars between england and France. She comes by her love of the ocean from her childhood as a Navy brat.

Carla's history background makes her no stranger to footnote work, either. During her National Park Service days at the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, Carla edited Friedrich Kurz's fur trade journal. She recently completed a short history of Fort Buford, where Sitting Bull surrendered in 1881. Following the "dumb luck" principle that has guided their lives, the Kellys recently moved to Wellington, Utah, from North Dakota and couldn't be happier in their new location. In her spare time, Carla volunteers at the railroad and Mining Museum in Helper, Utah. She likes to visit her five children, who live here and there around the United States. Her favorite place in Utah is Manti, located after a drive on the scenic byway through Huntington Canyon.

And why is she so happy these days? Carla looks forward to writing for an LDS audience now, where she feels most at home.

Carla Kelly's Blog

Carla Kelly's Website
Carla Kelly's Facebook

Here's the schedule for the rest of the tour, make sure to check out some of the rest of the stops.

Links to the Publisher:

Blog 

Goodreads

Facebook 

Twitter 

Buy from B&N:

FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher for an honest review. 

Note: I earn commission on purchases from The Book Depository and B&N.com.  Any profits made are used to fund shipping and giveaways on the blog, so any purchases you make are greatly appreciated!