Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 16

Blog Tour: HOW OLD SHOULD I BE THIS YEAR? by J.C. Walker

HOW OLD SHOULD I BE THIS YEAR?

J.C. Walker

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GENRE:  Picture Book

 

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BLURB:

 

J.C.Walker's new way of celebrating your birthday will have children using theirimaginations and parents remembering their happiest memories.

 

Findout how the Nuwayble family celebrates their birthdays a little differently.

 

 

Areminder to us all: no matter how young or old, age is but a number. How youfeel is all that matters.

 

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EXCERPT

 

 

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 Review: 

It’s Sammy’s birthday, and he getsto pick how old he is going to be this year. This year, since he wants as manycandles on his cake as possible, he is choosing to be thirty years old. Fromthen on, everyone in the family would choose how old they would be for theirbirthday. In every birthday, each one relived a special memory and choose whatthey wanted to do for that day.

A fun story about birthdaycelebration.

Rating:4 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Andthus begins my own leap of faith in becoming an author. My only hope is toinspire those young and old to find what makes them happy.

 

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17873141.J_C_Walker

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/1779412509

 

 

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GIVEAWAY 

J.C.Walker will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: THE CHRONICLES OF ORDI by Alex Zenk

 

THE CHRONICLES OF ORDI

Alex Zenk

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GENRE:  Fantasy

 

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BLURB:

 

Ina world where ancient magic is fading and darkness grows, one dwarf mage standsbetween his realm and destruction.

 

Ordi,a gifted mage with the rare ability to command all elemental magic, is summonedby his king on a perilous quest. Accompanied by his loyal posh hound Mira andhis warrior brother Verdun, Ordi must recover the legendary OtthroiteGems—powerful artifacts thought lost to time.

 

Asthey journey through forbidden forests, abandoned dwarven cities, and hauntedvalleys, they discover these gems are the only hope against the rising threatof the long-banished Dark Lord. With each step, they uncover secrets of ancientmagic and face betrayals that test the bonds of brotherhood.

 

Richin world-building and filled with magical encounters, "The Chronicles ofOrdi" blends classic fantasy elements with fresh perspectives on courage,loyalty, and the price of power.

 

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ExcerptTwo:

 

A hellhound emerged from the swirling smoke, its eyesburning with an evil fire. Two towering demons flanked the beast, their twistedforms radiating dark energy. Accompanying them was a horde of monstrousspiders, their grotesque legs and mandibles glistening in the dim light. Ordi'sheart pounded in his chest; he hated spiders—no, he was terrified of them.These were no ordinary arachnids; they ranged from five to eight feet tall,their massive forms looming menacingly. The challenge before him was immense.Hellhounds could withstand most mortal magic, and the demons posed a threat hehad only read about in the academy's ancient tomes. Desperately cycling throughspells in his mind, Ordi cursed under his breath, doubting whether any wouldsuffice against such formidable adversaries. Read more – link in comments.

 

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How Chronicles of Ordi: Brotherhood of the Lost GemsStands Out

Chronicles of Ordi: Brotherhood of the Lost Gemsdistinguishes itself in the epic fantasy genre through its unique blend ofpantheistic themes, morally complex characters, and a vividly crafted worldthat sidesteps overused tropes like magical networks or heavy sci-fi elements.Like many epic fantasies, such as The Lord of the Rings or The Wheelof Time, which often focus on clear-cut battles between good and evil, TheChronicles of Ordi deals with the nature of good vs evil. The evil is clearlyevil, while the good are normal, flawed characters. This emphasis on positive,elemental magic tied to nature’s divinity sets it apart from darker,artifact-driven stories like The Sword of Shannara, where talismansoften carry destructive consequences.

The protagonist, Ordi, and his Brotherhood, Verdun, Nimue,and Mira, navigate a world of gritty realism and moral ambiguity, blendingTolkien-inspired aesthetics with a modern edge that appeals to readers seekingdepth over simplistic heroism. Unlike the Edge Chronicles, which leanson whimsical flora and flight-based tech, Asheros is rooted in magic andpantheistic reverence, making the environment a living, breathing character.The antagonist, Xerxes, a cunning and layered figure, adds tension without fallinginto the generic dark lord archetype seen in Dragonlance’s Takhisis. Byfocusing on intricate character dynamics and a nature-infused magic system, Chroniclesof Ordi offers a fresh, emotionally resonant take on epic fantasy thatcelebrates hope and complexity over mythic clichés.

 

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

AlexZenk brings a fresh voice to the world of epic quests and magical realms. Bornand raised in the midwest, Alex's love for fantasy was kindled early by theworks of J.R.R. Tolkien and nurtured through years of immersive role-playinggames. As a pastor by day and a storyteller by night, Alex brings a uniqueperspective to his writing, weaving themes of morality, redemption, and thecomplexities of good and evil into his narratives.

Drawinginspiration from his experiences in World of Warcraft, Alex has crafted a richand immersive world in his debut series, "The Chronicles of Ordi."His background in theology and his deep understanding of human nature informthe complex characters and intricate plot lines.

Whennot writing or tending to his pastoral duties, Alex can be found exploring thenatural beauty of Iowa with his family, using these adventures to fuel hisimagination and inspire new fantastic landscapes. With plans for multiple booksset in the world of Asheros, Alex Zenk is poised to make a significant impacton the fantasy genre, offering readers a blend of classic epic fantasy with amodern, thoughtful twist.

 

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/apzenk/

Amazon:https://a.co/d/g00TgiA

Website:https://apzenk.com/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565462734987

 

 

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GIVEAWAY 

AlexZenk will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: TREATED AND DYED by Cindy Bell

 

Bekki had just stepped away to getshampoo. When she came back to her client, she was dead from an apparent heartattack. Everyone in town didn’t seem to think too highly of the rich, deadwoman. After a while, it would seem that the woman was poisoned. But how couldshe have been poisoned in Bekki’s salon? A nice, short mystery!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: ALL BY MYSELF ALONE by Mary Higgins Clark

 

We begin with a wide array ofcharacters on a luxury cruise line ship. One of the passengers was the reveredLady Em, who was in possession of Cleopatra’s necklace.

 

“Whoever takes this necklace tosea will never live to reach the shore.”

 

Included on the passenger list areWilly and Alvirah Meehan, the lotter winners. Several people seemed to alreadyhave their eye on that necklace.

 

The author, once again, reels youin with these characters and the mystery. The ship was full of thieves andliars, and some even harbored thoughts of…murder. By the third day of thecruise, a man had gone overboard and Lady Em had been murdered. The questionwas: who did it?

 

The hunt was on for The Man withOne Thousand Faces—thief and murderer. But who was he?

 

Even though this cruise was only 6days, the reading journey was quite long, but it was surprisingly gripping. Ididn’t think I would get so into it, but I did.

 

A good mystery read!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: A WRINKLE-FREE MURDER by Cindy Bell

 

Bekki was on her way to London fora cosmetics trade fair. During a demonstration for a wrinkle-free injection,somebody dies in front of the crowd. Oh dear!

 

Was it an accident or murder?Murder, of course! And Bekki had to find out who it was before going back hometo the states. She may have been in a foreign country, but she still had herwits and kicks about her. A good mystery!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: CRUISES CAN BE DEADLY by Cindy Bell

 

The senior gang was going on acruise. Of course, for OCD Walt, the ship was just too much for him to handle,so he stayed behind at the hotel while his friends got on-board. Theman-overboard signal sounds on the ship. Oh dear! Turns out that there was amurder, and the gang had to try to solve it with a storm coming. Boy, you surewouldn’t find me on a boat. It sure was fun seeing these old guys hunting downthose clues as always. A good mystery!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: LONG DISTANCE by Whitney Gardner

 

The doodles were a little too muchand too small to see anything. Also, the text was too small to read. Couldn’tget into this one.

 

Rating:2 stars

Review: STRANGERS IN PARADISE #57 by Terry Moore

 

Francine’s version of Snow White.What was with the Snow White theme and storyline? I guess, it was supposed tobe a metaphor for something. I didn’t get it and I didn’t like it.

 

Rating:2 stars

Review: PAWS: MINDY MAKES SOME SPACE by Michele Assarasakorn

 

Although the illustrations arecute and colorful, there’s just so much going on in the panels and the text wastoo small to read. It was just too hard to know what was going on. Justunreadable.

 

Rating:2 stars

Review: CHRISTMAS SPARKS by Ginny Frost

Kindergarten teacher, Margaret Porter, is looking forward to the best Christmas holiday in years. Without her irresponsible ex-husband causing chaos, she and her two children can finally have a fun, peaceful celebration. Everything looks picture perfect until her living room catches fire. Volunteer firefighter, Ryan Kramer, never knew what hit him when he rescues a reluctant and quick-tempered Margaret from her burning home. But it’s more than sympathy for her situation that gets under his skin. Her sassy, no-nonsense attitude bowls him over. Margaret finds her family rescued by Ryan again and again. Something about him speaks to her soul, and she discovers it hard to resist him. Unlike her careless and manipulative ex-husband, Ryan’s nothing but wonderful throughout the entire ordeal. As Ryan investigates the damage to Margaret’s home, he discovers his family’s business, Kramer and Sons, worked on the fire-ravaged room. Did shoddy work by his family put a single mom and her two kids out in the cold at Christmas? Can Margaret see beyond his last name and fall for him too?

Review: When a hot firefighter rescues asingle mom from her burning house, Christmas sparks fly—and not the romanticones either. Of course, it wasn’t long before the two shared a smoldering kissand a passionate encounter. However, an ex-husband, a burnt house, and alawsuit may ruin everything.

This was a nice and easy read. Youeasily get swept up in the story. A good read!  

Rating:4 stars