Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 193
March 9, 2022
Blog Tour: MEGAN'S CHOICE by Darci Garcia
Megan's Choice
by Darci Garcia
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GENRE: Contemporary Romance
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BLURB:
Megan Cunningham could never have imagined she would meet her handsome neighbor while chasing her badly behaved Boston Terrier Lucy but that is exactly what happened! After careening headlong into Brice Castillo’s chest and gazing into his icy blue eyes the fireworks began!
Brice is head over heels for the beautiful blonde and cannot help but pursue her. Still, there is something he is holding back that may just keep these two hearts apart forever! They are both determined to find a way and may just have sealed their happily ever after.
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Excerpt One:
Panicked, Megan reached the open door. Just as she was about to enter, she crashed
headlong into a chest. A very large, very male chest. Immediately a strong hand
grasped her shoulder, helping to steady her as she rocked back from the impact.
Breathless, she looked up. The strangers eyes were startling, an icy blue mixed with
slate. “Extraordinary,” she thought, fascinated by their hue.
“Are you ok?” the man asked, his brow furrowed in concern.
“What?” Megan babbled, staring up at him, completely unable to form a cohesive thought.
“This is exactly why you’re still single,” she thought, still mute. Just then Lucy began barking furiously. Horrified, Megan observed her errant dog as she ran deliriously over the stranger's very expensive leather couch. Her tongue hung almost to her feet as she trailed drool joyously. The man had turned away from her, both of them staring incedulously.
“Is that your dog?” he asked without turning.
“That dog?” Megan squeaked. “No. I mean yes, yes of course she is,” then, pushing past the stranger, Megan ran towards Lucy who wasn’t the least bit concerned by the murderous look on Megan’s face.
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Review: Meet Megan, a flower shop owner. She loved her life and her dog. The only thing missing was a man, who would not be able to cross the threshold without her dog’s approval. Megan always believed that the right man would naturally win her dog over. If not, she would stay single…or get a cat (not likely though.)
Then the handsome man moves in across the hall.
Story has a lengthy and descriptive narrative, which tends to be slow and overindulgent in scenery. The mutual attraction is evident between the characters, but it takes a long time to develop in the story. The writing was pretty good and this certainly was a nice premise for a soft romance; however, cutting down on some of the excessive scenes would’ve made the whole thing stronger and more engaging.
A fairly nice read overall.
Rating: 3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Darci Garcia is a contemporary romance writer with a penchant for including members of the animal kingdom in her stories. Although she studied business, her first love has always been the written word.
She believes a sense of humor can cure most anything and laughs at herself most of all.
An animal rights activist, she has spent most of her life working behind the scenes assisting in the rescue of dogs.
These days you will find her in sunny Florida, although she was born and raised in New England, which, she maintains, still holds her heart. She is living out her own happily ever after along with her husband, children and of course her rescues which, at last count, equaled five!
http://www.5princebooks.com/darcigarcia.html
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09N54XLB3
iTunes: http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1598973641
Instagram: @shemakeswordsmagical
https://www.instagram.com/shemakeswordsmagical/
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GIVEAWAY :
Darci Garcia will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
March 8, 2022
Blog Tour: MARS WARS series by John Andrew Karr
Mars Wars Series:
Detonation Event (Mars Wars Book 1)
by John Andrew Karr
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GENRE: Science Fiction
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BLURB:
For decades the Space Consortium of America has searched for new ways to harvest resources beyond an increasingly depleted Earth. The ultimate plan is about to be ignited. So is the ultimate threat to humankind . . .
DETONATION EVENT
Battle-hardened Captain Ry Devans and his crew of the Mars Orbiter Station One (MOS-1) are part of a bold plan: resurrect the active molten cores of the Red Planet with synchronized thermonuclear explosions, and terraform the hell out of that iron-oxide rock for future generations. It’ll change history. So will the strands of carbon-based Martian cells that have hitched a ride on the ship.
Dr. Karen Wagner knows the microbes’ resistance to virus is incredible. It’s the unknowable that’s dicey. Her orders: blow them into space. But orders can be undermined. Two vials have been stolen and sent hurtling toward the biosphere. For Devans and Wagner, ferreting out the saboteurs on board is only the beginning. Because there are more of them back on Earth—an army of radical eco-terrorists anxious to create a New World Order with a catastrophic gift from Mars.
Now, one-hundred-and-forty-million miles away from home, Devans is feeling expendable, betrayed, a little adrift, and a lot wild-eyed. But space madness could be his salvation—and Earth’s. He has a plan. And he’ll have to be crazy to make it work.
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Mars, in the throes of resurrection.
If you happened to have an illegal telescope, or proxied your galaxynet address well enough to pirate your way to satellite images of Mars, you might glimpse a damaged but operational Mars Orbiter 1, alive with ‘rebels.’
You could see clusters of superheated propellant burning beyond Earth space, as the EFF (Earth First Faction) sends armed planetary shuttles on an attack route to relieve the rebels of their existence.
If so, you’d be witnessing Mars Wars.
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Annihilation-Plan-Mars-Wars-Book-ebook/dp/B09NKPN3Z5/
Excerpt One:
From Destination Event, Mars Wars, Book 1
The barren red face of Mars grew before them.
The space shuttles of two centuries earlier had orbited Earth at roughly five miles a second. Doubling that speed, even tripling it—and in a hurry—was within easy capability of the PS-class shuttles.
Devans threw in a series of mild doglegs to make it a little interesting for Wagner. He had to admit, the youth had staying power. An hour later and Wagner hadn’t even taken a bathroom break. Two blips showed up on the main hologram of the planet below. They marked tunnel locations T1 and T2 as yellow-highlighted lines that shot straight down. Both had tiny right angles at the ends where the bombs were housed.
As they approached the space over T1, the surface camera feeds showed nothing but a mass of gray-and-red dust. Very little wind speed. It was thick but gentle, like a snow globe after its been shaken.
“Raise shields, Nuro,” Devans said. “Shannon, how about splashing our entry on the big monitor here and the feed to the crew?”
The shuttle’s shields warded off the entry heat and they entered the anemic Martian atmosphere.
“Withdraw shields, Nuro.”
“Withdrawing.”
“Nice sandstorm,” Devans said, gazing at the roiling wall hundreds of feet high.
“Dust storm!” Trent Wagner said over his shoulder as he leaned back and forth on the table as if shredding the galaxy’s longest wave. “This is the tail end of it!”
“How long until cleared?”
“Two or three.”
“Couple, three hours, not so bad.”
“Weeks,” Wagner said.
“And here I just had this thing washed. Let’s go to the dark side for now.”
The sun cut a divide on the red planet’s surface. PS-9 easily outdistanced the storm and raced over the desert surface to the dark side. The second blip beckoned them on the navigation screens. Near total darkness pushed against their vessel lights.
This was the eve of the moment they all had labored for…One last manual check and they would attempt to resurrect Mars with synchronized thermonuclear explosions at the core.
At least, that was the plan.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
From his home in Wilmington, North Carolina, John Andrew Karr (also John A. Karr) writes of the strange and spectacular. He is the author of a handful of independent and small press novels and novellas, and also leaves in his wake a trail of short stories.
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/John-A-Karr/e/B003DVNQ8G%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Twitter: @johnandrewkarr1
Instagram/Tumblr: johnandrewkarr
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgMXLJ0MK2Q
Detonation Event: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D6BDQBC
Rogue Planet: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XFMCD21
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GIVEAWAY:
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
a Rafflecopter giveawayMarch 7, 2022
Blog Tour: BOO'S SHOES by Sybrina Durant
A Rabbit And Fox Story: Learn To Tie Shoelaces
Children's Interactive Picture Book
Date Published: 11-06-2021
No Laces! That’s what Boo, the bunny, always says. He doesn’t want to learn to tie them. He has plenty of shoes for every occasion and none of them have laces or strings. So, what’s the point of learning to tie? His friend, Farah Fox, convinces him that it’s a skill he can use. . . and one that might make him happier, too.
This book is meant to be a parent-child activity. Youngsters can read Boo’s story and their parents can help with the how-to-tie instruction pages. A fun shoelace-themed “I Did It” badge is included at the back of the book to give in celebration of conquering this difficult task.
Review: This is all about Bunny Boo and his shoes. He has many different kinds—flip flogs, clogs, light-ups, and rollers. The only thing he was missing was a pair of shoes with laces…until his friend, Farrah Fox, shows up with a surprise.
“I know it seems scary. I can see you are wary. But tying laces can be fun. Together, we can get it done.”
With cute illustrations and fun rhymes, this book is a testament to trying something new and never giving up. You never know that you can learn a new skill until you try. The book even includes instructional methods on how to tie your shoes. It has the “Bunny Ear” and the “2 Loop.”
A great read and a good teaching tool for kids!
My rating: 5 stars
About the Author
Other books in the “Learn To Tie With The Rabbit and the Fox” series are the book with that name in English, Spanish and Tagalog plus a special little book to gift to boys in a wedding party. “Nellie Knows How To Knot A Neck Scarf”, “Ned Knows How To Knot A Neck Tie” and "Cleo Can Tie A Bow" are also part of the series.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
March 4, 2022
Review: THE MAGIC POWER: ETHAN AND MIA’S SPACE ADVENTURE by Karin Aaron and Danny Friedman
See how a boring and long car drive can turn into a fun and imaginative adventure. With cute and vibrant illustrations, story reflects the power of imagination. A great read!
Rating: 5 stars
Review: SCAREDY BAT AND THE HAUNTED MOVIE SET by Marina Bowman
The set of a movie—haunted? Was this a new mystery to solve for Scaredy Bat and her friends? Could a ghost really be the culprit? Evidently, it wasn’t just a ghost, but a witch’s ghost. Yikes!
A cool, fun mystery with cute pictures!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: SCAREDY BAT AND THE FROZEN VAMPIRES by Marina Bowman
Ellie was the Scaredy Bat—a young vampire scared of everything. She and her parents were attending a royal vampire wedding. Once all the vampires and humans gather, a gust of cold air hits and freezes everyone, except Ellie and her friend. What could they do now? All Ellie wished for was to solve mysteries like her favorite vampire detective. Could this be her chance?
A cute mystery with fun and colorful pictures!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: I HATE TO WAIT by Sigal Adler
It’s Harry Monster’s fave time of the year! Halloween! But a long line at the costume shop makes him wait, and he hates to wait. See what happens when his patience runs thins.
With wonderfully vibrant illustrations! A fun read!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: THE NIGHT THE MONSTERS CAME by Junia Wonders and Lisa Ciccone
See what happens to 2 kids the night the monsters came. Don’t ever let the monsters bite. Cute and colorful. Just a fun read!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: THE WITCH AND THE ANXIOUS BROOMSTICK by Sonica Ellis
Little Cassandra was exciting about going to Witch School. If only she didn’t have a broomstick that was afraid to fly. See how the broom gets help from a ghost, a cat, and a Jack O’ Lanters.
Fun and colorful! A great, little Halloween about believing in yourself!
Rating: 4 stars
March 2, 2022
Blog Tour: THE SEVEN-DAY RESURRECTION by Chevron Ross
The Seven-Day Resurrection
by Chevron Ross
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GENRE: Christian/Family Fiction
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BLURB:
Len Holder thinks his mother is dead – until she reappears one morning in his living room.
She doesn’t remember being dead. She’s just confused.
And instead of her burial clothes, she’s wearing a Dallas Cowboys warmup suit.
At seventy-eight, Len considers himself a failure. He spent years taking care of Mom while his brother Joey became a famous sportscaster. Now he lives alone, tinkering with a novel he can’t seem to finish.
For a week, Len relives a strained relationship with Mom while other mysteries pile up. He keeps hearing fragments of Joey’s radio show. His sister reports disturbing phone calls. Strangers he meets look like people from his past. Another stranger has taken over his insurance office.
Then Len gets word that his beloved boss Miranda has been gravely injured in a car accident. Eventually, Miranda’s fate and a shocking secret from the past reveal that Sharon Holder’s resurrection is not what it seems to be.
The Seven-Day Resurrection is a must-read for anyone who has been thrust into the role of caregiver.
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NOTE: The book is on sale for $0.99.
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Excerpt One:
Mom sat in her chair, looking around. “Len, is this my house?”
“Yes.”
“Why can’t I remember?”
“What do you remember, Mom? Where did you come from just now?”
She stared blankly at the pie, as though wondering what to do with it. “What time does Wheel of Fortune come on?”
“Late this afternoon, I think.” Len hadn’t watched a game show since her death and hoped he’d never have to again.
A voice murmured from down the hall. Probably the clock radio. He ignored it and perched on the sofa’s armrest. “This is so good!” she exclaimed, tasting the pie. “Did you make it?”
“No, it’s one of those frozen things.” In her last few weeks, Mom was too blind and weak to feed herself. They had to spoon-feed her like a baby. Sometimes she would sip a nutrient drink, but Len could see that it gave her no pleasure.
Fleetingly, he wondered where the pie had come from. He didn’t remember buying it.
A smile crossed her face. “Len, do you remember that song about the two little clouds? My mother used to sing that to me when I got scared of the thunder.”
“You sang it to me, too,” he said. “When I was little.”
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Review: Len’s mother was dead, but she comes back to him in his dreams. Then, one day, he saw her walking around in his living room. Was this a dream? Was she a ghost? Or was this his mother’s reembodied spirit? What were you supposed to do when someone rose from the grave? And so begins the seven-day resurrection, which was documented in daily diary entries from Len. Just like before her death, Len cares for and caters to his mother, who has the same ailments and doesn’t seem to remember much prior to her death. Len goes through the motions while completely at a loss as to why God returned her.
The narrative is wise and engaging with a compelling storyline. Some of it is a rehash of old memories and ancient times, which can make the story long and slow at times.
Somber and philosophical. I wasn’t exactly sure where the sportscaster’s voice came into play or how it was relevant, but the whole experience was quite mesmerizing and left you reeling with mystical possibilities. It’s just something you have to see to the end, which I kind of suspected where it would all eventually lead.
A good read!
Rating: 4 stars
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GIVEAWAY:
Chevron Ross will be awarding a $75 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
