Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 202

Shake it up! | #WeeklyMenu Week #246

Woop Woop, Monday! We are on the count down to summer. The weather is warming up and the sun has been out for a few days. I love sitting on my front porch in my swing with a warm blanket and a good book. To bad, that never happens. I'm always too busy.
This week has been spring cleaning. Bathroom, kitchen, living room. It's all been cleaned. There is still a lot to do, but it will never end, so what do I care, ha. 
Enjoy this weeks menu! 
Monday- Pork Cutlets 
Tuesday- Seared Steak and Maple Brussels Sprouts 
Wednesday- Chicken Tetrazzini 
Thursday- Orange Beef
Friday- Chicken Tostadas
Saturday- Taco Salad
Sunday- Leftovers Night

One will wear the crown | Eden Conquered by Joelle Charbonneau

Title: Eden ConqueredBy: Joelle CharbonneauGenre: FantasyPages: 320Release Date: June 5th, 2018Publisher: HarperTeen
Summary from Goodreads: The electrifying conclusion to the Dividing Eden series by the New York Times bestselling author of the Testing trilogy, Joelle Charbonneau.
The Trials of Virtuous Succession have ended. Prince Andreus is king—and Princess Carys is dead.

But even as he’s haunted by what he did to win the throne, Andreus discovers that his dream of ruling only brings new problems. The people love his twin even more in death than they did when she was alive. The Elders treat him as a figurehead. And worst of all, the winds of Eden are faltering.

But despite what everyone believes, Carys is alive. Exiled to the wilderness, Carys struggles to control the powers that have broken free inside her. And as she grows stronger, so does her conviction that she must return to the Palace of Winds, face her twin and root out the treachery that began long before the first Trials started.

The Kingdom of Eden is growing darker with each passing day. Brother and sister, former foes, must decide whether some betrayals cut too deep to be forgiven—and whether one will wear the crown or both will lose everything.
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Review: This amazing sequel to one of my favorite books so far this year has blown me away. I loved the first book when we started to know the twins Andreus and Carys and their plight that tore them apart. In this second installment, we find out just how far their love as siblings will go. Can they withstand the lies that have shaped their world, or will they be able to break through the walls of power and find that the only people they can trust are each other?
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Blue Apron Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #245

So, I've been sneaking around the internet, and looking at the recipes on those food box sites. This week was Blue Apron. They have some delicious looking dinners that I can't wait to try. I love that I can access their recipes without having to buy their boxes. I couldn't afford that, especially since my kids don't eat half of what I make. Why waist the money.

Enjoy this weeks menu!
Monday- Italian Meatloaf
Tuesday- Florentine Pork Chops & Salsa Verde
Wednesday- Sweet Chili & Hoisin-Glazed Chicken Thighs
Thursday- Cheesy Chicken Pizza
Friday- White Cheddar Cheeseburgers
Saturday- Garden Quesadilla 
Sunday- Leftovers Night

Destroy the crown from within | City of Bastards by Andrew Shvarts

Title: City of BastardsBy: Andrew ShvartsGenre: FantasyPages: 320Release Date: June 5th, 2018Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Summary from Goodreads: While war rages in her Western homeland, Tilla, the bastard daughter of House Kent is far away, safely cloistered as a ward of the King in Lightspire. She's best friends with the Princess, treated like nobility, and is even given a spot at the prestigious University, where only the Kingdom's finest are educated. And yet, she finds herself unhappy, haunted by memories of her beloved brother, Jax, and plagued by a deeper sense of uncertainty, of not fitting in. Her boyfriend, Zell, who is now a recruit for the City Watch, puts on a brave face to hide the pain of leaving behind his Zitochi identity, while Princess Lyriana, stripped of her role as Mage, has begun rebelling against her conservative upbringing: drinking, partying, and hooking up with random boys. Then, Tilla returns to her quarters one night to find the cold body of her roommate. The school and the police are quick to rule it a suicide and sweep it under the rug, but Tilla doesn't buy it. And despite the urging of just about everyone in her life, she can't let it go. Tilla's hunt for the killer plunges her deep into the city's underbelly, a world of shadowy cults, forbidden magic, and a conspiracy to destroy the crown from within. 
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Review: I really enjoyed the first book in Shvarts' series. It was unique and the author wasn't afraid to take risks and dive into the nitty gritty. This book though, fell a little short for me. It gave me the impression that it was a royal coming of age book, instead of the struggles of a bastards life. Think the Selection by Kiera Cass. I didn't enjoy it as much as the first, only because I was expecting one thing and got another.   
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

The White Fish and His Daddy by Guido Genechten

Title: The White Fish and His DaddyBy: Guido GenechtenGenre: Picture BookPages: 24Release Date: May 21st, 2019Publisher: Clavis
Summary from Goodreads: Little White Fish has a lot of friends. And they all have amazing daddies. Little Sea Horse's dad is really fast. Little Whale's dad is the biggest in the ocean. But, of course Little White Fish's daddy is very good at something, too! A heartwarming story for Father's Day, and every day, for ages 2.5 and up.
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Review: If my four year old loves a book, then I love a book. What draws us in, are the wonderful pictures and the fun stories. This book had great art. My little one kept pausing and looking over each page to make sure he didn't miss a detail. The story was fun, but the one thing that seemed strange was the abrupt ending. Either way, we read the book several times.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Before her own mind destroys her | Before Mars by Emma Newman

Title: Before MarsBy: Emma NewmanGenre: ScifiPages: 320Release Date: April 17th, 2018Publisher: 2018 by Ace
Summary from Goodreads: After months of travel, Anna Kubrick finally arrives on Mars for her new job as a geologist and de facto artist-in-residence. Already she feels like she is losing the connection with her husband and baby at home on Earth--and she'll be on Mars for over a year. Throwing herself into her work, she tries her best to fit in with the team.
But in her new room on the base, Anna finds a mysterious note written in her own handwriting, warning her not to trust the colony psychologist. A note she can't remember writing. She unpacks her wedding ring, only to find it has been replaced by a fake. 

Finding a footprint in a place the colony AI claims has never been visited by humans, Anna begins to suspect that her assignment isn't as simple as she was led to believe. Is she caught up in an elaborate corporate conspiracy, or is she actually losing her mind? Regardless of what horrors she might discover, or what they might do to her sanity, Anna has find the truth before her own mind destroys her.
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Review: I'm finding that scifi these days are running together. Its hard for me to get into something that seems like it has been done a million times. With this book, I felt like it was the same old same old. I was neither here nor there with it and frankly, I can't even give a good review, because I wasn't invested in the story.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Fading by Cindy Cipriano #BlogTour

Fading
Cindy Cipriano
(The Fading Series, #1)
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: April 10th 2018
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult

Leath Elliott is a seventeen-year-old competitive shooter living with her mother in Woodvine, North Carolina. Leath’s father was killed in a tragic accident when she was fourteen, and her friend Victor Santana has been there for her every step of the way since. But the friendship starts to change when Victor develops deeper feelings for her. If that wasn’t complicated enough, newcomer James Turner, an emancipated minor with a dark past, wanders into her sights. Leath is captivated by him and wonders if he might be the boy of her dreams—literally.
Fading is the first book in an exciting new fantasy romance series by award-winning author Cindy Cipriano.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo—GUEST POST BY CINDY CIPRIANOThanks for hosting me today. I’m thrilled to be here to talk about my new paranormal romance, Fading, and pass on some tips I’ve learned in my journey as an author. First, a little about Fading, which is the first book in The Fading Series.
Fading
Seventeen-year-old, Leath Elliott lives with her mother in the microscopic town of Woodvine, North Carolina. Leath’s father was killed in a tragic accident when she was fourteen, and her friend Victor Santana has been there for her every step of the way since. But the friendship starts to change when Victor develops deeper feelings for Leath. If that wasn’t complicated enough, newcomer James Turner, an emancipated minor with a dark past, wanders into her sights. Leath is captivated by him and wonders if he might be the boy of her dreams—literally.
Fading – Insider Info (or as much as I can tell you)
I often think of Fading as the VLJ story. As in Victor-Leath-James.
Being in love is wonderful, heartwarming, and can leave you breathless. But, sometimes, it is so confusing! If you have ever loved two people at the same time, you can relate to what Leath is going through in Fading. Although some readers have expressed their choice (Victor or James), many feel the way the same way Leath does; she loves them both.
As Leath soon learns, decisions of the heart are not always clear or easy to make. Thank goodness, she has best-friend, Anamae, to help her navigate the waters. On second thought, the word, “help,” might be a bit of a stretch
Feeling Extra? Readers are often surprised to learn that one of the settings in Fading is a real place. Judaculla Rock is a 2,000-3,000 year-old petroglyph located in western North Carolina. Several legends surround the origin of the rock as well as the images that are carved into its surface. I’ve had the opportunity to visit Judaculla Rock a few times and have really enjoyed incorporating this setting into Fading.
Which brings me to writing.
I’m often asked if I have any tips for new writers. The best suggestion I have is to join a critique group.
Now.
No, wait. Join one yesterday.
Learning how to give and receive thoughtful criticism will make your writing stronger. Writing is often an isolated endeavor. Being a part of a critique group helps foster a sense of community. It’s great having someone to turn to when you need to bounce ideas around. And, having a group discussion about your writing will help you see your story from a different perspective.
I’m also asked about the editing process. I’ll leave you with my best tip for editing.
Read your entire manuscript aloud. That really helps you notice mistakes and helps you smooth out the rough spots. If necessary, I suggest you record yourself as you read aloud the more difficult sections.
–Cindy Cipriano
–Please visit www.cindycipriano.com to learn more about Fading.

Author Bio:
Cindy Cipriano lives in North Carolina with her husband, son and their 27 pets.
Not really.
Just three dogs who think they are children and three cats who think they are raccoons. It only seems as if they make 27. When Cindy isn't writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and the avoidance of cooking.
Cindy's first novel, The Circle, Book One of The Sidhe won the 2014 Moonbeam Children's Book Silver Award for Pre-Teen Fiction - Fantasy. Other titles in the series include The Choice, Book Two of The Sidhe (2015) and The Lost, Book Three of The Sidhe (2017). This seven-book series is published by Odyssey Books.
Miller's Island Mysteries #1 The Case of the Toxic River (2017) is the first in her eleven-book science mystery series (Vulpine Press). #2 The Case of the Catalyst will release in 2018.
Look for Fading, the first in her young adult series, in April 2018. (Clean Teen Publishing). Fading is the tale of first loves and the consequence of dreaming up Mr. Right.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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The joy of new recipes | #WeeklyMenu Week #244

So, I found a new site full of delicious looking recipes, and I know you're supposed to buy their pre-made boxes, but seriously. I don't need a box of produce shipped to my door every week to know how to pick a good avocado. Even though I'm not ordering these meals, the recipes look amazing. You should see my produce list this week, its huge!
I made some progress on my writing this week. I'm up to chapter 35. Its a first draft, but its coming along nicely. I'm coming to the end and I'm really excited to get into edits.
Enjoy this weeks menu!
Monday- Ground Beef Nachos
Tuesday- Pineapple Pork Rice Bowles
Wednesday- Italian Meatloaf
Thursday- Chicken Orzo
Friday- Southwestern Beef Tacos
Saturday- Garden Quesadilla 
Sunday- Leftovers Night

The games have only just begun | Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Title: LegendaryBy: Stephanie GarberGenre: FantasyPages: 416Release Date: May 29th, 2018Publisher: Flatiron Books
Summary from Goodreads: Stephanie Garber’s limitless imagination takes flight once more in the colorful, mesmerizing, and immersive sequel to the bestselling breakout debut Caraval
A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...the games have only just begun.
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Review: I wish I could say that I loved it as much as I did Caraval, but I can't. As a story on its own it was good, but sadly, not the magical world of Caraval that I loved. If I had read it as a stand alone, or the first book in a series, I think I might have had a different opinion... But I didn't... Don't get me wrong though, the story was great and we were still immersed in the world we loved with the characters we loved, but the vibe was different for me.
I will still give this book four stars because I really did enjoy it although I was disappointed. 
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Geary and Darcy may not survive it... | Ascendant by Jack Campbell

Title: AscendantBy: Jack CampbellGenre: Sci-fiPages: 336Release Date: May 15th, 2018Publisher: Ace
Summary from Goodreads: A young fleet officer and a Marine stand together to defend their colony in the continuation of the powerful and action-packed Genesis Fleet saga from New York Times bestselling author Jack Campbell.
In the three years since former fleet officer Rob Geary and former Marine Mele Darcy led improvised forces to repel attacks on the newly settled world of Glenlyon, tensions have only gotten worse.

When one of Glenlyon's warships is blown apart trying to break the blockade that has isolated the world from the rest of human-colonized space, only the destroyer Saber remains to defend it from another attack. Geary's decision to take Saber to the nearby star Kosatka to safeguard a diplomatic mission is a risky interpretation of his orders, to say the least.

Kosatka has been fighting a growing threat from so-called rebels--who are actually soldiers from aggressive colonies. When a "peacekeeping force" carrying thousands of enemy soldiers arrives in Kosatka's star system, the people of that world, including Lochan Nakamura and former "Red" Carmen Ochoa, face an apparently hopeless battle to retain their freedom. 

It's said that the best defense is a good offense. But even if a bold and risky move succeeds, Geary and Darcy may not survive it...

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Review: I was a fan of the first book and I am a fan of this second book. Jack Campbell has a way of bringing something so colorful to life that I can imagine myself in this world he has created. This story is another heart stopping sci-fi with wonderful characters and unique space battles. I really go into this one and I know you will too.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.