Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 213

Not the Only One With Secrets | My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry

Title: My Husband's WifeBy: Jane CorryGenre: FictionPages: 373Release Date: January 31st, 2017Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Summary from Goodreads: It won't be so bad when you're there, says my new husband before kissing me on the mouth. He tastes of Rice Krispies and that strong toothpaste of his which I still haven't gotten used to. I know, I say before he peels off to the bus stop on the other side of the road. Two lies. Small white ones. Designed to make the other feel better. But that's how some lies start. Small. Well meaning. Until they get too big to handle.

When young lawyer Lily marries Ed, she's determined to make a fresh start. To leave the secrets of the past behind. But then she takes on her first murder case and meets Joe. A convicted murderer whom Lily is strangely drawn to. For whom she will soon be willing to risk almost anything. 

But Lily is not the only one with secrets. Her next-door neighbor Carla may be only nine, but she has already learned that secrets are powerful things. That they can get her whatever she wants. When Lily finds Carla on her doorstep sixteen years later, a chain of events is set in motion that can end only one way.

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Review: Ok, I was a little bored with this story. The writing was good, but I just couldn't get into the concept. There was nothing in it that gave me the chills. Maybe next time, Jane Corry.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

To Boldly Go | Star Trek: Treknology by Ethan Siegel

Title: Star Trek: TreknologyBy: Ethan Siegel Genre: Non-fiction ScifiPages: 216Release Date: October 15th, 2017Publisher: Voyageur Press
Summary from Goodreads: The name Star Trek conjures images of faster-than-light spacecraft, holographic crew members, and phasers set to stun. Some of these incredible devices may still be far from our reach, but others have made the leap from science fiction to science fact—and now you can learn the science and engineering of what makes them tick.

Treknology looks at over twenty-five iconic inventions from the complete history of the Star Trek television and film universe. Author Ethan Siegel explores and profiles these dazzling technologies and their role Star Trek, the science behind how they work, and how close we are to achieving them in the real world today.

This stunning collection is packed with 150 superb film and television stills, prop photography, and scientific diagrams to pull you into another world. Brace yourself for a detailed look at the inner workings of Star Trek’s computing capabilities, communications equipment, medical devices, and awe-inspiring ships. This book is one that no fan of Star Trek, or future tech, will want to miss.
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Review: I am a huge Trekkie. Anyone who knows me can attest to that. I grew up with Star Trek the next generation, Deep Space 9, Voyager, Enterprise and now the rebooted Star Trek. I know this genre.
I picked up this book for the pure science of it. The content is so in depth with real situations that correlate with Star Trek technology. We've come so far, and a lot of the things we take for granted on the show, are close to becoming reality. The photos are great and placed throughout the book. The writing was excellent, although a little dry at times.
My ten year old autistic son would love this read. He is all about the science. I will be passing this book along to him. 
This would be a great Christmas present for anyone who loves Star Trek and has a thing for science.  

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Put your books down today and spend some time with your family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

Book's I'm Thankful For | Top 5 Wednesday

It's top 5 Wednesday! I love this series. It really makes me dig deep into why I love a book or hate a book. There is really no limit to what you can come up with.

Today's topic is Book's I'm thankful for. This one was hard for me to come up with 5 picks. If you really think about it. What would you be thankful for with fantasy books. They give us a great story, but its not that my life would have changed much by reading it. I really had to dig deep and come up with some awesome picks for you.

Let's get to it!

1. Jade Green - I'm thankful for this book because it was the first book I've ever read from front to back in one sitting. It started me on my journey through the paranormal and helped me fall in love with reading. It was one of the first books I've ever owned, although that copy was eaten by a rabbit, I now have a new copy sitting on my shelf.








2. Hunter - This one holds a special place in my heart because it was the first
book that I ever had published. Hunter started my journey as an author, and lead to several other books and hopefully a life long publishing journey.

3. Sabriel - Garth Nix was the first author that I ever fell in love with and to this day is one of my favorites. I've added more favorite authors over the years, but Garth Nix and Sabriel will always hold a special place in my heart.









4. A Court of Thorns and Roses - I am thankful for Sarah J. Mass. She has
shown me that a woman can write something unique and sensual, but still tasteful. I will always admire this author.

5. Crimson Sky - I am thankful for Amy Braun and her encouragement and friendship. The world of authordom can be a lonely place and I've been blessed to know this author and share in her triumphs with this series.










I am thankful for many things this Thanksgiving. Family, a great job, a roof over my head and wonderful books to fill my shelves. What are your top 5 picks this Wednesday? Leave me your comments below.

Magic Would Make Life Easier | Warning Call by Danny Bell

Warning Call
Danny Bell
(The Black Pages, #2)
Publication date: December 21st 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Elana Black. Saving the day even if she has to tear a hole in the universe to do it.
An unbeatable mythological horror has its sights set on Elana, and that’s not the worst of her problems. Gods want to use her, shadowy agents want to eliminate her, and a powerful sorcerer wants to kill her; all as she rushes to stop an event which portends the death of her best friend, Olivia. It’s all catching up with her, and just in time for Christmas. Elana is going to have to figure out how all of it is connected but she’s in over her head, outnumbered, and running out of time.
And she always thought magic would make her life easier.

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Author Bio:
My name is Danny Bell. I want to tell stories and avoid writing author profiles. I read—when I should be interacting with people, I named my cat after a cat I liked in a book, I’m pretty sure I saw a ghost one time—though I’ll never admit it publicly, I’m too tall for the earth, and I’ve never eaten a vegetable. I lied about the vegetable part. Wait… is someone going to read this?
Goodreads / Facebook

Bruschetta, Greek, Philly | #WeeklyMenu Week #224

Welcome back! Its Thanksgiving break and the kids are already driving me nuts. Its only been a few hours, so this week is going to be wild. We have a full schedule of school conferences, cooking, baking and family. Holiday season is upon us!
I did some writing this week, but the most important break through in my writing was a new concept for the third book in my Hunter Saga. I think I know how I want to go with it. I'm thinking time travel, but that's another post all together. 
Enjoy this weeks menu. I've also put my Thanksgiving menu on the list as well, just in case you need some suggestions.   
Monday- Cheesy Taco Skillet
Tuesday- Philly Cheese Steak 
Wednesday- Sheet Pan Chicken
Thursday- Thanksgiving!     - Turkey     - Lemon Cake
     - Stuffing
     - Mashed Potatoes
     - Cranberry Sauce
     - Mac and Cheese
     - Gravy
Friday- Creamy Chicken Bruschetta 
Saturday- Avocado Greek Salad
Sunday- Tuna Sandwiches

Caught in the Crossfire | Banished by Betsy Schow

Title: BanishedBy: Betsy SchowGenre: Fantasy / Urban FantasyPages: 336Release Date: February 1st, 2018Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Summary from Goodreads: In the magical conclusion to the Storymakers trilogy, which began with Spelled, can Princess Dorthea and Rexi get the land of Story its happy ending? 
While lying in the hospital in a place called Kansas, Princess Dorthea of Emerald struggles to regain her memory of the events that propelled her out of the land of Story—and to remember how to get home.

Meanwhile, in Story, Rexi, with the help of Excalibur, continues to gain confidence in writing her own tale as she fights to save the land from the Wicked Witch. But as is always the case with evil villains, she is not to be underestimated. Can Dorthea and Rexi save their home while protecting the prince they both love from getting caught in the crossfire?
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Review: Oh boy! I'm excited to review this next installment in the Storymakers trilogy. As to ms. Schow's form, this book has a great mix of urban fantasy and fairy tale elements that makes her books unique. 
"It's not to the death, it's to the pain." Favorite part. It brings back memories of the Princess Bride. Also one of my favorites. 
At times, I felt a little lost with all the character changes, but that might just be me and the way that I read. I really enjoyed this story and I'm grateful to have received a preview copy.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

It's the ART | Author Land

It's always fun to see what other people see in your creation. I found an amazing artist on Instagram and asked if they would draw a piece for me. It is amazing and I can't wait for you to see it.


The amazing artist is Ktpursuits and you can find her on Instagram by clicking on her name. The photo is of Hunter and Seeker from the second book in the series. I love the contrast between both the characters. Hunter is short and has long brown hair and seeker is tall with short dark hair and a scar on his right cheek. This photo is epic and I love it so much. 

Being an author has been such an amazing journey. Meeting new people and sharing my stories wit them. This is what I love. This life of creating. It's what I've dreamed about since I was young and now its what I do. 
To all the aspiring authors out there, keep pushing. Keep writing and sharing. This could be you one day, sharing art about something that you created. 
This has been another episode of Author Land. Sarai, signing off...  

Snow Comes In The Night | The Snowbear by Sean Taylor

Title: The SnowbearBy: Sean TaylorGenre: Picture BookPages: 32Release Date: October 3rd, 2017Publisher: words & pictures
Summary from Goodreads: Snow comes in the night, and Iggy and Martina make a snowbear. But then a sledge ridge takes them deep into the woods. How will they get back home again? 
The Snowbear is a spellbinding story about the magic of snow and the power of a child's imagination. With a simple text and beautiful illustrations, it will be read again and again. Themes of friendship, loyalty, and bravery make it a great choice for story time, as a bedtime read or on car trips. Children will love the crisp, wintry setting brought to life by Claire Alexander’s art.
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Review: Since I have a four year old, I love to pick up a picture book every once and a while to review. Usually, my son and I will sit down and read the book together, this way I can get a true review on how kids will love it as well as how much moms love it, and we all know that if mom doesn't like it, she won't read it again.
My son seemed to listen to the story ok, but he didn't ask me to read it again like he usually does with books he is interested in. 
My take on the story was kind of lackluster. I thought the pictures were great and the concept was awesome, but the way the story was written didn't really vibe with me. I think I'm going to have to give this book a solid three stars. 

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

The Most Diabolical Faerie | Mad Magic Guest Post by Nicole Conway @ANConway @Month9Books @chapterxchapter

Nicole Conway has stopped by the blog today to tell us about her favorite movies. Number five is my favorite movie of all time. Read on to see what Nicole said about it.

My favourite movies all have something in common. They all, at first glance, seem to have fairly simplistic plots driven by well-developed and complex characters. They all are packed with action and moments of triumph that have me jumping out of my chair screaming “YEAH!!!” in the theater (yes, I have totally done that.) Here’s my top 5 and a few reasons why I love them so:

1. PACIFIC RIM

This is my favourite movie, probably of all time. It has everything I love – scify/fantasy, hot guys, giant robots, monsters, epic battles, and a freaking awesome soundtrack. Visually, this movie captivates me. It takes me right back to being a little kid with my nose pressed to the TV screen watching episodes of Gundam Wing on Toonami. I seriously can’t get enough of it. 

2. INCEPTION 

It was love at first bass blast with this one. I’m usually a Leo fan anyway, but the writing for this film was just … insanely good. Each character was so unique and dense. My eardrums may never be the same, yes, but every time I watch this movie I see something new. 

3. REAL STEEL

Okay, so this was one where my shouting in the theater embarrassed the crap out of my husband. I couldn’t help it, though. I loved everything about this film. Again, robots fighting always speaks to my youth, and I adore High Jackman anyway. But there was so much heart in this movie and it got me right in the feels. 

4. LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY

I ugly cried in the theater when I saw these. As a die hard fan of Tolkien’s world from age 6, seeing these characters brought to life so beautifully was more than my nerdy heart could take. I still love them. They are still everything I’d imagined they would be. Now the new Hobbit films….. not so much. 

5. THE 5TH ELEMENT

This one probably dates me, but I don’t care. I’ve loved this movie since I was a kid. It was sort of my first introduction into the more comedic side of scifi. Of course, I’d seen Star Wars, Predator, etc. but this film sort of takes things from a lighter angle. Still, I love the story and characters! They are timeless! 


Mad Magic by Nicole Conway
Publication Date:  November 14, 2017
Publisher:  Month9Books


After being orphaned, high school student Josie Barton only has one person she can turn to when things get rough—a mysterious legal guardian who calls himself her Benefactor. “Ben” takes care of everything for her. He pays her bills, provides food, clothes, and even a cell phone. But there is one thing Ben doesn’t know: Josie Barton sees scary imaginary creatures everywhere she goes. Even her apartment is being haunted by an invisible monster! And just when Josie thinks things couldn’t get any worse . . . she meets the guy from across the hall.
Zeph Clemmont is a man of many faces. He’s a changeling with enemies in all the worst places, fighting to undo a magical curse that could end his life. He loves a good argument and has incredible magical power, but he may have met his match in Josie. So far, she’s the only one who seems able to rein in his childish tantrums and magical explosions. Zeph will have to swallow his pride and finally let go of all his dark secrets if he really wants to break his curse. And with Josie at his side, he might actually stand a chance this time.
Purchase Links:
Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks 

Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series, and is now working on the third and final book.  Other works include MAD MAGIC (Sept 2017), FAULBENDER (tbd), SCALES (tbd), and THE DISTANCE BETWEEN STARS (May 2017).
Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves frequently due to her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air Force. She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from Auburn University, and will soon attend graduate school.
She has previously worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional companies, but has now embraced writing as a full-time occupation.
Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching children’s movies and collecting books. She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and dog.

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