Lincoln Cole's Blog, page 26
November 15, 2016
Book Review: Escape from Ancient Egypt by AK Taylor
Today I will be reviewing Escape from Ancient Egypt by AK Taylor
The ReviewFrom the first second I started reading this book I was captivated by the illustrations, and I have to say that they were easily one of the most engaging parts of the entire story. They were incredibly detailed and well put together, and I have to say I found myself returning to them throughout the story just to see how well they related.
The story itself was fast-paced and full of some really cool scenes as Neiko travels back in time to deal with threats in Egypt. She was a fun character, with a lot of depth and some interesting character traits.
It isn't way too mature, so older audiences might not be as interested in the story as teens will be, but that didn't stop me from being able to enjoy reading this and I managed to finish the entire thing in two sittings.
Rating: 4-StarsIt has enough action and intrigue to keep teens engaged, and the story is easily good enough to suck anyone into the world who likes time travel fantasy. But, the illustrations are where it really shines, and the sheer world building of presenting us with Ancient Egypt.
About the Book
Escape From Ancient Egypt (The Neiko Adventure Saga Book 2)
By A. K. Taylor
Following an intense battle between the Indians and the Crackedskulls, Neiko and her comrades enjoy victory while her enemies suffer a crushing defeat. Victory is short lived for Neiko when Francesco pays her a visit at her home and sends her away in order to collect on his threat of revenge. She is banished into the ancient world of ancient Egypt during the reign of Ramesses II the Great on a one way ticket.
Lost and trapped in this ancient world, it doesn't take very long for trouble to find her. Taken by a rich man, she is reunited with three her friends that had been missing, and an eleven-year-old mystery is finally solved, but one of Neiko's friends is still unaccounted for. After escaping from the rich man and journeying to Thebes, Neiko and her comrades have actually jumped from the pan and into the fire.
Things go horribly awry when Pharaoh finds out about Neiko and becomes infatuated with her. Francesco comes to Egypt on orders to bring her back, but he has other plans. Can Neiko and her friends thwart Francesco, return to the 21st century, and escape from the past and one of the greatest kings that ever lived?
A.K. Taylor is an award winning YA fantasy/science fiction adventure writer who has been writing novels since age 16. Taylor also draws her characters and maps of the worlds she created sense then. Before this she began loving writing at age 8 and a natural world buildier.
Taylor lives in the Middle Georgia backwoods with her husband and her collection of animals. She enjoys science, the great outdoors, music, art, video games, reading, and chocolate. Now a compulsive blogger and a genre hopper, but her first love will always be fantasy!
In 2013 she founded Soaring Eagle Publicity. Visit www.soaringeaglepublicity.com to see what it's all about.
November 14, 2016
Instafreebie Promo: Sci-Fi and Fantasy!
You can get a ton of free sci-fi and fantasy books at the below link! Check it out and download a free copy today!
November 11, 2016
Book Review: Ian, CEO, North Pole by Eric Dana Hansen
Today I will be reviewing Ian, CEO, North Pole by Eric Dana Hansen.
The ReviewI love christmas books, and this one managed to captivate me right from the very beginning. It's just fine thinking about Santa and the North Pole and being a kid for a little while, and with Christmas coming up this will be an awesome book to pick up for a little kid.
I think my favorite part of reading this was seeing the descriptions about Santa's workshop and everything come to life. The author does an amazing job of painting the picture with incredibly simple but effective descriptions, and I was able to see exactly what the author was trying to show.
It was short and sweet and very well put together. Ian was a compelling and creative character, and I think there is enough solid information in this book to make both parents and kids happy.
Well-done!
Rating: 5-StarsGreat for kids of all ages!
The Book
Ian, CEO, North Pole
By Eric Dana Hansen
Early in his career at the North Pole, Ian is unaware of the impact that Christmas and Santa Claus have on the citizens of the world. However, he soon finds out that it really doesn’t matter what country you call you own or whether you practice a religion, or not. It’s likely that you’ll find youself celebrating a special version of the holiday season. And in so doing you might just be served by Santa, or one of his man helpers around the world.
Ian, being very bright, is called upon to help Santa keep up with what’s going on in a rapidly changing world. He loves the challenge and excels in his new role. He soon finds himself asked to accompany Santa and the reindeer on Christmas Eve. What happens during that fateful evening will go down in history!
Eric Hansen is a first generation Danish-American. He was born in Philadelphia while his immigrant parents were on their way from Denmark to a new life in southern California. He grew up in Santa Maria, California and now resides in Reno, Nevada. As a former corporate leader, Eric was a firm believer in enabling people to realize their full potential. This is reflected in IAN, CEO, NORTH POLE.
Visit it on OBC!
November 10, 2016
Book Review: Eating Bull by Carrie Rubin
Today I will be reviewing Eating Bull by Carrie Rubin.
The ReviewThis book was both interesting and compelling and highly unique. It wasn't at all what I was expecting and did a great job of shaking things up for what I conceived the book would be about.
My first point would be that the cover doesn't do justice for this book at all. It looks like a documentary about the food industry, and in certain ways it almost was, but in many other ways it was a thriller about a serial killer who targets a certain sub-set of the population.
There were a lot of viewpoints and opinions covered in this book, ranging from people who believe weight issues are something that people choose (i.e. fat people are fat because they choose to be fat) all the way across to the concept that it is like an addiction and they can't control themselves around food.
I thought that Jeremy was interesting, and Sue was sort of the vocal mouthpiece for the book wherein the author could make claims about weight and other issues such as additives in food designed to make it addicting. Certain parts were preachy, but all in all the book did a great job of covering the point while telling a compelling story.
I particularly liked the way Darwin was drawn up. He was OCD about his health and fitness and was most certainly crazy, but the author managed to make him interesting without being overbearing in how he is described. I enjoyed the thriller aspects of this book, and the social commentary was vague enough it didn't really cause me any problems.
Rating: 4-StarHas enough of everything to really hold audiences. Was slow at points, and preachy at times, but all in all it was highly worth the read! Well done!
The Book
Eating Bull
By Carrie Rubin
A fight against the food industry turns deadly.
Jeremy, a lonely and obese teenager, shoots into the limelight when a headstrong public health nurse persuades him to sue the food industry. Tossed into a storm of media buzz and bullying, the teen draws the attention of a serial killer who’s targeting the obese. Soon the boy, the nurse, and their loved ones take center stage in a delusional man’s drama.
Through fiction, Eating Bull explores the real-life issues of bullying, fat-shaming, food addiction, and the food industry’s role in obesity.
“A solid thriller that manages to infuse one boy’s coming-of-age with a whole lot of murder.”—Kirkus Reviews
Carrie Rubin is a physician, public health advocate, and award-winning author. She is a member of the International Thriller Writers association. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two sons. Her novels include "Eating Bull" and "The Seneca Scourge."
Website: carrierubin.com
Twitter: @carrie_rubin
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carrierubinau...
Check it out on Online Book Club!
November 6, 2016
Book Review: Rise by Luis Almonte
Today I will be reviewing Rise by Luis Almonte.
ReviewThis was a fairly typical book for what I was expecting from the genre, but that certainly doesn't mean it was bad. In fact, the book was really well put together and I liked the main character quite a bit. Alexia was a really provocative character and watching her go through her trials all while trying to deal with the normal things a girl her age would face were interesting.
It isn't my normal genre of book to read, but there were enough fun elements to the story and actual magic/wizardry to draw me in and make the book interesting even without some of the other elements I would expect from a story like this.
I'm not sure if I'll get the next book in the series or not, but I certainly did enjoy this first book and can see a lot of fans of this sort of coming-of-age story really having fun with this.
Rating: 4-StarsIf you're looking for a story to break the mold and really do something new with this type of story, then this isn't for you. But, if you want a fun coming of age story about a witch, this should be perfect!
Rise (Trifecta) (Volume 1)
$12.99
By Luis Almonte
Fifteen-year-old high school sophomore Alexia Wick is an ordinary girl, with extraordinary abilities. She attends the prestigious South Haven Academy for the Gifted and Talented, but unknown to the other students, she is an Alerium witch. The daughter of a High Priest and Priestess, Alexia must learn to navigate the pressures of high school, all while preparing for one of the biggest competitions of her life- the Annual Trials.
Skill, stamina, and loyalty will all be tested in Rise, the first installment of the Trifecta Series. In this debut contemporary fantasy novel, magic gets real as Alexia trains for the Annual Trials, which pits teen against teen, by focusing on her craft and pushing her magic and spell casting abilities to their absolute limit. When the handsome and confident Kaleb moves into town, he offers Alexia a welcome distraction from the Trials, but a dark secret could soon tear them apart.
In the trials arena, friendships will be put to the test, fears will be confronted head-on, and powerful spells will be unleashed. When Alexia is confronted with the ultimate game of chance, and is torn between her first real love and the allegiance that binds her to her coven, will she buckle under the weight of the pressure ... or will she rise to the challenge?
Almonte is an author and poet who resides in New York with his spouse and two dogs. Rise is his debut novel, and is the first installment in the Trifecta Series, a young adult trilogy that is setting the literary world on fire!
He is an alumnus of New York University, where he studied leadership and management. In his spare time he enjoys cooking, entertaining, and reading. He is also an avid poker player. He attributes much of his success to his family, and is looking forward to writing the follow-up installment in the series.
Visit it on Online Book Club!
November 2, 2016
Book Review: Aquarius Rising Book 2: Blood Tide
Today, I will be reviewing Aquarius Rising Book 2: Blood Tide by Brian Burt.
About the AuthorBrian Burt writes both short and novel-length speculative fiction. His short story "The Last Indian War" won the Writers of the Future Gold Award and was anthologized in Writers of the Future Volume VIII. His debut novel, "Aquarius Rising: In the Tears of God," won the 2014 EPIC eBook Award for Science Fiction. Book 2 of the Aquarius Rising trilogy, "Blood Tide," won the 2016 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal for Science Fiction.
The Review
I really enjoy reading a good sci-fi novel, and one of my biggest problems with many works in the genre is that they have a way of focusing too heavily on creating new words and concepts and overwhelming the reader with a lot of new and strange ideas that don't really belong in the world. To that end, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because it didn't do that. It actually did the opposite by focusing on the characters and only occasionally sprinkling in new ideas for the reader.
I thought the concept of the nanotechnology was well-done and interesting, and I also really enjoyed the undersea world and how well it was all put together. It reminded me a little bit of Bioshock, and that was something else I truly enjoyed in this vein and I have to say this swept me up.
Rating: 5-StarsAnyone who likes sci-fi or just post-apocalyptic stories will love Aquarius Rising.
Blood Tide: Book Two Of The Aquarius Rising Trilogy
$17.99
By Brian Burt
Megalops is an Aquarian, a human-dolphin hybrid who lives in one of the many reef-cities that thrive beneath the waves on an Earth ravaged by climate change. Some of the Humans who cling to the barren lands blame Aquarius for their plight and unleashed the Medusa Plague that entombed Megalops's wife and daughter in stone. Tormented by that loss, Megalops dedicates everything to avenging his murdered family, no matter what the cost. He unleashes a Vendetta Virus as cruel and lethal as the Medusa Plague, a bio-weapon that transforms living Humans into Aquarian corpses. Ocypode -- one of the heroes who stopped the Medusa Plague -- and his band of Human and Aquarian allies battle desperate odds to prevent Megalops from committing an act of genocide that will escalate into global conflict, dragging the Earth's other humanoid species into the chaos. War demands sacrifice. If Mother Earth and Mother Ocean wage war against each other, will anyone survive?Check it out on OBC!
November 1, 2016
10 Reasons to Use InstaFreebie to Grow Your Author Platform
I only just started using InstaFreebie in the last few weeks, but it has been incredibly useful for me in generating subscribers and selling books. I wanted to put together a list of reasons why people should use Instafreebie as part of their author platform!
Ease of Use - All you need is your book cover and a sample file in ePub format. They even go out of their way to help you build the correct ePub to submit, and they handle the rest!Direct Delivery - They deliver the content directly to users in a really easy format, sparing you the trouble of having to explain to readers how to put the book onto their devices. They also have excellent support to help drive this effort and take care of your readers!Upfront Delivery - Unlike BookFunnel, which is a similar service, InstaFreebie collects emails at the time of delivering a story rather than sharing a link, which means the transaction is clear and quite simple.Mailchimp Integration - They integrate directly with MailChimp and will send subscribers directly to your newsletter when they download your story if you want to require. It isn't perfect, but with automated emails from MailChimp this can be an excellent way of bringing in new subscribers.Automatic Newsletter Signup - You can require (with the plus plan) that all readers who download your book be added to your newsletter rather than making it an optional addition, thereby maximizing your engagements with readers who are grabbing your free content.Simple Sharing - Social Sharing buttons and a simple link system make it easy to share your story across all platforms and entice new readers!Instafreebie Promotion - InstaFreebie will promote your story to their fans based on a cross-promotional method: the more you share, the more they will share too, thereby increasing your success!Group Giveaways - A lot of people (including me!) run group giveaways to bring in a lot of new readers and cross-promote books in a similar genre. This can be a fantastic way to bring in new readers and work with authors!Giving Away Content - Even if you aren't looking to bring in new subscribers, you can give away stories to your fans or current subscribers as exclusive content in a simple and easy way!Free - This one has a slight caveat to it, because some of the powerful features I mentioned up above actually require the $20 a month plan (plus) such as automatic Newsletter Signup, but you can give away unlimited copies of your content very easily without ever needing to pay a penny. Just make an account, load a story, start a giveaway, and you'll be sharing your content in no time!
There you have it. Ten reasons to grow your subscriber list through InstaFreebie! I put off signup up for a long time, but with a free trial it is completely worth it!
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GROUP PROMOS? CHECK OUT THE BELOW LINK TO SEE THE CURRENT ONE I'M RUNNING!
Freebies
October 31, 2016
Bookworks Book of the Week!
Raven's Peak is book of the week at BookWorks! Check it out!
https://www.bookworks.com/activity/
[image error]Raven's Peak is book of the week at BookWorks! Check it o...
Raven's Peak is book of the week at BookWorks! Check it out!
https://www.bookworks.com/activity/
[image error]Halloween is here!
Today is the day for ghosts and spooky things to come out and play!
Raven's Peak and World on Fire were featured this weekend in a lot of different locations, including at N.N. Light and on ChoosyBookworm!
