Former journalist Robert Liparulo is the best-selling author of the thrillers Comes a Horseman, Germ, Deadfall, Deadlock, and The 13th Tribe, as well as The Dreamhouse Kings, an action-adventure series for young adults. He contributed a short story to James Patterson’s Thriller, and an essay about Thomas Perry’s The Butcher’s Boy to Thrillers: 100 Must Reads, edited by David Morrell and Hank Wagner. He is currently working on the sequel to The 13th Tribe, as well writing an original screenplay with director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive).
When not writing, Liparulo loves to read, watch (and analyze) movies, scuba dive, swim, hike, and travel. He lives in Monument, Colorado, with his wife Jodi and four children: Melanie, Matthew, Anthony, and Isabella.
ABOUT THE BOOK
What if praying became a curse instead of a blessing?
Former Army Ranger Jagger Baird thought he had his hands full with the Tribe—the band of immortal vigilantes fighting to regain God’s grace by killing those opposed to Him. But that was before he encountered the ruthless group of immortals called the Clan. The Clan is after a prize that would give them unimaginable power—a piece of the Ten Commandments known as the Judgment Stone.
Those who touch the Stone can see into the spiritual world: angelic warriors, treacherous demons, and the blue threads of light that signal the presence of believers in communion with God.
By following the blue beam radiating from those closest to God, the Clan plans to locate His most passionate followers and destroy them.
Jagger quickly realizes his high-tech gadgetry and training are no match for these merciless immortals. But how can he defeat an enemy who hunts believers through their prayers . . . and won’t stop until they’ve annihilated all those close to Him?
In this high-action thriller, best-selling author Robert Liparulo examines the raging battle between good and evil on earth . . . and beyond.
And it has always been so as far as anyone can remember. They work
side-by-side with the people, and whenever there is a job too difficult
or a threat too great they are there to step in. The giants’ presence
gives the townspeople a special confidence about life. But they have
become much more dependant on the giants than they realize. One morning
the people discover the giants have mysteriously disappeared. Fear and
panic grip the town. Someone must find them and bring them back!
Thomas, a young farmer, volunteers and sets out
alone on a great journey of danger and discovery. Thomas learns the true
nature of giants and what it means for him and his people. Join Thomas
in his timeless rite of passage and learn what it means to become
something more than you have been, why it is necessary in life, and how
to do it.
Learn more about Giants in the Land by visiting: http://www.
giantsinthelandbook.com
Tweenies will love this book about giants. Full of action and adventure. The book is all about finding the giant in us all; having hope, courage and faith to be all you can be.
Clark Burbidge's path to becoming an award
winning author had distant beginnings. He received an MBA degree from
the University of Southern California and a BS Degree in finance from
the University of Utah. His career spans 31 years in banking, project
finance, investment banking and more recently as Chief Financial Officer
of three separate companies. He has been actively involved in community
and church service, including lay youth and adult ministry, for over 35
years.
It has been his long-term dream to write and publish
several works that have been kicking around in his mind for many years.
His first book, "Life on the Narrow Path: A Mountain Biker's Guide to
Spiritual Growth in Troubled Times" was released nationally in March
2011. His second book "A Piece of Silver" was published in July 2011 and
is currently entering its 2nd edition. Clark enjoys life in the
foothills of the Rockies with his wife, children and three
grandchildren. He looks forward to this next phase of life's wonderful
adventures.
Born and raised in North Carolina, Davis left for Europe at age twenty. There he first completed graduate studies in economics and finance, then began a business career that took him to over forty countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Davis came to faith at age 28, while living in Germany and running an international business advisory group. He started writing two weeks later. Since that moment, writing has remained both a passion and a calling.
Davis wrote for nine years and completed seven books before his first was accepted for publication. During that time, he continued to work full-time in his business career, travelling to two and sometimes three countries every week. His first published book, The Presence, was released in 1990 and became a national bestseller.
Honored with three Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, his bestsellers include The Great Divide, Winner Take All, The Meeting Place, The Warning, The Book of Hours, and The Quilt.
A sought-after speaker in the art of writing, Davis serves as Writer In Residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Marc Royce stares out of the helicopter, a sense of foreboding rising with the volcanic cloud. Below, the Rift Valley slashes across Africa like a scar. Decades of conflicts, droughts, and natural disasters have left their mark.
Dispatched to audit a relief organization, Royce is thrust into the squalor and chaos of Kenyan refugee camps. But his true mission focuses on the area's reserves of once-obscure minerals now indispensable to high-tech industries. These strategic elements--called rare earth--have inflamed tensions on the world's stage and stoked tribal rivalries. As Royce prepares to report back to Washington, he seizes on a bold and risky venture for restoring justice to this troubled land.
But this time, Royce may have gone too far.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Rare Earth, go HERE.
They're back and they're at it again. Find out what kind of OOPS, TJ and the Time Stubmlers, Herby and Tuna, can find themselves in. They're wacky and hilarious antics are enough to keep anyone turning the pages for more adventure and action. It's not the pictures that make this book it's the creative words and sound effects....
It's just that book that tweenies need to get caught up in. fun, adventure and action. Time travelers will love this too.
Visit the author's web site here.
For more information about this book visit here.
I copy of this book was provided in exchange for this review by...
Raquel married her college sweetheart seventeen years ago and you can still find them spending time together chatting over a cup of coffee like when they were first dating.
Her husband is her biggest fan and most ardent supporter. He encourages her to take time for writing as often as he can. He regularly gives her gift cards to her favorite coffee house so that she can go there to write and relax.
He has been known to whip up his famous chicken quesadillas complete with guacamole and brownies for dessert.
Raquel has written books for more than a decade. She loves to do research and has taken private detective courses, gun classes, and underground tours to get every detail right for her novels. She writes romantic suspense with an edge-of-your-seat pace. Stories filled with faith, love, and adventure.
In 2009 she signed with agent, Terry Burns, at Hartline Literary. Terry worked to get her Shades of Hope series sold and in 2010, White Rose Publishing purchased the three-book series.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A painful past. A love returns A desperate plan.
Former street kid, Ruby now reaches out to runaways through her medical clinic in the worst part of the city, but her escalating battle with a gang leader puts that in jeopardy.
Cavalier, a risk-taker, charming… Ruby’s first love is now on the right side of the law and the center of a dangerous DEA sting involving her clinic. Tom’s disappearance ten years ago broke her heart and rattled her faith. As their romance relights, memories of what it costs to love him flood her with fear.
Ruby’s battle with the gang ignites a firestorm of danger, and a pattern of lies from within her own camp emerges. With Tom’s life in the balance and her world cast in shadows, can Ruby trust God as she once did…or has she strayed too far, for too long to ever return?
Watch the book video:
If you would like to read the first chapter of Ruby Dawn, go HERE.
Nate Rocks: Part Super-Hero, Part All-Star Athlete, Part Rock-Star… Part Fourth-Grader? Nate Rocks the World cover
Ten-year-old Nathan Rockledge cannot catch a break. After all, life as a fourth-grader can be hazardous – what with science projects to deal with and recess football games to avoid. Everyone, including his best friend Tommy, seems to have bad luck when hanging around Nathan. Throw in an older sister who is a royal pain, a dad who is stuck in the past, and a mom who keeps trying to poison him with her awful cooking, and poor Nathan’s life as a fourth-grader appears to be completely doomed.
Armed only with his sketchpad, his imagination, and his wits, Nathan Rockledge navigates the perils of the fourth grade in style, to emerge heroic, as Nate Rocks, proving that even a ten-year-old can accomplish great things.
Follow the adventures of ten-year-old Nathan Rockledge as his cartoons and adventures come to life.
This book was so cool. I loved how Nate would be transported into his pictures that he drew and the scene would come to life. Nate Rocks is Toz's first book and I can't wait to see what else she has in her head to put on paper for kids to read. I believe that 3-5 graders would love this book. You just got to give Nate's mom an "A" for trying to be a Jane Cleaver type of woman. She tries so hard to please her family and make everything but nothing seems to turn out for her. This book definitely "ROCKS" and so does Nate.
“The score is three to two in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. The Philadelphia Phillies have a man on first, but honestly folks, I think this game is over. The Phillies have just not been able to pull it together this World Series, and now with all of these injuries, who could the Phillies possibly put in to bat? It looks like this hometown team is running out of options. I hate to say this, but I think the dream of winning this year’s World Series is now over for this team. Wait a minute… is that Nate Rocks approaching the plate? He hasn’t been off the bench all season. Surely, the Phillies have someone more experienced they can use. Even Nate looks confused, as he steps up to the plate. I don’t know about this. Here comes the first pitch … swing … and a miss. Second pitch … ooh, a 95 mph fastball … and that’s strike two. The Philadelphia crowd of 45,000 is silent, as we wait for the third pitch … the pitch that determines this year’s world champions. The pitcher looks around, winds up, and … CRACK – that ball is OUT OF HERE! I don’t believe it, folks! Nate Rocks has hit a home run, and the Philadelphia Phillies have won the World Series!!!”
The Phillies rush out of the dugout, running toward me, as I cross home plate. They pile on top of me. Thunderous cheers of enthusiastic fans echo through the stadium. I can barely breathe. I feel a hand reach out to me.
“You did it, Nate! You did it!” The Phillies’ first baseman yells. He pulls me to my feet.
Two other players help hoist me up over their shoulders. I wave to the crowd in victory. The players parade me around the bases, and the crowd begins chanting:
“Nate!”
“Nate!”
“Nate!”
“Nathan! For the fourth time – dinner is ready!”
“Huh?” I ask.
Mom is standing in my bedroom doorway, hands on her hips, staring at me, as I sit on my floor among a sea of colored pencils.
“I said dinner is ready. And for goodness sake Nathan Michael Rockledge, clean up this mess!”
“Okay, Mom,” I say. Mom turns around and heads down the steps.
I look back at my drawing. “Not too shabby,” I note, staring at the cartoon. I pick up a pencil and finish drawing myself holding the World Series trophy. Okay, so maybe I made my red hair not quite so bright, took out the freckles and added a few muscles to my scrawny body, but I still think it looks like me. I gather all of my colored pencils and scraps of paper off my carpet and throw them into my desk drawer.
“Nathan, Mom told me to tell you to stop picking your nose and get your butt down to dinner.”
I turn around see my older sister, Abby, standing in the hallway outside my bedroom. Abby is thirteen and is always complaining about something. Plus, she thinks she knows everything. Really, the only thing she knows is how to be annoying.
“Stop it, Abby, she didn’t say that!” I close up my sketchpad and follow her down the stairs.
“What were you drawing anyway?” she asks, as we head into the kitchen.
“None of your business.” I take my seat at the table, where Dad has already started eating.
“Some stupid comic probably,” Abby comments. She sits down across the table from me.
“All right, that’s enough,” Mom says. She puts a plate filled with spaghetti and meatballs in front of me. “Now eat your dinner, Nathan.”
“Yeah, eat your dinner,” Abby says. She swiftly kicks me from under the table.
I stick my tongue out at Abby and take a bite of my dinner. I wonder if meatballs are supposed to be crunchy? I take a big gulp of my milk to help wash down the crispy meat, as I prepare myself for a forkful of gummy pasta.
“How was school today, Nathan?” Dad asks cheerfully. One thing about my dad, he is always in a good mood. Sometimes I question if Abby was adopted – or maybe there was a mix-up at the hospital or something.
“Okay, I guess.” I look back down to my plate.
To be honest, today wasn’t one of my better days. Oh, it started out okay, I suppose, nothing spectacular. I woke up, threw on some random clothes, and went downstairs for breakfast. As usual, I met my best friend Tommy Jensen at the bus stop, just as it started to drizzle. My first thought, after being annoyed that we were standing out in the rain, was excitement over the fact that we would most likely have indoor recess. Believe me, I like recess just as much as the next kid does. I mean, who wouldn’t love being thrown outside for forty minutes of pure torture? Ten minutes of Tommy trying to talk me into playing kickball with the rest of the fourth graders, one minute to realize I am the last kid picked to be on a team, followed by twenty-nine minutes of praying the ball doesn’t come anywhere near me. When we have indoor recess, I don’t have to worry about any of that. I can just sit at my desk for forty minutes and draw cartoons. The rain had stopped by the time the bus reached school.
The good news was nobody wanted to play kickball during recess. The bad news was they chose football instead. Let’s just say things did not go so well and leave it at that.
After recess, we went right to lunch, where I discovered that Mom had packed me the remainder of last night’s dinner: Chicken Surprise. The surprise, it seemed, was that the meal tasted even worse the next day than it did the night before. Mom refuses to allow me to buy hot lunch. She says why waste money when she is able to pack me perfectly good lunches? I can’t wait until I am older like Abby. At least she gets to save up her babysitting money to buy her own lunches at school.
After lunch, Mrs. Dempsey announced that we would be starting a new science unit on energy and light. We would be working with partners. Each team would pick a project to work on, both in class and at home. Mrs. Dempsey usually lets us pick our own partners for science, but this time she stated she had assigned partners that we would be working with for the next two weeks. As soon as Mrs. Dempsey said the words, I closed my eyes and started silently concentrating as hard as I could:
“Please don’t let it be Lisa Crane, please don’t let it be Lisa Crane, please don’t let it be …”
“Nathan,” Mrs. Dempsey said, “you and Lisa will be working together.”
I could hear Tommy snickering under his breath. I looked over at him and shook my head. I turned back around to see Lisa standing right over my desk.
“Hi Nathan,” she said in her over-bubbly voice.
“Oh, hi.”
Lisa Crane and I have been in the same class since kindergarten. There is nothing wrong with Lisa, exactly – well except for the fact that she reports every second of every day back to her mother. Lisa’s mother, Marge, and my mother have been best friends for the last five years. Ever since Lisa reported to her mother that I got in trouble at school last year for falling asleep during math, I have spent a good portion of my life trying to stay away from Lisa Crane.
“So Nathan, I hear you and Lisa are science partners now,” Mom says. She sits down at the table.
“Uh, yeah.” Why am I not surprised that Mom already knows?
“Well, Marge says Lisa is really excited. She hasn’t stopped talking about it since she got home from school today.”
“I’ll bet,” I mumble under my breath.
“Science, huh?” Dad begins, “I loved science as a kid. Hey Nathan, did I ever tell you the story of the volcano your uncle Robert made for the school science fair?”
“Yeah, Dad, he put in two cups of baking soda instead of two tablespoons.”
“Uncle Robert poured in the vinegar and before we knew it, the judges were all covered in lava.” Dad bursts into laughter, as if this were the first time he was telling this story about his older brother, instead of the twentieth.
“Anyway, Lisa wants to get started on your project right away, so I invited her and Marge over on Saturday,” Mom informs me.
“But Mom, you know Tommy and I have plans to go see the new Captain Asteroid movie on Saturday!”
“So, see it on Sunday instead. Besides, you know schoolwork comes first. I think it will be fun to work with Lisa!”
“Yeah, Nathan,” Abby pipes in smirking, “think of how much fun you’ll have on your play date.”
I glare at Abby and continue to twirl my pasta on my fork, thinking of something I can say to convince Mom to cancel. I suppose she wouldn’t believe I have a rare and highly contagious disease that can only be cured by going to the movies on Saturday.
“Bill, how did your meeting go today?” Mom asks Dad, letting me know the conversation about my Saturday plans, is now over.
Karen Pokras Toz is a writer, wife, and mom. Karen grew up in the small town of Orange, Connecticut and graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Finance. She also attended the University of Richmond, where she studied law and business, receiving both a JD and an MBA. Karen has spent the last several years working as a tax accountant, writing in numbers. She recently discovered a passion for writing with words. Nate Rocks the World is her first book.
Karen is a member of the Association of Independent Authors, Independent Author Network, and The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She is the 2011 Arthritis Foundation Jingle Bell Run Honoree for the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter. Karen enjoys gardening, cooking, and spending time with her husband and three children.
In celebration of Karen Pokras Toz’s Nate Rocks the World, she will be appearing at Pump Up Your Book’s 1st Annual Holiday Extravaganza Facebook Party on December 16. More than 50 books, gifts and cash awards will be given away including a printed copy of Nate Rocks the World! Visit the official party page here!
A copy of this book was provided for this review by Pump up your Book tours
The Mystery of Puzzle Bones is a story about four 12-year-old boys that find a secret hideout and skateboard spot in an unused sewer between their subdivisions. But something is leaving a strange Puzzle of Bones in the Boardunders club house. Something wants to lead them deep down into the sewers – into Hidden Town.
A place that doesn’t want to be found and people who will do anything to protect their secret. Suddenly the danger becomes extreme as they are running for their lives. Who can they trust to help them? One of the boys, Caleb, is a Christian who shares his faith and trust in Jesus which helps lead one of the other boys to the Lord as they go through the perils of the story.
Puzzle Bones is the first of the Boardunders club series. The four young teenagers find a series of huge unused sewer pipes below an abandon home development and love skateboarding under ground where no one knows they are. They have a cool clubhouse with their own Play station and chairs. But then bones start to appear right at the dark entrance to the old pipes. Something is down there, something is arranging the bones.
I just received my review copy of this book on Saturday so I haven't gotten to read too much of it I'm about 1/3 of the way through. I have been pleasantly surprised with how things are going. I had never read any of Mr. Smith's books. He is a new author to me. However, this book does have a Christian aspect. I guess I missed that part when I read the blurb sent to be looking for reviewers. I'm excited to see how things develop in the boardunder club. I think middle aged boys would love reading this series.
T.A. Smith has been a non-denominational bible teacher in maximum Security Prisons, Juvenile delinquent centers, Rescue Missions, and Youth Groups for over 15 years. He has traveled from the Yucatan to working in fisheries in Alaska. As a ‘Guys study teacher’, he searched for a hard-hitting action adventure series that actually included thoughts and discussion about God. He wanted real discussions that he actually heard men and boys talk about in his classes over the years. Finally, he simply sat down and started writing stories for the guys he knew – and they asked for more stories which has led to a dozen popular tween/teen adventure books.
Shawn Grady signed with Bethany House Publishers in 2008. He was named “Most Promising New Writer” at the 39th Annual Mount Hermon Writers Conference. He is the author of the novels Through the Fire, Tomorrow We Die & Falls Like Lightning.
Shawn has served for over a decade as a firefighter and paramedic in northern Nevada. From fire engines and ambulances to tillered ladder trucks and helicopters, Shawn’s work environment has always been dynamic. The line of duty has carried him to a variety of locale, from high-rise fires in the city to the burning heavy timber of the eastern Sierras.
After graduating from James Logan High School in Union City, California, Shawn attended Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego as a Theology undergrad. There he found clarity of direction and proceeded on to acquire an Associate of Science degree in Fire Science Technology as well as Paramedic licensure through Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada.
Shawn currently lives in Reno, just outside of Lake Tahoe. He enjoys spending time in the outdoors with his wife, three children and yellow Labrador.
ABOUT THE BOOK
When hotshot smoke jumper Silas Kent gets his own fire crew, he thinks he's achieved what he's always wanted. But a lightning-sparked fire in the Desolation Wilderness of the Sierra Nevadas has his team in a plane before they can even train together.
Pilot Elle Westmore has been called up to drop the crew into the heart of the forest infernos. A single mother of a mysteriously ill six-year-old, she can't imagine her life getting any more complicated.
It doesn't take long for things to go very wrong, very quickly. A suspicious engine explosion forces Elle to make an emergency landing. Silas is able to parachute to safety but soon discovers his crew can't be trusted. They're hiding something, and now Silas is on a race to save himself and Elle from the flames--and from a more dangerous threat: his own team.
RICKY BRADSHAW has never sailed the Caribbean Sea, searched for buried treasure or battled pirates on the deck of a Spanish Galleon. He’s never fallen through the floor of Davy Jones’ locker or watched an old fisherman morph into a porpoise. All Ricky knows is his lonely life with his widowed mom in a tiny apartment overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. But all that changes on a snowy Christmas Eve when Ricky’s apartment building burns down and he suffers a seizure, falling into the chilly waters. Suddenly Ricky finds himself thrust into a world where there is surprising beauty on every island, danger around every corner and great honor and glory ahead of him—if only Ricky can summon the courage to survive the curse of Captain LaFoote.
EDDIE JONES has authored four non-fiction books, one young adult novel, and written over a hundred articles that have appeared in over 20 different publications. He is co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and a contributing writer for, CBN.com, Common Ground Christian News, The Ocracoke Observer, and Living Aboard Magazine. He’s a three-time winner of the Delaware Christian Writers Conference and a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and Boating Writers International. Eddie sails, surfs and writes in North Carolina. For more information see: http://www.captainlafoote.com/
Tell us about The Curse of Captain LaFoote.
EDDIE: When my boys were young, I'd tell pirate stores on the bow of our sailboat. The lead character was Captain Stinky Foot. Captain Stinky Foot was named after my youngest son. If you've ever spent any time on a boat in August with a crew of unwashed young males then this needs no further explanation. I've always been fascinated by the stories of boys snatched away from London and Bristol and forced to serve before the mast. Seems to me life at sea was more fun than peeling potatoes. And more dangerous.
So The Curse of Captain LaFoote is a pirate tale awash in buried treasure, romance and dead men's bones. The truth is, this book and the ones that follow in the Caribbean Chronicle series are love stories. For Ricky Bradshaw, the hero of the book, the story is a quest to find his father, soul mate, and purpose in life.
What is your lead’s wound?
EDDIE: A friend suggested that I let my lead have epilepsy. She said when she has an episode she sort of zones out—like daydreaming except she can’t stop it. She also said she knows when it’s about to happen. That she smells something like burning wires. So I gave Ricky epilepsy and finished the story.
It wasn’t until much later that I realized the book had a larger purpose. I met another woman at a writer’s conference whose son has epilepsy. During the conference, her son suffered a seizure — the first one he’d ever had without his mother present. The look on her face that morning convinced me that Ricky Bradshaw could be a champion for those suffering from epilepsy.
It’s not cancer or heart disease but over three million Americans live with epilepsy. If the sale of this book can raise awareness, then the book has done its job. For each book sold, the publisher and I will donate “a few pieces of eight” — half a sandy dollar — to the foundation’s Heroes Among Us program. Our goal is to raise ten thousand dollars in honor of Ricky Bradshaw.
What is the spiritual message in your book?
EDDIE: That courage cost. Near the end of the book Ricky has the chance to go back to his old life. We get to do the same thing, go back to our old way of doing things. But Christ says there is a cost for doing the right thing. Ricky faces that choice.
What takeaway value do you hope readers receive after reading this novel?
EDDIE: There are a lot of other deep and important themes explored in the book too. Things like what the poop deck is and why cruise ships no longer use them, the secrets inside Davy Jones' locker, and why you shouldn't walk downwind of a pirate who's just eaten turtle soup.
Seriously, my goal in writing this book was to spur the imagination of young readers. Boys especially. I wanted to create within them a desire to read and set sail for a life of adventure, wherever that journey may take them. Even now I can see Ricky standing on the sugar-white sands of that island just south of Hispaniola. I am that boy. And so are a lot of other boys.
Grand Prize Giveaway
All you need for a PIRATE PARTY!
* 8 invitations
* 8 - 9" party plates
* 8 - 9-oz. cups
* 16 luncheon napkins
* 16 pc. blue cutlery set
* 1 red plastic table cover
* 2 rolls of streamers, 1 blue and 1 red
* 12 each of blue and red balloons
* 2 pkgs. of confetti, 1 blue and 1 orange
* 4 yds. deluxe creepy cloth
* 12 pirate swords with eye patch
* 72 pirate tattoos
* 8 dessert plates
* 16 beverage napkins
* 8 treasure chest-shaped filled treat boxes
* 1 10 ft. pennant
* 12 child-size pirate hats
* 1 photo door banner
* 1 piñata and toy & candy asst.
Now how to enter. KCWC will draw one winner from all the blog tour sites to win this wonderful grand prize. For a chance to be entered visit Eddie Jones' site here and tell me in your comment either the name of Book# 2 or Book# 3 in thisCaribbean Chronicles Series.
For a bonus entry leave a second message telling me one of the three major locations in this series. This can be found on Eddie Jones' site here. Be sure to leave a way of contact. This giveaway is open until June 2nd.
"Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become." -C.S. Lewis
