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Singing Librarian Books

Young Adult Blog

The War of Words by Amy Neftzger -- Book Tour Review + Giveaway

5/12/2016

About the Book

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Sometimes there's no better way to understand reality than through fantasy, and the best way to find truth may be in a book - if you can find the right one.

Battles against darkness, a quest for truth, and a search for the book that no one can read are all part of the fantasy adventure in The War of Words. As an evil sorcerer wages war by using mysterious shadows and seeks to gain control by confusing the residents as to what's real and what isn't, the fate of the kingdom rests in the hands of Kelsey and Nicholas.
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As the youngest officer in the king's army, Kelsey fights the evil sorcerer s shadows on the battlefield as she explores the kingdom searching for the key to winning the war. Nicholas, a young sorcerer in training who is mastering his craft, discovers how the right words can change the course of the future.
Explore an enchanted maze, uncover the power of words, and learn about friendship in this whimsical tale.
GOODREADS | AMAZON | B&N | BOOK DEPOSITORY

About the Author

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Amy Neftzger is the author of fiction books for both adults and children. She has also been published in business and academic journals, as well as literary publications.

A few of her favorite things include traveling, books, movies, art, the Oxford comma, and gargoyles.
 FACEBOOK  | TWITTER | WEBSITE 

Review

Amy Neftzger has written a fantasy story that teens will enjoy.  I had a little bit of a hard time getting into the book at the beginning, but I pressed on and came to appreciate Amy’s characters and her fantasy, adventure story.  It is a pretty strait forward read and includes magic and sorcery.  It also appears that this is book three in a series and probably would have made more sense if I had read books one and two in the series.  I would recommend this book to young readers that enjoy fantasy.
 
Genre: fantasy, fiction, young adult
Publisher: Fields of Gold Publishing
Publication date: March 3, 2016
Number of pages: 332
Category: Middle School
Content Rating: PG, (No cursing, but some violence (a few battle scenes)
Book Rating: 4 stars
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A review copy of this book was provided by iRead Book Tours.

Giveaway

Win 1 of 5 print copies (USA) / 1 of 5 ebooks (international)
1 of 2 $25 Amazon gift cards (international) (12 winners)
12 prizes in all!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

​April 18 - Tales of the Marvelous - review 
April 18 - misty103 @ HubPages - review / author interview
April 18 - Moon Shine Art Spot - review / author interview / giveaway
April 18 - Booksnake Etc. - review
April 19 - Readers' Muse - review / guest post
April 20 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review / guest post / giveaway
April 20 - Heidi's Wanderings - review / giveaway
April 21 - Library of Clean Reads - review / giveaway
April 21 - Sahar's Blog - review
April 22 - #redhead.with.book - book spotlight / giveaway
April 25 - JBronder Book Reviews - review / author interview
April 26 - Bookroom Reviews - review / author interview
April 26 - Cover2Cover - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
April 27 - Discovering/Writing Life - review / author interview / giveaway
April 28 - The Autistic Gamer - review
April 29 - Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers - review
May 2 -    Book reviews nature photos and everything in between - review
May 2 -    A Peek at My Bookshelf - review
May 3 -    Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine - book spotlight / guest post 
May 4 -    3 Partners in Shopping Nana, Mommy , + Sissy, Too! - review / giveaway
May 5 -    Bound 4 Escape - review / giveaway
May 6 -    Katie's Clean Book Collection - book spotlight / giveaway
May 9 -    Bookworm for Kids - review / giveaway
May 10 -  Blooming with Books - review / giveaway
May 11 -  Pause for Tales - review
May 11 -  Svetlana's Reads and Views - review
May 12 -  Singing Librarian Books - review / giveaway
May 12 -  A Mama's Corner of the World - review / giveaway
May 13 -  Create With Joy - review / giveaway
​May 13 -  Novel Escapes - review
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Spark by Holly Schindler -- Book Tour Review + Giveaway

5/12/2016
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About the Book

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Spark by Holly Schindler
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 17th 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, Magic, Realism

​The local Avery Theater was just a run-down building to Quin—until her mother told her the tragic love story of Nick and Emma that played out on the theater’s stage all those years ago. Quin is convinced it’s the perfect story to rewrite for her drama class, but when she goes searching for more information, she makes a startling discovery—the Avery is rapidly regaining its former splendor and setting the stage for her classmates Dylan and Cass to relive Nick and Emma’s romance. Quin can see the spark between them, but it’s up to her to make sure her friends—and the Avery—can both be saved this time around.
 GOODREADS | AMAZON | B&N | ITUNES | BOOK DEPOSITORY | KOBO

About the Author

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Holly Schindler’s work has received starred reviews in Booklist and Publishers Weekly, has won silver and gold medals in ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year and the IPPY Awards, respectively, has been featured on Booklist’s Best First Novels for Youth and School Library Journal’s What’s Hot in YA, and has been a PW Pick of the Week. She is owned by a Pekingese named Jake, and can be found working on her next book in her hometown of Springfield, Missouri. She can also be found at hollyschindler.com
GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | TUMBLER | GOOGLE+ | BLOG | WEBSITE

Review

Review coming soon...
A review copy of the book was provided by Edelweiss.

Giveaway

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Link to the giveaway is in the above graphic.
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May 11th
A Reading Nurse & The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club - Welcome Post

May 12th
Mythical Books - Guest Post on Blending Historical and Contemporary Times
Ink of Blood - Review + Character Interview
Singing Librarian Books - Review
Under Review - Review

May 13th
Coffee Books & Art - Guest Post on Writing Flawed Characters
Here's to Happy Endings - Review
the bookdragon - Review + Favorite Quotes

May 14th
Zerina Blossom's Books - Review
Her Book Thoughts - Review

May 15th
Reading Addict - Guest Post on Setting
Bookaholicsanonymous - Review + Video Interview
With Love for Books - Review
The Cover Contessa - Character Playlist

May 16th
Deal Sharing Aunt - Interview
Literary Meanderings - Meet The Characters
Curling Up With A Good Book - Top 10 List
Crossroad Reviews - Review

May 17th
Bookwyrming Thoughts - How SPARK Originated
YA Obsessed - Review
When Curiosity Killed The Cat - Review
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Solus Series by Devri Walls -- Spotlight + Giveaway

5/4/2016
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​Book 1: Wings of Arian

Series: Solus
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: April 24, 2012
Number of pages: 484

Kiora thought she had never heard a lie until she was sixteen. But she was wrong. Her entire existence was based on nothing but. She thought that evil did not exist. Lie. That magic was not real. Lie. And that the land of Meros was all there was. One more lie.

With Aleric telling her that evil is knocking on the door and that she is the only one who can stop them she has a choice to make. Refuse, or start the wildest most painful ride of her life. 
She reluctantly dips her toe into her new existence of magic and threads, dragons and shapeshifters, and the person who wants to take control of it all: the evil Dralazar. 

However, this journey was never meant to be hers alone. She will be accompanied by a Protector. To her disbelief, and utter irritation they name the hotheaded, stubborn, non -magical, (albeit gorgeous) Prince Emane. They will have to trust each other with their lives, but right now Kiora would settle for a non hostile conversation. 

And now it comes down to this, If you had never heard a lie, would you know when you heard one? Is knowing good from evil innate? Kiora finds herself having to decide who lives and who dies on those very questions.
GOODREADS | AMAZON

​Book 2: Wings of Tavea

Series: Solus
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: February 20, 2013
Number of pages: 364

Kiora is rapidly learning that evil and lies come in shades of black and white and swirling greys, but nothing could have prepared her for the shock of leaving Meros.
Kiora and her protector Emane step through the pass into a world they never knew existed but were always meant to save, only to find it far worse than they could have ever imagined. Good has been forced into hiding for its own survival, while the rest of the land bows to the Shadow, a force that pushes any remaining thoughts of Dralazar from Kiora’s mind. This land is full of new creatures, each more dangerous than the last. Her visions have taken on a deadly twist, and magic, or what comes of it, was never so real. And then there is Alcander: a Tavean, their guide, and an entirely different kind of trouble.
GOODREADS | AMAZON

​Book 3: Wings of Nestor

Series: Solus
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: September 20, 2013
Number of pages: 332

​Kiora needs answers. Who is the Shadow? Who is Jasmine? Are they connected? And even more pressing—how can she stop the Shadow from using her dreams as a map to find them? They have escaped three times, but are living on borrowed time—and everybody knows it. 

Kiora’s search will push her closer to Alcander, send her to the dragon mountain of Toopai, and lead straight back to Meros—where magic will finally return to the land of no magic. Answers will be uncovered and plans unearthed that have been waiting for thousands of years. 

But with the Shadow’s forces gathering, the rebels are hurtling toward one outcome: war. Armed with knowledge and hope, Kiora is determined to change that path, but will fate allow it? Or will it teach her a hard lesson about following her own destiny? 
GOODREADS | AMAZON

​Book 4: Wings of Lomay

Series: Solus
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: December 2, 2014
Number of pages: 372

In defense of the small remaining group of rebels, Kiora has to cross lines she never thought she would, making her redefine not only herself, but what’s right and wrong. Outnumbered and out of time, Kiora turns to the only two groups that could help; the Shifters and the Dragons. But will either of them come to their aid?

As they prepare for a war against the evil army, Kiora must lead the rebels and find the strength within herself to defeat Jasmine.

Kiora’s the Solace. She’s their only hope.
​GOODREADS | AMAZON
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Devri Walls lives in Kuna ID with her husband, two kids and one very bouncy lab. After suffering from an abundance of creativity with not enough places to put it, she turned to writing. Which in the end, turned out to be exactly where she should have been putting it all along.
GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | BLOG | WEBSITE
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​Aleric chased after Emane as he stomped back through the woods. “Emane!” Aleric shouted. 
“I don't want to talk Aleric,” he shouted back over his shoulder.
Aleric was beginning to tire of this game. The young prince refused to have an honest conversation with him and it was becoming a detriment to the cause. “Emane, I need you to stop or I will stop you,” Aleric shouted forward. 
Aleric hit a nerve. Emane stopped dead in his tracks, frozen, his shoulders rising and falling with heaving breaths. 
“Emane,” Aleric began.
Emane whirled around “You will stop me! Of course you will,” he yelled gesturing wildly, “because you can! Because I, ” he poked himself in the chest, “am nothing but an insignificant human who can’t even do magic. I am useless, helpless and now am not even allowed my own free will.” He pointed accusingly at Aleric. “If I don't want to talk, you will stop me. If I say something a dragon doesn't like, he almost sets me on fire. If I get too close to Kiora on an off day, she blows me up. I can’t compete with this magic!” Emane turned, stomping away. Aleric stepped forward ready to intervene when Emane whirled back on him. 
“Oh and I am suppose to be the Protector of the Solus, so you gave me a magic sword!” He yelled shaking his sheathed sword at his waist. “Which is useless if I am picked up, thrown, blown up or any matter of magical defenses, before I get within a hundred feet of them. What do you want from me Aleric? You have asked the impossible and don't understand why I don't want to talk?” He threw back his head, laughing bitterly. “All I have wanted to do since the day I have arrived is to tell you ‘I quit,” Emane deflated, “but I can’t. And then I ask myself, for what? So I can fight the un- winnable fight?”
“Is that what you think this is?” Aleric asked. “Un-winnable?” 
His head and eyes rolled back in a look of exasperation Aleric had seen far too many times at the castle 
“Yes! Aleric! Have you even listened to a word I said?” 
“Of course I have Emane, and I can understand how you feel. But I don't understand why it is that you do not understand more history than you do.”
He threw his hands into the air. “Really, Aleric, I just poured my heart out to you and you tell me that I need a history lesson!”
“Come with me, Emane.”
“What if I don't want to come with you?” 
“You do.” Aleric turned and walked away. 
“Aleric, I am not coming!” 
Aleric kept walking
“Aleric... I'm not!” 
Aleric didn't even flinch. He prodded his way through the forest smiling to himself, making sure not to glance backwards. It took a little longer than he thought but he heard the Prince crashing through the foliage behind. 
“Crazy old man,” Emane muttered as he shoved branches out of his way.

Watch for my review of book 1, Wings of Arian, coming soon!

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May 3--Katie's Clean Book Collection
May 4--Singing Librarian Books
May 5--Mel's Shelves
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