About the Book:

Kristian Anders, a dirt-poor farmer, lives in a land where evil forces take the form of men. The sins of his past weigh heavily on his mind. When a stranger directs him to take a new path, Kristian begins the journey of a lifetime towards a distant King who is rumored to solve all problems. But then a ruthless soldier is dispatched by the ruler of the dark land to capture or kill Kristian. Everything leads to one final fight, where Kristian must defeat the demons of his past or die.

Get your copies here.

About the Author:

Peter Wisan is a language collector, adventurer, screenwriter, and film director. He is a Captain in the United States Marine Corps Individual Ready Reserve. His greatest literary influences are C.S. Lewis, Ray Bradbury, and O. Henry.

Read more here.

Wednesday Spotlight | Kristian's War by Peter Wisan

   

Hilda is FED-UP with being a cow. Spending all day doing not much but moo. There has to be something more she can do. 

So she decides to be a sheep...
... then a pig
... and even a chicken.

Is the grass any greener on the other side?

Join Hilda, the fed-up cow, on her voyage of self-discovery in this daft but timeless story, written in rhyme.

This is a wonderful read. Parents and kids will have a great time reading this rhymed-story aloud together. The illustrations, by Maria Todoric, are lively and captivating, they can definitely stimulate every kid’s imagination.

Following Hilda’s exploits toward self-discovery was indeed fun. Through this engaging storyline and illustrations, the themes of identity and contentment were expounded superbly that is very consumable for small children. It is really important to let children know that while it's fun to explore, it is most vital to be proud of who they are, first and foremost.

I absolutely believe that THE FED-UP COW is an ideal read for the whole family. I highly recommend it.

Book details:

Title:  The Fed-up Cow

Author:  Peta Lemon

Illustrator:  Maria Todoric

Publication: January 30th 2018 by Quirky Picture Press

Genre: Children's Books

Rating: ★★★★★

*Review copy was provided by the author in exchange for this unbiased review.

Book Review | THE FED-UP COW by Peta Lemon

With Guest Book Reviewer Ycel Dimayuga

   

ENDER'S GAME is set in the future where people are only authorized to have two children, much like in the Shadow Children series. However, the Wiggins were allowed a third child (Andrew, calling himself Ender) by the Interplanetary Fleet (IF) as part of an Earth program to produce brilliant officers to fight an alien race that has invaded the solar system. The older Wiggin children, though highly intelligent, did not make it to the program but Ender did. He was only six when he was taken from his family and sent by the IF to the Battle School, situated in Earth's orbit. Here Ender was rigorously trained and pushed to his limits, and excelled in a competitive squad-based war simulation in zero gravity. He became well-respected by his peers but was plagued with guilt and nightmares because of the terrible cost he paid to earn their respect. Soon Ender hated himself because he thought he was becoming like his brother Peter who liked hurting people.

Scott Card tackles a number of serious issues in writing this novel. He gives us a six-year old protagonist who also figures in some of the most disturbing scenes in the story. But I think the author wants to point out that children are no different from adults, that they have valid thoughts and emotion and should be treated with dignity and respect. Children are oftentimes not taken seriously, and I remember fairly well that children growing up in my generation were not allowed to participate in grown up discussions. I see my son’s frustration as I listen half-heartedly when he is trying to communicate with me, forgetting that this is how our humanity first establishes itself, by reaching out to tell others what we want, struggling to be understood. Valentine was right when she said, "Peter, you're twelve years old. I'm ten. They have a word for people our age. They call us children and they treat us like mice.” How frustrating indeed. Even the long drawn-out war with the aliens was a case of serious miscommunication. And yes, they paid dearly for that.

This book is not purely sci-fi but it is also largely about military strategy. I thoroughly enjoyed the war games in null gravity. Several characters played mind games and manipulated other characters (Graff, Rackham, Valentine and Peter). But the tour de force is in the last game. You’ll always remember Ender for his famous words: the enemy's gate is down.


About Ycel:

Ycel is a devoted wife and mother of three, lover of books and coffee, and dubbed herself as Perspicacious Loris. She is, indeed, very perceptive, but, I'm sure, she does not hang herself upside-down. Or, does she?

TFG:  What is your favorite genre?

Ycel:  I like historical fiction because it forces me to find out what actually happened so I can separate fact from fiction. Though I don't do this all the time. Sometimes I just enjoy getting lost in another time and place.

TFG:  How would you define yourself as a reader?

Ycel:  Moody, so I don't have a set reading list. I will read whatever catches my fancy.

TFG:  Thank you very much, Ycel, for guesting. I hope this is not the last.

Say It With A Book #12 | ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card

About the Book:

Three years in the making, Vices and Virtues was a passion project by Ashley Franz Holzmann. The goal was to write a themed anthology with original content.

Every story in this anthology is an exclusive publication, and each story is based on either a vice or a virtue from the history of humanity—some are based off of the Roman virtues, while other are rooted in Christianity, and some take their inspiration from Hinduism.

Since beginning this project, many of the writers have begun to find their own successes. C.K. Walker has now become a writer for an upcoming Netflix show. And Christopher Bloodworth has become a full-time writer and recently launched an interactive podcast titled Rover Red.

Three of the authors: Ashley Franz Holzmann, Kristopher J. Patten, and Rafael Marmol have launched their own publishing company called -30- Press, LLC

Get your copy here.

About the Author:

Ashley Franz Holzmann was born in Okinawa, Japan and raised in a variety of countries while his parents served in the Air Force. He considered attending art school, but is instead a graduate of West Point, where he enjoyed intramural grappling and studying systems engineering and military history. He majored in sociology and is currently a captain in the Army. Ashley speaks Korean, enjoys backpacking, and is the cook in his family. He currently lives in North Carolina with his wife, two sons, daughter, and their two dogs.

For more information on Vices and Virtues visit the As For Class website: asforclass.com

Wednesday Spotlight | Vices and Virtues: A Horror Anthology by Ashley Franz Holzmann

About the Book:

Three inmates break out of a maximum-security prison in Texas, one of them Danny Marsh, a suburban kid in his twenties who landed in jail because of a crime he never intended to commit. An American Cage  follows Danny and his two escape partners over a twenty-four-hour period as they struggle to cross Texas to freedom in Mexico. On this dangerous journey, Danny has to evade the rabid Texas authorities, and even worse, the schemes of one of his closest allies, who isn't who he seems.

Get you copy here.

About the Author:

Ted Galdi entered the world of novel writing in 2014 with the publication of bestselling  Elixir, winner of a  Reader Views  Reviewers Choice Award and a Silver Medal in the Readers' Favorite Book Awards.

His second novel, An American Cage, was released in October 2017 to glowing reviews from Kirkus and other distinguished organizations.

He is currently giving out free copies of his third book, Lion on Fire, and offering his first short story, A Road to Nowhere, for just ninety-nine cents.   

Ted is a graduate of Duke University, a major in Political Science with a Certificate of Achievement in Film, Video, and Digital Media Studies. He's been featured by ABC and FOX television, iHeart Radio, and many other media outlets.Check out his interviews if you'd like. 

​If you want to schedule an interview with Ted, or talk to him about anything at all, email him. He loves receiving messages from readers and responds to everyone who contacts him.

Find him here.

Wednesday Spotlight | An American Cage by Ted Galdi

About the Book: 

Fledgling vampire Jonathan Kerr has just met his match.

Not even his past life as a former marine and FBI agent could prepare him for the battle against the monster inside him, struggling to take hold. After an old nemesis of the Senary surfaces in Brooklyn, unleashing chaos and terror in the battered borough, Jon sets out to take him down. Instead, he ends up with far more than he bargained for when he clashes with the beautiful half-vampire hybrid, Lawan Knight.

After escaping near death and suffering unspeakable horror at the hands of vampires, Lawan trusts no one, regardless of species. In between bouts of drunken stupor, her only goal is to exterminate all those who've wronged her, including every member of Jon's vampire bloodline. But Jon's soulful eyes and quick smile crawls under her skin, transforming her black and white world into a hazy shade of gray.

As the days rapidly grow darker, Jon and Lawan turn to one another, but their inner demons threaten to tear them apart. The only way either of them will survive is if they overcome their greatest fear--

Love.


Get your copy here.

About the Author:

     

L.D. Rose is a neurotic physician by day, crazed writer by night, and all around wannabe superhero. She writes award-winning dark paranormal fiction and she’s a PAN member of the RWA and FF&P. She currently lives in Rhode Island with her studly hubby, her hyperactive Boxer, and her two devious cats.

Find her here.

Wednesday Spotlight | Black Bullet (The Order of the Senary #2) by L.D. Rose

   

March 6th 2018 
Viking Books for Young Readers

The breathless finale to the New York Times bestselling Rebel of the Sands series will have you on the edge of your seat until the dust from the final battle clears!

When gunslinging Amani Al'Hiza escaped her dead-end town, she never imagined she'd join a revolution, let alone lead one. But after the bloodthirsty Sultan of Miraji imprisoned the Rebel Prince Ahmed in the mythical city of Eremot, she doesn't have a choice. Armed with only her revolver, her wits, and her untameable Demdji powers, Amani must rally her skeleton crew of rebels for a rescue mission through the unforgiving desert to a place that, according to maps, doesn't exist. As she watches those she loves most lay their lives on the line against ghouls and enemy soldiers, Amani questions whether she can be the leader they need or if she is leading them all to their deaths.

I fall into the habit of reading sequels so far apart. The longest, it took me eight years to read the sequel. I read REBELS OF THE SAND (Book #1) April of last year. That’s why I was so happy that TFG’s genre for February was Fantasy, giving me the opportunity to finish the next two books in the trilogy in quick succession. (Yay, self!)

HERO AT THE FALL started where TRAITOR TO THE THRONE left off. Like the first two books, there is no downtime or slacking moments here, everything moved along fluidly. It’s my heart, actually, that needed keeping up. Highlights and action sequences were both given ample emphasis. I really admire how Amani and Jin’s relationship, incredible as it is, never overshadowed the storyline.

Since we are in the subject of relationship, I like how the characters meld together, while holding on to their identities and intended purpose. They were all developed nicely, good or bad, they were very convincing. Amani, indeed, came a long way – a rebellious young girl who wanted to escape out, into a fully-realized rebel fighting for the survival of her world.

And yes, heroes do fall along the way. I knew that I was really deep into the series, when I held onto every page of the book, fearing that the next page may be another goodbye for a character. Miss Hamilton is no fickle in killing off characters. Maybe, she’s related to GRRM? It made this series even more compelling, because I held onto the notion that their death will not be for naught... that there will be a very rewarding ending. Overly dramatic? Of course, this series can turn any reader into one. We are speaking of Djinn and Demdji powers here.

And lastly, I am in awe of the worldbuilding. The seamless mapping of the place was so vivid. I never imagined falling for an imagined world, but I did fell for Miraji and its people. I even fell for Dustwalk, that remote town at the end of the desert. Did I mention Djinn and Demdji powers?

Stories. Some stories turn into legends. In some, details were impregnated as they were told along, down generations. But that is how stories endure. These stories will remain with me for a long time. Someday, I may have to reread them.

Congratulations, Alwyn Hamilton. Job well done.

*BTW, Is it just me? 'Cause I really want to see a graphic version of this series. I want to see all the characters in their various glorious colors.

Book details:

Title: Hero a the Fall

Author: Alwyn Hamilton

Publication: March 6th 2018 by Viking Books for Young Readers

Genre: Fantasy, YA

Rating: ★★★★★

Book Review | HERO AT THE FALL by Alwyn Hamilton

With Guest Book Reviewer | Alexa Sienes

   

I've seen people constantly recommending Sarah Dessen books in my Goodreads feed for years now (most of the ladies in my book club have read at least one, I'm sure), and I always see her books in bookshops as well, but for some reason, I've never really been compelled to read any of them. I'd say perhaps I judged the books based on their cover, but I've read (more than) enough "trashy" books to know that isn't the case. At any rate, I've always found some other book to read other than Sarah Dessen's books. Until now.

It was pretty funny how it started, actually. We were challenged by our book moderator of the month at The Filipino Group, Maria, to read a YA book and post a review, and since this was one of the books I had on hand (I didn't say I didn't have copies, only that I never actually got around to reading them), I might as well read it, seeing as I didn't have the time to look for anything else.

Long story short, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I expected a tired romance plot with cliche characters that I've seen millions of times, but I'm happy to report that no, that's not really the case. Beyond Macy's development from a timid and mousy pushover to a strong and almost-fearless woman, I genuinely enjoyed her relationships with the other characters - her control freak mother, her daring sister Caroline, and especially the endearing Wish team: scatter-brained Delia, confident Kristy, "sa-woon"-worthy Wes, Bert who always looks at the dark side of life, and even half-robot Monica.

It wasn't a mystery, the way the story ended. It's something you can kind of expect from the beginning, but what I liked about this book was the process of how Macy started moving on. I liked seeing how she changed for the better, because even if at the start I was pretty frustrated with her life choices, I really couldn't help wishing the best for her. When she finally got to do what she had to do, I practically swelled with pride, even though it was inevitable anyway, which just goes to show how great Sarah Dessen is with her characters.

Beyond the sweet romance with Wes that I expected (which I got slow-burn style, just the way I liked it), I also got a story that dealt with loss, relationships, moving on, and the truth about forever with more depth and heart than I imagined. If the rest of Sarah Dessen's books are like this, then I can clearly see why there would always be people reading and reviewing them in my feed. I'm already one of them, after publishing this review. Who knows, this might not even be the last.


About Alexa:

   

Alexa is one of my TFG babies. I cannot tell you enough how much I am proud of her. She is very lively, talented, and a bad-ass doctor-in-the-making. And it's her birthday month.

TPW:  What is your favorite genre?

Alexa:   I love sci-fi and young/new adult. One brings me out of this world and the other helps me understand myself and my world better!

TPW:  How do you define yourself as a reader?

Alexa:  I'm a polygamist reader! I can't just stick to reading one book at a time, because I get antsy reading about the same thing after a while (unless the book is something I really can't put down). I always make it a point to finish everything I start though!

TPW:  Yes, I do say you are a finisher. You never back down from a challenge. Thank you for sharing your review and Godspeed to your studies. Happy birthday, again, baby!

Alexa:  Thanks so much for inviting me as well! :)

Say It With A Book #11 | The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen