Journey with Books

Sep 30, 2011

Mocked by Faith Blog Tour- Guest Post and Giveaway

Unknown September 30, 2011 10 Comments

Hey everyone! I'm so happy to have a very special guest on my blog today! Miss Michele Richard the author 'Mocked by Faith' has decided to join our fun today. We'll get to know more about her and her awesome book! So, let's start and see what Miss Michele Richard has to say to us...

Good Morning Readers!

Thank you for letting me stop by today to say hello.

A lot people think I am a spiritual writer. No, I’m a romance writer. I write everything romance not staying with any one sub-genre. My first book Mocked by Destiny falls under Young Adult. Mocked by Faith has been compared to a Dystopian and it’s not.

A Dystopian is an alternative world. A world where The Hindenburg never went down, Americans lost the War of Independence, or Hitler was not defeated and mankind took a different path from what we know. In Mocked by Faith only the people within the faith live differently. They prefer the days of old. They reject the outside influences that could corrupt their children.

My Next series that I am currently working on is a Science Fiction romance. I am quite excited by it actually. It’s about humans born different and trying to survive without detection. The line on the cover says it all.

Parasouls

Divine Intervention

“Born differently, wanted by both sides, needed by the one who completes me.”

So back to Mocked by Faith. If you have any questions that you want answered or if something doesn’t make sense, I want you to know you can come talk to me at my fan club group on Facebook. I am there daily and have some wonderful fans that follow all my works. Please don’t hesitate to join us for a discussion. http://www.facebook.com/groups/themichelerichardfanclub/

Alexia and Justin hold a special place in my heart since they were the first couple I wrote about. I know they can infuriate some strong reactions with their behaviors, but remember they are two teens fighting to stay faithful, learn what’s right, and fall in love with someone they don’t know.

I know not everyone will love this book, but I hope they get the message behind it. It’s okay to be different and don’t judge those who are.

Thanks for letting me pop in again!

Michele Richard

I want to thanks Miss Michele Richard for stopping by and giving us more info about her. She's a very gracious lady and a wonderful author we should all watch out for.

You guys can check out my review for Mocked by Faith.

Where to find the Author:
http://www.michele-richard.net/
http://michele-richard.blogspot.com/
Goodreads
Facebook Fanpage
Youtube

Where to Buy:
The Writers Coffee Shop Publishing Website
Amazon Kindle

And for the most awaited giveaway:

Sep 24, 2011

Mocked by Faith by Michele Richard Book Review

Unknown September 24, 2011 4 Comments

Hey everyone! I'm here to bring you another book review. I had a hard time doing this review. This is one of those books that needs a lot of time before one can gather her thoughts about it. I'm reviewing a book by Michele Richard called 'Mocked by Faith'.I hope I can express how much this book affected me.

Author: Michele Richard

Category: Romance

Publication Date: August 25 2011

Pages: 221

ISBN (paper): 978-1-61213-054-5

ISBN (ebook): 978-1-61213-055-2

Synopsis:

For Alexia Cross and Justin McNear, things are not what they seem. Both were born and raised in hidden, gated communities. A place where time virtually stands still and marriages are arranged by parents before a child’s 18th birthday.

Alexia is destined to be her community’s first spinster. In a last ditch effort, a husband is found. The only complication? He has no idea he has been betrothed. Will his history of dating outsiders help or hinder his relationship with his future wife?

Justin McNear searched outside his church for the woman of his dreams. Returning home after failing, he knows he needs to rectify his life and his faith. Can a woman he’s never met make him whole again?

Will this couple end up mocked by their own faith? Follow Alexia and Justin through the trials and tribulations of finding, falling, and surviving each other's love. It’s never easy saying “I do” to someone you don’t know.

My Thoughts:

  Hmm.. Let me start with the plot of the story. The plot is so different from any others I've read. You know, I'll be honest, at first, I couldn't relate to it. It was so bizarre and out of my reality. I mean, does that really happen? Growing up in gated communities and getting married to someone you didn't know that was arranged by your own parents before you turn 18? It was something I did not expect that I was completely blown away! But along the way, as I read further and deeper, I couldn't help it but be engrossed in the story. It completely sucked me into it that I couldn't put it down. There was something in the way Miss Michele Richard wrote the whole story that one can't help but give it their complete and undivided attention. She made me think like I'm inside that story, that I'm the one experiencing it! And that intensity is the one that made me love this book.

                I want to tell you about how I felt about the characters. I had a love/hate kind of relationship with the two main characters. Alexia Cross should have been the typical teenager, self-conscious, awkward and emotional. But the thing that made her different is that she grew up in a closed community where there are rules that cannot be broken. She was anxious because her parents haven't picked out the guy she should marry and she's almost 18, while her friends are already engaged to be married. She's scared that she'd be an old maid. (You see why I thought it was bizarre? She's just turning 18 and she's scared that she'll be an old maid) She thought nobody wants her.

                She was relieved and happy when suddenly Justin's parents arrived into their community from their sister church, (another community like theirs but in a different country) to talk to her parents. Alexia was relieved that she's not going to be a spinster. Her parents chose Justin for her. The only problem is that they haven't seen each other yet. She didn't know anything about Justin aside from his name. She hasn’t even seen a picture of him.

              Justin McNear on another hand is a teenager in his community that made a mistake. He strayed from their beliefs.. not completely but enough to send him into a camp, like a rehab to renew his faith and set his priorities straight. He dated other girls outside their community hoping to find his love. He failed. He went home devastated and filled with regrets. He did what his parents wanted. He let them choose his bride for him.

And then the story gets really interesting and intense!

                As I've written above earlier, I had mixed feelings of love/hate for the two main characters. Alexia and Justin are both young and still in the process of growing up and that's why I said I had a love/hate feelings for them. At times, I love them so much because they were cute and sweet and there were times I'm so frustrated at their decisions that I almost hate them (take note of the word ALMOST because I didn't really hate them). Their decisions and their actions in the story show how young they were. But the irony is, the things that made me so frustrated about these two characters are the things that made them so endearing to me. They were young teenagers who grew up inside a community that has strong beliefs. They were married so suddenly that they didn't have the time to really know each other. They didn't have the time to really grow up and be mature in order to make the right decisions and make the right actions. The whole story is about their journey in growing up together as a young married couple.

                The whole book is like a roller coaster ride for me. There were times when I was feeling high because it was so sweet, sexy and full of happiness and then there were times when it was so intense and full of angst I hear my own heart breaking and I couldn't stop my tears from falling. This is a book that defies logic and reason. It's the kind of book you don't read with your mind but with your heart.

              Miss Michele Richard wrote a very unique and powerful story! One that would stay with you, no matter how long ago you read it. And I'm looking forward to reading the next one!

Where to Buy:

The Writer's Coffee Shop

http://www.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/publishinghouse/books/detail/33

Amazon US

http://www.amazon.com/Mocked-Faith-ebook/dp/B005K2HDVC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316275128&sr=8-1

Amazon UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mocked-Faith-ebook/dp/B005K2HDVC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314833951&sr=8-1

Amazon DE

http://www.amazon.de/Mocked-Faith-ebook/dp/B005K2HDVC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316275201&sr=8-1

Good news Book Lovers! My blog is included in Mocked by Faith blog tour! Miss Michele Richard will be stopping by on September 30 2011. She will be telling us more about herself and her book ‘Mocked by Faith’.

And that’s not all! She and her publisher agreed to giveaway 5 eBook copies of ‘Mocked by Faith. So mark your calendar and don’t forget to stop by on my blog for a chance to win an eBook copy of an awesome book!

Sep 22, 2011

Book Trailer- Ember by Carol Oates

Unknown September 22, 2011 0 Comments

Hello my adorable friends! I'm bringing you the book trailer of Ember by Carol Oates today! I was thinking that as a book blogger I should feature great book trailers on my blog. I wanted everyone to see the beauty of book trailers. We should learn to appreciate it. You know, there are a lot of great book trailers out there, waiting to be seen by book lovers.

So enough of my rambling and just watch this. You know you want to click the play button. Now don't be shy and enjoy it^^

SYNOPSIS:

When Candra Ember wakes up in hospital after a dangerous encounter with a red-haired woman, she is shocked to discover that seeing a winged boy wasn’t her imagination. Candra is exposed to a world of rivalry and sacrifice she never knew existed, and the aftermath of a war to save humanity thousands of years ago. Soon she finds herself relentlessly stalked by Sebastian, a beautiful and arrogant Watcher Angel and romantically pursued by his darkly seductive rival, Draven. Ultimately, dubious about her own goodness, Candra’s very existence compromises a tentative peace in the city of Acheron.

You guys can also read my review on Ember by Carol Oates in here:

http://journeywithbooks.blogspot.com/2011/09/ember-carol-oates-book-review.html

Where to Buy:

Omnific Publishing Website

So what do you guys think about the trailer? Did you liked it?

I wanna know your thoughts.. so please hit the comment section!

Enjoy and Happy Reading everyone^^

Sep 20, 2011

An Unexpected Bride Book Excerpt and Giveaway

Unknown September 20, 2011 13 Comments

Hello everyone! I'm here again for another book tour. You know, I love book tours! It's a way for us book lovers get closer to authors. Now let's get started! I'm gonna let you guys take a peak on what's 'An Unexpected Bride' by Shadonna Richards is all about.

SYNOPSIS

Desperate to fulfill her ailing grandfather’s last wish to see her settle down and get married, Emma Wiggins, a 30-year-old, career-focused executive tells him a little white lie on his deathbed that she is in fact engaged--to her boss, deliciously handsome and emotionally unavailable, Evan Fletcher.

The situation takes an unexpected turn when her grandfather's condition improves slightly and to her shock, he goes ahead and arranges a wedding ceremony at his hospital bedside before he passes on. Now, all Emma has to do is convince unsuspecting, commitment-phobic Evan to tie the knot with her in seven days. Can love blossom in the most unlikely situation?

BOOK EXCERPT:

“You mean to tell me, you can’t find a decent man? Not one?”

“Grampa!” Emma Wiggins felt the blood siphon from her face. She could not believe she was having this conversation.

She shifted her hips uncomfortably on the hospital bedside of her ailing grandfather, trying to find the right words to say. She knew quite well where he was going with his comment. He was desperate to see her settle down, get married and have kids one day. But after her previously tainted relationships left her with emotional burns to 70 percent of her heart, no way was she going down that yellow brick road to happiness again. There’s no place like home…alone.

“Oh, Gramps!” she whispered, tilting her head to the side, gently stroking his wrinkled forehead with her free hand as if comforting a fragile kitten.

“Look, I promise you, I won’t end up…dying alone and penniless. You have my word on it—okay?”

Her whispered reassurance was virtually inaudible as she ingestedwhat seemed like a handful of sand in her throat. Was that a promise she could even keep? She wanted to give him hope, something to cheer about. Especially now as he neared the end of his long time battle with what he called "a dreadful opponent that had a habit of sneaking up at the wrong time—prostate cancer."

The long-term care unit at Mercy Springs Memorial Hospital was unusually quiet during the busy lunch hour. The place was tranquil except for the sound of the air conditioner gently humming in the background and the odd clanking of knives scraping plates as some patients ate their meals. The aroma of hospital food filled the air. The scent of fresh cut flowers she’d bought and placed at the bedside table wafted to her nostrils. She eyed his untouched lunch tray. The smell of mashed potato with gravy and sliced beef reminded her she hadn't eaten.

Laced with guilt, Emma glanced down at her watch. She didn’t want to leave him. Not ever. Not after what the doctor told her about his prognosis. But she didn’t want to push her luck at work either. Her boss, Evan Fletcher, president of Fletcher Advertising where she worked as an account executive had been more than kind already to extend her lunch hour to visit her ailing Gramps. They had the pivotal conference call meeting in half an hour with one of their biggest potential clients. She didn’t want to blow this. Not now.

This was a career clincher for her. But speaking of careers.... Her grandfather, whom she’d always referred to as Gramps when she was a little girl and had trouble pronouncing Grandpa, just finished a fresh round of chastising his only granddaughter for putting career ahead of love and family. If only he knew. She would love to have a family and a husband. But…

Her grandfather, Mr. Wiggins, reclined weakly and peered at her with droopy eyelids. His favorite pair of thick brown spectacles propped on the tip of his nose. He felt comfortable with them on, even when resting. The head of his bed elevated to a ninety degree angle. The green and white hospital bed sheets covered him up to his chest. He hadn’t eaten much during the past few days. He appeared older than his eighty years. Emma knew her grandfather loved her and wanted the best for her. She was also painfully aware that he regretted only having one child, a son, Emma’s father. Oh, she looked like her dad. Deep, almond shaped brown eyes that sparkled, dark, curly long ebony hair that shined. And a dimpled smile to melt even the coldest of hearts. Always willing, always helpful.

“I know that silly guy hurt you when he left you but—"

“Oh, Gramps. Why are you talking about that now? I’m so over him.” She emphasized the "so" and bit down on her lower lip. She wished she could simply delete the bitter memory of her ex-fiancé’s betrayal from her mind. She longed to erase the baggage of emotional scars he packed her off with. Yes, her hope was singed during that nasty breakup period, but she couldn’t dwell on relationships now. Her work was her love. And so was Gramps.

“Sometimes you need to take your messed up relationships with a grain of grace so you can appreciate when the right one comes along. I just don’t want to see you let him ruin your chances of happiness with someone else. In hindsight, I can say that other guy was a goof, not worthy of you!” He struggled to lean forward and touched her cascading mane of dark, spiralling curls.

Emma was amazed at his strength. She didn’t realise that many palliative patients had energy before their inevitable demise. In fact, she was always in amazement when she visited the quiet unit. Patients were up and about, walking, conversing, and partaking of typical activities. Of course, not all patients were responsive and ambulatory. It was a mixture of diagnosis, prognosis, and illness processes. The ages of the patients ranged from eighteen-years-old to those who reached their ninety-ninth year.

“You realise you’re my only grandchild.” A muffled cough emitted from his throat. He grabbed a tissue from the side table and covered his mouth with it, coughed up, and wiped his mouth clean before tossing the Kleenex in the black garbage bin by his bedside. “The Wiggins line will be finished if you don’t marry and have kids, pumpkin,” he emphasised tearfully, water filling his eyes. Emma could barely watch him cry.

Just then, one of the nurses, a perky redhead sporting bright pink scrubs, bought in a plate with a slice of cake on it. Her cheeks glowing red.

“Oh, what’s the occasion?” Emma was glad to change the subject as she peered at the icing on the cake.

“Oh, this is from Mr. Harry next door. His granddaughter just got married in the room.”

“Married? Here?”

“Yes.” The nurse placed the cake on the table before the untouched tray of food. “We sometimes get requests for wedding ceremonies to take place at the bedside for palliative patients who are too ill to otherwise attend. He wanted to give his daughter away. We arranged for the chaplain to do the honors, but sometimes patient's family members bring in their own minister.” The nurse smiled and fixed Emma's grandfather’s pillow and repositioned him before darting out of the room.

Emma couldn’t help but notice her grandfather’s fresh round of tears.

“What’s wrong, Gramps?” Surprise caught her voice.

“I just wished it were you, pumpkin. It’s my only wish before I go to be with your dear old grandma to see you get married, settle down, have a family. You’re hiding yourself in your work. There’s so much more to life than work, you know. We all need love, pumpkin. It won’t be nice to be alone when I’m gone—" His voice cracked and broke off. “I just hate to think you’ll be alone with no one. Just don’t give up too easy on finding true love.”

Emma’s heart took a serious plunge into the deep end of despair. She could bear no more. If only he knew it was just as unsettling to her as it was to him to see her in this state.

Lord knows she tried hard to make things work with her ex-fiancé, of whom she could barely bring herself to recite his name. But, oh, nothing escaped the careful observation of her grandfather. He knew her all too well.

Truth was, she really did hide behind her work, bury herself in its corporate arms, lose herself to the company’s aims and objectives.

But it was the perfect cover. And why not? She’d at least be doing some good service while keeping her mind busy at the same time.

Why not pour her heart into working to change images through advertising? Fulfill a need. Utilize her communications skills to write and design advertisements for special clients to inform the public about products and services that could help them to make their lives better. Contribute to economic growth. Yes, there were some things much more critical than love, Emma tried to convince herself.

Still, she really couldn’t live with herself knowing the doctor told her in the family meeting earlier that Gramps only had days to live. Days! How could she not want to see him happy?

Her large, tearful brown eyes surveyed his aging, graceful face as if each blessed, earned wrinkle had a story of its own to tell. Her eyes penetrated his dark, kind, tired eyes glazed over with cataracts. At one time, this same pair of eyes was so filled with life. Love. Hope.

He was all she had now.

She was all he had.

Those time-honoured crow's-feet in the corners of his eyes ever so present. Each representing wisdom and sacrifice made to his country. His family.

“Gramps, don’t worry. I’m…I’m okay. I-”

His tears fell hard like the Texas rain. Her grandfather bellowed out in pain. Her grandfather, the stronghold of the family, loving, determined, but wore his heart on his shirt sleeves, was never afraid to weep. That took a powerful man to do that. This same man took her in when everyone else—meaning her parents—could not care for her.

Soon, the nurse would come back in and wonder what Emma did to upset this poor, dying man.

“Gramps, I didn’t want to tell you before but…I’m seeing someone. I am getting married.” Liar.

Emma bit down on her full, defined lips. Anything to make him happy—a dying man’s last wish. But before Emma could stop herself, she swallowed another hard lump of reality. What did she just do? Did she just tell a lie to spare his feelings? She could shoot herself. But she hoped he didn’t hear amongst his own wailing.

As if someone turned off a faucet, his flow of tears almost dried up immediately.

“What did you just say, darlin’?” He sniffled and grabbed a tissue at the bedside to dab at his tears, his shaky hand removed his spectacles while the other free one wiped his eyes.

“I’m…you know…” Hesitation. Crackles shadowed her vocal chords.

“Getting married? Sweetheart, that’s wonderful news. Why didn’t you tell your dear old Gramps before? Getting me all worried. Who’s the lucky guy? What’s his name?” He peered over his spectacles. A light seemed to beam from his face.

Okay, now what do I say?

“Um…”

Think, Emma. Think.

“Evan.” She could kick herself. By the time she was through she would be beaten and worn.

“Evan who?”

Okaaay.

“Fletcher.” Good Lord. Okay, now I’ve done it. What’s wrong with me?

She tried to convince herself she wasn’t entirely dishonest. She was seeing her sexy, heart-stopping, gorgeous boss Evan for the sole purpose of work—every day. They worked closely at the agency for the past three years—sometimes late nights to meet tight deadlines, travelling together. He’d promoted her from new grad receptionist to office manager to account coordinator and possibly more. He’d always believed in her. She admired him from afar. Though Evan was as distant as a star in the galaxy from Earth. Okay, so he was a self-professed bachelor who had made it known to staff he despises the institution called marriage. He’d never know about this little secret lie she just spilled out to her grandfather.

Emma’s BlackBerry vibrated with a gentle hum. It was the office. Evan probably wanted to know where she was—since they had that important conference call shortly.

“I’d love to see him,” her grandfather blurted out. “When are you going to bring him by so that we can meet?”

Emma’s entire body stiffened.

More about the Author:

Shadonna enjoys reading and writing about the magic of romance and the power of love. Winner of Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write - 2010 Day Two Challenge, she is a member of the Romance Writers of America. An Unexpected Bride is her first novel. She has her BA in Psychology and lives in Canada. You can visit her at www.shadonnarichards.blogspot.com or send her an e-mail at Shadonna (at) ymail (dot) com

Where to Buy:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

The next blog stop:

September 21 - Leilani Loves Books

http://www.leilanilovesbooks.com/