Demon's Heart by Emily Bates ~ Middle Grade or YA adventure #review

Author/Artist: Emily Bates

Format: Paperback

Release Date: 2014-12-01

ISBN/UPC: 9781462115150

Pages: 272

Young ruffian Rustav is determined to escape his abusive uncle and hated
homeland, even if it means braving the demon-infested forest. His
escape is halted, however, when a race of legendary beings reveal him to
be the country’s fabled

heir. As the people rally around him, Rustav
teeters precariously between raising his people from the dust—or
destroying them from the inside.



Review:

An interesting adventure that I believe middle grade to young adult readers would enjoy.  Escaping his abusive Uncle's clutches, Rustav heads to the forest full of Demon's yet get's sidetracked by his injuries and new friends.  The adventure continues as Rustav and his new friend Dantzel flee to the forest. But the forest hides a powerful secret, a secret that could cost Rustav and Dantzel their present, as well as, their pasts and their futures. Can they escape the forest before it is too late and Courei falls to the demons and those who would see the nation fall? And will Rustav discover the truth of who he truly is?



Demon's Heart is an engaging book, but one that I had a hard time getting into at first.  It took a few chapters for me to grasp the content enough to keep reading.  It is definitely the type of book that needs read over a few times to find all the information and clues that were missed the first time through.



Not my personal favorite but one that adventure, fantasy/sci-fi and mystery lovers might truly enjoy.  I would recommend this for ages 14 and up due to abusive situations.

I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review through Cedar Fort. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

Gift the Gift of Custom Fit this Holiday with Railtek Belts ~ #review @railtekbelts

 

 Railtek Belts do not have holes.  Instead there is a "rail" hidden on the underside of the belt that allows for small, micro adjustments that help the belt fit perfectly.  It is easy to adjust, you just flip the little lever.



The stylish appearance of the Railtek belt makes any look clean, neat and ready for any occasion!





The Railtek Belt that was sent for this review is perfect for my husband.  As he is losing weight and in need

of a new belt - Railtek arrived just in time!  It is easy to customize the belt size to the needs of the wearer. No matter how long the belt is, it can be custom fit to the perfect size. To do this you detach the buckle from the belt and trim the desired amount off and then reattach the buckle (instructions here).



This belt micro-adjusts 1/4 an inch in either direction by simply flipping the lever on the bottom of the buckle (instructions here). If the lever seems to be stuck, relieve the pressure by pushing the belt into the buckle as though tightening it, then the lever will flip easier.

My husband loves this new belt.  He says it fits better than any he as previously worn.  I had planned to get him another for Christmas - it would even fit in his stocking!   He loves how easy it was to cut it to the size he wanted - he even left room for weight changes since the track/rails allow micro adjustments.  What a perfect gift for the man or young men in your family this Holiday!  Check out more about Railtek belts:



www.RailtekBelts.com

www.instagram.com/railtekbelts

www.facebook.com/RailtekBelts

www.twitter.com/RailtekBelts

www.youtube.com/user/RailtekBelts

*PS - I would love to see Railtek come out with similar stylish belts for women as well!

GIVEAWAY

Want a chance to win a Railtek belt of your own?  Super!  Just enter below - must be 18 or older to enter/win.  US only please.  Prize will not arrive before Christmas. Prize will be sent out from sponsor - ML2R is not responsible for prizes.

(winner to be announced pending reply)

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

Great Book Ideas for this Christmas Season @JKSLitPublicity

Check out these new and exciting books for the children in your life.  Just in time for Christmas - most available in print and ebook formats!

Marissa Moss - Mira's Diary: Bombs Over London - @CrestonBooks





In the third book of the popular time-travel series, Mira navigates her way through WWI London, meeting famous suffragists and writers like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Instructed by her time-traveling mother to steal a German spy's briefcase full of secrets and pass on the information to British Intelligence, Mira struggles with whether the changes she has been working for are the right thing
to do after all. How much control do we really want of history? When is it best to leave our fate in destiny's hands?

Marcia Goldman - Lola Goes to the Doctor @CrestonBooks





Children will identify with Lola as she nervously waits to be called into the doctor's office. Lola feels a little bit brave when the doctor looks into her ears, a little braver when he examines her teeth, and bravest of all when she gets a shot.

Darlene Beck Jacobsen - Wheels of Change @CrestonBooks





Racial intolerance, social change, and sweeping progress make 1908 Washington, D.C., a turbulent place to grow up in for 12-year-old Emily Soper. For Emily, life in Papa’s carriage barn is magic, and she's more at home hearing the symphony of the blacksmith’s hammer than trying to conform to the proper expectations of young ladies. When Papa’s livelihood is threatened by racist neighbors and horsepower of a different sort, Emily faces changes she'd never imagined. Finding courage and resolve she didn't know she had, Emily strives to save Papa’s business, even if it means going all the way to the White House.

Jeron Frame - Winter Candle @CrestonBooks



When each family at the diverse Juniper Court apartment complex needs something to light up the dark of winter, the stumpy, lumpy candle provides a glow brighter than the fanciest taper, revealing the true spirit of each holiday it illuminates.

Maureen Kanefield - The Magic of Maxwell and his Tail @mkanefield




Everyone has magic but sometimes you have to search to find out what it is. That’s what Maxwell 

Mouse had to do. And he discovered that what he thought was something very bad was actually 

something very good, indeed.



The Magic of Maxwell and His Tail is more than just a charming, wonderfully illustrated story. With 

childlike innocence, it presents an inspiring motivational model for youngsters—especially gifted kids and those with special needs—to take another look at themselves and recognize their unique gifts. It shows them how to see beyond what appear to be limitations and appreciate them as positive attributes that will help them to soar.



Written by an educator with over 30 years in the trenches and based on sound educational principles acknowledging the various ways children learn (multiple intelligences), The Magic of Maxwell and His Tail is a micro-guide to life. It will delight children as they celebrate Maxwell’s triumphs, and warm the hearts of parents as they watch their kids discover how perfectly special they are.



The Magic of Maxwell and His Tail is the first in a series of books to entertain, educate, and encourage children to be their better selves.

The Galactic Academy of Science Series, which includes: - @Tumblehome


With time travel and mysteries that need solving, the Galactic Academy of Science (G.A.S.) series instructs readers on how to think like scientists. Under the guidance of a Dude or Dudette from the future, the middle school characters are faced with treacherous, present-day crimes that require a historical knowledge of science in order to be solved. From investigating problems to analyzing data and constructing explanations and solutions, this series blends elements of sci-fi with educational methods that distill the key thinking habits of scientists and engineers.

The Desperate Case of the Diamond Chip




When the Russian scientist Professor Gufov accuses Clinton of stealing his invention, all Mae and Clinton want to do is get away and work on their science project. But that’s before a Dudette from the future tells them about the Galactic Academy of Science and sends them on a mission back in time to beef up their scientific knowledge. Mae and Clinton meet Dmitri Mendeleev, Niels Bohr, John Bardeen, William Shockley, and Robert Noyce. They break up a séance, escape the Gestapo, jump from a plane, and return with enough understanding of how electronics work that they can tackle the mystery of the Russian scientist and search for the missing diamond chip.






The Furious Case of the Fraudulent Fossil




On a museum visit, Benson and Anita meet a famous paleontologist showing off his newest fossil find: a missing link between dinosaurs and birds. But something doesn't feel right. Then a Dude from the future sends them back in time to visit an ancient Chinese scientist, dig a huge sea monster out of a cliff, and outwit a fossil thief. Benson and Anita need to root out and expose a fraudulent fossil. 



More books in this series:

The Vicious Case of the Viral Vaccine




The Harrowing Case of the Hackensack Hacker




The Cryptic Case of the Coded Fair

Barnas G Monteith - Dinosaur Eggs and Blue Ribbons




A personal look at science fairs from the varied perspectives of a successful participant, judge, policymaker, and science fair organization leader



Dinosaur Eggs and Blue Ribbons takes young readers on a journey into adventure science as experienced by a young aspiring scientist who turned scientific inspiration into scientific success. The book is full of anecdotes and advice from the world of STEM education and contains practical advice about judging, display boards, and other preparations for the big science fair day. Throughout the text and appendix are examples of original, winning science fair materials as well as links to a wide variety of proprietary online resources which complement the text. In the end, the hardships are all worthwhile when you work alongside some of the top scientists in the field, make groundbreaking discoveries, and win big in the science fair and beyond!

Gift the GIFT of ART this Christmas #local #gift

REGISTRATION FOR JANUARY IS NOW OPEN...IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO GIVE HOLIDAY GIFT THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME! CHRISTMAS gift idea! The Huffington Post, a reputable site, claims that the Number 1 gift that you can give your children this year are ARTS’ classes! For only $120 (January is free!), your child can experience the BEST GIFT EVER from January- May! We will have gift wrapped CLASSES in the ARTS’ starting in December at the studio. Here is the link of our classes: Class Schedule | Inspired Arts Academy. Click here to register! REGISTER . Hurry- promo ends December 23rd! Huff post article Afternoon in the Arts What does your child do after school? Play video games, sit around on the couch, eat junk food? If you want to combat boredom and that crazy evening extracurricular schedule, sign your child up for an Afternoon in the Arts class! Each afternoon, we begin with an exploratory art class then move into gymnastics for fitness. Then, we offer an arts' class to further art education (Mondays are Movie Magic, Tuesdays are Music and Theatre, Wednesdays are Acting and Set design, Thursdays are Painting, Sculpting, Sketching and Fridays are Just Dancing!) RENTALS- Inspired Arts is available for your next birthday or other party event, but Winter dates are filling quickly....call today to get your event on our schedule. TEACHER of MONTH- Tyler Kern My name is Tyler Kern. I’ve been passionate about filmmaking ever since I can remember. But it wasn’t until my senior year at Morton High School when I enrolled in a television broadcasting class that I knew video production would be my career. After finding out that Morton no longer offers the broadcasting class that inspired my career, I decided to get involved with the Inspired Arts Academy. I have worked video production for over 1,500 live events for venues like Wrigley Field, Peoria Civic Center and U.S. Cellular Coliseum. I am currently the Director of Video Production at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum where I supervise and direct all live events for the Jumbo-tron. I also work as Director of Video Production at Normal Community High School, where I work with high school students to direct the entire production of home football and soccer games for their newly added Video Scoreboard. When I’m not working those jobs, I own and operate Totally Kreative Video LLC, a live event video production company. We are the official videographers for the Morton Pumpkin Festival, the Bloomington Thunder Professional Hockey Team and Bloomington Flex Professional Basketball Team. In my free time I enjoy writing screenplays and playing basketball. My students will learn the three phases of filmmaking – pre-production (writing) production (directing) and post-production (editing). We will write, direct, and edit music videos, television commercials, and work as a team on a feature length documentary film. Hannah’s Red Rocket Endowment Fund- Support at Eli’s this December! You love Eli’s and IAA and helping others? Stop by Eli’s coffee shop all month long and enjoy a Peppermint Mocha Truffle Latte and Eli’s will donate $1 to the Hannah’s Red Rocket Endowment Fund while IAA matches funds! This fund, established by the IAA Thompson family after the loss of their daughter to a brain tumor, provides accessible equipment for children who may be sick, or disabled in some way.  Learn more here: http://mortoncommunityfoundation.org/hannahs-red-rocket/ Giving back and remembering… what the Holiday season is all about. ARTS' partners- Morton Fine Arts Association presents Fall/Winter Monday night concert series! Enjoy bands like Harmonicas, Phil Dirt and the Dozers (rockin oldies), Four Freshman (vocal pop), Bankesters (country gospel), and the Cats Pajamas (accapella) . Tickets are $25 a piece or $75 for entire series! Purchase these as Christmas or Birthday gifts for parents and grandparents online at Morton Fine Arts Association.

Gracie's Secret by Lorelie Rozzano #review #blast

Book Genre: Children’s Ficton

Publisher: Edgewood Publishing

Release Date: July 29, 2014

Buy Link(s): http://www.amazon.com/Gracies-Secret-Lorelie-Rozzano/dp/0993740901/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409186470&sr=8-1&keywords=gracies+secret



Book Description:

Meet Grace. At nine years old she has a big secret. Grace knows
first-hand that life can be difficult. Her parents aren't very happy.
Their arguing is giving her a stomach ache. She spends a

lot of time
alone, worrying. Are her parents problems her fault? Had she done
something wrong? Grace pretends everything is fine, but it's not. She
feels helpless and has learned that making things up is easier than
telling the truth. One big question haunts her every day. Will her
family ever be happy again?



This book is
perfect for a child with a difficult home life. Divorce, addiction,
mental health issues and more can cause children to feel alone, anxious
and afraid. Gracie's Secret addresses this by showing kids they aren't
alone, and that they can feel better. With a workbook section for kids
to understand their own issues and a message that talking to a safe
person will help, Gracie's story can help kids cope.





Review:

We all would love to believe that every child has a loving and happy home with two parents who are completely devoted to their child.  But unfortunately that is often not the case.  As a child who was raised in a dysfunctional family, I was not sure how I would feel about reading and sharing this story that was written for younger children.  It is well written and has a good moral for children going through difficulties at home, and has a nice section in the back for kids' to work through their own issues and find a trusted person to talk to.  I can say that it would be good for younger children to see that they are not alone in what they are going through.

---

Author Bio:



My name is Lorelie Rozzano and I'm a recovering addict. Seventeen years
ago I took the most difficult walk of my life – through the doors of a
local treatment centre. I found in recovery, what I’d been looking for
in alcohol and drugs. Finally, my skin fit! I'm an author, mother, wife,
grandmother, foster parent, sister, family counsellor and daughter.
Growing up in an alcoholic home I understand first-hand, the importance
of a healthy family. I began working at the Edgewood Treatment Centre
for addiction in 1998 and have had the privilege of working with both
patients and their families. I'm passionate about helping others whose
lives like mine, have been affected by addiction. In the past few years
I've created a blog, Jagged Little Edges – living in a world of hope,
and written three fiction books: Gracie’s Secret, Jagged Little Edges,
and Jagged Little Lies. My hope is that the honesty found in my books
and and on my blog, will help those dealing with unhealthy behaviours
and addiction. After all, I truly believe if I can get clean, anyone
can. I'm currently working on book three in the Jagged series

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

IT Girl 4 Life - build unshakable self-confidence and bring out your special something!

Genre: 

YA nonfiction — self-esteem/ self help/ personal growth/inspiration/motivation.



Publisher: Heart Project Publishing

Release Date: June 15, 2014

Buy: Amazon | BN

Book Description:


"YOU have IT. IT is the GREATNESS you were born with." - from the book

Writer,
artist, and speaker, Tamara Branch serves up 40 bite-sized chapters on
how to build unshakable self-confidence, honor your life, and shine
bright

in the world, in ITGIRL4LIFE: How to bring out your special something and so much more. Get ready to fall in love with your own wisdom, beauty, and strength.

---

Tamara
Branch is from New York, born and raised in the Bronx. She is thrilled
to share her first book release, ITGIRL4LIFE: How to bring out your
special something and so much more. The book kicks off the ITGIRL4LIFE
self-esteem movement to help empower girls to stand up, stand out and
shine bright in the world.
Tamara
has worked as a professional model and actor for almost two decades.
She strutted down the runway for designers Calvin Klein, Donna Karen and
Christian Dior, acted in a few independent films,
co-hosted PBS New York’s education series, “What’s up in Technology”
and appeared T.V. commercials and print ads for Levi’s, Old Navy,
Hershey’s, Colgate, Kellogg’s Special K, Revlon, Hanes, Nike and many
others. A Penn State alumnus and lifelong student of personal
development, Tamara is deeply passionate about uplifting the human
spirit.



After
graduating from Institute for Integrative Nutrition, studying under
Deepak Chopra, Dr. Andrew Weil and some of the top health and wellness
experts in the world, she was inspired to raise the bar on her own ‘self
care’ and support others in living more vibrantly. She is an abstract
artist and teaches a dynamic dance class, where she gets to fuse her
varied background, having trained in everything from jazz, ballet and
modern to Afro-Caribbean and Salsa.



Tamara
was recently asked to become a Female Visionary Author guest blogger
for The Brave Heart Women Global Community. She's a SAG/AFTRA member
since 1998, a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and
Illustrators and is represented by Abrams Artists Agency.



Tamara currently lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband of
seven years and offers ITGIRL4LIFE workshops to assist girls on their
self empowerment journey. Her second book is due out next Spring. Stay
tuned!



Author Links -

http://www.tamarabranch.com
http://tamarabranch.com/tams-blog/ 

https://www.facebook.com/itgirl4lifemovement
https://twitter.com/itgirl4life
http://www.pinterest.com/branch0204/
http://linkd.in/1s7bSPA
https://www.goodreads.com/
http://amzn.to/1nPlKs7 

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

Order your Banz sunglasses for little ones and get FREE case & sunscreen too!

Created in Australia, BanZ has a complete protection collection of sun
safety products for children ages 0-12. Sunglasses, hats, hearing
protection and swimwear are available in multiples styles and sizes as
well as sunscreen, swim goggles and more.

Free Case & Sunscreen
Sample - Use coupon code FREE at checkout to receive a BanZ slip case as
well as a sunscreen sample.



http://usfamilycoupons.com/coupon.php?regionid=75&bid=11836&dealid=1797

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.