Sunday, April 19, 2015

What to Feed an Asperger's- Review



This book is perfect for parents and caregivers of children on the Spectrum or with Sensory disorders. Even if your child is just a picky eater, there are several adaptable tips.

The format is great! It is broken down into breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks. You can easily open to where you need the most help. Also, there are great recipes interspersed through the book.


At the end of the book, there are meal planning tips and charts. This is a great visual way to help you organize meal times. I also liked how Patton tells you about her son's experiences throughout the book.

5 stars

Thanks Netgalley! 

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

ZombieSaurus Rex- Review and blog tour

zombie

About Zombie-saurus Rex:

Zombie-saurus RexRex Morton, a seventeen year-old zombie, has arrived in the small farming town of Plain View, Nebraska; just another stop in a long string of small towns left behind in their rear view mirror. Unlike the zombie stereotype, Rex is bright and friendly - as long as he doesn't get hungry. He hopes this time he can manage to stick around long enough to get his diploma.

Rex’s fiercely protective mother has strong armed yet another school district into accepting her son by threatening a discrimination lawsuit. At Plain View High, a dismal pattern of fear, prejudice, and bullying steers Rex down a familiar path toward expulsion. The difference this time is that Rex has fallen for fiery Goth girl, Ariella Klopenstein, the daughter of the Police Chief, and decided he will make his stand in Plain View.
As the Z-virus spreads west and the country panics, Rex and Ariella must find a way to overcome Rex’s mother who wants to break them apart and flee town, a school principal who wants Rex expelled, Ariella’s father, the Police Chief, who thinks Rex is dangerous, and a government zombie round-up aimed at solving the zombie problem once and for all.
Zombie-saurus Rex is a story about perseverance, overcoming prejudice, stereotypes and adversity. What it isn’t is a story about dinosaurs. The title is inspired by a nickname a school bully hangs on Rex due to his size, posture, and slow plodding gate.

Mark Souza Author PhotoAbout the Author:

Author Mark Souza has always been a storyteller, whether explaining who filched the ice cream, or what happened to the cat’s tail. He learned most of life’s lessons from the business end of a wooden spoon, and the rest from public schools spanning the breadth of North America, all of which were overjoyed to be rid of him. He became an author of short stories and novels in the horror, mystery, thriller, and young adult genres later in life, after time and a desk job had softened his edges, transforming him into the round, doughy shape Big-&-Not-So-Tall shops crave.
Mark was the proud recipient of the 2013 Indie Reader Award for Best Science Fiction for his debut novel Robyn’s Egg.
He now resides in Western Washington with his wife (also an author), two daughters, and their dog of questionable heritage, Tater. Visit his website; http://www.marksouza,com. There you’ll find a multitude of ways to make contact. Mark enjoys cordial correspondence and will write back. He’s always on the lookout for that next victim reader.


Giveaway:
$50 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
Ends 5/21

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

My Review


Zombiesaurus Rex is a fabulous tale.Rex is almost your average teenager.  All he wants to do is fit in.  He wants to go to school and be a normal teenager. However, as a zombie, that isn't possible.  I really liked Rex and his friends Ariella (Stacey) and Howie. Rex was an interesting character. He wasn't just an empty headed zombie. But he was the mix of new kid/ lowest kid on the totem pole that most people can relate to. 

Rex's mother wanted to keep moving. To keep her son safe. Which is something any parent could relate to. There are a lot of great role models in this book. Rex's teacher, who takes an interest in him, for example.


This book is a wild ride of adventure that tells with prejudice. It shows how people's attitudes and beliefs skewer their perception of events. 

Rex is a zombie but also cognizant. He can speak and doesn't attack humans. Which goes to show when fear and misunderstanding gets in the way of empathy, people get stuck in their way of thinking. In the book, that leads to zombie camps. In real life, that can cause political problems and even war. 

There are only a couple issues with the book. First. when did the zombies come from? The Z virus but what caused it? Why did Cecelia know her son could be kept alive through eating organ meat? Other than that, I enjoyed it~

4 stars~

Saturday, April 11, 2015

The Calloways - Tour and Review



My Review


On a Night like This gave me chills. The first chapter was not what I was expected, but I was  quickly drawn into the story. You care about every single person in this tale. It's amazing!Amazing! Yes, I wrote amazing twice! You feel so much for Sara and Aiden. 

Sara is a very strong character ( and would have to be to match Aiden lol). Her rocky relationship with her father reminded me of my own lackluster relationship.  Problems with relationships spill into all parts of your life.  As for Aiden, he was also having issues after a major work incident. 
Very intense! A story at its core about family. This is the type of novel you curl up in your favourite chair with a blanket and cup of tea to read. I am so grateful the novel is part of a series! Furthermore, I really enjoyed the ending.
5 stars!

About the Author: Barbara Freethy has been making up stories most of her life. Growing up in a neighborhood with only boys and a big brother who was usually trying to ditch her, she spent a lot of time reading. When she wasn’t reading, she was imagining her own books. After college and several years in the P.R. field, she decided to try her hand at a novel. Now Barbara is a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author loved by readers all over the world. Her novels range from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women’s fiction. Learn more on her websiteFacebook page, or in her Street Team.



Check out this excerpt from #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy's first book in the Callaway family series…Then Read on for more information about this blog tour and all its great prizes!

Her father stared back at her, his eyes dark and unreadable. "Why are you here, Sara?"
"I wanted to be here for your birthday. It's been a long time since we've shared more than an email. We should talk, catch up with each other."
"Why on earth would you want to talk to me?"
The confusion in his eyes made her realize just how far apart they'd drifted. "Because you're my father. You're my family. We're the only ones left."
"Do you need money?"
"This isn't about money. Mom would not have wanted us to end up like strangers. We need to improve our relationship."
He stared back at her for a long moment, then said, "There's nothing left for you here, Sara. I wish you well, but we both need to move on. If you stay, it won't go well. We'll only disappoint each other."
Her chest tightened, the finality of his words bringing pain as well as anger. Her father was like a brick wall. She kept throwing herself at him, trying to break through his resistance, but all she ever achieved was a new batch of emotional bruises.
"You're a grown woman now," he added. "You don't need a father."
"Not that I ever really had one," she countered, surprising herself a little with the words. She was used to holding her tongue when it came to her dad, because talking usually made things worse.
"I did my best."
"Did you?"
A tickle caught at her throat and her eyes blurred with unwanted tears. She had not come here to cry. She sniffed, wondering why the air felt so thick. It took a minute to register that it was not her emotions that were making her eyes water, but smoke.
The same awareness flashed in her father's eyes. "Damn," he swore. "The kitchen—I was cooking—"
He ran out of the room, and she followed him down the stairs, shocked by how thick the smoke was in the entry.
She was on her dad's heels when he entered the kitchen. The scene was unbelievable. Flames shot two feet in the air off a sizzling pot on the stove. The fire had found more fuel in a stack of newspapers on the counter that had been left too close to the burner, those sparks leaping to the nearby curtains.
Her father grabbed a towel and tried to beat out some of the flames, but his efforts only seemed to make things worse. Embers flew everywhere, finding new places to burn, the heat growing more and more intense. Moving to the sink, she turned on the faucet and filled up a pitcher, but it was taking too long to get enough water. She threw some of it at the fire, but it made no difference.
"Move aside," her dad shouted, grabbing two hot pads.
"What are you doing?" she asked in confusion.
He tried to grab the pot and move it to the sink, but she was in the way, and he stumbled, dropping the pot in the garbage. She jumped back from an explosion of new fire.
"We have to call 911," she said frantically. But there was no phone in the kitchen, and her cell phone was in her bag by the entry. "Let's get out of here."
Her father was still trying to put out the fire, but he was getting nowhere.
"Dad, please."
"Get out, Sara," he said forcefully, then ran into the adjacent laundry room.
"Wait! Where are you going?"
"I have to get something important," he yelled back at her.
"Dad. We need to get out of the house." She coughed out the words, but she might as well have remained silent because her dad had vanished through the laundry room and down the back stairs to the basement. She couldn't imagine what he had to get. There was nothing but gardening tools and cleaning supplies down there.
She started to follow him, then jumped back as the fire caught the wallpaper next to her head, sizzling and leaping towards her clothing.
"Dad," she screamed. "We need to get out of the house."
A crash echoed through the house. Then all she could hear was the crackling of the fire.
Sara ran through the flames and down the stairs into the basement. A single light bulb dangled from a wire over the stairs, showing her father in a crumpled heap on the cement floor.
She dropped to her knees next to his still body. He was unconscious, blood under his head, and his right leg was twisted in an odd position. She put a hand on his chest. His heart was still beating.
"Dad," she said. "Wake up."
He blinked groggily. "Sara?" he asked in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
"The kitchen is on fire. We need to get out of the house." A glance back over her shoulder revealed smoke pouring through the open door at the top of the stairs. There was no way out of the basement without going through the kitchen.
Her father tried to sit up, but quickly fell back, groaning with pain. "My leg is broken. You go."
"I can't leave you here. That's not an option."
"You can't carry me. Go. Get help."
"I'll be right back," she promised.
 She ran up the stairs, shocked and terrified when she saw how much worse the fire had gotten in literally minutes. The heat was intense. She could barely breathe, and there was a wall of flames between her and the only way out. She couldn't afford to be scared. Grabbing a towel off the top of the nearby washing machine, she covered her nose and mouth, and prepared to make a dash for it.
Before she could move, a figure appeared on the other side of the flames—a man.
A wave of relief swept through her. Help had arrived.
He barreled through the fire and smoke, batting away the flames as if they were troublesome bees. When he stopped in front of her, her heart jumped again.
"Aiden?" She lowered the towel from her face. He was the last Callaway she wanted to see.



About the Callaway Blog Tour & All Its Great Prizes!


This is the week you finally meet the Callaways! Not only are they all over the web as part of their extraordinary blog tour, but they are also out and about in your neighborhood. That's right; we're celebrating the print launch with Ingram by throwing a party all over the world! Make sure to follow this tour closely for your chance to win gift cards, swag, autographed books, and other incredible prizes.
All the info you need to join the fun and enter to win amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment—easy to enter; easy to win!
To Win the Prizes:
Purchase any of the Callaway novels by Barbara Freethy (optional)
Enter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity (go here)
Visit today’s featured social media event (that's where the HUGE prizes are)


Or enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer- Ashleigh's Books is not responsible for the giveaway. I was given a copy of the book but  that didn't affect my review.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Zoe and Zak Ghost Leopard



This book is an amazing read. Zoe has lots of personality and is really fun to read about. I had a lot of fun learning about Indian mythology as Zoe did. The Ghost Leopard is well written and I enjoyed reading about Zoe and Zak. They had some amazing adventures. Zoe acted very realistically in relation to her age.


I am not familar with India and Hindu myths, so I enjoyed reading about the different gods. The description of the various locations, especially the Himalyas make me want to travel there. So I feel the book did a great job with making me feel like I was there.  I think that young people should enjoy reading this series. It is perfect for readers who like a strong female protagonist.

I also had the opportunity to listen to the audio-book version. I enjoyed it. Although, I prefer to read a physical copy because I get distracted with just an audio version. However, it was lovely to listen too and I could listen to it and hang out with my kiddos and do what I need to do.

4 stars

Friday, March 20, 2015

Reality Natalie



Reality Natalie is a cute, quirky novel that bought me back to childhood. The themes of friendship, loyalty and honesty ring true without feeling forced. The world-building was apt. I felt like I was part of Natalie's class. The novel was the perfect length and I enjoyed the conclusion. It well suited for middle grade readers and adult who enjoy children's fiction. As well, the title is a good choice~


The characters are very well developed. Natalie is someone young girls can relate to and she acts her age. She is full 0f humor. Also, by the end of the novel- she has grown a lot as a person. She makes mistakes and learns from them!I believe she has similar experiences to kids her age. Problems with friends and wrongly communicating with your family is common when you are growing up.Her friends round out her character. 

Kailyn is extroverted and competitive. She did annoy me slightly due to her flippant and competitive nature. I did find myself rooting for Nat probably because I relate to her. Although. I do think Kailyn is a nice person-she gets caught up in her'persona'. She also redeems herself at the end.


I also really like Natalie's parents. They let her learn from her mistakes-without humiliating her. Also, they are positive role models. They showed Nat the importance of your faimly and facing your problems and fears.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

The Incredible Callaway Blog Tour-Recruitment

Is there anything better than falling in love with a new book? How about falling in love with a whole new series?
Well, here’s an awesome opportunity for you! Now you can get to know the New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romance series by #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Barbra Freethy as part of a fun publicity event. Each Callaway novel is filled with romance, suspense, and adventure. You can read all 8 books in the Callaway series for free (or, if you choose, you can give the series a try by reading just the first book, or you can host a guest post or interview instead—there’s lots of options). How cool is that?!
The event will run from April 6 to April 11 and will celebrate the strong women in our lives with guest posts and interviews from the author, Callaway excerpts, and–of course–your reviews! We’ll have lots of prizes to give away too, including Amazon gift cards, autographed books, and Callaway swag!
Don’t have time to read and review? That’s okay, you can still participate and compete for these awesome prizes by hosting a guest post, excerpt, or interview–but I hear you’re going to want to read all about the Callaways. Once you get started, it’s so hard to stop.
To sign up for this tour, visit www.novelpublicity.com/callaways. To learn more about the author and her bestselling series, keep reading~

About On A Night Like This, Book #1 of the Callaway Series

From #1 NY Times Bestselling Author, Barbara Freethy, comes a romantic new contemporary series about the Callaways, a big, blended Irish family born to serve and protect.
The second oldest of the Callaway clan, Aiden Callaway veered from the family tradition of urban firefighting and became a smokejumper, never questioning his choice until the job took the life of his friend, Kyle, and left Aiden with injuries and fractured memories. Everyone blames Aiden for what happened, but he doesn’t remember, nor is he sure he wants to remember. The truth may clear Aiden of blame but destroy Kyle’s reputation and hurt the people he left behind.
Aiden seeks help from an unlikely ally …
Sara had always been untouchable, sweet, innocent, his sister’s best friend, and the girl next door. But one reckless night in their youth took their relationship to a new level. Sara has never forgiven or forgotten the way Aiden brought it crashing down, but she’s no longer that girl with the crazy crush. She’s a woman in search of her own truth.
The sparks between Aiden and Sara have been smoldering for a very long time. Sara is afraid to take another chance on a man who broke her heart, and Aiden knows better than anyone how dangerous an intense fire can be.
As teenagers they weren’t ready for each other. Are they ready now?
ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS is the first book in an eight book connected contemporary romance series featuring the intriguing Callaway family. Love, mystery, adventure — the Callaways have it all!

About the Author

Barbara Freethy is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of 40 novels. Traditionally published for many years, in 2011 Barbara began self-publishing her backlist and has sold over 5 million ebooks and as of today she is the bestselling KDP Author of ALL TIME! Nineteen of her titles have appeared on the NY Times and USA Today bestseller lists. Her book SUMMER SECRETS hit #1 on the New York Times and remained on the list for seven weeks.
Barbara writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense and women’s fiction. She is known for writing emotional and compelling stories about love and family, sometimes with a little suspense, sometimes with a little magic.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Two Kids by Richard Levine- Review


My Review: Two Kids is a little difficult to get into. Or perhaps, I am just not feeling it . I really like that there is lots of description, though. Once the second half rolls around Two Kids is much easier to become interested in reading. It is very  detailed. The characters are your typical hence the name 'two kids'. They have a lot of important conversations and basically are kids living their lives.

My Rating

I feel the book is perfect for younger readers. I would give the book 3 stars.