Two Points of Interest: September 2022

Friday, September 30, 2022

Book Spotlight - Discovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith + Giveaway

About The Book:

Title: DISCOVERY OF THE FIVE SENSES (The Urban Boys #1)

Author: K.N. Smith

Pub. Date: September 29, 2015

Publisher: Two Petals Publishing

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 341

Find it: Goodreads, Books2read (all retailer links here)

Welcome or unwelcome. Fate has arrived.

"A captivating and poetic tale of mystery, fantasy, and reality tied together by action!" 5-stars, Lars Jackson, Amazon Customer

A suspenseful incident in a forbidden preserve heightens the senses of five friends. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell become super-gifts that forever change the world. But furious battles confront the boys as they try to understand their sensory super powers in a race to save mankind. With light beings and mysterious strangers complicating their plight, can the boys defeat the evil Druth before it’s too late? Get prepared for the twisting and grinding of this award-winning, action-adventure story — an edge-of-your-seat narrative for young and mature readers alike.

Reviews:

"Brilliantly crafted and written!" - Megan King, Indie Book Reviewers

"An energetic adventure debut with stellar action sequences. Smith's writing is intelligent and often lyrical. Her exuberant prose never fails to dazzle." - Kirkus Media

"Author K.N. Smith uses her mastery of the written word to weave an entrancing, yet powerful tale of adventure that keeps you turning pages in an unquenchable desire to find out what happens next." - Publishers Daily Reviews

"Well written and very creative, 'Discovery of the Five Senses' is an absolute must-read for fans of novels such as Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, etc." - Anabella Johnson, Indie Book Reviewers

"K.N. Smith has an incredible way with words; her descriptions are vivid; you see what the characters are seeing, you feel what they are feeling; you feel like you are there." - Cody Brighton, Indie Book Reviewers

"A wonderful and deeply written emotional adventure." - Self Publishing Review

"K.N. Smith's articulate word imagery is all that is needed to transport readers to a mysterious world. Make the time to connect with this piece of literary prowess. You will not regret it." - V. McDermott, Educator, English Teachers Association of Queensland, Australia

About K.N. Smith:

K.N. Smith, winner of the “Best of” in the category of “Outstanding Young Adult Novel” at the Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Awards, is an author and passionate advocate of literacy and arts programs throughout the world. Her lyrical flair sweeps across pages that twist and grind through action-adventure and urban fantasy in edge-of-your-seat narratives. K.N. has over twenty-five years’ experience in communications and creative design as an award-winning consultant. Reading is still her foremost hobby. K.N. inspires people of all ages to reach their highest potential in their creative, educational, and life pursuits. Visit K.N. Smith at www.knsmith.com.

Giveaway Details:

4 winners will receive $25.00 VISA eGift Cards

Ends October 1^st, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/1/2022	@allyluvsbooksalatte	IG Spotlight
9/2/2022	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
9/3/2022	@jaimerockstarbooktours	IG Spotlight

Week Two:

9/4/2022	Lady Hawkeye	Excerpt/IG Post
9/5/2022	Ya Books Central	Excerpt
9/6/2022	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt
9/7/2022	GryffindorBookishNerd	IG Review
9/8/2022	Author Z. Knight's Guild	Excerpt
9/9/2022	fairrryprose	Review/IG Post
9/10/2022	@kelzstarr_bookstarr	Review/IG Post

Week Three:

9/11/2022	BookHounds YA	Excerpt/IG Post
9/12/2022	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt/IG Post
9/13/2022	Epic Book Society	Review/IG Post
9/14/2022	One More Exclamation	Review/IG Post
9/15/2022	Mom with a Reading Problem	Review/IG Post
9/16/2022	pluvioreads	Review/IG Post
9/17/2022	More Books Please blog	Review/IG Post

Week Four:

9/18/2022	@booksrn_rashi	Review/IG Post
9/19/2022	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
9/20/2022	hodophile_z	Review/IG Post
9/21/2022	Wanderingwitchreads	Review/IG Post
9/22/2022	Jeff_of_allmedia	Review/IG Post
9/23/2022	Rajiv's Reviews	Review/IG Post
9/24/2022	Little Red Reads	Review/IG Post

Week Five:

9/25/2022	RavenzReviewz	Review/IG Post
9/26/2022	Nerdophiles	Review/IG Post
9/27/2022	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post
9/28/2022	@jypsylynn	Review/IG Post
9/29/2022	@enjoyingbooksagain	Review/IG Post
9/30/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review/IG Post

Thursday, September 29, 2022

Book Review - The Prisoner's Wife by Maggie Brookes

Izabella, a Czech farm girl, and Bill, a British prisoner of war, fell in love during the war and decide to get married and go on the run. In the middle of the night, they travel through the countryside to avoid being captured. Izzy is dressed as a man to avoid detection and the punishment for her act of treason. The duo were able to evade capture until they were cornered by Nazi soldiers and tracking dogs.

Izzy's disguise works and the Nazi assumes that the pair are escaped British soldiers. They are transported to a POW work camp. Together as newly weds, they face deplorable living conditions along with the constant fear that Izzy will be exposed. In the middle of darkness, comes a small beacon of hope as the couple befriends a small group of prisoners. The group of men become their new family as they are willing to sacrifice everything to save Izzy from being discovered.

The novel is inspired by a true story and I thought it would be an endearing read about hope during one of history's darkest moments. However, I was sadly disappointed how boring this novel was. I have read many historical fiction books before but, this book barely had any story to it. It was mostly describing the living conditions of the camps and the people Izzy and Bill have met. I felt like it quickly got repetitive to the point of boredom. I had a hard time connecting with Izzy as a person. As readers, we rarely got to see and feel her plight and the danger of her exposure or learn anything about her and Bill. I was more than 80% done before, I called it quits on this book.

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Book Review - Raising the Horseman by Serena Valentino + Giveaway

Kat Van Tassel doesn't want anything to do with Sleepy Hollow and it's ghostly history. However, things doesn't go as Kat plans. She receives the original Katrina van Tassel's diary on the two hundredth anniversary of the Headless Horseman's original haunting. As Kat reads Katrina's diary, she notices a few events from Kat's past starting to merge with her present. Then Kat comes across a mysterious stranger who has Kat questioning everything she thought was true.

I thought the book had an interesting premise but, I felt like it was missing something. I found the book to be a bit predictable and dull at times. I thought that the book would focused on the horseman, he would have a bigger role and would have been described in detail. I felt like he was used mostly as a prop. I thought the book would have some spooky elements but, this didn't have any. It was an okay book but, not something I would read again.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy in exchange for an honest opinion**

About the Book

Title: RAISING THE HORSEMAN

Author: Serena Valentino

Pub. Date: September 6, 2022

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 304

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

From the New York Times best-selling author of Disney’s Villains series comes a ghostly new stand-alone novel that reimagines The Legend of Sleepy Hollow through the eyes of a modern teen.

The two-hundredth anniversary of the Headless Horseman's legendary haunting of Sleepy Hollow is approaching, but Kat van Tassel wants nothing to do with the town's superstitious celebrations. As a descendant of the original Katrina van Tassel, Kat knows she’s expected to fulfill her ancestor’s legacy by someday marrying her longtime boyfriend and running the prestigious family estate. But Kat dreams of a life outside Sleepy Hollow.

Then Kat meets Isadora, a new girl in town who challenges Kat to reexamine those expectations, opens her eyes to the possibility that ghosts are real, and makes her question who she truly wants to be . . . and be with.

When Kat is given the original Katrina’s diary, a new legend begins to take shape, one that weaves together the past and the present in eerie ways. Can Kat uncover a two-hundred-year-old secret, and trace its shocking reverberations in her own life, in time to protect what she truly loves?

Fans of Serena Valentino will delight in this supernatural coming-of-age tale that finally gives the women of Sleepy Hollow a chance to tell their side of the story.

Review:

“A sweet retelling of a spooky classic.”―Kirkus Reviews

About Serena Valentino:

Serena Valentino has been weaving tales that combine mythos and guile for the past decade. She has earned critical acclaim in both the comic and horror domains, where she is known for her unique style of storytelling, bringing her readers into exquisitely frightening worlds filled with terror, beauty, and extraordinary protagonists. The books in her best-selling Villains series are best enjoyed when read in the following order: Fairest of All, The Beast Within, Poor Unfortunate Soul, Mistress of All Evil, Mother Knows Best, Odd Sisters, Evil Thing, Cold Hearted, and Never Never. She is also the author of the Villains graphic novels Evil Thing and Fairest of All.