Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Coming Soon | The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky by David Litwack

The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky by David Litwack


From the author of There Comes a Prophet and Along the Watchtower comes a new literary journey exploring the clash between reason and faith, and the power of hope and love.

After centuries of religiously motivated war, the world has been split in two. Now the Blessed Lands are ruled by pure faith, while in the Republic, reason is the guiding light—two different realms, kept apart and at peace by a treaty and an ocean.
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Summary: A mysterious nine-year-old from the Blessed Lands sails into the lives of a couple in the Republic, claiming to be the Daughter of the Sea and the Sky. Is she a troubled child longing to return home, or a powerful prophet sent to unravel the fabric of the Republic? The answer will change the lives of all she meets... and perhaps their world as well.

Author: David Litwack

Genre: Fantasy/Speculative Literary Fiction

Release Date: May 19th, 2014

Publisher: Evolved Publishing

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Read an Excerpt:


Jason grabbed the girl just as she began to sink. Despite the buffeting sea, he carried her back to the shore without straining and lay her fragile form on a swath of grass beyond the rocks—a slip of a child no more than nine or ten years old.

Plain cotton pants clung to the girl’s legs, and an elaborately embroidered tunic covered her slender frame—the typical garb of the zealots, but other than her clothing, she looked nothing like a zealot. Her skin was light and perfect, unblemished but for a trickle of blood on her arm. Her golden hair hung down to the middle of her back, and her round eyes held the color of the ocean.

Were Helena a believer, she’d have considered this the face of an angel.

Jason offered his bottle, but the girl shied away. Helena cradled the child’s head and tilted her chin while he trickled a few drops into her mouth.

The girl licked her cracked lips and opened for more. After she’d drunk her fill, she turned to Helena. Her eyes grabbed and held. “The dream,” she said. “It’s true. I can see it in your eyes.”

Helena felt a sudden urge to distract the girl, to disrupt that penetrating gaze. “Who are you?”

The girl ignored the question, instead resting her hand on Jason’s forearm.

His muscles twitched as if he were unsure whether to linger or jerk away.

“Your arm is hot,” she said.

“That’s because I’ve been running.”

The girl’s ocean-blue eyes opened wider. “From what?”

He withdrew his arm and flexed his fingers. “Are you from the Blessed Lands?”

The girl nodded.

“Why would you make such a dangerous voyage alone in such a small boat?”

“I was in no danger,” she said.

He waved a hand at the flotsam, still surging in the tide. “But your boat’s destroyed, and it took us to save you.”

“Yes, I suppose.” She looked back out to sea as if expecting to find her boat still afloat. “Then I thank Lord Kanakunai for sparing me and delivering me to kind people who would help.”

“But who are you?” Helena said more insistently.

The girl motioned for more to drink, this time grasping the bottle with both hands and emptying it. When she finished, she sat up and lifted her chin like royalty. “I am Kailani, the daughter of the sea and the sky.”

About the Author:


David Front Page

The urge to write first struck at age sixteen when working on a newsletter at a youth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the wild night when lightning flashed at sunset followed by the northern lights rippling after dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter’s editor, a girl with eyes the color of the ocean. But he was inspired to write about the blurry line between reality and the fantastic.

Using two fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day throughout college and well into his twenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue a career, in the process — and without prior plan — becoming a well-known entrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies. When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned.

There Comes a Prophet is his first novel in this new stage of life. His second book, Along the Watchtower, was available June 2013. And The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky is nearing completion.

David and his wife split their time between Cape Cod, Florida and anywhere else that catches their fancy. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful every keystroke for the invention of the word processor.

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Friday, April 4, 2014

The Whispered Wishes Series by Karen Pokras

Author Karen Pokras is pleased to announce her debut contemporary romance series

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Now Available Book One: Ava’s Wishes

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About Ava's Wishes:
Ava Haines had big plans for her life. Her short-term goals included passing statistics (on the third try), graduating college on time, and securing a job in the art gallery on Main Street. Her long-term goal was to one day own an art gallery of her very own. Oh sure, she would someday like to fall in love and get married, but all of that was secondary to making sure her other goals were in line. Fellow student Max Wallis and esteemed photographer Thomas Malloy were just minor distractions she was more than capable of handling. She was entitled to a little fun once in a while, right? But as reality took a tumble, Ava began to wonder if she really was able to manage it all. Could all her wishes come true?

About Karen Pokras:
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Karen Pokras writes middle grade and adult contemporary fiction under the names Karen Pokras and Karen Pokras Toz. Her books have won several awards including two Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, the Grand Prize in the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, as well as placing first for two Global E-Book Awards for Pre-Teen Literature. Karen is a member of the Society of the Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). For children, her books include the Nate Rocks series, Millicent Marie is Not My Name, and Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas. For adult readers, Karen’s books include Chasing Invisible, and her soon to be released, Whispered Wishes series. A native of Connecticut, Karen now lives outside of Philadelphia with her family. For more information, please visit www.karenpokras.com.

Follow Karen:
Blog

Book covers designed by Najla Qamber Designs.  Books 1-3 - Models: Models: Courtney Boyett and Willis Totten
Book 4: Models: Courtney Boyett, Sara Beck, and Brittany Weidman Model Photographer: Casey Boyett

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Wednesday, April 2, 2014

March Reading Wrap-Up

I read a lot in March but for various reasons haven't been writing reviews. I'm not sure I'll ever get around to reviewing these but I wanted to share what I read anyway.

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson - the story of a failed climb up K2 which turned into a mission to build schools in Pakistan. I realize that I am quite behind in reading this book as it was popular several years ago. Somehow I managed to miss the controversy surrounding this organization and its founder as well.

Southern Fried Sushi by Jennifer Rogers Spinola - Shiloh Jacobs must navigate a change in circumstances from her dream job in Japan to unemployment in rural Virginia. Can she come to terms with her past and move into a new future with the help of some new friends? I was not aware when I started reading this book that it was Christian fiction. I enjoyed the first several chapters of the story until it started to feel like I was being beaten over the head with a Bible.

The Undead Pool by Kim Harrison - The twelfth book in The Hollows series is a must read for Rachel Morgan fans. Although the main threat to the characters is interesting, it is the relationship between Rachel and Trent that held my attention in this one. Harrison finally seems to answer the will they or won't they question and it only remains to see what the fallout will be.

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen - I adore the magical realism in Sarah Addison Allen's books and The Sugar Queen is no exception. The characters are all searching for something and have unique talents and quirks which bring them together. Josey, Della Lee, and Chloe give the reader hope that lives can change and lost dreams can be recovered.

Dear Money by Martha McPhee - India Palmer is a novelist turned bonds trader in this story of rags to riches in New York City before the fall of the real estate market. While the book had moments that captured my attention, I found the majority of it to be boring and I'm not sure why I bothered reading to the end.

Cold Days by Jim Butcher - The fourteenth book of The Dresden Files follows Harry Dresden as he attempts to navigate his new role as Winter Knight. Harry has never been one for politics and he can sometimes be a bit slow on putting the clues together but his daring attitude makes for some fine adventures.

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen - Kate has been sleepwalking through her life for the year after her husband's death. When her daughter finds an old postcard reminding her of happier times, they decide to go on an adventure to Lost Lake to reconnect with Kate's aunt Eby. One after another people show up to Lost Lake to find something even if they don't realize what they are looking for. Again Sarah Addison Allen creates a world with magical realism but I found the characters in this novel a bit less developed than in previous books. The story and characters were engaging but I wish it had gone a bit deeper.

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