Switching Gears: Chasing Invisible by Karen Pokras Toz

I'm happy to welcome Karen Pokras Toz to the blog once again. The last time she was here we were talking about her kid books: the Nate Rocks series and Millicent Marie is Not My Name. She has switched gears now and released Chasing Invisible, a novel for adults. I've already got my copy loaded on the Kindle and can't wait to read it! After Karen tells us a bit about transitioning from children to adults in her writing she is going to give away a bunch of really cool stuff. (Yeah, I really want to win this giveaway!)

Switching Genres

Thank you once again to Library Girl Reads for inviting me here for a guest post! This time I am here as a writer of adult novels. Writing for adults is so different than writing for children. Yes – I realize that this is an obvious statement. However, putting the statement into action, was not quite so obvious – or easy for me. Especially, when the last four books I’d written were for children. But I had promised my publisher that Chasing Invisible would be completed and ready for my editor by the end of April. So it was off to work.

The last guest post I wrote for this blog talked about how I had a fifth grader stuck in my head. Unfortunately, he didn’t want to leave as I sat down to work on Chasing Invisible. You now see my dilemma. Every time I thought I was headed in the right direction, I felt the dialogue was too young. Mature subject matter mixed with young dialogue was not going to go over well with my readers. I was on a deadline, and I was sadly struggling.

Admittedly, it took quite a few weeks for me to switch gears (and tuck that 5th grade voice away). But I did, and I pleasantly discovered that I do indeed have a grown up voice as well. It was a great feeling for me to finally find it. . It was also a bit of a relief to know that my mind actually can function outside of a 5th grade realm. I didn't think I would enjoy writing in it as much as I actually did. Now I hope that you all enjoy reading it!

Chasing Invisible

Could you handle life in the spotlight?

Julia Alexander is a quiet girl from a small town. Content to spend her days with her small group of friends and a pile of books, Julia thinks her future is set. When she unexpectedly meets Chase, a fellow college student and budding musician, she is unaware of just how drastically things are about to change.

Suddenly thrown into the limelight, her life is no longer her own. Relentlessly followed by the paparazzi, Julia is forced to make tough decisions about fame, love, family, and relationships. But just how much will Julia have to sacrifice to become invisible...

Buy on Amazon: Paperback * Kindle

Karen Pokras Toz, recently discovered her love for writing. Karen writes middle grade and adult contemporary fiction. Her middle grade children’s novels have won several awards including the Grand Prize in the 2012 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards and First Place for a Global E-Book Award for Pre-Teen Literature. Karen is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI). A native of Connecticut, Karen now lives outside of Philadelphia with her family. For more information, please visit www.karentoz.com.

Connect with Karen: Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

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Disclaimer: A GWR Publicity event paid for by the author. Giveaway is sponosored by the author and is responsible for prize fulfillment. Library Girl Reads & Reviews received no compensation for this post.

Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion.

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Closed: Yumz Gourmet Frozen Yogurt - A Tasty Family Treat

Unfortunately, this Yumz has closed for good.

This post is sponsored by Yumz Gourmet Frozen Yogurt.

Several weeks ago (yes, I'm just finally writing about it) Crystal from Mom For Less invited my family to join her and some other friends to check out the new Yumz Gourmet Frozen Yogurt store that had recently opened on the south side of Indianapolis (5335 E Southport Rd #700 to be exact).

I haven't had frozen yogurt in a long time and this definitely wasn't the frozen yogurt I remember from my childhood. It was SO much better! We were able to chat with the store owner, Donna Laker, and one of the founders of Yumz, John Barns. One of the the things that John really emphasized was that when they considered going in to the frozen yogurt business they decided from the onset that they weren't even going to attempt it if they couldn't find a way to make the frozen yogurt taste fantastic. My entire family thinks that they succeeded but you are going to want to taste it for yourself.

Another difference from the frozen yogurt store of my childhood is the number of choices to make! I remember the yogurt options were always chocolate, vanilla, and two other flavors that changed often. Yumz offers so much more than that! The yogurt stations are self-serve and you have a large variety of flavors to choose from. There is always a "no added sugar" flavor, a tart flavor, and two dairy-free sorbet options. You can mix and match flavors to your heart's content to get your perfect cup of frozen yogurt. My favorite flavor on our first visit was the Tart Georgia Peach. It had so much flavor it didn't even need toppings!

Only a Small Portion of the Topping Bar!

The next step is choosing your toppings. Yumz offers a huge variety of toppings from fruit to candy to cookies to cereal. There are options to keep your snack healthy (the yogurt itself has no fat or cholesterol) or you can make it as indulgent as you wish. Overwhelmed by the choices? Use the computer on the wall to look up the Coolest Combos created by other customers. Maybe you will find a new favorite! You can also submit your creations on the Yumz website (and have a chance at winning free yogurt).

The staff at Yumz is incredibly welcoming and helpful. Want to sample a flavor of yogurt before filling your cup? No problem, they have little sample cups! They are also very aware of food allergies. Yogurt flavors that contain nut oils are always placed in the same machines to avoid cross-contamination. You can also ask for toppings out of their original containers to avoid cross-contamination at the topping bar.

If you live in the Indianapolis area you definitely want to follow YUMZ Frozen Yogurt - Indianapolis on Facebook to find out about the current flavors and any special deals.

Elizabeth liked Blueberry

My family has already been back to Yumz since our initial visit and we picked up our Frequent Filler Card so we can earn points toward free frozen yogurt with every purchase. That is going to come in handy since I can tell this is going to be a favorite family treat.

Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion.

The Dark Legacy of Shannara Trilogy by Terry Brooks

Last September I reviewed the first book in The Dark Legacy of Shannara trilogy, Wards of Faerie, by Terry Brooks. After waiting for the next book, Bloodfire Quest, to be released I realized I was going to want to read the books back to back as each moves directly into the next. When I was offered an advance copy of the final book, Witch Wraith, through the Amazon Vine program I accepted it and returned to the beginning of the series. This was definitely the way to read this trilogy as I felt like I was reading one complete story rather than three separate books.

I enjoyed Wards of Faerie as it was a great beginning to a trilogy. It offered hope of a new story for Shannara and I wondered how the characters would undertake the quest placed before them. My only complaint was the abrupt ending and this was why I chose to re-start the series when the final book came out. Read my complete review of Wards of Faerie.

I did not write a separate review for Bloodfire Quest because I knew I would be following it immediately with Witch Wraith and I wanted to see if my initial reaction to the book would change at all once I finished the series. Unfortunately, it did not. Bloodfire Quest is truly the middle of the story when all the characters are scattered on their separate quests and face their own challenges. While the book took the characters to the places they needed to be both physically and emotionally to conclude the story in Witch Wraith it seemed that nothing was resolved in this book. While I fully expected the main story lines to weave through the trilogy, Brooks usually has some smaller side story that can be completed within each book. In fact the initial quest from Wards of Faerie has been completely abandoned by this book.

Witch Wraith (releasing July 16, 2013) provides the conclusion to the trilogy and all of the quests undertaken by the various characters. Although groups separated in Bloodfire Quest, the main characters (well, the ones still alive) come back together for the final battle. I enjoyed the majority of this book as Brooks pushes the characters to their breaking points and gives them difficult choices to make. The action and danger are non-stop as characters proceed with stubborn determination down paths that they are warned against. Witch Wraith was fantastic until I hit the final three chapters. It is difficult to review this book without giving away the ending so I will simply say that I found it frustrating and I am unsure how events from these chapters will influence future Shannara books.

While there were parts of The Dark Legacy of Shannara trilogy that I enjoyed, this is certainly not my favorite set of Shannara books. Although Brooks was able to provide some twists, many of the quest elements felt familiar from previous stories and I personally felt unsatisfied with the ending to the trilogy as a whole.

Purchase books by Terry Brooks on Amazon

Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion.

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Chasing Invisible Tour Kickoff and Giveaway

From award winning children's author Karen Pokras Toz
comes the contemporary adult novel

Chasing Invisible

Could you handle life in the spotlight?

Julia Alexander is a quiet girl from a small town. Content to spend her days with her small group of friends and a pile of books, Julia thinks her future is set. When she unexpectedly meets Chase, a fellow college student and budding musician, she is unaware of just how drastically things are about to change. 

Suddenly thrown into the limelight, her life is no longer her own. Relentlessly followed by the paparazzi, Julia is forced to make tough decisions about fame, love, family, and relationships. But just how much will Julia have to sacrifice to become invisible...

Buy at Amazon

Join Karen Pokras Toz for a Twitter Party

June 18 at 8 pm Eastern

#ChasingInvisible

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A GWR Publicity promotional event paid for by the author. Giveaway is sponsored by the author who is responsible to prize fulfillment. Library Girl Reads & Reviews received no compensation for this post.

Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion.

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Southern Ohio Medical Center Supports Kids #monkeydo

The Monkey Do Project still needs your help
to provide kids with filled backpacks at a free health fair.
Read more about the project and donate at Pave the Path with Monkeys.

Local businesses and organizations often see the needs of the community better than outside organizations. Stepping up to help meet these needs makes an organization a shining star in my book. Today I want to give a huge shout out and Thank You to Southern Ohio Medical Center for their generous donation to help Monkey Do Project cover the cost of 2,000 filled backpacks for kids in Adams County, Ohio.

Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC) has been serving the community of Portsmouth, Ohio with emergency and surgical care as well as other medical services since 1954. The 222 bed 501(C)(3) not-for-profit hospital was ranked first on Ohio’s Top Employers list in 2010 and has been on the list for five consecutive years. It was also on Fortune Magazine's list of 100 Best Places to Work in America.

It is the mission of SOMC to truly make a difference in the lives of patients, employees, and the surrounding community. The goals of SOMC encompass the mission and the organization’s five strategic values which include: achieving and sustaining exceptional results in safety, quality of care, service, relationships, and financial performance.

SOMC has received recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, earning their Magnet recognition status. This status recognizes excellence in nursing and is given to only 6% of hospitals nationwide! The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) awarded Voluntary Protection Program Star Designation putting SOMC in the top 1% of hospitals nationwide in safety excellence.

Please visit Southern Ohio Medical Center on Facebook and Twitter
and let them know that you really appreciate their support of the kids in Appalachia and the Monkey Do Project.

Thank You Southern Ohio Medical Center!

Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion.

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Sydney Logan talks Mountain Music and Mountain Charm

Mountain Music

Sydney Logan

Anyone who reads my books (or just my bio) knows how obsessed I am with music. As a child, I preferred record players to Barbies, and I distinctly remember my first 45 and my first album. The first record I remember owning was Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life.” I was four years old, and I sang it ALL the time. My dad even has an old cassette recording of me singing it. The first album I ever bought was Rick Springfield’s Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet. I don’t remember much about the album (It was 1982 and I was eight years old), but I distinctly remember the dog-covered image, and I remember two songs—“Don’t Talk to Strangers” and “What Kind of Fool Am I?”

I was definitely a child of the 80s. Michael Jackson. Madonna. Stevie Nicks. But then came the 90s, and with it a shift from 80s synthesizers to 90s grunge. For me, grunge was loud and dark and didn’t really interest me at all, so my love of music shifted to country music. Living in Tennessee makes it hard to avoid country music, but I’d managed it until Reba came along. Then there was Garth Brooks and Vince Gill, and with them, my absolute devotion to country music weaved its way into my heart.

In my new book, Mountain Charm, Angelina Clark owns a music store that sells Appalachian instruments. My dad plays bluegrass and has even built a few instruments over the years, so having a character whose life is so integrated in music wasn't a real stretch for me to write. She also loves Stevie Nicks. :)

As you can imagine, choosing music for the Mountain Charm playlist was very easy. If you’re at all interested in the music that inspired me to write, you can find it on my You Tube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneyLoganAuthor. You can also view the book trailer, with music provided by indie songwriter/singer Sarah Cowart.

About the Author:

Sydney Logan is an Amazon bestselling author and holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. With the 2012 release of her first novel, Lessons Learned, she made the transition from bookworm to author. Sydney has a very unhealthy obsession with music, and her iPod is filled with everything from Johnny Cash to Eminem. She is also the author of two short stories: “Mistletoe Magic,” available exclusively on Amazon Kindle, and “Stupid Cupid,” which is featured in the Romantic Interludes compilation. When she isn't reading or writing, she enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her front porch at her home in East Tennessee with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat.

Her second novel, Mountain Charm, is now available on Amazon.

Buy Mountain Charm in Paperback or for Kindle.

Connect with Sydney:
Website * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter * The Writer's Coffee Shop

“True love and sweet whispers, till death do us part;

Send someone to love my Appalachian heart.”

At the age of thirteen, Angelina Clark followed in the footsteps of her ancestors by casting an Appalachian love spell, which promised she would blossom into a beautiful and gifted woman who would find her true love. A young Angelina had been thrilled to participate in the sacred ritual, but through the years, her father’s untimely death and her mother’s failing health have shaken Angelina’s magical faith to its core. As her twenty-first birthday approaches, she refuses to practice her supernatural gifts and no longer believes in the love charm.

That is, until Dylan Thomas arrives on her front porch.

Dylan, a Nashville writer, travels to the mountain town of Maple Ridge to unearth the family’s supernatural secrets. While her clairvoyant mother is convinced that Dylan is her daughter’s soul mate, Angelina refuses to see the nosy reporter as anything more than a nuisance.

Despite their constant bickering, sparks fly.

Dylan admits he feels strangely drawn to Angelina and is in no hurry to leave Maple Ridge or publish his magazine article. Fearful that his emotions are being influenced by the spell, a stubborn Angelina struggles to fight her own budding attraction to the reporter.

The two inevitably grow closer just as her mother’s health begins to deteriorate, and Angelina is faced with the possibility of selling the family’s music shop to pay the mounting medical expenses. Desperate to help the woman he loves, Dylan explores his own family tree and finds support from an unlikely source. Can he finally prove his love is real—spell or no spell?

A story filled with love, friendship, family, and just a hint of Appalachian magic, Mountain Charm will leave you spellbound.

Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion.

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The End Was Not the End: Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy Tales

The End Was Not the End: Post Apocalyptic Fantasy Tales
editor Joshua H. Leet

Heroes prevail… usually. You sit close to a campfire, depending on its faint, flickering light to ward off the darkness. Yet the fire cannot hold back dark memories, thoughts of your fallen kingdom, of monsters across the land, of magic gone awry. Around fires like yours are seated other travelers, refugees from catastrophes none dare mention. Kings and queens huddle shoulder to shoulder with peasants, wizards share scraps with slaves, and each wishes only to be saved.

Some will be lucky, for heroes yet remain in their lands. For others, hope was not among the provisions stuffed into a pack when fleeing home. Eventually the silence of the night grows too heavy, and someone speaks. They tell a tale of loss, of foolish pride and tragic mistake. With bravery stoked by company, others speak up, each sharing their own sorrows. Before long, there are enough tales to fill a volume.

The conversations continue through the night, and by the time dawn has filtered through the gnarled tree limbs, journeys must continue, and one by one, the strangers trudge away. Their worlds may have ended, but they have survived another night. They will continue on, seeking to rebuild upon the ruins of great dreams. Their stories linger upon the air, drifting into time like the smoke from their extinguished fires, fed only by faint embers.

This book contains eleven stories set in worlds where an apocalypse has already come, but the characters you’ll read about aren’t quite ready for the end.

This anthology includes the following authors and stories:

• Deedee Davies – “The Halls of War”
• Desmond Reddick – “Blood and Fire”
• Scott Sandridge – “Make Way for Utopia”
• Jay Wilburn – “Twenty Year Plan”
• Mandi M. Lynch – “Nightmares and Dragonscapes”
• Magda Knight – ”The Stone-Sword”
• William Ransom – “In the Hills Beyond Twilight”
• Steven S. Long – “Blade of Fire”
• Bill Blume – “Waist Deep”
• Darra L. Hofman – “Ben”
• Nathen Gallagher – “Story’s End”

Purchase on Amazon: Paperback * Kindle

About the Editor:

Joshua H. Leet is a native of Lexington, KY. He absconded with a degree in English Literature from Transylvania University and has co-authored 3 non-fiction books, including Civil War Lexington, Kentucky: Bluegrass Breeding Ground of Power (The History Press). He currently works as a contract scopist, and he edits novels for Seventh Star Press, working with authors like Jackie Gamber and Steven Shrewsbury. He enjoys reading, watching sports, television and movies, and playing Frisbee. When he dies, he hopes to leave the world the same way he came in, screaming with a clenched fist.

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Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion.