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Friday, December 14, 2018

Today's the Day!

Ilyon and Acktar Blog Tour Header

   ...The sun is shining, the tank is clean, and we are getting out of- *Gasp* The tank is clean!
   It's a family thing.
   Anyway, today's the day the best book in the Ilyon Chronicles series comes out (because book 6 isn't finished yet), along with its lovely companion novella and the totally unexpected (but completely welcome) fifth Acktar book! AAAAAAAA!!!
   In an unprecedented amount of luck, I managed to obtain early copies of these books through long and hard-fought battles with some of Jaye's and Tricia's most formidable warriors and am now come to report to you on them. (Just kidding, I got ARCs. If I really met up with some of Jaye's and Tricia's most formidable warriors, I'd squeal and ask for their autographs.)

Le Official Introduction
   Jaye L. Knight’s newest novel, Bitter Winter, and companion novella Lacy have been released! Bitter Winter is the fifth book in the Christian fantasy series, Ilyon Chronicles. Tricia Mingerink's newest novel Decree is also releasing! Decree is the fifth book in the Christian fantasy/kingdom adventure series The Blades of Acktar. Read about these books below and be sure to check out the other blog stops on the tour by visiting the official tour page. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

The Ilyon Chronicles

Bitter Winter

About Bitter Winter
   Already struggling with a harsh winter and the threat of food shortage, a catastrophic event leaves those in the Landale camps reeling. Just when things couldn’t get much worse, camp members fall ill with the same devastating sickness that’s sweeping across the country. Determined to gain the cure, Jace sets off to Valcré. However, there are only two sources—the queen, or a powerful gang of smugglers who have made the dangerous city their home. When Jace gains audience with the gang leader, he finds the price of the cure is steeper than any of them imagined, forcing him to make an impossible choice—betray his conscience or let those he loves die.

Available now on Amazon!

goodreads

My Review
    Oh my sweet gumdrops. My poor, poor babies!
    First of all, poor, poor Jace. (Every book, guys, every book.) My poor baby can't even plan a proposal without everything going wrong. (I guess that's a minor spoiler, but it's in the very beginning.) WHY CAN'T HE JUST BE HAPPY? WHY CAN'T THEY ALL JUST BE HAPPY?
    Okay, guys, we all knew it would happen eventually. And it finally did. And it changes everything. Also, you know who is dead now, and I'm not very happy. He had so much to live for. If this doesn't lead to what I think it's leading to, I'm going to throw a fit. (I accidentally typed "fir" instead, but changed it, thinking, "I can't throw a tree." But you know what? I might. I just might.)
    It's in the description, so it's not a spoiler. Everyone gets sick. Including Jace's closest friends. And of course, we know Jace, so he does everything he possibly can to save them. And included in "everything he possibly can" is something really really bad that he is a breath away from doing. (And afterwards he gets attacked and almost dies, so that's fun.)
    If you expected this to be a rational review, you were wrong, my friend. I am way too emotional about the events of this book to pump out any sense while talking about it.
   Guys. Daniel. Woah. Just, this guy, okay? He's basically the second-best character in Ilyon (aside from Jace, naturally). He's so insecure. (And scared of Jace. Daniel isn't racist, but asking for Jace's permission to date Elanor is so intimidating!) He's a cute little cinnamon roll that manages to act like the king he will be one day (hopefully).
    The plot? Basically just invented to make our favorite fictional friends suffer. AAAAAAAAA!!! It's not fair, guys. Just not fair.
    Anyways, to sum up, totally worth reading (duh). Incredibly good book. 
   A++, should be devoured by everyone.  

Lacy

About Lacy
   The last thing Aaron ever envisioned was falling for a prostitute. Everything about it spells trouble. However, he can’t help noticing the way her smile lights up when she sees him and how much brokenness she hides behind it. Neither can he ignore how desperately she needs rescue and protection. When Lacy shares a life or death secret with him, Aaron is willing to risk everything to help her and to show her Elôm’s love. Yet, such a choice could destroy his reputation and maybe even cost him his freedom. 
   An Ilyon Chronicles Novella

Available now on Amazon!

goodreads


My Review
   Easiest way to sum up this book: Well, that escalated quickly.
   Aaron's in love. And the girl he's in love with...
   Yeah. Trouble with a capital T.
   Not that Lacy herself is Trouble. But Aaron being attracted to her sets off a chain of events that is Trouble.
   Naturally, this is a book for a more mature reader. The subject is handled extremely well - it reminded me of the way it was handled in Crime and Punishment - but it still is what it is. Be ye warned.
   This was very good, even though it didn't have Jace in it. Jace's testimony was used by Timothy to bring someone to Elom, so that's cool. This book is set soon after Bitter Winter, so definitely read that first.
   It was really nice to be able to get to know Aaron and Lacy a bit more. I really enjoyed seeing more of life in Valcré. Also, the people in Timothy and Aaron's congregation are jerks. They live in Valcré, for crying out loud. They're surely not exactly paragons of virtue themselves.
   This is a cute (although cute seems the wrong word) shorter story that is definitely worth the buy, especially for Ilyon fans.
   A++, will probably make you cry or something.


Haven’t discovered the world of Ilyon yet? Find out more at the official Ilyon Chronicles website!


JayeLKnight Author Photo About the Author
Jaye L. Knight is an award-winning author, homeschool graduate, and shameless tea addict with a passion for Christian fantasy. Armed with an active imagination and love for adventure, Jaye weaves stories of truth, faith, and courage with the message that even in the deepest darkness, God’s love shines as a light to offer hope. She has been penning stories since the age of eight and resides in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. You can connect with Jaye on her website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Etsy.

 

 

The Blades of Acktar

Decree Cover 101518 Final

About Decree
   The Adventure Continues. Discover more of The Blades of Acktar in this collection of novellas and short stories.  

The Blades as They Should’ve Been  
   A test and the Gathering of Nobles will decide Leith and Martyn’s futures. Can they fight to become more than the Blades they were? Will Keevan accept the man who attempted to kill him as family? 
The First Mission 
   When Martyn visits Surgis, his past seems determined to haunt him. Can he figure out how to forgive, especially when confronted with an enemy in need of his help?  
To the Far Great Mountains 
   A death sends Leith and Martyn far beyond the borders of Acktar. Will they be able to arrest their quarry before they are caught themselves? 

   From the story of how Leith and Martyn met to Ranson’s search for a life outside of the Blades, these stories will answer plaguing questions and expand the world of Acktar.

 

Available now on Amazon!

goodreads

My Review
    I don't like Keevan.
    Not much else is new.
   But why does he still want to beat the stuffing out of Leith? Leith is an adorable little cinnamon roll that needs to be protected and all Keevan wants to do is see him bleed. And he uses his position to get what he wants. Dirty politician.
Via Pinterest
   Poor Ranson. I'm 99.99% sure he's autistic and who ever let Respen touch him? This poor baby needs to be wrapped up in bubble wrap and given ice cream and what's-her-name as a girlfriend.
   What Tricia did with poor Shad and Jolene? RUDE. 
Via Pinterest
   What happened at the end of To the Far Great Mountains? asdfghjkl It's so cute I can't even. Baby Leiths! Although poor Leith was having nightmares and everything before it happened. *Repeat crying llama gif*
   Who thought it was a good idea to hold a knife to Leith's neck? Idiots.
   THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!!!
   Tricia set out to write The Lost Stories of Acktar and I think she did a good job.
   A++, will cry about again.



Haven’t discovered the The Blades of Acktar yet? Find out more at on the official Blades of Acktar page.

DSC09450-2 About the Author
Tricia Mingerink is a twenty-something, book-loving, horse-riding country girl. She lives in Michigan with her family and their pack of pets. When she isn't writing, she can be found pursuing backwoods adventures across the country. You can connect with Tricia on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

 

 

 

Giveaway!

PaperbackGiveaway


   Share in the excitement of the release and enter to win a full signed set of the Ilyon Chronicles and The Blades of Acktar! (Giveaway is open to US residents only. Cannot be shipped internationally.)


Be sure to stop by each of the character chats (links in the blog tour schedule) for additional giveaways throughout the tour!


Friday – December 14 – Release Day for Bitter Winter & Lacy!
Blog Tour Intro by Tricia Mingerink
Author Interview & Book Reviews at Jessica Looks Again
Book Reviews at The Music of a Story
Book Spotlight & Review at Chosen by the Potter
Book Spotlight at Time of the Immortals
Character Chat #1 by Ilyon Chronicles

Saturday – December 15
Book Reviews at Thriving Hope
Book Spotlight & Reviews at The Writer’s Song
Author Interview & Book Reviews at Perfectly Quirky In Every Way
Book Spotlight & Reviews at A Great God and Good Cocoa
Book Spotlight at The Book Sprite

Monday – December 17
Book Reviews by Morgan Huneke
Book Reviews at Backing Books
Book Reviews at Honey Rock Hills
Book Reviews at TJ’s Musing
Character Chat #2 by Tricia Mingerink

Tuesday – December 18 – Release Day for Decree!
Book Spotlight at Ruffles and Grace
Book Spotlight & Reviews at Resting Life
Author Interview & Book Reviews at Knitted by God’s Plan
Book Reviews by S.G. Willoughby
Book Spotlight & Reviews at Sarah Plain & Average

Wednesday – December 19
Book Reviews at The Artful Author
Book Reviews by Meagan Davenport
Author Interview & Book Reviews by Brie Donning
Author Interview & Book Spotlight at Saver of Memories
Character Chat #3 by the Ilyon Chronicles

Thursday – December 20
Book Spotlight by Sutori no Hana
Book Reviews by Kaylee’s Kind of Writes
Book Spotlight by M.H. Elrich
Author Interview at The Ink Lizard
Book Spotlight & Review at A Great God and Good Cocoa

Friday – December 21
Book Reviews at Smyling Girl
Author Interview at Dreams and Dragons
Book Review by Faith Blum
Author Interview & Book Reviews at Allison Grace Writes
Book Spotlight by Hannah Gaudette
Character Chat #4 by Tricia Mingerink

Saturday – December 22
Blog Tour Wrap up post at Jaye L. Knight
 

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

The Worst Christmas Songs Ever

   Okay, so maybe it's not that dramatic, but this is a list of all the Christmas songs most everyone seems to hate. Not ranked in any particular order.

Last Christmas
   Last Christmas, I gave you my heart. The very next day, you gave it away... Ugh, I've got it in my head now. Most of the hate for this song seems to stem from the utter annoyingness and stupidity of the words and the catchiness of the tune. Why would somebody write a song that annoying and pass it off as a Christmas song so we have to listen to it every year instead of letting it die away into oblivion? Seriously. 

Santa Baby
   This song is about a selfish woman demanding things from Santa whilst simultaneously flirting with him. No wonder so many people hate it. Also, it can be very easy to get it stuck in your head, which can condemn even good songs to the hate list (hello, "Reckless Love").

Baby, It's Cold Outside
   This song has recently created a stir by being banned from many radio stations. No matter your political affiliations, I think we should all say, "It's about time!" Even if it's not technically about date rape, it's still about a man pressing a woman to stay with him even after she keeps saying no, citing not hurting his pride as a good reason to stay. It's certainly not a sweet Christmas duet. In fact, the only thing in the song that somewhat kind of references Christmas is the temperature ("it's cold outside"). It's not even really a Christmas song, so why pull it out every season?

The Christmas Shoes
   This song gives you emotional trauma over a kid who wants to buy his dying mother some shoes because he doesn't realize you can't take it with you. News flash: your mama isn't going to meet Jesus in those shoes. Stop making everybody cry with your sob story. And, please, dear radio stations, stop subjecting innocent people to this song. It's just not nice.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
   Oh, what a laugh it would have been it Daddy had only seen Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night! The fact that this little kid not only is not traumatized by finding out his mom is supposedly having an affair with Jolly Old St. Nick, but thinks it would be hilarious if Daddy found out is enough to put this on the hate list. This isn't cute. It's creepy. And I can't believe I have piano music for this song.

The Little Drummer Boy
   I actually really like half of this song. But the rest? It's as if the writers of the lyrics were certain the listeners wouldn't know what a drum was if they didn't throw in "pa rum pum pum pum" after every phrase. You could be a bit more inventive and put in more lyrics about Jesus that don't assume the listeners are idiots. The constant pa rum pum pum pums get really redundant.

   I could probably extend this list, but these seem to be the ones at the top of the list for most people. What's your least favorite Christmas song?