Review | On the Line by Daniel Paisner

 

Title: On the Line

Author: Daniel Paisner

Length: 272 Pages

Released: August 2009

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Blurb

One of the biggest stars in tennis, Serena Williams has captured every major title. Her 2009 Australia Open championship earned her the #1 world ranking for the third time in her illustrious career - and marked only the latest exclamation point on a life well and purposefully lived. As a young girl, Serena began training with an adult-sized racquet that was almost as big as her. Rather than dropping the racquet, Serena saw it as a challenge to overcome-and she has confronted every obstacle on her path to success with the same unflagging spirit. From growing up in the tough, hardscrabble neighborhood of Compton, California, to being trained by her father on public tennis courts littered with broken glass and drug paraphernalia, to becoming the top women's player in the world, Serena has proven to be an inspiration to her legions of fans both young and old. Her accomplishments have not been without struggle: being derailed by injury, devastated by the tragic shooting of her older sister, and criticized for her unorthodox approach to tennis. Yet somehow, Serena always manages to prevail. Both on the court and off, she's applied the strength and determination that helped her to become a champion to successful pursuits in philanthropy, fashion, television and film. In this compelling and poignant memoir, Serena takes an empowering look at her extraordinary life and what is still to come.

I'm hands down not a fan of nonfiction books, but she's famous and I thought I'd give it a go. I'm about half way through and struggling to finish, but that's really only because of it being a nonfiction book. I usually struggle to finish. It would help if I understood a lot of the tennis references, but I'm not a tennis fan, so my knowledge of even little things like the scoring method is next to nil.

It's decently written, and I think it'll give her fans a nice intro to her life. However, so far, everything you read sounds like something you could get from piecing together the various newspaper articles written about her. I don't see a great deal of details that are deep and personal. I mean she talks about the horrible day where she was jeered at because her sister was injured and had to back out of a match a lot of people were hoping to see, but the whole section comes out like a journal ranting session rather than an objective analysis of what happened or an emotion-filled reaction. She talks a bit about being a Jehovah's Witnesses but doesn't go into their belief system. I get that this would be the right place to go all out into what JW's believe, but leaving it at the broad generalization "we're all Christians" just kind of let me down.

I will finish the book, I think it's a worthwhile read with some interesting insights. I probably wouldn't have bought the book if not for the amazon vine program though, so my recommendation would be to ask your local library to buy the book if you want to read up on Serena Williams.

Promotional Event | *FREE* Sliding Beneath the Surface by @Doug__Dillon #TheStAugustineTrilogy

Hello St. Augustine Fans! Let’s not forget the YA Paranormal Fans!

For FIVE days, the Kindle version for Sliding Beneath the Surface [The St. Augustine Trilogy: Book I] will be available FOR FREE on Amazon.com—a special promotion. Today and the next 4 days, May 14th - 18th be sure to get your FREE Kindle Edition Today!

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 Sliding Beneath the Surface

The St. Augustine Trilogy: Book I
Author: Doug Dillon

Genre: YA Paranormal

Print Length: 166 Pages
Release Date: August 24, 2011
Presented by: As You Wish Tours

BLURB

In America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida, Teenager Jeff Golden is in trouble. Horrible dreams won’t let him sleep, and he is up to his eyeballs in terrifying, paranormal experiences.

Finally, Jeff turns to his girlfriend Carla, and Lobo, the mysterious Native American shaman, for help. But what he discovers is a lot more than he bargained for.

A ghostly presence linked to a local historic cemetery is not only threatening Jeff’s sanity but his life as well. And before he knows what’s happening, Jeff finds both himself and Carla pulled into one of the nastiest and bloody events in Florida history. It is a place from which they may never escape.

About the Author
Doug Dillon has been writing for adults and young people since 1984, especially in the paranormal realm. An award winning educator, he spent many years as a classroom teacher, school administrator, and coordinator of programs for high-risk students. Prentice Hall, Harcourt, Mitchell Lane Publishers, Boys' Life magazine, Learning Magazine and The Orlando Sentinel have all published his work.

Goodreads Giveaway | Seeress (Paperback) Enter to Win! @EdnahWalters #Giveaway

Book Title: Seeress
Series: A Runes Novel #3
Release Date: April 28th 2014
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Firetrail Publishing
Presented by: As You Wish Tours

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Giveaway Dates: May 12 - Jun 12, 2014
2 copies available

Countries Available: US

BLURB

I love Torin St. James...
I need his strength…
But someone from his past wants me dead.

Raine Cooper is certain of two things: her love for Torin St. James and her destiny to be a powerful seeress. But when she starts having premonitions, they are unclear and disturbing. Worse, they involve Torin. With her mother gone, her father dying, and her best friend in Hel, she is not sure who to talk to.

But when the visions become more personal and she foresees her future with Torin threatened by someone from his past, Raine becomes desperate for answers. Just her luck two new students arrive at her school and they seem to have answers. When with them, her powers are enhanced and her visions become clear. There is only one problem: Torin forbids Raine to see the two girls.

Can their love survive without trust?

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Cover Reveal | Eruption by Christina Mobley @chrissy3680

Book Title: Eruption

Series: The Vangretta Curse #3
Author: Christina Mobley
Expected Release Date: June 21, 2014
Genre: YA Fantasy
Presented by:As You Wish Tours

BLURB

When you love someone more than yourself, protecting them is all that matters; it is all there is...

Snow one minute and blazing temperatures the next, horrific storms everywhere, and Ava has no idea what’s causing it. Desperate for answers, she turns to the past. An ancient diary reveals the truth about Element Island and the true origins of those born of the Element. Everything she thought she knew is wrong. Destiny is coming for her unborn child.

Ava’s fairytale has quickly turned into a nightmare. No one can be trusted. Friendships will be tested, and lives will be lost. As nature and destiny collide, a child that will change everything is born. The eruption will mark the beginning and the end, and the battle has just begun.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christina Mobley is a married, mother of four, who spends her days caring for her children. She grew up in Florida, living on the banks of the St.Mary's river, and as a child always had a fascination for storms and the power they wield. The Vangeretta Curse series was inspired by that fascination.

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Review | The Last Word: A Novel (Sophie Trace Trilogy) by Kathy Herman

Title: The Last Word: A Novel
(Sophie Trace Trilogy)
Author: Kathy Herman

Length: 403 Pages

Released: January 2010

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Blurb

When Vanessa Jessup returns home from her sophomore year of college, her mother, Police Chief Brill Jessup, is stunned to see that she's pregnant—by one of her professors. Brill is glad Vanessa rejected the father's abortion ultimatum, but hurt that she ignored her upbringing and angry that the professor has disappeared without a trace.

But that's not all Brill's got on her plate. One of her detectives has been killed, and the attacker has threatened to come for her next. When a second cop is wounded, public criticism mounts as Brill attempts to stay alive long enough to catch the perp. And she's trying to find that deadbeat dad as Vanessa struggles to make decisions about her future. The killer seems to be everywhere and nowhere. How can a police chief—and a mother—do her job with her life on the line?

I'll readily admit that I haven't read the first book of the Sophie Trace Trilogy, so perhaps some of my characterization concerns were addressed in book one. Overall, the experience of reading this book was a big, fat ok. It's certainly easy to read. The font of the ARC I got was nicely spaced out and the chapters were pretty short, both of which facilitate swift reading. However, that said, these are my nits (caveat: I can be persnickety, so take these points for what they're worth but make your own decision.) ...

1) Lack of Voice - Most of the characters either sound the same or don't sound their age, which I deem a problem in a book like this because it is very much dialogue-driven.

2) Stiffness - Everybody sounds like a robot. In fact, I think some robots sound more human than these people.

3) Lack of Sense (period)- I honestly hope people don't think many Christians act like this. {SPOILER ALERT: Oh, poor me, I feel smothered; I think I'll sneak out of my house and wander a park, maybe talk to a stranger or two. The madman running around sticking knives in people won't come after me, I'm just the main target's daughter.)

4) Highly Predictable - maybe I read too much, but every "twist" and turn but one I saw coming from about 100 pages away. The foreshadowing is about as subtle as a monkey lost in a fine-dining china shop.

5) Too "perfect"/ idyllic - The major conflicts are spelled out on the back cover: Vanessa Jessup is pregnant and didn't bother telling her parents until summer vacation. Her Mom, Police Chief Brill Jessup, is battling worry for her job as negative publicity mounts because some madman is hunting her and cops on her force. A little ways in the bad guy is spelled out, literally, and there's no question who they're trying to catch. (SPOILER ALERT: Note these are not actual lines of dialogue just the essence of what transpired. Husband Kurt - My wonderful wife told me you two kissed. [reference to previous book] FBI guy Dave - Gee, sorry about that; I was vulnerable. Husband Kurt - Hey, we all make mistakes; we're all good now, buddy. Just brought it up to clear the air.)

6) "Really can't complain, but I always do." - I can honestly say that the most "heart-pounding" caused came from this sentence and about 6 variants thereof. I get that it was supposed to be a lunchtime tradition at Nick's Grill. I'm just not convinced those conversations needed to happen at all. They smacked of the author info-dumping on us poor readers.

All that said, remember I still gave this book 3 stars. It's still an okay book.

Promotional Event | **FREE** An Explosion of Being by Doug & Barbara Dillon @Doug__Dillon

**FREE** On Amazon May 7th -11th

Title: An Explosion of Being
An American Family’s Journey into the Psychic
Authors: Doug & Barbara Dillon
Genre: Non-fiction | Paranormal
Released: July 18, 2011
Length: 342 Pages
Presented by: As You Wish Tours 

A Message From Co-author, Doug Dillon

Do you believe in the paranormal? My wife Barbara and I sure didn’t many years ago but all that rapidly changed when my dad died. That event and the many strange things that happened back then set Barb and me on a multi-year quest for understanding.

We did extensive research, talked to lots of people, had many incredible experiences and eventually collected so much information that we wrote the book you see on this post. Prentice Hall published it worldwide and Barb and I ended up doing radio talk shows across the U.S. and up into Canada.

I think that offering the introduction to our book (below) is the best way to give you a quick sense of what we experienced and why we went public with what happened. After that, I’ll bring you up to date with where things stand now.

Introduction

There are those times in most of our lives when, perhaps for just an instant, we stand back and question the very nature of physical existence. The penetrating event causing our hesitation may be a shocking realization of life’s fragility, the absolute bitterness of injustice, or some strange inexplicable departure from the norms of reality as we know them.

Whatever the reason for the momentary lapse of certainty about the world, it has stopped us dead in our tracks, whether anyone else recognized what was happening or not.

Usually, we recover from these occurrences by smoothing them over with forgetfulness or by applying a long held standard of belief that seems to give us some sort of answer. Even if we wanted to, it often isn’t very acceptable to poke and prod these events for new or different understandings.

Such activity simply makes most people uncomfortable, including ourselves, so why bother? On we move, then, with daily life as it existed before, but with a dim awareness something important may have been abandoned.

Seven years ago, our lives fit this pattern perfectly and seven years ago, a multitude of jolting, unusual incidents shocked us into a very conscious decision to pursue our questions, regardless of where they might lead. Since then, we have uncovered a wealth of information that might be called psychic, or spiritual, opening doors of perception for our family we never even knew existed.

This book is our attempt to share with you the fullness of our explorations into those unseen portions of life’s essence. We don’t ask for your acceptance of what you are about to read, but we do ask that you look for a part of yourself within our struggle for understanding.

Doug and Barb Dillon
Altamonte Springs, Florida

These days, I’m writing paranormal/historical novels for young adults and adults young at heart. I use my own experiences as the inspiration for the spooky events in those books set in the oldest and most haunted city in the United States. Titled The St. Augustine Trilogy, this series is two-thirds complete with the final book scheduled for publication in 2015. If you would like to learn more about the trilogy, click here. http://dougdillon.com/books/

I have a very active blog with lots of posts on the paranormal, including guest articles from mediums, hypnotists and ghost hunters. Click here http://dougdillon.com/ to visit my home page and you will find the blog listings to the right. I love to hear from people about their paranormal experiences, so don’t hesitate to contact me.

Take care and happy reading.

DOUG DILLON BIO
A former award winning educator, Doug writes about things paranormal and historical. His interest in the paranormal comes from personal experiences as detailed in the nonfiction adult book he and wife wrote titled, An Explosion of Being: An American Family's Journey into the Psychic. Out of those events and extensive historical research, he then created Sliding Beneath the Surface for young adults, Book I of the St. Augustine Trilogy. Doug set his trilogy in the oldest and most haunted city in the United States, St. Augustine, Florida.

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Review | Abyss: Star Wars (Fate of the Jedi) by Troy Denning

Title: Abyss: Star Wars
(Fate of the Jedi)

Author: Troy Denning

Length: 402 Pages

Released: August 2009

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Blurb

Following a trail of clues across the galaxy, Luke Skywalker continues his quest to find the reasons behind Jacen Solo’s dark downfall and to win redemption for the Jedi Order. Sojourning among the mysterious Aing-Tii monks has left Luke and his son Ben with no real answers, only the suspicion that the revelations they seek lie in the forbidden reaches of the distant Maw Cluster. There, hidden from the galaxy in a labyrinth of black holes, dwell the Mind Walkers: those whose power to transcend their bodies and be one with the Force is as seductive and intoxicating as it is potentially fatal. But it may be Luke’s only path to the truth.

Meanwhile, on Coruscant, the war of wills between Galactic Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala and the Jedi Order is escalating. Outraged over the carbonite freezing of young Jedi Knights Valin and Jysella Horn after their inexplicable mental breakdowns, the Jedi are determined to defy Daala’s martial tactics, override Council Master Kenth Hamner’s wavering leadership, and deal on their own terms with the epidemic of madness preying on their ranks. As Han and Leia Solo, along with their daughter Jaina, join the fight to protect more stricken Knights from arrest, Jedi healers race to find a cure for the rapidly spreading affliction. But none of them realize the blaster barrel is already swinging in their direction–and Chief Daala is about to pull the trigger.

Nor do Luke and Ben, deep in the Maw Cluster and pushing their Force abilities beyond known limits, realize how close they are–to the Sith strike squad bent on exterminating the Skywalkers, to a nexus of dark-side energy unprecedented in its power and its hunger, and to an explosive confrontation between opposing wielders of the Force from which only one Master–good or evil–can emerge alive.

Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!

I'll give it a mediocre score because that's pretty much all it is. It's not horrible, but it's certainly not even interesting through a good 90%. I listened to the audioCD and still couldn't handle huge chunks of it at once because it just driveled on and on about nothing.

Star Wars Expanded Universe books as a whole seem to be fizzling out. More and more they seem a greedy grab for money rather than a desire to tell good stories. The whole Sith subplot seems ridiculous at best and stupid at worst. I'm starting to like Vestara a little more, but not by much and she's dominated about two novels at this point.

The battle at the end of the book was cool. I wish they had Jaina, Jag, Tahiri, and the Coruscant Jedi doing more interesting things than battling the evil press and Daala's batty government. I totally agree with whoever was talking about the sheer stupidity of the whole "insane Jedi" subplot. *Gasp* You're not real, you impostor! I now have to run you through with my shiny lightstick thingy. (Me By This Time = AAAARRRGGGHHHHHH.)

Are there redeeming points? Sure, I happen to like the interaction b/t Han and Leia and Allana. I'm kind of looking forward to seeing her grow up. Ben Skywalker is still an interesting character, despite these authors of late dumping him in stupid places to rot for months or however much time passed. Luke can still fight well.

I did stop reading/ listening to that Coruscant Nights series. I may have to do the same here. I'm pretty sure I will stop buying them. I'll just grab the library's copy 6 months later.