Ransom Raffle!

Doesn't it get hard to wait for the next book in a series or trilogy?  I mean, you read the first one or two, get hooked, then, well then nothing.  The author hasn't written or at least hasn't published the next book - think of the 'A Song of Fire and Ice' (Game of Thrones) by Martin, or the 'Saving Mars' series by Swanson. I've been there often, so often that I prefer not to start a trilogy or series unless all the books are written. Of course, I get caught out now and again, witness 'Saving Mars'. So if you're like me and  like your trilogy all done before you start, Michele Poague has you covered. Her last book in the Healing Crystal series 'Ransom' is out! This is a smashing series, complete with intrigue, mystery, romance, full-bodied characters, and in-depth study of human interactions.

Young Kairma is keeper of the Healing Crystal and heir to the leadership of her colony. However, she doesn't feel capable and her sister, Kinter, doesn't think Kairma is either.  Little did Kairma know, as she wished away her responsibilities, the old religious myths were true; around her neck hung the fate of the world.

Just that little bit got me hooked, making me want to read the trilogy immediately. I mean, what myths? What fate? What is the Crystal? Why is it around her neck? But there is more, much more. More questions and more answers than I ever expected.

Don't forget to check out the raffle! You could win!

In Book One, Heir toPower, we meet Kairma, heir to the Healing Crystal and destined to become the leader of Survin, a reclusive colony hidden in the mountains for more than four hundred years. Kairma and her closest friends discover a tomb containing artifacts from the Ancient Ones, leading them all on a quest to find the true purpose of the Crystal.

In Book Two, Fall of Eden, we find ourselves asking, "What is the Healing Crystal and who is the rightful heir? Is it a religious object or a powerful weapon? Does it belong to a fallen line of kings or to the colonists of Survin? Should its fate be left in the hands of the young and inexperienced Kairma or to Narvin, the last descendent of a line of kings?"

Kairma holds the Crystal and believes she will become the next leader of Survin, while her younger sister Kinter, believes she, not Kairma, is the rightful heir. Narvin believes the Healing Crystal is the Star of Genesis, a powerful relic his ancestors have been seeking for centuries.

Determined to possess the object that will return him to his glory, Narvin is unwavering in his quest to possess it, and Kairma is caught in a fierce race across barren deserts and rugged mountains to a shattering finish where the winner must decide the fate of the world.

In the exciting conclusion of The Healing CrystalTrilogy, Karima, bearing the weight of the most powerful object known to mankind, must choose between returning to Survin and blissful ignorance or trusting powerful strangers to create a new future. Will she make the right decision?

Notes

If you haven't read the first two books, I'm warning you there may be some spoilers in my review. If you want to find out about the trilogy without the spoilers,  I have included a couple of links to Heir to Power and Fall of Eden here:

The Write Path: Book Review- Heir to Power by Michele Poague
Heir to Power by Michele Poague - Desert Bookshelf News

The Library Canary : Review: Heir to Power by Michele Poague

Geo Librarian: BLOG TOUR w/ GIVEAWAY: Fall of Eden by Michele Poague
Why Not? Because I Said So!: Fall of Eden Blog Tour: Review and a Huge Giveaway!

Blog Tour Review of, Fall of Eden, by Michele Poague » LDS Women's Book Review

My Take

Ransom is a very satisfying conclusion to this epic science fiction story. The love quadrangle, a tight, tense subplot of this tale, becomes settled yet Kairma still has the problem of her blood.  Will it keep her from ever mating? This new nuance keeps this romance alive in 'Ransom' but there are new romances in Ransom as we meet a whole new group of people.

As Ransom opens, we are introduced to a whole new society full of interesting people, ideologies, and goals. Never fear; Poague wraps the new story around pieces from the continuing story of Kairma, Kinter, Collin, and Naturi, in such a way that readers don't lose their way. Much like Ender's Shadow, in 'Ransom'  Poague retells the end of 'Fall of Eden' from different eyes with additional facts. Here the true science fiction aspect of the trilogy bursts open without destroying the slight fantasy, mythical feel of the original story. Once the new story and the continuing story meet the end of book two, the two intertwine to finish the legend of the Healing Crystal. An amazing story from the fertile imagination of this gifted story teller.

Poague has an excellent handle on not only dialog, characters, and philosophies but also on plot and story telling. Each character is complete with motivations that shine through brilliantly. Being a character reader, I was captivated by this trilogy. 

There are many subplots to this trilogy and though not as involved as Lord of the Rings, Poague manages to introduce three different societies with different philosophies and balance the subplots in a way that makes it all feel absolutely real. 

Descriptions are woven into the tale so seamlessly but clearly that the reader never breaks stride with the story and yet can 'see' everything. It takes a special talent to tell a reader things without telling. It is something I demand of the books I read and something Poague  glowingly delivers.

My Recommendation

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a good tale, a light romance, a light science fiction, or a good character driven novel.

Don't Forget to Enter the Raffle! And remember to visit others in the RANSOM BLOG TOUR!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Be sure to visit other blogs in the blog tour for more chances to win!

October 21       A Book A Day Reviews         http://abookadayreviews.blogspot.com/

October 25       Tickets to the Rabbit Hole     http://ticketstotherabbithole.com/

October 28        Chapter Break                        http://chapterbreak.net/

October 30        Beth’s Book Reviews            http://www.bethsbookreviews.com/

November 1      Cynthia Shepp                       http://cynthiashepp.wordpress.com/

November  4     Broicuan Bookworms           http://boricuanbookworms.wordpress.com/

November 5      LifeandArtandStuff                http://www.lifeandartandstuff.me/
November 7      Ryans’ Retake                       http://ryansretake.blogspot.com/

November 11    The Library Canary              http://thelibrarycanary.blogspot.com/

November 13    Book Fr3ak                            http://bookfr3ak.wordpress.com/

November 14    A Daily Dose of R&R           http://adailydoseofrandr.com/  

For more information and to connect with Michele Poague please visit any or all of the following sites and networks:

website: michelepoague.com

http://www. michelepoague.com

blog: michelesmusings

http://www.michelepoague.info

youtube: michelepoaguechannel 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVaxlO_0vDiblTW5i3-g37A

facebook: healingcrystaltrilogy

http://www.facebook.com/healingcrystaltrilogy

twitter: @HCTSciFiNovels

http://www.twitter.com/HCTSciFiNovels

pinterest: michelepoague

http://www.pinterest.com/michelepoague/

goodreads: michelepoague

http://www.goodreads.com/michelepoague

  

The Anger Women Suite Sweeps in Memories

      For some time now I've been searching out other blogs, particularly book review blogs.  Some are quite humorous with brilliant prose, some are humorous with poignant prose and themes, and others just short, sharp, get in and out.  One thing I noticed is the blogs I like best have only the writer's words. To that end, I have decided not to include book descriptions from Amazon, B&N, or other sources.  After all, the links are there if the reader cares to look.
     The other thing I noticed is how the words flow together - which brings us to how the words in books are put together,  particularly in descriptions or the use of similes.  Some authors tend toward images that sew seamlessly into the story.  Others jackhammer images into your brain with huge earphones, pounding head splitting, abrasive music blow by blow until you lose the line of the story trying to sort out the image (if you see what I mean) and it can ruin a good story.
     Lee Fullbright's "The Angry Woman Suite", has images that settle on the reader like a soft, silk scarf. The reader hardly notices them but they add tremendous style and beauty. Many of those images stay long after the book is finished. There exists a gentle flow in good writing. "The Angry Woman Suite" has it while many 'good stories', even ones I love, do not, making it exceptional. This eloquent tale has received multiple awards and rightly so.


The Angry Woman Suite

• ISBN-13: 9781937698539
• Publisher: Lee Fullbright, an imprint of Telemachus Press
• Publication date: 3/13/2012
• Pages: 382
• 
  

RAFFLE!

About the Book:

     Francis Grayson spent his childhood in a rundown mansion near a small town in Pennsylvania, living with his mother, grandmother, two aunts and older brother. From the beginning of his life, he was a marked child, a reminder of sin and loss, making him the target of the women in his household.  He grows up with a bitterness tempered by his desire to fix whatever is wrong with these women. This bitterness and desire clings to him even as he marries and works to raise two girls.

Forgive My Fins

     The other day I was invited to see a movie. My companion thought it strange that I wanted to see "Prisoners", but not that day.  I was just not into that much intensity at that moment in time.  Do the rest of you feel that way too? Or is a movie, a TV show, or a book the same as any other movie, TV show, or book? My mood often dictates what I am going to watch or read on any given day. Does yours? And most of the time it is the heavy stuff, the stuff with lots of violence or sex or both that get put by the wayside.  I fear I am always ready for a good laugh and usually ready for a sweet little story.

     Tera Lynn Childs' book, Forgive My Fins, is just such a story.  Gentle and sweet but with all the angst of high school romance. Completely chaste, this is a great read for the younger people on your gift list.

Lifeboats: Tales from the Evacuation

 What would it be like if you had to abandon your home in only a few hours? Many people lately have had to do just that because of flooding and forest fires. What would you do if you had to abandon your country in only a few days?  What would you take with you especially if, as in the case of people in Syria, you were limited to what you could carry? Now think about the earth. What would you do if you knew the earth had less than 100 years left to sustain life as we know it? Would you go to the stars? Would you make plans so your children or grandchildren could go to the stars? Would you not have children at all? The newest novel, Lifeboats: Tales of the Evacuation, by John K Berntson explores how the people of Earth might react to the news that earth will no longer be habitable. With only 40 to 50 years to go, will the governments move only a few people or will someone decide to move all the people?

What would you do?

Lifeboats: Tales from the Evacuation
By John K Berntson
File size 319 KB
Length 233 pages

From Smashwords:
    The Earth has fifty years to live. Maybe a hundred. Where will we go and what will we do? How will we build a future, if there even is one? From presidents to prisoners to the package delivery man, heroes can be found in the oddest places.

About the Book:    
     This tale opens with the newscast of the US president's speech. The Earth will be gone in less than 100 years; the composition of the sun has been misunderstood and it will become a red giant consuming Earth billions of years earlier than previous thought. The president has been informed that maybe 1 or 2 million people can be saved but he asks for more. He wishes to save the whole population of 7 billion people.