The Ian's Realm Saga Continues

Dragon Shield by Dianne Gardner
Publisher: Rara Avis
ISBN: 978-1940812212

Purchase the book here: Softcover | Kindle

"Integrity isn't something you do, it's who you are," Aren tells the confused Ian in The Dragon Shield.

Now a young man, Ian returns to the magical Realm to fight against the tyranny that has befallen his friends. But the Realm is a different place, the forest is dying, the Kaemperns have lost the shield that protected them from the dragon, and Ian has a hard time proving his allegiance when trouble follows him through the portal. His struggle to do right buries him in confusion, and he must fight his own will to prove his integrity. The Ian's Realm Saga is filled with sorcery, wizards, magic, and fantasy adventure, great for young readers and the entire family. 

Enjoy this great excerpt!

He stood centered in the blue ring, his trusty leather pouch in hand. With a tap of his thumb Ian left the real world, unaware that the television remote remained behind, pulsating an eerie blue light.
Wind stirred up stones, dirt, and shinning flakes of unfamiliar particles. He wasn’t in Alcove Forest when he stepped out of the circle. Dark walls surrounded him from three sides and he could see stars and a cold night sky in front of him. A campfire flickered, and on the other side of it he saw a small figure, half his height. He recognized the boy immediately.
“You’ve come back, monsieur, alone. C’est bon. Is time to barter, no?”
Ian’s eyes narrowed. The dark-skinned boy’s face glowed like a ghoulish mask in a haunted house.
“I’ve come to find out who you are and what you know.” Ian quickly retorted. “I’m not making any promises.”
The boy laughed quietly and tossed a piece of wood on the fire.
As his eyes grew accustomed to the dark, Ian took notice of his surroundings. An outcropping of stone that had somehow been chiseled away from a huge cliff, perhaps by the wind, hovered above. The ledge he stood on overlooked a vista of desolate country that stretched treeless to the horizon. The stars formed a celestial globe.
“Where am I?” he asked.
The boy shook his head, still smiling. His grin stirred Ian’s anger.

“Where is my father?”
“You know not where you are? Still you think it good, maybe, to know where Père is? How would that help?” He laughed again. “You would still be lost.”
“Tell me where my father is. You said you knew. You said when we were alone we’d talk. So talk.”
Daryl chuckled again. Then he grew solemn. “Ah! But, to tell you I must have the key, no?”
“No.”
The boy’s smile quickly disappeared, the fire danced shadows across his face.
“You won’t get any key. Our world doesn’t need the likes of you in it.” Ian continued.
“That’s your fault? You think I wish your window to go through?” He shook his head. “No, is not my plan. Your world is evil.”
That surprised Ian. Why did this kid want the remote then?
A locust chirped in the desert below. The cold of the night sky dropped the temperature and Ian stepped closer to the fire.
“You’ve been to my world?” Ian asked.
The boy sported a smug smile, but his grin could have been concealing another emotion, for Ian saw his lips quiver slightly. Without warning, the child pulled his dagger; its blade sparkled red from the flames. Ian’s knuckles wrapped tight around the hilt of his sword.
He can’t be alone. How could a child so young have come here by himself?
“Your window lets the wind go, or it keeps the wind in, monsieur. For me, the wind to stay is best.”
The wind! That’s what this is all about.
 

Meet Author Dianne Gardner

The Pacific Northwest is my home. After living in the dry desert of Arizona for over 23 years, I tired of always praying for rain, so I decided to come and get it on my own. Gray skies and deep forests give way to the most glorious summers you could ever imagine. Not to mention the abundance of berries, clams, oysters, salmon, fruits of all kinds, to me the Puget Sound area of Washington is the richest place in the world.
I have seven children, all grown. Sixteen grandchildren that need stories written, and so they are my inspiration.
People always find it fascinating that I lived in a mud house for over 13 years, hauling water from the well in a bucket, cooking on a wood stove, planting blue corn in desert washes, and generally living out of the box. Some of these experiences are tapped into my novels.
 My website is http://gardnersart.com You’ll find books, audios, artwork and how our movie production is coming along on that site.

You can also find Diane here: Facebook | Blog | PDMI | Twitter

Guest Post: Plethora of Player blog tour: Shawn Lamb introduces Dagar

 We are continuing our visit to Allon, the site of Shawn Lamb’s new book “The Great Battle”. Today our guest is Dagar. We hope to get his reaction to Captain Kell’s assessment of his behavior during our first interview earlier this week. Check out the interview here.

Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Dagar. Being armed with a sword, I assume you are of the warrior caste. Is there a uniform for warriors or does each wear their own suit?

This suit is more to my taste, though Kell would argue otherwise in respect to our uniforms.

You sound a bit perturbed. Did the Trio meeting not go well?

Let’s just say I’m not happy with Kell’s tactics. If he had spoken to me first, I would have told him about this rogue.

Then you know the Guardian’s identity.

That’s not important! Kell thinks he can force the issue by public humiliation.

If you don’t know the identity then why are you resistant to the captain’s attempt to discover who is abusing the mortals?

Mortals! The fickle beings use Guardians to play magic tricks for their amusement. If Kell really wanted to discover the underlying problem, he would focus on them and not spy on fellow Guardians.

Spy? The captain mentioned he was trying to learn if the rogue is connected to other Guardians.

He can find a better way than sending his insufferable protégé.

Who might that be?

Avatar. He is Kell’s aide.

Ah, yes, the captain mentioned him last time. Kell also said he wants to help you change your attitude toward mortals. Perhaps that’s why he sent Avatar, to help you.

(Hearty, mocking laughter) Hardly why he sent Avatar. As for my attitude change, Kell should look to himself in respect to mortals – and other Guardians.

Do you consider Kell a friend? He spoke of you in those terms.

Kell … is Kell, serious and blindly dedicated duty. There might have been a friendship … before Radnor.

What is Radnor?

A battle, or more truthfully, a mortal rebellion ruthlessly put down by Kell and a company of elite warriors. It is a sight I will never forget.

So you were there?

Ay!

The captain was right about Guardian eyes! While his golden eyes shown with authority, your mahogany eyes hold great anger.

Disgust is more like it. They wanted self-rule and not dictated to like children. Can’t blame them. They have some intelligence, but mostly stubborn self-will.

Maybe you can help Kell and the others to sway the mortals to cooperate?

Not while his insufferable protégé is nosing around my business.

It sounds like you have a real problem with Avatar.

A problem I will remedy very shortly.

What would it take for you to change?

This interview is over!

Well, thank you for your time. Perhaps on Friday, Avatar will be more forth coming with answers.
 The Great Battle – Book 1 – Guardians of Allon is currently available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. Purchase the book here: Paperback   Kindle

 Shawn Lamb is an award-winning author of the YA epic series Allon and children’s trilogy “The King’s Children”. To learn more about Shawn and her books visit www.allonbooks.com

What a poor cookbook

Quinoa Recipes For Rapid Weight Loss by Fat Loss Nation
ASIN: B00U1WAYUI

Purchase here: Amazon

Blurb: Let me ask you a few questions...

Do you find that you don't have enough time to prepare healthy and delicious meals and snacks?

Would you love to have more energy, be happier and feel healthier every single day?

Do you want an abundant supply of delicious, quick and easy recipes at your fingertips?

If any of the above questions made you say "Yes", then this book is for you!

Inside this book's pages, you'll be introduced to the benefits of quinoa while getting 42 of the best quinoa recipes out there specifically designed for weight loss and a healthier version of yourself. This book is informational, to the point and organized in such a way that you can come back to it again and again for easy reference.

Want to get access to some delicious, quick and easy quinoa recipes?

What are you waiting for? Download your copy TODAY.

See you on the inside so we can get started!

~ Fat Loss Nation

      This book was given to me by the author for the purpose of reviewing. The author may want to think about changing the title of the cookbook. The use of profanity is going to turn a lot of people off and keep them from purchasing the book. In fact, had this book not been given to me for reviewing, I would not have purchased it for that very reason. Setting that aside, the cookbook has tons of recipes included though there are absolutely no illustrations included inside the book. I don't know about you, but when picking out a cookbook to add to my collection one of the main things I look for are whether or not there are any illustrations included. Why? Well, since the recipes are going to be new I look act the photo to see if the meal (recipe) is even going to be appetizing. Sometimes a recipe can sound good but end up being the opposite. I'm not sure if it was just Amazon, but the formatting for the book was all screwy. The author may want to look into this.

A Fairytale Like No Other

The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest by Melanie Dickerson
ISBN: 978-0718026240
Purchase the book: Kindle

A beautiful maiden who poaches to feed the poor.
A handsome forester on a mission to catch her.
Danger and love are about to unite in Thornbeck Forest.

The margrave owns the finest hunting grounds for miles around—and who teaches children to read, but by night this young beauty has become the secret lifeline to the poorest of the poor.

For Jorgen Hartman, the margrave’s forester, tracking down a poacher is a duty he is all too willing to perform. Jorgen inherited his post from the man who raised him . . . a man who was murdered at the hands of a poacher.

When Jorgen and Odette meet at the Midsummer festival and share a connection during a dance, neither has any idea that they are already adversaries.

The one man she wants is bound by duty to capture her; the one woman he loves is his cunning target . . . What becomes of a forester who protects a notorious poacher? What becomes of a poacher when she is finally discovered?
I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the author for the purpose of review. By no means did this have any bearing on my review. What can I say about The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest? One word comes to mind, WOW! This is the first book that I have ever read by the author Melanie Dickerson and I can tell you it definitely won't be the last. Due to a popular ABC tv show, I have since gotten back into reading fairy tales. I have to say this book surprised me as I was expecting your typical fairy tales like those of Hans Christian Anderson but this book is in a category all on its own. The characters are well-developed and the scenes are so descriptive they drag you out of the real world and into the story. This book will have you rooting for some characters while booing and hissing at others. There are even instances which will make you so mad you want to smack the character, but instead you close the book for a while. Even though this character makes you mad, you can't stay away long because you are dying to know what happens next. The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest is full of romance, heroism, suspense and mystery. While this is a young adult book, even adults will enjoy the story. With stories like this, Ms. Dickerson is on her way to becoming a national bestseller ~one whom I shall be keeping a close eye on because she writes amazing stories. I cannot wait to read the rest of her books. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story! Great job, Melanie!

I give this book 5 stars out of a total of 5 stars.

Congratulations

We have a winner! We have a winner. One copy of this awesome movie will be finding it's way to the home of Jonathan Everett.

Thank you to all of you who entered the contest. For those who missed the chance to win this great movie, you can purchase a copy from Wal-Mart. This is one movie the entire family can watch together and enjoy.

Jonathan, I hope that you enjoy the movie as much as I did. Watch for the package coming to you soon.