Bible Bands Katreina Eden *ARC Review*

Today I'm reviewing Katreina Eden's book, BIBLE BANDS :)!

*I received an arc from Cedar Fort Publishing as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest and fair review*

I've read a few crafty books here and there--mostly for sewing or crochet--but in general, I'm more an artsy rather than a crafty person (See that stunning display of artistic license? Crafty generally means cunning...but not today :D.)...

Which raises the question: why was I even remotely interested in reviewing this book? 

When I was in West Virginia, the girls in my Backyard Bible Club group for the week all had 'bands' around their wrists, fingers, and necks. I'd never seen them before, and they looked really cool, so I asked about them, discovering that the girls thought they were super easy to make--and let me tell you, I had my doubts because, again, artsy not crafty.  

But after reading this book, I get what they meant. They do  seem easy to make. So if you're like me, fear not: thanks to Katreina Eden's step-by-step presentation of the how-to of crafting Bible bands, even we can make a bracelet or two. 

Oftentimes, craft books will zoom over a beginner's head because 1) there aren't step-by-step pictures that actually make sense, and/or 2) the author (sometimes) mistakenly assumes readers understand what he/she's saying! Eden's approach isn't like this. After a general description/how-to of the design with suggestions for use, she dives into a series of clear-cut diagrams to offer step-by-step help. Sometimes she'll include a nifty extra, like how to make teardrop earrings, or offer a tip on technique.  

Eden makes learning how to make Bible bands easy.*

My favorite part: each bracelet/project (because really, once you know how to make a bracelet, you can make a necklace or ring by lengthening or shortening...and if you don't, Eden explains it in one of her tips) comes complete with a Bible passage. What a wonderful way to have fun and learn more about Who God IS and what He's done...and remember it day by day as you wear the band(s)!

I love that these bands offer a creative way to share the Gospel as well as personal testimonies. They're reminiscent of the Salvation bracelets--the ones with the colored beads--except these offer a greater range of expression. Also, there's a Bible charms pack you can order to go along with the bands, and it's legit--totally worth a separate purchase.

And, in case you were wondering, the bands are gender friendly. No little (or big) man wants to wear a bracelet (or necklace) that makes them feel girly! 

So, in summary, Bible bands are: fashionable, inventive, easy, and inexpensive. It'd be a lot of fun to do with a youth/children's group, in spurts (over a few weeks), as a fundraiser doubling as an outreach event, with your children...

Some 'critiques':

If I remember correctly, one of the girls in WV didn't use a loom, and not using one is referenced in the book; however, the book never strays from using the loom. I figure it's because trying to demonstrate that would be a nightmare...and possibly also because the loom makes things easier. Still, I would've liked to know why the 'loomless' style wasn't displayed.

Maybe they're saving this for the print version, or I just missed it, but I didn't recall the Bible being cited in any of the passage references, or before the book. I probably just missed it. And it really isn't a huge deal, but it was a little odd, considering that I've never seen it NOT cited. (Btw, I'm pretty sure it was KJV.)  

My biggest issue with Bible Bands was--ironically--the thing I enjoyed most about the book: the mini Bible lessons. Overall, I thought they were alright; they fit with their bands, and they were succinct. But sometimes, they just struck me as a little...off...mostly in slight ways that made me wonder what exactly was being said (and if I agreed with it).

Hunt for Valamon DK Mok *Cover Reveal and Excerpt*

I've got some good stuff planned for the blog this month (not a whole lot; still busy writing...and attempting to write lol), and I'm so excited to share this cover with you! It's so cool...!

Ok, sorry. (But it really is fantastic.)

Annnnd there's an excerpt! Dive in and be a happy reader :).

Title: Hunt for Valamon by DK Mok

Release date: April 7, 2015 *Mind you, this is the date I received via email to promote the novel. On the website it says February 2015. 

Publisher: Spence City (an imprint of Spencer Hill Press)

....drum roll please....

....

....


....



Here it is!

Oooh, shiny *_*

Synopsis
Deep in the heart of the Talgaran Empire, Algaris Castle has been breached. No one knows how, why, or by whom. The only thing taken is twenty-eight year old Crown Prince Valamon. 

Seris—a young cleric caring for the ramshackle and happily book-infested Temple of Eliantora—finds himself unexpectedly recruited to the rescue mission. His sole companion is Elhan, a cheerfully disturbed vagrant girl with terrifying combat skills, who is rumoured to be under a dangerous curse. 

Far out of his depth, Seris has no fighting ability, no survival skills, and no charisma, as Elhan keeps pointing out. All he has are a stubborn streak and the conviction that unless he returns with Valamon, dire consequences await his foster family.

Chasing rumours of rebel camps and rising warlords, cursed fates and the return of the vanished sorcerers, Seris and Elhan discover a web of treachery and long-buried secrets that go far beyond a kidnapped prince.

As enemies rise from both beyond the empire and within it, Seris and Elhan must confront their own bloody pasts, and rescue Valamon, before simmering tensions in the empire erupt into war. 

**Excerpt**

Tomorrow, everything would change.

Valamon, crown prince of the Talgaran Empire, stared at the crisp speech in his hand. The rest of the castle lay deep in slumber, but in Valamon’s bedchamber, the candle had burned down to a crater of wax.

There was nothing extraordinary about the speech, aside from the fact he’d finally been entrusted to deliver one. It was covered in copious notes from the royal speechwriter, including “remember not to smile” and “look regal”.

Valamon glanced at his reflection in the mirror. His dark hair kept falling into his eyes, and while he was reasonably tall, he had the inconspicuous build of a worried philosopher. Judging by the portraits in the banquet hall, “looking regal” involved brandishing a bloodied sword while crushing a corpse beneath your boot, which Valamon had always hoped was artistic embellishment.

Valamon wondered what would happen if he deviated from the script and told the crowd what he really thought of his father’s expansionist policies. It would probably involve a very high, very cramped tower with a deficiency in doors.

Still, Valamon was twenty-eight this summer, and something had to be done. He folded the speech into a small, intricate lotus and left it beside the dying candle.

When he looked up again, there was a contorted shape in his bedroom window, pressed against the glass. By the time Valamon lunged for his sword, it was already too late.

###

About the Author
DK Mok lives in Sydney, Australia, and writes fantasy, science fiction and urban fantasy novels and short stories. DK's debut urban fantasy novel, The Other Tree, was released in 2014 by Spence City (an imprint of Spencer Hill Press), and her short story 'Morning Star' (One Small Step, FableCroft) was shortlisted for an Aurealis Award.
DK grew up in libraries, immersed in lost cities and fantastic worlds, populated by quirky bandits and giant squid. She graduated from UNSW with a degree in Psychology, pursuing her interest in both social justice and scientist humour.

She’s fond of cephalopods, androids, global politics, rugged horizons, science and technology podcasts, and she wishes someone would build a labyrinthine library garden so she can hang out there. Her favourite fossil deposit is the Burgess Shale.

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Flawed J.L. Spelbring *Release Day Blitz and Giveaway*

Cover love :3!!

Title: Flawed (Perfection #2) 

Author: J.L. Spelbring

Release Date: August 12, 2014

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Happy Book Birthday, FLAWED!

I'm so excited to share this with you guys and to be part of the release day enthusiasm! Enjoy (:

Synopsis 
In a world where Hitler won the The War, and perfection is constantly sought, Ellyssa has broken free from her austere life and has found another meaning for her existence. 

Family, friendship, and love. 

But her happiness is short lived. Ellyssa finds herself on the run, again. Her father's work didn't die with him, but lives on in her siblings, Aalexis and Xaver, and they are determined to complete his unfinished dream.

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About the Author

J.L. Spelbring lives in Texas, where she wanders out in the middle of the night to look at the big and bright stars. Besides knocking imaginary bad guys in the head with a keyboard, she enjoys being swept away between the pages of a book, running amuck inside in her own head, pretending she is into running, and hanging out with her kids, who are way too cool for her.

Her novel, Perfection, released in July 2013 and the sequel, Flawed, releases August 2014.

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Giveaway

International Giveaway. Must be 13+ to enter.

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Learning Japanese *Rinen's Corner #.5*

My Totoro pouch :3.  I'm working on editing...and I'm not good at it lol
My Neighbor Totoro (c) Studio Ghibli

It's finally here...! My (arguably) beautiful post on learning Japanese *^_^*

You're probably wondering why I called it 'Rinen's Corner'. Wonder no more :)! Here's why: When I moved back to Vermont as a Junior, I took Japanese at Essex High School under the bestest language teacher anyone could ever hope to have, Yukari Muramoto-sensei. 

Normally, I would call her Muramoto-sensei...but she put an American twist on her name by allowing her students to call her Yukari-sensei. Anyway, everyone who studied under her was given a Japanese-style name, so my name, Lynanne, became the closest-sounding equivalent that matched into the kana system: Rinen （リネン）. 

Yukari-sensei would periodically instruct us regarding Japanese culture and linguistic peculiarities (aka important stuff we needed to know), and when she did, she'd make a worksheet and label it 'Yukari's Corner'.... 

And although I'm not even remotely as familiar with Japanese as Yukari-sensei :D, I wanted to honor her teaching and tradition. Hence, Rinen's Corner! Woot!

So...what am I going to be sharing in this corner?

Seriously, though--I had a LOT of ideas about where I wanted to start. I finally settled on the obvious: getting started. (Good call, right? My brilliance is blinding sometimes, so uh, you might need to get out your sunglasses...) 

But how do you just 'start learning' Japanese? The first thing that pops into my mind as I consider the 'learning environment' is resources.

So for this post, I'm going to be sharing *resources*, along with a tutorial on how to introduce yourself/discover your 'Japanese' name, and a proverb. 

In my next corner--coming September--I'll attempt to give a mini-lesson that targets reading, listening, writing, and speaking. I'd also like to have a proverb/poem (I'd love to feature some of the Hyaku-nin isshu...!) and a bit of culture :), as well as some prayer requests. 

Just keep in mind: I'm a writer, and keeping up with The Blog is challenging! These posts may not be 'the best ever+infinity+1', you know?

Anyway, I really wanted to highlight some places to get out there and start learning Japanese without breaking the bank--apps, websites, books--to start off because that's going to make your learning experience about 150% easier and more fruitful. (My l33t math skills are also blinding.) 

Ok, let's get acquainted with the alphabet(s) first.

There's kana, which encompasses 1) ひらがな hiragana (used for native words that aren't affiliated with kanji, like ありがとう　arigatou, thank you) and 2) カタカナ katakana (used for foreign words like コラ cola, coke; or to draw attention for say a business sign). *Tae Kim is fantastic!

Hiragana tends to be more delicate and 'curvaceous' than katakana, which is largely linear. 

Then there's the one Japanese language students dread: 3) 漢字 kanji. Kanji are Chinese characters that have been integrated into Japanese...and man, are there a lot of them. At least 1,600 of them fall into the category of 'daily use' O_O! Kanji looks different than kana, but still uses same sounds. 

Gates of Thread and Stone Lori M. Lee *Release Day Blast*

Today is the official release day of Lori M. Lee's GATES OF THREAD AND STONE! Woohoo!

This is a typical blast, so there's a giveaway :3.

GATES OF THREAD AND STONE

Gates of Thread and Stone #1

Author: Lori M. Lee

Release Date: August 5th, 2014

Publisher: Skyscape

Synopsis 

In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, keep safe.

In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power.

**Praise for GATES OF THREAD AND STONE** 

“Lori M. Lee excels in building a world of intrigue, oppression, and magic amidst a Labyrinth setting as twisted and winding as the secrets hidden inside her characters’ hearts. Fans of strong heroines who don’t need a boy to hold their hands, action-packed fighting scenes, and whispers of steampunk and mythology, will find themselves wishing they, too, could manipulate the threads of time, if only to stay inside the story a little longer.”

A.G. Howard, the SPLINTERED series

“Inventive, romantic, and gripping. I was hooked from the first page!”

Amy Tintera, REBOOT and REBEL

“A fast-paced, heart-wrenching whirl of a story full of magic, immortals, and a romance that will leave readers gasping for more. I adored the tough, scrappy narrator and fell in love with the boy chasing after her heart. Lori M. Lee introduces us to a fantasy world unlike any other and gives us the first taste of an epic love story in the making. I can’t wait for more!”

Mindee Arnett, THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR series and AVALON series

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About the Author

Lori is the author of young adult fantasy Gates of Thread and Stone, coming August 5, 2014 from Skyscape. She has a borderline obsessive fascination with unicorns, is fond of talking in capslock, and loves to write about magic, manipulation, and family. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, kids, and a friendly pitbull.

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Giveaway 

1 Winner will get (1) $25.00 Amazon Gift Card + a Swag Pack

Giveaway is open Internationally. Must be 13+ to enter.

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July comes to a close

Hello all :)

I'm sad as a bee about this post because I have some not-so-great news, but it isn't all bad.

Here's the good news: I'm going on a mission trip! Woohoo! I'll be gone for about a week, and not only will I not have time to write on the blog, I also won't have internet access. So obviously I won't be posting anything until I get back.

Here's the sad news: Once again, I've run out of time for my Japanese post! *cries*

T_T T_T T_T

I could fill a whole post with sad faces...but I don't have time for that lol. Point is, I'm really sad and sorry about it. This is what happens when you only expect to work part time because that's what you normally work...but end up coming in early so many consecutive days it's almost full time. 

But, Lord willing, I PROMISE this post will be up early next month. 

Other than that, I hope you'll sign up for the 2014 Summer Reading Olympics on Goodreads and that you enjoy the rest of July!!

Cheers! :)