Review: Aqua Blue by Marian L. Thomas

Title: Aqua Blue

Author: Marian L. Thomas

Where I Got It: Marian contacted me and asked me if I would review her newest book. I also reviewed another one of her books last year, which can be found by clicking here.

Why I Read It: Because the first book I ever read from Marian was very good, I wanted to read more by her. Plus, I can never pass up a book!

Rating: 5 Stars






"Best friends Aqua Blue and Haley, grew up together in the small town of Jackson County, Tennessee. Each had aspiring dreams to move to the big city of New York, vowing to stay friends what come may. But when secrets are revealed, their friendship is soon put to the test, and the strings that once were thought to be so strong, begin to unravel." --Excerpt taken from the inside, back of the book, almost to the very end.


I felt like the above passage was the best way to pretty much sum up this book. There are of course some other important parts and important characters that are in the book, but you can find that when you read the book, or do some research on it. ;-)

I absolutely loved this book. It was the kind of book that you just had to keep turning the page, no matter what you had to do... have to do homework? It isn't going to happen if you're reading Aqua Blue. Need to go to the store? Again, not going to happen when you're reading Aqua Blue. I stayed up many nights way past my bed time to read this book. Let me list the things I loved most.

• The characters. Every single one of them. Well, maybe except Jack. He was a little scary, and I was not sure what he was up to. However, every character I felt like I knew. I felt like I had a connection with them all. 
• The way the book was written. I like a book with short-ish chapters in it, or quite a few stopping points. I felt like having more chapters, but short chapters made it a very easy read. 
• The book was also broken up into parts. I like when books are like that, it makes me feel like we will get to see different parts to the characters and their lives.
• Detail. Most of the book had a lot of detail, giving you descriptions on how each person was feeling, what they were like, etc. That is one of the many things that make me feel so connected to characters.

There are so many reasons I enjoyed this book. Mostly, it was enjoyable because of the characters. They were all amazing and I just had such a connection to them all.

With all of that said, there were only two things that I did not really enjoy. One of them was that towards the end of the book, it jumped quite a bit. Aqua Blue and Haley both had grown up considerably and had been in New York for quite some time, then it jumps to part 4, which is fine. I just wished that there were a little bit more detail in how and why they got where they did, what all happened between first arriving in New York, etc. While there was a lot of detail throughout the book, I was just a little disappointed that these parts were left unsettled.

The only other part that I sort of did not enjoy (and I am sure Marian had a reason for it we do not know yet) was the tie in two her other three books she has out. Tying those books in, no matter how it is done is not a bad thing, but it was not really mentioned or more detail on why they were tied in. Again, though, Marian may be planning on telling us in the future with another book. Who knows. ;-)

I definitely recommend this book. It is a must read, and I promise you that you will enjoy the book immensely. If you read it, or plan to read it or when you do read it, please tell me what you think!






Helpful Links:

marianlthomas.com
Marian's Facebook

Where to buy her book:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Review: The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury

Title: The Bridge

Author: Karen Kingsbury

Where I Got It: I bought it for my birthday last year

Why I Read It: I love everything about Karen Kingsbury and the way she writes, her books, etc. I have read every book of hers.

Rating: 5 stars



This book is about a book store owner who named his book store The Bridge, and who had a rough time bringing his book store back up to par after a massive flood ran through the town. It talks about the ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies that occurred, and was also about a girl and a boy who met in college, and fell in love, even though they did not know it at the time. We follow Charlie and his wife Donna, as well as Molly and Ryan as they grow and develop in the trust and hands of God himself.

As usual, Karen Kingsbury earns 5 stars from me. She is an amazing writer, and I love how she can make you feel like you know her characters in real life. She brings these characters to life, and makes you feel like they are apart of your very own family. I found myself really routing for the couple who met in college and drifted apart, and also for Charlie, the owner of The Bridge, which was his book store that he built from the bottom up.

This book sort of hit close to home because recently I have been learning about second chances, and how everyone deserves a second chance. Karen shows us how God is the giver of second chances, and that is the best and most important thing I took away from this book.

I also loved this book because I am going to school for business management, so I can own my own book store some day. Considering that this book is about a book store owner, it showed me that even though it is taking a long time to get where I am going, it is going to be great to have customers coming into my book store that they feel like is home to them, and making those customers my family.

With all of that said, the only thing that surprised me about the book is that it did not seem as "God like", like most of Karen's books are. Yes, there was some mention about how great God is, and the power of Prayer, etc. But usually he books are more in depth with it. Based on how this book was verses her other ones, I prefer her books to speak about the Great and Powerful God, rather than not.

I would highly recommend this book for someone who wants a great, but quick read and for someone who wants to feel warm inside after you read the last page.


Useful Links:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKarenKingsbury
http://www.karenkingsbury.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Novel-Karen-Kingsbury/dp/1451647018/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381074687&sr=1-1&keywords=the+bridge+by+karen+kingsbury

Author Bio: Alan Shelton

Alan Shelton is a leader who colors outside the lines, a corporate executive mentor with an entrepreneurial spirit and a gripping speaker who engages his audiences. 

With a reputation like that, it is no wonder that his book, “Awakened  Leadership: Beyond Self-Mastery,” has 

become so successful. Shelton graduated from Brigham Young  University (BYU) in Utah after completing missionary work in Peru. By 1977, Shelton had landed his first big gig in the corporate world at PricewaterhouseCoopers, now PwC, where his clients included IBM, Sunkist, Beckman Instruments and Toyota Motor Sales. His journey continued through 1990 when he sold his CPA firm, Shelton, Smith and Townsend, and turned to leadership training. Since then, his client list has grown to include the University of San Diego, 

 Wrangler, VF Corp., The North Face, Celgene and many others.

“Awakened Leadership,” published by Red Hatchet Press in May 2012, has taken the leadership world by storm. The book is the winner of a 2013 National Indie Excellence Book Award as well as a 2012 USA Best Book Award.

Shelton advises and facilitates workshops for international businesses in Oceanside, Calif., where he lives in a refurbished fire station with his loving wife, Justine. He has two children, Kristin and Michael, who earned business degrees from the University of Southern California and the University of Arizona, respectively. 

Awards Alan has received in his career:

Indie Excellence Winner 2013

USA Best Book Awards WInner

Important Links and other information:

Book Information:

Hardcover $24.95

ISBN: 978-0984712502

Motivational, 220 pages

Red Hatchet Press, May 2012

Author Links:

Author Website: http://alanshelton.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5751092.Alan_E_Shelton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alaneshelton

Twitter: @AlanEShelton

Review: Awakened Leadership: Beyond Self-Mastery by Alan E. Shelton

Hello everyone! I was contacted by Sami again at JKSCommunication to review a book, and the book that I chose this time was called Awakened Leadership: Beyond Self-Mastery. I chose this book for a few reasons. Not only did it sound like a great book, but I also chose it because I am going to college for Business Management, and I was interested to see if I could put them together.

While I enjoyed this book very much, I do have to say that I was not able to finish the whole thing before this review, simply because I have been so incredibly busy with other things. I did, however, get through 80% of the book, and would recommend it to anyone.

Below is a synopsis of the book that was sent to me in the press kit:

Transformational leadership books and processes have delivered us to the era of self-mastery. But how do we move from being effective leaders to being awakened leaders? By situating leadership in the nest of the seeker's journey toward truth, you can now stand on the shoulders of the visionaries who have come before, and become conscious of your own position within Source.

Leaving behind charts, maps, and graphs, “Awakened Leadership” is a portal to direct experience via pointers and personal stories that will help you recognize the gift of being who you really are. Then your leadership essence will effortlessly manifest not only in the boardroom, but in all facets of your life.

One of the biggest things that I enjoyed about Alan's book is his ability to make you see what it is he is trying to see in the "real world". He is able to give you the real life examples, or his own examples that gives you a better understanding. Also, the way he wrote was very inspiring a well. I am a book review blogger, and obvious a book reader, but seeing the way he is with words through out this book, made me want to write something inspiring of my own.

Alan also adds his own coaching style in the book, which gives you a feeling of wanting to try everything he suggests and mentions.

As I stated earlier, I wanted to see if I could compare what he had to say to what I already knew, and to the business management world, and while there were some things that I did not agree with, and others that I did, I also learned quite a bit. 

I was able to read about 80% of the book, and I feel like it was one of the best "self help" books I have read to date. I will continue reading it, and will post a better review on how it ended, and what I thought. So check back soon! 

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars, and would highly recommend this book to anyone, especially those trying to discover their leadership. 

Please visit my next post for more information about Alan as an author, links where you can get the book, and other information! And again, do not forget to come back for a better review!

BookStore-BookBlogger Connection: Bloggers Who WIN: ME!!!!

Guess what! I was contacted by BookStore-BookBlogger Connection and was asked if I could be featured in their Bloggers Who WIN! I was so touched and excited by this! I have been meaning to post about it, but again, I just have been so busy, I haven't had time! So, without further adew, here is the link with my interview. I hope you all enjoy it!!


http://bookstorebloggerconxn.com/2013/07/20/bloggers-who-win-stephany-of-stuck-between-the-pages/

Introducing: Karl McMillen, Author of “Triumphs and Tragedies: A True Story of Wealth and Addiction”.

Hello everyone, I would like to introduce you to Karl McMillen, author of "Triumphs and Tragedies: A True Story of Wealth and Addiction".

I have not yet been able to review this book, due to an error is postal/mailing/receiving issues, but I will be reviewing the book VERY soon! Below you will find information about Karl, what his book is about, and some more information. I hope you all enjoy reading about Karl, and come back to read the review SOON!


**I would like to thank Sami, at JKSCommunications who keeps in contact with me on a regular basis to do book reviews, guest posts, etc. I love working with her and this company, and hope to do so for quite some time!**

Biography:

Karl McMillen, Jr., born in 1928, grew up in a young and developing Southern California. From an early age, Karl displayed a drive for greatness; working many odds-and-ends jobs and soaking up knowledge and skillsets from every available source.

Karl started his working career plumbing track houses in Southern California as a partner in Alert Plumbing. Karl went on to distribute plumbing supplies all throughout So Cal and Las Vegas asthe owner of 

Todd Pipe & Supply, which he grew to 9 locations and employed over 400 dedicated employees. Through Karl’s hard work, dedication, and commitment to his employees and customers, the success of Todd Pipe 

became legendary.

Karl life can be broken down into 3 distinct parts: The first was to study hard and get educated (Karl graduated from USC with a degree in Business Finance). Then came working hard and making a lot of 

money. Now, he’s giving it back.

In 2008, Karl and wife Carol started The McMillen Family Foundation, which currently supports more 

than 13 different organizations. To date, the McMillen Family Foundation has donated over $12 

million to charities and foundations, including: Thelma’s Place (Thelma McMillen Center @ Torrance 

Memorial), House of Hope, Pathways to Independence, Friendly House, Beacon House, First Step, 

Lynn House, Shawl House, Ashland Home, Villa Center, and 3 Alano Clubs.

Karl’s amazing story of business success is counterbalanced by the emotional deaths of his first wife to 

cancer and both his sons who spent most of their lives battling substance abuse. Karl, too, has struggled 

with alcoholism and proudly carries his seventeen-year sobriety chip.

Karl may see himself as a “regular guy,” but to the countless number of employees, customers, 

friends, family members and those in need that have been touched by Karl’s good will….he is anything 

but a regular guy.

About Co-Authors Bill Hayes and Jennifer Thomas:

Bill Hayes and Jennifer Thomas are a powerful publishing duo—Hayes, an established author; Thomas 

a prolific writer, editor, designer, and publisher. Their individual and collective works include the 

award-winning Hullabaloo!: The Life and (Mis)Adventures of L.A. Radio Legend Dave Hull and the 

perennial bestseller, The Original Wild Ones: Tales of the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club. 

With a degree in English Literature and three successful biker books in his saddlebags, Hayes has 

gained renown throughout the motorcycle culture as the “world’s most literate biker.” He received the 

prestigious Silver Spoke Award in 2010 for his body of literary work in the motorcycling community

and has spent more than a decade as the National Press and Publicity Officer of the legendary 

Boozefighters Motorcycle Club. Hayes has now achieved success with several new and upcoming 

biographies. Triumphs and Tragediesis his fifth published work.

Ms. Thomas holds a B.A. from Columbia University and a Specialized Certificate in Copyediting from 

the University of California, San Diego. As the owner of Beyond Words Editing, she has edited and 

designed books of every genre. Thomas was Editor-in-Chief of the inspirational Butterfly Tears: 

Stories of Entrapment to Empowerment. As the owner of Final Word Press, she co-authored, edited, 

designed, and published Triumphs and Tragedies.

Both Hayes and Thomas are multi-degreed black belts, co-owning Old School Kenpo Karate Studio in 

Torrance, California (www.oldschoolkenpo.com) and empowering women through their acclaimed 

Basic Yet Brutal self-defense workshops. Hayes also has a forty-plus-year “sub-career” as a 

professional musician.

Synopsis:

Hermosa Beach, California, in the mid-1960s. Sun, surf, swanky sand castles along the Strand, and a soundtrack of “Fun, Fun, Fun.” But the hang-loose life of the locals would soon be drowned out and painted black. The 

social storm brewing could turn even the most perfect wave into a brutal riptide.

Karl McMillen, Jr. deserved a piece of the Pacific paradise. He’d plumbed his way up from screwfittings and 

sweat into mega-business ownership and multimillions. He’d earned the azure-awesome view that he woke to 

every magical morning. And he’d earned the ideal family at his side. A dynamic wife and two bright, talented 

sons with sky’s-the-limit potential.

But that storm…

He never saw it coming. It hit hard and it hit fast. The grinding gales of addiction ripped everything he had apart.

How do you go from planning exotic family vacations and evaluating real estate investments to planning prison visits and evaluating rehab centers and criminal defense pleas? How do you watch your surfer champion sons transform into drug lords? Inmates? How do you watch your entire family die; one by one?

And yet never stop fighting.

What does it take to look in the mirror and search for the meaning of enabler? To face that you’re sacrificing 

your own livelihood for Scotch? To ride a sheer, pounding wave of triumphs and tragedies, and then pull out and paddle back for more?

It takes a rare and special person—Karl McMillen.

“Triumphs and Tragedies: A True Story of Wealth and Addiction” chronicles top-of-the-world success 

juxtaposed against a downside of life no one should have to suffer. A side that proves that there are some things money cannot buy.

How Karl weathered his terrible tempest is a huge part of his story; but so is what he has done with that survival. 

How he has used his powerful wealth as ammunition to fight for others. To strive to prevent anyone from 

enduring the tragedies he and his family went through. That is his true triumph.

Useful links:

http://McMillenFamilyFoundation.org

http://www.jkscommunications.com/virtual-book-tour-for-karl-mcmillens-triumphs-and-tragedies-a-true-story-of-wealth-and-addiction/

http://triumphsandtragediesthebook.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Triumphs-Tragedies-Story-Wealth-Addiction/dp/0988412624/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374514205&sr=8-1&keywords=Karl+B.+McMillen

My Sincere Apologies!

Everyone, I just wanted to give my deepest and sincere apologies about not posting hardly ANY reviews lately, let alone in the past year or so. I have been SUPER busy with school, work, and home life that I can barely find time to read, let alone breathe!

I am trying to set aside some special book review blogging time through out the coming weeks so I can get some things posted, get things back on track, etc.

I do have a few reviews, guest posts, author bios, etc. coming up and will be posting those very soon, so please make sure you come back and read those!

Again, I am very sorry and I look forward to getting back into this SOON!