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Monday, November 19, 2012

TOBY GOLD Blog Tour

Before we get to the tour I have recommend this book. Boys will enjoy it (girls will too)! Fast pace, intriguing plot and twists, good characterizations. Toby is an orphan with unique powers. And someone wants to use them for illegal stock market tampering. Toby and his friends have to figure out a way to stop the bad guy--and not die.
If you want to learn about money and stocks, this is a great place to start. Good job, Mr. Everett!

TOBY GOLD BLOG TOUR

TOBY GOLD AND THE SECRET FORTUNE by CRAIG EVERETT




"Money is the most dangerous magic."
 


"Unique children’s lit that cleverly tackles interest rates, endowments, fluctuating commodities, bullying and identity." 

- Kirkus Reviews



 An infant is discovered one night on a commuter train from New York City during a stop in the sleepy town of Wallingford, Connecticut.  The local police are summoned, but are unable to locate the boy’s parents, despite painstakingly questioning each person on the train.  For some strange reason, none of the passengers can remember seeing his mother falling from the train – after falling victim to an assassin’s bullet.


Assigned the name “Toby Gold” by social services, the mysterious child grows up in Wallingford, moving from foster home to foster home, not knowing who his real parents are - or why he was born with such freakish skills with math and money.



Now a teenager, Toby’s money skills are noticed by the wrong people, and thus he is unwittingly sucked into a high-stakes financial conspiracy that puts his life, and the lives of his two closest friends, in great peril.  Ultimately, Toby solves the crime, saves his friends, and even saves his school—all in one harrowing afternoon.



"This fast-paced adventure weaves fundamental concepts in economics and finance seamlessly into the story. Toby Gold makes learning finance exciting."



- Francis A. Longstaff, PhD, Professor of Finance, UCLA - Anderson School of Management



About the Author: Craig Everett





Craig R. Everett was born and raised in Maine, spending his childhood summers digging along the shores of Bar Harbor for buried pirate treasure.  Fortunately, he was able to remain blissfully unaware that pirates seldom, if ever, ventured that far north.  He received his B.A. in Economics from Tufts University, an MBA from George Mason University, and a Ph.D. in Finance from Purdue University.



Dr. Everett is currently a finance professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, where he teaches corporate and entrepreneurial finance. Dr. Everett also volunteers in public schools teaching financial literacy principles.  



You can learn more about Craig here:








Toby Gold and the Secret FortuneReading Level: 9 and up
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Fiscal Press (October 18, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-1-936-21495-2
Dimensions: 8.75 x 5.75 x 1.0 inches 


Blog Tour Schedule for Toby Gold and the Secret Fortune by Craig Everett, 2012
04-Oct-2012  Free Money Finance 
11-Oct-2012 Queen of Random  
12-Oct-2012 Why Not? Because I Said So
12-Oct-2012 LDS Women's Book Review
13-Oct-2012 A Storybook World
15-Oct-2012 A Thousand Wrongs
16-Oct-2012 Say This Write
16-Oct-2012 Money and Me for Canadians
16-Oct-2012 Word Spelunking
17-Oct-2012 Couponing with Boys
18-Oct-2012 Book Launch of Toby Gold and the Secret Fortune at the Access to Capital Conference at the LA Westin Bonaventure Hotel.
18-Oct-2012 The Book Bug
18-Oct-2012  I Am a Reader not a Writer
19-Oct-2012 Of Writerly Things
19-Oct-2012  Troop Petrie
22-Oct-2012 Renae's Writespot
22-Oct-2012  The Write Path
23-Oct-2012  Monique's Musings
23-Oct-2012  My Mommy's World
24-Oct-2012  The Things I Love
24-Oct-2012  Adventures of the Mommy Homemaker
25-Oct-2012  Live to Read
26-Oct-2012 Ordinary Happily Ever After
29-Oct-2012  Fire and Ice
01-Nov-2012  Jeffrey Olsen
01-Nov-2012  Bookworm Lisa
05-Nov-2012 Debbie's Inkspectations
07-Nov-2012  With a Side of Thriftiness
10-Nov-2012 A Storybook World

12-Nov-2012 Christy Dorrity's Dearest Dreams
14-Nov-2012 Rachelle Writes
15-Nov-2012  The Non-Reluctant Reader
19-Nov-2012  Taffy's Writings 
Nov 2012- http://www.queenoftheclan.com/
 

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Priestess of the Eggstone by Jaleta Clegg


She didn’t know Belliff, the company who hired her to courier sensitive materials, is a front for the Targon Crime Syndicate. She finds out when she steps into the middle of a Patrol raid on Belliff’s offices. The Patrol and Targon both want her. But that’s nothing. Her copilot has an entire sentient species chasing him for stealing their god. The two of them set off on a desperate chase to get the Eggstone god back to avert war with the Sessimoniss while evading the Patrol and the Targon Syndicate.

But the Eggstone isn’t just any rock. The Patrol isn’t chasing her for the reasons she thinks. And Targon’s days are numbered.



First line:
"The office on Herifon was the same as a thousand other Patrol offices."

This book is a quick, entertaining read. Ms. Clegg told me this was one of her favorite to write and I can see why. Dace is smart and strong but trouble follows her everywhere. And this moves the book along.
Good world building and interesting storyline.
Keep up the good work!

Rating: PG13
V: Fighting
L: No
S: No

Liked:
Dace

Disliked:
Story needs tightening

4 STARS




Friday, November 9, 2012

An Unlikely Match by Sarah M. Eden

The future has never looked brighter for once penniless Nickolas Pritchard. Now in possession of an unforeseen legacy from a distant cousin, he can finally woo the exquisite Miss Castleton, belle of the London Season. What better setting for matchmaking than Ty Mynydd, his ancestral home nestled in the untamed hills of Wales? Ideal, indeed ... except for the ghost.

For nearly four hundred years, Gwen has walked the halls of the home in which she lived—and died a mysterious death. But despite centuries as the reigning force within her ancient residence, nothing prepares her for the charm and unexpected appeal of Englishman Nickolas.

A deep and abiding affection grows between the two, tempered by the unbreakable barrier that separates them. They cannot possibly hope for a happily ever after. there can be no future between a man yet living and a woman long dead.

But how can Nickolas possibly give Gwen up? And how can Gwen face an eternity without Nickolas?



Poor Nickolas. He is poor, he's invited to parties to round out the numbers and he has a crush on a woman whom he can't have. And he's a total playboy.
Until he's distant cousin dies and Nickolas Pritchard becomes heir to an estate and loads of money. Now that young lady and her parents look favorably on him. But the more he gets to know the  Ms. Castleton, the more he finds she's not quite what he wants in a woman. It's probably Gwen's fault his interest has changed. Only, it doesn't matter how much Nickolas falls for Gwen, she's a ghost. The Ghost who haunts the estate Nickolas just inherited. How can a person fall in love with a ghost?
Once again, Ms. Eden delivers on story, wit and character development. Throughout the story, the reader gets to watch the main characters grow. I especially enjoyed watching Nickolas change and deepen.

Rating: PG
S: No
V: No
L: No

Liked:
Love ghost story
Having characters tell us how to say certain names or words

Disliked:
Use of (lots) of unfamiliar words that were only used once and were confusing

4 STARS

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

THE CROWN OF EMBERS by Rae Carson

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy


First line:
"My entourage of guards struggles to keep pace as I fly down the corridors of my palace."

Another good book in the Fire and Thorn series.
I love how tough and smart and brave Elisa is.
Elisa is now queen. Men think women are weak and therefore can take advantage of Elisa. But she is cunning and can take of herself, thankyouverymuch. And is doesn't hurt the Hector is by her side helping and guiding and protecting her as well.
Elisa has to find out what kind of queen she is and be herself. It is as symbolic as the crown she wears.
How will Elisa bring her kingdom together?
Who are her enemies and how can she get rid of them?
And most importantly, who will end up together?
Loved the ending.
Hate that I have to wait for the next book.


Rating: PG 14
S: Kissing, taking birth control for the possibility, main character checking out her naked body in the mirror
L: No
V: fighting, war

Liked:
Elisa
Storm

 Disliked:
Waiting for book #3

4 STARS


Thursday, November 1, 2012

The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

Survival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not working. Just when things seem worst, Sang Ly learns a secret about the bad-tempered rent collector who comes demanding money--a secret that sets in motion a tide that will change the life of everyone it sweeps past. The Rent Collector is a story of hope, of one woman's journey to save her son and another woman's chance at redemption.

First line:
"I once believed that heroes existed only in old men's fables, that evil in the world had triumphed over good, and that love--a true, unselfish, and abiding love--could only be found in a little girl's imagination."


I was a little worried about reading this book just for the fact that I have a hard time reading about, well, hard times. From the cover and blurb I knew I'd be reading about Cambodians living in a dump. Hard times. But the first line, first chapter, first character drew me in and gave me hope.
RENT COLLECTOR is about a Cambodian family who ekes a living going through the city's trash and finding junk they can trade or sell for food. Sang Ly is a mother of a small boy who is constantly sick and she is desperate to get him better. Her husband loves his family and takes care of them the best he can.
There is a woman who collects rent from certain people in the dump. She's ornery, negative and quite often drunk. Many call her Cow.
But when Sang Ly stumbles on part of the Rent Collector's secret, her goal to get her son better expands to giving her son a better life. Sang Ly wants to learn to read and she believes that literacy is the step up he needs.
The story is based on a real family. Their pictures are in the back of the book though I didn't see them until I was finished reading. Mr. Wright does a great job of moving the story along, characterizations and playing on emotions.
This story is about hope and redemption and perspective.
It's full of stories, poems, folk tales and discussions about literature. Life lessons are layered through out and woven with the tales. I found by the end of the book I was no longer turning my nose up at the place the family lived. There is more to life than the place we call home.
I recommend this read to anyone. Book clubs would really enjoy this book. There are questions in the back also.
There is one part of the book that touched me and I wanted to share it with you. Sang Ly takes her family back the village where she grew up to see if the Healer can help her son. While there she talks to her Auntie about how much she loves the village and hates the dump.
Her Auntie replies, "...Remember, the province, though beautiful, has it's own pockets of ugliness. While the dump is ugly, it also has pockets of beauty. I think finding beauty in either place simply depends on where you decide to stand." 
Beauty is where you are, you just need to find it. 

Rating: PG
V: A fight, living in a dump
S: No
L: No

Liked:
Storyline
Stories, poems, fables

Disliked:
Stories of the war because they hurt my heart

4 1/2 STARS