The Legend of the Taken Ones: Gateskin Chronicles Book 1 – by Janice Spina

Book Blurb

This is Book 1 of a fantasy series that will have six books in all. In this book learn about the three children of King Gateskin and his wife, Queen Solinara. The children have had powers since they were quite young..

Serena was three years old when she learned of her power to move objects with her mind. Her brother, Simon, can fly and their sister, Catalina, can become invisible or blend into her surroundings. They live with their parents in Sovorotskina, the Land of Light.

With these powers comes responsibility. The children must try to use their powers for the common good and responsibly to help others. The three children befriend a Sprite named Spindle who accompanies them on their adventure. Along the way they meet up with their aunt and uncle, their mother’s brother and his wife, Wizard Hotenfaran and Fairy Procelina. The group must travel into the evil land of Parotovina, Land of Darkness, to save King Gateskin, who was kidnapped, and also rescue some of the descendants of their friends and fellow Sovorotskinans who were captured and taken by the Evil Ones. These descendants have been waiting a long time to be free to return to the villages of their ancestors.

The children have many trials and adventures along the way. Will they be able to rescue their father and fellow Sovorotskinans without endangering their own lives? Will the evil King Kaposkaran and his Queen Beregina stop Serena and her siblings from being successful or will they turn Serena and her siblings to their dark ways?

Book Blurb from Amazon

My Review

The Taken are the children of the Provence of Noella who have been missing from their homes for many, many years.  They were captured by the Parotovinans to be raised under the evil king wizard.  Now, King Gateskin of Sovorotskina, Land of Goodness and Light, through his wizardry learns that the Evil Ones are planning to capture the children of the Provence of Noella once again.  With the help of his children, a tree sprite named Spindle, wizards, and fairies, King Gateskin goes to Parotovina to gain release of the Taken Ones. Along the way they will encounter dangerous situations. 

Those who enjoy stories of wizards, fairies, sprites, and adventure will find this un-put-downable! This is not my normal genre, but I was mesmerized. The characters are beautifully detailed, and the plot is captivating.  The Legend of the Taken Ones: Gateskin Chronicles, Book 1 is a five-star book!

The author gifted me an ARC and I have given my honest review.

Meet the Author

Janice Spina is an award-winning author with 15 children’s books, Louey the Lazy Elephant, Ricky the Rambunctious Raccoon, (Louey and Rick both won Silver Medal from Mom’s Choice Awards), Jerry the Crabby Crayfish (won Pinnacle Book Achievement Award), Lamby the Lonely Lamb (won the Silver Medal from MOM’S Choice Awards), and Jesse the Precocious Polar Bear, Broose the Moose on the Loose (won a Pinnacle Book Achievement Award), and Sebastian Meets Marvin the Monkey, and Colby the Courageous Cat (Pinnacle Book Achievement Award), Jeffrey the Jittery Giraffe (Pinnacle Book Achievement Award), Clarence Henry the Hermit Crab, Lucy the Talented Toy Terrier, The First Star, Drystan the Dragon and Friends Series, Book 1 – 3, Davey & Derek Junior Detectives Series (Book 1-6) is a middle-grade/preteen series and Abby & Holly Series Books 1-6 (Books 1, 2, 3, 4, won Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards, Book 1 won a Bronze Medal from Readers’ Favorite Book Awards). Book 1, The Case of the Missing Cell Phone (won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and an Honorable Mention from Readers’ Favorite Awards). Book 2, The Case of the Mysterious Black Cat, won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and Book 3, The Case of the Magical Ivory Elephant, also won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and a Silver Medal from Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, and Book 5 won a Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and a Silver Medal from Authorsdb Cover Contest, Book 6 won a Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and a Finalist Award with Book Excellence Awards and A Finalist in Reader’s Favorite Book Awards. Janice’s other books have also been Finalists in Red City Review Book Awards and Authorsdb First Lines Contest and received 5-star reviews from Readers’ Favorite Book Awards.

Janice has published three novels under J. E. Spina, Hunting Mariah, a thriller/mystery, (Finalist in Authorsdb First Lines Contest), Mariah’s Revenge (Sequel to Hunting Mariah), also a Finalist in Authorsdb First Lines Contest), a paranormal/mystery/romance novel, How Far Is Heaven, and a short story collection, An Angel Among Us, all available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. She is working on more dragon books, and Book 6 of Abby & Holly, a mystery series for MG/PT/YA girls to be published in 2020. She needs to edit a YA fantasy series which will be published in 2021 and beyond. Her husband is her illustrator and cover creator. He’s working on book 3 of six books of Drystan the Dragon series for children which be coming over the next few years.

She has written over a hundred poems and two other novels. The two novels need editing before publishing. Janice says, “There is always another story swimming around in my head. If I don’t write them down they are lost forever.”

Her logo is JEMSBOOKS for all ages on which is her motto:
“Reading Gives You Wings To Fly! Soar with Jemsbooks!”

Janice’s and John’s joint goal is: To encourage children of all ages to read and to instill this love of reading in them to carry them throughout their lives and thus giving them ‘wings to fly!’

She loves to hear from readers and appreciates reviews. She says, “It’s like Christmas each time I receive a review!”

Author Biography from Goodreads

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ABBY & HOLLY SERIES, BOOK 4 – THE HIDDEN STAIRWAY

By Janice Spina

Illustrations & Cover by John Spina

BOOK BLURB

Join the cousins, Abby and Holly, as they search for clues about who placed an urn up in their attic with the remains of a young girl who lived a century ago. Their old Victorian holds many secrets and the girls are determined to solve this mystery with the help of two ghost friends, Felicity and Minerva, who inhabit their home.

As the girls are searching for clues in their basement, they discover a hidden stairway. Upon entering the stairway, they find themselves unexpectedly catapulted back in time to a century ago. Will they be able to return with the answers to the mystery? If not, who will help them get back? Or, will they be forever lost in time?

 

My Review

Abby and Holly are cousins who have special powers, they can see and speak to ghosts, and in this book, they find they can travel back in time with the reassurance that should anything go wrong, they will get help from their ghost friends, Felicity and Minerva.  This opens an exciting new adventure for the girls, though it is quite worrisome for their mothers.

Once again, Janice Spina has created a riveting adventure for the cousins.  I couldn’t put it down and I’m sure middle-grade readers will get wrapped up in the story as much as I did. As with all of Spina’s books, there will be no objectionable language and there is always a life lesson–to be respectful to others, to be kind and considerate, to recognize and accept that there are differences in all of us. To parents, grandparents, and teachers, I recommend this be read aloud by children so you can have a lively discussion about the story and the lessons in ABBY & HOLLY SERIES, BOOK 4 – THE HIDDEN STAIRWAY.  This is positively a 5-star book.

I received a copy of this book from the author for an unbiased review.
I received no compensation for my review.

 

About the Author

Janice Spina is an award-winning author with 12 children’s books, Louey the Lazy Elephant, Ricky the Rambunctious Raccoon, Jerry the Crabby Crayfish (won Pinnacle Book Achievement Award), Lamby the Lonely Lamb (won the Silver Medal from MOM’S Choice Awards), and Jesse the Precocious Polar Bear, Broose the Moose on the Loose (won a Pinnacle Book Achievement Award), and Sebastian Meets Marvin the Monkey, and Colby the Courageous Cat (Pinnacle Book Achievement Award), Jeffrey the Jittery Giraffe (Pinnacle Book Achievement Award), Clarence Henry the Hermit Crab, Lucy the Talented Toy Terrier, Davey & Derek Junior Detectives Series (Book 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5) is a middle-grade/preteen series and Abby & Holly Series Book1 1, 2, 3 (Books 1 & 2 won Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards). Book 1, The Case of the Missing Cell Phone (won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and an Honorable Mention from Readers’ Favorite Awards). Book 2, The Case of the Mysterious Black Cat, won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and Book 3, The Case of the Magical Ivory Elephant, also won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and Book 5 won a Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and a Silver Medal from Authorsdb Cover Contest. Janice’s other books have also been Finalists in Red City Review Book Awards and Authorsdb First Lines Contest.

Her logo is JEMSBOOKS for all ages on which is her motto:
“Reading Gives You Wings To Fly! Soar with Jemsbooks!”

Janice’s and John’s joint goal is: To encourage children of all ages to read and to instill this love of reading in them to carry them throughout their lives and thus giving them ‘wings to fly!’

Author Bio is from Amazon and Goodreads.

Book Cover, Author Photo, and Book Blurb are from Goodreads.

CONNECT WITH JANICE SPINA

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PURCHASE BOOK

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Drystan the Dragon and Friends Series, Book 1 – Drystan and Durward Save the Day

By Janice Spina

Illustrated by John Spina

 

Book Blurb

This is a magical series about Drystan the dragon and his friends. These dragons are colorful, engaging and fun to read about. They teach children the importance of friendship, caring for one another, being kind to others, and it’s okay to be different. All dragons are of different colors and their names begin with the letter ‘D’ – a fun way for young children to learn the letter ‘D’ and colors.
In Book 1, Drystan makes a new friend, Durward, who invites him to visit the Land of the Rainbows. While they are there they have an adventure. Find out what the dragons do to save the day.

My Review

Drystan and his new friend, Durward, are off to have an adventure, but along the way, they stop to help some little birds.  Who doesn’t love dragons!  And they come in different colors!  Drystan is red and Durward is blue.  Find out what happens when the dragons are happy.  Why are they flying to the Land of Rainbows?  This story is about the importance of having friends and helping others.  It is a wonderful tale written in rhyme that will appeal to young children, whether someone reads it to them or able to read themselves.  Janice Spina has clearly remained true to her belief that books for children should be wholesome and teach life lessons.  Her husband, John Spina, beautifully and colorfully illustrated the book. I highly recommend Drystan the Dragon and Friends Series, Book 1 Drystan and Durward Save the Day.

I received a free copy of this book from the author and reviewed it without compensation.

About the Author

Janice Spina is an award-winning author with 12 children’s books, Louey the Lazy Elephant, Ricky the Rambunctious Raccoon, Jerry the Crabby Crayfish (won Pinnacle Book Achievement Award), Lamby the Lonely Lamb (won the Silver Medal from MOM’S Choice Awards), and Jesse the Precocious Polar Bear, Broose the Moose on the Loose (won a Pinnacle Book Achievement Award), and Sebastian Meets Marvin the Monkey, and Colby the Courageous Cat (Pinnacle Book Achievement Award), Jeffrey the Jittery Giraffe (Pinnacle Book Achievement Award), Clarence Henry the Hermit Crab, Lucy the Talented Toy Terrier, Davey & Derek Junior Detectives Series (Book 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5) is a middle-grade/preteen series and Abby & Holly Series Book1 1, 2, 3 (Books 1 & 2 won Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards). Book 1, The Case of the Missing Cell Phone (won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and an Honorable Mention from Readers’ Favorite Awards). Book 2, The Case of the Mysterious Black Cat, won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and Book 3, The Case of the Magical Ivory Elephant, also won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and Book 5 won a Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and a Silver Medal from Authorsdb Cover Contest. Janice’s other books have also been Finalists in Red City Review Book Awards and Authorsdb First Lines Contest.

Her logo is JEMSBOOKS for all ages on which is her motto:
“Reading Gives You Wings To Fly! Soar with Jemsbooks!”

Janice’s and John’s joint goal is: To encourage children of all ages to read and to instill this love of reading in them to carry them throughout their lives and thus giving them ‘wings to fly!’

Author Bio is from Amazon and Goodreads
Book Cover, Author Photo, and Book Blurb are from Amazon

 

CONNECT WITH JANICE SPINA

Blog

Website

Facebook

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PURCHASE BOOK

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Book Spotlight

Announcing the re-launch of My GRL

 

John Howell is an amazing writer and blogging friend.  Not only does he write thrillers, but he is a fabulous photographer (see his posts – Views of the Neighborhood) and writes hilarious fiction posts (see his 10 Things Not to Do posts). His Thursday posts are titled A Little Personal and his Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day posts are sure to entertain. Check out his blog and discover these posts and others.  You can find him over at Fiction Favorites.

John has just re-launched the first book in the John Cannon trilogy, My GRL.

my-grl-front

 

The cover is new and the book edited once again to enhance the experience. What is really nice is the price has been cut for the introduction. You can buy the kindle version for a special introduction price of

$0.99

Here’s the blurb.

John J. Cannon successful San Francisco lawyer takes a well-deserved leave of absence from the firm and buys a boat he names My GRL. He is unaware that his newly purchased boat had already been targeted by a terrorist group. John’s first inkling of a problem is when he wakes up in the hospital where he learns he was found unconscious next to the dead body of the young woman who sold him the boat in the first place. John now stands between the terrorists and the success of their mission.

Here is the link to Amazon for the Kindle version

Here is the link to Amazon for the Paper version

Check them out and read the first few pages on Amazon.

Also, you can check out John Cannon’s other two adventures, as well as, the new My GRL at John W. Howell’s Author Page

 

hisrevenge our-justice-front

 

 

 

 

 

 

john-howell-headshot

 

 

 

 

 

Author Bio

John began his writing as a full-time occupation after an extensive business career. His specialty is thriller fiction novels, but John also writes poetry and short stories.  His first book, My GRL, introduces the exciting adventures of the book’s central character, John J. Cannon. The second Cannon novel, His Revenge, continues the adventure, while the final book in the trilogy, Our Justice, launched in September 2016.  All books are available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.

John lives in Port Aransas, Texas with his wife and their spoiled rescue pets.

CHARM: AN AMAZING STORY OF A LITTLE BLACK CAT

Written and Illustrated By Leyla Atke

CharmBook Blurb

“Children and adults will laugh and cry through the experience of reading this brief, heartfelt book about the miracle of Charm.”-

Rating 5.0 stars from Midwest Book Review.

Charm is a tender and loving story of a small cat what is found, lost and found again under the most mysterious conditions. It will make you wonder about life, love and the existence of a higher power. It will break your heart in half and put it back together again. You will fall in love and be forever grateful that you met Charm, if only in a book.

Ask yourself: Do you believe in God? Do you believe in the existence of a higher power and the other world? Do you believe in miracles and reincarnation? Charm: An Amazing Story of a Little Black Cat is all in one story, which will make you think about these things and maybe you´ll find the answer!

 My Review

CHARM: An Amazing Story of a Little Black Cat is an account of the life of a little black cat that the author found.  It is a story of love, loss, and sorrow for children ages 6-18.

The story is about responsibility and the consequences of failing to live up to that responsibility. I think the author did an adequate job of getting her point across.  Many six-year-old children would need the book read to them, while those at the high school age would probably feel they were too old for the book.  The description of Charm after she found that he had died was, to me, too raw for a six year old. I am giving this book 3 stars.

Publisher: Strategic Book Group (September 2, 2010)

Paperback: 40 pages

  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1609764188
  • ISBN-13: 978-1609764180

Genre: Non-Fiction, Animals.

Book available in paperback, Kindle and pdf.

I received a free PDF copy for an honest review.

(Click on links below)

Author Website:  www.leylaatke.com

Leyla Atke

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 To Buy

Amazon Kindle

Amazon paperback

From Strategic Book Group, Publisher