GtPGKogPYT4p61R1biicqBXsUzo" /> Google+ I Smell Sheep: C
Showing posts with label C. Show all posts
Showing posts with label C. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Haunted Halloween Spooktacular: Five Fun Halloween Facts with author Jennifer Silverwood + giveaway



Five Fun Halloween Facts
Happy Halloween lovelies! Once again, it's time to pick out or create that crazy costume and eat all the candy you want. And maybe share with the kids, they did earn it with their cuteness. To help us get in the spirit of the season, I wanted to share some of my favorite Halloween Fun Facts.

1. When they made the first Halloween movie, the budget was so tight they could only afford a cheap mask for the main villain. What's now known as the Michael Meyers mask was in fact originally a Kirk mask from Star Trek.

2. Did you know statistics show 50% of trick-or-treater's prefer ch4141ocolate candy? Apparently, only 24% prefer non-chocolate. Only 10% prefer gum. Something to keep in mind when you prepare to fill your candy bowls this year ;)

3. This one is a bit creepier, but have you heard that trick-or-treating was once called "souling?" In medieval times, the poor went door to door on Hallowmas (Nov 1) offering prayers for the dead. The people would give them soul cakes in exchange.

4. Pomona, an ancient Roman festival heavily influenced Halloween. Many of the games we play today like bobbing for apples originate from the Pomona festival. This is also why Halloween has been called San-Apple Night. Other names for Halloween include Samhaim, All Hallows’ Eve, Summer's End, Witches Night, and Lamswool.

5. Did you know Halloween can trace its origins over 6,000 years? We can thank the Celtic Druids, in fact. During Samhain, the priests lit fires so the sun would return after winter. The Druids threw cattle bones into the flames and eventually their "bone fire" was called "bonfire." Bet you'll never make s'mores the same way again…

Craving Beauty (Wylder Tales Volume 1)
by Jennifer Silverwood
July 14, 2023
Genre: YA Fairy Tale Fantasy
Publisher: SilverWoodSketches
ISBN: 978-1-0881-3626-3
ASIN: B0CBTRBG4F
Number of pages: 222
Word Count: 60,808
Cover Artist: Qamber Designs
A hungry beast waits to devour her soul…

Nineteen-year-old Vynasha's life is no fairy tale. The fire that killed her sisters was her fault, and the magick that saved her nephew cannot heal their scars. They shouldn't have survived, and the villagers either fear or loathe them. Until a mysterious stranger saves her, giving Vynasha the key to finding the only family they have left.

With nothing to lose, Vynasha dares the journey into the forbidden Wylderland. Through dangers untold, she makes her way to the forgotten city, but more than ghosts linger in the castle. A wicked curse shadows the land, shadows whisper that the one to break their curse has come, and a beastly prince makes a bargain Vynasha cannot refuse:

Become the beast's bride or become a monster herself.

A dark tale of enchantment and woe, perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Holly Black, Craving Beauty is the first installment of the epic Wylder Tales Series!

About the Author:
Website-FB-Twitter
Ko-fi

Jennifer Silverwood has been involved in the publishing world since 2012 and is passionate about supporting the writing community however she can. After studying traditional art at university, she began helping Qamber Designs bring authors’ books to life. In real life, she’s a mom of two, a passionate reader, and an occasional artist. Jennifer is the author of three series—Borderlands, Wylder Tales, and the Heaven’s Edge Novellas—and the stand-alone romance titles Stay and She Walks in Moonlight.

 

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Book Review: School for Psychics: Book One by K.C. Archer

School for Psychics: Book One
by K.C. Archer
April 3, 2018
368 pages
Simon & Schuster
An entrancing new series starring a funny, impulsive, and sometimes self-congratulatory young woman who discovers she has psychic abilities—and then must decide whether she will use her skills for good or…not.

Teddy Cannon isn’t your typical twenty-something woman. She’s resourceful. She’s bright. She’s scrappy. She can also read people with uncanny precision. What she doesn’t realize: she’s actually psychic.

When a series of bad decisions leads Teddy to a run-in with the police, a mysterious stranger intervenes. He invites her to apply to the School for Psychics, a facility hidden off the coast of San Francisco where students are trained like Delta Force operatives: it’s competitive, cutthroat, and highly secretive. They’ll learn telepathy, telekinesis, investigative skills, and SWAT tactics. And if students survive their training, they go on to serve at the highest levels of government, using their skills to protect America and the world.

In class, Teddy befriends Lucas, a rebel without a cause who can start and manipulate fire; Jillian, a hipster who can mediate communication between animals and humans; and Molly, a hacker who can apprehend the emotional state of another individual. But just as Teddy feels like she’s found where she might belong, strange things begin to happen: break-ins, missing students, and more. It leads Teddy to accept a dangerous mission that will ultimately cause her to question everything—her teachers, her friends, her family, and even herself.

Set in a world very much like our own, School for Psychics is the first book in a stay-up-all-night series.


A different take on discovering paranormal talents. Ever wonder why some are so lucky with cards, dice or the horses? Maybe, just maybe, they have a touch of a 6th sense! (Oh, please let that be me!)

I really liked the main character Teddy, a 24-year-old with a gambling addiction and in serious trouble for her debts. There are probably a few of those out there that would take the chance Teddy had been given to erase their debts and start fresh!

I have read quite a few "School for...." type books from various authors. I enjoyed the majority of them and most share similar storyboards. Even though Teddy is 24, I felt like this read could qualify for the YA genre just as well as fantasy/paranormal. Archer did a great job of character development and storyline while connecting some real-life scenarios. Anytime I pick up a new story and want to read to the end tells me the author has more than accomplished their purpose of great entertainment. I will look forward to any other installments in this series!

Getting 4 "know when to fold 'em" sheep!






Jeanie G.

About the Author:
K.C. Archer is a pseudonym and has no online presence.