Paskal's Hope Kickstarter

Kandi J.Wyatt has done it again.  .

All he wanted was to prove himself a man.
All she wanted was to learn to use her new-found magic.
Neither of them knew the price of their desires.

When 18-year-old Paskal set out for a week in the wilderness, he was confident his father would accept him as a man when he returned. But three days into his outing, he awakes from a nap to discover a mage gazing down at him – not just any mage, but a slaver no less! Trussed up and tossed in the back of a wagon, Paskal joins nineteen other hapless souls.

When 17-year-old Cambria’s magic manifested, her mother sent her to the capital to learn how to use it. But without resources and knowledge, Cambria paid for her education with her power and her body. Six months later, she’s far from home in the sun-cursed lands in the back of a wagon.

Sold at the first village along the Inferno Trail, Cambria and Paskal both loathe their masters, but when another clan attacks the town, Paskal sees their chance to escape. Not willing to leave without Cambria, he leads her straight into the arms of their new captors.

With all hope lost, Paskal begrudgingly accepts the title of slave, but even a slave can protect a friend and stand for what’s right. The question is: how far is he willing to go? And who will pay the ultimate cost of his freedom and Cambria’s safety?

Paskal’s Hope is book 2 of the coming-of-age fantasy duology Journeys by Kandi J. Wyatt that follows two different young men, and the women who love them, trying to find their place in the world and discover where their worth lies.

Kickstarter link:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kandijwyatt/paskals-hope-an-early-release-special-edition-hardback

Marina Mews by DL Mitchell

 

Genre:  Adult, Mystery

Source: I received a copy from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. The opinions expressed here are my own.

What I loved about this book is that it is a fast paced mystery and has animals to fall in love with. I loved that the author had a six toed cat named Hemingway as a character in the book. The story takes place in a small South Florida town. I could relate because I live on the Gulf Coast of Florida with its laid back feeling.  Emily is a veterinarian and has just found the body of her friend Billy. He owned a dive shop and actually taught Emily to dive. Eventhough her boyfriend and brother try to get her to stay out of it she just can't. This seems more important when she learns the death was possibly a murder. As a teacher I love learning things in books, especially if they are sprinkled throughout a fictional book. The author has sprinkled advice about treating animals all throughout the book. In other words, the author has interjected her own expertise into the book. The cat Hemingway belonged to Billy. He helps Emily solve his owner's murder. There is the slightest romance in the book, but not enough to throw me out of it. There are actually two other books in this series I have not read.  I will be reading them. I love when I find not only a great new series but a great new author. I highly recommend this series to you.

Ten Days In A Mad-House by Nellie Bly

 

Source: I purchased a copy

Genre:  Memoir

My fascination with this book came when my students had to read an excerpt in my Middle School English class.  They struggled to understand why someone would purposely get themselves committed to an asylum. Nellie Bly had a lot of guts in my mind. First of all she was a female living in a male dominated world. Many women were put away by husbands who no longer wanted them around. Nellie Bly wished to let the world know what actually went on inside. Why you may ask. There was no one to speak for those women. Bly came up with a plan to tell their story. She got herself committed by acting like she was insane and used a fake last name. They sent her to the asylum where she spoke with these women and documented the abuses they suffered.  She had pre-arranged with her editor to have them get her out after ten days. She exposed the atrocities and created change.