The Not so True Adventures of Brandon, Josh, and Adam by Barry M. Fellinger (Giveaway)

Join Brandon and Josh as they work to bring Adam home from the Strataderks and the Intergalactic Council on Obedience to Parents.

The Not So True Adventures of Brandon, Josh, and Adam by Barry M. Fellinger is a funny sci-fi adventure story with zany happenings, strange aliens, and intergalactic hijinks. Having escaped the Council, Brandon and Josh are astonished to discover that their cousin Adam has disappeared. Knowing his misbehavior led him to being abducted by the Strataderks, they must devise a plan to bring him home. Of course, that also means they must find a way to get back to outer space first.

This is such a funny story. As a parent, I might have hoped there was an Intergalactic Council on Obedience to Parents that abducted naughty kids to teach them a lesson. Kids will enjoy following along as Brandon and Josh, with the help of some doubles from a different dimension, plot and plan to bring Adam home. Of course, their nosy sister might just get in their way. Think of this like Spaceballs meets Phineas and Ferb.

Readers who enjoy humor, sci-fi adventures, and outlandish antics will appreciate The Not so True Adventures or Brandon, Josh, and Adam.

EXCERPT!

Double Trouble OR WHICH COUSIN COUSIN IS WHICH?

Oh, this is making my head hurt! Brandon is up there, but it’s not me. But it’s the right Brandon who will know what to do. But Josh is up there, but it’s not the right one, and he will be lost, and why doesn’t this Josh . . .

Brandon #2’s thoughts jumbled together as he tried to think everything through. He was fast losing his appetite.

His mind wandered as he began to pick away at his food. I mean, the one who should be with me is not, cuz this Josh is down here. But the wrong Josh, though he certainly knows what’s about to happen, which means he will refuse to eat the broccoli. But if Brandon up there doesn’t realize he has the wrong Josh, that Josh will be kidnapped with him, but it won’t be the right Josh. Then I will be stuck with the Josh, who lived through this, and he will understand everything, so maybe that’s not so bad . . . By now Brandon’s head throbbed so much from trying to sort this all out in his mind that he couldn’t concentrate on food anymore and put his head in his hands. Then he looked up at Josh.

“Josh,” Brandon spoke very low. “I understand. You’re not the right one.”

“What, dear?” asked Brandon’s mom, as Brittany complained, ‘Mom, Brandon’s whispering secrets about me to Josh.”

“Am not,” snapped back Brandon.

“Um, Mom, I think Josh might be sick. I think he should go to my room and lie down.”

“But I’m fine.” Josh was now panicking, understanding Brandon knew, but neither of them knew if the other Brandon hiding with Josh’s double understood yet. They were waiting for this Josh to come up, after all. Brandon needed the right Josh with him soon, but because he had not been through this before, he wasn’t thinking about one super important thing.

“What about the tantrum?” Josh asked Brandon softly. “If I don’t act up, they won’t come and then Adam is . . .”

He stopped mid-sentence when he felt an unusual bump like someone was trying to push him off his chair, strong enough that he nearly fell off it and had to grab the table to keep his balance.

“Brandon,” Josh whispered again. “Did you feel that?”

“Feel wh—” Brandon started to say and then the phone rang. Josh thought the last time that happened, they had been rounding the corner to the kitchen when his Aunt Beth answered the phone, not seated at the table. That’s different, he thought to himself. Aunt Beth is sitting at the table this time, but I guess we definitely did take longer upstairs. Still, something strange is going on, though.

Brandon’s mom turned to speak to the three children with a concerned look on her face. “That was your Aunt Patty,” she said, catching her breath. “It’s about your cousin Adam. He got into some big argument with his parents at the dinner table, and then he stomped off to his room.”

GIVEAWAY!!!

Barry Fellinger will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Enter to win a $20 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rating: 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tellwell Talent (January 25, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 022887923X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0228879237

I received a digital copy from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex by Carole P. Roman

Join Grady Whill and his friends on an exciting adventure that feels like Harry Potter meets the Fantastic Four.

In Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex, everyone is talking about Templeton Academy, the new superhero high school. Recruiting only the best of the best, Grady is certain he will never get in. When his best friend, Aarush Patel is selected, he assures Grady he has the right stuff. Even the school bully, Elmwood Bledsoe, is attending. As Grady and his friends embark upon this mysterious adventure, they hope to discover the knowledge of the power within.

I was a huge superhero fan as a kid–comic books and Saturday morning cartoons. I was Spider Woman one year for Halloween. 🙂 So, when I heard about this new series by Carole P. Roman, I knew I had to read the first book.

Roman did so many things well in this novel. You have the mysterious, supernatural Templeton Academy, which is like a character itself, and the dilemma of Grady trying to figure out why Uncle Leo doesn’t want him to attend the school and having a feeling it all ties into part of his family’s past. And where I feel Roman truly excelled is creating the world of a teenager, even if that world is placed in some mysterious school where kids have to learn the secrets of the Codex. Grady’s bully winds up at the same special school as he does. Where Grady is unsure of himself, Elmwood is overly confident. He is attracted to Pari, Aarush’s cousin, who attends school with them. All the things an everyday teen would cope with, Grady must endure.

Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex features a diverse group of well-developed characters. Whether they are part of Grady’s friend group, antagonists, or school staff, the author created a unique bunch of characters that all played a great role in the story.

After this strong and engaging series debut, I am eager to follow more of Grady’s story. Let’s hope it is on the way soon!

Rating: 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B4T6PWPH
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chelshire, Inc.; 1st edition (July 18, 2022)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 18, 2022
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 3349 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 267 pages

I received a free digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

First Chapter Review: The Backyard Secrets of Danny Wexler by Karen Pokras

This First Chapter Review is from a book the author’s publisher sent me back when it first came out in 2021. I am a little late in getting to it. 🙂

BLURB: Eleven-year-old Danny Wexler, the only Jewish boy in his blue-collar town during the late 1970s, is obsessed with the Bermuda Triangle. When a local child goes missing, Danny’s convinced it’s connected to an old Bermuda Triangle theory involving UFOs. With his two best friends and their Spacetron telescope, Danny heads to his backyard to investigate. But hunting for extraterrestrials is complicated, and it doesn’t help that his friend Nicholas’s mom doesn’t want her son hanging out with a Jewish boy. Equipped with his super-secret spy notebook, Danny sets out to fight both the aliens and the growing anti-Semitism in the town, in hopes of mending his divided community.

COVER: What a fun cover. Perfect for the genre. Love the vibrant font colors.

FIRST CHAPTER: Danny’s story starts with him contemplating how true is Alice’s declaration that his piano teacher is a spider. His older sister insists it is and Danny likes to investigate things.

KEEP READING: Definitely! I requested this book because it was set during my childhood. I also like mysteries and have read books by the author before, so I knew I wanted to read it. The interaction between Danny and Alice is funny. Danny’s rambling thoughts about his piano teacher being a spider, how he wound up taking piano lessons in the first place, and his family’s relationship–or lack their of–with their faith makes for an engaging read that I want to dive into. I hope to finish this while on vacation, but I can tell you that I have scheduled a lot into my vacation already. Fingers crossed.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kar-Ben Publishing ® (November 1, 2021)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 248 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1728412951
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1728412955
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 – 13 years
• Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 – 7

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher. This First Chapter Review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Sons of the Sphinx by Cheryl Carpinello

An enthralling, action-packed adventure through time awaits you in Sons of the Sphinx by Cheryl Carpinello.

Is seeing dead people a gift or a curse? Fifteen-year-old Rosa is certain it’s the latter. When the ghost of King Tut asks for her help in finding his lost queen, Hesena, Rosa finds herself traveling through different time periods in ancient Egypt pursued by Horemheb who, with the help of evil magic, is determined to stop her.

Wow! What a wild ride. From beginning to end, this is a story of love, adventure, and danger. Carpinello does a fine job in creating Rosa, whose gift interferes with normal life. Her connection to Tut and Hesena may go deeper than even she realizes. The author created a thrilling story where the danger kept building into a final showdown that leaves the reader breathless. Her attention to detail and historical knowledge draw the reader in just as much as the plot.

Sons of the Sphinx is a fabulous tale that lovers of ancient history, time travel stories, and the paranormal will enjoy.

Rating: 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (September 29, 2014)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 182 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1500554936
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1500554934

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00MVGC96Y
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Silver Quill Publishing (October 10, 2014)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 10, 2014

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MVGC96Y

Amazon Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1912513951

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sons-of-the-sphinx-1

Tolino: https://www.thalia.de/shop/home/artikeldetails/ID151524898.html

Vivlio: https://shop.vivlio.com/product/9781912513949_9781912513949_10020

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Sons-Sphinx-Cheryl-Carpinello/9781912513956

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1565754127

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sons-of-the-sphinx-cheryl-carpinello/1120481788?ean=2940161911747

Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/505876516/Sons-of-the-Sphinx-Ancient-Tales-Legends-1

I received a digital copy from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Kyle & Corey and the Game Store Mystery by Joe Stephens

Looking for a fun, adventure-filled mystery? You’ll find it in Kyle & Corey and the Game Store Mystery by Joe Stephens.

Kyle and Corey are brothers who are as different as they come. In typical brotherly fashion, they fight a lot, but they also have a knack for solving crimes. When their town of Fairly Springs experiences a rash of robberies, the boys are quick to investigate. The one thing all the crimes have in common is that each family that was robbed has a college-age son and high-end desktop computers are stolen. In between Corey’s sports tryouts and Kyle’s job at the local video game store, they work to put together the pieces of the puzzle before more robberies occur.

A fan of mysteries since my childhood, I grabbed a copy of this one as soon as I could. What a fun read! Two brothers working together to solve crime in their hometown in the middle of having regular teen (Kyle) and pre-teen (Corey) challenges makes for a great story. My son is a gamer, so I best connected to how Kyle’s storyline unfolded.

What I enjoyed about Stephens’ work is that he dropped just the right amount of clues to move the story along. It was an easy and engaging read from beginning to end. Though I had figured out most of the pieces before I got there, I still felt satisfied once the story concluded.

The reader will also find a preview from the second book in the Kyle & Corey Mystery series included. I’m glad there will be future adventures for these two brothers. I look forward to more!

Rating: 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Read an excerpt

“Wanna have a catch outside?” Corey said after a minute. “Before it gets too

dark?”

“I guess,” Kyle said without enthusiasm.

“Homework, Corey?”

“It’s Friday night, Mom. Can’t you chill out? Besides, I did it in school.”

“You always say you do it in school—then I get your report cards and they say

you haven’t turned it in.”

“They must be losing it, then. I’m doing it.”

Mrs. Holley shook her head. She knew Corey and knew that nagging him

about it was hopeless. “Clear the table before you go.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Corey cleared the plates, glasses and silverware, put the

napkins and salt and pepper shakers in the kitchen, and covered the leftover

food. Without being prompted, Kyle wiped down the table, the counter and the

stove, and swept the floor.

Mrs. Holley watched through the sliding glass door as they hurried outside. As

always, any sport absorbed Corey, but baseball was his favorite. He pitched for

the local rec department team for most of the year, and hoped they’d eventually

add a travel league. For his sake, she hoped so, too.

Outside, Corey and Kyle pulled on their baseball gloves and lobbed the ball

back and forth across the wide backyard. “So what’s our next case?” Corey

asked. “It’s been a long time since summer.”

Kyle snorted. “That was a one-off, dude. It won’t happen again. They do have

a police force here, you know.”

“But we were great together! Bet we could make something happen again.”

“If we do, the cops’ll be after our butts, for sure. They didn’t like it when we

made them look bad by catching those bank-fraud guys.”

“If we’re catching crooks, who cares if it’s us or them?”

“They care. They’re the ones paid to do it.”

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I received a digital copy of this book from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Joe Stephens will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better your chances of winning.

Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflcopter giveaway