FREE E-BOOK- June 21 – 25

East Van Saturday Night – Short Stories and a Novella

"...adventures were undertaken, friendships were forged, and character was created."

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https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003DS6LEU

 

 

East Vancouver in the '50s and '60s was a low income, blue-collar neighbourhood. Kids grew up with minimum supervision. They left home in the morning, showed up for dinner, and were gone again until "the gun" sounded at 9 p.m. During the time away adventures were undertaken, friendships were forged, and character was created. East Van Rules was not only meant as a challenge, but also a code to live by.

 

These four short stories and novella highlight coming of age events; a ten-year-old playing for the elementary school softball championship, a teenage tough strutting his stuff at the local dance, a hippie youth hitchhiking across Canada during the Summer of Love.

 

Watershed moments told from a perspective that explains why you can take the boy out of East Van, but you'll never take East Van out of the boy.

 

WATCH THE PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

https://animoto.com/play/zkccQowD4WH9gdesTlXCDg

 

 

ARC: Rites of Passage (Tulsa Thunderbirds) by Catherine Gayle

With Ms. Gayle there is no halfway. Her stories are absorbing journeys that impart wisdom, demand attention and leave readers craving more. Kleenex is always close at hand in my case. Raw emotion is hard to contain. Rites of Passage deals with a hot button topic that still is misunderstood years after it's first appearance. HIV. Three letters that have changed many lives over the years are still the catalyst for debate. Rites of Passage humanized this disease and gives a voice to those unknown faces living in fear. I applaud this courageous story, it's hard not be affected by the struggle of anyone in pain whether it be emotional or physical. If I had to describe Rites of Passage in two words, I would use hauntingly beautiful.

Rites of Passage - Catherine Gayle ARC: Rites of Passage (Tulsa Thunderbirds) by Catherine Gayle

With Ms. Gayle there is no halfway. Her stories are absorbing journeys that impart wisdom, demand attention and leave readers craving more. Kleenex is always close at hand in my case. Raw emotion is hard to contain. Rites of Passage deals with a hot button topic that still is misunderstood years after it's first appearance. HIV. Three letters that have changed many lives over the years are still the catalyst for debate. Rites of Passage humanized this disease and gives a voice to those unknown faces living in fear. I applaud this courageous story, it's hard not be affected by the struggle of anyone in pain whether it be emotional or physical. If I had to describe Rites of Passage in two words, I would use hauntingly beautiful.

I won Peter Huddleston & The Rites of Passage in a Goodreads giveaway, and this is my honest review. Peter Huddleston & The Rites of Passage is the first book of the Galadria fantasy trilogy by Miguel Lopez de Leon. I didn't know what to expect when I opened this book, but I wasn't expecting to be swept away from the first page. The main character, Peter, finds himself in trouble and is sent away to live with his aunt. He finds himself having to prove himself, and having an unbelievable adventure, and meeting wonderful, and not so wonderful, characters. The characters are very vivid, and the story flows smoothly. I just couldn't put this book down! I'm definitely adding this trilogy to my physical collection of books! Fantastic job, Miguel!

I would recommend this to fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.

(There are 3 books so far. Kindle Unlimited)

 

Peter Huggleston is a peculiar boy. He doesn't much care for his stepmother and since his real mother's death, doesn't have much of a relationship with his father. After an incident involving his boomerang and his stepmother's best friend, he finds out that he has a maternal aunt, Gillian, and that he will be staying with her for the summer.

 

Hillside Manor, his Aunt's home, is not at all what he expected it to be. His father and him entered through a front gate large enough to make the car they rode in look as small as a potato. The structure before him is easily the largest he had ever seen. He is greeted at the door by the house secretary, Mrs. Smith, and the House Host, Monty.

 

Aunt Gillian tells Peter that she is queen of the Realm of Galadria (the golden realm) and it is time for her to name her successor. She has had no children so naturally she has chosen him to take her spot. She tells him that because of his youth ad absence from Galadria that a man named Knor has challenged his spot on the throne. Knor's family is known for it's violence, and cruelty. If he were to gain the throne, Galadria would in grave of civil war.

 

     “I ask you to agree to a life of great privilege and great responsibility. You would not be expected to rule or make decisions in any capacity until I step down from the throne...which will not happen until I am a very old woman.” she added with a wink.

     “Until then, what would I do?” he asked wonderingly.

     “You would be formally presented to the council, and would spend your summers at Hillside learning about Galadria and spending your time on the grounds. There would also of course be the occasional ceremony to introduce you to the rest of the nobles, but those events are held here at the manor. Then when you came of age, you would go through the traditional 'Rights of Passage,' a series of challenges that the rulers of Galadria must pass, as I did, to prove your readiness and ability to the council.”

     “And what if I choose not to accept?” he asked.

 

Peter must prove himself a worthy successor by successfully completing a series of challenges called The Rite of Passage. In order to get ready for these he spends his days training and studying. A unknown person goes to great measures to try to scare Peter away from completing tasks ahead of him.

 

This book reminds me a lot of the Harry Potter books. I was completely engrossed in this book from beginning to end. There is magic, hidden lands only accessible by portals, and mythical creatures. The world that author has built is amazing and very unique.

 

Goodreads Giveaway <----Ends tonight July 8