Iscariot

by 

TOSCA LEE

about the book

In Jesus, Judas believes he has found the One—a miracle-worker. The promised Messiah and future king of the Jews, destined to overthrow Roman rule. Galvanized, Judas joins the Nazarene’s followers, ready to enact the change he has waited for all his life.

But Judas’ vision of a nation free from Roman rule is crushed by the inexplicable actions of the Nazarene himself, who will not bow to social or religious convention—who seems in the end to even turn against his own people. At last, Judas must confront the fact that the master he loves is not the liberator he hoped for, but a man bent on a drastically different agenda.

Iscariot is the story of Judas—from his tumultuous childhood and tenuous entry into a career and family life as a devout Jew, to a man known to the world as the betrayer of Jesus. But even more, it is a singular and surprising view into the life of Jesus himself that forces us all to reexamine everything we thought we knew about the most famous—and infamous—religious icons in history

My thoughts

I am a huge fan of Tosca Lee.  I haven't read a book by this author I haven't liked.  This book is no exception.  Fabulous!!!

This book is a masterpiece.  It will change the way you think about a much maligned individual. 

Judas Iscariot has been demonized throughout history.  This book will humanize him.  I felt pity for the poor soul.  I do realize this is a work of fiction, but I was completely immersed in the life of the characters, all the characters.  The interactions between Judas and Jesus were just magical.  I can't say enough about this novel.  

If you've never read anything by Tosca Lee, this is a perfect book to start with,  if you have read her works, this book is the best one yet!

I just want to take a moment to answer a quick question.  Several people have asked me why I mainly read and review children's and young adult novels.  Well,  primarily because they are usually better written.  They are unique stories that are fun and entertaining.  I enjoy them.  Secondly, my son (age 12) and I share a Kindle.  I have the actual Kindle and he has the app on his IPad.  This means he has access to all books available on my Kindle.  I DO NOT want him gaining access to books I would not normally read with him.  I have over 1500 books in my Kindle library. Many are classics but most are children's and YA novels.  We share a common love of the works of Rick Riordan, J.K. Rowling, Brandon Mull and other novelists.  I truly enjoy watching the magic of reading become a part of his life.  A journey to another land, another time, has opened new worlds we can share together.   

Well, don't mean to ramble on, just wanted to answer the question I'm most asked from friends, family and followers.

Have a fantastic holiday season.

and

Today we welcome author
LARS GUIGNARD

about the book

Zoe Guire just talked to an elephant. Well, technically speaking, the elephant spoke to her, but either way it was weird and, as a rule, Zoe doesn't do weird. Except the thing is, when Zoe goes along on her mom's business trip to India, things get very weird, very quickly. Soon after she arrives, Zoe finds herself tagging alongside a kid named Zak, lost in a crazy city, with no money and no way home.

And those are the least of Zoe's troubles. Because if she's to believe the scary-looking snake charmer guy sitting in the corner, she and Zak have been chosen -- chosen to protect some kind of mythical animal called the Ghost Leopard from who knows what.

Now, the further they get into the mountains, the more crazily impossible things get. Carpets fly and statues talk and if either Zoe or Zak want to make it back to their parents, or the sixth grade, or anything even close to normal, they're going to have to make some new friends, learn some new tricks, and listen, really listen to that talking elephant. Because if they don't, nothing will ever be the same again.

My review

Read this book with my son, age 12.  He loved it.  There are not a lot of good 'boy' books (as he calls them) available.   He enjoyed this story.

It is a story full of magic, adventure and fun.  The kids get into some rocky patches along the way, but it adds to the excitement.  The book has a slow start, but I recommend hanging around, it picks up speed and doesn't slow down until the very end.

The two main characters Zoe and Zak are opposites, and they complement each other.  One is a thinker, who takes things slowly and the other rushes into a situation.

Overall, if your child is a fan of Harry or Percy, he/she should enjoy this book.

(4stars, and not 5 because I didn't like the ending)

It's here!!!! Cover reveal for the next installment of one of my favorite series:

Doorknob Society book 4

THE DETECTIVE INSPECTORS HVO

Chloe Masters life is in disarray, her best friend Edgar Magnus has been kidnapped by her mother. The Detective Inspectors of the HVO have been compromised and appear to be helping in the crime. All but one that is, Declan Hardcastle, a young DI who is more than willing to help Chloe in her quest. But is he looking for more than just friendship?

Her friends are spread far and wide; Jess has begun her apprenticeship in Paris while Slade is working for the Impossible Engineers. Nightshade has returned but is he the same man and can he truly be trusted?

When Chloe learns Edgar’s location it's a race against time to stop her mother’s plans and save her friend all while keeping everyone she loves alive. But the question becomes... does Chloe plan on getting out alive?

The Cape Beanery Chronicles (Short stories) Kindle | Kobo | Nook

The Doorknob Society (Book 1) Kindle (Exclusive to Amazon)

The Impossible Engineers (Book 2) Kindle | Kobo | Nook

The Mapmakers Union (Book 3) Kindle | Kobo | Nook

Today we welcome ROBIN L SANDERS 

author of  AN 8 TRACK IS 81 CHAPTERS

about the book:

When a Social Studies teacher assigns a special project to six high school students, (Richard, Shelly, Nathan, Charles, Morgan and Britt) they receive a lesson that may indeed change lives of many worlds. As they work on the problems set before them they come to realize that the typical real world issues that each student had been dealing with doesn’t look all that bad. As the unlikely group of misfits explores the project, they discover strengths that they were completely unaware they had.  

For seven whole days they stay in a mysterious book unlocking puzzles, fighting demon-possessed statues, creating bonds with a memorable cast of characters and fighting a villain who controls the powers of the heavens. Mr. Hutchenson, a professor of social studies at St. Cardinals, is a man who plays a large part within this story, but just as the kids have to discover that, so does the reader. These six kids work on finding that strength by not only fighting the enemy, but the enemy within.

Genre – Young Adult / Fantasy

Rating – PG13

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we have a guest post from Robin


What are the mistakes you see in beginner writers?

by Robin L Sanders

One of the beginning mistakes that we all make as writers is having the idea of writing a great story but not knowing how or where to start.  I would often have times of imagining an epic battle but haven’t a clue where to place the scene in the middle of my story.  Some people would prefer to write a story from beginning to the end, which is practical but not possible for many.  Other writers would start off by breaking their story into outlines so whenever they’re lost, they could figure out where to go next or start somewhere else then come back to the scene later.  There was one method I learned from a screenwriter about writing the scenario that you’re most passionate about and begin from there whether forward or backwards.  When I started I had this belief that if you didn’t start from the beginning then you’re not doing it right.  Truth is there is no actual rule of how to start writing a novel, you could just do it the way you feel the most comfortable.  It’s your work so do it the way you feel, do what you want to do, that’s what I learned.

Another big mistake that most writers often do is fail to develop a tough skin.  Writing is considered a literary expression in visual art; the writing industry is filled with critics that live by an established modern code.  Whenever they see something that is of the ordinary, they would either praise or insult the writer without any warning.  Some critics can be spiteful and would wake up every morning with their eyes set on any literature they disliked especially if it was a person. In other words develop the strength to accept criticism.  Constructive criticism is very important and can help sharpen and hone in on your writing skills as well as style.  Actual criticism whether good or bad could be harmful but knowing when and how to handle it could be a big step to becoming a fearless author.  Some writers developed the ability to use negative criticism as a source of fuel to produce more positive work while others are capable of weighing the differences of good and bad criticism.

Horribly written and edited work is a big mistake when publishing a book; placing commas, periods, and proper use of words into sentences without producing fragments are essential elements to having a good novel.  Even if you’ve written over a hundred thousand words in an epic novel it wouldn’t make any difference if you’ve spotted over thousands of errors.  Finding a professional editor can be hard and expensive especially if he’s a real good one.  Finding the right editor is also difficult and could take a long process if they’re real busy or accepting inbox mail from other clients.  I remember being rejected by professional editors from left to right over a years span and when I found one he wasn’t a real good one.  Later I had a friend who was a freelance English teacher who had taught English overseas and decided to edit my work with pay of course.

There can be many major set backs in the writing industry but the greatest mistake that could be ever made is to tell someone about your ideas without copyright protection.  Plagiarism is definitely a crime and is seen as literary suicide in the writing world but that doesn’t stop any money grubbing backstabber who can spot that as a business opportunity.  Working on a story while brainstorming new and creative ideas is definitely hard work.  The lands filled with characters that we created are apart of our lives, as we constantly have to live the roles of each and every one of them.  The stories that we create have an emotional connection with all of us and to have someone take that away from us is not a good feeling at all.  That is why it is very important on having your writing protected by any means as possible.  I’m not stating that it’s bad to exchange any ideas, instead keep the ideas that you want and give some of the ones you’re not interested on keeping to good use.

THANK YOU ROBIN.  ROBIN IS VISITING DURING HIS ONGOING BOOK TOUR, BROUGHT TO YOU BY