Friday, September 24, 2021

Read an #Excerpt and Partial #Review of The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave (Vol. 3) by Sharon Ledwith ~ Young Adult, Time Travel @SharonLedwith @MirrorWorldPub

 

Welcome to the 1-week virtual book tour for 
The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave
The Last Timekeepers, Book 3
by Sharon Ledwith


About the Book:

Eleven-year-old Drake Bailey is an analytical thinker and the genius of the Timekeeper crew. However, no logic or mathematical acumen can change the color of his skin, or prepare him for this third Timekeeper mission in antebellum Georgia. To survive, Drake must learn to play the role of a plantation slave and when confronted with the brutality, hatred, and racism of the deep south, he’ll have to strategically keep one move ahead of his sadistic captors to ensure his lineage continues.

In a dark world of Voodoo, zombies, and ritualistic sacrifice, the Timekeepers must ensure a royal bloodline survives. Can Drake remove both literal and figurative chains to save both himself and a devout slave girl from a terrible fate? If he can’t summon the necessary courage, humanity could stand to lose one of its greatest leaders.

Book Details:

Genres: Young Adult, Time Travel, Fantasy  

Page Count: 244 Pages

Publisher: Mirror World Publishing

Release Date: September 17, 2021

My (Partial) Review:

I am currently reading The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave. I was hoping to have the book finished in time for this post but; alas, that did not happen.

I will say this book is engaging. I've always been a fan of history including the Civil War era and the years that lead up to that time. Our time travelling Timekeepers find themselves smackdab in pre-Civil War time. Sharon has created a masterpiece around a very turbulent time in history. 

The character development and world building created a book that plays like a movie in my head. The dialogue between characters is conversational and never awkward or choppy. The pacing, so far, seem to be the perfect speed – not too fast, not too slow.

I'm really enjoying The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave by Sharon Ledwith. I hope to have the book finished this weekend and a proper, complete review posted online by early next week.

My Rating:

I have this noted as a 5-star at this point.

Saph's Notes:

I've even participated in the Flint, Michigan interactive Underground Railroad program. The article at the following link talks about how the program was taken to Fenton, MI but I participated in the program when it was held on the Sloan Museum grounds in Flint, MI. My mother, sister, and I became slaves who were using the Underground Railroad to escape to the North. The event has long stayed with me as I continually try to reconcile that part of American history in my mind. Of course, the program was soft core without anything offensive but I enjoyed taking part. For clarification, I'm white. Those who participated in this with me and my family, however, weren't just white. Half of the group was white and the other half was black. We helped each other, protected each other, and did what we needed to do to "escape" slavery.




Follow the Tour to Read Exclusive Excerpts, Guest Posts, Reviews, and Spotlight Posts:


Read an Excerpt:

Drake read over their Timekeeper mission again. Blood. Deep south. Race. Broken. Soul. Red flags waved through his mind like a category five hurricane. He’d seen one too many movies and documentaries to know 1855 was not a great time in history for people with his skin color. Drake shut the Timekeepers’ log, and shook his head vehemently. “There’s no way in hell I’m gonna go on this mission, Lilith!”

Lilith wrinkled her long, narrow nose. “I understand why you have these fearful feelings, Drake, but I do not choose where you go into the past. Belial is the one who holds that power, and seeks to disrupt history whenever he sees a chance.”

“May I see the Timekeepers’ log, Drake?” the Prof asked. 

“Sure, Prof, but I’m still not going,” Drake replied, passing the log over.

“Can he do that?” Ravi asked, glancing at Treena.

“I don’t think so. It’s like signing a contract for a movie. You’re committed to finishing the film or you face the studio lawyers. Case closed, gavel down.”

“Lilith isn’t a judge.” Ravi looked at Lilith. “Right?”

“No, Ravi, I am not your judge, but what Treena said rings true. You were all chosen as Timekeepers for a reason, and are bound by this covenant,” Lilith replied, unclasping her hands. “That is all I can offer you.”

“Fine. I’ll just remove my Babel necklace,” Drake said, digging under his shirt. “Problem solved.”

“Drake, why are you freaking out like this?” Jordan asked, helping Amanda to her feet. “It can’t be as bad as fighting the Nazis in our second mission.”

“Yeah, or being interrogated in the Gestapo Headquarters by Belial’s creepy crony Marcus Crowley,” Ravi added.

“Why don’t you ask Amanda why she puked? It wasn’t because she had warm and fuzzy feelings about this mission,” Drake argued.

Melody wiped Amanda’s chin. “Do you feel well enough to speak?”

“I…I think so.”

Professor Lucas whistled. “Now I see why Amanda was sick to her stomach. Using the words deep south and the date as a clue, this mission puts us in the antebellum era, six years before the American Civil War began. This period was filled with so much hate, racism, turmoil, and political upheaval, I’m willing to bet these emotions went right through her.”

“If Uncle John is right, why would Belial want to change anything back then?” Jordan asked, frowning. “That slithering douche-bag lives for human suffering during those dark times in history.”

“Exactly.” Drake removed his Babel necklace. “So why tempt fate?”

“N-no, Drake, you have to come.” Amanda reached for his hand, and squeezed it. “Trust me, you’re an important part of this mission.”

“Huh? How?”

       “It’s hard to explain. I just know you have to be there.”

Purchase Links:

Mirror World Publishing:








Meet the Author:

Escape to the past and have a blast.

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and a moody calico cat.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOGLook up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOKTWITTERPINTERESTLINKEDININSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS

Publisher Website:

Mirror World Publishing 

Giveaway Information and Entry Forms:

2 winners!

1 winner will received a signed paperback of The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave (International).a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 winner will receive a Kindle copy of The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave (US only).a Rafflecopter giveaway


Friday, September 10, 2021

Book #Review ~ Blackflies and Blueberries (Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, #2) by Sharon Ledwith ~ #YA #Paranormal @SharonLedwith @MirrorWorldPub


About Blackflies and Blueberries:

The only witness left to testify against an unsolved crime in Fairy Falls isn’t a person…

City born and bred, Hart Stewart possesses the gift of psychometry—the psychic ability to discover facts about an event or person by touching inanimate objects associated with them. Since his mother’s death, seventeen-year-old Hart has endured homelessness, and has learned ways to keep his illiteracy under wraps. He eventually learns of a great-aunt living in Fairy Falls, and decides to leave the only life he’s ever known for an uncertain future. 

Diana MacGregor lives in Fairy Falls. Her mother was a victim of a senseless murder. Only Diana’s unanswered questions and her grief keeps her going, until Hart finds her mother’s lost ring and becomes a witness to her murder. 

Through Hart’s psychic power, Diana gains hope for justice. Their investigation leads them into the corrupt world threatening Fairy Falls. To secure the town’s future, Hart and Diana must join forces to uncover the shocking truth, or they risk losing the true essence of Fairy Falls forever.


Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Publish Date: May 17, 2019

Publisher:  Mirror World Publishing https://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/

My Review (originally reviewed May 22, 2019):

Blackflies and Blueberries is book 2 in Sharon Ledwith’s Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls series. This installment stars Hart Stewart, an unlikely newcomer to Fairy Falls. Born and raised in the city, Hart has no idea he has roots in the small town of Fairy Falls. Unfortunately, Hart learns the hard way that he has a great aunt who resides there – his mother is murdered in their apartment and after drifting around he discovers he has relatives elsewhere. Uncertain what he’ll find in Fairy Falls, the use of his secret psychometry ability to witness the murder of a local woman was not at all it.

Diana McGregor’s mother was murdered in Fairy Falls and her killer never found. When a newcomer shows up in town in possession of her late mother’s ring, she discovers he has psychic abilities. Knowing he’s seen her mother’s murder, Diana “hires” him to help her uncover the truth. What Diana and Hart didn’t count on were the spiderweb of lies and deceit, the trail of bodies, and the murder attempts occurring throughout the town.

Blackflies and Blueberries is another well-developed novel that takes place in Fairy Falls. The novel is a sequel in the Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls series yet stands totally alone. Hart is a unique character in that he has psychometry abilities and is also illiterate. I love how the author reminds the readers that illiteracy is still an issue in our world both within developed and developing countries. Reluctant to divulge his psychic ability, along with his illiteracy, Hart knows he has no choice but reveal them if they are going to figure out who is responsible for what is going on Fairy Falls. Hart and Diana have wonderful dynamics also.

I absolutely love this series by Sharon Ledwith. The series is filled with teens with psychic abilities taking on evil forces within Fairy Falls. The character development and world building created a book that played like a movie in my head. The dialogue between the was conversational and never awkward or choppy. The pacing was the perfect speed – not too fast, not too slow. There are parts of the book where my emotions matched the characters. I felt what the characters felt – anger, frustration, sadness – and that is what makes a book a favorite of mine. I really enjoyed Blackflies and Blueberries and look forward to reading more from Sharon Ledwith.

I was given a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:



Friday, September 3, 2021

Fantasy Friday Presented by Sapphyria's Books ~ #Review of Black Lightning by K.S. Jones @KSJones2011 ~ Middle Grade #SciFi #Fantasy @MirrorWorldPub


About Black Lightning:

Life moves on — no matter what...

Following his father’s puzzling disappearance and his mother’s death, ten-year-old Samuel Baker goes through the motions of living in a world turned upside down. He wears an Apache talisman, a long ago gift from his father, in hopes its promise of strength and guidance is true. But what he truly wants is the power to bring his parents back. 

Heartless Aunt Janis is elated at the prospect of becoming Samuel’s legal guardian. She is sure an orphan boy will elicit such an outpouring of public sympathy that her husband will win his Senate bid by a landslide. But when Grandpa Tate arrives, things don’t go as expected, especially when black lightning strikes!

My Review (originally published May 26, 2016):

Samuel Baker is not in a good place right now. His father disappeared a few years ago and his mother just recently died. Samuel is also being used as a pawn by his aunt in an effort to boost Sam's uncle's popularity in order to win a seat in the Senate. Fortunately, Samuel's mother's will designates someone else to take care of him and he heads to Arizona to live with his grandfather.

While in Arizona, Samuel learns a lot about Apache heritage from a local family, including tales regarding black lightning. No one is certain that the tales are true but everyone still watches out for the lightning. When Samuel tries to escape the clutches of his greedy aunt, his world turns upside-down.

Black Lightning is a well-written science fiction novel for middle grade - adult readers. The content is engaging and the plot is unique. The dialogue flows nicely and the book keeps the reader engaged. Black Lightning has science fiction elements that magnify an superbly written story of love, loss, and continuing on when it seems like there isn't any hope left at all.

The story is organized well, making it's fast pacing smooth. I was done with the book before I knew it, having been completely absorbed in Samuel's life and his journey. I highly recommend Black Lightning!

My Rating:



From the award-winning author of Shadow of the Hawk

Title: Black Lightning

Author Name: K.S. Jones

Genre(s): Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Length: Approx. 132 pages

Release Date: May 17, 2016

Publisher:  Mirror World Publishing (www.mirrorworldpublishing.com)

Purchase Links:
Visit K.S. Jones: