You’ve grown up with this story, and now you can watch the filmed live stage production! Buy or rent The Prince of Egypt digitally starting December 5th!
(Note: This is limited to US winners only).
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58
(Note: This is limited to US winners only).
Book: Of Sea and Smoke
Author: Gillian Bronte Adams
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy
Release Date: November 21, 2023
He rides a seablood, a steed of salt and spray, born to challenge the tides.
Six years ago, the wrong brother survived, and nothing will ever convince Rafi Tetrani otherwise. But he is done running from his past, and from the truth. As civil war threatens Ceridwen’s tenuous rule in Soldonia, Rafi vows to fight the usurper sitting on the imperial throne of Nadaar, even if it means shouldering his brother’s responsibilities as the empire’s lost heir.
The stolen shipload of magical warhorses offers just the edge he needs. But the steeds have been demanded in ransom by the emperor’s ruthless assassin, and if Rafi hopes to raise a band of riders, he must first outwit his brother’s murderer.
Yet when his best efforts end in disaster, and an audacious raid sparks an empire-wide manhunt, even forging an unexpected alliance might not be enough to help Rafi turn the tides, let alone outrace the wave of destruction intent on sweeping them all away.
Click here to get your copy!
Review: Picking up in the aftermath of the previous book, more closely following Rafi as he takes up his fallen brother's mantle in the fight against the usurper.
Engaging, with plenty of new twists that stretch the characters into growth. I loved that we got to see more sides of Rafi, the author does an excellent job of building on the foundation laid down in the first book to develop real growth and complexity in her characters. Ceridwen is a compassionate leader, with a true heart for those she serves, and I admired her for the hard choices that she had to make.
A gripping addition to the series, with action, suspense, faith, great world building and character development, and a stunner of a cliffhanger ending. It will be exciting to see where it goes in the next book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Gillian Bronte Adams writes epic fantasy novels, including the award- winning Of Fire and Ash and The Songkeeper Chronicles. She loves strong coffee, desert hikes, and trying out new soup recipes on crisp fall nights. Her favorite books are the ones that make your heart ache and soar in turn. When she’s not creating vibrant new worlds or dreaming up stories that ring with the echoes of eternity, she can be found off chasing sunsets with her horse, or her dog, Took.
One of my favorite things about writing epic fantasy is not actually what you might expect. It’s not the fantastical elements, although I absolutely love creating worlds filled with magical warhorses, sosswyrm tangles, and stone-eye tigers who can paralyze their prey with a glance. It’s not the intensity of the action or the world altering stakes, although there’s nothing quite so thrilling as throwing your characters into a do-or-die situation, and the pulse-pounding, breathtaking, heart-aching battle sequences that follow.
Instead, one of my favorite things about writing such wild and epic stories is the opportunity to ground them in very real, very human characters, with very real, very human emotions, and in the complexity of those characters’ relationships with others. Mentor relationships, deeply loyal friendships, and especially sibling relationships.
I am the second-born of five siblings, and I love and admire each of my siblings. Each one encourages and inspires and awes me in his or her own unique way. But growing up, if you had told me that my older sister had hung the moon, I would have believed you. She was two and a half years older than me—and yes, that half year mattered to both of us, though for opposite reasons; she because it meant she was that much older, me because it meant we were that much closer. Somehow, everything she touched seemed golden, and I wanted to be a part of it too.
She was a force of nature—a foaming ocean tide—and I was caught up in her wake.
She took up horseback riding, and so did I. She picked up books, and I had to read them too, even if it meant sitting beside her in the car with my own book open on my lap, surreptitiously reading hers over her shoulder. (Needless to say, that drove her crazy, and older siblings everywhere can probably commiserate.)
She dove into creative writing, and out of nowhere, I developed a passion for the written word. But always, within her, there was this spark of imagination and creativity that I felt I could only ever aspire to. Whatever I did, she had done first and better.
And I could only hope to one day achieve her level of greatness.
Rafi, one of the main characters in Of Sea and Smoke, also has an older sibling, a brother he has always looked up to. While Rafi and his relationship with his brother is not based on my relationship with my older sister—we’re all four of us wildly different people—there were some aspects of my experience as a second-born that I was able to draw upon. Rafi admires his brother’s strength and confidence. His assurance and rightness. His nobility and leadership. By the time we enter the story, his older brother is no longer around, but Rafi has spent his whole life setting his brother up on a pedestal and then trying to measure up to that ideal.
Is it any wonder, then, that he has always found himself wanting?
Now, Rafi finds himself having to step into the role that should have been his brother’s, and the only way he can contemplate facing that challenge is by stamping out the things he looks down upon in himself—many of them, the things that make him himself—and trying to be his brother instead.
Growing up, I can’t tell you how many times I looked at my older sister and wished that I could be more like her and less like myself. More confident. More brilliant. More vibrant. More her. But it wasn’t until my older sister’s interests began to drift into new additional avenues, while mine stayed mostly the same (horses, books, writing), that I finally began to grow into myself. To recognize my strengths, my unique skills, the things that only I bring to the table, and to acknowledge that even when they are different from hers, they are still good.
These days, my older sister and I are best friends. She was the first person I trusted to read Of Sea and Smoke before it went out into the world. I still look up to her in so many ways, and yes, I think I’ll always feel a bit like she hung the moon. But I have grown to appreciate the beauty of what I can learn from my sister’s strengths, while also recognizing the value of my own. And without revealing any spoilers, I think I can safely say that part of Rafi’s journey in Of Sea and Smoke wraps around learning that too, all while he’s raising a band of rebel fighters, trying to outwit an infamous assassin, and plotting to overthrow the empire’s oppressive rule.
Wild, epic stories, grounded in real, human experiences, and honestly, can reading get any more fun than that?
I hope you enjoy the ride!
Gillian Bronte Adams
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 2
Through the Fire Blogs, December 3 (Author Interview)
Labor Not in Vain, December 3
Texas Book-aholic, December 4
Artistic Nobody, December 5 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, December 6
Guild Master, December 7 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 8
Blossoms and Blessings, December 9 (Author Interview)
Blogging With Carol, December 10
Tell Tale Book Reviews, December 11 (Author Interview)
Simple Harvest Reads, December 12 (Guest Review from Mindy)
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 13 (Author Interview)
By The Book, December 14 (Author Interview)
The Lofty Pages, December 14
Fiction Book Lover, December 15 (Author Interview)
To celebrate her tour, Gillian is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card and hardcover copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/2909e/of-sea-and-smoke-celebration-tour-giveaway
Giveaway: 2 tickets to see the film in theaters
(Note: This is limited to US winners only).
About the Book
Book: Steal Fire from the Gods
Author: Clint Hall
Genre: Science Fiction
Release Date: November 7, 2023
The Human Alliance knew the war was over when the machines started using magic to cast fire, shake the ground, conjure storms, and part the seas.
We fought back anyway.
22-year-old soldier Gunnar Graves lost his faith and his family when a platoon of AI-driven war machines—led by an android fire mage— destroyed his unit. Forced to live in a machine-controlled village and hiding a dark secret, he spends his days trying to learn elemental power so he can take his revenge. After years of failure, his ability ignites when he least expects it.
On the run and hunted by the war machines, Gunnar discovers that an ancient, life-based strength has awakened to help humanity fight back. Joined by the other life mages, Gunnar is thrust into a mad world of android overlords, cyborg clans, and evil forces bent on his destruction.
To protect his newfound family, Gunnar must discover the truth behind a power he doesn’t understand and wage a war he doesn’t believe they can win.
Click here to get your copy!
My Review:
A thrilling futuristic adventure that pits man against machine.
Engaging from the very beginning, I was pulled into the world of Gunnar Graves, a young man with a secret, on a mission to destroy the machines that took his family. The author does an excellent job spinning a compelling and exciting tale, with magnificent world building that flowed seamlessly into the story. I admired Gunnar for his courage, and how he treated others with respect.
Great character development, as well as the well woven spiritual aspects of the story that never felt forced.
Honestly, this book blew past all my expectations and I will definitely be picking up more books by Clint Hall in the future. Riveting plot, with compelling character development, action and faith in a well built futuristic setting, all well executed. This is not an author you want to sleep on!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Clint Hall is a storyteller, speaker, and podcast host. He has been writing stories since middle school, where he spent most of his time in class creating comic books. (Fortunately, his teacher not only allowed it; she bought every issue.) Known for instilling a sense of hope, wonder, and adventure, Clint’s work has been published across multiple anthologies and magazines. Find him at ClintHall.com or “The Experience: Conversations with Creatives” podcast, available on all major platforms.
When I first heard the song See A Victory by Elevation Worship, I assumed the lyrics, “You took what the enemy meant for evil and You turned it for good,” were pulled verbatim (translated, of course) from the Bible, probably one of Paul’s letters.
Despite not knowing exactly from where they came, the words stuck with me. It’s inspiring to believe that God can take the terrible things that have happened to us – or even because of us – and use them to bring about something beautiful.
When I looked them up, I found that the lyrics are actually a derivation of what Joseph said to his brothers years after they sold him into slavery. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20 NIV)
Placing the words within the context of a story makes them even more impactful for me. It’s astounding to think about Joseph’s faith and spiritual maturity to not only offer forgiveness in this moment, but also to recognize the immense benefits that have arisen from such a horrific injustice against him.
It wasn’t until recently that I realized how much this passage is related to my book. That’s the funny thing about writing stories. You often don’t know what they’re about until you’re done.
Steal Fire From The Gods is the most faith-based story I’ve ever written. It’s also the darkest and certainly the weirdest. It’s an action-packed book in which AI has discovered the secrets of elemental magic and used that power to overthrow humanity.
But that’s just the concept. This story isn’t about magic robots. It’s about a person undergoing a crisis of faith. And you could hardly blame him.
Gunnar Graves and his family did everything the right way. They were faithful, devoted, and kind. They prayed, studied God’s Word, and followed His laws. Then, they were decimated. As a result, Gunnar is angry at God and even at his late parents for their blind faith that – from his perspective – ultimately failed them all.
Gunnar spends much of the story trying to harness magic for what he believes is a righteous cause. But despite his altruistic intentions, it eludes him, causing him even more anger and frustration. How could an all-powerful, all-loving God place such an awesome power into the hands of oppressive machines instead of mankind?
To make matters worse, Gunnar and other characters in the story have secrets that I won’t spoil in this blog. Suffice to say there are aspects of who they are and what they have done that would cause most people to cast them out if the truth became known. So instead, they hide themselves from God and other humans. More separation. More shame. More darkness.
It often feels that way for believers. In our weakness, we can simultaneously be angry at God for what we perceive as injustice – getting what we don’t think we deserve, or not getting what we think we do – while also being convinced there is something about us that will prevent us from ever connecting with His love, joy, and peace.
But there is always hope. God often reminds us of His presence by not only saving us from our circumstances but also using our weaknesses as tools to create wonderful outcomes. Paradoxically, good comes about not in spite of evil, but seemingly because of it.
As believers, we understand this is not a function of necessity. To bring about this good, God did not need evil to occur. But He will use it to demonstrate His ability to turn the enemy’s own weapons against him.
These occurrences wouldn’t make sense outside the knowledge that there is an all-powerful, all-loving Father. That reminder of His presence – that He must be with us because otherwise, such good springing from such evil would be impossible – is in many cases a greater blessing than the good itself.
But He will not force these blessings upon us. We are free to choose whether we will trust and accept them. We do so through faith, selflessness, and surrender.
That’s where we find the power. That’s where we find goodness. That’s where we find hope.
That’s what I want readers to take away from this book.
Texas Book-aholic, November 14
Artistic Nobody, November 15 (Author Interview)
Exploring the Written Word, November 15
Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, November 16
Guild Master, November 17 (Author Interview)
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 18
Through the Fire Blogs, November 19 (Author Interview)
Wishful Endings, November 20
Beauty in the Binding, November 21 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, November 22
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 23
Simple Harvest Reads, November 24 (Author Interview)
The Lofty Pages, November 24
Blogging With Carol, November 25
Labor Not in Vain, November 26
Fiction Book Lover, November 27 (Author Interview)
To celebrate his tour, Clint is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and signed copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/29094/steal-fire-from-the-gods-celebration-tour-giveaway
Watch My Christmas Hero on Great American Family starting November 24th & Great American PureFlix starting December 1st!
https://www.greatamericanfamily.com/movie/my-christmas-hero/
My Review:
A charming Christmas rom-com, with a heartfelt nod to the brave men and women who fight to keep our country safe.
A sweet romantic comedy set on a military base, charming and even some self aware humor. I loved the military base setting, as well as the strong themes of respect for the troops woven into the movie. It was a cute romance, and I liked that Nicole's parents were supportive and just wanted the best for her. She and Major Ross have a great group of friends that provided great humor and supportive advice.
A fun, lighthearted Christmas movie, with a sweet clean romance, in a lovely setting, and characters that you can cheer for till the end.
#MyChristmasHeroMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork
Many thanks to Great American PureFlix for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.
Giveaway: 3-month subscription to Great American Pure Flix
(Note: This is limited to US winners only, and only to those who have NOT won a subscription in the last 6 months.)