Wednesday, December 30, 2015

COMING JANUARY 5, 2016 . . . THE MERCHANT OF ALYSS, Book 2 in The Legends Of The Realm epic adventure!

The epic adventure, begun by author Thomas Locke with The Emissary, continues.  But for Hyam . . . this time, it’s personal.

He’s been having trouble sleeping, his dreams troubled by a great dragon who is desperate to communicate with him.  Or is it a dream?  Before he can discover the meaning, he and his companions are forced once again into daring and doing the impossible.  Along the way, they will each face their personal demons as they grow together from a group of individuals to a mighty army.

The Merchant Of Alyss follows the same formula that garnered praise for Thomas Locke in the first installment of The Legends Of The Realm.  The reader will be swept away on a literary journey fraught with peril, filled with challenges, and tinged by sorrow.  New friends will be made, new enemies will be met, and new obstacles will be overcome.  And yet through it all, there are the never-ending, ever-enduring themes of loyalty, courage, honor . . . and love.

To reveal more in this review would be to spoil the adventure.  If you’ve never read The Emissary, that might be a good place to start.  While The Merchant Of Alyss can be read as a stand-alone book, there are enough allusions to the first book to make this somewhat tedious.

Five Stars for author Thomas Locke and The Legends Of The Realm epic adventure!

The Merchant Of Alyss
Thomas Locke
ISBN 978-0-08007-2386-6
Fiction/General/Contemporary
Revell
368 pages

$14.99 U.S., paperback

Friday, December 25, 2015

GET "THE EMISSARY" eBOOK FOR FREE!!!


What a lovely Christmas gift! 

The ebook version of Emissary is FREE from December 24-31, 2015.

From January 1 through February 29, 2016, it’ll be $6.99.

It’s the perfect time to get “caught up” before diving into book 2 in the series, Merchant of Alyss (which releases January 5).




REMEMBER, THIS IS A FREE OFFER UNTIL THE BALL DROPS ON NEW YEARS EVE!

AS AN ADDED BONUS:  You could win a FREE copy of The Merchant of Alyss from The Book Club Network. The contest runs through December 31. To enter, leave a comment on this post at The Book Club Network blog.  

AND, AS MENTIONED BEFORE,I WILL BE RUNNING A CONTEST FOR A FREE COPY OF THE MERCHANT OF ALYSS THE WEEK OF JANUARY 11 - 15.  LET'S GET THE BALL ROLLING!  TELL YOUR FELLOW EPIC ADVENTURISTS ABOUT THIS AWESOME OFFER!  YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE AT THE LINK BELOW.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN A COPY OF THOMAS LOCKE'S LATEST BOOK, THE MERCHANT OF ALYSS? THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO!

YOU'RE NOT SEEING THINGS!  IF YOU'VE READ THE EMISSARY, THEN YOU ARE NO DOUBT WAITING ANXIOUSLY FOR THE SECOND BOOK IN THE SERIES, THE MERCHANT OF ALYSS.  

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU IT COULD BE YOURS . . . FOR FREE?

WITH THE GENEROUS ASSISTANCE OF THOMAS LOCKE AND HIS PUBLISHING TEAM, I WILL BE OFFERING ONE FREE COPY OF THE MERCHANT OF ALYSS THE WEEK OF JANUARY 11 - JANUARY 15, 2016.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!


TO WHET YOUR APPETITE, I'VE INCLUDED SOME LINKS TO GET YOU "UP TO SPEED" WITH THE LEGENDS OF THE REALM EPIC ADVENTURE SERIES BY THE GENTLEMAN ADVENTURER HIMSELF, THOMAS LOCKE (aka DAVIS BUNN.)  READ THE OPENING CHAPTER OF BOTH THE EMISSARY AND THE MERCHANT OF ALYSS.  GET ACQUAINTED WITH THE AUTHOR, HIMSELF.

AND . . . OF COURSE . . . SIGN UP TO WIN A FREE COPY OF THE MERCHANT OF ALYSS!

I WILL BE POSTING MORE INFORMATION AS THE WEEK OF THE CONTEST APPROACHES.  STAY TUNED, AND LET OTHER EPIC ADVENTURISTS IN ON THE CONTEST, AS WELL!

Thomas Locke is an award-winning novelist with total worldwide sales of seven million copies.

His work has been published in twenty languages, and critical acclaim includes four Christy Awards for excellence in fiction and his 2014 induction into the Christy Hall of Fame.

Thomas divides his time between Florida and England, where he serves as Writer In Residence at Regent’s Park College at The University of Oxford. Visit Thomas at http://tlocke.com.

Hyam is a likeable lad who will make a fine farmer someday. But he carries a burden few can fathom. As his mother slips toward death, she implores him to return to Long Hall, where he spent five years as an apprentice. It was there that Hyam's extraordinary capacity for mastering languages came to light--and soon cast him into the shadows of suspicion.

How could any human learn the forbidden tongues with such ease? When Hyam dares to seek out the Mistress of the Sorceries, her revelation tears his world asunder.

He has no choice but to set out on the foreboding path--which beckons him to either his destiny or his doom. An encounter with an enchanting stranger reminds him that he is part hero and part captive. As Hyam struggles to interpret the omens and symbols, he is swept up by a great current of possibilities--and dangers.

With lyrical prose that unveils a richly imaginative world, Thomas Locke takes readers on a journey into the Realm. There he invites them to awaken their sense of wonder. This cracking adventure moves like a contemporary thriller but harkens back to the enduring genre of classic fantasy.

Life for Hyam is bittersweet. Admired by the citizens of Falmouth for his heroic rescue mission, he cherishes these peaceful days with Joelle by his side. Yet grief over the loss of his magical skills during the great Battle of Emporis threatens to engulf him. Sometimes he even wishes he had never known magic at all.

When Hyam comes into possession of an ancient Milantian scroll, he is thrilled to feel the surge of power that courses through him whenever he touches it. But what he discerns in the text could mean war. He embarks upon another journey to determine its true meaning and forestall any attack. But as Hyam is seeking answers, he is unaware that the merchant of Alyss is seeking him…



Monday, November 23, 2015

DO YOU WANT TO GET CAUGHT UP IN AN EPIC ADVENTURE? HERE'S YOUR CHANCE!

IF YOU'VE READ THE EMISSARY BY THOMAS LOCKE, THEN YOU ARE PROBABLY ALREADY DEVOURING THE MERCHANT OF ALYSS.  BUT WHAT IF YOU HAVE STUMBLED ACROSS BOOK 2, AND CAN'T SEEM TO MAKE SENSE OF IT ALL?

I'VE SHAMELESSLY CUT AND PASTED AN E-MAIL FROM THOMAS LOCKE.  I'VE REVIEWED BOTH THE EMISSARY AND THE MERCHANT OF ALYSS, AND I'M HOPING THAT I WON'T GET BLASTED FOR THIS . . .

‘Emissary’ ebook sale: $6.99 through Dec. 23

By Thomas Locke
cover-emissaryI’m already excited for the January release of Merchant of Alyss, book 2 in the Legends of the Realm fantasy series.
If you haven’t yet read Emissary (book 1), now’s the perfect time to get caught up so you’ll be ready for the next installment in the series.
The ebook version of Emissary is only $6.99 (or less!) through December 23, 2015. A Christmas gift, perhaps?
Here are some bookseller links to Emissary:
Amazon – currently $5.38 for Kindle
Barnes & Noble – currently not displaying a sale price for NOOK Book – the price of $0.00 is for “The Captive,” a free ebook short that features scenes from Emissary.
(Other online booksellers that stock the book are not yet showing the sale price.)


Watch the Emissary trailer
HERE'S A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO GET "CAUGHT UP" IN ONE OF THE BEST EPIC ADVENTURES SINCE THE LORD OF THE RINGS.  ENJOY!

Monday, November 16, 2015

DO YOU HAVE "SKIN IN THE GAME?" FIND OUT IN THIS CHALLENGING READ BY RICK LAWERENCE!

Have you ever had a good friend ask you a really tough question, and then pin you down until you provided an answer?

In this book, Skin In The Game, think of author Rick Lawerence as a good friend.  Except, he is not just asking one really tough question.  He has eight of ‘em. 

And yes, he wants to pin you down until you come up with an answer.  But he’s going to help you find the answer.  He’s going to explore them with you.  Because the questions really are that important:
Will You Face Your Shame? 
Will You Receive Grace? 
Will You Embrace Your True Identity?
Will You Own What You Want? 
Will You Confront Your Fears? 
Will You Risk? 
Will You Wait, Even When All Hope Is Lost?   Will You Make Jesus Your First And Last Resort?

The questions are all centered around the title of the book.  Basically, Rick Lawerence wants us to realize that the Christian life really isn’t going to be lived for the glory of God until we have “skin in the game.”  Until we have something invested in the journey. 

Each question serves as a chapter heading, and Rick Lawerence explores each question from a variety of points of view.  He also anchors the questions to Scripture, the teachings of Jesus as he ministered 3 ½ years as the God-man.  You see, Jesus, too, had “skin in the game.”

There are only 139 pages in this book, but don’t let the length of the book fool you.  This is not light reading, by any means.  Find some place where you won’t be disturbed, and prepare to be challenged by some of the toughest questions you will ever face.

Challenging reading by author and church leader Rick Lawerence

SKIN IN THE GAME
Rick Lawerence
ISBN 978-0-8254-4359-6
Christian Life / Spiritual Growth
Kregel Publications
139 pages
$13.99 U.S.



Tuesday, November 10, 2015

THE FIVE TIMES I MET MYSELF Fascinating Fiction from James L. Rubart

I’ve been played.  Like a fine-tuned instrument in the hands of a master.  In his latest project (you cannot call what James L. Rubart does writing, anymore than you can call what Michelangelo did sculpting, or what DaVinci did painting, or what Beethoven did composing) James L. Rubart subtly captured my interest, and then skillfully played upon my emotions and my intellect.  Until it was too late.

To stop, that is.  To stop experiencing (one does not read James L. Rubart’s projects) the vision that is THE FIVE TIMES I MET MYSELF.

Who doesn’t have regrets over decisions made in the past?  Who hasn’t entertained the idea, even said the words, “If I only knew then what I know now . . .”

Things would be different.  I’d have done things differently.  I would have chosen what’s behind door number three.

Regret is a huge idea that lingers in the background; it’s the outline of many of our future decisions and determinations.  Sometimes it’s the foundation of many of our most intricately laid plans, and most expansive endeavors.  (Sometimes, it may even spark one’s interest and cause one to write a book about it.)

Brock Matthews’ once promising life is unraveling.  His coffee company.  His marriage.  So . . . when he discovers his vivid dreams – where he meets his younger self – might actually let him change his past mistakes, he jumps at the chance.  The results are astonishing – and disturbing.  Because getting what Brock wants most in the world will force him to give up the one thing he doesn’t know how to let go.

And his greatest fear is that it’s already too late.

* WARNING *  Do not open this book unless you are willing to entertain the idea of having your whole world turned upside down.


5 stars for mesmerizing fiction from James L. Rubart

THE FIVE TIMES I MET MYSELF
James L. Rubart
978-1-4016-8611-6
Fiction
Thomas Nelson
$15.99 U.S. / $19.99 CAD

Thursday, November 5, 2015

AGENTS OF BABYLON . . . Transformational Bible Teaching from Dr. David Jeremiah

Get ready to experience Bible Prophecy as you’ve never seen it before!  Dr. David Jeremiah, following up on his best-selling book Agents of The Apocalypse, uses the same literary techniques to bring you Agents Of Babylon, a fresh look at the prophecies of Daniel, their implications for the future and their applications for today.

In his own words, Dr. Jeremiah explains:  “In my previous book Agents of the Apocalypse, I opened each chapter with a fictional narrative about the subject of the chapter and ended with an exposition of the Scripture behind the story.  The fictional section is designed to whet the reader’s appetite for scriptural truth by showing the drama and excitement inherent in biblical narratives.  The second section is designed to separate fact from fiction and make relevant applications to our lives.”

The result is a book that draws you in, opens the Scriptures, and then suggests immediate, relevant, authentic applications of the Scriptures to your life.  Dr. Jeremiah’s gifted imagination enables him to write compelling narrative, and his commitment to teaching the complete Word of God teaches you in such a way that you don’t even realize you are “learning.”  In fact, Dr. David Jeremiah’s ministry is not education, so much as it is transformation.

If you are the same person after reading Agents of Babylon, perhaps you need to read it again!


5 stars for transformation Bible teaching from Dr. David Jeremiah!

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair and impartial review.


AGENTS OF BABYLON
DR. DAVID JEREMIAH
ISBN 978-1-4143-8052-0
Current Events / Prophecy
Tyndale Publishing
361 pages
$24.99 U.S.