Thursday, March 3, 2011

BOOK TOUR: REVIEW OF BLUE BY LOU ARONICA AND CONTEST

*UPDATED TO REFLECT CONTEST...DETAILS BELOW*


Blue by Lou Aronica
finished reading on March 3, 2011

My thoughts:

Note:  Personally, I do not feel that this review contains spoilers, but you may want to read it cautiously, just in case.

What would you do if your daughter had cancer at age five?  What would you do to help get her through the painful cancer treatments?  Well, Chris Astor and his daughter Becky create a world together called Tamarisk...and it turns out this world is real.

I have to admit I was skeptical when I began reading this book, but that did not last.  The author has constructed such a terrific blending of the real and fantastical world.  The realities of cancer and divorce and their effects on a family and the fantasy of a world created in story to help a young girl overcome her pain do not seem like they would meld together, but in this book, they do.  I loved the characters, especially Becky's dad, Chris.  Never have I encountered such a devoted father.  A father that believes in his daughter so much that he does not hesitate to believe her when she tells him Tamarisk is real.  And the world building of Tamarisk was fantastic...and believable.   

Let me warn you...be sure to have a box of tissues beside you when you approach the last quarter of the book, especially if you are a parent.  I always say this, and it rings true time and time again, I know a book is good when it makes me cry (even though I HATE being sad).  I highly recommend this book.  Remember what I said, I was skeptical in the beginning.  But if you start reading it, don't give up on it.  If you do, you will be missing out on one terrific book.


The author
Book description (from goodreads):
Chris Astor is a man in his early forties who is going through the toughest stretch of his life. Becky is Chris's fourteen-year-old daughter, a girl who overcame enormous challenges to become a vibrant, vital young woman - and now faces her greatest obstacle yet. Miea is the young queen of a fantasy land that Becky and Chris created when Becky was little, a fantasy land that has developed a life of its own and now finds itself in terrible, maybe fatal trouble. Together, Chris, Becky, and Miea need to uncover a secret. The secret to why their worlds have joined at this moment. The secret to their purpose. The secret to the future. It is a secret that, when discovered, will redefine imagination for all of them. Blue is a novel of trial and hope, invention and rediscovery. It might very well take you someplace you never knew existed

You can read all about the author, Lou Aronica, HERE on goodreads.

I'd like to thank Tracee at Pump Up Your Book for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.


CONTEST!!!

How often do you hear about something that sounds too good to be true? Well, I am here to offer 10 lucky winners the opportunity of a lifetime.
New York Times bestselling co-author, novelist, and former Publisher of Avon Books andBerkley Books, Lou Aronica has created a unique and exciting offer to anyone that is going to follow his upcoming book tour with Pump Up Your Book. His extensive experience in the publishing and editing fields has given him insight into an industry that continues to grow and change daily. Once again, that insight has led him to offer a contest that is truly special in so many ways. Lou will be accepting story pitches from followers of his blog tour. These story pitches must be for short stories pertaining to the fantasy world of his novel, “Blue.”This contest will allow 10 lucky people the opportunity of a lifetime, the chance to have their story published in an upcoming companion anthology to “Blue.” Lou will hand pick the winners, edit their stories, include them in the anthology and give them a pro-rated share of the royalties. How can you pass up an opportunity like this?


Now for the details:


The pitch should include a synopsis of the proposed story and a sample of the submitting author’s fiction writing. Specify the expected length of the story.


The pitch needs to be submitted by April 16, 2011
Please email your submission to Lou at laronica@fictionstudio.com

All winners will be notified by email by May 27, 2011.




I received a copy of Blue in conjunction with a book tour from a publicity firm for my honest review and did not receive any monetary compensation.

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