A Penny Lost is entertaining, memorable and fun for lovers of time travel fantasy novels. I loved this YA book and cannot wait for the sequel! Scroll down to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy and an Amazon GC.

My Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

To read reviews, please visit Aspen Bassett's page on iRead Book Tours.

Aspen Bassett works at a library, telling stories and suggesting books. When she's not working, she's usually sipping hot cocoa and wondering what would happen if she had superpowers. She's been published in multiple anthologies including Oomph: A Little Super Goes a Long Way and Inaccurate Realities.

Aspen grew up learning about chakras and auras and the true power of imagination which slips into her writing whether she intends it to or not. In college, when she wasn't busy working on her degree in Creative Writing, Aspen also got her certificate in Women's Meditation (basically general energy work). Now, she's working toward a diploma in Integrated Healing Arts with a certificate in Hypnotherapy.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

Mailbox Monday Edition

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Mailbox Monday now has a permanent home on its blog. Link up to share your MM.

Top Ten Tuesday: Exotic Books on my Bookshelf That I Want to Read (Did you read any of these?)

A Peculiar Courtship by Laura Beers (Review) Fun and entertaining!

Reducing Your Cancer Risk: A Holistic Approach by Carl O. Helvie (Review) Very informative.

Guest Post: How to Encourage a Love of Reading in Children

How to Encourage a Love of Reading in Children 

This 174 page book includes a theoretical framework that provides an overview of factors that are carcinogenic and when avoided can reduce your cancer risks including electromagnetic frequencies, selected carcinogenic chemicals and metals, and ultraviolet rays. It also includes things you can do to strengthen your mind/spirit/body against carcinogens including 1) physical things such as exercise; fluids; nutrition; vitamins, minerals, herbs and supplements; immune builders; sleep; smoking cessation, and music, and 2) mental/spiritual activities including affirmations, compassion, faith, forgiveness, gratitude, meditation, optimism, prayer, relaxation, serving others, social support, stress reduction, and visualization. Research based ways to avoid or become stronger against carcinogens, and interviews with over 40 national leaders on these subjects are included in this holistic approach to cancer prevention.

Reducing Your Cancer Risk is an excellent and practical resource book chock-full of information that can motivate one to make lifestyle changes that can prevent cancer. The book is written by Carl O Helvie, President of the Holistic Cancer Foundation and a lung survivor since 1974. He is a pioneer in the use of holistic approach to cancer prevention and cure.

The book is divided into three parts. The first part discusses Environmental Factors and includes ways  to avoid or prevent exposure to risk factors, such as EMF waves, toxic chemicals and metals, and UV rays, all of which are factors I have read about recently. It astounds me at how toxic our modern world has become and we are exposed from our womb to our death. It can be overwhelming, but as Mr. Helvie states, even small changes can make a difference.

The second part discusses Individual Factors and includes lifestyle choices to increase one's resistance to cancer and build a better immunity, such as exercising, nutrition, sleep and a section on how to quit smoking successfully. It is empowering to know we do have a measure of control. As Mr. Helvie noted from his own experience as a cancer survivor, "it is less traumatic in one's life to improve diet, add exercise, prayer, meditation, and other lifestyle changes than it is to be disrupted by a diagnosis of cancer." How true!

The third part discusses Mental and Spiritual Aspects and includes compassion, meditation, forgiveness, prayer and stress management. This is such an important section in leading a healthy lifestyle but that many practitioners omit when discussing illness.

Although written by an educated man with extensive knowledge, Mr. Helvie keeps the information easy to read and follow by using the format of bullet point suggestions that can be implemented immediately. His tone is friendly and the information succinct and useful with plenty of references and links to interviews with professionals in the field. I have already implemented some of the suggestions in this book and educated my children about them as well.

If you are looking to lead a healthier lifestyle and want to have a practical manual on what to do to prevent cancer, this is the ideal book for you. It is a great starting point that will lead you to more information on specific factors you may personally be dealing with. The contents page, index and numerous links and references to over 40 other professionals make this book a handy resource that has gained a coveted place on my desk. This small humble book is part of my research, as I continue on my quest for a healthier me.

Disclosure: Thanks to the author for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.



Carl O Helvie, R.N., Dr.P.H. is a registered nurse with a doctorate in Public Health (Johns Hopkins) and over sixty years’ experience as a nurse practitioner, educator, author and researcher. He has published 9 books and chapters in 4 additional ones, and published 40 articles, presented over 55 research papers internationally and 60 papers for lay groups. Some of his books resulted from his development and over 35 years refinement of the Helvie Energy Theory of Nursing and Health that has been used internationally in practice, education and research in 9 countries. During his academic career Helvie received grants up to $800.000 each for his work with homeless and low income populations and other projects. He has been recognized in most major national and international references such as Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in Nursing, and Outstanding Educators in America and has two listings in Wikipedia. He received the Distinguished Career Award from the American Public Association in 1999. He was listed in 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading in 2014 and in 2015 was nominated for Nurse of the Year Award by Medical News.

In 1974, Dr Helvie was diagnosed with lung cancer and given 6 months to live by traditional medicine. He refused chemo and surgery and choose instead to use a holistic natural approach of treatment including physical, mental and spiritual components based upon concepts he learned in public health, from his research of and used in practice, the Edgar Cayce readings and other sources. He not only was cured of cancer but never had a recurrence. He has been called a pioneer in the field of Holistic Health and has taught and used this approach since 1970. For the past 10 years he has been host of the Holistic Health Show (radio) where he interviews leaders in alternative, integrative medicine and health who use all or parts of a holistic approach for chronic illnesses and wellness on www.BBSRadio.com and www.HolisticHealthShow.com In 2012 he published a book on lung cancer that included the holistic treatment plan used when he had lung cancer (Amazon #1 Best Seller). He was subsequently interviewed on over 100 radio and television shows. 

Because of his belief in the value of a holistic approach for staying well and/or regaining wellness and his desire to help others he founded the Carl O Helvie Holistic Cancer Foundation in 2014 at www.HolisticCancerfoundation.com. In 2017 he published a book on Reducing Your Risk of Cancer: A Holistic Approach. Currently, he is age 85, healthy and happy, has a strong faith in God, and is looking forward to many more years helping others.

Connect with the Author: Facebook ~ Twitter ~ LinkedIn

Book Details:

Book Title: A Peculiar Courtship: A Regency Spy Novel by Laura Beers

Laura Beers spent most of her childhood with a nose stuck in a book, dreaming of becoming an author. She attended Brigham Young University, eventually earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management.

Throughout the years, I've collected quite a few books with exotic settings that I'm interested in reading. They open up my eyes to different countries, cultures and political situations. Here are a few that I hope to read sooner rather than later.

Mailbox Monday Edition

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Mailbox Monday now has a permanent home on its blog. Link up to share your MM.

It is easy to see from Disney's own journey that they have gone down the path of changing and modernizing their princesses. They are now making stories that are more complex and less about the traditional themes of love and a happily ever after, and more about a character's personal journey, independence, and overcoming their problems. Frozen and Tangled are both very clear examples of this, and the same can be said for Moana. This approach has seen the traditional Disney fairytale princess story evolve into something that isn't traditional at all and has led to a resurgence in popularity of the brand, which was losing its way a little in the late '90s when the trend towards more humorous, 3D animated movies like Toy Story was first emerging. Disney got on board with that trend with their Pixar movies. There was still an audience for the over the top, all singing, all dancing princess stories too - they just had to change the formula a bit to reach it.

This would indicate that the modern audience only really wants a classic story if something new has been done with it. However, there is other evidence that suggests it is not the case. The live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast may not have been as big a hit as Frozen, but the excitement and hype around its release - largely from adults who loved the original movie, showed that there were still a lot of people who wanted to enjoy the very traditional love story of Belle and Beast again, even if it doesn't exactly translate into a 'great message for women' story! Additionally, there are a lot of people who are still very passionate about the old Disney films, with Disney VHS tapes worth a small fortune on the collectors' market.

Darker and Grittier?

If you are considering writing a fairytale style story and don't want to change the tropes to make the love story less important or the heroine a modern, independent woman, there are other ways that modern fiction has changed these classic tales to try and give them a new perspective or appeal to a more modern audience.

One thing we have seen done a lot in the past decade or so is darker adaptations of traditional stories, such as in the TV show Once Upon A Time or movies like Snow White and the Huntsman. The strange thing is, the original stories Disney based their fairytale adaptations on actually were very dark and often didn't finish with a romantic happy ever after at all! The stories were made 'lighter' and less horrifying to appeal to the audience of the time. This is why when we think of The Little Mermaid, we think that in the end she marries the prince and gets to live happily as a human. This is not what happened in the original story at all!

You can, therefore, write something that will appeal to fans of darker stories using fairytales as a source of inspiration, but this is actually a far less novel approach than you might think!

Going Traditional

So, if you still love the idea of a fairytale romance story, complete with a princess, a handsome prince, and a happily ever after, can you do this and not look out of touch with modern fiction readers?

The answer would seem to be yes. If you think about it, most romance stories have some elements in common with fairytales, and it is just the setting and supernatural elements that are missing - you may have a billionaire businessman as a hero instead of a prince, and problems other than curses keeping the couple apart, but the idea is the same.

Essentially, if a fairytale with all the tropes is what someone wants to read, they know they can get lost in an escapist fantasy. This is true of children as well as adults, so if you are trying to write something that entertains and delights rather than teaches, keeping to those tropes is still something that can work.


Maggie Hammond is a retired nurse and freelance writer, exploring and writing in the U.S. in retirement. An advocate for public health and nursing qualifications, she feels passionate about raising awareness of the current strain on public health organisations.

Book Details:

Book Title: ICE by Lauren Carr
Category: Adult fiction, 380 pages
Genre: Mystery, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Cozy
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: February 26, 2018
Tour dates: April 2 to 30, 2018
Content Rating: PG (It's a murder mystery and there is mild violence. Very mild swearing no F-bombs. No on-stage sex scenes.)

Book Description:

The clues for a close-to-the-heart missing person’s case heat up when Chris Matheson starts chipping away at the ice on the cold case.

When Sandy Lipton and her unborn child disappear, the court of public opinion finds young Chris Matheson guilty. Decades later, the retired FBI agent returns home to discover that the cloud of suspicion cast over him and his family has never lifted. With the help of a team of fellow retired law enforcement officers, each a specialist in their own field of investigation, Chris Matheson starts chipping away at the ice on this cold case to uncover what had happened to Sandy and her baby and the clues are getting hot!


After having read several books from the three series of Carr's books on the market, I was excited to read ICE, the first book in the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery series with a whole new set of characters. As is Carr's trademark, ICE was a thrilling crime fiction novel filled with twists and turns, non-stop action, strong characters, and comical relief in the form of four-legged companions.

Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent in his forties and the new main character of the series, is a widower with three daughters aged 6, 10 and 13. He moves back in to live with his mother Doris on the family farm. Moving back to town brings back bad memories of when Chris was accused of killing pregnant Sally Lipton 24 years ago. Although he was acquitted, the town is still suspicious of him.

When a dead body shows up on his property, cold cases are dredged up, old flames are reignited and Chris is back in the game. He reluctantly joins a book club which turns out to be the secretive Geezer Squad, a team of fellow retired law enforcement officers, each with special investigative skills, who get together to solve unresolved cases. This is where Carr's skill at creating new and interesting characters comes into play. I just simply loved the Geezer Squad! The four men and two females were unique, razor smart, and used their mature status and life experience to keep active.

But I have to say that my favorite characters were Doris and Sterling. Doris isn't your average grandmother. She is a stylish mature woman, with wonderful mothering instincts and a sharp tongue that can bring grown men to their knees. She was awesome! And Sterling, the goofy German Shepherd, who was injured on duty as a law enforcement canine, just stole my heart and cracked me up with his antics. That casino scene was just priceless.

The only character that I felt was underdeveloped was Helen Clarke, Chris love interest. For some reason, I wasn't too fond of her, and she irked me. I think if her background had been explored a little more, I would have understood her better and connected with her more. Apart from this, Carr captures the essence of family beautifully with heartwarming scenes with Chris and his daughters. Furthermore, she used the external element of an ice storm to build conflict, suspense and the metaphorical feeling of cold cases.

ICE is a strong start to a new series that will have fans of Lauren Carr thrilled to be introduced to another set of memorable and entertaining characters. Carr's Geezer Squad has brought sexy back to mature men and women, whose kickass attitude and smarts sizzle as they melt the clues to those cold cases!

To read more reviews, please visit Lauren Carr's page on iRead Book Tours.

Book Details:

Book Title: Ralphie, Always Loved by Andrea Yerramilli
Illustrated by: Samantha Van Riet
Category: Children's Fiction, 32 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: About Something Good, LLC
Release date: October 28, 2017
Tour dates: April 9 to May 4, 2018
Content Rating: G

Book Description:

This is the story of the life, love, and adventures of a beloved family dog, and how he delighted and touched his family and everyone he met.

Ralphie was born with a heart on his belly.
He loves food, his family, his friends, his neighbors.
He loves pretty much everything and everyone.
And they love him back.
And that's how it is all through his life.
Read the book and fall in love with him too.

Rambunctious and hyperactive, Ralphie had already been returned to the animal shelter three times, but when Andrea and her husband adopted him and gave him a loving home where he was understood, accepted, and taught, he learned fast. As Ralphie's human family grew, so did his capacity for love and the ways he could express it. He remained a loving and beloved family member who touched the hearts of the whole neighborhood until he was ready to say goodbye at the grand-old age of sixteen. Ralphie, Always Loved will remind you of all that is good, and reaffirm your belief in love's power to uplift and transform.
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There are two things that I love to do: travel and read books. And whenever I do travel I always keep an eye out for bookshops, book stands, and libraries. I love coming home with a book I bought on my travels. So when I came across this book with the topic of Book Towns, I was instantly intrigued. What is a book town?

In Book Town: Forty-Five Paradises of the Printed Word, the author describes a book town as "simply a small town, usually rural and scenic, full of bookshops and book-related industries." The movement began when towns wanted to help their economy by focusing on sustainable tourism so that communities can thrive and the traditional book kept alive. Many of these villages hold literary festivals and other creative events that appeal to artists and tourists.

Damme, Belgium

Alex Johnson has compiled together the very first guide of 45 book towns from nearly 30 countries, giving us a brief history of the town, popular events that take place there and photos of its quaint landmarks. Each section ends with a small information box containing pertinent website links and how to best get to the town by car, train, or bus.

I loved reading about these towns, many of which are in Europe. Each is unique in its own way. It stirred the travel bug in me, making me want to hop on a plane to visit and stroll through their streets, these towns that display their love of books in such creative ways.

A labyrinth of books for sale in the centre of St-Pierre-de-Clages, France

The author dedicates about 4 pages per town, with lots of photos and a short text that packs a punch of interesting info. One learns not only interesting historical tidbits but also fun information about the towns and its inhabitants. Some of these towns offer stunning scenery, making them the perfect place to buy and read a book. Truly paradisaical!

Perhaps the best view from a bookshop in the work (Fjaerland, Norway)

An honesty bookshop on the side of the road, on the shores of Sognefjord, Norway

What is also interesting is that many of the bookshops are also specialty bookshops, selling books on local history, religious books, banned books, old books or books that may not be found elsewhere.

Les Chats Noirs, which specializes in books on social and libertarian movements

Obidos Biological Market, where you can browse a cookbook and pick out the ingredients on the spot (Portugal)

Book Towns is a great coffee table book and ideal to gift to the book lover who loves to travel. It is a book that is a testament to the love that people have of the printed written word, and to the ingenious ideas communities come up with, not only to survive, but in some cases to thrive through local artistry and craftsmanship. The love of books is universal as seen through the colorful pages of this book. It is heartwarming to read about the respect books are given in these towns.

The next time I travel, I will make it a point to take photos of the bookshops I visit. If you find yourself in a book town, stop and visit their bookshops and buy a book or two. You will be supporting the town, the printed word and your own love of reading.

Plenty of bargain books at the Bredevoort Market in Netherlands

Note: All photos provided by the publisher with permission to publish in this post.

Disclosure: Thanks to The Quarto Group for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Alex Johnson is a professional blogger and journalist, part of The Independent's online team. Alex runs Shedworking, which inspired the book Shedworking: The Alternative Workplace Revolution published by Frances Lincoln, The Micro Life, and curates Bookshelf, which was published as a book in 2012 by Thames & Hudson as Bookshelf.

Improbable Libraries, a survey of the most unusual and intriguing libraries around the world, was published by Thames & Hudson in April 2015. His book A Book of Book Lists was published in October 2017 by The British Library.

Alex lives in St Albans, London with his wife, three children, and plenty of books from all over the world.

Connect with Alex on Shedworking  ~ The Micro Life ~ Bookshelf ~ Twitter