Book Review The Healing Crystal "Heir to Power"

This book was huge, but I loved every page.

When it first arrived in the mail, my mom was visiting and picked it up. She scanned the back, asked me about it and when I told her I got it to read and do a blog review of it she nodded her head and put it down. Then she picked it back up and started reading. I haven't seen my mom read a book before. Sure magazines, kids books to me when I was little, medical journals. (She's a nurse recently retired) and maybe it's because I haven't really been home to see her reading, but she started one night at my house, stayed up late reading it and was about 1/4 the way through by the time she had to head back home. She asked if she could borrow the book and bring it back since she'd be coming back for Thanksgiving.

I was pretty busy with NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)so I told her, "Sure. Take it home, but make sure you bring it back because I have to read it for the blog book tour." SHE LOVED IT! I kept asking her about it and she said things like it's interesting, it's good, it's fascinating. She never told me what happened, letting me discover it for myself but the fact she read it and didn't put it down after she began told me it was something good. She's even checked out the second book in the series on Amazon.

Now to tell you what I thought of it. It was great. It starts out interesting from the very beginning. The story is about a sixteen-year-old girl who is the next in line to lead a small colony called the Survinees. She will be the one to hold an ancient religious artifact called the Healing Crystal. She is also destined to marry a handsome guy who has been training to be the support he needs to be to her leadership. But... She starts to have feelings for someone else.
This book has so much going on in it that you'd almost be confused if I told you all about it, but as you read it, it is so clear and easy to follow. But let me try to sum it up.

Kairma is next in line to lead the colony, but since she had a childhood illness that left her looking like the race of almost albino looking men, the people in her colony almost fear her. She's nervous about what's expected of her, her younger sister Kinter wants to be the one in line for the power. Kairma is supposed to marry Naturi when she comes of age within the year, and he's willing, but then she starts to have feelings for a guy who happens to be her big brothers best friend.

Meanwhile, a traveling archaeologist from the outside world discovers their colony and is almost put to death since no one in the outside world is allowed to know the secret of their colony (The Healing Crystal), but the matriarch (Kairma's grandma) decides not to kill him, but hopes he'll bring his woman back to help increase the numbers of the colony since disease and infertility have wiped out the colony and they don't want to have inbreeding going on.

Some of the people go to the outer civilization and see what they've been missing in the hundreds of years since their colony has hidden themselves while those in the colony discover a hidden vault in the mountain near a monument with four faces carved into the mountain. (Yeah, that place) In this vault are things that you would recognize, but the Survinees don't know what it is and as they try to interpret what they find you begin as a reader to piece together what might have happened.

It's considered a science fiction book, but it reminded me of old west meets lost tribe that has remained unchanged over the centuries. It's science fiction because it takes you to the future but makes it feel like you've gone back in time or to an alternate universe.

Though they try to keep their life the same it has been for so long, the outer world can't be stopped from influencing their colony.

I like the last sentence of the blurb on the back of the book: "A battle is raging between insider and outsider and Kairma holds the power to bring peace, but is she strong enough to save the world she loves?"

Kairma is a great Main Character and I really liked how Michele Poague developed her. The interactions between characters are great. The story line is creative and complicated in just the right amounts. I really can't wait to read the next one in this series.

It's a wonderful read and I highly recommend it.

The link to buy it on Amazon is HERE


Michele Poague's website is HERE

A book review. Faithful Fit, and Fabulous

A book review of Faithful Fit, and Fabulous by Connie E. Sokol

I saw this book on the authors blog a couple months ago and loved the title. I wanted it right away so when I had the chance to get a copy of it to do a review I jumped at the chance.

The thing that surprised me was that instead of it being a fix all right away kind of book, it flat out tells you not to try to do it all at once. I had a little bit of a hard time with that since I want answers, and results right away. (I just had a baby a few months ago and am still waiting for those last stubborn pounds to disappear) I know I know, I need to do the work and exercise to get it off, but I still want immediate results. But after reading this book, I think I have a better chance at success in weight loss, managing my life, fitness, motherhood and so many other things than if I tried to change things immediately.

Connie Sokol basically gives us 8 chapters of ideas to correspond to a particular issue or challenge or even developing particular habits. She recommends you read only one chapter a week so as to not overwhelm yourself by trying to jump right in and then burn out. I of course read the whole thing over the space of a couple days while holding a baby more often than not. The ideas in there are simple, yet sound. I've applied a couple, found I was already doing something similar to what she suggested, or thought my way of doing something worked just fine and that I didn't really need to change it since it worked.

She doesn't promise ridiculous results. She tells you what she did. How it worked for her, (or not) and what she wished she would have done differently. It's like learning how to do something along with someone who has been there, done that, but is willing to let you still do it your way.

I don't normally read self help books, but I really enjoyed this one. I liked the thoughts and quotes she used from respected religious leaders. I liked how she had it broken up into manageable chapters and sections so I can easily go back to the one I want to focus on at any particular time. By doing the things one by one, and adding the next one when I'm ready for it I'll be much better off than just wishing things were different for me.

This would be a good book to check out if you are interested in making some changes in your life. And by the slow and steady adage you will be more likely to find success than all the New Years Resolutions you can remember making over the years.

To find her website go HERE

To order her book go HERE