Christmas Gift Guide: Gifts for Everyone from Waterstones

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With Christmas fast approaching and supplies running low, you may be at a loss as to what to get people for Christmas. Well, here are some really fun and cute Christmas gift ideas!

A bookish plush

I love plushies and Waterstones have a ton of plushies based on book characters, the perfect gift for any age!

Super cute Octopus plush!

A jigsaw puzzle

Waterstones have lots of different jigsaw puzzles, some based on books and others just for fun, such as this cat puzzle.

Indie Showcase #2 Books for Free or 99p/99 cents

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Authors work really hard, pouring all of themselves into creating their passion projects and achieving their dreams. One thing that I want to do is to help authors to reach a wider audience and make more sales. Something very important for all authors, is receiving reviews. Reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Waterstones and other shop websites help authors to find even more readers. Sometimes authors will run deals such as offering their book for free or for a cheaper price so that readers can access their books and review them for others to find. In these indie showcase posts I am going to share some of these books. Please check out any books that you are interested in and leave reviews online! See other indie showcase posts on my book lists page.

A lot of indie books are free to read on Kindle Unlimited, which you can get a free trial of and then it is 9.99 a month with access to a ton of e-books so I'd definitely recommend checking that out.

If you are an author and you would like a dedicated post for your book, please check out my contact page for information on my paid spotlight posts. 

Introductions: Volume One

Free to Newsletter subscribers or 99p on Kindle.

A Look At... The Flames of Albiyon by Jean Menzies

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Title: The Flames of Albiyon
Author: Jean Menzies
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Buy links: Book Depository - Waterstones - Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com

Synopsis:

A century since the monarchy was overthrown the country of Albiyon has become a haven for its citizens, the young scholar Adairia included. Raised within the Albiyan university’s walls she has dedicated her life to the pursuit of knowledge. Preferring to hole up in the library than seek adventure elsewhere, she has grown accustomed to her comfortable routine… until the day everything changes. When she unwittingly awakens a sleeping dragon’s egg, Adairia is thrust into unfamiliar territory.

Book Review: Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe

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Title: Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch
Author: Julie Abe
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Buy links: Book Depository - Waterstones - Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com

Review:

Eva Evergreen is the daughter of an extraordinary witch but Eva herself only has a pinch of magic. Whenever she uses her magic, she loses energy and can even pass out. To become a novice witch, Eva has to travel to a city and 'do good' within a month. 

Author Shout-out: Lali A. Love

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Welcome to an author shout-out post! For more information see this thread. Check out my book spotlights index and my shout-outs page for more indie authors to read from!

Lali A. Love is an avid supporter of other writers. Lali is an award-winning author and Amazon bestseller. She has written science fiction, dark fantasy, a paranormal thriller and poetry. Lali's books are available on Indigo, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple Books. Let's take a look at the books!

To view all of Lali's books, check out her Amazon page or website.

Fiction

The De-Coding of Jo: Hall of Ignorance (Ascending Angel Academy Book 1)

What would you do if you accidentally discovered a holographic portal into the cosmos, in the basement of your high school's library? Would you take the leap of faith?

Ever since the fatal night her mother was taken hostage by a homicidal maniac, sixteen-year-old Jo has been plagued by debilitating nightmares. As she tries to unravel her bleak reality while attending Forest Hill Academy, a preppy co-ed private school, Jo and her friends discover a mysterious gateway into a Black Hole. Accidentally, evil is released from the portal as demonic parasites spread throughout the school. One by one they turn her classmates into an army of sleepwalkers, serving the Lord of Darkness in a sinister plot for universal domination.

When Jo is activated by the Council of Light, she discovers her mission and confronts her celestial identity, revealing the mystery of existence. With the help of her best friends and a Galactic Compass, Jo unleashes the cosmic powers of creation to prevent the Darkness from enslaving all of humanity into obscurity. Will she be able to decode the artificial system in time to save her friends and the sacred Light?

As the first book in the Ascending Angel Academy series, The De-Coding of Jo is a beautiful melding of fantasy, paranormal and science fiction with a diverse, gender inclusive cast that young adult readers can fully immerse themselves in.

A Look At... Doctor Who: At Childhood's End by Sophie Aldred

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Title: Doctor Who: At Childhood's End
Author: Sophie Aldred
Genre: Science Fiction
Buy links: Book Depository - Waterstones - Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com

Synopsis:

Past or future, which path do you choose?

Past, present and future collide as the Thirteenth Doctor meets classic Doctor Who companion Ace - in the first epic novel from the woman who played her, Sophie Aldred.

Book Review: Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

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Title: Aru Shah and the End of Time
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Buy links: Book Depository - Waterstones - Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com

Review:

Aru Shah and the End of Time follows Aru, a girl who makes up stories. One of these stories results in her touching a lamp that no one is allowed to touch which wakes a demon. Aru, her soul sister, Mini and a guardian stuck as a pigeon, have a limited number of days to stop the end of the world.

A Look At... The Lightning Catcher by Clare Weze

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Title: The Lightning Catcher
Author: Clare Weze
Genre: Middle Grade Sci-Fi
Buy links: Book Depository - Waterstones - Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com

Synopsis:

Alfie has noticed a few things since his family moved to Folding Ford.

He really misses life in the city. He and his sister don't exactly fit in here. But the most interesting one is that the weather is BONKERS. One frost-covered branch on one tree in the middle of June? A tiny whirlwind in a bucket in the garden? Only in Folding Ford. Armed with his bike, a notepad and his new best mate Sam, Alfie is going to investigate.

His best clue is Nathaniel Clemm ... the only thing in town weirder than the weather. When Alfie 'investigates' Mr Clemm's garden, only SLIGHTLY illegally, he finds a strange box that freezes his trainers and makes his teeth tingle. And when he opens it, only SLIGHTLY deliberately, SOMETHING gets out. Something fast, fizzing and sparking with electricity and very, very much alive.

But the creature from the box brings trouble of its own, and as barometers and tempers go haywire in Folding Ford, Alfie finds himself at the centre of a perfect storm.

Skellig meets Stranger Things in this funny, heartfelt adventure story perfect for fans of Ross Welford, Christopher Edge and Frank Cottrell Boyce.

My thoughts:

This is a book that I randomly found and the synopsis just pulled me in. It sounds like a comical science fiction where things will go wrong and I am interested to see the cause of the issue and how they will resolve everything.

Book Spotlight: Trauma Survivor's Guide to Coping with Panic Attacks: Focusing on Panic Associated with PTSD and cPTSD by Nicole Dake

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Title: Trauma Survivor's Guide to Coping with Panic Attacks: Focusing on Panic Associated with PTSD and cPTSD

Author: Nicole Dake

Buy links: Amazon.com - Amazon.co.uk 

Synopsis:

PTSD controlled my life - no more. I once was a survivor, now I'm a warrior.

Panic attacks that result from PTSD and cPTSD can be debilitating. Research unfortunately falls short, telling those suffering from panic attacks to just "wait for them to be over." Over the years I have learned to cope, first preparing for panic attacks, and then calming down during a panic attack. I am sharing these coping skills with others who have PTSD, so they can go from being survivors to warriors too.

Author bio:

Nicole is a parenting and mom life blogger with two published books. Nicole's other book is called Happy. Healthy. Rich. The smart mom's guide to living your best life.

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Book Spotlight: Happy. Healthy. Rich. The smart mom's guide to living your best life by Nicole Dake

 AD, this post also contains affiliate links

Title: Happy. Healthy. Rich. The smart mom's guide to living your best life

Author: Nicole Dake

Buy links: Amazon.com - Amazon.co.uk 

Synopsis:

Happiness is more than the absence of pain. Don't spend your life running away from things, spend it running toward something instead. You only have one life to live.

Living your best life happens when you set goals in an intentional way. When you are a happier mom, you will have happier kids too!

Author bio:

Nicole is a parenting and mom life blogger with two published books. Nicole's other book is: Trauma Survivor's Guide to Coping with Panic Attacks: Focusing on Panic Associated with PTSD and cPTSD.

Links:

Blog

Shop

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest