Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope

Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope is the first edition in the Earthsinger Chronicles. Earthsingers are people who have a magical ability called Earthsong. It is as natural to them as air, and connects them to nature. They are non-confrontational people but can utilize the elements of earth as defense in battle. Those born with Earthsong are scorned by people who are born without.

Jasminda was the strongest of them all, even if her Earthsong was the weakest.

Despite being hardly tolerated in Elsira, Jasminda manages to keep her chin held high while living alone on her family property. Her father was an Earthsinger from Lagrimar but stayed in Elsira to be with her mother. Her parents were not well liked in their town because of their interracial relationship. For choosing to marry an Earthsinger, Jasminda's mother was disowned from her Elsirian family.

Lagrimarians are not trusted, are believed to be inferior, and are often referred to as the slur "grol". L. Penelope has presented a different concept for representing bias and the hardships people endure for having a quality that is naturally inherent to them. Earthsong is the cause of discrimination while the color of their skin is only an outward indicator of the ability.

Jack, an Elsirian soldier and therefore not an Earthsinger, is our leading man carrying a few secrets. He is caught spying on Lagrimarian soldiers and beaten nearly to death. It is when his captors commandeer Jasminda's cabin that she and Jack are thrown together in a fight for survival. They are a formidable pair, each saving the other time and time again. Just when they think they can find happiness with each other, they arrive at Elsira's Capital where less than a handful of people are kind to Jasminda.

Her appearance attracts gossip and rudely open stares.

Jasminda receives little kindness and virtually no respect while in Elsira's Capital. Internally she feels the pain of being judged, yet outwardly she is the picture of confidence. She is a stronger heroine than most. Her internal struggle with the cruelty of others is honest and how most of us feel when we are misjudged. How she reacts reflects a deep will not to succumb to the prejudice of others. She manages to continue putting the well being of others before her own, desperate to figure out why The Queen Who Sleeps is sending her visions in her dreams.


Despite the personal cost to her own happiness, Jasminda is determined to find a way to wake The Queen and stop The True Father from taking over the lands and stealing Earthsong from all Lagrimarians. She finds new friends among the Lagrimarian refugees who have managed to hide from The True Father and retain their Earthsongs. Not all of them trust her, but they recognize that she has been chosen by The Queen.

Song of Blood and Stone touches on another sensitive subject, the treatment of refugees. There is dangerous tension and mistrust among refugees and soldiers. They're rejected by community and thought of as less than. This isn't the key story line but it does easily apply to our very real climate.

There might be some predictability in the love story, but I was not expecting the amount of feelings I would experience in this book. I was entranced by the magic of Earthsong, and impressed at the resilience of a young woman in the face of adversity.

Song of Blood and Stone is much more than a young fantasy story, it is an experience that all book readers need to endure.

Frankincense for Emotional Support - Week One

I've completed pretty consistent use of Frankincense daily for a week. I was advised to roll it over my heart every three hours for emotional support. That is a little impractical for my lifestyle, so I have been successful in my goal of three times a day. Here's what I've learned thus far:

I have learned to like the smell.

Frankincense has a very earthy smell. I barely tolerated this oil when I opened my starter kit from Young Living. After a week of rolling this on my chest daily, I've learned to do one small streak rather than rolling it back and forth. One swipe is plenty of oil. The scent has grown on me. I don't mind it like I used to. My oily guru/friend says I was averted to the smell because my body truly needed Frankincense.

Frankincense is assisting my battle with depression.

Without serious trauma or distinct reasons to so-called "justify" my depressive mood swings, I lived a long time without knowing my inner monologue was not normal. I noticed that it truly escalated around my menstrual cycle. After pinpointing the pattern I was diagnosed with PMDD. I'm on a daily anti-depressant but sometimes it's just not enough support. I can honestly say that after my first week I believe the properties in Frankincense are helping keep me in good spirits. For the last month I've been too moody and bleh feeling to even read a book (check out my blog, reading is what I do). I just regained that drive to read books a few days ago. That is HUGE for me. I can't help feeling like Frank is part of the equation here.

My improvement is not limited to Frank. 

I diffuse citrus fresh, or grapefruit oil at my desk at work. I diffuse lavender with patchouli or cedar wood at night for improved sleep. Have you ever noticed that certain smells make you smile? Maybe you don't smile but you say "ahhh" with a contented exhale. In any case, these oils make me smile because their soothing. When I'm super stressed, I feel relief even for just a moment. That's the magic of oils that keeps me going daily.

To learn more about Frankincense and its MANY uses click here

If you're interested in the starter kit from Young Living which includes a gorgeous diffuser, Frankincense, and several other valuable oils, click here.

/// I am not a certified health expert. I am not an expert in oils. I am a consumer who is learning about oils and how they can improve my life. Please do your own research, don't replace medications without talking to a doctor.
Always talk to a doctor before beginning any health regimen. \\\

Sick Girl by Rachel Hargrove

In her novel Sick Girl, Rachel Hargrove tells the story of both Aubrey and Melissa from their alternating perspectives. Aubrey is in love with Melissa's husband as well as Melissa's lifestyle. Both women are terminally ill and therefore live a life different from everyone surrounding them. To get close enough to kill Melissa, Aubrey has to befriend her. In doing so, she realizes that she actually likes Melissa. Killing her becomes much more difficult once they've become friends.

Aubrey is definitely a sick girl in more than one way 

Aubrey is definitely suffering from some delusions. In her perspective, the transition into her lover's life will be simple. Of course he puts his wife first right now, but if Melissa were gone then he could finally put Aubrey first. Simple really, Melissa is terminal anyway. All Aubrey is doing is speeding the process along. Aubrey could move-in with Tom and the kids and enjoy the only good thing going on in her life, Tom. She'd be happy through her final days.

Tom's wife Melissa was the bread-winning success before she got sick. She was the reason that they could afford the mcmansion in San Francisco. Her tech start-up put them in designer clothes and fancy cars. When her illness forces her to step down from work she becomes obsessed with the company's place in the stock market. She can't remove herself from her phone, following her "first baby" while being stay-at-home mom to her two actual children. Melissa could be considered the lucky one between her and Aubrey. Melissa has money to throw at organic food, high quality vitamins, and expensive naturopaths. Most of all, she's not facing death alone.

There's surprising revelations involving all three points of this love triangle 

As a reader, you can't help but want both women to get a happy ending. Both of them are destined to die from page one of this story yet you can't help hoping somehow there's a miracle cure for them. Sure, Aubrey is crazy but she's also dying alone. She might just need psychiatric treatment and distance from Tom. Melissa might not be the world's best mom but again, Cancer. Cancer makes it hard to be as attentive to her kids as she needs to be. She's fighting for her life literally and was already suffering depression from the loss of her career.

So how does Rachel Hargrove get it done? Do they both die? Does Tom finally get caught cheating? Read this exciting thriller to find out!

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

 Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody is a dangerous journey through the "City of Sin". A city that is said to leave a mark on your soul. No one leaves the city undamaged in some way. Enne Salta is a young and proper lady who arrives with a trusted guidebook in hand, desperate to find her missing mother. Her book warns her of the dangers of the city, where to go and where not to go. It doesn't warn her of the reputation that her mother Lourdes had in the city. She quickly realizes she can't seek help from the "white boots" (police), she will have to rely on the help of Levi Glaisyer and his street gang The Irons.

Young love blooms in the right place but at the wrong time. 

We shouldn't be surprised when Levi and Enne begin to develop feelings for each other; and yet, it's not the typical circumstances getting in the way of their budding romance. Levi is keeping secrets from Enne in an effort to protect her. While helping her search for her mother he can't bring himself to tell her that he's received the card of "The Fool," indicating his required participation in a game that holds his life as the prize. The odds of "The Fool" winning the game are slim to none.

Enne discovers a lot more about her own secret past than that of her mother's.

While I expected most of this book to take place in a deadly game played by Enne, I'm pleased that the author took us through the journey of Enne searching for her mother. She makes unlikely friends, finds herself in various situations of danger where she discovers she's not quite as delicate as she thought, and she manages to find the courage to keep facing devastating setbacks without losing hope. Enne was not considered special in her hometown of Bellamy and was hardly accepted by her peers. Now she's found acceptance, and a place to truly shine. It might be in The City of Sin, but she comes to feel more connected there in just a few days than in her whole life lived in Bellamy.

The author Amanda Foody brought these young characters to life with such a true adolescent perspective. Despite Levi being in charge of an entire street gang, she shows us his soft side and vulnerability. She describes people of different ethnic backgrounds, main characters who could be defined as bi-sexual (no graphic lovemaking in this book), and characters who choose to dress gender fluid. Foody manages to create a diversity that I don't tend to see when I read books. We rely on the author to create the landscape to which our own imagination will leap off and fill in visual gaps. Amanda Foody provides a landscape that is very alluring and very unique.

Thank you Harlequin Teen for the free book giveaway hosted on Goodreads.com