Vespers Rising

Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, and Jude Watson

238 pages

Price: Hardcover- $12.99 U.S./$14.99 Canada/6.99 UK

5 Cahills, 4 Stories:
Gideon Cahill makes the ultimate sacrifice to protect his greatest secret from the man who was once his closest friend, now his sworn enemy-Damien Vesper.
Madeline Cahill takes a great risk in attempt to bring her family back together.
Grace Cahill runs away to find a secret the Vespers could use to rule the world.
Dan and Amy Cahill race to relocate the same secret that Grace risked everything to hide.
The Vespers have waited in hiding for years. Now they emerge to find the secrets and take over the world. Can the Cahills stop them?

I Won Anne Elisabeth Stengl's book, Veiled Rose . . .

Congratulations to need2read for her brilliant success, naming all the dragons in the Maiden and Dragon contest! The interesting thing to note is that not all of her answers were the same as mine . . . yet all her answers were correct! Here is my list of Maidens and Dragons:

1. Princess Cimorene—Kazul (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles)
2. Princess Adelina—Vollys (Two Princess of Bamarre)
3. Mulan—Mushu (Mulan)
4. Lady Sibyl—Errol (Guards! Guards!)
5. Lessa—Ramoth ( Dragonflight)
6. Una—The Dragon of Errour (Faerie Queen) OR . . . the Dragon King/Death-in-Life/Father of Dragons from my own book, Heartless! Tricky, that one . . .
7. Aerin—Maur (The Hero and the Crown)
8. Alice—Jabberwocky (Alice in Wonderland)
9. Kara—Draco (Dragonheart)
10. Princess Aurora—Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)
11. Kale—Gymn and Metta (DragonSpell)
12. Belinda—Custard (The Tale of Custard the Dragon)
13. Princess Fiona—Dragon (Shrek)
14. Princess Elspeth—Vermithrax Pejorative (Dragonslayer)

need2read, however, answered Brom for #4, which is correct . . . Brom is another one of her pet dragons. She also answered Flagra and Byrn for #9, which is also correct. I had to research that one, but Kara turns out to be the heroine of the Flight of the Dragon Kyn, which is definitely full of dragons!

Excellent work on all those answers, people! Yet again, I am impressed by your dragon knowledge.

Written by Anne Elisabeth Stengl on her blog.

Happy Easter!

Christ is Risen

by Matt Maher

Let no one caught in sin remain
Inside the lie of inward shame
We fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to Him who showed great love

And bled for us
Freely You've bled for us

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bowed to none but Heaven's will
No scheme of Hell, no scoffer's crown
No burden great can hold You down

In strength You reign
Forever let Your church proclaim

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
The glory of God has defeated the night

Sing it, o death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
Our God is not dead, He's alive, He's alive

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Rise up from the grave

City of Stars by Mary Hoffman

City of Stars by Mary Hoffman
453 pages

     Tomboy Georgia is being bullied by her foster brother. When she purchases a wooden figure of a winged horse, it takes her to Talia, a parallel world resembling Italy. There, she meets a young boy named Cesare who works in the stables and is helping his father prepare for the big horse race coming up. A winged horse is born in Cesare's stable, something that happens only once in a hundred years. It is believed to bring good luck to the city in which it is born. Could it help Cesare's city win the race that is so important?
    With enemies lurking  nearby, keeping this a secret might be difficult. The di Chimici will do anything to stop their rivals from winning. And why was Georgia brought to Talia? She knows there must be a reason, but what?

http://stravaganza.co.uk/


    Dreaming of a city with flying horses was one thing . . . But coming face to face with someone she knew to be dead - that was something else again.

Previous book: City of Masks
Next book: City of Flowers.

Eye of the Oracle by Bryan Davis

Eye of the Oracle by Bryan Davis
609 pages
     Dragons have been helping humans throughout all of time. Makaidos helps protect Noah and his ark from the evil Watchers. Years after, he and his family help King Arthur battle the Saxons. Later, the dragons are not safe, so they disguise themselves as humans. There children are both dragon and human.Follow the dragons fight  between good and evil from the creation of man to present times.
     Meanwhile, Mara, an underborn slave, works in the dark caves under the earth to create an army of giants. She slaves under the harsh rule of Morgan, an evil sorceress. Starting from the time of Noah and the ark to present times, this prequel to the series Dragons in Our Midst reveals all the secrets.

Next book: Enoch's Ghost

City of Masks by Mary Hoffman

City of Masks by Mary Hoffman
340 pages
     Lucien, a young boy living in England, is sick in bed with cancer. His father brings him a beautiful journal that looks like it is from Venice. Lucien begins to read about Venice and becomes very intriuged by the Italian city. One night, Lucien falls asleep with the journal in his hand and finds himself transported to a place very much like Venice, Italy.
     In this strange city, called Talia, Lucien is healthy again. He makes friends - and enemies - with the people there and begins to like living there. Returning to Talia every night, Lucien uncovers a plot to kill the Duchessa. Meanwhile, in his own world, he seems to get better. But will these night time adventures affect his health? Will Lucien save the Duchessa of Talia?

http://stravaganza.co.uk/

Next book: City of Stars

Soul Surfer - Bethany Hamilton Movie

Soul Surfer comes to theaters nation wide (USA) on April 8th. Bethany Hamilton is a professional surfer in Hawaii. A shark bites off her arm while she is surfing, but she continues to do what she loves best and trusts God to help her. Visit http://bethanyhamilton.com/ to learn about Bethany and http://www.soulsurferthemovie.com/ to learn about the new movie starring AnnaSophia Robb as Bethany.

Sisters of the Sword by Maya Snow

Sisters of the Sword by Maya Snow
275 pages
     Sisters Kimi and Hana are daughters of the Jito, a noble of Japan. When their uncle murders their father and older brothers, Kimi and Hana run away to find their mother and younger brother, who is now the heir. The girls dress as poor farm boys and act as servants in a samurai school. But one of the students is their cousin, and the son of their evil uncle. Will Kimi and Hana be able to stay hidden long enough to find their mother and brother and bring them to safety?

Next book: Chasing the Secret

Cecile: Gates of Gold

Cecile: Gates of Gold by Mary Casanova
179 pages
     Twelve year old Cecile Revel lives in France with her father. While in the woods one day, she comes across a woman from the king's court who has fallen off her horse during the hunting party. Cecile brings help for the woman, and in return, she is rewarded with life in the palace.
     Taking care of Madam's dogs seems like an easy job to Cecile, but when she learns of all the rules she is expected to follow, and also hears rumors about her father's previous life, living in the palace doesn't seem the same as she expected it to be.

Claim to Fame by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Claim to Fame by Margaret Peterson Haddix
256 pages
    Young actress Lindsay Scott can hear everything anyone says about her. One day, Lindsay decided she couldn't take it anymore and quit the actress business. Now, she stays in the safety of her home, the only place where she can live in peace and quiet without the voices.
      One night, two fans come to Lindsay's house and kidnap her, thinking they are rescuing her from her father, who, as the newspapers say, is holding her hostage. When Lindsay finally explains that what they heard is not true and gets home, their friend is still worried about her. Will Lindsay ever have a normal life? Will she find out why she hears voices?

http://haddixbooks.com/