Thursday, May 30, 2013

My Review Of Three Sisters By Helen Smith


"Fast-paced, funny, and mysterious." Socrates' Book Reviews
Three Sisters introduces twenty-six-year-old amateur sleuth Emily Castles in this popular new British mystery series.

Emily has been invited to a party in the big house at the end of her street in London. How could she know, as she left her house that evening, that she was making an appointment with death?

Readers of M C Beaton or Alexander McCall Smith will enjoy discovering a new mystery author in this entertaining 70-page novella.
"Fast-paced and unusual, I highly recommend this one." Eva's Sanctuary

 "It grips you from the very beginning." Books Bistro
 
I give this book a five star review.
Intriguing mystery. Did Emily really see what she thought she saw? It was fun to follow the clues with Emily as she solved the mystery. Satisfying ending.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

My Review of Dream Student Book 1 in the Dreams Series by J. J. DiBenedetto


Dream Student

What would you do if you could see other people’s dreams?  If you could watch their hidden fantasies and uncover their deepest, darkest secrets…without them ever knowing?

Sara Barnes is about to find out.  She thought that all she had to worry about was final exams, Christmas shopping and deciding whether she likes the cute freshman in the next dorm who’s got a crush on her.

But when she starts seeing dreams that aren’t hers, she learns more than she ever wanted to know about her friends, her classmates…and a strange, terrifying man whose dreams could get Sara killed.

“Dream Student” is the thrilling first installment of the Dreams series.


I give this book a five star review. I loved it. I'm facinated by dreams, so this book really intrigued me. I love the dream scenes. They were so real as if I were dreaming them along with Sara. This is a fantastic paranormal suspense novel. A type of book I love to read. Thank you J. J. for a good read. I can't wait to read the other books in this series. So when I finish those books, you'll see my reviews here on my blog.


Here are the links:












 



Author Bio:

J.J. (James) DiBenedetto was born in Yonkers, New York. He attended Case Western Reserve University, where as his classmates can attest, he was a complete nerd. Very little has changed since then.

He currently lives in Arlington, Virginia with his beautiful wife and their cat (who has thoroughly trained them both). When he's not writing, James works in the direct marketing field, enjoys the opera, photography and the New York Giants, among other interests.

The "Dreams" series is James' first published work.
I hope to see more books by J. J. Here are his other book in the Dream series that I can't wait to read.


Dream Doctor

“I didn’t expect to be woken up by someone I don’t know dreaming about killing somebody.  I thought I was done with that once and for all…”

But Sara’s not done with it.  As if adjusting to life as a newlywed and starting medical school weren’t difficult enough, she’s started seeing the dreams of everyone around her, again.  Before everything is said and done, those dreams might destroy Sara’s hopes of becoming a doctor, wreck her marriage and even end her life…

“Dream Doctor” is the thrilling second novel in the Dreams series.

 

Dream Child

"I would give anything to take this away from her.  I would gladly go back to having the nightmares myself – the very worst ones, the ones that had me waking up screaming in a pool of my own vomit – rather than see Lizzie go through this..."

As a resident at Children's Hospital, Sara can handle ninety hour workweeks, fighting to save her young patients from deadly childhood diseases.  But she's about to be faced with a challenge that all her training and experience haven't prepared her for: her four-year-old daughter has inherited her ability to see other people's dreams...

"Dream Child" is the suspenseful third novel in the "Dreams" series.
 
 

Dream Family

"Why is this so hard for me?  Why am I having so much trouble?  Why do I feel so helpless, so hopeless?  What the hell is wrong with me?"

After tangling with murders and mobsters, not to mention medical school and three years of residency, Sara thought she could handle anything.  And then the police show up without warning at her new office and arrest her for a crime she can't possibly have committed.  Sara's confidence, and her grip on reality, is shattered during one terrifying night in jail.

Now, the very dreams that have endangered her life and driven her to the edge of madness may be the only thing that can help Sara find herself again...

"Dream Family" is the powerful fourth novel in the "Dreams" series.
 
 
Thank you for stopping by the blog. I hope you enjoy reading these books as much as I have. Leave me a comment and let me know.
 
 


Saturday, May 18, 2013

My Review Of Blind Dating by Kerry Taylor


ABOUT THE BOOK:

A light-hearted, funny romantic comedy - perfect for fans of Hilary Boyd, Christina Lauren, Lindsey Kelk, Deborah Cooke, Claire Cross, and Jill Mansell.

            When mid-forties, divorced, single-mother-of-three, Kimberly, realizes her own mother has more of a life than she does, she decides to do something about it. Encouraged by success stories from people at work, she joins a dating chat room, ICQ, which starts to rock her world.
All of a sudden she’s a swinging single, online, with extreme dates, a little dirty talk, and a sense of her new, sexy self— until that fateful moment when her long-time chat-room buddy, LonelySingle, wants to meet.
"Are you trying to find a man on Facelook?" her Mom questions, after years of being told it is Facebook!
What if he doesn’t like her?
What if she doesn’t like him?
These are the thoughts, inside her head. Until they meet and realise, that they have been friends offline aswell as online!
What happens next?

LINKS:

Blind Dating
 
 
 
My review of this book.
 
I give this book a 4 star review. I love the cover. A funny light-hearted romance about a single mother searching for true love. I found this story to have some funny moments.
 
 
 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A single mom of three living in Madrid, Kerry Taylor has been through many tugs-of-war in her life – from being stalked and abused to separated from her estranged husband – all while expressing her life through writing in different forms.
She has released a series of autobiographies in the form of short stories and poetry: Stones of My Heart, Life’s Pebbles, Emotional Rollercoaster of a Single Mom, and Gravels of Moments.
 
Author's Links:
 
 


Thursday, May 16, 2013

My Review Of Seen The Wanderer Sereies by Heather Sutherlin

Through a portal, into another world, on an impossible quest...This wasn't how they planned to spend the summer.

Rory has no idea what's going on in the woods behind her house, but it's driving her crazy. On the last day of her senior year she finds herself caught up once again in the curious happenings of the forest and walks away without any of the answers she was hoping to find. To make matters worse, she is sent to visit a sick neighbor and instead finds the hottest guy she's ever seen. When she discovers his brother's incredible secret she falls further into her own chaos and into a fate she never could have imagined.

Jaron is just counting the days until the summer is over and he can get back to his real life. Stuck with his little brother on a tiny farm in rural Oklahoma is not exactly his idea of fun. But when Rory shows up on his doorstep with an armload of pie, he knows his summer has just taken a sharp turn into new territory. He never expected the adventure they would discover next or the quest that would change their lives forever.

I give this book a five star review. I loved it. Heather weaved together a magical world. The characters Rory, Rin, and Jaron were great. I was hooked from the very beginning all the way to the end. A page turner. I want more. Can't wait to read book 2. Thanks, Heather, for a good read.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

My Review Of Softly Say Goodbye By K C Sprayberry


I have the priviledge of having my dear friend and critique partner, KC Sprayberry author of Softly Say Goodbye on my blog today.

Welcome, Kathi.

I have always enjoyed reading Kathi's stories, and Softly Say Goodbye is no exception. I give Softly Say Goodbye a five star review. Wow. I loved it. This book brought tears to my eyes. I couldn't help but cry with Erin when she lost the love of her life. KC Sprayberry has developed such real characters, I felt as if I knew them personally. This book is about teen drinking and the problems it can cause. But this story is also about love, friendship, and family. Thank you, Kathi, for a good cry as well as a good read. I can't wait to read more of your books.


About the Book:

Erin Sellers, an eighteen-year-old high school senior, hates teen drinking. She and her three friends – Bill, her guy, Shari and Jake - decide to use Twitter to stop a group, the Kewl Krew, from using their high school as the local bar. But the members of this group are just as determined to stop anyone from messing up their fun. Despite veiled threats to her safety, Erin continues her crusade.

To make matters worse for her, the stress of school and extra curricular work mounts and suddenly, shockingly, booze-fuelled tragedy strikes. Erin is now under greater pressure as she spends all hours to produce a mural and other work to commemorate the death of a teen friend. Bill, Jake and Shari support her in all this...

But more tragedy lurks nearby… until it’s time to softly say goodbye.

Excerpt




The whole room erupts into moans and groans. None of us like someone calling us kids, not with most of us already eighteen.

He laughs instead of getting upset. “Sorry. All right, class, here's the list. I'll call out a location, and the first person with their hand up gets it. I have enough locations for everyone to work alone, except one. Two of you will have to share.”

I sit back and go over possible locations in my mind. One sticks out. The park across from the police station on Main Street. There's a fantastic in-ground fountain for kids to play in during the summer and a bunch of concrete benches around it with walking paths and short walls. The fountain has a huge jet in the center and shoots water in a long stream over the nearby area. It also has smaller jets with bubbling water around the basin. But it's so plain, and the perfect place for a fantastic mural about living in a rural area.

“The old Long John Silver's near the Red Foods,” Mr. Janks says. “Mayor Flaggins thought something related to farming there.”

“Me!” Tuck waves his arm back and forth. “I have this fantastic idea. Maybe something including Jackson Valley and all the farms down there.”

Wallis County has a lot of small farms, nothing more than five to ten acres for people to put in enough vegetables to feed their families and sell the rest at truck stands. Tuck's suggestion brings up a visual of a long winding road beside a creek with houses against small hills and open fields to either side. In the summer, during the height of growing season, it looks fabulous.

“Okay, Tuck has the Long John Silver's.” Mr. Janks makes a note. “Let’s get on with the rest.”

The list of places to decorate sounds boring, and like Mayor Flaggins wants free labor to clean up some pretty nasty parts of town. Yeah, the economy stinks, but why do we have to volunteer to do something the mayor can put people sentenced to community service on?

“Okay, just two more,” Mr. Janks says, jerking me back to reality. “Next, the fountain near—”

My hand shoots into the air, and I wave my arm harder than Tuck did.

“Looks like Erin's hot for this one,” he says. “Okay, Erin. Want to share your idea?”

“Not sure yet,” I say. “Something including kids and the fountain. Definitely green.”
 
 

The Author Info:

I am happily married to a man I met while in the Air Force. We recently celebrated our 18 years of marriage. Our teen, the youngest of 8, keeps us on our toes with his band activities. Writing is something I've done since I was very young. At first, it was in a diary and then I poured all my energies into English compositions, earning praise from my Advanced Composition teacher in high school for an extremely visual project. While in the Air Force, I placed second in the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge's annual contest and from then on, was hooked. However, the reality of a military career and raising children forced me to put off attempting publication until my husband and I moved to Georgia. It was after the birth of our now teen that I began taking courses through The Institute of Children's Literature, Long Ridge Writer's Group, and Writers Digest in an effort to make my life's dream come true.

We live in Northwest Georgia, in a small town, where I write Romance, Westerns, Young Adult, and Middle Grade stories, both short and book length. More than a dozen of my short stories have appeared in magazines such as Listen Magazine, Brio, and The Pink Chameleon website. I also have short stories in anthologies, Passionate Hearts Anthology, Mystery Times Ten, The Best of Frontier Tales, Vol. I, and Mystery Times Nine. My western stories have garnered interest by avid readers and appear on The Western Online and Frontier Tales.

My work appears under the pen names of KC Sprayberry and Kathi Sprayberry. Softly Say Goodbye, a young adult novel, was my NaNoWriMo winning project for 2010. This story was inspired by a quote from a song and hearing of an auto wreck involving teens and drinking.

 

Important Links:




website: www.kcsprayberry.com





I hear Softly Say Goodbye is on sale this month so check it out. Also you can enter for a chance to win a copy of Softly Say Goodbye.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

The Edge Of Darkness by Melissa Andrea


Title: The Edge of Darkness

Author: Melissa Andrea

Release Date: May 31, 2013

Tour Organizer: B3 Tours

Synopsis:

 

After a tragic accident, Araya Noelle is left with a constant reminder that nothing is forever.
She is forced to give up her chance to be the youngest dancer accepted into Julliard & taking over their high society school by a graceful storm of determination, is no longer an option. Instead of dwelling over her loss, she accepts the new future she’s been dealt. In a world as black as hers, there's no room for bitterness, no time for regret. Sheltered from the outside world, Araya has become suffocated by a life she has no control over. Until Ryland Dare comes crashing into her life.
You don’t know true darkness until you've felt the light…
Like a firecracker, showering her with colorful sparks of freedom, Ryland quickly sweeps Araya away from her grey existence. For the first time since the accident, living in darkness is no longer something Araya wants to do willingly. Unleashed by the shadows of her reminder, being with Ryland, Araya touches light. Together they will learn what it’s like to feel alive for the first time.
At the edge of darkness, a ray of light, will dare them both to HOPE. 
DARE them to LOVE
DARE them to LIVE



 

Book Trailer:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/U-R5-jolGcc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Edge of Darkness Excerpts
 
Excerpt 1
“I’m afraid I’m going to have this hanging on my conscious all day now.” he teased.
“That only seems fair.”
“Yes it does, but I have a better suggestion.” his voice slid over my skin like silk.
“Better for whom?”
“Go out with me.”
His proposal stunned me for a second and then I found my voice.
“So better for you?”
“I like to think of it as a mutual enjoyment.”
“I fail to see how.”
He shifted, and his breath hit my face in warm puffs. “Go out with me and I’ll show you.”
Excerpt 2
“I’ve never met anyone like you before Araya. The way you view life and love; you’re not angry with anything that’s happened to you.”
I turned my head toward him, and a smile tilted the corner of my lips. “Yeah, I’m kind of amazing that way.” I teased.
He rolled over, bracing his arms on either side of my head, and we stared at each other upside down. His thumbs swept across my cheeks and his fingers caressed the sides of my neck up to my jaw. Tilting my neck back, he kissed my chin, and the dip below my bottom lip. He brushed his lips back and forth over mine, but the touch was so light, I couldn’t even be completely sure it had happened.
“Yes, you are.” He whispered.
Excerpt 3
His fingers wrapped around the back of my neck, pulling me hard against his body. I knew what he was attempting to do, but his plan was backfiring. My body sighed at the contact, and every curve molded against him; desperate to feel all of him.
“If I feel you beneath me, I won’t be able to stop Araya. I want you too damn much! I want you, all of you. I want to be buried so deep inside of you, you won’t know where I end and you begin.” His breath showered my lips with warmth.
“I won’t want you to stop Ryland. I need you, all of you, now and forever.”
“And the rest?”
His eyes move over my face, flushing my skin with the intensity of his gaze. The rhythm of my heart increased, because I know what he wants me to say.
“Say it.” He growls against my lips.



Author Bio:

Melissa started reading in high school when she found her mom's romance book collection and has been hooked on books every since. She became a complete book-a-holic, starting her own collection and improving her reading skills. Most of the time she could finish a book walking around the store, while her mom shopped.

She wrote her first short story in high school for a competition in her writing class. It was a child's book called 'Arnold' - it was about an ant who believed he could do anything. Oh by the way, she won!

She has written many stories since then, but this will be her first YA paranormal/fantasy and the first book she will have published.

She lived in Mesa, Arizona with her husband of six years, and her 3 beautiful daughters. They are her biggest fans and they inspire her everyday. She enjoys spending time with her family, weekend dates with her mom & taking vacations. Hawaii anyone?

 

Author Links

Website: http://melissaandrea-justlikethat.blogspot.com/



Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/melissa_andrea

Monday, May 6, 2013

Mary Waibel Author of Quest Of The Hart


A reverse Sleeping Beauty tale where the princess goes on the quest to save the prince.

 Princess Kaylee has never had to fight for anything. Her entire life has been arranged, even her marriage. But when Prince Devlin falls under an enchantment, she finds she is willing to do anything to save him, even if it means fighting a dragon.

 Devlin's own sister, Princess Arabella, is behind the deadly plot. She wants the throne and will use any means necessary to gain it. Her perfect plan unravels, leaving Devlin caught in a magical sleep that is slowly spreading through the kingdom of Breniera. All Arabella needs to finish her spell and claim the crown is a drop of Kaylee's blood, but obtaining the single drop is proving more difficult than expected.

 To save her betrothed, Kaylee embarks on a quest to find an ancient sword and gather a drop of dragon's blood, while trying to stay out of Arabella's traps. But Arabella's traps aren't the only danger. Time is everything. For once the last inhabitant of the kingdom falls asleep, the spell will be sealed, and not even true love's kiss will break it.
Book Excerpt:
          “There’s nowhere to go, Princess,” Arabella said. “And don’t get any ideas, either. I can finish things just as easily with the hag’s daughter as I can with you.”
          “Kaylee, don’t listen to her. Only your blood will work, ” Sabrina yelled.
          “Silence, wench! Thaddeus, get Princess Kaylee and keep hold of her.”
          Kaylee started, so focused on Arabella she had missed the knight waiting at the edge of the stream. When he stepped into the water, she took a step backward, but his long arm caught hold of her and tugged her toward the bank. She considered struggling, but with his height and strength, it would be useless. Instead, she trudged to the shore, her mind whirling with plans to escape Arabella’s clutches.
          “Kaylee,” Sabrina said. “You must get away from here.”
          “I won’t leave you here with her. There’s no telling what she’ll do to you.”
          “Princess Arabella will not harm Sabrina,” Thaddeus said. “She has done nothing to warrant such action.”
          “I don’t have the same faith in your princess as you do,” Kaylee said. “Not after what she did to her brother.”
          “What she did?” Thaddeus asked.
          “Enough talk.” Arabella pressed the dagger closer to Sabrina’s neck, and glared at Kaylee.
          It was clear the knight had no inkling that Arabella was the most dangerous person in the area. If she could get him on her side, they might be able to leave unharmed.
          “Let her go, Arabella. I’m the one you want.” Kaylee held up her hands in surrender. She gave a low whistle, thankful Arabella didn’t seem to notice. Not knowing what animal ability the other princess possessed made it dangerous to be calling for help, but her options were sparse. Hopefully the birds still in the area were listening. A faint trill rose from below, and Kaylee felt hope spark to life.
          “Thaddeus is going to tie your hands, and you’re going to cooperate.” Arabella tipped her head toward Sabrina, a warning in her eyes. “Unless you would like your friend here to pay the price.”
          “Princess Kaylee will come peacefully,” Thaddeus said. “Why don’t you put that blade away before someone is injured?”
          “Why don’t you tie her up like I ordered?” Arabella snapped.
          Kaylee held her hands behind her back, whistling a longer melody, asking the birds to be ready, to wait for her command. She waited for the rope to bite into her flesh, but Thaddeus made it tight enough to restrain her yet loose enough to keep from chafing.
          “Kaylee, why didn’t you go? I’m not worth you losing Prince Devlin. You must finish the quest and save the prince.” Sabrina’s words ended on a whimper as Arabella dug the blade into her neck.
          “Sabrina!” Kaylee struggled against the bonds holding her. Thaddeus grabbed her shoulders, and she bucked against him, desperate to aid Sabrina.
          “She only nicked me,” Sabrina said.
          “But the spell. That means—”
          “No, Kaylee,” Sabrina said. “She has to have your blood to finish the spell. And it has to be on the special dagger, not this one.”
          “Are you suggesting Princess Arabella is working with you to ensorcell the prince?” Thaddeus asked.
          “No. I’m saying Princess Arabella is the one who be-spelled him to begin with. She needs my blood to finish the curse. A death curse.”
          “Princess? Is this true?” Thaddeus asked, and Kaylee prayed he could be swayed to their side.
          “Of course not. They’re just trying to deceive you so they can go free.”
          “Good sir knight. Were I to blame for the curse put upon Devlin, why would I be here at Paladin’s Sword when I could have been safely back in Palindore by now?”
          Thaddeus frowned. “I don’t know, but my princess has assured me she was not the one to harm her brother. That she saw you cast the spell on him. Why would she lie?”
          “Because the only way she can have the throne is if her brother is dead.” Kaylee blinked back tears at the thought.
          A clatter of rocks echoed around the clearing, and Kaylee felt Thaddeus stiffen. He stepped forward, sword in hand, relaxing his stance when Lady Deirdre and Lady Maeryn stumbled their way around the bend.
          “Well?” Maeryn asked, bending over at the waist and panting. “Have you finished the deed?”
          Arabella grumbled something, and the two girls paled.
          “W-We should have w-waited at the w-waterfall,” Deirdre whined. “Y-You d-didn’t n-need our h-help at all.”
          “I need you to watch the hag’s daughter while I finish things here,” Arabella said.
          “Maybe you should just throw it at her and be done with it,” Maeryn said.
          Arabella bent and pulled a dagger from her boot. Kaylee shuddered, certain this was the end. Devlin had bragged at how perfect his sister’s aim was, and now she would see it first hand.
          “Thaddeus! Bring her here.”
          Thaddeus didn’t move.
          “I won’t allow you to harm her. Your father’s orders were quite clear about that.”
          “I will do as I will with her.”
          Kaylee decided she had waited long enough. The knight was not going to believe her, and she wasn’t going to give Arabella a chance to use her for target practice. She whistled, and the air filled with birds.
          Arabella, Maeryn, and Deirdre shrieked. Thaddeus released Kaylee, waving at the birds as he rushed toward his princess as all good knights would.
          “Sabrina! Follow me!” Kaylee yelled as she stumbled up the path, her hands still bound behind her back.
          Chaos reigned by the stream. Thaddeus waved away the birds, but more swooped in. Maeryn and Deirdre screamed. Arabella gripped the dagger and glared at Kaylee.
          “Let me help you.” Sabrina grabbed Kaylee’s arm and tugged her up the path. Their only hope was to follow the path around the bend and pray there was a place to hide.
          “Don’t let her get away!” Arabella screeched.
 
Today I have Mary Waibel author of Quest of the Hart on my blog today. Welcome, Mary.
At the end of this post there is a chance to win a free ebook.
 
1.      Tell us about your book and how the story came to be. 
 
A friend told me I should write a story where the girly-girl princess had to save the prince, and Quest of the Hart was born.
 
2.      What three words best describe your main character?
 
 Fragile yet strong

 
3.      Do you have a method for creating your characters, their names and what do you think makes them believable?
 
I search names on the baby names sites, sometimes by meaning, sometimes by origin. I keep looking until I find one that resonates with the image I have of the character in my mind.
 
4.  Do your characters follow your plot path or do they take on a life of their own? Do you keep them in check?
 
Plot path? LOL! I have a loose idea of where I want the story to go, but my characters definitely lead the way. I've learned when I can't go on from a point, it's usually because I had a character do something they wouldn't, and they won't let me go forward until I fix it and make it right.
5.      Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? If so, how did you over come it?

Laundry seems to be the thing that breaks through my writer's block. It never fails, the answer comes as I'm switching clothes from washer to dryer. I also have a great group of CP's (critique partners) I bounce things around with.
 
6.      What types of books do you like to read?
 
I a sucker for a good romance, usually with some kind of intrigue or paranormal element in it. Over all, I want a good story, with characters I want to escape with time and time again.
 
I have to agree, Mary.
 
7.      What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?
 
Spend time with my family, camp, read, take a trip to the wineries, watch hockey or baseball. My son plays hockey and lacrosse, so I'm usually at a rink or field in my off time.

 
8.      What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?
 
I just finished up my content edits for Charmed Memories, a companion novel to Quest of the Hart, and I am currently revising a third book in the group for submission.

 
9.      What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?
 
 If you don't write it, you can't fix it. As long as you have something on the page, you can always work at making it better, but if you leave it blank, it will never become anything.
 
Good advice.
 
 
Mary lives with her husband, son and two cats. When she isn't twisting fairytales, she enjoys reading, playing games, watching hockey, and camping. Her debut novel, Quest of the Hart, will be available from MuseItUp Publishing April 19, 2013. Charmed Memories, a companion novel, will be available from MuseItUp Publishing in August 2013
 
You can find Mary Waibel at:
@mewtweety14 (twitter)
 
Buy Link (Quest):
 MuseItUp Publishing:
Amazon:
 
Barnes and Noble:
 
Kobo:
 
 
Book Trailers (Quest):
 
 
 
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