Wednesday, November 11, 2015

BOOK TOUR - Ocean Park, By Michael Walsh



Book Title: Ocean Park
Author: Michael Park
Genre: Mystery with Minor Romance

BLURB:

All Detective Matt Conley ever wanted was to raise a family in Ocean Park with his stunning and ambitious wife Lisa. When a corpse is found in his church, Matt begins a journey that reveals corruption and decay in his city and deceit in his marriage. As he searches for the murderer of a local businessman, a gang war erupts for control of the city’s drug trade, and the body count rises. With his reluctant new partner, Detective Lloyd Kendricks, Matt weaves his way through the puzzling connections between street gangs, politicians, bikers, and a private kink club.

Will their unlikely alliance be enough to return Matt's beloved hometown to its halcyon days? And will he find the faith he needs to rebuild his crumbling marriage?

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EXCERPTS (Exclusive excerpt):

The whore opened the motel room door, the light snapped on, and Vithu clutched her collar, his fist full of red pleather and fake fur. Samay saw that the tattooed letters on the back of his mentor’s fingers spelled LOVE. The irony wasn’t lost on him—the whore suddenly sported a human-hand necklace that advertised her trade.

She almost escaped before Vithu slammed the door. In fact her hand was flat on the guest instructions—CHECKOUT AT 11:00. ICE MACHINE DOWN THE HALL. Samay and the eleven others, ethereal in a cloud of hash smoke, stood around a bed with a nappy ivory spread and watched Vithu trap the girl for bauk.

Bauk—the Cambodian practice of gang raping a prostitute, was the first initiation rite for the Ocean Park Asian Boyz. Samay found her surprise exciting, delicious, as if she’d stumbled onto her own party. But tonight the party was for him, and they were guaranteed privacy. Two Ocean Park policemen, paid off by Vithu, stood sentry outside the door, easy duty on a slow Monday night.

Seconds later the girl nodded, knowing her choices were rape or a beating—and then rape. Samay was glad. They’d already spent too much time waiting. Smoked a lot of hashish and drank sweet wine. Talked too much about gang fights and Pon, the legendary Asian Boyz gang leader traveling to Ocean Park from Long Beach.

Laughter rippled, surrounding the girl as she stripped with the resignation of a prisoner walking to the gallows. She lay on the sagging mattress. Pale skin peppered with freckles and moles. Samay was first, and though he was a stranger to white women and the company of others to so intimate an act, he had no trouble performing. His friends cheered, congratulated him when he was done, then jockeyed for their place in line. The girl’s musk and sweat mixed with the sweet smoke.

There was trouble once—a question of place in line, booze-fueled threats, shoving. Vithu stepped forward and surprised everyone with a vicious chop to an ear that knocked the troublemaker down and drew blood from a gash on his scalp. The Boyz candidates quieted.

The sex was exciting, but not the way he thought it would be. Camaraderie was the high, the laughter and joy of his new friends, the ones he was pledging his life to.

When Vithu helped himself to the girl and spread his other hand next to her head, Samay saw HATE tattooed on those fingers. Vithu was a strange man.

No matter. This was the greatest night of Samay’s young life.

Bauk was good.

Brotherhood was good.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Michael Walsh attended Boston University, where he became a staffer for the Daily Free Press and earned a degree in journalism. His first professional job was at a public relations and advertising firm, writing press releases that appeared in the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and New England Journal of Engineering. He later became a technical writer, writing and editing jet engine manuals for General Electric Aircraft Engines. GE relocated him to Cincinnati and Florida, where he currently resides. He’s written and studied fiction for years at BU, the University of Cincinnati, and now Jacksonville, where he won the First Coast Writers Festival short story contest and had work published in the UK’s Twisted Tongue and Askew Reviews. He’s an active member of the Bard Society, Florida’s longest-running writers’ workshop.

His five novels and dozens of short stories, most of them richly-layered mysteries, take place in New England. Mike and his wife Jean live in Florida with their three sons.


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Thursday, November 5, 2015

BOOK TOUR - The Children of the Blessing, By Perry Morris

This was supposed to go up yesterday, but a glitch caused some issue so I am making sure it is up now.




About the Book
Title: The Children of the Blessing
Author: Perry Morris
Genre: Fantasy

When key events prophesied thousands of years ago finally take place, those who lust for power will do anything they must to take control—even if that means killing the children of the blessing. The children of the blessing have never met. Renn wanted to be a farmer and Avaris a warrior, but their birth and blessing set an ancient prophecy in motion that promises to shift the balance of power on he continent of Lemuria. The two boy’s dreams and innocence are shattered by those determined to influence the events to come and seize power for themselves. When loved ones are killed and homes destroyed, both boys must flee from horrifying creatures and powerful magic users. Renn has to cross the continent to reach the safety of Elder Island where he can receive training from the Lore Masters; Avaris decides to follow the evil creatures that have ruined his life to caves beneath the Cragg Mountains where the surviving members of his tribe have been forced into slave labor. The Grand Warlock, Kahn Devin, has determined that both boys will either join with him or die.
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Author Bio
I was born and raised in the greater Salt Lake City, Utah area. I am very happily married and have seven wonderful children and one grand-daughter. I work for a large, publically traded, international company in Provo, Utah, where I manage supplier management, procurement and packaging engineering functions.My first exposure to the great world of fantasy literature was, of course, J.R.R Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, when I was fourteen. After that I read the books of Patricia McKillap, Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Stephen R. Donaldson, etc...Currently my favorite author (besides myself--ha ha) is Brandon Sanderson. I love the unique and interesting magic systems he creates, the memorable characters and interesting stories. I amazed at how prolific a writer he is.I am an author every day for an hour during lunch. I actually began writing the Lemurian Chronicles in 1993, and after more than two decades of rewrites, editing, re-editing, etc... I finally decided my epic fantasy was ready for publishing. Don't worry; each additional installment will be released no more than eighteen months apart. I expect book II: Chaos Rising, to be available summer of 2016.

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Book Excerpt:

Tellio let out a low whistle and rubbed his hand absently over his bald head. “Well, well,” he said. “Where do you suppose they’re from, Kivas?” Kivas, and everybody else in the company, looked in the direction of the big man’s gaze to see a group of tall, beautiful women. They wore far less clothing than other women Renn had seen—a loose skirt, reaching mid-thigh, a cropped, sleeveless top that left their stomachs bare, covered by a sheer, light weight gown that fell just below their knees; their bodies were young, strong, and well proportioned. Their skin was tan, their hair long and full, and their eyes were big—that was noticeable even at a distance. Renn felt himself blush slightly and quickly averted his eyes. He noticed, as he looked away, that Genea was practically glowering at the beautiful foreigners.

“I think I’ll go ask them myself.” Tellio announced, twisting his waxed mustache to a tighter curl. “Care to join me, Kivas?”

“I wouldn’t recommend it.” Everyone looked with surprise at Raven. Renn had almost forgotten the dark haired scout was still with them; he almost never spoke. Tellio hesitated for a moment then asked, “Why not?”

“Watch,” Raven replied as he pointed to a group of Nortian men who obviously had the same idea as Tellio, headed in the direction of the tall, captivating women. Like most Nortians, they were big men with unkempt, dark hair, and full black beards and no mustache. Four of them approached the scantily clad women, and although Renn couldn’t hear them for the crowd, he could tell that whatever the first man said to the women was not received very well. The three women didn’t even acknowledge the foul mouthed man. The big man who spoke grew red in the face, grabbed the nearest girl by the shoulder and swung her around. Tellio—and, oddly, Durham—started visibly at the aggression, and were about to shout across the throng of buyers at the overzealous Nortian, but their mouths dropped open in amazement before either could make a sound. As the Nortian swung the woman around, she let her arm arc with the momentum and hit him across the cheekbone with a knife hand strike. The man, shocked at the sudden attack, stumbled backward, then dropped to the ground as her bare foot came down on his knee.

“Great gods of light!” Kivas exclaimed, “If I didn’t see it I’d never believe it.” Tellio got a grin on his face, however, before he could tease Kivas about a Nortian being bested by a woman the man on the ground pulled himself up and drew his sword. Quick as a flash, the object of his attentions produced a small knife from underneath her light gown, and let it fly. The next thing Renn saw was the big Nortian grasping wildly at his neck as he fell, once again, to the ground. 

The companions of the unfortunate man recovered quickly from their initial shock, and warily drew their own weapons. Before anything more happened, however, a small dispatch of city guards surrounded the foreigners and took them into custody. 

“I see what you mean, Raven.” Tellio admitted.

Kivas asked, “Who were they?”

“You’re fellow countrymen, of course.” Sela Nadgit said, as he stopped his horse next to the front of the wagon that still carried Danu, Artio and Genea. Genea, Renn noticed, was now beaming with pride, whereas, a moment before she seemed upset at the strange women.

“I know who the men were, Sela, I want to know where those girls came from.”

It was Artio who answered, “Domeria. Probably from the jungle city of Tanith.”
___________________________________

Links

Thursday, October 29, 2015

BOOK TOUR - Hopebreaker, By Dean F. Wilson

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by TinyPicBook Description:

In the world of Altadas, there are no more human births. The Regime is replacing the unborn with demons, while the Resistance is trying to destroy a drug called Hope that the demons need to survive.

Between these two warring factions lies Jacob, a man who profits from smuggling contraceptive amulets into the city of Blackout. He cares little about the Great Iron War, but a chance capture, and an even more accidental rescue, embroils him in a plot to starve the Regime from power.

When Hope is an enemy, Jacob finds it harder than he thought to remain indifferent. When the Resistance opts to field its experimental landship, the Hopebreaker, the world may find that one victory does not win a war.

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Excerpt:

The walls crashed down and the soldiers stormed in, replacing bricks with leather boots and stones with clenched fists. The dissonance died down, but the dust hung for endless moments, dimming the light and stinging the eyes. Yet Jacob did not need to see; he knew why they were here, what they had come for.

A figure, tall and broad, stepped into view, his hair and uniform as black as the long shadow he cast across the room. His fists were not clasped, but the anger was still there, pouring out of the cracks and crevices of his crooked face. Everyone could recognise him, even in darkness—especially in darkness. Everyone knew his name. Domas. Yet not everyone knew what he was.

You are accused of smuggling amulets,” Domas said. He paced to and fro restlessly, until the very floor began to recognise him. The light from the oil lamp flickered on his face, creating and killing lots of little shadows. Those shadows made him look inhuman, but under any other light he looked like everybody else. Jacob remembered when he was first told about them by his father. They are like you and I. They walk among us.

What evidence do you have?” Jacob asked, hoping they would not search the bookcase, hoping they would not scour his soul.

Domas drew close, seizing Jacob by the collar. “I don’t need evidence.”

Jacob parried Domas’ glower with his own. He felt like responding, like snapping or biting, even though he knew it would not help. It would make him feel better for the briefest of moments, and then, as the soldiers responded with their fists, it would make him feel much worse. The words of his father haunted him like a demon. In time they will replace us.

Take him to the Hold,” Domas barked to one of his commanders. He turned to leave, but halted as something caught his eye. “Open your hand,” he ordered.

It’s a bit late to shake it.”

Open your hand,” Domas repeated. He did not need to give a warning. His tone gave enough.
Jacob offered his left hand, which was empty.

A clown as well as a smuggler,” Domas said. “Your other hand.”

Jacob reluctantly loosened his grip on the tiny bag of coils he was holding, his all too meagre payment for smuggling an amulet into the city. Domas snatched it from his grasp.

You won’t be needing this,” he said. “In the Hold, the rent is free.”

The soldiers seized Jacob and pulled him outside, where a mechanised wagon waited, one of the many vehicles the Regime used to transport its forces—and its prisoners.

In moments Jacob was hauled up and hurled into the back of the warwagon, where he banged his head against the iron walls. He heard the cogs and pistons start up, and he heard the roar of the furnace and the rhythm of the wheels.

The smell of coal and smoke filled his nostrils and seeped into his lungs, until finally he faded off into a halfway place between the waking world and dreams, where he imagined what things might have been like if the demons had not come here, if the Regime had not gained power.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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by TinyPicBio:


Dean F. Wilson was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1987. He started writing at age 11, when he began his first (unpublished) novel, entitled The Power Source. He won a TAP Educational Award from Trinity College Dublin for an early draft of The Call of Agon (then called Protos Mythos) in 2001.

He has published six novels to date, and is working on several others.

Dean also works as a journalist, primarily in the field of technology. He has written for TechEye, Thinq, V3, VR-Zone, ITProPortal, TechRadar Pro, and The Inquirer.



Author Links


Buy Links


Tuesday, October 27, 2015

BOOK/BLOG TOUR - The Challenge, By Kim Iverson Headlee


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The Challenge
by Kim Iverson Headlee
GENRE: Historical Fantasy Romance

BLURB: The gauntlet is thrown. One must die. Refusal is not an option. Arthur the High King of Breatein has fallen captive of a longtime enemy, the Saxon warrior-princess Camilla, who lusts to avenge the death of her betrothed at Gyan’s hands and will stop at nothing, even the black arts, to achieve her goal. Because Gyan and Arthur have grown estranged, she fears that Arthur may side with Camilla and make her his new queen.To meet Camilla’s challenge, Gyan must face all her demons—public as well as private.





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EXCERPT:  

The guard drew a long breath. “Your Majesty, it is time.”

Time to face all my demons, private as well as public.

At her nod, he returned to his post outside—a mite reluctantly, she observed.

“Any last advice?” she asked Merlin at the tent’s entrance. She barked a mirthless laugh. “How
does one fight a demon?”

“You must not forget your shield.”

She felt her eyebrows rise. “You know I am no novice warrior.”

“I am not talking of wood and metal, Your Majesty.”

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Excerpt from the graphic novel of The Challenge by Kim Iverson Headlee, forthcoming in full color Kindle and paperback editions. Art and storyboard copyright 2015 by Wendy Carey.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Kim Headlee lives on a farm in southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, goats, Great Pyrenees goat guards, and assorted wildlife. People and creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old house ruins—the latter having been occupied as recently as the mid-twentieth century—seem to be sticking around for a while yet.

Kim is a Seattle native and a direct descendent of twentieth-century Russian nobility. Her grandmother was a childhood friend of the doomed Grand Duchess Anastasia, and the romantic yet tragic story of how Babushka escaped Communist Russia with the aid of her American husband will most certainly one day fuel one of Kim’s novels. Another novel in the queue will involve her husband’s ancestor, the seventh-century proto-Viking king of the Swedish colony in Russia.

For the time being, however, Kim has plenty of work to do in creating her projected 8-book Arthurian series, The Dragon’s Dove Chronicles, and other novels clamoring for attention. She has been a published novelist since 1999, beginning with the original editions of Dawnflight (Sonnet Books, Simon & Schuster) and Liberty (writing as Kimberly Iverson, HQN Books, Harlequin). 

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This book will be offered FREE on Kindle Oct 27-28

BUY & TBR LINKS:

WORLDWIDE AMAZON KINDLE LINK – http://getBook.at/The_Challenge_by_KIH_Kindle (Kindle Unlimited)
GOODREADS – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25906481-the-challenge
INDIE BOOK DISCOVERY – http://www.indiebookdiscovery.com/ibd/book/b00zgrocuq_the-challenge-the-dragons-dove-chronicles_by_kim-headlee/

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS:

ABOUT.ME PAGE – https://about.me/kimheadlee
AUTHORGRAPH AUTHOR PAGE – https://www.authorgraph.com/authors/KimHeadlee
Book Gorilla Author Page – http://www.bookgorilla.com/author/B001KE2LK2/kim-headlee
WEBSITE  – http://kimheadlee.com
FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/KimIversonHeadlee
Street Team “Kim’s All-Stars” – https://www.facebook.com/groups/705479912880602/
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/KimHeadlee
GOOGLE+ – https://plus.google.com/+KimHeadlee
PINTEREST – http://www.pinterest.com/kimheadlee/
LINKEDIN – http://www.linkedin.com/in/kimheadlee/
BLOG – http://kimiversonheadlee.blogspot.com
TRIBERR PROFILE – http://triberr.com/KimHeadlee
ARTHURVERSE TRIBERR TRIBE – http://triberr.com/pages/tribe-overview.php?tid=61110
GOODREADS – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/845537.Kim_Headlee

NEWSLETTER

Indie Book Discovery Author Page – http://www.indiebookdiscovery.com/ibd/author/439_kim-headlee/
YOUTUBE CHANNEL – http://www.youtube.com/user/gyanhumara
YouTube video interview 2013 – http://youtu.be/DV5iKrEIROk
YouTube video interview 2015 – https://youtu.be/UcjvCJ-TjN8

Friday, October 23, 2015

Book Tour - Romancing Brimstone, By Brit McGinnis - Character Interview




About the Book
Title: Romancing Brimstone
Author: Brit McGinnis
Genre: Supernatural Romance
Things aren't going well for Mika. Engaged to a man she doesn't love and facing a future she has no interest in, she's lost and alone. She's attending the funeral of the only person who ever truly understood her (in the company of her overbearing mother and fussy fiancé, no less!) when she meets the man who will change her life forever.

Except, well... he's not a man. He's the Devil. The real-life Devil.

Scary, right? But it turns out the Devil has a choice for Mika. But it's not an ordinary choice: Become Satan's bride and rule in Hell amongst the demons and lost souls, or marry Nick and remain in the world of humans. Forget love. This is a chance for the freshest start of all.

Brit McGinnis' intriguing supernatural romance
Romancing Brimstone upends everything you may have wondered about love, commitment, and the world beyond life and death. Mika's not your average runaway bride. She's ready for a change of scenery, and Satan himself may be the one to change her heart.
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So we had a chance to sit down with Mika and have a brief chat.....here you....

1. Thanks for joining us! To start off, we have to say that you have quite an unusual name. Can you tell us more about it? I'm happy to be here! And yes, it's a Greek name that means "precious." I'm named after my aunt Big Mika, who passed away a little while ago.
2. We're so sorry to hear that. You originally came from San Francisco, yes? Yeah, it's my hometown.

3. What's been the best place you've lived so far? I stayed on the beach once, just sleeping right on the shore. I wasn't in a good place in my life, but being in such a beautiful place at that time was great. It was where I needed to be.
4. We've been told you're a big music fan. What's your favorite way to listen to music? Vinyl's awesome, of course. But I refuse to get rid of my CD collection. And finding actual cassette tapes makes me happy, because they're such a different sound.
5. And what band's on your tape deck now? I'm loving Scissor Sisters right now. But I recently bought a bunch of tapes and vinyl by The Offspring, which is awesome. I never thought I'd find them again.
6. It's so strange to hear about Satan's wife being into Scissor Sisters. What do you say to people who are surprised to learn that you're the queen of Hell? I say I'm just as surprised as them! I honestly didn't ever expect to have a role like this in my life. It didn't feel right for me to be here until some of my power actually started to kick in. When the world or humanity or whatever started giving me the power that came with being the queen of Hell, it felt much more natural.
7. Do you ever regret leaving behind your humanity? Sometimes, but I honestly can't think about that too often. I have no idea how my life would have turned out had I stayed. All I know is that it felt wrong to stay in my human life at that time.
8. Who do you love most? Big Mika, for sure. I love her and miss her every day.

9. What would you change most about yourself?
Wow, that's really personal. I wish I was more clear about what I wanted. Most of the time I just start with what I don't want and work from that.
10. So what's next for you? More traveling, hopefully! I'm trying to learn how to be in the moment more. I'll probably take on or make a job of my own. But for right now, traveling and bothering Satan are enough for me.

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Author Bio
Brit McGinnis is an author based in Portland, Oregon. She writes supernatural romance and occasionally speculative fiction. In her previous life, she was an award-winning journalist and blogger. Her next book Smugglers is due out October 26th and is currently available for pre-order on Smashwords.


Links
Sign up for The Weekly Spooky newsletter: http://www.britmcginnis.com/the-weekly-spooky.html

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Just a Quick Update

We here at Reading, Writing, and What Not just wanted to update you on things that are going on.

It has been quiet here and I am truly sorry for not being around.  I have been reading some great books but I have not had time to get the reviews up like I need to be doing.  I am getting things back on track though and getting us set up for some great cover reveals, media blitz sets and even a couple interviews.  I am planning to get some reviews up as well, now that things feel like they are calming down for me.

That being said, if you have any great book suggestions, please let me know!  I love to find new authors and new series to read.  I have found some great free books for my Kindle that I have been lucky enough to read.  I am going to get a couple reviews up this weekend for you all, after we have our family time.  My husband and the evil monkey are taking me out to a hot air balloon glow event.

Again, I want to say that I am sorry we have been slacking here at Reading, Writing, and What Not.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Book Review - Unauthorized, By Lisa Ladew (And a blog update)

So things have gotten a bit crazy with my real life job.  It has been causing me to have long days and work overtime.  Due to that for a while we are pulling back on the book tours and the reviews some.  I have some books now that I need to get reviews out on, they were already finished prior to the craziness.  For a while we will be cutting out tours to two a month, and we will be trying to get a couple cover reveals in there as well.  I am just too swamped with the work thing and I am finding that I am not enjoying my reading as much because I have to hurry through the books to get a review out.

I am going get one book review out of the way right now.  I have a few more to do from books I have previously read.  I am hoping that we can get back on the review and tour track in a couple months, but with my job and the tiredness I feel when I get home, I will have to see how things are going.

Without any more issues....



Book Title: Unauthorized Affair
Author: Lisa Ladew
Publishing Date: November 10, 2014
Page/Word Count: 220 pages

BLURB:

This is a free romantic suspense book, the beginning of a romantic suspense series, although this book with this couple reads as a standalone.

Twenty-six year old Jen Mansko finds out the hard way that she's too trusting. Her apartment ransacked, her bank account emptied, and her heart broken, Jen has had enough and high-tails it to the only place she can think of where she will be welcomed – her brother's house.

Anxious for a fresh start, Jen does something completely out of character and decides to become a cop. Soon, the athletic beauty with the striking-pink locks captures the attention of Sergeant Hunter Foley. When she is vetted for an undercover assignment, Jen dares another feat and quickly wins the approval of the powers that be.

Once embedded in the covert operation, yet another unlikely suitor is drawn to her. With two men on opposite sides of the law vying for her attention, Jen is forced to make a choice or risk having all she's worked so hard for ripped away from her.

This is a spin-off of the Edge of the Heat Series. The characters from the Edge of the Heat will weave lightly in and out of the Unauthorized series.

This is a standalone novel, however, there is a cliffhanger at the end that involves the H/h of the next book.

Heat level: moderate. suspense or thriller level: moderate. Some swearing. 18+



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Pros: Great characters, loved the story
Cons: I want more Coleton
Overall rating: Highly Recommended

Impressions: Great ideas, story flowed, characters are well developed

Review:

So I got this book as a free one from Amazon.  I am so glad I grabbed it.  I loved the whole idea and the characters were just right.  You could tell that the author knew her characters well enough when she was writing.  I have found that there are times when an author will have a series going and make a spin off that just doesn't work right.  Not this time.  This book is great!

I love that Jen is going through personal changes in this book.  She is trusting and a bit naive but that all changes as you go.  Don't get me wrong, it's not a massive character change.  It's something little here and there for her.  She grows through out the book and I love that.  I think that she is a great lead female.

Let me just say, I want my own undercover cop now.  Hunter is strong, and he has a good head on his shoulders.  He keeps himself from getting involved with Jen, knowing it is wrong for him to do anything with her while they are working.  He is a great male lead and plays off Jen wonderfully.

I am very excited to read the next one, and I was excited that the second book is on Kindle Unlimited.  I have already picked it up and will be reading it soon!


Stars: 4 out of 5



Amazon Link: Buy it here
Goodreads Link: Clink Here
Twitter Link: @LisaLadewAuthor
Webpage: Author's Page

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Book Review - Stepping Stones, By Kacey Vanderkarr - BOOK TOUR



Stepping Stones (The Stone Series, #1)
Release Date: 08/25/15
Urban Fey Press


Summary from Goodreads:

Onnaleigh Moore is part of a plan—and it isn’t hers. When her brother dies in a car accident, Onna is desperate to preserve the tatters of her family. Any hope of finding normalcy vanishes when her mother runs off and her dad turns to booze to numb his pain. Onna’s grief is crippling, but the boy who showed up just when she needed him is helping her cope.
Everett’s presence is comforting, though he knows things—Onna’s name just before they met, where she lives, and sometimes he comments on thoughts she doesn’t say aloud. Sh:e pegs him for a stalker, or maybe psychic, but the truth is deadlier than she imagines. As their feelings for one another deepen, Everett confesses a horrifying secret: Onna’s brother is only the beginning of the plan, and some fates are worse than death.



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Review:

I am all about books that make me feel.  This definitely did that for me.  There were times when I could not stop the feels.  Oh the feels, the feels.  I think that when a book can make you feel and takes you through so many different emotions it is a good book.  This falls into that category.

Onnaleigh, Onna, has been through so much.  I think that if any one of us had been through as much as she has we would have fallen apart and never gotten the pieces put back together. She didn't do that though.  Instead, she moved through each of her situations with the right actions.  Sometimes I found her choices to be hard ones.  I love that she knew what she needed to do to get herself where she needed to be, even if she had to push others away to do so.

This is one of the those books that makes you think, "Really, does she have to deal with so much all at once?"  But as you go you see that it is all part of something else, something that I was not planning on.  The supernatural aspect of this book is very intriguing and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Pros: Great Story, excellent characters

Cons: The feels were too much at times

Overall rating: Excellent book!



Impressions: Very emotional book, great ideas, great characters

Stars: 4 out of 5

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About the Author
 
Kacey Vanderkarr is a young adult author. She dabbles in fantasy, romance, and sci-fi, complete with faeries, alternate realities, and the occasional plasma gun. She’s known to be annoyingly optimistic and listen to music at the highest decibel. When she’s not writing, she coaches winterguard and works as a sonographer. Kacey lives in Michigan, with her husband, son, and crazy cats. Along with her novels, Reflection Pond and Antithesis, Kacey's short fiction can be found in Sucker Literary Vol 3, and the upcoming Spark Vol 7, Ember: A Journal of Luminous Things, and Out of the Green: Tales from Fairyland.


 
Author Links:




 
Cover Reveal Organized by:



Book Review - The Memory of Mermaids, By Spencer Dryden - BOOK TOUR

Book Tour time again!!




The Memory of Mermaids by Spencer Dryden
Tour Dates: August 31 – September 4

TITLE: The Memory of Mermaids
SERIES TITLE AND NUMBER: N/A

PUBLISHER: Fireborn Publishing
RELEASE DATE: August 21, 2015

GENRE: Fantasy,
TAGS: Romance, Action/Adventure, Comedy/Humor

HEAT LEVEL (1 being no sexual content, 5 being erotica): 2
PAIRING: Male/Female Mermaid

LENGTH: Novella


BLURB:

After he rescues a mermaid from a sea monster, Max Weiss falls into a world of pirate treasure, dolphin whisperers,murderous mobsters and a forbidden love.Troubles multiply in the already-troubled life of Max Weiss after he rescues a mermaid from the clutches of a seamonster. Drawn by the allure of the enchanting mermaid, Azzaria, Max agrees to help her find her lost mermaid sister. Max is pulled into a world of missing drug money, pirate treasure, murderous mobsters, dolphin whisperers and a forbidden love. 

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Review:

This was not something I would normally read.  I am glad I read it though.  It was a great book, and quick to read.  It kept me engaged though, and that is a big thing.  So many books are just so hard to get into.

I loved Max.  I prefer the characters that have had to deal with the bad as well as the good.  I think that it makes them easy to relate to when reading.  We all want to be able to say, that could be me, if we lived in worlds with sea monsters and mermaids.

I think that I was bit put off by mermaid sex, but that is just me.  It was well written, but I guess I pictured it differently in my head.  Then again, I am not really sure what I was picturing in my head.  That being said, I think that the main characters didn't bring the same emotions to other things that they brought to their sex life.  I think that they were not as compatible as they should have been.

Pros: Great characters, great story
Cons: I wish it was longer, more fleshed out
Overall rating: I would recommend this one.

Impressions: Needs more fleshing out, make it longer, weird mermaid sex not to my taste.

Stars: 4 out of 5


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AUTHOR BIO:

Spencer Dryden is a new writer, but an old guy on the threshold of draining any reserves left in Medicare andSocial Security.In real life he is a handyman, an at-home dad, inventor and web videographer living a quiet life in the frozentundra of Minnesota (USA). Like all writers he has a cat but they don't get along well.



He can be found at the usual writer hangouts:



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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Book Review - Cross Keys, By Ally Shields - BOOK TOUR

I am beginning to think that there are times I bite off more then I can chew, but it's all part of being an adult.

Book tour, here we go....
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When the first wanderer—a common elf who isn’t authorized to use the portal—is spotted on the streets of New Orleans, the king assigns Kameo Ryndel to capture the elf and bring him home to Elvenrude. But before she can intervene, he's shot and his body stolen by the gunmen. Just as puzzling is the appearance at the scene of Seth Lormarc, an Elite elf from a rival guild and heir to the centuries-old feud between their two families.

Seth is in New Orleans at the behest of his grandfather to find out who was behind the portal breach that could expose their existence to the world of men. His best lead is the intriguing Kam Ryndel. When he stakes out her apartment and finds her sneaking out in the middle of the night, dressed in black and leaping to the top of the nearest building, he realizes she's more than a beautiful woman. That kind of feat requires magic. Ancient magic.

As their paths cross and draw them deeper into a mysterious conspiracy, attraction sparks between them, but there’s little time for romance. The portal breach is tied to an illegal smuggling operation that has come to the attention of the human CIA. And the stakes are raised when Kam and Seth discover a band of rebels deep inside Elvenrude that offers nothing except violence and destruction of their world. 


Review:

Let me just say that I love any story that brings elves into my world again.  I love when an author tries to work with them.  I just wish that each author would give us a back ground. This book is no exception, I want more history, more about how we got to where we are today in the book.  I just like knowing how people got to be the way they are in the books I read.

Kameo was a great character and I can't wait to see what comes next for her.  I just wish we had a better love interest for her. I want my main characters to have a strong, good love interest.  I know that there are bad boys, but they aren't the ones who leave me with a bad taste in my mouth.  I am all about a good "bad" boy, but I got this feeling that Caleb is just not that kind of bad boy.  I think that he will end up being a bad love interest.

I can't wait to see what will happen with the series.  I think that since it is elves, we have so much we see being done.  I know there are books out there with elves, but really no many that have the main story built off of them.  They are just a part of a whole, not the central theme.

I think that Ally has got a great start to a series and she did it so well!  It was not rushed and the build up of the love interest side was better then most books.  I just hate when an author has her characters fall in love in like three pages, or 24 hours.  (Which ever comes first.) I can't wait to see what she does next!

Pros: Elves!  Smooth Story, great ideas
Cons: Some characters just didn't do it for me.
Overall rating: Definitely recommend it!

Impressions: Strong story, good ideas, ELVES!!!

Stars: 4 out of 5 stars

 Excerpt:

Caleb nodded absently at the departing couple, then returned his gaze to Kam. “I’m serious. It’s time you became more involved with trade matters. In fact,” he paused, “you have several decisions you should be making. When are you coming home?”

“I’m here now.” She clamped down on a spark of anger. Why did every conversation with him lead into demands about the future?

“You know that isn’t what I meant.”

She stiffened. “It’s too soon for any long-term decisions. I like where we are now.” A storm was gathering in his eyes, and she took steps to head off a fight. The King's Harvest Ball was hardly the time or place. She tilted her head and looked at him. “Are you about ready to leave?” A diversion was in order before she lost her temper and said something she’d regret. “I have to be back in the city by early morning, and I can think of better things we could be doing.”

“More than ready.” His smile held a provocative edge. “Shall we start our round of goodbyes?”

“I’m going to visit the ladies’ room, then I’ll catch up with you.”

“Don’t be long.”

She ducked her head and hurried away, anxious to get out of sight before he realized just how annoyed she was. She shoved the door open into the hallway a little harder than was necessary and ran into a solid body. She stumbled, throwing out her arms for balance.

“Oh, I’m so sor—” Strong hands caught her, and she looked up into Seth Lormarc’s glittering green eyes. “You!”

His eyes widened in surprise. “Do I know you?”

A spark of unexpected awareness ran up her arms, and she tried to shake off his grasp. He held tight until she was steady. “No, but I know who you are.” She looked pointedly at his hands. “Take your hands off me.”

“No problem.” He released her and stepped back, a smile parting his lips. “Are you always so charming?”

She frowned at him, ready to give a sharp retort, then hesitated, realizing how rude she’d been. “You’re quite right. Mother would be appalled at my manners. Thank you for your assistance. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Certainly.” He moved to one side.

Her throat suddenly dry, Kam hurried past and down the hall. Insufferable Lormarcs. She entered the powder room and took a deep breath. The mirror revealed her heated cheeks, and she dipped a handkerchief in the water basin to cool her face. Why had she reacted so strongly, been so impolite? Was it the lazy smile he’d made little attempt to hide or just her anger at Caleb spilling over onto the first male she saw?

Bio:

Ally Shields grew up in the Midwest along the Mississippi River and currently resides near Des Moines. Writing has always been a part of her life, but in 2009, after a career in law and juvenile justice, she turned to full-time fiction writing. Her first urban fantasy novel, Awakening the Fire (Guardian Witch Book One) was published in 2012 and the seven book series was completed in 2015. She loves to travel in the US and abroad and incorporates many of those settings into her books. Ms. Shields can be contacted through her website or twitter (@ShieldsAlly).

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Friday, August 21, 2015

Book Review - Tales of Blood and Sulphur: Apocalypse Minor, By J.G. Clay - BOOK TOUR




Tales of Blood and Sulphur: Apocalypse Minor

Tales of Blood and Sulphur
Volume One


J.G. Clay

Genre: Horror
Publisher: Forsaken
Date of Publication: 24th July, 2015
ISBN: 978-1513701998
ASIN: 978-1513701998
Number of pages: 212
Word Count: 77,000 words approx.
Cover Artist: Ashley Ruggirello

 


Book Description: Eleven Tales steeped in Blood and reeking of Sulphur

J.G Clay takes you on a journey through the voids of Reality and into dark places where demons, mutants and inter-dimensional creatures taunt, taint and corrupt Humanity. Survival is not guaranteed, sanity is not assured and death lurks in every corner. These are the Tales of Blood and Sulphur: Apocalypse Minor; eleven twisted tales of terror and mayhem..... There are cracks in the skin of Reality.

Some are microscopic, others are as wide as a four-lane motorway. As the fault lines increase and widen, the door to our world shines like a beacon in the darkness, a warm and inviting sight to others beyond our understanding. When They cross over into our realm, The Tales begin...... A gambler taking one last desperate throw of the dice. A struggling writer making an unholy alliance. An eternal being fighting to stay alive in the financial capital of India. A man burdened with a terrible town secret. The Law Enforcers who must never cry. The End of Days live and direct from the rural heartland of England.

The blood is warm, the sulphur is burning, the tales will be told, the Apocalypse Minor is imminent!



 Review:

So this is a great set of short stories.  It is definitely something that reminds me of the Stephen King short story sets.  It is definitely one that I would recommend to others. It has been a while since I read something that was like this.  I have been so engrossed in other genres that this was a fresh step in a different direction for me.

This was the author's first book and he hit a home run with it. It says something when an author can do this well with their first book.  Usually we don't hear about an author until they get to their third book or so and then we all have to go back and track down the first things they have written.  I am glad that I got to read this book and that each story had something to draw me in.

I truly think that we can expect to see some of these stories become something more.  I would not be surprised if in years to come we see books and movies coming from these stories.  It is definitely something I would read more of or something I would see.  

In short, I would recommend this book to all who are into horror/scary stories.  Some will make you want to keep the lights on though, because once the lights go out something might get you!

Pros: Great stories, very scary

Cons: I think that the slang was a little much in some areas, too casual

Overall rating: I would recommend this book. 



Excerpt:



Above them, the azure of the sky was torn by a crack. It was difficult to accurately measure how large the hole was. The more the reporter concentrated on it, the more it seemed to shift and blur as if it knew that the men below were observing and measuring it. It seemed to flatten, then expand and then flatten again, growing wider with every expansion. Thin filaments of stuff poked through the hole, questing and searching the space around it before disappearing back.

It’s tasting the air. The thought startled him. It wasn’t alive whatever it was. Strange, certainly. Unexpected? Most definitely. But not alive. This was one for the scientists. He would make his report, get Murray to air it, and leave it with people far more qualified and clever than he. Reporting from the Twilight Zone wasn’t in his remit, at all.

As he watched, the crack opened up, wider this time.

Silence. It was total, suffocating.

Even the birds had stopped singing.

The hairs on J.D’s neck raised in stiff salute as the atmosphere became heavy with expectation.

He heard the men shuffling nervously behind him. His annoyance grew as tried to mask his own fear. It was time to take control of this situation. Wasn’t that what Quigley would do?

He turned, an angry look on his face.

What the fuck’s the matter with—”

A low groaning stopped him dead. It boomed from the sky, echoing around them. Mac’s eyes widened, Mullen became pale. Earl raised a quizzical eyebrow but that was the extent of his response. He wasn’t an emotional sort. He was too stoned anyway.

The groaning sound continued for a moment before tailing off into an ear splitting keening. J.D. clapped his hands to his ears as the pitch became too intense to bear. It was no use. The sound seeped through his hands as if they were not there. Pain spiked behind his eyes. He screamed, sinking to his knees. The pitch became higher, rattling the filling in his molars. He felt a warm gush as the blood vessels in his nose let go. The world canted sideways, then became dark. He keeled over.



Wake up, man, wake up.”

He groaned, pushing away the insistent hands that kept shoving and shaking him.

No school today, mum. It’s a holiday.” He mumbled incoherently as hands dragged him up to a sitting position.

J.D, shape up, man.”

Annoyed, the reporter lashed out groggily. A hand smashed his cheek, whipping his head to the side. Clarity returned to him, the slap stinging his face. He looked around. Sickening pain lanced his head, reaching a crescendo before subsiding into a low level buzz. His vision clearing, he noticed a peculiar tint to the daylight. The world looked greener than before.

Have I had a stroke or something?

He moved his legs and arms and looked up. Mac crouched in front of him, his face pale, almost beige. His lips and chin were coated with crimson, trails of blood leading from his nose. They all had nosebleeds, it seemed. Mac’s eyes were large, agitated and lined with red.

Thank fuck you’re awake. Look man, we’ve gotta get the fuck out of here. That thing’s got even bigger.” His voice was panicky, the words tumbling out in a rush.

Irritated and groggy, J.D. pushed him away and struggled to his feet. His senses cleared and returned, but the green tint to the daylight remained. Mac spun him around, pointing back to the strange portal.

Look at that. You can’t tell me that’s normal.”

J.D. looked up.

What the ever-living fuck is going on here? His mouth dropped open at the sight above them.

The crack had increased in size and become rounder, yet jagged. A rotten, emerald light spilled from the hole in the sky. He felt relieved. He wasn’t having a stroke. The relief evaporated. There were sounds coming from the hole, slithering squelching sounds. He gulped, turning to the others. Earl had his boom mike raised, headphones on, his face blank as he recorded. Mac looked terrified, as did the farmer. J.D. stepped up to him, his face within kissing distance. He jerked a thumb toward the hole.

That noise! Is that what you heard last night?” Mullen merely nodded, his face ashen, his lips moving in a soundless incantation. The man was very close to losing his mind. The squelching became a fraction louder. The reporter considered his options. This was beyond the scope of any of them. Maybe it was better to let the authorities take care of it. Or maybe it was the biggest chance ever gifted to a struggling, disrespected, low-level reporter. The idea appealed. This could be the event that would propel him past his smug rival and his horrid boss.

He looked over at Mac. “Have you called it in?”

Mac shook his head.

Why not?”

The darker skinned man snorted in disbelief, gesturing at the green tear. “Have you fucking seen what’s going on? What’s the point of calling it in to Murray? I called the police.” Mac really must have been terrified. He had no love for the boys in blue.

What did they say?”

The camera man shrugged. “That they were aware of the situation and that the army was on their way. People can see the light as far away as Leicester, Kettering, even Brum. When I told them about the other stuff, the guy on the phone said, and I quote, “what stuff?’”

J.D. turned this over in his mind. They were at the epicentre of this, able to see clearly what others at a distance could not. The footage shot would be pure gold.’



About the Author:



J.G Clay was born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire on Halloween night, 1973. By sheer coincidence, it was the night of the full moon. The man was tailor made for the Horror Genre. A life-long horror and science fiction fan, he has written for his own amusement since his teenage years, taking time off to do the usual things that adolescent boys do and growing up disgracefully. Now in his forties, he has returned to his passion for the dark, the weird and the twisted. Tales of Blood and Sulphur is his first foray into the world of the Author but rest assured, there are plenty more stories to come. The man has a plan and he is out to scare the world, the solar system and beyond. Off duty, he has a passion for music, films and Birmingham City FC. He can also hold down a half decent bassline. J.G lives with his wife and step-daughter in Rothwell, Northamptonshire – the heart of the English countryside, an idyllic setting but a strange one to find a Nightmare Child of Halloween.