PROMO: Samadhi by Melissa Lummis

Samadhi – Book Three in the Love and Light Series is available NOW

BUY IT AT:

Amazon

Smashwords

Wolf and Loti are learning the hard way that karma will not be denied. In their quest for the truth, they've been forced into a blood bond with a powerful witch who isn't so sure she wants to be tied down. But there's one thing they can agree on: it’s time to eliminate the ancient vampire who set off this deadly chain of events--Modore.

Using any means necessary--torture, murder, and even death magic--Modore lures the triumvirate into the show down of their lives. And the consequences will far exceed even Modore's imagination.

In this final installment of the Love and Light Series, the boundaries of love, lust, and even life itself will be tested and the universe as they know it will never be the same.

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About the Author

Melissa Lummis considers herself a truth seeker, a peaceful warrior, a paranormal and fantasy writer, an avid reader, a thru-hiker GAàME ’98, a Penn Stater, a wife, a mother, and a free thinker. She believes the universe conspires to help an adventurer. And if we live our lives as if it is a daring adventure (and it is!), then everything we need will find its way to us.

Her books have been described as new age suspense in a fantasy setting, but they are also straight up, steamy Paranormal Romance. The Love and Light Series is currently available at most ebook retailers and soon to come is the Little Flame Series, a spin off focusing on the character Fiamette from the Love and Light world.

Melissa lives in rural Virginia with her husband, two children, an Alaskan Malamute, and a myriad of forest creatures. The nature of her mind dictates that she write to stay sane. Otherwise, her fertile imagination takes off on tangents of its own accord, creating scenarios and worlds that confuse the space-time continuum.

Namaste, dear friends.

Melissa’s Social Links:

Check out www.melissalummis.com for more about her and her books.

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And watch her and co-host Buddy Gott on the Sunday Night Fiction Club on YouTube.

 

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REVIEW: The Sinner's Garden by William Sirls

Title: The Sinner's Garden
Series: none
Author: William Sirls
Published Date: Dec 17, 2013
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Format: paperback
Pages: 408
ISBN: 1401687385
Copy provided by: BookSneeze
Genre: Christian fiction
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Synopsis: In the small Lake Erie township of Benning, someone is at work cultivating a supernatural garden …

Andy Kemp’s young life has been as ravaged as his scarred face. Disfigured by an abusive father, the teenager hides behind his books and an impenetrable wall of cynicism and anger.

As Andy’s mother struggles to reconnect with him, his Uncle Rip returns transformed from a stint in prison and wants to be a mentor to the reclusive boy, doing everything he can to help end Andy’s pain. When Andy begins hearing strange music through his iPod and making near-prophetic announcements, Rip is convinced that what Andy is hearing is the voice of God.

Elsewhere, police officer Heather Gerisch responds to a late-night breaking and entering in one of the poorest homes in town. She soon realizes that the masked prowler has left thousands of dollars in gift cards from a local grocery store.

As the bizarre break-ins continue and Heather pursues the elusive “Summer Santa,” Andy and Rip discover an enormous and well-kept garden of wildflowers that seems to have grown overnight at an abandoned steel mill.

Soon, they realize who the gardener is, and a spree of miracles transfigures this small town from a place of hopelessness into a place of healing and beauty.

My Review: From the very first page, I was entranced by this book. I received it in the afternoon, and promised myself I would read the first hundred pages that night. That way, I could get the reading of the book done in four days. By the time I could tear myself away from the book that night, I was halfway through the book. If I didn't have work the next day, I would have stayed up reading it all night. 
Andy is a struggling teenager with a disfiguring scar he hides behind his long hair. His Uncle Rip just came back from prison after finding God behind bars. Andy's mom, Rip's sister, is fighting her own internal battles of self-worth after being the victim of an abusive relationship. What a bunch of broken people, and yet, that's where God works best, isn't it?
I loved watching the transformation of each character play out as God worked through each of them. However, I thought the set-up for the end of the book was unoriginal. On the other hand, I was not expecting who the "Summer Santa" actually ended up being. The ending was the only part of the book that disappointed me.

FTC compliance (BookSneeze): Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

PROMO: Sympathy for the Devil by Gregg Levine

Book Tour What if you could change your world? Sympathy For The Devil is the very original story about a fallen angel who decided it was time to change his world, find his way home, and create anew...in his own image. "He showed me things, ways of doing things, ways to live, ways to make magic. Now I know you may not believe me when I tell you this, but I'm not talking about tricks, oh no, I mean real magic. Magic that can make things happen, magic that can actually manifest things into reality. He gave me everything and he never asked for anything in return, almost." - Sympathy For The Devil On an ordinary Saturday afternoon, Mr. Homan, an old man at a young age because of a mystery illness, was on his way home from watching a local baseball game. After falling and nearly drowning in a simple puddle in the street, Mr. Homan is saved by a mysterious stranger known as the Master. The Master offers Mr. Homan more than just a helping hand, he offers Mr. Homan his health and his life back, but at a price. In a city like this, another murder would be business as usual, but there was nothing usual about this murder to investigator Donavan Diego because what the public didn't know was that this murder was only one of over thirty in a series of slayings that police still had only two leads on. The first lead was the nameless John Doe who was the only victim to somehow survive one of the vicious attacks. However, the attack left John Doe mangled, locked up in an insane asylum, and refusing to speak. The other lead was the first suspect and the person who police realized knew most of the victims, at least most of the ones that could be identified. That person and first suspect was Donavan Diego himself and it was all part of the Master's plan. Over eight years in the making, Sympathy For The Devil is a gripping mystery unlike anything you have ever read with tons of twists that will keep you mesmerized until the very last sentence. However, at the heart and soul of Sympathy For The Devil is a unique story of fighting for what you must against all odds and personal evolution.

Buy on Amazon | Website

Put it on your TBR pile! Goodreads

 

About the author:

Gregg Levine has been writing short stories for himself all of his life. His debut novel, Sympathy For The Devil, has been something he has been working on for just as long. Having the general concept of Sympathy For The Devil in his mind for years since college, Gregg started but never finished many stories that he felt just weren't telling the story in the way it was meant to be told. However, through the seeds of trial and error that had been planted in those unfinished stories and eventually a series of connected events, the full idea for Sympathy For The Devil spawned and eight years later Gregg finally finished writing it.

Follow Gregg:

Literary Addicts | Twitter | Goodreads

Follow the Book Tour The author is giving a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky reader. Fill out the form below to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway

REVIEW: Scattered Links by M. Weidenbenner

Title: Scattered Links

Author: M Weidenbenner

Series: none

ISBN: 9781494366957

Publisher: Random Publishing LLC

Published Date: Jan 20, 2014

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Oksana lives on the streets of Russia with her pregnant mama and abusive aunt—both prostitutes. When Mama swells into labor, Oksana makes a decision to save herself from abandonment, a decision that torments her forever. When her plan fails and her aunt dumps her in an orphanage, she never has the chance to say goodbye to her mama or tell her the secret that haunts her. Scattered Links is a story of family and the consequences that come from never learning how to love, of a girl’s inability to bond with her adopted family and the frustrations that follow. How can a child understand the mechanics of forming a healthy relationship when she never had a mother who answered her cries, held her when she was frightened, fed her when she was hungry, or loved her unconditionally? Only when the child meets a rescued abused horse, and recognizes the pain in his eyes, does she begin to trust again. 

Review: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The beginning of this book was just heartbreaking and terrifying all at the same time. To try to put myself in Oksana's shoes, to experience what she was....it was a tear-jerker. The situations and decisions that she was put into at such a young age was horrifying.
At the same time, she doesn't do much better in the orphanage even though she tries, and continues to be a caretaker for her baby sister. At such a young age, she has to make a life-altering decision, and its overwhelming.
The author does such a good job of writing the book that you truly feel like you're beside Oksana as she battles through her difficulties. I cheered with her as she struggled for closure with her mother, and cried with her when reality set in. And through it all, the struggles of the adoptive family as they open their heart to the baby who just wants love, and the rebellious girl who doesn't understand her life.

REVIEW: The Evelyn Project by Kfir Luzzatto

"A Great Book! - Larry King" Evelyn’s father did everything that was in his power to save his dying daughter, black magic included. But when a century later his plea for help gets into the wrong hands, all hell breaks loose. Caught in the slippery battlefield between the Vatican and a cult that wants to change the past, a young Italian professor and a beautiful French aspiring actress are too busy running away from murder and conspiracy to let physical attraction develop into love. And it doesn’t help that Her Majesty's Secret Service decides to take an interest in what everybody else is doing and to pull some strings of its own. Quite the contrary, in fact…   Paperback (Amazon) | Kindle | Paperback (B&N) | Smashwords

RATING: 4 stars

REVIEW: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What would you do to save your child, dying of an incurable disease? This book goes along the journey of a father's desperate measures to save his daughter's life. Not only does he try everything in his power, but then he employs black magic which extends to present day. But why would anyone from present day help someone who's been dead for 150 plus years? Who cares?
The present day people know the ramifications of being able to save someone's life from a hundred years ago, or even more. If you change the past, you change the future, possibly even changing the entire world. What a power trip! But does the experiment work? Does she live? I'm not going to spoil it for anyone.
I'd love to see a continuation of this story however. The possibilities with it are endless and I found this book to be very well-written and exciting.

Meet the Author:

Kfir was born and raised in Italy, and moved to Israel as a teenager. He acquired the love for the English language from his father, a former U.S. soldier and WWII veteran, a voracious reader and a prolific writer. With a PhD in chemical engineering and a long family history that he needs to live up to, Kfir work as a patent attorney and heads the patent law firm that was established by his great-grandfather in Milan, Italy, in 1869. Kfir lives in Omer, Israel, with his full-time partner, Esther, their four children, Michal, Lilach, Tamar and Yonatan, and the dog Elvis. Writing has always been Kfir's passion and for almost four years he wrote a weekly "Patents" column in Globes (Israel’s financial newspaper), which also yielded his only (if he can help it) non-fiction book, THE WORLD OF PATENTS, (a not-so-boring tale of what patents are about, in Hebrew), which was published in 2002 by Globes Press. Kfir loves writing short stories but has too many novels waiting to be written (and possibly not enough years ahead of him to write them all), so now he mostly writes full-length fiction. His other passion is working with other authors on stories he loves and that's how he wound up serving on the editorial board of The Harrow Press as Anthology Editor. You can read about Kfir's books here. He loves them all, but never had greater fun than when working on “HAVE BOOK WILL TRAVEL”, a YA fantasy that he wrote together with his son, Yonatan.

Follow on Twitter: @KfirLuzzatto
Find Kfir on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kfir.luzzatto
Kfir's Blog: Click HERE
Kfir's Amazon.com page: HERE
Kfir's Goodreads page: HERE
Kfir's Smashwords page: HERE
Kfir's Literary Addicts page: HERE

BOOK BLAST: Wicked Waves by Sharon Kay

Making daggers out of raindrops is only the tip of the iceberg for Brooke Bonham. As one of four women who can control the elements, her ability to manipulate water packs a deluge of potential. Eager to learn more, she’s frustrated at the precautions she must take to avoid the wrong kind of attention on Earth. Kai's duties as a Lash demon have kept him busy on Earth for nearly two hundred years. Fighting? He was born to do it. Females? They're drawn to him. And Earth? The perfect place for him to avoid supernatural bounty hunters. Though the two of them mix like oil and water, Kai senses that beneath Brooke’s frosty exterior hides a vortex of simmering passion. He’s determined to thaw his ice princess. Forced to work together in the immortal realm, they track a rogue Lash demon at the helm of a widespread kidnapping operation. All too soon, Kai’s dark past catches up to them. Time runs out as a second enemy, bent on revenge, vows to stop at nothing short of Brooke’s enslavement and Kai’s death. As they and their foes stalk each other in a demonic game of cat-and-mouse, will her evolving skills and their fledgling bond be enough to save them?

Buy on Kindle | Paperback | B&N | Smashwords

About the author:

Sharon Kay was bitten early by the writing bug. At age twelve she wrote a short story, about a magic ring,that won a statewide Young Authors contest. With her nose always in a book, she read the most novels for her age group in her local library’s summer reading program. In her teens, writing took a back seat to fashion, as she was determined to find clothes different from what everyone else bought at the mall. And what she couldn’t find, she created. She learned to sew, worked in a fabric store after school, and spent her spare time with a needle in hand. Her black and orange prom dress is still one of her favorite creations. Sharon lives in the Chicago area with her husband and son, and didn’t expect to write again. But Wicked Wind and the Solsti series formed in her head one weekend and refused to stay quiet until she put pen to paper. Her characters tend to keep her up at night, as they banter, fall in love, and slay endless varieties of power-hungry demons.
Sharon loves to hear from readers! You can find her at: Sharonkay.novels(at)gmail.com www.facebook.com/sharonkaynovels Twitter: @sharonkaynovels

 The Author is giving away 5 ebooks. Fill out the form below to enter. a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR and GIVEAWAY: Sympathy for the Devil by Gregg Levine

Book Tour What if you could change your world? Sympathy For The Devil is the very original story about a fallen angel who decided it was time to change his world, find his way home, and create anew...in his own image. "He showed me things, ways of doing things, ways to live, ways to make magic. Now I know you may not believe me when I tell you this, but I'm not talking about tricks, oh no, I mean real magic. Magic that can make things happen, magic that can actually manifest things into reality. He gave me everything and he never asked for anything in return, almost." - Sympathy For The Devil On an ordinary Saturday afternoon, Mr. Homan, an old man at a young age because of a mystery illness, was on his way home from watching a local baseball game. After falling and nearly drowning in a simple puddle in the street, Mr. Homan is saved by a mysterious stranger known as the Master. The Master offers Mr. Homan more than just a helping hand, he offers Mr. Homan his health and his life back, but at a price. In a city like this, another murder would be business as usual, but there was nothing usual about this murder to investigator Donavan Diego because what the public didn't know was that this murder was only one of over thirty in a series of slayings that police still had only two leads on. The first lead was the nameless John Doe who was the only victim to somehow survive one of the vicious attacks. However, the attack left John Doe mangled, locked up in an insane asylum, and refusing to speak. The other lead was the first suspect and the person who police realized knew most of the victims, at least most of the ones that could be identified. That person and first suspect was Donavan Diego himself and it was all part of the Master's plan. Over eight years in the making, Sympathy For The Devil is a gripping mystery unlike anything you have ever read with tons of twists that will keep you mesmerized until the very last sentence. However, at the heart and soul of Sympathy For The Devil is a unique story of fighting for what you must against all odds and personal evolution.

Buy on Amazon | Website

Put it on your TBR pile! Goodreads

 

About the author:

Gregg Levine has been writing short stories for himself all of his life. His debut novel, Sympathy For The Devil, has been something he has been working on for just as long. Having the general concept of Sympathy For The Devil in his mind for years since college, Gregg started but never finished many stories that he felt just weren't telling the story in the way it was meant to be told. However, through the seeds of trial and error that had been planted in those unfinished stories and eventually a series of connected events, the full idea for Sympathy For The Devil spawned and eight years later Gregg finally finished writing it.

Follow Gregg:

Literary Addicts | Twitter | Goodreads

Follow the Book Tour The author is giving a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky reader. Fill out the form below to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway

EXCERPT: Arcadia's Gift and Arcadia's Curse by Jesi Lea Ryan

By Jesi Lea Ryan

Most people who experience death don't live to tell about it. When sixteen year old Arcadia "Cady" Day wakes in a hospital after experiencing what can only be called a psychic episode, she finds her family in tatters. With her twin sister gone, her dad moved out, her mom's spiraling depression and her sister's boyfriend, Cane, barely able to look at her, the only bright spot in her life is Bryan Sullivan, the new guy in school. When Bryan's around, Cady can almost pretend she's a regular girl, living a regular life; when he's not, she's wracked with wild, inexplicable mood swings. As her home life crumbles and her emotional control slips away, Cady begins to suspect that her first psychic episode
was just the beginning...     Think high school sucks? Try being an empath who has to experience everyone else’s suckage on top of your own. (Literally.) In the months since her family life imploded and her psychic gifts began to arise, Cady has struggled to figure out how she can fit into her normal life without going crazy from the constant presence of emotional energy. Her grades have tanked. Her best friend is afraid of her. And she begins to have doubts about why her boyfriend, Bryan, is really keeping her around. But a chance meeting with another gifted girl online opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Unfortunately, this new world comes at an awful price.
Find The Arcadia Novels here: Amazon (Arcadia's Gift)/Amazon (Arcadia's Curse) AUDIBLE Audio Book of Arcadia's Gift

EXCERPT:

But another part of me understood how Cane felt and longed to comfort his sorrow away. Lony’s death was not his fault, and he’d had every right to break up with her if he wanted to. I never understood how they handled all of the stress from their bickering anyway. Perhaps it was due to the contact of our bodies making the emotional connection between us so strong, but I could feel how his guilt was tearing him up inside. I couldn’t be angry with him for hurting my sister. Not when he was hurting too. I reached my arms around his shoulders to pull him to me. He crumpled against me, burying his face into my shoulder. 
After a moment, my friendly hug turned into a different kind of embrace. The full length of him was pressed against me, trapping me between his muscled body and the steel door of his truck. Our breathing grew shallow, and I was too aware of our hearts beating in unison. For the second time that night, my traitorous body echoed the stirrings of another’s arousal. The heat of his growing passion flowed through me, awakening a need deep in my belly. My mouth dropped open in shock just as Cane leaned in and kissed me deeply. I couldn’t fight my body’s response to his hot mouth, faintly tasting of vodka. For one moment, I allowed myself to kiss him back, letting my tongue match the rhythmic movements of his, trailing my fingers down the strong plane of his broad back. The feedback of our completed circuit of emotions threatened to carry me away…until I remembered Bryan. I brought my fists up to push against Cane’s chest. 
“Stop!” I cried, twisting my body to get out from the jail of his arms. 
Cane snapped his head back in surprise as if just realizing what he did. The drunken glaze was completely gone from his eyes. He let go of me and stumbled back.

Author Bio:

Jesi Lea Ryan grew up in the Mississippi River town of Dubuque, IA. She holds bachelor degrees in creative writing and literature and a masters degree in business. She considers herself a well-rounded nerd who can spend hours on the internet researching things like British history, anthropology of ancient people, geography of random parts of the world, bad tattoos and the paranormal. She currently lives in Madison, WI with her husband and two exceptionally naughty kitties.
Stalk Jesi Lea here: Facebook/Twitter/Website/Blog

The Rest of the tour can be found here:

REVIEW: Doon by Carey Corp and Lori Langdon

Title: Doon
Series: Doon #1
Author: Carey Corp and Lori Langdon
Publisher: Zondervan
Published Date: Aug 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-0310742302
Buy It Link: Amazon

Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis: Veronica doesn’t think she’s going crazy. But why can’t anyone else see the mysterious blond boy who keeps popping up wherever she goes?

When her best friend, Mackenna, invites her to spend the summer in Scotland, Veronica jumps at the opportunity to leave her complicated life behind for a few months. But the Scottish countryside holds other plans. Not only has the imaginary kilted boy followed her to Alloway, she and Mackenna uncover a strange set of rings and a very unnerving letter from Mackenna’s great aunt---and when the girls test the instructions Aunt Gracie left behind, they find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation.

Doon seems like a real-life fairy tale, complete with one prince who has eyes for Mackenna and another who looks suspiciously like the boy from Veronica’s daydreams. But Doon has a dark underbelly as well. The two girls could have everything they’ve longed for… or they could end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.

Review: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book. I can honestly say that this is the best book I've read this year so far. The storyline in it was fun. There was romance, deception, misunderstandings and witches, but there was also true love and faith and friendship that were the dominant themes throughout the storyline.
There were two strong young women in the storyline that were the heroines. There was an incredibly detailed Scottish setting. Yes, there was royalty, and beautiful dresses, but there were also evil witches and curses and dank, dark, wet, yucky dungeons.
I love how the authors ended the book on a cliffhanger that made me want to scream and shake one of the characters, and cry as she realizes what life is all about.
I want to read the next book, I need to read the next book.

It's Monday What Are You Reading?

Another week has come and gone, and I am proud to say I've read some incredible books last week. The best of which was Doon. It took way too long to get to me from the publisher, but it was well worth the wait!

Last week was:

1. Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon: finished it in two days, and it was the BEST book I've read this year so far!
2. In The Place Where There Is No Darkness by KM Douglas: haven't started it yet.
3. Sympathy For The Devil by Gregg Levine: about 50% done..hoping this one gets better, all I've read are very positive reviews for it.
4. Scattered Links: Finished and it is a very gripping read
5. A Warrior's Redemption: about 65% done with it, its getting a little better.

This week:

I plan on finishing Sympathy for the Devil and A Warrior's Redemption, as well as starting:

1. A Sinner's Garden by William Sirls: as soon as I get it from the publisher
2. A Tyrant's Daughter by J.C.Carleson

RELEASE DAY TOUR: Scattered Links by M. Weidenbenner

Release Day Tour Scattered Links is a novel that pulls its characters from the gutters and, in the end, celebrates the tenacity of the human spirit. Thirteen-year-old Oksana lives on the streets of Russia with her pregnant mama and abusive aunt—both prostitutes. When Mama swells into labor, Oksana makes a decision to save herself from abandonment, a decision that torments her forever. When her plan fails and her aunt dumps her in an orphanage, she never has the chance to say goodbye to her mama or tell her the secret that haunts her. Scattered Links is a story of family and the consequences that come from never learning how to love, of a girl’s inability to bond with her adopted family and the frustrations that follow. How can a child understand the mechanics of forming a healthy relationship when she never had a mother who answered her cries, held her when she was frightened, fed her when she was hungry, or loved her unconditionally? Only when the child meets a rescued abused horse, and recognizes the pain in his eyes, does she begin to trust again.

***************************************

Scattered Links, (initially titled Love is Just a Word), was the winner of the 2013 Aspiring Writers Competition, sponsored by Write on Con and The Reading Room. Scattered Links was intended to show a glimpse into the life of a child with RAD, reactive attachment disorder, so prevalent in children who never had unconditional love in infancy. This novel was inspired by Michelle’s journey to Russia to adopt her orphan daughter. Upon seeing the neglect of orphanage children and learning of the effects of RAD in post-institutionalized children, Michelle researched this disorder, committed to giving her daughter the best chance at a healthy life. Sadly, many parents can’t cope with the behavior from kids with RAD and re-home their children like pets.

Buy on Kindle | Paperback

 

About the author:

Michelle grew up in the burbs of Detroit with five brothers. No sisters. Each time her mom brought the boy bundle home from the hospital Michelle cried, certain her mom liked boys better than girls. But when her brothers pitched in with the cooking, cleaning, and babysitting—without drama, Michelle discovered having brothers wasn’t so bad. They even taught her how to take direct criticism without flinching, which might come in handy with book reviews. Michelle blogs at Random Writing Rants where she teaches and encourages writers how to get published.

Follow Michelle:

Blog link: http://www.randomwritingrants.com Random Writing Rants Teaching adults and teens how to get published   Website link: http://www.mweidenbenner.com Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/randomwritingrants Twitter link: @MWeidenbenner1 Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7171873.M_Weidenbenner  

Winners Prize:

 

 Enter the giveaway here! a Rafflecopter giveaway

REVIEW: Bond of Love by Amy Suzanne

As a picturesque mother and wife, forty-one year old Avery Richards seems to have it all. Married to a successful veterinarian named Noah and mother to a spunky daughter named Kara, her life is far from awful but she is stuck. With the recent move of their daughter, who has just flown the coop for college, this story examines the deep and often-tumultuous bond between mother and child and the lengths we are willing to go to, as mothers, to sacrifice our own happiness for the ones we love. As we watch Avery walk through her ‘new’ way of daily life, without her ambitious and stubborn child around to mother any longer, we are given a very unique opportunity to tip toe in the front row of their lives, from three very separate views. We will see life as it plays out through her mature and motherly eyes, through Kara’s young and sheltered heart, and then through ‘someone else’s eyes’ that has a vested interest in them both. As Avery’s well-hidden web of lies come crashing down in an unexpected way, her secrets that she’s safeguarded for years will threaten to rip her peaceful world apart, as well as the world of the ones she loves most. As readers, we will watch how ONE single choice can alter everything. Each character will then be forced to examine what the true meaning of love and forgiveness means to them. Every gamut of emotion will be explored: humor, sadness, love, joy, betrayal, hate, and forgiveness. Bond of Love will leave you pondering the age-old question: How well do YOU actually know the ones you love most?

Buy on Paperback | Kindle | B&N | Kobo | Apple | Sony

RATING: 4 stars

REVIEW: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. Its been a long time since I got so engrossed in a book. I spent a Sunday at work, quiet, thankfully, so I could finish this book. Afterwards, I stomped my feet. "I can't believe it! I can't believe she DID that!!! WHY did she do that?!!!!!" Of course my co-workers were looking at me strangely. They all know how obsessed I am with books, but they've never seen me react so strongly. I really don't want to spoil this book for anyone, but the ending is so...so....GRAGH!!!

Now, I am not giving it 5 stars. There were some bad parts to it. The beginning was slow. It was hard in the first few chapters to connect mother to daughter. I don't remember the daughter's name explicitly being said until perhaps 20% into the book. And the ending....logically I understand the ending and the reasoning behind it, but....but.... it's just so quick, and too neat.

I am trying so hard not to spoil this book, but the characters were awesome, the plot twist was jaw-dropping, and the ending was....well, just read above.

It's Monday, What Are Your Reading!

It's that time of the week again, when we're struggling to recover from the weekend. Some of us worked (like me), others screamed at the TV while their favorite football team either made it through to the next round (Go Patriots!), or fell to another team (it's okay Saints! We will always love you! Who Dat!), and yet others got to curl up all weekend with their favorite books (I'm jealous!).

This past week, I've gotten some progress done:

1. A Warrior's Redemption: I've gotten about 60% read. I'm hoping it will get better.
2. Scattered Links: I'm about 75% done and it moves quickly!
3. The Evelyn Project: I finished this week, review coming within the next few weeks.

Looking ahead, I will be working on:

1. Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon: I'm still waiting on it to come in the mail from BookSneeze.
2. In The Place Where There Is No Darkness by KM Douglas
3. Sympathy For The Devil by Gregg Levine

Si what are you reading this week?

EXCERPT: In The Place Where There Is No Darkness by KM Douglas

The year is 2019. The Watchers maintain a state of constant surveillance: guns are outlawed, media is censored, and unmanned drones patrol the skies.

Derrion Parsing is a high school senior and the son of an ex-Army Ranger. Unlike his classmates, he has access to information from the time before the Invisible War, when the government shut down the Internet, reformatting into a propaganda tool. When Derrion attempts to use this information as part of a school project, he awakens to his worst nightmare.

EXCERPT:

 “I remember Dad used to say most people don’t want to face their fears or explore the unknown,” Derrion said quietly. “He’d say that most people only had enough to reach some basic level of comfort in their life, but only enough, never more, so they were forced to stay focused on survival. He said the whole world was set up that way. They want people to live paycheck to paycheck. Worry about having food next week, about keeping the lights on. He said the big corporations and the government did that on purpose, to keep people dependent on them. Teach the people to fear the dark while you hold out a candle to them. They won’t stray far from you that way. Do you think that’s what we’re doing right now?”“Dare,” his mother said sweetly, “your father said a lot of things while he was alive. I want you to try and remember the happy times we had together, and to forget all the rest. Your father was very ill. It was a sickness in his mind, but it was a real sickness. He loved you very much, he just didn’t know how to show you that.”“I remember the night he died. I think about it all the time,” he said, his breath quickening.“I don’t want you to think about that, Derrion. I don’t want you to think about that,” she said, placing her hand on his knee.“I can’t not remember that, Mom. I found him there. I was eight years old, and I found him there. I found him dead. How can I forget that?” His speech grew faster as he went on, his eyes beginning to tear, his words increasingly interrupted by sobs. “Why would he do that with me in the house? He had to have known I would wake up. He had to have known I would come downstairs and find him. Why would he do that? I was only eight years old. I didn’t understand what he was saying. I didn’t know what was going on.”Joy reached out to her son, pulling him close to her.“He wasn’t well, Derrion. He didn’t know what he was doing to you. He didn’t want to hurt you. I’m so sorry,” she said with genuine compassion. Everything inside her told her she was crying, but on the outside she was calm, indifferent. She realized at that moment that she was sitting in the exact spot where her husband was found dead, and Derrion was sitting where the shotgun had fallen.

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K. M. Douglas grew up in Northeast Ohio and studied creative writing at The Ohio State University. He lives in Rainier, Washington with his wife, cat and two dogs. In the Place Where There is No Darkness is his first novel.

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BOOK BLAST: Wanderlust Series by Bella Ross

 

Wanderlust Series

From glamorous capitals to exotic playgrounds...couples are swept up in desire passion & lust. Genre: Erotic Romance

by Bella Ross

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About the author:

Bella Ross is a writer with many passions, two of which are writing and travelling. She wrote her first book (a novel) at eighteen a la Jackie Collins. But back then, unbeknownst to her, life was about to take her on a detour. As she set off on her new course, her dream of writing took a backseat and her entrepreneurial spirit flourished instead. But after many years of worldly pursuits, the urge to write returned and the time was right to follow her bliss. She believes its never too late to follow your dreams/bliss. Her books/stories are her first attempt at erotic romance. She loves the genre and its endless creative possibilities. She likes pairing bold and dynamic (Alpha) men with sexy and strong women - which in her opinion - make for a hot and sizzling combination. With her love of travel, it is no surprise that her 'Wanderlust Series' take place in glamorous capitals or exotic locales around the world. Its the perfect backdrop/setting for her characters to explore and indulge their lusts and passions, loves and desires. When she's not writing, she's reading, or gallivanting all over seeking new inspiration, or people watching while enjoying a latte at Starbucks and jotting down ideas. She loves to hear from readers, and looks forward to interacting through her social media channels. You can also sign up for her mailing list to be notified about new releases and promotional offers.

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REVIEW: Princess After by Rachel Hauck

Title: Princess Ever After
Author: Rachel Hauck
Series: The Royal Wedding Series #2
Publisher: Zondervan Publishing
Published Date: expected Feb 4, 2014
Genre: religious romance, royal
ISBN: 0310315506
Buy it Link: Amazon
Rating:  4 1/2 stars
Synopsis: Regina Beswick never dreamed of faraway places. She’s happy with her life as a classic car mechanic and owner of a restoration shop.

But an unexpected visitor and the discovery of a fairytale, drawn by her great-grandma, causes Regina to wonder if she might be destined for something more.

Tanner Burkhardt, Minister of Culture for the Grand Duchy of Hessenberg, must convince the strong-willed Southerner, Miss Beswick, that she is his country’s long-lost princess. Failure could destroy his reputation and change his nation forever.

As Regina and Tanner face the challenges before them, neither are prepared for love to invade their hearts and change every thing they believe about themselves.

However, when a royal opponent nearly destroys Regina’s future, she must lean into God and trust He has sovereignly brought her to her true and final destiny.

Review: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I read the first book of the series, back in September (my review of Once Upon A Prince). This book is even better. This time I understood what I was getting into. There weren't as many religious overtones to it, however, those that were there were enjoyable.
I loved Regina, or Reggie, as her friends call her. She is a no-nonsense kind of gal, who likes to get down and dirty with her old cars. She enjoys rebuilding them. In fact, she's good at it, and as the book goes along, you can tell she's good at rebuilding, period. I enjoyed the scenes where she was in the pub in Hessenberg, getting to know the people that she will hopefully, one day be Princess of, should she choose to accept the challenge.
Of course, as the other book went, chastity is a big theme, showing that when you're not so chaste and let your lust get ahead of you, there are life-long consequences to be dealt with as Tanner shows.

REVIEW: Westin's Case by Cristin Harber

THE MASTER OF EVERYTHING HAS FOUND HIS MATCH Jared Westin knows his reputation and likes it. He gets the job done. No emotion. No baggage. That’s why his elite ops company, The Titan Group, is better than the best. They complete projects classified as mission impossible. And then, in walks a woman as tough as she is sexy. His counterpart in every way, should he choose to admit it. SHE’S NOT WILLING TO LET HER HEART FALL Ousted undercover ATF agent Lilly Chase only answers to “Sugar.” Jared is the only man who can see past her leather-and-lipstick demeanor, and that revelation is terrifying. She was fired for helping Titan on a questionable arrest she should’ve ignored, then partnered with Jared’s rival on an assignment in Afghanistan. Distance and danger do nothing to change her feelings. When she’s left on the side of a mountain to die, an unexpected ally comes forward, and might open her heart.
THE STAKES COULDN'T BE HIGHER Saving Sugar isn't a normal rescue operation. It pits Titan against its rival, Jared against his nemesis. Chasing Sugar’s heart isn’t a simple task, either. She fights him, fights them, always ready to run. When she becomes a pawn in a game of collateral damage, Jared must risk his life to save her—the woman whose bravado and surprising sweetness has given him the one thing he never had. Love.

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 RATING: 4 Stars

REVIEW: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have completely fallen in love with this series. It's all about really tough, alpha men and the really tough women whom they love.
We've seen Jared from the very beginning of the series, the big kick-butt guy who leads the Titan Group. He always the hard-nosed one who you are sure he will never find his equal, the "Master of the Universe". I truly expected this series to be like the Guardians of Ascension series, where the leader takes the backseat to romance until almost the very end of the series. While this is the third of the series, its definitely not the end of it.
We also met Sugar earlier in the series as well, and I've loved delving into her backstory more. Bringing them together was one of the best stories I read in this series. Sugar is the kick-butt ex-ATF undercover agent in charge of GUNS. And of course, they fall in love, but they fight it. Especially her. It is definitely not in her plans.
There's so much action, romance, and yes, the sex scenes are pretty hot too. There isn't anything in this book you can dislike.

Meet the author:

Cristin Harber is an award-winning romantic suspense author. She lives outside Washington, DC with her husband, toddler, and English bulldog. Coming fall 2013, she’s expecting a baby and will debut her Titan series. Couple that with the holidays, and it’ll be a busy time of year. There’s a special place in her heart for the men and women who serve and protect. Since she can’t save the world alongside them, she’s content to write their happily ever after stories.

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REVIEW: Drones by Johnny Ray

by Johnny Ray

Matalina heads the elite special forces of Baltonia, a small country near Switzerland, and where the Maliviziati maintain their secret society that opposes the Illuminati’s various splinter groups that want to create a new world order. While she directs the most powerful special operatives in the world, she is very capable of going solo when needed. She was bred like her parents and theirs before to be the best warrior in the world. Unfortunately, her chosen mate, Bjorn, has turned against them, killing her sister in the process. She loved him earlier, and perhaps she still does. Still, when she finds him, she will kill him. When a new faction attempts to release drones in America, Matalina has to respond to keep this from playing into the hands of those wanting to create a new world order. She soon learns that the leader of this group is one of Bjorn’s operatives, Mario, a guy she should kill, but he is also the one person she needs to take alive to be able to locate Bjorn. With mercenaries flown in from Columbia to help this terrorist faction which was formed out of Afghanistan, this novel circles the globe as many players fight for eventual control of the world.

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About the Author:

Johnny Ray has a passion for life and adventure that he loves to share with his readers. As an avid traveler and professional businessman conducting business worldwide for years he has made many interesting contacts and received numerous awards for top production. He has owned and operated several real estate companies, several insurance companies, and a stock brokerage company. He loves radio and TV talk shows, as well as speaking in front of various audiences. Feel free to contact him if you need a guest speaker. When it comes time to play, he is very active in many sports including dancing, swimming, tennis, biking, and skiing. While he loves adventures that are new, interesting and challenging, making friends that share his passions is a special gift. Johnny lives in Clearwater, Florida where he works full time as a writer, and he can be often found in one of the hundreds of coffee shops along the beach working on his next novel. He belongs to the Florida Writer Association where he recently won the Royal Palm Literary Award for best thriller, the Romantic Writers of America, and the Mystery Writers Association. He attends various national writer conventions throughout the year, as well as several local writing groups in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

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RATING: 4 stars

REVIEW: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I found this book extremely well-written. The writing flowed smoothly, and the scenes were very descriptive. There was plenty of action to keep the reader turning the pages, full of espionage, explosions and one very kick-butt woman. Matalina is probably the hardest woman I've ever known as a character, not confusing, but physically overpowering.
Being as hard of a woman as she was, it was hard to really empathize with her. She had no problems with killing anyone, no remorse at all at times, and yet, at the same time, she was supposed to be this princess of a country that no one has ever heard about. A country that was centered around destroying the Illuminati.
The Illuminati never really showed up in the book, and it seemed to end up being a power battle between Matalina and the US CIA. Apparently she has bigger cajones than the US CIA.
The ending was what kept me on the edge of my seat, because for some odd reason, I'm hoping to see a softer side of Matalina through her semi-arranged marriage.

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It's Monday, What are you reading?!

2014 has started, and its the first Monday of the New Year! I have completely dropkicked 2013 to the curb, as the end of it was getting pretty suck-ish. 2014 will be so much better of a year! And its starting out with some awesome books! Here are a few of the books I have on my immediate TBR shelf:

1. A Warrior's Redemption by Guy Stanton III: A Warrior’s Redemption is the beginning of a family saga that starts with a boy named Roric. He lives on a distant world that is full of unrest, where disputes are settled by the sword. Little is known of how they came to this world, only that they came from a place known as Earth, in the distant past. How they came is a mystery that some want to discover again while others would gladly die to keep those secrets from ever seeing the light of day. Roric’s father tired of keeping the secrets of his ancestors, from the people of his nation, forsakes his family’s oath, and leaves to find peace in another land. Little did he know that the wickedness of the land that he settles in would kill him and all his family, except for his oldest son, Roric. Roric, embittered by seeing the death of his family, finds himself sold into slavery. He becomes a survivor in the arena, where man is matched to the death against man and beast alike. He escapes only to pursue a life of vengeance against those who afflicted him and killed his family. Tormented by a life without peace, he remembers the guiding words of his mother, which open up a path of redemption that becomes the guiding influence of his life. Through acts of intrigue and deception he is lead to the awareness of the darker menace within a spiritual world that is unseen, but that he is no less involved in. He travels to the land of his ancestors, a place of majestic mountains and the valleys that lie between them that are settled by a people that exist in peace only because of the warriors that have fought and died to keep them so. It is in protecting these people that Roric finds a reason worth fighting for. He grapples with the long held secrets of his family and unlike his father before him, decides to fight so that his people can remain free. He rises above his humble past to become a leader that inspires a nation in its fight for survival and becomes a legend.

2. Scattered Links by M Weidenbenner : Scattered Links is a novel that pulls its characters from the gutters and, in the end, celebrates the tenacity of the human spirit. 
Thirteen-year-old Oksana lives on the streets of Russia with her pregnant mama and abusive aunt—both prostitutes. When Mama swells into labor, Oksana makes a decision to save herself from abandonment, a decision that torments her forever. But her plan fails when her aunt dumps her in an orphanage before she has the chance to say goodbye to her mama or tell her the secret that haunts her.
Scattered Links is a story of family and the consequences that come from never learning how to love, of a girl’s inability to bond with her adopted family and the frustrations that follow. 
How can a child understand the mechanics of forming a healthy relationship when she never had a mother who answered her cries, held her when she was frightened, fed her when she was hungry, or loved her unconditionally?
Only when the child meets a rescued abused horse, and recognizes the pain in his eyes, does she begin to trust again

3. The Evelyn Project by Kfir Luzzatto: A loving father's cry for help gets into the wrong hands, and a hundred years later things get out of control.
Evelyn’s father did everything that was in his power to save his dying daughter, black magic included. But when a century later his plea for help gets into the wrong hands, all hell breaks loose.
Caught in the slippery battlefield between the Vatican and a cult that wants to change the past, a young Italian professor and a beautiful French aspiring actress are too busy running away from murder and conspiracy to let physical attraction develop into love.
And it doesn’t help that Her Majesty's Secret Service decides to take an interest in what everybody else is doing and to pull some strings of its own. Quite the contrary, in fact…

BOOK TOUR: The Arcadia Novels by Jesi Lea Ryan

By Jesi Lea Ryan

Most people who experience death don't live to tell about it. When sixteen year old Arcadia "Cady" Day wakes in a hospital after experiencing what can only be called a psychic episode, she finds her family in tatters. With her twin sister gone, her dad moved out, her mom's spiraling depression and her sister's boyfriend, Cane, barely able to look at her, the only bright spot in her life is Bryan Sullivan, the new guy in school. When Bryan's around, Cady can almost pretend she's a regular girl, living a regular life; when he's not, she's wracked with wild, inexplicable mood swings. As her home life crumbles and her emotional control slips away, Cady begins to suspect that her first psychic episode was just the beginning...    


Think high school sucks? Try being an empath who has to experience everyone else’s suckage on top of your own. (Literally.) In the months since her family life imploded and her psychic gifts began to arise, Cady has struggled to figure out how she can fit into her normal life without going crazy from the constant presence of emotional energy. Her grades have tanked. Her best friend is afraid of her. And she begins to have doubts about why her boyfriend, Bryan, is really keeping her around. But a chance meeting with another gifted girl online opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Unfortunately, this new world comes at an awful price.  

Find The Arcadia Novels here: Amazon (Arcadia's Gift)/Amazon (Arcadia's Curse) AUDIBLE Audio Book of Arcadia's Gift

Author Bio:

Jesi Lea Ryan grew up in the Mississippi River town of Dubuque, IA. She holds bachelor degrees in creative writing and literature and a masters degree in business. She considers herself a well-rounded nerd who can spend hours on the internet researching things like British history, anthropology of ancient people, geography of random parts of the world, bad tattoos and the paranormal. She currently lives in Madison, WI with her husband and two exceptionally naughty kitties.
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