It's Monday, What are you Reading?

So I completely forgot about last Monday.... I can only blame it on the flu/bronchitis/whatever it was I was battling earlier in the week previous. It's February already!!! Is anyone else as excited about this as me? That means winter only really has maybe two more months up here in New England, and that makes me one very very happy momma! No more kids with cabin fever, no more shovelling the snow, no more black ice.

Last post, I said I was going to finish Sympathy for the Devil and A Warrior's Redemption as well as start:

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

Sympathy for the Devil and A Warrior's Redemption were both Did Not Finish (DNF) for me, and that bummed me out. I* try really hard to never have any DNF's on my bookshelf, especially two in one week, however, when I got past the halfway mark (almost to 75% on one), and they weren't getting any better, I couldn't force myself to continue putting in energy in books I didn't like.

I did finish both of the books I planned on starting. The review for A Sinner's Garden by William Sirls can be found here. I still have to write the review for The Tyrant's Daughter. There are many reviews I still have to write.

I actually finished four books last week, to the consternation of my kids, who couldn't pull me away from my Kindle, so you can look forward to the reviews soon for:

1. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laina Taylor
2. In The Place Where There is No Darkness by KM Douglass
3. Glistening Haven by Jill Cooper
4. Glistening Rebellion by Jill Cooper

This week, I'm going to be reading:

1. Spartanica by Powers Molinar
2. Leviathan by Charbel Tadros

I'm waiting for Compass:The Study Bible For Navigating Your Life by the Ecclesia Bible Society to come in the mail for review. I don't expect that to be in till almost the middle of February.

PROMO: Fearless by Tawdra Kandle

Have you read FEARLESS, The King Series Book One? Grab it now--as a free ebook! And for a very limited time only, the other three books of The King Series are sale, too.
That's right: get BREATHLESS, RESTLESS and ENDLESS for 99 cents each for three days only. AND the complete series box set--along with a tiny preview of Rafe's story--is only $1.99. This sale kicks off release week for UNDENIABLE: The Serendipity Duet Book One. This is Rafe's book, a spin-off of The King Series.

Be sure to come back to Tawdra's page often to catch the links as soon as they're up, and follow Tawdra on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

Subscribers to her  newsletter got a special sneak preview of the cover of this hot book last week. Are you a signed up? Do it here! For the rest of the world, the cover will be revealed here on Tuesday, February 4th. Are you ready for Rafe?

For Rafe Brooks, running from a broken heart means losing himself in alcohol and women. Lots of women, none of whom will remember him, since he has the ability to manipulate their minds and make them forget. Numbing the pain works until he meets an irresistible redhead with secrets of her own. She offers him the opportunity to join forces with an organization that will use his powers for good rather than his own amusement. Jocelyn rocks his world with her unapologetic passion and makes him believe for the first time he just might survive heartbreak. When a mission takes the two of them undercover to infiltrate a commune with suspicious activity, they discover it's just the tip of a plot to cause world-wide anarchy. Hiding their extraordinary powers and real identities is crucial to staying alive. For Rafe and Jocelyn, when life is uncertain, love is undeniable. Follow Tawdra here: Website/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Tumblr

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