Thursday, May 23, 2013

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor


"Love is a luxury."
"No. Love is an element." An element. Like air to breathe, earth to stand on.

Before I begin my review, I need to admit something... I....am an e-book hoarder. It's becoming a problem. I have a couple HUNDRED (no exaggeration) books on my Kindle that causes me a quite a bit of anxiety. I agonize over trying to decide what I want to read next! That being said, I've had this book on my Kindle since last summer and I finally decided to give it a shot. Overall, I'm pretty happy that I read this book.

On the outside, Karou is a blue-haired, art student living in Prague. Her classmates know her as a mysterious girl who fills her sketchbooks with monsters with elaborate stories. Little to they know that the monsters and stories that Karou tells are glimpses into her real life. She was raised by these creatures and have come to know them as the only family that she has. Balancing her human life and her secret life can be challenging. One night while running errands for her family, she encounters a shockingly gorgeous, yet deadly man who changes everything that she thought she knew about either worlds.

Good 

  • The storyline for this was awesome! You can definitely tell that the author spent a lot of time putting thought into how she wants to shape this fictional world. It was so complex and unique. 
  • The story picked up with action right away. I like that it pulled you into Karou's world immediately. No fluff. 
  • Kinda-sorta-not really insta-love? It's complicated. I generally hate insta-love stories. This one kind of has this, but in a much more complex way. It didn't leave me rolling my eyes so I'm putting this on the good list. :) 
Bad
  • The author's writing style was hard to read in the beginning. So. Many. Commas. Definitely one of my pet peeves. I feel like it breaks up the flow. 
  • I feel like I knew the characters but didn't really know them.. if that makes any sense. It was written in third person so of course you don't get to know what the characters are really thinking but it was really hard for me to connect with any of them. 
Overall, it was a pretty good book. I give it 3.5 stars because I loved the story, but it's so hard for me to give a book a high rating when I don't feel like I've connected with the characters. However, don't let that deter you from reading it! I definitely suggest giving it a shot. 

Review - The Vampire Code by E.C. Adams


Title:    “The Vampire Code” 

Author:    E.C. Adams   [No image]

Book Summary:
An Urban Fantasy Romance set in a United States where vampires are another oppressed minority in search of cultural acceptance, and featuring a ruling family that wants to change that - the Fiscards.

As part of their plan to connect with mainstream mortal America, when one of their own is unjustly accused of murdering a human, the Fiscards hire one of New York's hottest young attorneys — a young woman by the name Aurora Lake — to stand by them in Vampire Court.

But not every vampire wants to be assimilated, and not everybody approves of the obvious attraction between Aurora Lake and the vampire Sebastian Fiscard.

As they struggle with their own feelings and with unseen, ancient forces trying to put a stop to their work — and to Aurora — will Aurora and Sebastian overcome The Resistance? And what about their resistance to what their own hearts, mortal and immortal, know to be true?

Author Bio:
A lawyer by profession, E.C. Adams started writing when she decided to take a break from her profession and focus more on her expanding family.

Born in Malta, a tiny island bang in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, she now lives there, but over the years, she's lived in Italy (Rome), England (London) and Cyprus (Paphos).

She loves Greek and Italian food, and throwing lavish parties at home, where all guests are expected to bring a +1 or more.

"The Vampire Code" is her debut novel and the first book in a Series by the name “The Fiscard Vampires”.
Book Two will be published in 2013.

Where to connect with E.C. –
FB (don’t be shy – send her a request): http://www.facebook.com/#!/e.c.adams.mail


This is how the book starts:
Sebastian Fiscard couldn’t have been older than thirty-five when he died. He sat across from me, wearing a crisp white shirt over dark blue pants and an air of barely contained impatience.
“Help me understand, Mr. Fiscard,” I said. “You want me, a human, to represent your brother, a vampire, in front of a jury of over four hundred vampires, in a murder trial in which the victim was human?”
The vampire sat absolutely still—not breathing, not doing anything, allowing me time to process the information—before he said, “Yes, Ms. Lake. That’s just about it.”

And here’s another teaser… can you feel the chemistry? (The narrator is Aurora):
“You can do it,” Sebastian told me, still bent double. “It won’t even hurt and if you think about it, it will make for a great story to tell your grandchildren some day.” He smiled. How could he smile with a dagger in his back?

I looked at Sebastian then, really looked at him. How many lives had he lived already? This must be a welcome adventure to him, something to kill the tedium of eternal life.

“Son of a bitch,” I whispered….


And this is what reviewers on Goodreads.com and Amazon.com have said:
 I rate this book as at least 5 stars because it blew me away!” AND “This book has all the moments and elements that we readers love about romance, paranormal and mysteries and this author is able to combine these elements in a way that works! People have tried to write this book for years and wonderfully for us, E. C. Adams has accomplished this.” (Heather - Age 42 , Female , Canada – on Goodreads.com and Amazon.com)

“This is a gripping book with a great love story and we are kept waiting for the next part of this awesome trilogy!”  (Farah - Age 27 , Female , Pretoria, South Africa – on Goodreads.com)

“The twists and turns that follow are unexpected and magical - a great beginning to a unique vampire trilogy.” (Author Sherry Stanfield – on Goodreads.com)

Where to purchase:








My review:

Aurora Lake is a lawyer who accepts to take on a case for a vampire wrongly accused of murder; hired by his brother Sebastian.  After accepting the case, Aurora is the targeted by the New Ku Klux Klan as well as members of the Vampire Resistance.  During all of this, Sebastian is the one who is always there protecting her making sure that nothing harmful comes to her.

During the trial, feelings are starting to stir within Aurora for Sebastian but she doesn’t want to admit to them or let them show not wanting their relationship to interfere with Robert’s trial.  Afterwards Aurora learns that she is cursed and the only way to break this curse is to have a baby and Sebastian still wants to do whatever he can do to protect her.

Right from the very first chapter I was drawn into the story; the whole human lawyer representing a vampire, human-vampire love story, and everything that happens around them.  I have to say I am intrigued by Sebastian; very stoic and by the law but yet seems so dreamy *drool*; from the description of him you can’t blame Aurora for being drawn to him :D   I thought the story moved along great, enough action to keep it interesting and of course there is the love story aspect of the book.  I am looking forward to the next book to see what happens with Aurora, Sebastian and everyone else ;)

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

This I Promise You by Tressa Messenger *Giveaway & Book Tour*


Guest Post by Tressa Messenger
Author of
This I Promise You



The Blurb:
You only get one first of anything, and no matter the time, or space, or age, you never forget your firsts.
When thirteen year old Nicky Moore’s parents decide to buy a small summer beach cottage at Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, she thought her life would end.  It didn’t matter the beauty of the area - land and water as far as the eye could see - she was bound and determined to make her family’s summer vacation as dismal as she felt.  That was until she met a boy from down the beach; a beautiful boy, with the most intense brown eyes she had ever seen and a smile that could light the ocean on fire.  A summer that Nicky thought was doomed from the start, turned into a summer that she would never forget; one full of firsts.  It was impossible for her to know years later how one seemingly little decision could change everything forever, but soon, as an adult, Nicky will find out that everything she once thought were real and the promises once made, were lost in a sea of inner turmoil.


A note from Tressa on why she wrote This I Promise You...

I'm not even sure where to begin.  How do you explain what an impact a story has on one self?  This story is one so very special to me and I put a lot of tears into writing it.   
After a friend of mine came to me and presented a book idea to me, which has happened many times since becoming a writer, immediately the story unfolded in my mind. I knew the exact story I wanted to tell. A story that I felt needed to be told. It is a story of finding yourself through young love and trying to maintain that love through life’s obstacles. This story is so very special to me because this story is about me and someone who was very special to me, my first love. I am truly honored to be able to share it with you.
My story is not very unlike the one you are about to read.  I fell in love for the first time when I was just 13 years old with the most beautiful boy I had ever known, Jeremy Hayes Hewett. Some told me it was just a crush, a child’s fantasy, and some just dismissed it all together.  They were all wrong. Yes, I was 13 and that is young, but I knew how I felt and they did not. He was a truly special person who had the biggest heart of anyone I had ever known. We dated the entire school year until I moved away at the end of the school year. We continued to stay in touch after I moved away, but long distance relationships are hard whether you are 13 or 31 and like so many long distance relationships it didn’t last. Slowly, the once constant letters and phone calls started becoming fewer and further in between until they stopped all together. I would always think about him from time to time though whether I was driving through his hometown, or if I heard a certain song on the radio. I sang our song “I Swear” every night for a year.
Finally, when I was nineteen, I contacted everyone that I could think of who knew him or would possibly know how to contact him, and since this was before advances in technology had taken off I decided to leave it up to the universe. If we were meant to be, then we would be. As the years went by the universe remained steadily quiet, so once again I grew impatient and took it upon myself to try and locate him once more. Unfortunately, this time I did find out where he was, but what I found out was the LAST thing I had ever expected to hear. My first love had been dead for three years after taking his life. The impact of his death left me in complete shock, and after the shock, there was guilt. I was utterly consumed by guilt because oddly enough, it had been exactly three years since I had last tried to find him, I felt guilty for not trying harder. I thought that maybe, had I known what he was going through I could’ve helped him.

Well, what I can’t do, as much as I wish I could, is go back and help him, but what I can do now is share this story in the hopes that it may help someone else. So, that is what I have done. He and I may have only had that one perfect year together when we were kids, but it was a time in my life I will never forget. I often wonder had he and I stayed together how would our lives have played out? People always say that if they could go back in time and change anything in their life they wanted to they wouldn’t change a thing.  But if you knew that was the ending would you change it if you could do it all over again? I would.


Find Tressa here :
twitter @tressamessenger





a Rafflecopter giveaway


Review - Sentinel by Joshua Winning


Publication Date:  May 1, 2013


Who are the Sentinels? They’re everywhere, but you’ve never seen them. The Sentinels are the world’s best-kept secret, but that secret’s about to come out… Are you ready for it?

A dark fantasy series set in Cambridge, Sentinel is the first installment in the thrilling Sentinel Trilogy, which takes place in a world that everybody knows, but few would recognize. Who are the Sentinels? Who is the mysterious godmother? And why is fifteen-year-old Nicholas Hallow able to sense things that others can’t? Filled with action and mystery, Sentinel takes the reader on a whirlwind adventure with unconventional heroes and a little bit of magic


Cover and Description from Goodreads

My review:

I usually do a recap of what I feel describes the story however I won’t be doing that in this one as I’m still not 100% exactly what the Sentinels are and what their purpose is.  Things happened with Nicholas who apparently is someone “special” for the Sentinels and is sent to live with his Godmother whom he never has met nor has heard about. 

The story was interesting and I’m sure they mentioned in there who the Sentinels where but it could’ve just flown right over my head J  Although I enjoyed reading the book I’m not sure if I will continue on with the series, nothing stood out that made me want to see what happens next.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Review - The Ancient Codex by Louise Herman


Publication Date: December 14, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Supernatural, Romance

When Faith’s mother starts organizing the second stage of her arranged marriage to wizard, Damien, Faith knew she needed to escape, so she used her school as a place to retreat.

Throughout her after school duties, she meets the intense, alluring Rohan, who changes her life forever.

With his ice cold skin, transfixing eyes and enchanting voice, Rohan took hold of Faith’s heart and soul as soon as they looked at each other.

She knew it was wrong.

There were from two different circles and if the Elder’s found out, the consequences would be catastrophic for all involved, but the more time they spent together, the stronger they’re love grew, until one day someone sees them...

Will their love be strong enough to combat their conflicting mythical needs? And what will they do when Faith is dealt a life threatening blow that forces her to make a heartbreaking decision?


Cover and Description from Goodreads


My review:

Everything in Faith’s life is not normal; she is a witch who has an arranged marriage to Damien, a wizard her age.  She doesn’t like Damien but has decided to make an effort to get to know him since they will have to spend the rest of their life together.  With everything going on, Faith’s need to escape all the happenings brings her to the one place she knows she can and that is at school. 

While at school she meets Rohan, a vampire and feels herself drawn to him both heart and soul although they both know this wrong (inter-circle relationships are forbidden).  Both knowing that what they feel for each other they hide their growing relationship from others until one day they are seen.

Faith and Rohan decide that their love means more to them than anything else so they run off together so that they can be together forever, hiding from the Elders and then one day they are given information that will change them forever.


I really enjoyed this book right from the beginning.  I grew attached to Faith and Rohan’s love story seeing how they choose love over law and would do anything so that they could stay together.  The story moved along perfectly with no gaps or too much information, and there were enough events that took place to keep you enthralled.  Without giving away any of the story because that wouldn’t be fun, there is one major decision that Faith has to make regarding something that will set a whole other slew of events to take place throughout the story and is very interesting to say the least J I am definitely looking forward to the second book in this series to see what happens next!

Friday, May 17, 2013

*Cover Reveal* Promise Me This by Sarah Ashley Jones


Hear ye! Hear ye! My fabulous writing BFF is finally sharing her gorgeous cover with you!!
Sarah Ashley Jones has written a beautiful NA Contemporary Romance called 'Promise Me This' 
and she had an amazing photo shoot done just for the cover.

Are you ready??



Are you excited??


Here  you goooooo....



Promise Me This by Sarah Ashley Jones
Cover Design by Okay Creations.
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 17, 2013

Welcome to the South - where the tea is sweet and the accents are sweeter. This Southern way of life is all Charlie has ever known. It’s not until she loses the only person who pushed her to break free of the Southern Belle mold that she starts living the life she needs and not the life her parents forced on her.

Jhett has lived on the edge for as long as he could remember - constantly teetering back and forth between being a rock star and living a normal life. His rebellious and sometimes arrogant attitude is known to get him into trouble, especially with the girls who hang on his every move.

Charlie never thought that a trip to pack up her brother’s apartment would leave her feeling even more unsettled about the grainy details of her brother’s death. Her quest for information leads her straight to his old hangout and into arms of Jhett, who suspiciously knows more about her situation than he ever should.

Only a few questions remain - Can you trust someone based on their word alone? And if you make a promise, how far will you go to keep it?



In honor of Sarah and our mutual love for HIMYM...

Right?  I mean doesn't that sound fabulous?!
Check out Sarah's Bio and all her stalking links AND
add the book on Goodreads!

About The Author

Sarah Ashley Jones was raised in San Diego, California, but currently wrangles her husband and four dogs in Clarksville, Tennessee. When she's not writing she works in a pottery studio and comes home covered in paint on a daily basis. She has a slightly unhealthy obsession with cupcakes and chapstick. She is an eternal optimist and can often be found dancing and singing to music at any given time. It's rare to see her not smiling or laughing, but if you do, just bring her a cupcake and it will cheer her up.

Promise Me This is her first novel and is a story that weaseled its way into her heart and wouldn't leave her alone until she typed it up on the computer. She already is hard at work on ideas for her next book and hopes that the
characters never stop coming to her. Her huge imagination was always in overdrive as a child and now she is beyond excited to put it to good use as an adult. She plans to write as long as she has stories that need to be told.

FIND SARAH ASHLEY JONES ON

ADD PROMISE ME THIS ON GOODREADS


This post was simultaneously posted on my personal authors blog

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Review - "The Legend of the Blue Eyes" by B. Kristin McMichael




Publication Date: March 15,  2013 
Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult, Supernatural, Fantasy



Arianna Grace liked her boring, Midwestern, teenage life where she ignored the many unanswered questions of her childhood. Why were her parents dead? Why did she not have family? Where was she raised until she was five? When someone offers to explain it all, Arianna thinks she’s just getting answers. Instead, she is thrown into a world of night humans who drink blood.

On Arianna's sixteenth birthday, her world is thrown upside down when she changes into a vampire. Night humans, or demons, as some call them, live in normal society. Learning all of the new rules of a world she didn’t know existed might be hard enough, but it's further complicated by two former-friends that now want to help her take her role as the successor to her grandfather.

There is a war going on between the night humans. Sides have been taken and lines are not crossed. Four main clans of night humans are struggling for control of the night. Divided into two sides, clans Baku and Tengu have been at war for centuries with the clans Dearg-dul and Lycan. That is, until Arianna Grace finds out the truth; she’s the bridge of peace between the two sides. But not everyone wants peace. With the night humans divided, Arianna is now a pawn in the war between them. She must choose a side—her mother’s family or her father’s—and for once in her life, decide her own fate

Cover and Description from :    Goodreads

Tanya's Review:

Arianna is just like any typical teenager going through life worrying about school and all of the typical teenage girl things.  She does struggle with the death of her parents who died when she was five and since then has lived with her Aunt and Uncle who will not speak of them.

Arianna starts receiving notes stating that they knew her parents and she is happy to finally start getting answers.  That is going good until she turns 16 and changes into a vampire (actuality she is half Dearg-dul and half Baku); something she didn’t realize existed.  Now not only is she having to deal with her new life style, learning that she is the key that will end the wars between all of the clans while making a couple of strong relationships along the way.

Right from the beginning I was pulled into the story and never once did I falter in my reading so much so I read it within one day!  Arianna is forced to deal with a lot in such a short time and with all of this I could see how she is such a strong girl. 

Of course like most YA books these days there is a love story included, however there is a small twist when Arianna learns she will have a keeper from all four clans and the guys who love her (Devin, Turner and then Andrew) understand that they will never be the only one.

The story line is great, everything move along swiftly but in a manner where you didn’t feel like you were missing anything or that it was moving along too fast.  All I can say is that I can’t wait for the next book!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Blog tour - "Cruentus: Rise to Power by L.S.Broomfield


Cruentus: Rise to Power
Book 1, The Cruentus Series
By LS Broomfield

A prophecy of old continued to burn in the embers of time; long left dormant until the Cruentus family rose above all others as darkness ascended the lands. Greed and deception were the name of the game, and Arturo Cruentus would stop at nothing as he concocted the ultimate scheme to get everything he wanted. No price was too high. The scene was set, the pieces strategically placed. The Gallo family could not come against him, and in the end Guido and Palmiria Gallo would come out the biggest losers, watching their only daughter, Emiliana, be taken away to render a debt settled.

Young Emiliana Gallo, a victim of circumstance, was thrust into a world she did not understand and forced to marry a man she did not know. But what no one expected, not even Arturo, was that Emiliana and his son, Donato, would fall in love against all odds. For Arturo, love made one weak, but for his son, it was love at first sight. Donato became an opportunist in his father’s dirty schemes and did everything in his power to ensure the woman he admired for so long not only took his name in marriage, but also fell in love with him. Donato wanted it all, his gamble paid off richly, and he achieved both marriage and love. However, on the day they said ‘I do’ and the Cruentus and Gallo families were joined, Emiliana was ripped from their home like a thief in the night.

An unknown force too unsettled to let the vision spill and strengthen the Cruentus family decided to do the unthinkable—double-cross the Cruentus family. Rage and disdain fuelled Donato and Arturo. Though their reasons were very different-their goal unified them. They squared off with the leader of the Russian Coven to take back Emiliana, and in the end the Russian coven paid the highest price as the leader's blood was spilled in retribution for his crime at the hands of Arturo. News spread quickly to the Magia Council, and before long Arturo was called before them to answer for his crime of murder unjustly. The Ancients of the roundtable at Mount Blanc, the mountain range bordering Italy and France, was now enacted as they listened to the tale that had unfolded. Little did they know that they were a part of the grand scheme Arturo Cruentus shrewdly planned for the ultimate betrayal.

About the Author:
L.S. Broomfield lives in God’s country – Central Labrador, Canada. She wasn’t born there, but it’s where she and her family call home. Born and raised in Hawkes Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, L.S. is  published author who is currently working on book two of the Cruentus series, a series of tales about the Cruentus family; namely, Dragos Cruentus, who who will make his appearance in the second book. She is full of talent and takes a fresh look on the paranormal world.

As a child, Lisa always wanted to write. She didn’t have any predilection of what to write, as long as she was writing – she was happy. She remembers growing up and traveling to Flower’s Cove to visit family and letting her imagination soar as the pen sketched across the paper. At such a young age, it was perhaps mostly incoherent thoughts tossed across the pages but still for all, it was a desire even then to write and tell a story. 

As an adult, Lisa met an amazing group of individuals, and with their support and encouragement was brave enough to write and let people read the stories in her mind. While writing is one thing, allowing others to read the words one has spent hours putting to paper is entirely another thing. It opens the author wide to both praise and criticism. Lisa found it to be scary, yet wonderfully exciting.

Lisa has many people to thank for helping her to reach where she is today, but none of this would be possible without the support of her husband, Shawn, and her amazing kids, Brittany, Daniel, and Jacob. These people fill her world with color and make it worth writing – they enable her to do what she loves.

You can find L.S. Broomfield on her Blog, Facebook, and Twitter
You can find Cruentus: Rise to Power on Amazon

Now on to today's interview.

      1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else? 

I don’t know if in my mind I wanted to be a ‘writer’ as such, but I always wanted and loved to write. I never clearly defined that in my mind.  As a little girl, I’m sure all my hopes and dreams of future jobs matched many others. We wanted to be doctors, lawyers, and mechanics; but no matter where I decided to go, yes, I have always loved to write.
 
2. How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish?

It really depends on a number of factors as to how long it will take from start to finish. For instance, my short story, “Souls Caught Fire” in my joint collaboration with author Ashley Nemer, Soul Mates, it took me two weeks.  For Cruentus: Rise to Power it took me about thirteen months from start to finally writing out the last sentence.

3. How do you come up with themes for your stories?

For me, it could be a picture that stokes the embers of creativity, or it could be a name or a face that does it. Sometimes it’s just the budding of an idea in my mind; more of a “that’d be pretty cool to write about”. 

For “Souls Caught Fire” within Soul Mates it was based on a black and white picture in a bar. It gave the illusion of a 1950’s bar and the woman drew your attention immediately. I had to tell her story. Fierce and beautiful.

Cruentus: Rise to Power was based on an idea for Dragos Cruentus. I started writing him loosely in a writing group, and he took on a life of his own. Granted, Rise to Power is not about Dragos but his parents, Donato and Emiliana, as well as his grandfather, Arturo. Book one provides what I believe to be a very necessary back story for the Cruentus family.

4. Do you have a schedule of when you write? 

I would like to be able to say I’m very regimented in my writing, but I am not. I’m like most moms—busy. I have work and children, and their extracurricular activities, so it makes it hard to devote a certain amount of time each day to my writing. I write whenever I can, and as their schedules allow me to.

5. How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing?

Some days with great difficulty, but being the multi-tasking mother, I make it happen. I try to practice what I like to call ‘mental health time’ and use that to do things just for me, which usually ends up being writing. As well, a lot of the times I get to write are because my husband and children support what I love to do. They understand that mom has crazy ideas and has to get it down. Without their support in a busy home, writing wouldn’t be possible.

6. What elements do you think make a great story line? 

For myself, I would have to say great characters. A character with depth adds an allurement to a reader. I think a story could have an amazing plot, but if their characters are un-relatable then I think it causes a reader to lose interest. So while a strong plot is very necessary, relatable characters are as well. Don’t be afraid to give a character depth. Not all characters are going to be brooding, strong men or meek and mild females.

7. What was the hardest thing about writing a book?

Besides finishing it? I would have to say it is finding the time to devote to its completion, as well as turning off my mind to other home related things. That would have to be my greatest battle sometimes.

8. How many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite? 

To date, I have written 2 short stories, “Firefly” (on sale within Evernight Vol 2 by author Allison Cassatta) and “Souls Caught Fire” (within Soul Mates jointly with author Ashley Nemer), and 1 novella, Cruentus: Rise to Power.

I loved each one that I’ve written all for entirely different reasons, but if I had to pick it would be “Souls Caught Fire”.

9. Do you have a favorite character?

My favourite all-time character is not one that I’ve written yet—Dragos Cruentus.

10. Where do you write?

I don’t have an office, so I just go wherever it’s quieter. It usually ends up being my bedroom.

11. When deciding on how to publish, what directed you to the route you took? 

I searched through many publishing firms and took a lot of advice from my friend and fellow author regarding the self publishing route. In the end, I decided on self publishing for Cruentus: Rise to Power for the sole purpose of maintaining my rights as an author.

12. Have you gotten feedback from family about your book(s)? What do they think?

My family are terribly excited for me. My children, the ones old enough, are so excited. I printed off a copy of Rise to Power and gave to my fifteen year old, Daniel, to read. He was pretty impressed that he had the very first copy. My husband says I have so much talent. It’s such a prideful and wonderful feeling when the people you love the most support you so beautifully.

13. What kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing?

I love to travel whenever I get the opportunity, but one of my all-time favourite things to do is watch my boys play soccer. I’m an absolute soccer mom. I’m the mom in the stands screaming out to them, supporting them and pushing them harder to do what they love most.  Then there is four wheeling. I love off road riding with my family.

14. What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing? 

First and foremost, get a journal and keep it with you. It’s amazing how sometimes hand writing in a notebook or journal can push creativity forward. Don’t set a deadline for yourself. Don’t stress if you can’t write every day, keep your journal close and write down random things that pop in your mind. You’ll be amazed how much you can write based on one sentence. Be organized—keep key details of your characters, down to the eye color and hair color, in one spot for easy access. Don’t over think how your story will play out. I’ve learned very quickly that our characters, once they have begun speaking, have full control over that. And finally, have fun with your writing!

16. What is your favorite book? Favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to write? 

My favourite book is I Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. Favorite author, I would have to say Stephenie Meyer because once I read her books, I couldn’t stop reading books in general. I needed more and hence began my love of books. As for who inspired me to write, I believe it’s a collective between each author I’ve read. It ranges from childhood books to J.D. Robb, Stephenie Meyer, Laurell K. Hamilton, J.R. Ward, and the list could go on. 

17. Do you have any go to people when writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta reading and such? 

I go to two people—Tevya and Ashley. They have been my support base through this journey in terms of editing, reading, and butt-kicking.

18. Are you working on anything now?

Currently, I’m working on an M/M short story. It does not have an official name, so for now I’ll just call it Blake and Ashton. It’s a story of love, loss, surviving through that loss, and finding love again.

Now check out Reading Lark for a chance to win this book!


Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Review - "The Apocaplypse" by Phillip W. Simpson

Tribulation by Phillip W. Simpson

Publication Date: December 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Paranormal

Halfway through the desolate Tribulation, half-demon Samael is still alone, with only his Samurai swords and memories of the dearly departed - especially his beloved Aimi - to sustain him. Fighting for the innocents who remain behind, Sam has thwarted the plans of the Antichrist once before. Now, having already conquered Europe, America remains a thorn in his brother’s side. At the head of a massive invasion fleet, an army of demons, and his sights firmly fixed on New York, he will not be denied again ...

Beset on all sides by adversaries, aided by friends old and new, Sam must stop his brother before America falls. And if that means killing him, then so be it. He failed once before; this time he will succeed - or die trying.

Cover and Description from :    Goodreads

Purchase:  unknown

Tanya's Review:

This is the second book of the series.  It takes place half way through the Tribulation where Sam is still fighting to protect the innocent people left on earth from Satan (his father) and the demons who hunt them.  Oh and I should mention that same is half demon, half human....He struggles all the time with his role in all of this and what will become of him after the Apocalyse when Jesus comes to conquer Earth once again...will he stay on Earth after all the good he has done or will he go to hell where is father and brother will be.

I received this book from the author for my honest opinion and I have to say I really enjoyed this book.  It took me a little bit to remember who the characters where and the story line as it's been almost a year since I read the first book but with that being said it didn't take me long to get caught up in the story again.  I wanted to see how Sam deals with his father and brother as well as seeing if all he does will noticed.

Now I don't know much about the biblical aspect of the story however in my opinion I felt that there was enough information in their to guide the reader along.  One individual that I found myself looking forward to seeing appear through the story was Yeth, a hellhound.  Although one of the more fearsome demons in hell.   I fell that he had an "inner puppy" to him and thought that even though he was helping his master, I believe that he too was doing good for mankind.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Review - "The Unseen Country" by Phillip W. Simpson



Publication Date: January 25,  2013 
Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult, Supernatural, Fairies


Two years ago, Tom’s younger brother, Josh was kidnapped. Josh has been missing ever since. Tom saw who took him. Problem is – nobody believes him. In fact, most people think he’s mad. That’s because Josh was taken by creatures who aren’t meant to exist. Creatures from another realm - fairy creatures that only Tom can see.

In the fairy realm known as the Unseen Country, Flynn, an apprentice fairy (who is in danger of failing), stumbles upon a conspiracy that could mean the downfall of both worlds.

Together, the friendless boy and the fairy who can’t fly need to rescue a boy from a fate worse than death. And save both worlds from something even worse.


Cover and Description from :    Goodreads

Tanya's Review:

The book starts out with Tom who’s younger brother was kidnapped right out of their room, no traces of entry and only Tom saw who did it, however no one believes him because he saw someone who isn’t supposed to be real.

Time goes on and Tom finds himself pulled into a the Unseen Country to help Flynn, the fairy assigned to Tom, to figure out what is happening there that could ultimately affect the Real (Earth realm) as well as the Fairy Realm.  While doing this Tom also hopes that he will find his brother who has now been missing for two years. 

Tom learns things that he didn’t know existed except in fairy tales, learns to use his inner strength something he didn’t know he had and making friends along the way.  He learns that he is special but doesn’t understand how but knows he will do whatever it takes to help protect the Real, the fairy realm and his new friends.

I thought the story was good however it bugged me that it a piece of information was held until the end however I know that it couldn’t have been given earlier because if it did, the story line would be totally different.  The story had everything I liked in it, fairies, goblins, trolls and adventure but I don’t think it’s one that I would pick up again to read.  All in all a good story!

Review - "Tribulation" by Phillip W. Simpson

Tribulation by Phillip W. Simpson

Publication Date: December 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Paranormal

Halfway through the desolate Tribulation, half-demon Samael is still alone, with only his Samurai swords and memories of the dearly departed - especially his beloved Aimi - to sustain him. Fighting for the innocents who remain behind, Sam has thwarted the plans of the Antichrist once before. Now, having already conquered Europe, America remains a thorn in his brother’s side. At the head of a massive invasion fleet, an army of demons, and his sights firmly fixed on New York, he will not be denied again ...

Beset on all sides by adversaries, aided by friends old and new, Sam must stop his brother before America falls. And if that means killing him, then so be it. He failed once before; this time he will succeed - or die trying.

Cover and Description from :    Goodreads

Purchase:  unknown

Tanya's Review:

This is the second book of the series.  It takes place half way through the Tribulation where Sam is still fighting to protect the innocent people left on earth from Satan (his father) and the demons who hunt them.  Oh and I should mention that same is half demon, half human....He struggles all the time with his role in all of this and what will become of him after the Apocalyse when Jesus comes to conquer Earth once again...will he stay on Earth after all the good he has done or will he go to hell where is father and brother will be.

I received this book from the author for my honest opinion and I have to say I really enjoyed this book.  It took me a little bit to remember who the characters where and the story line as it's been almost a year since I read the first book but with that being said it didn't take me long to get caught up in the story again.  I wanted to see how Sam deals with his father and brother as well as seeing if all he does will noticed.

Now I don't know much about the biblical aspect of the story however in my opinion I felt that there was enough information in their to guide the reader along.  One individual that I found myself looking forward to seeing appear through the story was Yeth, a hellhound.  Although one of the more fearsome demons in hell.   I fell that he had an "inner puppy" to him and thought that even though he was helping his master, I believe that he too was doing good for mankind.


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Review - Devour by Andrea Heltsley

SupaGurl Tanya, with another review for you.




Blurb:
He wasn’t supposed to remember.

Callie is a royal vampire. She hunts by taking the blood from her victims and erases their memories afterwards. She goes undetected until a victim named Chase approaches her with all his memories intact. He is intrigued and attracted. She is terrified.  What happens when a human mixes with the immortal world? Chaos. 
Callie’s 18th birthday has passed and she is coming out at the annual blood ball. Will she find a mate or will she suffer the repercussions of her indiscretion? She is brought to the Vampire council and they must decide what to do with Chase. Do they kill him, or turn him to protect their secret?

About the Author:
 I’m a biologist turned writer.  I write YA/NA paranormal romance books mainly.  I’m the author of Devour and have several more books scheduled to come out later in 2013. I book blog for fun.  I also have a strong addiction to caffeine and fruit snacks.  You can find me in Tennessee with my husband and two Italian greyhounds.

If you ask anyone, I’m a total fangirl!  I love the entertainment industry.  I love Revenge and the Vampire Diaries on television.  My favorite movies are Elektra and P.S. I Love You.  I have a definite weakness for Tim Burton movies too. I’m beyond a huge fangirl for Shakira, both her English and Spanish music; Jack’s Mannequin comes in a close second.   I have too many favorite authors to list, but Kelley Armstrong and Rachel Vincent are two of them.  I’ve read all their books J
Review: 

Callie is a royal vampire; one of many.  She is young adventourous and ready to have some fun.  Her best friend is Jane and together they go "hunting" at their favorite bar.  Things are going great, she finds  Chase a very hot guy whom she senses there is something different about him, goes home with him and feeds on him.  She wipes his memory clean and then goes home just like every other week.  Well things are going fine except she has to prepare for the Blood Ball, a huge party for the upcoming girls who are of age and need to find a mate.  On her outing with her mom she bumps into the guy from the club he remembered everything!! From this moment, Callie knew her life would be different.  Now heading into the ball, she has the stress of the whole Chase situation but now is determined to find her mate.  Little did Callie know, she would find her true mate, Cody.  She has known Cody all of her life and hadn't looked at him any other way but as a friend until the ball.  So many things are happening for Cassie and she has to face the consequences of what may happen with having a human know about vampires, hoping that Cody will still love her and having to deal with the new feeling of being matted.

I absolutely loved this book!!!  I started reading it and couldn't put down so I finished it in one day!! Right from the beginning I loved Callie; young, adventurous and ready to take on the world well at least after college :)  The story flowed perfectly, with all the events cumulating into one "big" one where Cassie accepts whatever is coming her way.  She is a young girl who has to grow up fast and I feel that she does this perfectly.  I would definitely recommend this book to my friends in a heart beat!
What do you think, sound pretty good????  Well if you are interested there is a giveaway going on over on my blog, I would love for you to come over check it out, become a follower and of course join in the giveaway

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