Thursday, November 28, 2013

Review: RIP Choices After Death

RIP Choices After Death by Daniel Sherrier

A witty and humerous page turner! This book is not your average ghost story. The story begins when Rip, a paranormal investigator,  meets a clever and blunt ghost named Serissa. She sets the story in action by informing him that he is one of the Seven, something he has never heard of, but that will forever change his life. He must now set out, despite his fear, and kill the dead to prevent them from damaging the living.

This story appeals to a wide audience. I enjoyed it but also couldn't help thinking how perfect it would be for a high school aged reader. Themes such as good-verse-evil and learning to embrace who you are, make this an action packed coming-of-age tale.

It was refreshing to read something this unique centering around the timeless ghost story theme. I could see this turning into a television series one day. Strongly reccomended!

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Cover Reveal: Shattered by Fate

Shattered By Fate
Part 2 of Fates Path
By Jacelyn Rye

One heart cannot remember. Another heart cannot forget. Both hearts reach toward something to grasp. For Sarah, it is her past. For Will, it is to bring that past back. The only thing standing squarely in their way — is their future. Each has promised their heart and life to another. But where happiness should be, instead are the dark billowing clouds of a storm of reckoning. The thunder of regret splits a horizon now raining down upon them in shards of shattered promises and unreachable memories.      
     In Book One of this three-part saga, fate seemed it would not be denied, bringing Sarah and Will together in a turbulent world, uniting young hearts for the right reason: love. But — almost as if it has eyes — fate sees to it that no love that is meant to be is allowed to be, without it being tested to the passionate edges of chance.      
     Accidents. Small ones are remembered and retold with a laugh. Useful ones are celebrated.  But shattering ones — those are the ones that slip from the fingers of fate. The kinds that are followed by silence as it roars the sound of life changing. And it is this pounding drone that Sarah and Will — once inseparable — now hear when they listen to their hearts.      
     After her accident, Sarah awakens in a hospital room and into a very different life. Will, accidentally buried by heavy timber when he heroically saves a fellow worker, is also delivered into his own unforeseen, disoriented new life. Destiny’s dust never settles.        
     And nothing is clear when doubts appear. Sarah is betrothed to Adley, while Will is engaged to Margaret, yet both are still connected to each other by an indescribable draw seemingly groping out from the deepest reaches of fate. A fate that deliberately leaves the door of temptation cracked open, giving Will a yearning peek at the naked truth of Sarah, who reaches out with the same tortured passions.  A fate that leaves both to fight the desperate desires of wanting what each knows they cannot have.  A fate that dares them to ask, “What will happen if I finally feel you?”

Did you miss book one: Surrender To Fate? Buy Book One Now!

About Jacelyn Rye 

Jacelyn Rye is many things. She can be as alluring as the love that flows from her pen: pure, honest, simple. But then, like a storm that suddenly appears over the mountain, she can also have you running for shelter where there’s no place to hide. Like life, itself, Jacelyn delivers the hard with the soft, the pain with the joy, the instant with the forever. All of it, for a reason. And it’s there that one can best enter her life.

“I believe in signs, I believe everything happens for a reason,” she’ll tell you. If you know someone like that, you already know a primal piece of Jacelyn — a person who actually listens to the Universe because there, she knows she’ll find more than answers, she’ll find reasons. And those reasons give her insights about nature, and human nature, both of which she invites us to explore with her.

Growing up in the blue sky country of Colorado doesn’t leave an impression, it becomes a lifeblood. For Jacelyn, the clarity of that truth flows through her stories, her characters and her inherent spirituality that somehow knows faith, in the end, triumphs over despair.

Through her storytelling — firmly stimulated by that early country life that taught her to always be prepared when venturing forth — Jacelyn’s uncanny ability to “see” what could happen takes readers into a crystal ball where the future’s many possible outcomes await in a swirl of incandescence, right down to the details of smell, touch, fear, love.

Because life also presents its possibilities in dreams, Jacelyn holds dear that open door. “My dreams mean a lot to me. I listen to them, solve problems in them, learn from them,” she confides. It figures, then, that when you read her stories, you’d best get ready for a trip with an original dream weaver.

And then, there’s serendipity. To know Jacelyn is to accept a dance with chance. She accepted one such chance when she moved from her beloved Colorado to an unknown life awaiting her in Southern California, where she lives today. “I knew another beautiful world was out there.  I was ready for adventure,” she says, with the confidence that proves her faith is more than just words. “I moved from Colorado as soon as I graduated from college, thanks to a great job offer. The night after I received my job offer, I saw a commercial that said, ‘California, find yourself here.’  In that moment, I stopped debating the move and took it as a sign that my adventure would be found in California.”

As Jacelyn does so well, she shares those adventures in her writing. In her first book series, you’ll find Jacelyn’s experiences of this major life change play out in Sarah, who also moves from Colorado to California. “What I’ve seen and felt enable me to write realistically about how a Colorado mountain girl feels about living in California.”

In the quiet mornings, you’ll find Jacelyn savoring her coffee, outside. To her, it’s all about listening, breathing in, appreciating being here for another day. And of course, there’s time spent in the mountains, fishing, wading in creeks with the people she loves. Curiously, this girl who comes from the mile-high mountains, still fears the miles-deep ocean she frequently visits, but only to sink her toes in the hot sand and watch, in awe and respect, the thundering surf.

On any given day, be it in the mountains, at the beach, or on her terrace, Jacelyn is dreaming and writing, her way of sharing something meaningful with those who come to know her.

One thing is for sure, wherever she goes, wherever she’s been, Jacelyn is aware and thankful for the gifts around her. Indeed, although she does not get back to Colorado that often, she’s there in spirit, and in absolute detail, in a moment’s call. “The smells, the sound aspen leaves make when the wind asks them to dance, how tall pines gently sway back and forth against a backdrop of the bluest blue I’ve ever known.” That’s someone who takes it all in, who takes it all with her, and who offers it to everyone who opens her books.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Destroying the Wrong


by Evelyne Stone

Alissa Sullivan has got it made -- a supportive, loving family, a cause she believes in, and her new boyfriend. With her best friend Kat at her side, she was counting the days until the end of high school when they could go away to college together. Then she met Scott, a man who wouldn't touch her but would turn her life upside-down. 
Katherine Horne is perfectly content being in the background. All she wants is to graduate and get out of the town she's grown to loathe. She'd do anything to avoid confrontation but when she finds herself in increasingly humiliating situations, she realizes some things can't be ignored. Especially when it comes to bullying. 
With their carefully planned futures unraveling, Kat and Alissa will come to realize the bond of their friendship will be tested... and might not make it through intact.



This is book 1 in a 3 part series.




About the Author

Evelyne lives in Arizona where she grew up most of her life. She has four children that like to drive her insane on a daily basis. The man in her life also drives her insane but is also very loving and supportive. He’s a keeper! Traveling is her favorite thing to do, even if it’s a short road trip.
Evelyne loves to read many different genres. She always thought about writing and was finally... inspired by her friends to give it a try. Without her great support system, her first book, “Destroying the Wrong,” would have never happened!

 Things you don’t know about Evelyne:
1. Her favorite movie is “So I Married an Axe Murder.”
2. She can sing every song, word-for-word on Adam Lambert’s first album.
3. Monsoon storms and winter drizzles help inspire her writing.
4. Football is her favorite sport even though the Cowboys have not had a good season in a really long time.
5. She loves school and would become a professional college student if it weren’t so expensive.
6. She tries hard to be funny but most of the time is the only one in the room laughing.
7. People watching and giving relationship advice is her favorite past time.
8. What she wants to be when she grows up is still an unanswered question.


Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17982809-destroying-the-wrong
facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Evelyne-Stone/434966173278127?fref=ts

Friday, November 15, 2013

Cover Reveal: The Fallen by Linda Foster

Today is a joint cover reveal of three authors from Glass House Press, PT. McHugh, Linda Foster and Mary Fan.

Ash never thought going to a party could be dangerous. He certainly never thought it would change his life. But when a man with red eyes begins following him – and his sister – he realizes he was wrong. Soon they’re running, leading the man on a desperate chase over icy roads.
When Ash crashes his car, nearly killing his sister, the red-eyed man offers Ash a choice – save his sister, but pay the highest price possible. Bring Grace back to life, at the cost of his own soul.
Suddenly, Ash is facing a choice he never sought. But will he use that choice to save his sister? And if he does … what will it mean for Ash himself?

***


Someone has started a revolution in Heaven, his betrayal and lies tearing the fabric of the angels apart. Things are coming quickly to a head, and before long the angels will find themselves at war … with each other. Friends and allies will turn against each other, each choosing their own side of right and wrong.
If that happens, the world as they know it will end.
It's up to Kali, protector of angels and humans, to stop the treachery before war breaks out and peace is shattered forever. But how far is she willing to go to save the lives of the angels? Will she turn against her own dearest friend to save her world?
And if she does … will anything be left for her to come home to?

***


Join Ash and Kali on their individual adventures as we see what – and who – led them to find each other in Soul Bound, the first book in the Realm of the Claimed.

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Thursday, November 14, 2013

Review: The Commitment

The Commitment
By Dan Savage
I found this book while doing my usual audio book search through the now six libraries I have cards for on my OverDrive media app. Just like the many times before, I selected this book on a whim and just hit download. Since listening to the audio books from the library is free and easy to do, I am willing to take the risk on just about any book that catches my attention. On rare occasions I stumble upon a book like this one, and it instantly soars to the top of my favorite-books-of-all-times list.

This book is about family. Specifically, it is a memoir written by a gay man who recounts his experiences in love, sex, marriage and family. (It even says so right on the cover) Savages writing style is amazing. I was sucked in and hung on every word. Many times I literally laughed out loud like a crazy person and even shouted out repeats of some amazing quotes. This book is quotable in the way that people quote popular movies. So many one liners that are pure literary gold. Some, more inappropriate than others to accidentally yell out while listening to the book in the grocery store, but all equally memorable. (If the nice family who was shopping at Kroger the other day is reading this...I am sorry for my outburst and the interesting conversation you now have to have with your six or so children.)

This book is not only entertaining, hilarious, and heartfelt, but it is also stocked full of amazing advice and inspiration for couples. All couples, homosexual or heterosexual alike. His beautiful way of storytelling captured all the emotion and personality of each and every person in his family and circle of friends. I could literally see each scene as if I were watching it on TV instead of reading it in a book. I laughed and cried several times throughout this story.

Along with a wonderful story, this book is filled with information about the battle for marriage equality as it stood in 2004/2005 in America. It is changed some now in the years since the book was written, but still we as a society have a long way to go. This book is probably the best argument for marriage equality in existence. It is impossible to read this story and not feel the overwhelming urge to fight for this family to be recognized as just that, a family. In fact, this family is doing more things right than the majority of heterosexual families. Same-sex marriage is threatening heterosexual marriages? No way! This one has actually been an encouragement and helpful to me as a newly-married straight woman. And I am sure I am not the only person that has drawn inspiration from this wonderful families story.


Cheers!


Monday, November 11, 2013

Review: The Heavens Rise

The Heavens Rise
By Christopher Rice
To start, I will admit to never having been interested in the horror genre. However, I recently began listening occasionally to Rice's online radio comedy show,  The Dinner Party Show, where he has been advertising his book for months. Still I had no plans to read this novel simply because horror is really NOT my thing (why give myself more reasons to be afraid of the dark?) But I have come to realize that sometimes it's good to read something outside your comfort zone. Plus, the weeks of buildup through the interviews, reviews and other hype (Not to mention that I would feel like an ass hat if I went to his joint book signing with Anne Rice and had no book for him to sign) led me to purchase my copy and begin to read.

I'm glad I did.

For the first 75% of this book there is so much unknown to the reader. We know the source of the power or gift and we know which two characters posses it. (Marshall and Nikki) But there are so many questions! What are the limitations of the power? What happened to Nikki and her family? Are they going to show up? Where is Marshall? What is he going to do next? Are there others with this power? How in the world do you defeat someone who can control minds?  I found myself speculating and was partially correct, but there was so much to the story that was completely unpredictable. I honestly had no idea how the book would end, who would survive, or what the "monster" would become. Just when I thought there were no more surprises, two or three more surfaced!

So how scary is this novel? I would say this novel is more intellectual than terrifying. It is as scary as you imagine it to be because as you read it, you are left to imagine when Marshall (or someone else with this power) will strike next and just how horrific his presence will be. This novel is like none other in the fact that there is seemingly no limit to the evil that can take place because if someone with the power can imagine it, literally any of the other people around him or her can do it.

But this book isn't just about horror. Mixed into this nightmare is love and friendship and, in my opinion, the overall theme of staying true to the people (or in this case also the city) you love no matter what. The last couple pages of chapter 27 is one of the most intimate scenes I've ever read between two people who aren't romantically involved, and to me summed up an overall theme of this beautiful book.
     "You told me no matter who I turned out to be, you would always accept me. You would always love me. Do you remember that day?" 
"...And I'm offering you the same things in return. Always." (Rice, 266) 

It is at that exact moment when you realize that there is hope. That the side for "good" is no longer solitary.  And it is impossible to not read the rest of the novel in one frantic sitting.

Cheers!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Review: The Demarcation of Jack

The Demarcation of Jack

By Dana and Bennett Blakely

This was my latest book that I accepted in exchange for an honest review. I have to say, of all the review copies I have received, this one has to be one of my favorites. 

The premise of this novel is one that is all too common for many people: Marriage Problems. Jack and Jenna are a young married couple who are experiencing a rough patch in their relationship and decide to go on a trip to Jamaica as a way to try to relight the flame. I love vacation novels (where was this book when I needed some good beach reading a few months ago!) This book would go great on your next vacation or even as just a nice little treat for yourself after a busy work day.

This novel is not your typical contemporary romance. While it is honest and deals with realistic struggles plaguing young married couples, it also gives a serious dose of humor, which was refreshing.

What was most meaningful to me as I read this book was not that it followed the typical arc of a contemporary romance, but that it did so while adding a new a variety that I haven't read yet. Many romances come off sounding similar to all the other romances from the same time-period. This was not so with this novel which I certainly would describe as off-beat. 

There is a twist to this story and it is NOT your typical twist. I don't want to tell you what this twist is...why give away the books secrets before you have even started reading? But I will say this...this is a steamy romance novel in which two of the characters know how to keep things interesting all while loving one another genuinely and deeply.