Book Monster Promotions Presents: Donor by Ambrielle Kirk

DONOR
Dresdan Coven, #1 (enovella)
Re-Publication Date: April 28, 2013

Elaina was once a tracker of Dresdan, an ancient species of vampire. For years, she served District 5, whose prime agenda is to create a new race of humans. As a result of misguided politics and greed, the District becomes corrupted from the inside out. Before Elaina can expose the truth, District 5 discovers that her blood type contains the elements to create a successful hybrid. She becomes the hunted, but protection is found while in the presence of one vampire…

Vicq won’t rest until he destroys District 5 and their immoral experiments are halted. Too many Dresdan have been captured and exterminated, threatening their existence and painting them all as animals. As he plans his attack against District 5, master vampire Russo orders his death for violating a prime law of Dresdan. But Vicq is not ready to cease existing…especially since he’s found salvation with Elaina.

With very few on their side, Elaina and Vicq must cultivate a plan to ward off their enemies. In the process, they find lust, love, and new meaning to their special bond.

*This title was previously published, but has been extensively revised and re-edited and includes new and extended scenes.*
Available at:
Amazon | B&N | All Romance eBooks

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Multi-published author Ambrielle Kirk writes erotic, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy. Ambrielle lives in Atlanta, GA where she works in the accounting and finance industry. She holds a Master's Degree in Accounting. Since graduation she's worked in the public and private accounting sectors. She is the wife of a loving husband, and the mother of a beautiful girl. She works and writes full-time. A bestselling author in several sub-genres at ARe and Amazon, she has also earned a 2012 Swirl Award in the paranormal category. She's a PAN member of RWA, FF&P special interest chapter of RWA, and co-founder and treasurer of Cultural, Interracial, and Multicultural special interest chapter of RWA. Ambrielle Kirk is also an admin at the blog, IRMC Books.


Connect with Ambrielle:
Webpage http://ambriellekirk.com
Blog http://ambriellekirk.com/blog.html
Facebook Personal Page https://www.facebook.com/ambrielle.kirk.9
Facebook Fan Page https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmbrielleKirk
Twitter https://twitter.com/AmbrielleKirk

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BOOK BLITZ: Taking Back Forever by Karen Amanda Hooper with giveaway!

Forever is worth the fight.

Maryah erased all memory of her past lives, but she couldn’t erase her soul mate Nathan, or his undying love. Now, Maryah and Nathan have a second chance at a future together, but first Maryah must remember the person she used to be and embrace her supernatural gifts—more than one kindrily member’s life depends on it.

Maryah’s power is Harmony’s best hope of finding her kidnapped soul mate, Gregory. But Harmony isn’t big on asking anyone for help, and she’s tired of waiting, so she’s taking matters into her own hands. Heaven help anyone who stands in her way

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen was born and bred in Baltimore, frolicked and froze in Colorado for a couple of years and is currently sunning and splashing around Florida with her two beloved dogs. She's addicted to coffee, chocolate and complicated happily-ever-afters.

Karen has been making up stories for as long as she can remember. In high school she discovered her passion for putting her thoughts onto paper, but it wasn't until her late twenties that she wrote her first novel. Due to her strong Disney upbringing, she still believes in fairytales and will forever sprinkle magic throughout all of her novels.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5044405.Karen_Amanda_Hooper

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKaren

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Karen_Hooper
http://www.KarenAmandaHooper.com 

EXCERPT
“Shiloh, you know he has the ability to see clearly in the dark, and that he sees light and color differently than the rest of us.”
I nodded.
“Well, he swears he can still see your star in the sky.”
“You said my star fell. That it was gone.”
“I know. And I can’t see it. As much as I’ve tried and hoped to see a flicker of light where your star used to shine, I still see nothing. But Shiloh doesn’t lie. And he swears he can see something.”
I lifted my face and scanned the cloudless sky above us. “What does that mean?”
“It means you erased, but you aren’t gone. We know that’s true because you have remembered glimpses of our past. It gives me hope that you’ll remember more. I wanted to tell you what Shiloh sees so you could share that hope. Your star didn’t fall from the sky like I originally believed. Erasing caused it to burn out, but I believe you can reignite it.”
I looked at the sky again. I wanted to see the stars. I wanted to see my star. I wanted to burn so brightly that other galaxies could see me. But wanting and doing were very different things. Doing, I thought. It was up to me to do something. No one could make my star shine except me.

Nathan did give me hope. According to Shiloh, I still had a place in the heavens. I was determined to turn on the light so that everyone could see I was home again.

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A_TIFFYFIT'S REVIEW

I just wrote my review for this book! I LOVED IT. This whole sentence will take you to my review a couple days ago.

The Kindrily Prize Pack includes:

Paperback of Grasping at Eternity (Signed)

Paperback of Taking Back Forever (Signed)

Don’t Be a Luna-tic nail polish by China Glaze

When Stars Collide nail polish by China Glaze

Harmony candle handmade by the real life Krista who inspired the character Krista in the Kindrily series.

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Book Review with Giveaway: Born in Sin by Camelia Miron Skiba

Title: BORN IN SIN (Dacian Legends #2)
Author: Camelia Miron Skiba
Publishing Date: May 30, 2013
Edition: ebook
Source: Provided by author in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis:
Loathing the thought of his beloved Oriana in the arms of another man, fearless Zyraxes delivers death upon the Roman enemy. With only the rugged land as his bed and the sky as his blanket, trouble finds him often.
Summoned to aid Oriana’s father in the war against two powerful enemies—one of them Oriana's savage husband—Zyraxes proves himself worthy of more than just noble titles and coin. But he wants none of it. What he wants is her.
When Zyraxes discovers a broken and nearly dead Oriana, though forbidden, he disregards her father's orders to leave her to her death, and instead chooses to protect and conceal her. Will saving her be enough to win her heart? Will his part royal lineage make him worthy of her love?

Review:
I did not read the first book in this series, which deals with the story of Ilias, Zyraxes' brother. I do not think it was detrimental to my enjoyment of this book at all! While I did not know the history of Ilias and his love, Nerva, daughter of the Emperor Traianus, it isn't necessary to reading about Zyraxes.

The book begins at the end of a bloody battle. Zyraxes is looking for his sworn blood brothers and Decebalus' heir, Ilias, one of his brothers but also his king, albeit now landless thanks to Roman invasions. This book focuses a lot on gory battles; fitting since Zyraxes is not just a warrior but a trained medicus, trained in medicine and herbal knowledge.

Zyraxes comments (internal dialogue) often on his amazement at the love between Nerva and his brother, Ilias. How could he fall for the daughter of the sworn enemy? A woman who was plotting his demise so shortly ago? Zyraxes himself loves someone, Oriana, the daughter of an ally, Livonium. But she was married off to secure the borders of Livonium's land and Zyraxes believes his love to be unrequited anyway. He throws himself vigorously into every battle, for what does he have left to lose? Even if she weren't married off, he never would've been able to marry her due to social standing differences. He is basically a mere peasant, not a noble like she.

The book follows Zyraxes as he and his band of brothers fight to secure their future. I had to look up where Dacia used to be as I was unfamiliar with the land and names, but we all know the inevitable outcome of the Roman empire. You don't see it in this book, but we all know!

Born in Sin has a lot of fight scenes, to be expected as it is Zyraxes' point of view we are hearing and seeing. The tone of the book is very masculine because of this: fight scenes, stoic outlook,  a bit dense in the matter of love, thoughts on medicine and how he can help, how he views others, etc. Skiba masterfully pulls this off. There are many books I've read before where a female author is trying to sound masculine for her hero and it just falls flat.

If you like books on early Roman times, focusing on the wars and skirmishes, seeing flashbacks to the time that was, and enjoy some really great bloody battle scenes, Dacian Legends is for you! While I have not read book one, I'll go out on a limb and say that it is more of the same from this world. I enjoyed the outcome of this book and see the potential for quite a few more stories in Dacia!

The author has generously offered a set of BORN IN VENGEANCE and BORN IN SIN ebooks to one lucky winner! PDF/Kindle version for Vengeance, PDF/Kindle/epub available for Sin!


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Book Review: Don't Bite the Bridesmaid by Tiffany Allee

Don't Bite the Bridesmaid
Tiffany Allee
Entangled COVET
Published: May 27, 2013

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!!!

Alice Shepard needs one thing: a date for her sister's wedding. And not just any date. A hunk who will make her fiancé rue the day he left her for her best friend. Her drop-dead gorgeous neighbor fits the bill—even if he is a bit quirky and never comes out during the day—and Alice has downed just enough appletinis to ask him. But she makes it quite clear that there will be no funny business.

Spending a week on a cruise ship full of humans while sleeping close to his sexy next-door neighbor sounds like a helluva bad idea to vampire Noah Thorpe. But his friends need time to get him out of a shotgun wedding—a vampire bonding that will tie his fate to a female vampire he's never met. And Alice's offer comes at just the right time.

What could possibly go wrong?


Review:
Received an ecopy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review:

Alice is screwing up her courage to ask her hottie neighbor for a favor. A huge favor. He's a bit stand offish, so appletinis might do the trick. One...or four. Damn, too many!

Eventually, Alice is able to ask him for the favor, and oh look...just in time as he, Noah, has to get out of town for a little bit. Pretending to be her boyfriend on a week long cruise to celebrate her sister's wedding should be easy enough...if he can keep his fangs in!

I truly enjoyed this story. The characters had little idiosyncrasies that made them unique (Edna the outrageous flirt? And yet...very sweet as you find out...well, I won't spoil it). Noah has been fighting an attraction for Alice for some time now. She wasn't available when he first moved in next door five years ago. And since he has to protect his secret of being a vampire, it's near impossible to get close to any one.

There is a lot of sexual attraction leading to tension leading to flirtations that are just so adorable, to a hot a steamy love scene(s) that leaves the rest of the bridal party giggling. SPOILER ALERT AHEAD STOP READING IF YOU WANT THE SURPRISE: I thought it was awesome Alice and Cindy already know about vampires thanks to their brother Andrew falling in love with one, Olivia, and getting his heart broken. It was a surprising shock to the reader, but a good one! But...does that mean I've missed out on a book or is there one to come? HOORAY! END SPOILER

This paranormal romance was right up my alley! And no, I'm not partial to it just because the author and I share a first name! Nor am I partial to it because I was given a review copy from the publishers. I'm writing my honest opinion as promised and that opinion is: sexy little read that is believable (yeah, vamp and all, these characters' banter is spot on)and well worth the read for PNR fans!

Book Review: An Infidel in Paradise by S.J. Laidlaw

Title: An Infidel in Paradise
Author: S.J. Laidlaw
Publisher: Tundra Books
Published: February 2013
Editions: print and ecopy
Length: 272 pages
Source: Publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis: Set in Pakistan, this is the story of a teen girl living with her mother and siblings in a diplomatic compound. As if getting used to another new country and set of customs and friends isn't enough, she must cope with an increasingly tense political situation that becomes dangerous with alarming speed. Her life and those of her sister and brother depend on her resourcefulness and the unexpected help of an enigmatic Muslim classmate.


Review: 

Imagine what it would be like to be yanked away from all the things that you are familiar with and comfortable with, and having to start fresh at a new place. This is bad enough as a teen moving from one town to another. Now picture all that and instead of a new town, you are in a foreign country where you don't speak the language, you aren't familiar with the culture, and its natives hate you purely because you are a westerner: white, blonde, and blue-eyed. This is what Emma facing and she's not happy about it either.

With a mom who is a workaholic and a dad who is living back from where Emma is from with the young ex-maid of theirs, Emma feels lost, unloved, resentful, and angry. At the new international school, Emma befriends an American girl, Angie, who helps lighten the angst a little only to lose her quickly adding anew to the bitterness and anger towards everything, but mostly towards her parents for messing up her life. 

To add another straw to the camel's back, the boy Emma falls for (and he with her) is one she cannot have, they cannot be together. The racial and cultural and religious differences simply will not let that happen. Poor Emma is feeling sorry for herself with all of this, but the saving grace comes from the most unlikely source, her "enemy" aka "The Ice Princess", the boy's girlfriend and fiance. What? Fiance? Girlfriend? Yeah. Arranged marriage. There is nothing that can be done; it is an arranged marriage by both sets of parents and its part of that culture.

However, through that 'saving grace' in the form of charitable work, Emma finds focus and meaning in the sea of mess and misery. In the midst, she not only finds solace but comes to understand a great many things, albeit unintentionally. She learns that people are the same deep down, no matter the external factors. Within the heart, we all strive for the same things: peace, happiness, family, love. Although unintended, Emma inadvertently matures, even when surrounded by what she'd see as interminable problems and being in hell.

It is through the near death experience that she comes fully to understand and appreciate the important fact that above all else in the world, without your family, everything in the world is meaningless. It is the family that makes up who you are and what you are. When faced with the utmost, gravest danger, Emma fully connects with this fact and no matter what is going on in the world and in the family, they love you for who yo uar eand always will. They need you just as much as you need them.

Plenty of lessons learned in this book and a very good read.

Book Review: Taking Back Forever by Karen Amanda Hooper

Title: Taking Back Forever
Author: Karen Amanda Hooper
Publisher: Starry Sky Publishing
Publication Date: May 31, 2013
Edition: ebook/print
Source: Publisher via Netgalley


*Recommended for ages 15 and older due to mature content.*

Forever is worth the fight.

Maryah erased all memory of her past lives, but she couldn’t erase her soul mate Nathan, or his undying love. Now, Maryah and Nathan have a second chance at a future together, but first Maryah must remember the person she used to be and embrace her supernatural gifts—more than one kindrily member’s life depends on it.

Maryah’s power is Harmony’s best hope of finding her kidnapped soul mate, Gregory. But Harmony isn’t big on asking anyone for help, and she’s tired of waiting, so she’s taking matters into her own hands. Heaven help anyone who stands in her way.

A_TiffyFit's Review
So, a few days ago, you got to read me gushing about book one in this series, Grasping at Eternity. Are you ready for more gushing?

Harmony is still looking for her soul mate, Gregory. She's ready to toss aside high school graduation and hunt him down. Maryah is still looking for the key to unlock her memories. She knows they're there, she just needs to find out how to access them.

I want you to read this book. I want you to start with GRASPING AT ETERNITY. You must. If you don't, you can't really jump into this book and understand all the little nuances. And because I want you to read it, I need to say something about the end that is not an end. Another "NOT THE END" disclaimer, but this time as I finished reading, there is a note from the author. She didn't want to leave it as a cliffhanger but there is more to say. So she gives you a choice...do you read on or do you wait for the third book, FIGHTING FOR INFINITY?

At the moment I'm writing this, I haven't read on yet. I didn't want to write a review colored by something and the author asks that we not spoil it for others. So I haven't read it yet. She says these chapters/cliffhanger will be the beginning of book three. SO YOU HAVE AN OPTION. Okay. *blows out a breath*

I love the romanticism in this series and this book demonstrates it further. The kindrily and the family they also have that are not elements. The blossoming relationships between people. The depth of love they have for one another. Magic and changes to that magic. Just wonderful. I like watching Maryah develop and find more and more of herself and see her fitting into the mesh more and more easily.

TAKING BACK FOREVER releases on May 31 (TWO DAYS. You can get it in TWO DAYS). I do not have a purchase link for it, but that goodreads button above will take you to goodreads and I'm sure the links will be there for release day. But what are you waiting for? Start with Grasping for Eternity. I mean it...you really need to read that one first. Normally, I'd tell you you can spring board into a series as most series rehash EVERYTHING in the first third of the book. This series does NOT.

Another for my re-readable, and now I'm eagerly awaiting the release of FIGHTING FOR INFINITY.

***Edited to add: I just finished the extra chapters. I need book 3 now. You need book 1 and 2 now, and then we can all chant together for book 3. :)

***Edited to add: Check back in a few days! I'm part of the blitz for this book and will be giving away a SET of ebooks: GRASPING FOR ETERNITY and TAKING BACK FOREVER!!!! <3 

Book Review: If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

Title: If You Could Be Mine
Author: Sara Farizan
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Expected Publication Date: August 20, 2013
Length: 256 pages
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Publisher's Website


In this stunning debut, a young Iranian American writer pulls back the curtain on one of the most hidden corners of a much-talked-about culture.

Seventeen-year-old Sahar has been in love with her best friend, Nasrin, since they were six. They’ve shared stolen kisses and romantic promises. But Iran is a dangerous place for two girls in love—Sahar and Nasrin could be beaten, imprisoned, even executed if their relationship came to light.

So they carry on in secret—until Nasrin’s parents announce that they’ve arranged for her marriage. Nasrin tries to persuade Sahar that they can go on as they have been, only now with new comforts provided by the decent, well-to-do doctor Nasrin will marry. But Sahar dreams of loving Nasrin exclusively—and openly.

Then Sahar discovers what seems like the perfect solution. In Iran, homosexuality may be a crime, but to be a man trapped in a woman’s body is seen as nature’s mistake, and sex reassignment is legal and accessible. As a man, Sahar could be the one to marry Nasrin. Sahar will never be able to love the one she wants, in the body she wants to be loved in, without risking her life. Is saving her love worth sacrificing her true self?

A_TiffyFit's Review
It's nearly impossible to believe that the "dark age" stuff is still going on around the world in this day and age, the 21st damn century. Sure, we read about these things occurring in women's magazines and a few other medias/mediums, but somehow we tend to blow it off, shrug it off, let it drift form our minds, soon after reading them. Probably because these things are happening so far away, in foreign places, so it doesn't affect you. (Tell that to the victims of the recent NYC hate crimes). But obviously it stays in the back of one's mind; while it may not be in the forefront, we are aware. I hope.

The protagonist of If You Could Be Mine is Sahar, a 17 year old girl struggling with what it means to grow up, with love, on the cusp of adulthood, and struggling with the agonizing pain of forbidden love. It's difficult enough being an almost adult, but added to that struggle is having to contend with loving someone whom you are not allowed to love. As if love itself is easy, as if being on the verge of adulthood is easy, let's toss in society telling you that YOUR love is wrong.  This compounded agonizing pain just cannot be expressed in words. It is difficult enough in a country such as the United States - the stigma and the ugliness and the prejudices and the negative receptions in a "free" country - I simply could not imagine in a country that is so religion dominated and in the "dark ages" compared to our more progressive culture. I found it heart-wrenching that loving someone of the same sex is a hanging crime. The book makes you appreciate our country more. Although we are still growing and maturing regarding same sex love and marriage, at least we do not hang them because we've decided their love is wrong.

The religious fanatic and zealot dominated society where they, the moral majority, dictate everything from how to dress, what to listen to, what to read, what to watch on television and the internet, is already oppressive enough, but then to dictate and attempt to control the people's emotions is simply too scary. For those raised in the United States, and other liberal nations, this would be a nightmare, an impossible effort to imagine living in a place where you are not free to be yourself.

But, it IS a reality and in this novel, Miss Farizan does a great job communicating through the eyes and voice of this teenage girl, Sahar, the hardships of what it is like to live in places such as Iran. One can assume that it is similar in other strict, Islamic based nations.

What would American teens do when the "morality police" comes up to them, tells them that they are dressed improperly, their hair is wrong, their make-up is wrong, they aren't acting proper, etc? Not just the females, of course, but they are more of a target than the males since females are "second class" citizens and expected to be proper wives/homemakers/baby producers.  How would American teens you know react to such restrictions? Governments all over the world are corrupt, each little department with its own quirks, so the rich can get away with more things by greasing palms. The poor have no voice and are at the mercy of these so-called moral enforcers.

This is what the novel does. Through Sahar and Nasir's struggle, it provokes your thoughts and feelings, asking you to place yourself in her shoes, raising the level of appreciation for the freedoms you take for granted, emphasizes the feeling you never knew you had to ensure you retain those freedoms. The reader may even be motivated to do something to help change that corner of the world, to help push forward human rights. I think that is something the author would desire: at the minimum to appreciate what you have, at the maximum to take actions to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Copy provided to me by the publishers via netgalley in exchange for a honest review. 

Book Review: Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall

Title: Whistling Past the Graveyard
Author: Susan Crandall
Publisher: Gallery Books
Expected Publication Date: July 2, 2013
Source: Netgalley
Length: 320 pages
Editions: print and ecopy


From an award-winning author comes a wise and tender coming-of-age story about a nine-year-old girl who runs away from her Mississippi home in 1963, befriends a lonely woman suffering loss and abuse, and embarks on a life-changing roadtrip.

The summer of 1963 begins like any other for nine-year-old Starla Claudelle. Born to teenage parents in Mississippi, Starla is being raised by a strict paternal grandmother, Mamie, whose worst fear is that Starla will turn out like her mother. Starla hasn’t seen her momma since she was three, but is convinced that her mother will keep her promise to take Starla and her daddy to Nashville, where her mother hopes to become a famous singer—and that one day her family will be whole and perfect.

When Starla is grounded on the Fourth of July, she sneaks out to see the parade. After getting caught, Starla’s fear that Mamie will make good on her threats and send her to reform school cause her to panic and run away from home. Once out in the country, Starla is offered a ride by a black woman, Eula, who is traveling with a white baby. She happily accepts a ride, with the ultimate goal of reaching her mother in Nashville.

As the two unlikely companions make their long and sometimes dangerous journey, Starla’s eyes are opened to the harsh realities of 1963 southern segregation. Through talks with Eula, reconnecting with her parents, and encountering a series of surprising misadventures, Starla learns to let go of long-held dreams and realizes family is forged from those who will sacrifice all for you, no matter if bound by blood or by the heart. -Goodreads

 

A_TiffyFit's Review
This story is told through the eyes of a very bright, nine year old, red-headed girl named Starla and is about her brave adventure one summer in the South.The way Starla views her surroundings is not only captivating, every little morsel of it, but incredibly intelligent. her reasoning based on what she's been told and what and how she interprets is something quite unusual. For example, having experienced the pecking from the hens who were sitting on and guarding their eggs, she reasoned to herself that "every momma wants her baby," therefore no mother would give her child away. This, of course, refers to not only the kidnapped baby boy, but of herself as well. Unlike what the others had whispered about her mom abandoning her to become a star in Nashville, Starla whole-heartedly believes that her mom would return for her as soon as she has become a famous singer. Things are worse and lonelier of course because her Mamie, her dad's mom and her grandmother, isn't an affectionate woman who'd demonstrate her love, or even care. Rather, the mamie would, at every chance, speak ill of Starla's mom, calling the mom "white trash" and "good for nothing." Starla is constantly hearing these epithets about her mother and being told that her behavior is just like her mother's. And the other person she should be able to depend on to "put food in her belly" and give her "clothes to wear" is her father and he is absent, working on an oil rig. She rarely sees him, not even on big holidays like Christmas.

On the run, mistakenly believing that she will be sent away to juvenile detention, Starla decides to head to Nashville and find her mom. In her young mind, locating her mother will solve all of the problems in her life. What she hadn't counted on were all the matters she inadvertently stumbles upon, one after another, becoming more and more complex.

Starla experiences multiple adversities such as undesired detention, witnesses abuse, even murder. To top it all, as if what she is dealing with in her attempt to reach her mother isn't enough, she witness the ugly prejudiced reality that is just reaching its boiling point within the nation. Not just one-sided, she learns, but being that the whites are the majority (and therefore in control) and is much more up front and violent toward the "negas".

Starla's protector comes in the form of a skinny & petite woman whom Starla says to herself is "strong despite her fragile bones held together by skin." Through Eula, she learns there is a lot more to the world than what she imagined. Some beautiful and good, but some much more ugly and dreadful than she could possibly have imagined.

Amid the ugliest parts, there are the beautiful and memorable moments where Starla and Eula, the woman who just a short while ago was a stranger, form a mother-daughter-like bond, needful heart reaching towards needful heart, demonstrating that love really does know no boundaries. It does not matter to them in the least that Eula is a black woman and Starla is a little white girl; in all senses they become mother and daughter. Their relationship that they form - Starla starved for a mother's love and Eula's desire to fill her heart with the love of a child - is strong and solid, enviable and heart-warming. You cannot help but to cheer for them as they go through all these different life experiences together. I felt as if I were sharing their every moment, anxiously waiting and hoping for the happy ending that they both deserve.

You cannot help but empathize, your heart breaking along with Starla, as her reality comes crashing down upon her hopes of reuniting her "happy" family - mom, dad, grandmother sharing a meal at a table. It is heart ripping.

Although the ending does not exactly turn out as one would hope, it does leave one with a glad heart. One can imagine just what sort of a feisty woman Starla will grow up to be one day. Someone who is just and big hearted, spunky and is always ready to defend the weak from the injustices of the world. Someone we should all aspire to emulate.

Goodreads and Amazon, etc., only allow 5 stars. I'd give it 10 if I could. It's certainly left a mark on my heart, and Starla is a character I will never forget!

Book Spotlight: Witchling by Ari Harper

Title: Witchling

Author: Ari Harper

Series: Curse of Kin

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Publisher: Lycaon Press

Release Date: November 30 2012

Blurb/Synopsis

Nera is a normal teenage girl living in Ireland, or so she thought until she discovers the family secret.. Now her world is forever changed.

Descended from a long line of witches, she discovers is the one who has to stop the curse that has taken the life of every girl before her.

And if that isn't enough, she must learn to use magic from the man called Bones. He is the son of Mari, Queen of the Witches...and a god. It is Bones who has been entrusted to teach her the skills she needs to stay alive, which wouldn't be so bad if he didn't have an uncanny knack for pushing her buttons.

Can Nera succeed and resist the charms of the man who gets under her skin at every opportunity?

Get your copy at:

All Romance eBooks

Amazon.com

Bookstrand

Add to your TBR list!:  

About the Author

Ari  Harper never wanted to grow up.

To offset the limitations of growing old ungracefully, she created her own set of unique worlds where she can be and do whatever she wants. God, demons and witches surround Ari while she spins her magic, mainly doing what they tell her to do.

She likes to work amongst chaos when given a choice, which is good because she is generally surrounded by children, all clamoring for attention. Some of them end up in her stories, some of them even get to die grisly deaths or be cast away to another realm.

Her favorite pet is a big black Labrador, Hugo. He stars as himself in the Curse of Kin series as Nera's faithful hound.

Connect with Ari Harper!

Ari's Website

Ari's Facebook

@AriHarper

Ari @ Lycaon Press

Book Blitz with Interview and 2 giveaways!: Surface by Tiffany Daune

Surface by Tiffany Daune
Publication: February, 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal

Synopsis:Bound to the water bound to land, a Siren’s soul will never be safe on either side of the ocean’s surface. Hidden beneath the rolling waves lies the secret to Theia’s past and as she unveils each haunting truth, she realizes the last seventeen years of her life have been a lie. Now, drawn into a mysterious new world and with nowhere to turn, Theia must place her trust in Luc, a beautiful boy who stops her heart with each dazzling smile, but even his unearthly charm can’t hide the truth—he has secrets— dark secrets binding him to his world—an underwater world where Theia will never belong—a world determined to destroy her soul.

Add to your Goodreads
Buy it at Amazon!
Sony Buy Link

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Interview with Tiffany Daune!
1. Please start by telling us a little bit about yourself. 
Currently, I write YA/ NA Paranormal romance novels. I like ghostly apparitions, vampires, witches and their enchanting spells, but right now I'm obsessed with wicked mermaids. My totem animal is a crow, but sometimes takes the form of a hummingbird.

2. When did you know that you wanted to write professionally and how did you take the leap to get into the business?
I started writing with the intent of publishing four years ago. I have always scribbled in notebooks, but I thought what the heck, let's try to get some of these stories published. I faced a lot of rejection letters, but I kept submitting and writing, until I received the first contract. Then I paused for a few days to celebrate and then it was back to writing and submitting.

3. Can you tell me a little bit about your book and what inspired it?
Surface is a young adult paranormal romance, set above and below the ocean's surface. I've always loved mermaids even the singing ones. I really wanted to explore the darker side of the mermaids I grew up with and at the same time introduce a crossover of other water beings in our world. I love when fantasy blends with reality. Surface is a meld of all my years of watching Disney movies and thrillers.

4. What do you hope that readers take way with them after reading your book?
I want them to feel the story, more than just reading the words. When they put the book down the emotions of the characters should still resonate within them.

5. I find it interesting to know what environment authors find most productive… Do you use a pen and paper or laptop? Quiet room at home or bustling café? Basically, what gets your creative juices flowing?
The outlines and first few chapters of Surface and Landlocked were written at the local pool while my son was swimming. I usually brainstorm with pen and paper to work out the plot. Then I switch to the laptop for writing.

6. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
The toughest criticism comes from me. I don't think anyone would beat the manuscript up as much as I do. I'm pretty hard core until I think it's right. Then I close my eyes, press send, and try not to look back.

The best compliment was having my little sister tell me she was obsessed with Surface and tweeting #reading.

7. What book is currently on your nightstand? And who are some of your favorite authors?
I have five on my nightstand right now. The one I am reading is Underworld by Meg Cabot.

I could never pick just one, but I a few of my faves are Alyson Noel, Tehereh Mafi, Kendare Blake and Lesley Livingston.

About the Author

Tiffany Daune doesn't get why people want to grow up or why anyone would ever stop eating candy. Her purse is filled with books, lip gloss and a few pieces of Lego bricks. She writes best with a dish of chocolate chips on hand and finds licorice makes a better straw than plastic.

She lives on an island and believes mermaids may be raiding her candy stash, thoughshe hasn't caught them, yet.

Surface is her first novel and pairs well with gummy sharks.

Author Links:

Tiffany's Website

Goodreads page

on Facebook

@TiffanyDaune

Giveaway Time! 

There are two giveaways! One for an ebook copy here at my site, and one tour wide e-reader giveaway! 

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Book Review: Grasping at Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper

Synopsis:
Leave it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never erase your memories.

Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she's supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.

Nathan is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah's memory is hopeless, but his love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her.

While Maryah’s hunter inches closer, she and Nathan make assumptions and hide secrets that rip them further apart. Maryah has to believe in the magic within her, Nathan must have faith in the power of their love, and both need to grasp onto the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely eternity can be.

X-MEN meets MY NAME IS MEMORY in Karen Amanda Hooper’s latest young adult release


(I'm being lazy...review copied from goodreads instead of creating my usual kind of post! :P )
Grasping at Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Riveting. Absolutely, 100% riveting. This is an insta-favorite for me, a re-readable, a book I'm going to peddle to all of my friends who are romantic, believers in soulmates, in re-incarnation, in connections, in magic, in love, in family...no, kindrily. If this weren't fiction, I would be nodding my head and saying, "oh so THAT is why my best friend felt familiar to me the first time I met her" or "Oh so that's why I feel that "clink" of connection with him." Who am I kidding? I'm saying that anyway.

This is AMAZING. Beautiful. Rich. Heartbreaking. Oh, how my heart hurt for Nathaniel. I wanted to smack Maryah for erasing. But wait...did she truly?

At the opening scene, I was sure I was going to dislike her. She's moping in a boathouse about how her father thinks she's inadequate. And I thought perhaps it was going to be a magical power family because of the word gift, etc. I forgot that humans have gifts, too: noble-minded, passionate, musically inclined, artistic, academic, sympathetic, capacity to love, etc. And then suddenly...holy crap. Ms Hooper...that was a helluva way to start your book. I pitied Maryah instantly, my heart aching, and I had no idea it was in for more twists.

This is book one and the final words in the novel are: NOT THE END. Oh, thank the earth! I need to read more. I need to see if Argos is who I think he is. I need to see what the hell Dedrick is doing to the kindrily and what he hopes to obtain from that. I need to know that Maryah will come into her full self again.

If you like romantic notions, if you believe in soul mates, if you like a little bit of human magic with a bump up of power (teleportation, talking to animals, freezing time, super strength, astral projection), if you like the idea that those you love will have a life with you again (aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, etc), you need to read this.

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Review: Visionary Unleashed by N. Dunham

Visionary Unleashed
By N. Dunham
Source: Author gifted
Edition: print

Synopsis: -Sixteen-year-old Aislinn Lee Murphy accidentally unleashes her hidden ability to see things before they happen, making her a Visionary. But little does she know that this amazing gift comes with a severe price. She must never tell a soul or she risks putting herself and her family in great peril.

A Visionary is someone who has been chosen to see the future and has the benefit of having spirit animals to guide and protect them, but there is a secret agency whose sole purpose is to terminate all Visionaries and Aislinn has become their next target.

Review: 5 stars

This is a wonderful YA fantasy, which I would call a young woman’s novel. It of course can be read by either, but I see it appealing especially to those young women who like to daydream and wish that things like what happen in this book are a possibility. How many girls dream about a Prince Charming or a perfect soulmate, and a magical place and wish to have supernatural powers? The romance of it lends more towards young girls than boys, I think. This novel gives them all of those things: “he reaches out for my hand and I feel even more powerful now, like two forces becoming one!” *happy sigh* Yeah, I dreamt about that, too.

It is a fantasy romance that touches your heart, with nature being an active participant in this perfection fantasy “…big, bright beautiful rainbow shines down right in front of us.” Pure magic, fantasy, perfection. This “prince charming” says all the right, perfect clichés such as “well, you came to me in my dreams” If this isn’t what young women (hell, even women my age in my 30s) dream about, then I don’t know what is!

I really loved reading this modern-day fairy tale, complete with a prince charming and a happily ever after. I happily ate up the lines that lend that mystical, magical romance such as “I was drawn to you before I even met you” THIS IS MEANT TO BE!


While this story contains a traditional formula, it is in a modern day setting, one rife with daily issues that many readers will be able to relate to in some form or other: parental divorces, homework, backstabbing friends, dislike of authority figures, fashion and materialism (cell phones, high name brand handbags and shoes and makeup and perfumes, etc). Feelings and emotions we all have experienced such as lack of self-confidence, self-doubts, awkwardness, peer pressure, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, stressing about colleges, and everything else you deal with in late adolescence, which is the greatest period of “unknowing.” The language of the characters very much sets the scene in present modern day. (e.g. saying LOL…it’s not something you’d see in books from the past targeting this age group, but it is a nod to modern society). So how the hell is this a fairytale, Tiffany?! Easy…your main protagonists, your lovers…they weather the storm of all these things together. The struggles and obstacles they overcome bring them closer together proving that with love and unity comes the strength to overcome anything together!

These messages of love and loyalty and everything else are the same as in most fairy tales, sure. But what keeps the reader interested is the way Ms Dunham weaves it all together, keeping you entranced, engrossed, and enjoying the ride from beginning to end. The end, the wish for the happily ever after is just at the edges, and all the while you have been participating with these characters. And when that end comes, you’ll find it came too soon, you want it to continue even more, and you’ll close this book and try to figure out how you just lost a few hours of daylight.

Book Review: The Last Telegram by Liz Trenow

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Title: The Last Telegram
Author: Liz Trenow
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publishing Date: April 2013
Length: 416 pages
Editions: print, ecopy
Source: Publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a review

Synopsis:
Decades ago, as Nazi planes dominated the sky, Lily Verner made a terrible choice. She's tried to forget, but now an unexpected event pulls her back to the 1940s British countryside. She finds herself remembering the brilliant colors of the silk she helped to weave at her family's mill, the relentless pressure of the worsening war, and the kind of heartbreaking loss that stops time.
In this evocative novel of love and consequences, Lily finally confronts the disastrous decision that has haunted her all these years. The Last Telegram uncovers the surprising truth about how the stories we weave about our lives are threaded with truth, guilt, and forgiveness.

Review:
This is one of the best  books that I've read most recently. I know, I say that a lot. In my defense, before requesting anything at Netgalley, I read that blurb carefully and make sure it IS something that appeals to me. Life is too short to read books you do not like! This is why I now embrace the DNF (did not finish), whereas this time last year, I'd trudge through the book anyway.

Uh, back to the review. The Last Telegram is heart-warming, touching, education, tender, and wise. This is one of those books that I hope many readers will get a hold of and really READ it if they want a good, romantic, and cherish-able story.

It is about this young woman, Lily, and the events she experiences and the unexpected challenges she overcomes as she blossoms into womanhood.

Like many at the beginning of adulthood/ending of childhood, Lily had not a clue as to what she desired out of life. All she focused on was her desire to move out of the house and away from her parents to a life of travel and leisure. Lily was entirely unprepared for the unexpected events that she comes to face. Oh, but how she faced them!

Mainly, the unexpected challenges arise from World War II. Suddenly faced with having to learn the family business, the silk fabric manufacturing processes which was one of the most important part in the military forces well-being in a number of areas. Rather than to cringe and run from it all, she accepts, albeit reluctantly at the start, and gets deeply absorbed into the processes while thinking of it as a minor detour on her way to becoming a worldly traveler.

In the process, Lily meets the man of her heart and dreams and falls deeply, infinitely in love. In loving this boy/man, she awakens to the hate and prejudices against a race of people not only in her own country but abroad in Germany. The hate and prejudices are so much so that an entire nation rallies to exterminate the entire race of people from their nation. She cannot fathom this hatred based only on the difference in religion, little differences in the way that these people choose to worship the same God as their own. Lily also learns another kind of prejudice: against those who love the same sex. She learns that they are no different than her, that love is love, and love has no boundaries. The human heart chooses to love who it loves and there is no line that cuts it off. Lily learns that love transcends above all the pettiness, the race, the religion, the sex, everything as the heart does not discriminate.

In a period where women weren't widely in the business industries, especially male-dominated areas such as management and manufacturing, Lily comes to achieve and exceed all expectations. This in part is thanks to Gwen, the lesbian artist and the silk plant's production/operation manager. Gwen is one of the strongest characters in Lily's life, helping her to grow and mature into the woman she later becomes.

The Last Telegram is a fantastic read, one that I'd like to possess in the physical form for my library collection. (My review copy is electronic from Netgalley). This is one of those books that is a re-readable, one that I would withdraw from the shelves repeatedly for myself, my future daughter, my future granddaughters, etc. to read and discuss with them. It is a moving and emotional book, but there is also much to learn from it such as the silk and the time period of World War II. 5 stars, hands down.

SPOTLIGHT: Jumper by Jeff Laferney

 Jumper by Jeff LaFerney
Publisher: Tower Publications
Published: April 2013
Length: 280 pages
Editions: ebook/print

After spending three years in jail and others completely alone, twenty-four-year-old Cole Flint discovers an amazing ability—he can time-travel and teleport. He’s a jumper. So what should the motorcycle-riding, cage-fighting tough guy do? 

He should protect an innocent eighteen-year-old girl who happens to be in possession of the Staff of Moses. Following the direction of a trio of angels who are determined to shake things up in the Middle East, Cole pairs up with Hannah Carpenter and her pet grizzly while he also tries to change his past and learn the mystery of his birth. 

Curiously, the King of Jordan knows all about Hannah, and he’s determined to gain possession of the staff. He’ll do anything to possess its power, but is it possible that he’s no more than a pawn, manipulated in time along with Cole and Hannah? 

Jumper is a mysterious roller coaster of action and a time-traveling adventure that will keep readers guessing right to the very last page

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff is currently an 8th grade English teacher for Davison Community Schools. He coached for 25 years. In the past three years, he stopped coaching and has published three mystery/suspense novels. Loving the Rain, Skeleton Key, and Bulletproof are three stand-alone novels featuring Clay and Tanner Thomas. A fourth novel, a time-traveler action/adventure called Jumper was published on April 30, 2013. Jeff loves sports, reading, writing, and spending time with his awesome family.

Connect with Jeff:
Facebook
Blog
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads



I haven't yet had the chance to read JUMPER, but I'm definitely looking forward to it! I'll be sure to post a review as soon as I have the chance. I really like time-travel novels!

Book Tour - Spotlight: DIRECT CONTACT by Ninette Swann

About the Book:

Julie Gladwell has a secret. Acting as chief attendant for the New Government’s procreation program, she rears girls to carry the emperor’s heir. Only a few are chosen for the program, called “The Special Ones,” and they are given no names, only numbers. They see no one but authorized personnel until their twenty-first birthday. Which is usually when they die. Direct contact is forbidden. As she cares for these girls, no one ever suspects who she actually is.

Scientist Malcolm Odin hated his job and hated himself. Put in charge of the entire human engineering program, the experiments and suffering he witnessed made him sick. Still, it paid the bills and kept him living comfortably in Terrecina. He knew of far too many who’d fallen through the cracks, living on the earth below. The Level People, they were called.

When he confides his unease to Julie, she lets him in on her secret and into her heart. What starts as fancy ends in revolution, but how will they choose between their fellow man and each other?

BUY THE BOOK! 

Direct from the Publisher, Respendence Publishing

Buy it on Amazon! 

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Add it to your Goodreads list! 

About the Author:

Ninette Swann is a journalist turned novelist who writes her books from sunny Florida in between parenting, freelancing, editing and going to grad school. She writes all genre of romance, including contemporary, thriller, suspense, and dystopian. Her books include Hit and Stay, Body Combat, Finding Home, Just the Messenger and Direct Combat.

You can reach her through her pages at:
http://ninetteswann.com,
http://www.facebook.com/NinetteSwann,and
@ninetteswann

EXCERPT:

“Twenty-seven,” Julie barked, “wake up. We’ve got earlier mornings from here on out, and I’ll need you dressed and ready by five a.m. for the next two weeks.”

When Anna raised her head, Julie’s heart broke a little for the poor girl. She was about to have the worst two weeks of her life, and if they were all lucky, those weeks would stretch into the worst months of her life.

“Julie, what are we—”

She cut the girl off. “No time. Put your garb on, and we’re going to the baths.”

Accustomed to doing what she was told, Anna acquiesced with no more questions.

Julie tugged her along the still-darkened corridors to the familiar steam room. She mixed the herbs meant to cleanse Anna’s mind with her back to the girl. She gazed instead around the steamy room. Water vapor lingered from the previous night’s baths, and Julie interrupted her ritual to flip the switch, turning on the loud motors. Most baths were meant to weaken memory retention, quell rebellious, independent thought and “cleanse” the girls’ minds by opening them up to suggestions from the emperor. Conversely, this concoction George had taught Julie to make would do the opposite. The girl needed her full faculties to make a clear decision. She needed to understand the gravity of the mission they were about to undertake. If Anna—Julie couldn’t help but call the girl by the name Malcolm had given her—didn’t want this for herself and for the world, they couldn’t in good conscience make her help them. Julie hoped the girl would choose freedom. Of all the current Special Ones, Anna held the most promise for leadership and insights.

“This is going to be a bit different,” Julie said. “Do not be afraid. Open your mind and your spirit to what comes.”

“Julie, is this…” Anna paused. “Did the emperor order this?”

“That’s not your business,” Julie said sharply, guilt and trepidation washing over her. She hoped they were doing the right thing. “The emperor is meeting with Twenty-six in an hour’s time. He’ll meet with you next week.” Julie paused. She turned to look the girl in the face, Anna’s childlike features made even more innocent in the gauzy air. “Do you trust me?”

Anna nodded. “Of course.”

“Good,” Julie replied. “Then fully trust me. You have a grave choice on the horizon. These treatments will help you make your decision with the background information the others did not have the luxury of receiving.”

“What do you mean? The other girls?” Anna shivered. 

Julie nodded. Anna knew the price for being a Special One. Should the serum fail, she would die. The girl had told Julie she had made peace with that long ago, being bred to understand her fate and acknowledge the honor of dying for her master. One had to be special to be chosen to carry the seed. Anna would live up to her duty. None of that changed the fact that they both knew. Anna could very well be dead in two weeks’ time.

“Yes, the other girls. A few chose our path on their own,” Julie answered. “The others perished, despite our efforts to save them.” 

She blanched at the lie. It was too soon to reveal the girls’ true fates.

“Who do you mean by our?” Anna asked, the steam clearly starting to overcome her senses.

“Never you mind. You’ll find out soon enough. The scientist has faith in you. Of all the girls, perhaps you really are the Special One.” 

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