Anastasia's Midnight Song by M. Laszlo

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. M. Laszlo will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Longing to cure her deep, hysterical fears involving a diabolical dream fox living inside her womb, Anastasia T. Grace takes a post making occult mirrors in the hope that she may someday convince herself that she commands the power to banish her nemesis into one of her creations. However, when a troubled, young Englishman grows obsessed with her beauty, she is forced to confront the pressing, all-too-real, misogynistic danger of male psychopathy.

This books takes the reader on a strange, metaphysical psychological drama that plays out with Anastasia and Jack, both troubled by their own demons and delusions. This is a book that could be read several times over and still not be able to glean all the richness the author provides. Themes of aroma, of being alone and lonely, of loss... and many more... are pictured in this journey through a dream or through madness? There are no clear answers, and this reader believes that's what the author intends. Every reader will get something different from the book...and may even get something different each time they read it.

The reader can delve into the different motifs - the dream fox, the diadem spider, the ghost girl of Svetlana - not to mention the music that is introduced throughout.

This is not a quick or easy beach read, but it is a book to be savored and experienced. It reminds me a lot of magical realism bound up in a dream vision - where the things experienced may or may not be factual, but have a reality too deep to explain. For readers who want to think and not just be entertained, this is the book for you. 4 stars. Read an excerpt

London. 19 June, 1918.

In the darkness before dawn, a dream awoke Anastasia—it was a nightmare in which the dream fox inside her willed itself to metamorphose into a large, hideous diadem spider.

She did not fall asleep again for an hour, and once she had, a foul odour awoke her for good. What could it be? She sat up and pinched her nose shut. Sensing warmth against her face, she realised the room was bathed in the morning light. The odour lingered, too, so she climbed out of bed and crawled off to her left, following the smell. Soon enough, she discovered what she believed to be the carcass of a rat lying to the side of the footboard. A dead rat. It’s an omen of something awful. When she finally mustered the nerve, she groped here and there for the tail and collected the lifeless creature. Then she stood, felt her way over to the window, and dropped the dead rat into the alley below.

After she had washed her hands, she stumbled back to the window. What to think of something like that? She revisited the dream. Could it be a sign the conniving dream fox inside my womb has already transformed into a monstrous diadem spider? If so, what happens next?

Outside, the streets grew quiet—and the lull made her twist the Huguenot cross. For a time, she paced. Wringing her hands, she debated what kind of pathology might be responsible for envisioning something so disturbing as the metamorphosis fantasy. Every now and then, she sat in bed and rubbed her belly—and in those moments, she brooded. Someday soon, I’ll deliver the diadem spider. Just like a woman gives birth to a little baby. And then the hideous thing will probably tear me to pieces and consume my remains, and why wouldn’t it?

About the Author:

M. Laszlo is the pseudonym of a reclusive author living in Bath, Ohio. According to rumor, he based the pen name on the name of the Paul Henreid character in Casablanca, Victor Laszlo.

M. Laszlo has lived and worked all over the world, and he has kept exhaustive journals and idea books corresponding to each location and post.

It is said that the maniacal habit began in childhood during summer vacations—when his family began renting out Robert Lowell’s family home in Castine, Maine.

The habit continued into the 1990s when he lived in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem and worked as a night clerk in a Palestinian youth hostel. In recent years, he revisited that very journal/idea book and based Anastasia’s Midnight Song on the characters, topics, and themes contained within the writings.

M. Laszlo has lived and worked in New York City, East Jerusalem, and several other cities around the world. While living in the Middle East, he worked for Harvard University’s Semitic Museum. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio and an M.F.A. in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York.

Website: https://www.mlaszlo.com/
Twitter: https://x.com/AuthorMLaszlo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giacomovenable/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Anastasias-Midnight-Song-M-Laszlo/dp/1922329762/ref=sr_1_1

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The Body Market by DV Berkom - Review and Giveaway

This review is in conjunction with a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post during the tour. Click the banner above for other stops on the tour.

A retired assassin is called in when a celebration south of the border turns into a nightmare.

Everything's for sale...

Former assassin Leine Basso is hired by a wealthy Beverly Hills power couple to find their missing daughter, Elise, who was last seen partying with her boyfriend at a club in Tijuana. At first, police believe the two teenagers are the victims of a carjacking. But when Leine finds their missing vehicle with the boyfriend’s mutilated body inside, and the local cartel warns her away, she knows if Elise isn’t already dead, she will be soon, or worse.

In the lethal world of organized crime, there’s always a worse.

As Leine races to uncover the reason behind Elise Bennett’s disappearance, she must also battle the powerful interests fighting to keep her from the truth.

MY REVIEW:

I really enjoyed this book. You can tell that it's part of the series (in fact, I discovered it's book three of the series--the first two being Serial Date and Bad Traffick.  However, it is definitely a standalone.  The author gives enough clues so you know there is a backstory you don't know, so there's also enough character development within the story itself that you don't feel like you are missing anything.

I really liked the main characters in this book.  Leine is tough, but she also has her tender side, and I like her scenes with Santa-- it really shows that side of her.

The book starts off right in the action and gives the reader a first-hand look at Leine Basso's style and toughness.  This book is very much a page-turner and I could not wait to find out what happened--and the ending was not quite what I was expecting.  Now I have to go back and reread the book to see what clues I might have missed!  I'm also going to be picking up the first two book in the series--I think I might just have found a new auto-buy.  4 flowers and, thanks, Ms. Berkom, for a good read.

Now enjoy an excerpt:

The first man seized him by the arm and shoved him away from the car and onto his knees, aiming a gun at his head. With the weapon still trained on Josh, he reached inside the car and unlocked Elise’s door.

“No!” Elise screamed as the second man wrenched the door open, grabbed her by the hair, and yanked her out of the car. She landed hard on the gravel beside the Porsche. A sharp pain lanced down her leg, followed by the warm, sticky-wetness of blood.

Elise didn’t have time to gain her feet before the man grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground. She kicked and squirmed and tried to rake his face with her nails as he dragged her away from the car, losing one of her shoes in the process, but the man never faltered. The moment before he shoved her into the back of the open SUV, Elise managed to twist around and look back at Josh.

Shoulders shaking and head bowed, his wristwatch glinted in the moonlight. A light breeze ruffled his hair.

“Take my car. I promise I won’t report it if you let me go,” he pleaded with the man in front of him.

“I thought you said it wasn’t your car,” the man replied with a smile as he moved behind him.

“I lied. I’m scared. Please don’t kill me. I—I’m only eighteen.” Sobbing now, Josh put his hands up as though they were playing a game and it was time to quit. Elise held her breath. Overwhelming fear tightened her chest and spread to her throat, the nausea in her stomach gaining momentum.

Before she could utter a sound, the man aimed the gun at the back of Josh’s head.

And fired.

DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages. 


Raised in the Midwest, she received her BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves later, she now lives near Seattle, Washington with the love of her life, Mark, a chef-turned-contractor, and several imaginary characters who love to tell her what to do.

Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Body-Market-Leine-Basso-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00P31LAT6

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Body-Market-Leine-Basso-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00P31LAT6

Global Amazon Link: http://bit.ly/bodymkt

iBooks: http://bit.ly/thebodymktiBooks

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/bodymktBN

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/bodymktSW

KOBO: http://bit.ly/bodymktKOBO

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.dvberkom.com
Blog: http://www.dvberkom.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DvBerkomAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dvberkom
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dvberkom/
Google+: www.google.com/+DVBerkom

Amazon Author Page:
US: http://amzn.to/oMUb1Z
UK: http://amzn.to/pBwClD
Smashwords Profile: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/dvberkom

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Fall Semester by Stephanie Fournet - Review and Giveaway

This review is in conjunction with a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post during the tour. Click the banner above for other stops on the tour.

A depressed English professor finds love in the most unlikely place in Stephanie Fournet's emotional debut novel, Fall Semester.

Despite his stunning good looks, Dr. Malcolm Vashal is perhaps the most detested professor on campus. A floundering career and the aftershocks of a painful divorce have left the thirty-four-year-old with more than a little self-loathing, which only grows when he meets Maren Gardner. The graduate student with the loyal heart and searching eyes is much too good for him. She is off-limits for more reasons than one, but Malcolm can’t seem to resist her.

Maren is facing the greatest loss of her life, and her family needs her now more than ever. Between caring for them and building her future, Maren doesn’t have time for a social life, much less a relationship, but she can’t push a certain green-eyed professor from her mind. She sees in him a goodness that others don’t, but that might not be enough.

As the two discover each other, their blossoming friendship soon turns into something more, but self-doubts, family tragedy, and personal demons stand in their way.

Can they overcome these odds and share a love that each desperately needs? Or will the end of the semester find them heartbroken?

MY REVIEW:

This is a powerful debut novel. Ms. Fournet has given us two unforgettable characters in Maren and Malcolm.  They are well-drawn, rounded characters--especially that of Malcolm. There was such a growth in this character over the course of the novel. I really enjoyed seeing him able to show his gentle side and his caring, because in the first chapter of the book, I didn't really like him at all.

The book started off a little slow, but it took on a pacing that worked for the story. There were several moments that I thought I knew what was going to happen next, but the author managed to avoid the obvious and take the story in another direction. Possibly the author missed a chance at adding another element of excitement to the story in avoiding these, but then it would have been a different story.

It was more a journey of self-discovery on Malcolm's part than it was an effort of the author to write a dark tortured student/professor relationship tome.  I was a little surprised about her family's reaction, but given the situation her family was dealing with (and their knowledge of Maren), maybe I shouldn't have been. 

Ms. Fournet's writing was almost lyrical in parts. It was a pleasure just to read her prose. All in all, this was a very enjoyable story and I look forward to her next book.  4 flowers.


Now enjoy an excerpt:

He had gotten through his second tomato—while The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “She Looks to Me” played— when the knock at his kitchen door stilled him.

It wasn’t that it never happened. Of course, the mailman came to the door occasionally. Or the UPS carrier. Chinese takeout. But Malcolm was expecting none of these. A wave of chills spilled down his neck because it could only be one person.

Impossible. It’s a Jehovah’s Witness or a Girl Scout.

In the two seconds that it took to cross to the door, Malcolm was aware of a sickening hope that coursed through him. He opened the door, and there she was.

Dressed for a run, Maren stood on his doorstep, biting her thumb, hesitant and unsure. Perspiration dotted her nose and upper lip, and her cheeks were flushed with exertion and, perhaps, bashfulness. Malcolm took in the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.

She had come looking for him.

Before either of them said a word, Malcolm knew that he was a lost cause. He might be able to feign mere friendship, but he was a goner. Whatever she wanted from him was already hers. He didn’t stand a chance.

“Well,...this is a pleasant surprise.”

Stephanie Fournet lives in Lafayette, Louisiana—not far from the Saint Streets where her novels are set. She shares her home with her husband John and her daughter Hannah, their needy dogs Gladys and Mabel, and an immortal blue finch named Baby Blue. When she isn’t writing romance novels, she is usually helping students get into college, teaching AP English, or running. She loves hearing from fans, so you can follow her on Facebook, message her on Goodreads, or email her at stephaniefournet@icloud.com.

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/FallSemesterNovel

http://www.amazon.com/Fall-Semester-Stephanie-Fournet-ebook/dp/B00FO5WDDS

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7351172.Stephanie_Fournet

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Love or Deception by Morgan K. Wyatt - review and giveaway

This review is in conjunction with a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post during the tour.

Also, this novel is up for a RONE award, along with many other indie books. If you'd like to support it (or others), click here.

Amy awakes to find her husband Mark missing, along with her memories. Her recollections of Mark include a whirlwind courtship and a beach wedding. Amy is determined to uncover what happened to her husband. How could a man who loved her so intensely just walk away?

The police have no interest in finding Mark. They reason he wasn’t ready for marriage and he walked. She wonders if his disappearance could be associated with her work.

Ryan, a close friend and co-worker, assists her in piecing together her missing memories. As the pair work together, they find that Amy’s actual past reveals a scenario that is so horrifying that it forces them on the run, not knowing whom they can trust. Will Amy’s newly recalled memories prove fatal to both her and Ryan?

MY REVIEW:

I'm a fan of this author, so nabbed this to review. The cover is eye-catching and the premise intriguing so I was excited to start.

Honestly, at first I think I was as confused as Amy ... this is likely partly because we're in her POV, but I still felt like a lot of things were put out there quickly. For me, they were a little too many to absorb right off.  But can I tell you how much I loved her aunt Remy?  She was such a hoot. She loved Amy to death, took care of her, put her in her place when she needed it and didn't take any crap.  I'm pretty sure she was my favorite character.. unless you count Sampson and Burton (a cat and dog, respectively).

Though the story started a bit slow and stumbled around, once it hit its stride it was non-stop excitement.  I never knew who to trust, what was happening, etc.  This was partly due to Amy having memory issues and being our POV character. That was such a good choice! We slowly get to find out what's happening along with her, and it made it that much more nerve-wracking.

The hero, Ryan, took a little while to grow on me.  I thought he was remarkably forward from the start, considering Amy had apparently just lost her husband.  Ryan dropped hints about being in love with Amy, touched her when he could, etc.  It felt a little stalkerish to me. But it didn't take long before I came to appreciate him as much as Amy did.  His change from a mild-mannered scientist to a sexy, sometimes dangerous lover was great to observe.

Ms. Wyatt did a great job building worry and anticipation and slowly giving hints to what the real danger was, without forgetting to let the characters continue to grow.  They mattered, and that's what makes a book good for me. I have to care about the characters, not just wonder about the plot.

Truthfully, while the ending of the dangerous part of this story was satisfying, I sort of felt like it was a little too easy.  This might have been different if we'd have been in other POVs so I could see what they were doing, too (like Simpson), but that would have ruined much of the rest of the story.  I'm a little torn about it.

All-in-all, though Love or Deception was a solid romantic suspense.  Top notch characters, good plot, and solid writing and editing.  I can definitely recommend this to any fans of the genre.

4 Flowers - This was a very good book! I'd recommend it to my friends.

Now enjoy an excerpt:

The tinny tingle of the bell drew her eyes as two guards from the center meandered into the diner. “Guards from the center.” When Ryan started to turn his head, she added. “Don’t look.”

Inhaling deeply, he leaned across the table blocking their view. “Do you think they followed you here? If so, what are you going to do?”

Her eyes measured the space from the table where the guards sat to the door. Too close. Maybe there was a back exit through the swinging doors. If nothing else, she could sprint through the kitchen. She had a feeling Trixie might be doing most of the cooking tonight based on her long disappearances. Cutting her eyes back to Ryan, she whispered, “It might be coincidental, but it won’t be good to see us together. I am heading to the restroom to find another exit, which means I am sticking you with the check.”

She fluffed her hair, pulling it up in clumps making it look more punkish. Retying her plain oxford shirt under her breasts created a midriff-baring top. Unbuttoning the remaining blouse top exposed her breasts with traces of the lace bra cup peeking out.

Ryan coughed. “If you want the guards not to look at you then I would say you are going about it the wrong way.”

The look on her companion’s face seesawed between concern and interest. She looked down at her breasts prominently displayed in her tied up shirt. It made sense, he was a man, and men responded to visual cues. No more than that or was it? Certainly not the time to explore her relationship with the doctor. “I just want them not to mistake me for the serious scientist type.”

“Trust me. If they do see you, I doubt they’ll even bother looking at your face.”

“Thanks, I think.” She slid out of the vinyl booth seat, squeaking as she went.

She refused to look back but put an extra sway into her walk, just in case the guards looked up.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Morgan K Wyatt believes in happy endings. When things don’t end well, she holds to the familiar Indian saying: If things don’t work out, then it’s not the end because everything works out in the end. She considers herself living proof after escaping an abusive marriage; she found and married her soul mate. While not every day is sunshine and roses, she writes about the possibility of flowers and chance meetings between strangers.

Her reputation as a plant rescuer has people dropping sick and dying plants at her house, and then speeding off in the night. The magic ingredient that brings the plants back to life is love and Miracl-gro. Morgan would love to hear from you. If you have a name for a character, cute dog pics, or gardening info, even better.

Social Media

Website http://www.morgankwyatt.com/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMorganKWyatt

Twitter http://www.twitter.com/morgankwyatt

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5826299.Morgan_K_Wyatt

Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/morgankwyatt/

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Morgan-K.-Wyatt/e/B008EEC4EY/

Blogs

www.datingafterfortyeight.blogspot.com

http://www.thefrugaldivatellsall.blogspot.com/

www.lowcarbbeliever.weebly.com

www.writerwonderland.weebly.com

Buy Links

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Deception-Special-Circumstances-Morgan-Wyatt-ebook/dp/B00JOPQTX4/

AmazonUK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deception-Special-Circumstances-Morgan-Wyatt-ebook/dp/B00JOPQTX4/

AmazonAU http://www.amazon.com.au/Love-Deception-Special-Circumstances-Book-ebook/dp/B00JOPQTX4/

AmazonCA http://www.amazon.ca/Love-Deception-Special-Circumstances-Book-ebook/dp/B00JOPQTX4/

BN http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-or-deception-morgan-k-wyatt/1119222092

iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/love-or-deception/id865287946?mt=11https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/love-or-deception/id865287946?mt=11

SCPublishing http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=853

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The Light at the End of Judgment and Day by Marcia Colette - Review and giveaway

This review is in conjunction with a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post during the tour.

Violinist and angel, Yvette Mills has spent almost 200 years living among humans while rounding up ghosts to send into Judgment. Back on the mend from her last confrontation with a malevolent entity, she's ready to reenter the classical-music scene. One problem. She’s not facing one ghost. She's facing hundreds with a few demonic entities sprinkled in.

Dozens of tenants have left the Folsom Building in downtown Charlotte because of the strange goings on. When Yvette's agent goes for the bargain-basement rental prices and now has an office there, her mission is clear. Rid the building of the paranormal vermin to keep him and the few tenants left, safe. It won't be easy when a psychic, who's leading a team of paranormal investigators, discovers she can see ghosts, too. If they discover she’s truly an angel sent from the heavens, she’ll be the first to find herself thrown into the pits of hell.

My review:

A fascinating twist on ghost-busting!

I wasn't sure what to expect, exactly, going into this book. Watching Yvette juggle the "normal" life of being a concert violinist (at least in this life/body ... she's been several people over the past couple hundred years) and being an angel tasked with ridding this world of ghosts was both fun and fascinating. The author does a great job throwing us right into the action and helping us get to know Yvette and the other characters involved in this book.

The plot was pretty solid (it had a few hiccups and a couple of things that made me wonder if people were actually paying attention to things) and the characters were well-rounded and folks I totally enjoyed reading about.  The author has a way with words that really makes the story flow along and I never got jolted out of the story due to odd phrasing or editing errors--a big deal for me as I'm a bit of a grammar nerd.

The combination of believable characters, solid writing, humor and intense situations made for an intriguing read and it's long enough to be a full story, but short enough to read in one sitting.  I have a feeling (maybe it's just hope) that this is the start of a series.  If so, I'll be in line to grab book two when it's available.

4 Flowers - This was a very good book! I'd recommend it to my friends.

Now enjoy an excerpt:

The elevator wobbled. I touched the wall to make sure there was something to hold onto in case the next wobble meant something else. I watched as the green numbers incremented by one on the wall above my head.

Another wobble.

What kind of rickety elevator was this? Surely, this wasn’t the top-of-the-line building on South Tryon Road, but the least I expected was to get to the nineteenth floor in one piece.

The lights blacked out and the elevator slowed to a stop. I stood on a dark, metal box with nervousness creeping across my shoulders. All sorts of horrible images about what could happen next assaulted my thoughts.

I should've been used to situations like this.

After a deep breath, I steadied my nerves. Death by elevator would be a new one, given the number of other ways I had died over the years. The only good thing about it would be I’d never feel the moment of impact. God was good.

Calmness blanketed me. I reached inside my purse and pulled out my cell phone. I pressed the button on the side to light up the screen.

A screaming, ethereal face appeared and disappeared with the speed of a flasher standing on a street corner and exposing himself to a pedestrian. That was why the elevator really stopped. Sighing, I slipped my phone in my purse and crossed my arms.

About the author: Bestselling author Marcia Colette didn’t discover her love for reading until her late teens when she started reading John Saul and progressed to works by Bentley Little, Stephen King and Laurell K. Hamilton. Her reading tastes convinced her to write paranormals where curses cause people to shift into spiders, psychotic and telekinetic mothers are locked away in attics, and murderous doppelgangers are on a rampage. Let's not forget about the hunky werecheetah coalitions who live throughout North Carolina. As long as she can make it believable, that's all that matters.

Born and raised in upstate New York, Marcia now lives in North Carolina with her mom and beautiful daughter. They’re not raising zombies in the backyard. There aren’t any hellhounds living in the den, only a rabbit and a cockatiel. So where she gets her ideas is as much a mystery to her as anyone else.

The best place to find her--when she's not stirring up trouble--is on her blog where she loves connecting with readers.

www.marciacolette.com

http://marciacolette.wordpress.com

http://twitter.com/MarciaColette

www.facebook.com/marciacolette

www.goodreads.com/marcia_colette

http://mochamemoirspress.com/ 

www.amazon.com/Light-End-Judgment-Day-ebook/dp/B00UMKPKAI/

www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-light-at-the-end-of-judgment-and-day-marcia-colette/1121407286

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How the Water Falls by K.P. Kollenborn - Review and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. K.P. Kollenborn will be awarding a print copy of the book to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

On the fringes of a civil war arise a kaleidoscope of stories of abuse, power, betrayal, sex, love, and absolution, all united by the failings of a dying government. Set in the backdrop during the last years of South Africa's apartheid, How the Water Falls is a psychological thriller that unfolds the truth and deception of the system’s victims, perpetrators, and unlikely heroes.

My Review:

How the Water Falls is a well-written book about a period in history that I knew only a little bit about--the end of apartheid in South Africa. It is obvious the author has done her research. In this book you see not only what was happening, but you put faces to what you've heard. It becomes personal.

You meet many people, but the story revolves around four people specifically: Lena - a black activist, Joanne - a white reporter, and the Borghost brothers- Hans and Jared. Over the course of the story, which spans several years, Lena's and Joanne's lives overlap and they become friends. Hans and Jared are both integrally involved through the story, and there are many other characters as well.

It's not an easy book to read, and it's not one I would choose for a summer beach read; however, it's compelling--I grew to care about the people involved and wanted to know more about them-to know what happened to them. The difficulty lay not in the book itself, which was very well-written, but more in the complex issues that make up the period. The book is told from varying points of view, which showed the various facets and mindsets of the period.

It reminded me a bit, in tone, of Leon Uris' Exodus-- it's a story of a changing nation personalized by the characters in the novel.

Well done, Ms. Kollenborn. 4 flowers. Enjoy an excerpt:

Dingane smeared a smile, exposing two missing teeth, one on the top, the other on the bottom. “Yes, baas,” he replied evenly, sarcastically. “An’ how fery kind of you. A man wit morals may pay more. But not you, baas. Tank you for being like any utta man on dis block so my childrren can starve.”

Huffing, the owner crossed his arms. “Well, it’s not my fault you people breed like rabbits! That’s the real problem. You people don’t stop having children you cahn’t afford!”

Looking at Robert as if soliciting strength to not hit his employer, Dingane returned to stare at him. “Could you, honestly, feed a family wit 30 rrands a mont? Afta taxes?”

“I write your paychecks. I know how much you make!”

“Den shall I make a sign for you, too, baas? Come join us?”

Straining his jaw, he cleared his throat. “Dingane, I’m warning you. If you do not come inside now, I suggest you don’t come inside my store— ever again!”

He sighed and shrugged. “You hafe my addrress to mail my las’ check, baas.”

Exhaling, the store owner began pointing once more. “You need to leave these premises for loitering, Dingane! I can call the police on this matter and they can arrest you, and your two girlfriends, for that!” Then pointing at Lena and the other young woman, he vented, “The same applies to you both! I’ll call your bosses as well if both of you don’t remove all this nonsense!”

The owner stomped inside his store, glaring out the window as he picked up his phone.

Dingane joked, “All dis calling will only wear out dat little pointy finger of ‘is!”

Lena and Robert laughed.

Robert promptly announced, “Well, Lena, it looks like I won the bet. It took more than ten minutes before one of them brroke down!”

About the Author: Although I've been writing since childhood, I have a BA in history. I love studying history as much as wanting to evoke stories. I like to believe that after decades worth of introspection we have learned to value our lessons, and the best way to recite our lessons are through storytelling. That's why I love history: To learn. To question. To redeem our humanity. Submitting to a moment in time allows us to remember, or to muse even, our society's past. Although writing can educate as well as entertain, yet what makes art incredibly amazing, to that of paintings, photographs, and music, it transposes emotion into another form of humanity, and therefore, it is our humanity which keeps all of us striving for an improved future.

I am fortunate to have been trained by one the top ten writing teachers in the US, the late Leonard Bishop, and author of 'Dare to be a Great Writer.' I owe my love of writing to him. In addition to writing, I draw, paint, create graphic design, and am an amateur photographer.

website: www.kpkollenborn.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kollenborn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KPKollenborn
Blog: http://kpkollenborn.blogspot.com
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5386352.K_P_Kollenborn
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kollenborn/videos
Google+ https://plus.google.com/+KPKollenborn/posts
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kpkollenborn
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/How-Water-Falls-K-P-Kollenborn-ebook/dp/B00L8F1UZA

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By Sea by Carly Fall - Book Review and Giveaway

This review is in conjunction with a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Carly will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

While fighting the War on Drugs in Latin America, Marine Brody Teller was involved in an accident that left him with a supernatural power: a deep connection to the sea and the ability to control it.

When the mysterious Joe Smith approaches him with an incredible job offer, Brody thinks it’s too good to be true. His life-saving need and his desire to be near the ocean while earning a living are rolled into one perfect job.

Rayna Lopez lives a quiet life as she tries to climb her way up the CIA ladder, always in fear the government will learn of her family lineage. When her father asks for help getting her famous and belligerent half-sister out of trouble, Rayna reluctantly agrees to travel with her and they board a yacht where they will be protected.

Brody and Rayna realizes they’ve met before, and despite a significant lack of trust between them, they face an attraction neither can deny. As they fight to keep Rayna’s sister alive, lies are revealed and secrets are told. They must both learn to trust each other, and—if they live through their voyage—figure out what to do about their whirlwind romance.

Read my review:

An intriguing concept brought nicely to life.  The author is a skilled wordsmith and her descriptions, characterizations and writing are nearly flawless. It was this ability that kept me reading when a few things really stretched my ability to believe.

Brody acquired supernatural powers in a government experiment, along with other members of his platoon.  I like that his powers are outside the norm, something I really haven't seen before (outside of Greek mythology).  I was intrigued, too, that he has to stay near the ocean or he becomes ill... a cool twist.  However, I couldn't understand why the government would imbue him with these powers and then just kick him to the curb. Why didn't they keep him in the service, train him, use these powers they've given him? It just doesn't make sense, and it's something I hope the author explains down the road in the series.

Rayna is a tough-as-nails yet still feminine CIA agent with a soft spot for her family, especially her father who just so happens to be a drug lord in South America.  I struggled to reconcile her need to be an instrument of justice as an agent, and her ability to know that her father regularly used his position to order the executions of others, never mind distributing drugs all over the world.  Additionally, she's worried the CIA will find out--and I really had a hard time believing they wouldn't already know.

Also, it was a bit frustrating that, aside from an incredibly brief meeting, Brody and Rayna spend the first 100 pages or so apart.  It really made it difficult for me to get into the story.  I think the author wanted to make sure her world-building was solid and that we understood the backstory, but had I not been reading this for review, I wouldn't have kept moving forward.

That said ... I'm actually quite glad I read this.  The characters were unique and interesting (though I really, really wanted to slap Rayna's sister who is beyond irritating).  Even the secondary characters were well drawn and individuals in their own right.  The relationship between Brody and Rayna, once it was finally allowed to develop, was loaded with the kind of tension that takes your breath away.  They have this incredible attraction, but there are so many reasons for them to not act on it.  It's incredibly well written and exactly the kind of sexual tension I love.  It makes the payoff that much sweeter.  And watching two tough folks with chips of astronomical size on their shoulders fall in love was just priceless.

Now that the groundwork on the backstory is set, I'm hoping the next books in the series start more quickly (and that the protagonists spend the majority of their books together).  It's a solid start to what should be a good series and I'm looking forward to finding out if my questions get answers.

3.5 Flowers - This was a good book!


Now enjoy an excerpt:

“Why are you up, Rayna?” he asked, his voice just above a whisper. “What’s keeping you awake? Is your bed uncomfortable?”


“No, it’s fine,” she said, finally breaking the stare and gazing out to the moonlight again. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Like what?”

You.

“Nothing,” she murmured. “Just . . . just my sister.”

He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she turned her head at his touch.

“And what if I thought something different was keeping you awake?”

“Like what?” she swallowed, her voice tight.

“Like you and me. Us. Together.”

She shut her eyes and turned her head back toward the window. Never would she admit it as she’d already been over all the reasons getting together with Brody was a bad idea.

“Maybe I’m wrong, but I’d thought I’d ask because that’s what’s been keeping me up tonight,” he said, his hand kneading her shoulder before it slipped away.

Rayna knew that if she said yes, things would go into a place anyone in their right mind would deem not advisable. However, the brief contact of his skin on hers brought out a deep, visceral ache that needed to be sated.

“You weren’t wrong,” she whispered, staring out into the night.

“Then look at me,” he growled.

She shut her eyes while gathering her nerve, reminding herself she wanted this as well. However, in her bones, she also felt this could be the biggest mistake of her life.

“Look at me, Rayna.”

She turned.

About the Author:

Carly Fall is a wife, a mother and a slave to the dog, Nicky. She loves to laugh, thinks chocolate and wine should be considered their own food group, and wishes Christmas happened twice a year. She is the author of the award winning and Amazon best selling series, The Six Saviors, as well as paranormal and contemporary romance.

By Sea is the first book in her new series, The Supernatural Renegades.

Buy the book at Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords, or Barnes and Noble.

Author info:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carlyfallpage
Twitter: @CarlyFall1
Website: http://www.Carlyfall.com

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The Sunken by S.C. Green - Review and Giveaway

This review is in conjunction with a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In the heart of London lies the Engine Ward, a district forged in coal and steam, where the great Engineering Sects vie for ultimate control of the country. For many, the Ward is a forbidding, desolate place, but for Nicholas Thorne, the Ward is a refuge. He has returned to London under a cloud of shadow to work for his childhood friend, the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Deep in the Ward's bowels, Nicholas can finally escape his strange affliction – the thoughts of animals that crowd his head. But seeing Brunel interact with his mechanical creations, Nicholas is increasingly concerned that his friend may be succumbing to the allure of his growing power. That power isn't easily cast aside, and the people of London need Brunel to protect the streets from the prehistoric monsters that roam the city.

King George III has approved Brunel's ambitious plan to erect a Wall that would shut out the swamp dragons and protect the city. But in secret, the King cultivates an army of Sunken: men twisted into flesh-eating monsters by a thirst for blood and lead. Only Nicholas and Brunel suspect that something is wrong, that the Wall might play into a more sinister purpose--to keep the people of London trapped inside.

My Review:

If you choose to pick this book up, please allow yourself plenty of time--it's not a short book (approximately 500 pages) and it's not a quick read. There's a lot going on in this book -- a lot of people, a lot of nuances, and a lot of activity.

It's heavier on the alternative history than some other steampunk novels I've read. Dinosaurs never died out--they live on in the form of dragons; George III did not die, but rather was known as "the vampire king"; and religion is not worshiping God but different sects of science and the arts-- many of them, because each person could create his own church.

However, just because it's not an easy book to read, don't make the mistake that it's not enjoyable-- because it is. The book is very well written and, being the first book in the series, is setting up the worldbuilding for the remainder of the series. It is so different to the world we know that it's hard to wrap your head around it with a quick scan. It's a book you want to take your time with and savor.

The characters are first introduced as young men involved in a terrible accident. Two of them leave immediately afterward, fearing their third friend blames them for the accident--which resulted in his father being charged and exiled. Ten years later, they are reunited and the rest of the book details the situation they find themselves in. As the book goes on, the friends become more and more concerned about each other and about what's going on with the King's plan.

Other characters are more-or-less regulated to the background; the main characters are indeed Nicholas, James, Isambord, and Aaron and their complex relationships with each other.

I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series--it's anyone's guess what will happen next. 4 flowers. Enjoy an excerpt:

The furnace was unlit; the only light a faint glow from an Argand lamp in Aaron's hand. He squinted at his friend in the darkness, saw his face set into a stony expression.

"Isambard was just informing me of his secret project," Aaron said, his tone even.

"You're building the London railway?" asked Nicholas.

"The King wants you to build a railway in London? Isambard, this is—"

"Amazing. Miraculous, Incomprehensible, I know!" Isambard's excitement filled the room. "It's only a small section of track, but it's a start. He wants me to build a railway from Windsor Castle into Buckingham House. It will be the first railway inside the city. Apart from the first mile of track across the castle grounds, the entire railway will be underground. And it must be built in four months."

"That's preposterous!" Aaron said. "You've only built one railway before, and that hardly stretched a mile, and it took a lot longer than four months."

"Especially not when work on the Wall begins next week," added Nicholas. "That too shares that same impossible deadline, and since it stretches outside the Ward and will be in full view of the public, the Stokers are not permitted to work on it. Where are we going to find men?"

"I am aware of both these issues. That's why I've been holed up in here for the last three days, trying to come up with a solution. Now that you're both here, I can show you what I've created."

Brunel reached over and, with fingers that seemed unusually cold as they brushed Nicholas' arm, pushed the light toward the far corner of the room. There stood two machines that made Nicholas recoil in fright.

"Isambard—"

"What is that?" Aaron demanded.

"You can approach them." Brunel grabbed Nicholas by the shoulders and dragged him across the room.

"They look so—so—"

"I know. Aren’t they beautiful?" Brunel reached out and stroked the belly of one of the machines, angling the light to give Nicholas and Aaron a better view. "I call them my Boilers. They will revolutionise the manufacturing process."

Each Boiler stood a little higher than Brunel — round furnace bellies balanced on metal skids, with a complex labyrinth of wheels, tubes and gauges protruding from the top. Their shape appeared too natural, too human, to be made of iron, but iron they were, and ingeniously designed. Clawlike limbs extended from the furnace body, and where one would expect a head, Brunel had given each a double chimney. More dials and gauges protruded from the rear of the furnace, and Nicholas recognised some of the controls from Brunel's steam locomotive designs — a regulator, a water glass. Obviously prototypes, the metal was rough, unfinished, but Nicholas immediately grasped the basic idea.

"They’re … workers?"

Brunel nodded. "There aren’t men enough in England to finish the railway and Wall as soon as the King wants them, but with machines to work day and night, and men like Aaron to run them, we can do it. These are just prototypes, of course, but fifty units are being finished in the workshops as we speak. I plan to have the first Boiler workgang operational by the end of the week. Watch."

He opened the furnace of the nearest one and stoked it up. It spluttered to life, churning steam from its double chimney. Brunel worked the controls from behind the Boiler, stepping aside when it lurched forward. Aaron stumbled back, tripping over Nicholas as the Boiler barrelled toward them, claws outstretched, steam billowing from its mechanical neck.

Panicked, Nicholas rolled out of the Boiler's path, dragging Aaron back with him. But the Boiler wasn't after them. It tore straight past Nicholas and picked up a length of pipe from the bench behind him. Holding the pipe in its clawed hands, it bent the length into a perfect U, fitted a pressure gauge on the end, then fitted it to another pipe protruding from the wall, tightened the whole apparatus, and stood back, awaiting its next instruction.

"See?" Brunel clapped his hands together. "The Boiler will repeat that task, again and again, until he is given new instructions. Aren't they the most amazing invention that ever your eyes did see?"

About the Author:

S. C. Green is the author of the dystopian steampunk series, The Engine Ward, as well as humorous fantasy At War With Satan (under the name Steff Metal). Her latest novel, The Sunken, explores an alternative Georgian London where dinosaurs still survive.

She lives in an off-grid house on a slice of rural paradise near Auckland, New Zealand, with her cantankerous drummer husband, their two cats, and their medieval sword collection. She writes about metal music, her books, living off-grid, and her adventures with home-brewing on her blog SteffMetal.com.

Stay up to date with S C Green's books by signing up to her newsletter: http://steffmetal.com/subscribe or like her Facebook page: http://facebook.com/steffmetal

Buy the book at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

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The Missing Planets by Hawk MacKinney - Review and Giveaway

This review is in conjunction with a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly drawn winner will receive $25 Amazon gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Planet Terato has become a member of the assembly of the Confederated League of Allied Star Systems. The Murian Outpost Terato once commanded by His Imperial Majesty’s Lord High Chamberlain Herklo Korvo XXXIV is now Teratoan staffed and under the command of Teratoan Eklam a’Qoc.

From the uncharted reaches between galaxies, attacks of extraordinary weaponry come against Terato and the Myr worlds of the Murians. Terminus Terato’s expanded link-portals and converter power modules are virtually useless. Power loss, defenses, communications and travel are totally disrupted. High Chamberlain Korvo’s unexpected return to Terminus on a mission for His Imperial Majesty leaves him stranded on Terato. Attacks grow more massive, more unpredictable; spread across the worlds of the League, as an isolated Terminus struggles among the shattered rubble and whispering remains of an ancient Polity of star-walkers.

Family and friends are lost, empires and civilizations in disarray, Terminus and Planet Terato almost defenseless. Desperate for answers, their worlds being overwhelmed by this remorseless aggressor, Eklam and Korvo reach across unexplored space in a despairing gamble and the last reserves of converter star-substrate, seeking one insignificant star system of gas giants and rocky inner planets for possible relics of the elusive Lantaraan Polity.

My Review:

This book is the second in a series, but can definitely be read as a standalone. The events happen generations after the events of The Cairns of Santuarie: The Bleikovat Event.

Mr. MacKinney is a talented and skilled writer. The detail and the research he has done is evident in this work. It is pure science fiction-- not SFF-- so don't pick this book up expecting a light read. It's not overly long (less than 250 pages), but it's not a quick read. However, if you are a SF fan it is well worth taking a look at it.

There are many characters and I had trouble at first sorting out who was who, but once I got into the story, things fell more in place. And, I liked the characters--cheering them on when things got tough and worrying about them when they find themselves in difficulty.

As you can see from the following excerpt, there is a lot of action going on--this book would make an outstanding action movie (Hollywood, are you listening?).

I hope Mr. MacKinney has more stories for us about The Cairns of Sainctuarie. 4 flowers.

Enjoy an excerpt:

The portal hummed with a pulsating drone; grew louder. Korvo recognized the cascade effects of a portal overload. “Converter intermix-portal lock!” he yelled. Shoved Martin hard, “Get away!”

Magnetic loops of plasma streamed out; superheated beyond a Sol corona; mixed with hydrogen substrate; sucked into the white-hot rim of the portal frame. Converter commands useless. Arnov and Drov jumped away from their smoking consoles. A belch of uncontained hydrogen-plasma sublimated a cloud through the camp. Vidscreens sizzled; acrid smoke drifted up to curl toward the inanimate beast consuming the portal. Cermet footings fused; a console imploded. Arnov, tossed against one of the supports; green blood oozed along his shoulder. Drok’s head bumped against cermet supports. The pounding drone of the portal growled like a wounded Murian swamp dragon. Bundles of raw stellar core screamed through Jupiterr’s turgid atmospheres, tearing at the planet. Colossus Jupiterr magnus rolled with disruptions. Agitated plasma entangled with antimatter; churned methane storms into frenzies, giant arcs exploding through the clouds; snaked around their camp. The white-hot remains of the portal a bubbling melted puddle.

Ek shielded his eyes from the scorching brightness; helped Arnov up. Through the shredded side of the shelter, glimpsed Korvo scramble from under a scorched field stand, its collapsed bracing ripped away. Martin pushed himself up. The air inside their camp ionized; darken to oranges and yellows and purple-blue charged photon auras. Converters still pumping, sucking substrate, at the same time sagging in seared taffy-puddles, their shell alloys disassociating in sputtering kaleidoscope rainbows and blistering caustic nose-stinging swirls.

About the Author:

With postgraduate degrees and faculty appointments in several medical universities, Hawk MacKinney has taught graduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem. In addition to professional articles and texts on chordate neuroembryology, Hawk has authored several works of fiction.

Hawk began writing mysteries for his school newspaper. His works of fiction, historical love stories, science fiction and mystery-thrillers are not genre-centered, but plot-character driven, and reflect his southwest upbringing in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award, details the family bloodlines of his serial protagonist in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series. Vault of Secrets, the first book in the Ingram series, was followed by Nymrod Resurrection, Blood and Gold, and The Lady of Corpsewood Manor. All have received national attention. Walking the Pet is Hawk’s latest release in the Ingram series. The first book in another mystery-thriller series is scheduled for release in 2015. The Bleikovat Event, the first volume in The Cairns of Sainctuarie science fiction series, was released in 2012. Its sequel, The Missing Planets, has just been released.

http://www.hawkmackinney.net/
http://www.sagewordspublishing.com
http://www.archebooks.com

Check out Hawk's videos:

http://youtu.be/IFbsl36LTC8
http://youtu.be/-m-H8pfoh-A
http://youtu.be/OvV8gqls688
http://youtu.be/tLOOHlQ3IYs

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Shared Redemption by Michel Prince - Book Review and Giveaway

This review is in conjunction with a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michel will be awarding three separate prizes: Swag pack-bookmarks, candy and other goodies, a T-shirt-“My book boyfriend can beat up your book boyfriend”, and a Signed paperback copy of Silly Girl. The three randomly drawn winners will be chosen via rafflecopter during the tour and is open to international winners. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Former slave Nye ended his life in 1859 after losing his love. The angel Gabriel has offered Nye a chance at redemption by hunting demons as a member of the Frozen. With less than seven years left until his salvation, Nye is staying on the straight and narrow – until a woman gets caught in the crossfire during a demon hunt.

After receiving devastating news, Kiriana Kladshon moves across the country, only to get caught up in the world of The Frozen. Nye and Kiriana are pulled into an attraction neither can control. Will it be their ultimate demise or their greatest salvation?

Damarion, is leading a group of female demons on a mission. During his punishment on Earth, Damarion learns of dangers within his coven trying to stop him from returning to his love, still trapped in Hell and A love he was so sure was true...

My Review:

This is a fascinating look at a different set of demon hunters--the Frozen. Gabriel offers a select number of suicides the chance to earn redemption by working out their salvation by hunting demons for a set number of years. SHARED REDEMPTION shares the story of one group of Frozen--and featuring mostly on Nye and his relationship with a Normal, Kiriana, who accidentally crosses his path.

The book also shows the demon camp and focuses on Damarian--there's more to his story too than you would think.

The book is told in alternating, first person POVs--Kiri, Damarian, and Nye--and a few times I would have to stop and think about whose POV we were actually in, but the voices of each main character were so distinct that it didn't take me out of the story for too long.

I really enjoyed this book and the relationships within the Frozen camp and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series!!

4 Flowers - This was a very good book! I'd recommend it to my friends.

Enjoy an excerpt:
“You’re back,” I said with too much of a lilt. God, I sounded like a groupie trying to pretend that I wasn’t.

“Yes. Do you need anything?” Nye asked.

“Besides my freedom?”

Nye just stared at me.

“Right…food, water, bathroom,” I started a list.

“The commode is through that door. What are you hungry for?”

“What do you have?”

“Pretty much everything.”

“Fine, then how about a half dozen chicken flautas with some guacamole and a cerveza, por favor.”

“Tap or bottle?”

“Bottle,” I replied sheepishly.

“Domestic or imported? Though, considering your condition I wouldn’t choose alcohol.”

“You have a pineapple Juarito?” I asked, amazed he’d have my favorite drink.

“Yes.”

“You really have flautas and Juaritos?”

“Yes, and what kind of guac do you want? Lots of peppers and onions? Tomatoes?”

“Yea. Everything.”

“Fine. You need help to the commode?”

“No, I should be fine.”

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, knowing I’d have to put most of my weight on my left leg. Warily I stood up. Knowledge of my weakness could not prepare me for the reality of it. I crumpled to the floor as if I were a knight who’d just lost his head on the battlefield.

Embarrassed I lay there hoping by some miracle Nye hadn’t seen me. His large boots were right by my eyes and I looked up as he was crouching to help. Our eyes locked and I was just a breath away from his lips. Mine puckered as his pulled in and I inhaled deeply to hold back the urge to explore his mouth with my tongue.

His hands were warm again against my body and I wondered why they weren’t warm like body heat. They were just warm. He lifted me to the bathroom, leaning me against the sink, and then brought me a cane from the bedroom.

“Here, see if this helps.”

I leaned on the cane, bracing myself, shifting my weight back and forth until I felt comfortable.

“It’s good.”

“Look, it may take me a little bit to get your food for you. If you want, take a bath. There’s a robe on the back of the door and I can try to scrounge up some clothes for you. Yours have to be feeling…”

“Nasty, yes, they are, thanks. I’m a size two, if you find anything.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Nye left and I spied the huge Jacuzzi. I looked around for something to wash with and found rose water bath bubbles and three types of soaps in a closet. I ran the water in the Jacuzzi and dripped the rose water bath bubbles under the Koehler farmer’s spigot.

I pulled off the shorts and underwear that appeared to be glued to my body. I slid my lower body into the water, which was just a few degrees below scalding, the way I liked it. My muscles started to loosen as the heat ate into them.

Pulling off my tank top, followed by my bra, I slid the rest of the way into the water and sighed. I was loving every second of the feeling. Sure, I was a hostage, but it wasn’t all that bad. Nye was gorgeous and obviously not interested in me. He can just be a fantasy. What woman doesn’t have the fantasy? Okay, so this was going too far. This was how I got where I was.

The bubbles covered my chest. The smell of roses filled my nose as I fell asleep in the warm water.

“Kiri,” Nye said softly.

My eyes fluttered as I saw the dark figure I was growing accustomed to.

“Yes, Nye.”

“Um…your food?”

“Thank you,” I smiled.

I hoped he wouldn’t turn away, but he did. How can a man be so sure of himself and yet timid? Screw this. I wanted him. I love that he called me Kiri. No one ever did that. I love that his hands changed temperature and he seemed ashamed of it. I love that his eyes were jet black, but still sparkled.

“I’m going to need your help,” I said quickly.

“What?”

“I won’t be able to stand up to dry myself. I don’t mean to make you nervous, but I need your help. Or send that woman in here, but I’d prefer you.”

About the Author:

Michel Prince is an author who graduated with a bachelor degree in History and Political Science. Michel writes new adult and adult paranormal romance as well as contemporary romance.

With characters yelling "It's my turn damn it!!!" She tries to explain to them that alas, she can only type a hundred and twenty words a minute and they will have wait their turn. She knows eventually they find their way out of her head and to her fingertips and she looks forward to sharing them with you.

When Michel can suppress the voices in her head she can be found at a scouting event or cheering for her son in a variety of sports. She would like to thank her family for always being in her corner and especially her husband for supporting her every dream and never letting her give up.

Michel has been awarded Elite Status with Rebel Ink Press in 2013, the service award for her local RWA chapter Midwest Fiction Writers and is a Pro member of RWA. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, cat and new puppy.

Website-Michel Prince Books: http://www.michelprincebooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelPrinceBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelPrince1

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The Chrysalis Series by Michel Prince - Review and Giveaway

This review is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michel will be awarding a Swag set including a T-shirt that says “My book boyfriend can beat up your book boyfriend” to a randomly drawn winner, and a Swag set including a 1st aid kit will be awarded to another randomly drawn winner, both prizes awarded via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In the annals of dysfunctional families, the Chisholm’s are working their way to the top. Drug abuse, an unwed mother with multiple fathers, and the questionable cash flow for the 'pretty one'. All this from a seemingly normal, two parent middle class family. But were the choices truly made of their free will? Bad choices are a Chisholm family trait, one that confounds the youngest child, Ellie, who's trying to separate herself by making smart decisions. And falling for Oscar Jeffreys, the hottest guy at school, would be number one on the list of Chisholm family disasters. Yet the crazy part is it’s not a one sided attraction.

Somehow Ellie has caught Oscar Jeffreys’ eye. Sure she could see the barriers between them. Race, age, popularity. They were at opposite ends of the spectrum. But a demon set to destroy her family? She can't see that. Oscar provides security and acceptance Ellie never imagined she deserved. As the passion of first love grows, Ellie honestly believes she has a chance to beat the odds and live a happy, normal life. Then her world collapses around her. With the help of a guardian angel, Ellie learns of a world that has unknowingly surrounded her for years. And she'll have to find strength buried deep inside to save not only her future, but flush out and stop the demon in her midst.

Ellie will have to learn that sometimes the hardest lesson about growing up is accepting that you're worth more.

My Review:

This book starts out as an average teen story-- insecure girl notices hot jock, who in turn has been noticing her, and beyond all odds the two get together and live happily ever after. Only, in Ellie's case, it doesn't quite work out that way. Turns out she has a guardian angel and that she lives in a world where all is not as it seems. All the bad choices her sisters and brothers have made--yeah, they were caused by a demon and now Ellie has to learn to stop him before he destroys the rest of her family and her relationship with Oscar.

Michel Prince has a way of pulling her readers into the story and allowing them to feel the confusion, the anger, the sadness--everything that her characters are feeling. This first book in Ellie and Oscar's story is full of action --especially the last half. Just when I had decided I only thought this was a paranormal book, the whole paranormal world came crushing down on me and I was.. WOW.

The relationship between Ellie and Oscar is very sweet--they are each incredibly attracted to the other, but they both want to make the right decisions. Ellie has seen her sisters make too many bad decisions as it is. I was a bit surprised that her parents were so blind to what was going on, but where demons are concerned all bets are off.

I'm glad this is characterized as New Adult instead of as YA--even though the characters are young (a senior and sophomore in high school) the situations they are in and the direction their relationship goes would have left me hesitant to recommend this book to a younger YA reader. However, I do recommend it to 17+ strictly because of the sexual situations. Good job, Ms. Prince. 4 flowers.

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.-Corinthians 13:11

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they must put aside their childish ways. In the past year, Ellie Chisholm has fallen into the security of her relationship with Oscar Jeffreys, emerging with a stronger sense of herself. But now Ellie's mother has started inserting herself into Ellie’s life, treating her as if she were a child even though Ellie has begun to make very adult decisions for her future. Having finally consummated her relationship with Oscar, Ellie learns the powers inside of her stretch further than vaporizing demons.

Maria, the demon bent on revenge, has been reigned in by God but that doesn’t stop her from disrupting and threatening those around Ellie and Oscar. Ellie becomes off balance as Maria switches strategy and attempts to destroy Ellie from the outside. Now the gauntlet has been thrown down. Ellie must help her family achieve positive change and finally break the tie between her mother and Gaap or risk losing everyone she loves.

Can Ellie maintain her sanity while walking the last steps as a child?

My Review:

It's a year later and Ellie is working hard to graduate early so she can be in college with Oscar. There's a lot more action in this second book as the demons up their attacks on the people who Oscar and Ellie love.

My main issue with the book is Ellie herself. I wanted to pick her up and shake her sometimes because of her jealousy and her insecurities, but it's only  because I've found myself in similar situations.  I grew to care so much for the characters that I just want them to get along and stop creating issues for themselves.


This book is, in many ways, a natural progression of the first.  This book is not as linear as the first and so is not as easy to follow. It's more episodic with flashbacks-- even one on Kelly's part sharing how she became a guardian angel.

That does not take away from the enjoyment of the book, however.  I do believe that readers should definitely read book one in the series before they read book two. Although Ms. Prince does share things from the first book, I'm afraid that anyone who reads the books out of order might be too confused to enjoy the book.  3.5 flowers.

About the Author:

Michel Prince is an author who graduated with a bachelor degree in History and Political Science. Michel writes new adult and adult paranormal romance as well as contemporary romance.

With characters yelling "It's my turn damn it!!!" She tries to explain to them that alas, she can only type a hundred and twenty words a minute and they will have wait their turn. She knows eventually they find their way out of her head and to her fingertips and she looks forward to sharing them with you.

When Michel can suppress the voices in her head she can be found at a scouting event or cheering for her son in a variety of sports. She would like to thank her family for always being in her corner and especially her husband for supporting her every dream and never letting her give up.

Michel has been awarded Elite Status with Rebel Ink Press in 2013, the service award for her local RWA chapter Midwest Fiction Writers and is a Pro member of RWA. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, cat and new puppy.

Website-Michel Prince Books: http://www.michelprincebooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelPrinceBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelPrince1

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