"C" A - Z CHALLENGE

A to Z Team [2015]

Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh
Jeremy @ Hollywood Nuts Nicole Ayers @ The Madlab Post

Author Stephen Tremp
Heather M. Gardner
AJ Lauer
Pam @ An Unconventional Librarian
Matthew MacNish @ The QQQE
Zalka Csenge Virág @ The Multicolored Diary
S. L. Hennessy @ Pensuasion
C. Lee McKenzie @ The Write Game
Joy Campbell @ The Character Depot
Susan Gourley @ Susan Says
John Holton @The Sound of One Hand Typing
Lisa Buie-Collard, Author

CassaStorm (Cassastar #3)

by Alex J. Cavanaugh (Goodreads Author)

A storm gathers across the galaxy…

Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, his only struggles are occasional rogue pirate raids and endless government bureaucracies. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, shaking Bassan to the core and threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could be on its way back. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

REVIEW: 
  
CassaStorm, the third book in Alex Cavanaugh's space opera series, is once again a winning story.

Set further into Bassa's life, readers experience his adult family life through the eyes of his son, Byron.

Tormented by racist taunts from Tgren and the Cassan's, Byron also finds himself caught up in a race to save all the worlds from anhiliation by the ancient alien probe.

The emotional mix of feelings of father and son relationships is found in this sci-fi tale which delves into the feelings of pride, love and expectations of off spring.

CassaStorm compliments the first two books by Alex J Cavanaugh, continuing the tale of his hero, Bassa. Cavanaugh has once again written an enjoyable story and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to any sci-fi fans looking for an entertaining read.

Cursed (The Devil's Roses #1)

by Tara Brown

Sometimes the scariest things in life aren’t the Vampires and the Werewolves. Since the dawn of time there have been things God doesn’t want to know about. Which is why he created the Devil's Roses.

There is a place between worlds where our souls take a moment, before they go to Heaven. It is a quiet place where everything feels as if it has paused.
It is here that Aimee James first meets him.
He is standing over her dead body.
He is more beautiful than anything she has ever seen.
Waking in the hospital after the first attempt is made on her life, Aimee discovers the missing pieces of her memory may have something to do with the one thing she does remember. A man.
Not just any man, but a beautiful man who has enchanted her from her dreams. No one else saw him or recalls him, but Aimee isn't convinced that he doesn't exist.
From the moment she wakes, she is thrust upon a journey that will contradict everything she holds true in the world and reveal secrets about her mother's untimely death.
In the end Aimee must choose between life and love, as death is forced upon her once again.

REVIEW: 

Aimee, the MC in Tara Brown's book the Cursed, wakes in the hospital and finds she has shared a date rape drug with her friend, who doesn't survive.

This intense story is complicated, mixing death, demons, immortals and life in between the two realms of Heaven and Earth.

I was caught up in this story, but am still undecided if the whole storyline revolves while Aimee is under the influence of the drug or whether the events that take place are meant to be real.

Whichever you decide, I am sure any reader will enjoy being swept into this intense, romantic paranormal fantasy. 

Coffee and Cockpits

by Jade Hart

  

“If I had to die, I wanted it to be doing something I loved, with a man who wanted to fly me to the moon.”

By day, Nina Poppins is a professional flight attendant, who lives to travel, and isn’t afraid to chase her dreams. By night, she’s an award winning salsa dancer who wears sexy corsets and garter belts. She wants to keep her two lives separate, but Liam Mikin knows her secrets.

Liam Mikin is a co-pilot used to getting any air-hostess he wants with one blazing look of his blue eyes. And he wants Nina. But Nina is adamant she won’t end up as another notch on a pilot’s wingtip.

However, fate intervenes when their airplane malfunctions on a routine flight to Samoa, stranding all the crew on the Pacific island. Liam has his opportunity to prove to Nina he’s not what she thinks, but he wasn’t counting on competition in the form of an engineer. Nikolai Rivers dances as well as Nina and is linked to Liam’s past. As Nikolai fights for Nina’s affections, Liam is forced to face what happened all those years ago.

Being island-wrecked in a five star hotel is anything but relaxing. Fraught with male egos, dancing, and secrets, both Nina and Liam aren’t ready for what fate has in store.

REVIEW: 

Nina Poppins has a secret she keeps from her new co-workers, she has her pilots license and is only working in her new profession as an air hostess to gather enough money to get her commercial pilot license. She has dreams of piloting a jumbo for a top airline.

During her hostess training course, she made friends with Joselyn and now they are part of a cabin crew together.

 Nina and Joslyn take their first flight and in their lives are turned upside down in a twist you would never guess.

Jade Hart has written an interesting novel about the life of an hostess with ambition and keeps her readers wondering all the way through.

As I write this review,  I am forcing myself not do divulge any spoilers, so before I do, I will just say that Coffee and Cockpits is a well written book which will engage, entertain and keep readers' guessing right up to the end.

Caged in Darkness (Caged #1)

by J.D. Stroube

A witch raised in a cage of darkness...

Savannah Cross was born into a life of isolation and abuse.
As a child, she witnessed her parents perform acts of malevolent evil, and now feels permanently tainted by their dark deeds.

When a coven discovers a tear stricken child,
wounded on their elders lawn, they offer her a sanctuary she has never known. Savannah spends the next several years shattered, continuously looking over her shoulder, waiting for the darkness to claim her.

On her 16th birthday,
Savannah’s life takes a drastic turn. She is consumed by overwhelming power that forever alters her emotionally and physically.

She must choose between two loves; the one who taught her to smile or the darkly seductive stranger who tempts her towards another path.

Savannah must decide between the coven that was her haven
and another one vying for her initiation. Just as Savannah begins to grasp what fate has in store for her, an evil looms over her loved ones; coming to claim an unbreakable debt.

How will she survive the greatest evil she has ever witnessed… long enough to have a choice to make.
 

REVIEW:

 This story by J.D. Stoube centers around a girl named Savannah, who lives with her foster parent, Maye and her foster brother, Ash.

When she delves into the lives of her dead parents, she finds that she comes from a powerful family of witches. Maye arranges for her to visit her parents abandoned home and during the visit Savannah finds a secure box, which she happens to open, releasing a powerful demonic force and this leads to the death of many of the towns people.

Secrets about the people of the town are learned by Savannah, who tries to battle the demon force she has unleashed.

Caged in Darkness is quite suitable for young adult readers who enjoy stories about witches, teenage romance and the battles between good and evil.

Crimson Night (Night #1)

by Marie Hall

Welcome to Carnivale Diabolique ― or what I affectionately like to call the circus of the damned.

My name is Pandora, and though my face might not seem familiar to you, you do know me. I'm a Nephilim. What does that mean? I'm half demon, what's my other name? Lust. I'm the dark craving that drives you mad, makes you want, makes you reckless and stupid. I'm the drug you'll do anything to get your hands on. But I'm not all bad. I fight for light, for goodness and truth. I love my job, killing vampires and werewolves, zombies, and freaks... it's what makes me happy.

But people are starting to disappear and lately I've felt a dark presence lurking around me. I think it might be a death priest, that's not good. There isn't much a demon like me fears, but I fear them. This should have been easy, me killing the fanged freaks, getting rid of my pesky priest problem, but I'm about to be betrayed by the one person I thought I could trust with my life and before the night is through I'll be covered in crimson...

REVIEW: 

I really enjoyed this fantasy by Marie Hall, it is the story of a group of carnies who are not what they seem.

Dora (Pandora), the MC is part demon as are the other carnies she resides with. All preying on the visitors to the carnival, taking the essence attracted to whichever demon they stem from, Lust, sex and venegence.

The supporting character, Luc controls them all, but they aren't all dark and dangerous, they have a mission for a higher power - to annihilate the vampires preying on the human population.

This very unusual story by Marie Hall is something very different and if you like paranormal fantasy, it has it all. Suitable for the mature reader, who likes a little sexual fantasy thrown in, this book has it all. 

Cornerstone (Souls of the Stones #1)

by Kelly Walker

Epic Fantasy combines with Young Adult romance in this stunning new adventure set in a richly developed medieval world.

When Emariya Warren learns enemy forces have captured her father, she'll do anything to save him. Anything. Even marry a mysterious prince she knows nothing about in order to rally the strength to arrange a rescue. During her journey to Torian's foreign castle, Emariya comes face to face with her mother's killers--and a deadly secret.

Not only does Emariya possess a powerful but unexpected magical gift passed down through each of her families, the prince she's promised to marry possesses a third, and an ominous prophecy has warned the three gifts must never be combined.

If she breaks her promise to marry Torian, she won't be able to save her father and if she keeps it, she may bring a curse upon everything she holds dear. Determining which choice is best won't be easy, but when she meets the gorgeous prince who may desire more than just her heart, she realizes she will have to fight just to have a choice at all.

Her heart wants him desperately. Her head begs her to run. If she doesn't want to share her mother's fate, she'll have to find a way to untangle the truth from the lies in time to save herself.

Discover the heartbreaking betrayals, fascinating magic and fated love of Cornerstone.

REVIEW:     

Although the image on the cover of this book looks very familiar, this story by Kelly Walker is quite unique.

Emariya, leaves her kingdom to travel across the desert, intent on marrying a prince she has never met, to save her father who she hasn't seen since her childhood when he ventured to visit an enemy kingdom.

With the kingdoms rallying together to fight a common enemy, Emariya believes this to be the only way to save her father and her kingdom, so with her brothers blessing, she ventures forth with her childhood friend, a stable boy who loves her and would do anything to protect her.

This story is full of twists in the plot which create an interesting story. The characters are strong and with the adventures the convoy face along their journey, readers will feel connected to Emariya, her passion to help not only her father, but the fate of her kingdom and her own life.

Crane (The Legends Saga #1)

by Stacey Rourke

 The Horseman is unending,

his presence shan’t lessen.
If you break the curse,
you become the legend.

Washington Irving and Rip Van Winkle had no choice but to cover up the deadly truth behind Ichabod Crane’s disappearance. Centuries later, a Crane returns to Sleepy Hollow awakening macabre secrets once believed to be buried deep.

What if the monster that spawned the legend lived within you?

Now, Ireland Crane, reeling from a break-up and seeking a fresh start, must rely on the newly awakened Rip Van Winkle to discover the key to channeling the darkness swirling within her. Bodies are piling high and Ireland is the only one that can save Sleepy Hollow by embracing her own damning curse.

But is anyone truly safe when the Horseman rides?

REVIEW: 

Being honest when I began reading Crane, by Stacey Rourke my thoughts were - Ah, just another Sleepy Hollow remake, but I persevered and continued reading and was pleasantly surprised.

This edition blends the historic tale with modern day life. Ireland Crane, the MC moves to the township from Manhatton after she splits from her ex-boyfriend/ fiance. She starts a new job at the local high school as a guidance councilor, which seems to me a little odd as her character is quite "out there" - she sports a short, red bob and has a liking for tattoos.

Mixed with the Headless Horseman, a character sent to help from the past, the spirit of Ichabod Crane and the townsfolk being beheaded, this story is quite intriguing and will capture any readers' interest.