Monday, 13 April 2015

"H" 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

Heavenly (Heavenly #1)

by Jennifer Laurens

I met someone who changed everything. Matthias. My autistic sister's guardian angel. Honest. Inspiring. Funny. Hot. And immortal. That was the problem. What could I do? I did what any other girl would do-I fell in love with him.

Zoe's sister darts in front of cars. Her brother's a pothead. Her parents are so overwhelmed; they don't see Zoe lost in her broken life. Zoe escapes the only way she knows how: partying. Matthias, a guardian sent from Heaven, watches over Zoe's autistic sister. After Zoe is convinced he's legit, angel and lost girl come together in a love that changes destiny. But Heaven on Earth can't last forever.

REVIEW:

Zoe, is on a path leading to parties, pot and boys, when her little sibling's Guardian Angel crosses the line and decides to help her back from her destructive path.

Matthias and Zoe find love and together battle a force inflicting the youth of the town Zoe lives in.

This sweet tale is full of morals, teaching teenagers right from wrong and the reasons why their actions need to be addressed.

"G" A - Z CHALLENGE

A to Z Team [2015]

The Grower's Gift (Progeny of Time #1)

by Vanna Smythe

The future is bleak in the year 2102. The planet is in chaos and the weather patterns have completely shifted, turning most of the world into an uninhabited wasteland.

The rich and powerful of North America have pulled back into the six remaining megacities, erasing all trace of a central government and leaving millions displaced by the environmental crisis to fend for themselves in the dying world.

Sixteen-year-old Maya has a gift, a power she thinks can heal the earth and make it habitable again. A gift that she must learn to harness. The school for the gifted in Neo York is the only place where she can learn to control her power and reach her potential.

Yet the school is not what it seems. Ran by the ruthless head of the city of Neo York, the school’s only objective is to extract the powers of the gifted and then discard them. Only Ty, heir to the city, can keep Maya from being destroyed there.

But Ty has a secret, and his loyalty to his family has never wavered.

Will his growing love for Maya be strong enough to save them both?

REVIEW:

Ty Remarque is the heir to Neo York, a new fabricated version of New York, which is part of 'The Circle of Cities' now the surviving controlling power of Earth since nature destroyed the planet.

Maya lives in the Badlands, the destroyed land outside the cities where survival is a daily struggle. She possesses a gift, the power to make plants grow to full size in minutes, but is unable to fully harness her power. She believes the answer to learn her skill can be found in a school inside Neo York.

When these two join together they feel a strong connection and Ty helps to bring Maya into the secure city to protect her, but his plans are soon derailed by those around him.

This Young Adult story by Vanna Smythe is an engaging story, well written and a unique read. I am sure the world Maya and Ty live in will fascinate many readers.

Games of Fate (Fate ~ Fire ~ Shifter ~ Dragon #1)

by Kris Austen Radcliffe

Rysa Torres stumbles through life an overwhelmed young woman fighting against her Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. She can’t get a handle on the world, no matter how she tries.

But when monsters activate a part of her she didn’t know she had, Rysa becomes the Fate at the center of an epic battle against a terrifying future—and a world consumed by fire.

When Ladon and his companion beast, Dragon, find Rysa, they see only the potential hell a young Fate might unleash into their lives. But Ladon quickly realizes Rysa is much more than the daughter of an old enemy—she is his key to forgiveness.

With the threat of a burning future distorting Rysa’s Fate abilities, she sees only two options: End her own life, or watch Ladon, the only man to see beyond her attention issues and love her for who she is, die. Will they accept the only future they see, or will they find the strength to break the bonds of fate?

REVIEW:

This amazing story by Kris Radcliffe kept me enthralled from beginning to end. A very unique tale of dragons, shifters, and fates will keep readers engaged.

Radcliffe has unique style of writing which compliments the story of Rysa Torres, a 20 something woman who knows nothing of this supernatural world when she activates as the Prime Ambustae, a Fate who has all three abilities to see the - Past, Present and Future.

Unfortunately, she is captured by 'Burners' who infect her abilities to control her gifts and creates a pathway of death and destruction by fire.

Landor, human to Dragon, saves her from the Burners and all three find themselves on a course of love and hate to control Fate.

"F" A - Z CHALLENGE

A to Z Team [2015]

The First Pillar (Everville #1)

by Roy Huff

Owen Sage is the emblematic college freshman at Easton Falls University. With all the worries about his first year in college, he was not prepared for what would happen next. His way of life was flipped upside down when he mysteriously crossed into another dimension, into the beautiful land of Everville. His excitement was abruptly halted when he discovered that there was a darkness forged against both the natural world, which he knew well, and the new land which he discovered, Everville. He must devise a plan to save both worlds while joining forces with the race of Fron and The Keepers, whom both harbor hidden secrets he must learn in order to gain power over the evil that dwells in The Other In Between. With a race against time to save both worlds, his short time at Easton Falls did not quite prepare him for the evil, dark forces he must fight in order to conquer The Other In Between.

REVIEW:

Owen Sage is transported to a place called Everville, which is neither here or there, when he has an accident and hits his head.

When he regains consciousness, he is left with feelings that what took place in his blackout did actually happen and begins a journey of discovery supported by his two friends Anika and Dante.

At the beginning of this story, I was confused and did not understand what was going on, but I persevered and continued reading. To my surprise I became caught up in the fantasy of Owen Sage's struggle to save Everville and the mythical creatures who lived in the dimension.

Roy Huff has written a clever story, where his main character and his two friends are caught between reality and fantasy as they struggle not only to save Everville, but our own world.

Few Are Angels (Few Are Angels #1)

by Inger Iversen

This is an alternate-cover edition for ASIN B0086Z2KT0.

After a fatal hit and run accident, Ella Monroe fears that she’s lost more than her beloved parents. Horrifying visions of a past life and a disturbing voice in her head have psychiatric professionals convinced that she’s lost her sanity as well. But when Kale—a dark and handsome stranger with a mysterious pastreveals the true meaning of her visions and the tremendous power she wields through them, Ella must come to terms with the devastating truths of her own past, while eluding an ancient Dark Prince who seeks to control not only her future, but all of mankind’s, by means of abilities that Ella is only beginning to understand.

Enter the shrouded world of an age old battle between an ancient race known as the Immortals and their bitter enemy Laurent, the so-called Dark Prince, who commands an army of half-breed vampires known as Chorý. Both sides have been desperately searching for the prophesied emergence of the Arc, a clairvoyant with unparalleled power to recall the past and a soothsayer with clear vision into the future.

The Council of Immortals has sworn to protect the Arc, whom they have identified as young Ella Monroe, a college freshman from Virginia living quietly and unaware of her powers or her past. But a renegade Chorý has other plans for the protection of a girl he has loved through the ages. Can Kale convince Ella of who she is, what she is destined to become, and what he once meant to her? Is he truly the best protector to shield the world from the devastating misuse of her powers that Laurent is bent on controlling? Or will the forbidden love they share and Kale’s cursed condition as a retched and hated Chorý be used against them both?

This paranormal romance told from the heroine’s perspective builds in intensity and intrigue to a finale you won’t see coming. Heart pounding action mixed with heartwarming friendships and heartbreaking romance will leave you breathless and begging for more.

REVIEW:

Eloise, shorened to Ella is an 'Arc' she lives each of her lives being hunted for her visions by a dark force named Laurant, the Dark Prince. With flashes of her past lives and strange happens going on around her, Ella feels a connection to a stranger she finds hidding in her barn, named Kale.

This book is well written and the story is truly interesting as it unravels the questions Ella finds herself asking of the visions she experiences. Not knowing who to trust and what is real, the battle to save Ella from Laurant is taken up by not only Kale, but also her Guardian, Jace, a member of the Council of Immortals.

Few are Angels by Inger Inverseen is a very entertaining read and suitable for Young Adult readers who love reading stories of the battle between good and evil.

Forgotten In Darkness (Scimitar Magi #2)

by Zoe Forward

After an unjustified two-century stint in purgatory, Scimitar Magus Dakar returns to the human realm, renewing his eons-old curse. Either he or the woman he loves must murder the other within days of meeting in each new lifetime. To break the vicious cycle, he must kill her before she strikes her deathblow, something he's never done in the past.

Archaeology grad student Shay McGinnis suffers a near-death attack in pursuit of a piece of Scimitar Magi lore. But did the magnificent warrior who pinned her to the wall injure her or the daemon he fought? In her search for answers, she draws the attention of both an ancient evil sorcerer and the warrior Dakar. The attraction between her and Dakar is instant, and for Shay confusing. She wants to be with him, but intuition equates him with death. Not random death. Hers.

Will this be the lifetime they break the curse before they are murdered by an age-old enemy or worse kill each other yet again?

REVIEW:

Egyptology, mugus' and daemons live in modern times, among the human population.

When Dakar finds himself torn from the past into a modern day existence after saving Shay (Shaiani), from a daemon he believes her to be his sole mate.

He connects with the other Scimitars a group of Egyptian imortals protecting mankind from the foces of evil.

Forgotten in Darkness is an action packed tale full of Egyptian mythology existing in modern society. Included with the fighting there is love, friendship and plenty of humour as the Scimitars find their sole mates and battle the Egyptian mythological force now causing havoc on the Earth.

Freak of Nature (IFICS #1)

by Julia Crane

Donate Body to Science. Check.

When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she was.

Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome, brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and computer worlds.

REVIEW:

Kaitlyn is half human, half machine and resides in a complex run by IFICS. She is unable to recall any memories of her past existence before her accident, but sometimes she has flashes of her past.

Lucas, the young genius who created the technology used on Kaitlyn finds he is infatuated with her.

When the IFICS admisistrator decides to sell her to the highest bidder, Kaitlyn has other plans.

This story is quite different expressing the importance of the human qualities in life - Friendship, Love, Trust and Freedom and is suited to an New Adult Audience. The love affair between Kaitlyn and Lucas is written in good taste and although may upset some peoples scruples, I was not offended.

"E" 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

Evie's Knight

(The Knight #1)

by Kimberly Krey

A steamy, yet clean Romance Novel.

When Evie falls in love with Calvin Knight, their young, virtuous romance conjures a truly wicked spell.

Evie always thought her eighteenth year would be magical, but so far it's not what she hoped for. Her best friend has gone wild, her love life is void, and she misses her mom more than ever. But life for Evie is about to change. Calvin Knight, the object of her fascination, is about to fall madly in love with her. Just one problem: Their love conjures a murderous woman from beyond the grave who wants Evie dead. The same demon who has haunted the Knight men for over four generations. Soon Calvin is forced to make a choice: Set Evie free and hope to evade the wrath of The Raven- haired Ghost, or use his newly gifted strengths to fight against her. If he chooses to fight and wins, Calvin will free the Knight men of this demonic witch. If he loses, Evie will become her next victim.

REVEIW:

Kimberley Krey's novel, Evie's Knight was a really enjoyable read. Evie, the MC is a teenage girl, who falls in love with Calvin Knight. I found Evie a kind but strong character and myself engaging with her dramas throughout the story as she moves through the dramas of a teenage relationship.

Teamed with the emotional turmoil of the the romance between Evie and Calvin, is the underlying story of paranormal mystery.

Full of secrets which aren't disclosed until the end of the story, I am sure readers will enjoy becoming involved with Evie and her emotional turmoil, while discovering the darkness attached to Calvin's family.

Escapement (The Neumarian Chronicles #1)

by Ciara Knight

Ten years after the great war of 2185 the queen’s reign is threatened by uprisings and fear. In celebration of my sixteenth birthday it is my duty as princess to sacrifice a slave to be initiated into the ruling council, solidifying my mother’s empire. When my own erratic powers surface I’m captured and tried for treason. Slaves hate me, my mother wants me executed, and my only chance of survival rests in the hands of a young man, Ryder Arteres, whose sister I sentenced to death.

REVIEW:

This futuristic Steam Punk novel by Ciara Knight is a great read, full of interesting characters and action, airships and heros.

Princess Semara is mistreated by her evil mother, whipped and given more implants than she needs. Her mother, the queen rules the barren land and mistreats the people she rules just as badly. The Neumarian's fight the "Slags" for their freedom.

Ciara Knight has written a wonderfully colourful book, where readers will be swept into Semara's fight to survive and keep the Neumarian's she is found by, safe. Particularly one from legend named Ryder, whose sister she had put to death.

The Encounter (Boreal and John Grey #1)

by Chrystalla Thoma

Episode One in the serial "Boreal and John Grey".

Centuries ago, they tried to invade us and failed. Now the elves are back.

Paranormal Bureau Agent Ella Jones knows her job: fight the Shades living between worlds and keep everyone safe. But then her partner goes missing, a mysterious guy saves her life, and increasingly dangerous creatures slip into her city. After centuries of peace, the gates beyond the Veil are opening and an old enemy is returning: the elves.

Ella needs to find her partner, uncover the identity of her savior, and find a way to stop the elves from invading again. With the world going to hell, what's a girl to do but grab her guns and knives and figure it all out, one way or another.

REVIEW:

Ella, the MC in The Encounter, by Chrystalla Thoma, works for the Paranormal Bureau, which controls the veil protecting Earth from "The Shades" and other paranormal creatures on the side of evil.

Chrystalla Thoma is a talented writer and this short story is no exception to the other books I have read written by her. The Encounter is a very different approach to the paranormal and is a refreshing change to the norm.

Readers will be entranced by this fascinating world Thoma has created for Ella.

Saturday, 4 April 2015

"D" A - Z CHALLENGE

A to Z Team [2015]

1303 - The Dragonslayer (The 13th Floor series #3)

by Christine Rains

On the rooftop of neighboring building, dragonslayer Xanthus Ehrensvard fires at his target, Governor Whittaker. How he missed the shot, he doesn't know, but fleeing the scene, he picks up an unwanted passenger. Gorgeous reporter Lois King saw Xan's face, and she believes it's the story to make her career. Except he can't let her walk away knowing what he looks like. Xan has to show her the Governor is a bigger threat to the world than he is.

Xan knows dragons never went extinct. They evolved with human society, taking on mortal forms, and slithered their way into positions of great influence and power, just like the Governor. But it's no easy chore proving to someone that dragons still exist, and even more so, they're disguised as famous people. Xan must convince Lois or find another way to silence her. An option, as he gets to know her, he likes less and less.

After all, dragonslayers are no longer celebrated heroes but outlaws. Just as the dragons wish it. But this outlaw must make a plan to slay the dragon or risk its retribution.

REVIEW:

Xan, is a Dragonslayer and Lois a reporter. When the two find themselves caught together after Xan annihilates a group of dragonkin, ge finds a need to protect her and takes her back to Carmine, where her resides on the 13th Floor.

The dragon Xan need to slay is the governor and once Lois believes dragons exist and the governor is one, she will stop at nothing to help him in his task.

Christine Rains has written another capturing tale with the Dragonslayer, in her 13th Floor series and anyone who enjoys the paranormal world with all its various creatures, (good and evil) will enjoy this book and the others which support the complete story in the series, 13th Floor.

Distraction

by J.L. Campbell

Three Jamaican women walk a tightrope of decisions when their lives are derailed by blackmail, deceit and infidelity.

JUSTINE CHARLES, sensible and self-contained, battles an addiction which could destroy her marriage, reputation, and relationship with her daughter.

DIONNE JONES, an aggressive go-getter, takes risks that cut a trail of devastation through her family and business.

KYRA MILLS, struggling single mother, is crippled by debt, bad judgment and destructive choices.

Can two of the long-time friends survive startling revelations involving their partners? And will the other push her obsession to the point of danger?

REVIEW:

Distraction by J.L. Campbell is a complicated story about the lives of three women, Justine Charles, Dianne Jones and Kyra Mills.

The three friends live dangerous lives, mixing their family life with a second secret existence of passion, decept and destruction.

Distraction is a look into how these three women cope with their guilt and passions in their day to day lives and I am sure this book by J.L. Campbell would appeal to many readers.

Dead Radiance (Valkyrie #1)

by T.G. Ayer

Bryn Halbrook had always seen the glow. But it is only when her best friend dies that she discovers the meaning of those beautiful golden auras — Death. Alone, lost in the foster system, she struggles to understand who she is and why she was cursed with the ability to see the soon-to-be-dead.

The new foster kid, Aidan, isn’t helping any. Mr. Perfect seems to fit in no matter what, making her feel even more pathetic. But when his affections turn to her, Bryn finds him hard to resist. Impossible actually. A mystery himself, Aidan disappears, leaving behind a broken heart and a mysterious book that suggests Bryn might not be entirely human.

Bryn stands at the threshold of a journey of discovery. Will destiny help her find herself, find her purpose and her place in a world in which she’d never belonged?

REVIEW:

Bryn Halbrook lives with her foster mother, Mrs Custer, who also fosters two other younger children. Bryn lost both her parents when when turned 13 and is now the sole heir to a fortune, which she will inherit when she comes of age.

Aiden Lee, a Ducati riding hunk joins the household as another displaced kid and Bryn is drawn to him.

Bryn herself has secrets, she hasn't eaten or drank anything for weeks and hides this from the caring Mrs Custer, but other things seem to be happening to her also. She dreams of strange faces, bronze armour and sword fighting and finds she can forsee the death of those around her.

This YA by T.G. Ayer is written well and is an enjoyable read, bringing to life the possibility of the Valkyrie, Odin, Freya, Locki and the other gods into the world of modern day.

Demons at Deadnight

(Divinicus Nex Chronicles #1)

by A&E Kirk

For seventeen-year-old Aurora Lahey, survival is a lifestyle.

DEMONIC DESTINY
Aurora has the crappiest superpower on the planet. And it's just unleashed a hit squad from hell. Demons are on the hunt, salivating to carve her carcass into confetti.

CHARISMATIC KILLERS
The Hex Boys--mysterious, hunky, and notorious for their trails of destruction--have the answers Aurora needs to survive. But their overload of deadly secrets and suspicious motives makes trusting them a potentially fatal move.

LETHAL ALLIES
The battle to save her family, herself, and stop demonic domination may cost Aurora everything worth living for, and force her to reveal her own dark secrets. But no worries. She needs the Hex Boys to pull this off, and, chances are, teaming up with these guys will get her killed anyway.

REVIEW:

Believing the country will be safer, Aurora and her family move back to their old home to escape an "incident" which happened to Aurora when they lived in the city. Aurora is a little different to most girls, she fights demons.

She meets seven hunky guys who live close by. They have forgotten that she already knows them form her childhood when the eight of them were inseparable.

When Aurora and her siblings start at the local school - hell breaks loose and Aurora finds the seven boys are also able to see demons and posses their own magic to fight them.

Written in a humorous style, this book by A. & E. Kirk is an entertaining, light read, mixing kick arse fighting, teenage romance and magic. It is fast paced and action packed with a bit of a twist thrown in to capture the readers interest.

Dark Realms

by Kristen Middleton

Six stories of paranormal fantasy and horror written by bestselling author - Kristen Middleton

Vampires, witches, and zombies - all under one cover!
Wicked
Blur
Enchanted Secrets
Zombie Games (Origins)
The Coin Collector
Venom

Warning - Adult language and situations - recommended for ages sixteen and above.

Wicked (A Night Roamers Short)

When eighteen-year-old Emily wakes up to find herself being held captive in a barn with four other women and tries to escape, she finds herself being hunted by a dark presence through the deep woods of Montana.

Blur (Book One of Night Roamers)

Danger lurks in the dead of night...
Seventeen year old Nikki and her twin brother, Nathan, move to the small town of Shore Lake to start over after their mother is brutally attacked. When a missing teenager washes up on shore during their first night at the cabin and there are whispers of vampires in Shore Lake, Nikki begins to realize that there are things roaming in the darkness that are far more sinister than what they left behind in the city

Enchanted Secrets (Book One of Witches Of Bayport)

Magic, murder, and mayhem...
Eighteen-year-old Kendra learns that her mother has been keeping secrets, the biggest being that she and her twin sister, Kala, are descendants of a long line of witches. Unfortunately, where magic reigns, so does danger and she is forced into an adventure that leaves her racing against the clock to stop an evil curse.

The Coin Collector (Stand-alone Short)

In their small Iowa town, children start to go missing on their tenth birthday. The hot Irish girl across the street claims her creepy father, Mr. O'Darby, is a leprechaun who collects more than just gold coins, and 17-year-old Trent begins to fear for the safety of his brother, Ben, whose tenth birthday grows near.

Zombie Games (Origins) Book One

Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Wild thought that living in the chaos of her mother's home daycare and dealing with new feelings for Bryce, her martial arts instructor, was a struggle until her world turned upside down. When an untested vaccine kills more than just a rampant flu virus, Cassie learns how to survive in a world where the dead walk and the living... run!

Venom – (Derived from Night Roamers)

When Melody Williams goes missing at a concert, at Club Nightshade, her eighteen-year-old cousin, Chelsey Fairfax, sneaks into the club to find answers. Little does she know that some mysteries are better left hidden.

Meanwhile, Venom is in town, a hot new band from Europe, and the owner of Club Nightshade wants them there permanently...
REVIEW:

Dark Realms by Kristen Middleton is a collection of six short stories, a mix of paranormal fantasy and horror.

Included in this collection are the titles - Wicked, Blur, Enchanted, Secrets, The Coin Collector, Zombie Games and Venom.

I must say each held me fascinated and wanting more. This collection is a mix of tales about Immortals, Zombies, Witches and Vampires. This dark collection of stories have an adult audience in mind and I found myself drawn into each story.

Friday, 3 April 2015

"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.