Journey with Books

Apr 8, 2012

ARC Book Review: Parasouls: Divine Intervention by Michele Richard

Unknown April 08, 2012 0 Comments

Author: Michele Richard
Pages: 263
Date Published: April 3rd 2012
Publisher: Renaissance Romance Publishing
ISBN: 139781475064155
Language: English

Summary:

Born amongst the humans, yet not being one, the parasouls fight to remain hidden. Using the ancient tunnels and abandoned, buried basements as their homes parasouls live in the underbelly of society in their own world, they've created a world where they don’t need to pretend they’re normal. Their gifts remind them that they’re not. When you can produce electric blue flames from your fingertips, there’s no way to deny it. Damian McNamara built and rules the world they thrive in.

Angelique is the leader of a special team whose job it is to keep the “normals” from knowing of the parasouls’ existence. Her gift is also a curse, leaving her physically unable to touch another living soul without inflicting indescribable pain upon them.

The Parasoul Acquisition Control Taskforce hunts them for what they are.

Shane is the headhunter for the taskforce. Like Angelique, he’s never been able to touch anyone due to his gift of red and orange flames that singes the flesh of others.

The moment Shane and Angelique meet, the heavens open and connect their souls forever. So what happens when Shane finds himself trapped between the only thing he’s ever desired and his job? He has no choice but to deliver the one person who owns his soul over to his bosses, the government’s taskforce? Which side is the good, the bad, and the dictators?

They’re both in for a rude awakening.

Can love conquer all when you’re supposed to hate the one soul you cannot live without? How long can they fight the urge to give in to their connection? Can two parasouls on opposite sides find common ground and forge a future?

My Thoughts:

This isn't the first time I've read Michele Richard's work. As always, Ms. Michele Richard wrote a fiction that would definitely make the reader feel the intensity of the feelings of LOVE and she added something new to it, 2 warring groups of intense and interesting individuals with special powers!

I'm trying something new with this review. I'm going to make it as bullet list of what I liked and what I didn't.

What I liked:

The world that Ms. Michele Richard created in this book is quite interesting and I liked that. The mystery alone, makes the reader to want more.
The characters are fun to read. Angelique and Shane are both interesting. Their interactions are quite fun to read. The chemistry is there too.
The intimate moments between Angelique and Shane are quite bone melting inducing. I think Ms. Michele Richard is really good at writing intimate scenes without making it feel too much.
Angelique is a strong female character. Sometimes, I didn't understand her and she frustrates me but I think that's good because that makes her more interesting. She's not a passive character.
I liked the intensity of the emotions that these characters felt and gave out to the readers.

What I didn't liked:

The way the romance played out was kind of too fast for me. I understand that it's all part of the main plot that Angelique and Shane have this instant connection but I hoped that the author made it more in touch with the reality. I liked Angelique and Shane's chemistry and the romance part could have been a lot better if the author let the romance build up first before making them a couple.
Some of the interactions between the characters felt too forced. I think this is the result of how the romance was played out.
There are a lot of characters in it. I do think it was nice to have other characters inside the book other than the main couple but I think that there are too much characters in it that they confuse me. I think it would have been much better if those other characters are introduced in a way that a reader would remember them. I think if only they were introduced in a way that would make their own mark, they wouldn't confuse the reader.

Overall, I think Parasouls is still a nice book. If there's a second book which I'm sure there would be, I would be the first one to pick it up. Parasouls is a nice way to indulge your love for stories that shows great love between two people, despite the circumstance they were in, despite what they believe in and despite the how impossible the situation is.

More about the Author:

Michele Richard is the proud mother of 2 daughters. Married since 1997 to a wonderful husband, who for 25 years has been her best friend and supporter. Being an overly creative and caring person, she has been a volunteer co-leader for the Girl Scout Troop for five years. She takes great pride in teaching and guiding our future generations.

Her desire to continue her education drove her to attend night classes at Waltham High School. She refuse to just let life be. There is too much to learn than to stand by and watch it go by. Though she is not fluent yet in either, she has learned to speak French and Spanish in school. One day her dream is to be fluent in both.

”I supposed that makes me a lover of languages. Never stop learning is my motto.”

Travel is one of her great passions. Having seen the beaches of the Bahama’s, Aruba and Mexico to the deserts of Utah and Arizona, her personal favorite was bicycling down Mount Vail and standing on top of the Intercontinental Divide, followed closely by the Grand Canyon.

“America is truly a beautiful place to see. I recommend seeing as much of it as you can.”

I started writing with a flawed theory that a manuscript need to be complete and perfect before anyone would even want to read it, never mind publish it. the first thing I learned was it took a whole team of people to make a novel.

Most readers never appreciate the number of people that work on a single book for print. People I have a great amount of respect for.

That being said, I started my adventure by submitting three stories into a four genre contest. As it would have it, they wanted my Young Adult story. the pre-order for this novel began on Jan. 25, 2011.

Website: http://www.michele-richard.net

Twitter: M_A_Richard

Where to Buy:

Amazon Kindle

Paperback Edition

Apr 7, 2012

Book Trailer Feature: Redemption Series by R.K. Ryals

Unknown April 07, 2012 0 Comments

Hi my loves! How are you guys doing?! I'm here today to feature a book trailer. I haven't done this in a long time but I want to start doing this again! I think we should all try to appreciate the beauty of book trailers.

Anyways, I'm featuring

Redemption Series by R.K. Ryals.

The first two books, Redemption and Ransom, are out in the market now. It's available in Amazon. And the last book, Retribution will be out this coming May. I must say that this series is one of the best there is out there! I command you all to read it now because if you don't, you'll be sorry! This book is not something you can afford to miss! I will be posting a review of the first two books in the coming days, in time for its blog tour. You must watch out for it!

File Size: 543 KB
Paperback: 338 pages
Publisher: R.K. Ryals; 1 edition (September 26, 2011)
Publisher: CreateSpace (October 11, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B005Q22CEY
ISBN-10: 1466392509
ISBN-13: 978-1466392502
Kindle Buying Link: Redemption (Redemption Series)
Paperback Buying Link: Redemption

Book Blurb:

“The Time has come when He will come looking. She is ready. I have faith in her. She is her father’s daughter. She carries my blood. And I will never forgive myself for feeding her to the wolves.” ~Bezaliel from Redemption~

One Girl. . .

At sixteen, Dayton Blainey is a foul-mouthed, grief stricken shell of a girl forced to live with a religiously eccentric aunt following the death of her parents.

One Sacrifice . . .

Often upstaged by her moral older sister, Amber, Dayton is often flung into the shadows, forgotten. But age changes things.

No Hope . . .

As Dayton's seventeenth birthday approaches, her Wiccan best friend, Monroe, sees a vision outside Dayton's bedroom window that flings her into a world where right and wrong become dangerously twisted.

Redemption is the story of one young woman who must disentangle herself from a web of lies endangering her soul, and who discovers an attraction to a mysterious stranger that may just kill her.

File Size: 453 KB
Paperback: 276 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (March 8, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English

ISBN-10: 1475014074
ISBN-13: 978-1475014075

ASIN: B006X1FU9Q
Kindle Buying Link: Ransom (Redemption Series)
Paperback Buying Link:
Ransom: Redemption Series Book II (Volume 2)

Book Blurb:

Vengeance is the path of the Damned. It is not a path taken lightly. For a Naphil, it could mean ransoming his soul.
~Bezaliel~

Dayton Blainey is caught between two worlds: Heaven and Hell. Bound to a Demon she's beginning to care about, she is thrown into an adventure she may not survive.

But she will try.

Separated from her friends, she is forced to use powers she just discovered she had while surviving the wrath of a Demon queen.

She will be tested.

And in the search for a ring that may unbind her from Marcas Craig, Dayton will discover that the bond between an Angel and a Demon goes much deeper than blood.

She will endure.

About the Author:

Born in Jackson, Mississippi, R. K. Ryals is a scatterbrained mother of three whose passion is reading whatever she can get her hands on. She makes her home in Mississippi with her husband, three daughters, a Shitzsu named Tinkerbell, and a coffeepot she couldn't live without.

Visit her at her blog site at http://rkryals.blogspot.com/, or on her Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002962212970

Book one and two of the Redemption Series is now available on Amazon.

Retribution: Book III in the Redemption Series coming soon!

Book one in the Acropolis Series, The Acropolis now available for Kindle.

Where to Buy:

Paperback:

Amazon Kindle:

Apr 6, 2012

Relaunch Party: The Crescent by Jordan Deen Plus! A Signed Book And A KINDLE Giveaway!

Unknown April 06, 2012 3 Comments

Hi everyone! I'm back with the relaunching of The Crescent Series by Jordan Deen. This second edition of the first book of the series has been re-edited. The third installment of this series entitled Full Moon will come out later this year, so you better watch out for it.

The Crescent (The Crescent #1)

Reading level: Ages 13 and up
Paperback: 190 pages
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982582366
ISBN-13: 978-0982582367

Book Blurb:

Becoming a werewolf is not an option for seventeen-year-old Lacey Quinn, but death can be a strong motivator.

Lacey is so focused on her future that everyday life has passed her by. Counting down the days to her eighteenth birthday, Lacey is almost home free. But when she falls for the mysterious Alex Morris, she lands in the middle of an ancient war between two enemy wolf packs. Tempting dreams, tantalizing lies and a dangerous love triangle ensues leaving Lacey heartbroken and confused.

Lacey's fate rests in the hands of Alex and Brandon, but both are pulling her strings for their own agendas. Even as she slips further into the dark world of werewolves, Lacey struggles to find the truth and save the only family she's ever known.

Half Moon (The Crescent #2)

Paperback: 220 pages
Publisher: Black Rose Writing (January 13, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1935605828
ISBN-13: 978-1935605829

Book Blurb:
I'd been a fool for coming here with them, and now... no one would come to save me. The world that hid in the shadows of humanity was full of enemies.
Faced with death, Lacey Quinn ran away from the only family she'd ever known. That... was just the beginning.

As the decision she's made sinks in, Lacey struggles to fit in with the pack and find the key to bonding with her werewolf soul mate, Brandon. But, lies can only be concealed for so long. Adjusting to a powerful new best friend, a twelve-year-old roommate with a nauseating Barbie fetish, and a lost love that won't stop haunting her dreams, she knows she has no hope of having a normal future-ever again.

After a long talk with the dead mother she never knew, and an almost deal-breaking night out with Brandon, Lacey starts spiraling into the underworld-a place where all things are possible and everyone is out to kill her. With mysterious legends of witches and sorcery marring her past and clouding her future, she quickly learns-werewolves aren't the only ones lurking in the woods...waiting to claim her powers for their own.

The Mares? Well, they are the least of her worries.

Excerpt #5:

From The Crescent

The war raging in my living room wasn’t about religious freedoms or Constitutional Rights; it wasn’t even about lying or cheating. No, it’s midnight and the topic for tonight was who used their ATM card at the gas station. Yeah. That’s right. People are dying of AIDS, kids are being abused and abandoned, but my parents find it necessary to fight over $25.42. Oh, I forgot the $.50 processing fee for using debit instead of credit. So technically, the argument boiled down to $25.92 (including tax, of course). But if you asked my father, it’s about the principle.

And For The GIVEAWAY:

Just complete the tasks on the rafflecopter to win a signed book of The Crescent by Jordan Deen. It's a FREE ENTRY by the way!

Grand Prize: The author, Jordan Deen, will be posting an excerpt each day of the tour and offering a KINDLE at the end of the week. Each day, people can visit her blog, read a new excerpt from the books, and enter to win the Kindle. This is for US/Canada residents only. http://www.jordandeen.net/apps/blog/

Book Launch Party: Frost by Kate Avery Ellison Plus a Character Interview with Gabe!

Unknown April 03, 2012 0 Comments

Hi my loves! I brought you guys a PARTY! Let's all celebrate the book launching of Frost by Kate Avery Ellison! So let's see what Frost has to offer us. Plus! There's a bonus character interview with the very hot Gabe!

Paperback: 194 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (April 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1475005873
ISBN-13: 978-1475005875

Book Blurb:

In the icy, monster-plagued world of the Frost, one wrong move and a person might end up dead—and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone. After monsters kill her parents, she must keep the family farm running despite the freezing weather and threat of monster attacks, or risk losing her siblings to reassignment by the village Elders. With dangers on all sides and treachery just one wrong step away, she can’t afford to let her emotions lead her astray. So when her sister finds a fugitive bleeding to death in the forest, a young man from beyond the Frost named Gabe, Lia surprises herself and does the unthinkable.

She saves his life.

Giving shelter to the fugitive could get her in serious trouble. The Elders have always described the advanced society of people beyond the Frost, the “Farthers,” as ruthless and cruel, and her village has nothing to do with them. But Lia is startled to find that Gabe is empathetic and intelligent…and handsome. She might even be falling in love with him.

But time is running out. The monsters from the forest circle her farm at night. The village leader is starting to ask questions. Farther soldiers are searching for Gabe. Lia must locate a secret organization called the Thorns to help Gabe escape to safety, but each move she makes puts her in greater danger. Is compassion—and love—worth the risk?

Jeremy Sumpter as Gabe

Interview with Gabe:

(include pic of Gabe, cover, book description)

1. What was your first thought when you saw Lia?

Confusion. I was half-dead with cold and pain, and her face was blurry. I remember her voice. I remember the way she was so strong and calm, as if she wasn’t afraid.

2. What do you think is the most untrue thing said about the Farthers?

That we are all bad. The soldiers are cruel, yes, but my people are oppressed by them too. We aren’t monsters. We’re people, too.

3. If you could change one thing what would it be?

I would not be a fugitive running for my life.

4. If you could have one wish come true, what would you wish?

That I could be with my family again and know they are safe.

5. What is something people don’t know about you that they might be surprised to know?

I’m not a violent person, despite what the people in the Frost seem to think about all Farthers. I’ve never hurt anyone in my life before.

About the Author:

Kate Avery Ellison loves long walks, late night phone calls, and reading while it rains. She thinks ice cream cake is the perfect combination and she has a love/hate relationship with the sultry climate of her hometown, Atlanta. FROST, her third book, is a YA fantasy/dystopian tale of love, sacrifice, and suspense.

LINKS:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Katiewriting
Blog: http://thesouthernscrawl.blogspot.com/
Goodreads profile: http://goodreads.com/Kate_Avery_Ellison

Where to Buy:

Amazon Kindle

Paperback Edition:

Apr 1, 2012

Book Excerpt: Coveted by Shawntelle Madison Out on 4/24/2012

Unknown April 01, 2012 0 Comments

Author Shawntelle Madison has penned one of the most innovative books to date – well written with a first person heroine that will keep you smiling for days – witty, clever and great fun – COVETED is a book you’ll want to read over and over again, here’s what people are saying:

“A smart, sexy, rip-roaring good time.”—New York Times bestselling author Angie Fox

“I’m obsessed with Shawntelle Madison’s fantastic urban fantasy debut, featuring hoarding werewolves, magic, and mayhem! More, please!”—Michelle Rowen, bestselling author of That Old Black Magic

SOMETIMES WHAT YOU COVET IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP.

For werewolf Natalya Stravinsky, the supernatural is nothing extraordinary. What does seem strange is that she’s stuck in her hometown of South Toms River, New Jersey, the outcast of her pack, selling antiques to finicky magical creatures. Restless and recovering from her split with gorgeous ex-boyfriend, Thorn, Nat finds comfort in an unusual place: her obsessively collected stash of holiday trinkets. But complications pile up faster than her ornaments when Thorn returns home—and the two discover that the spark between them remains intense.

Coveted by Shawntelle Madison (Excerpt)

Pre-Order Your Own Copy Now!

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coveted-shawntelle-madison/1104641073?ean=9780345529183&itm=3&usri=coveted

About the Author:

Shawntelle Madison is a Web developer who loves to weave words as well as code. She’d never admit it, but if asked she’d say she covets and collects source code. After losing her first summer job detassling corn, Madison performed various jobs—from fast-food clerk to grunt programmer to university Webmaster. Writing eccentric characters is her most favorite job of them all. On any particular day when she’s not surgically attached to her computer, she can be found watching cheesy horror movies or the latest action-packed anime. She lives in Missouri with her husband and children.

Mar 29, 2012

Cover Reveal: Defy (Firstborn Book 1) by Raine Thomas

Unknown March 29, 2012 0 Comments

Hi guys! I'm here to present to you the new cover for Raine Thomas' new book entitled Defy. It's the first installment in Firstborn Trilogy! I think it's looking good right?! I've always believed that a beautiful cover is a big factor in picking out books to read! And here it is now!

Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Tate is about to make her parents’ dreams come true. Unfortunately for her, their dreams foretell her death.

Eager to explore more of the Estilorian plane and prove her abilities, Tate goes against her parents’ wishes and leaves the area of protection surrounding her home. Her choice puts her on a deadly path…one that leaves her alone, severely injured and battling for her life.
Her possible savior arrives in the form of Zachariah, a male who has removed himself from Estilorian society for more than fifty years. Fighting an unexpected connection to Tate, he must decide whether saving her life is worth destroying his.

As Tate struggles to find a way home, she ends up drawn into a dark Mercesti plot involving multiple murders and a powerful ancient artifact. With the unpredictable Zachariah as her only source for aid, she’ll soon find out if her abilities are strong enough to help her defy her Fate.

So what do you guys think? Is the cover good enough? Are you excited to read this book?

Let me know what your thoughts are. Just hit the comment section!

Mar 28, 2012

Book Review: A Strange Fire (A Florence Vaine Novel) by L.H Cosway

Unknown March 28, 2012 2 Comments

Author: L.H Cosway

File Size: 622 KB
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B007K81D6U
Buying Link: A Strange Fire (A Florence Vaine Novel)

Book Blurb:

Flo has always had problems. Her stammer prevents her speech and her dad’s abuse makes her life a living hell. Not to mention she sees colours other people don’t.

When her dad decides to ship her off to live with her grandma in the sleepy town of Chesterport, Flo thinks that this is her chance for a better life. But on her very first day at her new school she is ridiculed and laughed at for having a stammer. One student sticks up for her and his name is Frank.

Frank’s body is surrounded by an aura of fire, but Flo is the only one who can see it. He lives in a foster home for troubled teenagers. Flo is drawn to him because he’s different and so is she.

Things are about to get scary, because Chesterport is not your ordinary suburban town. It’s infested by a coven of dark witches who prey on the young and the elderly. Soon Flo discovers that she’s next on their list of victims, and finds herself fighting a battle she never would have imagined possible.

My Thoughts:

This is the first work of L.H Cosway I've ever read and I must say that I am completely blown away by the awesomeness of it.

Florence Vaine, a girl who has been through so much. Florence is broken girl who was starved of love and affection by her father. She grew up with an unstable father who continually abused her emotionally and physically. She thought she would be forever trapped in that situation.

She was shocked when her father decided to let her live with her grandmother in a little town called Chesterport and for the first time in her life she hoped for a normal and happy life but she was dead wrong.

Normal and happy was shot down the drain when she went to her first day of school. Ever since she could remember, Florence has a gift or a curse (she haven't really decided which is which) of seeing the auras of people. She could read the feelings and personality of a person through their auras. She had always been the strange girl who stammers, the girl who always stares up at the air and that didn't change when she moved to a new town. And so, first day in a new high school was a nightmare but one guy, a very good looking guy who has a very strange aura of fire, a kind of aura she had never seen before, stood up for her.

Chesterport might be a small town and you'd think that because it's small, it's peaceful but there are strange and dangerous creatures living in there and sadly, Florence thinks those strange and dangerous creatures are after her.

Reading this book was really amazing. It was different from other books I've read. L.H. Cosway has a way of writing words that could captivate the reader's full attention. She takes the reader inside the book and make her feel the things that her characters feel.

A reader would really read and devour every word from the very start in the Prologue to the very last chapter of the book. I could say that this book was written well. It started out really strong and maintained it to the very last word.

The characters of this book are really interesting to read. They are fascinating to get to know. Florence is a broken girl who has been through so much. She's very delicate and yet very strong. LH Cosway made her very real to me and that is good. Even though, she's broken and carrying all these emotional baggage the author, made her even more real to me because she showed that Flo is still a young teenager who feels these normal teenage feelings like first crush and young love.

Frank is simply an awesome character. He's perfect for Florence. He's strong and very manly and yet very sweet and protective of Florence. And he's very mysterious! One of the reasons this book is perfectly done is because of how the author held out the mystery of what Frank really is.

The romance between Florence and Frank is quite endearing to read. It was gradual and not rushed. It's not instant and unnatural which makes me root for them more.

The pacing of this book is simply perfect. LH Cosway has the knack of creating this suspense that makes the reader read the book despite how late it is. She has this way of imprisoning the reader into the world she has created. The suspense alone kept me reading further and further until I get to the very last word.

The book wasn't solely built in the Paranormal and Romance stuff that is normally found in the other books. It has this creepiness and suspense that would make your skin crawl and make you feel scared and I think it really blended well with the normal Paranormal Romance stuff. I can honestly say that this book is one of my best reads this year and I cannot wait to read more from a very talented author!

More About the Author:

L.H Cosway is a self-employed writer, editor and proofreader. She has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.

Where to Buy: