Review : Bloodfever

 

Bloodfever

Karen Marie Morning

Dell Mass Market Edition

Sept. 2008

 

In her fight to stay alive, MacKayla must find the Sinsar Dubh—a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over the worlds of both the Fae and Man. Pursued by assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she can’t trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and powerful men: V’lane, the immortal Fae Prince, and Jericho Barrons, a man as irresistible as he is dangerous.

For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them.

 

 

My Review: This book picks up where the first leaves off. It is also as good as the first book.Mac is a great character and gets better with each book. Discovering new secrets about her sister and herself makes her develop into a stronger person and we are along for the ride. Mac also learns more about Barrons and I love his character too. So mysterious and hauntingly dark. One minute you want Mac to slap him the next you want her to kiss him. She has found out who killed her sister now she wants revenge.Along the way she meets people who seem to want to help her learn the truth about herself, but who should she trust and what do they want from her in return. This book is so full of twist and turns I feel like I am on a roller coaster and I love that. I will continue to read the series until the end.

 

 



Review: Black For Remembrance

 

Black For Remembrance

Carlene Thompson

St. Martin's Paperback

Pub Date 12/15/2002

 

Goodreads Synopsis:Caroline Webb knows what it means to lose the person you love most. Twenty years ago, her five-year-old daughter, Hayley, was the light of her life, her treasure, her angle. Then came the terrible day when Hayley was kidnapped from her favorite swing. More than a month passed before her burned, lifeless body was found. All that remained was the silence of Caroline's heartache--and her guilt...

Now, Caroline has started over with a new husband. She even has another precious daughter, Melinda. She thinks she has put the ghosts of her past behind her. But without warning, those ghosts once again start to echo in the night. Suddenly, Hayley's favorite doll reappears...strange murders rock the Webbs' small town...Caroline even claims she has heard the voice of the little girl she lost all those years ago. Could Hayley still be out there somewhere, somehow? Now a killer waits in the wings--waiting to make Caroline live her worst nightmare yet...

My Review : This book was a great suspense novel. I had a hard time putting it down. Caroline Webb,  the main character, seems to be losing her mind when she starts to hear the voice of her dead daughter. As the book goes on she seems to descend deeper into madness. I thought by the middle of the book I had it figured out (the armature sleuth I am). I was wrong.
        All the characters are well written and realistic . I could understand all the complex relationships and felt how each affected each character. Caroline's confusion when trying to figure out who is using her past to torment her. David (Caroline's Husband) anger on who would do this to his wife and fear that the action was pushing her into the arms of her ex-husband. Chris trying to deal with the guilt he feel for what happened to his child and trying to protect Caroline for his mistakes.
        The end really wrapped everything up nicely and gave closure to every one. This is a book I have had on my shelf for years and I am glad I finally read it. I will be looking for more from this author. 

 

 



Review: Reaper's Novice

Reaper's Novice
Cecilia Robert
Soul Collector Book One
Dec 5th 2012

Book Description:

17- year- old Ana Maria Tei’s life has always been perfect: loving parents,  good grades, and a future so bright it outshone the sun. But now words like “separation” and “divorce” are sending her world plummeting to hell. Determined to keep her family intact, Ana plans a family-bonding trip from Vienna to Tuscany. Except fate has other plans. Ana’s parents and siblings are killed in a car accident on their way to pick Ana up from school.

Enter Grim, aka Ernest. He promises to relinquish the four souls if Ana agrees to trade her soul for theirs and serve a lifetime as his novice. In order for Ana to graduate from her Reaper’s Novice station to a Soul Collector graduate, Grim puts her to test. To her horror, she finds out becoming a Reaper’s Novice didn’t happen by chance.  It was preordained, and she is forced to make a choice:  save her family’s souls or come to terms with who she really is and complete the task set for her

 

 



My Review:  This book was an entertaining read. This is a beautiful coming of age story for the beginning of a urban fantasy series that also crosses the line to paranormal. Because of the wonderful writting by the author I was transported to feel like I was in the story, as a soul collector in training. I also like the unique premise of this wonderful tale. I think the author did a great job of blending humor and darkness in her writting. Never letting the story stray to far into either side.
    The characters were well developed and you felt connected to them all because of the lush background development. While reading the writting flows naturally and does not feel forced or confusing. I also like the exploration of the relationships in the book. I would recommend this to any reader who wants a well written and interesting story.

    

Giveaway #1: 2 eBook copies of Reaper’s Novice:

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Giveaway #2: Two $15 Amazon gift cards:

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Review: Lord Of The Flies

 

Lord Of The Flies

William Golding

A Perigee Book

Pub Date 1954

 

 

My Review:   I have decided not to put a summary of this book because I know almost everyone has heard of it or read it for school. I had not, so when my son wanted to read it I agreed. This book was great. I got chills that still have not gone away. This book was compelling and horrifying all at the same time. I think the thing that frightened me the most is that with out a civilization these seemingly harmless school boys turned so quickly into savages. I was mortified when they turned on their own and murdered another boy. I wanted to throw the book down and lock my children in their rooms for life, but I could not put the book down. Great books have that effect on me. I can not just walk away. This is going to be a book I re-read over and over again. Each time I am sure I will feel the same way and be in shock and awe  for years to come.

 

 

 

Review: Moonset

Title: Moonset

Author: Scott Tracey

Publisher: Flux

Status: Available on April 8th 2013

 

 

Justin Daggett, his trouble-making sister, and their three orphan-witch friends have gotten themselves kicked out of high school. Again. Now they’ve ended up in Carrow Mills, New York, the town where their parents—members of the terrorist witch organization known as Moonset—began their evil experiments with the dark arts one generation ago.

When the siblings are accused of unleashing black magic on the town, Justin fights to prove their innocence. But tracking down the true culprit leads him to a terrifying discovery about Moonset’s past . . . and its deadly future


My Review  :  I really enjoyed this book. Moonset is about witches, it is a refreshing subject for the YA market. I also enjoyed the fact that this is told from a male point of view. Another thing that we don't see a lot of and I personally would like more. Once I started reading I did not want to put this book down from the moment you meet all the characters in the book you want to read more. I also liked how this book explores the family dynamic among  the children. All of the kids have different personalities and they conflict with each other and any family does.  Justin (The Narrator) is a very likable and easy to relate too.
  Scott Tracey writing is wonderful and he is such a great story teller. Using humor that make you smile but still managing to tell a serious story. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series and will look for more by this author.  I would recommend this book to all lovers of paranormal and witches. I look forward to the release date so I can buy a copy for my children to enjoy.

Review : The Last DragonSlayer

 

The Last Dragonslayer

Jasper Fforde

Harcourt Children's

 

 

In the good old days, magic was indispensable—it could both save a kingdom and clear a clogged drain. But now magic is fading: drain cleaner is cheaper than a spell, and magic carpets are used for pizza delivery. Fifteen-year-old foundling Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, an employment agency for magicians—but it’s hard to stay in business when magic is drying up. And then the visions start, predicting the death of the world’s last dragon at the hands of an unnamed Dragonslayer. If the visions are true, everything will change for Kazam—and for Jennifer. Because something is coming. Something known as . . . Big Magic.

 

My Review: I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I will admit if your looking for action right off the bat this book seems slow. I enjoyed the building of the story. I think showing how magic has lost it value was interesting ( I also know how long it takes to wire a house. ) I found the characters well developed and interesting. Even the supporting characters. I loved the Quark Beast was a great creature I just pictured him a large animal like a Saint Bernard. I guess in short I liked everything about this book even the end (which I found surprising and delightful) I am looking forward to the next in the series.

 

 

 

 

  

Blog Tour : How to Marry An Alien

High school senior Alex Bianchi's estranged father gets her an internship at Circe Operations Center to pad her college applications. But Circe isn't your typical military base. It's an alien-run operation center and not all of the aliens are friendly, especially the one that tries to kill Alex on her first day. When Ace, a dark-eyed Caltian, enters and saves the day, she can't help but be drawn to him. Can these star-crossed lovers survive when they're on the brink of intergalactic war?


My Review: This was a fun and fast - paced debut novel to a series I will enjoy reading the rest of. I found the alien aspect of this novel a nice change from other YA novels and would recommend this to sci fi lovers, romance reader and anyone who wants a uniquely different read. I would have liked a love story that progressed a little slower but at that age our crushes were always our loves. This is a great tale that made me interested to see what happens next

 

Blog Tour: Fire Prophet & Giveaway

 Welcome to my stop on the Fire Prophet Blog Tour hosted by YA Bound.  Click HERE to check out the rest of the blog tour schedule!

Published: 4/03/2012

Publisher: Thomas NelsonPublishers

Pages: 243 pages (Paperback)

Amazon | Barnes & amp; Noble

Description: 



What if Nephilim—the children of angels and men—still walked the earth? And their very presence put the entire world in danger? In "Spirit Fighter," Jonah and Eliza Stone learn that their mother is a Nephilim and that they have special powers as quarter-angels. When their mom is kidnapped by fallen angels, they must use those powers to save her. Along the way, they discover that there is a very real and dangerous war going on between good and evil and that God has a big part for them to play in that war.



My Review: This proves why I never read descriptions and press releases when I get books. All I went on when saw this book was the cover. It looks like an action adventure novel with angles. Ok I will read it. I did not pay attention to where it said christian Fiction and if I had read that I would not have read it. I am thrilled I did. This book was amazing. I loved the brother and sister team of Jonah and Eliza Stone. To think they were willing to save their mother from a horrible fate and willing to face death to do it. I also found this book to teach me about faith and trusting in your beliefs. I found moments in the book that I felt a renewed in my faith and my heart felt lighter. I was waiting for the reunion between mother and children. I was also inspired to look at my beliefs and what I teach my children. To think I may have past up reading this book because of an assumption I would have made because of one little word.

Even if your not religious this is a wonderful story. The action starts right away and does not end till the last page. Heart pounding moments on every page. The children are great characters and encourage teamwork among siblings. I have given these to my son to read so we can discuss them in the upcoming months. I have already recommended them to friends with young children. Not just for the christian aspect but also for the story.

 

 

 

Fire Prophet

Jerel Law

Publication Date: 12/11/2012

Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

Pages: 256 pages (Paperback)

 

It's been one year since Jonah Stone and his sister, Eliza, discovered that their mother is a nephilim, the product of a union between a human and a fallen angel, which makes them and their little brother, Jeremiah, "quarterlings," or one-quarter angel. After embarking on an epic journey to rescue their mother and the other nephilim, who were kidnapped by fallen angels, the Stone kids have enjoyed a little peace and quiet.

But when Jonah and Eliza are attacked by fallen angels at school, they learn that quarterlings all over the world are being targeted, and separating them from their parents is the only way to keep them safe. The kids undergo special training to help them discover their own unique angelic gifts, which come in handy when they embark on a mission to find a mysterious prophet who they believe holds the key to Abaddon's defeat in a massive battle between good and evil.


My Review: Another great book. I tore into this one just moments after I finished the first. Again great action adventure. These kids are great to read about and now thier younger brother is in on it too. I loved these books. I could not put them down. Stayed up most of the night just to finish them. With new friends and new adventure these books are complete entertainment with a deeper message. Warming the heart and lifting your soul. I am gushing with joy and hope to read the next in this series.

 

 

Lets Meet The Author

 

 



 

 





Jerel Law is a gifted communicator and pastor with seventeen years of full-time ministry experience. He holds his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (go Tarheels!), and a master of divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Jerel began writing fiction as a way to encourage his children’s faith to come alive. He lives in North Carolina with his family. Spirit Fighter is his first novel.

 

 

Website /Blog / Goodreads /Amazon /Twitter / Facebook

 

 

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY

Thomas Nelson is providing 5 print copies of Fire Prophet (US Only). 

 

 

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Blog Tour: My Invented Life and giveaway

This book was given to me by Crossroads Review and Tours.
Description:
 
                  With Roz and Eva everything becomes a contest—who can snag the best role in the school play, have the cutest boyfriend, pull off the craziest prank. Still, they’re as close as sisters can be. Until Eva deletes Roz from her life like so much junk e-mail for no reason that Roz understands. Now Eva hangs out with the annoyingly petite cheerleaders, and Roz fantasizes about slipping bovine growth hormone into their Gatorade.

Roz has a suspicion about Eva. In turn, Eva taunts Roz with a dare, which leads to an act of total insanity. Drama geeks clamor for attention, Shakespearean insults fly, and Roz steals the show in Lauren Bjorkman’s hilarious debut novel

My Review:
                     I did enjoy this book. I found the character of Roz very straight forward . I like how she know who she is and not afraid to admit it. I also found the supporting cast of charcters a nice mix of boys and girls that help shape Roz into the person she is. The drama in this book is realalistic because we are dealing with teens. I found this a fast read with many points that made me laugh to myself.  I found myself drawn to the story because of the relationship with her older sister and why they were no longer as close as they had been. This was a jouney for Roz to discover what happened and why. It was exciting to see Roz figure it all out.

Lets Meet The Author:

Biography

I grew up on a sailboat, sharing the tiny forecastle with my sister and the sail bags. Against all odds, we are still friends. We started sailing in California and ended in Argentina. My favorite stops along the way were Costa Rica, Panama, Isla Providencia, Key West, the Azores, the Canary Islands, and Brazil.

During our voyages, my sister drew beautiful paper dolls for the both of us. We sewed amazing wardrobes for our stuffed animals. We became excellent swimmers and beach combers. We made up new lyrics for old songs. Canned food dominated our meals on crossings, so we really appreciated fresh fruit when we came into port. I dreamed of ice cream on the open ocean.

We kept up with school through a program called Calvert out of Maryland.

My dad read to us at night by the light of a kerosene lamp. Since then, I've always loved stories and wanted to write my own.

I live in Taos, New Mexico with my husband, and two sons. We often see coyotes outside our window.

For more, please visit my website at http://www.laurenbjorkman.com

 

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New Year

2013

    Can you believe it is 2013. I thought we were not suppose to be here? Well it is a good thing we are I have too many book tbr. So I decided to make some reading resolutions to help me clear up my bookcases.



1. Finish My Good reads Challenge- I finished last years of 50 books actually I overshot it at 55 books. Sooooo  I up this year too 100 books.

2. More Videos -  I also have a book tube channel and I have neglected it so badly. I love watching book tubers and seeing all the books, So I visited my channel and promised to make more videos for it. This will include Monthly TBR. #Friday reads, Book Hauls and Monthly Wrap-ups.

3. Bookish Friends Challenge - A book tube colab channel has issued a challenge to all the viewers. I thought I would participate.

4. Buy Less Books -  This is a tough one for everyone. Okay this one is going to be hard, since bookstores call my name as I pass, so for every ten books I read I can buy 5 cutting my incoming books by half . That is because I have 709 books on my TBR piles and they are pushing my husband out of the house. So I had to chose My husband or my books. It took a while but, My husband won.

5. Finish Series I own - Okay I have a bad habit of starting series and reading a few of the books and buying the rest and letting them sit on my shelf. Well now I have to clear them up and end the series. I hate to see them go, but there are new books and I would really like to read them.

Review : The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker

The Bride Collector

Ted Dekker

Center Street

 

 

FBI Special agent Brad Raines is facing his toughest case yet. A Denver serial killer has killed four beautiful young women, leaving a bridal veil at each crime scene, and he's picking up his pace. Unable to crack the case, Raines appeals for help from a most unusual source: residents of the Center for Wellness and Intelligence, a private psychiatric institution for mentally ill individuals whose are extraordinarily gifted.

It's there that he meets Paradise, a young woman who witnessed her father murder her family and barely escaped his hand. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Paradise may also have an extrasensory gift: the ability to experience the final moments of a person's life when she touches the dead body.

In a desperate attempt to find the killer, Raines enlists Paradise's help. In an effort to win her trust, he befriends this strange young woman and begins to see in her qualities that most 'sane people' sorely lack. Gradually, he starts to question whether sanity resides outside the hospital walls...or inside.

As the Bride Collector picks up the pace-and volume-of his gruesome crucifixions, the case becomes even more personal to Raines when his friend and colleague, a beautiful young forensic psychologist, becomes the Bride Collector's next target.

The FBI believes that the killer plans to murder seven women. Can Paradise help before it's too late?

 

My Review: This is a book I had sitting on my shelf for I do not know how long, now I am kicking myself  for not reading this sooner. This book opens up great and ends just as good. Fast pace and pulse pounding action makes this a hard book to put down. The story flows so well and the characters are so well written I feel like I have known them for years. I also like how it dealt with the mental illness, not making it something to be afraid of, but something that can be dealt with.

Ted Dekker is a great author and I am glad I finally sat down to read a book by him. I will be reading more from him.