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Book Tours: Starter Day Party Letter from Hell

October 8, 2015 Leave a Comment

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I’m hosting the starter day party today for the book tour for “Letter from Hell”, a paranormal horror novel by author M. Lee Mendelson. Thanks for visiting!

Tour Schedule

October 8th: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

October 9th: Promo Post @ Enchanted Book Nook

October 11th: Book Excerpt @ My Book Fairy

October 15th: Promo Post @ Rising Indies United

October 17th: Book Review @ Awesome Book Assessment

October 20th: Book Excerpt @ Cara Correnti’s Blog

October 22nd: Book Excerpt @ Dark Treasury

October 26th: Character Interview @ Back Porch Reservations

October 27th: Book Review @ PRATR

October 28th: Promo Post @ Teatime and Books

October 29th: Book Review @ Back Porch Reservations

October 31st: Author Interview and Book Excerpt @ BooksChatter

November 2nd: Book Review and Author Interview @ Galley Wampus

November 3rd: Character Interview @ Plain Talk BM

November 4th: Author Interview and Book Excerpt @ Solafide Publishing Book Blog

November 6th: Promo Post @ Books, Authors, Blogs

November 7th: Book Review @ Stormy Night Reviewing

November 8th: Promo Post @ Illuminite Caliginosus

About the Book

letter-from-hell-by-m-lee-mendelsonTitle: Letter from Hell

Author: M. Lee Mendelson

Genre: Horror

A simple, routine call to 911 unexpectedly erupts into a grisly suicide. Mike, a well-seasoned deputy is uncharacteristically disturbed by the gruesome scene. Who was this tortured soul, and why did this happen? Innocently, most of us accept our destiny. We assume our life experiences are the result of mere chance. Few of us discover that our fate is actually an orchestrated tapestry woven from beyond our world. When that influencing weaver is from the netherworld, you may likely find yourself on a dark, terrifying, and tragic journey. What if you discovered a letter penned by a desperate soul from beyond the grave, a literal letter from hell? What if that letter could alter your perception of reality by revealing that you are not in control? Would you dare read it?

Author Bio

A first time author, M. Lee Mendelson and his wife Yvonne have six children between them, three boys and three girls. Yes–the Brady Bunch. He was inspired and encouraged by Yvonne to write his first book after he proposed the concept to her. M. Lee never dreamt of writing anything before his first book, but has now discovered he has a passion for writing, with one idea after another pouring out of him. A rare native Floridian, M. Lee recently retired from a career as a full-time firefighter and part-time law enforcement officer. His twenty-six years of experience on the streets have given him a vast array of experiences; some good, some bad. His recent retirement allows him much more freedom to dedicate to his newfound obsession with the written word. His first book, “Letter From Hell,” is a complex horror novel with a little something for everyone M. Lee’s real-life experiences, coupled with an active and vivid imagination, allow his stories to come alive. Striving to paint pictures with words, he immerses the reader into his scenes. His ambition is that people will enjoy reading his work and deem it worthy to recommend to others.

Links

Website: http://t.co/5YXLLxfh3F

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mleemendelson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MLeeMendelson-754871841286995/timeline/

Buy the Book:

Amazon (Kindle)

 Amazon (Paperback)

B&N

Filed Under: Book Tours, Enchanted Book Tours, Starter Day Party Tagged With: , , , , ,

Release Day Party Letter from Hell

October 7, 2015 Leave a Comment

letterfromhellrelease

About the Book

letter-from-hell-by-m-lee-mendelsonTitle: Letter from Hell

Author: M. Lee Mendelson

Genre: Horror

A simple, routine call to 911 unexpectedly erupts into a grisly suicide. Mike, a well-seasoned deputy is uncharacteristically disturbed by the gruesome scene. Who was this tortured soul, and why did this happen? Innocently, most of us accept our destiny. We assume our life experiences are the result of mere chance. Few of us discover that our fate is actually an orchestrated tapestry woven from beyond our world. When that influencing weaver is from the netherworld, you may likely find yourself on a dark, terrifying, and tragic journey. What if you discovered a letter penned by a desperate soul from beyond the grave, a literal letter from hell? What if that letter could alter your perception of reality by revealing that you are not in control? Would you dare read it?

Author Bio

A first time author, M. Lee Mendelson and his wife Yvonne have six children between them, three boys and three girls. Yes–the Brady Bunch. He was inspired and encouraged by Yvonne to write his first book after he proposed the concept to her. M. Lee never dreamt of writing anything before his first book, but has now discovered he has a passion for writing, with one idea after another pouring out of him. A rare native Floridian, M. Lee recently retired from a career as a full-time firefighter and part-time law enforcement officer. His twenty-six years of experience on the streets have given him a vast array of experiences; some good, some bad. His recent retirement allows him much more freedom to dedicate to his newfound obsession with the written word. His first book, “Letter From Hell,” is a complex horror novel with a little something for everyone M. Lee’s real-life experiences, coupled with an active and vivid imagination, allow his stories to come alive. Striving to paint pictures with words, he immerses the reader into his scenes. His ambition is that people will enjoy reading his work and deem it worthy to recommend to others.

Links

Website: http://t.co/5YXLLxfh3F

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mleemendelson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MLeeMendelson-754871841286995/timeline/

Buy the Book:

Amazon (Kindle)

Amazon (Paperback)

B&N

Filed Under: Book Tours, Enchanted Book Tours, Release Day Party Tagged With: , , , ,

Book Review: Spinner by Michael J. Bowler

August 4, 2015 Leave a Comment

25353531Title: Spinner
Author: Michael J. Bowler
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Supernatural
Rating: 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by the auhtor in exchange for an honest review.

Fifteen-year-old Alex is a “spinner.” His friends are “dummies.” Two clandestine groups of humans want his power. And an ancient evil is stalking him. If people weren’t being murdered, Alex might laugh at how his life turned into a horror movie overnight.
In a wheelchair since birth, his freakish ability has gotten him kicked out of ten foster homes since the age of four. Now saddled with a sadistic housemother who uses his spinning to heal the kids she physically abuses, Alex and his misfit group of learning disabled classmates are the only ones who can solve the mystery of his birth before more people meet a gruesome end.
They need to find out who murdered their beloved teacher, and why the hot young substitute acts like she’s flirting with them. Then there’s the mysterious medallion that seems to have unleashed something malevolent, and an ancient prophecy suggesting Alex has the power to destroy humanity.
The boys break into homes, dig up graves, elude kidnappers, fight for their lives against feral cats, and ultimately confront an evil as old as humankind. Friendships are tested, secrets uncovered, love spoken, and destiny revealed.
The kid who’s always been a loner will finally learn the value of friends, family, and loyalty.
If he survives…

I have to admit, I accepted Spinner for review because the main character has a disability, and we don’t see that often in YA, especially not in a YA thriller. But I also liked the idea of spinners, the ancient evil, humans out stalking him for his powers, and basically, everything about the book sounded great. I was a little nervous to read it because I had high expectations, but boy, I certainly wasn’t dissapointed.

A spinner is a person with a healing ability. Unfortunately Alex can’t use that to heal himself. He’s stuck to a wheelchair and has been since birth. On top of that he’s in the foster system, and his current foster parent is a sadistic woman who physically abuses the kids in her care. But unfortunately that’s not the end of Alex’s troubles yet. His teacher is murdered, an ancient evil is unleashed, and it’s up to Alex and his classmates, a self-proclaimed group of misfits to find out who is behind the murder and how to stop the unleashed evil before it’s too late.

From the start, this was an amazing story, and it never becomes anything less than amazing. The cast of characters is great, the plot is enthralling, there were so many twists and turns that I had no idea whatsoever as to what would happen next, and the action never slows down. Despite everything that’s happening, there were some hilarious bits too where I even laughed out loud.

If you enjoy YA thrillers with a supernatural edge, then I highly recommend this book.

Filed Under: Reviews, Supernaturall Thriller, Thrillers, Young Adult Tagged With: , , ,

Book Review and Giveaway: The Color of Clouds by J.C. Whyte

June 24, 2015 Leave a Comment

The Color of Clouds2-2Title: The Color of Clouds
Author: J.C. Whyte
Genre: Sci-Fi / Paranormal Mystery / Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Pedro’s on a mission. But not your everyday, run-of-the-mill type mission. Because Pedro is dead.

That’s right. Dead.

Spirit guide Pedro normally busies himself with conveying messages from departed loved ones through a psychic named Gwen. But when he encounters a recently deceased teenager, the boy’s anguish just about breaks Pedro’s heart. So the spirit guide decides to try and help this boy. Yet meddling in the affairs of the living is a troublesome business, as Pedro soon discovers.

Nevertheless, he convinces Gwen to take an ocean voyage, and that’s when the trouble begins. Within days of leaving port, two passengers on the cruise ship fall into a mysterious coma. Gwen seeks Pedro’s help to restore these passengers, but natural as well as unnatural obstacles keep getting in the way. And by the time the ship docks in Honolulu, the still-living are flat out scrambling for their lives!

A playful blend of science fiction and the paranormal, The Color of Clouds offers a glimpse into the unseen world while taking the reader on an extraordinary ride. The adventure includes danger, mystery, humor, sweet romance and even a dash of thriller.

But the clouds are not what you think.

In The Color of Clouds, Pedro is a spirit guide who helps conveys messages from the deceased to the living through a psychic named Gwen. Pedro usually doesn’t interfere much in the affairs of either the living or the deceased (besides conveying the messages) but that changes when he meets a young boy who passed away just recently and is very troubled, and Pedro decided to help him. His psychic friend, Gwen, agrees to go on a cruise that could help Pedro with his quest to aid the boy.

Deanna and her husband Paul are on a relaxing cruise trip together. Or at least, “relaxing” was the point, but now they’re seated with an elderly couple and a table, Ernst and Sylvie (who keeps on calling him Ernie) and Gwen (aforementioned psychic) and her sister Jo. The six of them quickly become acquainted and realize they might have more in common than they at first thought. But when Gwen gets a message about “danger” ahead, a strange light slips past the ship, and two passangers fall into a coma, the six of them soon find themselves in danger.

As a fan of everything related to ghosts, I enjoyed The Color of Clouds. The book focuses on the six characters: Gwen and Jo, Ernst and Sylvia, and Paul and Deanna. They all have a different personality and are unique enough to merit a POV of their own. The POV sometimes shifts to other characters to, like Herman Lunz, head of security on board of the ship. All the POVs blend nicely, providing a few plot twists I did not see coming.

The writing is fast-paced, and once you start reading, it’s hard to stop. The book manages to blend science-fictoin and paranormal in a story that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Giveaway

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Filed Under: Book Tours, Enchanted Book Tours, Mystery and Suspense, Paranormal Mystery, Reviews, Supernaturall Thriller, Thrillers Tagged With: , , , , ,

Book Review: Castle by the Sea by J.G. Faherty

March 19, 2015 1 Comment

21952035Title: Castle by the Sea
Author: J.G. Faherty
Genre: Dark Fiction, Horror, Novella
Age Group: Adult (18+)
Rating: 3 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

How did they get here? Will they ever get out?

Jason and Erika are having a wonderful time at the Halloween carnival…until their swan boat in the Tunnel of Love capsizes amid heavy waves and blaring, maniacal laughter. When they come to they are no longer in a carnival in Ohio, but standing at the edge of a sea in a raging storm. In the distance, atop a high, barren hill, looms an enormous castle.

Instead of answers, Jason and Erika find only more impossibilities within the stone walls. The lavish rooms are lit only by torches and fireplaces, the decorations and furniture are a century out of date, and the mysterious host claims to not own one of those newfangled telephone inventions. Outside, in the storm and the dense mist, lurk strange, threatening figures. Inside, another couple seeking refuge think it must all be a nightmare. Perhaps it is. Or perhaps it’s something much, much worse.

In Castle by the Sea, young couple Jason and Erika go to a Halloween carnival, and seemingly have a blast. Until they decide to go into the Tunnel of Love, their swan boat capsizes, and they end up at sea during a storm. An enormous castle looms over them, and they make their way to the castle, hoping to be save there – although they have no clue what’s going on, and things seem to grow stranger by the minute. The castle host welcomes them, and turns out they’re not the only couple stranded there. But the other couple isn’t from the same time era as Jason and Erika. The castle’s owner, an eccentric man who seems to hide a lot of secrets, is less than forthcoming, and his timid maid won’t be of much help either. How can Jason and Erika escape from this castle by the sea? Is it all a nightmare, or something much worse?

The book starts out with a bang – we’re at the carnival, and boom, Jason and Erika disappear and end up near the castle. There’s not a lot of build up, so there’s not an awful lot of suspense either, at least not until we get past the halfway mark. Although the book is meant to be horror, it never really manages to be scary. It all seems a little over the top, with the characters just up and disappearing. I much preferred the parts of the book that actually took place at the castle, rather than the parts at the carnival. At least at the castle there was a genuine mystery going on, of who roamed the halls at night, why people disappeared, and what their host was upto. I found this easily the best part of the book, and very enjoyable.

The writing is entertaining, and the plot manages to surprise a few times, but the characters aren’t very likeable. I couldn’t connect to Jason and Erika, so I didn’t really feel for them as they tried to escape the castle and the nightmare unfolding around them. Had the characters been more likeable, I probably would’ve enjoyed it more. As it stands, it’s a fun read for fans of gothic horror, but it doesn’t pack much more than that.

Filed Under: Dark Fiction, Horror, Paranormal / Supernatural, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Mini-Review: Becoming Marie Antoinette, A Killing Season, Waking Hours

October 24, 2014 Leave a Comment

minireview

Time for some mini-reviews! What are mini-reviews, you ask? As the title suggests, these are short reviews, consisting of one paragraph tops, about a book. It’s a way to catch up on the books I’ve read a while ago, but never got around to reviewing.

Becoming Marie Antoinette

Title: Becoming Marie Antoinette

Author: Juliet Grey

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 4 stars

Purchase: Amazon

This enthralling confection of a novel, the first in a new trilogy, follows the transformation of a coddled Austrian archduchess into the reckless, powerful, beautiful queen Marie Antoinette.
“Why must it be me?” I wondered. “When I am so clearly inadequate to my destiny?”
Raised alongside her numerous brothers and sisters by the formidable empress of Austria, ten-year-old Maria Antonia knew that her idyllic existence would one day be sacrificed to her mother’s political ambitions. What she never anticipated was that the day in question would come so soon.
Before she can journey from sunlit picnics with her sisters in Vienna to the glitter, glamour, and gossip of Versailles, Antonia must change “everything” about herself in order to be accepted as dauphine of France and the wife of the awkward teenage boy who will one day be Louis XVI. Yet nothing can prepare her for the ingenuity and influence it will take to become queen.
Filled with smart history, treacherous rivalries, lavish clothes, and sparkling jewels, “Becoming Marie Antoinette” will utterly captivate fiction and history lovers alike.

Review: Becoming Marie Antoinette was a great read. I’ve always loved historical fiction, and I didn’t know a lot about Marie Antoinette, so it was great to read about her journey and figure out more about her. There may be some historical discrepancies, but I didn’t mind. Writing style was solid, and characters intriguing.

A Killing Season

Title: A Killing Season

Author: Priscilla Royal

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction

Rating: 3 stars

Purchase: Amazon

Baron Herbert’s return from crusade should have been a joyous occasion. Instead, he grows increasingly morose, withdraws from his family, and refuses to share his wife’s bed. When his sons begin to die in strange accidents, some ask whether Herbert harbors a dark sin for which God has cursed him. The baron suddenly sends for Sir Hugh of Wynethorpe, begging his friend to bring spiritual and secular healers but giving little explanation for the request. Worried about Herbert’s descent into melancholy and the tragic deaths, Sir Hugh persuades his sister, Prioress Eleanor of Tyndal Priory, to accompany him as well as a respected physician, Master Gamel. Although he is pleased when the prioress brings her healer, Sister Anne, he is dismayed to find Brother Thomas included, a man he has reason to despise. Perhaps there is a malign presence at this storm-blasted castle, oddly named Doux et Dur. Tensions spark among family members and soon between those who came to help. Death’s scythe harvests more victims, and it is not long before Ecclesiastes’ grim words seem all too apt: there is a season for everything under heaven, including a time to kill.But is there also a time to heal?

Review: The mystery is relatively simple, but the writing was great, and the historical setting was developed in detail. The characters were interesting, and each had their own strengths and weaknesses.

Waking Hours

Title: Waking Hours

Author: Lis Wiehl

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery

Rating: 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon

Welcome to East Salem. A deceptively sleepy town where ancient supernatural forces are being awakened.

A local high-school girl is found murdered in a park amid horse farms and the wealthy homes of northern Westchester County, New York. The shocking manner of her death intrigues forensic psychiatrist Dani Harris. All the suspects are teenagers who were at a party with the girl–yet none remembers what happened. Could one of them be a vicious killer? Or is something more sinister afoot–something tied to an ancient evil?

Across town, former NFL linebacker Tommy Gunderson finds his state-of-the-art security system has been breached by an elderly woman. Mumbling threats in Latin, she attacks him with an uncanny, preternatural strength. Before he has time to process the attack, someone close to him is implicated in the girl’s murder at the park. He agrees to help–and finds himself working with Dani, the only girl who could resist his charm years ago when they were in high school.

A heavy darkness is spreading. Yet a heavenly force is also at work.

Dani and Tommy suspect there’s more to the mystery than murder, more to their growing friendship than chance . . . and more to the evil they’re facing than a mere human killer.

Review: I loved this book. The supernatural forces were pretty scary at times, the mystery is endaring, and the story was suspenseful from start to end. I doubt there would be too many Christian elements, but it didn’t bother me at all.

Filed Under: Mini-Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Book Tours: Starter Day Party Hurry Home

July 8, 2014 Leave a Comment

hurryhomebanner

I’m hosting the starter day party today for supernatural coming-of-age “Hurry Home”. The tour runs from July 8 to August 8. I’ll be reviewing the book on July 12. Stay tuned for the review, and in the mean time, check out the other tour stops.

Tour Schedule

July 8th: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

July 10th: Promo Post @ Read it Write

July 12th: Book Review @ I Heart Reading

July 13th: Promo Post @ The Readers Hollow

July 14th: Book Excerpt @ I’m an Eclectic Reader

July 16th: Author Interview @  The Single Librarian

July 18th: Book Excerpt @ Bookaholic Ramblings

July 20th: Book Review @ Forever Book Lover

July 21st: Promo Post @ Plain Talk BM

July 22nd: Author Interview @ Majanka’s Blog

July 24th: Book Excerpt @ Hollow Readers

July 25th: Promo Post @ 365 Days of Reading

July 26th: Book Review @ Endazzled Reading

July 28th: Promo Post @ Bookish Madness

July 30th: Character Interview @ The Book Daily

August 1st: Promo Post @ Editor Charlene’s Blog

August 3rd: Book Excerpt @ Books Direct

August 3rd: Book Excerpt @ Writers and Authors

August 4th: Author Interview @ Cassidy Crimson’s Blog

August 5th: Book Excerpt @ Cajun Book Lover

August 7th: Book Review @ Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock

August 8th: Book Review and Promo @ Dalene’s Book Reviews

About Hurry Home

hurryfrontSeventeen years after Johnathon Parker murdered her mother, hybrid witch, Emmalyn Evans, gets sick of her father’s overprotective, distant ways, so she runs away in search of adventures with her aunt and uncle. Along the way, she meets charming, handsome, dark warlock, Nik Baker who has a troubled past and harbors dark secrets. Together they embark on an adventure of their own and soon become close. But with Emmalyn’s homicidal grandfather and overprotective father on their tail, and Nik’s many secrets hanging over them, how can they enjoy their great adventure? And will Emmalyn make it back to her father in one piece, or is history doomed to repeat itself?

Author Bio

Angie is a 17 year old High School Graduate.  She met Mary through Fanfiction and they bonded over their love of books and British TV. She lives in sunny San Diego with her parents and two out of three sisters. She is the third child out of four. She loves God with all her heart and goes to Summit Christian Church! Angie is also a sound technician. She will be going to Dream Center Leadership Study next year.

Mary is a beautiful 26 year-old woman. She lives in Toledo, Ohio Writing has been her passion since she was in Elementary school. She started by writing plays for her favorite anime, Sailor Moon, and things developed from there. She is an avid reader with too many books to even fit on her bookshelf. Her tastes in music varies, but she is always open to trying new things. She is the second of four children and has a niece and nephew she loves with all her heart.

Links

Website: Misfitauthors.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Misfitsieres?fref=ts

Filed Under: Book Tours, Enchanted Book Tours, Starter Day Party Tagged With: , , , ,

Mini-Review: Raven’s Cove, Frozen, Pale

July 4, 2014 Leave a Comment

minireview

Time for some mini-reviews! What are mini-reviews, you ask? As the title suggests, these are short reviews, consisting of one paragraph tops, about a book. It’s a way to catch up on the books I’ve read a while ago, but never got around to reviewing.

Raven’s Cove

Title: Raven’s Cove

Author: Mary Ann Poll

Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural, Mystery

Rating: 2,5 stars

Purchase: Amazon

Welcome to Ravens Cove, Alaska, a tiny town nestled in a small hollow on the majestic Cook Inlet. A town familiar with storytelling-after all, Alaska abounds in rich legends. Unlike other tales, however, the account of Ravens Cove is not just based in fact. It is fact. Meet Josiah Williams, the peculiar stranger whose warning to lifetime residents Kat Tovslosky and her cousin, Sheriff Bart Andersen, raises more questions than answers; a man whose dark past and knowledge of the murders make him a suspect more than an ally. Join Kat and Bart as an unlikely troop forms (including a very unwelcome FBI agent) to discover the identity of a killer. The unearthing of which will throw the reluctant warriors into a battle for their very lives and the lives of all who call Ravens Cove home.

Review: Raven’s Cove wasn’t the intriguing blend of fantasy and supernatural mystery that I’d hoped. It wasn’t nearly as creepy as I thought, there were a lot of Christian themes, and it actually read more like a cozy mystery. Not too bad, but it definitely lacked suspense and creepiness. The villain isn’t defined well enough, and is rather bland, just your typical, standard bad demon that is inherently bland.

Frozen

Title: Frozen

Author: Mary Casanova

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Rating:  4 stars

Purchase: Amazon

Sixteen-year-old Sadie Rose hasn’t said a word in eleven years—ever since the day she was found lying in a snowbank during a howling storm. Like her voice, her memories of her mother and what happened that night were frozen.

Set during the roaring 1920s in the beautiful, wild area on Rainy Lake where Minnesota meets Canada, Frozen tells the remarkable story of Sadie Rose, whose mother died under strange circumstances the same night that Sadie Rose was found, unable to speak, in a snowbank. Sadie Rose doesn’t know her last name and has only fleeting memories of her mother—and the conflicting knowledge that her mother had worked in a brothel. Taken in as a foster child by a corrupt senator, Sadie Rose spends every summer along the shores of Rainy Lake, where her silence is both a prison and a sanctuary.

One day, Sadie Rose stumbles on a half dozen faded, scandalous photographs—pictures, she realizes, of her mother. They release a flood of puzzling memories, and these wisps of the past send her at last into the heart of her own life’s great mystery: who was her mother, and how did she die? Why did her mother work in a brothel—did she have a choice? What really happened that night when a five-year-old girl was found shivering in a snowbank, her voice and identity abruptly shattered?

Sadie Rose’s search for her personal truth is laid against a swirling historical drama—a time of prohibition and women winning the right to vote, political corruption, and a fevered fight over the area’s wilderness between a charismatic, unyielding, powerful industrialist and a quiet man battling to save the wide, wild forests and waters of northernmost Minnesota. Frozen is a suspenseful, moving testimonial to the haves and the have-nots, to the power of family and memory, and to the extraordinary strength of a young woman who has lost her voice in nearly every way—but is utterly determined to find it again.

Review: A mix of coming-of-age, mystery and historical fiction. The story is haunting, lyrical, and the writing was great. Sadie is a lovely main character, and the setting, the roaring 1920s is amazing. She’s curious, intelligent, and quite charming – she matches well with the 1920s setting. The slow revelation of what’s going on was great, but the ending was a little too fast.

Pale

Title: Pale

Author: Chris Wooding

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Dystopian

Rating: 3 stars

Purchase: Amazon

The Lazarus Serum can bring you back from the dead – but when you come back you’ve changed – you’re a Pale, an outcast. It’s the last thing Jed wants, but an accident changes everything and Jed’s forced to discover the true cost of living forever.

Review: This was a novella, so a quick read. The premise was intriguing, and I liked the whole plot about the Lazarus Serum. Jed, the main character, goes through some real changes, and has to make tough moral decisions. The book moves fast, sometimes too fast, skipping over the consequences of some of Jed’s decisions. It would’ve worked better if the plot had been expanded upon more, and turned into a full-length novel.

 

Filed Under: Mini-Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Book Review: Dark Energy by John O’Riley

March 22, 2014 1 Comment

Cover For Dark Energy - CreateSpace_edited-1Title: Dark Energy
Author: John O’Riley
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Age Group: Adult (18+)
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase:

Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Josephine uncovers an important secret about the Valituras, a power-hungry organization that has lived in secret for centuries. They have amassed powerful dark magic and infiltrated all levels of the government. Now that their existence is publicly exposed and Josephine’s discovery leads to the capture of more Valituras agents, they decide to make a big move and declare war against the country. Josephine scrambles to protect herself and her loved ones from this powerful foe.

As she uncovers more clues in her search to expose the hidden identities of the Valituras leaders, her boyfriend grapples with his new talent of white magic which proves to be a potent yet unreliable source of power. Even as Mark’s abilities expand, he struggles to avoid burnout which will lead to a coma and reversion back to mainstream magic. When the U.S. government’s MADA department hires him to attempt restoration of an ancient historical site, American Stone Henge, the Valituras target him for termination.

As Josephine’s psychometry brings her closer to the truth about the Valituras, she fears the answers will come too late.

Dark Energy offers a great setting, with impressive world building. In the world author John O’Riley has crafted, there are magic users of different levels, and our main character, Josephine, is a level six wizard. But there are also vampires, succubus’s and even immortals thrown in the mix. There are different kinds of magic – white magic, which is very rare, for instance, and whih is practiced by Josephine’s boyfriend, Mark. Josephine is destined to be young forever, immortal in a way, but for once, here we have a character who actually acts like an old person stuck in a younger person’s body. Every time I read books about immortals, I’m surprised by how childish these immortals are, even though having lived for centuries. Not here – Josephine is in every way a grumpy old wizard, albeit a fun one.

It’s a little weird to see the relationship between Josephine and Mark, because he’s much younger than she is. In terms of how they look, they look more or less the same age though. And Mark tends to act like a person much older than his age – he’s very wise for his years. So after awhile, the weirdness disappears, and I actually started to like them as a couple.

The magical world created by the author for these novels is vast and impressive. Since I haven’t read any of the other books in the series, it was a little hard to follow, but after a few chapters, I started to get the hang of it. josephine and her friends kept being attacked by a construo letalis curse, which makes a human-looking creature that follows them, intent on killing them. The curse doesn’t stop until its target is dead, or the curse itself is destroyed. I loved this – it’s so fresh and original. There are other original elements in the book, and it really feels like a fresh breath through the supernatural genre.

A great book for fans of supernatural stories who want something new and different. The author did an outstanding job creating a magical world that feels fresh and original.

Giveaway

Win an eBook copy of the book by participating in the giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Book Tours, Enchanted Book Tours, Paranormal / Supernatural, Paranormal Romance, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

Book Review: Brothers in Arms (Family by Choice #2) by Caroline Frechette

March 20, 2014 4 Comments

biakindlecoverTitle: Brothers in Arms

Author: Caroline Frechette

Genre: Supernatural

Rating: 4,5 stars

Purchase: Amazon

Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Am I losing my mind, or my power? Right now, I’m not sure which would be worse.

A little over a year after the events of Blood Relations, Alex Winters is doing well, with a relatively comfortable home life with his girlfriend and baby. Although his position as underboss for the Lupino group is starting to weigh on him, he truly thinks the most difficult times of his life are behind him. When he is approached by GenEx, and discovers that there are others with special abilities like him, he finds out just how wrong he is.

I reviewed the first book in the series, Blood Relations, a while back, and really enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to reading the next installment, Brothers in Arms. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed.

When we meet Alex here, a little over a year has passed since the events in the last book. He’s doing rather well for himself, and seems to have banned out some of the darkness he carried along with him every step of the way through the first book. He lives with his girlfriend, Lori, and their baby in a nice home, he works as the underboss for the Lupino group, which unfortunately forces him to make choices he isn’t always fond of, but which is, all in all, a good job. However, his relationship with Lori is difficult at best. Just like him, she suffers from good days and bad days, due to what happened to her in the past. But all in all, Alex is happy, and hopes things will settle down.

Unfortunately, his dream is shattered when a man from the GenEx group approaches him. The GenEx group has discovered others with similar abilities to his own – his ability to make fire with his mind – and they want to unite these individuals. Alex has a bad feeling about it from the get-go. He doubts they just want to gather them around for a nice chat. But even he isn’t prepared for what’s to come next, and the risks he’ll have to take to protect himself, his friends and family.

Alex has gone through a lot, and his personality has developed in a good way since the first time the reader meets him. Even in this book, he goes through a lot of character development. He’s complex and intriguing, and instead of getting to know him better, I feel like he gets more and more complex the more I figure out about him. I liked Lori too – her dark personality matches Alex’s own, and she struggles. She’s deeply flawed, but she tries her best to overcome the obstacles of the past.

This book offers a more complex plot than the first one, which was a great bonus. If I had to find one flaw in the first book, it would be how simple and straightforward the plot was. Not so here, hence the slightly higher rating.

If you like dark fiction, supernatural, and a good dose of action, then try out this series. You will not be disappointed.

Filed Under: Book Tours, Dark Fiction, Enchanted Book Tours, Paranormal / Supernatural, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

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