collection

Book Review: Fallen Star Dust by Morgan Straughan Comnick

June 11, 2017 Leave a Comment

Title: Fallen Star Dust

Author: Morgan Straughan Comnick

Genre: Collection (Poetry, Short Stories, and more)

Rating: 4 stars

Purchase: Amazon

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

When I reached the point where adult life began to make its presence known right after high school graduation, I looked to the sky. I hoped to see a shooting star that would light my way and I wished that it would leave a trail of star dust behind to remind myself to stay young at heart. Thanks to writing, the enchantment of youth has never left me. In the next chapter of my life, I began college to follow my dream of being an educator. I developed my career, found out who I was an independent being, stopped hiding my passions, figured out my role in my lifelong relationship with my now-husband, and realized that it was okay to question the world. There was darkness that needed to be seen as well as the light. The poems, short stories, scripts, essays, and other works in this second collection are my everything: the shoulders I cried on, my joys, my bravery when the road became too twisty or too safe. It led me to a waterfall of creativity. That fallen star dust gave me the drive to become who I am today: a teacher, an author, a nerd, and a person of morals, love, and magic.

Fallen Star Dust is a collection of short stories, poems, and essays, by author Morgan Straughan Comnick. This book features stories and articles Morgan wrote during her college years, and is the follow-up to her first collection A Sweet, Little Dream, which featured literary works from during her middle school and high school years.

I quite enjoyed the collection. It’s not the usual subject matter I read, but reading about the author’s dreams and aspirations as she went through college reminded me a lot of myself and my own college years. It also allowed me to gain more insight into the author’s life and personality. Most of the poems had a short intro that explained why they were written and what inspired them, and I really liked that, it allowed me to see in the author’s mind.

This isn’t the kind of book you have to pick up and read it one sitting. Rather, it’s the type of book you have to cherish and enjoy slowly, savouring every part of it. You can pick it up, read a poem, and put it back, but the poem might haunt you long afterward.

I particularly enjoyed the short stories too, and how the author’s writing style changed and developed over the years. An intriguing collection that allows more insight in the author’s mind, and shows the creative process as it grows and develops over time.

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Filed Under: Book Tours, Enchanted Book Tours, Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: book reviews, book tours, collection, enchanted book promotions, poetry, short stories

Book Tours: Starter Day Party Fallen Star Dust

June 5, 2017 Leave a Comment

I’m hosting the starter day party today for the book tour for collection / poetry / essays “Fallen Star Dust”. The tour runs from June 5 to June 19.

Tour Schedule

June 5^th: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

June 5^th: Book Excerpt @ Stormy Night Reviewing

June 7^th: Book Excerpt and Giveaway @ Lisa Queen of Random

June 9^th: Guest Post @ Bedazzled Reading

June 11^th: Book Review and Giveaway @ I Heart Reading

June 12^th: Book Excerpt @ Books, Dreams, life

June 13^th: Book Excerpt @ Books are Forever

June 15th: Book Excerpt @ Books, Authors & Publishing

June 17^th: Author Interview @ Editor Charlene’s Blog

June 19^th: Book Excerpt and Giveaway @ Indy Book Fairy

About the Book

Title: Fallen Star Dust

Author: Morgan Straughan Comnick

Genre: Collection (Poetry, Short Stories, and more)

When I reached the point where adult life began to make its presence known right after high school graduation, I looked to the sky. I hoped to see a shooting star that would light my way and I wished that it would leave a trail of star dust behind to remind myself to stay young at heart. Thanks to writing, the enchantment of youth has never left me. In the next chapter of my life, I began college to follow my dream of being an educator. I developed my career, found out who I was an independent being, stopped hiding my passions, figured out my role in my lifelong relationship with my now-husband, and realized that it was okay to question the world. There was darkness that needed to be seen as well as the light. The poems, short stories, scripts, essays, and other works in this second collection are my everything: the shoulders I cried on, my joys, my bravery when the road became too twisty or too safe. It led me to a waterfall of creativity. That fallen star dust gave me the drive to become who I am today: a teacher, an author, a nerd, and a person of morals, love, and magic.

Author Bio

Educator of young minds by day, super nerdy savior of justice and cute things by night, Morgan Straughan Comnick has a love for turning the normal into something special without losing its essence. Morgan draws from real life experiences and her ongoing imagination to spark her writing. In her spare time, she enjoys doing goofy voices, traveling to new worlds by turning pages, humming child-like songs, and forcing people to smile with her “bubbliness.” It is Morgan’s mission in life to spread the amazement of otaku/Japanese culture to the world and to stop bullying; she knows everyone shines brightly.

For more information about Morgan and her works, check out her website, which also have links to all her social medias: http://morganscomnick.com.

Links

Filed Under: Book Tours, Enchanted Book Tours, Starter Day Party Tagged With: book tours, collection, enchanted book promotions, essays, starter day party

Book Review Capturing the Muse

August 15, 2015 1 Comment

Title: Capturing the Muse
Author: Madison Avery
Genre: New Adult Erotic Romance / Collection
Age Group: Adult (18+)
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

In this mixed genre, erotica collection, Capturing the Muse, find out just how far these writers are willing to go to gain back their creativity, or keep it from shattering their perfect world.

Through tragedy, life lessons, mentorship, and even a hint of the paranormal, these writers will find one thing in common, steamy romance comes with consequences.

Luck Be a Penny:

A bestselling author is unable to finish her series, and figures out the kindness she shows to a stranger can unleash more than just the plot to her upcoming book.

Dances with Muses:

One writer discovers the prince charming she created might just be better than the real thing. But coping with her delusions of the perfect romance interfere with the reality of real life.

Filling in the Blanks:

When a Muse doesn’t know she’s lost, a connection with a writer yearning for inspiration, brings her story to life.

Bookstores and Dreams:

Believing a “how-to guide” is the key to her success, a burgeoning writer will have to trust a handsome bookstore owner when a devastating accident turns her life upside.

Beneath the Inhibitions:

A depressed author collides with a prolific editor during a literary conference. And a one-night-stand becomes a source for new material, and regaining her confidence.

Capturing the Muse, Volume 1 in the Courting the Muse Series, will leave you breathless, aroused and inspired.

In this collection of ertotic short stories, Capturing the Muse, the author, like the title suggests, talks about the muse, about finding one’s muse and losing one’s muse and all the trouble that goes with it. Each story features different characters and a different setting, but all of them have the muse element in common. All of the stories focus on authors, and since I’m an author too, I really enjoyed the POV of all of the different authors. “Beneath the Inhibitions” was my favorite of all the stories.

The writing is fluent, and even though the stories are short, I had no trouble connecting to any of the characters. A hot and steamy read, ideal for the summer months.

Filed Under: Book Tours, Enchanted Book Tours, Erotica, New Adult, Reviews Tagged With: book reviews, book tours, collection, enchanted book promotions, erotica, new adult

Book Review: Suspended in Dusk by Simon Dewar

July 9, 2015 1 Comment

Title: Suspended in Dusk

Author: Simon Dewar (Editor)

Genre: Horror, Anthology, Dark Fiction

Age Group: Adult

Rating: 4 stars

Purchase: Amazon

Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

DUSK
A time between times.
A whore hides something monstrous and finds something special.
A homeless man discovers the razor blade inside the apple.
Unlikely love is found in the strangest of places.
Secrets and dreams are kept… forever.
Or was it all just a trick of the light?
Suspended in Dusk brings together 19 stories by some of the finest minds in Dark Fiction:
Ramsey Campbell, John Everson, Rayne Hall, Shane McKenzie, Angela Slatter, Alan Baxter, S.G Larner, Wendy Hammer, Sarah Read, Karen Runge, Toby Bennett, Benjamin Knox, Brett Rex Bruton, Icy Sedgwick, Tom Dullemond, Armand Rosamilia, Chris Limb, Anna Reith, J.C. Michael.
Introduction by Bram Stoker Award Winner and World Horror Convention Grand Master, Jack Ketchum.

Suspended in Dusk is a quality anthology of dark fiction and horror stories, all of them centered around dusk. The anthology hides some gems and some mediocre stories, and they strike a good balance.

“Shadows of the Lonely Dead” starts off the collection, a story about a woman who takes in the death of all the people around her and the elderly she takes care off. An intriguing concept, and the other develops it nicely, although it packs a little much for a short story, especially with the storyline of the boyfriend thrown in. 4 stars.

The next story, “Taming the Stars” focused on two protagonists, Michele and Esther, and it had some twists I did not see coming. I found Esther especially intriguing. This was one of my favorite stories of the anthology. 4 stars.

“At Dusk They Come” was another favorite. Strange creatures appear at dusk, and leave a man with a terrifying choice. Some cool twists, and although I figured out most of them before they happened, it was still entertaining. 4 stars.

“A Woman of Disrepute” had a Jack the Ripper-like feel to it mixed with some Dorian Gray since it also focused on artists and painters. An interesting story, but not on of my favorites. It wasn’t really as creepy as I’d hoped. 3 stars.

Next up, “Burning”. I wasn’t sure what to think of that one. It showed the horrible side of humanity, but it didn’t really scare me. 3 stars.

“Ministry of Outrage” was another good one, an original, interesting concept and the execution worked well too. The ending didn’t come as a surprise, though. 4 stars.

I liked “Maid of Bone”. The protagonist was so tragic, and the scenes of her visiting the graveyard were haunting and atmospheric. 4 stars.

“Shades of Memory” wasn’t a favorite of mine. I didn’t mind the concept, which was good overall, as was the setting, but the protagonist bothered me and his choice at the end just wasn’t believable to me. 2,5 stars

“Reasons to Kill” gave an interesting spin to the whole zombie/vampire lore in a post-apocalyptic world. Loved this one. 5 stars.

“Digging Deep” is one of my favorite premature burying stories I’ve ever read – the author does an amazing job describing the main character’s panic, and the ending was just wow. The writing was excellent, and this was my favorite story from the collection. Stories about premature burials have been attempted by hundreds of authors, but it’s tricky to pull it off in a believable way. 5 stars.

“Outside In”. I didn’t like this one. I didn’t finish reading it either, the whole mixed up order of chapters confused me and I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. DNF.

“Hope is Here”. Loved this concept, unfortunately I saw the ending coming from miles away, and I kept on wondering how Many would be involved. A little dissapointing that she wasn’t then. 3 stars.

“Would to God That We Were There”. A story set in outerspace is always interesting, and I felt the protagonist’s fear and insanity seeping through the pages. 3,5 stars.

“Negatives”. I want to see this one as a book. I loved it, an amazing story about twin sisters and an abandoned theme park. I’d love to visit an abandoned theme parks, and this made me only slightly scared to visit one, hehe. 5 stars.

“Fit Camp”, also known as “Fat Camp” and the scary things that happen there. An entertaining story but not genuinely scary. 3 stars.

“Quarter Turn to Dawn” was an all right story, but I struggled to get into it. 2 stars.

“A Keeper of Secrets” was another winner for me. I liked the concept of a keeper of secrets stuck on attic. The ending was thrilling and horrifying at the same time. 5 stars.

“Spirits Having Flown”. This book deserves to be a full-length novel too. A good concept, well-executed, and great writing. 4 stars.

“The Way of All Flesh” had an interesting spin. Didn’t expect that one. 4 stars.

So all in all, I enjoyed most of the stories in this collection, some of them were amazing. I’ll definitely be on the look out for more anthologies put together by this editor.

Filed Under: Anthology, Dark Fiction, Horror, Reviews Tagged With: anthology, book reviews, collection, dark fiction, horror

Book Review: Mysticism & Myths

February 19, 2015 Leave a Comment

Title: Mysticism & Myths
Genre: Paranormal Collection (Sampler)
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

A MUST READ FOR FANS OF THE MYSTERIOUS WORLDS OF GHOSTS, SEA DWELLERS & SHAPESHIFTERS!

Have you ever wondered about different myths of the world? These include the stories that so many cultures live by and the ones that of the best movies are based upon? You do know that these interesting concepts haven’t just appeared out thin air, right?

Introducing Mysticism & Myths, a sampler by six authors of varying genres. Each author has chosen a legend or culture from various regions, and embellished the details. Webs have been spun, and fantasies have been built in an effort to deliver to a collection that is sure to be entertaining.

The worlds captured in these stories are many! From ghosts and vampires to sea dwellers and shapeshifters, and even ancestral rebirths! There’s something for everyone.

For detailed synopsis, please visit: http://mythsandmysticism.wix.com/mam1

Mysticism & Myths is a paranormal sampler collection, offering samples from six books. The first is “Bound by Blood” by Margo Bond Collins. I’ve read several books by this author before, so I was excited to find a new one here. Lili, from Filipino origin has tried her entire life to adjust to the American ways When children in her area start growing ill, and nobody seems to find a cure, Lili, who has since become a doctor, tries to save them. This novella was very intriguing. The writing flowed fluently, the characters were engaging, and the ending came as a surprising twist. I also liked the inclusion of an aswang, a mythological monster not many people know about.

The second story, Isa: Gift of the Baloma by Perri Forest is a fantasy story about love, and finding it in the most unlikely of places. The chapters included here are just the start of a full-length novel. It ended rather abruptly, and I would’ve liked to read more, but as far as a start to a book goes, this was pretty interesting. The author does a good job crafting the characters and the world.

Micco, Anguta’s Reign by Dormaine G. is the story of Micco, a native American who wakes up one day at a crime scene and then laters gets chosen to work the case along with the local detective. The murders keep piling up, people start seeing wolves, and Micco’s behavior changes dramatically. A supernatural murder mystery with enough surprises to keep on being entertaining, I particularly enjoyed this one. It’s my second favorite story in the collection. Seeing Micco struggling with grasping what’s going on is intriguing.

In Cursed: A Yorkshire Ghost Story by Karen Perkins, a skeleton is dug up. The skeleton belonged to a witch, Jennet, and she’s out to get revenge. Since I’m a huge fan of ghost stories, this was my favorite story in the collection. The writing was great, the characters stood out, especially Old Ma Ramsgill.

Carnem Levare by Jaxx Summers focuses on Stefano, a man who tried to commit suicide only to find out he couldn’t die. He’s cursed, heartbroken over losing the love of his life, and now he’s forced to relive through that pain over and over again. While madness sinks in, he keeps on believing in love. The character development in this novella is the strong part of it, although the plot is original too.

The last book in the collection, The Life Keeper by Abby L. Vandiver, is another interesting one. Jessica does whatever she can to help out her family, but when her cousin shows up looking for a strigoi – some sort of vampire – her household is turned upside down while her cousin suspects the strigoi might be one of their relatives. It’s an interesting story to wrap up the collection, and while I figured out early on how it would end, I did enjoy it.

Each story has its merits, and the writing is strong throughout. If you’re in the mood for some fantasy novellas, ranging from horror and ghost stories to murder mysteries and romance, I would recommend this collection.

Filed Under: Anthology, Book Tours, Enchanted Book Tours, Fantasy, Paranormal / Supernatural, Reviews Tagged With: collection, fantasy, horror, novella, paranormal, romance

Book Tours: Starter Day Party for Mysticism & Myths

February 2, 2015 3 Comments

I’m hosting the starter day party for the tour for paranormal collection “Mysticism & Myths”. The tour runs from February 2nd to March 2nd. I’ll be reviewing the book on February 19. Stay tuned for the review, and I hope you enjoy the tour!