Broken Promise by Tara Fox Hall

RATED 5 STARS

Sarelle McGarren is back in this sequel to Promise Me.  She has been oathed to Danial but since the oath she feels he has betrayed her and her trust.  She wants some time to think things through to decide if their relationship is really what she wants.  So she asks Danial to give her some time to think.

She moves back to her farmhouse and her animals and the Sarelle that we know and love is back!  She is her old feisty self and independence is her strong suit.  She knows how to take care of herself and the land that she lives on.

Her strained friendship with Theo is still going strong and the half-demon, Terian is still trying in vain to get Sarelle to choose him for her lover.  He concocts a potion that will reveal her true feelings for him and is sorely disappointed to find she only feels friendship towards him.

He fails to mention a side effect and that has very interesting consequences for Sar and Theo whose true feelings for one another are revealed.  After confessing their attraction to one another, Sar and Theo head to tell Danial who they find in bed with another woman who is wearing a fox necklace that Danial obviously gifted her.

Sar feels completely betrayed and is willing to now give it a go with the werecougar. Theo.  Their lovemaking is passionate and their friendship grows stronger and stronger as they live together in Sar’s house.

Life is too good and Sarelle is just waiting for the other shoe to drop and so it does in the form of Theo’s former lover, Tawny.  And oh there’s another surprise, Danial’s brother, Devlin, the ruler of all vampires, returns to take Sarelle away for himself.

I won’t tell you any more than that.  You will have to read this exciting book for yourself to find out what happens to the group of  frenimies.

                               ********************************

I love this series.  I started reading Broken Promise and got swept right back into the whole dynamic of this group of supernatural beings and the human who brings them all together.

Sarelle still has guts.  Danial is still irresistibly handsome.  Theo is still a rock.  Devlin is still scary as can be.  I missed them and now I want to read more.

Rated R for sex and violence.  

You can find Broken Promise here: Amazon

Board Books are Not a Bore

Every board book my kids had when they were babies and toddlers was well loved and read many, many times so they all got wrecked.  They chewed them on the corners and ripped up the flaps but they started to love books.  They learned to respect books too...down the line that is.  
Every baby should be read to.  Put the baby on your lap and read away.  Point and talk about the pictures.  Let your baby try to say the words.  As the baby develops into a toddler they can "help" you read, especially their special favorites.  Encourage your baby to love books, even if it means they chew one or two up.
Here are some board books I love.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Favorite Words by Eric Carle

Eric Carle may be 85 years old but he knows what kids love.  I suggest this one but any board book with his name on it is a winner.

Goodnight, Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

This is a classic good night tale that children adore and will quickly catch on to the words and ideas of the story.

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

Great pictures.  Cute flaps.  Zoo animals.  Enough said.

That's Not My Monkey by Fiona Watt

Kids like to touch and feel and this one fits the bill.  Give it a try and give a tactile lesson in the process.

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow

A classic rhyme that kids will love for a very long time.

Don't let the chance of a board book getting overly "loved" stop you from picking one for your child.  I know I'm so glad I did!
Until next week, keep on reading!

September 23, 2014

                                                                       


                       Happy Fall!!!!!!!!!!!

Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand

 Rated 5 STARS

Ven is an Imitaiton.  She is called in to replace and become her authentic, Raven Rogen, a spoiled, ultra rich, snotty brat who has gone missing.  Her father, Titus, is the mastermind of all the Imitations and is known as the Creator.  Ven has never forgotten him and she is properly appalled when she is sent to live with him.

He is cruel and demanding and has sent for Ven to be a decoy for the kidnappers.  Her assignment will be short and end with her death. There is no escape as she discovers there is a  GPS tracker inside her.

Ven is guarded at all times.  She tries to become like Raven but her natural kindness peeps out once in a while and she tries to cover as best she can.  She has no love for Raven and is disgusted by the way she lives and how she treats people.

One guard is of particular interest to Ven.  Linc seems to have a love/hate relationship with Raven and as Ven falls for him she longs for him to see her as she is.

Raven is supposed to become engaged to Daniel, her father’s protégé but when Ven meets him she gets a creepy vibe from him and really wants nothing to do with him.

She meets Raven’s friends and really wants nothing to do with those snooty girls either.

More and more, as attacks happen Ven dreams of escaping this awful situation but Titus has a strong hold on her and he is shrewd and demanding.

Will Ven ever find her way out?

I enjoyed the story of Ven.  She is a clone but she has a mind of her own and can think for herself.  She can fall in love and have friendly feelings toward others.  She is a little naïve but she catches on quickly and I loved that she planned her escape as soon as she realized she just couldn’t carry on this deception especially when it will involve her own death.

I liked Linc too.  He was mysterious and had that bad boy attitude going on.  I couldn’t really tell if he really hated Raven, if they had an affair in the past or if he was just disgusted by her entitled attitude.

Titus was creepy and nasty.  I couldn’t tell if he had any strong feelings for his daughter.  He only wanted to seem to control her and use her for social standing.  Raven seemed to always want to be the center of attention and Titus encouraged Ven to act the same way.

Daniel was a disgusting creep…or was he?  He is a mystery that hasn’t been revealed as yet.  I don’t know what to think of him.

Ven has to make a serious decision of what to do when she discovers other Imitations and I found it exciting and disturbing.  See what you think when you read this book.

School Days

KIDZ KORNER







I'm so glad the kids are back in school.  I used to say that all the time, even though it meant I was back at school too.  Summer is fun but my kids were always ready to go back to school come the end of August.  Hope your kids are having a great new school year!
Here are a group of books I think you would enjoy.

Ninja by Arree Chung:  The cover of this book just got me.  I love it!

Here Comes Destructo-Saurus by Aaron Reynolds  Isn't every kid a destructo-saurus at least once in a while??

Too Cool for School by James Dean  I know, Pete the Cat again!  This is an I Can Read book and it is just too cool for school!

This School Year Will Be the Very Best by Kay Winters  Every kid should think that every year!

So cuddle up after school and check these out.  They caught my attention.  I hope you like them too.
Happy September and until next week, keep on reading!

Guest Post P.S. Bartlett

Today I want to welcome the author of Fireflies, P. S. Bartlett.  She captivated me with this book so I asked her to share with all of us today.

A Long Summer’s Journey into the Past

The idea for my newest novel, The Blue Diamond – The Razor’s Edge, began back in October of 2013. One night I was toying with the idea of venturing a bit off of the path that I had previously travelled in historical fiction and striking out on a new adventure. I love pirate stories. There’s something about them that has always intrigued me. I enlisted the assistance of my online Facebook friends to help me name the male protagonist and the rest as they say, is history. As of this evening, my third novel is on its way through cyberspace to my publisher.

To be honest, I was nervous when I started writing this novel. I’ve read it can be career suicide if you change genres as a new writer. In my opinion, I haven’t really changed but rather slid to the side a bit. I’m still writing historical fiction but in this novel, I’ve added the elements of romance, action and adventure. After all, how can you write a pirate novel without those elements?

The Blue Diamond is about four young women who were orphaned at a young age during a Spanish raid in Charles Towne, South Carolina and they are left to fend for themselves. Through a horrible twist of fate, their small farm along the Ashley River is once again raided but this time, by Pirates. However, they aren’t children anymore. They are brave, capable young women who aren’t afraid to defend their land and their lives against invasion.

What follows is a path of freedom to live their lives on their own terms. These are four, very different but handy and formidable young women, who’ve made their own choices as to how they’ll live their lives. They’re smart, funny and unafraid to take on any challenge with the strength and vigor required to survive during the golden age of piracy. Love, lust, passion, violence and a haunting past are their daily bread but they eat it up and wash it down with an appetite for more.

I’m no longer afraid that doing this side step could be a mistake. What I’ve gained as a writer in knowing these characters and watching them come to life in my imagination has been nothing short of magical. I believe my readers will love them and want a whole lot more of them and I am more than happy to oblige!

Fireflies:

Thank you so much for having me on your blog and for reviewing my first novel, Fireflies. I hope that Fireflies continues to be loved and read for many years to come, as well the prequel, Hope From the Ocean. I’m currently writing the third book in the Fireflies series and will then write the second book in the Ivory Razor Adventures series. I just want to write good historical fiction full time someday.  This is my dream coming true. I just know if I didn’t have to hold down a full time job, I’d be turning out books like wildfire. It will come but for now, no sleep and the rare and fortunate treat of being able to share my thoughts with bloggers like you, keeps me focused and dedicated to my goals.

Thank you so much for having me. It means so much more than you know.

Fireflies by P. S. Bartlett

 RATED 5 STARS

The Whelan family is a large Irish family who are a loving and happy group.  The father is a doctor and one of his sons is training to follow in his footsteps.  The oldest daughter would like to follow that path also but doesn’t know if it will be open to her. The eldest son is in love and wants to start his own family and business.  The second daughter is waiting to find true love.  One son is interested in being an author.  One son is a leader and rallies the troops every morning for his mother.  And there is little Ennis.  He is six years old and adorable.  He loves everyone and has a happy disposition.

We first meet Ennis when he finds an injured little bird and he wishes that it would get better and fly away……..and it does.  This is just the beginning of special things happening to Ennis and how it affects him and his family is the core of this story.

I couldn’t help but love the Whelans.  They were all strong characters and they all had good values and faith.  Sarah, their mother, had  been born to wealth in Ireland but circumstances brought her to America and she forged a good life as a hard working wife and mother without all the niceties she was used to.

Owen, their father was understanding and kind and loving.  He clung gladly to the normalcy of his family.  He too lived in Ireland before coming to America under some unusual circumstances.

Teagan, the daughter who wanted to be a doctor was a wonderful character.  She had the usual problems of a young woman about to fall in love with her life long friend but she also had the determination to forge her own path as a doctor.

Liffy, the second daughter, was a dreamy teenage girl who was hoping love would find her and sweep her off her feet.  I really wanted that to happen for her.

Connor and Fagan, the two eldest boys, were strong and handsome and were pursuing the young ladies they hoped to make their wives.

The middle brothers were less prominent characters but were nice boys with their own interests.

That brings me back to Ennis.  This boy was so well written that I was really impressed.  He was a typical six year old until the things happening to him began to make him seem older than his years.  This was a boy who accepted his role and embraced it.  I loved how the author kept Ennis’ innocence in spite of the events surrounding him.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to read it.  It is not a YA book but is certainly appropriate for any teen.  As an adult, I thought it unusual and intriguing as well as beautifully written.

Back to School and Kidz Korner

KIDZ KORNER







This year I am doing something a bit different.  I am not going to stick with themes, just books that are new to me that pique my interest and I want to share with you.  I have added a new passion in my life: cupcakes!  The business is taking a lot of my time but I never want to stop recommending kids' books.  So here we go.  Hope everyone is having a great start to the school year.

It's still technically summer so I had to do one round of beach books.

Pete the Cat at the Beach by James Dean

Hide and Seek Harry at the Beach by Kenny Harrison

BeachBugs: A Sunny Pop-Up Book by David A. Carter

Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes

These books are all appropriate for preschool and early grades.  Use your own judgement though, if your baby loves books, try these.  If your third grader wants to read alone, these might fit the bill.  You'll probably have to take a last trip to the beach though!
Until next week, keep on reading!

Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle aka Patrice Michelle

 RATED 5 STARS

We all have dreams and nightmares.  They are just part of life, right? Not for Nara Collins.  Her dreams predict what the following day will bring.  She is not real happy with this “gift” but she is used to it.

When a dream reveals something she can’t ignore, Nara makes a decision that she had to intervene in someone else’s life in spite of the cold apprehension that seems to surround her.

When she meets the mysterious Ethan Harris, she is attracted by his good looks and his kindness.  They begin a friendship that turns to love and they soon learn of each other’s gifts. 

Are they destined to be together or will they be torn apart by forces beyond their control?  Fate plays a hand in what is happening to both the teens who are willing to battle for their own lives.

Nara was sick and tired of her dreams so she wanted some excitement. In a “be careful what you ask for” kind of way, Nara’s life seems to be more and more dramatic.  She is drawn to Ethan but is unsure of him, she feels she is losing her best friend, and she still mourns the father that abandoned her and her mother.  This was a real teen with a lot of problems that she had to face.  Her dreams were decisive and real.  Her actions after were those of a heroine even though they never turned out the way she thought they would.  I liked her spunk and determination. 

Ethan’s gift was intriguing.  I wasn’t sure at first if he was going to be good for Nara or bad for her.  He turned out to be supportive and loving.  He protected her as best he could under dire circumstances.

The big dream sequence at the end of the book was exciting and frightening.  I was hoping the whole time that the two teens would be victorious.  I don’t want to reveal too much about this book because the tension of the story is very important for the reader.  P.T. kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.  Can’t wait to read what happens next!

Happy Labor Day!

Have a wonderful day! I'll be back with a new review next Monday and KIDZKORNER will be back on Thursday, September 11.