A Life Through Books

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Blog Tour Book Review

Blog Tour: Blind Allegiance by Violetta Rand

Blog Tour: Blind Allegiance by Violetta Rand
8:46 AM 6 Comments

Historical Romance
Date Published: 6/25/2013

It’s a risk of a lifetime loving a man you’re supposed to hate…
Betrayed by a brother she hardly trusted before the bloodthirsty Viking, Jarl Randvior Sigurdsson, attacks her home, Noelle Sinclair is conveniently bartered as a means to save her cowardly sibling’s skin. Forced to leave her homeland and accompany the petulant Viking to the untamed wilderness of central Norway, Noelle is ever-aware of the burgeoning dangers around her—including her weakening resolve to resist Randvior.
Should Noelle surrender to his resplendent charms and seduction, or fight with every ounce of strength she possesses to get home?



My Review:
Anytime I read a Historical Novel, I expect to be taken back in time and be able to feel the imagery so that I can imagine I am in the time period I am reading about. Violetta Rand has an wonderful way with words and managed to provide vivid detail without the story feeling overly descriptive and bogged down. 

 I enjoyed the Viking aspect of this story as most of the Historicals I read dont have Vikings, it was a refreshing change. 

 Compelling characters and a fast moving and exciting plot will definitely keep you engaged to the story throughout. Great read! 


Violetta Rand holds a bachelor's degree in Environmental Policy and a master's degree in Environmental Management. Serving as an environmental scientist in the state of Alaska for over seven years, she enjoys the privilege of traveling to remote places few people have the opportunity to see.
Violetta has been "in love" with writing since childhood. Struck with an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age, at five, she wrote short stories illustrated by her best friend and sold them in her neighborhood. The only thing she loves more than writing is her wonderful relationship with her husband, Jeff. She enjoys outdoor activities, reading whatever she can get her hands on, music, and losing herself in the ancient worlds she enjoys bringing to life in the pages of her stories.



Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at 6 comments:
Labels: , ,

Friday, August 23, 2013

Blog Tour Book Review

Blog Tour: Dirty Water by Richard Hacker

Blog Tour: Dirty Water by Richard Hacker
2:00 AM0 Comments

Crime Thirller - Suspense/Mystery
Date Published: June 2013
Publisher: Champagne Books

An open and shut case of vandalism leaves more questions than answers for PI Nick Sibelius, as he untangles a knot of egomania, desire and greed. When entrepreneur Dan Hoyt makes a deal with virtual gaming icon, Izzy Zydeco, to partner in a desalination project Hoyt begins to count his money.  Unknown to Hoyt, his partner has bigger and more insidious plans, which involves betraying a major drug cartel and, in a twisted business strategy to build a customer base for desalinated water, contaminating the Austin water supply for the next century. Working with a covert Homeland Security agent and past love, MaryLou and his new partner, Theresa, Nick must thwart Izzy and ultimately choose between justice and saving Theresa’s life.   Water is up for grabs in Texas and Nick discovers that H2O is a dirty business.

My Review:
This story has so many elements that makes it intriguing. Hacker has woven a tale of deception, politics, and crime solving and he has done a superb job of connecting all three. Sometimes when you read a story that has so much, some parts can seem lacking, but I really do think that the execution of each was well done. This showed a knowledge of politics, dirty politics to be exact. The characters were likable yet flawed, which is a great combination. The mystery was not that which I found myself solving from the first few chapters, which kept me intrigued. A great Mystery/Suspense read. 


Richard Hacker’s novel, TOXIC RELATIONSHIP, released August, 2012 by Champagne Books was a 2011 Writer’s League of Texas (WLT) finalist, where in addition, SHAPER EMERGENCE won best novel in the Science Fiction category.  He is a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association.  
After living many years in Austin, Texas where he worked as a leadership coach, public speaker and management trainer, he moved with his high school sweetheart to Seattle.  While he misses the big skies of Texas, Richard has grown fond of the Pacific Northwest.  His writing partner, a springer spaniel named Jazz, helps with proofreading and ball fetching. 
DIRTY WATER, the next novel in the Nick Sibelius series after TOXIC RELATIONSHIP, will be released June, 2013.  He is currently working on the third book in the series, CHAIN REACTION, as well as a young adult fantasy entitled INKER WARS: THE FIVE PENS OF JOHANN.
Visit him online at www.richardhacker.com


Contact Information
Twitter: @Richard_Hacker

BUY LINKS
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Blog Tour Book Review

Blog Tour: Call Me Crazy by Quinn Loftis

Blog Tour: Call Me Crazy by Quinn Loftis
9:47 PM0 Comments

YA Contemporary Romance
Date Published: 5/31/2013

“I’m looking out from inside the chaos. It must be a one-way mirror because no one seems to be able to see back inside to where I am. The looks on their faces, the judgment in their eyes, tells me everything I need to know. The most frustrating part about the whole messed up situation is that even though I’m the one that they stare at in shock, I am just as shocked as they are. I know no more than they do of why I lose control. What they don’t know is that I am more scared of myself than they could ever be.” ~ Tally Baker

 After a devastating turn of events, seventeen year old Tally Baker is admitted to Mercy Psychiatric Facility where she is diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. She has come to a place where she honestly believes that her life is over. Her mind tells her that she will never smile or laugh again, that she will never be normal again. It is in this unlikely place that she meets two people, different in every way, yet both critical to helping her realize that she has so much more living to do. 
Candy, a cantankerous sixty year old Mercy Psychiatric patient, is hell bent on driving everyone as crazy as she is. Candy shows Tally that, regardless of her diagnosis, the ability to push on and live her life to the fullest is her choice and hers alone. In the midst of Tally’s oftentimes humorous, sometimes heart-wrenching, escapades with Candy, a new patient is admitted to Mercy—a native American woman named Lolotea. Along with this new patient comes a daily visitor, her son, Trey Swift. At first glance, it is obvious to Tally that he is incredibly handsome and unbelievably caring. But what she learns through her second glance, and many thereafter, is that there is much more to Trey than he ever lets on. It is during these daily visits that Trey and Tally build a friendship far deeper than either of them truly realize. With Trey, Tally feels for the first time since being admitted that someone is looking at her as a person and not as a disease. Trey begins to make it clear that he wants more than friendship, but she knows that she can never give him more. How can she, when she won’t even give him the truth?  Tally doesn’t tell Trey that she is a patient at Mercy, and she doesn’t ever plan to. Her plans go up in flames when she finds out that Trey is a new student at her school, the school where her brokenness was found out in the floor of the girl’s bathroom in a pool of her own blood. 

My Review

The amount of emotion that Quinn Loftis has managed to evoke with this novel is out of this world. You really feel the emotions of these characters and you feel them so deeply.

 Amazing plot and everything felt so real and flowed so smoothly.

 Very multi-deminsional and diverse characters who showed growth and humanity. A thought provoking and deep novel you will not forget once reading. 




Quinn is a 32 year old wife, mother, nurse, and writer, not necessarily in that order.  She lives in beautiful West Arkansas with her husband, son, Nora their Doberman pinscher and Phoebe their cat (who thinks she is a ninja in disguise). She loves writing, reading, and crocheting. Her favourite holiday is Christmas, favourite book(s) is Pride and Prejudice, The Alpha and Omega Series by Patricia Briggs, and the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. She loves to be silly and have fun, loves music and thinks there is no greater sound in the world than that of her little boy's laughter.
Twitter: @AuthQuinnLoftis
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,
Blog Tour Book Review

Blog Tour: The Serpent's Tooth Trilogy by Kathy Fischer - Brown

Blog Tour: The Serpent's Tooth Trilogy by Kathy Fischer - Brown
10:20 AM1 Comments


Historical Fiction
Date Published: 6/13/2012 - 8/31/2012 - 2/6/2013

BOOK #1
As a child, Anne Fairfield dreams of the father she never knew, the hero who died fighting the French and their Indian allies in a land across the sea. Her mother’s stories, and fantasies of her own devising, sustain and nurture her through a poor and lonely existence. Until one winter night, a strange man comes to call, and the life she has known comes crashing down like shattered glass.
Forced to confront sordid truths, secrets and lies, the headstrong young woman begins to learn that, like generations of women ruled by their hearts, she is destined to follow in their footsteps.
Set against the backdrop of 18th century England, Lord Esterleigh’s Daughter is the first book in “The Serpent’s Tooth” trilogy, which follows Anne from the rural countryside, to London society and into the center of the American Revolution.


 My Review:
This is a trilogy that is out and unfortunately I only had the time to read the first in the series, but from what I read it was a nice start to a series. There is a lot to absorb as the introduction to new characters and a certain time period, but Kathy Fischer-Brown manages to do this without bogging down the plot. 

 Anne is a great lead character, her reactions to certain people/situations are genuine and believable. 

 The description used really transports the reader into the place and time of the novel. That alone makes the story very easy to connect to. 

 This one will definitely leave you wanting to read the rest of the series, so be ready for that. 



Links to Buy 


As a child Kathy wanted to be a writer when she grew up. She also wanted to act. After receiving an MFA in Acting and playing the part of starving young artist in New York, she taught theater classes at a small college in the Mid-West before returning home to the East Coast, where over the years, she and her husband raised two kids and an assortment of dogs. During stints in advertising, children’s media publishing, and education reform in the former Soviet Unions, she wrote whenever she could. Her love of early American history has its roots in family vacations up and down the East Coast visiting old forts and battlefields and places such as Williamsburg, Mystic Sea Port, and Sturbridge Village. At the same time, she daydreamed in history classes, imagining the everyday people behind all the dates and conflicts and how they lived.
Claiming her best ideas are born of dreams, Kathy has written a number of stories over the years. Her first published novel, Winter Fire, a 1998 Golden Heart finalist in historical romance, was reissued in 2010 by Books We Love, Ltd.
When not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, photography, playing “ball” with the dogs, and rooting on her favorite sports teams.

LINKS:


 GIVEAWAY
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , , ,
Blog Tour historical romance

Blog Tour: Faster than the Rest by Shirleen Davies

Blog Tour: Faster than the Rest by Shirleen Davies
8:05 AM1 Comments


Western Historical Romance
Date to be Published: 8/27/2013


U. S. Marshal Jamie MacLaren will do whatever he must to find people who have been abducted, then return them to their families. This includes the woman who betrayed him then disappeared from his life.

Victoria Wicklund has endured numerous obstacles since she left Fire Mountain. None as frightening as being the victim of a kidnapping. At least that is what she thought until Jamie MacLaren appeared to rescue her. He was older, just as handsome as she remembered, and as unforgiving as the Arizona sun in summer.

Neither expects the desire they shared many years before to still burn as strong as ever. Nor do they anticipate the accusations upon their return to Fire Mountain. Will Jamie seek revenge, turning his back on the only woman he ever loved? Can Victoria forgive herself enough to trust the one man who can help her?

BUY LINK


INTERVIEW

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

Making sure that I don’t lose my readers as my style is to move through different venues and locations within one chapter. I’ve always been drawn to works by crime and mystery writers, many of whom move rapidly between scenes and characters within the same chapter, much like you would see on a television program or movie. This style has always held my interest. It keeps me involved in the story and the characters. It was natural for me to utilize this same style in my writing. 
The other challenging part is that I use many characters and focus much of my work on enabling the reader to get to know something about each one. My goal is not to just introduce characters. I strive to highlight different aspects of the personality and character of each person so that the reader may form a connection. Each book in the series re-visits characters from other books, which forms a community for the readers. It is challenging, but I enjoy it.

What songs are most played on your Ipod?

I listen to a lot of George Strait, Brooks & Dunn, several other country singers, plus a number of jazz artists.


Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

Yes. I use two to three beta readers plus my editor. The input from all of them is invaluable and I highly recommend utilizing resources such as these. Writers need more than one set of eyes.


What book are you reading now?

Against the Edge by Kat Martin, Honored Unraveled by Elaine Levine, and a book about understanding and using Goodreads. 


How did you start your writing career?

I’ve written most of my life but focused on strategy and articles for business journals. My fictional stories were penned on slips of paper and notebooks with the hope that some day I’d be able to carve out the time to create the books in my head. That time came several years ago and I couldn’t be enjoying it more. 


Tell us about your next release.

HARDER Than The REST will be out in late Fall 2013 and centers on Will MacLaren, one of the twin brothers.  A tragedy changes his life propelling him on a path he would have never imagined—hunting down and bringing killers to justice. But at some point he realizes he must make a choice to either continue on this journey of revenge or attempt to reclaim the man he once was before it’s too late. 






I have been writing most of my life, but only recently began the transition into fiction. Historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and short stories are what keep me reading, so that is the focus of my writing. 
I was born in California, grew up between a growing beach town and a small town at the base of the San Bernardino mountains. My mother originally planned to name me Katherine, but she read an article in the paper about a woman named Shirleen shortly before my birth, so instead of having a cool nickname, like Kate, I am simply Shirleen. My mainstays growing up were all the Nancy Drew mystery books; I loved them. Eventually I moved on to mysteries, suspense stories, crime novels, and romance. Pride and Prejudice will always be one of my favorites.
Besides California, life changes have allowed me to live in Oregon, Colorado, and Arizona. Everywhere I have lived has been inspirational in one way or another, giving me the opportunity to meet remarkable people with their own stories to tell. I've sailed, skied, owned horses plus lots of other animals, and ridden various off-road vehicles. I enjoy dancing, fishing, hunting, being the back-seater on my husband's Harley, traveling and, of course, reading and writing.
Prior to transitioning to writing fiction, I worked for Fortune 500 and many smaller, start-up companies. Fortunately, I regained my sanity long enough to start my own consulting firm, which I still maintain today. 
My husband and I spend most of our time at our main home in the mountains of Arizona and our second home in Southern California. Between us we have five boys with growing careers and families of their own. 
So, from my perspective, my life is a success and always an adventure. I wouldn't change a thing; well, except finding more time to write.
I love hearing from readers, so please feel email me at shirleen@shirleendavies.com.
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , ,

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Blog Tour Book Review

Blog Tour: Dark Night of the Soul by E.M. Havens

Blog Tour: Dark Night of the Soul by E.M. Havens
9:06 AM1 Comments

FANTASY
Date to be Published: 7/1/2013

What comes after life? Jayden Schroeder is about to find out. At the end of the road of despair, she ends it all and finds out that living might not have been so bad.  Thrust into a strange and disparate world, Jayden joins a team of warriors from all places and time. Together they battle demons to save the souls of the living, all the while on the run from the end of all things - The Judgment.

Will she fight for a second chance to spare those she loves? Or surrender?

Dark Night of the Soul is a fantastical journey, both literally and figuratively for Jayden’s soul. Action adventure, fantasy, romance, and dark humor twist together to create an afterlife tale that will keep you thinking long after the final chapter.


My Review:
A very well executed Fantasy Novel! This book is Young Adult in feel as the main character showed her age of 17 quite a bit, but not in a way that took away from the book. It was believable. These characters will consume you by the end of the book. They are well developed and multi-dimensional and you will route for them til the very end. 

 Whether you are in the mood for Romance, Action, Fantasy, or Suspense, this one wont steer you wrong. 
BUY LINK


E.M. Havens
Who is E.M. Havens? I’m a lot of things. The word that seems to define me most at the moment is mom. It can be all consuming. Not only am I a mom of three (one of them is a teenager…pity me), but I also home-school (pity me more). I share this awesome responsibility with the love of my life, best friend, and soul-mate husband.

Add to that, the twenty-five chickens, twelve turkeys, ten guineas, nine pigs, three barn cats, two Great Pyrenees guardian dogs, a Chihuahua, a house cat, and a goose, it makes for one crazy, full, and certainly entertaining life.

Somewhere in there I find the time to write.  I started out young writing poems, then moved on to songs. I actually have a Bachelor in Music with a secondary in Science because I can’t stand English. Yes, the writer hates English.  I like to read the story for the experience of reading the story, not to nitpick each letter and comma. But I digress.

I eventually found blogging and really enjoyed sharing my life that way. When an unfortunate turn of events separated me from my music equipment, I decided to use my overactive imagination, my love of reading, and my new found hobby, prose writing, to release some of my creative energy.  I wrote my first novel and loved the experience. Fate War: Alliance is actually the second novel I wrote and the first to be published.  Now I’m working on my third and several sequels to Fate War! 

So that’s pretty much me, sitting in the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma, reading, writing, collecting eggs from the coop, and being a schoolmarm. It’s a pretty great life.
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , ,

Friday, August 16, 2013

Blog Tour Book Review

Blog Tour: Wrage by Joseph Spencer

Blog Tour: Wrage by Joseph Spencer
6:32 AM1 Comments

Occult Crime Thriller
Date Published: 6/1/13

Sometimes the toughest fight lies within yourself.
As more dark secrets come to light, the battle for souls pushes Prairieville to the brink of war in the living and supernatural realms. 
Jeff Wrage swears a blood oath to Abaddon, the supernatural avenger of murder victims, to hunt the crooked cop who butchered his wife. Jeff wonders whether he can be the executioner Abaddon requires. Their pact throws the supernatural realm in chaos and threatens to trigger an apocalyptic fight for control of the afterlife between the Sons of Darkness and Sons of Light foretold in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Orlando Marino sees the death of Cyrus Black as his opportunity to restore the Marino family's stronghold in Prairieville’s organized crime scene and become a mob kingpin. He unleashes a plague, turning its victims into mindless followers. Cyrus' heir is busy rooting out a traitor and is unable to stop the coming turf war in the realm of man.
The fate of all rests with Homicide Detective Anna Duke, who steps into the shoes of her mentor while coming to terms with unrequited love. As she tries to clear the fallen hero's name, she takes on a case where corpses go missing. Her new partner is reported dead. She learns the truth about her true identity and uncovers a trail of secrets questioning her tragic past. She journeys to avert the destruction of all creation.

My Review:
Well the book cover definitely alludes to the fact that this book is dark and it does not diappoint. The 2nd in a series, Joseph Spencer has managed to pen a second installment as good, if not better than the first. 

 I loved the balance of Supernatural and Real. So much present in this book could be done without the paranormal, but the supernatural really does add another level to it. 

 The mystery and suspense is well executed and believable, it will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. Plenty of plot twists and a plot that is well paced.



INTRO
Joseph Spencer is the author of the Sons of Darkness series launched by his debut novel, Grim, on September 1, 2012. The second book in the series, Wrage was completed and released on June 1, 2013. 
THE ROAD HERE
The Sons of Darkness is a series of paranormal crime thrillers following investigations into mysterious deaths in the central Illinois city of Prairieville. Home of the notorious serial killer, The Reaper, Prairieville has had a history of violence centered on an ongoing feud between the Marino and Black organized crime families. When bodies start showing up again at the abandoned Marino State Hospital, many fear the Reaper has returned. The people of Prairieville are about to find out their problems stem from a supernatural source which has lurked in secret for decades. 
THE STORYTELLER’S STORY
As a boy, Joseph Spencer immersed himself in the deductive logic of Sherlock Holmes, the heroic crime fighting of Batman and Spider-Man, and a taste for the tragic with dramas from poets like Shakespeare and Homer. 
Before Joseph took to spinning his own tales, he pursued a career in print sports journalism, graduating with honors from Clinton (IL) High School in 1996 and summa cum laude from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in 2000. He covered such events as NASCAR’s Subway 500 race in Martinsville, the NBA Draft Camp in Chicago, the Junior College World Series, and Minor League Baseball’s Midwest League All-Star Game during a ten-year career throughout the Midwest. Now, he works as an emergency telecommunications specialist with an Illinois police department. The combination of years of writing experience with a background working with law enforcement professionals gave rise to his writing aspirations. 
Joseph was married Dr. Amy (Waggoner) Spencer, an accomplished veterinary doctor, on March 14, 2012. He received word his debut novel was accepted by his publisher, Damnation Books, the next day. Joseph and Amy look forward to their honeymoon in Paris in September 2012. Murphy, a 15-year-old orange tabby, is perhaps the most vocal member of the family. The Spencer family enjoys reading Charlaine Harris, George R.R. Martin, Mary Janice Davidson, and most paranormal stories. The Spencers also enjoy quoting movie lines from The Princess Bride, Rain Man, Bridesmaids, and Office Space.
Twitter: josephspencer00
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , , , ,