A Life Through Books

Monday, January 12, 2015

Blog Tour Book Review

Blog Tour: Heartnapped by @daydreamingj #review

Blog Tour: Heartnapped by @daydreamingj #review
7:07 AM0 Comments



Contemporary / Interracial Romance
Date Published: July 9, 2014


   
Jayla Simmons never imagined herself working in a place like Vice, but what's a girl to do when she has a child to support all on her own? Her disdain for the place isn't limited to her occupation. Her boss, Carter Rossi, has had a strange fixation on her since she started dancing at Vice, and though she's reluctant to admit it, she's drawn to him as well. Carter Rossi is tired of the cat and mouse game he's been playing with Jayla's since the day she walked into his club. The son of Don Antonio Rossi has been denied few things in life, and Jayla Simmons will be no exception. He'll have her by any means necessary.


Review


This novel is a quick read, but I felt like there was a lot packed into it. It is a start to the series and you begin to get a feel for the characters and where the story is going. Wish it would have been a bit longer and delved more into the story, I will definitely pick up the next in the series. 



I grew up in a tiny town with lots of room for my imagination to grow, and never outgrew my love for playing make believe. I developed my love for storytelling when I was very young, and used it as a way to escape and explain the world around me. That storytelling ability has grown and evolved a lot since then and taken me many different places. I'm having fun following where it leads me. I've been writing since I was a child; seriously, my mom has the crayon illustrated short stories to prove it. My writing has been mostly private since the end of my UIL creative writing days circa 1998. The writing bug bit me again when I was a freshman in high school, and I finally had the guts to publish my first e-book, Purple Hearts, in July of 2013! Now, I'm hooked, and determined to make a career out of this little passion of mine. My writing style is very direct with a little bit of humor. Alpha males are my guilty pleasure, but don't expect my female main characters to be passive damsels in distress. Every girl needs a little spark to her to keep the guys on their toes, right? I write mostly interracial/paranormal romance, but I've been toying with contemporary and historical romance plots as well. In short, I'm a dreamer by nature and an artist by trade. I endeavor to take my readers on a different journey with every new story I write.
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Excerpt Mystery

PROMO: Silk by Chris Karlsen #excerpt

PROMO: Silk by Chris Karlsen #excerpt
2:30 AM1 Comments


Mystery / Suspense / Thriller
Date Published: December 14, 2015

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

Silk on the skin—luxurious, luscious..lethal.
London-Fall, 1888

The city is in a panic as Jack the Ripper continues his murderous spree. While the Whitechapel police struggle to find him, Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone and his partner are working feverishly to find their own serial killer. The British Museum's beautiful gardens have become a killing ground for young women strangled as they stroll through.

Their investigation has them brushing up against Viscount Everhard, a powerful member of the House of Lords, and a friend to Queen Victoria. When the circumstantial evidence  points to him as a suspect, Rudyard must deal with the political blowback, and knows if they are going to go after the viscount, they'd better be right and have proof.

As the body count grows and the public clamor for the detectives to do more, inter-department rivalries complicate the already difficult case.



EXCERPT

He wrapped an end in each hand and pulled. His fingers crept up the silk and he tugged a bit harder still. The material pressed deeper into the flesh of her neck. Bright pink dotted her cheeks and radiated down to her jaw. The veins in her temples popped out and pulsed in time to her heartbeat. She moaned, pushed her hips upward and writhed against him. Her soft pubic hair tickled his testicles. Isabeau’s unsubtle way of letting him know she wanted him inside her. He obliged.

Her hands encircled his wrists. She tugged hard outward, harder than usual. A choked sigh escaped her. He paid no attention. This was standard. Isabeau always insisted he maintain pressure until she signaled for him to release his hold. In the past, when she reached the edge of consciousness, she’d beat along his upper arms. This time she thrashed her head back and forth, something he hadn’t seen before. Her eyes bulged in an unattractive way and she clawed at him. Her nails gouged the skin on his hands, drawing blood.

She hurt him and he wanted to slap her. He almost let go of one end of the scarf to do that. Instead, he pulled tighter. Isabeau tried to insert her fingers into the spot where the material crossed over. Her mouth opened and shut, soundless and fishlike. She swatted at the mattress wildly. Red-faced to the point of being near purple, she bucked beneath him.

She fired his blood with her lack of inhibition. Never had she responded with such intensity. Raw power surged through him, primitive, animalistic. He pumped hard. Ready to climax, William clenched his fists, twisting the scarf one last turn. Odd, feathery touches tapped his biceps, feminine and subtle grazes, and then she went limp. Spent, he released his hold and collapsed on top of her, his heart pounding while he caught his breath.

Isabeau didn’t move and her head stayed turned to the side. She hadn’t cried out the way she normally did when sated. Perhaps she was disappointed with his effort. He gave the thought a mental shrug. At the end of the day, it really didn’t matter. He’d arrange for her departure first thing in the morning.

William rolled over and slung a sweaty arm over his eyes. He tried to decide which was worse, telling her tonight the affair was over or waiting until morning. The idea of doing it after such a rambunctious sexual endeavor seemed bad form, but he wanted to get it over with. He turned onto his side, prepared for histrionics, caterwauling, great tears and verbal abuse.

“Isabeau, look at me. I’ve come to a decision and it will likely distress you.” Nothing. She didn’t stir. “Isabeau?”

He shook her by the arm. Still no response. William let go and her arm dropped listless to the mattress. He raised her arm again and let go. Again, it fell listless. He straddled her and patted her cheeks. Nothing. Her head twisted without resistance first right then left depending on the direction of his pat. He slapped her harder. Nothing. Vacant eyes stared fixed on the ceiling. He bent an ear to her chest. Nothing. William leapt from the bed, snatched a silver mirror from the dressing table, and held it under her nose. Nothing.

“Bitch.” William hurled the mirror against the wall. “Bitch, whore,” he raged and paced along the side of the bed. “I will not allow you to make my life a nightmare. This was your doing. I told you to leave me alone.”




About the Author

I was born and raised in Chicago. My father was a history professor and my mother was, and is, a voracious reader.

I grew up with a love of history and books.


Contact Links



Buy Links


photo readingaddictionbutton_zps58fd99d6.png
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , , , ,

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Blog Tour Book Review

Blog Tour: The Girl in the Black Pajamas by @CHRISBIRDY1 #review

Blog Tour: The Girl in the Black Pajamas by @CHRISBIRDY1 #review
1:00 AM0 Comments


Murder / Mystery / Suspense 
Date Published: July 2014
   
R&B Investigations is under attack. Their employee is shot in the back as he enters the building, and a hacker is trying to compromise their secure network. While the Boston police investigate the shooting, Bogie McGruder needs to find the culprit who is trying to put them out of business. Bogie and his partner Rose Jones can’t disclose their internet problems to the cops since Bogie is a hacker himself. Bogie McGruder returns to Boston with his four- year-old daughter Isabella. He joins up with Rose Jones’ uncle Walter who is fresh for Lompoc Prison. Bogie and Walter strengthen their firewalls while they try to determine who is behind the invasion. As the R&B team hones in on the culprit, they uncover several murders and discover a plot to wipe out the financial institutions in Boston. While Bogie is in Boston, his extended family in Palm Beach becomes enmeshed in a sex scandal that threatens to ruin lives and careers in the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office. Feeling like a wishbone about to snap, Bogie tries to handle problems in both cities while Isabella continues her quest for someone to teach her the Five-Point-Palm-Exploding-Heart technique as seen in Kill Bill Volume 2. This tale of murder, revenge and greed takes the reader on a whirlwind trip from Boston to Palm Beach and back.

The Girl in Black Pajamas is available in both print and ebook format. 


Review

Wow, Chris Birdy has created a very memorable and action-packed Mystery novel. I loved the fact that this was kind of multi-dimensional in the plot. There were two main things going on in tandem.

The characters are so fun to read about. I hadn't read the first and didn't feel lost, but now have a desire to read the first in the series.

There are some darker themes in this novel that may not be for everyone. Overall this was a great mystery/suspense and I really enjoyed it. 






Chris Birdy is an award-winning author of the Mystery/Suspense Pajama Series. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After graduating from high school, she did a four year stint in the Middle East. When she returned to the States, Chris settled down in the Boston area and became a true Bostonian by collecting college degrees while raising a family.
For more than twenty years, Chris has been a member of the legal community performing investigative work for Boston law firms.
Chris lives outside of Boston and in Palm Beach, Florida with her husband.
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Blog Tour Book Review

Blog Tour: Tranquility by @lauriegardiner #review

Blog Tour: Tranquility by @lauriegardiner #review
9:00 AM1 Comments


Women's Fiction  
Date Published: December 2014


   
Tranquility belies its name. Behind the nursing home's serene exterior hides a sinister secret.
Soon after transferring to Tranquility's dementia unit, support worker Sarah Scott suspects a co-worker of abuse. Doing the right thing could mean losing her job, and unemployment is not an option for the young, single mom.
Meanwhile, Sarah questions whether her newest resident, Edie, belongs in the locked unit. The feisty, Scottish woman certainly doesn't act as though she has dementia. Sarah is determined to have Edie released, but her plans are thwarted when Edie risks her own freedom to help find the proof needed to stop the abuse.


Review
This novel is definitely more on the serious side. It actually made me think about what I would do in a situation like that. Everyone reacts differently and Sarah definitely had to debate her course of action. Ultimately she decides she needs to help. 

 I enjoyed the relationship between Sarah and Edie. The way Sarah got to know her really is what you hope for when your parents are in a home like that.

 This is a very well written Women's Fiction novel and I enjoyed it immensely. 





Laurie grew up on a farm in a small Northern Ontario community in Canada. She left home at seventeen to experience life in the city and now lives in Cambridge, Ontario with her husband of twenty-seven years.
Raising three kids, teaching fitness and operating a home daycare left little time for writing, but she did have some poetry published in various anthologies over the years. In 1997, her short story “Til Death Do Us Part” placed first in the Cambridge Writers Collective anthology.
At the age of forty, Laurie went back to school and began a new career as a personal support worker. Though she ended up working in homecare, it was a placement in the dementia unit of a long-term care facility that inspired her to write her first novel, Tranquility.
Laurie is currently enrolled in the Creative Writing Program through the local community college and is working on her second novel.
Twitter: @lauriegardiner
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , ,

Monday, January 5, 2015

Blog Tour Book Review

Blog Tour: Adventures with Ragweed by Linda Lou Crosby #review

Blog Tour: Adventures with Ragweed by Linda Lou Crosby #review
2:00 AM0 Comments

Humor
Date Published: February 10, 2014


   
Whimsy - Humorous Tales of Adventure, Friendship and Outdoor Ventures For Young Adult Readers and those young at Heart
Adventures with Ragweed is a collection of humorous short stories filled with adventure and family themes.
Ragweed is a tribute to the whimsical part of each of us. Follow this young teen and her best friend, Marney as they travel to Mexico for a fishing trip, where the family is to shoot a pilot for a television show, instead, find themselves in an unexpected sea storm.
Laugh out loud as Ragweed takes on the tennis elite at the country club or attempts to rearrange their perfectly cut lawns.
Always one to learn new things, this young freckled face gal with the unruly blonde hair, builds a float, rides a horse and grows a garden - always getting into unintentional trouble and conning her friends to partake. Each task done with her own unique vies of the world.
Light Hearted and Funny
These stories are meant to entertain. It's difficult to narrow it down to one specific genre as the book is a collection of short stories suitable for young adults as well as for an older crowd with a sense of humor. Family Relationships, Friendships, Essays and Humor are categories all presented within the pages of this book.
If you like the outdoors you might enjoy reading about Ragweed's horse riding exploits or her compost-creating stunts. She spends a great deal of time playing sports and in the garden. Most of the stories are based on the author's own experiences when she was a young adult but some of us know that inner youth tends to follow us into adulthood - so if you have similar backgrounds, these tales will make you grin.
Beautifully Illustrated
Each story in this humorous collection is beautifully illustrated. The pictures capture the character and facial expressions of the gals in these short stories and in our opinion add to the text. There is also an animated video on the author's page that is worth watching. The artist tried to capture the fun-spirited character of Ragweed and when the pictures were put into film, the story came alive visually. It's like a short cartoon.
Buy Links



Review

This is a very easy to read younger adult novel. I say that because it reads younger than a young adult novel. More Juvenile Fiction. Its got a very childlike quality that just fits. The characters are interesting and compelling. I think that children in Middle Grade will definitely love Ragweed and her adventures.




Linda Lou Crosby is a video producer, storyteller and former professional athlete. Like Ragweed, she has a unique approach to life. Ragweed is a part of herself she wanted to share with others. Linda Lou has a great sense of humor and likes to laugh and make others laugh too.
She currently lives with her husband in Montana and California where on clear days you can find her fishing, hunting or hiking.
She and Ragweed hope you will enjoy each tale in this book as much as Ragweed enjoyed living the adventures.
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,
Excerpt Giveaway

Release Day: Scorch #giveaway

Release Day: Scorch #giveaway
12:00 AM0 Comments


Urban Fantasy
Date Published: January 5, 2015

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

Hailey Holloway has a serious knack with running from her problems. At the first sign of trouble she can be found lacing up her Nikes and hitting the road. Dacea has been patient with her, but a man can only handle so much. He told her before that he would not chase after her again and is he nothing, if not a man of his word. Katherine is more than happy to pick at the wound that festers between them. If she picks enough, she just might make one or both of them bleed.

War is on the horizon. Together, they need to convince the leaders of Blue and Silver to join their crusade against the Council, but can they put their differences aside and stop fighting long enough to help those in the line of fire?



EXCERPT

“Hope. That is your answer?”
He tilted his head slightly at her tone. “It is.”
 “Why should I hope for something that is doomed?” she asked plainly. “What would going back solve? We’d be happy for what? Five minutes before some new drama puts us at odds. I’m tired of fighting all the time. Loving Dak is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s like loving a frickin’ mountain. He’s stubborn and unyielding to the point that I just want to beat my fists against him but that would do nothing but make me bleed. I can’t take being built up again just to have him tell me how I’m supposed to live, feel or love.”
She gave a short humorless laugh and shook her head. “Hope is one of the worst promises I could give myself. Because if I allow myself to hope for him to come around, and it doesn’t happen…I will be broken. Dak is hard headed, inflexible and has arrogance coming out his ass. He is my Mate, and God help me, but I love him for all his faults, even if he can’t love me for mine.” While Silas listened he reached over and brushed his thumbs over each of her cheeks clearing away the tears. She batted his hands away and with a clear voice she continued, “If I walk away now, I can keep what little is left of me together. I can hold on to the cracked pieces that haven’t completely shattered and go on living. It might not be the best life, but it will be under my own terms.”

He should have been happy at her declaration. Silas could have his sister without Dacea’s interference. They could leave tonight and travel, go wherever she wanted for as long as she wanted. They could connect. But he could either have the Hailey that was full of pop culture trivia and was always good for a smile with her infectious laugh. Or he could have the reserved.

Hailey who watches the clouds pass by from the window of her room, never granting more than a brief comment to the mundane. He could have one or the other, but she couldn’t be both.
Silas may not have spent much time with her yet, but he knew who his sister was.
“Hailey,” he put his hands on her shoulders and tilted his head to the side trying to catch her gaze. “There is always reason to hope.”
 





About the Author

K.C. Stewart lives in central Pennsylvania with her three cats. She is currently attending college online for Library Science while working full time as a photographer. In her spare time, which isn't easy to find, she reads an obnoxious amount and writes in between everything else. K.C. has a very real addiction to gummy bears and talking to her cats when no one is around.

Contact Links
Buy Links



 Giveaway

2 $5 amazon gift cards, 3 Scorch ebooks.





photo readingaddictionbutton_zps58fd99d6.png
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Childrens Fiction

PROMO: Night Buddies and The Pineapple Cheesecake Scare by @Night_Buddies

PROMO: Night Buddies and The Pineapple Cheesecake Scare by @Night_Buddies
3:30 PM0 Comments


Juvenile Fiction
Date Published: June 1, 2012

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

  Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare  is an after lights-out adventure story that will delight young readers and middle graders who relish roller coaster fantasy and fun, filled with unforgettable characters and an astonishing and inventive collection of magical whatchamacallits.
Night Buddies is all about the nighttime adventures of a young boy named John, who is not ready to go to sleep, and his friend, a bright red crocodile named Crosley who turns up under John’s bed.

They sneak out of John’s house using Crosley’s “I-ain’t-here-doodad” which makes them invisible to John’s parents. They then embark on an adventure chasing down enemies and cleaning up one mess after another as they solve the earthshaking mystery: who stole all the pineapple cheesecakes from the only factory in the world that makes them!

The investigation starts out fine, but things get a little crazy when Crosley, who is allergic to water, gets wet.  Hilarious things happen when Crosley’s allergy to water kicks in, and when they get to the pineapple cheesecake factory and meet Big Foot Mae, the investigation gets more complicated and zany than either of them bargained for.
Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare is the first title in the Night Buddies series, a 7-times award-winning chapter book series for kids. The second book, Night Buddies, Impostors, and One Far-Out Flying Machine was published in February 2013 and the third book, Night Buddies Go Sky High is due out in March 2015. The Night Buddies series is available in both print and ebook format.


About the Author

Sands Hetherington credits his son John for being his principal motivator. Sands raised his son as a single parent from the time John was six. He read to him every night during those formative years. He and young John developed the Crosley crocodile character in the series during months of bedtime story give-and-take. Sands majored in history at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and has an M.F.A. in creative writing and an M.A. in English from UNC-Greensboro. He lives in Greensboro.

About the Illustrator:

Jessica Love grew up in California, with two artist parents. She studied printmaking and drawing at UC Santa Cruz, then went on to study acting at The Juilliard School in NYC. Her favorite way to work is collaborative, which is why illustration is such a treat.

Some of her inspirations are Maurice Sendak, Edmund Dulac, Lisbeth Zwerger and of course, the incomparable Hilary Knight. Jessica currently resides in Brooklyn, New York, toggling back and forth between her work as an actor and her work as an artist.

Author Links




Buy Links



photo readingaddictionbutton_zps58fd99d6.png
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,