~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~
DreamWorks Valentines ~ Download & Print Cards #ValentinesDay
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~
A Shade of Vampire (Book 1-8) by Bella Forrest - Book Review
Book Synopsis:
On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake. A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.
She is kidnapped to The Shade, an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine. An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.
Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is selected out of hundreds of girls to take up residence in the tree-top harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal prince.
Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.
Will she succeed? Or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?
Purchase a copy from Amazon.
Learn more about Bella Forrest.
Book Review:
I took a leap and reviewed this book. Eight books later, I feel that I can safely walk away from Sofia and Derek’s story. (There are a total of 18 books in this series; however, not all 18 follow the same characters.)
I love this story’s theme that a couple is stronger together than apart, and complement each other in unlikely ways. But, it was the science fiction element that originally appealed to me. The Shade is an island engulfed in constant darkness where creatures of the dark desire light.
There is the obvious symbolism of good vs. evil in the light and dark scenario. However, Sofia and Derek prove that the smallest amount of light (good) can defeat the darkest of night (evil).
I did have a problem with the storyline that stretched through eight books. I realize that some stories take a life of their own and turn in a different direction than what the author originally anticipated. However, I feel as though Sofia and Derek’s story was close to loosing control, and could have used more direction. It became very soap-opera in book form a few times. I feel as though with a little more discipline the writing could have delivered a better storyline, and when the storyline is good, who cares if it’s eight or 20 books in a series.
A Shade of Vampire gets a 2.75 to 3 stars from me.
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Andrea'. All opinions are honest and my own.*~
Sevara: Dawn of Hope by Damian Wampler ~ Book Review
When fifteen-year-old Sevara refuses to marry, she's kicked out of her orphanage and left on the streets of Plexus with nothing. She doesn't last long on the outside. Luckily, someone has been watching her.
A shapeshifting immortal gives Sevara a second chance at life, and a powerful set of gifts. But when Sevara begins a doomed love affair with the man she could have married, she must choose between protecting the city and saving the only man she's ever loved.
This is the beginning of a fantasy adventure that will span hundreds of lifetimes.
With a strong female lead, this coming of age adventure is a haunting and heart-pounding thrill-ride.
Purchase a copy on Amazon.
About the Author:
Damian is a lifelong documentary photographer who originally hails from Newark, Delaware. Damian earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Anthropology from Boston University and boarded a place bound for Kyrgyzstan shortly after, where he taught English for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer. Later, he earned a Master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Russian, Eastern Europe and Central Asian Studies, and returned to the Kyrgyz republic as a Fulbright researcher. He returned to the United States to study digital photography at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He also wrote and produced a full-length play which premiered June, 2009. Damian is the writer and creator of the Sevara graphic novel. He is currently a Foreign Service Officer in the U.S. State Department, and lives most of his days overseas with his wife, son, and toy poodle.
Connect: Website | Twitter | Goodreads |
Review:
I have only read a couple sci-fi/fantasy type books and I really enjoyed this one the most. I like that our main character, Sevara. She is a smart and determined teen. She is ready to fight for fair rights for all girls in Plexus and have certification for all that are uncertified. Sevara has seen what happens to the girls from the orphanage if they are not bought as a wife/servant/baby maker, they all end up on the front line of the war. Sevara will fight for each of her sisters right until the very end. Leif, the Ministers son is looking to buy a wife but he doesn't want to be like all the other men in Plexus that have multiple wives. He wants one wife to share his life with. He met Sevara at the auction and now is determined that she will be his wife. But Sevara wont be bought, she will fight on the front line with her sisters that have aged out of the orphanage instead of being purchased. Looking for her family is also something Sevara will do when she leaves the orphanage.
The book is only 250 or so pages but has a lot of story within these pages. I found the story for the most part flowed really well. I did notice right away now chapters and sometimes when switching character POV's we don't get any notice but I didn't find that it made me confused with the story. I love that there are shapeshifter/immortals in it and would really love to learn more about these characters as I didn't feel we really got to know them that well. I look forward to reading more about Sevara.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~
Sins of the Father by Jamie Canosa ~ Book Tour ~ Review & Giveaway
Monsters exist. Not in closets or under the bed, but within each of us. And sometimes . . . they win. Kidnapped. Confused. Afraid.
Ophelia wakes up to find herself an unwilling pawn in a plot for revenge.
Pain. Blood. Loyalty.
These things bind Sawyer to a promise he struggles to keep.
Sawyer doesn't want to hurt Ophelia. Ophelia doesn't want to be hurt. But somethings are unavoidable. What happens when trust is broken? What happens when fear and love collide?
Hearts get broken and lives get shattered when the Sins of the Father are brought to bear.
Available on Amazon
Meet the Author:
Jamie Canosa is a full time author of YA literature, which she absolutely loves. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she can usually be found with her nose in a book. She currently resides in Upstate NY with her wonderful husband and three crazy kids . . . plus the cats, the dogand the rabbit.Review:
Sins of the Father by Jamie Canosa had me endlessly on the edge, wondering what would happen to the character Fi. She is a safe reserved gal, whose friend Lisa drags her to a wild Frat house party. She thinks Sawyer is her knight in shining armor. Only to discover things go very wrong. Don't ever let your guard down and trust someone to much. Dark wooded nights, dreaded motives, and a hidden secret lead to acts of despair. She may be falling for the enemy. But will the revenge his accomplice seeks for them both, lead to her death. A past filled with heartache , abuse, and death. We are so vulnerable as human beings. A gleam of hope in someone's eye they may have compassion, could change everything. Life goes on. The whole circle of love, friends, and family are tested for truth and value. We let things go for a reason. This book is very well written. The flow is extremely easy, and you won't want to put the book down. Just when you think you have the next clue figured out, something changes. Just the thing I like in a plot and story line. A hook that keep a reader going till the end. Four stars for the author and the book.
Giveaway:
Win a signed paperback of Sins of the Father,
$20 Amazon gift card,
handmade ribbon bookmark customized to the story,
scented candle,
and a set of signed swag.
East of Everything by A.O.K. Simpson ~ Book Review
Book Synopsis:
This is East London, where talk is cheap and beer is dear and everyone but you has an ironic tattoo. And this is a story of millennial men: of cobbled identity, flawed friendship and terrible love.
René Dubois-Williams is thirty, and at a low ebb in his life. Jobless, loveless and living with his indulgent mother, there appear to be no limits to the depths of his degradation. But a chance encounter with a couple of old school friends—the pathologically charming Madoc, and Niceguy Howard—will set all three on a tortuous path of self-discovery; careering wildly through betrayal, redemption, triumph and despair.
Will René finally find love with the remote and enigmatic Flame? Can Howard hang on to his bored and restless girlfriend, Anna? What will Madoc do with the body?
Find out all this, and more, in…
EAST OF EVERYTHING
Purchase a copy from Amazon.
Book Review:
This book reminds me of Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise, although Simpson writes about post-college, millennial men. His dark, sad and lonely theme delivers dry humor that had me chuckle out loud. The man has a way with words, and he knows it too.
However, I found the first part of this book lacking. A good book pulls the reader deep into the story, begging the reader to loose his/her reality. The story’s progression was a bit slow for me, but I am hardly the target audience as a Gen X female. I think the writing buys too much into the egoistical visions of grandeur and the depression that follows the realization of inadequately. Whether intentional or not, this approach did not appeal to me.
So, why the 3 star rating? Either this is a well-accomplished author with a real diversion for millennial men, or there is a true talent that needs a little attention. Basically, I expect great things from this author. As a Gen Xer, I am naturally skeptical. Therefore, A.O.K. Simpson, don’t let me down.
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Andrea'. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~
Author Spotlight Saturday with Nathan Wall
Well, I’m from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I’m married with two kids. I’m in real estate development. That’s great because it allows me to work from home a lot which means I can write more often than most other indie writers. I tend to do most of my writing in the morning before my family wakes up. After I take my daughter to school I’ll usually write for another hour and then get on with my day.
I wouldn’t say I’ve always been a writer, but I’ve always been a story teller. When I was younger I would make elaborate shows with my action figures. Where most boys would just make pew-pew and ‘raaarrr’ sounds with their toys, I would act out massive plots with gruesome twists. When my brother and other friends would play, I had to try extra hard to be nice. It was frustrating watching someone else screw up the story. I’d have to explain how the events were supposed to unfold and why there needed to be a sense of tension between Batman and Joker before rescuing Robin and Batgirl. I think they were good sports about it and let me act out the role of director, but really everything just went over their heads. We were 6 and 4 after all.
Around the age of 10 or so I wrote my first short story. It was about these robbers who got stuck in a flooded town. I think that plot was later stolen and turned into a really bad Christian Slater film. I remember seeing the trailer for it when I was in Jr. High and I was pretty peeved. In high school I wrote a story because I was challenged by a friend. It was an action-comedy-horror piece based off our school. Nearly every character died and then later came back with super powers. That’s when I really started to find my voice. That’s why I love writing cross-genre pieces. I hate labels. In a realm where we’re supposed to be creative, writers, readers and wanna-be’s spend a lot of time trying to fit works into very finite boxes. That doesn’t really compute with me. I mean, I sort of see the need for it from a retailer’s perspective. But in the online community, where we rarely search for books based on what’s available in a genre but more so through keywords, I don’t see why we’re forced to label our work when really just about everything produced now-a-days crosses lines.
Whatever. I’ll leave the debate of true Sci-Fi vs faux Sci-Fi to the snobs who never get past procrastination, and just continue to write.
What was this question about again?
What was your inspiration for ‘Artificial Light'?
The series premise for my Evolution of Angels universe in a nutshell, in which Artificial Light is the 3rd book, is that mythological gods of ancient religions (Zeus, Thor, Osiris, Vishnu, etc…) were all part of a supreme species called angels. Angels were assigned sections of earth to watch over and protect. When the Archangel Azrael, a reaper, defied orders to collect an innocent soul and instead restored it to life, a second war broke out. Even though the catalyst for the war was whether or not Azrael’s actions were justified, the real argument centered around angels having supreme power but no will of their own, and humans having limited power but free reign to do as they pleased.
That conflict led to faction lines being severed with the main “Corners” of Heaven splitting off in alliances. These factions came to earth and procreated with each other and sometimes with humans. A hybrid race called half-breeds or “Descendants” resulted from angel-human unions. Many of them were gifted with special abilities like telepathy, healing, teleportation and so on. Some of the angels even did experimentations on humans, turning them into human-animal hybrids known as changelings. This is what gives us mythological creatures such as werewolves, satyrs, centaurs and the like. The result is a constant blending of mythologies to create a new story allowing the legend of demigods like Hercules to coexist with the Biblical lore of Nephilim.
There’s also a whole host of mythological lore and archeology mixed into a very Sci-Fi explanation with shit tons of action.
Artificial Light is the 3rd book in my Evolution of Angels universe. It’s the culmination of entirely separate plotlines and casts in ‘Evolution of Angels’ and ‘The Descendants’. In Artificial Light, we see characters from both books interacting on the pages for the first time. Really, this is the book I couldn’t wait to get to before putting words to a page for E.o.A #1. Both book 1 and book 2 could be read out of order. There are nods to what is happening elsewhere in the world in each book, and when you read both books you have those “aha” moments where you notice what the other book was referencing. However, Artificial Light directly plays off what happened and what was established before it. In a sense, it’s the first TRUE sequel of the series. Yet, there is so much about it that doesn’t rely on what came before. I’m not talking about bringing Dr. Malcolm inexplicably back to life like what The Lost World did, but more so that I try to write everything as close to a standalone as possible. Think of it as not having to watch Thor in order to enjoy the Avengers.
In Artificial Light, we’re introduced to whole new characters. It’s just as much an origin story for Horus as it is continuing the journey of Jarrod, Lian and Austin from Evolution of Angels and Athena and Madame Patricia from The Descendants. In fact, at one point, the scope at scale of Artificial Light was so daunting that I decided to cut a whole storyline and save it for a parallel novel. So readers looking for a payoff on Zeus will have to wait and those in love with fan favorite Oreios won’t be happy that he’s not in this novel. But I didn’t really want to publish an almost 200k word novel. In the end, I think Artificial Light is much better off because of this move.
Oddly enough, in a series titled Evolution of Angels, it’s the first book of the series that actually has a large involvement of angels as main characters beyond the Prologue. To steal a line from a 5-star review for book one: The title “Evolution of Angels” is quite deceptive, as this book is not really about angels. Not in the form or from the point of view you would expect, anyway.
What three words would you use to best describe your novel?
Smart. Action-Packed. Shifty.
The hyphen means I get away with cheating. Doesn’t it?
Can you tell us if you’re working on anything else at the moment?
I’m always working on multiple projects. I have varying percentages finished on the follow up books to Artificial Light. Since I had to cut a huge chunk of this novel to make it digestible, I’ve got some shifting to do for my series outline. Books I thought I would publish next year will be delayed. It’s possible a direct sequel to Artificial Light doesn’t arrive until early 2018 even thought I have 3 more novellas planned.
I also have two other standalone books with no connection to outside works. One is completely written and the other is in early draft mode. I would very much like to publish them, but I wanted to get enough of Evolution of Angels’ universe out and ready for consumption before I started chasing squirrels. There’s that and the fact I can only budget SO MUCH for proper editing and cover design.
What was your very first book that you wrote?
As I stated earlier, I’ve written a lot. Most of them connected short stories. The first real novel—intended to be such—was a first person comedic-thriller. It’s about a young man looking to punish himself for past situations and outcomes beyond his control. The story leads to a shot at redemption and a chance for happiness eerily similar to what sent him towards the dark side in the first place. I haven’t published it yet.
Other than your own, what are your favourite books?
I like anything with large casts that keep you guessing, or superheroes. I really don’t like Young Adult novels.
When you are writing do you like to listen to music? What is on your playlist?
No. It’s distracting. I have certain songs that I’ll listen to while driving, walking home after taking my daughter to school, or riding my bike, which pump me up and shoot visions of action across my brain. But there’s nothing that I’ll listen to WHILE I am writing. I find I need to focus since I’m very much detail oriented.
Some songs that pump me up are No Leaf Clover by Metallica, Weak and Powerless by A Perfect Circle, Battlecry by Celldweller, SuperMegaDubstep and Fallen Angels by Ra.
I’ve even written my own theme song for Evolution of Angels and had it developed.
Who is your favorite character in your books?
In all of my books, it would be Wyatt Cooper from the previously mention, unpublished comedic-thriller. He’s simultaneously the perfect combination of what everyone would like themselves to be and everything they hate wrapped in an arrogant yet insecure shell.
In Evolution of Angels, I have the most fun writing Oreios, Jarrod, Lian and Set.
Do you ever take characteristics or nuances from close friends or family when working on character development and if so has that friend or family member noticed and what was their response to it?
All the time. It’s the best way to create realistic characters. Sometimes it’s more blatant than others. I’ve had friends notice aspects which were reflected in them, but most often characters my friends and family like the most are either characters which embody large amounts of their personality or are completely opposite of what they are. For instance, my wife loves Oreios but she’s nothing like him.
What’s your favorite treat?
Shinerbock
What’s your Favorite place to read/write?
I like to write in my office with the lights off. Reading I like to do in front of the TV.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
My wife and I are addicted to House Hunters International. I used to live overseas when growing up. I even did my first year of University in Brussels. I took my wife over there for our honeymoon. She became addicted. We’ve discussed this often about what we’d like to do when the kids are in college. In House Hunters International, you often watch people look for places to rent all over the globe. Our favorite ones are Europe. If I had to choose one place to settle, it’d probably be Italy because of the nice weather and food, or Belgium because of the beer and how quickly you can get to other places in Europe that you want to see.
However, my wife and I agreed that we’d be super rich when we get to this point in our life (this is a fantasy after all) and that’d we’d spend the Football season (and subsequently the Holidays) in America and the rest of the year spending no more than 2 months in any given city, immersing ourselves in everything it and the surrounding area has to offer. So, the real answer to this question is everywhere.
Connect with Nathan on Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Artificial Light
by Nathan Wall
Giveaway ends February 10, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Thank you Nathan for taking the time to speak with us here on Genuine Jenn!
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~
Hanover House by Brenda Novak ~ Book Review
Book Description:
Welcome to Hanover House….
Psychiatrist
Evelyn Talbot has dedicated her life to solving the mysteries of the antisocial
mind. Why do psychopaths act as they do? How do they come to be? Why don’t they
feel any remorse for the suffering they cause? And are there better ways of
spotting and stopping them?
After
having been kidnapped, tortured and left for dead when she was just a teenager—by
her high school boyfriend—she’s determined to understand how someone she
trusted so much could turn on her. So she’s established a revolutionary new medical
health center in the remote town of Hilltop, Alaska, where she studies the
worst of the worst.
But not
everyone in Hilltop is excited to have Hanover House and its many serial
killers in the area. Alaskan State Trooper, Sergeant Amarok, is one of them. And
yet he can’t help feeling bad about what Evelyn has been through. He’s even attracted to her. Which is partly why he
worries.
He knows
what could happen if one little thing
goes wrong...
Purchase a copy on Amazon.
About the Author:
Review:
This is the first book I have read of Brenda Novak's and I have been missing out on some great work for sure. I was hooked right from the first page. I love psycho thrillers and this one will be a great series I am sure! It has a little of everything I enjoy, it is a clean read, with suspense, mystery, a killer or in this case multiple and romance. Sweet romance with a hot cop ;)
The main character, Evelyn has been through the worst when she was 16. She lost her best friends to murder, he then boyfriend, Jasper. He then went crazy on her, raping and tormenting her for three days before torching the shack he had her in. Evelyn lived and Jasper got away, no one has seen him in twenty years. Evelyn is on a mission to understand why men rape and kill women. She has a new prison that will open in Alaska with hand picked inmates that Evelyn will study.
All the while.... Jasper is hunting for Evelyn to pick up were they left off. It is a suspenseful, thrilling novel. I didn't want to put it down at all. The story flows very well following three characters, Evelyn, Jasper and the new love of Evelyn's life, Amarok. Evelyn can't have a romantic relationship after everything that happened to her but she finds herself falling for Amarok. He is sweet, caring and very good looking. I can't wait for this series to continue!
I give this book 5 stars!
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~
H2O by Virginia Bergin ~ Book Review
.27 is a number Ruby hates.
It's a number that marks the percentage of the population that has survived. It's a number that means she's one of the "lucky" few still standing. And it's a number that says her father is probably dead.
Against all odds, Ruby has survived the catastrophic onset of the killer rain. Two weeks after the radio started broadcasting the warning, "It's in the rain. It's fatal and there's no cure," the drinkable water is running out. Ruby's left with two options: persevere on her own, or embark on a treacherous journey across the country to find her father-if he's even still alive.
Purchase a copy on Amazon.
About the Author:
Virginia Bergin works as a writer for TV, eLearning, and corporate projects. Most recently, she has been working in online education, creating interactive courses for The Open University. She lives in Bristol, England.
Connect: Website | Twitter |
Review:
I wasn't sure what to really expect from this novel as it is about "killer rain" and a YA. I was really interested in how this story would play out with the rain and how Ruby would get through it all. I will say one thing, Ruby isn't my favourite character, to be honest I didn't really find a character I really liked. The few that are in the book are very minor, Simon being more of a secondary character than most. I really did have a hard time in the end with Ruby as she is a self-absorbed brat, she is also a bit of a bully. Ruby is fifteen, I get that she is likely immature but she really doesn't seem to notice what is happening around her. She makes fun of another boy she finds along her travels, who ends of telling her she is a bully. She is fixated on Saskia another girl that hung around in her circle of friends. I took a couple days to think about this book after I finished reading it and I still don't like Ruby. I do now she that maybe some of her actions are out of shock and how she is dealing with everything that has been happening.
The concept of the "killing rain" is really interesting and I am sure it can have numerous stories about it. This one is Ruby's diary on what happened when the killer rain hit. I am pretty sure I would have liked this book more if I was a teen but as an adult I thought it was okay. I am interested in seeing what book two holds as this one left off on a bit of a cliff hanger.
I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars.
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~
Sylvan Shame by Brandi Warner ~ Short Story Book Review
HE DREAMED OF THIS MAN HIS WHOLE LIFE
…until he came true.
Dr. Tyson LaForge—standing at 6’2” weighing 230 pounds of pure muscle, with dark wavy hair that covers cobalt blue eyes—has recently graduated medical school, and tonight starts the beginning of his night shift on the emergency room floor of Tulane Medical Center.
Just when Tyson runs out of patience for the chaos that surrounds him, a nurse points to Room 208, where a mysterious male patient—black hair, black eyes, and an even blacker soul—awaits him. The man won’t let the other nurses come close to him with silver scalpel. He fights and spits at everyone in the room when they try to hold him down to administer anesthesia. A gaping wound bleeds profusely in his side, and he needs Tyson’s medical expertise before it’s too late.
Tyson finds himself immediately drawn to this thick and throbbing stranger for some unknown reason. He wonders if the man with no name, who refuses to speak or reveal his identity, just might be running from someone. He clearly is hiding something.
Tyson will soon discover the cause for the man’s shiftiness and nervous energy lies in the fact that he is a werewolf, and his pack wants him dead.
When he looks at this wounded man, so large and powerful and full of wild energy, sitting naked on the gurney, Tyson sees a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. The hairy stranger warns the other nurses and hospital staff to stay away—to beware—but his eyes communicate a desperate vulnerability that only Dr. Tyson LaForge can understand. The spark of connection between Dr. Tyson LaForge and his new werewolf patient will change both of them forever, and both men will discover parts of themselves they never understood before meeting each other. Follow Tyson LaForge on a journey into the heart of shifter love and sexual heat—the ending will leave you breathless and heaving for another session of hot and sexy human/werewolf lovemaking.
Total Page Count: ~50 pages. Please note this novella includes two complementary novels with your purchase, with links to other stories you might find interesting. If you like short stories that pack a punch with heat and sexytimes, give this a shot. 18+ ONLY. READER BE WARNED.
Purchase a copy on Scarlet Flower Publishers
Review:
This is a short story, a werewolf shape shifter type story. The author has a great story idea with this but I didn't feel this book as much as I thought I would. First there wasn't any shape shifting, boo, I also didn't find it as sexy as I thought it was going to be (there is a sexy scene at the end but I felt it couldn't went deeper), it was pretty tame. I did like how the author had the human Dr. Sexy Dr. Tyson LaForge meet his sexy but dirty and disheveled wereworlf, while on his first night shift at the hospital. With some reworking this could be a great short story. I am not sure if this is the first from the author or not. I did that it could use some more editing with grammar.
It was a fun read for 30 minutes before bed. I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.
I give this a 3 stars out of 5.
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received a copy of the above book for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~
Celebrate Valentine's Day with Simon & Schuster Canada #ValentinesDay2016
You're invited to a fun Valentine's Day event on Facebook with Simon & Schuster Canada! Check in daily for giveaways, reading recommendations, excerpts, and other fun, bookish things between now and February 14th! Hang out on Valentine's Day with your one true love: books!
Join the event page right now and use hashtag #ValentinesDay2016
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~
The Magic of Esmerelda (Monday) by Khristin Wierman ~ Children's Book Review
Meet Esmerelda!! She is a little girl who seems to conjure magic wherever she goes. Esmerelda’s magic is special, yet it is something we are all capable of creating – it’s simply kindness, compassion and the desire to help others. Through Esmerelda’s example, children learn how our everyday actions can have a profound impact on our friendships and the world around us.
“Monday” is the first of the seven-part Esmerelda picture book series. On Monday, Esmerelda is able to practice kindness and compassion at school. She teaches her friends a little bit about sharing and makes a new friend along the way.
Most appropriate for:
*Ages 4 – 6
*Preparing for friendship and school life
*Bedtime stories with a lesson
*Learning kindness and compassion
*Learning to share
Purchase a copy on Amazon.
About the Author:
Khristin Wierman lives in Oakland, California and the Tucson area of Arizona with her husband, step-son and two cats. The Magic of Esmerelda series is her first venture in writing children's books.
Connect: Amazon | Goodreads |
Review:
My daughter, Abby loved reading this book. She said that Esmerelda is awesome and liked that she included Eric in playing with her and her friends at recess. They made a new friend after inviting him to swing with them and he was happy. Abby also loved that Esmerelda has two black cats. She didn't like that Annie was mean at the beginning to Eric but in the end she was also playing with him and taking turns on the swings.
Abby did find some of the words a little hard but we read it together. She gives this book a 5 out of 5 and can't wait to read more of Esmerelda's adventures.
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~
Worst Laid Plans (A Maddox Storm Mystery Book #1) by Claire Robyns ~ New Book Release & Review
Name of book: Worst Laid Plans
Publisher/Author: Claire Robyns
Date released: 1 Feb 2016
Number of pages: 183
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Book Description:
All Maddox Storm wanted was to come home and hide from the world in peaceful solitude for a few short weeks. Oh, and give her soon-to-be ex cheating scumbag husband a fat headache while she’s at it. He hates all small towns, and Silver Firs in particular, with the kind of passion most men reserve for the bedroom.
So call it revenge, or call it poetic justice, but investing his savings in the town’s founding inn seemed like the perfect plan for all her needs.
But everything goes out the window when Maddox finds her arch-nemesis dead as a doormat in the kitchen downstairs. Before she knows it, she’s embroiled in a murder investigation and tangling with the smoky-eyed detective on the case. Not that she doesn’t trust him to do his job, but he may not be quite as motivated as she is to bring the guilty party to justice. After all, she’s the one who unwittingly incriminated upstanding townsfolk and worse, she may be living under the same roof as a pair of unlikely murderers.
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About the Author:
I love to write mystery, romance and adventure, cause sometimes one life really can have it all (between the pages of a book, at least.) When I'm not thigh-deep in laundry, shopping, cooking and general crowd control, you'll find me head-and-heart-deep in the tangled lives of my characters.
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First Review (Jenn):
I haven't read many cozy mysteries lately. I am going to get back into them after this book. This was a great lil cozy mystery. I love that the author wrote it in first person point of view, Maddox. I love the main character. Actually it is hard not too like all the main characters. They live in a small town where everyone knows everyone. Word travels fast that Maddie is back in town and staying at the Hallow House. Out of the blue this little town is shaken with the death of Ms. Daggon (who not many really liked anyways, bless her soul). Maddox finds herself in a pickle every time she opens her mouth around Detective Bishop (Nate). Then things get more and more interesting. It is a fun who dunnit novel with fun characters that I am sure you will love. The author did a fabulous job at keeping a great pace with the story line and roping the reader in from the start. I can't wait to see what happens in book #2!
I give this a 5 out of 5 stars as I had a really hard time putting this book down.
Second Review (Kris):
Twists and turns. Secrets and lies.
Worst Laid Plans is a small town of Silver Firs, with secrets buried in the past. The main character Maddox, reveals hidden clues , and unsuspected people. Responsible in disrupting the towns history. This storyteller leaves you feeling sympathetic toward the evolving characters, and shocked
by the hidden criminals. The clock ticking sequences have Maddox and her best friend Jenna involved in solving the towns mystery, making for an exciting read!
The author Claire Robins captivates her readers with unexpected plot twists, and relationships broken by betrayal. In the end, will all love and hope be lost. You will have to read to find out.
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received the above book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~
