Book & eBook reviews from a mom who forgets to do the housework because she's busy reading chicklit, romance, Christian, YA, mystery, paranormal, fantasy or other ebooks. Seriously, I'm phoning in pizza tonight!
Friday, March 20, 2015
Hunted Release Day - Liz Long Roanoke Author Invasion
Next Up on the Roanoke Author Invasion is Roanoke's own
I have read all of her books and am determined to have each one in print!
(Thank goodness she's local LOL)
Out today is the 3rd book in the Donovan Circus Series
Back Cover Synopsis: Lucy Sullivan finally belongs with the gifted Donovan Circus. Members are finding their rhythm, even the new folks from the Grayson Circus who joined after the last attack. Lucy feels like a trusted leader who can win the gifted battles and prevent humans from discovering their existence. When tragedy strikes camp, a distraught Sheffield sends Lucy and her gifted team to hunt down the enemy – Alex, a Chameleon with a wicked ability for war. He’s out for blood and won’t stop until Lucy and her friends are dead. This time, it won’t be Lucy’s gift that is tested – it will be her morality. To save her circus, the price will be greater than she ever expected. This time, she will lose someone she loves. And it will change everything.
___________________________________________________________________
Haven't read the first two in the series? No problem! You can get the first adventure, GIFTED, for only 99 cents on Amazon, B&N, and iBooks!
In Gifted, meet Lucy, a Firestarter who just wants to be normal amongst the freaks. She can control fire, though she’s quick to discover that power doesn’t always bring good things. Her famous father may have created a fiery legacy, but their good name is threatened when Lucy’s framed for murder. Felix Hardy, an old “friend” of the show, offers another side of the Donovan Circus story, one her father never told her. As she struggles to clear her name, Lucy will discover that maybe some things are better left in the past.
___________________________________________________________________
BURNED is just $2.99 on the same platforms. Get it for your e-reader today! Burned picks up right where Gifted left off, in a new city and ready to get back to work. When Lucy is attacked on the grounds, it’s discovered her enemy had friends – big ones. Medved, a Shapeshifter known as “the Bear,” is intent on the gifted world’s exposure to humans. To build his army, he needs Sheffield and Lucy out of his way. Sheffield sends Lucy and her friends to form an alliance with the Grayson Circus members, who have as many quirks as the Donovan group. Not all are who they seem and Lucy must choose who to trust before Medved kills them all.
___________________________________________________________________
Liz Long is a ridiculously proud graduate of Longwood University with a BA in English. Her inspiration comes from action and thriller genres and she spends entirely too much time watching superhero movies. Her fabulous day job as a Social Media & PR Strategist includes writing for LeisureMedia360 (Roanoker, bridebook, Blue Ridge Country magazines) in Roanoke, VA.
The Donovan Circus series has best been described as "X-Men meets the circus with a murder mystery thrown in." Her second book Witch Hearts, is a story about a serial killer hunting witches for their powers. Her newest title, A Reaper Made, is a fantasy about a Reaper who must work a little magic to save her family's souls from demons. All titles are available for paperback or ebook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks.
To learn more about Liz, visit her website: http://lizclong.com.
Author Links:
Website: http://lizclong.com
Twitter: (Handle: @LizCLong) https://twitter.com/LizCLong
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/lizclongauthor
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/lizlong
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/LizLong
Roanoke Author Invasion
April 11th 12-4pm Holiday Inn Tanglewood
Roanoke, VA
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Casey Bond Feature - Roanoke Author Invasion Participant
Today's author coming to Roanoke Author Invasion is
She's new to me but I see several I want to read!
Today I'm sharing her latest release!
Romance
Shelby Case avoids town and all the people in it. She can't stand the whispers behind covered lips, the judgmental stares. People say she's crazy, that she lost her mind when she lost her husband.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Feature Jennifer L. Armentrout Roanoke Author Invasion Participant
Next up on the list of authors coming to Roanoke Author Invasion is
Another of my favorite authors I own the majority of her books in paperback!
Check out her latest release The Return!
New Adult Paranormal Romance
The Fates are cackling their bony asses off…
It’s been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they’ve given him have been violent and bloody–which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He’s got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet.
It’s been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they’ve given him have been violent and bloody–which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He’s got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Sale See Me by Wendy Higgins Roanoke Author Invasion Participant
Good morning y'all!
Starting today I'll be featuring the authors coming to
on April 11th 12-4pm Holiday Inn Tanglewood Roanoke, VA
I can't tell you how excited I am to have so many amazing authors coming!
I'm starting off with Wendy Higgins!
She is one of my favorite YA authors and fellow Virginian!
Currently she has SEE ME on sale for this week only!
So, go grab a copy, sit back and enjoy!
YA Fantasy Romance
While most seventeen-year-old American girls would refuse to let their parents marry them off to a stranger, Robyn Mason dreams of the mysterious McKale in Ireland, wondering how he’ll look and imagining his cute Irish accent. Prearranged bindings are common for magical families like her own, however when she travels to the whimsical Emerald Isle she discovers there’s more to her betrothal and McKale’s clan than she was led to believe.
What starts as an obligatory pairing between Robyn and McKale morphs over time into something they both need. But one giant obstacle stands in the way of their budding romance: a seductive and deadly Fae princess accustomed to getting what she wants—and what she wants is McKale as her plaything. Love, desire, and jealousies collide as Robyn’s family and McKale’s clan must work together to outsmart the powerful Faeries and preserve the only hope left for their people.
What starts as an obligatory pairing between Robyn and McKale morphs over time into something they both need. But one giant obstacle stands in the way of their budding romance: a seductive and deadly Fae princess accustomed to getting what she wants—and what she wants is McKale as her plaything. Love, desire, and jealousies collide as Robyn’s family and McKale’s clan must work together to outsmart the powerful Faeries and preserve the only hope left for their people.
After earning a Creative Writing degree from George Mason University and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, I taught high school English until becoming a mommy. I've always had a heart for teens, and writing YA stories gives me the opportunity to delve into the ambiguities of those pivotal years before adulthood.
I live in Virginia with my husband, daughter, son and doggie Rue.
I live in Virginia with my husband, daughter, son and doggie Rue.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
April Melody - Katie Mettner/Tempting Thursday
New Adult Romance
April
Melody once had a fledgling music career, only to
have it come crashing down around her ears,
literally. Suddenly deaf, April learned how to read lips and saw the
lies people tried to hide. Martin
Crow owns Crow's Hair and Nails, an upscale salon in
the middle of tiny Snowberry. When his dreams of being a musician were ripped
away he turned to his other true love, helping women find their inner beauty. He
just wasn't expecting to find one of Snowberry’s most
beautiful standing outside his apartment door. Drawn
together by their love of music they are kept apart by their hearts of stone.
April and Crow know that guilt will steal their future,
unless they learn how to let love and forgiveness be the melody and harmony in
their lives.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Healing the Bayou - Mary Bernsen
Nook
Paranormal Romance
What is a Queen without her King?
After learning that she is adopted, Eliza sets off to locate her biological family and finds them in the Louisiana bayou. But they’re more than just locals—they’re descended from the area’s most famous Voodoo queen, Marie Laveau—Eliza’s great-great-grandmother. Surrounded by a mysterious world of séances, spells, and sacrifices, Eliza finds herself worshiped as the last great priestess. What’s more, she’s inherited the ability to heal the souls of others with a simple touch of her hands.
Eliza is expected to cultivate this gift so she can claim her title as Queen and return the Voodoo community to glory. A task Eliza wouldn’t mind as long as she could perform it beside the devastating Samuel Mueller. But according to tradition, Samuel is her keeper, and a keeper never becomes romantically involved with his ward. His sacred duty is to protect her. And the bayou is rife with enemies who would sacrifice anything to eliminate outsiders like Eliza..
Friday, February 27, 2015
The Homesick Texan's Family Table: Lone Star Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours - Lisa Fain
Nook
Cookbook
From beloved food blogger Lisa Fain, aka the Homesick Texan, comes this follow-up to her wildly popular debut cookbook, featuring more than 125 recipes for wonderfully comforting, ingredient-driven Lone Star classics that the whole family will love.
There are few things finer than a delicious, homemade meal shared with family and friends. Take it from Lisa Fain, a seventh-generation Texan who loves to cook and serve up the best dishes her home state has to offer—even though she now lives half a country away.
The Homesick Texan’s Family Table showcases more than 100 of Lisa’s best and most-loved recipes, ranging from down-home standards (think cheesy nachos, comforting chicken and dumplings, and fiery wings) to contemporary riffs on the classics (who knew adding Mexican spices to a German chocolate cake would taste so good?).
All of Lisa’s recipes are made with fresh, seasonal ingredients, yet still packed with real Texas flavor that will make your grandmother smile. Whether you’re looking for a party-friendly snack like Pigs in Jalapeño Blankets, a Mustard Coleslaw to bring as a side to your next potluck, a weeknight- and family-friendly meal like Steak Fingers with Cream Gravy, or a mouthwatering dessert like Ruby Red Grapefruit and Pecan Sheet Cake, The Homesick Texan’s Family Table has you covered. After all, with some mighty fine food and mighty fine people to enjoy it, any meal can be cause for celebration.
This is a fun recipe with cute stories and great recipes. My favorite was the Chicken spaghetti. I had to adjust the amount of jalepno for my diet but it was AWESOME! I've never used fresh jalepenos before this book. I loved it and will do it again and again.
I gives The Homesick Texan's Family table
I gives The Homesick Texan's Family table
.5Thursday, February 26, 2015
Quiet Angel - Prescott Lane Blog Tour
QUIET ANGEL
Release Date: Feb. 24, 2015
Blurb:
We
all have that someone we can’t forget, the summer it all began, and the
sleepless nights wondering what went wrong.
For
Gage Montgomery, that someone is Layla Baxter. When he was 18, he took one look
at the chocolate-haired bookworm with porcelain skin and knew his life would
never be the same. But it all came crashing down when Layla suddenly and
mysteriously disappeared from St. Simons Island -- leaving him with nothing but
her angel wing pendent around his neck. For 12 long years, Gage couldn’t shake
what happened, if he’s the one to blame, wondering where Layla might be. When
their paths finally cross, he’s determined to get the answers he’s spent his
life searching for -- and to get the girl, too. Quiet Angel is a story of hope,
survival, and lost love made new again.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Belong to Me - Laura Howard Cover Reveal
(A Moore Crossing Novel)
Publication date: March 31st 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
Kate and Noah thought they had the kind of love that could last through anything. Until their world crumbles out from beneath them.
After months of separation, the tragic death of Jack, Kate’s twin and Noah’s best friend, throws them back together. As they try to heal from the horrific loss, will they be able to overcome old wounds or are they destined to live separately forever?
After months of separation, the tragic death of Jack, Kate’s twin and Noah’s best friend, throws them back together. As they try to heal from the horrific loss, will they be able to overcome old wounds or are they destined to live separately forever?
Preorder: Amazon
Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.
Author links:
Facebook: https://www.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Monday, February 16, 2015
Winter's Rain - Katie Mettner Release Day
Dr. Jedidiah Raintree never knew the truth about what happened to his best friend, Winter Cheyne. Growing up on the reservation together they were inseparable, until fate intervened and tore them apart. He’s spent the last twenty years looking for the girl with the long black hair and almond eyes, but ran into dead ends at every turn. Where he didn’t expect to find her was huddled in his cabin, pointing a gun at his chest.
With the first snowstorm of the season bearing down on them, Rain convinces Winter he can keep her safe until the storm passes, but quickly learns safety is an apparition. The only choice he has is to risk everything to save the girl he once knew.
Hidden somewhere in her are the secrets she's being hunted for. Hidden somewhere in him is the strength she will need to face them and be free. Hidden somewhere in their past is the key to their future. As the snow falls hard around them, desperation, deceit and death must work in harmony to fulfill their destiny.
Today I'm interviewing Katie Mettner about Winter's Rain and how she came to write a character as complex at Winter Cheyne. Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway below!
Tobi: Thanks for agreeing to do this interview today. I know you're a busy lady!
Katie: I'm happy to be here, Tobi. I love your blog and I hope your readers enjoy the interviews we do together.
Tobi: Me too! Let's get started. Tell us a little bit about Winter.
Katie: When you meet Winter Cheyne in Autumn Reflections you get the feeling that she’s a woman in danger. She comes to the clinic where her best friend's works and she's hurt. She’s keeping a secret that could end up leaving her dead. Her secrets are many and in Winter’s Rain you learn what they are.
Tobi: I read all your books and I know that there is a little bit of you in each one of your characters. Do you care to share what part of you is in Winter?
Katie: Of course! Winter has a lot of me in her. One of the smallest things you learn in the beginning of the book is that she is allergic to peppers, and that's ALL me LOL I'm very allergic to all kinds of peppers, but that's not where the similarities end. As I wrote Winter so much more of me began to come out and that is in her struggle with her body image and bulimia.
Tobi: So you struggled with the same thing? Is that what you're saying?
Katie: Yes, exactly what I'm saying, Tobi. I started struggling with my weight when I was about eleven, much like Winter. I didn't really have a weight problem in my mind, until the doctors started telling me I did. It wasn't so much that I was overweight as I was under tall LOL That sounds funny, but it's true. Once I grew into my body so to say I've been the same weight for years, but unfortunately the damage was done. I went to a "clinic" or what would now be considered a fat camp of sorts, twice, between the ages of eleven and thirteen to learn healthy eating and exercise. Clearly I failed the first time since I had to go back a second time!
Tobi: So was this a stay away for a week kind of thing like Winter describes in the book?
Katie: No, it was a few nights a week at the local hospital. It was the very beginning of trying to fight the obesity epidemic, but back in the 1980s they maybe didn't think out the damage it could have on kids of impressionable ages.
Tobi: Damage?
Katie: Damage to their self-image and their psychological view of themselves. My parents were doing what the doctors recommended, and I understand they did what they were told was best. Those nights spent at Shape Shop were the reason I became bulimic.
Tobi: So you were bulimic as a teenager like Winter?
Katie: No, I am bulimic, I'm just a recovered bulimic. Though that sounds a little ridiculous its true. It's very easy to slip back into those old habits when you feel like your body isn't what others want it to be. You have to work hard to accept yourself for who you are and not for what you look like, but unfortunately that's easier said than done in this world.
Tobi: I can understand that. The media tells everyone that skinny is beautiful and big is not.
Katie: Exactly! Or as Winter tells Rain if I'm beautiful why do people have to put big in front of it? Why I can't I be beautiful without being big. In my case I'm an average American woman now, but the damage to how I looked at myself was done too many years ago to undo. I have learned to only trust the words of four people in my life, my husband and three kids, because I live for them and no one else.
Tobi: That's a good way to look at it! Can you tell us a little bit about Jedidiah Raintree? I have to admit I found him incredibly sexy!
Katie: Isn't he though? Can you imagine how life changing that had to be to find the one person you've been looking for forever finally? Jed, or Rain as Winter calls him, is a simply complex guy. Oxymoron? Yes, but it's true. He simply has loved Winter all his life and that made him complex because he couldn't find her, no matter how hard he tried. He tried to move on and have other relationships, but the memory of that one woman was too much. He's a doctor and has made a life for himself, but emotionally he could never really relate to women. He calls them a foreign language. In fact, even after he finds Winter again you notice he has some trouble really believing it's her.
Tobi: No, I would agree, I found him to be very complex, but very romantic. He really had some insight that helped Winter, I think anyway. Thank you for coming by today and telling us a little bit more about Winter and Rain. I know you brought an excerpt so I'll let my readers read that and then my review!
Katie: Thanks for having me, Tobi, and I can't wait to read your review. I always find a nugget of wisdom in them that I didn't get from the book when I wrote it.
“Did I hurt her?” I asked, pointing at Maggie.
He sat her down by Pumpkin and held my hand. “Of course not, why would you think that?”
“I fell asleep holding her, so she had to have fallen when I jumped. I have to be careful. She’s so thin and I’m so fat. I could really hurt her.” I pointed at the dog who was now lying between Pumpkin’s paws getting a bath.
“You’re not fat, Winter. Maggie is fine,” he soothed.
“You don’t have to be nice, Rain, I know I’m fat. I see the tags on the clothes and the numbers on the scale. It’s not a secret and you don’t have to be all politically correct about it,” I seethed, pulling my hand from his.
“I wasn’t trying to be politically correct, Winter. You are who you are, why does that have to be bad? Why I can’t I appreciate the fact that there’s an exquisite woman sitting in front of me without having to question the numbers on the tags of her clothes or the scale? Why can’t I be attracted to you regardless of whether you’re a size one or a size twenty one? When did the eye of the beholder become the holder of the scale?” he questioned, resting one hand on my knee and the other on his outstretched leg.
“You think I’m exquisite?” I stuttered. “I’m so not exquisite.”
“Yet when I look at you that’s the word that comes to my mind. You have a rare charm about you that tells me you’re filled with innocence about some things, but that same charm tells me you’re anything but innocent about others. Since I first laid eyes on you this morning I had to fight with myself. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to protect you and keep you safe or if I wanted to kiss you senseless. That, in my mind, is the definition of exquisite.”
I can't wait for Phoenix's story!
How distracted did I get?
Winter's Rain is a story unlike any other I've read. Katie Mettner stepped away from the differently abled and dove right into a more delicate subject of domestic abuse and it's survivor. Winter is one tough cookie. She's been through hell and back. She's a fighter with survivor instincts. Rain is a protector, healer and alpha. The love and care between Winter and Rain was electric. Yet Rain is amazingly patient and caring. This is a wonderful story about survival, love, trust and self discovery.
Winter's Rain shows love is patient and kind, and love prevails over all.
I give Winter's Rain....
5 baskets!!!!!
Follow Katie:
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Gifted - Liz Long/Wanton Wednesday
Nook
Paranormal/Fantasy
Even in a world of freaks, being a Firestarter is considered a dangerous Gift.
Lucy was born with the ability to create and control fire. She longs to leave the human world for one filled with Earthshakers, Transporters, and Chameleons, to name a few. When she rejoins the circus, it’s everything she hoped it could be - new friends, a potential love interest or two, and a place where she can be herself.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Hunted: A Donovan Circus Novel - Liz Long Cover Reveal
Back Cover Synopsis
Lucy Sullivan finally belongs with the gifted Donovan Circus. Members are finding their rhythm, even the new folks from the Grayson Circus who joined after the last attack. Lucy feels like a trusted leader who can win the gifted battles and prevent humans from discovering their existence.
When tragedy strikes camp, a distraught Sheffield sends Lucy and her gifted team to hunt down the enemy – Alex, a Chameleon with a wicked ability for war. He’s out for blood and won’t stop until Lucy and her friends are dead.
This time, it won’t be Lucy’s gift that is tested – it will be her morality. To save her circus, the price will be greater than she ever expected. This time, she will lose someone she loves. And it will change everything.
About Liz:
Liz Long is a ridiculously proud graduate of Longwood University with a BA in English. Her inspiration comes from action and thriller genres and she spends entirely too much time watching superhero movies. Her fabulous day job as a social media strategist includes writing for a publishing company in Roanoke, VA.
All titles, including the Donovan Circus Series, A Reaper Made, and Witch Hearts, are available at Amazon on Kindle and paperback.
To learn more about Liz, visit her website: http://lizclong.com.
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