REVIEW: "Shadowcursed" by Gelo Fleisher

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Bolen is a thief, plying his trade under the spires of an ancient and sprawling city. Worried that he's growing too old, Bolen has lined up a risky job, just to prove that he can still pull one off.

Tonight, he's going to break into a nobleman's vault and help himself to its contents. What he doesn't know is that inside is the key to a secret as old as the city itself.

Kings have killed for it, demons have coveted it, priests have prayed for it, and in a few moments it will be in his hands. And when it is, the adventure of his life will begin.

AMAZON  *  GOODREADS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Gelo Fleisher

Gelo R. Fleisher is an author and game developer. He lives in the East Coast, with his wife and daughter.

Some interesting facts about Gelo: He's lived in America, Korea, Japan, and Mongolia. He's a Certified Public Accountant and graduated first in his class from the Wharton school of business. His writing has won several literary contests and has been nominated for a Reader's Choice Award. His indie game development work has also won several awards and has been showcased in PC Gamer magazine. He loves hearing from people so feel free to email him!

REVIEW

We are getting into the time of year when spooky things rule the day.  Shape-changers of various forms, many - of course - bent on gaining as much power as possible, are said to prowl the shadows, making us afraid of turning off the lights.  Of course, we know that these creatures are the stuff of legend and television....but what if they were a part of every day life?  What if mages and priests with strange healing abilities were commonplace?

LONG STORY SHORT

In a work that feels like it could be lore for several different video games, Fleisher uses a medieval setting to explore a misty intersection between the magical and the mundane.  A thief is tasked with breaking into the one place in the city that he should avoid at all costs - the treasure room of the "mad" ruler, a man who would just as soon gut people rather than even bother looking at them.  This thief, who may be aging out of his game, steals an item that is infinitely more precious than he knows and in doing so becomes embroiled in a centuries-long power struggle of which he would have rather remained unaware.  But will he find redemption?  In this novella length work, Fleisher explores what redemption may look like in a world shrouded in magic, shape-shifters, and nothing being as it seems.  Exceptionally descriptive language captivated my imagination - I could practically smell the reeking fish at the dock and hear rusty hinges complaining loudly about moving for the first time in decades.  Powerfully portrayed characters made me remember why I love fiction so much in the first place as I got to know a broken man who is seeking a little peace.  I wanted more backstory, and the language was a bit too descriptive at times, but overall this is a very good piece of fiction sure to please any with a gamer-type brain.  =)

On an ascending scale of 1 to 5, I give this work a 4.  

LONG STORY

The Good

I'm a bit of a gamer with an awareness of medieval history (thanks to my history nerd husband), and so enjoyed this work on a level that I wasn't expecting.  I've played World of Warcraft extensively and dabbled a bit in Dragon Age and some other RPGs, so am familiar with worlds where magic, mages, and shape-shifters are part of the norm.  I love stories that feel like game lore, and so really enjoyed "Shawdowcursed".  

Bolen is 40-something year old thief who is living in a medieval setting where magic, mages, priests with healing powers (in MMORPG games you need a priest or two on your side - they are often the best healers (them or paladins)), and things creeping about in the shadows is the norm.  Oh, and so is living in fear of the "mad ruler" who has developed a rather gory reputation for killing anyone who stands in his mad way.  Bolen is tasked with stealing items from this ruler's vault and goes ahead with doing so in order to prove to himself that he is still the thief that he was in his younger days.  The problem is that he steals an item that holds a value different from any he has ever known.  This particular theft will rattle Bolen to his core and tear apart his understanding of reality in the city whose shadows he has frequented his entire life. 

I would like to say that Fleisher is an exceptionally talented writer, but this is the only work I've yet read by him and have become rather hesitant to make such major comments based on a single work.  What I can say is that "Shadowcursed" is incredibly well written.  The fog winding its way through the city will feel as though it is winding its way around you as you are reading, the descriptive imagery in this book is so well written.  Sentences flow together in a way that makes it clear this author has read and re-read his work for clarity's sake.   Pronouns are rarely confused (confused pronouns have become a pet peeve of mine).  People move about in a way that makes sense for the story (i.e. no people standing up in one side of the room when you didn't read them going to that side of the room).  Characters are distinct from one another and are developed exactly as much as they need to be in order for this story to make sense (well, most of them at least....but I'll cover that in a minutes).  It contains just the right amount of unpredictability.  Elements of magic are entwined with what we know as medieval real-world in a way that makes sense, flows well, and is enjoyable to read.

I really, really liked this book.  It is a quick read that brings up very interesting moral questions.  What is right when everything is in shadow? Of course, these are questions that often come up in games.  If we are honest with ourselves, however, we will admit they often come up in our lives as well.  

The Bugly (bad/ugly)

A few quibbles, minor though they are: 

1) The major antagonists could be explained a bit more.  There are clear lines drawn between good (or at least semi-good in search of redemption) and evil....but the evil of the motivation is barely explained.  Power.  Conquest.  Okay, sure....but what explains the relationship between the two major evil characters?  

2) Bolen is the only thing in the story that we really get any back story on.  I wanted to know more about the city, the antagonists, the faith system (which is clearly specific to the story), etc.  But that leads to my next quibble....

3) Longer.  This story needs to be longer.  There is enough good material to work with here to bring this novella length work into a novel.  This would solve some of the problems with not enough back story, and spending more time on the relationships between specific characters.  Perhaps it is my extremely relational brain that just wants to know more about the relationships between different elements of the story, but honestly - this felt like a teaser to a much bigger story.

REVIEW: "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" by Lisa Sparrow (Write Now Lit)

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"From the agony of multiple miscarriages to the pain of never feeling love from anyone, Lisa Y. Sparrow reveals the most intimate of details of her life in the hopes that someone is freed from their own prison of mental illness."

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Lisa Sparrow
Newcomer Lisa Sparrow has endured more pain and loss in her life than anyone should be expected to. With her first book, His Eye is on the Sparrow, she reveals the challenges she has faced in stunning detail. Lisa is a divorced mother of two wonderful children, Lauren and Leon, and currently lives in Columbus, Ohio. She currently works as clerical support for a local lighting company. She’s learned the hard way that if you stay where you are in life, you’ll never reach your full potential. Her journey to self love and acceptance has been a hard fought battle and one she is led by God to share with her readers. With her first autobiography, His Eye is on the Sparrow, Lisa hopes to shed some light on the subject of mental illness in this country and the process of healing. Although this is Lisa’s first project, it certainly will not be her last. She is currently working on a follow up to "His Eye is on the Sparrow", scheduled to be released in 2015.

REVIEW
I received a copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review, which follows:

Mental illness is the dirty little secret swept under the rug and ignored by the vast majority of the world.  As someone who has family members with mental illness, who has done extensive research into the stigma of mental illness (specifically regarding how it affects children), who advocates for children with mental illness and their families, and as one called to stand in the intersection between individuals with mental illness and the Church, this is an issue that is near and dear to my heart.  We like to pretend it doesn't exist, that "those people" are somewhere "over there".  Bull sh**.  Conservative estimates say that 1 in 4 people have a diagnosable condition.  What is it like to live with depression, extreme self-esteem issues, and a family and society that wants to ostracize you for your mental difficulties you cannot control?

REVIEW: "Hold Me Tight" by Faith Sullivan

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He loves me. He loves me not.

Ivy's heart shatters upon hearing Eric's crushing ultimatum. Despite how much she cares for him, she won't give in to his demands. She has no choice but to leave, even if it's the hardest thing she's ever had to do. 

She loves me. She loves me not.

When Ivy walks out, Eric can't help feeling betrayed. Unwilling to put her at risk, he values her safety above all else. By refusing to compromise, he's blindsided when she moves in with a man who's already stolen so much from him.

I love you. You love me not.

Lauren sees Eric and Ivy's split as an opportunity to end their relationship once and for all. When Ivy places herself at the mercy of Eric's rival, Lauren plots to destroy the fragile tie binding them together, even if she endangers Ivy's life in the process.

GOODREADS  *  AMAZON  *  BARNES & NOBLE  *  GOODREADS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - FAITH SULLIVAN
"I really hate talking about myself. My goal is to have the shortest author bio imaginable. I would much rather have a conversation with my readers. Are you able to escape within my pages? Does my writing make you feel something? Are there characters that you can't get out of your head? Let me know!" 

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REVIEW
I received an advanced copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review, which follows.

Many mothers make hard decisions to tend and care for their little ones.  Women make hard decisions as they work on tending and caring for their significant others.  People in general make hard decisions in order to protect those they hold dear....especially if the one they hold dearest is them, themselves, and they.  But what if protecting the life of a tiny tot could mean the end of everything?  What if looming secrets are revealed that will spell disaster for all?  What if...

LONG STORY SHORT
Riveting characters.  Intense action.  Heart-pounding drama.  Surprising plot twists up to the very end.  Sullivan has crafted a thrilling finale to the trilogy following Eric and Ivy, and it kept me on pins and needles the whole time...and maybe just a bit glued to my Kindle screen (I could not put this book down)!  Discovering what love really means is hard, especially if the life of an unborn child hangs in the balance, as well as the conflicting dreams and aspirations of several individuals.  Sullivan's lovely writing style shines in this work, as it is super accessible, relateable, and down-right fun to read. Characters are just as endearing and maddening as ever, and events elicited real tears from this reader's eyes.  Just a down-right good read. 

That being said, it is a down-right good read for 18+ people (again, too much steam!).

On an ascending scale of 1 to 5, I give this book a 4!

LONG STORY
The Good
Oh. Em. Gee.

Just.  Oh. Em. Gee.

Pregnancy is a difficult enough process when the man involved isn't being a hothead, the psycho woman who is obsessed with him isn't doing her d***dest to get him, friends aren't keeping lies, men with money and power aren't wielding their power over life and death, mortgages aren't due, and deadlines aren't looming.  Geez.  

Here we rejoin Eric and Ivy right after he has told her to do the impossible - give up her baby.  Of course, we as readers can be majorly angry at him...but he has his reasons: he has already lost one woman who was trying to make it through an impossible pregnancy.  Lost not just her, but the baby as well.  He can't stand to lose another.  Ivy can't stand to give up her baby.  She leaves and lands right in Lauren's clutches, who deposits her with Tim - Eric's one time best friend, and potential father of Eric's dead fiancee's baby.  

And Tim is a Chris Hemsworth worthy hottie.  As if Ivy's life weren't complicated enough.  

Will Eric see the err of his ways and win Ivy back?  What lengths are Lauren willing to go to in order to secure the future she desires?  What are the secrets that Ivy senses are still creeping along behind the scene, just waiting to jump out at the wrong time to stress her out badly enough to make her lose the baby she loves more than life?

I could barely put this book down during the entire time I was reading.  Okay, so maybe I should rephase - I could barely put my phone down during the entire time I was reading this book on my Kindle app.  Seriously, Sullivan's writing style is accessible, easy to read, majorly addicting, thorough, etc.  We still (of course) have the point of view switching between major players in the plot (namely Eric, Ivy, and Lauren) and Sullivan writes this so well that it just works.  Even without the name of the person at the top of a chapter, it is clear who is speaking.  It feels like Sullivan crawled inside of each character's head and method acted the chapters!  Gives me the shudders just to think about what it was like to be in Lauren's head.  */shudder*  See!

Anyways, it has been awhile since I've been so emotionally invested in a book.  It helps that I've read the first two books (Take Me Now and Meant for Me).  I'll be honest, I wasn't sure how Sullivan was going to pull off a plot that would match or beat these two books.  I should never have ever worried my reading little brain.  The exceptional plot that Sullivan worked through this book is more than worthy of its predecessors, and gave me a thudding heart more than a few times.  What is going to happen now?!  I have to read the next chapter.....

It was impossible to tear myself away from the drama, not just because of the war happening between individuals around Eric and Ivy's baby, but also because of the war happening within Ivy's body as she struggled to hold onto a baby who wanted to join the world too soon.  You see - I had an at-risk pregnancy with my 2-year-old son.  I know what it is like to see your body disagreeing with your every prayer that Baby stay right where it is until it is time.  It sucks (to say the least).  It is emotional.  It is gut-wrenching.  I just wanted to wrap Ivy up in a warm cozy blanket, and then go b****-slap all the jerks who were making her stress out.  All of them.  *huff*

But let's get back to the book: Sullivan jumped right back into the action.  After all, she didn't need to spend a lot of time setting the scene because hopefully readers had already read the first two books (if they haven't, they need to - they are super good books, and this one doesn't make a lot of sense without them).  What she did do was spend a bit more time on the back story of other individuals playing into the story either directly or indirectly, and this informed some of the "Oh em gee!" plot twists that happened near the end.  Let me just say this - I did not see that one...or that one coming!  Well, kind of.  I did figure out the biggest secret before it was revealed, but literally only a few paragraphs before it was revealed.  You did great, Faith - usually I'm ahead of the reveals by a few pages!

This book was an absolutely terrific finale to an absolutely wonderful series.  I loved seeing how the main characters grew and developed - and their growth trajectories made sense!  Eric and Ivy grew not only as a couple, but also as individuals.  Ivy grew some determination and more ability to positively stand up to those around her, while Eric learned how to not be an island.  Will learned about caring for others.  Other characters grew in other ways, but you're not going to squirrel all of it out of me....go read the books for yourself (unless, of course, you aren't 18 yet....then wait until you are old enough :P)!

(Side note: the fact that Faith dedicated this book to my son and I did not change my review of this book, just in case you noticed and were thinking my glowing review was a bit of schmooing.)


The Bugly (bad/ugly)
le sigh

So, unlike the second book in this series, I have a bugly.  The progression of time along with the plot does not flow as well as it could in a few places.  What do I mean by this?  Well, at one point they are at Thanksgiving, and a few things were coming to a head.  Then suddenly it was Christmas....and those things that had been coming to a head suddenly weren't happening as quickly as it would seem like they should. Something that seemed like it should have been a within-the-next-few-days thing suddenly turned into a wait-a-minute-it-is-going-to-take-weeks thing.  Also, Lauren's insistence on the screenplay was apparently forgotten as the Price family's focus was moved to something else...but that "something else" was part of the motivation for the screenplay to go as it was supposed to go, so how Lauren's insistence on the screenplay going how it as "supposed to go" changed made my brain go "huh?"

That said, I'm super picky.  If you've read my other reviews then you already know this.  Don't let my confusion over a couple of plot points stop you from reading this super good book.  It isn't a highly intellectual, deeply philosophical kind of good book - it is a Lifetime movie kind of good book.  I thoroughly enjoyed it (and its predecessors!)!!  Now go read it...but only if you are old enough.  :P

REVIEW: "Unbound" by Georgia Bell (Xpresso Book Tours)

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After her father dies, Rachel realizes she is scared and stuck. Scared of heights, of cars, of disasters harming the people she loves. Stuck in a life that is getting smaller by the minute. Stuck with a secret she has kept all her life: Someone has been watching over her since birth. Someone who tends to show up when she needs him the most. Someone she believes is her guardian angel. 

Eaden is a 1,500-year-old immortal who wants to die. Drained by a life stretched too thin, he has requested his final reward – a mortal sacrifice bred specifically to bring him death. But something went wrong. Rachel’s ability to grant death has mutated in ways that threaten to upset the uneasy alliance between mortals and immortals. And utterly beguiled, Eaden discovers that although Rachel is the key to his death, because of her, he no longer wants to die. And he will do anything to protect her. 

Swept into a world of legends, caught between the warring political factions of immortals, and carrying the future of mortal kind in her flesh and bone, Rachel must risk everything to save her world and the man she loves.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Georgia Bell (don't you just love her name?)
Georgia Bell was raised on a steady diet of science fiction and fantasy, courtesy of her father, a man who loved his family, fishing, scotch, and science (although not necessarily in that order). Georgia is an avid reader of young adult fiction, and a lover of good wine, music, children, and cats (although not necessarily in that order).

GOODREADS  


REVIEW
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a thoughtful and honest review, which follows:

Have you ever felt as though someone were watching you?  Not a malevolent someone, just someone who seems to show up at odd times and help you out?  Someone you generally see in times of trouble?  Someone who helps quell the anxieties that make you double check everything?  What if that someone isn't an angel?

REVIEW: "The Art of Forgetting" by Peter Palmieri (Virtual Book Tour Cafe)

Sooooooooo, awhile back I did a post about an awesome looking book that I didn't have time to read when it was touring.  The author graciously allowed me to have a copy of the book in return for a review when I had time.  Shamefacedly, I admit it took me far longer to read it than I expected, but here is my review for....

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"Dr. Lloyd Copeland is a young neurologist who is tormented by the conviction that he has inherited the severe, early-onset dementia that has plagued his family for generations – the very disease which spurred his father to take his own life when Lloyd was just a child. Withdrawn to a life of emotional detachment, he looks for solace in hollow sexual trysts as a way to escape his throbbing loneliness. Still, he clings to the hope that the highly controversial treatment for memory loss he’s been researching will free him from his family’s curse.

But when odd mishaps take place in his laboratory, his research is blocked by a hospital review board headed by Erin Kennedy: a beautiful medical ethicist with a link to his troubled childhood. The fight to salvage his reputation and recover the hope for his own cure brings him face to face with sordid secrets that rock his very self-identity. And to make matters worse, he finds himself falling irretrievably in love with the very woman who seems intent on thwarting his efforts."

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Genre: fiction: medical (medical suspense)
Publisher: self
Rel  ease date: June 2013

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Peter Palmieri

Peter Palmieri was raised in the eclectic port city of Trieste, Italy. He returned to the United States at the age of 14 with just a suitcase and an acoustic guitar. After attending public high school in San Diego, California, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Animal Physiology from the University of California, San Diego. He received his medical degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine and completed his pediatric training at the University of Chicago and Loyola University Medical Center. More recently, he was awarded a Healthcare MBA by The George Washington University. A former student of Robert McKee's Story seminar and the SMU Writer's Path program, and a two-time attendee of the SEAK Medical Fiction seminar taught by Tess Gerritsen and Michael Palmer, Peter is now busy practicing general pediatrics at a large academic medical center while working on his next medical suspense.

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REVIEW
I received a review copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review, which follows:

Alzheimers in one of the most devastating diseases to ravage families across this grand planet.  Slowly stripping individuals of their memories, it brutally robs individuals of their identities while completely changing how their families operate.  Many of my friends have loved ones who have succumbed to this hideous monster of a disease, and I've watched the devastation unfold.  Memories make us who we are.  But what if all that could be changed?  But what if a cure is not worth the risk?

LONG STORY SHORT...
Written with a medical accuracy only possible from someone who has worked in the medical field, The Art of Forgetting is a masterpiece of medical and psychological suspense.  This artful novel follows part of the story of Lloyd Copeland, an esteemed doctor who has devoted his life to the search for a cure for Alzheimer's, a brutal identity thieving disease which affected his father, and his father's father before him.  For Lloyd, it is only a matter of time.  He must find this cure.  He is so close to finding a cure....but at what cost?  

A suspenseful plot that includes medical mystery, psychological discovery, romance, and a sinister plot to ruin someone's career for the sake of riches - this novel has a little something for everyone.  Even my husband was intrigued, and he doesn't read fiction.  

Palmieri, an esteemed medical professional himself, is a superb author.  He successfully creates a character who is about as huggable as a porcupine on crack, but that you just want to keep hugging despite the quills.  Medical situations are crafted with a clear insider's knowledge of how the medical world actually operates.  The plot unfolds in a complex manner that is twisted but not confusing.  My only quibbles with the book are thus: during some conversation scenes it is hard to track who is talking, and it is so infinitely detailed that in several scenes I got lost in minutia.  Otherwise, a superb book.  Part of me hopes Lloyd's story continues...

On an ascending scale of 1 to 5, this book receives a 4.

LONG STORY
The Good
I absolutely loved this book.  This morning when I was finishing reading, my husband was asking me to "get up....you've been awake for an hour already!"  My response?  "I'm finishing the book I've been reading!!"

The Art of Forgetting is one of the most intricate and psychologically satisfying books that I've read in a very long time.  It contains levels of deceit, manipulation, familial and relational history, medical information, and interesting selfishness that were just plain satisfying to unravel as the pages turned (rather quickly, I might add). 

Lloyd Copeland is an esteemed medical professional who has a bright future ahead of him....if he can manage to toe the line to keep his job when his superiors seem determined to derail his research.  This isn't just his research, this is his life.  You see, Copeland is conducting research on a possible cure for Alzheimers.  His father was ravaged by the disease, as was his father before him.  So were their wives.  For Copeland, it is only a matter of time before the disease ravishes him too.

Romantic relationships?  Who in their right mind would start one knowing it would end in Alzheimers?
But then along comes Erin, the woman whom he knew as a girl and who might challenge everything he thought he knew about being in love...

Pets?  Only if you count the mice he injects with the "cure" he has discovered....

Close friendships?  Who has the time to get close to anyone when one is trying to save his own life?

This is the story of a man who is set to begin human trials of a revolutionary new cure for Alzheimer's, a cure which will never reach humanity if Copeland doesn't figure out what happened with the mouse who apparently died from the cure, who is blocking his research and how, and who is after his job?  Are they all the same person?  What are their motives?  And just what is he supposed to do with the beguiling woman who won't leave his thoughts?

Gosh, I loved this book. 

I loved it because it was set in the modern world (I've read a lot of mythical stuff lately, as well as a decent amount of dystopian futures) and the characters feel like real people I might meet in a real coffee shop or hospital.  They are human, fragile, running from their own personal demons, fallible, and determined to reach specific goals. They behave in ways that make sense according to their unique personalities, rather than in ways that simply serve the author's purposes.  They refuse to be defined easily.

I loved it because it has roots in psychology, which was my major in college and is one of my continuing passions.  Yet it's psychological roots were balanced with medical roots as well (not one or the other, as so often happens in fiction that deals with a condition of some sort).  These medical roots were clearly laid out by an author who has a real-world grasp of medicine and so made inherent sense and was true to science.  This is important!  I've read stories with medical aspects where it is clear the author is a novice trying to make sense of the the medical terms they're researching for their story.  Not so here.  Palmieri is an actual doctor and the medical writing here is spot-on.  

I loved it because we so often hear on the news "This doctor from this place is starting  human trials for medicine designed to address this condition...." and here we have a story of what went behind a trial.  Granted, the trial is fictional, but it is good to remember that behind every drug that ever went to human trials, there were humans trying to figure out a disease.  Humans with motivations and mental struggles all their own. 

I loved it because it has a super complex and intriguing plot that is rather unpredictable, engaging, and quite a whirlwind.  I needed to know what happened next....lost a bit of sleep while reading this book.  : )

I loved it because psychology and medicine are all wrapped together with and ethical debate that unfolds within these pages.  What are the ethics of conducting trials of an experimental drug on humans?  What are the ethics of leaving thousands of families to suffer the effects of Alzheimer's?  What would your ethics demand if you were close to a cure that could help millions, including yourself (possibly....but you'll have to read the book to see why I said that), but everything was inexplicably standing in your way?

The Bugly (bad/ugly)
Two significant issues caused this book to lose a star: 
1) Characters sound too much like one another.  Regular readers of my blog know this is one of my pet peeves.  Yes yes yes, I get that many of these characters are highly educated individuals who would have traveled in high academic circles with the same kinds of speech patterns.  Truly, I get that.  It just bugs me when characters sound too similar to one another, particularly when conversational scenes don't contain many of the "he said, she said, then he said" kind of identifiers that show you clearly who is speaking.  Many scenes here confused the bugger out of me as I tried to figure out who was saying what.  They needed more identifiers to show who was talking. 

2)  Too.  Much.  Detail.  Okay, I get that a certain amount of detail is necessary for medical explanations and processes to make sense.  The problem is that I get so stuck in the minutia of some of the scenes that it felt like my brain was stuck in a slog of information.  Maybe I was just looking for too much story around the details, but every medical thing was explained in far too much detail.  Don't worry, I have the same complaint about Lord of the Rings and some of the battle scenes.  Detail is good.  Too much detail is difficult.  

REVIEW: "Waterproof" by Amber Garr (Mark My Words Book Publicity)

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Dying of thirst is the new reality.

Five years after the last drop of clean water disappeared, global societies collapsed and nuclear war shattered all hope of recovery. In a place now only a skeleton of its former self, survivors fight to avoid capture by the government. Forced to work in factories that produce the only drinking water available, those who go in, never come out.

Zach and Vivienne have lived as deserters since they were teenagers. Fighting amongst their own and scrounging for the necessities of life, they’ve learned to rely on each other in every way. Yet when tragedy strikes and the true objectives of the government facility are revealed, their world is ripped apart. A fate once thought to hold their demise may be the sole answer to their survival. Who can they trust? Who can they believe? 

In this life, it pays to be waterproof. 

Disclaimer: Waterproof is a new adult dystopian with sex, violence, and language that may not be suitable for a younger audience.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Amber Garr
Amber Garr spends her days as a scientist and nights writing about other worlds. Born in Pennsylvania, she lives in Maryland with her husband and their furry kids. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain that she has a supernatural sense of smell. Amber is a multiple Royal Palm Literary Award winner, author of Waterproof, The Syrenka Series, The Leila Marx Novels, and the upcoming Death Warden Series. When not obsessing over the unknown, she can be found dancing, reading, or enjoying a good movie. 

WEBSITE


REVIEW
Older people I talk to tell me of being literally afraid of nuclear war, having a plan mapped out with their family if a bomb fell and they weren't killed instantly.  What if that future comes true?

REVIEW: "Eyrie" - by Emma Michaels (Tribute Books Blog Tours)

I've reviewed Owlet (the prequel to this here book), and was simply delighted by this sequel!!  What would you do if your soul was part bird?  What bird would you want to be and why?  

Hey hey hey - as long as you are here, you might as well follow my blog as well.  : )  (Link to do so is on the side...)  :P

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"Somewhere between falling and flying…you will find the truth. 

The truth is being unveiled and Iris’ past is unlike anything she ever could have guessed. For Stryx, finding your missing half doesn’t always mean finding your mate. Iris has been missing a part of herself for so long that no one is sure she will be able to put the pieces back together and her ever reliable dreams may be forcing her astray. Coping with the death of someone she loved, she is forced to face the truth and break free from the lies that have caged her."

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eBook
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
ISBN: 9780985792244
Pages: 158
Release: October 13, 2012
Publisher: Tribute Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - EMMA MICHAELS

Emma Michaels is the author of the ‘A Sense of Truth’ and ‘Society of Feathers’ series. Her goal with her latest YA series the 'Society of Feathers' is to give others what she did not have growing up; a strong female protagonist with asthma.  While her previous aspiration was to be a lady knight she realized that not being able to run more than a few feet might become a hindrance so turned to writing instead. Her day jobs include being a cover artist, marketing consultant and silk screen designer.

As the founder of The Writers Voice blog (http://OurBooksOurVoice.Blogspot.com) she loves to connect authors and readers. As a book blogger turned author, she was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, until she moved at eighteen to Washington State. Suddenly, the world was a new place filled with tall green trees that reached further for the sky with every moment, making her want to do the same. Ever since, she has tried to make her life something new and different from what it was before, pursuing her future career, setting high goals and reaching for them. With the support of her fiancé, Chihuahua, and her amazing blog followers and fellow bloggers, she wants to prove to the world that anything is possible and help inspire fellow literary lovers to reach for their dreams.

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REVIEW

Revenge, a need for understanding, and learning to lean on others as necessary whilst figuring out who to trust appear to be common trends in much of today's fiction. What happens, however, when you throw in a secret society, love, twisted and tangled webs of deception, and a twist that may take your breath away? Eyrie.

Overall, I give this book a 4 out of 5, and here is why:

The Good

Eyris is the beautiful sequel to Owlet, a story about a young lady who is trying to figure out who she is. Not an easy task for any young woman, but it turns out to be something especially difficult for Iris, as she discovers that she is the last of a precious bloodline for a secret society whose members are part human and part bird.

And she has asthma.

This asthma necessarily limits her physical mobility, despite her being an Owlet, but does not limit her in any other way. Now that she has embraced her Owlet side and is well on her way to fully realizing her abilities and talents, Iris has discovered a remarkable penchant for seeing to the truth of things...and for being able to enter the mind of another through touch.

Now, before I give away too much, know that much of what I said about the first book is also true here. Scrolly text would still describe Michaels' writing style very well. It feels scrolly and as though it would look perfect scribed into ancient parchment. The plot clips along at a reasonable pace that perfectly matches what is going on. Readers are not left hanging trying to figure out what happened and why – we are always clued in to others motivations and exactly what is going on. Of course, we see inside Iris' mind a little more than other characters, but that is to be expected.  The plot feels a little flat in places, but not sure how I'd fix it.

I must say, for trying to weave a work that blends birds and people, I think Michael did a pretty good job. I'm pretty picky about science fiction, being a real-life science lover as well as lover of anything to do with Star Trek, Stargate, BSG, Buffy, TVD, LOTR, etc (I keep telling my hubby that I really must make it to Comic-con at some point). Now that I sound like a sci-fi snob, let me say this: I really really like how Michael's has integrated human and bird aspects in the individuals within this work. It just works...and made me want to keep reading.

Eyrie continued the original story well and is consistent to the original plot (no small feat for sequels) while being interesting in its own right as its own book. Now, this is not a stand-alone book. There is a very clear cliff-hanger that nearly made me pounce out of my seat when I realized that is where the book ended, and it clearly is the continuation of a story. Michael's obviously assumes that anyone reading Eyrie has read Owlet, and this is not a bad thing (the Lord of the Rings books are not stand-alone either). Merely an observation.

The Bugly (bad/ugly)
I'm happy to report that one of my bugly's from the prequel to Eyrie didn't bug me nearly as much here, perhaps because my brain was a bit more used to the world that Iris inhabits. Regardless, the need for a glossary to keep bloodlines and such straight was somewhat lessened. It feels as though those are actually fairly clearly laid out here, though I did lose track of a few things and had to backtrack a bit.

That being said, the characters still sounded exactly like one another. They are not distinct enough for my liking. Yeah yeah, I gripe on this a lot. Yeah, I know how hard it is to keep voices distinct from one another (some day I'll be brave enough to show ya'll some of my fiction writing). But yeah, it distracts me when I feel as though I have to back up and figure out when the last “he said” was so I can figure out who is talking now.

Oh, and sentence structure falls apart at least once or twice per chapter. There were a few lines where I thought I was pretty sure what the idea was...but got lost in confused clauses.  Grammar is important, and this bugged me a lot (and frankly is why my score for the work is one point lower than it would be otherwise).  I'm not saying I'm a grammar queen - clearly, if you read this my grammar is off in places as well - but in an edited work it annoyed me.

OVERALL - I really liked this book.  It is a good, simple read that goes pretty quickly and is engaging on a level that engages the imagination in a pretty cool way.  It has its flaws...but so does Iris.  Are these flaws disguised strengths as they are for Iris?  You decide!

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REVIEW: "Ruby Heart - The Neve & Egan Cases" - by Cristelle Comby (Tribute Books Blog Tours)

 BLURB
"When elderly client Doris Hargrave informs private investigator Alexandra Neve that her beloved antique ruby heart necklace has gone missing for the second time in a period of over sixty years, Alexandra knows this is no ordinary jewellery theft. The ruby heart is a family heirloom and the only thing that connects an ailing Mrs Hargrave to her parents, who were murdered during the Holocaust.

To solve the case, Alexandra and her business partner, blind history professor Ashford Egan, must sift through obscure Holocaust documents to find out the truth. It’s that way that they learn of a secret World War II-era love affair which could hold the key to all the answers they are looking for. Meanwhile, Egan is under immense pressure from the university to quit his private investigating business, and Alexandra is afraid that a man she trusts will leave her. Again.

When Alexandra begins to receive anonymous threats and her flat is vandalised, this all becomes personal. Knowing that there is someone out there to hurt her, Alexandra vows to find that elusive ruby heart if it’s the last thing she ever does."

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - CRISTELLE COMBY

Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, in Greater Geneva, where she still resides.

Thanks to her insatiable thirst for American and British action films and television dramas, her English is fluent.

She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.

Ruby Heart is her second new-adult novel, and she’s hard at work on the next titles in the Neve & Egan series.

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REVIEW
It doesn't take a lot of cultural examination to discover Americans' love for mystery...especially when that mystery comes with a British accent.  Sherlock Holmes still captures our imagination, we still flock to watch whodunit shows, we involve ourselves in real life mysteries as if it is our very lives they touch (and, sometimes, they do), etc.  Mystery adds a little spice to life....but what if that mystery comes with a touch of the Holocaust and its horrors, physical limitations, the Russian mob, and romance?

REVIEW: "Piercing the Darkness" - by D.A. Bale

I read/reviewed the prequel to this book in June.  D.A. Bale honored me greatly by allowing me to read the second book....which I loved as well!!  That second book is the book in this post.  It's worth the time it takes to read, believe me!!  Seriously, I'm on pins and needles for the next book in the series....

BLURB
"Get set for the continuation of the Deepest Darkness series with this sequel to Running into the Darkness by D. A. Bale.

Samantha Bartlett is running for her life. Haunted by her past actions and with nearly every government agency on the manhunt, Samantha lives alone and off the grid. But those who have come under her care won’t let her simply shove them aside. Surrounded by the unlikeliest of humanity, Samantha still feels the sharp sting of loneliness, but for the first time in years she also tastes the sweetness of freedom – for the moment.

For FBI Agent Joe Roberts, Washington D.C. has become too dicey since President Warner’s murder – and a constant reminder of his encounter with their primary suspect. An opportunity arises to continue investigating Oleander Enterprises and what has become known as the Hitler Survival Conspiracy. Key documents are making their way from classified vaults back to where experiments first took place. Joe stops at nothing to intercept them, even when his actions place him on the Elite’s short list – and the FBI’s.

Debrille’s plans for an Elite Empire are nearing fruition, but without the brilliant Dr. Marcus, his life’s work threatens to crumble. The Bartlett woman needs to be silenced before ruining his carefully devised schemes. Debrille is tired of games with mere jokers, but the ace is in position – and only waiting to be played.

The search for the truth brings the participants to a breaking point collision. The battle lines are redrawn as reality pierces a lifetime of lies – and freedom can only be found in truth."

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sometimes life emulates fiction.

Life is filled with tragedy and Ms. Bale's writing reflects this reality. However, there is always a silver lining...even if one must spend their entire life searching for it.

In her previous career, Ms. Bale traveled the United States as a Government Relations Liaison, working closely with Congressional offices and various government agencies. This experience afforded her a glimpse into the sometimes "not so pretty" reality of the political sphere. Much of this reality and various locations throughout her travels make it into her writing.

She dreams of the day she can return to visit Alaska.

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REVIEW

Sequels to good works tend to either go one of two ways: they ROCK or they flunk totally.  It can be hard to follow a good story with an equally good story that does all elements of the previous story justice (have I confused you yet?).  But what is justice?  Can justice be truly found in the midst of a super crappy situation?  What if justice isn't a nice black-an-white issue that can be tied up with a pretty little bow, but instead involves elements and people best left uncovered?  

REVIEW: "A Jealous God" - by Dee Wilbur (Fire and Ice Book Tours)

BLURB
"Compellingly told from multiple points of view, A Jealous God follows Emma on her labyrinthine journey in search of the truth at all costs. A brilliant attorney with unflappable focus, she becomes consumed with learning who is responsible for several similar birth defects originating in her hometown. Her quest introduces her to a number of colorful characters. One of these is Jon, the local attorney whose largest client—Hays Chemical—is the target of Emma’s investigation. Jon embarks in pursuit of answers of his own, only to come to the realization that the suffering heaped upon these children dates back far further than he, Emma, or Hays Chemical could have ever imagined. It was, in fact, foretold in the oldest book of all."

GOODREADS  *  AMAZON

A Jealous God by Dee Wilbur
Virtual Book Tour Dates: 11/1/13 to 11/29/13
Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Medical Mystery, Beach Read

“A Jealous God … dishes up a fast-paced mix of mystery and intrigue.”
New York Times best selling author Ellen Tanner Marsh

“A thought provoking formula that will haunt your daydreams.”

Herman W. Brune, national award winning author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Beatrice Dee Pipes and Charles Wilbur Yates, Jr. write under the pen name Dee Wilbur, a combination of their middle names.

Both are Texas natives and both graduated from Rice University. Ms. Pipes runs And Take Names, a company that assists other companies with marketing, project management, and other tasks. She has been married to her husband Bryan for thirty-five years. They reside in Houston. Charles Yates is retired after thirty years in the practice of radiology. He has been married to his wife Sally for fifty years with four children and eight grandchildren. He tends his garden in Richmond, Texas.

WEBSITE  *  AUTHOR PAGE 

REVIEW
Pregnancy is a good thing.  Elation at the successful union of sperm and egg is pretty typical - it's a pretty exciting thing to find out new life is beginning.  But what are you supposed to do when that new life brings nothing but sorrow, heartache, and a desperate need to know why?