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Showing posts from July, 2013

Plain Fear:Forgiven

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If you have read the Bible than you are familiar with the story of Samuel. However I bet you did not know the other version of the story. The one that goes where Samuel killed his brother, Jacob because he was not himself. He was something else. Someone people call these creatures blood suckers, undead, or vampires. Samuel is trying to come to grips with his actions. However he better watch himself as he has a stalker. One that wants to turn him into one of them. I have read several books by this author. Yet Plain Fear: Forgiven is the first of the Plain Fear books I have read. The idea of vampires and a biblical story I admit are not something I would ever think I would mix or that I would say in the same sentence. Well after reading this book I have to say the two worked out alright. Because of the type of book it was the vampires were not portrayed too evil or too blood thirty. In fact the few scenes that there were of killings was quick and painless with no gore.

Hollywood Strip Blog Tour

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About the Book: A young Midwestern girl moves to Hollywood in search of fame and fortune only to find success is more than she bargained for. Callie is a plucky young woman who knows exactly what she wants: fame, fortune, and a fabulous career as a Hollywood actress. A starring role in an unlikely hit movie and a romance with a sexy, chart-topping singer brings her instant notoriety. But in the City of Angels, overnight success is a breeding ground for money-hungry leeches and privacy-robbing paparazzi. She quickly discovers life as an on-the-rise starlet is not as glamorous as she once envisioned. Purchase your copy at AMAZON. Hollywood Strip Blog Tour Page: About the Author: Shamron Moore became fascinated with Hollywood at a young age. She counts Ava Gardner, Greta Garbo, and Sharon Tate as early inspirations. In 2000, she left her home state of Michigan for the excitement of Los Angeles. Over the course of nearly eight years, she appeared in various internatio

'Vampire Vic' Blog Tour + Kindle Fire Giveaway

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Would you give up donuts...for blood? Fat, balding accountant Victor Thetherson hoped becoming a vampire would turn his life around. But Victor can't stomach confrontation and gets queasy at the sight of blood. Instead he gets it from the blood bank, diluted in bloody Bloody Marys. The result: a vampire who doesn't bite, and a man who gets no respect. Victor's slacking staff mockingly calls him Vampire Vic. Victor's boss amuses his wife by intimidating Victor on video. His ex makes him stay out late while she entertains boyfriends in the house she insists they continue to share. One night it finally boils over, and Victor bites someone. And then another...and very soon, he's no longer visiting the blood bank. Muscle replaces fat, and his comb-forward widow's peak takes root. Victor basks in newfound attention and respect, at the office and at home. But real vampires get hunted, and as the transformation reaches the tipping point, Victor must decide how

A Big Year for Lily (The Adventures of Lily Lapp #3)

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Book Summary ily Lapp's family has settled into their new home in Pennsylvania, but life still holds big changes and big steps for Lily. Good changes, like once again living close to her beloved cousin and best friend, Hannah. Bad changes, like a mean girl who plays tricks on her. And no change at all where Lily would most want one--Aaron Yoder sits near her in school and relentlessly teases her. Surprises are in store for Lily as she learns, with Mama and Papa's help, to manage the ups and downs of growing up Amish. The third of four charming novels that chronicle the gentle way of the Amish through the eyes of a young girl, "A Big Year for Lily" gives children ages 8-12 a fascinating glimpse into the life of the Amish--and lots of fun and laughter along the way. It combines Mary Ann Kinsinger's real-life stories of growing up Amish and the bestselling writing of Amish fiction and nonfiction author Suzanne Woods Fisher. With charming line drawings in ea

Countdown City

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Hank Palace is unemployed. It is no wonder as the world is about to end in seventy seven days. The only crimes people are committing are the ones where they are stocking up on food. There is someone though that wants Hank’s help. A friend of Hank’s has asked Hank to help find her husband. He went missing. Countdown City is the second book in this trilogy. To be honest, I was excited to read this trilogy. I thought it was something different and liked the concept of a pre disaster as I have read many post disaster stories. The first book was alright but there was something there that made me want to check out book two. If I had to say what makes this book it is Hank. He is like the only good guy left on the planet. Plus I like that even though the world is going to end in seventy seven days that he still cares about his job and helping people. Yet, despite this I still have not found myself glowing with excitement over these books. I did like book two a little better than book o

Fiend

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Chase and his friend, Typewriter are just chilling shooting up and smoking drugs. Just another day for them. That is until Chase sees a little girl outside tearing a dog apart with her teeth. At first Chase thinks he is hallucinating from a major high but than he realizes that what he is seeing is real. The girl has spotted Chase and is walking towards him with blood and dog hair hanging off her. Chase grabs Typewriter and they run upstairs. Typewriter ends up bashing the girls head in with an actual typewriter. This is when Chase and Typewriter realize that a zombie apocalypse has started. Chase must save his girl KK. When I first started seeing this book being promoted I really wanted to read this book. One because it was a zombie book. Two because it was promoted as being humorous. So my conclusion is after reading this book…that there are zombies, there are some funny toilet bowl humor lines, and drugs can help you survive a zombie attack. First off I had no problems

The Moon and More

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Emaline would rather be on the beach than helping her sister and family run Colby Realty. At least Emaline has her cute boyfriend, Luke. All the ladies want him. They have been together so long that their families have joked that they will be married. Emaline’s plans for the summer however involve applying for college, getting to know her biological father, hanging with friends, and learning who Theo is. Theo is one of the summer renters. He is much more mature than Luke and he likes Emaline. I was ready for a fun, light-hearted summer, beach read. Unfortunately I did not find what I was looking for in this book. Yes, the story was light and fluffy but it did not really have any meat to the storyline. With the characters there was no connection. No one made me like them or really want to be their friends. When it came to the two guys...Luke and Theo…I choose neither. Luke was childish and Theo was a bit of a snob. The reason I did not feel anything for Luke besides what I a

A summer blockbuster in The Entity Within!

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Zoe and her grandmother have moved to Vamptown. It is not like Zoe had any choice. They had no where else to go. Besides that Zoe did not even know that they were moving to Vamptown. It is just that witches and vampires do not really mix. They are like oil and water. Damon is the head of security in Vamptown. His number one priority is to make sure there is no trouble. Zoe and her grandmother have barely moved in and already they are getting on Damon’s nerves, especially Zoe. He has not felt something for someone in a long time. However he is not about to make the same mistake twice in trusting a witch. The last one he killed. The Entity Within is the second book in the Entity series. You don’t have to read the first book, Sleeping with the Entity. These books can be read as stand alone novels. However I have to tell you that I have book one and after reading this book, I am going back and reading it. While there were characters from the first book that appeared in this one

The Moon Rock

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Book Summary When Elliot takes his grandfather's moon rock, he’s not really stealing it, just borrowing it for further study. But the rock launches him into an adventure beyond his wildest imagination — in fact, it launches him clear to the moon! That night, Elliot awakes in Great Nidor, a city built in the deepest crater on the far side of the moon — a place where wickedness corrupts hearts and bodies, time can be twisted for good or evil, and wonder floats down every street. A civil war is raging between the Librarian and the Defiers. The Librarian rules over the Wings of the Past, Present, and Future. There’s a problem, though: he’s unable to open the Wing of the Future, where the most dangerous knowledge is stored, knowledge that will help him defeat the Defiers. Only Elliot can get the magical key that unlocks the Wing. But can he find it? And will the Wing of the Future help Elliot save his mother and his home from a terrible fire? Review by Aspen (age 10) This boo

Three Lives of Tomomi Ishikawa

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What would you do if you received a letter from a friend telling you that they are dead and that they have planted clues all over for you to find? Well that is exactly what happened to Mr. Constable. He received that said letter from his friend, Tomomi “Butterfly” Ishikawa. Mr. Constable goes on this treasure hunt accompanied by his imaginary cat. Where to start with my review of this book? How about…Be warned as you just might need to book an appointment with a psychologist after reading this book! It is not that I have anything bad to say about it but it is just that this is the type of book that you have to digest for a while after finishing it before attempting to put your thought down on paper. This is because this is exactly the type of book that Mr. Constable wrote. One that gets into your mind and plays tricks on you. It will have you feeling both confused but intrigued at the same time. I know I was but in a good way. Mr. Constable is the real talent her

Mrs. Pochoda’s Visitation Street is an instant classic that will have you devouring this book in a matter of a few hours!

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June and Val are best friends. They are practically inseparable. June however is boy crazy. June wants to do something fun and Val suggests they take her raft and float in the river. June and Val go rafting but something happens and Val is washed ashore. One of Val’s teacher’s Jonathan finds Val and takes her to Fabi’s store. The police are called. They go searching for June but neither she nor the raft are located. Jonathan starts a friendship with Val. Fabi seizes the moment to make his store popular with June’s disappearance. Lastly there is a boy named Cree who is trying to get out of town and make a better life for himself and his mother but with the disappearance of June, he finds himself a suspect. Wow, this book is a must, must read. It is not to be missed. If you do not read Visitation Street than you will be one of the uncool people. Mrs. Pochoda’s Visitation Street is an instant classic that will have you devouring this book in a matter of a few hours! From the ve

Finding Colin Firth

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Bea is still recovering over her mother's passing. So you can imagine the surprise she gets when she receive a letter. The letter tells Bea that she was adopted. Bea decides to learn about where she came from. Veronica regrets giving up her newborn daughter for adoption years ago. She works as a waitress in a diner. She is famous for her elixir pies. She teaches classes to people on pie making. Two of her newest students are widowed, Nick DeMarco and his daughter, Leigh. Gemma has just received the biggest shock of her life. One that will change it forever...she is pregnant. Gemma should be happy and she knows that her husband will be overjoyed. However Gemma can not bring herself to be joyed or to tell her husband. She decides that a road trip to clear her mind will do her some good. I have never read Pride and Prejudice. Although I have read several books loosely based around this story. Most of the books I just could not get into. So why would I try reading Findin

The People of Forever Are Not Afraid

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Yael, Lea, and Avishag are friends. As the years passed Lea became the outcast. Yael and Avishag survived the death of Avishag’s brother. Although nothing will compare for these three woman than spending time serving in the Israeli Defense Forces. This book will have you thankful that you are alive and are not a female living in Israel. I did have the idea that I was going to join the Air Force and become a pilot and stay for ten years and then retire. I would have been in my mid thirties and then gotten married. Well my plans did change. I did not go into the military however I did visit the Air Force Academy and stayed there for two weeks to get the experience and visited NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) back before 9/11. Not to say that my little experience makes me an expert and I am very grateful to all the service men and women who do serve. I am still fascinated by military and thus have read many military themed books. This is why I was interested to

The Favor

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Janelle and her son, Bennett have returned to care for Janelle’s Nan. She is expected to live only a few months. This puts Janelle within a stone’s throw from Gabriel “Gabe” Tierney. She has not seen Gabe since the day in the woods when a favor was made and she left town and did not look back. Gabe can remember that day and he is not about to easily forgive Janelle. However the longer she stays the harder it is to stay mad. I have read many books by Megan Hart. All of them good but they were all erotic novels. So I have to say I had my reservations about reading this book. I did not know what to expect and if the author can write a good book that his not erotica. Well after reading this book I can rightfully say that Megan can write just as good book other than erotica. As the story unfolded I got a good clue as to what tragic accident happened that day in the woods involving the Tierney brothers and Janelle. A sad accident that luckily does have a happy ending. I like t

William Shakespeare's Star Wars

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So you have heard of remixes in the music world but how many of you are familiar with mash ups in the books world? Yes, there is such a thing as mash ups. In the case of this book author Ian Doescher took a famous writer maybe you heard of his name…William Shakespeare. Then Mr. Doescher took another beloved movie series, Star Wars and he mashed the two together and you get William Shakespeare’s Star Wars...a romping good time! While I am sure both Mr. Shakespeare and Mr. Lucas never imagined themselves sharing a book together (more Shakespeare then Lucas I believe) it still makes for good reading. I like Mr. Doescher’s attempt at poetry even if was not the greatest. I can just picture Mr. Shakespeare rolling over in his grave. Oh, the great tragedy. This book is not meant to be taken seriously or at least I did not take it that way. I knew before reading it that I was going to be in for some good humor. I would like to see this book made into a Broadway play now that woul

Tides

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Noah and his sister, Lo are visiting their grandmother for the summer. Noah is excited as he got an internship with Professor Foster. The professor is big on biology. Noah is hoping to use this to his advantage to learn all that he can. What Noah did not picture was himself in a room with tons of boxes sorting and filing papers. All Lo wants to do is draw and paint. However she is obsessed with her weight. Noah is concerned for Lo’s health. Noah and Lo both will get the summer of a lifetime when Noah rescues Mara out of the ocean. You see Mara is a selkie. I have not read many selkie themed books. I wonder why that is as I think these books are just as important as the mermaid ones. Yes, in an essence mermaids and selkies are kind of the same. Also you might be say “Who cares” both are not real. Well that is besides the point. Thus this is the reason why I chose this book to read. I wanted to read more about the selkies. Which I did like the author’s take on the selkies.

Mila Ferrera’s SPIRAL + Giveaway

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Nessa Cavanaugh, psychology student, knows how to stay on an even keel. Despite the urging of her mother and her academic advisor to get a life and have some fun, “all work and no play” sums up her plan to survive her grueling internship year at a children's hospital. She doesn't want to end up like her father, whose constant ups and downs broke her family, and avoiding unnecessary emotional entanglements is a must. Then she (literally) runs into Dr. Aron Lindstrom in the middle of her disastrous first day on the job. The attraction is instant—and terrifying. Nessa knows she should stay away—especially when she finds out he has a reputation for being a player—but Aron is brilliant, intense, and as sexy as they come. When he challenges her to take a chance on him, her plans to stay focused on work start to crumble. But what begins as passion takes on a dangerous edge, becoming an emotional roller coaster that’s frighteningly familiar. As things spiral out

MY EDUCATION + Giveaway

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Love at High Tide

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Darcy Trent is on a vacation in Ocean City, Maryland with her friend, Trina. She deserves it after spending eight months writing her dissertation in Africa. Trina and Darcy go for a swim in the ocean. The cold warm takes Darcy’s breath away but it is the hunky guy that really does it for Darcy. Darcy’s rescuer is named Cooper Hudson. There is an instant attraction. Darcy’s vacation has just gotten better. Now all she has to do is try and keep herself from getting killed with her friend, Trina. I have read several books by this author and enjoyed them. I had so much fun with Darcy and Trina and all the trouble that they found themselves in. They were like the wannabe Nancy Drew and friend. They were not that good at investigating but it made for entertaining reading with funny laughs. What I was not laughing about was Darcy and Cooper’s romance. It was hot. I think that Darcy needed to go into the ocean again to cool off, only I don’t think that Cooper would be any help as he wou

Playing Tyler

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Tyler is smart yet he is also caring. He visits his brother, Brandon in rehab. Tyler’s dream is to go to the Air Force Academy. He already is one step closer being a member in the Civil Air Patrol. However Tyler knows his dream will stay just that…a dream. That is why when Rick, Tyler’s mentor in the Civil Air Patrol offers Tyler a chance to assist him with a new video game and the chance to make his dream a reality he jumps at the chance. Ani may be in high school but she is a super whiz. She created her own video game. Tyler and Ani meet and form a connection. Soon Tyler and Ani realize there is more than meets the eye with the video game, especially when Tyler’s brother, Brandon goes missing. I was really amped to read this book. I have read a few role playing or virtual gamer books and enjoyed them. It is like a double feature…reading a story within a story. Sadly this book did not live up to the hype that I had set for it. It was missing the virtual world element that in

MARILYN’S RED DIARY

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I am familiar with Marilyn. However I would not say that I know a lot of details about her. In fact if I was to be quizzed, I would flunk. So then why would I read a book about Marilyn? To be honest, if I had not been sent this book to review it then I would not be aware of it and would never have known about it. This would have been a real bad shame. Marilyn’s Red Diary gives the reader a vivid inside depth look into the “real” Marilyn. This book is a speedy read. I really liked the way it was written with the diary entries. It made me feel like I really was seeing everything through Marilyn’s eyes if not stepping into her shoes. It was sad reading this book as well. Reading Marilyn’s story made me think of another famous blonde, Anna Nicole. Marilyn was a woman with a heart of gold that just wanted to be loved and fell for the wrong guys. Mr. Friedel did a good job with this book and giving Marilyn her voice again.

Siding with Plato Book Blast+ Giveaway

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About the Book: Brooke Aarons can't get to college fast enough. Leaving behind her small town life, she intends to transform herself into a brilliant psychologist with no distractions along the way. But when she finds herself on a double date with the school's star football player - and worse, enjoying it - Brooke has to wonder if she's the one who needs her head examined. James Cartwright's easy life, endless bucks, and long line of willing girls should make him a non-starter for Brooke, but as she learns, the psychology behind a bad crush is a whole lot messier of a subject. Maybe Plato was right. Maybe love is a serious mental disease. If so, Brooke doesn't have long to find a cure before James' attention proves to be a terminal condition. Purchase your copy: AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE         About the Author: Michelle Manning was born and raised in Valencia, CA, attended Arizona State University, and graduated with a degree in journalism.

No Peace for the Damned

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Megan Powell NO PEACE FOR THE DAMNED Addicted to NA 2013 Magnolia Kelch is no stranger to pain. Beautiful and powerful, she’s spent her entire life at the mercy of her sadistic father and the rest of the Kelch clan, who have tortured her and tested the limits of her powers. After one particularly heinous night that leaves Magnolia nearly dead, she finally sees her chance for escape… But this first taste of freedom is short-lived when she collides with Thirteen, head of the Network—a secret organization dedicated to fighting supernatural criminals—who recruits her into the group. Even as she’s coming to grips with this new life and the horrific memories that still haunt her, she’s conflicted by her growing attraction to fellow team member Theo and the emergence of new, untested abilities. After months of grueling training, her loyalty to the team is tested when she learns her target is the Network’s most wanted: the Kelch family. Revenge may course through her veins, but so