Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” —Groucho Marx

Friday, May 31, 2013

What I read in May


For a month I had a bad head cold, I certainly caught up on reading when I recuperated!!     I couldn't help it, I just felt like I hadn't read anything for way too long.   The best read of my month was definitely the Rocking Chair, which is to be blogged about in August, but if you get a chance, pick it up....it is such a sweet book   and you will love Grandpa John to be sure.

Throw some romance and mystery thrillers in and it was a good month for me...a wide range of exceptionally good books.    I even enjoyed a fun little picture book I will share with my 2 yr old grandbaby.   I think she'll love it and you are never too young to learn to love and respect books.
















I read a couple of Christmas themed stories to be blogged about in December if all goes right.   And I read several fantasy paranormal books ranging from centaurs, immortals, death, and zombies.

I have no lucky winners to announce yet, but keep following as there will be several upcoming books to be given away to a lucky reader.   One drawing is now running for a copy of Cold Killing by Luke Delaney.   Only an hour and fifty minutes left so hurry.   My review can be found here:  http://bethartfromtheheart.blogspot.com/2013/05/cold-killing-by-luke-delaney-pict.html.

I guess that wraps up my month of May in reviewI enjoyed it except for having such a bad and tiring cold.    I hope you are all well and fervently reading.   It's such a pleasurable past time.




Thursday, May 30, 2013

My Review of Ageless Sea by M R Polish

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Banished for a crime she didn’t commit, Karis must learn to live her life alone – and in a world that’s not her own. Cursed on an island of loneliness, forced to endure nearly a century without a friend, the woman once destined to be Queen must find a way to return to her world and save her people from an evil influence.

After many years, one man is strong enough to survive the cursed barrier that keeps her from leaving the island. She needs him so she can return to her world; he needs her to put together the pieces of his broken memory. Side by side, Brady and Karis feel their loneliness slip away.

Every day their love grows stronger, but will their bond survive the battle between worlds? In Book One of The Ageless Series, M.R. Polish takes readers into a world where myths are real, deception lurks in the shadows, and destiny brings two lost souls together to fight as one.


From My Perspective:

First let me say I love this book cover!!!   It is just gorgeous, depicting Karis and Brady so beautifully.  The story within the pages of this book is so romantic and touching.   Karis is a strong female heroine and Brady is a hunk of a man that is strong and strengthens Karis in every supportive way that is possible.   Truly the term and two became one applied to them.   I love how they teased and loved each other and how her fight was his and his hers.

The storyline was interesting as well as romantic.  The theme of immortals living in different worlds, some having powers and others not, the mythological Gods we all studied being brought to life, mermaids and mermen, although they go by a different name......well let's just say it was a great tale of power and greed and the pure heart of a true Princess who wanted to save her people.   And the awesome world building that Polish created....I would love to swim with the Syrenae...it used to be dolphins I'd love to swim with!   How beautifully they were described.

If you love fantasy, action, adventure and romance, this is a great read!    I can't wait til the second book is released.....yes, I have gotten myself into another series and I'm lovin it!

4 Big Winks!



Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.  I received a complimentary copy from the author’s representatives in exchange for an honest review.


 

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Epidemic/Sanctuary by Samaire Provost/ Reviews

Several months ago, I was scheduled to participate in a book tour for Samaire Provost and her two books, Epidemic and Sanctuary .  I have now completed reading both books and am prepared to share my reviews.    I do apologize to Samaire for the delay in posting these reviews, but life happens at the most inopportune times.

Synopsis for Epidemic:


“The Black Plague is ancient history. It killed 100 million people nearly seven centuries ago, halfway around the world from the technologically advanced research center at Stanford University. Scientists there have recently begun examining samples of bone marrow from plague-infected corpses unearthed in Europe. All the necessary safeguards are in place. What could go wrong?
Alyssa and Jake are away with their class on a highly anticipated year-end trip to Broadway with their senior acting class when all hell breaks loose at home. Traveling back, and trying to find their families, they encounter deadly results. Riots are breaking out. People are being evacuated. And they have no idea what's happening to their families. 
Horrific ordeals, heart-pounding tragedy, and chance encounters harden them for what lies ahead. Faced with tormenting decisions, they're forced to follow their instinct for survival at any cost - even when the cost is a heart-wrenching decision of life or death.
A harrowing adventure of frightening discoveries, horrifying confrontations and narrow escapes in Epidemic, the first installment of the Mad World series. 
Find out what's got everyone so terrified.”

My Review of Epidemic:

I usually do not read apocolyptic/zombie books, so reading this series is way outside of my comfort zone.  It is aptly named Mad World series and Epidemic certainly showed how the world would react to such a frightening experience if this ever came to pass.   Alyssa, Jake and their friends feel they must return home to northern California in a hurry and at any cost.   They must find their families and find out what has happened to normal life.  They are met with terrifying creatures, silent and abandoned homes, life threatening encounters and helpless souls needing rescued.   It has become a nightmare, a mad world indeed!

This book was well written, the characters strong and very human.   How would your humanity respond to such a crisis?    I would hope I could be the person I think I am, but after reading this and feeling the terror of the characters in their situations....I am not sure how I would honestly react.  Glad to say it is fiction; it is certainly disturbing in world of Zombies way!








EPIDEMIC
Character Profile – Risa                                                    

Risa – pronounced with a long “i” and a hard “s” to rhyme with “Liza”
Risa is a seven year old precocious neighbor of DeAndre’s. Her mother works on the weekends so DeAndre’s mother watches Risa every Saturday. DeAndre’s mother and Risa’s mother are best friends. Risa has a very sunny outlook on life, and she bounces back from adversity very quickly. This came in very handy with the California emergency.
She prefers to play more with cars and slingshots, and climb trees, than waste her time on Barbies and dress up. She’s definitely a tomboy. Risa is Jewish, but last winter she begged her mother for a Christmas tree. After begging, pleading, cajoling, and debating, her mother finally relented. Theirs was the only house in the neighborhood to sport a blue Menorah in the window with a brightly lit Christmas tree behind it. Risa has brown hair and green eyes and she is like a little whirlwind!
If they made EPIDEMIC into a movie, I would want her character played by Maggie Elizabeth Jones who is 7 years old. She’s adorable and spunky, and she was great in We Bought A Zoo.

Synopsis for Sanctuary:



"The year is 2017, and the Black Plague infection has swept across most of the United States, leaving death and chaos in its wake. Martial law is the rule rather than the exception, with outbreaks cropping up when they're least expected. Alyssa and her friends must not only battle outbreaks of the disease, but also find themselves pursued by government agents – men and women determined to track them down at any cost.

Fleeing north to the fabled Sanctuary, Alyssa, Jacob, DeAndre, Caitlyn, Risa and Luke face disturbing ordeals and terrible tragedy as they encounter unbelievable situations in their struggle to reach safety. Using their skills and wits in their fight to survive against ever worsening odds, they weather hardship, betrayal, and the ever-present specter of death as they flee north, all the while vowing to protect one another – and most of all their precious 5-year-old Luke, from a world gone mad.

Sanctuary, the second installment in the Mad World series, is a heart-rending adventure of astonishing revelations, tragic discoveries, agonizing separations and devastating losses that test these friends to their limits. With heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat suspense at every turn, this is a story you will not be able to put down."


My Review of Sanctuary:

Book two was fast action and continued the travels of Alyssa, Jake, and their "family".   The family would grow as others were allowed in and found refuge with this group.   They learned to trust their sixth sense in a country overtaken by zombies.   The strength of the characters grew as time progressed and they became a tightly woven cohesive team and family and their love and respect for one another sustained them against every evil they encountered.    There was always a threat; always a need to pay attention and be prepared to fight for survival.

This was a fast read and every bit as suspenseful as the first book.   I am now anxious to get my hands on a copy of Desperation, the third in the Mad World Series.    Apparently in Desperation, there is a new threat to challenge our family of survivors.   And I need to know  what will yet happen!    I am truly sorry it has taken me so long to read and post these reviews.   Trust me, the books are intersting, fast paced, emotionally charged and full of twists and surprises.
 


"Samaire Provost lives in California with her husband and son.
Her love of paranormal stories, odd plots, and unique tales as well as the works of Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, Madeleine L'Engle and Stephen King has deeply influenced her writing."

Author Links:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/samairep
Twitter - https://twitter.com/samairep
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6453849.Samaire_Provost
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Samaire-Provost/e/B008PVTXMW


Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.  I received a complimentary copy from the author's representative in exchange for an honest review.

 

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

My review of Centaur Rivalry by Nancy Straight

Centaur Rivalry

SYNOPSIS from Goodreads:

Centaur Rivalry (Touched #3)

by
The Centaur world is rocked as news spreads of the Lost Herd, Camille's existence, and her Centaur protector. A death order against Camille's father and family sends all into hiding.

Camille and Drake leave the country pursued by the Lost Herd as well as by Centaur Council enforcers. Camille's twin brother Cameron is manipulated by the Council Head and is quickly becoming her newest enemy.

Amid unexpected new protectors, enemies, and romances, Camille and Drake make their plans to travel to Africa to confront the Centaur Council. They hope acceptance of Camille as Chiron's heir, yet knowing that her link to the Lost Herd could require them to kill or to be killed.
 

From My Perspective:

 
Thus far I have read the entire Touched series.   I am still enamoured with the series, but I did find this issue to be lacking the power of the first two books.    This might have been because of so much back story about what had occurred before.    I found that unnecessarily redundant.    Camille and Drake have found the break they needed in order to get married and aided by Bianca and Gage, the wedding is planned and made official.   They have made new friends who have caused a stir as well, Jessica, a beautiful Centauride, has turned Daniel's head and though she cares deeply for him, she sees no future.    Katherine is a lapitor...arch nemesis of the Centaurs, except her line has been charged with protecting the Lost Herd.  Camille's brother Brent is strongly drawn to the human, Katherine.   Oops!   The story is engrossing and leads up to the Centaurs departure for Centauride in South Africa.   The next installment of Centaur Redemption is due out in November.....be still my beating heart, we will wait patiently, although it will be extremely difficult to do.    As always, I need the rest of the story.......

4Winks!
 
 


Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.  I received a complimentary copy from the author’s representatives in exchange for an honest review.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Cold Killing by Luke Delaney/ PICT VBTour with GIVE AWAY

Book Details
Genre: Fiction/Thriller
Published by: HarperCollins/William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: 05/21/2013
Number of Pages: 448
ISBN: 9780062219466
Series: 1st in the D.I. Sean Corrigan Series
Purchase Links: 
   
Synopsis: 

After a young man is found brutally murdered in his own flat, DI Sean Corrigan, responsible for one of South London’s Murder Investigation Units, takes on the case. At first it appears to be a straightforward domestic murder, but immediately Corrigan suspects it is much more and it soon becomes clear he is hunting a particularly clever and ruthless serial killer who changes his modus operandi each time he kills, leaving no useable forensic evidence behind...
 Luke Delaney joined the Metropolitan Police Service in the late 1980s and his first posting was to an inner city area of South East London notorious for high levels of crime and extreme violence. He later joined CID where he investigated murders ranging from those committed by fledgling serial killers to gangland assassinations.

My Review:

 Can we just say AWESOME and let it go at that?  No I suppose not.   That wouldn't be fair to the author or to potential readers.   But darn it's so hard to formulate the right words to describe such a powerful book as Cold Killing.

Once I started, I had trouble putting this one down;  I get so invested in the characters.  The book is written from the point of view of Detective Inspector Sean Corrigan in one chapter, and from the point of view of the antagonist in the next and there are twists and turns in this mystery suspense that troubled me to the core.   It's  very gory and disturbing crimes performed by a very disturbed individual who thinks of himself as a God.   And it is up to DI Sean Corrigan and his team to stop him from committing any more crimes.  Characters were very well developed; but even the good guys surprised me now and then.   The bad guys were just plain evil, psychologically; their actions a game of cat and mouse.   Whoever had the most determination to survive would win.

A very well written story, I am looking forward to additional writings regarding DI Sean Corrigan and his team.  I'm rating this a 5 wink read!! 

For additional reviews, please follow the tour schedule below:





a Rafflecopter giveaway



Every eBook received for review on the tours for Partners In Crime are given in exchange for an honest review. The eBooks are sole property (copyrighted) of the author and should not be sold, distributed to, or exchanged among other people not part of the tours, nor should they be listed on file sharing sites. Failure to comply with this disclaimer, will result in removal from all future tours.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Dancing With Deception by Andrea Heltsley/ Review


How far would you go to keep your nightmares a secret?
Wendy has been struggling with vivid, chilling nightmares that leave her exhausted and horrified. What will Wendy do to protect her secret when she discovers her nightmares are real? Death is coming and he’s coming for her.
 
Read the chilling prequel to the paranormal romance, Dancing with Death.

My Perspective:

I purchased this prequel from Amazon for free and at this writing it is still free.    It's only 54 pages and reads very fast.  It's definitely a chilling read as Wendy, the main character goes from being a sophomore in high school to her Senior year having very disturbing nightmares about a series of serial killings in the woods near their town.   It prepares us for the book, Dancing with Death which will be released May 29th and yes, I'm gonna get it as I must know ......
the rest of the story (Paul Harvey's blurb).

Has anyone else read the prequel?    What are your thoughts?
Let me know please! 


Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.  I received a free copy from Amazon.com, Kindle edition.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Win a free Kindle/ Live Chat with Andrew Gross

Last month I posted a review of Andrew Gross's NO WAY BACK....you can find the review here: http://bethartfromtheheart.blogspot.com/2013/04/no-way-back-by-ancdrew-grosspict-vbtour.html
The exciting news is that there will be a live chat with Andrew at BookTrib.com tomorrow night at 7:30 ET/8:30 CT. Just follow this link: http://booktrib.com/e-vents/book-parties/
. Participants will be eligible to win a Kindle Fire loaded with a selection of Andrew's books! He is an awesome author! Please join the fun and ask Andrew any questions you may have!

This is the next installment in a new series of 20 Live Chats on BookTrib.com to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Meryl Moss Media Relations promoting authors. BookTrib is a book/publishing website that features book news, reviews, custom online promotions including giveaways, contests, live author chats, and more. Everyone is welcome!
Last month I posted a review of Andrew Gross's NO WAY BACK....you can find the review here:  http://bethartfromtheheart.blogspot.com/2013/04/no-way-back-by-ancdrew-grosspict-vbtour.html      The exciting news is that there will be a live chat with Andrew at BookTrib.com tomorrow night at 7:30 ET/8:30 CT.     Just follow this link:   http://booktrib.com/e-vents/book-parties/.    Participants will be eligible to win a Kindle Fire loaded with Andrew's books!  He is an awesome author!   Please join the fun and ask Andrew any questions you may have!

This is the next installment in a new series of 20 Live Chats on BookTrib.com to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Meryl Moss Media Relations promoting authors. BookTrib is a book/publishing website that features book news, reviews, custom online promotions including giveaways, contests, live author chats, and more.   Everyone is welcome!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Penny For Your Thoughts.....

I hope I will not be crucified by all the authors whose books I have read and for the most part loved.   You are awesome writers and I hope someday to be numbered in your ranks.   With that being said. I'd like to know what my Peeps think of trilogies these days.

I am truly disappointed.   I like a book to tell the entire story from start to finish.   I want to know what happened when I close the cover that last time and not be left hanging.    As a reader I really feel short changed to read part 1 and maybe it's 150 pages......part two comes out at less than 100 pages and part three is maybe 120 pages.   Why couldn't this have been one book at approximately 370 pages or so?   Was it really necessary to make it a trilogy?   Was it cost effective for the writer to do so?   And if so, why?   It certainly irked me to pay for three installments to be told a complete story, which could have made a great book as one book.

Now, I am not talking about a series of books like Harry Potter.    Those books and books like them tell a stand alone story with characters who have much more to tell in subsequent stories.  I accept that and I enjoy a series that can move on with more.    But I want each one to tell me a story.....I want believable characters, a strong story line that culminates to the climax and then ends with an acceptable and believable ending--that puts that story to bed.

Am I   the only one that feels cheated by some of these trilogies that leave us hanging with so little meat to any one part of said trilogy?   It's sad enough, when a part two or three falls short of the expectation built in part one.   That happens too and it's very disappointing to the reader.

Now I'm speaking to my own writing and maybe that's where my problem lies.   I want to write from beginning to end, tell my story from start to finish and maintain the passion I have for the story throughout the book..   I want my story fully developed and shaped into something the reader sees in their minds eye and in their heart.   I want them to be fully satiated when they close the cover for the last time.   I don't want them left hanging, wondering if there will be more and if my fervor will be there as it was with the first.

There are writers who can pull off a trilogy; who can sustain their level of passion and create three works that are well developed and comprise three parts to the whole.   I would not enjoy reading a thousand page volume and can understand why a trilogy might be necessitated. 

Maybe it's a case of each to their own, but over the last couple of years I have determined to be much more choosy about anything called a trilogy being added to my to be read pile.   Just wondering how other readers feel about this and would love to hear from anyone with a comment to share, be ye reader or author.   And I pray I have not offended anyone.   It's just my humble opinion!

Let me hear from you!


Monday, May 20, 2013

Save My Soul by Ellery Arden/ a RABT VBTour



Contemporary Romance
Date Published: 3/25/12

Psychotherapist Maggie Collins has always been a little off the proverbial wall, but now 
she’s also knee deep in a delayed quarter-life crisis. With her meager paychecks devoured by 
student loan debt, a car payment and rent for office space, living at home with a flighty, folksinging mother seemed like a good idea…at first. Now Maggie’s not so sure. She wants space 
to sort things out and launch a life of her own, but she needs a cushion of cash to get there. 
When an unexpected phone call brings an offer Maggie can’t refuse, she’s one deal with the 
devil away from moving out of her mother’s house.
The devil of contract negotiations, baseball agent Jordon Kemmons, has a problem the 
usual experts can’t fix…his star pitcher is too depressed to throw strikes. Even worse, 
Jordon’s post-divorce grudge against women is turning him into a raging mess. If desperate 
times call for desperate measures, then cynical Jordon has made the most desperate move 
of all. He’s hoping sexy psychotherapist Maggie Collins is the answer to all his rusty prayers.
Soon Maggie and Jordon are fighting an attraction that threatens everything they’ve ever 
believed. If it’s not just physical attraction…if it’s something more, maybe two wrongs can 
make a right.

My Review:

The strong points of this book were the well developed characters and the well written story.   This reader could certainly identify with Maggie Collins.    When first love happens, how does one distinguish between  true love and lust?   Maggie travels to North Carolina to help a distressed baseball player and finds herself lost in a soul searching struggle with his agent.....is she sexually attracted?  has the agent, Jordan, displaced feelings of love for her as a therapist?   Has she made a terrible mistake by giving in to her own sexual desires?

The first chapter had me laughing out loud.   Maggie and Jordan were at odds and Maggie's sarcasm and sharp wit were evident.   The remaining chapters centered around helping Carlos, the ball player, come to grips with his own reality and the sexual tension between free spirited Maggie and  not sexually active, Jordan.  It wasn't my favorite love story of all time--Maggie seemed to over think things too much.  I did enjoy the ending and the changes in the characters as they found their resolutions to the problems at hand.
Overall I rate this at three winks--(average read, enjoyable).

 

 Elley Arden


Author Bio
Elley Arden is a born and bred Pennsylvanian who has lived as far west as Utah and as far north as Wisconsin. She drinks wine like it’s water (a slight exaggeration), prefers a night at the ballpark to a night on the town, and believes almond English toffee is the key to happiness.
Elley has been reading romance novels since she was a sixteen-year-old babysitter, sneaking Judith McNaught and Danielle Steele novels off the bookshelves of the women who employed her. She started her first manuscript when she was twenty-five, writing during babies’ naps. A total of three children and ten years later, the manuscript was complete. Little did she know, her journey to publication was only beginning…
Elley writes provocative contemporary romances for Crimson Romance.



LINKS TO BUY
Amazon
iTuens
Barnes and Noble
 
 

For additional Perspectives, please follow our tour: 


May 3 - Reading Addiction Blog Tours - Meet and Greet
May 4 - My Reading Addiction - Review
May 5 - Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews - Interview/PROMO
May 8 - Queen of the Night - Review/Guest Post
May 9 - Texas Book Nook - Review
May 10 - Up All Night Reviews - Guest Post/PROMO
May 11Author Ever Leigh - Review
May 12 - In Love with Romance- PROMO
May 13 - The Serial Reader - Review/Guest Post
May 15 - My Pathway to Books - Review
May 17 - Illustrious Illusions - Review/Guest Post
May 18 - Flirting with Romance - Guest Post/PROMO
May 19 - Beth Art From the Heart - Review
May 20 - Izz Bookish Place - Guest PostPROMO
May 22 - Taking it One Page at a Time - Review
May 23 - My Cozie Corner- Review
May 24 - LovLivLife Reviews - PROMO
May 25 - Busy Mom book Reviews - Review
May 25 - Book Referees - Guest Post/PROMO
May 28 - Bunny's Reviews - Review/interview
May 29 - Faerie Tale Books - Review/Guest Post
May 30 - The Canon - Review
May 31 - RABT Reviews - Review



Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*