Read Me Dead - Pre-release Book Review

Title: Read Me Dead

Author: Emerald Barnes

Released: April 25th, 2012

Print Length: ?

File Size: 403 KB

Goodreads info here and visit the book's website

Disclaimer: I did win a free advanced copy of this book from the author during an event. This however did not influence my review in any way.

Here's the official trailer for the book:

Now for the review:

In her newest book Read Me Dead, Barnes gets the reader to ask themselves a tough question. If you knew a deadly secret, would you keep it, even if it meant a killer might go free? Alex has kept a secret from everyone, including her twin brother for 7 years, but soon the truth will have to come out. She was there the night her parents were murdered and has been haunted by the memories of that night. She’s been afraid the man who shot them would come back for her as he promised if she ever breaks her silence. In an attempt to keep him safe, Alex breaks up with her boyfriend even though she is still in love with him, and as an extra twist she soon becomes attracted to one of their best friends. The question is who will she pick and will they ever be safe? 

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of the book and once the action started I couldn’t wait to see what was going to come next. I wanted to know who the killer was and if Alex and her friends/family would all make it out without harm. Unfortunately I didn’t quite feel a connection with Alex as a character as much as I hoped I would. I’m not sure if it was the character or if it was the style the book was written in, but even though I wanted to know what happened to them, I wasn’t emotionally invested. The main character was a bit on the weak side throughout the majority of the book (granted I might have been too if I thought I was going to die at any moment) but for some reason I just couldn’t feel sympathetic towards her (or her incessant crying). I often felt that she went a bit overboard with the waterworks and that was a big turn off for me, though I’m sure there are many who don’t mind it.

The writing style was a tad over descriptive for me as well. It was almost like reading a script where it details step by step each action taking by each character. I know there are many who enjoy the large amounts of descriptions but I often found myself either getting lost in them or wanting to skip over them entirely. Again, it’s just not my cup of tea style wise. I still give it four stars however because the plot is there, and once things really got going about midway through the book I was hooked and couldn’t wait to read the ending (which was a complete surprise by the way). I’m glad I read it and was definitely worth taking the time to read it. I really did enjoy it, it just wasn’t a “new fav” novel for me.

Available Tomorrow (April 25th, 2012)!

Buy here:

Amazon US

The Sin Collector - The Book Review

Title: The Sin Collector

Author: Jessica Fortunado

Released: Feb. 6th, 2012

Print Length: 134 pages

File Size: 230 KB

Goodreads info here

Visit the book's website

Here's the official trailer for the book:

Now for the review:

Very Thought Provoking!  

Excellent Take on the Sins of Mankind!

In The Sin Collector Jessica Fortunato makes the reader weigh the consequences of their sins, without passing judgment. Her novel introduces a new type of immortal, the Collectors, who spend their days collecting the sins of mortals, easing the burden those sins place upon mortal souls. Those actions come with a hefty price for the Collectors.

Liliana is 120 years old and has spent the last century of her life in loneliness. Being around humans hurts too much for her as she always feels their sins and being with her own kind is deadly. She has what most humans would die for, immortality. Lily doesn’t have to eat or sleep and can’t be physically hurt, though she seems to try a few times during her love affair with her motorcycle. The only way for a Collector to die is at the hands of the Castus, and supposedly they’ve been gone for years. Yet, there is an ache inside her that continues to grow. Immortality doesn’t come cheap, she must be careful not to allow anyone too close for fear they discover her secret. Just as she begins to accept her fate of being alone for the rest of eternity a figure from her childhood reappears during a set of strange events. Will he be her salvation or her damnation? Suddenly everything she thought she knew about being a Collector is cast in a shadow of doubt.

Fortunato does a fantastic job of creating a back story full of myths to explain the existence of Collectors and makes these myths truly believable. There is an immediate connection to the main character and I was quickly drawn into her world. I felt her emotions and had the same questions she had throughout the novel. There was just enough sarcasm to the dialogue without going overboard and sounding fake or unlikeable. I was able to find myself rooting for Lily during her adventures and felt her heartbreak as if it were my own when her beliefs are shattered and joy for her when things went her way.

This book touched my heart in that it made me wonder who has had to live with the burden of my own sins. It made me think of my life and how I have lived it, and would I do anything differently if I knew there were really Collectors there to take on that burden. Overall this book is one of my new favorite must read novels. The only negative I found was that I was disappointed once I reached the end of the book. It was much shorter than I realized and found myself wishing there were at least a few more chapters. Though there is an upside to my disappointment, I am now eagerly anticipating the next book in the series!

Buy here:

Amazon US

Seasons Change

Seasons Change

As the seasons change, everything becomes strange.

Nothing stays the same, but who is there to blame?

We can blame it on me, but soon even you'll see.

We can blame it on you, but you know it isn't true.

It's simply nature's course, no reason for our remorse. 

Inevitable is the end of time, it's no great crime. 

We can blame it on fate, but who'll bite that bait? 

We can blame it on God, but that's just a facade.

"That's the way it's meant," comes the message, heaven sent. 

There's nothing left to do, except to let go of you. 

We can blame it on the stars above, and defy all of our love. 

We can blame it on the rain, but that too, is insane.

As the seasons continue to pass by, I begin to wish it were a lie. 

And now all that is left, is this feeling of a theft. 

The blame, placed on life, cuts your soul like a knife. 

But that's the way it's to be, it's for the best, trust me.

For My Beloved

For My Beloved

These thoughts I'm having about you-
They are all brand new.
Soaring high in the heavens above,
Somebody please tell me, is this love?
I have never felt this way before,
This isn't something to just ignore.
Today I entrust to you my heart,
Hoping in the future we never part.
I'm willing to give up all that I own,
For these feelings that I've never known.
All I want is to be by your side,
These thoughts to you I had to confide.

The Forever Girl - Book Review and Giveaway!

Title: The Forever Girl - Sophia's Journey (Book 1 of the series)

Author: Rebecca Hamilton

Released: Jan. 26th, 2012

Print Length: 352 pages

File Size: 869 KB

Goodreads info here, visit the book's website

Disclaimer: I did win a free copy of this book from the author during a Twitter event. This however did not influence my review in any way.

Here's the official trailer for the book:

Now for the review:

Most Refreshing Take on Vampires Since Christine Feehan Created the Carpathians! 

In her New Adult paranormal/urban fantasy novel, The Forever Girl: Sophia’s Journey author Rebecca Hamilton brings a fresh and exciting twist to the classic vampire and shape shifter saga. Sophia Parsons discovers a whole world of immortal creatures exist alongside humans when she attempts to rid herself of the constant static that invades her mind. She casts a spell hoping to quiet the noise, but instead the noise changes into murmurs and whispers that she can’t quite understand. Along the way Sophia is thrust into this strange and dangerous cast of characters while trying to rid herself of the family curse causing the noise, including Charles whom she feels an instant connection with. She quickly learns that no one is who she thought they were, and popular myths of witches and vampires have a bit of truth to them.

Hamilton definitely did her research for this novel and accurately depicts the Wiccan rituals and beliefs, right down to the discrimination Wiccans face in towns so small that there’s no escaping the rumor mill. She also does a wonderful job with the dialogue, and I loved some of the off the cuff remarks made between Sophia and Charles, as well as Sophia’s internal thoughts. I quickly began to feel the emotions racing through Sophia, especially when it came to her hesitations in the romance department and the fear of being hurt.

The only reason I did not give the book 5 stars, and I wanted to very much, was there were a few times where I wanted to reach through the pages and strangle Sophia and her insecurities. The back and forth waiting to see if Charles and Sophia were going to finally give in to their feelings drove me crazy. It was just a tad much for me, but for fans of romance novels it may not be. There were a few more elements that were a little hard to believe but I can’t go into too much detail without giving away spoilers, so suffice it to say that I work with law enforcement during my day job and once or twice things didn’t happen as it would in the real world. These are easy to overlook in the scheme of things and didn’t ruin the novel for me at all, but felt I had to note it J. Overall I loved the book and I cannot wait for the next in the series!

How Do I Forget

How Do I Forget?

Forget the betrayal?

Forget the hurt?

Forget the way you rubbed,

All my love in the dirt?

Forget the love that, 

We were meant to share? 

Forget the way you said, 

You'd always care?

Forget that when we touched, 

My heart would always melt? 

Forget the wonderful way, 

That, by your side, I felt?

Forget the night you left, 

Myself to sleep I cried? 

Forget all this and so much more? 

How do I forget your love for me has died?

The Grimoire: Lichgates - A book review and more!

Title: The Grimoire Lichgates (Book 1 of the Trilogy)

Author: S.M. Boyce

Released: Oct. 14th, 2011

Print Length: 408 pages

File Size: 674 KB

Goodreads info here, visit the book's website and author's website

Disclaimer: I did win a free copy of this book from the author during a Twitter event. This however did not influence my review in any way.

A Delightfully Witty and Exciting Fantasy Novel! 

Definitely a Must Read!

In her debut fantasy novel, The Grimoire: Lichgates, S.M. Boyce successfully engages the reader in a wonderful yet at time terrifying new world, Ourea. Kara Magari has no idea of the journey she faces when she first discovers a magical book that transports her to Ourea. After losing her mother, Kara must deal with the fact that her father (and everything else she’s known and loved) is gone as well. Throughout her adventures in Ourea, Kara meets quite the cast of characters, some who are delighted that there is now a new Vagabond (Kara), and others not so much, but all of which seem to have an agenda of their own.

Boyce does such a wonderful job at creating a world that at times I forgot it wasn’t real. While reading, I began to understand the culture, the politics, and even in some ways the very magical essence of Ourea. And while I wouldn’t want to take on the new responsibilities Kara must deal with, at times I was definitely envious of her chance to see some of the beautiful sights that this world bestowed. There were only a few times where I would get lost in the details and descriptions, though I’ll admit this may be more to do with staying up way past my bedtime to see what happened next, rather than due to any flaw in the writing. The dialogue between the characters is often witty and the banter between Kara and Braeden made me laugh many times. The only time the dialogue ever seemed awkward or forced, was when it fit the situation which made the scenes all the more realistic.

The only complaint that I had upon finishing the novel was that it simply wasn’t long enough. I wanted more and am eagerly looking forward to the next two books. In the mean time, I intend to read Lichgates at least once or twice more!

Buy here:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | CreateSpace | Monkeybars

Shattered Dreams

Shattered Dreams

It's like a shot, right through your soul.

As if someone tells you to forget your goal.

The reason is you are now stuck in hell. 

Do these words seem to ring a bell?

All the anger builds up within you, 

Is there anything at all you can do?

To watch your dreams snatched away, 

To never again think of the "one day."

The hurt inside just keeps getting worse 

It doesn't matter how much you rehearse.

You'll never ever get it right 

All because of that fateful night.

Just watch your dreams go up in smoke, 

All your life has just been a big joke.

And so here falls all my tears, 

As I tell you all my fears

One More Chance

I wrote this poem for my Grandpa shortly after I learned he had passed away. Though it's been years, I still miss him dearly. I know he's watching over me and I'll get to see him again one day.

Here's to Fun Times and Great Friends!

I've been meaning to start this blog for a while now and I figured what better time than now? I've been fortunate enough to make quite a few amazing new friends on Twitter. Many have offered great advice on writing techniques as well as a never ending list of books I've now added to my Goodread's to-read list.

The best way I could come up with to thank them all for their wonderful friendship and help was to start writing reviews on the books I've read. So every week or so I'll add a new book review to the blog as well as links to where you can purchase the book.

In addition I'll be posting links to different blogs that have great posts on writing for those that might be interested. I've found quite a few that have provided some wonderful guidance for those working on a novel for the first time. The amount of knowledge I've gained about writing professionally just in the last few months has been astounding, and I know there is so much more to learn.

I'll give occasional updates on my struggles to finish my novel as well. I made a promise to myself to have the first draft completed by the end of the year and plan to hold myself to it. If only Twitter wasn't so addictive lol. I somehow always manage to end up on there no matter what I got online for originally and no matter how many times I tell myself I'll just check it real quick I somehow end up on there for hours!

Speaking of my work in progress, I was tagged in the Lucky 7 about a month ago by S.M. Boyce, and until now I hadn't had a place to post it. I figured I'd play for fun on my first post :)

The rules are you have to go to the 77th page (or 7th if you aren't that far into it) of your current MS or WIP, go to the 7th line, copy down the next 7 lines (sentences) and post them as they are currently written (no cheating!) and finally you have to tag 7 authors and let them know.

So here are my 7 sentences:

Alex made his way over to Lynda who was consoling David's wife. She glanced up as he was walking across the lawn and spotted him.  Lynda excused herself from David's family and met him halfway. As she walked towards him, Alex thought about how lucky he had been once, before he screwed it all up. Lynda was the sweetest, most caring person he had ever met. And she had loved him, really loved him. He shook his head slightly, clearing out his thoughts, today would be emotional enough, without adding in his regrets.

Now for my 7 authors

1. Rebecca Hamilton
2. Noree Cosper
3. Paul Barrow
4. Gary Vanucci
5. Zane Bradey
6. Angel Walker
7. Jack Flacco

If you've been tagged before sorry, I didn't catch it. Have fun! Feel free to let me know what you think of my 7 lines. Thanks again everyone for stopping by and checking out my first post. I plan to have a review for S.M. Boyce's Lichgates up in the next post so stay tuned!