Sunday, June 18, 2017

Sunday Post #170 - Time to get serious.

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share new about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

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It's time to get serious and crack down when I'm home. I've got many things floating in the air and I want to get them all moving again. First and foremost will be exercising. I've been slack on it with all that we've had going on then being sick. I want to get back to posting pictures over at Spellbound in a Flash. Then there's the book review posting. I soooo need to get caught up at posting my thoughts on books sights.

I made a decision this week. I need a weekend job. I'm still doing content editing and my full time job Monday through Friday, but we are struggling. It seems the cost of living - bills and food - are rising faster than my paycheck. Well, more than seems. That's what's happening. My husband is already working two jobs and kiddo is working, I'm who's left.

Yes, picking up the second job along with editing work is going to limit my time with exercising and photo posting. I just need to be wise about my time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Fit Booker:

Goal:  Workout in any form of exercise (or on Wii Fit) 2x's a week. (to feel better and hope to drop a few pants sizes)

How did I do last week... Erm... nothing. I haven't even push mowed the grass because I was sick or it rained on the way home from work. Ugh.

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What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:
Exiled by Amanda Carlson
And
Working on Editing work

Current Audiobook:
The Book of Dragons by E. Nesbit

Current Podcast Book Listen:
Stonebriar Casefiles: Bad Alchemy by Laura Nicole Spencer (You can listen for free too!)


Finished Last Week: 
xxx by xxx


Audiobooks from Audible:
Lucifer's Star by C.T. Phipps & Michael Suttkus



Finished Podcast Book Listen:
Nothing yet.


DNFed:

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Last Week on the Blog:


Cover Reveals: (click titles to go to post & learn more)



Guest Posts:



Posts:

Spellbound in a Flash:
Nothing new last week. I have pictures to touch up and share, but time has not been sharing lately.

Challenged Writers:
April, May, and why not June Update on writer-ly items.


Around the Internet...


Reviews:
Villains Rule by M.K. Gibson

"I felt I could believe Jackson's thinking and I really liked him. I want to watch movies with Jackson. He would be a hoot at pointing out the flaws in plans, hero and villain. I laughed at the obvious observations pointed out by Jackson in this book. So good and so true! Jackson's written in a way that I liked him even though he wasn't the clean cut good guy. I even felt the fluctuation of praise and irritation of Randy with Jackson - all thanks to Jeffrey's vocal talents and M.K.'s writing."

Heart of Gold by J.A. Cipriano & J.B. Garner

"There are a lot of quick toss ins that are to be jokes that reference movies and such. Frank does say he has a love for movies and music, so it fits him. But they come so fast it's easy to miss them and their reference."


Podcast Review:




Mama Bitchstress Reviews:



GIVEAWAYS:

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This Week to Come on the Blog:


I will have two reviews and a guest post.



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Received Last Weeks:
(Note: Links to Amazon are buy links where I could earn commission, in case you are interested.)


For Review Consideration:





Audio Books Requested for Review:
Perses by K.A. Finn
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Brayden Sawyer is trapped far from his ship and crew in the last place he wants to be. Earth. ∞ From award winning science fiction author K.A Finn ∞
On a mission to stop the Foundation from creating an army of cyborgs, wanted felon Brayden Sawyer is trapped far from his ship and crew in the last place he wants to be. Earth. With the Foundation hot on his heels, Bray must ask his family for refuge, a family who always preferred his brother Gryffin over him and kicked him out of their lives a decade ago.
When his family rejects him a second time, Bray wonders if saving Gryffin, and completing his mission, is worth it. All his life, he’s been second best to his brother, a brother he never really knew. But turning his back on Gryffin is out of the question and he won't let the Foundation do to others what they’ve already done to him and Gryffin.
Breaking into Foundation headquarters, Bray comes face to face with the horrible truth about his brother’s cyborg enhancements as well as his own modifications. And that’s not all. The Foundation is set to destroy a planet of innocent people, using Gryffin as their number one weapon.
With time running out, Bray must finish what he started. Together with Garvan and his family, Bray must escape Earth with the necessary technology to save Gryffin and stop the Foundation’s evil plans. But can one man stand against the all-powerful and tyrannical Foundation? If Bray can save Gryffin, he may just have a fighting chance.

To Beat the Devil by M.K. Gibson
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Goodreads Synopsis:
175 years have passed since God quit on mankind. Without his blessing, Hell itself, along with the ancient power of The Deep, were unleashed upon the world. Two world wars and oceans of blood later, a balance was reached. Demonkind took its place as the ruling aristocracy. Mankind, thanks to its ability to create, fell to the position of working proletariat. Alive, but not living. 

Lucky Us. 

Welcome to New Golgotha, the East Coast supercity. In it you will find sins and cyborgs, magic and mystery, vices without virtue and hell without the hope of heaven. In the middle of it all is Salem, smuggler extraordinaire and recluse immortal, who has lived and fought through the last two centuries, but his biggest battle is just beginning. 

To Beat The Devil: A technomancer Novel is an incredible adventure full of cyborgs and demons, gods, magic, guns, puns and whiskey, humor and heart. Follow Salem as he embarks to discover the meaning of the very nature of what mankind is: our souls. And, who is trying to steal them.


Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:
Book:
Captive by Anna Santos
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Goodreads Synopsis:
What would you rather have: a vampire or an angel for a soul-mate? 

Innocent Aria never imagined that her dream trip to Paris would change her whole life. She is soon thrown into a world where vampires, angels, gargoyles and werewolves exist.

After being rejected and almost dying, Aria finds herself stuck in a dangerous love triangle and her freedom and happiness are at stake.

Who will Aria choose to love forever? The gorgeous but ruthless, cunning vampire who sentenced her to hell or the breathtaking possessive gargoyle prince who offers her redemption and a brand new pair of wings but will be doomed to die without her love to break his curse?

Find out in Captive.

Full Moon Howl by Orlando A. Sanchez
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Mystery. Malice. Revenge.
Broken bodies and bloody messages are appearing in the darkest corners of New York City. Infected werewolves are roaming the streets attacking innocents.
The Dark Council demands answers. They summon Simon and Tristan to investigate. The evidence points to the work of a powerful mage, unfortunately, there is only one mage in the city powerful enough to cause this kind of infection-Tristan Montague.
Now, Simon and Tristan must locate the source of the magical infection before the Dark Council declares Tristan a dark mage, destroys the werewolves, and shatters the fragile peace in the supernatural community.
 Join the Montague and Strong Detective Agency while they are hunted and chased. All while trying to uncover the identity of their unseen enemy before it’s too late!

A Dying Land by K. Ferrin
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Evelyn always believed that warlocks and monsters were nothing more than fairy tales. The truth is far more terrifying. 

Far from home and, with no one she can trust, Ling finds herself caught in the powerful currents of a centuries-long war that threatens the lives of everyone she holds most dear. As she journeys deep into the Colli Terra on the mythical island of Marique, she finds herself faced with a decision: Should she continue her single-minded quest to break the spell that holds her family in thrall? Or should she succumb to the pull of war and join a battle between two races fighting for their very survival?

A Shift in Power by Erin D. Andrews
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Rising action star Fitz Walker's career stutters to a halt when he gets news of his father's death in an Alpha fight. He flies back to his home of New York immediately to find his pack in turmoil, and rumors that his father's death may have a murder. 

Sid Carlson, Junior Agent with Meier and Jones Talent Agency has one shot to save her job. Follow Fitz Walker to New York and make sure that, when the dust settles, he gets right back in front of the camera. She's willing to do anything to keep her spot at the agency, but when things with Fitz get heated, she finds herself neck deep in Pack politics, a human in shifter territory. 

When Fitz's younger sister goes missing amid tensions with a rival pack, Sid must make a difficult choice. Save her career by enticing Fitz back to L.A., or stand by his side as he steps into his father's place?

Insomnia: Faction 9 by Noree Cosper
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Fear to lay thee down to sleep, for Fae will steal your dreams to keep. And if you die before you wake, with your life, your soul they’ll take.

Aneira is on the run. Ever since Aneria discovered Nimue and her army of enchanted witches, Aneira has been afraid to sleep and have her magic drained by the fae who want her dead. When she and her guardian dragon have are targeted by Nimue, with no way to fight back against the Fae sorceress’s incredible powers, Aneira ends up gravely wounded.

A beautiful Fae named Colin finds her and takes her under his care. But after his kingdom is ravaged, the only way to find the strength to defeat Nimue is by traveling to the city of nightmares, a place of evil wonder and grasping darkness.

Death is everywhere, and betrayal is made by those closest to her as Colin and Aneira face malice and cruelty beyond imagining. But can the sorceress be stopped? Or will Aneira’s nightmares become reality?

USA TODAY Bestselling author Noree Cosper brings readers into an action-packed world of dark romance and dystopian dreams in Insomnia that lovers of Karen Maries Moning are sure to enjoy!

Follow Aneria as she’s forced to choose between love and fate in this standalone installment from the Fallen Sorcery ISA FAE Collection.

Born of Aether by A.L. Knorr
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Goodreads Synopsis:
They say if you tell a lie long enough, you'll eventually believe it, but Akiko will never forget who she really is.

Akiko Susumu is not what she seems. Her life as a normal teen living in a coastal Canadian town is a complete sham. The old man she lives with is not her grandfather, he's her captor. And Akiko isn't a teen. In fact, she isn't even human.

But Akiko isn't allowed to share the reality of her true nature with a single soul. Not even her three best friends know of the power she could wield, given the chance.

So, when she's sent back to her homeland to steal an ancient samurai sword, she jumps at the chance to secure her freedom. Only to get caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the most dangerous crime syndicate in Japan.

Can Akiko escape with her life and her soul, or is true freedom as elusive as the Aether she was born from?


Born of Aether is novel #4 in the Elemental Origins Series, but the series can be read out of order. Because much of the novel takes place in Japan, a Japanese culture expert and editor was hired to ensure cultural references were within reason and as accurate as possible.

Touch of Fire by Jasmine B. Waters
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Mari Elwood is part of a Fae family who is tasked with keeping peace among the various magical creatures in their area, while maintaining secrecy from the humans they co-exist with. Mari has had years of practice identifying individuals’ innocence or guilt where their laws are concerned, as she is one of the few truly powerful empaths remaining in her family. Mari is working with her brothers to apprehend a shifter who has information about a recent attach on a human, thinking everything is business as usual. 
What she isn’t prepared for is when her dreams about a strange man become more and more intense. She’s left literally scorched from the passion in her dreams. Her dreams begin overtaking her life, as they impact her friendships, family and grip on reality, until she can’t keep them a secret any longer. 

Knights Thranis by Liam Young
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Goodreads Synopsis:
The Blades are left reeling in the wake of the recent invasion of Freylar as they struggle to reconcile their losses and bolster waning morale. Recruitment is at an all-time low and The Vengeful Tears – an increasingly zealous band of surviving Blades led by Anika – become cause for concern. In a desperate attempt to solve the problem, Anika is chosen to accompany Rayna, who is tasked with the onerous mission of establishing a new trust with the estranged Order of the Knights Thranis. Together she and Rayna must journey to Freylar’s southern lands to mend the fractured alliance between the Orders. Pledging their services to the Knights, the pair engage in The Hunt in a bid to prove their worth. However, before Anika can earn the Knights’ trust, she must first repair the damage to her own soul. 

During their secondment to the Knights Thranis, Anika and Rayna learn more about the mysterious Order and its true motives – and more importantly, about themselves. Yet while they fight alongside their new companions, seeking to earn the Knights’ trust, their domain faces new challenges; previously strong relationships begin to crack and old enemies bide their time in the shadows, licking wounds and harbouring grudges, whilst scheming Freylar’s newest downfall.

Marked by Sin by Jasmine Walt & Debbie Cassidy
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Goodreads Synopsis:
In an alternate London, where ancient Hindu gods rule, one woman holds humanity’s fate in her blood-stained hands... 

Adopted by Brahma Corp’s Assassin Guild and raised as one of their own, Malina Hayes is about to make her fiftieth kill. After bringing down forty-nine of London’s worst criminals, this latest job shouldn't be a big deal. But if Malina is successful, she’ll receive her first milestone mark. Ascension in the ranks, better pay, and a swanky flat in Soho all sound like very good reasons to make this kill count. 

But fate and destiny have different plans for Malina. Seconds away from receiving the coveted milestone mark, Malina is torn away from the world she knows and thrust onto a new path—one where the purity of her soul will determine the very fate of mankind. Trouble is, Malina's kill orders were a lie. The targets she assassinated were innocents, and each one has left a terrible stain on her soul. 

Stains she must now remove, at any cost. 

Atoning for the blood of fifty victims is no mean feat, especially for someone who has spent their entire life killing. But if Malina fails, the lock on the gates of the underworld will crumble to dust. And we all know what happens when a legion of demons is unleashed upon the world... 

Especially when they have their sights set on you.


Audio:




Free Ebooks:
(On my Kindle and Nook App) Links to books under title. They may or may not be free at this time.
Under Her Skin by Margo Bond Collins
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Lindi Parker works hard at being human, not an easy task for a weresnake. She has no desire to search for others like her—until a new case changes everything. When Lindi learns that she's not the only shapeshifter in the world, she realizes she might be next on a killer's list. 

In order to save herself and the abused children she works with, she will have to team up with Dr. Kade Nevala, a member of the shifter tribe responsible for eradicating weresnakes—and the most attractive man Lindi's ever met. Even more terrifying, she’ll need to embrace her serpent side, a choice that has enormous consequences for Lindi, and for everyone around her.

The Shadow Children by L.C. Hibbett
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Everything you know is a lie… 

Eighteen-year-old Grace is sick of running. For over two thousand years the Angels have hunted the Half-Born, determined to maintain the barrier that conceals the magical world from Human eyes. Grace and her foster family have survived capture by living amongst humans, but the noose is tightening as the spell binding their magic begins to fail. 

When unexpected allies send Grace and her family crashing into the world of The Shadow Children, she finds herself at the epicentre of a battle to save those she loves. 

But who can she trust when everyone has the face of an angel? 

The Shadow Children is the first book in The Demon-Born Trilogy, an exhilarating series of Urban Fantasy novels. If you like action-packed fantasy that tugs at the heartstrings, then you’ll love L.C. Hibbett’s debut. 

The Shadow City by L.C. Hibbett
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Goodreads Synopsis:
The dark is closing in…

It’s been a year since Grace’s world was ripped asunder. The Shadow Children are fighting a losing battle to rescue the halfborn from the Silent Homes. When the Spirit Demons begin to attack the Angel communities, Grace and her friends are faced with an impossible decision- battle on alone and risk losing everything or place their trust in the people who have hunted them for centuries.

With Sam by her side, Grace must negotiate her way through the secrets and lies that pave the roads of the Shadow City.

When it feels like she has everything to lose, what is there for her to gain?

The Shadow City is the second book in L.C. Hibbett’s captivating Urban Fantasy series.

The Shadow War by L.C. Hibbett
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Goodreads Synopsis:
*Heart stopping action. Heart breaking finale.* 

This world will burn… 

The Shadow Children's greatest enemies have been unmasked, and the stakes are far higher than Grace had ever feared. With her friends imprisoned and the Circle determined to annihilate the Human race, Grace and The Shadow Children must prepare for war. 

There is only one way to break the Circle, but are Grace and Sam strong enough to make the sacrifice? 

The Shadow War is the heart-stopping installment in L.C. Hibbett’s riveting Urban Fantasy.

Ranger's Folly by J.T. Williams
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Goodreads Synopsis:
He is a Ranger of the North. His fellow Rangers, those he would call friends, are dead. Now, he has been branded a deserter and a thief. He only wishes to get back to his family alive.

It is said that Fadis the Ranger stole something from the king. Now a massive bounty is on his head. But in particular, it isn't the sell-swords and bounty hunters that he should worry about. There is a powerful mage on his trail and this man cares little of a reward of gold.

Only a few hours from his wife's embrace and his son's smile, will he, at last, be free from his past? Nothing ever remains the same and this Ranger is about to learn that. The hard way.

Sanyare: The Last Descendant by Megan Haskell
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Goodreads Synopsis:
A woman torn between honor and survival…

Raised in a realm where humans are no better than slaves, Rie Lhethannien has struggled for decades to earn a meager post in the High Court messenger service. Even training as an elite fighter isn’t enough to earn the respect she craves. Scorned by the high elves who rely on her loyalty, Rie’s closest allies are the fierce carnivorous pixies who travel by her side.

When she’s attacked on a routine delivery by assassins from the enemy Shadow Realm, Rie’s martial prowess keeps her alive…and frames her as a traitor. Facing execution at the hand of an unmerciful king, Rie must forsake her oaths and flee into enemy lands to prove her innocence. With surprising help from a bastard prince and an ambitious blood sidhe, Rie searches for the truth behind the attack. The secrets she uncovers may threaten more than her honor or even her life…for war is looming in the nine faerie realms.

Mission: Improper by Bec McMaster
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Goodreads Synopsis:

Three years ago, London society changed forever, with a revolution placing the widowed Queen firmly on the throne her blue blood husband tried to take from her. Humans, verwulfen and mechs are no longer considered the lesser classes, but not everybody is happy with the new order…

Entire families have gone missing in the East End. When Caleb Byrnes receives an invitation to join the Company of Rogues as an undercover agent pledged to protect the crown, he jumps at the chance to find out who, or what, is behind the disappearances. Hunting criminals is what the darkly driven blue blood does best, and though he prefers to work alone, the opportunity is too good to resist.

The problem? He’s partnered with Ingrid Miller, the fiery and passionate verwulfen woman who won a private bet against him a year ago. Byrnes has a score to settle, but one stolen kiss and suddenly the killer is not the only thing Byrnes is interested in hunting.

Soon they’re chasing whispered rumours of a secret project gone wrong, and a monster that just might be more dangerous than either of them combined. The only way to find out more is to go undercover among the blue blood elite… But when their hunt uncovers a mysterious conspiracy, Byrnes and Ingrid must set aside their age-old rivalry if they have any chance at surviving a treacherous plot.

The Chosen Knights by Mary Ting
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Goodreads Synopsis:
(Spin-off to Crossroads Saga) - Read Prequel - The Angel Knights - first **Can be read as stand-alone

When teens go missing in Hawaii, a group of demon-hunters—half human and half angel—disguised as high school students, must leave Crossroads, the place where they reside. In a race against time, they uncover the mystery connecting the missing teens, which dates back to the era of the Knights Templar. However, when they discover one of the Templars passed down a book containing all the secrets and codes to finding a particular treasure, they soon realize this forbidden treasure needs to be found before Cyrus, the lord of the possessor demons, acquires it—a treasure which been safeguarded and hidden from him.
There is only one problem: the pages containing the clues leading to the treasure is missing. When the first page is found, Cyrus threatens to kill more descendants of the Knights Templar if it is not given to him by Friday the thirteenth. In the midst of threats and discovery, the demon-hunting angels find they are not alone when supernatural beings begin to reveal themselves. Can they put their differences aside and work together to solve the Knights Templars’ cipher? As they astral travel to the past, they witness a lot more than they have bargained for. And some things are better left unseen.



Free Audio Books/Stories:


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Reviews to Come:

Soulless by Skyla Dawn Cameron
The Sentinel by Chris Lester
The Muse by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Making the Cut by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Whispers in the Wood by Chris Lester
Lex Talionis by Starla Huchton
Spark by Starla Huchton
Heir to Kale by K.L. Bone
Tales from the Archives Vol 4 #5 - Old Sinner's Bones
The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan
Deadly Spells by Jaye Wells
Lucifer's Star by C.T. Phipps & Michael Suttkus

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Audio Book Review: Heart of Gold

Heart of Gold

By:  J.A. Cipriano & J.B. Garner

Publish Date:  July 26, 2016, Audiobook Release December 12, 2016

Format:  Audiobook - 5 hrs 7 mins
Narrated By:  Joe Hempel

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  1st in Clans of Shadow series

Impression:  Magic becomes known to one person.

Synopsis:
My name is Frank Butcher, and when I got out of my truck to deliver the last package of the day, I never expected to get blown up by anti-magic zealots.

Yeah, you heard me right. I said magic. I didn't know it was a thing either.

Now, an ancient artifact is the only thing keeping me alive, and to make matters worse, that artifact is what those cultists wanted.

Still, I could have made a run for it, disappeared down into South America and spent the rest of my life on a beach. I nearly did it, but I didn't.

Why? Because the cultists have offered me a trade. Come to them or they start killing kids.

First Sentence:
My name is Frank Butcher and when my mother looks up 'underachiever' in the dictionary, I swear she sees my picture.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.


Frank is running late on his deliveries. At Doctor Gabriela Perez's office his military experience kicks in as the Doctor is attacked by a group called The End Society. Frank is hurt severely and Gabriela saves him. Now, the ancient artifact that functions as his heart also makes him untouchable by magic or spells. Not only is he targeted as being wanted by both societies, but he could be the only one to help Gabriela and the Whites to stop The End Society from removing magic from the world. And all Frank worries about is his mom.

I've listened to Joe before and enjoyed his work. Actually, listening to him voice this story and a few small threads with Frank remind me of the another series he voiced that I listened to. Joe gets to do a few slight accents for characters, bringing them to life as more than characters on a page. Again, the audio sounds clear and seamless as I listen.


Frank... well, he is thrown into a mess that he didn't ask to be in. How does one handle that? Sometimes with a bit of not-so-nice snark. Frank kind of comes across as a jerk in the beginning. There is something about Frank that just doesn't strike me. I don't know what it is, but he doesn't feel likeable to me. Not a bad person, but like he's missing something in how he's written or trying to hard to make him a tough guy.

There are a lot of quick toss ins that are to be jokes that reference movies and such. Frank does say he has a love for movies and music, so it fits him. But they come so fast it's easy to miss them and their reference.

Frank does worry about his mom. There's a reason and you learn it. But, Frank is all she has left in the world and she is his mother. Who wants their mother to suffer for some mess they end up in? No one.

I found my mind wondering while listening to this story. I didn't connect much with Frank in the way to care what happens to him. And the magic, though sounds neat, I didn't feel was shown and expressed to easily understand. It felt as there is a larger world that we are just stepping into, which I believe we are. But the story felt to be missing the magnet to pull me in.

I'm sure this book will be enjoyed by others, but it just didn't impress strongly on me. So please don't let my thoughts change yours if you like the sounds of the book.



***If my thoughts were helpful, please click Yes at Amazon and/or Audible. Thank you.

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Audio Book Review: Villains Rule

Villains Rule

By:  M.K. Gibson

Publish Date:  February 9, 2017, Audiobook Release April 19, 2017

Format:  Audiobook - 9 hrs 49 mins
Narrated By:  Jeffrey Kafer

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  1st in The Shadow Master series

Impression:  Oh my so much fun!!

Synopsis:
Hi, how are you?

Yes, I am talking to you, the reader of the this book’s description. It’s rude not to answer a person when they ask you a question. OK, I get it, 4th wall breaking is overdone. Get over it. This book, Villains Rule, is a fantasy action-comedy which you have to read. Not because it redefines the genre, far from it. But rather for what it contains. A villain’s tale.

How often do you get to read a story where the villain is the protagonist? No, not an anti-hero, or a brooding monster, nor a hero thinly disguised as a villain. And not evil. If you want evil, take that nonsense to therapy. No, I mean a villain’s villain. The ones who use their power because they can, while morality is only a philosopher’s complex.

This is the story of Jackson Blackwell, the Shadow Master and the top villain adviser. Sadly, even the top villain occasionally gets double-crossed. Trapped in one of the fantasy realms, Jackson has to use his skill and wits to exploit the rules, points out the genre flaws, undermine godly authority, and win the day.

Because, that is what villains should do, shouldn’t they? Read this book, have a few laughs, and find out.

First Sentence:
(Look, I know prologues can be boring.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.


Jeffrey performs with heart, stepping in to the characters minds which breathes life to them. When stories are performed with the emotion the characters are feeling, and the narrator feels as to be having fun, the book is brought to a new level of awesome. Jeffrey accomplished that in this work. Jeffrey speaks with different infliction and personality for each character, which makes it easy to know who's who along with keeping my attention.

At the end of the first prologue, I had to smile. Really. This was something I always thought about, how easy it would be to take down a hero when he's having his "moment". I got a feel of a twist of Grayskull (You know what Grayskull is, from He-Man.) here with other elements mixed in. I like what I get, and it's only a prologue!

Oh my the references of all the great science fiction and fantasy tales!! Really! Even in the titles we get great one lines that we know reference so many. lol. I love listening and pointing out references and what I get the feel of. I'm sure others would pick up on others I've missed. This is the kind of story I would love to listen to with someone who I could talk to on the potential influences. You know, listen at the same time and go geek on what we pick up on! lol.

Okay. The story. I enjoyed how the rules of heroes and villains are viewed and understood in the world. And they still stand and function. M.K. has created a story with a villain that sees those rules and uses then in a way to do what all villains want. And he's talented at his work. M.K. tells us these rules and we see the predicament that Jackson ends up in, and has to find his own way back to his place in the world. M.K. writes a well crafted story of fun while still in the guidelines and takes a villain in the outs and brings him back. Totally awesome work.

I felt I could believe Jackson's thinking and I really liked him. I want to watch movies with Jackson. He would be a hoot at pointing out the flaws in plans, hero and villain. I laughed at the obvious observations pointed out by Jackson in this book. So good and so true! Jackson's written in a way that I liked him even though he wasn't the clean cut good guy. I even felt the fluctuation of praise and irritation of Randy with Jackson - all thanks to Jeffrey's vocal talents and M.K.'s writing.

At my first big surprise in events, I wanted to give M.K. Gibson a big high five. He told me what not to do. He drew me into doing just that. And I was surprised when he used that. AWESOME JOB!! M.K.wrote it so well, I was drawn into the web.

This book is a modern setting with Jackson but it's also in a fantasy world, or worlds as he goes along, because of the different realms of villains. It's so easy to understand and enjoy. I loved the play on different fantasy themes as it made me smile.

As Jackson goes through the fantasy world he's in, working to get to the ruling villain, he points out the fantasy tropes present. And he hits on them all! Totally awesome and fun summary of characters in fantasy tropes. And I can say I read about that. It was great as it was fun in how it's portrayed. M.K. has taken fantasy, brought what we know to our attention, then twists it to his world and makes it fun.

Enjoyable story to listen to. It kept me entertained.



***If you found my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon and/or Audible. Thank you!

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Sunday Post #169 - Where have I been!?

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share new about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi all... *silence* *I look at all concerned and frustrated looks* I'm sorry. Three weeks is a bit long to be silent. I'm doing well and it's been busy here. Where does it all start...

Balticon! I did go to Balticon over Memorial weekend - last weekend in May. I had a wonderful time seeing all the friends and meeting new people. I'll do a post on this, at some point here. I was hoping to post on Sunday while there and started the Sunday post, but just didn't get to. Everything kept going.

Then there was Graduation. Kiddo graduated from high school! Eep! Where does the time go!? It was a beautiful evening for graduation outside in the school stadium. As mom, I did take loads of pictures. That was a Thursday night. We scheduled his graduation party for the first weekend in June, two days after graduation. Ugh! So much to do! That was like three days full of work - prep, day of, and cleaning up/putting away.

Then Monday was school picnic day. So we spent the day at the local amusement park. It was a cool day but nice to be outside once again.

To finish off the week, I spent it on the couch because I was slowly feeling yucky. I ended the week with a sinus infection. Ugh. It was all the time outside with this crazy weather and pollen at a high. I knew it would come, but was really hoping I could skirt by. Nope, didn't happen.

So it's been a busy few weeks. I'm sorry I haven't been around. I'm hoping now that these things are all past me, I'll be on more often. Kiddo still has college stuff that'll pop up to be done, but should be quick, easy items to get through.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Fit Booker:

Goal:  Workout in any form of exercise (or on Wii Fit) 2x's a week. (to feel better and hope to drop a few pants sizes)

How did I do last week... Erm... with all that's going on, I really haven't exercised in three weeks. Other than cutting grass one day a week. Ugh. I need to get moving again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:
Will start a new book next week
And
Working on Editing work

Current Audiobook:
Lucifer's Star by C.T. Phipps & Michael Suttkus

Current Podcast Book Listen:
Stonebriar Casefiles: Bad Alchemy by Laura Nicole Spencer (You can listen for free too!)


Finished Last 3 Week: 
Slipspace: Harbinger by P.C. Haring
Deadly Spells by Jaye Wells

Audiobooks from Audible:
Villain's Rule by M.K. Gibson
Heart of Gold by J.A. Cipriano & J.B. Garner


Finished Podcast Book Listen:
Nothing yet.


DNFed:

~~~~~~~~~~

Last Week on the Blog:


Cover Reveals: (click titles to go to post & learn more)



Guest Posts:



Posts:

Spellbound in a Flash:
Nothing new last week. I have pictures to touch up and share, but time has not been sharing lately.

Challenged Writers:
March Update on writer-ly items, with a picture of book working on.


Around the Internet...


Reviews:
The Science of Supervillainy by C.T. Phipps

"I love the twist to good and evil and live and death interpretation on things done in this book. It's a fun twist authors enjoy playing with, and C.T. has the ground work in place to do that with Gary and Other Gary."

Slipspace: Harbinger by P.C. Haring

"I found it easy to slip into the world with the characters because they seemed personable. We live in their day. The characters live and think as normal people we feel all their emotions. This story is more than just a space War Story it's a story of family and friends and their lives they lead. That's part of what makes it a Space Opera. I could see people who enjoyed Star Trek enjoying this read. It's not overly science fiction strong with terms and usage of Technology. It's a story of people trying to live their lives and find peace for all in space."

Hound's Bite by E.J. Stevens

"I very much enjoyed this story. It felt to tie a bunch of strings from the previous books together here. Everything leads up to something. What the characters have lived through and why the events have happened. I like this connection as the story feels to have a great depth to it."

Cursed Moon by Jaye Wells

"Yes! This is what I want. Police in a world that uses potions (magic-ly made). I am once again taken with how closely related the magical potions run to drugs in our world. The magical potions gives the story an urban fantasy feel but it could very easily be replaced with drugs from our world. The world is a bit grittier here too. A feel I really enjoy."


Podcast Review:




Mama Bitchstress Reviews:



GIVEAWAYS:

~~~~~~~~~~

This Week to Come on the Blog:


I will have two reviews and a guest post.



~~~~~~~~~~

Received Last Weeks:
(Note: Links to Amazon are buy links where I could earn commission, in case you are interested.)


For Review Consideration:
Tales from Harborsmouth by E.J. Stevens
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Goodreads Synopsis:
In Tales from Harborsmouth, readers get a chance to delve deeper into the exciting world of Ivy Granger. 

Ivy Granger is a psychic detective with ties to Harborsmouth's paranormal underworld. Too bad those ties tend to ensnare Ivy and her friend Jinx in the Machiavellian schemes of the city's teeming population of bloodsucking vampires and psychotic faeries. 

FROSTBITE (Ivy Granger #0.5)

In this Ivy Granger prequel, join Ivy and Jinx on a disturbing case that leads down a dead end alley to a house ravaged by time and circumstance.

Everyone knows that there's no such thing as ghosts, but when a client claims that her house is being haunted, Ivy tries to keep her mind open and her weapons handy. If her psychic gifts and recent cases have taught her anything, it's that you're better off arming yourself for the unexpected. Anything is possible in Harborsmouth.

BLOOD AND MISTLETOE (Ivy Granger #1.5)

Holidays are worse than a full moon for making people crazy. In Harborsmouth, where many of the residents are undead vampires or monstrous fae, the combination may prove deadly.

Holidays are Hell, a point driven home when a certain demon attorney returns with information regarding a series of bloody murders. Five Harborsmouth residents have been killed and every victim has one thing in common—they are fae. Whoever is killing faeries must be stopped, but they only leave one clue behind—a piece of mistletoe floating in a pool of the victim's blood. The holidays just got interesting.

CLUB NEXUS (Ivy Granger #2.5)

A demon, a human, an Unseelie faerie, and a vampire walk into a bar...

These four intertwining short stories are set in Club Nexus, the hidden haunt of Harborsmouth's paranormal underworld.

Iced: A bargain gone wrong leads a highborn Unseelie faerie to life as an enslaved bartender with a taste for revenge.

Dusted: Being a highly skilled predator doesn't necessarily put you at the top of the food chain at Club Nexus. A southern vampire with a hankering for blood and wanton violence may have bit off more than he can chew.

Demonized: The demon attorney we love to hate has his eye on a certain rockabilly human. Too bad she's brought a crossbow loaded with holy water dipped bolts for this night on the town.

Jinxed: Just when Jinx needs a carefree girl's night out with Ivy, a smoking hot demon tries to buy her a drink. She really is the unluckiest human on the planet.

THRILL ON JOYSEN HILL (Ivy Granger #5.5)

Few places are as rife with opportunity or as fraught with danger as Harborsmouth's notorious Joysen Hill. Vampires own the real estate, and even the most ruthless human thugs won't venture there after dark, but when Torn gets stuck babysitting, he can only think of one place in Harborsmouth interesting enough to take a demon toddler, a teenage bridge troll, and a grouchy hearth brownie. What happens next substantiates the city's advertising slogan. No matter who or what you are, no matter how young or old, you can find your thrill on Joysen Hill.




Audio Books Requested for Review:
The Society by Lilith Saintcrow
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Will she be the Society’s salvation...or its downfall? 

The black-ops government agency called Sigma broke Justin Delgado, trained his psionic talent, and turned him into a killer. Then he escaped and joined the Society, an underground resistance movement of psions determined to use their talents to bring Sigma down. Competent, cold, and cruelly efficient, he’s the best operative the Society has, a legend among the psions who fight a shadow war against an enemy that owns the courts, the press, and the police. Feared even by his own teammates, hunted by the government, and too damaged to feel anything but clinical rage, he is utterly alone—until he meets Rowan. 

When Rowan Price stumbles across Delgado’s team in an abandoned house, he is assigned to make contact with her, bring her in, and keep her alive—because Rowan is one of the most powerful psychics the resistance has ever encountered. If the government gets its hands on her, she could very well mean the downfall of the resistance, because nobody, not even Rowan, is quite sure how far her talents extend. 

The Society will welcome Rowan, if she can stay alive long enough to join them. Unfortunately, there’s a traitor buried in the ranks. If the Society goes down, Rowan is at risk. God alone knows what Delgado will do to keep her safe, because Rowan is fast becoming the only thing in the world he cares about...

The Book of Dragons by E. Nesbit
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Goodreads Synopsis:
The sparkling stories from the author of Five Children and It and many other classics? "Uncle James, or the Purple Stranger," "The Deliverers of Their Country," "The Ice Dragon, or Do as You are Told," "The Island Of the Nine Whirlpools," "The Dragon Tamers," "The Fiery Dragon, or the Heart of Stone and the Heart of Gold," and "Kind Little Edmund, or the Caves and the Cockatrice." These stories -- written in 1900 for The Strand magazine -- still charm and sparkle like pixie dust and dragon's gems for young and old alike more than a century later.

Steampunk is Dead by Harmon Cooper
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Goodreads Synopsis:
The exciting sequel to The Feedback Loop.

Adjusting to the real world isn't exactly easy for Quantum Hughes. Instead of focusing on his recovery, he takes an assignment alongside Frances Euphoria to a virtual entertainment dreamworld called Steam, in search of a Proxima Developer. True to his nature, Quantum acts out of turn, causing the entire world to turn against him. This gives him two options: return to The Loop for help, or try and hold his own. There is also the problem of the Reapers, who have appeared in Steam ready to hunt him down or worse, kill him.

The real world, The Loop, Steam -- three worlds with their own rules, their own enemies.

The thin line between dream and reality is pixilated.

Malaise Falchion by Paul Barrett
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Disgraced during the Demon War, Dwarf investigator Snazdaggin Kundarik (Spade to his friends) wants nothing more than a desk to sleep on, a bottle of grog to drink, and the occasional easy case for quick pay.


Then a mysterious female Elf from the posh side of town shows up and offers him exoneration for his past sins and lots of gold. All he has to do is follow her brother and report his activities. Simple, right?


He should have known better. The simple job soon spirals out of control. Spade finds himself sucked into intrigue, powerful magic, and the hunt for a weapon powerful enough to end the world. Ill-prepared, Spade forges on with the aid of his hapless sidekick and a reluctant female warrior.


Will he survive long enough to save the world and get his grog?



Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:
Book:
Divine Intervention by Chris Lester
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Goodreads Synopsis:
WHEN THE GODS WALK THE EARTH, THE WHOLE WORLD FEELS THEIR FOOTSTEPS...


For countless centuries, the Gods of Heaven and the Gods of Shadow struggled for control over the hearts and minds of the mortal races. They inspired religions, started wars, sponsored rulers, and even traveled to the material plane to sire children. A treaty between them set the limits of their interference in mortal affairs, and the enchanted castle of Metamor Keep was their accorded neutral ground.


Thirteen hundred years ago, the treaty was shattered. Lord Kammoloth, the King of Heaven, had fathered the Starchild, Merai hin’Dana: a half-mortal girl with the power to steal the divine essence of the gods themselves. But rather than fulfill her prophesied destiny and destroy the Gods of Shadow, Merai rejected both sides of the Pantheon, stealing their power and casting them to earth. To ensure that this power would never be abused, Merai then gave it to Lady Kyia, the spirit of Metamor Keep, to protect the mortal inhabitants she was sworn to serve.


Today, Metamor has become a huge and prosperous city, and Kyia rules a vast empire with wisdom and justice. But the gods still walk the earth, pursuing their own agendas, wooing and manipulating mortals to serve their own ends.


These are their stories.

The Biggest Bounty by Brian Koscienski & Chris Pisano
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Fiore is the (chemically enhanced) muscle; Zeus is the (super-genius) brains. Together, they’re out to become the greatest interstellar bounty hunters ever. But along the path to fame and fortune, they’ll accumulate contacts, partners, and enemies without even meaning to. It’s all part of the job, when you’re chasing the biggest bounty ever, and picking up the strangest milks in the galaxy.

Brian Koscienski and Chris Pisano are the drunken comic book monkeys behind Fortress Publishing, and the authors of Scary Tales of Scariness and Sciency Tales of Science Fiction.

TV Gods Summer Programming (anthology)


Unleash by Lauren Harris
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Craving a gritty, kickass heroine? If you like guns, magic, & heartbreaking drama, you NEED this book! Get the book reviewers are calling "Visceral" & "At times hilarious and heartbreaking"
Orphaned. Hunted. Pissed as hell.

Helena Martin doesn't know who she hates more, the sorcerers who fired the magic-laced bullet or the gang-lord master who used her mother as a shield. It's not the price she expected for escaping magical slavery, nor is the unstable power now pulsing in her veins.

Caught between her former master's hunters and the Guild Sorcerers determined to kill them, she finds a safe haven at a dog rescue willing to take in a different kind of stray. But Helena's newly-unleashed power is a beacon for her enemies. And they're threatening the first place she's ever thought of as home.

Slipspace: Harbinger by P.C. Haring
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Goodreads Synopsis:
A fringe colony world has gone dark, and Captain Cody Amado and the crew of the ISPA’s newest battle cruiser, Mjöllnir, must respond and investigate. 

No one is prepared for the destruction that awaits them. 

Agendas collide as the bonds of duty, loyalty, and family are tested, and the major governments position themselves to prepare for what is to come next. 

With interstellar tensions rising, the crew of the Mjöllnir race to discover the connection between the colony’s destruction, an alien society so reclusive it has only been rumored about, and an enemy that disappeared a decade prior. 

Is this merely an isolated incident, or is this a harbinger of much darker things still to come?

Hauntings by Skyla Dawn Cameron & Dina James
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Synopsis:
A drafty old house, or the steps of a creature lurking in the dark? 

A trick of the light, or is the shadow in the corner of your eye something more?

A natural wind, or was that a whisper in your ear?

Read two tales of haunted houses that are not what they seem from (evil) paranormal authors Dina James and Skyla Dawn Cameron.

In RITUAL, a novella in Dina James' Key to Hell series, Kyle Carillron knows every trick across the realms when it comes to dealing with the supernatural. Once a demon himself, the vampire has seen it all. When a divine assassin, half-angel Sebastian, comes to him with a scrap of paper discovered in a supposedly haunted house where some teenagers are playing Ouija, he can't help but roll his eyes. But the paper has an unfamiliar symbol on it, written in human blood. Very little on the planes mystifies Kyle, but upon investigating the premises, he discovers evidence of a ritual with far with deeper consequences than humans attempting to contact the souls of the departed.

ASHFORD'S GHOST follows part-time adventurer and full-time mom Olivia Talbot in a novella continuation of Skyla Dawn Cameron's Livi Talbot series. Four months ago, Livi successfully killed the afreet who abducted her family and tried to murder her. Then she took over his villa and made it her base of operations/home, as any respectable treasure hunter in need of better digs is wont to do. But this house is haunted, and she’s starting to think the ancient murderer she used the Seal of Solomon to destroy might not be entirely dead after all. Isolated in the house by a violent snowstorm, Livi is trapped with a dark force gathering strength by the hour, threatening not only the safety of her family but possibly her very sanity.

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Nevada Baylor is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career—a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile case. Nevada isn’t sure she has the chops. Her quarry is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, who can set anyone and anything on fire.

Then she’s kidnapped by Connor “Mad” Rogan—a darkly tempting billionaire with equally devastating powers. Torn between wanting to run or surrender to their overwhelming attraction, Nevada must join forces with Rogan to stay alive.

Rogan’s after the same target, so he needs Nevada. But she’s getting under his skin, making him care about someone other than himself for a change. And, as Rogan has learned, love can be as perilous as death, especially in the magic world.
 

Solomon's Seal by Skyla Dawn Cameron
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Goodreads Synopsis:
EX-DEBUTANTE. SINGLE MOTHER. TREASURE HUNTER.

Disowned and left penniless for getting pregnant at seventeen, former celebutante Olivia Talbot was willing to do whatever it took to provide for her daughter…including become a treasure hunter. Since the Pulse hit, activating relics of legend, there are plenty of artifacts to be had—not to mention wealthy clients willing to pay top dollar for them.

Just as her daughter’s private school tuition cheque bounces, Livi gets an offer that could be the break she needs to return to some semblance of her former life. A potential new client wants her to travel to Ethiopia and retrieve the Seal of Solomon—a mythical ring said to control demons and djinn—and this bounty comes with one hell of a financial pay off.

The deadline: a week. The team: unreliable. The competition: her world-renowned archaeologist older brother. Nothing Livi can’t handle… Except the danger goes beyond a few subterranean serpent-dragons she might encounter or tangling with her employer’s deadly second-in-command. This client isn’t all he seems, and handing him the ring might be worse than what he’ll do to her—and her daughter—if she doesn’t.

Odin's Spear by Skyla Dawn Cameron
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Goodreads Synopsis:
ALL’S FAIR IN SIBLING RIVALRY AND WAR.

After nearly losing her family and her life, Olivia Talbot is trying to leave the world of artifact hunting behind. But an adrenaline junkie unsuited for a 9 to 5 job can’t hide herself forever, especially when deadly operative Dale West comes knocking with off-book work for his covert organization.

It’ll be “easy”, West says—just a trip to the museum. But a deranged former solider is seeking to reunite the pieces of Gungnir—spear of the Norse god Odin—which is capable of starting war, and this job is much bigger than anyone has let on.

Followed by the dogged son of a tabloid mogul, competing with her archeologist older brother, and still struggling to trust West against her better judgement, Livi will venture into an ancient underwater city in the Mediterranean to stop the dawn of a new war. But the spear of a god has plans for them all, and power not even she might be able to withstand.


Audio:
The Dark Wife by S.E. Diemer
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Three thousand years ago, a god told a lie. Now, only a goddess can tell the truth. Persephone has everything a daughter of Zeus could want--except for freedom. She lives on the green earth with her mother, Demeter, growing up beneath the ever-watchful eyes of the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus. But when Persephone meets the enigmatic Hades, she experiences something new: choice. Zeus calls Hades "lord" of the dead as a joke. In truth, Hades is the goddess of the underworld, and no friend of Zeus. She offers Persephone sanctuary in her land of the dead, so the young goddess may escape her Olympian destiny. But Persephone finds more than freedom in the underworld. She finds love, and herself. 



Free Ebooks:
(On my Kindle and Nook App) Links to books under title. They may or may not be free at this time.
Water Spell by Lizzy Ford
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Goodreads Synopsis:
A water mage and the protector she never wanted. 

Rare water mage Sela is given no time to mourn the loss of her longtime protector and father figure before she’s faced with the one man standing in the way of her freedom: her new guardian, mage-warrior Tieran. 

An Inlander with no honor, Tieran is loyal to no man, priest, king or god. If not for the magic binding him to the infuriating water mage, he would abandon her amidst the land-locked Inlands, away from the sea she yearns to visit, and pursue vengeance against those who killed his family. 

Sela and her reluctant protector are soon thrown into the middle of a power struggle raging among the rulers of the four island kingdoms. To survive, both mage and warrior must overcome their distrust of one another, for the longer they resist their bond, the more perilous their journey becomes. 

Moonlight by Katie Salidas
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Good girls don’t wear fur, or fight over men, and they certainly don’t run around naked, howling at the moon.

But then, no-one ever called Fallon a good girl.

As a human unofficially mated to an Alpha werewolf, Fallon is being pressured to “become”...or be gone.

Her mate Aiden, the interim leader of the Olde Town Pack, is in a position that demands he either choose a wolf mate...or leave the pack forever. No matter how hot the sex with Fallon is, he can’t ignore centuries of tradition.

Become a wolf or not. If only the choice were that simple. Fallon’s options are further clouded by the overt presence of other females desperate to be the Alpha’s mate. And when these bitches get serious, it’s not just claws that come out. If Fallon wants to keep her man and take the title she’ll have to exert a little dominance of her own.
 

Nine Heroes: Talesof Heroic Fantasy
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Nine tales of heroic fantasy by some of the most exciting authors working today. Stories include: Black Sword by Janet Morris and Chris Morris The Act of Sleepless Nights by Walter Rhein To Kill a Myth by Jesse Duckworth No Life Too Small by Douglas R. Brown To Live by Tom Barczak Dozen by Shane Porteous Just One Mistake by A.L. Butcher Witness to Death by Teel James Glenn Through the Sting of Fairy Smoke by R.A. McCandless 

Steam by Stacey Rourke
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Time passes, sins forgotten.
The bodies of the victims long since rotten. 

Trapped within the essence of the Headless Horseman by the guilt of slaughtering her best friend, Ireland Crane follows the father of science fiction, HG Wells, in search of freedom from the curse that binds her. Instead, she discovers even he has a hidden agenda. A dark, relentless passion to be reunited with the woman he loves has driven him to manipulate time and a murderous Horseman. 

Yet heed my warning, as the Raven flies,
The Hessian will come … and you will die.

All that prevents Ireland from abandoning Wells’ twisted pursuit, or introducing him to her sword, are the undead witches haunting her. Begging for freedom from a vile succubus, the ghoulish coven leads Ireland and her crew on a journey through Salem’s sordid past. There, they learn there is more to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s history than a scarlet letter, and the secret they’ve uncovered seeks to destroy them all.

The Lifeblood of Ill-Fated Women by Kevin James Breaux
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Astrid the White isn't an average princess. She has always stayed by the side of her father, King Kol, and learned warfare and weaponry from the best Vikings in the land. When she awakens in the city of Birka and hears the sounds of war, she rushes proudly into the fray. She is more than capable of taking down any enemy wishing to disturb the peace. 

This enemy, however, isn't what she expected. Before Astrid even gets outside the walls, a golden light knocks her out. 

She comes to in the snow, in full battle armor. Astrid first suspects that this is a challenge from her father--or even the gods themselves. By acting correctly, she can gain the favor of Odin, the Allfather. 

Astrid wants to complete the test, but it becomes more and more difficult as she explores this new part of the world and encounters both monsters and monstrous men. As creatures from the darkest legends reveal themselves, Astrid will discover that her journey isn't about acting correctly or passing Odin's test. It's about pure survival. Before she can even think about finding Birka, she will have to defend herself against the demons of this new world.

Dance: Cinderella Retold by Demelza Carlton
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Goodreads Synopsis:
A dutiful daughter. A prince forced to find a bride. If the shoe fits... 

Once upon a time... When the Emperor's army comes recruiting, Mai signs up, seeing it as the perfect escape from her stepmother and a lifetime of drudgery. Armed with her mother's armour and a pair of magic shoes, Mai marches off to war...only to find herself sharing a tent with the General's arrogant nephew, Prince Yi. The best swordsman in the Empire, Prince Yi wants to make war, not love, but the Emperor insists this will be Yi's last campaign before he must marry. Prince Yi has never met his match...until now. Can one woman win the war and the prince's heart? 

Romance a Medieval Fairytale series:
Each book is a standalone, so they can be read in any order:

The Feedback Loop by Harmon Cooper
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Stuck in a virtual dreamworld called The Loop, a man named Quantum Hughes struggles to free himself from a glitch that forces him to live the same day on repeat. His life changes when a mysterious letter arrives one morning from a woman named Frances Euphoria, the first human player he has made contact with in a very long time. Once Frances appears, members of a murder guild known as the Reapers begin surfacing in The Loop, hoping to capture Quantum or worse -- kill him. To further complicate matters, The Loop itself is doing everything it can to stop Quantum from finding the hidden logout point by turning everything in the virtual dreamworld against him.

With time running out, will Quantum break free from his digital coma before he's captured or killed by the Reapers? Who is Frances Euphoria, and what does she actually know about how long Quantum has been trapped? 

The Feedback Loop Series takes place thirty years before the Life is a Beautiful Thing Series. It shares the same world, but is a standalone series that focus on dream-based virtual reality worlds and the people who are trapped in them. The next book in the series will be called Steampunk is Dead, and will be released in the fall.

Of Cinder and Madness by Nicole Zoltack
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Goodreads Synopsis:
The stories about her have been greatly exaggerated. Yes, she is beautiful, with wavy blond hair and big, blue eyes and flawless skin, but her charming façade is a lie, a mask, a deceit.

Yes, yes, I’m sure you think me merely jealous. I’m not. I’m the victim, and I can prove it.

You see, Eleonore deserves to be locked away. My, she even deserves to be killed!

This gripping retelling of a much-loved fairy tale will make you question all you think you know about the girl who steals away to a ball and leaves behind a slipper.
 

Obsidian by Kimberly Loth
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Aspen is a skydiving, rock climbing, adrenaline junky. All her life, she’s been fascinated by the dragons who roam near her home in Yellowstone Park. Yes, Dragons. Though no human has ever gotten close enough to touch one.

Except Aspen.

While most people avoid the national parks because of the resident dragons, Aspen spends most of her free time in search of the feared and misunderstood creatures. For her, studying the dragons is a way to escape a painful past and avoid getting too close to anyone.

She’d rather track dragons in the wild and through the lens of her camera than talk to real people. But then Aspen meets a hot new guy at school, Sid King. He’s the one person she’s ever met who shares her obsession with all things dragon. But even as she feels strangely drawn to the mysterious boy, she senses he’s hiding his own set of dark and powerful secrets.

When hikers start turning up dead in the park, everyone suspects the formidable predators. Unless Aspen can prove their innocence, every one of her beloved dragons is in danger of eradication.

After Aspen and Sid uncover a sinister plot behind the brutal attacks, Aspen can no longer deny that Sid somehow knows more about the deaths than he should and the secrets they both keep threaten to rip their lives apart forever.
 

Chaos Rises by Pippa DeCosta
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Goodreads Synopsis:
'When the veil fell, any half bloods not strong enough to withstand Chaos were torn apart. Some, like me and my brother, survived The Fall. Most did not.

That's the good news. The bad news saw a whole other world try and devour ours. Demons, we call them. They came in countless waves. Destroying. Killing. Many people thought it was the end...

The Fall lasted a week. 

Tens of thousands died. 

Hell almost claimed our world as its own. 

And then, from one day to the next, it was over. The veil came back, stronger than ever. I'm not sure if anyone knows how it was put right. But I do know it's been six months since The Fall, me and my brother are on the run, and the leftover demons aren't the most dangerous things in LA. 
We are.'

Fairy, Texas by Margo Bond Collins
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Fairy, Texas. A small town like any other.

Laney Harris didn't want to live there. When her mother remarried and moved them to a town where a date meant hanging out at the Sonic, Laney figured that "boring" would have a whole new meaning. A new stepsister who despised her and a high school where she was the only topic of gossip were bad enough. But when she met the school counselor (and his terminal bad breath), she grew suspicious. Especially since he had wings that only she could see. And then there were Josh and Mason, two gorgeous glimmering-eyed classmates whose interest in her might not be for the reasons she hoped. Not to mention that dead guy she nearly tripped over in gym class. 

She was right. Boring took on an entirely new dimension in Fairy, Texas.



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Reviews to Come:

Soulless by Skyla Dawn Cameron
The Sentinel by Chris Lester
The Muse by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Making the Cut by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Whispers in the Wood by Chris Lester
Lex Talionis by Starla Huchton
Spark by Starla Huchton
Heir to Kale by K.L. Bone
Tales from the Archives Vol 4 #5 - Old Sinner's Bones
The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan
Deadly Spells by Jaye Wells
Villain's Rule by M.K. Gibson
Heart of Gold by J.A. Cipriano & J.B. Garner