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Archive for March, 2013

Book Review The Awakening & Other Stories

Title: The Awakening & Other Stories

Author: Emma Meade

Genre: Paranormal

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The Awakening & Other Stories by Emma Meade

Put on the kettle, close the curtains and curl up by the fire. Dive into 8 short tales, each with a slice of the paranormal.

Ghost Story – Who is the shadow in the window of the abandoned house, and what or who is he waiting for?
The Awakening – It’s time for Sabrina to wake up and face the light.
End of the Line – Cassie wants to die. When midnight rolls around, she stands on the tracks waiting for the train to come.
Milsa Loris – The once magnificent kingdom of Milsa Loris comes alive one night each winter. The King’s witch is brewing up a little magic, sure to make the soup all the tastier.
The Old Vampire – Hailey spent her life dreaming of a dark prince falling in love with her. He never showed up, until now.
The Knocking – Alison’s grandfather has one eye on the next life. After all, he’s heard a lot of rapping at his door lately.
The Boy on the Beach – Kate’s grandmother warns her about the boy with the green eyes. Will she pay heed?
Snowglobes– It’s busy at Calvin’s Cabins this Christmas. Eddie and Maggie are a young couple in trouble. Not to fear, Calvin is always ready to lend a hand.

I enjoyed this anthology collection of short stories by authro Emma Meade. My favorite stories had to be The Awakening, which is about a girl who fell asleep and dreamt for hundreds of years, and then suddenly wakes up in an underground room, where she’s rescued by two working men. Or well, rescued, may not be the correct term. End of the Line was a close second. That story evolved around Cassie, a girl who wanted to commit suicide by jumping under a train, and who ended up boarding the Death Train, where she had to make the choice if she wanted to live or die.

I wasn’t too keen on The Boy on the Beach, because for me, it didn’t fit the other stories. It wasn’t scary, and the main character kind of brought itu pon herself. The Old Vampire made me sad, as opposed to scared. That story is about Hailey, who spent her entire life dreaming a dark prince would come to rescue her. Now she’s an old woman, and the dark prince finally shows up, but it’s nothing like she imagined. I also wasn’t too fond of Ghost Story, because it was too predictable.

I enjoyed Snowglobes, because I thought it was a very original story. I liked The Knocking as well, it was a simple concept, but very chilling. I also enjoyed Milsa Loris. It had that old fantasy theme going on, with witches and magic, and it was a nice somewhat-different story in the anthology.

All in all, this was a decent, but quick read. I wouldn’t mind reading another anthology, or possible even a longer book by the author. She has a talent for original concepts, and choosing interesting main characters.

Connect with the author:

Blog: Emma’s Ramblings on Supernatural Fiction emmameade.com

Website: emmameadebooks

March 30, 2013 at 12:14 am 5 comments

Release Day Party The Witch Hunter

We’re celebrating the release day party of New Adult / Adult Urban Fantasy / Paranormal novel “The Witch Hunter” today.

To celebrate the release, the author was kind enough to offer 5 eBook copies as a giveaway. Scroll down for the Rafflecopter form to participate in the giveaway!

If you can’t wait for the giveaway, then purchase your copy on Amazon (Kindle), Amazon (Print) or Smashwords (ebook all formats) today.

About The Witch Hunter

Title: The Witch Hunter

Author: Nicole Taylor

Genre: New Adult/Adult Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

I was born into the world covered in blood, and that’s exactly the way I left it.

Ever since, I have been damned to walk the boundary between life and death alone. Unwillingly turned and left to my nightmare, I have seen men commit countless horrors and committed many of my own.

My origins shall remain unknown, my true self hidden. I have been called by many names, but in this life I am known as the Witch Hunter. I have been asleep these past 150 years, until I was awoken by a haunting call.

Zachary Degaud was twenty three when he died. The problem was, he didn’t stay that way.

Present day, he’s just another vampire with another unremarkable story. That is, until he manages to provoke a two thousand year old witch named Katrin, who wants to make him pay in the most horrible way imagined.

Along with his brother Sam, newly made vampire Liz and their only witch ally, Gabby, his only chance for survival is to summon the ancient and unpredictable vampire known as the Witch Hunter.

Zac is just looking for a way out of his psychopathic witch problems, but instead will find himself falling head first into a blood feud that has stretched thousands of years.

Aya has been asleep for the past 150 years, until she was awoken by a haunting call. The witch she has been hunting for thousands of years, Katrin, has resurfaced and marked a young, annoyingly arrogant vampire by the name of Zachary Degaud. Unless she does something, he will die a slow and painful death. He has given her an opportunity to end the witch, but does she want to help him or leave him to his fate?

Zac will get under her skin like no one else has and she just might find herself making the ultimate sacrifice before he is gone forever.

They will both have to choose sides and look deep within themselves before the end. But, what Zac learns about himself, will surprise him most of all.

Author Bio

Nicole R. Taylor is an Australian born paranormal, fantasy and contemporary fiction author. She is a graduate of the University of Ballarat Professional Writing and Editing programme and is a former music memorabilia sales person and grocery merchandiser.

She currently lives in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia with a two year old rescue cat named, Burger. She enjoys reading, writing (of course!), traveling and a little too much chocolate. One day she hopes to sky dive, but has to work up the courage first.

The first in her new paranormal fantasy series, The Witch Hunter Saga is available in e-edition and print from March 20^th 2013

Learn more about her writing at:

www.nicolertaylorwrites.com

She may be contacted by email at:

nicole.this.is@gmail.com

Visit her online

www.nicolertaylorwrites.com
twitter.com/nicole_noir
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicole-R-Taylor/452118154855116
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6907729.Nicole_R_Taylor

Purchase your copy!

Amazon (Kindle)

Amazon (Print)

Smashwords (ebook all formats)

Read an Excerpt

Aya opened the door and stopped just inside the doorway. In a split second she had surveyed the room. Three vampires, a witch and a werewolf. What a small town supernatural hub, Ashburton had really come up in the underworld. Perhaps her rude awakening wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all. This would be very interesting, but she had to be mindful of who these creatures were. The town would be claimed by one of the groups and by the intensity in the bar, she guessed it was up for contention.

She strode towards the bar at the far side of the large open room, aware that eyes were following her progress; human and vampire. The place was not that busy yet, still early evening, but enough that she brushed past her fair share of alcohol fueled young men. Young, human men. She pulled herself up internally. This was reconnaissance only. Fresh, warm human blood straight from the source was an indulgence that too often turned her into something darker than she ever wanted to be.

At the bar she ordered a triple scotch, straight up. The bartender eyed her with a little awe; she didn’t have to read his emotions to know that he was a little turned on by the thought. On the house, he had said with a little compulsion. Strange enough, the alcohol helped with her control, but it took a lot of the stuff to make her drunk.

As the scotch slowly disappeared from the glass, her inner compass took note of the lay of the bar behind her as she sat on a stool, seemingly studying the remaining contents. She listened to the conversations around her, trying to hear anything that would be of use. Assimilating into this slightly insane new era, or locating the source of the singing blood.

Two vampires were seated with the witch at the rear of the bar and were throwing out all kinds of emotions. Mostly she caught apprehension and anger. She couldn’t help but notice the fact that they were staring at her and not making any effort to hide it, even if her back was turned. The third vampire seemed to be with them but was flitting around talking to many young humans. She felt young herself; almost newly made. The werewolf, a young testosterone fueled male, was standing to her left ordering drinks. He was unconsciously fidgeting and leaning towards her as if he could sense she was something else. And he reeked of sweat and blood.

To her annoyance, one of the vampires from the table at the rear was approaching in her blind spot. He leant against the bar with the pretence of ordering drinks, but she could feel the curiosity dripping from him. Tall, dark and handsome was such a cliché, but an apt description. He feigned a casual glance in her direction and caught her gaze. Green eyes assessed her from under his messy dark hair. Suddenly, she wondered how old he was. Certainly nowhere near her real age. No vampire in this country was, at least before she went to sleep. It was a new age and a lot more things seemed accessible even for the undead.

“Hi,” he smiled at her.

She glanced at him nonchalantly and looked away, not wanting to encourage him.

He held his hand out, flashing a warm smile, ignoring her brush off, “I’m Zachary Degaud and you are?”

She turned her head slightly and looked him up and down, “And what am I going to do with a Zachary Degaud?” She could never help being a little smart.

The faint trace of a smile touched his lips, “Just rolling out the welcome wagon.”

“Zachary is such an old fashioned name, is it not?” she prodded at the age card.

“What can I say? Old fashioned parents,” he leant closer flashing a wicked smile. She could tell he was one for playing games. Asking casual questions to gain morsels of information. She grinned inwardly not giving herself away to him. In other circumstances she would have had a lot of fun with this one. “But you can just call me Zac. And your name is?” he continued, the smile never leaving his lips.

She pointedly looked him up and down, “You can call me Aya.”

“Aya,” he tried her name out, seemingly pleased that she had taken the time to assess him. “Aya, what?”

She smirked, “Just, Aya.”

“I haven’t seen you here before, Just Aya. Are you new to town?” he winked. “And your accent. Do I detect a hint of British there?”

She narrowed her eyes slightly, “Just passing through.” Not new to town, I can remember being here long ago, she thought to herself. What a different place it was. She wondered if he knew how dark Ashburton’s past really was. “I was born in Britain,” she added before she cold stop herself. Well, her accent was unmistakable.

“Only passing? Sounds like you’ll be gone soon. Do you mind if I join you for a drink? I’d hate to miss the opportunity to get to know such a beautiful exotic lady.”

Aya unsuccessfully stifled a laugh at this. He obviously suspected she was more than human, but trying to glean information from her under duress of flattery? It was a manipulation she was well acquainted with and at least a little fond of. She was also aware that his vampire and witch friend had not stopped watching them, obviously listening in on every word.

“I don’t think so, Zachary. I’m not one for falling for cheap flattery from strange men in bars,” the lack of emotion in her voice was chilling as she shot him down.

His eyes widened ever so slightly, “Please, call me Zac.” He wasn’t used to being turned down. He was rather handsome in the dangerous kind of way; seduction was a weapon for him. Before he could retort, the door opened with a crash and a group of rowdy men burst in, laughing and seeming very pleased with themselves. Aya cursed under her breath. She couldn’t help but breathe in their scent as the wind blew in around them. They stunk of human blood and sweat and violence. Werewolves. Werewolves that had obviously been on the hunt in their human form. Zac visibly stiffened.

Aya raised her eyebrow at him, “Friends of yours?”

“Not in the slightest,” he glanced back to his friends, who were looking a little unsettled, but both groups kept their distance at opposite ends of the bar, giving away that they were currently on edge with each other. These were the groups fighting over the town, now she was sure about it.

Repulsed by the emotions emanating from the wolves, she scowled. Hunting was one thing, but killing innocent humans for sport went against all that she had worked for. She seethed inwardly; it would be so easy to tear them apart, to strew their body parts through the forest. It wouldn’t take long. She felt her eyes clouding at the thought, blinking she cleared her mind and turned back to Zac. She had to be careful. There was still the issue of finding the one who had called her without revealing herself in the process.

“Well,” she declared. “This town is flavorsome.”

Giveaway

The author is offering 5 eBook copies for giveaway. The giveaway runs for two days, so be quick to participate! Fill in the Rafflecopter form to participate.

Click here to participate in the Rafflecopter giveaway!

March 20, 2013 at 12:29 am 1 comment

Book Review Eighty-Eight Keys

Title: Eighty-Eight Keys

Author: Catherine Lavender

Genre: Romance/Suspense

Goodreads, Amazon and B&N

Leah is a young woman who is trying to break free from a strict religious background and pursue her dream as a pianist in the world of show business. While trying to find her independence her heart is held captive by Jason Rowe a local basketball star who established an organization to help troubled youth. When Jason is found murdered in his home, Leah is determined to get answers from a closed investigation. During her state of emotional turmoil, Leah finds comfort not only in the melody of her music, but in the arms of a married man named Calvin. With her dreams at her fingertips, Leah is tangled in a web of lies and deceit. Despite the fear of learning the truth, Leah has to realize that only the truth can set her free.

A dead lover, with a trail of broken hearts…
A married man, with a double-life…
A dream chaser, with a killer at her heels…
A piano, with eighty-eight keys…

Jason is dead. The man Leah loved. At his funeral, she’s kicked out by Rosa, the mother of Jason’s young son, Jay-Jay. Calvin, one of Jason’s friends, comes to comfort Leah and they agree to go on a date. That sounded kind of odd to me, but I was ready to go with the flow. Calvin and Leah go on a few dates, and it seems like Leah is at least somewhat capable of letting go of the love she felt for Jason, even though he’s continuously at the back of her mind.

Leah has always loved playing the piano, but her strict religious parents insisted that was something she could only do in church, and not try professionally. Now a grown woman, Leah is ready to take her chances and participate in a piano concert in Vegas. But if she’s accepted that would mean moving to Vegas, and Calvin isn’t too pleased to hear that. Then again, Leah isn’t too pleased when she finds out Calvin is still married either.

The sentences at the end of the summary sum up nicely how complicated this book truly is. Jason, the dead lover, leaves behind an impressive trail of broken hearts, and all of them could be the murderer. Then again those aren’t the only possible culprits either. Jason may have been a charming man, but he had his fair share of enemies. The married man leading a double life is obviously Calvin, and he’s not doing such a good job at it. Leah tries to chase her dreams, but unfortunately when Jason’s killer resurfaces, it puts her in danger as well.

I like complicated books. I liked Eighty-Eight Keys. The plot meandered from event to event, leaving me at times surprised, other times thrilled as I waited for what was about to happen next. The characters however could’ve been more intriguing if they had more personality. It felt to me like Leah was the only character fully developed, but since the book was told from the point of view of various characters – the ‘God perspective’, if I remember well from English class – it would’ve been better if more characters had a full, complex personality. Also, the romance. When I read ‘romantic suspense’, I expect a bit more romance than what we get here. Whenever there is romance, it’s all very tame and mild, like dates and such. Not entirely my cup of tea – I prefer more outspoken romance, with hot and heavy scenes. Even if it were just a few kisses, that would’ve sufficed, but here there’s not enough romance to qualify as ‘romantic suspense’ for me.

March 13, 2013 at 12:59 am Leave a comment

Release Day Party Healthy Me!

We’re celebrating the release day party of Healthy Me! today. The author was kind enough to offer 5 Kindle eBook copies of Healthy Me! as a giveaway. Scroll down for the Rafflecopter form to participate.

The giveaway runs from March 9^th to March 14^th and is international.

About Healthy Me!

Healthy Me! is a book of healthy affirmations for little stars. Written to promote positive self talk to kids, Healthy Me! encourages children to have a healthy lifestyle — physically, mentally, and emotionally. This book is full of positive affirmations that focuses on taking care of one’s self while having fun doing it!

Don’t forget to check the end for your Bonus Gift to see how you can download a free ebook, you and your family will enjoy!

Book Excerpt

I like to stay healthy,

take care of myself.

I respect my self-image.

I’m proud of my health.

Author Bio

Cherrie Dejolde Bautista is a Certified Empowerment Coach committed to help everyone reach their fullest potential and be the best they can be. Having a technical background who worked as an Analyst/Computer Programmer, she pursued and became certified as an Empowerment Coach in her quest to understand how she can become the best parent for her kids. She realized that in order to raise her kids to be healthy, responsible, confident and successful individuals with a lot of respect for themselves, their family, other people, and life, she needs to empower herself not only to be the best parent, but also to reach her own fullest potential and be the best individual she can be. Being a good role model is the most effective way of teaching, influencing, and nurturing her kids. She teaches her children how to live by letting them watch her do it.