Adult Memior Review: "Buddy" is Really Something To Crow About

Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man  
 Title:  Buddy
(How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man)
Author:  Brian McGrory
Format:  Print ARC
Length:  336 pages
Publisher:  Crown Publishing 
Award-winning journalist Brian McGrory goes head to beak in a battle royale with another male for a top-spot in his home, vying for dominance with the family’s pet rooster. 
   Brian McGrory's life changed drastically after the death of his beloved dog, Harry: he fell in love with Pam, Harry's veterinarian. Though Brian’s only responsibility used to be his adored Harry, Pam came with accessories that could not have been more exotic to the city-loving bachelor: a home in suburbia, two young daughters, two dogs, two cats, two rabbits, and a portly, snow white, red-crowned-and-wattled step-rooster named Buddy. While Buddy loves the women of the house, he takes Brian's presence as an affront, doing everything he can to drive out his rival. Initially resistant to elements of his new life and to the loud, aggressive rooster (who stares menacingly, pecks threateningly, and is constantly poised to attack), Brian eventually sees that Buddy shares the kind of extraordinary relationship with Pam and her two girls that he wants for himself. The rooster is what Brian needs to be – strong and content, devoted to what he has rather than what might be missing. As he learns how to live by living with animals, Buddy, Brian’s nemesis, becomes Buddy, Brian’s inspiration, in this inherently human story of love, acceptance, and change.
   In the tradition of bestsellers like Marley and Me, Dewey, and The Tender Bar comes a heartwarming and wise tale of finding love in life’s second chapter - and how it means all the more when you have to fight for it - Goodreads




This book is one of those feel-good reads that reminds readers that unconditional love comes in all species.  
When you are an award winning journalist with years of globe-trotting, headlines, and deadlines under your belt; who would know that the biggest challenge of your life would come in the forms of a beautiful veterinarian, two wonderful little girls, two barking balls of love, and one rooster,
 named
BUDDY.

Readers will laugh, cry and cheer their way through the life and times of Brian McGrory as he makes his way from divorced companion of "Golden extraordinaire" Harry, to the married family man and rival for their affections that he is to become.
This book is proof that sometimes humans don't have all the answers, but we don't have to look far to find them.
In fact, all we really have to do is look deep into the eyes of the pets that we love the most; and who often times in spite of ourselves, choose to love us.
 As humans, it is easy to forget that we are not alone in our capacity to travel the emotional spectrum from the giddiest of pinks to the most melancholic blues. 
 It is nice to be reminded that whether they crow, bark, slither, or swim, or animal friends never lets us walk through our lives, emotionally or physically alone.
My Rating:

"The Lost Prince" Will Find Your Heart

The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten, #1) 
Title:  The Lost Prince
(The Iron Fey:  Call of the Forgotten #1)
Author:  Julie Kagawa
Format:  E-Galley
Length:  379 pages
Publisher:  Harlequin Teen
Rating:  5 stars

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.That is Ethan Chase's rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten
-Goodreads

My Thoughts

Just when the tears are dry over the ending of Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey, she presents readers with the first story starring none other than Ethan Chase.  
That's right folks, little Ethan is all grown up and the baddies from the Nevernever are hot on his trail.
If you are a big fan of Mahan, Ash, and Puck this is not the read for you.  
Yes, they cameo, but this story has more to do with a cast including new baddies, new buddies, and new loves...all for Ethan.

Ethan comes off as very up tight for a major portion of this story, but that is only because he is trying to stay as far away from the world of the fey as he can.
That is until friends of his are in danger; then he heads into a Nevernever much changed from the one he remembers.

It seems that the realms of the Summer and Winter courts are shrinking as fey disappear in droves.
All the while, a new race composed of the ghost-like Forgotten, are making themselves known.
What's an unlikely prince to do?
Why...
Jump in with both feet, find his friend, save the world, and get the girl of course.

This is a wonderful start to what promises to be a great series.  There may be tie-ins to the Iron Fey, but don't expect this series to rest on the laurels of its famous predecessor.  The characters found in The Lost Prince are strong, well rounded, and very well written.
This book will draw you in, just as the first did and not let go until the last word.
  My Rating:

Find Yourself in "34 Pieces of You"

34 Pieces of You 
 Title:  34 Pieces of Me
Author:  Carmen Rodrigues
Format:  Print ARC
Length:  336 pages
Publisher:  Simon Pulse
Rating:  5 Stars

A dark and moving novel—reminiscent of Thirteen Reasons Why—about the mystery surrounding a teenage girl’s fatal overdose.

There was something about Ellie... Something dangerous. Charismatic. Broken. Jake looked out for her. Sarah followed her lead. And Jess kept her distance, and kept watch.

Now Ellie’s dead, and Jake, Sarah, and Jess are left to pick up the pieces. All they have are 34 clues she left behind. 34 strips of paper hidden in a box beneath her bed. 34 secrets of a brief and painful life.

Jake, Sarah, and Jess all feel responsible for what happened to Ellie, and all three have secrets of their own. As they begin to confront the darkest truths about themselves, they will also find out what Ellie herself had been hiding all along....Goodreads



 My Thoughts

Ellie was beautiful...Ellie was smart...Ellie took too many pills...and now Ellie is dead.

This book gives readers an all too real snapshot of just what happens when someone commits suicide.
Though the pain may be over for the person in question; the wounds and devastation left for family and friends of the lost loved one never ends.

In most cases, the people left behind are asking themselves and all who will listen one question.
WHY? 

"34 Pieces of You" will haunt all the secret places and darkest corners of your mind.  As you make your way through its pages, you will find pieces of yourself.

You may be Ellie, a person who for whatever reason has felt or is feeling that things would be "so much better" for everybody if...

You may be Jake, the sibling that has to go through life with the "if only" that losing a brother or sister causes.
If only I had stayed.
If only I had been there.
If only...

You may be the girlfriend or boyfriend whose heart is now in taters.  The one blaming him or herself for not "loving your lost love enough."

You may be Sarah, the best friend, the shadow, the first one to see all the signs, but not be able to read them.  The last one to see, hear, or speak to that person.  Your pain being just a little different  than the others because...

I thought you said that you would never leave me?

These are the stories that are told with heartrendingly elegant style in 34 Pieces of You.

This book tells readers that every link in the chains that form the emotional bonds that we need in life is important.  When Ellie breaks her chain, the weaknesses created by the loss of her strength allow all the inner demons in the lives of those she loved and that her presence kept at bay,  to reek unchecked havoc in their lives.

Ellie told her story...In 34 pieces.
34 scraps of frayed paper.
34 reasons WHY?
34 questions answered too late.
34 cries for help unheard. 

I recommend this book to anyone who has ever considered or attempted to take their own life.
Please know that life is so precious. YES, EVEN YOURS!
There is help there for the asking.
and...
YOU ARE LOVED!

 Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255  National Suicide Prevention Lifeline


My Rating:

Book Sparks PR Presents: Perfect Bait

Perfect Bait 
Title:  Perfect Bait
Author:  Micheal Fowlkes
Format:  Print ARC
Length:  381 pages
Publisher:  Thunderbird Press
 
A spellbinding thriller, as suspenseful as it is sensual.

The richly-textured settings of Seattle's commercial waterfront, San Diego's topless beaches and the breathtaking waters off Cabo San Lucas create the backdrop for a riveting story of love, romance and betrayal, as a young couple find themselves in a fight for their lives having been set up by the FBI as perfect bait.  -Goodreads

 
The Story
Corey Phillips is a man who believe that he has found his "happily ever after" in the arms of his beautiful high school sweetheart Karyn, and is all set to live with her in wedded bliss on his boat in the sheltered harbor of Seattle.
That dream is shattered on the day that Corey comes home to find his wife and best friend lost in an undertow of passion so powerful that they are not even aware that he is in the room.
Heartbroken, Corey decides to leave it all behind, and with nothing more than a few clothes and his truck; sets out to find a place to heal.
Traveling from the coasts of Washington to the beaches of California, Corey manages to find the love he seeks in the arms of his fiery new love Jennifer, and his furry sidekick Sierra.
Deeply in love and ready to return to the water and the life that he has always known; Corey starts running charters on Vintage, a beautiful yacht that he and Jennifer saved an uncertain fate and lovingly restored. 
Just when it seems that there is nothing ahead but clear waters and blue skies for these two,  the sharks begin to circle and there is blood in the water, as one fateful charter changes their lives forever.

Technically Speaking
This book is written from a very emotional perspective, which makes it a very easy read to lose one's self in.  Jennifer and Corey seem like the kind of people that anyone would be glad to have as friends; making them very easy for readers to invest in relatively quickly.
Though this book is said to be a thriller, the number  of pages dedicated to the romantic aspects of this tale (about 265), versus the 120 or so that get down and dirty with the thrilling, leads one to classify this as more of a romantic thriller.
Each scene that the reader is allowed to experience is captured in such detail that its as if  the moment has been placed inside a bubble; giving audiences the chance to view it from all sides before releasing it in anticipation of the next. 
Female readers will be happy to find that the sex scenes in this story are plentiful and very romantic.
The only true negative that one finds in this story is the seeming disconnection between the romance of the first part of the story and all the action and mayhem in the ending chapters.
The book should be longer so that all of the time and attention that that was given to the romantic part of the book could have transitioned to the thrills.
My Rating:

"Heaven" Is Quite the Fall From Grace

Heaven (Halo, #3)

Title:  Heaven
Author:  Alexandra Adornetto
Format:  Print ARC
Length:  417 pages
 Publisher:  Feiwel & Friends 
Rating:  2 stars
 
Only sixteen when she started the series, Ally Adornetto knows how teen hearts beat, and this long-awaited conclusion is certain to be her most popular book yet.

Bethany, an angel sent to Earth, and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier, have been to Hell and back. But now their love will be put to its highest test yet, as they defy Heavenly law and marry. They don’t tell Beth’s archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, but the angels know soon enough, and punishment comes in a terrifying form: the Sevens, who are rogue angels bent on keeping Beth and Xavier apart, destroying Gabriel and Ivy, and darkening angelic power in the heavens.

The only way Bethany and can elude the Sevens is to hide in the open, and blend in with other mortals their own age. Gabriel and Ivy set them up at college, where they can’t reveal their relationship, and where there is still danger around each corner. Will Bethany be called back to Heaven – forever – and face leaving the love of her life?  
-Goodreads

My Thoughts
This again is going to be one of those reviews that I can only do in first person.  My feelings on this book are as such that blanket generalizations about what may or may not appeal to my readers are not going to make it this time.

I must also preface this review by saying that I have read the ENTIRE Halo series.

HALO
Left me wanting something to happen.  The whole book was spent with Gabriel and Ivy obsessing over the fact that Bethany's relationship with Xavier was wrong, and telling her that there were "going to be consequences, young lady".
Problem?
There were NO consequences!
There I was...all psyched about seeing Bethany get the all mighty smack down...and NOTHING! 

HADES
Though there was a lot more action in this read, with the kidnapping and Jake in Hell and all.  This book still left a lot to be desired.  Jake just kind of fell flat in the badass department once Bethany was in HIS domain.  Then it got all..."My father won't let me".  What?????
Then there was the thing with Ivy and the Ouija board!

Hint:  She's an ANGEL!  She should not need a Ouija board to communicate with another ANGEL.

Then there was the entire "I'm in Hell, now let me waste time pining for my HUMAN boyfriend and spying on him through the River of Forgetfulness!"
What?
Then there was the AHA MOMENT when Bethany's Angelic light kicked in and. (cue heavenly music) she defeats the bad guys!
Yada...yada...I could go on, but I won't!

HEAVEN
This book was not much better than the ones that proceeded it, but at least I can say that it was very funny.  That's both funny strange and funny HA HA.
Here we go...
So Bethany and Xavier come up with the brilliant idea that they should get married.
Hello????
She's an ANGEL and he's a HUMAN and according to several sources this union of souls DOES NOT WORK OUT WELL!
Soooo...
The powers that be are not happy with BETHANY again, and since GOD is BUSY, the SEVENS are
dispatched to kill her.
 (Yes, the book actually said that GOD was too busy to deal with this.)

 So Bethany and her crew come up with the brilliant ideas that:
1.  Gabriel should lie to his superiors to try and protect Bethany.
2.  Bethany and Xavier should "hide in plain sight at Ole Miss.
3.  Bethany and Xavier who ARE MARRIED should lie to everyone and say that they are SISTER and BROTHER.
4.  Whats with all the lying and sneaking?  Angels...Hello?
It goes on in  this vein for several hundred pages with some SEX, more LIES and some preachy bits thrown in for good measure before Bethany is FINALLY called to the carpet.

This series could have been so much better than it was if the ANGELS were allowed to be ANGELS and were not reduced to HUMANS with WINGS.
You expect humans to make stupid mistakes, angels who have not given up their direct link to the divine, not so much.
The author gets so caught up in the romanticism of Bethany and Xavier, that she forgets that she has other characters that have to make sense to make the story work.
If as an author you are going to choose to fictionalize biblical aspects, it is very important that your i's are dotted and t's crossed.
There were a lot of crossed mythologies and actions and reactions that didn't make sense in this series.
There was an inordinate amount of preachyness in a book that is clearly written for secular audiences.
 My Rating:





Adaptation Will Change the Way You Read YA

Adaptation (Adaptation, #1) 
 Title:  Adaptation
(Adaptation #1)
Author:  Malinda Lo
Format:  Print ARC
Length:  400 pages
Rating:  5 Stars

Reese can’t remember anything from the time between the accident and the day she woke up almost a month later. She only knows one thing: She’s different now.

Across North America, flocks of birds hurl themselves into airplanes, causing at least a dozen to crash. Thousands of people die. Fearing terrorism, the United States government grounds all flights, and millions of travelers are stranded.

Reese and her debate team partner and longtime crush David are in Arizona when it happens. Everyone knows the world will never be the same. On their drive home to San Francisco, along a stretch of empty highway at night in the middle of Nevada, a bird flies into their headlights. The car flips over. When they wake up in a military hospital, the doctor won’t tell them what happened, where they are—or how they’ve been miraculously healed.

Things become even stranger when Reese returns home. San Francisco feels like a different place with police enforcing curfew, hazmat teams collecting dead birds, and a strange presence that seems to be following her. When Reese unexpectedly collides with the beautiful Amber Gray, her search for the truth is forced in an entirely new direction—and threatens to expose a vast global conspiracy that the government has worked for decades to keep secret.


My Thoughts

This book is a true conspiracy thriller centered around teens! (Cue heavenly light and angelic choirs.)
Every aspect of this book is so well thought out that it could easily have made waves on the adult shelves; but as the literary gods would have it, YA has been graced by this one of a kind read.
  
This is the type of read that grabs not only the attention, but the imagination of the reader and leads him or her to places so far off the beaten path that there is no possible return.
Everything about this read is unorthodox.  Everything about this book is WONDERFUL!

Thank you Malinda for writing Reese and David with the skepticism and clear eyed rationale needed to find their way through the situations that they are faced with.
Finding out that you may or may not have people following you after coming home from a strange hospital having had treatment that you can't remember is not exactly the time to go all "doe eyes and duh."
There are so many times in this book where one wrong word, look, or move by Reese or David could mean trouble that there is just no time for the asinine.
  
And the goodness never stops...

Relationships abound in this read, and they are just as complex as the ever evolving plot.
Cases in point.
Reese has feelings for David.
David has feelings for Reese.
(neither of them has expressed said feelings bu they are still there)

Reese has feelings for Amber.
Amber has feelings for Reese.
(they take every opportunity to express said feelings)

Reese likes Amber but may not be able to trust her.
Amber likes Reese but may have something to hide.
Reese likes David and David likes Reese and they 
can't hide anything from each other.   

In short...this book has it all.  From conspiracy to kidnapping, love to Area 51, it's like Ragu, it's in there...and once you taste what this book has to offer you'll be begging for more.  



Crossroad Tours Presents: Phantom






Free for a limited time on ibooks! Click Here


Rarely, if any, are science and celestial creatures mixed in a work of fiction. Phantom shows that such fusion of seemingly incompatible subjects can blend together very harmoniously to tell an interesting story. The book is about a young Nephilim who is caught in the middle of an interplanetary battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. It tells the readers that, like the Nephilim, we humans can tap into our angel side, which is a source of so much power, so that we can overcome our challenges, conquer our personal demons, reach the goals we have set for ourselves, and fight for what is right and good. This story not only entertains the readers but inspires them opening the door to new creative possibilities and showing that nothing is impossible no matter how big the goal is. It is the first in its series of four original books.  -Goodreads

"Mystic City" Is The Stuff of Dreams

Mystic City (Mystic City, #1) 
 Title:  Mystic City
(Mystic City #1)
Author:  Theo Lawrence
Format:  E-galley
Length:  352 pages
Publisher:  Random House Children's Publishing
Rating:  5 Stars

For fans of Matched, The Hunger Games, X-Men, and Blade Runner comes a tale of a magical city divided, a political rebellion ignited, and a love that was meant to last forever. Book One of the Mystic City Novels.

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.  -Goodreads


My Thoughts
This novel is just too juicy for words.
O. K., let's start at the beginning shall we?
This is the first political thriller that I have seen in YA.  The story of Aria Rose and Thomas Foster being made pawns in their families plot to monopolize New York government and by extension the mystic energy that powers it. 

Plot...Plot...and More Plot
Aria is never quite sure who to trust, it seems that everyone wants something from her.
Her parents need her for power.
Thomas needs her as a trophy.
Her friends need her prestige.
All the people in her life have everything,  but everything it seems is never enough.

Until Hunter.

He is a boy from the Depths, a rogue mystic, as far from the glitz and glamor of Aria's world as day is from night.
He is different in another way as well.  Unlike the people who surround Aria, he wants nothing from her.  Instead he wants to give her love, passion, purpose, power, and memories.
The problem?
Her family will stop at nothing to keep these two apart.
There was definitely no absent parent syndrome in this book.  If her parents got any more involved in her life, they would have been living it for her.
 That is, if they don't KILL her first.

 Technique-ly Speaking
This book is so intense that you can wait to finish each page just so that you can get to the ones after it.  The thing that makes this book so appealing is the balance that is achieved between the fantasy, thriller, and romantic aspects of this read.  No one aspect is allowed to override the other, and as a result, there are no drawn out lulls or over done actions runs; just a seamless masterpiece of book heaven.
This is a book that will keep you on your toes until the very end and you will love EVERY heart-stopping moment.
 


 My Rating:


"Unspoken" is Something To Scream About

Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy, #1) 
Title: Unspoken
Author:  Sarah Rees Brennan
(The Lynchburn Legacy #1)
 Format:  E- Galley
Length:  370
Publisher:  Random House Books For Young Readers
Rating 4.5 Stars

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?  -Goodreads



My Thoughts
This book is one that is brimming with surprises.  You just never know what is going to happen next in the sleepy little hamlet that is Sorry-in-the-Vale.  It is in fact the still water appearance of the town that makes it such an effective backdrop for the mystery, mayhem, and murder that surrounds the unexpected return of the Lynchburns.

Kami/Jared/Ash
Kami is a girl that you can't help but love.  She makes no bones about her thirst for adventure and fully embraces her role as resident "nosey parker" going so far as to establish a school newspaper to legitimize her investigative efforts.  Little does our lady reporter know that she has a starring role in what may just be the story of her life.

Jared is the voice in Kamie's head.  Her go to friend, the person who knows her better than anyone else. The thing is, Kamie is not sure that Jared is REAL.
That is until they meet.
It is then that she finds out that not only is he real, he is also a Lynchburn and from all appearances...TROUBLE.
Can Kamie reconcile the Jared that has lived in her head with the seemingly uncontrollable force of nature that is the sulky person in the flesh?
Is he really the danger that he has been said to be?

Ash Lynburn is Jared's cousin and the Lynchburn prince.  Where Jared is brooding and dark, Ash is sweetness and light.
At least on the surface.
The thing that Kamie has to find out is...What is Mr. Perfect hiding? 

and...

Why do the people of Sorry-in-the Vale fear the Lynchburns?

The Story
The Lynchburns seems to have an unbreakable hold on the town of Sorry-in-the-Vale that just gets stronger as the story deepens.  The Lychburns are the thing that goes bump in the night for the people of this town, and now that they have returned the bumps are louder than ever.
When Kamiand Jared stumble upon what appears to be a ritualistic sacrifice in a hut in the woods behind her house, they have no idea they are also unearthing the first of many secrets about the town, magic, promises, betrayals, murders, and themselves.

Why Not a 5?
The reason that this book was not given a 5 was that the end and the relationship between Jared and Kami was left as a big question mark.
After devouring this book in record time and investing so much in the relationship between these two,
there was no reconciling  how they ended.
The upside of this being that this book is a series.
The downside of the same coin being the wait for the next book.
This is a wonderful, funny, dramatic, heart-stopping dose of literary cat nip that will have you mind tripping long after its end.
  My Rating:

Crossroads Book Tours Presents: Ashes to Ashes

Join us for two weeks in Sept. as we tour and honor those who lost their lives in the 9-11 destruction of the Twin Towers!






Book Description

June 14, 2012
9/11: The Day That Defined a Generation Where were you on 9/11? That question has become part of the fabric of our lives as Americans. On that bright, sunny day, none of us had any idea what was in store and how it would change our lives. Depending on what part of the country you lived in, you may not have known anything was going on until several hours after the first plane struck. You may not have heard the news until you got to work, turned on your car radio, or received a call from a loved one asking if you had seen or heard the news. Ashes Ashes the Twins Fall Down is a look at the events of 9/11 from personal and informational perspectives. Author, Pauline Hawkins, who lived in Texas at the time of the attacks, shares her experience of 9/11, and its repercussions for her family, her job, and how she viewed the world. Pauline's story of coping with the news, reframing how she thought about America and the world, and making a conscious decision to become better-informed will resonate with anyone who lived through 9/11. In addition to her personal testimony, Pauline provides a thought-provoking context for the events of 9/11, including political background, social commentary, and reflections on the contributions of everyday heroes. You'll come away from this book both enlightened and comforted by Pauline's honesty and common sense, as well as her heartfelt appreciation of those who sacrificed for our country, and those who continue to work toward healing and rebuilding.


Editorial Reviews

From the Author

When I sat down to actually write this book, my expectation was simply to put a few words on paper to work through my own grieving process for 9/11. However, I soon found out that the more I said, the more I had to say. Once I started writing, it was as though the emotional floodgates opened, and all the memories came back -- memories that beckoned to be put on paper. I soon realized that while everyone talked about what happened in New York, at the Pentagon, and in the field in Pennsylvania, very little had been said about how that day affected those of us outside of those areas. An entire country, and world, were affected that day. Lives were changed, security lost, and our story should be shared as well. My hope is that you will find this book not only enjoyable but also informative and thought-provoking. I truly have enjoyed sitting down and sharing on these pages my experiences associated with 9/11 and the days and years following.

About the Author




Biography

Pauline L. Hawkins was born in Munson Army Hospital at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on Easter Sunday. Pauline has been in the health insurance industry for almost thirty years, working her way up from the mailroom to corporate management and claims payment. In 2002, Pauline received her Instructional Design certification, which allows her to create instructor-led and learner-paced training curricula, along with computer-based learning activities and website creation. Pauline has enjoyed writing since she was in high school, and has decided to start sharing her stories. Ashes Ashes the Twins Fall Down is her debut book. 

Author Links:



The Tudor Revival will Breathe Life Into Your Book Pile

 Title:  The Tudor Revival
(Calum's Curse Ultima  Bellum)
Author:  Sky Purington
Format:  Kindle Edition
Length:  282 pages
Rating:  5 Stars

Is it true love... or is this dark need part of the Tudor's Revival?
A man stuck between worlds.
Ghost hunter and dare-devil, Seth, is flung into the afterlife. His one draw to reality? Alana. He died. She lived. But he can't let go. There is something more than friendship between them and he won't say goodbye.
A woman drawn to the past.
The last thing Alana expects to encounter when she inherits her grandmom's Tudor Revival is the spirit of her deceased best friend and crush, Seth. But everything is not what it appears to be. He is determined to live again. When his investigative team, The Worldwide Paranormal Society shows up at her door, Alana soon learns that she's in for a wild ride.
Calum's curse visits one more house. Things get hotter and more paranormal than ever before. Love, as always, struggles to overcome the odds. Time is limited though and the creature set to destroy Seth and Alana is the most cunning of all.
Will Alana and Seth face mankind's worst fear and survive? Find out in The Tudor Revival.
-Taken with permission from the author's site

My Thoughts
Just when you think that this series can't get any better authoress Sky Purington manages to throw readers another literary fast ball that is destined for "out of the park" status.
Seth's story is the third of the Calum's Curse series.  (I dare not say last, because I am hoping for more...somehow)
 O.k, back to the review.
It seems that life has charged Seth the steepest price in his quest to end his family's curse and find his lady love.
He has to DIE!
That's right, die.
Not to worry though, he's got the best team ever on his side, and the fiery Alana has a few tricks of her own.
Just as in the first two books of this wonderful romp through paranormal wonderland, you will find a few ghosts, a beautiful time shifting back drop, romance, toe curling sex...and so much more.

This book is so full of story that it is hard to write this review without spilling the beans right here and now!
Seth and Alana are the twin flames that light the way to passion and romance for the reader throughout the story's course.  Alana is allowed to take the lead in the saving on this one.  It turns out that Seth's family isn't the only name in the magic game this go round, and a certain someone has a few awesome powers up her sleeve as well.  Not to worry though, Seth swoops in and saves her and himself in pure dare-devil style, as only he can.
The thing that sets this book apart is that all the players from previous books come together in full force in this tale to fight the ultimate foe.

It is said that love can conquer all...
Watch Seth and Alana put 
love
to the ultimate test
in
The Tudor Revival

Don't Miss a single moment:
Get Book 1
and 
Book 2
The Georgian Embrace (Calum's Curse: Acerbus Lycan)

My Rating:

A Little About the Authoress

 Author Bio:

Best-selling author, Sky Purington lives in southern New Hampshire with her son and husband. The written word has been her obsession from the very beginning. Purington writes time-travel paranormal/fantasy romance heavily influenced by history. 

From Irish Druids to Scottish Highlanders many of her novels possess strong Celtic elements. More recently, her vampire stories take the reader to medieval England and ancient Italy. 

Enjoy strictly paranormal romance? Sky's latest novels follow three haunted houses in New England and the sexy ghost hunters determined to make sense of them. Make no mistake, in each and every tale told you'll travel back to another time and revisit the romanticism history holds at its heart. 

Sky loves to hear from readers and can be contacted at Sky@SkyPurington.com Interested in keeping up with Sky's latest news and releases? Visit Sky's Website, www.skypurington.com to download her FREE App on iTunes and Android. 



A Writer’s Mind Blog: www.skypuringtonwrites.blogspot.com







 

Just Sittin' Here...Waitin' On Wednesday #25

Time for a
WOW!
This wonderful meme is based on the one started by Breaking the Spine


Blind Spot

Title:  Blind Spot
Author:  Laura Ellen
Publisher:  Harcourt Children's Books
Expected Publication Date:  October 23rd, 2012

 
There’s none so blind as they that won’t see.

Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared. The night Roz Hart had a fight with her. The night Roz can’t remember. Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer.

This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else
-Goodreads


Jitterbug PR Presents: A Word or Two From Lisa Bilbrey

WTF Are You Reading is proud to host
authoress
Lisa Bilbrey...
and all of the lovely
people who live in her head!



How I Created My Imaginary Friends


There are two main characters in Angel’s Heart: The Keeper, Sophie and Henry, but beyond them, there are slew of others who crept their way into the world I created, and into my heart. Yeah, I’m a little sappy like that. For me, building the supporting characters are just as important, if not more so, than the main. In Angel’s Heart: The Keeper these roles fall onto Deva and Tabitha’s shoulders. 
Both women have qualities that Sophie can only hope to ever have. Deva is strong, confident, and beautiful. She knows what she wants and goes out to get it, not letting anyone stop her. Tabitha is witty, sarcastic, and sassy. She’s not afraid to call someone on their crap. Sophie sees herself as being invisible next to these two, and because of that, she hides who she really is. Deva and Tabitha see the true Sophie, the incredible passionate woman who loves with her whole heart.
Along with the members of Willow Crest, Deva and Tabitha do what they can to help Sophie see her true self, the beauty that lies under the surface. But from the beginning, it’s Henry who does the most for Sophie. From the moment Sophie and Henry meet, the connection between the two is strong, yet both of them are afraid to allow themselves to truly open themselves up to the other. Years of feeling alone, lost and forgotten, have Sophie and Henry scrambling to understand the undeniable bond that both of them feel toward each other.
During the process of writing Angel’s Heart, I found myself pouring more of myself into the pages, my tears and laughter, my fears and dreams for the future.


 
Who Is Lisa Bilbrey

Image of Lisa Bilbrey
Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996.
Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller. She's been blessed to find Michele Richard and Laura Braley, both of whom she spends hours every day writing with.

Find Lisa Here:
This post is brought to you
with the sincerest thanks
to 
Lisa Bilbrey
and in cooperation
with