Saturday, June 14, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW SERIES BY ZOE DAWSON
THE STARBUCK CHRONICLES, BOOK #1
An Adult Urban Fantasy (with romantic elements)
Releases May 19, 2014
Series Overview

The fine thread between reality and the fantastical has snapped. The mortal and supernatural must learn to co-exist in post-reality Minneapolis/St. Paul where video games leak monsters into the night, demons roam, thirsting for more than just blood, people are not who or what they seem and a diabolical evil plots and plans to devour the world.
AfterLife
Lily Starbuck’s day doesn’t start well with blood on the horizon and a grumpy werewolf who refuses to pay his catering bill. Her day only gets worse when she finds out that her business partner in their catering company has embezzled all their available cash.
Lily can get no answers from her partner when she finds her dead. That’s the least of her worries—her landlord is evicting her, she’s being hounded by the Fairy Dust Administration (FDA) who suspects that her partner was dealing in illegal dust, and Lily’s pissed off their werewolf supplier.
With Lily’s very livelihood in jeopardy, she has no choice but to discover who killed her partner and try to track down the cash. She has only Spocko, a small, wizened gnome with just a bit of gremlin blood in him that makes him cantankerous at best to depend on, but he often goes invisible on her. Clues lead her to an open case being investigated by Otherworld Security (O.S.) and the tough O.S. Warden, shapeshifter, Tam Darkwood. And, at the outset of the investigation, a tiny, mythical fire-breathing, red dragon joins her as her trusty (and opinionated) sidekick, Kindle.
It seems a rogue mage has created a video game that is unwarded and game monsters are being released to terrorize the citizens of the Twin Cities. Trouble is Lily has reason to believe that this mage killed her partner.
The investigation takes an unexpected turn when they are led to influential and powerful Archmage Tarquin Wilding and somehow Lily finds herself embroiled in a sinister shadow Fae plot. With her friends at her side, she tackles dangerous and unpredictable supernaturals and monsters with an “all in a day’s work” attitude.
About the Author
Zoe Dawson is the alter ego of Karen Anders, award winning, multi-published author. Her writing journey started with poetry and branched out into fiction. With a couple of college English courses under her belt, she penned a historical, then moved onto contemporary romance fiction. Today, she is happy producing romantic suspense, romantic mystery, urban fantasy and paranormal novels. The words feed her soul and the happily ever afters feed her heart.
Review by Connelly:
I always find reading the first in a paranormal series a difficult because the author has to develop the rules for the alternate world or paranormal beings and develop the story. This can be quite difficult to get right. While I think Dawson stumbled a little, a few chapters into the story I was living in her new version of the twin cities. Full of murder, magic, sex, heartache, forbidden love, violence and butt-kicking heroines, this is a wild ride and proves to be a series on my must read list. I would enjoy a couple of the scenes to have more details but Dawson leaves a good bit up to the reader’s imagination. I also find the ending frustrating but that is the way it goes with a series. I have questions I want answered, I am hoping to find them in the second novel. I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. I received a copy of the arc for fair review.
Direct links if needed:



Saturday, May 31, 2014

Review of Love a tool for Bible study

iLove: Opening Your Heart to God and Others (Bible Study for Young Adults 20/30)
Love: Opening Your Heart to God and Others (Bible Study for Young Adults 20/30)
Exciting contemporary Bible study series designed to meet the needs of adult learners in their 20s and 30s. Each volume in the series examines a powerful biblical image and includes: Bible background Articles on group leadership, and teaching options Case studies throughout the text to use as discussion starters Seven easy-to-lead sessions with clear teaching helps on each page Options for service projects Love is the fifth book in the series. Chapters deal with love in its many forms, such as romantic, family, community and church, and God. The book also explores Sacrificial Love and Expressions of Love. To learn about another adult Bible study, see www.livingthegoodlifetogether.com.
Review by Connelly

We completed this book in Sunday School and the different sessions were thought provoking and did spur good conversation. However, the book is more liberal than some may like on some of the issues presented. It does have relevant conversations and looks at God’s love and how we as individuals, families, friends and communities should love one another. It provides the internal thoughts of various people and different passages from the bible than most bible studies present. I give it 3 stars. My church purchased this for study. 

Friday, May 30, 2014

Squirm by Cari Silverwood Review

Squirm, an erotic parody
by
Cari Silverwood

Blurb:
A parody of everything great and weird in erotic romance that could be stuffed into one book without it exploding.
For some girls, one tentacle isn’t enough.
Having a bad day isn’t good but when Virginia Chaste has a bad day, she gets felt up by a tentacle monster. If it simply has to happen, let it at least be a billionaire and a hot biker.
Virginity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and her search for the Holy Grail of Erotic Romance, the ten inch purple-headed schlong, may have finally borne fruit.
Yeehaw! Playing hide the tentacle has never been so much fun.

 Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Squirm-captive-billionaire-tentacle-monster-ebook/dp/B00K7CZ1T6/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1399576409&sr=1-4

Excerpt:

Chapter 1
Virginia swept back her long blonde hair and smiled as enticingly as she could at the man on the other side of the chain mesh gate. Her little black dress was fine but the six inch red stilettos were going to kill her any second. He grinned back, anchoring his fingers high in the mesh, leaning on the gate, and exuding eau de biker. The muscle of his flexed and tattooed bicep shone under the florescent light.
“C’mon in. We don’t bite much. Name’s Jace.”
She breathed in again, swooned, then swiftly recovered and slipped past Jace into the garage.
Eau de Biker. Mmm. Oil, leather, and beer smells always did it to her. Her panties had wet through in an instant.
But, she had a job to do.
The garage was dark, dingy and filled with testosterone-hyped tatted up bikers. They roamed across the concrete floor checking out the chromed bikes like a pack of thirsty hungry snakes let loose on a Sunday picnic of virginal squeaky mice.
She shook her head, knowing she’d imagined that with way too many adjectives. Sometimes her imagination went a little gaga.
Past the knowledge that she was here to look for Cyndie, she wondered, ever so hopefully, if among these men she would find her holy grail – what she’d been saving herself for from the day she opened the pages of her first romance novel – the man with the ten inch purple-headed schlong.
Fabio with his flowing locks could take a hike.

Author Bio:
Cari Silverwood is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of BDSM stories and dark erotic fiction.
She writes the way the world should be – dangerous and sexy with bullets piercing the darkness and lovers wrenched close by ropes. When you need escape, when you need that rough lover to bring you to your knees, here you will find stories to singe your fingers. The taste of adventure, the tang of BDSM, the burn of fantasy run wild. Brace yourselves, if you dare to read.
And…in this real world, she has a lovely family in Australia, with the prerequisite teenager who dwells in the dark bedroom catacombs…a husband who raises eyebrows when he catches glimpses of what she writes, and a menagerie of other animals barking, meowing, and swimming about the place.

Giveaway:
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Review by Connelly:
Definitely a parody and meant to be a wave of laughs. Silverwood has a crazy imagination! The sex scenes were definitely steamy and something out of this world but the humor started on page one and lasted throughout. Definitely a read for the erotica fan and critique if looking for a laugh. I received a copy from the author for fair review. 

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Unchosen by Alisa Mullen

While not 100% sold on the first in the series, the second book Unchosen struck a direct chord with me. Maybe because I recently had a baby myself or because the author makes the characters so real. I could not put this one down and even fussed at my husband for interrupting me. I laughed, cried and even held my breath several times. There are several new plot twists that make the third book in the series now on my have to read list when it is released. I did receive a free copy of this book from the author for a fair review.  I easily give it five stars.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Review of Unsettled by Alicia Mullen


Lizzie O’Malley, a 23-year-old free spirit, is on a mission to find her purpose in life. In the summer of 2000, she returns home to Boston to begin a life that she can be proud of. On her first night out on the town, tragedy strikes and she finds herself the cause of the emotional wreckage. Instead of dealing with the consequences, she loses herself in a man she met that night. 

Teagan Gallagher, a 22-year-old college student from Ireland, spends that same summer in Boston, working towards his degree and partying his way through the city. One night, he finds a beautiful American girl that he is desperate to spend the summer with. 

Together, Teagan and Lizzie learn the ins and outs of an unconventional relationship. It isn't until their relationship is in too deep that it becomes impossible for either to run away.

 

Review

This is a short read with vivid imagery and dynamic characters. Lizzie really well developed as a lost young adult who uses alcohol and sex to avoid dealing with reality. She is instantly attracted to Teagan and the sex, romance and fun times take over. While the characters are completely believable and the crazy young party life is extremely realistic, for me the story is almost too realistic. I read to escape and enjoy more paranormal or mythical reading. It’s a good story and I will read the second in the series to see what happened next in Lizzie’s life. It is not one I would normally have gotten into, but it is a good, easy, short read. I would recommend it if you had a long weekend to dive into the series. I received a free copy from the author for a fair review. 

Saturday, May 3, 2014

First book review. Cari Silverwood's Intimidator. - Excellent Paranormal Erotic Romance

 Synopsis:
Silverwood has created an intriguing blend of sci-fi and paranormal romance series sure to     steam up even the   dullest imagination. Each page is filled with suspense and erotic other     worldly dominatrix.  Willow embodies the independent woman taking on woes even if she has to face the evil of mankind. She soon finds herself attracted to a domineering alien warrior    who rescues her. Only to discover she is his battle reward, but his honor and broken heart       stands in the way of their love. As an intergalactic war comes to Earth, both the Preyfinders    and Balaak quickly discover extraordinary women may be key to ending or saving the world.

Review:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for an honest review and now I’m addicted to a new series. I found the interaction between the various characters playful, loving and intimate. I also enjoyed the back story and secondary romances. Silverwood has interwoven the second of the Preyfinder series with the storyline of the first, so one could read it without the first (Precious Sacrifice in the anthology Kept). Plus she gives enough teasers about the third to leave this reader ready for the next! I love a series that allows you to follow up with previous characters you fall in love with.

I give it 4/5 Stars!!!

About the Author:

Cari Silverwood is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Hailing from           Australia, Silverwood writes from the realities of motherhood and marriage with an                 imagination to interest her husband. She focuses on BSMD and erotica that will allow you to  escape to the adventure, dangers, and oh so good twinges of excitement.

For more by this author see www.carisilverwood.net

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Starting Out...

Welcome to Any and All!

So today begins the adventure into the world of blogging and blogtours. I am going to attempt to offer my thoughts on books, webpages, and various other information and medias. 
I love to read and I am constantly researching new instructional methods and designs. Majority of my comments will be related to these ideas and thoughts. Please check me out and follow. 

Since I am just starting out, I am open to suggestions and corrections!!!