Catspell as reviewed by Lynn Worton

Book Review of The Fairy Godmother Dilemma: Catspell by Danyelle Leafty

A head cold can muddle the clearest of heads, and fairy godmothers are no exception.

Which is why Nerissa finds herself agreeing to help Breena, a Damsel in Distress,... even though she’d rather wrangle a whole posse of evil stepmothers than accept the job. To her credit, Breena, would rather kiss a hundred toads than work with a fairy godmother.

After an ill-fated attempt to get out of their contract, Breena now has whiskers, claws, and a tail. Finding a suitable prince for a small, white cat isn’t going to be easy, but that’s the least of Nerissa’s problems. The person who gave Breena the “cat” potion isn’t going to stop until she’s destroyed everything Nerissa stands for as a fairy godmother.
If she wants to save Breena, Nerissa is going to have figure out where the fairy tale went wrong and how she can bring a Happily Ever After to the only girl she’s ever failed.

Catspell is a retelling of The White Cat.

Review 5*****

This is a fairy tale story at it's finest! I loved reading them as a child, and when I started reading this book, it brought all the feelings I had of wonder and enchantment back!
I have no recollection of ever reading The White Cat, but there are certain elements in this book that rang the proverbial bell in my mind.

Nerissa is a Fairy Godmother, who has been summoned to find the Happily Ever After for Breena. Suffering with a cold, she is not in the best of moods, but agrees to help. I found her character to be caring of her charges, but she appeared to distance herself from the rest of the magical realm. However, she is a force to be reckoned with!
Breena is a sweet character, who finds herself being in the un-enviable position of being turned into a cat. If I had been turned into an animal, I would be angry, or at least very emotional (woe is me - that sort of thing), but Breena just seems to take it in her stride. But saying that, this is a fairy tale, so there are no hysterics!
However, there are princes, dragons and other fairy folk that have their say, as this book is told from several points of view. I especially loved Myles. I truly felt sorry for him! I would love for him to find his DID (Damsel In Distress), because he's such a wonderful character.

Danyelle Leafty has taken an old fairy tale and given it a sprinkling of her own brand of magic! I'm now looking forward to reading The Godmother Dilemma: Firespell, as I want to find out what happens next! I recommend this book for young readers and those who want to revisit their childhood. - Lynn Worton

Mindbenders by Ted Krever

Mindbenders by Ted Krever

"A dead-on thriller for the decade...I can't imagine anyone reading this and not wanting more." --Thomas F. Monteleone, author of the NY Times bestseller, The Blood of the Lamb and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing a Novel 

If you could hear the thoughts of every person for three blocks around-the regrets, rationalizations, commercial jingles, the lies that hide what they can't bear to think--how could you ever trust anyone? And if you could make them believe anything you wanted, how could you ever trust yourself?

Max Renn is a legend of the Soviet mind control program, a genetic experiment, the product of three generations of psychics bred by the state for their power. Before his first mission, the Soviet Union collapses and he disappears.

We meet him twenty years later in the Everglades, keeping as far from people as he can get, until his best friend-his only friend-is murdered and he is forced to assemble a team of people like him to fight the international conspiracy behind the murder.

~~~~

"Ted Krever has been a writer to watch, now he's a writer to read. Do not miss MINDBENDERS." -F. Paul Wilson, author of the NY Times bestseller The Keep and the Repairman Jack novels.

"Ted Krever is a great storyteller, but more importantly, the stories he creates and writes are ones that I want to read.  In this ADD era, where even e-mails are considered too long, Ted's work commands my attention.  It is definitely worthy of yours too." -David Leaf, biographer and award-winning writer/director/producer of such films as "The Night James Brown Saved Boston, "The U.S. Vs. John Lennon" and "BEAUTIFUL DREAMER: Brian Wilson & The Story of SMiLE."

My review

I adore this book.  The plot is complicated without being confusing, the story is fresh and engaging and the characters are fully formed and fledged out. 

The title alone should tell you what the basic premise of the book is.  The question is, what happens to a project upon which the government has given up.  A project that was marginally successful.  What if the people in the project carries on with their tasks, who is bankrolling it and to which end?  If the CIA, FBI, NSA etc is no longer involved, black opps is not an option, who and why is the project still active?  

I give this book a smooth 8 * review, it is different from most books I have read recently and I commend the author on using the cold war and it's consequences to such delectable reading. 

Birthright Book One of the Awakening Trilogy by Christine Butler

Book One of the Awakening Trilogy by Christine Butler

In the middle of the night Caislyn Vadoma auto-sketches a scene in which her parents are kidnapped from the family bookstore. She awakens in the morning to find that her sketch, a rare glimpse into the future, has already become reality.

Jasmine DeLaney leaves her life behind when an abusive boyfriend puts her in the hospital. She becomes Jaxon, an art consultant in a new town, always looking over her shoulder for the danger she knows will catch up to her eventually.

As Caislyn scrambles for clues to her parents' whereabouts, she casts a spell that leads her to Jaxon. From the moment they meet, the girls are emmersed in a world of chaos and secrets. Finding out they are part of a very dangerous prophecy not only has them on the run, but discovering their own hidden pasts as well.

While trying to come to grips with who they are, how they fit into this prophecy, and where Caislyn's parents are the girls must also face the fact that the stalker vampire who appears to be helping them, may just be putting them in more danger.

The trilogy continues with murder, mayhem, sorrow, a corrupt brotherhood, and one hell of a secret/conspiracy that could change the world forever. Caislyn and Jaxon are the powers to either bring this secret into the light or protect it forever!

My review.

I must confess, this story has a ton of potential, potential I hope the rest of the trylogy will showcase.  The potential of the story could however not make up for the fact that I felt overwhelmed by the constant bombarding of new characters, powers etc.  I felt disconnected from the story from the start until the end. 

I felt especially let down with the end of the book.  I understand that it is the first book in a series but it ended with almost no resolution and left me paging to find another page to get some closure.

I give this book a very high 3 * review.  I admire the enthusiasm of the author, and that is apparent from the start.  I also, like stated think the story has potential, but I would have preferred if the story took a bit more time to get the reader to get to know the characters instead of being thrown from one situation into another.  I however, also know that I have loads of reader friends who would love the pace.  It is simply not to my personal taste.

This book is currently free on Amazon, and as per usual I would advise you to go and read it and make up your own mind.

On AMAZON : http://www.amazon.com/Birthrights-The-Awakening-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B004VNQZYM/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

On facebook : http://www.facebook.com/M00nlitDreams

Poe’s Mother by Michael Meeske. Blog tour stop

Poe’s Mother by Michael Meeske

 

Hosted by Tempting Book Tours.

Author Michael Meeske of Poe's Mother

Author Bio:

Michael Meeske writes across genres, including romance, mystery, suspense, horror and gothic fiction, a genre that blends horror and romance, and has its roots in some of the earliest novels ever written. Poe’s Mother is his latest release available exclusively on Amazon. com. 

From 2008 to 2010, he served as Vice President of Florida Romance Writers (FRW). He has been a member of FRW and the Romance Writers of America since 2002. He also was an active member of the Writers’ Room of Boston, a non-profit working space for novelists, poets and playwrights.

Michael’s writing credits include Frankenstein’s Daemon, a sequel to Frankenstein, offered through Usher Books. He also is the co-author of His Weekend Proposal, a tender category romance published in August 2009 by The Wild Rose Press under the pen name of Alexa Grayson (soon to be published in Greece); Zombieville, a short story included in a 2011 anthology by FRW writers, available at Amazon.com, and Tears, a short-story published in the Fall 2000 issue of Space & Time, a magazine of fantasy and science fiction. Usher Books will publish additional works by Michael in 2012 and 2013.

Some of his influences are Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson, Oscar Wilde, Daphne du Maurier, Richard Matheson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and any work by the exquisite Brontë sisters. You can contact Michael at michaelmeeske@live.com.

Author Links:

FB:  http://www.facebook.com/michael.meeske?ref=tn_tnmn 

FB Fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Michael-Meeske/252387778133954

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MichaelMeeske/followers 

Website: www.michaelmeeske.com 

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4575677.Michael_Meeske

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Poes-Mother-ebook/dp/B007TMQMG8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336691920&sr=8-1

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b-ldOvbgYw

Blurb: Poe's Mother

1975. A 15-year-old young woman. A small, dusty town. A family that worships the great American author Edgar Allan Poe, and carries his surname.
Poe's Mother is a startling new novel of dark family secrets, the lure of the supernatural, the claustrophobic isolation of a dying town and a cautionary tale of the power of words.
This is the story of Sissy Baxter and her strange relationship with Edgar and Madeline Poe - two people who claim they love her. What Sissy discovers will change her life forever, and love will never be the same.
(This book is for mature readers.)

Poe’s Mother Interview 1.

1.When did you start writing?
I started writing in grade school – I wrote great stuff about flying saucers and alien attacks upon the earth. But, it wasn’t until my last semester my senior year in college that I took a creative writing class. It opened up a whole new world for me and I was so fired up I burned inside. The fire’s still intense when it comes to writing. Oddly enough, many people thought I should be a classical pianist because I studied piano and played for years.

2. What inspired you to do it?

I don’t think it was inspiration that drove me to write. It was a fire inside me. I struggled with “the drive” for years. It was almost a kind of bipolar anxiety – the highs and lows of the process. I’d be really charged up and then be unable to produce, at least the quality that I wanted. That unfortunate situation existed for years. After the floodgates opened in 1993, I haven’t been able to stop.

3. Do you find that it is hard to get people excited about what you do?
Not really. Everyone in my life, generally, as been supportive. I have a few friends who don’t take me seriously, but I think everyone goes through that. Those friends are not going to be impressed until you’re on the New York Times best-seller list. And, if you write romance, the standard question is, “When are you going to write a real book?” Poppycock.

4. What projects have you done?
I’ve written six novels, three of which are published: His Weekend Proposal , co-authored with Jenifer Otwell and available from The Wild Rose Press; Frankenstein’s Daemon, a sequel to Frankenstein, and Poe’s Mother, my psychological thriller, both available on Amazon and other outlets through Usher Books.

5. Any new projects coming up?
I have so many ideas I can’t write them all. As of today, I’m working on revising my first novel, The Combat Zone, a suspense murder mystery set in Boston’s former red-light district. It’s great to pull out the old stuff that didn’t sell, dust it off and put it out there for publication. Don’t ever throw anything away. You never know when you’ll use it.

6. Do you find it hard to share your work with others?
Years ago, I did, but I quickly got over it when I realized that I had to share my work in order to grow as a writer.

7. What is your opinion on people who post bad reviews?
It took a while for me not to take a bad review or a rejection personally. It still stings, hurts like hell sometimes, but my recovery time is much faster. A review is someone’s opinion. I recently did a review of The Road, which I loved. I was amazed when I went to Amazon and saw all the one-star reviews. It’s a wonderful book. Not everyone will like what you do – or get it.

8. Do you have any particular networking groups you would like to share that have helped you move forward with your success?

Yes. Romance Writers of America – ladies who are dedicated to their craft and the business of selling. Even

though my focus has shifted away from romance a bit, I would encourage any new writer to check out RWA. You will learn so much. There are men in RWA, as well. I was VP of Florida Romance Writers and I cannot sing its praises highly enough. You would be hard pressed to find a more dedicated and giving group of writers. Without FRW and RWA, I would have continued to flounder

Now is this not fun?

Blog stop for "The Realm Between Heaven and Hell" by J.S. Turner

Author Statement:

I was 25 years old before I figured out what I wanted to be when I grow up. I am not sure why it took me so long to take my love for writing seriously. After all, I have been at it for as long as I can remember. I remember the day I received my first journal and how great it felt to have someone finally understand me!  I have a desk full of binders and folders packed with the beginnings of stories, ideas and tidbits. Writing is who I am.  I guess the idea of doing what you love was a foreign concept

to me, but not anymore!  ~Jessi

Book Description:

On earth, life for Dawn Chitoe had been cruel. Although she was strong in her faith, her future looked grim. She found her blessings to be painfully short and too few in between. Until one day, a beautiful baby boy, Josiah, miraculously came into her world.
Just when Dawn felt her troubles had vanished, she found herself the victim of a brutal murder. With Josiah cradled in her arms, she embarked on an adventure through the realm between Heaven and Hell. Along the way she finds friends, love, and the truth about religion and faith.

Excerpt:

Pregnancy was fun for Dawn.  She transformed her extra bedroom into a nursery.  She painted the walls bright yellow and the borders light green.  Her mother bought her a mahogany crib and a jungle-themed crib set.  When money allowed, Dawn bought stuffed baby animals and soft, plush, pastel blankets.  What she enjoyed most about the pregnancy was that it was Tucker-free.  After a few weeks in prison and finding out about the pregnancy, he wanted nothing more to do with Dawn.

            She turned around, smiling after hanging a cloud, sun, and moon mobile on the side of the crib.  She happily wiped her hands on her yellow sundress with satisfaction on finishing another project.  Her calico cat meowed by her bare feet; she carefully bent over and picked him up.

            “I feel like my life is finally turning around, Jimmy Bean,” she whispered into the scruff of the cat’s neck.  He pawed playfully at her banana-shaped earrings before she bent over to put him back on the nursery floor. 

“Ughh,” she grunted as she tried to push herself back to her feet.  Ughh,” she said as she collapsed onto her knees.  It felt as though someone had punched her in the stomach, and in an instant, a stomach cramp brought her down onto the floor.  She felt the inside of her thighs grow warm.  She brought her shaking hands to her face and screamed when she saw they were covered in blood.  She knew she was going to lose the baby.

Links.

Amazon in Paperback : http://www.amazon.com/The-Realm-Between-Heaven-Hell/dp/0982967616/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337652454&sr=8-1

Amazon for Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/Realm-Between-Heaven-Hell-ebook/dp/B006GEIDMG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1337652454&sr=8-2

Barnes & Noble in Paperback: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-realm-between-heaven-and-hell-js-turner/1107912520?ean=9780982967614

Giveaway:

Giveaway Rules:

There will be an overall blog tour giveaway.  To enter the giveaway all you have to do 3 simple things: 1) go “Like” the book’s Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/therealmbetween, 2) Leave a comment on this blog post.  The more blogs you visit and comment on the more entries you get. 3) Share the giveaway by posting “ Check out the blog tour going on for The Realm Between Heaven & Hell http://www.facebook.com/therealmbetween and enter to win a Signed Copy.”

 One winner will get a SIGNED COPY of “The Realm Between Heaven & Hell”.  Good Luck and Thank you for participating. 

News from Dead Mule Swamp By Joan H Young

The Winding Trail of a Rich Outdoor Writer

Currently, I write outdoor columns for one print newspaper (monthly), and one on-line newspaper (weekly).  I’m a regular contributor to North Star, the magazine of the North Country Trail Association. One of my personal goals has been to become recognized as an authority on local (West Michigan) places for quiet, non-motorized recreation. Some days I feel as if I’m getting there, but the path is neither straight nor lucrative.

It all began, of course, with a love of being outdoors. My desire to go outside is even stronger than the need to write. Once my kids were grown I began exploring local places to walk and discovered that it was impossible to find information about most of them. I began developing a web site with maps and up-to-date info called Get Off the Couch (www.getoffthecouch.info). Silly me, I had dreams of selling ads to support that habit. And I did sell a few. However, the truths are that small local businesses haven’t yet seen the value of internet advertising, and I’m terrible at selling ads.

A few years ago someone mentioned to me that the local paper had lost a columnist. They suggested I make contact. The editor asked for a few sample columns and in a heartbeat I had a public venue that pays (a little) money. I’ve been writing “Get Off the Couch” for almost six years now. It’s given me tremendous local credibility. Strangers literally stop me on the street to tell me how much they enjoy the column. Big fish in a small pond, I know, but I like it.

How does one make such a pond larger? Now that’s a tough question. I’ve contacted two other papers to try to syndicate the column, but can’t even get a nibble. I’m told I gave up too easily, but we all know how discouraging rejection can be. I haven’t joined any Outdoor Writers’ associations. Why? That costs a fair amount of money. When I asked a Winter Sports Writer why I should join, the answers included things like, “You get great discounts to ski resorts.” Hmmm, If I can’t afford to go to those places anyway, and I’ve just spend more money to join the group, I’m not sure what that gets me.

I think the bigger pond answer lies in making a career of outdoor writing, constantly submitting freelance work to various venues, dealing with rejections, and submitting over and over. Frankly, I haven’t been willing to make the commitment to do that full-time.

The riches? Well, I have the sparkling gems of sunshine on water, the rich forests and golden afternoons of autumn. They are mine whenever I want. Paying the bills… I had to get a part-time “real job,” but at least I haven’t been forced to turn my enjoyment of the outdoors into a pressure cooker of earning cash.

For samples of my outdoor writing see Get Off the Couch with Joan https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/22861

The author ladies and gents:

I now wish I rather signed up for review, look at this cover.  Is it not stunning?

Blog tour host - Drop us a comment why dont you?

The ForsAken by Estevan Vega.

DON'T LET IT IN.

The first victim has no natural wounds. No prints left behind. No lacerations. But the life has been gruesomely drained from the corpse, and a broken cross is now imprinted inside the skin.

Left for dead a year ago by his former partner, reckless and medicated Detective Jude Foster now endures mindless therapy sessions in order to be given another chance at his life. When the chief of police discovers the first victim strangely killed in this sadistic fashion, Jude enters a dark world all-too-familiar. He knows he’s seen this method of murder before, but he never caught the killer.

Could this be a copycat, or is it the one that got away?

Forced to take on a new partner for the case, Jude must come to terms with the fractured memories of his past, attempt to keep his younger brother safe, and chase down a ghost killer who is collecting human souls. But time is against him. How many more victims will there be before the killer is satisfied? And will Jude Foster be able to survive this new hell or in the chaos, will he risk becoming something else entirely?

My Review

Wow, to say I was blown away by this book and this author is like saying I tolerate reading.  The plot is fast and action packed.  The dialogue at times funny and ironic but mostly real and sinister.  The story flows with effortless ease and leaves the reader turning page after page.  No sparkly vamps, no epic love stories not even a traditionally happy ending.  A love story though, yes, an ending, yes. Supernatural, oh my yes, but the evil kind, the mass murder kind.  The kind you should not let in!

I am at a loss as to what to say less I give a plot twist away.  But what I can and will say is this.  If you are a horror fan, this book is so for you.  But remember, don’t let it in!  I give this book an 8 star rating.  It is a book I would and already have recommended as a must read to my best friend.  I walked through the house making one after the other cup of coffee without letting go of my kindle, and lastly and most importantly, I personally can't wait to read more by this author.