Month: January 2017

January 19, 2017

Westobou Gold Book Review

The Indian Queen would risk torture and worse to keep her secrets from these barbarians in suits of metal and their search for cities of gold. They never found the gold.

About Westobou Gold

The Indian Queen would risk torture and worse to keep her secrets from these barbarians in suits of metal and their search for cities of gold. They never found the gold. Empires rose; empires fell, the centuries passed. Legend became fireside myths, but no treasure was ever found. Yet, among the grey-green drapes of wisteria and wild jasmine along the misty shrouded lowlands of bayous and marshes of the Westo River, the folktales persist.

In the lazed creep of a near-tropical dawn lit the pungent Turkish coffee permeates Moccasin Hollow. Beyond the kitchen door Lucky, Craige Ingram’s German shepherd gnaws a favorite bone. Looted burial mounds seem a world away until plundered mounds on Moccasin Hollow land brings amateur archaeologist PI Craige Ingram into the cross-hairs of kidnapping. Stealthy hideaways are concealed in old colonial brick-lined river grottoes beneath the big house of Ardochy plantation. Sex-tape underage blackmail and thrill killings on federal land spur a medical examiner’s preliminary postmortem to more than a hired cleaner’s quickie cover-up passed off as drug deals gone sour. Greed tangles a witch’s pigswill of illicit affairs and murder-to-hide-murder. Shady investigators and shadier politics stir an unexpected concoction that threatens the lives of those at Moccasin Hollow in a spiteful plot against ex-SEAL Craige Ingram and the woman he loves.

My Thoughts

A well written and thought out mystery full of murder, lies, blackmail and more. I love the way Hawk writes – he puts so much into the story and every little bit is revealed when and where we need it. You are never left confused or wanting more.

Westobou Gold is a tale of greed, murder and suspense. We have a hidden treasure that we briefly here about in the beginning in the novel. It is this treasure that causes the murders and plot to unfold throughout the novel, something you don’t quite expect! At the centre of this is ex-SEAL Craige, who must help solve the mysterious murders, blackmail and more. It is through him that we can see the story evolve and all of the micro-connections that exist throughout this novel.

Hawk has put so much effort into not only the plot but the character development as well. It is well written and plays out excellently, his skill at writing is amazing and well appreciated as a reader. You are never left bored or confused in this novel. I loved every suspenseful moment!

You can purchase a copy of Westobou Gold on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Internationally acclaimed author and public speaker, Hawk MacKinney began writing mysteries for his school newspapers. He served in the US Navy Reserve for over 20 years, and was a tenured faculty member at several state medical facilities, teaching postgraduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem, Israel. Since retiring Hawk has authored several novels that have received national and international recognition. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel, was nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award. The Cairns of Sainctuarie, his science fiction series, includes The Bleikovat Event and The Missing Planets, with a third book in the works. Hawk’s latest project focuses on The Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series. Book 1 in the series, Hidden Chamber of Death, was released early 2016.

You can connect with Hawk on his website.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

January 17, 2017

The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall

What if you could choose your heaven now?

About The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall

What if you could choose your heaven now? Go on a celestial shopping trip of sorts? Thirty-five-year-old Vivienne does just that, as she lies dying in the ICU; a fatal walk into the path of a truck. In her final week of life, Vivienne treks through the Heavens of a priest, a best friend, a homeless child, and a lover who never was. Vivienne’s guardian angel, Noah, who may just be her soul mate, escorts her through selections of Heavens and through the confusion Vivienne experiences as she flounders between a doubt of life and the certainty of death. Although her visits to varied afterlives provide peace and beauty, choosing proves not so easy: Vivienne’s love for her young son and her earthly father pull her from her colorful journey—and from her divine love of Noah.

The nature of love, the variety and magic of life, unending hope, and the importance of saying goodbye are central to this uplifting tale.

My Thoughts

Death is one of those frightening and yet fascinating topics. What happens when we die? What does heaven look like? Is there really a hell? Who do we meet there? The questions are endless and because of the love we have for those who have passed away it sometimes makes it painful to think about.

When I first started reading The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall, I found myself a bit confused as we jumped around in the story but by a quarter of the way in I was hooked. We learn about Vivienne’s childhood – her fears, her family, her successes and even the great love she holds for Noah, her childhood best friend. This story alternates with the future story of her son (which I didn’t quite put together until halfway through the novel), her stay in the ICU and her visit to multiple different heavens with Noah. We watch as she faces the worst and happiest moments in her life with Noah and how this has made her into the woman she is. Her heaven is beautiful and full of promise, love, hope and faith.

The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall was beautiful and made me smile and cry. Vivienne in her own confident and powerful way, showed her son such a great love and how to be a strong young man. What could have been a moment that would destroy people, is turned upside down and provides hope and faith. The story was uplifting and provides many great lessons about letting go, moving forward and loving with all your heart. I absolutely loved every moment of this story and it is a definite must read.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Shannon Kirk is the awarding-winning author of the international bestselling Method 15/33 (psychological thriller–bestseller in Colombia and Spain, will be lead title in Italy, 2017) and Heavens (Literary Fiction). Method 15/33 has received multiple accolades: 2015 Foreword Review Book of the Year (Suspense); Winner of 2015 National Indie Excellence Award, Best Suspense; 2015 USA Best Book Finalist; School Library Journal’s Best Adult Books for Teens (2015); and Finalist in 2013 William Faulkner William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition (when a Novella). Method 15/33 is optioned for a major motion film and has sold to nineteen foreign rights.

When not writing, she is a practicing lawyer, residing on Massachusett’s Cape Ann with her husband and son and two cat writing accomplices, Marvin Marquez (in honor of Gabriel Garcia Marquez) and Stewie Poe (Edgar Allen Poe).

Shannon enjoys writing in several genres: literary fiction, psychological thriller, young adult, and poetry. She has been honored three times by the William Faulkner William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Book Trailer for The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

January 16, 2017

Tangle of Strings Book Review

Tangle of Strings is Book Four in the Sweeney Sisters Series.

About Tangle of Strings

Some families never resolve conflicts. Not so with the Sweeneys. Their sense of family, their love for one another, and their willingness to forgive have always triumphed and brought them back together. Until now. The latest crisis threatens to tear the family apart and crumble the foundation that has always proved itself rock solid.

At the heart of the matter are sixteen-year-old Annie Bethune and her boyfriend, Cooper. At stake are their dreams for the future. As to these dreams, no one in the family holds back when asserting an opinion.

Annie soon begins to feel like a puppet on strings with all those she loves telling her what to do. When those strings become tangled and a family feud develops, Annie, unable to bear the pressure, runs away. Straight into the arms of danger.

My Thoughts

Book Four in the Sweeney Sisters Series does not disappoint! This novel faces on Annie, the young girl who we were introduced to in the previous novels. She has had such a hard life and the Sweeney family took her in with loving arms. They got her back on her feet, tried their best to support and guide her and showered her with love.

One unsure decision in the heat of the moment tears apart Annie’s life and causes a huge rift in the family. Annie is left alone to try to make a decision that is best for her, while still respecting the wishes of those around her. She feels torn, hurt and alone. My heart went out to her as I was in a similar position as she was but not at sixteen. My heart went out to her and all the emotions that the story brought back. This novel is full of emotion, love, pain and struggle. Tangle of Strings is the story of a real family struggling – and Ashley doesn’t hold back with the emotions.

Tangle of Strings has become my favourite in the Sweeney Sister Series. It was raw, real and full of emotion. The story touched me personally and I fell in love with Annie all over again. This novel is a definite must read – you will not be disappointed.

You can purchase a copy of Tangle of Strings on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Ashley Farley is the author of the bestselling series, the Sweeney Sisters Series. Ashley writes books about women for women. Her characters are mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives facing real-life issues. Her goal is to keep you turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning. If her story stays with you long after you’ve read the last word, then she’s done her job.

After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save.

Ashley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

January 16, 2017

Ready Set Rogue Book Review

Ready Set Rogue is the first in Manda Collins’ new series set in Regency England.

About Ready Set Rogue

When scholarly Miss Ivy Wareham receives word that she s one of four young ladies who have inherited Lady Celeste Beauchamp’s estate with a magnificent private library, she packs her trunks straightaway. Unfortunately, Lady Celeste’s nephew, the rakish Quill Beauchamp, Marquess of Kerr, is determined to interrupt her studies one way or another.

Bequeathing Beauchamp House to four blue stockings no matter how lovely they are to look at is a travesty, and Quill simply wont have it. But Lady Celeste’s death is not quite as straightforward as it first seemed and if Quill hopes to solve the mystery behind her demise, he will need Ivy’s help. Along the way, he is surprised to learn that bookish Ivy stirs a passion and longing that he has never known. This rogue believes he s finally met his match but can Quill convince clever, skeptical Ivy that his love is no fiction?

My Thoughts

A fantastic, romantic and full of suspense novel based on four young ladies who were given an estate by an elderly scholarly Lady, against the wishes of her family – especially the wishes of Quill. When Quill goes to reclaim his ancestral home from the young women, he is surprised not only by their wit but their strength and determination. From the moment he arrives, he learns that Lady Celeste’s death was not quite what it seemed and not only did his Aunt not trust him with the truth, she only trusted Ivy, one of the young ladies she had given her home to.

Quill needs to learn to accept and work with Ivy, which at first is difficult for him but he slowly learns to trust and respect her thoughts and ideas. Even more so they begin to slowly fall for each other, a romance that neither would have expected but can not ignore! What I loved the most about this novel was that while there was the romance between Quill and Ivy, this did not take over the novel. Instead we have the mysterious death of Lady Celeste and the journey these two go on in order to solve the mystery. The ending was incredible and far from what I expected (which I love in a novel!).

Ready, Set, Rogue is a well written suspenseful, historical romance that you will fall in love with. Ivy is a character that you can directly relate to and end up holding a tender spot for. You want her to uncover the mysterious plot and to realize she deserves love and romance. This novel was a great overall read that you will enjoy over and over again.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Manda Collins spent her teen years wishing she’d been born a couple of centuries earlier, preferably in the English countryside. Time travel being what it is, she resigned herself to life with electricity and indoor plumbing, and read lots of books. An affinity for books led to a graduate degree in English, followed by another in Librarianship. By day, she works as an academic librarian at a small liberal arts college, where she teaches college students how to navigate the tangled world of academic research. A native of coastal Alabama, Manda lives in the house her mother grew up in with two cats, sometimes a dog, sometimes her sister, and more books than strictly necessary.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

January 15, 2017

iRead Book Tours Three Year Anniversary Spotlight

One of my favourite companies to work with, iRead Book Tours is turning three years old this year! Laura, the owner at iRead, works incredibly hard to help bring amazing books to our readers each month.

About iRead Book Tours

At iRead, we give special attention to every book that tours with us. We are passionate about books and we customize all our tours because no two authors are alike.

We don’t just market books. We help our authors get the best exposure with traditional tours consisting mainly of reviews. We work closely with our authors and pride ourselves on our highly individualized customer service.

All our staff are book bloggers and authors, so we understand the process and the hard work involved. We’ve built a solid relationship with our database of reliable book bloggers who are eager to read your books.

About Laura Fabiani

In 2008, Laura began blogging about books shortly after she published her first book. She started Library of Clean Reads, a book review blog, and discovered the joy of reviewing a variety of genres. Her children have joined her in this venture and they spend many happy hours reading books together. A Special Care Counselor by profession, Laura has co-led and developed programs for seniors with dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease. She has a passion for the topic of neuroscience and wellness.

Throughout the years she has met and worked with wonderful publishers, both traditional and indie, as well as publicists and authors. Best of all, she discovered the world of book bloggers–a community of special people who spend their precious time sharing their love of books and all things related to books.

Taking part in book tours has always made Laura feel more connected to authors and the publishing field. She organized her own virtual tour when her book was published and she learned several things. As an author, it exposed her to actual reader views and social media. As a book blogger and book tour organizer, it taught her the amount of work it entailed. And she loves it!

You can find Laura blogging at Library of Clean Reads and Essentially Italian. She is the owner of iRead Book Tours, Italy Book Tours, and Je Lis Blog Tours.

Why I LOVE iRead!

Laura is one of the most amazing individuals I have ever worked with. She is always there to answer my questions within the hour, she is super organized and her content is always flawless. She knows not only what authors and bloggers need but also what readers want and need to know about the novel. She presents this information in an easy to follow format not only for readers but for bloggers as well. She hosts a wide variety of books and I have never been disappointed with hosting a tour spot with her – from communicating about available tours, to receiving books and to receiving information about the book spot.

It has been a pleasure to work with Laura and I can not wait to continue working with her in the future! Happy Three Year Anniversary iRead Book Tours!

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.