Author: cvegnad

January 15, 2018

Cathadeus Book Review

In Cathadeus, drawn into the chaos of an impending war and pursued by enemies on all sides, Brax must fight to save his mother and her race from slipping into darkness.

About Cathadeus

It has been six hundred years since the Alchemists fused together men and beasts to form strong, mindless slaves. Now, their most vicious creations have attacked the mystical Walking Gates, slaughtering their Keepers and isolating their cities.

Wounded in the brutal attack, Braxton Prinn’s mother is on the verge of death and he makes a desperate journey to find the reclusive elven master who can save her. But when he discovers an ancient magic, Brax is caught up in an even greater struggle and soon finds himself hunted for his power.

Drawn into the chaos of an impending war and pursued by enemies on all sides, Brax must fight to save his mother and her race from slipping into darkness. Though his untamed magic may be the greatest threat of all.

My Thoughts

I love a good fantasy novel full of mystical creatures, elves and magic – this novel had all of that and more!

Up until a brutal attack, Braxton had lived a normal life. He never expected his course would ever change and that he would follow in his parents footsteps. When his town is attacked and his Mother is fatally injured, he is entrusted with a secret and a mission to save his Mother’s life. He learns that his Mother was really a member of the elven race and had been outcast for marrying outside of the community. Before he leaves he is given a special sword by his Father that is connected to some of the greatest protectors that the land has ever had. As he sets off on his journey, he learns just how special he is and his greater role in saving the world. He discovers his own magical powers connected to the sword and a magical spirit.

This is all played out in the greater plot of an evil attack on the elven community that would see not only their race destroyed but the entire world destroyed and remade in darkness. Brax is caught up in the middle of this and he is the key for their victory. Not too much stress for a young kid that just witnessed an attack on his Mother right?

This book was amazing from start to finish. It was full of action, suspense and yet had moments of compassion and learning. Brax was an amazing character but we also had his group of friends that help him to find the strength he needs mentally, physically and emotionally to be the world’s warrior. I loved every moment of this book and could not put it down. It is a great read for young adults and adults a like.

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

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

JEFF J. PETERS was born in South Africa and immigrated to the United States as a teenager, where he fell in love with all things fantasy. He obtained degrees in digital electronics and computer science and worked as an IT professional for more than twenty years. In 2014, he left his corporate position to focus full-time on writing. Cathadeus is his debut novel. He is currently working on the sequel.

The Giveaway!

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

January 12, 2018

Dark Retreat Audiobook Review

In Dark Retreat, three months after life as she knows it was decimated, Megan Wolford has only one goal: protect her daughter, Caitlin, at any cost.

About Dark Retreat

Three months after life as she knows it was decimated, Megan Wolford has only one goal: protect her daughter, Caitlin, at any cost. When a mysterious illness strikes Caitlin down, Megan is forced to forage for medical supplies at a remote lodge. The last thing she wants is help from her fellow survivors when so many in her life have let her down – but soon she’ll find herself with no other option.

Ex-Navy SEAL Wyatt Morris is doing everything he can to hold his family together after the tragic death of his prepper Dad. So when Megan enters their lands, he is mistrustful at first, despite feeling drawn to her. He won’t turn away an ill child though – no matter how deadly the world has become. But the arrival of another stranger named Kyle soon gives them all a new reason to be suspicious.

Wyatt knows he’ll have to forge alliances in order to keep his family safe, but trusting the wrong person could be a deadly mistake. When Megan and Wyatt discover her daughter’s illness may be linked to Kyle’s arrival, it sets off a race to discover the truth before it’s too late to save Caitlin – and the rest of the Morris clan. Can they work together for survival…and something more?

My Thoughts

Dark Retreat is based in a post apocalyptic world where you can trust no one.

Megan is a strong, fierce woman who would do anything to ensure that her daughter and her survive in this world that makes it difficult for anyone to survive. I loved how strong her character was, she is a single Mom with a young sick child and her focus at all times is her child and their survival. She has so many skills that ensure their survival (tracking, hunting, etc..) and I really enjoyed that these shined out throughout the book. Her current survival mission? Find medication for her very ill daughter. Which sounds easy in theory but is proving to be quite difficult. It is in the hunt for this medication that she stumbles upon the cottage of Wyatt.

Wyatt and his family have built the ultimate survival home. It actually left me in awe listening to how much thought and preparation went into their home. If there was any home that Megan could find then this was her best chance. She struggles with accepting their help due to her independent streak – could she really trust them? Why would complete strangers want to help her? They also struggle with the same thoughts, would helping her come back to haunt them? Thrown in is a twist that doesn’t become apparent until the end of the novel.

This was an exciting novel from start to finish. We have this post apocalyptic world which has turned people against each other, a young Mother trying to help her daughter and throw in an evil stranger tracking her daughter and we have an excellent plot! The story is well-played out and the narration was well done and suited the novel. I liked that it wasn’t heavy on the apocalypse and death but more on hope and trust.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Audible.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Grace Hamilton is the prepper pen-name for a bad-ass, survivalist momma-bear of four kids, and wife to a wonderful husband. After being stuck in a mountain cabin for six days following a flash flood, she decided she never wanted to feel so powerless or have to send her kids to bed hungry again. Now she lives the prepper lifestyle and knows that if SHTF or TEOTWAWKI happens, she’ll be ready to help protect and provide for her family.

Combine this survivalist mentality with a vivid imagination (as well as a slightly unhealthy day dreaming habit) and you get a prepper fiction author. Grace spends her days thinking about the worst possible survival situations that a person could be thrown into, then throwing her characters into these nightmares while trying to figure out “What SHOULD you do in this situation?”

It’s her wish that through her characters, you will get to experience what life will be like and essentially learn from their mistakes and experiences.

About the Narrator

Andrew is an actor and voiceover artist based in Los Angeles, California. He is a versatile, articulate, and technically clean narrator with a strong background in improvisation and comedy.

In audiobook narration, he is an Audible-Approved producer with thousands of 5-star performance reviews by Audible listeners. I work closely with independent authors and publishers to bring their books and characters to life.

Here’s what listeners have to say:

“The narration of this audiobook was EXCELLENT. It was clear right from the beginning that this narrator is a professional. I’m not sure what else to say about it because, quite frankly, it could not have been any better. The narrator was able to draw me into the story right away and allowed me to follow along without ever having to wonder if I had missed anything.”

“The narrator makes the story even better! He’s excellent and I’ll be searching for, and keeping an eye out for other books he narrates.”

“The narration of Andrew Tell is excellent, his performance is spot on and I felt I was listening to more of an Audio Drama at times. His voice and words are crystal clear (even when using various accents for the various characters) and it was a joy to listen to.”

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

January 11, 2018

A Journey to Yonder Book Review

A Journey to Yonder is the tale of one woman’s refusal to allow the challenges of her past to define her present.

About A Journey to Yonder

A Journey to Yonder is the tale of one woman’s refusal to allow the challenges of her past to define her present. She grows up with a special needs sibling and loses her childhood home, and we then follow her through an abusive relationship and into the most unforgiving of human trials.

With experiences that leave you feeling so alone, how do you hold on to hope? How do you go on?

Nidhi Kaur’s compelling use of both poetry and prose intimately welcomes readers into this moving story of spiritual rediscovery. Poems are sprinkled throughout the story, guiding readers through intimate and stunning moments of truth. Kaur reminds us that if we offer our trust completely to God, we are never alone.

The author of the spiritual collection of poetry My Wedding with Truth, Nidhi Kaur once again delivers an emotionally enlightened journey through the human heart. Miracles can be seen everywhere in this world, and Kaur helps us remember to keep our eyes open in this riveting story of redemption.

My Thoughts

A Journey to Yonder is beautiful poetic memoir of the life of Nidhi Kaur. It is full of hope, faith, understanding and perseverance.

Life is a journey of ups and downs and it is how we acknowledge these challenges and move forward that define us. In this book, Nidhi grew up in India. She did not have the easiest life, in fact at times my heart broke for her. She dealt with many things in her life that she could have let break her. Instead she looks inside and moves forward in order to accomplish many great things. She acknowledges that those moments are a part of her and she will carry them with her but they don’t make who she is. She is an amazing, intelligent, compassionate woman who has so much to offer the world and who is doing this.

I loved every moment of her story. She shares many intimate details of her life from childhood to her marriage. This must have been very difficult for her but it is was brave and helps show other women that those moments don’t have to define who you are and where you are going. Instead use them to push yourself forward and create the person who you want to be and who you were destined to be. She never gave up on her dreams, her faith and her hope.

This was an inspirational look at one young woman’s life as she struggled through many difficult moments and came through them stronger. It is full of hope, understanding and faith.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes & Noble and Books a Million.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Nidhi Kaur is the author of My Wedding with Truth, a collection of inspirational poetry. After discovering the healing power of the written word, Kaur began exploring the power of the divine through her poems.

A Journey to Yonder combines prose and poetry to explore Kaur’s challenging trails of life and her search for miracles in every moment of time.

Kaur lives in Fremont, California, where she works as a software engineer.

The Giveaway!

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

January 9, 2018

The Crown Prince’s Bride Book Review

In The Crown Prince’s Bride, a Crown Prince gets a second chance at love with the woman who’s always been there – in the next book in the prince duology from Donna Alward!

About The Crown Prince’s Bride

The Crown Prince of Marazur is suffering from a broken heart. After losing his wife and future queen, he knows he’ll never find love again with a partner as wonderful as her. He’s thrown himself into his duties and is trying to be a better father to his two children, but he’s lonely. Even though falling in love seems impossible, so does spending the rest of his life alone.

Stephani has been Raoul’s assistant for years. Smart, loyal, and discreet, Stephani is fantastic at her job. Except for the fact that she’s been in love with her boss since her first week of employment, not that she would ever act on it. Besides, Raoul is first in line to the throne and she’s his assistant. If Raoul ever marries again, it’ll be with someone who can be a future queen. Not someone like Stephani.

When Raoul’s date for a state dinner is unable to attend, he invites Stephani. She’s well-versed on the issues and castle protocol, and Raoul’s always been comfortable with her. But when Stephani arrives, Raoul hardly recognizes her. Is this stunning woman the same one who’s run his office for years?

The Crown Prince’s Bride is the ultimate fairytale for readers looking for Cinderella to get her prince—and be able to keep him past midnight.

My Thoughts

The Crown Prince’s Bride is a sweet, romantic novel of hope, trust and faith.

Stephani has always been a loyal employee and assistant to her boss, the Crown Prince Raoul. She was even more loyal to her cousin, his wife but inside she held a huge secret. She secretly loved Raoul! She loved his passion, his kindness, his respect and compassion. She never acted on these feelings not even after her cousin passed away and left Raoul heartbroken. Inside she knows they would be perfect for each other but she is conflicted about these feelings. Were they wrong? Would they hurt others?

Raoul is very much suffering from the loss of his wife. She was the love of his life and the Mother of his children. He misses her touch, voice and the quiet moments she shared. Since her death he has never looked at another woman and has never glanced at Stephani in any kind of romantic manner. When he begins to feel this attraction to her, it scares him naturally. He is worried about dishonouring his deceased wife, what others would think and even what Stephani would think.

Together they must decide on whether they want to pursue a chance of happiness again or to put aside their feelings for others. It is difficult to build up trust and faith in a person and while they always had this there before because of their work relationship, trying to take this to a new intimate level may prove to have difficulties.

This is a sweet, fun and romantic novel that was a pleasure to read.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Kobo, e-Books and B&N Nook.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

A busy wife and mother of three (two daughters plus the family dog), Donna Alward believes hers is the best job in the world: a combination of stay-at-home mom and romance novelist. Donna loves being back on the East Coast of Canada after nearly twelve years in Alberta where her romance career began, writing about cowboys and the west. She is the author of Somebody Like You, Somebody’s Baby, and Someone to Love.

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

January 5, 2018

Degrees of Love Book Review

In Degrees of Love, a moment of weakness changes everything.

About Degrees of Love

At thirty-six, Susan Sinclair has it all. She’s just been promoted to Senior Vice President of Mobile Banking at her firm, a prestigious position bringing fresh creative challenges and a hefty salary increase. Like the shiny new BMW in the driveway of the Silicon Valley home she shares with her husband, Matt, and their two beautiful boys, Susan exudes confidence and style.

Yet despite her success in juggling the roles of wife, mother, and businesswoman, Susan struggles with a secret dissatisfaction. Matt’s work in cutting-edge computer research pays less than her job, and with each advance in her career, he has grown more distant. But Matt refuses to admit there is a problem, and Susan forces herself to play along, determined to give her boys the close-knit family life she never had.

Then she meets her new boss, Reese Kirkpatrick. Working and traveling together, she and Reese become a cracker jack team, but little by little, pleasure mixes with business. For the first time in a long time—maybe ever—Susan feels seen and appreciated for who she is. Certain she would never allow their friendship to cross the line, Susan lets herself stray dangerously close to the edge.

A moment of weakness changes everything. Now, unable to stomach the façade her marriage has become yet unwilling to decimate her family by moving forward with Reese, Susan faces a choice that could cost her everything—including her children . . . but possibly bring her more than she can dream.

My Thoughts

Degrees of Love is an excellent novel from start to finish. We have our main character, Susan, who seems to have it all – an amazing job, perfect family, excellent home and financial security. But as we all know too well, sometimes things are deceiving from the outside.

On the inside Susan is craving more. She desires and wants the love that she feels is lacking in her marriage. Matt goes out of her way to ignore her, plans family events that leave her out and seems generally dissatisfied with their marriage and life. Susan has coasted for many years in her marriage, her own childhood influencing this decision to stay with her husband regardless of how unhappy she is. She constantly puts her feelings and emotions last, never asking for more. My heart broke for her so many times!

Her new boss, Reese, unleashes a new lease on life for her. She discovers her own talent, creativity, fun and love of life again. She also discovers that she is hugely attracted to her new boss and him to her. She knows how dangerous this is and struggles so many times throughout the novel with her feelings and relationship. The greatest part being that he made her feel love and treasured, something her husband never made her feel.

Ultimately, Susan is forced to choose – a predictable and safe but lacking love marriage or the unknown but full of affection and love with her boss.

Degrees of Love is an incredible read from start to finish. It is real, raw and full of emotion. You are drawn into Susan’s life from the start and are constantly left guessing as to what she will do. The ending was not what I was expecting but fit the book well. This is a definite must read novel.

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

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Degrees of Love is Lisa Slabach’s debut novel. She is currently working on her third full-length manuscript and a collection of short stories inspired by her experiences growing up in a small farm community in Washington’s Yakima Valley. In addition to writing, Lisa works for a Fortune 500 Company, leading a sales team in the financial industry. She currently resides in Northern California with her husband and has two daughters, who are both pursuing careers in film. In her free time, she enjoys drinking wine with friends and cooking in her pink kitchen.

The Giveaway!

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