Mystery

Review: Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel – Comedic, Sassy, YA book with a twist! :) Coming November 2013! @HMHbooks @sarah_zettel

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Author – Sarah Zettel

Title – Palace of Spies

Publisher – HMH Books for Young Readers

Genre – Historical Fiction, Mystery
Received from Harcourt Children’s Books on Netgalley

Releases November 5, 2013


Synopsis:

A warning to all young ladies of delicate breeding who wish to embark upon lives of adventure: Don’t.
Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a well-bred orphan who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the palace of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to suspect that the girl she’s impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy can discover the truth, she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a court of shadows and intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome young artist with whom Peggy is falling in love . . .

History and mystery spark in this effervescent series debut.

Review:

Grade: A

This ARC was such a pleasure to read! It was the perfect mix of historical fiction and mystery and a perfect YA book! Peggy is such a fun character to get to know and explore this world with. She’s cunning, smart and quite funny, and she needs all her wits to solve the mystery. She has been turned out of her uncle’s home upon refusing her betrothal, and a mysterious stranger sets her up in King George’s Court..She’s got to become a spy!

I loved this book, and the idea. She’s a great heroine, she doesn’t mope, and complain, and wallow, she gets up and gets going. She’s smart, and her dialogue is as well. Snappy and witty, and it works so well. The character definitely has a knack for fitting is, and she finds herself in the middle of things, and she just uses her wits to get her out. Such a great example for the YA genre, no moping ladies here who need saved!  She even gets a little bit of romance in the story, which is nice, considering how the beginning went.

Overall, this book is well written, organized well, and flows so easily, you don’t realize how much you’ve read! I was flipping pages so fast I couldn’t believe it. The murder mystery, along with the palace life, and the romantic entanglement, it was all just so compelling, I had to know more. The author does a great job keeping history consistant, and present throughout the books as well, lending a bit of education material to a wonderful spy story! I’d highly recommend this one! This author has such a wonderful writing style, I’m definitely going to check out the other books she’s written! I’d love to read more but this one was such a fun read! 🙂

**I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley for my review.

 

About the Author

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Sarah Zettel is the critically acclaimed author of more than twenty novels, spanning the full range of genre fiction. Her debut novel, Reclamation, won the Locus Award for Best First Novel. Her second release, Fool’s War, was a 1997 New York Times Notable Book, and the American Library Association named Playing God one of the Best Books for Young Adults of 1999. Her novel Bitter Angels won the Philip K. Dick Award for best science fiction paperback in 2009. Her latest novel, Dust Girl, was named as one of the best young adult books of the year by both Kirkus Reviews and the American Library Association. Zettel lives in Michigan with her husband, her rapidly growing son, and her cat, Buffy the Vermin Slayer.

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Twitter | Facebook

Review: Wildfire by Mina Khan – A paranormal book with cowboys and dragons! :) Oh my!

***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***

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Amazon | Goodreads

 

Synopsis:

Lynn Hana Alexander is a 25-year-old Japanese American shape-shifter haunted by guilt. She’s been questioning herself and her dragon abilities ever since she failed to save her grandmother.

When her best friend is threatened by mysterious fires burning up acres of West Texas, Lynn rushes to the rescue determined not to fail again. However, with a tempting firefighter, a flirty city developer and dragon pheromones distracting her, how is she going to find the arsonist?

And worse: is her primary suspect a malicious rogue dragon or the love of her life?

*** Author’s Note: Wildfire is a paranormal mystery with romantic elements. It is not a traditional romance. I hope y’all enjoy the read!***

 

Review:

“Well, the title has dragons in it, so I read it, though I couldn’t figure out how the dragons and the cowboys got together, but I guess that’s the point of the book!

I wasn’t really interested by the blurb, and I can honestly say the blurb doesn’t come close to making your realize how cool this book was. Dragon shapeshifter, mystery solver Lynn is an amazing character. She’s honest, smart, and as realistic as a dragon shapeshifter can be. She’s got some guilt she’s dealing with, and that helps motivate her character into doing everything she can to solve this mystery!

There is a little bit of romantic tension throughout this book as well, as Lynn is torn between two men, each calling to a different side of her. She’s trying to solve this mystery but the extra elements are making it that much tougher. She’s a journalist by trade, and the author definitely does go into detail about her career and her method but it’s quite interesting and give you a little more then just the private eye line.

The book ends well, and this is one of those books you should definitely check out if you like a good mystery, or a good paraormal story, the author weaves together both of these elements, out in the wild texas and makes it work somehow! I was sad to see it end because it really was captivating!

Overall I liked this story. I thought it was well written, interesting, smart and really good mix of paranormal and mystery. Check this out! :)”

Awakened by Anna Applegate – Cover Reveal and Giveaway! :) @applegak

I cannot being to describe my excitement for this book! I am actually a character in the book, so I’m quite excited to see what’s next for Ariya and her crew of vampires! 🙂

Awakened Book 2 Ariya Adams Cover

Genre: New-Adult, Paranormal Romance

 

 

Synopsis:

Nothing is ever quite as it seems, at least not for Ariya Adams. She’s only recently discovered the supernatural world is real, and that world wants something from her. Her blood. Her unique ability to heal both werewolves and vampires with a few drops of it has put her in inexplicable danger, danger that elicited her introduction to James, the sexy vampire who has become more to her than just her Protector.
James has done well to protect Ariya in the past, but when defending against a new, more powerful and manipulative evil, it may be more than they can handle. Ariya’s forbidden affair with him makes her more vulnerable to the deception that this new enemy brings along. Her grasp on reality will be tested and twisted as she battles to save James, her friends, and herself.
Despite her determination, she may be faced with a pain greater than she ever thought possible. This time, the power of her blood might not be enough to save those she loves most. And if that happens, will Ariya survive?

 

Series Order:

Protected (Book 1 in the Ariya Adams Trilogy)

Awakened (Book 2 in the Ariya Adams Trilogy)

 

If you haven’t yet started this series, check it out. First book is great! Action, Mystery, romance, but not overly heavcy romance, plot comes first here! 🙂 Grab the first book and get ready for number 2! 🙂

 

Giveaway!

 

Anna Applegate is holding a giveaway to celebrate, and you are invited to enter! 🙂

The rafflecopter link to the giveaway is: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ODQ2OWU4ZDc2NWM5MGEzYjA0NDk0MDg0NzdjMGFmOjE=/

The prizes are:

1 e-copy of Protected (Ariya Adams Trilogy Book 1)
1 e-copy of Awakened (Ariya Adams Trilogy Book 2)
1 Ariya Adams Prize Pack (Protected AND Awakened)
1 Kali Lockton Prize Pack (Dreamer AND Tell Me I’m Dreaming, Books 1 and 2 in the Kali Lockton Trilogy by Cover Designer and Author J.L. Durfey)

 

 

Review: Untraceable by S.R. Johannes – Survival Mystery with a twist!

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Untraceable

The Nature of Grace novels (Book 1)

S.R. Johannes

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Synopsis:

16-year-old Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival.

When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.

One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father.

Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

Add it on Goodreads!

Review: 

A 

This book was wonderful. In the vein of the popular YA titles of late, this book has action, adventure, mystery, a little romance and a whole wonderful package!

I was enticed for this book because of it’s cover, the interesting detail on the cover draw me in. I read the synopsis and said, this looks interesting. I didn’t expect it to draw me in like it did!

This girl’s search for her missing father is the focal point of the plot. Through it, we get to see increasingly more of Grace’s life and her story. At first you just think it’s a survival mystery. Maybe the father got lost. The survival tips are beginning of chapter are quite interesting, and useful and gives much insight into the characters.

The dialogue with Grace and the other characters she meets. She’s lively and spunky. She’s such a strong character in the novel, and it’s so wonderful to see a novel with a female protagonist who can fend for herself. She has learned all about the wilderness from her father, and puts it to good use. She’s strong willed and smart and it’s a wonderful example! This YA books deals with some wonderful issues we don’t often see, it’s unique. It challenges things.

Yes, occasionally some details seem a little unrealistic, but overall this is a well written, interesting survival novel with twists and turns, and a whole lot of mystery we don’t see coming.  I love this book; smart, interesting and expected. I plan to read book 2, as soon as I get my hands on it! 🙂

** I got this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **

About the Author:

When Shelli was younger, she spent all her time outdoors, hiking, camping and living the Girl Scout Way. Somewhere along the way, she got away from nature and earned an MBA in Marketing, kicking off an 18-year marketing career in Corporate America.

Eventually, Shelli traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She started her own marketing & communications business, www.bilaninc.com, where she worked with Spanx, Goody Hair Products, Chick- Fil- A and the Boys & Girls Club of America.

In addition to juggling nap schedules and client meetings, Shelli focuses on her writing. She is a frequent speaker on marketing and book publicity at SCBWI conferences across the U.S, and runs a popular book marketing blog, Market My Words (www.faeriality.blogspot.com).

In her spare time (yeah right!) and if the kids allow (yeah right!), Shelli obsesses over movies, reads children’s books (over and over), and still dreams of sleeping in on the weekends. But most importantly, she is finally getting back to her roots by running her own Girl Scout Troop in Atlanta, helping girls get back to nature.

She currently lives in Atlanta with her dog (Charley), British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess that someday will change the world.

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Revealing Us – ARC Review – An amazing romance full of mystery! Perfect @LisaReneeJones , just perfect!

Revealing US

Release Date: September 10, 2013

Lisa Renee Jones

Romance/ Erotica / Mystery

Goodreads

Add It!

Buy Links

Amazon | B&N

Synopsis:

The third installment in the sexy Inside Out erotic romance series—in the seductive tradition of Fifty Shades of Grey.

You’ve discovered Rebecca’s secrets. You’ve discovered Sara’s secrets. Now Sara will discover “his” deepest, darkest secrets…but will those secrets bind them together–or tear them apart?

Review:

Grade: A

I got this ARC and I rushed to read the other books in this series first so I could get a review of this book out around it’s release. It didn’t take long! I flew through the whole series, it’s so well written! I couldn’t put them down!

Lisa Renee Jones is just such a phenomenal writer. She puts so much heart and soul into her books, and it bleeds into her characters, which then affect the reader so strongly! I’m not a big romance reader, but Lisa’s books are phenomenal! They cover the romance genre just as good as any of the major big name players, but she weaves so much more into her stories then the traditional romance novel. There’s drama, there’s mystery. She keeps everyone interested with her beautiful writing style, and lush descriptions. I love the characters, Sara & Chris’s relationship is so complex and beautiful, steamy and passionate! They work so well together, and Chris is just so strong and sexy, and he’s love for Sara is so clear, real and touching, that this novel is the best one so far.

My favorite element in these books is the mystery! I love how much this adds to the book, and how it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time! We found out what happened to Rebecca, and now Elle is missing and Sara is in jeopardy! It’s just one twist after another and you can’t put these books down! You get the steamy sex, the amazing writing and then an incredible mystery as well. It’s just too good to be true, and much better then Fifty Shades or Crossfire, because this book has so much more depth to it, so many more layers, and the plot just gives us so much more then just the sex, just the relationship. We are watching such realistic characters, fight their instincts and preferences to be together, as well as dealing with other drama, and trying to get the the bottom of the mystery. It’s perfect.

For me, a readers of very select romances, I love Lisa’s series! She does an amazing job of keeping up with top shelf romance but adding some additional layers to her plot to interest everyone!

This book is amazing, touching, suspenseful and exactly what you need to read!!! 🙂 I plan to go back and read all three again before the next one, as well as buy them all for my shelf! 🙂 This author, local to my city to boot, is amazing! She’s the next big name in romance!

 

**I got this book from NetGalley and from author in exchange for honest review **

About The Author:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT SERIES which has sold to more than twelve countries for translation with negotiations in process for more, and has now been optioned by STARZ Network for a cable television show, to be produced by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland).

Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 30 books with publishers such as Simon and Schuster, Avon, Kensington, Harlequin, NAL, Berkley and Elloras Cave, as well as crafting a successful indie career. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.

Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at http://www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on twitter and facebook daily.

Links

Lisa’s Facebook | Lisa’s Twitter | Lisa’s Website | Lisa’s Amazon Page | Lisa’s Goodreads Page

Review: Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones. Sexy, Suspenseful, Amazing! @LisaReneeJones

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Escaping Reality

New Adult/ Romance

Lisa Renee Jones

Publisher: Julie Patra Publishing

Romance Synopsis

 

Infinite possibilities….
Infinite passion…..
Infinite danger….

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.

At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run.

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

Romance Review

Romance A+

This book was outstanding. Lisa Renee Jones has created another spectacular novel. This book left me guessing with each turn of the page. Each situation gives you more to think about, and more to question, and more you are desperate to know! I found myself flipping pages, reading until late in the night, just hoping to find out what happens next.

Don’t let the rich alpha male, and the girl with a troubled past make you think that this novel is anything like any other erotic, romance or other new adult book you’ve read. It’s not, it’s different, and you need to pick it up.

Amy is a wonderfully well written character, with a great story, and Liam, wow, Liam is something else. I’d give this 5 stars, and then give it 5 starts again. The sex is steamy, the story line is interesting, twists and turns, and keeps you on edge until the final page. This novel is outstanding. I am already awaiting another book. Lisa Renee Jones knows how to write romance, and she shows us she knows how to write suspense as well. The two melt beautifully into each other to create a perfect novel.

Even if you’re one of those people, like me, who’s not into the erotic romances, check this one out. Jones has got something on the Fifty Shades and Crossfires, this book gives you equally good sex scenes but mixed with outstanding writing and a whole new mystery and suspense element. I promise this won’t disappoint, this is one erotic novel that would make an outstanding movie, because its so well written and interesting I couldn’t put it down! 🙂 I had the characters in my head long after I finished reading it, and I have no complaints! 🙂

**I got an ARC from NetGalley for honest review!

 Romance Links

Lisa Renee Jones Website

Lisa Renee Jones Facebook Page

Lisa Renee Jones Twitter

LIsa Renee Jones on Goodreads

Lisa Renee Jones on Amazon

Escaping Reality on Amazon

Escaping Reality on Goodreads

Escaping Reality on B&N

Escaping Reality on Kobo

Romance Author

 

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New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT TRILOGY which has sold to more than ten countries for translation with negotiations in process for more, and has now been optioned by STARZ Network for a cable television show, to be produced by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland).

Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 30 books with publishers such as Simon and Schuster, Avon, Kensington, Harlequin, NAL, Berkley and Elloras Cave, as well as crafting a successful indie career. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.

Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on twitter and facebook daily

Review: Small Things by Joe DeRouen – Perfect Horror!

Small Things by Joe DeRouen

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Blurb:

“It’s a hot June morning in a small Midwestern town when fifteen-year-old Shawn Spencer arrives at the church for his best friend Tanner’s funeral. Though his drowning was officially ruled an accident, Tanner’s sister Jenny swears she saw something rise up from the Carthage Lake to pull the struggling teenager beneath the surface.

Shawn doesn’t believe in monsters… but he will…

The real threat, however, lies in the man behind the monster, a mysterious old man who has vowed to settle an old grudge and regain something that was stolen from him decades earlier. To survive the dark days and nights ahead, Shawn must not only decipher what the man is after, he must move past his own grief, fears, and insecurities, and learn to trust in Jenny, the disgraced town sheriff, and, most importantly, in himself.

The Small Things trilogy spans forty years and three generations in a tale of murder, betrayal, corruption, sacrifice, love, redemption, faith and magic that culminates in a showdown that will pit the very forces of heaven and hell against Shawn and his family in a battle for the future of mankind and the world itself.”

Review:

Grade:  A

This wan’t a short novel ,but any means, but I didn’t want it to be either. I found myself flipping pages, over and over, getting deeper into the story, and losing hours. This isn’t just your typical monster story, though the author gets you to believe that at first. You fear the monster, you worry for the characters, then you dive deeper into the story, and see what the real monster is, and there’s no turning back. You are hooked into this story, and you want to see it play out.

All the characters are well written and interesting, and feel realistic. A nice time setting for this book, in the 70s, made everything fit together much nicely then if it were taking place in current day. We feel for the character, we root for them, and worry for them. They are a part of the story, and we become one too.

Joe has mastered horror. He gives us the creepy details, the wonderful foreshadowing, and the threat of danger. He keeps us looking over our shoulder for the monster, and leaving the lights on while reading. There’s a mix of Stephen King, James Patterson, and even some J.K Rowling in here. He crafts the horror, the mystery, the magic and suspense into one story you can’t stop reading.

Even the first sentence grabs you.. Some one is following him. Right away, we want to know, we get involved, and it’s a ride we won’t soon forget!

I’m so glad there’s more books to follow this one because honestly, Joe DeRouen is a great writer who is full of potential.

This is another one of those books that I wish I had in paperback, signed, on my shelf for everyone to see, because he’s going places with his writing, and I’m glad to have been a part of it! J

** I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and not influenced in any way.

About the Author:

Joe was born in Carthage, Illinois, and currently lives in Rogers, Arkansas with his artist wife Andee, their son Fletcher, and their cats Lucky, Milo, and Camptown. Joe is a freelance writer and a substitute teacher at Benton County School of the Arts. In addition to writing, he enjoys purchasing (and occasionally watching) copious amounts of Blu-Ray discs, listening to music, playing video games, and collecting Mego action figures from the 1970s. Small Things is his first novel. Threads, the sequel to Small Things and the second book in the trilogy, will be published sometime in late 2013. You can write to Joe at Joe@JoeDeRouen.com or visit his website at JoeDeRouen.com.

Armed With Steele Blog Tour! :) Romance & Mystery and a hot guy!

Armed With Steele Book Tour, hosted by ThisLittleBookWorm! 🙂

This is an outstanding book, and I am super glad to be a part of this tour! 🙂 Check below for the blurb, my review and more information about the author! This is one book you want to check out!

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This tour is hosted by thislittlebookworm, so check out their pages too! 🙂

Blurb:

“Jessica Hartley is looking for answers surrounding the mysterious car accident that nearly claimed the life of her best friend. She’s willing to risk it all, even her fledgling business, to find the person responsible and bring them to justice.

Nate Steele is more than willing to help Jessica, but for reasons all his own. He’s been watching the infamous Maxwell Office Solutions for some time now, convinced thereís more going on than meets the eye. When his chief issues a cease and desist order yet again, Nate has no choice but to accept inexperienced Jessica as an undercover partner outside the letter of the law.

Will Jessica and Nate be able to flush out Maxwell’s elusive villain, or will their growing attraction for each other sabotage their undercover ploy? Motives aren’t always what they seem when Jessica finds herself armed with Steele.

CONTENT WARNING: Beware drool-worthy men in uniform, touchy-feely coworkers, and vindictive ex-girlfriends.”

Review:

Grade: A

This is a great book! 🙂 It’s one of those books I always ask for. It’s not filled with purposeless sex, page after page. It has a lovely, intriguing story, with characters that are real and believable. This book is written well, and it’s a real story. A sherlockian mystery with a handsome man and a lot of attraction.

Jessica & Nate’s attraction builds throughout the story, but it doesn’t completely overthrow the mystery they are trying to solve, we use the attraction to help build the story, enhance the drama and it’s a wonderful merging of story and romance.

I couldn’t guess where the story was heading as I was reading. This isn’t one of those stories where you have the answers figured out by halfway in, this story will take you on twist and turns, filled with drama, romance, and humor, and leaving you guessing and wanting more at the end of each chapter. I kept turning pages, way after the lights were off. This book has caused more then a few sleepless nights! 🙂

Don’t write this book off if you aren’t a big romance lover. This book can stand up against crime thrillers and mystery stories any day. This book has a little of everything and it will grab every kind of reader. If you get to chapter 2 and this book hasn’t grabbed you and excited you, then I’m sorry, you must be a very different kind of reader, because I loved this book. I loved the story, the romance, the mystery and the humor!

Kyra Jacobs is someone to watch, she has a gift. Her writing is smart, detailed, organized and wonderfully easy to read. Her characters are real, and the struggle, and you struggle right along with them.

A wonderful, wonderful mix of romance and mystery. A perfect pair!

Author Bio:

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Kyra Jacobs is a happily married, mother of two, who grew up in Indiana. When she’s not pounding out scenes for her next book, she’s likely goofing around with her husband and kids or elbow-deep in snapdragons and Lamb’s ear in one of her many flower gardens. She also loves to golf (though, golf doesn’t really love her) and to jam on the bass in Guitar Hero.

Be sure to stop by her blog, http:/www.indianawonderer.wordpress.com for updates on her writing journey and other musings as seen through the eyes of this Midwestern writer.

Author Links:

Blog: www.indianawonderer.wordpress.com

Review: Water Rate Challenge by Raphael Harlan

Today’s review is a little indie book, by Raphael Harlan, a mystery fiction based in reality. It’s a different kind of book, and worth checking out! A quick read! As always, the book image links to the amazon page! 🙂

Cover:

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Blurb:

In a Flint suburb of Grand Blanc, Michigan, Michelle used to teach at an elementary school for a few years before she suffered three massive injuries in a car accident. Michelle had broken ribs, knees, and back.
The accident left her unable to teach, so she dug deeper in financial trouble. Michelle and her husband Sean used nearly $100,000 worth of credit to pay for her surgery and medical costs. Michelle had broken ribs, knees, and back.

With Sean working in the nuclear plant industry, the couple attempted to pay off their debts by living their lives frugally, reusing water for washing laundry and bathing, reusing bags, and using cash and debit cards in place of credit. After 15 years, the couple was closer to completely wiping out their debt worth $190,000. Then, a turning mishap in the sewer changed not only their journey, but their water costs.

Join Michelle and Sean in their adventure full of a mixture of mysteries, suspense, and courage.

Review:

Grade: B-

An interesting premise, debt and living with debt, is so common for people of the 20-30-40 generations. This novel is a mix of mystery and reality.  The rising water bill, which gets up into the 80,000 for people, is definitely the part of the story that lends itself to fiction, because we know that no water bill could ever be that high in a month. But if you can suspend belif and place yourself in that senerio, this is quite a good book.

In this story, the main characters, a couple and their roommate, have to brainstorm ideas in order help bring in extra income to continue paying off their other debt and the rising water bill.

As the bill rises, the community, and the main characters are getting more and more upset at the insane bills that keep coming in the mail. The town has even called in the FBI to try and figure out who is tampering with the water in order to create such high bills.

My issues with this book are mainly in the dialogue, though I loved the idea, the way the characters speak in this novel doesn’t feel realistic to me. I had family in Michigan, where this novel is set, and spent time of up there, and the issues with the dialogue are more from the lack of realism in the interactions.  I think is something that most likely will be corrected, but don’t let this deter you from reading this story.

This short novel has an interesting idea, but will ask you to suspend disbelief quite a bit in order to really get into the story. The author, who has written a few other books, knows the technical craft of writing, and is quite good at it. This is a book about hope, about overcoming obstacles, and about banning together when you feel as though you may fall apart. The characters go through hard times in this book, but they always work together and support each other. This is a quick read with a good point behind it.

Give it a try!  🙂 Check out his author page at www.raphaeltharlanbooks.weebly.com

Author Spotlight: Sarah M. Cradit – House of Crimson & Clover Series @thewritersarah

So, I am a new street team member for The House of Crimson & Clover Series, and honestly, I’m a little behind because I’ve only been able to read the first book, and I haven’t shared my love of this author’s writing yet! 🙂

Sarah M Cradit is one of those writers that writes outstanding fiction, and is just as wonderful and pleasent with her fans online as possible! This lady is an amazing author and sweetheart. You don’t always get both is authors, but it seems we get lucky in the indie genre, because we get great authors! 🙂

I just wanted to take a minute to highlight Sarah and her series! This way, once I start blogging about the first and second book, you guys will already know what’s going on! 🙂

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Author: Sarah M. Cradit

Sarah is the author of the Southern Fiction series, The House of Crimson and Clover. The series was born of her combined loves of New Orleans, family dramas, and the mysterious nature of love and desire. Her books combine elements of mystery, suspense, intrigue, romance, and even paranormal. She is always working on the next book in the series, and absolutely loves connecting with her fans.

Sarah lives in the Pacific Northwest, but has traveled the world from Asia to Europe to Africa. When she isn’t working (either at her day career, or hard at work at writing), she is reading a book and discovering new authors. The great loves of her life (in order) are: her husband James, her writing, and traveling the world.

 

Sarah M. Cradit Online:

Blog: http://sarahcradit.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/houseofcrimsonandclover

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewritersarah

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6914411.Sarah_M_Cradit

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The House of Crimson and Clover Series

The House of Crimson and Clover series follows the lives of two New Orleans families: the august and mysterious Sullivans and Deschanels. The Sullivans, a family of hard-working Irish lawyers, have come from nothing and built a life they can be proud of. The Deschanels, a moderately wealthy family who became extremely wealthy by siding with the North during the Civil War, betraying their people. Both families have a dark and rich history, full of secrets, and full of surprises.

The books in this series unravel the stories of both the individuals as well as the families themselves, discovering the ways these families and their secrets intersect, and each story pulls us even farther into their stories.

While the series is meant to be treated as one long narrative, each book can stand-alone and be enjoyed without having read the other books.

The House of Crimson and Clover Series Online:

Home Page & Overview: http://sarahcradit.wordpress.com/an-introduction-to-the-house-of-crimson-and-clover-series/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sarahcradit/the-house-of-crimson-and-clover/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/houseofcrimsonandclover

ENJOY! 🙂

Also, in honor of Sarah’s birthday, there’s a big 99cent sale on her books! 🙂

” I honor of my birthday week, I am running a 5-day sale where BOTH St. Charles at Duk and The Storm and the Darkness are just 99 CENTS! This price on Darkness ends August 5th! This is a great chance to snag both books at a great price. Please share with your friends!”

BN: http://bit.ly/12ClvWx
Amazon: http://amzn.to/16cNVrc

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