Review: Witches

Thank you for checking out my stop on the Phil Stern Book Review tour, hosted by Virtual Book Tour Cafe.

 Witches by Phil Stern
When it comes to magic, women have always been in control. Until now.
For centuries, only gifted young women have been able to wield magic, using their special talents to protect those in need.
But a powerful wizard has appeared, attacking empowered women across multiple worlds.
A young Terran-based sorceress, the strongest of her generation, must find and stop the magical madman before he can bend the Coven to his depraved will. Along the way, she must also confront doubts about the role her fellow witches may have played in her own family's demise.

My Review:
This book is about a coven of witches who basically prey on human normal men in order to basically breed.  Definitely a unique concept, and an interesting one.  Then a very powerful wizard begins attacking and kidnapping witches. They are shocked because it is believed that only females have powers.  So, a group of powerful young witches is sent out to track him down and dispatch of him.
I enjoyed the plot of this book and the characters as well.  The only real disappointment, to me, was the ending.  It was so abrupt, I had no idea I was that close to the end (I use a reader and rarely check to see my progress in a book, esp. if I'm really into it).  I would have liked to know about how things turned out for some of the characters involved, but it was almost open for a sequel.. If Phil Stern does write a sequel, I would definitely read it.
I gave this book 3 stars.
 

You can buy this book here.

Or, any of his other books here.

Please show Phil Stern some support and check out the other stops along this tour..
May 2- Witches Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books
May 4 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books
May 6 - Witches Reviewed at The Writing World
May 11 - The Reclaimed Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books
May 18 - A Time for Ryda Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books
May 19 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at My World
May 25 - The Bull Years Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books
May 26 - Witches Reviewed at My World
May 31 - The Reclaimed Reviewed at Book Reviews, Fiction Reflection, & More
June 8 - Witches Reviewed at Immortality & Beyond
June 8 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at Book'em Eric
June 12 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at Words I Write Crazy
June 12 - Witches Reviewed at Book'em Eric
June 16 - The Bull Years Reviewed at My World
July 16 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at A Book Lover's Library
July 19 - Witches Reviewed at A Book Lover's Library
June 19 - A Time for Ryda Reviewed at Words I Write Crazy
June 22 - Witches Reviewed at Book Spark
June 23 - A Time for Ryda Reviewed at Book Spark
June 26 - The Reclaimed Reviewed at Words I Write Crazy
July 1 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at Soliloquy
July 2 - A Time For Ryda Reviewed at Soliloquy
July 3 - The Reclaimed Reviewed at Soliloquy
July 3 - Witches Reviewed at Words I Write Crazy
July 4 - Witches Reviewed at Soliloquy
July 5 - The Bull Years Reviewed at Soliloquy
July 6 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at B00K R3Vi3Ws
July 10 - Witches Reviewed at B00k R3Vi3wS
July 11 - Witches Reviewed at MK McClintock's Blog
July 13 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at Bren's Book Reviews
July 29 - The Reclaimed Reviewed at Self Taught Cook 

Review: Jumble Tales

Jumble Tales by Steve Morris
Psychological sharpshooters, fickle football fans and prodigious people who choose to use and misuse their incredible talents invite you into this collection of their jumbled-up worlds. During dark days at work when people reflect both on what could have been and on what could still be, things are never quite what they seem, and never turn out as expected. Crafted to be short and snappy enough for coffee breaks, but long in the memory, Steve Morris maintains the momentum from his first book In All Probability with more of his diverse short stories of the unexpected. You ll never take anything for granted again except perhaps for uncertainty itself. Anything can turn up in a Jumble Tale. Press Reviews ...his tales are spot-on....modern and accurate - - (Shropshire Star, Jan 2011). Readers....will find themselves turning back to them again and again - - (Country & Border Life magazine, Book of the month, Jan 2011). few authors can carry-off short stories without them lacking depth, adequate characterisation or sufficient interest. Not a problem for Morris. - - (The Truth About Books).Includes a story selected for the F.L.O.W for All charity anthology Stories of the Poppies .

My Review:
I was actually rather excited to read this book, it seemed very interesting from the blurb.  I'm sorry to say, I was very disappointed!  It just wasn't my cup of tea, apparently.  A couple of the stories I would think, "oohh, this one is going to be good".. but always disappointed with the endings.  There were just too few "happy" endings, if any, and the stories all seemed to end very abruptly, almost like someone had deleted the endings and replaced them with a simple sentence or two.  
I really don't like giving negative reviews, because I know I'm not the "last word" in the written word.. I understand that tastes are all very different, so if you think you may be interested, please don't let my review stop you from giving it a try.  It just wasn't for me.
I gave this book 2 stars, because I have read worse, and I'm sure some people will love it.

Review: Rogue Powers

Welcome to my stop on the Phil Stern book review blog tour, hosted by Virtual Book Tour Cafe.

Rogue Powers by Phil Stern

Two young lovers must hide their deepest abilities, while fighting to remain together in a society determined to pull them apart.
Within the Kingdom, the royal family can legally display any paranormal talents they choose. But commoners revealing even the slightest of powers face arrest and execution.
Anson is one of the few surviving telepaths living in secrecy among the population. However, an unusually powerful, rebellious young princess finds herself irresistibly drawn to the commoner youth. Defying all convention, Anson and Lydia quickly form a close, illicit bond.
Managing to remain one step ahead of the King's empowered operatives, Anson and Lydia make plans to escape the Kingdom entirely. But once the monarch announces Lydia is to marry another royal telepath against her will, Anson and Lydia must immediately battle for their own future, reshaping their entire society in the process.

My Review:
This book is about a Kingdom which is made up of normal, "common" people and also the "empowered".  These empowered possess a wide array of telepathic powers.  The empowered here are only allowed to be of the noble blood, royal, and live within the Kingdom itself, free to showcase their abilities at will.  
The "common" are believed to be powerless and if one so happens to have these abilities must hide them from all others, or face arrest and death. One such young man is Anson, a very powerful boy living with his mother in the outlying town of Hylen.  
When Anson is sent to the Kingdom to enlist in it's army, as apparently all common males do at a certain age, his mother is fearful of his discovery.  Although he is very skilled at shielding his power from being detected, one royal is powerful enough to sense him;  immediately, a connection is made between the two.   The girl, Lydia, is a princess and is unwillingly betrothed to the heinous Prince Tenen.  
We follow the two as they discover each other's love and eventually attempt to escape the Kingdom.  
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, actually.  The abilities of the society were quite impressive and interesting.  I felt like there was a bit of drama and action, but could have been more.
The only thing, though, that really disappointed me was the ending.. I would have liked just a few more pages, just to give us a bit more of an idea of how the lives of the main characters eventually panned out.  There was a very brief bit about it, but not nearly enough.  All in all, a very good book, though.
I give this book 3 stars.


You can buy this book here.
Or, any of his other books here.


Please show Phil Stern some support and check out the other stops along this tour..
May 2- Witches Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books
May 4 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books
May 6 - Witches Reviewed at The Writing World
May 11 - The Reclaimed Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books
May 18 - A Time for Ryda Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books
May 19 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at My World
May 25 - The Bull Years Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books
May 26 - Witches Reviewed at My World
May 31 - The Reclaimed Reviewed at Book Reviews, Fiction Reflection, & More
June 8 - Witches Reviewed at Immortality & Beyond
June 8 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at Book'em Eric
June 12 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at Words I Write Crazy
June 12 - Witches Reviewed at Book'em Eric
June 16 - The Bull Years Reviewed at My World
July 16 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at A Book Lover's Library
July 19 - Witches Reviewed at A Book Lover's Library writingwithsuccess
June 19 - A Time for Ryda Reviewed at Words I Write Crazy
June 22 - Witches Reviewed at Book Spark
June 23 - A Time for Ryda Reviewed at Book Spark
June 26 - The Reclaimed Reviewed at Words I Write Crazy
July 1 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at Soliloquy
July 2 - A Time For Ryda Reviewed at Soliloquy
July 3 - The Reclaimed Reviewed at Soliloquy
July 3 - Witches Reviewed at Words I Write Crazy
July 4 - Witches Reviewed at Soliloquy
July 5 - The Bull Years Reviewed at Soliloquy
July 6 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at B00K R3Vi3Ws
July 10 - Witches Reviewed at B00k R3Vi3wS
July 11 - Witches Reviewed at MK McClintock's Blog  mcclintockmt
July 13 - Rogue Powers Reviewed at Bren's Book Reviews bestloverintown
July 29 - The Reclaimed Reviewed at Self Taught Cook tammycuevas

Sheenah Freitas: Book Review & Guest Post

Help me welcome Sheenah Freitas, author of The Zincian Legend Trilogy.  She's a great writer and has given us some time here today.  Below is my review of the second book, The Number; followed by a Q&A with her, the theme is "Into the Past".  I have asked her a few questions about what some of her favorite things were at certain ages in her life.  

Check it out and give her some support for her newest novel.

  The Number (Zincian Legend Book 2) by Sheenah Freitas
Kaia disappeared for five years. Now she's back and her planet is on the brink of war.
The new "Numbers" program, created by the Tueors’ leader, tracks and isolates demigods. Kaia's friend, Catrina, refuses to take part, and that makes her the most dangerous Number of all.
It's Kaia's duty to gather and protect the treasures of the gods. But neither the treasures nor Catrina are what they appear to be.
As the day a dire prophesy foresees draws near, will Kaia reverse the gears of fate, or will everything she's ever loved be burned away by the flames of war?

My Review:
This book is the sequel to The Chosen by Sheenah Frietas.  It is set 5 years after The Chosen left off.  Kaia is back and ready to fulfill her destiny as the Chosen.  She, along with her guardian, Reeze, and her friends, Catrina and Derek, go off in search of the rest of the treasures.  During this quest, they find out that things are not as they believed, and are they really doing the right thing?  A strange twist threatens to make their mission much harder.
There are many action sequences in this book and a bit more hint of possible love.  I was often "on the edge of my seat" while reading this and my emotions were all over the charts. 
The ending was both brilliant and infuriating all at once!  The author brings all emotions out full-force, without much rest in between.  Just as a horrible thing happens and you're not quite recovered, but ready for the next chapter, it ends!  That's it.. brilliant, because now I can't wait to read the next book and am hoping I won't have to wait very long!!
Again, this book gets a solid 3.5 stars.  A very good read that I highly recommend.

And now for the questions & answers section..

What did you want to be when you grew up at ages 5, 10, and 15? 

When I was 5 I wanted to be a writer. I can’t remember what I wanted to be at 10, but it was probably either an archeologist or paleontologist. By the time I was 15, I decided it’d be best to be a doctor or a pharmacist. And now I’m a writer, so it’s come full circle!

What were your favorite songs/types of music at ages 10, 15, now?

I didn’t listen to a lot of music when I was 10, but my friends did and they were always listening to pop like Britney Spears, NSync, and Backstreet Boys. I don’t know how, but I somehow know most of the lyrics to those songs. At 15 I was listening to a lot of alternative/modern rock. And right now I like to listen to a bit of everything, but mostly music that has a lot of that “vintage” or “throwback” quality like Adele, Mumford and Sons, Florence + the Machine, Gotye, etc. And of course Disney soundtracks. : )

Who were your "heroes" at ages 8, 15, now?

Honestly, my heroes have barely, if ever, changed. My parents will always be my two main role models or “heroes” that I look up to. And as far as creative heroes, they’ve always been Stan Lee, Walt Disney, J.K. Rowling, and Hayao Miyazaki. I admire anyone who emulates them like John Lasseter, head of Pixar and I think he’s in charge of the animation department now.

If you're intrigued, you can buy her books here.

Teaser Tuesday

 Mirage by Kristi Cook

From Goodreads:  Seventeen-year-old Violet McKenna is back for her senior year at Winterhaven, and thrilled to be with Aidan after a long summer apart. But when a violent and disturbing vision begins to haunt her, Violet suddenly feels unsure of everything: who to trust, if she is in danger, and—worst of all—whether she and Aidan are really meant to be together.

To be released June 5, 2012

Published by Simon Pulse

384 pages

Teaser:

I must have dropped the barrier around my thoughts then, because I heard the sharp intake of his breath, felt his fingers dig into my hips as he dragged me backward, pinning me against the wall in the blink of an eye. (MIRAGE ARC, page 36)

Sounds great, right?  If you agree and want to pre-order it, you can do that here.

If you haven't yet read Haven, you can get it here.

Review: Paskagankee

 Paskagankee by Allan Leverone
An isolated village, remote and vulnerable.
A series of brutal murders.
And a vengeful spirit born of tragedy, reawakened after a centuries-old massacre.
Three distinctly different people must come together, racing against time and their own personal demons in a desperate attempt to stop an unstoppable killer and save their town.
Welcome to Paskagankee, Maine. You may not survive the visit.

My Review:

This book is set in a small town in northern Maine.  The brand new police chief finds himself in-over-his-head very quickly when a series of attacks rocks the community.  At first, a dog is attacked by what seems like a wild animal, then a man suddenly disappears while shoveling his driveway, leaving behind nothing but large amounts of blood.  It soon becomes clear that the attacks are not from any animal but, rather impossibly, a human.  The new sheriff~along with a young woman on his police force and a ridiculed and discredited professor from a neighboring town~embark on a dangerous and interesting mission to hunt down this "person" and stop him/her before any more murders can take place.

My interest was kept during the entire book.  I was able to predict the "person" that was killing people, but that didn't take away from the story for me.  Honestly, I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't Stephen King.  Maybe it was the Maine setting, but Allan Leverone had a very good writing style that almost bled mystery and danger.  I am sure I will be reading more from him!

I gave this book 4 stars!

To buy this book click here.

Desperately Wanting Wednesday

Desperately Wanting Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee.

Books People Want Me To Want

This week's edition is all about books that other people want me to read.  There's plenty in this category for me!

The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

Sophia's family has skeletons, but they aren't in their graves...

At 22, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, living under the shadow of her bi-polar mother, religious prejudice, and a cold murder. Sophia can imagine lots of ways her life could be better, but she'd settle for just getting rid of the buzzing noise in her head. The spell she casts goes wrong. The static turns into voices. Her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous.

One of them is a man named Charles, a centuries-old shape-shifter that Sophia falls for despite her better judgment. He has connections that can help her unveil the mystery surrounding her ancestor's hanging, but she gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him. Survival in his world, she learns, means not asking questions and staying out of the immortal council's way. It's a line she crossed long ago.

If Sophia wants to survive the council and save the people she loves, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.

The Forever Girl is a full-length Paranormal Fantasy novel that will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, witches, vampires, ghosts, paranormal mystery, and paranormal horror.

I'm honestly not sure if this even counts.  I already own this book and am not unsure about wanting to read it, I just haven 't had the time.  I received it from the author, and it has also been recommended to me on Goodreads.

If you'd like to read it as well, you can get it here.

Waiting On Wednesday

Mirage by Kristi Cook
Reading level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse (June 5, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1442442999
ISBN-13: 978-1442442993

From Goodreads: Seventeen-year-old Violet McKenna is back for her senior year at Winterhaven, and thrilled to be with Aidan after a long summer apart. But when a violent and disturbing vision begins to haunt her, Violet suddenly feels unsure of everything: who to trust, if she is in danger, and—worst of all—whether she and Aidan are really meant to be together.
Buy this book here.

Teaser Tuesday

 Mirage by Kristi Cook

From Goodreads:  Seventeen-year-old Violet McKenna is back for her senior year at Winterhaven, and thrilled to be with Aidan after a long summer apart. But when a violent and disturbing vision begins to haunt her, Violet suddenly feels unsure of everything: who to trust, if she is in danger, and—worst of all—whether she and Aidan are really meant to be together.

To be released June 5, 2012

Published by Simon Pulse

384 pages

Teaser:

"Thank you," I murmured, breathing in his scent, allowing myself to experience the full brunt of the Aidan effect. "God, you smell so good."
"Better than Dr. Hottie?" Aidan asked huskily, one hand pressed into the small of my back, steadying me.
"Way better," I shot back, before I'd thought better of it. (MIRAGE ARC, page 65)

Sounds great, right?  If you agree and want to pre-order it, you can do that here.

If you haven't yet read Haven, you can get it here.

Desperately Wanting Wednesday

It's that time of week for my favorite meme, hosted by Parajunkee.  This week it's all about Indie publishers!  Those books that are published by a smaller, indie company.. either books we're waiting to come out, or that we just haven't picked up yet..

Here's my choices..

 Blood Hunt (II AM Trilogy #2) by Christopher Buecheler
ebook, 1st Edition, 515 pages
Published August 30th 2011 by Christopher Buecheler

He killed her lover, and for that crime and many others, Two Majors cut off the vampire Abraham's head, reduced his remains to ashes, and scattered them to the winds. Now each night she wanders New York, freed from the chains of heroin addiction but longing still for Theroen's kiss, the taste of blood on his lips, the echo of his thoughts in her ears. There are other vampires out there; she knows it, and so she hunts.
Tori Perrault spent a dozen years living in the woods, stalking her prey in the dark and killing without mercy. Now, she too has returned to humanity, and struggles to come to terms with all that has happened. Her parents' love smothers her and life seems empty. She spends her nights in the bottle, and in the company of strange men. She doesn't know that she is watched, until the fragile life she has rebuilt is torn from her and she is dropped suddenly into a world she never knew existed.
Rhes Thompson and Sarah Taylor have never met a vampire, and never want to. All they want is to help their friend Two, who falls further away from them with each passing day. They have all but given up when they are thrust into a world of madness, death, and vampire politics beyond their understanding. They must abandon their concern for Two, and worry instead about saving their own lives.
Blood Hunt is the ambitious sequel to the popular Urban Fantasy novel The Blood That Bonds. Nearly twice as long as the first novel, Blood Hunt weaves together the stories of Two, Tori, Rhes and Sarah, along with a large cast of characters both old and new, as they attempt to navigate their way through the difficulties they face.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, he's self published, but a very good writer!!  I can't wait to read it, it seems like I've been waiting for forever for this one!!

 Hollowland (The Hollows #1) by Amanda Hocking

Paperback, 312 pages
Published October 6th 2010 by Amanda Hocking (first published October 1st 2010)

"This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door."
Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.

Ok, Zombies aren't usually a first choice for me, I actually haven't read one book about them.  On the screen they give me nightmares for some reason!  :)  But, this sounds awesome, and I have to say, Amanda Hocking is one of my favorites!  I do love her writing and would read anything she puts out!

If you would like to join in on this weekly meme, see here for details!  Happy Reading!

Review: Death By Chocolate

 Death By Chocolate by Julie Anne Lindsey
Ruby Russell has reached her limit. When she discovers her hipster husband has a dirty little secret, she whips him up a Viagra-infused-chocolate mousse punishment, but in the morning, her husband’s a stiff.
Armed with a lifetime of crime show reruns and Arsenic and Old Lace on DVD, Ruby and her best friend Charlotte try to lay low until after Ruby’s son’s wedding, but a nosy therapist, meddling minister and local news reporter are making it very difficult to get away with murder.

My Review:
This was a good book, nothing at all as I expected it to be, since I didn't read the blurb before reading the book.  It was well written and quite the page turner!  
The story follows Ruby, a housewife who went a bit mad and had a small stint in a mental hospital following her son's decision to go across the country to college.  She and best friend Charlotte become partners in crime, so to speak.  At first, the "accident" with Ruby's husband almost made me feel sorry for her, she certainly didn't mean to kill him.  Then the cracks in both of their sanities become more and more apparent when the community is rocked with more mysterious deaths.  Add to Ruby's already unstable mental state the fact that her beloved son announces he's getting married and she's sent over the edge.  "Oh what a tangled web we weave..."  
I have to say, Ruby so reminded me of a viciously more insane version of Jane Fonda in the movie Monster-In-Law.  Although the book itself didn't harbor much humor, the scenes playing in my head and the reminder of the character of that movie, gave it a bit of humor for me.  It's almost scary, though, to think there may be people that unstable and capable running around among our very neighborhoods! 
I give this book 4 stars...