Mysti at Unwritten was kind enough to let me do a guest post on her A-Z Challenge. Stop over and see my entry for the letter “F” – The Finder. A little “scene” that has been playing out in my mind for a while now, The Finder introduces Frank, “Finder of Things Once Lost.”
Stop over at Mysti’s and leave a comment with your thoughts!
Welcome to my read-along answers for Masquerade by Cambria Hebert! This week’s questions were provided by Five Alarm Book Review and next week’s questions will be at Candace at Candace’s Book Blog.
Hope you enjoy! And if you haven’t read this book yet, what are you waiting for!?
Week 1/ Chapters 1-8 Discussion Questions
1. If you were disfigured like Heven (by some sort of accident) do you think you would have reacted the same way as her? (loss of self-confidence, hiding yourself, etc) Continue reading Masquerade (Heven and Hell #1) Read-Along Week 1
Today I bring to you a book of poetry by Nicola Black as part of the Making Connections book tour. First, a little Q&A with Nicola!
TK: Since this is a book of poems, do you have a favorite? One that speaks to you above the others?
Midnight Magic: Be Careful What You Wish For! by Nancy Di Fabbio
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I wish, I wish, I wish you were real and belonged to me. Please, please make my wish come true…
Mattie is horse crazy. Living in the small town of Gull’s Nest, she passes her summer days dreaming of owning her own horse and envying the rich girls that flocked to the town with their own horses to spend their summers riding and relaxing. But when Mattie takes a trip to see her Granny T and discovers a painting of Figure, a black horse with intense eyes, things start to change. She learns several lessons, including ‘Be careful what you wish for.’
Mattie’s changes through the book are fairly typical of the fourteen-year-old girl that she is. Materialistic and judgmental, Mattie learns to work for what she wants and to not judge a book, or horse, by its cover. Even while she pines for Figure to leap off the canvas and be hers, she ignores that Posey is a wonderful, show-experienced horse that she has right in front of her.
The book itself was sectioned off into chapters, sometimes very short, that would be good for a younger reader but somewhat disjointing for an older reader. The chapters are also titled, though in a font that is hard to read, which gives a glimpse of what’s to come.
Slightly reminiscent of “The Saddle Club,” Midnight Magic is a tale of growing up, learning to appreciate what you have in front of you and working for what you want. Full of spooky moments and mystery, Midnight Magic sure to capture a young horse lover’s attention and gallop away with it.
Today I have the pleasure of having the FABULOUS Lizzy Ford stopping by for a guest post! In case you missed my reviews, Lizzy is the author of the Rhyn Trilogy – I highly suggest you get these books. They are quick reads and full of plot twists and loveable/hateable characters. In addition to all this writing, Lizzy maintains her blog, husband, dogs and cat. She’s like a writing superhero!
Make sure you read this one the entire way through – especially aspiring/new authors – as Lizzy gives some GREAT advice for how to present your manuscript (as well as yourself, online).
Rhyn’s Redemption by Lizzy Ford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
“I mean, you look beautiful for a dead woman.”
Trapped in the underworld, Katie is racing against time to get back to Rhyn before Death claims her and her daughter’s life. Meanwhile, Rhyn is breaking down the barrier that keeps Death safe from the Dark One, willing to do anything to get Katie back before it’s too late.
When the time comes to choose between Katie’s fate and the fate of the entire world, will Rhyn make the right choice?
Once again, this fast-paced novella drags the reader in, taking them through the roller coster of emotions both Katie and Rhyn have been fighting the entire series. Rhyn maintains his noble character despite all his brothers and others throw at him, finally accepting what Katie has been saying all along – there is something good in him.
Rhyn’s Redemption grips you from the beginning and doesn’t let up, leaving you hungry for more.
The Endless Waltz by Jacob Marc Schafer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
He watched as she danced the endless waltz he had pictured in his head so many times before. He watched and was happy.
Brett de la Cosa is on his return home to his fiancee when it happens: Davy Jones sets his Eye on him, intent to ruin the happiness Brett has. Brett is the sole survivor of the storm that sinks his ship and finds himself in Davy’s Locker. With the help of some undead friends, Brett defies Davy and returns to the world of the living, never again to set foot at sea.
While the story was quite interesting, there were parts that were just so unbelievable – even within the story’s own logic – that force the reader out of the story to shake their head. From having to check undead for signs of life to a leviathan that fits on a ship deck, it’s the small details that detract from the incredible things Brett does to overcome Davy’s obsession with keeping him from happiness.
A tale of overcoming odds and staying strong to who you are, The Endless Waltz dances its way away from Davy and back to happily ever after.
Katie’s Hope by Lizzy Ford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Her choices were plain: Death or Hell. Bad or worse. Screwed or screwed.
After three weeks of playing lab rat for Kris, Katie realizes he’s never going to let her go. Worse, she has no idea what to do about Rhyn, who is trying very hard to give her what she asks for – space, time – yet sets her blood on fire whenever he’s near.
When Rhyn finds there are demons in the forest and a war on the horizon, he does what all his brothers seem to think he should do – he lets Katie go. The emotions run high as he finds out that, instead of giving her the protection she needs, he has just left her helpless – or as helpless as Katie can be.
The family dynamic really comes out in this book, with the brother against brother being undermined and twisted. Rhyn comes out looking like an angel when he saves Kris, though his methods are more brutal than Kris would like. Katie shows the depth of her love for Rhyn, even if she can’t admit it to herself, by her sacrifice.
Katie’s Hope keeps you on edge, waiting for the next plot twist until the very end, where it makes you beg for more.
Between by Cambria Hebert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Welcome to Hell.
Logan misses his brother, Sam. Ever since Sam shifted into a hellhound and their father kicked him out, Logan’s tiptoed around the house – a house where not even Sam’s name is mentioned anymore. His parents pretend that Sam never existed, and Logan is tired of pretending.
Strange things start happening to Logan, things Sam would know how to handle. When Logan has a dream about a stranger and wakes up sore and disoriented, feeling the rage build inside him, Logan knows he has to find Sam. Sam will know what to do – after all, Sam has been through this himself before he shifted.
Giving a fresh perspective to the Heven and Hell series, Between keeps you turning pages to see just how horrible Logan’s, and Sam’s, family life became before all Hell broke loose.
I have decided to update my review policy as it pertains to which books are given preference over others. Previously, this was strictly ‘first come, first served.’ However, I have decided to give a preference to those who give a hard (physical) copy.
This does not really change much, as I review a lot more digital copies than physical copies, but I feel that this is fair since those authors have a real ‘cost’ to sending out physical copies.
As always, I will try to accommodate requests to have books read for blog tours/release dates.
Feel free to contact me with any questions/concerns.
Tricia Kristufek 