Posts Tagged ‘light romance’

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A Christmas Miracle

The Other Santa Book 1

by Anna Del C Dye

Genre: Feel-Good Christmas Miracles, Light Romance

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For a girl of twenty, Angieline is uncommonly wise. Perhaps losing her mother at five years old, shaped her this way. Though, the presence of her forty-three-year-old tutor and the secrets they share could be closer to the truth. She and Mario, her tutor/adopted father, have been in many towns in the USA. Though their strange deeds could make them targets for unscrupulous people, they keep going even if it leads to the end of their undertakings.
When James, the reporter, appears in their lives, right before Christmas, their secrets become hard to keep and their lies threaten to catch up with them. Torn between duty and love, she will have to make peace with her heart one way or the other. Though her choice could break not only her and his heart but, the heart of her tutor or the children’s orphanage that desperately needs a miracle for Christmas.
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Peace Towards Men

The Other Santa Book 2

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Mario takes Angie, his daughter, out of Charleston to forget her beau’s sudden departure. On their way to Osage, they have an accident and meet the most interesting people in a quaint small town which is suffering from the depression’s pains and self-isolation. Will Angie be able to recuperate from her broken heart and the injuries from the accident in time to aid their new friends before they succumb to want and despair?

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Upon a Midnight Clear

The Other Santa Book 3

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Life has been interesting from the day Angie was conceived. Why would her twentieth year of life be different? Her fiancé left her for his career only to die in Europe just a few weeks before Christmas. Still, she and Mario manage to complete a wonderful Christmas project in the town of Jere.

Now the new year brings bad news about Mario’s father and the prospects of meeting him for the first time makes her heart turn cold. How can she refuse Mario her help, when he has never asked anything from her to repay all he has done for her since he adopted her at five years old?

She considers herself strong, though, with her grandfather as a project, the challenge may prove to be the hardest she has ever worked on. Afraid of not being ready to face her past as the daughter of a monster, she also worries that she may lose her place in Mario’s heart. Will her grandfather tear her jolly life apart, or does she still have a chance for a merry life after all?

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The Angels Sing

The Other Santa Book 4

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Will this white Christmas bring Angels singing or a Silent night?

Tragedy strikes billionaires Mario and Beth Tuzzini and the Santa projects may be the only thing that can help them overcome it.
Scott and Angie, Mario’s daughter, had a hard time when their Santa’s project couldn’t start. An innocent mistake put them on the mayor’s black list as the children pay when one of them is almost killed?
Things aren’t always joyful in The Angels Sing and many things must happen before they can share a Merry day together. The Angels Sing is the standalone book four of the depression era series the Other Santa.

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Fun Facts About my Other Santa Series:

 

–The books are all about an Italian billionaire who didn’t lose his money on Black Tuesday.

–He invested in diamonds, salt mines, train bonds and cash which he kept mostly in the vault in the basement of his mansion in Saint Louis.

–Mario loved his fiancé, Tanya, fiercely and was devastated when she couldn’t remember him after they saved her from a kidnapper.

–He devoted his life to being her neighbor and secretly gave her money for her and the baby’s care.

–She died five years later in his arms. She did remember him just before she died and asked him to care for their daughter.

–He took it to heart and Angie was the blessing that kept him going crazy in those dark days.

–He adopted Angieline who was five-years-old at that time. She became Angieline Tuzzini-Moore. (Angie)

–Mario keep a candle burning for Tanya until Angie was in her early twenties.

–Their Santa adventures started at Angie’s age twelve when she told him that Santa didn’t exist.

–They started in soup kitchens, giving gifts to the poor for the whole month of December.

—A few years later, she wanted to do it all year long, so he quit his law firm and traveled the country helping the needy, under assumed names.

–They accumulated more than ten years of these experiences by the time Black Tuesday came about.

— By then, they graduated to helping small towns when the depression hit them the worst.

–These projects have netted a close relationship between the two and their love has deepened.

–Angie gets to pick the projects and how to go about them.

–The beauty of their work is that they use very little, to none, of their own money. They believe in teaching people how to fish not in giving them a fish each day.

–They spread cheer and Christmas spirit wherever they go, and at the same time, bless their lives with pure love.

–Things get complicated when a reporter falls in love with Angie and their past could crash her chance to love.

–Later, things with Mario’s father, whom he hasn’t seen for fifteen years, get pretty bad and he almost dies before Angie comes to the rescue.

–Angie is scared of meeting he who will be her grandfather, because he wanted Tanya’s baby dead. This is what caused the rift between Mario and his parents for all those years.

–Angie, meanwhile, finds a young man who adores her, but after her beau was gone, she finds it hard to trust in love.

–Instead, she finds two projects to do on her own, helping a Mormon family and returning the engagement ring back to her ex-fiancé’s mom.

–Alone for the first time, she finds work at the Charleston Hospital as a nurse and plays cupid, a pastime she is very good at.

–Mario chooses to take his wife back to Saint Louis and Angie feels homesick for the first time.

–Angie joins her father in Saint Louis and they work together on a new project transforming a warehouse into an apartment building for twelve homeless families.

–Mario and Beth are devastated by a tragic event in their lives and find joy in helping others.

–While on that project, Mario’s father meets Aileen feel attracted to each other.

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Anna was born in the extreme South along some famous beaches. She moved to the USA to marry her husband Rodney and has resided in Utah since then. Her husband, a native of Idaho, met her in her hometown. They fell in love and she came to Utah on Christmas Eve to be married two weeks later. They are the parents of three princes and a princess. Anna lives in Taylorsville Utah.

Anna is an accomplished seamstress and had the opportunity of doing costumes for the cast of four musicals, a pioneer play and for Utah’s own Fantasy Con, which she enjoyed immensely. She is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Anna is an award-winning author of more than thirty publications in Young Adults wholesome fantasy (7 books) and royal tales in the medieval era, (8 books and counting). Christmas stories of the depression era for older teens (4 books and 2 more to come). Middle grade fairytales for pre-teens (1 book). She also writes Halloweeny stories for tweens (6 books) and has a number of tales in different anthologies and articles (6 articles). She has even written short Medieval Romance tales (3).

And as A. C. Dye she had penned Halloweeny bilingual stories for children (6 books) and bilingual health book for toddlers (5 books).

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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This is my favorite part!

It’s time to announce the winners of Trudy, Madly, Deeply by  Wendy Delaney.

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Trudy, Madly, Deeply (Working Stiffs Mystery Series)

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The winners are:

Nicole K. _ Autographed Print Copy

Kathy G. – ebook Copy

Congratulations!

Winners have been notified.

Thanks to everyone for your comments.

I do love reading them and hope you continue to visit fuonlyknew!

Thanks so much to Wendy Delaney for her wonderful book and to Great Escapes Book Tours for letting me host the giveaway.

*****For all of my giveaways go here*****

I’d love to keep telling ya’ll about some really great books.

Subscribe by email and lets talk!

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Don’t you just love cozy mysteries? They always have quirky, loveable characters, and fun cover art.

I have a fun review for you and two, yes, two giveaways!

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  Trudy, Madly, Deeply (Working Stiffs Mystery Series)

Publisher: Corvallis Press (July 27, 2013)

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Number of Pages: 260 (ebook)

This book is due to come out in print to coincide with this tour.

Purchase Links: Amazon /  B&N

Synopsis

After human lie detector Charmaine Digby scores a job as the County Coroner’s new investigative assistant, the unthinkable happens—a doctor reports the suspicious death of Trudy, a family friend and one of several elderly patients at the hospital whose heart mysteriously stopped.

With no physical evidence of foul play, Char’s on the case, much to the irritation of Detective Steve Sixkiller, who doesn’t want her to stick her pretty nose for trouble in his investigation. But she’s a woman on a mission to uncover the truth, and she’d better keep her eyes open or the next body on the way to the morgue could be hers.

My Review

This book will make you laugh, a lot.

Char is quite a character. She’s carrying a few extra pounds and leaps before she looks. This made her very real for me. We all wish we could be like the women on those fashion magazines, but in reality, most of us don’t. And when we hit the mid twenties and up, us women tend to carry a few extra pounds.

I’m like Char, and really don’t worry about it. She tries to diet, but filling in at the local restaurant and helping bake all those yummy muffins doesn’t help there.

The most important part of any story or movie is the characters. I like plenty of them and got that with this book.

From the senior center and Tango Tuesday, to the local gym, to the local restaurant, Duke’s Cafe,  where you can catch the latest gossip, there are so many characters to fall in love with.

My favorites, besides Char and her sexy best friend Detective Steve Sixkiller, are Char’s gram and the raucous elderly waitress, Lucille, at Duke’s Cafe.

These two ladies take no sass, steal the show when they enter a scene, and remind me so much of people I know and love. You can relate to all of the characters and may even recognize a few from your own neighborhood!

Char’s leap first, look later, way of investigating gets her in pickle after pickle in her new job at the prosecutor’s office , and Steve has his hands full keeping an eye on her and keeping her out of trouble. She may be a human lie detector, but her ability to tell if someone is lying or not could also make her a target.

And there’s Char’s mom, Marietta, the actress and diva of drama. She becomes Char’s back up. There’s a scene in the book with a taser that I could see clearly and had me laughing out loud.

I didn’t forget about Trudy. You know, Trudy from the title of this book? Well, she doesn’t have a big part in this story because she’s already dead when it starts. Her death is just the beginning as it may not be from natural causes. Char is personally connected, as Trudy is her great-aunt Alice’s close friend, and she plays nosy parker to find out the truth.

Suspicious death, maybe murder, a rumor of romance, tango anyone. All fun ingredients for this cozy mystery.

Something really great about this story. It doesn’t end here as this is the kick off book for The Working Stiffs Mysteries series. More fun, quirky characters to fall in love with.

I have a soft spot for cozy mysteries and Trudy, Madly, Deeply stole my heart.

5 Stars

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A couple of scenes I liked:

“You’re blushing.”

“I know.”

“It’s cute.”

“Yeah, well, I’m a cute girl.”

and

“I’ll bring dessert.”

“Chow mein, you’ll be the dessert.”

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About Wendy Delaney

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Wendy Delaney writes fun-filled cozy mysteries and is the author of Trudy, Madly, Deeply, the launch book of her Working Stiffs Mystery series. A long-time member of Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America, and Mystery Writers of America, she’s a Food Network addict and pastry chef wannabe. When she’s not killing off story people she can be found on her treadmill, working off the calories from her latest culinary adventure. Wendy makes her home in the Seattle area with the love of her life and has two grown sons.

Website: http://www.wendydelaney.com/

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/7191068.Wendy_Delaney

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyDelaneyAuthor

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Giveaways. That’s right, I have two giveaways!

I have one ebook copy to give away.

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question,

“Are you an amateur sleuth?”

Giveaway ends September 30th.

The second giveaway is for a signed print copy.

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

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Tour Participants

September 16 – Melina’s Book Blog Review & Giveaway

September 17Books are Life – Evita Libri Review

September 18fuonlyknew Review & Giveaway

September 19Mochas, Mysteries and More Interview & Giveaway

September 20Cozy Up With Kathy Review, Interview & Giveaway

September 21Darla King Series Review

September 23 THE SELF-TAUGHT COOK Review

September 25Brooke Blogs Review & Interview

September 26 readalot Review & Giveaway

September 28My Devotional Thoughts Review & Giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways go HERE.

Eyes of Love Banner copy

I have all kinds of goodies for my stop on the tour for The Eyes of Love by Angelina Rose!

I have a sneak peek inside and Angelina is a guest today, giving us some writing tips. I also have my review of The Eyes of Love.

And a giveaway!!

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THE EYES OF LOVE

By

Angelina Rose

BLURB:  

 

After a tragic loss five years ago, Sally Overby becomes an Attorney in Atlanta. She convinces herself that all she’ll ever need again is her young son, David, and her life as an attorney. Until one day, Colin Dean barges back into her life and promptly blows her safe world apart, driving her crazy as only a guy she’d had a “school girl crush” on can.

Sally is wary to love deeply. Only, with every loving look Colin gives her plus every sweet kiss, as the attraction between them sparks, she can’t help but wonder if she’s met the one she should be with. And although Colin didn’t realize his life was going to change so quickly, amazingly, he isn’t the least bit interested in fighting that change. Instead, he’s gearing up for a different fight altogether. The one for Sally’s heart.

Will Colin be able to convince her that’s it safe to love him… and that forever isn’t really out of reach?

The Eyes of Love is a novella… so you can enjoy it in just one day!

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Please welcome Angelina Rose!

Writing tips

Two Important Writing Tips: Pull Readers In and Write What You Know

Of course, writing is a highly personal craft and everyone does it differently, but these two tips are probably the most common, so let’s spend a little time discussing the best way to implement them.

How many times have you picked up a book and started it, only to put it down within the first few minutes? You really don’t want the book in question to be yours do you? You know your story is good, but if it begins with something along the lines of, “Ellie sighed and got out of bed. She’d had a full night’s sleep but she was still so tired. As she got dressed she thought of everything she had to do that day. Cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping…” Guess what? Ellie isn’t the only one who’s tired. I’m practically asleep just from the first few sentences! Punch up the beginning by adding dialog or some form of action to pull the reader in. For example: “I know, I know,” Ellie muttered as she slapped the snooze button. “I’m getting there.” Her dog Jasper looked at her from the foot of the bed with concerned eyes and she sighed. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s not your fault 8 hours doesn’t seem to be enough anymore.” See the difference? It’s a little easier to connect with her as a character when you’re not exhausted from a laundry list of complaints.

Now that you’re off and running with your strong beginning, you should implement the second tip right? You should write what you know! Well…maybe. If you want to write your autobiography then you don’t need to tweak this tip at all. Other subjects can be learned with the proper amount of research, so that isn’t really a problem either. However, if you want to write a ten-book long fantasy series about a race of moth-people this tip presents a problem, right? It actually applies more than you think. As the creator of the world in your story, you are the only one who truly knows it. You just have to make sure the laws of your world remain consistent in all of the books in your series. For example, if one of the things you know is the moth-people can’t get wet, make sure to remember that and avoid swimming scenes in later books.

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A glimpse inside The Eyes of Love:

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“Hi there. I’m Gracie…” the waitress said as she put down a napkin and some silverware.

“Gracie. It’s me. Sally Overby,” she said grinning.

Gracie stopped in her tracks and squinted her eyes. “Sally? I can’t believe it! You’re stunning, honey!” she said reaching down and hugging her. “What are you doing in town?”

“Reunion. And to see Momma, of course.”

“I can’t get over how beautiful you are!”

“Thanks.”

“You were always a sweetheart of a person, but now your outside matches your inside.”

“That’s a nice way to look at it.”

“So, what have you been up to?”

“Let’s see… Became an attorney, got married, had a son, became a widow…”

“Oh, Sally, I’m so sorry! I remember that now. Your Momma told me a few years back. You’re still single?”

“Yep. But I have a date to the reunion tomorrow night, so I guess I’m officially back on the dating circuit now,” Sally said giggling.

“Date? Who with?”

“Colin Dean.”

Gracie started fanning herself. “Oh, girl, you scored on that one, huh?”

“I did. He’s a wonderful guy.”

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eyes love .Sketch.Angelina Rose

My Review

Sally was the ugly duckling in highschool, always bullied. One girl was more vicious than the others and made her life a living hell.

But highschool doesn’t last forever, and Sally went on to college, getting her degree, passing the bar, and becoming a lawyer.

On top of that, she fell in love, got married, and had a son.

Now, it’s been five years since she lost her husband to an accident and she’s a single mother, just like her own mother was.

When the invitation to her class reunion arrives, she figures, why not. This ugly duckling has become a swan and it’s time to preen.

I’m sure you’ve been to at least one class reunion. It’s always fun to reunite with old friends and see how everyone has changed. Especially that sweetheart you had a crush on.

I think that was the most enjoyable part of The Eyes of Love. Well, except for when Sally runs into her old nemesis.

The newly kindled romance is endearing and the face off between Sally and the wicked witch of highschool is  very satisfying. Those years of bullying toughened her up and I liked how Sallie handled herself.

She’s tough but soft, courageous yet vulnerable. Someone you’d want in your corner.

This is a fun, heart-warming tale that’ll have you cheering for the good guys, and booing the bad ones.

4 Stars

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Angelina Rose

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Angelina Rose has wanted to write ever since she could hold a pencil. The first daughter of immigrant parents, Angelina had her head buried in books, lost in a world of heroes, heroines and exotic places.

It was a shocking experience that jump-started Angelina’s author career.

“I awoke in the ICU… I had been unconscious for several days,” Angelina says.

In 2010, Angelina had a long stint in hospital following her involvement in a motor vehicle accident: the longest time off work (as a Registered Nurse), she’d ever had in her life!

It was then she took up pen and paper and started to write again, just as she had done when she was a child. She wrote four short fiction stories for young adults, entered them in several competitions, and managed to win three first prizes!

After happily dipping her toes into writing those short fiction stories for young adults, Angelina has now authored four books in a new “Mill Creek Crossing Romance” series… contemporary romance intended for adults.

The “Starting Over Series” is another contemporary romance series she wrote about a subject she knows well… nurses and their love life. At a recent reunion of her graduating class, she could not help but notice how the same girls would group together and laugh, chat, and even shed some tears over their lives since graduating. Many of the girls had divorced… so Angelina thought “what if a group of the nurses came up with a plan to meet in two years and have a new love story to share?” Then the first story in the series was born.

There is always a story running around in her head. A man with thick dark hair, gray-blue eyes, with an engaging smile and a quick wit… or a girl crying over a broken relationship. She finds herself talking to these characters during her day: when she’s doing dishes, or bathing babies at the hospital. These characters crop up on days at the beach or on walks through the neighborhood. This is how the stories start to grow.

Angelina’s mother was an author, so Angelina grew up with a love of words and stories. If she wasn’t writing a short story about something that took her fancy, her head was buried in books… reading, reading, reading, as her brother constantly told her…

When she’s not spending time with her goodlooking man, or quality time with her laptop, she’s working at the hospital, hanging out with her family and friends, or walking her two dogs around the neighborhood. Angelina spends as much time as she can traveling, then coming home and including some of those adventures in her stories.

Angelina really loves to hear from her readers and she invites you to connect with her on Facebook as she interacts daily with her readers there!

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Eyes-of-Love-ebook/dp/B00CRM1Q4I

Facebook:  https://facebook.com/angelinaroseromanceauthor

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/RoseRomanceBook

Website:  http://AngelinaRoseRomance.com

Goodreads:   http://www.goodreads.com/angelinaroseromance

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You can win a $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card!

To enter click on the rafflecopter link below.

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You can follow the tour by clicking on the banner below.

Catch more fun and exciting reviews,excerpts, guest posts, and interviews. And leave a comment!

The more you comment the more chances to win!

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For all of my giveaways go HERE.

I’ve been waiting for a while to tell you about these magnificent flying horses!

The day has arrived and the tour has begun.

I’ll be reviewing the first two books in Linda Ulleseit’s Flying Horse Trilogy.

I’ll be back to tell you about Book Three after it’s release.

Come to Wales and be enchanted.

In the Winds of Danger (Flying Horse Books, #2)

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In the Winds of Danger, Book #2

Synopsis

Nineteen year old Nia is shocked when she is secretly offered the leadership of Third

Barn. This new barn full of flying horses will need someone confident, experienced, and

innovative, so why are both warring factions pursuing an untried girl? Suspicious that

both sides want a puppet instead of a leader, Nia races to discover their secrets before

making the biggest decision of her life.

Some of those secrets are unknowingly buried in the disconnected memories of a young

groom named Owain. Terror and guilt haunt Owain’s dreams – and then a face from his

nightmare arrives in High Meadow. Owain looks for answers in his past and uncovers a

dangerous plot that could doom High Meadow’s future. How can he foil the plot and save

his people as well as the winged horses?

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Excerpt

As if choreographed, the First Barn mare and the Second Barn stallion converged on each

other. Eira’s upswept wing hid the other horse, then revealed him on the downbeat. Nia gripped

her mare with her legs and leaned forward, anticipating impact. She forced her eyes away from

Catrin’s approaching lance, focusing instead on the other rider’s armored torso. The horses’

wings beat in unison, down at the same time. Now! Nia’s lance struck somewhere near her

opponent’s shoulder and slipped off her armor. Meanwhile, Catrin’s lance connected with Nia’s

left shoulder, great pain accompanying the sound of the wooden lance thunking against armor.

The impact jerked Nia back, the restraining straps tightening against her legs, straining to hold

her in place as Nia fought against the weight of her armor to regain her balance in the saddle.

Eira’s wingstrokes broke rhythm as the weight on her back shifted. Panic roared inside Nia’s

helmet like the most violent storm, to be replaced by fury as she regained her balance. Eira

resumed the powerful wingstrokes that kept her aloft, and Nia patted the now-sweaty neck.

Fighting the urge to clap a hand to her injured shoulder, Nia struggled to maintain her hold

on the lance, now dipping and swaying above Eira’s head as if it had a mind of its own. The

mare flattened her ears against her head, and her neck stretched out straight in front of her.

Miraculously, the powerful wings beat cleanly as the mare swept past the other horse, feathers

brushing his tail.

Nia got the lance stabilized into its upright holding position and clutched it with her right

hand. Left shoulder throbbing, she guided Eira to the ground in front of First Barn. The mare

landed harder than usual, no doubt due to the extra weight she carried, and jarred Nia’s shoulder.

The pain inflamed her anger. Her left hand, freed of the reins, clasped her amulet. She hoped

serenity would flow into her from the necklace.

Catrin circled in to land at Second Barn as Tristan hurried toward Nia. “What happened? You

were supposed to go three passes!” he shouted up to her.

He was her barn leader, so tall she had to look up at him from her five foot height when

she was on the ground. Seven years older than her own seventeen years, Tristan sometimes

seemed younger. His blond hair was always neatly combed, but his dark eyes were charged with

emotion. If she ever wanted to know how Tristan felt about something, she read his eyes instead

of listening to his words. Right now he was angry. Well, so was she.

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My Review

The characters from On a Wing and a Dare return in this next book in the Flying Horse Trilogy, along with some new ones you’ll want to get to know.

The situations are more mature as the characters have grown and the suspense and intrigue are palpable.

I was eagerly turning the pages, flying(pardon the pun) through this book, eager to return to the air with these magnificent winged steeds, and to meet and come to know the new cast of characters and the challenges they face.

The aerial sequences are so vividly written, I was once again pulled into the skies, feeling the wind stream past my face and whistling in my ears. A good thing I don’t have vertigo!

I seemed to connect more with the previous and new characters in this follow-up book. The story reads like it’s written for a more mature reader, not so much for middle grade. I suspect that’s because the story should mature as the characters do.

I’m deep into this series now and anticipate a grand finale in the final book of this trilogy.

5 Stars

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On a Wing and a Dare (Flying Horse Books, #1)

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On a Wing and a Dare, Book #1

Synopsis

In Tremeirchson, a barn leader’s children are expected to follow their parents into the sky, becoming riders of the magnificent winged horses that are the medieval Welsh village’s legacy. Neither Emma nor Davyd, however, want to follow that tradition.

Sixteen-year-old Emma risks losing her family by following her heart. Eager to take her place in the air, she longs to ride a forbidden winged colt born in barn of her father’s biggest rival. She also dreams of the rival’s sons, not sure which she truly loves. Bold and exciting, Evan will someday lead his father’s barn. Davyd is quieter, more dependable, with an ability to get things done. Her father disapproves of both boys and pushes her toward an ambitious newcomer. He also insists she ride the colt he’s picked for her.

Davyd, also sixteen, is plagued with a secret—he is afraid of heights. Refusing to become a rider means public humiliation, his parents’ disappointment, and lifelong ridicule from his brother, Evan. He reluctantly prepares to join his family aloft in the Aerial Games that provide the entire village with its livelihood and tries desperately to think of an alternative.

As Tremeirchson’s barns prepare for the Rider Ceremony, winged horses suddenly start dying. Shocked, the adults hesitate, mired in tradition and politics. Is it a disease or poison? Accidental or purposeful? Someone must discover the answer and act before all the winged horses in the world are gone forever.(

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My Review

Emma is burdened with following tradition or following her heart.

She loves her family and takes her responsibilities seriously, but her strong bond with a winged horse from another barn is forcing her to make a tough choice.

Meanwhile, a mysterious illness strikes the flying horses and the townsfolk must decide whether to stay or move their settlement.

When I first discovered these winged horses I was so excited. I’ve had a love for them since I was a young child. and actually had an imaginary world, which you entered through an old tree stump in my backyard, where I rode one of these magnificent creatures.  It was so real for me, it makes me wonder.

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Who could resist riding a winged horse in the Dance of Welcome or participating in the Aerial Games.

The games had me imagining jousting or polo in the sky.

I even visualized the games as playing Quiddich(Harry Potter) using flying horses instead of brooms. The danger is present as is the spectacular display of aerial feats.

A sky filled with these wonderous creatures would be something to behold.

As for the characters, once you become familiar with them, you are caught up in their stories.

There is a love triangle between Emma and the two brothers, Davyd and Evan. That’s not unusual with teenagers. Emma’s choice could tear this friendship apart.

While written for a younger audience, On a Wing and a Dare offers something for all ages: tradition, loyalty, tragedy, and coming of age.

Come fly with the barns of Tremeirchson.

5 Stars

~~~~

About the Author

Linda Ulleseit

Linda Ulleseit was born and raised in Saratoga, California, and has taught elementary

school in San Jose since 1996. She enjoys cooking, cross-stitching, reading, and spending

time with her family. Her favorite subject is writing, and her students get a lot of practice

scribbling stories and essays. Someday Linda hopes to see books written by former

students alongside hers in bookstores.

Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Website

I don’t know about you, but I just love freebies. Especially when they’re books!

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I think the idea of offering a book for free is ingenious. Maybe the author doesn’t see a huge jump in sales after offering their book for a free download. Maybe it’s a gradual growth.

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I do know that when I purchase a free download, if I really enjoyed the book, I will buy other books by that author. Not all at once as I have a book budget, but one here and one there. And if I really loved the book, I will go for the print copy. I love to have a physical copy to put on my bookshelf. I can take it down and hold it, smell it, feel the paper between my fingers. A print book is wonderous.

So, I’d like to thank all of you awesome authors for the many free books you have made available. I, for one, am now your biggest fan!

Claws is a book I discovered for free on Amazon.

When I get a free book, I feel bound to do a review. It’s the least I can do.

Plus, I love reviewing books. The only thing better is reading them!

You can get a free copy of Claws here!

So here is my review of Claws.

Claws

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Have you ever went to do your review and lost all of your notes?

I am stompin mad! I can’t find any of my notes, so now I have to start from scratch.

To begin:

In picturesque Athens, Alabama, a pet food company is working with an experimental cat food laced with hormones and appetite enhancers. The feed causes cats to add muscle, gain weight, and exhibit extremely aggressive behavior. When Patricia Reese, head of the research project, threatens to expose the pet food as a threat to public safety, she finds herself out of work, her home ransacked, and all her carefully gathered proof missing.

The cats involved in the testing are scheduled to be euthanized by the company, but well-meaning animal rights activists release the animals. These enhanced, hyper-aggressive felines begin to prey on small game in the area, and then the ravenous animals turn their attention to people.

An unemployed scientist, a small special ops team, and a homeless veteran join forces to protect the inhabitants of Athens. Racing against time, they try to prevent the looming catastrophe.

But when someone steals the secret formula that created the menace and sells it to eight foreign enemies of the United States, the most deadly biological weapon ever created has been unleashed. The genie is out of the bottle and the world may never be the same.

My Review

When will they learn? Someone always thinks they can tamper with Mother Nature and it inevitably ends up with bloodshed and death.

The pet food company knows something’s wrong with their product, but the side affects to the cats opens another door. A door with big dollars, when several other countries want the formula for their own.

When the animal rights activists free the cats, they have no idea of the repercussions. These aren’t your ordinary house cats anymore. They are much larger, packed with muscle, longer teeth, and larger claws and they are hungry, always hungry. You don’t dare get between them and their food.

There’s a slow building romance between Patricia, the former head of research at the pet food company, and Jerry, an undercover special ops soldier. What’s a good horror story without some romance and characters to care about.

Throw in some scumbags and mysterious characters with hidden agendas and you have a great tale of suspense, mayhem, and murder.

You might think cats aren’t a big deal, but these cats aren’t ordinary. They’re hormonally enhanced, much more lethal than your normal house cat. They’re also very vicious. Let’s put it this way, they’re spitting mad.

You could probably handle a few when they attack, but when they ambush you in large numbers, you’re kibble.

Imagine what happens when dogs become involved.

After reading Claws, I’ll never look at my pets the same way again. Who knows what’s in that new brand of pet food you just bought?

I liked everything about this book. The author moves you through the scenes smoothly, building the suspense, putting the horror right in your face, and sprinkling many colorful, intriguing characters throughout the story to make this a very exciting read.

The author gives you a killer ending, but leaves an exciting opening for more of this story, which continues in Claws 2. It’s like the last scene in a not so happily ever after movie.

4 Stars and on to Book Two!

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This is book two, just warning ya.

I’ll be telling you about this one soon!

From California to the east coast, it rained across most of the continental United States. From Los Angeles to New York City, residents reported an odd, whitish-grey residue that coated everything.

Cats groomed the residue from their bodies, because that’s what cats do, and then they turned to their feed bowls with increasing hunger.

The most deadly biological weapon ever created had been unleashed. It was one that would effectively pit most forms of animal life against mankind.

Humanity was immune to the growth hormone. However, exposed to massive doses, mankind was not immune to the chemical component of the compound that triggered the hyper aggression, nor was humanity immune to the appetite enhancer.

By mid-February, violent mobs of enraged hungry people were rioting in the streets of every major city in the world. In American cities, some of these riots were sparked by angry pet owners who were outraged that the government was supposedly plotting to exterminate all dogs and cats as a preemptive measure to protect the population. Pet owners viewed the mandatory registration of all dogs and cats with government officials by the end of February as a prelude to that extermination effort. Other people, generally those who didn’t own pets, were supportive of the measures. This led to protests and counter protests, which quickly turned violent as the hyper aggressive groups clashed.

In the months that followed, one by one, the governments of the world collapsed under the strain of trying to maintain order. Food production ground to a halt in most of the world as the men and women who’d been feeding the human race succumbed to the effects of massive exposure to the formula.

As the governments collapsed, so did the infrastructures supporting the civilization of mankind. Mass transit, power generation, and water purification were among the first to fail, but they were quickly followed by oil and gasoline production.

In six months, humanity plunged from the top of the food chain to a position near the center and the world would never be the same.

This is a 112,500 word book that has numerous accompanying photographs to depict the scenes.

About the author and where to find his books.

Image of Ricky Sides

Ricky Sides was Born in Florence, Alabama in May of 1958. He has a wife named Sue that he married at age 18. He has one adult son named Larry Dale.

The author studied martial arts from 1981 to the mid 1990s. He has been an avid camper and student of survival. The techniques described in his fight sequences are often from his own personal experience and training. He has taught women’s rape prevention seminars in the 1980’s that he conducted free to the public.

The author’s writing experience includes the ” Peacekeeper” series, the “Brimstone” series, “The Ultimate in Women’s Self-Defense,” and “Adventures in Reading,” “Claws,” which is a suspense / horror novel that will ultimately serve as the back story for an epic post apocalyptic novel that he will release in 2011. “Claws 2. After the Apocalypse,” and “Lina’s Story,” which is connected to the peacekeeper series.

Amazon / Goodreads

A quick post to tell you about this great free book! Ellis Vidler has Cold Comfort free to download off Amazon through December 24th! Just in time for Christmas!

Go here to get your free copy now!

Cold Comfort

After being dumped by her faithless fiancé, Claire Spencer has abandoned her dreams of a family of her own tucked neatly inside a picket fence. Instead, she’s plotting her solo course and settling for a quiet life as an independent Williamsburg shop owner. So how does she become a killer’s target?

Sometime security consultant Riley, burned out, disillusioned, and haunted by a young girl he couldn’t save, vows never to work with women again. But when a thug tries to kill the friend of a friend, the woman winds up in his arms, and all Riley’s plans go to hell. Knowing she’s in danger, he can’t walk away.

While dodging speeding cars, ducking bullets, and escaping through murky swamp waters, conventional Claire and freewheeling Riley struggle against their powerful chemistry—if she’s picket fences, he’s barbed wire.

Opposites do attract.

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I’ve read several of Ellis Vidler’s books and will be reviewing them here starting on January 9th. Keep an eye out for the posts, there will be fun things happening!

About the author and where to find her

Ellis Vidler

Ellis Vidler is a writer and editor. She and her guests talk about whatever comes to mind at her blog, http://theunpredictablemuse.blogspot.com Ellis’s new suspense novel, Time of Death, will be released November 18th. Artist Alex Jenrette shares the psychic streak that runs through the McGuire family. Just as it does her cousin Kate (Haunting Refrain), that ability gets her into trouble when she draws a scene she never imagined–murder. The killer she can’t identify wants to eliminate her, but maybe help from unlikely sources will come in time. Cold Comfort, suspense with romantic elements, is set in December during the long nights before the winter solstice.  Claire Spencer owns a Christmas shop in the charming town of Williamsburg, VA. Her quiet life is turned upside down when she becomes a killer’s target. Everything she believed is a lie, but the truth is cold comfort. Her first novel was Haunting Refrain, a romantic mystery set in South Carolina, now out on Kindle. It has a touch of paranormal, and reviewers described the characters as “delightful.” Ellis published The Peeper with Jim Christopher, a retired law enforcement officer. The Peeper is a police procedural/suspense novel set in the South Carolina upstate. Tea in the Afternoon is a collection of three short Southern stories, not her usual suspense stories. Ellis is a member of Sisters in Crime. Her home is in the South Carolina piedmont with her husband, two dogs, and a collection of wildlife that shows up for breakfast.

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Click on the covers to purchase her books.

Two Riders (Blood Run Trilogy, Book Two) by Christine Dougherty

Two Riders

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I love the title for this book. It really is about two riders.

In First Promise (Book One) Promise has a sleek black stallion named Ash and Peter (half-vampire also called half-and-half) has a stocky white mare named Snow. You can read my review here .

In Two Riders (Book Two) Promise and Peter join a group of soldiers from the National Guard. They are being escorted to New Jersey.  There is a scientist working on a cure for vampirism, and Promise is hoping to bring that cure back for her little brother, Chance.

She lost her parents to vampires and not long after her brother was turned after being bitten.  She is doing everything she can to keep her promise to him. To make everything alright again.

The soldiers are a mixed bag of volunteers and enlisted. There is one that is causing lots of problems for Peter. Evans is drawn to Promise, but despises Peter and uses every opportunity to make this known. He is always one step away from putting an arrow through Peter. As Peter is finding it more and more difficult to resist the dark urges of the virus running through his veins, the journey is fraught with tension. These two are dangerously close to killing each other.

The trip is slow and arduous, the soldiers having to keep their humvees moving at a pace that the horses can maintain. With the vampires getting more brazen, it wouldn’t do for the riders, Promise and Peter, to be left behind.

Without giving too much away, I’ll tell you that not everyone makes it to Jersey. Three will fall, but I won’t tell you who.

Of course, I’m very fond of Peter and I love Promise. She is young and vulnerable, and recognizes this. She’s also intuitive and very quick thinking. She is growing up fast.

Evans, the cantankerous, gruff soldier, really got on my nerves at first. I was thinking, this is the bad apple. There is one in every story, the one you love to hate.

But that changed over time. I learned his story as he revealed it to Promise. He actually became likeable, someone I would want on my side. I would love to read a book about him.

The writing is smooth, with no wasted words. The vampires are more vicious, the scenes more bloody, and the characters are becoming my friends. I am completely involved in this series.

Christine wraps it up nicely. I like how she gives you an ending in each book and also a lead in to the next one. I guess you could read each one by itself, as she gives a recap at the beginning of the second and third book. But I recommend you read them in order and get the complete experience. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on that.

  Still loving this series!!

I’m finished reading Last Chance (Blood Run Trilogy, Book Three), the last book in this series. I’ll be back to tell you about it soon!

About Christine Dougherty and where to find her.

Christine Dougherty

Christine Dougherty is at home in South Jersey with a husband, dog, and two cats. She has published short stories in The Absent Willow Review, Necrotic Tissue, Fiction at Work, and Niteblade.

Christine’s greatest influences are Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Anne Tyler, Dean Koontz, Wally Lamb and a fascination with the scarier aspects of life, be they paranormal or criminal.

Christine writes in the genres of horror, paranormal, and psychological thriller and is never happier than when she is tackling the undead, the walking dead, werewolves, vampires, zombies, ghosts, aliens, spooky scenes, scary characters, psychics, demons, devils, and quirky heroes and heroines.

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To purchase the Blood Run Trilogy click on the images below.

Christine has written many books. You can find them all here .