The Boy Next Door – Irene Sabatini

Published by Sceptre.  ISBN-10: 0340918837 ISBN-13: 978-0340918838

In Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, the son of Lindiwe Bishop’s white neighbour, seventeen-year-old Ian McKenzie, is arrested for a terrible crime.

A year later Ian returns home, the charges against him dropped. He is brash and boisterous, full of charm and swagger, and fascinating to fifteen-year-old Lindiwe.

She accepts a ride from him one day, despite her mother’s warnings, and something grows between them — becoming stronger and stronger in a world that wants nothing more than to divide them.

A secret that Lindiwe keeps hidden, and which Ian discovers years later, ensures that their lives will be irrevocably entwined as their country crumbles around them. 

 

I was pleasantly surprised by this story. It tells the tale of Lindiwe, who starts a relationship with the boy next door, who was accused of murder. He is white, she is coloured – half white half black. What happens in her teenage years impacts her later in life when Ian returns from South Africa to discover her secret, and he blows her life apart.

Following the turmoil of her own situation, is the growing tension in Zimbabwe where the story is set.

There is a line in the story, which I absolutely adored: “I should go to her grave. Maybe even David should come with me. But I don’t know if I can do it. Stand there looking at the tombstone with her name etched on it, with the parameters of her life fixed forever between two dates.”

I enjoyed Lindiwe, an intelligent woman in her own right, who struggles to cope with life with a white man, trying to understand his profound love for her while she fears that he doesn’t love her. Ian is a wonderful character, full of quick wit, love and devotion for the woman in his life.

A wonderful intelligent read, with history wrapped around it.

Cover Reveal – Retribution by T G Ayer

One of my favourite authors has a new book coming out in March.  The Cover is just DIVINE!  Can’t wait to get my hands on this one.

RETRIBUTION
Chronicles of the Irin #1
T.G. Ayer
Expected release date: 14th March 2014

Her name is Evangeline and she is Nephilim.

Evie belongs to the Brotherhood Irin and together with all the other Nephilim of the world she is protector to humanity, protector against evil. But evil has found its way into the Brotherhood. Someone has murdered her guardian and Marcellus, the New Master makes demands of the warriors that go against all they stand for. Demands Evie just can’t carry out.

Evie uncovers Marcellus’ plan to collect a set of special seals, but when a high-level demon reveals the truth behind the Seals of Hades, Evie know there is no way she can allow the Master of the Irin to get his hands on them. But will keeping the Seals from Marcellus cause her to sacrifice more that she should? Will vengeance for her guardian’s death be enough or will she need more to satisfy her Immortal soul?

Her Man with the Iceberg Eyes by Kris Pearson

Publisher: Kris Pearson (December 27, 2013) ASIN: B00CKF74WU

Kate Pleasance is on her best behavior. Matthew McLeod is certainly not. She really needs the job he’s interviewing her for. He totally wants the unexpected candidate in his bed.

But is Kate spying for her famous father? Should Matthew trust her in the least? Join them in the beautiful New Zealand alpine resort of Queenstown, famous for its daredevil extreme sports.
Will Kate dare? And is Matthew the devil he seems to be?
Warning: Contains one tall tortured man who’s super-talented in bedrooms and boardrooms.

Kris Pearson is a wonderful NZ author, who showcases NZ cities and towns in her stories. This one was based in Queenstown, during winter no less, and focuses on Kate who has recently lost her mother and her boyfriend. In a bid to find something to take her mind off things, she applies for a job as a personal assistant. It isn’t until she arrived in Queenstown that she discovers the job involves working with a well known artist – and her cantankerous “husband”.

This story revolves around mistaken relationships – sounds odd, but when you read it, you will understand.

Another cracking good read by Kris Pearson

Ghost Hold by Ripley Patton

The long-awaited second book of The PSS Chronicles is finally HERE! GHOST HOLD is now LIVE ON KINDLE and will be coming out in paperback in mid-October.

Buy it Now!

Title: Ghost Hold (The PSS Chronicles #2)

Author: Ripley Patton

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

Publication Date: September 30, 2013

About the book:

Olivia Black is back. Only this time she’s not the one in need of rescue. Samantha James, rich, popular, and an award-winning composer at age seventeen, is the next target on the CAMFers’ list. In order to convince Samantha to come with them, Olivia and Passion must pose as cousins, blend into the most affluent high school in Indianapolis, and infiltrate a mysterious cult known as The Hold.

Olivia doesn’t expect it to be easy, even with the PSS guys backing them up. But what she discovers over the course of the mission will call into question everything she ever believed about herself, her family, and especially about Marcus, the guy she is undoubtedly falling in love with.

Amazon: 

Elements Trilogy – Melissa Pearl

Author Melissa Pearl thought that her Elements Trilogy books could use a makeover… So she asked Kelly Waker from indie-spired.com to help her do just that! Check out the awesome results below!

UNKNOWN

 One prophecy…Two seekers…A journey into the UNKNOWN.

 *****

 

Darkness is covering the land. As the city of Mezrah grows with power and greed, the rest of the world can only stand by and wait for their inevitable destruction. The only hope against this growing power is an ancient prophecy that people have stopped believing in.

 

Then a star begins to fall.

 

Princess Kyla of Taramon stopped trusting in the power of light the day her father died. Trapped in a city she does not care for, under the watchful glare of her mother, the queen, she struggles to accept her fate.

 

Then a star begins to fall.

 

Jethro has loved Kyla for as long as he can remember. Learning that she was to marry his cousin drove a wedge between him and the feisty princess. Watching her from a distance is a torture he is unable to free himself from.

 

Then a star begins to fall, sparking an ember of hope and sending these two seekers on a treacherous journey into the unknown.

Purchase Link: AMAZON

UNSEEN

It’s hard to trust when the truth is hidden in the UNSEEN.

*****

Danger surrounds the Seekers. Having already faced overwhelming odds, Kyla and Jethro discover it is only the beginning. Now they must face the power of nature itself.

Each day is a test of faith.

Two elements remain undiscovered. The light is yet to be resurrected. Dark forces prepare to descend upon the heroes of prophecy and they have one more power they must over come…their forbidden love for each other.

Each moment is a test of loyalty and courage.

In Taramon, Athra faces his own demons as he frets over the safety of his fiancée while trying to counter a dark evil that is brought to his doorstep. Treachery lurks in the shadows, forcing the future king into an action that could destroy his beloved city.

Through it all, they must cling to the truths hidden in the unseen.

Purchase Link: AMAZON

UNLEASHED

 A furious light is about to be UNLEASHED.

*****

 

The prophecy has failed. As Athra lies in the dungeons of Taramon with his defeated army, this is all he can believe. His city has been torn apart. He has failed his people and all that awaits him is an agonising death.

 

But the light has been found.

 

Ashan and his dark army proceed in gloating triumph. Safeer heads to Mezrah with Taramon’s women and children, while the rest of his men remain in the northern city, forcing their prisoners to tear it down stone by stone.

 

But two sparks have been ignited.

 

Kyla and Jethro learn of Taramon’s demise and, with the children, formulate a plan to rescue their people and bring an end to the overpowering darkness. It will take all their strength and every ounce of faith they possess…

 

But a furious light is about to be unleashed.
Purchase Link: AMAZON

And to celebrate this new reveal, I’m having a one day sale. All three books for only 99c each!!

 

The Elements Trilogy – by Melissa Pearl

 

 

The Elements Series: Unknown, Unseen, and Unleashed by Melissa Pearl

Release dates: Unknown – June 2013, Unseen – July 2013, Unleashed – August 2013

Age Group: Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

Some Interesting Facts about the Elements Trilogy by Melissa Pearl

The trilogy took me 6 months to write. I made sure all the first drafts were finished before publishing the first book, just in case I wanted to add anything into the first book. I totally did so I’m really glad I held off publishing straight away.

There are four cities in the Elements World. The northern city (Taramon) is based on an English medieval type city, the eastern City (Mezrah) has an eastern/Asian/Indian feel to it, the southern city (Doran) has a Scandinavian flair and the western city (Ravma) is now an army base for King Ashan’s army.

Most of the names in the book (characters and places) were derived from Hebrew and Arabic words that I adapted. For example – the Hebrew word for fire is ‘esh’. So I named the fire element, Eshron. It was fun coming up with all the names 🙂

Raquel (introduced in Unseen) was never planned. She appeared when I was writing the second chapter of Unseen and became a key character in Unseen and Unleashed. The same thing happened with Bordor and Nafeez. I love surprises like that.

Some of the bad characters actually became my favourite to write. Safeer was far more complex than I originally intended and I grew to really like him. Although he is a greedy, arrogant soul, he still has a heart and I enjoyed discovering his humanity.

Levi, Jethro’s younger brother, is named after my first nephew – a ten-year-old boy with a passion for storytelling.

Never did I imagine writing a fantasy trilogy. This series came to me as a complete surprise, but was so mind consuming that I had to write it straight away just to get it out of my system. I’m confident in saying this will be a one-off thing for me. I’ll return to the comfort of contemporary/paranormal romance now, but will forever remain proud of myself for pulling this off.

Writing the sword fighting and battle scenes presented a big challenge. I really wanted them to be realistic, although still maintain some magical elements. I spent a fair amount of time researching the art of sword fighting and watching some great duals on YouTube. Rob Roy, Lord of the Rings and First Knight came in very handy.

Throughout the writing of this trilogy I had pictures of actors that reminded me of my characters. It was great having the visual aides on my wall and made the characters so much more real somehow. If you want to see them, you can check out my Pinterest board.

My favourite creatures from this trilogy were the dragons and I fell in love with Flynt. He is just plain cute and if I could ever own a pet dragon, I’d want him.

The books

 Unknown

Darkness is covering the land. As the city of Mezrah grows with power and greed, the rest of the world can only stand by and wait for their inevitable destruction. The only hope against this growing power is an ancient prophecy that people have stopped believing in.

Then a star begins to fall.

Princess Kyla of Taramon stopped believing in the power of light the day her father died. Trapped in a city she does not care for, under the watchful glare of her mother, the queen, she struggles to accept her fate.

Then a star begins to fall.

Jethro has loved Kyla for as long as he can remember. Learning that she was to marry his cousin drove a wedge between him and the feisty princess. Watching her from a distance is a torture he is unable to free himself from.

Then a star begins to fall, sparking an ember of hope and sending two seekers on a treacherous journey into the unknown.

Purchase Unknown through Amazon – Smashwords –  Barnes and Noble – iTunes 

Unseen

Danger surrounds the Seekers. Having already faced overwhelming odds, Kyla and Jethro discover it is only the beginning. Now they must face the power of nature itself.

Each day is a test of faith.

Two elements remain undiscovered. The light is yet to be resurrected. Dark forces prepare to descend upon the heroes of prophecy and they have one more power they must over come…their forbidden love for each other.

Each moment is a test of loyalty and courage.

In Taramon, Athra faces his own demons as he frets over the safety of his fiancée while trying to counter a dark evil that is brought to his doorstep. Treachery lurks in the shadows, forcing the future king into an action that could destroy his beloved city.

Through it all, they must cling to the truths hidden in the unseen.

Purchase Unseen through Amazon –  Smashwords –  Barnes and Noble

Unleashed

The prophecy has failed. As Athra lies in the dungeons of Taramon with his defeated army, this is all he can believe. His city has been torn apart. He has failed his people and all that awaits him is an agonising death.

But the light has been found.

Ashan and his dark army proceed in gloating triumph. Safeer heads to Mezrah with Taramon’s women and children, while the rest of his men remain in the northern city, forcing their prisoners to tear it down stone by stone.

But two sparks have been ignited.

Kyla and Jethro learn of Taramon’s demise and, with the children, formulate a plan to rescue their people and bring an end to the overpowering darkness. It will take all their strength and every ounce of faith they possess…

But a furious light is about to be unleashed.

Purchase Unleashed through Amazon –  Smashwords –  Barnes and Noble

About the Author

Melissa Pearl was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but has spent much of her life abroad, living in countries such as Jordan, Cyprus and Pakistan… not to mention a nine month road trip around North America with her husband. “Best. Year. Ever!!” She now lives in China with her husband and two sons. She is a trained elementary teacher, but writing is her passion. Since becoming a full time mother she has had the opportunity to pursue this dream and her debut novel hit the internet in November 2011. Since then she has produced four more books and has a YA fantasy trilogy coming out this year. Unknown and Unseen (The Elements Trilogy) out now!
“I am passionate about writing. It stirs a fire in my soul that I never knew I had. I want to be the best writer I can possibly be and transport my readers into another world where they can laugh, cry and fall in love.”

Author Social Media Links:

Facebook Author Page
Twitter
Blogs: Melissa Pearl and YAlicious
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads Author Page
Smashwords Author Page
Newsletter subscription
Website
Pinterest

Tour Giveaway:

(3) eBook sets of the complete series – Smashwords coupon code (International) with an approx. value = $27.00 (USD)

Enter through a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can follow the tour to see reviews, guest posts, and excerpts by clicking on the Elements Trilogy Blog Tour

 

Cover Reveal – Panic by J A Huss

This cover is absolutely gorgeous – Rook and Ronin together, with Ronin looking ripped as.

I have just read Tragic, which I received as a gift from a friend, and when I first started to read it, I had about three stories I was reading all at the same time, so Tragic was left in the TBR (To be Read) pile.  But something made me return to it recently, and I couldn’t put the story down.  A wonderful story about a woman with a past who accidently ends up in the right place at the right time.  Rook and Ronin have invaded my waking hours ever since, and I have since purchased Manic to read, but keep putting it off, because I don’t want to get too wound up about reading it and having nothing to follow it up with – until now.  Panic is due out soon!

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

And there is a giveaway – check it out at Rafflecopter giveaway

PA’s Revenge

Published by Bay Books ASIN: B007KTEF9Q

Cassandra Lee doesn’t do emotion. Why would you want to feel anything when your son and father have died in horrific circumstances? Why would you want to do anything other than exact revenge on the man you hold responsible for the tragedy? Revenge is her only focus so she studies his business and revamps her image with the aim of becoming his PA and sabotaging his fortune.

And Dallas Mackenzie’s wealth is important to him. He’s restored his family’s fortunes after his father nearly lost everything through drink, violence and deceit. He believes he’s inherited his father’s violent temper and alcoholism and is determined not to succumb to them. He values honesty above all else and focuses on working hard and avoiding emotional attachment at any cost, even an empty life.

But empty lives can be filled–at least for a short while–and Dallas sets out to seduce Cassandra. Unfortunately seduction–and her body’s responses to this arrogant, powerful and sexy man–wasn’t something Cassandra could prepare for. She just hopes that his interest–and her resistance–will hold out long enough to ruin him…

The PA’s Revenge is Book 1 in The Mackenzies series. Book 2–The Marriage Trap–is out now. Book 3 is coming soon.

A very interesting story.  I purchased this as a group of NZ Romance Writers books, this was the first story.

I really enjoyed the character of Cassandra, a woman who lost a lot, and is after revenge from the person who perpetrated it on her family.  Her bitterness and anger is very real, but as she works with Dallas, she realises that there is another side to him, which seems to totally conflict with the image she holds of him.  Could he really have done what she thinks he has done.

Dallas has worked hard to create his business, and he doesn’t mix business with pleasure, however the no nonsense Cassandra has piqued his interest, and he can’t wait to mix all sorts of things together.

Dallas finds out that Cassandra was trying to ruin him, but she has already found out the truth, and they part, under sad circumstances, but Dallas can’t get Cassandra out of his mind, or heart.

A lovely delightful read, based in Wellington NZ.

Pure Blood – Melissa Pearl

Publisher – Melissa Pearl ISBN

•  1475027605

It is only a matter of time before Gemma’s parents find out she traveled through time to bring Harrison back into existence. The fear of being found out is a heavy weight on her shoulders, but she refuses to give up on everything she’s fought for. Harrison is worth the risk.

The couple draws closer together as they battle opposing forces from all sides. They stay strong until Gemma’s parents welcome an exchange student into their home. Simeon, a gorgeous Californian, is as smooth as coffee and, supposedly, a fellow time spirit. Gemma’s parents expect her to take him everywhere and, of course, fall in love with him. After all, he is the boy they have chosen for her. 

No longer able to sneak off alone, Gemma must watch every step as she waits for the inevitable nightmare to catch up to her. Her parents ultimate goal is to get that last necklace and open the box hidden in their safe. If they do, Gemma knows her entire world will unravel.

As the danger mounts, Gemma must decide if she has the courage to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the ones she loves and stop to her parents’ destructive plans.

I have read Golden Blood and Black Blood and this is the final in the series.

Gemma has learnt that her parents are not who she thought they were, and they aren’t nice at all.  Harrison is doing all he can to protect Gemma, but it just doesn’t seem to be enough, especially when she escapes her parents, but decides to confront them.

Gemma must go back and save herself from her “parents” so that she can live a normal life with her parents, but is it the answer?  Her parents died protecting her, can she prevent them dying a second time.

Harrison and Gemma are faced with the ultimate sacrifice, and I really don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t read it yet, but the ending made me cry.  I won’t say if it was because I was happy or sad, but I think everyone will be shocked by the realisation of the full impact of the sacrifice that Gemma has to make.

I love this series, and highly recommend it to anyone.

Purchase Golden Blood through Amazon for free for a limited time.

The Shakespeare Manuscript – Stewart Buettner

Publisher: Performance Arts Press (April 1, 2011)  ISBN-10: 0615462650 / ISBN-13: 978-0615462653

Shakespeare wrote many stories, and many have been written about him, but none quite like The Shakespeare Manuscript, based on the “Original Hamlet,” a play that actually existed and was being performed in London around the time Shakespeare arrived in the city. It vanished soon after and has not been seen in over 400 years.

The lost Hamlet suddenly reappears when the novel’s main character–the quiet, sedate April Oliphant–pulls a manuscript out of a crate of old letters, recently arrived at her family-run book store.

With the realization that it may have been written by Shakespeare, none of whose plays survives in manuscript form, April sets out on a course that sees her torn free from her moorings in a way she had only dreamed of before.

She assumes the Hamlet manuscript was sent by her father, who has gone to England on a buying trip. But he doesn’t remember a thing about the new Hamlet because he’s lost his memory, in part the result of a violent mugging in London.

While he’s recovering, April sends the manuscript out for expert opinion. One of the people she contacts, the director of a failing Shakespeare company, grows so convinced of the manuscript’s authenticity that he wants to stage this new version of Hamlet, and asks April, who secretly loves him, to play Ophelia to gain her consent for the production. 

The more committed April becomes to her new role, the more committed the actors become as a company. In the end, they set about performing a passionate new Hamlet with singular and often moving consequences, but none more moving than those that catch April in their web

This story had so much potential, but it seemed to fail on its delivery.  I persevered and read the entire story.

While the concept is fantastic and could lead to being a fantastic thriller or suspense, some parts of the plot were dropped or discontinued in a very abrupt way.  Like the death of one of the main characters, wasn’t explained until late in the book.  Another example is when the manuscript goes missing then turns up rather conveniently.

The characters also seemed a little two dimensional.  April suffered from agoraphobia at the start of the book, but within a couple of chapters, she was keen to get out and become and actress once more.  Then she was consumed with passion for a man and feared that he was having an affair with another.

The fact that April didn’t want to talk to her father once he returned to the US that made me wonder just where the story was going.

If you want to take the time to read it, please do.  Others may enjoy it, I just found it a little lacking.