WAKE UP! A story of abuse and betrayal - blitz

WAKE UP!
Based on a true story of abuse and betrayal
By: Hunter Marshall
Published: 3 March 2015

Synopsis via Goodreads

I only knew two things when I married Grey Andrews: one, I was in love and two, I wanted to rebel against my parents. For the first time in my life, REALLY rebel. I, however, wasn't prepared for the onslaught of negativity and abuse I encountered.

Grey would make sure I knew where I stood, with him, and with everyone else. He of course, was allowed to go and do whatever, wherever he pleased. Even during the rare times I would stand up to him, he would be sure that I knew I was nothing.

"You? What man in his right mind would want you? You are the biggest bitch I've ever known. Not to mention, you are damaged." Grey said as he wheeled around with that all too familiar sneer. The last thing I heard was, "I only married you out of pity."

Did he really mean that? I loved him so much and thought if I loved him enough, he could change. I felt like I had been punched in the gut! Would he realize how lucky he was to have a beautiful wife and son. Only time would tell.

Grey made sure I was knocked down several pegs at all times, but. even worse than that was the way he treated Tyler. My heart bled every time that sweet little boy was pushed off to the side and denied the attention he so deeply needed and deserved.

Do you ever "Get over" abuse, betrayal and adultery? My answer, no. You "get through it", but you don't ever "get over" it. You take it one baby step at a time and it is the support of great family, good friends and a loving Heavenly Father that makes continuing on even remotely possible.

Note: The novel has graphic language and description due to the abuse.

Add the book to your Goodreads' to-read list: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25188455-wake-up-based-on-a-true-story-of-abuse-and-betrayal?ac=1

Buy Links: B&N, Kobo, iBooks, Amazon, Kindle

The Enchanted Rose review & giveaway

The Enchanted Rose by Nadia Nader

Publication date: January 14th 2015

Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis

When Vivian’s mother dies in a tragic accident, Vivian’s world is turned upside down. Her life, as she knows it, is over. A new life, full of her mother’s secrets, begins…

Sent away by her father to live with two eccentric aunts on the mysterious Tremaine Estate, Vivian comes to learn that a powerful curse lurks over her family – one that only she may have the power to break. With each day she spends in Misty Hills, Vivian uncovers more unsettling discoveries about the town, her reclusive family, and herself.

Can Vivian let go of every truth she’s ever believed and discover who she really is, before the dark secrets hidden within the supernatural town threaten to consume her and those she loves?

Review

The Enchanted Rose by Nadia Nader, is a novella or short novel and the first in a new and gripping series.

The protagonist is Vivian, whose mother recently passed away and who has been shipped off to quirky aunts she's never heard of in a town called Misty Hills. There she begins to learn about her lineage, her family and their curse. Worst of all, Vivian discovers she has a twin sister and a hoard of secrets kept hidden by her mother.

When Vivian asks one of her aunts (Agnes) why her mother had never mentioned them, she says: "Your mother never mentioned us because she was desperate to break free. Mentioning us would have made her escape futile… As it is, you are back with us, so she never managed to truly escape."

Upon her first encounter with her twin sister Rose, Vivian is told "You shouldn't have let her come back. Her father didn’t want her. And neither do we," which set the loathing, jealousy and anger between the two sister from the beginning of the novel. There are other previous examples, but I felt this was one of the strongest.

Later when Rose says "I've been okay for the past fifteen years without you, I don't need you now," we understand that Rose has been hating and holding a grudge against her sister for fifteen years. "Her eyes shone with unconcealed hatred. Her voice dripped with deadly venom."

I like how Ms. Nader includes comic relief in her novel. Vivian is sometimes sarcastic but the clash between her and her sister Rose often leads to humourous situations, or black comedy.
"I was horrified that she would describe Rose as "cheerful," and it must have showed, Mrs. Sherwood laughed."

Bit by bit, we learn about the history of Misty Hills and the curse that haunts each family. What I liked about the story of how the curse came to be, is that the original story of two sisters contrasts with the bad relationship between Vivian and Rose.

Vivian is doubtful of everything when she arrives in Misty Hills and remains so till the end of the novel; I like how that part in her character didn't change, making the reader that all that is going on is a dream. I also liked Vivian's character development as well as Rose's.

I didn't feel that the book title "The Enchanted Rose" was the appropriate one as we don't see that reflected in the novel. It might be a good name for the whole series but not the first instalment. It also misleads the reader into thinking it will be a bit of a Beauty and the Beast story.

The novel is filled with vivid but enjoyable description and imagery.

"There was a wild and wonderful beauty to the unkempt grounds."

It also has the mysterious Hunter, who does not appear often but has a huge secret (and I expect a major role in the coming book(s)).

I like how the novel does not focus on romance; there is Hunter but there isn't anything "romantic", which for me makes the novel stronger at least for this part/instalment.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel and I believe I finished it in a couple of days. It would have been one day, if I didn't have "stuff".

Note: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review and as part of a blog tour with Xpresso Book Tours.

GIVEAWAY TIME

Courtsey of author Nadia Nader, I'm hosting a giveaway for ONE ebook copy of The Enchanted Rose. The giveaway is open internationally. Either comment with "I want to win" and your email in the comments below OR use the Rafflecopter Widget below. (The winner will receive their prize after 15 June).

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SECOND GIVEAWAY

Tour-wide giveaway (open internationally)

$50 Amazon gift card

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Add the book to your Goodreads to-read list: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24513660-the-enchanted-rose?ac=1

Purchase via Amazon and B&N.

About the Author:

Nadia Nader was born and raised in Kuwait.

You can find Nadia on her website: www.NadiaNader.com

In addition to writing, Nadia’s interests include traveling around the world.

Connect with the Nadia:

http://www.nadianader.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7945488.Nadia_Nader

https://www.facebook.com/NadiaNaderBooks

https://twitter.com/nadia_nader

The Fading Dusk cover reveal

The Fading Dusk by Melissa Giorgio

(Smoke and Mirrors #1)

Publication date: July 2015

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Cover by: Mae I Design

Synopsis:

In the gritty city of Dusk, seventeen-year-old Irina makes her living as the street magician Bantheir’s assistant. The job isn’t glamorous, but she loves the crowds, the shows, and most of all, the illusion of magic. But Irina’s world is shattered the night she is arrested and charged as Bantheir’s accomplice to murder—murder by magic.

Real magic, the kind that’s been forbidden since the old wars.

Irina finds the idea of flashy showman Bantheir using actual magic to kill someone laughable, but she’s the only one who sees how ridiculous the claim is. But how can she convince everyone Bantheir is innocent when they’ve already made up their minds? Desperate, Irina must decide who she can trust to help her win her freedom. Is the surly, handsome Captain Leonid telling the truth when he says he believes Irina is innocent, or is he just using her to get to Bantheir? What about Aden, the sweet soldier and longtime fan of Irina’s who claims he’s on her side?

Irina said she wanted to know the truth, but when she stumbles across a dark secret that changes everything, will she be strong enough to survive?

Add the book to your Goodreads to-read list: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24809058-the-fading-dusk?ac=1

About the Author:

 

Melissa Giorgio is a native New Yorker who graduated from Queens College with a degree in English. She's always dreamed of being a writer and has been creating stories (mostly in her head) since she was a little girl. Also an avid reader, Melissa loves to devour thick YA novels. When not reading or writing, she enjoys watching animated films, listening to music by her favorite Japanese boy band, or exploring Manhattan.

The Sight Seer, published 12 June, 2013 by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly, is the first book in the Silver Moon Saga. In November of 2013, An Autumn Dream, a Silver Moon Saga novella that takes place between books one and two was published. The Soul Healer, the second book in the series, was published in April of 2014. A Promise of Magic, the second novella in the Saga, was published in November of 2014.

Look for the final book in the series, The Shadow Stealer, 27 February, 2015!

Twitter: @melissa_giorgio

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

Wordpress: http://melissagiorgio.wordpress.com/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/melissagiorgioauthor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/melissagiorgio8/

Hosted by Xpresso Book Tours 

Family Secrets: A journey of self-discovery - Book review

Family Secrets by Kat Nichols is the first instalment in The Secret Societies Collection. The novel is about Sophia, who has been living with her best friend Abby after both her parents died, but soon she is sent off to live with family she never knew existed.

Not only so, Sophia discovers that comes from a long line of witches. She has to learn everything within five months for her initiation on her eighteenth birthday. She is also to be named the next matriarch of the Blackthorne Coven. The family and coven are loaded with secrets, rivalry and lust for power. Sophia is to be trained by her cousin Alexa, who is not an easy-to-deal-with character. At school, Sophia meets Connor, who has a secret of his own, and who is named by Alexa as the 'enemy'. But who is really the 'enemy' in Family Secrets?

Sophia has a long journey ahead of her and she has to decide who is friend, who is family, who is foe, and who falls under more than one of these categories.

Narrated in the first person, the novel is about Sophia, her magic and her journey of self-learning and self-discovery. Occasionally, it feels like a diary-entry, but it is nonetheless enjoyable and smooth.

As the novel begins, we see the Sophia is not a strong character.

"Sophie, I don't want you to go." Abby grabbed me in a hug, squeezing me tightly.

"I don't want to go either. But I have no choice."

"Yes, you do. Fight back, Sophie. Stand up for yourself for once." Her voice was sharp and she pulled out of the hug, looking directly at me. "Don't let people walk all over you."

A little later, Abby also tells her "Standing up for yourself doesn't make you a bad person, you know."

As the novel develops, we see Sophia struggle with these words at several points, sometimes winning and sometimes losing. Despite playing a small role in Family Secrets, Abby is both an important character and a major part in Sophia's development.

"She was always more outgoing and confident than me. She knew how to act in all sorts of situations, while I just floundered in social waters like a toddler learning to swim."

Bit by bit, Sophia learns to react differently to each character. There is Alexa, Connor, Lucas, Sydney, the maids and mostly importantly her grandmother Beverly.

"She stared at me like she was trying to see into my soul. Her blue eyes didn't remind me of my dad's now. Hers looked like ice chips – frozen and hard. My dad could never have those eyes."

As the novel progresses, we see that even the grandmother has intentions of her own, which are constantly revealed to be darker than what others think.

I truly enjoyed the magic system incorporated in the story. Nichols has certainly exerted efforts to lay down the rules for this well-crafted system, which is slightly complex for the practitioner but easy to understand for the reader. Each spell is bound by a sigil, a symbol, that the practitioner has to imagine in their mind before creating the spell through a hand gesture.

In addition to reading journals written by previous witches from the coven, Sophia is to be instructed by her cousin Alexa in order to be ready for her initiation. But what happens when your tutor is jealous and adamant on making you fail so they can take your place?

During training, Alexa is always pushing Sophia down rather than encouraging her. "We'll start with the easiest of the elements—air. You won't be able to do too much now, but give it time."

In the journals, Sophia learns about other types of magic; however, she soon realises that the journals she is given are of lesser witches. She finds much darker ones in her grandmother's study and begins to sneak those to read them. I particularly liked this part in Sophia, as it shows her the extents of and other secrets in magic. It also contributes to her development and better understanding of her coven.

In one of the journals, she learns about a spell called "Compelling", which is a bit similar to the Imperius Curse in the Harry Potter books.

The language used in Family Secrets is simple and helps the pace of the novel, which is fairly quick even from the beginning. I liked how Nichols used the maids, who add relief and warmth compared to the coldness Sophia encounters from her family.

"The way she said dear grated on my nerves. It turned an endearment into a dirty word."

Although I had an initial dislike for the novel's title because of the negative connotations often associated with those two words, when I finished the novel, I felt it was actually a suitable one.

I must say, I didn't want the novel to end. It was quick, fun and enjoyable, even the sad parts played major roles in the character and plot building. I can hardly wait for the second instalment in the series.

Note: I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Coffee Is Murder by Carolyn Arnold - Book Review & Excerpt

Coffee is Murder

Book 9 in the McKinley Mystery Series

Carolyn Arnold

 

Release date: 27 May, 2015

Genre: Cozy mystery, private investigator

ISBN: 978-0987840004

Coffee Is Murder by Carolyn Arnold is my first cozy mystery, whereas I'm not sure I totally get the cozy part, I must say I enjoyed the well-crafted mystery.

Arnold makes several social comments that are well-weaved throughout her novel. Her protagonists, Sara and Sean, were average people who became billionaires. They were also former police officers, so investigation comes naturally to them and they do it well. Sean and Sara open up a company to investigate cases that the police do not find worthy or grounded, like Sophie's. Their firm depends on one rule, which is that their clients must give the fees to charity.

Sophie believes her mother died of cyanide poisoning through her coffee; Sara being a heavy coffee-drinker starts to keep her distance from at least coffees of the company in question, Tasty Beans. Sophie also tells the couple that her mother may not have been targeted.

"I never said she was targeted, but I do believe she was murdered," which makes it rather difficult for the group as this is only a hunch and they have to widen their investigation. 

The investigation/private-eye firm includes another former police officer, Jimmy, and computer whiz Adam.

Coffee Is Murder moves slowly at first, as the pair seeks to test the coffee, but picks up once they try to work at Tasty Beans. Nonetheless, it remains interesting, with obstacles coming up here and there.

Jimmy, the third former police officer, is quite sarcastic and funny. He adds a lot of comic relief to the novel, especially when he goes to work for the coffee maker.

One of the things I liked about Coffee Is Murder is how the writer shows that all the clues might lead to a particular culprit but that may or may not be the right one.

Although mysteries do not have much character development, we see Sara and Sean's relationship sort of get stronger. They are married couple and they care for each other but the job sometimes requires sacrifices. At one point Sara might need to drink from the coffee and she is unsure if it has been poisoned at the time or not.

The investigation firm does not have a name and while mulling the name after solving the case, their secretary, Helen, offers an excellent suggestion.

The chapters of Coffee Is Murder are quite short, making the read a lot quicker. Overall, the novel is entertaining and fun. It does not deal with anything creepy like rape as other mysteries do. It is by all means a light, engaging and enjoyable novella.

About the series: THE MCKINLEY MYSTERY SERIES ventures outside of the typical crime genre, lending itself to the cozy variety with no foul language or graphic violence. The series combines romance, mystery, humor, and adventure for a lighthearted, easy read. Each episode is a standalone read, meaning it’s not necessary to have read previous instalments.

Chapter 1

A Moment of Appreciation

FOR SARA, COFFEE WAS ONE of life’s greatest—and simplest—pleasures. Every time she took a draw of freshly brewed java, her eyelids automatically lowered in appreciation of the robust flavor. Somehow, when drinking it, life seemed less complicated, or maybe it was just how it coated the palate and calmed her nerves despite what some scientific studies might say.

She was in her home office, seated behind her desk, staring at the blinking cursor on her monitor, but it wasn’t because she had writer’s block. Her wrists needed a break. Better yet, she needed to indulge in this cup.

Leaning back in her chair, she swiveled from side to side and closed her eyes, savoring the aroma of the dark beans. While they were ground at the time she pressed the button, the only way to get it any fresher was picking the beans off the plants in Brazil. With their money, she supposed it was an option.

She let herself get caught up with the thought. It might not be a bad idea. As her daydreaming grew in scale, she laughed. She wasn’t going to board a plane to South America for a cup of coffee, even though it might be the best she’d ever had. She wasn’t that obsessed—was she?

Sean knocked, but entered without awaiting a reply. He held on to a glass of orange juice and she admired his self-restraint. For some reason, his body required only one coffee a day when he first woke up. Otherwise, he moved on to juice or water. 

If Sean had his way, Sara would drink only one, but coffee was a habit she wasn’t willing to break. Maybe she was an addict, although, that word carried such a negative connotation. She wasn’t an alcoholic simply because she enjoyed an evening beverage, so her coffee indulgence shouldn’t be considered an addiction. Even her thoughts betrayed her. Indulgence.

“Good morning, darling.” Sean kissed her forehead and then her lips. “I hope I’m not interrupting.” He glanced at the screen. “I guess I’m not.”

She smirked at him, realizing only a chapter number was showing. “I’m just taking a small break. I can’t always be typing, you know. I’m not a machine.”

“The way you’ve been holed up in here lately, I’m starting to wonder.”

She pouted. “Are you feeling lonely?”

“A little bit like a writer’s widower actually.”

“Well, let me make it up to you.” She stood, cupped his face with her hands, and kissed his mouth.

When they parted, any pleasure she derived from the coffee had diluted. It was replaced by the need to hold her husband.

“Hmm. Not bad,” he said.

“Excuse me?”

“You have coffee breath. I have orange juice breath. Still, the kiss, not bad.”

She narrowed her eyes and was about to say something when the phone on her desk rang.

Sean answered. “Hello…yes, Helen…all right, make the appointment for two hours from now.”

As she listened to her husband speak, she had a good idea what this was about. There was a job.

Note: I received a free advanced reader's copy (ARC) of Coffee Is Murder by Carolyn Arnold in exchange for an honest review and as part of a blog tour with Lori's Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

Update: Check out more book reviews for Carolyn Arnold's books
Cozy mysteries in the Mckinley Series: Halloween Is Murder and Money Is Murder 

Police procedural and thrillers: On the Count of Three and Past Deeds (Books 7 & 8 in the Brandon Fisher series)

Historical fiction in The Secret of the Lost Pharaoh

About the author:

CAROLYN ARNOLD is the international bestselling and award-winning author of the Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher, and McKinley Mystery series. She is the only author, in her genre, with POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.^TM

Carolyn was born in a small town, but that doesn’t keep her from dreaming big. And on par with her large dreams is her overactive imagination that conjures up killers and cases to solve. She currently lives in a city near Toronto with her husband and two beagles, Max and Chelsea. She is also a member of Crime Writers of Canada.

Connect with Carolyn via her Website, Twitter, and Facebook

Find the book at: Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo.