Severed Threads

Romantic Suspense Novel by Kaylin McFarren:

Synopsis: Believing herself responsible for her fathers fatal diving accident, Rachel Lyons has withdrawn from the world and assumed a safe position at a foundation office. When called upon by a museum director to assist her former love interest with the recovery of a cursed relic from a sunken Chinese merchant ship, she has no intention of cooperating until her brother is kidnapped by a drug-dealing gangster. In order to save him and gain control over her life, Rachel must not only overcome her greatest fears, but also relive the circumstances that lead to her father s death.

This is a really long book.  I read really fast and breeze through a book if I like it, Severed Threads was no different!  I was hooked because my older brother is an Archeologist, sometimes he even brings back goodies from his digs!  This novel literally has you spell bounded from the very first chapter. I was instantly drawn into the book because I am an avid scuba diver.  McFarren uses descriptive words so well this story became clear in my mind as I was reading.  It included both suspense and romance, which would hook any person looking for a great summer read.  Rachel's dad died 4 years ago in a diving accident while looking for something .. that something being the same thing she must go after! The ship is supposedly cursed, yet Rachel believes deep down everything is hr fault, including her fathers death.  Something to sweeten the plot line was Chase.  I still do not know if I like him or hate him.  Another kicker is her brother is kidnapped!  McFarren adds suspense into the book like pouring gasoline into a fire.  This is a book that leaves every heart touched in some way, either through deception, love, or plain old insanity. 

Breathless Book Tour

Breathless 

(The King Series Book 2)

Tasmyn Vaughn is not having the senior year she expected. Her boyfriend Michael leaves for college, she’s being stalked by a suspicious preacher, pursued by the hot new boy at school and blackmailed by her chemistry teacher–who just might be a witch. Tas needs all of her many talents–and a little help from unexpected sources–just to keep her head above water. . .literally.

Amazon / Paperback

This book was smoothly connected to the first book, Fearless.  It was as if the characters went to sleep and woke up in this book :)  As Michael, her boyfriend, gets ready to leave for college Tas has to deal with being without him.  To make matters worse her best friend is leaving as well.  Within the first weeks of school and without him by her side she faces many challenges - stalkings, hot men, lies, blackmail.  It sounds like a show that is on CW or MTV!  If you read the first book, ignore the next couple of sentences. King is a strange town that Tasmyn moved to with her father.  It seems everyone in town has something special with them, especially her.  Tas is now having dreams of an enemy, Nell.  Is she supposed to fall into cahoots and become 'dark' or is she to be strong, even though she is not really sure what to do? I have so many thoughts about the characters that could happen or won't happen.  I honestly can not wait until the next book.  Kandle added such unique characteristics to the story and it hooked me. 

Train Station Bride Book Tour

Train Station Bride by Holly Bush

Genre: Historical Romance

Website

  
Synopsis:

1887 Debutante, Julia Crawford endures a lifetime of subtle ridicule as the plump, silly daughter of a premiere Boston family. Julia strikes out on her own to gain independence, traveling to the Midwest to marry an aging shopkeeper and care for his mother.  Julia finds her new home rough and uncivilized after the sophistication of a big city, while closely held secrets threaten to ruin Julia’s one chance at love.  Jake Shelling was sixteen and grew up quick when his parents died from influenza on the North Dakota prairie.  Left with a half-cleared farm and two young sisters, he spent little time on his own needs . . till now.  At thirty-five, he figured it was high time to have some sons and a mail order bride would suit him just fine. No expectations of love, just a helpmate from sturdy stock, ready for farm life.

The moment you begin this book you will constantly think, "What is going to happen?"  The only image I have of ladies from the 1800s include big dresses, tight corsets, and prim.  This is what image I think of the picture to the right.  What did they dress like and act like on the farm?  Well I obviously had to do research myself to see what it was like, especially because it was so different being in a rural setting compared to a city setting.

 The picture on the left is from the Library of Congress website, which I absolutely love, and shows a business street in N. Dakota between 1890 - 1910.  I always want a place to see where the story is in person, so this makes it more concrete. 

As I read Train Station Bride I could not help but think how different it is for women now compared to back then.  It is accepted if a lady has a baby and is not married, dates several times before finding the right man, or talks back!  The main character, Julia, is basically shunned by her family and is considered the 'ugly duckling' of her sisters.  In the meantime she is writing to a man across the US, she is in Boston while he is near N. Dakota.  As any normal lady would do she picks up and leaves her life of fancy dresses to begin life with a man who owns a shop and needs help with his mom.  Low and behold a mistake happens and she falls for a man on a farm!  Can she deal with the mistake she made regarding men?  Does she really love the man she just met or the one she wrote to many times?  What is a girl to do when you leave your own family and wind up in a place totally unknown and different from what you knew?   

"This book review is brought to you by Charisma Media Network"

Justice Wanted~R/GA~

Justice Wanted: The Kid in the University Stairwell

Marlene Gentilcore

On October 17, 1987, Jack Alan Davis, Jr. disappeared. Five days later, his body was found at the bottom of a campus stairwell. By noon the next day, the county coroner announced he drank too much alcohol, passed out and choked to death on his own vomit--not everyone believed him.

This moving and ultimately redemptive book tells the story of Jack, the student who died at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, of the older brother who was determined to find out how Jack died, and of the tireless reporter who devoted herself to finding justice and truth for Jack's family. The true story takes readers from idyllic campus scenes haunted by images of his senseless and brutal death, to the coroner's examination room, all while questioning how we treat the dead--and how we treat those who survive.  As Marlene Gentilcore tells her readers in the final pages of Justice Wanted, Looking back now, I realize that no matter the outcome of our...courageous quest, we have lived the real American dream of fighting for the promise of a nation based on justice for all. 

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I was so enamored when I first opened this book.  It is a true story about a guy who was found at the bottom of a stairwell at IUP.  IUP is not that far from me but still an important college, being a WVU fan and alumni that was hard to say.  Supposedly Jack Alan Davis, Jr drank too much alcohol and choked on his vomit.  Typical cover story for a kid that was in college, but the coroner stated that before the blood tests were even back.  Strange?  Well the events and discoveries Marlene Gentilcore lays out for the reader get even more intense.  As with any fraternity, if you went to WVU/CalU/IUP,  you know the main thing is going to Frat row and to the parties.  I remember when we were at WVU and the pranks, dares, and competitions that they had to do.   They varied by severity from frat to frat, like jumping off the roof or chugging a ton of beer.  Jack joined a frat, but that frat lost it's charter and were kicked off campus for fighting.  Did the frat have something to do with it?  Was it a prank/dare gone wrong?  This was an honest to goodness amazing book.  I am taking it to Jamaica with us and sharing it with others.  I think the more this story gets out, maybe just maybe someone will know something.  When Unsolved Mysteries aired the segment regarding Jack, callers responded in masses with information, all sounding eerily similar.  It is an amazing story, yet awful it happened. It is another dagger added into the Fraternity scene that makes it sketchy, especially with their "Code of Silence."  If you happen to have information regarding this case, please contact the PA State Police or your local state police.

Purchase your own copy at Amazon B&N or from the authors website.  

Enter below to win your own if you can wait! 

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The Take-Charge Patient~R/GA~

The Take-Charge Patient

Martine Ehrenclou, M.A.

Martine tested every strategy in this book, in person over 16 months.  She consulted with 12 physicians, 3 alternative practitioners.  She was given 11 diagnoses, 22 medications, and more than 15 procedures/surgeries to cute her pelvic pain.

Everyone of us knows someone or is that someone who had problems in the medical area.  I suffered more than 3 years after I had my gall bladder out, had complications of being a rare person with an extra bile duct, and finally had to cut certain things from my diet.  

My health file is huge I think.  After reading this book, Martine emphasized knowing what was going on, how to ask questions, and to always have someone there to support not only you but your medical rights.  I am going to ask for all my medical records soon, especially when she stated how important it is.  She even walks you through what to do if you are having problems getting them! 

Another chapter that stuck out to me was finding a doctor that is understanding to your needs.  She went through so many doctors until she finally found one she liked. Some people just settle on the first doctor they meet with - don't!  Only do that if you are certain they know what they are doing and they respect you!  I had a GI doctor from UPMC who was absolutely amazing.  From the beginning when I was referred to him he told me it may be my diet that is a problem, even if I never had it before.  Unfortunately, he moved to NY :(  A few years later and another GI doctor at WVUH said the same thing! I am a persistant little thing though, always saying I want this test and this one done ... It may also help that my hubster is super smart and in the medical field himself.

As a reader, this book gave me ideas on how to confront those doctors that say it is basically "their way or  the highway" and get angry when you ask many questions.  I loved the part where she guides you getting medical records, even down to contact the board if they will not give you a copy of them.

Enter to win one below or buy your copy at : Amazon  BarnesandNoble

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Bitten Shame Book Tour

Bitten Shame

 (Book 2 of the Bend-Bite-Shift Trilogy)

Jill Prescott returned from self-imposed seclusion to help save her best friend Devan’s life. Throwing herself into Devan’s problems and bringing an evil organization to its knees might just be the distraction she needs to keep living without the only man she’s ever loved. Her life changed forever when she was hired to spend a week with Doc Massey. On the day she became a vampire her youthful innocence ended, but Doc’s love rescued her from being consumed by the darkness. The shadow of that former life continues to loom over her, keeping her from realizing her own self-worth. Running from her past only brings her closer to a destiny that is inextricably connected to what she is trying to escape… Every gift has both a reward and a price, because All of it fits…

  Kindle / Paperback

Hardin's writing shows she obviously loves the characters.  From Book 1 I feared that Jill was forced to become a vampire and she had an another reason for helping Devan.  One of the hardest things about doing a book review is giving away what happens in the story.  I assure you that Jill is pure of heart had to go through something terrible.  The story goes from present to past throughout the book, which gives us more information on who she is as a person.  I love how she makes each person likable and shows the humanity that is within.  Be sure to check out Witch Way Bends to read about Book 1.

Deceived Book Tour~R/GA~

Deceived 

Book 2 - Gwen Sparks Series

The vampire drug, brew, nearly ruined Gwen Sparks’ life. Just when things started to get back to normal between her and Aiden, she is summoned by the North American Witches Council to their central city of Moon. A war is imminent between vampires and witches, and Gwen’s experiences with brew are being used to fuel the fire. She is about to discover just how powerful she is with the help of the ruggedly handsome Angel of Death and just how far some people will go to get what they want. Gwen is going to learn exactly what it means to be Deceived.     

Buy On Kindle/ Paperback / Nook  Follow Stephanie Nelson on Twitter, Facebook, and her Blog

With all the paranormal romance books I keep reading you would think I'd just write my own! Gwen is an intense person, who is a witch.  Ok, she is a witch just learning to grow into her powers and constantly around handsome men.  Problem?  Not really.  Unless your name is Aiden and you are a vampire that is breaking the precious balance of human and "others" in the world.  What about the other men? Well there are partners from work, werewolves, vampires, and of course a new character that will blow you away.  Stephanie Nelson writes with character depth much like Kim Harrison does for Rachel. THey both work with something like a Witches Counsel, love men who are of an "other" category, and can't seem to keep out of trouble.  Just like the Hollows series with Rachel, I hope there are many more books to come in this series with Gwen!

Free Blogger Opp: Kindle Fire & Diamond Candles Giveaway!

Diamond Candles are really hot these days and you can see the great reception it’s getting from all the reviews and giveaways on the web! And why not? You can get a ring with a $10 to $5,000 with every candle! And of course, the Kindle Fire is still the leading Android tablet in the market!
And since Bay Area Mommy will be celebrating its 1st year anniversary on July 27, we’re gonna have a Kindle Fire & Diamond Candles giveaway with 2 winners!!!


Info:
Giveaway Dates: July 25 – August 15
Signup Fee: FREE for 1st link, $3 for each additional link
Open worldwide. If the winner is not from the US, he/she will get the cash equivalent.
Please say that Blabs from a SAHM and TW(2B) sent you!


Sign up here!

Journey to Virginland~R/GA~

Synopsis:   The protagonist, a loutish and uber-cerebral antihero known simply as Dog, takes on the challenge to navigate the perilous paradigm shifts of our age, determined to find his proper place under the sun.  Dog pursues the answer unrelentingly, through an impassioned quest for identity and meaning. He revisits his relationships with women, family, literature, and homeland, in the process illuminating his journey with commentaries on history, religion, politics, and culture that unravel our very fabric.  Marked by biting satire and tappings into lushest scholarship, Dog's naked critique touches on some of the most pressing issues facing humanity: the arrogance of empire and organized religion, the persistence of bigotry, xenophobia, and social Darwinism, the double standards of sexual politics, the bankrupt rationale behind patriotism and state propaganda, and hypercapitalism and consumerism, among others. An ocean of struggles and epiphanies takes Dog to a spiritual ground zero called Virginland, where the story unfolds. It is also in Virginland that Dog unearths an ancient calendar based on a cosmic worldview. His discovery reveals the mythological underpinnings of the Zodiac, subverting the current conventional wisdom about the subject. 

Did the synopsis leave you confused?  Do not worry, me too! Let me put what this book is about in normal people terms : Some really smart guy, the author,  uses really big words in a dystopian type of book.  He pulls from all the cultural differences that the world has and lays them out for us using literature.  The author portrays the main character, Dog, as a single traveling man who is caught up in all the bias the world places on one another.  As I read the novel I could honestly say I could pinpoint what culture he was talking about while telling his tale.  Journey to Virginland does make you think and wonder how in the world there are such different perspectives on life and how people live their lifestyles.  Although we live in a rural area, we travel a lot when we can go.  I am very outgoing, loud and stick out like a sore thumb with my blonde hair.  Some people give me the stare down while we are in other countries, but it is the cultural differences between countries and religions.  As Dog traveled through the fictional world and discussed how the views of women were, I understood why I was getting the 'stink eye' from people.  Even though Dog's world is fictional, it definitely combines real life experiences and honest to goodness real impressions people have on others. 

Enter to win your own copy of this eye opener!  It has won many awards and is a great read!

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Witch Way Bends, Book 1; Bend-Bite-Shift Triliogy

Witch Way Bends 

(Book 1 of the Bend-Bite-Shift Trilogy) 

Devan Stowe is a woman on a quest. She has only one thing on her mind when she teams up with Kent Crosby and his associates—putting an end to her father’s child trafficking business. Her determination takes her on a journey to discover her true strength and… the one man she was destined to love. In his arms, she’ll learn the meaning of trust, honor, and courage. Old friends and new will come together to help Devan unlock an amazing gift that will free her from her past and open up a future full of magic, faeries and more things than she ever imagined possible.

I am so glad this is part of a Trilogy!  From the moment you begin reading Witch Way Bends you know Olivia Hardin has connected the characters fate to outlast just one book.  It was instant attraction, like magnets, when Kent met Devan.  When her powers started to surface she began to realize there was something more there than just allowing her to tag along with the team to defeat The Org.  An old friend, Jill, comes into the picture and Devan's world opens up even more to the supernatural beings.  Be on the lookout for our review of Bitten Shame.  We promise the character's development and understanding is just growing for the world they live in as yours will!   *As an added bonus this is free on Amazon! Go get it for your Kindle! 

 

FREE shipping from I See Me personalized books!

Starting today through July 5th, I See Me personalized booksis offering free shipping on ANY order!  Just use coupon code "yayforme" at the checkout.  Not familiar with I See Me? Check out a review we did for them last month here.


Also, don't forget this great offer:

Take 15% off My Very Happy Birthday Personalized Book for girls at ISeeMe.com with coupon code "happyday" at checkout. Expires 6/30/2012

Naughty Makeovers for Nice Girls-Book~R/GA~

Naughty is the new Nice..

That’s the mantra and message of the new “tell-all” how-to paperback, physical book from beauty maestro Dimitri James. In Naughty Makeovers for Nice Girls, James creates a new kind of finishing school–one for nice girls who always finish anywhere but first.

Tired of seeing the many “nice girls” in his life constantly overlooked, James, a celebrity makeup artist, style guru and television personality, offers a lively and entertaining read full of actionable tips and tricks, showing you how to get whom and what you want.

Those open the book will learn how to look classy, not trashy, trading the prim, proper uniform of “safe” clothing, makeup and hair for something sexier and more inviting, but still situation-appropriate. “You would be surprised how many women don’t know how to use clothes and makeup to market themselves in various social or professional settings,” says James. “‘Nice’ girls are invisible, and ‘trashy’ ones go over the top. ‘Naughty’ is the happy medium that pushes the envelope without crossing the line.”

Thus, James challenges the traditional connotations of the word “naughty” and redefines it as a spirit that can change both image and self-perception for the better. In chapters that range from “Naughty at Work” to “Naughty First Date” to “Naughty Traveler” and “Yummy Mommy,” the author shows readers how to dress outside the box and re-vamp their beauty regimens to add sizzle to their style for all seasons and occasions.

Flip open the physical book to almost any page and find a small gem of wisdom, or a stunningly clear depiction of “nice” vs. “naughty” vs. “trashy,” all sprinkled with James’ trademark wit, candor and spirit of camaraderie.

Naughty Makeovers for Nice Girls is loaded with makeup and fashion advice to empower a Nice Girl to transform herself into a spicy but classy woman in every situation. So, go ahead and channel your inner naughty. Instead of fading into the background, become a star in your own life!

Naughty Makeovers is filled with all types of information.  One of my favorite sections in this book was about traveling.  I loved the illustrations because it was so real - showing girls in super short skirts and tank tops, some in sweatpants, and others looking normal.  Every time we go on vacation and fly I have the dilemma on deciding if I want to wear sweats or look good.  Although you can still look good in sweatpants using some of Dimitri James' hints, it is still classy to wear nice clothes.  I remember, well actually I do not because I was not even born, when people who flew were dressed to the 9's and were proud to be flying.  I feel that way today - many do not have the privilege to do it!  So this August when we go to Jamaica I'll post a pic of my traveling clothes.  Trust me when I saw when you look nice and professional you get more things done.  Who really wants to help someone looking homely?  

Win your own copy for tips on makeovers & beauty tips from Skinn Cosmetics - enter below! 
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  I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Light Tamer Book Tour ~GA~

The Light Tamer

  (The Light Tamer Trilogy)

Jessie moves from New York to North Carolina one week after school lets out for summer break. Her newly single mother and Jessie move in with grandma Gayle. Being a teen in a retirement area is one more thing to add to her 'this sucks' list. It's bad enough to have to move, but even worse, her alcoholic father left them as he went on a quest to be an artist in Greece. Things begin to look up when she is reintroduced to Caleb, the dorky boy that saved her life one summer at the beach. Caleb is no longer scrawny and nerdy; he is now tall, dark and handsome. Caleb is a Light Tamer. Jessie and Amber become fast friends. Amber is a no frills girl. Her snarky comments and sassy attitude will raise a few eyebrows and have you laughing out loud. Amber is rough around the edges, a light tamer with only two years left to find the one she is bound to. Her father's surfing accident left her dad paralyzed and her brother dead. This paranormal romance will keep you on the edge of your seat with humor, romance, and determination. Fall head over heels for Caleb and Jessie.   Buy Kindle / Paperback / Nook / Smashwords 

 

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The Strangers Outside Book Tour~R/GA~

The Strangers Outside by Vanessa Morgan

Genre: Supernatural Suspense

Synopsis:

Two sisters, Jennifer and Louise, return to their remote holiday cottage after a day at the seaside. But little do they know they're being surrounded. Soon after their arrival the girls will come face to face with THE STRANGERS OUTSIDE.  When the assailants make their intentions known, things take a shockingly terrible turn and an intense battle for survival will begin.

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This was a pretty short story, around 24 pages in total.  Jennifer and Louise, sisters, were on vacation (holiday to everyone else in the world) and staying at little brown cottages.  After the author gave you background on the sisters, the main plot begins on page 11.  You instantly are drawn into their world, with many questions o the back of your mind about what is going on.  The story is a ladder for suspense.  However the end made me think the person climbing that ladder just fell right off.  I liked the suspense and where the story was going, but the end was so abrupt I was let down.  It seemed like this could have been stretched into a SciFi movie, but the end definitely needs to be changed. 

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Dark Mind

Title: Dark Mind - An Emily Stone Thriller

Author: Jennifer Chase

Genre: Thriller/Crime Fiction

Publisher: JEC Press

Pages: 315

 

Synopsis:

 

A Serial Killer Plagues an Island Paradise... Vigilante detective Emily Stone continues her covert pursuits to find serial killers and child abductors, all under the radar while shadowing police investigations. Emily searches for an abducted nine-year-old girl taken by ruthless and enterprising slave brokers. Following the clues from California to the garden island of Kauai, she begins to piece together the evidence and ventures deep into the jungle.  It doesn’t take long before Emily is thrown into the middle of murder, mayhem, and conspiracy. Locals aren’t talking as a serial killer now stalks the island, taking women in a brutal frenzy of ancient superstitions and folklore. Local cops are unprepared for what lies ahead. In a race against the clock, Emily and her team must identify the killer before time runs out. 

 

Emily and her team are after a killer, who is the prime example of a psychopath.  I obviously read this book out of order, for it is the 3rd on in the series - 1. Compulsion 2. Dead Game.  I'm not sure if it ruined the previous two for me, but I do know I absolutely hate doing that.  Emily is not only tracking a killer who knows how to blend in with society, but dealing with a love triangle of her own.  Who would not fall in love on a beautiful island as the author painted it so wonderfully with words? Well, I forgot to mention it is filled with horrible people so that takes the beauty back a step.  The story line itself went very fast, often leaving me thinking I skipped pages because there was no way I was ahead of that. This book is available in both Kindle and Paperback versions, so you can have your pick!

Visit the authors website!