Spectral by Shannon Duffy [Book Review]

Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe—the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along. As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.Novel: Spectral by Shannon DuffyPublished: Published April 10th 2012 by Tribute BooksStand Alone or Series: Not sure.How I Got it: I received a copy in e-book format from the publisher.Where can you get it? This book is available in all e-book formats. Get it at Amazon it's $2.99!What made me want to read it: I have to admit, when I first received the pitch to review this book I was shocked. Shocked because the premiss is very similar to the book I'm writing down to names, birthmarks, being lied too...etc. I knew immediately I wanted to read this novel because I figured Shannon Duffy had to be a brilliant and totally cool writer, I'd want to get to know. I was right, and you'll want to get to know Shannon Duffy's work too! This book was phenomenal (and nothing really like the one I'm writing *wipes brow*)!What I thought…Jewel is no slacker! I immediately liked her and wanted to get to know her more. Once she discovered the life long ruse her family kept, her world does go and get all topsy turvy, but Jewel managed to keep herself level headed and come out on top!Jewel has probably gone to a zillion different schools (growing up in Witness Protection could do that to a girl), and when she found herself at yet another new high school she wasn't expecting to be there for very long, or make any lasting friendships. She not only manages to make a good friend, but she also has two hot guys to give her butterflies. The love triangle is put to rest early on when Jewel realized which boy is the one for her but not before a little rescuing is done by both boys. Ultimately Jewel rescues herself and becomes the kick ass witch she was meant to become.Shannon Duffy wrote a thrilling story jam packed with intrigued and a few plot twists that will keep you up reading well into to the night. When I got to the end of my e-book I kept trying to turn the page, hoping there was some magic in my iPad that would make the story continue! 

The Name of The Star by Maureen Johnson [Book Review]

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it’s the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn’t notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

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Novel: The Name of the Star Shades of London, Book One - By Maureen Johnson.

Published: September 29, 2011

Stand Alone or Series: Series - This is the first book in the 'Shades of London' series.

How I Got it: I bought it.

What made me want to read it: I've been wanting to read Maureen Johnson for the longest time. When I read Cassandra Clare's praise, “A gorgeously written, chilling, atmospheric thriller. The streets of London have never been so sinister or so romantic.” - I decided I'd start here, instead of with an earlier work.

What I thought...

The Name of the Star has a great MC (main character) in the form of Rory Deveaux. I liked her immediately. She's an American teenager from Louisiana who moves to London to go to boarding school for her senior year of high school. Everything would have been hunky-dory except her arrival happens to coincide with some gruesome murders that have quite a bit of similarities to the famous (and never apprehended) Jack the Ripper! "Rippermania" ensues as it only could in modern times complete with t-shirts, round the clock news, and the web.  Unfortunately for Rory she finds herself right in the middle of it all and no, she's not going crazy (but the stories about her family and home town sure are!) Lucky for her she befriends some cool London police officers who aren't exactly your typical "bobbies"!

The Name of the Star is a cool paranormal-esque book that will bring two worlds together to solve this murder mystery. There is a bit of romance but it's not the main focus which is very refreshing in a YA novel.

This is the first Maureen Johnson novel I've read and I can't wait to perch my nose in the middle of her other works. It was very well written and her characters are so believable and the pace is just perfect. I'll definitely read the sequel.

You can read a bit of The Name of The Star on Maureen Johnson's website.If you'd like to see some other photos I took of this gorgeous book -Check out my flickr set Books and Writers and thingslove & books,nicōle

Fearless -The Story of Adam Brown - Son, Husband, Father, Friend, Hero

This book was brought to my attention -it's now on my "must read" list. Had to share.Fearless is the story of Adam Brown, a man of extremes, whose courage and determination was fueled by faith, family, and the love of a woman. It’s about a man who waged a war against his own worst impulses and persevered to reach the top tier of the US military. Always the first to volunteer for the most dangerous assignments, Adam’s final act of bravery led to the ultimate sacrifice.

Until Next Time -Amy Lignor The Angel Chronicles Book I Review

How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.

Novel: Until Next Time: The Angel Chronicles, Book 1 by Amy LignorPublished: September 29, 2011Stand Alone or Series: Series – This is the first book in the ‘Angel Chronicles’ series.How I Got it: I received a copy in e-book format from the publisher.What made me want to read it: The premis -totally intrigued me.What I thought…Until Next Time: The Angel Chronicles, Book 1 has a bit of a slow start, but once things began happening and the pace picked up, I couldn’t wait to turn the page.

Matt & Emily “are the ultimate angel/warrior team” who get sent down on a mission to Earth in order to inhabit the bodies of Daniel & Liz who live in a remote village in Ireland; Liz is alone in the world till she meets her best friend and together they run a quaint little pub once owned by Liz’s deceased family.

My first thought was why did they have to possess two bodies? Why not just come on down Highway to Heaven style? The way I understood it was, the souls inhabiting the bodies have given up hope but because these people have stuff they need to do the original souls get taken up to heaven and Matt & Emily take over, but they don’t remember their Matt & Emily because they’re living the life of the people they took. They have their memories and experience their complex human emotions, which they don’t fully understand at first.

I have no issue with angel possession, but this idea didn’t entirely sit well with me. If the soul is gone then wouldn’t the memories be too?

Once I figured out who’s who I did grow to care for these characters, which, honestly I wasn’t sure I would. I began to care because buried underneath a bit of fluff there lies a story that left me contemplating love, friendship, humanity, and the loss there of. Amy Lignor has a good thing going here, and I hope in the future she doesn’t shy away from exploring these rich ideas.

What I would like to see less of in future Angel Chronicle stories are characters using a cliché like “take time to smell the roses” and remarking that they’d hope this saying would “catch on one day”.

What I would like to see more of is a deeper exploration of the relationships and themes with less telling and more showing. I really want to find out what happens to Emily & Matt, and where their angelic souls will take them next time.

I received a free e-version of this novel to facilitate this review.

Vanilla Rice Crispy Treats -Barnes & Noble Cafe

Last Sunday, after a day at the beach with my boys we came home, showered, and went out for frozen yogurt. Before the frozen yogurt we stopped in to Barnes & Noble to get some new books.

While we were there I picked up a a coffee at their cafe (hello Starbucks), and in amongst their treats was a delectable rice crispy treat.

My son Evan loves marshmallows and when he asked if he could have a treat I obliged, because he's not so much of an ice cream eater.

It was such a cute little treat, sprinkled in were whole marshmallows. More importantly it tasted good.

Yesterday he asked me if I could make him a rice crispy treat like the one he had and I told him I would. A quick stop in to the supermarket and ten minutes at the stove resulted in a delicious treat.

The recipe I used was for a Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Rice Krispy Treat I discovered last summer. The only thing I did differently was add in some whole marshmallows just before I poured the mixture.

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 10.5 ounce bag of miniature marshmallows
• ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste (you can use an actual vanilla bean)
• 5 cups Rice Krispies cereal

To prepare:

In a large saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until it turns a golden brown color.Next add in the marshmallows and stir until they're melted.Remove pan from heat and mix in cereal.Press in cereal mixture into a buttered 9×9 baking dish.Allow to cool, cut into squares and serve.

Vanilla Rice Crispy Treats -Barnes & Noble Cafe

Last Sunday, after a day at the beach with my boys we came home, showered, and went out for frozen yogurt. Before the frozen yogurt we stopped in to Barnes & Noble to get some new books.

While we were there I picked up a a coffee at their cafe (hello Starbucks), and in amongst their treats was a delectable rice crispy treat.

My son Evan loves marshmallows and when he asked if he could have a treat I obliged, because he's not so much of an ice cream eater.

It was such a cute little treat, sprinkled in were whole marshmallows. More importantly it tasted good.

Yesterday he asked me if I could make him a rice crispy treat like the one he had and I told him I would. A quick stop in to the supermarket and ten minutes at the stove resulted in a delicious treat.

The recipe I used was for a Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Rice Krispy Treat I discovered last summer. The only thing I did differently was add in some whole marshmallows just before I poured the mixture.

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 10.5 ounce bag of miniature marshmallows
• ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste (you can use an actual vanilla bean)
• 5 cups Rice Krispies cereal

To prepare:

In a large saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until it turns a golden brown color.Next add in the marshmallows and stir until they're melted.Remove pan from heat and mix in cereal.Press in cereal mixture into a buttered 9×9 baking dish.Allow to cool, cut into squares and serve.

The Broken Destiny -Author Interview with Carlyle Labuschagne

I love to sit and talk shop with other writers, which is why I'm so happy to share a recent opportunity I had to interview debut author Carlyle Labuschagne about her novel, The Broken Destiny, which will be released later this year.

Judging from your website and book trailer, music feels like it is an integral part of your writing. Do you listen to music while writing? Did any song(s) help inspire Broken Destiny?

Music keeps me alive, like the blood in my veins; I would surely die without it. I listen to music every minute I am awake. Pity my singing ability is zero (LOL)

Music that I meditated on while writing The Broken Destiny – Bands , Muse , 30 Seconds to Mars, Paramore, Silversun Pickups, The Bravery, Civil Twilight, Sia and Linkin Park.

The songs that stand out for me – Muse with butterflies and hurricanes

Thirty seconds to Mars – R-evolve, Hurricane and Beautiful lie.

Sia with Breath me.

Paramore with We are Broken, and Paramore with When it Rains

Civil Twilight – Letters From the sky

What an awesome list! We've got very similar taste in music, I love all those bands!

What is The Broken Destiny about?

Overcoming your fears, obstacles, believing in one’s self.  Loving one’s self .  The Broken Destiny is about a girl who has to find her true self to unleash her destiny towards greatness. Every person has good and bad, and everything comes down to a choice, and sometimes making the wrong choice is actually the write choice at the time. To grow, to learn to love yourself. The only person who can hurt you is you. You are your worst enemy. Don’t change who you are for the sake of satisfying others, in the end it hurts only you. Your path is one of greatness and being true to yourself is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others. But it is often only through experiencing who you are not, to know who you are. To know the light you have to have experienced the dark. But always remember everything you go through, no matter how hard -  is for a reason.

Where and when does Broken Destiny take place?

The Broken Destiny takes place 300 years after World War Three has destroyed earth – The Broken reside on Planet Poseidon, the purple planet.

What character surprised you the most while writing?

Oh gosh, Ava, Enoch, Troy, Sam the most, but really all the characters do at some point, while writing book two – I wanted to kill half of them off for making me so mad .

Authors always know little secrets about their characters that the reader, may not know…could you share a little secret about one of your characters?

Deep down Sam is a softy, no matter how hardcore she seems – she has a heart.

How many books will there be in this series?

I am aiming at four.

Where did you grow up?

Around all parts of Johannesburg, South Africa.

If you could spend the day with anyone in the world living or dead, whom would you choose?

My husband , I’d spend the entire day with my husband – outdoors.

Who or what inspires you?

There are many people I look up to, My Mom and Dad have worked themselves from nothing – giving their kids the best lives they could.

For Writing I draw inspiration from music, people and the environment.

The world has many gifted people who do amazing things weather big or small it is their actions that inspire.

What are your three most favorite books?

At the moment...

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Do you like to snack on anything in particular when writing?

Coffee and vitamin water.

Did you learn anything about yourself while writing this novel?

Most definitely, I surprised myself by overcoming many obstacles, the language barrier, my grammar was terrible (I am Afrikaans). Spelling.  I guess for the first time I found out what I was made of, how far I can push myself. And deep down I learnt who I was – I learnt to like myself and grew more confident in my abilities , now I believe that whatever my dreams I can achieve them.

Don’t be crippled by fear. Let love and passion give you wings ~ Carlyle LabuschagneThe Broken Destiny will be released later this year. Follow Carlyle on Twitter , Goodreads and Facebook for updates.

Thank you so very much Nicole for this opportunity to tell readers about my book, my life . I wish you great success on your journey, as you have been part of mine – you have a place in my heart – forever. ~Carlyle Labuschagne