The Keepers: Ethan – Romance, Witches And Action – A Powerful Fantasy Novel With Heart

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Title: The Keepers: Ethan (The Keepers #3)

Author: Rae Rivers

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: April 7th, 2016

Rating: 5/5 Stars

It is no secret that I am a Rae River’s fan. And her latest novel of the Keeper’s series: Ethan, only cemented that fact even further. Filled with action, romance, and emotional turmoil, this well-crafted novel grabbed me from the first page and never let me go. Check out the following blurb, courtesy of Amazon:

“Going to Ameera to find Hazel. Stealing the spell … You think you can pull it off?” he asked.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
Just as she thought he’d kiss her, he reached for her jacket and said, “Then let’s go.”

A portal to another world has opened, unleashing dangerous creatures on earth. A dark witch is out for revenge. The stakes are high, a war inevitable.

One person can stop the madness. Jenna. She’s a Keeper to a powerful hybrid witch but she harbors a secret and if Jenna steps through the portal – seduced by the whispers of her hidden past – she may never return.

Fortunately, she has company… infamous Bennett brother and fiercely protective Keeper, Ethan. Their whip-cracking banter makes them perfect sparring partners in training, but how will they manage when their lives and everything they were born to defend are on the line?

When the battle lines are drawn, will Jenna and Ethan stand side by side – as friends, protectors, lovers … or as traitors?”

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Not being a fan of the whole vampire story obsession of the last few years, but longing for a good paranormal story, this book (just like every novel in this great series), satisfied my hunger for this genre. Yes, it has plenty of romance, but also plenty of action, with the main female character, Jenna, being as fierce as any Warrior out there. It is an emotional story, that had me all shook up at more than one point, only to be left breathless and with a great sense of relief at the end, for which I am very grateful for to Rae ( you will know what I mean, once you read the book – no spoilers here!) . I just wish the story did not have to  end  because I did not want to leave this world, these characters just yet.

If you love paranormal fiction and romance, with plenty of action that does not just happen in the bedroom, this book, actually this entire series is for you.Thanks to this series, Rae Rivers has become one of my absolute favorite Authors. The Keepers: Ethan is available on Amazon right now.

The Keepers: Ethan is available on Amazon right now.

 

Disclaimer: I was given this book for free via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Tea Leaf Reading Dictionary: F – An A to Z Challenge Blog Post

 

Welcome back! Nice to have you here on my blog. Today, I want to talk to you about sweets and tea. Yes, those delightful little treats that make tea time even more interesting. I have found a book for you, that combines both the love for tea, and love for sweet treats. It is called Tea and Cookies: Enjoy the Perfect Cup of Tea – With Dozens of Delectable Recipes of Teatime Treats by Rick Rodgers. If you like making your own treats and want to create them to fit with your new love, tea – or offer these during a tea leaf reading – you should check it out here.

 

 

 

My personal favorite sweets  with tea, when I do not have the time to bake are these delightful French chocolate madeleines, which are delicate and sweet, and fit perfect with any cup of tea. What are your favorite treats to eat with tea?

Now that we are all hungry, we can get back to our Tea Leaf Reading Symbol Dictionary. Today’s letter is “F”. Enjoy!

 

Letter F:

Falcon: be warned, you have an enemy you might not be aware of. Pay attention!

Feathers: depends on the size of the feather: Large feathers symbolize prosperity and success, if you are an author that means literary success, small feathers means that you need to meet your fears with courage

Fence: You are very close to making to success, once you overcome this one last hurdle

Finger: a symbol that asks you to pay extra close attention to the other symbols in the current reading

Flags: warns you of danger ahead – potential unrest in the country you are in, or about to travel to

Foot: the beginning of a journey

Fork: be warned, those who flatter you on a consistent basis have alternative motives that are not in your favor

Fox: you have an unexpected enemy

Frog: time to change your residence! Also, could mean that there is a change in job in order.

Fruit: generally speaking fruit is a positive sign that shows prosperity and furthering in your goals

Disclosure: The above post contained affiliate links. See Disclosure page for details. 

Book Review: Got Luck by Michael Darling

 

Disclaimer: I was given this book for free in return for a honest review. This blog post contains affiliate links, see disclosure page for details

Title: Got Luck
Author: Michael Darling
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Crime
Publisher: Future House Publishing
Rating: 2/5 Stars

The Premise:

Police-officer-turned-private-investigator Goethe “Got” Luck is known for rolling with the punches and never taking anything too seriously. When he picks up a seemingly dead-end murder case, his life begins to take a crazy turn. Shot at, chased by people he has never met, and attacked by an invisible liondog, Got quickly learns that there is more to this world than meets the eye.

He discovers the Fae. The Eternals. They who dwell in the Behindbeyond. Once, they ruled over ancient realms, but over the centuries, their power dwindled. Now someone wants to restore their rule and subjugate humankind. All it will cost is thousands of human lives.

The clock is ticking. Getting the world out of this one will take a couple friends, more than a few well-placed insults, and a whole lot of Luck.

I became interested in this book, because the above blurb sounded like a pretty cool premise, promising a fast pasted, interesting story with a  twist that is not your standard fair for a fantasy/crime novel. But sadly,  I was disappointed. To be honest, I really do not like 1st person narratives. It is rare that books written in this particular  form are something I can lose myself in, so I had a bias from the moment I actually received the copy. For a first person narrative to be great, I have to connect deeply with the main character, and that connection has to happen rather quickly, in order for me to see the story through their eyes and enjoy the view. That rarely happens.

But, because I have been proven wrong before, I stuck with it and read the book to the end. I was not proven wrong. The plot itself seems a bit confusing at first, not finding much flow until the second half of the book, by which time, I would have already stopped reading, would I not have made the commitment to finish reading the book. While the second half was a little bit more entertaining, it still took me longer than usual to get through, simply because I had to drag myself back to the story, rather than being pulled in. With the immense amount of competition of great indie fantasy Authors now available on Amazon, a novel has to be special to stand out of the crowd, and I am sorry to say that this will be lost in the shuffle. Not my cup of tea.

The Most Detailed Book On The Subject, I Have Read: Elevator Speeches That Get Results

Disclaimer: I have received this book for free from the publisher in return for an honest review. The following post contains affiliate links, see Disclosure page for details. Don’t miss their special coupon and discount deals below!

Book Title: Elevator Speeches That Get Results

Author: Dorothy Tannahill-Moran

Publisher: Introvert Whisperer

Genre: Non-Fiction/Business/Self-help

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Written in a delightful conversational tone, Elevator Speeches That Get Results, is a very detailed an informative book on the art of creating effective elevator speeches. This is not a book for someone who is looking to master the short sales pitch, rather a book that allows the reader to learn how to introduce themselves and their brand effectively and quickly, making a great conversation starter, as well as getting people’s interest in your expertise/niche. It is longer than most books in this price range, which surprised me positively.
With the Author’s straightforward style, there is little fluff in the book, so you do not have to navigate through a ton of personal anecdotes that take away from the actual subject matter.
Overall a great book on elevator speeches.

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Book Review: Delicious DIY Coffee Recipes That Will Impress

(Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links, see Disclosure page for details)
Book Review: Delicious DIY Coffee Recipes That Will Impress and Bring Out the Home Barista In Everyone: The Home Barista Series: Volume 1 (Delicious DIY Coffee Recipes … In Everyone:The Home Barista Series)

Author: Cut To The Chase Media

Genre: Cooking, Beverages

Rating: 4/5 Stars

The unusual recipes absolutely sparked by attention, especially with ingredients like Nutella and KitKat, which – for a chocolate lover and coffee addict like me, is like a dream come true.
At 22 recipes, this book is way too short, though. From a cookbook, I expect a few more recipes. Also, while some people might like the fact that it has no fluff, it does not even contain any information about the Author, and barely an introduction.

Overall the concept and the recipes are great, and well thought through, but because it was so short, I was somewhat disappointed.

You also may like:

B130 DeskPro Coffee Maker
 my personal favorite machine, when I want a quick cup of coffee.

Quick, Fun And Entertaining – “His Stubborn Lover” by Leslie North

Title: His Stubborn Lover

Author: Leslie North

Publisher: CreateSpace

Publication Date: Sept. 24, 2015

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Romance

Rating: 4/5 Stars

A very quick, fun read, that could have been turned into a little longer novel, but it was perfect for a lazy Saturday afternoon (while I was waiting for my computer to be fixed). The characters – Brock and Keira are charming, and their connection steamy. I would not recommend this book for anyone who is looking for something rated PG 13, but if you don’t mind the physical, is cute.

I am surprised to have not found this to be a Harlequin book, considering that it fits perfectly into what that publisher offers, so if you read their books, you will like this one.
I am planning on reading the next installment of what is promising an action filled, quick entertaining read.

The only downfall of this book was that the title does not fit it very well. It makes it sound a lot cheaper and less thought-through than it actually is.  I almost did not read it,  because of that,  but like I stated above, I was unable to work and needed something to read, so I gave this book a shot and was glad I did.

 

P.S. This book was provided to me free via NetGalley, in return for an honest review.

Want to be a book reviewer? Need a website? Go to SiteRubix right now for two free websites! What are you waiting for? 

Warmth – A Haiku

your touch warms the soul
my heart sings in your presence
every day a gift

Copyright Claudia H. Blanton 2015

I recently wrote about the Royal Holiday collection, a set of four romance novels from publisher Tule Publishing, but not about the last three books of the series. A sense of warmth is the overall emotion one should take from this series, books that feature strong women, and caring men. If you are looking to lose yourself in short romance novels, you should read the entire series, they are really worth it.

The titles in the series are:
The Cinderella Princess (Royal Holiday Book 1)

Her Secret Prince (Royal Holiday Book 2)

His Defiant Princess (Royal Holiday Book 3)

His Forbidden Princess (Royal Holiday Book 4)

A must have series for the fan of contemporary romance

Book Review: Getting Things Done by David Allen (2015 Edition)

Title: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

Author: David Allen

Genre: Self-Help

Publisher: Penguin Group

Release Date: March 17th, 2015

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Getting Things Done is the classic under the organizing books, the most effective system for those who have to deal with a lot of incoming information and are having a hard time with how to process it all.
GTD as many lovingly refer to this system, has helped many since its original publication, me included, and I was very excited to see that there was an updated version of the same book. Just as before, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to get back into control of their incoming information. This is not just for the high-level executive, but also very valuable for the small business owner, to the housewife running her home. If you do not have the original book, get the new version now

(Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review)

Book Review: Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose

Title: Closer Than You Think

Author: Karen Rose

Publisher: Signet

Release Date: February 3rd, 2015

Rating: 5/5 Stars

This book left me breathless. This is a very fast paced, romantic mystery that had me from the moment I began reading it. First of all, I was impressed by Karen Rose’s tight writing style, that precisely seemed to hit the right notes. No lengthy, unnecessary prose, but filled with so much detail, that I was impressed that she was able to keep all of the details and plot twists, as well as the large amount of characters in perfect order.

Filling up 678 pages with nothing but a dense plot, that had the perfect amount of twists, she managed to create believable characters that came to life on the page. The two main characters were memorable and the romance not rushed, even though the story on takes place over a short period of time,  yet somehow she managed to make the quick connection plausible.

This was my introduction to this Author, but I am very much looking forward to reading a lot more of her. Best book of 2015 so far.

(Disclaimer: I did not receive this book from a publisher or Author. I purchased this book for private consumption)

Three Reason I Like NetGalley – And The One Thing I Do Not Like

I have been reviewing for NetGalley for since February 2014 and, for the most part, I have really enjoyed the process
Reading is an essential part of becoming a better writer, and dissecting what you read is even a better way to learn about the craft of writing. Reviewing books is a wonderful opportunity to integrate both while driving traffic to this space. A win – win situation.

Here are the three things that I really enjoy about NetGalley:

1. The sign-up process is easy and there are no special hurdles to jump over.

Whether you are a blogger, a professional reviewer on YouTube, a librarian or have a bookstore, there are virtually no limitations to whom can sign up for an account with NetGalley. Your requests to view the books, however, are, for the most part, subject to the approval of the individual publisher, and each publisher can set their own requirements.

2. The books are of the highest quality.

These are not books from the darkest corner of the publishing world, no this service is utilized by the biggest names in publishing (take Dean Koontz for example, I had a chance to read his newest book before publication via NetGalley), to independent publishers. Examples of publishing houses that work with NetGalley are Kensington, HayHouse, Harlequin Romance, and many more.

3. The variety is outstanding.

If you have a niche blog and want to review only specific types of books, you will also find your fill there. I have found everything from books on architecture and photography to business and self-help as well as a variety of genre fiction, from romance to erotica and mysteries.

The one issue I have with NetGalley is that the format in which you can read the books is either Kindle or download on an Adobe Digital Reader. Adobe Digital is rather buggy with any book that has visual content, and it does not save your spot. If you are considering to review for NetGalley, save yourself a lot of trouble by syncing your kindle app with NetGalley, and skip reading it on the web (which I personally would prefer, if it wasn’t for the bugs).
I highly recommend, for additional blog content consider the at least occasional review of a book and to do it via NetGalley.

Happy Reviewing!

(Disclaimer: I did not get commissioned, nor compensated for this review)