Wednesday 23 November 2011

eBook Review: The Forest of Adventures by Katie M John

Goodreads: For seventeen year old Mina Singer, falling in love with an Arthurian Knight on a white horse was never part of the plan - especially being that she's an ordinary college girl living in the twenty first century. 
As Mina finds herself catapulted into a land she believed only existed in the bedtime stories of her childhood, she soon discovers that Fairyland is not quite as innocent as she imagined. 

The question is...who will come out alive? 

Haunting, beautiful and sexy, The Forest of Adventures, is a dark romantic quest into the land of true and forbidden love. 

Title: The Forest of Adventures
Author: Katie M John
Series: Knight Trilogy #1
Publisher: Little Bird Publishing
Release Date: 26th October 2010
Source: Author via The Kindle Book Review

What an adventure! This is a wonderful adventure story for young adults. Set in the real world with the addition of fairy tale creatures. It all starts as a seemingly normal romance story, but then will escalate into a fantasy with Knights in shining armour and an evil sorceress, plus magic and myths. This is a wonderful story that is easy to read and it’s a page turner.

Mina Singer is a typical teenager, she is in love with a boy and they have been together for two years. Everything is going to plan until one day a new student arrives at college. Blake is the most handsome boy she has ever seen and is instantly in love with him. Mina has guilty feelings about falling out of love with Sam, she continues to feel and see Blake without anyone knowing. Blake is old school and will not kiss or touch Mina until she has ended things with Sam; this makes him even more honourable in Mina's eyes.

On one eventful evening, Blake was giving Mina a lift home and it was pouring with rain. The traffic was horrible and Blake decided to take another route. His car stalled and wouldn't start because of all the water, so they had to walk to get mobile phone signal. While walking in the forest, Blake was summoned the Morgan, the evil sorceress and asked to go on an adventure to recover a lost relic. Mina couldn't believe her eyes and this was the beginning of her adventure.

I loved this book, the story was easy to follow and the characters weren't complicated. I loved the mix of romance and adventure. I can't wait to read the next in this trilogy, Immortal Beloved (book 2 Knight Trilogy).

4 EXPLOSIONS - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

You can find Katie M John on Goodreads, Amazon, Twitter, Facebook and her website.

eBook Review: The Kissing Tree by Prudence Bice

The Kissing TreeThe Kissing Tree by Prudence Bice

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is s beautiful romance story. An easy read with a wonderful setting and the characters are fantastic.

Following the life of Georgiana from childhood to adulthood. She grew up on a cattle ranch in Colorado; living with her parents, grandparents and her two younger brothers. Her father has a terrible accident on the ranch and Georgiana's mother is so grief stricken that she cannot live there any longer and has to move to New York and live with her sister. She takes the children with her without telling them they will not see their friends again.

Georgiana is heartbroken, no longer the outgoing and bubbly child, she has withdrawn from everyone and pines for her friends back in Colorado. The years pass by without any contact from her friends; now a grown young lady, she decides to visit her Grandpa and help with the domestic duties of the ranch. Before departing New York, her companion, Dawson, insists on visiting if she doesn't return quickly.

Arriving in Colorado, Georgiana finds nothing has changed. She rekindles her friendship with Samantha her best childhood friend and sees her sweetheart Ridge. But things only seem to get more complicated.

This is a lovely love triangle and beautiful story with twists included. As this is set in the old west, I found it a refreshing read and the author certainly knows how to draw the reader into the story. I found it addictive and laughing along with the clumsiness of Georgiana. It brings back memories of my Primary School years when we also has a kissing tree - ah the fun we had. Highly recommended to all romance readers.

Received from NetGalley for review.


View all my reviews

Friday 18 November 2011

Imago Chronicles: Book One, A Warrior's Tale by Lorna T Suzuki

Goodreads: "Imago Chronicles: Book One, A Warrior's Tale" begins at the height of the turmoil that shall determine if indeed there will be a Third Age of Peace. Besieged by the enemy from the east and now immersed in war with soldiers of the Dark Army from the west, Nayla Treeborn and her people are about to engage in the next great war that will decide the fate of all mankind and Elves in Imago. In a desperate attempt to deliver word to the Elf king of Wyndwood and those of the alliance for a call to arms, she is the last surviving messenger sent forth by her people. Now, trapped in a storm at the top of the world, she fights to survive the deadly elements in a strange land.
Despised by Elves and shunned by mortals, she must now find the courage to make a place in this world, and the compassion to save those who keep her at arm's length. This adventure recounts the defining moments in Nayla's life that had forged her into a deadly warrior, a great captain and a legend amongst the people of Imago.


Title: Imago Chronicles: A Warrior's Tale
Author: L T Suzuki
Series: Book One
Publisher: Self Published
Published: 18th August 2010
Format: Kindle eBook
Source: Author via The Kindle Book Review



Fantastically written first book in the series, I loved it and cannot wait to read the next.  Lorna has an amazing talent to create a world that seems so realist and the characters are so varied.  This story is just amazing and is coming to film.

A Warriors Tale is exactly that, it follows Nayla from her beginning through to her long journey.  Nayla is the only child of the High Elf, Lord Dahlon Treeborn.  As soon as Nayla was born her father has not treated her kindly.  One dreadful night after being punished, an Elf discoveres Nayla and whisks her away to safety.  This first night was the beginning of the rest of her life.  Nayla was taken to the infamous Kagai Warriors and she asked to remain there out of reach of her father.  As she stayed, she watched the Warriors train and became accustomed to their ways.  Nayla is half elf and half mortal, she is neither here nor there and didn’t have the normal abilities of the elf or the short life of a mortal.  Over the time she stayed with the Warriors, Nayla began to train and became a Warrior Maiden.  She was known throughout the land as an awe-inspiring warrior and all wanted to be by her side during battle.

Her tale continues through the ages from bloody battle to bloody battle.  She finds love and wisdom and a brotherhood that lasts for generations.  Nayla accepts her fate and journey’s to find her ancestors and ask for the alliance to be renewed as they are all under attack.  Will Nayla be able to find Wyndwood in time and alive?

Fantastic story; it is so full of action that anyone would admire all of the detailing.  There is love, friendship and hardships all included.  I laughed along with Nayla and cried during her heartaches, it seems so real the way Lorna has written the story.  I highly recommended this book to all fantasy lovers. ~ Katie Turner (The Kindle Book Review)




4 EXPLOSIONS - FANTASTIC FANTASY




You can find Lorna on Goodreads, Amazon, Twitter and Facebook.  The next book in this series is Imago Chronicles: Book Two Tales from the West.

Monday 14 November 2011

DOUBLE CLUTCH TOUR - Guest Post with Liz Reinhardt


I am lucky enough to be able to participate in this awesome tour which is being hosted by Missy Reads & Reviews and review Double Clutch.  If you would like to read my review, please click HERE. Below is the guest post supplied by the wonderful Liz Reinhardt.


First Brush With Romance: How Milk and Laminated Hearts Made Me The Cootie Queen of Kindergarten 

I recently wrote a YA contemporary romance, Double Clutch. When I wrote it, I thought back a lot on my past experiences with love, especially in high school. But I was a seasoned pro by the time high school rolled around! Because my issues with boys started when I was in kindergarten, and they were surprisingly complicated back then! Please enjoy my tale of my first catastrophic brush with romance, in which I sacrifice a boy's honor for snacks. Wow. It's weird how much that still sounds like grown-up me! 

Kindergarten was a place of bright construction paper, daily weather updates on the sacred weather wheel, more blocks than twenty-odd kids could ever play with sanely, and...arranged romance. Okay, maybe not arranged 'romance' in the traditional 'we'd like you to eventually take vows' sense of the word, but there was a definite enforced link between a boy and a girl that lasted for the ten minutes it took to walk from the Kindergarten classroom to the downstairs refrigerator and back up to the sunny kindergarten room. And it could be a relationship changer. It was for me and Jimmy V.



It all LOOKS so innocent and cheerful...but love was won in lost in a classroom that looked very much like this one!



Jimmy V. and Missy B. were my two best buddies in kindergarten. Missy and I both loved My Little Ponies, Madonna, and had long hair. Jimmy and I both hated turtlenecks, thought Lori M. was too bossy, and...there wasn't much else. But, really, what more could you ask for in a friendship when you're five?


They do, trapped cat. Or, they did. I no longer have such intense emotions about them. And I bet Lori M. really was a nice girl. I was kind of a judgmental 5-year-old.

In my kindergarten classroom, Mrs. H had a board with pink laminated hearts. On one side of the board were the names of all the girls; on the other side were the names of all the boys (who stomped their little macho feet over having their names on pink laminated hearts). Each day, Mrs. H. would pull one boy's and one girl's name and those two would be instructed to hold hands and go on a long, romantic journey. To get the milk for snack time.


I still think of romance when I see milk cartons to this day!


On the fateful day, Mrs. H. approached the board with her usual good cheer and pulled two names. Mine and Jimmy's. We were to go together and get the milk, and I was happy (though I was, by all accounts, a pretty happy kid no matter what). Jimmy was less happy. It seemed that our mutual dislike of turtlenecks and Lori M. wasn't enough to combat Jimmy's upset over what he considered to be a great injustice; I was the regular class caboose.

I realized he was sulky over my place in line, but I was a five-year-old Amazon, and Mrs. H. always said the tallest person had to be at the back of the line. Anyway, it wasn't always me. Sometimes Lori M. wore her heeled penny-loafers and ousted me as the caboose. But Jimmy wouldn't listen to reason, and, to add insult to injury, he had a broken arm and wasn't allowed to play on the monkey bars at recess. The day was doomed from the beginning.

Being the caboose was a big deal in kindergarten! There was a lot of envy directed my way...


We made the long trek down the stairs, to the basement, and knocked on the door behind which lived a gruff old janitor. He was the man who would ask how many students in our class needed milk, then hand us a long, wooden carrier with the cartons. The carrier was made for two sets of little hands to carry, but there was a secret rebellion going on in Mrs. H.'s kindergarten class.

Maybe it was rebellion against having their names on pink laminated hearts, but the boys in class had taken to lugging the carrier back upstairs without any assistance from the girls. It was dangerous and risky, but since there had been no milk carton casualties, Mrs. H. turned a blind eye.

Milk and hearts...somehow they do make sense together. It was still a hard pill for the boys in my class to swallow!

"Let me help, Jimmy. You can't carry it. You only have one good arm," I pointed out.

Jimmy scowled and yanked the carrier handle out of my reach.

"Jimmy, c'mon. You're gonna drop the milks!" I cried, as milk cartons wobbled and jerked in their shallow container. Jimmy tried to run, but his broken arm threw him off balance.

I knew those milks were going to wind up on the floor. Jimmy was going to fall and get hurt. Mrs. H. might write our names on the blackboard, under a frowny face! These were desperate times, and they called for desperate measures!

I ran after Jimmy, snatched the wooden carrier, pushed him back a few steps, and ran to the classroom, milks intact, relief on my face. Until I saw Jimmy, storming after me. Mrs. H. looked confused, but Jimmy knew better than to tattle and get us both in trouble. 

If only Jimmy had listened to me! I could have let him bring it into the classroom and saved face. But, NO, he had to ignore me, and look what happened!


At recess, the milk rebellion was the talk of the classroom. I had won admiration from some of the girls who longed to carry the milk up the stairs themselves, but those who were more admiring of chivalry frowned at my attempt to usurp the boys from their power position. The boys were pouty and suspicious, uncertain what their place would be if every girl decided she could suddenly run off with the milks.

But what hurt the most was Jimmy's anger. I had wounded him. Deeply. I had stripped him of his only defense against having his name on pink laminated heart, and their was no room for me when he played blocks. An ugly rumor that I had cooties got spread around, and no amount of circle-circle-dot-dots cured the cootie virus. Jimmy looked smug.

It was an epidemic, and I was the root! Luckily, the attention span  in  my classroom was very short, and my cootie outbreak only lasted until the next paste-eater got a scolding from Mrs. H...and we used a lot of apparently delicious paste in my classroom.

By the time kindergarten was over and summer came and went, Jimmy was a long distant memory. He was in an entirely different first grade class, a whole hall away! We met once in a while across Red Rover lines, and it was bittersweet at best, and I decided to close my heart to romance and focus on double digit subtraction, which I was failing miserably. I had no more time for romance!

And I remained stalwartly anti-boy until fourth grade, when Mike A. swept into my life and made me want to crimp my hair every day! If you're interested, I'll be sharing that sad, sad tale of my first broken heart with Shilpa at smmirza.blogspot.com on the 16th! Thank you so much to Katie for allowing me to share my first love story on her lovely blog!

Yep. There really was a time people did this everyday because they thought it looked  cool!
~~~~~

How awesome was that post from Liz Reinhardt, if only love was as simple as a teenager or even adulthood.  Thank you Liz for a lovely trip down memory lane.

Liz is also offering her book in a giveaway on this post.  It will be an eBook, so therefore open internationally.  Please leave a post comment to enter and the winner will be drawn on 21st November 2011 and notified by email.

Saturday 12 November 2011

Author Interview: Dianne Blacklock - The Secret Ingredient

I have had the pleasure of interviewing the awesome Australian author, Dianne Blacklock.  Dianne's latest release is The Secret Ingredient, which came out 1st November 2011.  I was lucky enough to receive a copy for review and if you would like to read my review, please click here.  Now on with the show!




Goodreads Synopsis: Taste was such an evocative sense; Andie had closed her eyes, with the scone melting in her mouth, and been transported back to her grandmother's kitchen... 

Nourishment is nurture. That's what Andie learned from her grandmother and what she's always believed about cooking. But somehow, since marrying Ross, she's allowed her love of food to take a back seat and given up her dream of becoming a chef. 

Lately she's been craving more. And when her marriage falls apart, she's determined to find herself again and take back control of her destiny. 

The first step is taking a job in the kitchen of renowned chef Dominic Gerou. The brooding Englishman is more than Andie bargains for, but the new Andie is ready for anything, even a bad-tempered chef who makes it clear he won't tolerate mistakes. 

In this beautiful new novel, Dianne Blacklock takes us on a sumptuous journey of the heart as Andie uncovers the secret ingredient for her new life, and shows that no matter how many false starts you may have, if you hold on to your passion and your dreams, anything is possible.


~~~~~


Firstly, can you please tell us a little about yourself?
I’m a mother of four sons, a former teacher of communications, and now I am lucky enough to be writing full-time. My first novel, Call Waiting, was published in 2002, and my eighth has just been published in November.

Katie - (Wow, four boys, awesome!  I am sure they keep you extremely busy).

When did you begin writing & did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
You know, that’s a funny thing, I wasn't one of those people who always dreamed of being a writer – I didn't have the audacity. I always loved to write, for as long as I can remember, but it didn't even enter my head that it could be a career. Then, years ago, an old friend suggested we write a Mills & Boon together, thinking we could make some easy money. We soon learned it was not so easy. We were swiftly rejected, so then set about writing what we wanted to write instead, not with a designated publisher in mind. That project kept me going for more than a decade, eventually becoming the manuscript that first gained a publisher’s attention. It was a long, but extremely valuable apprenticeship!

What made you decide to write romance? Where do you get your inspiration from?
I didn't decide to write any particular genre – except for when I tried to write a Mills & Boon, as mentioned above, and that was a complete failure! I’m interested and curious about all kinds of relationships – within families, amongst friends, and between people who are falling in and/or out of love. My novels explore all these relationships; the love story is often the icing on the cake for me, I guess I’m a romantic at heart!

Because we’re social animals, I get my inspiration from everyone around me – which makes my friends nervous at times! There’s never a shortage of material when you’re writing about people living everyday lives.

What research did you undertake (if any) for The Secret Ingredient?
There is such a fascination with food and cooking and all things related, that there is a veritable feast (pardon the pun!) of information to draw on – restaurant websites, blogs, reviews … But I did want to be realistic about what it’s like to work in a commercial kitchen. It’s not as glamorous as people imagine, in fact it’s not glamorous at all. I was able to run everything by a couple of friends who work in the industry, one who is actually a chef.

And I started watching MasterChef! I’d only seen snippets before, my sons have no interest in it whatsoever, but I told them it was for research. I think it helped me pick up on the terminology especially.

I also had to do some research into Ross’s heart condition. I got the idea because my cousin’s husband had been through it, but it wasn’t too difficult to check the medical facts. Google is a wonderful thing.

If The Secret Ingredient was made into a movie, who would you like cast as Andie and Dominic?
Colin Firth for Dominic, no question (though he’d have to be about ten years younger – circa Bridget Jones). While I was developing his character, there were different actors that ‘auditioned’, but as soon as Colin Firth came into my head, he was perfect. Dominic appears arrogant and even haughty at first, but that’s partly shyness, perhaps a little awkwardness. He’s really quite sweet, as readers have been discovering.

Katie - (Oh yes, Colin Firth is perfectly suited)

Andie is more difficult to cast, she might have to be played by an unknown. She’s supposed to be physically quite stunning, so there are plenty of actresses around who fit that bill, but she also needs to have a sweetness and slight naivety, but be smart and tenacious enough to pick up her life and push on. It’s a hard one – I’m open to suggestions!

Is there another book in the works? And if so, can you give us any hints or clues as to what it is about?
There is another book in the works – there’s always another one! It’s only very early days yet, but I've established the main characters. At the moment – and things could change! – it centers around a feisty single mum who’s an activist, whose work leads her to come up against a man who owns and operates a vineyard. Looks like I’ll be doing a lot of research on wine … it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.

Katie - (sounds like that will be fun research) LOL 

What are your top 5 favourite books of all time?
Great Expectations, Pride & Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Lord of the Rings … then the fifth place I would have to share between so many books that I love, but would not be able to single out one as an all-time favourite above the others.

What are you currently reading and what format do you prefer (paperback or eBook)?
I’m still largely reading paperbacks because I have a stack to get through, and I only recently bought an ereader. However, I’ve just started Sense and Sensibility on my Kindle – I read it a long time ago, and I've seen the movie several times. It’s delicious going back to the original text, and I’m quite happy to read it as an ebook.

Do you have a routine when you are writing? 
When my kids were all at school, my routine was much more strict. Now I waste a lot of time! However, I do prefer to write later in the day than earlier. So in the mornings I’ll go to the gym, and/or do a bit of housework, run errands, whatever. Then I settle down to work in the afternoon. If I’m on deadline, and particularly if the boys are out and about (and therefore not needing to be fed!), I’ll happily work right through into the night.

Do you need something on in the background, like music or the telly?
Never the telly, that would be way too distracting. I do like music, and often develop a playlist for each novel. However, I don’t need it exactly – sometimes it gets me going, but once I’m in the zone, often the music has stopped and I haven’t even noticed.

What's your biggest challenge when writing a novel?
Eight books in, my challenge now is to keep it fresh, find new and interesting storylines, and introduce characters who are unique and individual, but also still feel familiar – readers want to relate to the characters. The first three novels were easier in a lot of ways, because I could write about anything I’d ever been interested in exploring, and create characters without the fear of repeating myself. I would hate to start churning out the same basic story, with just the names and some of the details changed. Fortunately so far, my very loyal readers tell me that all of my books are ‘very different’.


Have you ever thought of writing a series?
I’m often asked if I’ll ever write a sequel to any of my novels – especially when people have a favourite. I always explain that those characters have been put through enough, they've got their happy ending now, so they should be left alone. However, the potential in e-publishing is quite interesting, and I have been toying with the idea of developing a series with chapter-length installments. That is possible electronically, it wouldn't be viable in traditional book format.


QUICKIE QUESTIONS

Favourite food?
Unfortunately for my figure, I’ll eat anything! Narrowing to down to two food groups, I’d have to say chocolate and potatoes. (Not such a quick answer!)

Vanilla or chocolate ice cream?
Although I love chocolate (see above), in ice cream I’d prefer vanilla. I’m an enigma.

Sweet or savoury snacks?
Six of one, half a dozen of the other … please!

Tea or coffee?
Tea first thing, always. Love coffee through the day, but can’t drink it after five. So it’s herbal tea in the evening. (You thought you’d get one-word answers, didn’t you?)

Cats or dogs?
Allergic to cats, so that’s easy. And we've always had dogs since I was a girl.

~~~~~

Excellent, thank you Dianne for joining me today.  You are a very inspirational Woman, Mother and Author.  I can't wait to see what you decide with the series in e-publishing and the next book.  Everybody must go out and read The Secret Ingredient, it is a beautiful romantic read.

You can find Dianne at her blog, http://dianneblacklock.wordpress.com, on Twitter, her website and find out more on Dianne's books on GoodreadsAmazon and Kobo.


Friday 11 November 2011

In My Mailbox #4



In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.  Sharing books that have been received for review, purchased or given as a gift.  The hope is that you will share in the comment section what you received this week.

I didn't get a chance to make a post last week, so this is for two weeks.

For Review
Via The Kindle Book Review




  • Heart of Glass by Christy Hayes
  • Osric's Wand: The Wand-Makers Debate by Jack D Albrecht Jnr
  • The Knowing by L J Charles
  • Pyxis: The Discovery by K C Neil
  • Ashlyn's Radio by Wilson Doherty
  • Light under the House by Aaron L and Donna Dawson
  • The Boy who flew with Eagles by Ben Woodard
  • Khantara: Vol. 1 by Michelle Franklin


For Review
Via Euterpe Publishing


The Girl Who Remembered Horses by Linda Benson

Prizes



  • Fateful by Claudia Gray (won from She Known As Jess)
  • Destined by PC & Kristin Cast (won from Dymocks Brisbane)
  • King of the Merge by Bradley Convissar (won from Incessant Droning of a Board Writer)
  • Hollowmen (Hollowland #2) by Amanda Hocking (won from Fiktshun)







Gifted
Thank you so very much Belinda


Golden Earrings by Belinda Alexandra

Purchased
I am trying not to purchase at the moment, but sometimes I just can't resist.




  • Firelight by Sophie Jordan
  • Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #1) by Laurell K Hamilton
  • Raphael (Vampires in America) by D B Reynolds


So, I had a pretty amazing mailbox this past fortnight.  What did you receive in your mailbox?

Wednesday 9 November 2011

eBook Review: Tales from Frewyn: The Opera by Michelle Franklin

Goodreads: When due homage is paid to the heroes of Frewyn, what could possibly go wrong? 

The Frewyn Players at the Royal Theatre in Diras are looking for new material to perform when a famous director from Marridon arrives to impart a Marridon theatrical pastime that is certain to make them famous. An opera will be their new performance, one that glorifies Frewyn's greatest heroes, but what begins as homage ends as mockery, and the play that would make them the greatest exhibition in Frewyn might instead make them the Den Asaan's most merited enemy.


Title: Tales from Frewyn: The Opera
Author: Michelle Franklin
Publisher: Red Willow Digital Press
Format: Kindle eBook
Source: Author - thank you Michelle (via The Kindle Book Review)

This is a hilarious short read, but it gives you a look into the lives of the Commander and Den Asaan Rautu as a couple.  This is another beautifully written story by Michelle Franklin.

The Frewyn Players at the Royal Theatre in Diras are creating a performance.  They have decided to do something different from the usual performances they present.  The director decided to tell the love tale of the Commander and Den Asaan Rautu, but he seemed to exaggerate and included a few untruths.  A couple of the Commanders’ men witnessed the poster being put up and had to have a look for themselves.  Upon examining the poster, they discovered the whole thing looked horribly wrong. 

The poster was taken to the Commander; they didn’t want to risk the wrath of Den Asaan Rautu.  The Commander thought this production to be a farce and then she went to visit King Alasdair.  He also thought it to be funny and wanted to see the production for himself.  Invitations were handed out and the picture Den Asaan Rautu saw was horrible to him, he demanded to see a pre-screening to make sure everything was above board.

I absolutely loved this and laughed and laughed and laughed.  This is a beautiful take on the couple’s devotion to each other and Den Asaan Rautu’s loyalty and commitment to the Commanders well-being.  Is a must read to all series fans. ~ Katie Turner (The Kindle Book Review)

5 EXPLOSIONS - HILARIOUS MUST READ

You can find Michelle Franklin on GoodreadsTwitter,AmazonFacebookSmashwords and her blog.

eARC Review: Khantara: Vol. 1 by Michelle Franklin

Goodreads: Khantara tells the story of the Den Asaan Rautu's mother and father. 

Khantara is a Haanta conquerer, meant to wage war and rule over the enemy nation of Thellis, but after vanquishing Thellis and occupying a construction of a Haanta outpost, he meets Anelta, a woman enslaved by her own people bearing a brand of servitude on her neck. Khantara contrives to save her from a cruel home and bring her to the refuge his people can provide, but how can he do so successfully when the eyes of Thellis are upon him?


Title: Khantara Vol. 1
Author: Michelle Franklin
Publisher: Red Willow Digital Press
Format: Kindle eBook
Source: Author - thank you very much Michelle (via The Kindle Book Review)



This was an awesome insight into the beginnings of Den Asaan Rautu’s parents.  Another fantastic book from Michelle Franklin, her style of writing is unlike no other and so easy to read.  I find myself unable to put it down, it is so enjoyable.

Khantara is the title given to a magnificent warrior and lord of war.  Khantara and his 3 students embark on a journey to the mainland to conquer the Thellisians once and for all.  Upon arriving, Khantara’s stature and his intense attitude towards the villager’s makes things go along simply enough.  The Haanta people are setting up an outpost and have started construction on barracks, a temple and Khantara’s abode.  Khantara is very concerned for his people and would rather the stonemason complete the temple or barracks before finalizing his home.  Alas, this didn’t happen and the stonemason has to undertake the wrath of Khantara!  Needless to say, the temple and barracks didn’t take long to be completed.  One afternoon after celebrations had begun; Khantara went for a peaceful walk.  Not far down the road he overheard an argument between a man and a woman.  Khantara hid in the shadows to witness the disagreement and to intervene if need be.  The man left the woman and headed into the village, leaving the woman alone and upset because of his departure.  Khantara approached the woman, trying not to startle her and questioned after her feelings.  Khantara took a quick assessment of her home and surroundings only to find a mark upon her neck.  Anelta explained that the mark is that of a slave and in Thellis she is called one of the Marked.  Her husband is responsible for supplying shelter and food, but only when he likes.  Anelta is starved and has few possessions. 

Khantara takes it upon himself to check on Anelta the following day and finds her trying to barter her dresses for money in the marketplace.  He again goes under the darkness of the shadows and follows her.  Khantara takes Anelta’s difficulty to heart and decides that he will take Anelta away from this way of life.

This is a beautiful love story; I really got into the feelings of Khantara and his amazing way with words.  The other parts I really enjoyed were his 3 students or commanders and their brother like mannerisms.  The way they carried on and became concerned for their leader was awesome and I had a laugh on several occasions.  The way Michelle describes Khantara and Anelta’s lovely beginning was marvelous.



4 EXPLOSIONS - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED


You can find Michelle Franklin on Goodreads, Twitter, Amazon, Facebook, Smashwords and her blog.



eBook Review: Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt

Goodreads: What happens when you fall for the perfect guy...twice...in one day?

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance. 

What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once. 

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be darker and more complex than Brenna is willing to deal with. 

Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies...and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.

Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in classes split between academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about with out juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once. 

She has to make a choice, but how is she supposed to do that when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other's?

Title: Double Clutch
Author: Liz Reinhardt
Series: Brenna Blixen #1
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 6th September 2011
Format: Kindle eBook
Source: Author - blog tour


This is an amazing young adult romance read! I found it extremely easy to read and couldn't stop turning the pages. Liz really knows how to draw you in and allow you to become apart of the characters. 

Brenna Blixen is a typical teenage girl of fifteen. She was living in Denmark with her mother and step-father for a year and then moved back to America. She was home-schooled in Denmark; so had to restart school and became the new girl, even though she only missed a year. Brenna hooks up with her best friend again and they instantly start where they left off. 

Brenna meets a boy in her government class, Saxon. He's a typical bad boy with brains and takes an instant wanting of Brenna. Brenna is going to Technical School in the afternoons to study graphic design and she meets another boy, Jake in her class. Jake appears to be the shy innocent boy, but nothing is as it appears. They all have baggage! 

Brenna finds herself in the biggest love triangle in history. Both boys fight for her attention, Saxon with all the brains, looks and attitude; while Jake has the looks and smarts. Brenna doesn't know who to take to. Brenna seems to think Jake needs her more than Saxon and Saxon seems to give too much attitude and just assumes Brenna will fall for him. Who will win Brenna's heart in the end? Will she acknowledge her deep feelings or just take what's on the surface? 

This book took me back to my teenage years and the young love that you discover in high school. All the experimenting and new feelings, the love you think you find, but don't really know what it is. The emotions that are in here is so very real, that you feel them all over again. I am so excited that this will be a series and can't wait for Junk Miles. This is a must read for all young adult romance fans, awesome and addictive.



5 EXPLOSIONS - LOVED IT & A MUST READ


You can find Liz Reinhardt on Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon and her blog.