September 2018 – Page 3 – Cindy's Love Of Books

Book Blitz/ Kissed Off

Posted on September 18, 2018September 20, 2018 by Cindy

Kissed Off by Tellulah Darling

Genre: YA romantic comedy/adventure

She’s hell-bent on revenge.

He’s desperate for adventure.

Now the only question is: does this count as a date?

Sixteen-year-old Reiko Mori’s family has clashed with the Markows in a clandestine search for the famed Lover’s Kiss Ruby, ever since their ancestors killed each other over it centuries ago in Japan.

Now, after pulling off a successful museum heist, Reiko’s finally going to be the one who finds the jewel.

Even better? She’s just arranged a study date with hot-but-sheltered sculptor Levi Green to work on their English project. Things are looking good.

Until a mysterious third party attacks Reiko and Levi, intent on stealing her clues to the ruby.

Until Reiko discovers the Lover’s Kiss is actually in Europe, an ocean away.

And until goofy, affable Levi Green turns out to be Levi Markow, mortal enemy number one.

Plan B it is: reluctantly team up with Levi to find the priceless gem before the shadowy and deadly group on the jewel’s trail finds it first.

And if history is gonna repeat itself with the kissing, running, and screwing over, see which one of them comes out on top.

Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kissed-Off-Tellulah-Darling-ebook/dp/B07FJMLX1G

Itunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/kissed-off/id1409241338?mt=11

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/kissed-off

Barnes and Noble: https://read.barnesandnoble.com/book/kissed-off-2/cover

Read below for an excerpt from the book:

Levi rubbed his arm, his expression wary. “Reiko Mori, I presume.”

“‘I presume?’” Reiko dropped into a fighter’s crouch. “You’re missing the British accent.”

Levi put his hands up in a pathetic imitation of defensive position. Her cat could have landed a punch through those gaps. “And you’re missing the reality where we aren’t about to have an MMA showdown.”

Reiko smirked but lowered her hands. “Because I’d wipe the floor with your ass.”

“Says Hit-Girl masquerading as the resident shy chick all these years. Nice James Bond alter ego you got going on.”

“I am shy.” She grabbed a dishtowel and whipped it at his head. It fluttered to the counter, far short of its mark.

Levi snorted.

“Being around my sworn enemies tends to knock it out of me. Besides, you’re one to talk, Artsy Boy. Had everyone fooled.” Including stupid me. She pushed him backwards out of the kitchen, shoving him again and again until his back hit the wall next to the front door.

Levi fended off her next blow. The sweep of his arm knocking her hands away left behind a familiar faint hint of rubbing alcohol. She’d watched him use it to remove clay from his hands at school many times. Could she be more pathetically tuned into this guy?

Levi held out his hand, palm up. “Hand over the locket, sweetheart. The real one this time.”

“Sweetheart?” She pulled herself up to her full height. “Could you be more stereotypical bad guy?”

“He could have a mustachio to twirl,” Aviva said, from her avid spectator spot hanging over the bannister.

“True,” Reiko said.

Levi rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not the one blowing kisses before screwing people over. That a move passed down through the generations with you chicks? Think that adds weight to my family being the wronged party here, Mata Hari.”

“Mata…? Argh!” She snatched up the poker.

“Go ahead, brain me.” Levi turned out his pockets in a huff. “No ruby. Just lint. I’d hate you to pointlessly commit murder except, oh yeah. You Moris are bloodthirsty!”

“Better a bloodthirsty Mori than a cowardly, backstabbing Markow!” Reiko jabbed the poker at him.

Levi grabbed the other end, the two of them engaged in a furious tug-of-war for possession. He let go suddenly, sending Reiko staggering back a few steps

Reiko flung open the door and pointed outside. With the poker. “Get. Out.”

Levi held his ground for a minute but must have decided she meant business because he grabbed his shoes. “This isn’t over.”

“You’ll get the locket over my dead body, Lion Cub.”

“Great! Can’t wait to pry it out of your cold, rigor-mortised hands,” he snapped, and stomped out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

“Shit,” said Aviva, “this is really gonna put a crimp in your dating plans.”

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day Blitz/ The Competition

Posted on September 18, 2018September 16, 2018 by Cindy

I am so excited that THE COMPETITION by Cecily Wolfe is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Cecily Wolfe, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a signed copy of the book with a notebook and pen International, courtesy of Cecily and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About the Book:

Title: THE COMPETITION

Author: Cecily Wolfe

Pub. Date: September 18, 2018

Publisher: Dangerous Hope Productions

Formats: eBook, paperback

Pages: 306

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD

For Mary Sofia, The Penultimate writing competition is more than a chance at a free college education; she wants to show her younger siblings that they can all rise above their violent family history. For Raiden, the pressure to succeed comes from within, although he knows that family traditions play a part in his determination. For Camara, writing fiction is almost compulsive, but her own dark secret may be the best story she can ever tell. For Michael, swimming and writing fit his introverted personality perfectly, but meeting a smart and beautiful girl at The Penultimate makes stepping outside of his comfort zone easy. All four will compete against each other along with 96 other high school juniors for the chance of a lifetime: a full scholarship to a prestigious private college. Some students will do anything to win, but others may pay the price.

The second YA title from award-winning, best selling author Cecily Wolfe tells the story of four teens with friendships in the making and futures in the balance – but who will win The Penultimate?

Book Trailer:

About Cecily:

Cecily Wolfe is an author and librarian with earned degrees in English
and library science. Her appetite for reading multiple genres has led her to
write in the same, and her stories, always character driven and focused on
emotional experiences, depict realistic relationships and behavior.

Giveaway Details:

1 Winner will receive a signed copy of THE COMPETITION & a notebook
and pen, International.

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Review/ Hooked on a Phoenix

Posted on September 17, 2018September 17, 2018 by Cindy

Hooked on a Phoenix (Phoenix Brothers #1) by Ashlyn Chase
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on March 6, 2018
Pages: 352
Goodreads

LOCKED IN A BANK VAULT TOGETHER...THEY MIGHT REDEFINE THE MEANING OF 'SAFE' SEX
Misty Carlisle works as a bank teller in Boston's financial district. She's had more rotten luck in her life than most, except when her childhood crush shows up to cash his paycheck. Then her heart races and her mouth goes dry.
Gabe Fierro is a firefighter―and a phoenix. Like his brothers, his biggest challenge is finding a woman open-minded enough to accept a shapeshifter into her life. When his boyhood friend asks him to watch over his little sister Misty, he reluctantly agrees. But when the bank where she works gets held up, Gabe does everything he can to protect her. The two of them end up locked in the bank's vault...where things get steamier than either of them ever imagined.

Earlier this summer I bought Hooked on a Phoenix by Ashlyn Chase on a pure whim after reading the synopsis and I have to say that I am really happy that I did. At first I thought that this was a new to me author but I realized once I got home that I have one of her previous books sitting on my shelf that I really want to read now which just happens to be the first book in the Boston Dragon series.

From what I can gather I think this series, the Phoenix Brothers and the Boston Dragons are tied in together but I don’t think you have to read either or to read the books but it might make sense in the end and that is what I plan on doing. I might end up reading them simultaneously.

Before I begin my review I should also mention that later in the week I will be reviewing More Than a Phoenix which is the second book in this series.

I don’t tend to read a lot of paranormal romances as you can probably tell from my blog with the one exception to that being Terry Spear’s books which I will read all the time and just adore and love them. So, I think I now can add Ashlyn’s book to this as well. Which will turn in to automatic buys and reads for me.

I have read wolf shape shifter books but never a phoenix shape shifter book so this was entirely new to me and one I wanted to read more about. I loved how a little mythology was added to the history as well as the rebirth of the phoenix.

In this case our main character is Gabe (Fierro), he is the fourth of seven sons and he is also a fireman (one of many in his family). It appears as though all the male children born into the Fierro family are phoenix’s. To date there are no girls in the family so they don’t if that is passed on to girls. His mother is human and its his dad that is the phoenix.

When Gabe’s old time best friend, Parker, asks him to keep on eye on his sister (Misty) because he is going to be deployed, he is not all that excited until he meets her and then its all bets are off as much as he tries to keep in cool and remember that she is his best friend’s sister. Misty has always had a crush on Gabe and to this day those feelings are pretty strong although I don’t know how strong they will be when she finds out that Gabe has no issues on pursuing any kind of relationship because he is still dealing with the tragedy of what happened to the family dog many years ago. Can Gabe get past that?

Through all kinds of situations from the bank robbery, to Misty’s mysterious illness and her apartment blowing up Gabe has always been there more ways then one and I actually think that Gabe is starting to feel the same way about Misty but his friendship and loyalty to Parker is holding him back. But will the news Misty has to tell him make him change his mind?

I really enjoyed this and looking forward to continuing this series with More Than a Phoenix to see where this will go and the future books. Check back on Friday to see what I think.

Sunday’s In Bed With

Posted on September 16, 2018September 23, 2018 by Cindy

This is being hosted by two of the sweetest people I have the privilege of knowing in real life, Kate and Kim. Sadly we don’t talk like we use to because you know real life happens but there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of them both.

Good Morning Everyone. Hope everyone had a good week this past week. It was a little busy here as Michael started pre camp hockey. This is our last weekend of it and then into evaluations, he also takes part in a flag league for a few weeks on Wednesday nights and then a parks program Friday nights. Throw in parent/teacher night and all the regular stuff it made for a busy week.

Anyways on to the books.

Currently reading:

Can I just say that I am “hooked” on this book. Its really good so far. I am almost 1/2 way through it. I sadly won’t be in bed reading because Michael has been asked to score keep a atom double letter exhibition game and I need to run and do groceries.

Up next on the reading list is:

Read this past week:

What about you? Read anything good?

Review/ The Rock Star in Seat 3A

Posted on September 15, 2018September 13, 2018 by Cindy

The Rock Star in Seat 3A by Jill Kargman
Published by William Morrow on May 22, 2012
Pages: 208
Goodreads

Following her hilarious bestselling volume of humorous reflections on life, love, and whatever (Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut), Jill Kargman makes a triumphant return to the world of fiction with The Rock Star in Seat 3A. The author of The Ex-Mrs Hedgefund, Arm Candy, and Momzillas delights with this smart and sassy modern-day fairy tale romance…with a twist.
The story of a woman whose most cherished romantic fantasy comes true—at the possible expense of everything else in her life—when she finds herself seated right next to a rock ’n’ roll demigod on a business flight from New York to Los Angeles, The Rock Star in Seat 3A is fresh, funny, and outrageously entertaining women’s fiction that will strike a loud power chord with fans of Lauren Weisberger and Jennifer Weiner.

After my massive book purge this summer I have decided to read/review more of my own books that I have currently sitting in my TBR pile. As a book blogger there is never enough hours in the day to read and books start to accumulate on our shelves or in boxes and so this was my case but moving forward I decided that I need to devote more time to those books so each month I am hoping to tackle at least a few books that have been sitting there forever.

Today I am going to be talking about a book that has been sitting on my shelf since 2012 and that is The Rock Star in Seat 3A by Jill Kargman. When I first heard about this book I loved the premise behind it and instantly needed to own it but sadly I never read it until this past week.

This was a super fast quick read for me and basically read it in one sitting. One of the things that I loved about the book was each chapter started with a quote and I really enjoyed that touch to the book. I did enjoy the book but I can’t say it was an absolute favorite for me.

The main character is Hazel who is about to turn 30. She is a huge gamer and has landed the dream job of the year working with a gaming company for the past 10 years and loves every minute of it. Through a chance meeting at a boring Christmas party of her sister’s friend she starts talking to the chef, Wylie and before the night is over she manages to get his number, nine months later they move in together and have been together ever since.

With a quick trip to LA for work she gets the chance encounter that most girls dream about, sitting next to their favorite rock star. In this case its Finn from the band The Void. Through a rocky turbulence the two hit it off. Before long all Hazel can think about is Finn.

Probably like most girls would do they would want to pursue this fantasy with a rock star so she does. She manages to get a break form Wylie so that she can pursue it and yes things were all hunky dory in the beginning but she soon realizes that what she had at home is what she truly wants in life but will she be to late? Can Wylie forgive her?

Review/ The Key to Extraordinary

Posted on September 14, 2018 by Cindy

The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd
Published by Scholastic Press on April 25, 2017
Pages: 240
Goodreads

Everyone in Emma's family is special. Her ancestors include Revolutionary War spies, brilliant scientists, and famous musicians--every single one of which learned of their extraordinary destiny through a dream.
For Emma, her own dream can't come soon enough. Right before her mother died, Emma promised that she'd do whatever it took to fulfill her destiny, and she doesn't want to let her mother down.
But when Emma's dream finally arrives, it points her toward an impossible task--finding a legendary treasure hidden in her town's cemetery. If Emma fails, she'll let down generations of extraordinary ancestors . . . including her own mother. But how can she find something that's been missing for centuries and might be protected by a mysterious singing ghost?
With her signature blend of lyrical writing, quirky humor, and unforgettable characters, Natalie Lloyd's The Key to Extraordinary cements her status as one of the most original voices writing for children today.

I was not disappointed with reading a second novel by Natalie Lloyd called “The Key to Extraordinary.” Her writing is consistent, engaging, and meaningful. Her characters are entertaining, and the descriptions of the surroundings are so vivid, I could picture myself there. In fact, I keep reading Natalie’s books because of how I can imagine myself in these places and befriending these characters.

Dreams tell a lot. For Emma and her family, a special dream determines your extraordinary destiny. For most of Emma’s ancestor’s, their destiny is more or else clear. However, for Emma, this in not the case. Emma must untangle the clues of her dream, find a hidden treasure, and confront a ghost that is possibly protecting the mystery underlying Emma’s dream.

I felt an immediate connection to the main character, Emma. She would offer tours of the graveyard to locals and visitors. My Dad sold monuments for a living, so walking in a graveyard and reading tombstone inscriptions was a natural part of my childhood. I smile to myself to think that Natalie captured something like this in a book.

The beloved journal with all the dreams safely recorded leaves a soft spot upon my heart. Emma has a deep connection with her ancestors. She can read about their dreams and learn what their extraordinary destiny was in life. Written on journal pages of their own, the reader can share in the journal entries. This opens questions about her own mother and herself. The treasure hunt that will follow will not only fulfill her own destiny…

The names of each character are as extraordinary as this novel. I will not divulge any in order not to ruin the fun. They are flowery and musical in perfect harmony. The secondary characters help Emma emotionally and physically which makes them family.

The mystery and intrigue surrounding the treasure hunt is what makes this novel a page tuner. Readers ages eleven and up will be running alongside Emma and her friends as they run away from ghosts and treasure robbers.

A novel just as wonderful as her first one entitled, “A Snicker of Magic”. (click on book title to read that review) I’m also pleased to announce that Natalie Lloyd has started a new series called, “The Problim Children” which I can’t wait to get my hands on. (I did not make a spelling error 😊

Blog Tour & Review/ The House of One Thousand Eyes

Posted on September 13, 2018September 13, 2018 by Cindy

The House of One Thousand Eyes by Michelle Barker
Published by Annick Press on September 11, 2018
Pages: 354
Goodreads

Who can Lena trust to help her find out the truth? Life in East Germany in the early 1980s is not easy for most people, but for Lena, it’s particularly hard. After the death of her parents in a factory explosion and time spent in a psychiatric hospital recovering from the trauma, she is sent to live with her stern aunt, a devoted member of the ruling Communist Party. Visits with her beloved Uncle Erich, a best-selling author, are her only respite. But one night, her uncle disappears without a trace. Gone also are all his belongings, his books, and even his birth records. Lena is desperate to know what happened to him, but it’s as if he never existed. The worst thing, however, is that she cannot discuss her uncle or her attempts to find him with anyone, not even her best friends. There are government spies everywhere. But Lena is unafraid and refuses to give up her search, regardless of the consequences. This searing novel about defiance, courage, and determination takes readers into the chilling world of a society ruled by autocratic despots, where nothing is what it seems.

Good Morning and welcome to my tour stop today for The House of One Thousand Eyes by Michelle Barker that was organized by Annick Press. I was honored to be asked to be a part of this tour. Thanks to Annick Press for organizing this tour and for sending me a copy of the book to read and review for my stop today.

The House of One Thousand Eyes was definitely a change from what I have been reading lately and its not one of those books you want to sit and reading in one sitting. When I set out to start reading this I knew I was going to have to pace myself and for each day I set out a page limit and many times while I was reading I actually had to put the book down and take in what I had just read. This book is filled with so many twist and turns that you didn’t know what was going to happen. Quite a few times I was on the edge of my seat.

If your a reader of my blog you will know that I don’t tend to read a lot of historical fiction books and that is purely my choice but I am happy that I read this. The book was well written and things were moving along at a perfect pace. You can instantly tell a lot of research went into the book.

Our main character is Lena who is 17 years old and lives in a divided Germany in the 1980’s. Lena has been through more things then a normal 17 year old girl should. She lost both of her parents in a industrial accident and then was sent to a mental institution. Thankfully her aunt managed to get her out and she has been living with her aunt. I think through all this tragedy Lena was a strong kick ass girl who would stop at nothing to find out the truth about her parents and what happened to her uncle. She was willing to risk it all to get to the truth.

From reading this you can tell that life was not easy for anyone living there because you were constantly monitored and reported. People in power could control you with one signature on a piece of paper, either making your entire live disappear like you were never there to committing you a mental institution.

Even days after reading this I am still thinking about the book. I highly recommend this.