Friday, March 6, 2015

REVIEW: "In Search of Lost Dragons" by Elian Black'Mor and Carine M

Disclaimer: I received a free, e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Type: Graphic Novel, Illustrated Novel, Journal, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Travelogue, Here Be Dragons

About the Book: On the trail of dragons forgotten, an intrepid illustrator and reporter journeys from Europe through the Middle East and finally to Saigon in search of the dark caverns and mountaintop perches where the elusive winged serpents dwell. With the gift of seeing the invisible, our explorer friend records each encounter in a journal of gorgeous, fully painted artwork, capturing every majestic and fearsome visual detail of the scaly behemoths, and accompanies his findings with snippets of local lore as evidence that these hidden beasts continue to shape the world in ways we may never expect! [Description from Goodreads.com]

My Review: This book did have a story line, I just have to be honest and say I didn't really care. When I think about this book now (several days after reading it), I can only remember some of the goal of the trip, and what he was searching for. What I can remember? The illustrations. They were superb! There were maybe two pictures I didn't drool over, and that was only because they were of icky looking little dragons. I still marveled over the artistic talent, even in the icky dragon pictures. I would gladly have a poster of any dragon in this book - if not all of them!

If I were to judge this book on just the story, it would be a 3 star read. But luckily, there is so much else going on - the reader will never be bored. I find journal or travelogue style books to be fun reads, so this book is definitely up my alley. And even better, this book is something that can be given to fans of many ages, though I would still say 13 or 14+. Highly recommended, fun read!

Cover Lovin': Certainly something I would grab off the shelf if I saw it! Absolutely gorgeous.

Recommendation: For dragon lovers, of course! Also recommended for fans of "A Natural History of Dragons" by Marie Brennan

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars. The story was mildly amusing, but the journal format was fun and the illustrations were amazing.


Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

COVER REVEAL: "Better When He's Brave" by Jay Crownover!

We are swooning big time about this cover for Jay Crownover's BETTER WHEN HE'S BRAVE! BETTER WHEN HE’S BRAVE is a New Adult Contemporary Romance and is the 3rd book in The Point Series, published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins. It is due to be released on August 11th!! Pre-order now and be sure to grab the first two books, BETTER WHEN HE'S BAD and BETTER WHEN HE'S BOLD while you wait!

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Pre-Order Your Copy Today!

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  About BETTER WHEN HE’S BRAVE: In New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jay Crownover’s third novel in her sexy, thrilling Welcome to the Point series, a woman’s search for repentance leads her to the one man from her past she can’t forget as they join forces to save their city—and the explosive love neither can live without. Titus King sees the world in black and white. Right and wrong. Which is why as a teenager he left behind the only family he’d ever known to make a better life for himself. Now a police detective in one of the worst cities in the country, he can’t deny his life has turned into a million different shades of gray. The new criminal element in The Point has brought vengeance and destruction right to Titus’s front door, and the difference between right and wrong is nothing compared to keeping those he loves alive. To add to his already strained moral compass, the beautiful and mysterious Reeve Black has made her way back to town, and she might be as dangerous to Titus as the guy trying to destroy the Point because he needs her—in more ways than one. Reeve knows all about how ruthless this new threat to destroy The Point can be… and instead of running away, she wants to help. She has a lot to repent for and saving the city, plus the hot cop that she hasn’t been able to forget might just be the only way she can finally find some inner peace. With an entire city poised on the brink of war, Titus and Reeve stand in the crossfire—and it will take two brave souls to fight for the ultimate love.  

And don’t miss the first two books in The Point Series…

BETTER WHEN HE’S BAD, Book 1

Better 

WhenHe's Bad

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BETTER WHEN HE’S BOLD, Book 2

Better When Hes Bold

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  About Jay Crownover: Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and The Point series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.      

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Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Release Day Launch! DARKER THAN DESIRE by Shiloh Walker!

Darker Than Desire RDL Banner   We are absolutely thrilled to be able to bring you the Release Day Launch for Shiloh Walker's DARKER THAN DESIRE! DARKER THAN DESIRE is a Contemporary Romantic Suspense and the third novel in Shiloh’s Secrets & Shadows Series, published by Macmillan, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press.     Darker Than Desire Cover

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DARKER THAN DESIRE Synopsis: LUST FOR LIFE No matter how many times he’s left her in the past, Sybil Chalmers can’t ignore her feelings for the one man who stole her heart years ago. For countless nights, she has waited for him—for his kiss, his touch—and has longed for him to emerge from the shadows of his past. Only when she is in his arms does Sybil really feel alive…and finally, after all these years, that time is now. A DEADLY DESIRE He’s a man raised in a world of strict rules and unbreakable traditions and he’s always yearned to break free. But when a family tragedy lures him back home, he finds his one true passion has been there all along. With Sybil, he can explore his greatest potential—and allow her to discover a whole new level of ecstasy. But will a long-buried secret threaten to tear them apart? The only thing he knows for sure is that he will do anything to keep Sybil in his life…and keep her coming back for more…   Excerpt: The skin on the nape of his neck stood up. His blood started to pump. Slowly, he shifted his gaze and found himself staring across the neat, tidy little lawn. There. That was the other thing he felt, a bizarre mix of need, longing and a twist in his heart that he couldn’t fully understand. It only happened around one person. It wasn’t a surprise that she’d found him here. Nor was it a surprise when his heart did that odd little twist. She was the other person who managed to make him feel. She made him want. She made him need. She made him regret, too. Regret that he needed to push her away, regret that he couldn’t reach for her the way he wanted. Regret that he wasn’t as strong as he should be, because even as he told himself to push her away, she started up the walk, the short skirt she wore barely clinging to her thighs and all he could think about was pulling her into his lap so that the skirt rode higher and he could cup her hips, pull her down to straddle him. Vivid, overbright starbursts seemed to explode behind his eyes as that fantasy played out in his mind. It would be so easy. This was a secluded street and people had finally given up on the rubbernecking. Hardly anybody drove down the street to check out the burnt out wreck of the Frampton house. He could pull that stretchy bit of fabric up and be inside her in two minutes. It would be so easy to just lose himself to her. She came to a halt in front of him while his blood pounded in slow, steady waves, while need clenched inside him like a fist. Tell her to leave, common sense dictated. He’d already made the decision he needed to make. But his head, his heart, his cock didn’t want to listen. “Hey,” she said, her red-slicked lips curving up. He stared at her mouth, thought about seeing that mouth open, seeing it glide down his chest. Blinking, he managed, barely, to look away. “Hey back.” This was yet another thing he lacked, the ability to talk, even to her, about anything that didn’t involve getting her naked and fucking her. Naked wasn’t even necessary as long as he could be inside her, lose himself to her, hide away from the demons that chased him. But if he kept doing that, all those demons were going to start chasing her, too. He wasn’t worth a whole hell of a lot and he didn’t care about a whole hell of a lot. But he’d burn this whole damn town to the ground before he let anything from his past start to haunt her. Every moment of peace he’d ever known had come from her. She mattered, more than anything or anybody else in his miserable world. So instead of reaching for her, he stared out at the water, acutely aware as she sat down at his side. The journals sat at the other and he resisted the urge to grab them, disappear inside the house, hide them away from her. Hide them away, hide their secrets, as if that would make the truth any less than true. “I don’t blame that kid,” Sybil said out of the blue. Caught up in his own head, he barely understood what she meant. Looking over at her, he tracked her gaze and then, as a shiver of cold raced up his spine, he looked back over the water. “Plenty of people don’t. Too bad he couldn’t find a way to trap his dad and uncle in there, too.” Sybil murmured, “His uncle’s brains splattered all over the chief’s wall.” “He went too easy.” “True. But he is still gone.” Her gaze came over to him. “We fell asleep on you. What did you think about the movie?” He frowned, tried to remember something about it. The boy. Wands. A rock. Then he shrugged. “What sort of name is Snape?” Sybil laughed. “An interesting one. For an interesting character. Is he a good guy or a bad guy?” The question caught him offguard. Then he looked down. “What does it matter?” “Well, if you want to watch more of the series with us, it would be kind of fun for me to know now, what you think of him. He plays a big part in it.” I’m not watching more. That was what he should tell her. Sighing, he looked away. Everything he should do, he couldn’t do. It had been like that for most of his life. He should found a better way to make people listen. He should have fought harder. He should have run sooner. Then there were the things he shouldn’t have done. He shouldn’t have involved Lana. He shouldn’t have stayed in town. He shouldn’t have reached for Sybil that first night. A hand reached up, touched his cheek. “You’re always so serious, baby.” “Little reason to be otherwise.” “True.” She moved then and he didn’t even have time to brace himself before she had settled herself in his lap, one leg planted on either side of his hips. Her hands came up, cupped his face. “How much longer until you decide to tell me?” His hands moved of their own volition, fingers splayed wide across satiny soft thighs. “Tell you what, Sybil?” “Don’t play games with me.” She dipped her head so that her hair fell around them like a curtain. “You’ve never done it before. Don’t start now.” Noise clamored in the back of his head, all that chaos rising to a roar as he stared into those beautiful eyes. They slid between gold and green and right now, they all but glowed as she watched him. Send her away. Tell her. He slid his hands up, cupping her ass. And he groaned when he found her naked under that sorry excuse for a skirt. “I keep thinking it’s time to tell you to just go. To stay away from me.” “That’s what I thought.” She rubbed her mouth against his. “Why don’t you do it, then? So I can ignore you and we can fight it out?” The cool silk of her hair brushed against his cheek. He tangled one hand in it. “This isn’t a game anymore.” “It never was.” She eased back, watching him with knowing eyes. He curled his lip. “It was one thing when you were fucking some guy you thought was an Amish builder. It’s another thing when it’s me, possible murder suspect, sick degenerate. It’s just a matter of time before the cops decide to start pulling me, demanding answers about what happened the night I disappeared. Just a matter of time before everything comes out in the open. When nobody knew—” She lifted a hand and pressed her finger to his lips. “I always knew.”   Don’t miss the first two books in the Secrets & Shadows Series…
Deeper Than Need - cover
Sweeter Than Sin - cover
Author PhotoAbout Shiloh Walker: Shiloh Walker is an award-winning writer…yes, really! She’s also a mom, a wife, a reader and she pretends to be an amateur photographer. She published her first book in 2003. Her newest series, Secrets and Shadows, launched in April 2014. Look for the newest book Deeper than Need, to be followed by Sweeter than Sin and Darker than Desire. She writes romantic suspense, contemporary and paranormal romance, and urban fantasy under the name J.C. Daniels.      

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Monday, March 2, 2015

REVIEW: "Hedgewitch Book of Days" by Mandy Mitchell

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Type: Nonfiction, Spell book, Book of Days, Hedgewitch, A whole years worth of reading

About the Book: Down to earth and humorous, Mandy Mitchell is a modern Hedgewitch whose passion is finding magic in simple everyday tasks and turning them into rituals and spells along with cooking wholesome, hearty, and tasty food based on the seasons of the year. Her book echoes these passions and serves as a tapestry of real-life stories and time-honored folklore laced with a hint of magic! It is aimed at the practicing or would-be witch whose life is more jeans, chaos and the never-ending question of what's for dinner than it is black robes, cauldrons, and incantations.

"Hedgewitch Book of Days" features recipes and wisdom as it reveals the hidden properties behind the things we use all the time. The author shows how to turn the simplest tasks into meaningful rituals, opening our eyes to the extra special world behind the mundane and how to celebrate it! A new broader approach to old beliefs, there is something for everyone to take away--whatever path you are on.

Journey through the wheel of the year with one eye on the kettle and the other on the magica
l! [Description from Goodreads.com]
My Review: I will say right now, I wouldn't have picked this up on my own. So I didn't really know what to expect. That said, I really enjoyed this. I haven't read every single word - I'm saving some stuff for when the actual featured month happens. But that's what makes this book great - it's the book that keeps on giving!

Included in each month: Information about traditions in that month (pagan festivals, etc), rituals the reader can do to relax, recipes, ways to celebrate the month, spells, and folklore. I'm a picky eater, but these recipes have me drooling!

This book isn't for everyone. I'm sure there are plenty of people that would find offense, but if you keep an open mind, this is a really fun read with fascinating information, and plenty of useful facts. Be sure to check this out in the near future!

Cover Lovin': Good cover. I'm not sure it entirely conveys what all is included in this book, but it is calming and nice looking.

Recommendation: Sure there are spells and rituals included in this book, so you should be into that, but there are a lot of recipes and plenty of good advice that anyone would find useful!

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars (4/5). This was a fun read, and has tons of helpful and useful tips!


Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~