Review: Back To Bataan

Happy Thursday! Today, I'm doing a review in conjunction with a tour from Tribute Books. Back To Bataan by  is a YA novel. Enjoy!

Blurb:

New York City, 1943. War is raging in Europe and the Pacific, while Jack Dalton is stuck attending Dutch Masters Day School. What Jack really wants is to enlist in the army, to fight...

Everything changes when Coco, Jack's "fiancee," throws him over for one of his classmates. Jack sees red and does something drastic. Then he runs away. Hiding out in a nearby park, Jack joins ranks with a group of vagrants and is soon under the sway of a man called the Leader, an ex-convict who is as articulate and charismatic as he is dangerous. The Leader turns Jack's world upside down. To put things right, Jack must prove himself a braver soldier than he ever imagined.

Review:

Poor little Jack.

Jack Dalton Junior is the narrator of this story. His father has died at Bataan, and his mother works at a silk factory, weaving parachutes for the war. Jack is struggling to find his place in the world, and when his "fiancee" dumps him he becomes jealous of her new relationship with the rich and privileged Arturo and does something he'll regret.

We follow Jack through his time as a hobo, and watch as he learns some ways of the world from The Leader. This story is a compelling one of a young man, wandering through a world he can't understand, and growing with each trial he endures.

This was a quick read, and kept my interest through each page. I highly recommend it.

About The Author:

Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”

New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.”

Since 1964, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.

Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.

Buy Links:

Kindle buy link - $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008DYK6C2?tag=tributebooks-20

Nook buy link - $4.95
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&offerid=239662.2940014699372&type=2&subid=0
iBookstore buy link - $4.99
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fbook%252Fback-to-bataan%252Fid538421758%253Fmt%253D11%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30
Google buy link - $3.79
http://books.google.com/books?printsec=frontcover&id=Kw5nn24MCu8C#v=onepage&q&f=false

Smashwords buy link - $4.99
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/174347?ref=tributebooks
PDF buy link - $4.95
https://www.payloadz.com/go/sip?id=1619939

Review: Naughty Little Bedtime Stories

Happy Friday! I hope everybody has had a decent week. Today, I'm reviewing a book by Tamaria Soana called Naughty Little Bedtime Stories in conjunction with a tour by CBLS Promo. Enjoy!

Blurb:

Twelve short bedtime stories that will heat up your night.

Naughty Little Bedtime Stories contains twelve short stories that will arouse your senses. You’ll find stories that contain light bondage, food play, ménage (m/m/f), and other erotic events. Each story has a different setting and couple who explore all things naughty in and out of the bedroom.

Review:

*phew* This is one hot little book. Ms. Soana covers all sorts of (not so) taboo topics, and covers them all well. From the first story, I knew I'd enjoy this one.

If you're looking for a little love, a lot of heat, and some good writing, I recommend this one.

Excerpt:

We walked out of the restaurant and down the hall into the main lobby of the hotel, my eyes scanning for any photographers. I really didn't want my face all over the tabloids tomorrow.

“I had a great time meeting you today. So, what now?” Slade asked as he looked deep into my eyes.

“I don't know,” I whispered. I didn't want the afternoon to end.

“I don't want to leave you just yet, Jewel,” he whispered in a sexy tone.

I bit my bottom lip and started to fidget. "Then don't." I took a deep breath, trying to figure out everything that was racing through my head. "Would you like to come to my suite for a drink, maybe?" I couldn't believe I'd just asked him that, but I knew what I wanted, and at the moment it was him.

“I thought you'd never ask.”

We stepped in the elevator and the doors closed. We were alone. Before I could process what I was doing I was kissing him. The simple kiss set all the nerves in my body on fire. The elevator stopped and I pulled away as the doors opened.

“This is my floor,” I said breathlessly.

We walked into the hallway in silence. The tension between us was so strong. We reached my suite and I swiped my card to open the door. I could feel his gaze on me, it was making me nervous and turning me on at the same time. My stomach was in knots as I walked in, but not the bad kind of knots, the I-want-to-jump-him kind of knots. He was making me crazy. I truly just wanted to go with what I was feeling. I was so attracted to him. As soon as the door shut Slade pushed me against the wall and started kissing me.

“Jewel, you are so alluring,” he said as he kissed my neck.

“Slade,” I moaned. I could feel how hard he was as he pressed harder into me.

“I want you,” he said as his hand grazed my breast. "Do you want me?"

“Yes!” My heart was pounding in my chest as I led him to the bed. His urgent lips were on mine. He unzipped my sundress and it fell to the floor, leaving me in only a black lace bra and thong.

“So sexy,” he whispered in my ear as he kissed my neck.

About The Author:

Tamaria Soana is middle aged, but just feels her life has begun. She writes Contemporary Romance stories with a higher heat level that always end with a ‘happily ever after’. Growing up she loved to read and make up new places in her head to escape to. In her late teens she began writing short stories and poetry; it wasn’t until her late thirties before she began to spin a full story. She’s married and a stay-at-home-mom of two beautiful young girls, they reside in Western New York. Cuddling up with a good book under an electric throw is her way to escape the cold Buffalo nights. Besides writing, she co-owns Shades of Rose Marketing and Shades of Rose YA Marketing, also hosts a talk show on Talkshow called Live with Tamaria ~ Giving authors a voice. 

You can find Tamaria on line at these following places:

Website  Facebook  Twitter

Review: Lakebridge: Spring

Welcome to Friday! Today, I'm hosting a review in conjunction with a tour Goddess Fish Promotions has out on for Natasha Troop. Enjoy!

Blurb:

Vermont, picturesque and lovely, attracts visitors from across the country in search for the perfect picture, the perfect fall foliage or perhaps a taste of maple syrup. Stansbury is best known for the odd covered bridge that spans Stansbury Lake and goes nowhere, connecting no roads and serving no known purpose. The locals call it the Lakebridge. Very few know of its mysterious origins and fewer care to know more. Those visiting the town perhaps take a few snapshots and leave, their curiosity quelled by an uneasy feeling that they shouldn’t think on it anymore.

The tourists will eventually leave Stansbury, but its residents strangely linger, seemingly held captive by a force they barely recognize. They also do not think about the town’s mysterious artifact much except in passing, all but Gil, his father, Ben, and a few others. They know of the bridge’s dark history and understand that it is responsible for every horror that ever befell the people of Stansbury: the people who fear the bridge but will not speak of it. The bridge makes people do things – bad things – so that it can continue to love and care for them all.

Some have tried to destroy the bridge, but as long as the bridge is fed with the lives of the innocents of Stansbury it will go on – loving the people of Stansbury.

Lakebridge: Spring is the first of a four book cycle revolving around Stansbury and the Lakebridge.

Review:

This was an interesting read, to say the least. The story is centered around a bridge built by the founder of Stansbury, and supposedly a link to a realm few of us wish to encounter. I won't delve too deeply into the plot or details, as it would be difficult to explain without giving away the whole book.

One thing I noticed in this book was the intricate detail the author went into with each person's life. At times, this made the book a bit daunting, but at others it was interesting to read. The story flows well, and each new character is introduced on the back of the preceding one. If you follow all the characters closely, you'll walk away with an understanding of where it's going.

Overall, I'm conflicted with this book. The concept is amazing, and there's enough intrigue thrown in to keep me reading. I was particularly fascinated with the killer, but we didn't meet (him/her - I won't give it away) very often. I'd recommend this story if you enjoy a little bit of thriller, a little bit of magic, and a little bit of annoying, depressed tourists.

Excerpt:

For a while, he thought he would take the Counter Girl. He had always taken the Counter Girls before when he could, but when he stumbled onto this Teacher Girl, he knew he had to have her, that she would make a much better addition to his project. She was so happy and so right. The Counter Girl, for as much as she smiled and made other people happy, didn’t really have that glow about her that the Counter Girls usually had. He figured it was because of her friends who were so damaged. She was damaged by association.

But the Teacher Girl. She was perfect. She could have been a Counter Girl, really. She was always so joyful, she made all the kids so happy, too. Everyone loved the Teacher Girl. He loved the Teacher Girl. When he loved them, he knew he had to have them.

She wrote on her board. She wrote her numbers and her letters and her handwriting was so neat. He wanted to let her finish so that when they came in the next day and she wasn’t there, at least they would have her numbers and her letters. So he waited and watched her. He was in her room and she didn’t even notice. She was too happy for her own good, she didn’t even feel the danger. He hated that he was her danger because he loved her so much and knew that she could never see how pure that love was. But, finally, she was done. She turned around and saw him and smiled.

About The Author:

Natasha grew up in Southern California and received her Bachelor’s degree from UCLA in Comparative Literature. She also holds Masters Degrees in both Secondary Education and Creative Writing. Natasha currently lives in the Phoenix area with her spouse, son, daughter and menagerie of pets, including a Basset named Moose and a very overprotective collie dog. Aside from writing, she spends her days teaching high school students to love theatre.                                                

LINKS: 

Website: www.lakebridgecycle.com

Blog: http://stansburyvt.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @lakebridgecycle

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lakebridge-Cycle/197939536908880

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lakebridge-Spring-1-Natasha-Troop/dp/1461122503/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1304040910&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lakebridge-natasha-troop/1101557345?ean=9781461122500

Review: Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out

Happy Monday! Can I say that without being sturck down by lightning? Today, I'm reviewing Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out in conjunction with a Goddess Fish Promo tour. Enjoy!

Blurb:

Anya Michaels is having the time of her life. She has the man of her dreams by her side. She has graduated at the top of her class. She has the job others were lining up for. Between late night drinks at her favourite bar and fancy dinners at the most expensive restaurants, she has a string of adoring friends. Everything changes when she hears the dreaded words, "You are sick."

Being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder, her world starts to fall apart, one piece at a time. Now dumped, her four year relationship is nothing but a memory filled with pictures, thoughts and a very broken heart. Her job becomes an even further challenge as she tries to hide her condition. Her friends suddenly have more important things to do, what is a party without a party girl? Perfect could not crumble any faster.

Soon, caught between situations, people and pieces of life that she never dreamed of planning for herself, Anya begins to wonder if her brain condition is all that bad. As she absorbs the changes in her life and realization sets in, she begins to wonder if she is the only one saying: Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out.

(20% of royalties will be donated to the National Organisation of Rare Disorders)

Review:

Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out is the story of a woman who suffers from a rare brain disorder called Benign Intracranial Hypertension. Essentially, this means she doesn't have the means to properly drain cerebral fluid, and thus carries the symptoms of a brain tumor without the actual tumor being present.

The book is written in a first person viewpoint, via letters to Anya's father. In these letters, she explores the world through the viewpoint of someone with a potentially limited lifetime. We see her lament about headaches, the upcoming surgery, and then after, the pain. We see her thoughts on single mothers, on accountants, on frenemies. I think my favorite was the headaches:

"Take, for instance, a banging door. You can open a door. You can close a door. You do not have to bang it."

Absolutely true, Anya. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It is well written, and the words flow from the page with amazing ease. It's a quick read, since it's so absorbing, and I recommend this one.

Excerpt:

I have come to understand that every once in a while in life we all have to do something because we must. It is not about what we want or how we would like it to be, it simply has to be done because it is necessary. Most times this will be a task that surpasses normal and not many people would choose to understand. But, done it must.

I have tried turning it all around, telling myself that ‘it is a small surgery’, ‘it is just a routine procedure’, ‘it is not necessarily a brain surgery’ but when a neurosurgeon sits down and talks about the risks and procedures of being in surgery, there is no other way of calling it, is there?

I Love You. The best relationships in our lives are the best not because they have been the happiest ones. They are that way because they have stayed strong through the worst storms and held hands during the happiest of springs.

These are the relationships between friends who stay when the rest of the world walks out. The family who holds you close and says, ‘it does not matter what others say, this is something we will get through together because there are no limits to how much we love you.’ And when these people say, ‘I Love You’, it is not because they have to, it is not because they could not order you roses from the best florist or because they need to say something to fill a void in conversation, they say it is because it is just that, Love.

No conditions, no smokescreens, just pure transparent, unconditional love given when you need it the most. As the Swedish proverb goes, ‘Love me when I least deserve it, because that is when I really need it.’

About The Author:

International best-selling author, Pandora Poikilos has been writing for more than 10 years for various media which include newspapers, radio, television and various websites.

Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/PandoraPoikilos

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/peacefrompieces

Blog http://peacefrompieces.blogspot.com/

Website http://moonstarluxury.com/

Review: Cerberus Rebellion

Happy Friday! I originally had a post here, but I scheduled wrong and am putting the correct tour up. The Cerberus Rebellion by Joshua K Jones is on tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. Enjoy!

BLURB:

Onehundred years of peace and prosperity. War changes everything.

On the worldof Zaria, Elves, magic and mythical beasts coexist beside rifles and railroads.The futures of two nations hang in the balance as rebels and revolutionariestrade gunfire with loyalists and tyrants.

EadricGarrard was raised to believe that as the rightful King of Ansgar, his loyalnobles and fearful subjects answered to his every whim, no matter the cost orconsequence. His decision to send his troops thousands of miles away will testthat fear, and loyalty.

Raedan Clyvewas ordinary until an Elven ritual involving a griffin’s heart turned him intosomething more. Twenty years later, he still struggles with the magics thatrage through his body. His mentor holds him back from his full potential and hefaces pressure to find a suitable wife and father an heir.

Hadrian Clyvehas picked up where his father left off and works to expand his family’sinfluence amongst the Ansgari nobility. His aggressive negotiation of alliancesand shrewd choice of marriage agreements has earned him respect, andresentment. When his King calls his troops to arms, Hadrian has other things inmind.

After acentury of scheming and decades of preparation, Magnus Jarmann is ready tobring his family’s plans to fruition by launching a war of independence thatwill free his people and return his country to its rightful place among thenations of Zaria. The King’s call to arms creates an opportunity that Magnuscannot afford to miss.

In a war, little is held back; in a revolution, nothing is safe.

Review:

Cerberus Rebellion is a science fiction piece set in a land filled with mythical griffins, elves, and nobles trying their best to rule. I don't always read science fiction, but this one caught my eye and held my attention. With palpable tension between the nations and the action of war, this story is fantastic.

I found the writing to flow smooth and easy, and the lyrical words kept the read going. Mr. Johnson has a vivid imagination, and his images have come alive on the page. I'd recommend this read for anyone who can set reality aside and travel into a world we can only dream of.

Excerpt:

The crackleof musket fire drifted up from the trenches; only a few quick shots at first,but quickly followed by full volleys. Flashes of light marked the battle in thetrenches and Raedan listened carefully for the command to push his troopsforward. He glanced behind him quickly.

The colorguard stood resolute, the banners of Arndell and the North Griffin Cliffs atthe front of the formation. A half-company of infantry had been assigned toprotect the flags should they come under attack.

Woundedbegan to drift back out of the trenches. Some retreated under their own power;others were carried between two of their fellows. Raedan tried to count the menfleeing the battle, but quickly lost count.

Finally,the trumpets sounded again, ordering him forward.

“How's itlook in there?” he asked a retreating officer. The man wore the gaudy orange ofSea Watch and the stripes of a captain. He had taken a round through hisshoulder and was supporting a corporal that had taken a shot to the leg.

“Theartillery did a job on them,” the captain said. “But they've still got somefight left.”

“All right,men! Let's take it to them!” Raedan started toward the trenches at the doubletime and his men started to trot after him.

Theearthworks twisted and zagged one way and another, slowly leading the infantrycloser to the fortress that loomed large above. The sun had finally set andflares were exploding high overhead.

About The Author:

JoshuaJohnson is the author of "Gunpowder Fantasy" The Cerberus Rebellion(due to release in early July) and the creator of the Griffins & Gunpowderuniverse. When he isn't working or spending time with his family, he writesnovels, short stories and novellas.

He currentlylives in Northern Illinois with his wife and young son. 

Website:www.gunpowderfantasy.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/authorjkjohnson