Lost In Starlight by Sherry Soule: Guest Post

RELEASE DAY SPOTLIGHT - #StarlightSaga

LOST IN STARLIGHT

Sherry Soule

Today author, Sherry Soule has some exciting news to share with us!

Her brand new Upper YA / Sci-Fi Romance series: the “Starlight Saga” with scorching-hot character chemistry, exciting suspense, and epic romance has been published today, June 26, 2014!!!

To help promote this interstellar love story, “LOST IN STARLIGHT,” Sherry is doing this fun virtual release party and Amazon gift card giveaway all day to share the book love.

ENTER TODAY ONLY!

This giveaway is open internationally. Please help us tell the blogging world!

 

Please buy your copy of LOST IN STARLIGHT on June 26^th 2014!

 

VOLUME ONE: Starlight Saga

High school reporter Sloane Masterson knows she has one helluva story when she witnesses hottie Hayden Lancaster bending forks with his mind.

Like any good journalist, Sloane sets out to uncover the truth, even if it includes a little stalking. When the superhuman feats start to pile up and the undeniable heat rises between them, Hayden has no choice but to reveal his secret: he’s an alien hybrid.

They’re as different as night and day—she’s a curvy, purple-haired, horror junkie and he’s a smoking hot, antisocial, brainiac—yet the intense fascination between them refuses to go away. Even at Hayden’s insistence that dating each other is “off limits” and crazy dangerous, their fiery attraction threatens to go supernova.

Now Sloane’s dealing with creepy government agents, über snobby extraterrestrials, and a psycho alien ex-girlfriend out for revenge. After a crash course on the rules of interstellar dating, Sloane must decide if their star-crossed romance is worth risking her own life....

Places you can find Sherry Soule:

Official Blog: http://www.sherrysoule.blogspot.com/

Twitter @SherrySoule: http://twitter.com/SherrySoule

Giveaway:

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This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

Citadels of Fire by L.K. Hill: Promo and Giveaway

In a world where danger hides in plain sight and no one aspires to more than what they were born to, Inga must find the courage to break the oppressive chains she’s been bound with since birth. 

As a maid in the infamous Kremlin, life in 16th-century Russia is bleak and treacherous. That is, until Taras arrives. Convinced that his mother’s death when he was a boy was no mere accident, he returned from England to discover what really happened. While there, he gains favor from the Tsar later known as Ivan the Terrible, the most brutal and notorious ruler ever to sit upon the throne of Russia. Ivan allows him to take a servant, and to save Inga from a brutal boyar intent on raping her, Taras requests Inga to stay in his chambers. 

Up against the social confines of the time, the shadowy conspiracies that cloak their history, and the sexual politics of the Russian Imperial court, Inga and Taras must discover their past, plan for their future, and survive the brutality that permeates life within the four walls that tower over them all, or they may end up like so many citizens of ancient Russia: nothing but flesh and bone mortar for the stones of the Kremlin wall.

Goodreads Summary

Author Bio

L.K. Hill is a novelist who writes across three genres. Her crime and historical fiction are written under her initials, L.K., while her scifi/fantasy and dystopian are written under her full name, Liesel K. Hill. She lives in northern Utah and comes from a large, tight-knit family. She plans to keep writing until they nail her coffin shut. Or the Second Coming happens. You know, whichever happens first. 

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This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman

“Sink your mobile devices into the nearest wishing well and duct-tape your front door

against gnomes, pollsters, and other distractions. THE MAGICIAN'S LAND is

beckoning, and demands your full attention.”

— Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked and Egg & Spoon

“Lev Grossman has conjured a rare creature: a trilogy that simply gets better and better as it goes along.

THE MAGICIAN’S LAND is sumptuous and surprising yet deliciously familiar…Literary perfection for those of us who grew up testing the structural integrity of the backs of wardrobes.”

—Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus

This summer, Viking is thrilled to release THE MAGICIAN’S LAND, the spectacular conclusion to Lev Grossman’s New York Timesbestselling Magicians trilogy (On-sale: August 5, 2014; 978-0-670-01567-2; $27.95). 

The trilogy opened with The Magicians which Junot Díaz called, “Stirring, complex, adventurous…[a] superb coming of age fantasy.”NPR called the sequel The Magician King “a spellbinding stereograph, a literary adventure novel that is also about privilege, power and the limits of being human.”   Legions of fans now await THE MAGICIAN’S LAND, a novel full of the subversive brilliance that has put Grossman at the forefront of modern fantasy, which will bring the Magicians trilogy to a shattering, triumphant conclusion.

Familiar faces return alongside new characters in THE MAGICIAN’S LAND. After being booted unceremoniously from Fillory, Quentin Coldwater returns to his alma mater, Brakebills Preparatory College of Magic, to stake out a new life as a teacher. But the past catches up to him, and before long, he and the brilliant student Plum must set out on a black market adventure, taking him to old haunts, like Antarctica, and to buried secrets and old friends he thought were lost forever. Quentin discovers a spell that could create a magical utopia, a new Fillory—but casting it would set in motion a chain of events that will bring Earth and Fillory crashing together. To save them, he must risk sacrificing everything.

THE MAGICIAN’S LAND is a tale of love and redemption—the story of a boy becoming a man, an apprentice becoming a master, and a broken land finally becoming whole.  Old readers will devour the rich and riveting final book, and the completed arc will welcome newcomers who can binge-read the series in full. You can learn more about Lev Grossman on his websitewww.levgrossman.com and follow him on Twitter @leverus.

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

Once Upon a Highland Autumn: Promo and Guest Post!

HERO WANTED: APPLY NOW!

Welcome dear reader! How nice to enjoy a virtual cup of tea with you here at Live To Read today, and chat a bit about the inspiration behind choosing characters for ONCE UPON A HIGHLAND AUTUMN.

People often ask me where I get my ideas—the checkout lady in the supermarket asked just yesterday. Sometimes the tone is slightly admonishing, full of unspoken shock—where on earth do you get those ridiculous ideas? That kind of question usually comes from relatives, who know I was properly brought up, but wonder how I managed to fall off the rails anyway.

But those aren’t the people I write my stories for—you are.

I’m never stuck for story ideas. Real life offers so much plot potential—even grocery shopping—so there’s always a story percolating in my brain.

My favorite challenge lies in creating characters that will be heroic, beloved, and intriguing. They must have flaws, and make terrible mistakes before they reach their happy conclusion. Why shouldn’t they suffer the uncertainties of life and love just like the rest of us? Or even more, since that’s what makes their story worth reading.

I have a questionnaire I fill out for the main characters in each story, like a job application, before I start writing. There are questions about their personalities, what events in their lives have made them the way they are, and what they really want out of life, and why they want this job. I’ll bet the checkout lady had to complete a similar application to get her job. It fixes in my mind who my characters are, how they will react to the difficult situations they’re going to face in a Lecia Cornwall novel.

Still, even with planning, there are characters that do their utmost to break the mold and shatter expectations. They go off script, again and again. Frustrating? Actually it’s my favorite part of writing—that moment when something happens that I (the writer) didn’t expect, and it changes everything. Breathtaking!

My hero, Christopher Linwood, the Earl of Rossington refused to behave as expected. I originally intended him to be the exact opposite of the heroine in personality and culture—stiff, formal, very English, and rather arrogant. But Kit wasn’t born into his title. He inherited it after the death of his father and older brother, and since he wasn’t raised to be an earl, he’s uneasy in the role. Kit, a diminutive of Christopher, suited him much better, and I found the inspiration for his mannerisms in a wonderful old movie—How To Steal a Million. Peter O’Toole plays a supposedly inept art thief, but in reality he’s a world-class expert on forgery. He’s shy, awkward and totally smitten in Audrey Hepburn’s presence, but he’s quick witted and ready to help her out of her predicament. That persona fit Kit perfectly, and I’m sure Megan McNabb, our heroine, would agree.

And a picture can be worth a thousand words—or even 85,000 words. Most of the time, in my mind, my main characters’ faces are blank, as if I am looking out through their eyes from the inside. I love the process of creating a visual storyboard to give readers a glimpse of the images playing inside my brain as I write, and how I imagine my characters might look (I do this after the book is finished). You can see my Pinterest Board for ONCE UPON A HIGHLAND AUTUMN at http://www.pinterest.com/leciacornwall/once-upon-a-highland-autumn-by-lecia-cornwall/

I love hearing from readers! Please leave a comment or question here for a chance to win a copy of the previous book in the series, ONCE UPON A HIGHLAND SUMMER, or drop me a line at leciacornwall@shaw.ca.

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

The Ugly Tree Series: Promo and Giveaway!

THE UGLY TREE Series Synopsis:

Despite the watchful eye of her Grandma Betty, the witty and precocious almost sixteen-year-old Cane Kallevik is always up to something. When she’s not running five miles at a crack, she’s riding her bike around the rural farm town of Savage, Illinois and secretly warring with her former best friend, Mikayla Atwood. The biggest thorn in her side is Jenny Ryanne Schaeffer, her employer, whom Cane has nicknamed Jelly Roll.

When Justice Price, Jelly Roll’s gorgeous, older nephew rolls into town; Cane is convinced that their five-year age difference is a minor inconvenience. After a disastrous tornado levels Savage destroying Cane’s home and leaving Grandma Betty in a coma, she moves in with the Schaeffer family. She spends the summer falling in love with Justice, keeping vigil at Grandma Betty’s side, and walking a fine line between love and hate with Mikayla.  

In a dramatic conclusion her world literally goes up in flames, but instead of losing everything, she finds exactly what she’s looking for in the most unexpected way.

Six years later…

Cane has always known that the handsome and sweet Justice was the one. So when he offers her everything she’s ever wanted and more, she readily accepts. But when Cane discovers a secret about Justice, she panics and leaves for the summer, breaking his heart as well as her own.

Now in Colorado and living with Caprice, her college roommate, Cane takes a job as a maid. When she isn’t scrubbing toilets or getting into trouble for telling it like it is, she’s sparring with Caprice’s musician cousin, Nikeo. Though her heart belongs to Justice, she can’t deny her attraction to Nikeo. While trapped in a love triangle of her own making, Cane discovers Justice may be in love with someone else.

Desperate to mend her relationship with the love of her life, Cane rushes home to Illinois. Still reeling from Cane’s summer fling with Nikeo, Justice claims he needs time. But is it time he wants, or is it Susan, his curvaceous and bubbly co-worker?

Just when things see to be improving, tragedy strikes, and at the worst possible moment Nikeo shows up on Cane’s doorstep . . .

 GIVEAWAY:

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TAMARA LYON AUTHOR BIO (short):

The Road to Justice is critically acclaimed author Tamara Lyon’s fifth novel, and the third installment in The Ugly Tree series.

Released in 2010, The Ugly Tree was a Flamingnet Top Choice Award winner, 2011 Next Generation Indie Finalist, Eric Hoffer Finalist, and Midwest Book Award Finalist.

She is currently working on her next novel, Post-Traumatic Brazilian Wax Syndrome, to be released in late 2014. When she’s not writing, Lyon tours the country, delivering her motivational speech “Give Your Dream Wheels.”

Tamara makes her home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin with her husband, son, and counter surfing and adorable golden retriever, Macy.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Amazon author page: https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/books

Website: www.tamaralyon.com  

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authortamaralyon

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/tamaralyon @tamaralyon

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/374521.Tamara_Lyon

WEBSITE | | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | LINKEDIN |  

GOODREADS

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

Before I Wake by C.L. Taylor

To the outside world Susan Jackson has it all – a loving family, a successful politician husband and a beautiful home – but when Charlotte, her fifteen year old daughter, deliberately steps in front of a bus and ends up in a coma Sue questions whether any of it was real.

Desperate to find out what caused Charlotte’s suicide attempt, she is horrified by an entry in her diary – ‘Keeping this secret is killing me’. As Sue spins in desperate circles, she risks everything to discover the truth and finds herself immersed in a shady world she didn’t know existed. The deeper she delves the darker the world becomes and the more danger she puts herself in.

Can Sue wake up from the nightmares that haunt her and save her daughter, or will ‘the secret’ destroy them both?

Goodreads Summary

How could anyone hold it together when their daughter attempts suicide and is in a coma? The struggles that a mother must face when forced into a situation like this are luckily unfathomable to most however real for some. Susan Jackson's quest to find answers to her daughters choice takes her to some very dark places, some unfortuantely familiar and some new. It is a quest that is filled with excitement and fear at its highest and you will love every moment.

I like this genre of crime novel where a large event happens and then we are left with the shards of glass hoping we can piece them together as we go. Finding and interpreting all of the clues is the hard part for Susan Jackson in this story though. I loved the melding of the two perspectives from two very different time periods. This was done very seemlessly and the author really deserves a lot of credit for achieveing this level of flow. Find out if the "suicide" attempt was in fact an attempt or a tragic accident and dive into this great psychological thriller.

3.5 Stars

*Reviewed by Chris*

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

I Like You Just The Way I Am by Jenny Mollen

By the actress, writer, and one of the funniest women on Twitter, an outrageous, hysterical memoir of acting on impulse, plotting elaborate hoaxes, and refusing to acknowledge boundaries in any form Jenny Mollen is an actress and writer living in Los Angeles. She is also a wife, married to a famous guy (which is annoying only because he gets free shit and she doesn't). She doesn’t want much from life. Just to be loved—by everybody: her parents, her dogs, her ex-boyfriends, her ex-boyfriends’ dogs, her husband, her husband’s ex-girlfriends, her husband's ex-girlfriend's new boyfriends, etc. Some people might call that impulse crazy, but isn’t "crazy" really just a word boring people use to describe fun people? (And Jenny is really, really fun, you guys!)

In these pages, you’ll find stories of Jenny at her most genuine, whether it’s stalking her therapist (because he knows everything about her so shouldn’t she get to know everything about him?); throwing a bachelorette party so bad that one of the guests is suspected dead; or answering the eternal question, Would your best friend blow your husband on a car ride to dinner if she didn't know you were hiding in the backseat?

I Like You Just the Way I Am is about not doing the right thing—about indulging your inner crazy-person. It is Jenny when she’s not trying to impress anyone or come across as a responsible, level-headed member of society. With any luck it will make you better acquainted with who youreally are and what you really want. Which, let’s be honest, is most likely someone else’s email password.

Goodreads Summary

This book is definitely about exploring the not so good decisions in life. Those of you who are into these decisions and those of you who aren't can equally get something out of this book. The people who are into living life more loosely will get a kick out of all the crazy situation that Jenny gets herself into. Those of you who would never dream of doing anything that is written about in this book can see what it would be like from the safe viewing angle of reading in your own home. 

This book is crazy and fun with so many weird stories that will keep everyone entertained. Some of the situations the author gets herself into will leave you scratching your head, but still laughing by the end. If anything, you should read this book for a guide of what not to do when you want to make sure you are behaving well.

3.5 Stars

*Rviewed by Chris*


This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

Prototype by M.D. Waters

The stunning debut that began with "Archetype"-- and has readers buzzing--concludes in "Prototype," when a woman's dual pasts lock onto a collision course, threatening her present and future. 
Emma looks forward to the day when she can let go of her past--both of them. After more than a year on the run, with clues to her parents' whereabouts within her grasp, she may finally find a place to settle down. Start a new life. Maybe even create new memories with a new family. 
But the past rises to haunt her and to make sure there's nowhere on the planet she can hide. Declan Burke wants his wife back, and with a little manipulation and a lot of reward money, he's got the entire world on his side. Except for the one man she dreads confronting the most: Noah Tucker. 
Emma returns to face what she's done but finds that the past isn't the problem. It's the present--and the future it represents. Noah has moved on and another woman is raising their daughter. 
In the shocking conclusion to M.D. Waters's spectacular debut, Emma battles for her life and her freedom, tearing down walls and ripping off masks to reveal the truth. She's decided to play their game and prove she isn't the woman they thought she was. Even if it means she winds up dead. Or worse, reborn.

Goodreads Summary

As someone who is always on the move in life, I found a deep connection to this book as the main character is always looking to what is next. We are both on the move for very different reasons but constantly moving just the same. Emma has two different pasts that are on a collision course and how they collide will determine her present and future.

I though the idea for this novel was very interesting and unique. It isn't quite a time travel story but certainly about alternative realities and how chaos can ensue when one changes the other. As this is the sequel to "Archetype"  it would be a good thing to read that first so that you are up to speed with the story fully. It would not be a huge distraction to have not read the first book, however there are some things that would be more clear. You should definitely read "Prototype" and see how Emma's past choices come together to make her future.

4 Stars

*Reviewed by Chris*


This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

Legally Undead: Promo!

Novel:

Legally Undead

A reluctant vampire hunter, stalking New York City as only a scorned bride can.

Elle Dupree has her life all figured out: first a wedding, then her Ph.D., then swank faculty parties where she’ll serve wine and cheese and introduce people to her husband the lawyer.

But those plans disintegrate when she walks in on a vampire draining the blood from her fiancé Greg. Horrified, she screams and runs--not away from the vampire, but toward it, brandishing a wooden letter opener.

As she slams the improvised stake into the vampire’s heart, a team of black-clad men bursts into the apartment. Turning around to face them, Elle discovers that Greg’s body is gone—and her perfect life falls apart.

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Character Profile

Nick Calvani

Age: 41

Physical description from the book: The lead guy, who looked disconcertingly like a bad cross between Stephen King and Sylvester Stallone, all heavy jaw and protruding brow ridge and muscular torso, was popping out orders while he talked to me.

Quote that fits his personality: “When you’re fighting vamps,” Nick said, tossing me a sharpened stake, “you really only need to know two things: how to hit them in the heart and how to keep them from grabbing you.”

Best quality: His willingness to train reluctant vampire hunters in order to help them survive.

Worst quality: His loyalty to his godfather, a man who might be in league with the vampires.

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Buy Links

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Legally-Undead-Vampirarchy-Margo-Collins-ebook/dp/B00KKV44BK/

B & N Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/legally-undead-margo-bond-collins/1119607989?ean=2940149615803

Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Legally-Undead-Vampirarchy-Volume-1/dp/0692211497/

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/legally-undead

Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Legally-Undead-Vampirarchy-Volume-1/dp/0692211497/

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/legally-undeadAmazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Legally-Undead-Vampirarchy-Volume-1/dp/0692211497/

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/legally-undead

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Legally Undead Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XRDeparqVE

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About the Author

Margo Bond Collins is the author of a number of novels, including Waking Up Dead, Fairy, Texas, and Legally Undead (forthcoming May 27, 2014). She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoiled pets. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters.

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Connect with Margo

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins

Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com

Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.net

Blog: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin  @MargoBondCollin

Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902

Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/

Be sure to add Legally Undead to your Goodreads bookshelves: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18366353-legally-undead

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

What Has Become of You by Jan Elizabeth Watson

What if a teacher’s most promising pupil is also her most dangerous? A tautly plotted psychological thriller, as intelligent as it is mesmerizing

What Has Become of You follows Vera Lundy, an aspiring crime writer and master of self-deprecation who, like many adults, has survived adolescence but hasn’t entirely overcome it. When she agrees to fill in for a private school English teacher on maternity leave, teaching The Catcher in the Rye to privileged girls, Vera feels in over her head. The students are on edge, too, due to the recent murder of a local girl close to their age.

Enter Jensen Willard. At fifteen she’s already a gifted writer but also self-destructive and eerily reminiscent of Vera’s younger self. As the two outcasts forge a tentative bond, a sense of menace enfolds their small New England town. When another student, new to the country, is imperiled by her beliefs, Vera finds herself in the vortex of danger—and suspicion.

With the threat of a killer at large, the disappearance of her increasingly worri-some pupil, and her own professional reputation at stake, Vera must thread her way among what is right by the law, by her students, and by herself. In this poignant page-turner, populated with beguiling characters and sharp social insights, coming-of-age can happen no matter how old you are.

Goodreads Summary

Jensen is that lost student with a lot of talent who needs some guidance. She can go one of two ways; Shape up and really figure things out, or go off the deep end and completely loose herself. There is a plot twist around every turn here and you will be enjoying every second of it as you get further into the story. What makes it even worse for Jensen's mentor is that she see a lot of herself in Jensen so it is hard for her to blame her for acting and thinking certain ways. Either way, she feels an obligation to give a push in the right direction and a sense of duty to do everything in her power to make things right.

I like the reluctant mentor situation going on. I can see this being a problem that a lot of parents have when raising kids of their own. They know that the kid is in some ways thinking like they did and they try their hardest to stop us from making the same mistakes as we grow up. Beyond that Watson has created a great cast of true to life characters that are believable and easy to get attached to. Will Jensen's writing hone into something that is great or will she fall from graces? Read yourself to find out.

4 Stars

*Reviewed by Chris*

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

Hacker: The Outlaw Chronicles by Ted Dekker

"My name is Nyah and I'm a hacker. I know things most people would never believe. Things that shouldn't exist, but do." 

Seventeen year old Nyah Parks is a genius hacker who makes a living by cracking the firewalls of the world's largest corporations. But when the biggest job of her life goes wrong she's plunged into a desperate situation with only one way out: one last hack that will either save her or kill her. So begins Hacker, a modern day parable that examines the staggering world around us, the seen and unseen, and reminds us that there's far more to who we are than meets the eye.

Goodreads Summary

If you loved "Inception" or "Vanilla Sky" then this mind blowing thrill ride is right up your alley. "Hacker" will mess with your head and keep you guessing yourself and remaining clueless as to what is going to happen next. You will be on the edge of your seat the whole book and never wanting to put this thing down as you follow Nyah and her adventure through her "last hack."

I loved absolutely everything about this book. It is exciting and mysterious and I had to know more and more about Nyah's character as I dove deeper into the book. Her selflessness is honorable and it was great to see this rare trait in a kid. She, as well as the other characters are written with a lot of depth. They all have a story that you want to hear and an adventure to live out. I also love how the book makes you question who you are as a person and second guess your thought process on what is right and wrong. All in all, you need to dive into Nyah's world and get a hold of a copy of this book.

5 Stars

*Reviewed by Chris*

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

The Ice Cap and The Rift by Marshall Chamberlain

A COMBOQUAKE RAKES THE MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE. A FIFTEEN MILE RIFT RIPS ACROSS AN ICELANDIC ICE CAP. A DISSECTED CAVE HOLDS MYSTERIOUS ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY. John Henry Morgan, ex-Marine, Director of the United Nation's Institute for the Study of Unusual Phenomena, returns from the devastating attack on ISUP's Mountain project in Belize only to be cast into the aftermath of the Comboquake and the dangers of the rift. Morgan and key ISUP staff mount an expedition to the rift and discover a cavern occupied one hundred and eighty thousand years ago, containing a perfectly preserved high-tech habitat and a traveling machine operated by unknown scientific principles. The benign scientific expedition to study the cave and its contents encounters deceit and violence as nations and terrorist groups ferret out the existence and significance of the discoveries, and mount sophisticated operations to acquire technological treasures for their own purposes. ISUP finds itself at the convergence of clandestine assault from several fronts. Violence escalates. Lives become expendable - a scenario that has plagued the human race through the chronicles of time. Frantic action: Prague, London, New York, Washington, D.C., Libya, France, Spain, China, Iceland. Across oceans and air lanes, factions grapple for power. Survival for the ISUP scientists and preservation of new technologies for the benefit of humanity lie in choices of whom to trust.

Goodreads Summary

This is your typical cataclysmic world ending scenario presented in a fresh and exciting light with a good story and set of characters. Throw in an ancient society that is far more technologically advanced and you get a plot that is thick with science and exploration. Science fiction lovers will be right at home in this thriller.

I have always been a fan of stories like this so this was a book that I could not put down. When the action is going on, it is intense and filled with scientific information that will woo the minds of those that like to contemplate phenomena of this nature. I also loved the idea that the aliens/ancient society has been here all along and that their technology is still better than ours. What would the human race do if this superior technology got into the wrong hands? Who would be the wrong hands to give the technology to? This and many other questions are answered in this awesome apocalyptic thriller.

4 Stars

*Reviewed by Chris*

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

Now I See You by Nicole C. Kear

At nineteen years old, Nicole C. Kear's biggest concern is choosing a major--until she walks into a doctor’s office in midtown Manhattan and gets a life-changing diagnosis. She is going blind, courtesy of an eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, and has only a decade or so before Lights Out. Instead of making preparations as the doctor suggests, Kear decides to carpe diem and make the most of the vision she has left. She joins circus school, tears through boyfriends, travels the world, and through all these hi-jinks, she keeps her vision loss a secret.

When Kear becomes a mother, just a few years shy of her vision’s expiration date, she amends her carpe diem strategy, giving up recklessness in order to relish every moment with her kids. Her secret, though, is harder to surrender - and as her vision deteriorates, harder to keep hidden. As her world grows blurred, one thing becomes clear: no matter how hard she fights, she won’t win the battle against blindness. But if she comes clean with her secret, and comes to terms with the loss, she can still win her happy ending.          

Told with humor and irreverence, Now I See You is an uplifting story about refusing to cower at life’s curveballs, about the power of love to triumph over fear. But, at its core, it’s a story about acceptance: facing the truths that just won't go away, and facing yourself, broken parts and all.

Goodreads Summary

Not a lot of people would be able to hold themselves together if they were told that they were slowly going to go blind over the next decade. So, it would probably would not come as a surprise when Nicole decides to live her life like there is no tomorrow and go crazy. She figures that she can get a lot done in the ten years that she has left with her vision, and also decides that she is the only one who needs to know about he slowly fading grip on sight.

It was bittersweet to read this true story about a girl that is trying to find purpose in a world that is going dark. Her ups and downs in her crazy years are at some times exciting and other times cringe worthy, however you can always tell that she is going to land on her feet eventually. The bitter is the fact that she is going to go blind eventually, the sweet is that she still finds her way into a stable and good life despite some of her decisions and reckless behavior. I found it terrible that even as she started to get her life together, find love, and have kids that she still did not have the decency to let her husband know about the doom of her eyes. Even so, this book was a great read and it was a lot of fun to follow.

5 Stars

*Reviewed by Chris*

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

My Mom's a Good Cooker by Gabbie Krivonak

I believe working moms can have a career AND cook tasty and nutritious dinners for their families. It used to be routine for families to gather for the evening meal, and eat and talk about the day's affairs. Not so now. I have written this cookbook/guide to try to help change this trend. It contains strategies, tips, techniques and recipes I have used during my time as a working mom trying to put a good hot meal on the table at the end of the day. The benefits of home-cooked dinners are numerous .You, the mom, control the portion size, the fat content, and the salt in these meals. Childhood obesity is, in part, I believe, a result of the demise of the family dinner. This guide starts with the toddler years and progresses to the empty nest. 
I hope as you read this cookbook and guide, you find a way to incorporate the family dinner into your life. The recipes are easy to prepare and the benefits great. I hope your children say to you after one of these dinners, "Mom, you are a good cooker." 
Gabbie Krivonak is a retired IBM executive, mother of two, and grandmother of four. She is an avid cook and has taken classes in classical French cooking at L' Academie de Cuisine of Bethesda, Maryland. She is the small business owner of and blogger for My Mom's a Good Cooker, Inc. Ms. Krivonak lives in Rockville, Maryland with her husband Buzz.

Goodreads Summary

This book is great for the mom or cook in the family that is looking to expand their horizons and try out some simple new recipes. It covers anything from making basic marinara sauce from scratch, to full dinners that are easy to prepare, don't take hours of preparation work, and also don't break the bank in the process. The instructions are straight forward and very easy to follow. Practically anyone who can follow directions could open this book and find that it is a great help in the kitchen when cooking for the family.

My personal favorite in the book was the chicken tacos recipe. All of the ingredients were easy to find at the local grocery store and the whole meal came together in well under a half an hour. The family at home loved it too. You should definitely check this book out for your next adventure in the kitchen.

4 Stars

*Reviewed by Chris*

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

Romance E Festival

The Romance e-Festival 2014 is nearly here!

This weekend HarperCollins will be running their first ever digital Romance Festival, in conjunction with some of the world’s best known publishers of romance, to bring you two days of discussions, tips and giveaways for writers of romance and fans – all focused around some of our best loved women’s fiction authors!

The line-up has now been announced on the festival blog here, authors include J. Lynn/Jennifer L. Armentrout, Lori Wilde, Eloisa James, Jay Crownover, Kerrelyn Sparks, Molly McAdams, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips, among many others, but for full timings and schedules of discussions, please register for free at the link below:

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/romance-festival-2014-tickets-11344522773

We’ve attached a banner for your site here if you want to promote to your readers, and hope some of you can stop by online over the weekend!

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ