Monday, September 30, 2013

Cane Expressions Review


Cane Expressions, our decorative, removable cane sleeveslet you express yourself—your personality, your style, your mood. They are as easy to change as your mind. Mix and match cane covers to go with your favorite outfits, activities and occasions. We offer a variety of stylish, fun sleeves in your choice of beaded or fabric (solid and prints). Our cane covers do more than just protect your cane shaft—they ensure that youKeep Moving, In Style!




My Review:
4 stars

I chose to review the leopard print cover. I loved how easy it was to use the cover, it went on easily, and if it got dirty, all I had to do was just throw it in the laundry, and then good to go. The cover stayed on pretty well most of the time, and I loved the fact that these are made here in the U.S.A. All in all, this is a fun way to decorate a cane, and makes an awesome gift.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Cutlass: Ten Tales of Pirates


A story collection with ten thrilling adventure yarns, edited by Rayne Hall.


Pirate stories are exciting. They give us a taste of adventure and daring, of freedom and romance. While historical reality was unglamorous and brutal, in fiction, we enter a world of excitement, set sail for a great adventure, enjoy freedoms outside the confines of society and law, fight on the side of righteous rebels or defeat the villains and find buried treasure.


This story collection contains ten pirate yarns, some spiced with sprinkles of realism, others peppered with fantasy, all seasoned with the salt of adventure. While this is a fiction book for adults, the stories are suitable for older children.


To reflect the authors' individual voices, you will find both American and British words and spellings in this book. Some stories have been previously published in magazines, ezines, story collections and anthologies.


1. KHABALLO by Margo Lerwill
Careened on a cursed island, the old captain and her men are caught between warring navies.


2. VICTORIA AND THE IRONCLAD by Douglas Kolacki
An escaped slave and a pirate captain race to capture the Confederacy's ultimate weapon.


3. BLIND MAN'S BLUFF by Jonathan Broughton
The trickster's reward is deceit.


4. SKRITCH by John Blackport
Your enemy may be your best ally.


5. DIAMONDS AND BONES by Kris Austen Radcliffe
In space, you may need to deal for the diamonds your bones need.


6. UN HOMME DE COULEUR LIBRE by Liv Rancourt
Fate sets Robert's life on a new course.


7. SCYLLA AND THE PEPPER PIRATES by Rayne Hall
A spunky young woman sets out to rescue her long-lost lover.


8. BROADSIDED by KJ Kiegan
Love can take you off course.


9. THE PENSIONER PIRATES OF MARINE PARADE by Jonathan Broughton
Rebel pensioners revolt.


10. THE BOOK OF ADVENTURES by Douglas Kolacki
In the Great Depression, two brothers find two kinds of escape.


*************************
This is a book for grownups and teenagers. Some of the stories may also be suitable for children (with parental guidance).



My Review:
Coming soon!


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Friday, September 27, 2013

All the Colors of Love BBT

Blurb:
It sucks being the son of a super villain. At home, Harry spends half of his time getting medical treatments and the other half tied up in his father's underwater lair. It was different when his mother was alive, but she disappeared when Harry was six. He can't seem to stay out of trouble at school, and his new roommate, Antonin, thinks he’s a spaz, but somehow Harry has to find a way to stop his father's evil plans.

Antonin Karganilla wants to become a comic book artist, but other than that, being gay is the most normal thing about him. His uncle is an aquatic plant man, his aunt is a molecular biologist back from the dead, and his mom is an overprotective pain in the butt. Antonin's in boarding school and it's starting to look like he and this Harry kid might have a lot in common... and that means a whole new set of problems.



Excerpt:
He just wasn’t used to feeling like this, was all. Sometimes when he was alone he shook with it -- pinpricks of terror all over his body. Terror because he couldn’t quite understand how someone as fucked up as him could feel this good.

But then he’d think of Antonin, and he’d remember.

Harry took his customary seat at the back of the class and settled in for an hour of mystery speak from Professor Brill. Not Antonin, though. Antonin sat up at the front of the class with his notebook and his pencil, ready to take notes.

Harry had known Antonin was smart from the get-go, and it hadn’t taken long for him to appreciate his fine, fierce beauty either. But it wasn’t until Antonin assured him with calm and deadly certainty that the Old Man was as good as dead that Harry appreciated just how savage Antonin really was. If there was any chance at all of ridding the world of his father, it lay with Antonin along with every other hope Harry had ever had.

Brill was blathering on about the square of the hippopotamus or something, and for no reason at all, Antonin glanced over his shoulder at Harry with a little smile. Later he’d probably nag Harry for not taking notes, but Harry wouldn’t really mind. It was worth it to get that glance and that smile, a snapshot moment of dark eyes and soft lips that he could spend the rest of the day falling into.

He was in such deep shit.


My Review:
4.5 stars
This was a wonderful book that I greatly enjoyed. Not only was the plot interesting, but the characters were wonderful and lively, and I absolutely love Antonin’s “family”. From a resurrected android, to a living plant man, they cracked me up, and they almost stole the show from Harry and Antonin, they were so great. And I loved getting to see multiple POVs (you read not only from Harry and Antonin’s POVs, but also Harry’s dad, and all of Antonin’s family members at times). Having multiple POVs can throw a story off sometimes, but it worked well here, and helped explain the character’s thoughts, motivations, backgrounds, etc., which really enhanced the story. Another thing I loved about this book was that the romance wasn’t raced. Harry and Antonin went from being enemies to friends, and eventually to more than friends. I loved seeing how they grew and changed as the story progressed. Oh, and the ending? Loved it! I can’t wait to see what happens next. The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star book was the violence and the language. While there was bad language, it didn't really bother me too much, but I thought it was a bit much for a YA book. The violence on the other hand, really bothered me. It wasn't just that there was a lot of it, it was that it was detailed as well. The abuse that Harry suffered especially was hard, and while I understand why it was necessary to have that happen to him to make him who he was, I didn’t think it needed to be spelled out so vividly and bluntly, especially in a YA book. I think that this book should be classified as a NA (new adult) book rather than a YA (young adult) one because of this. All in all though, this was an amazing read. I laughed, I cried, I cringed, and I celebrated while reading this book. I would definitely recommend this book to an older crowd (high school and up, though this could be okay for some older/more mature middle schoolers), and I sincerely hope there’s a sequel where we see what happens in the aftermath and as Harry and Antonin age.


Jessica will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. So the more you comment, the better your chances of winning!

September 16: Decadent Delights
September 19: Reading In Twilight
September 23: Books in the Hall
September 24: Out of the Lockbox
September 25: Two Fantasy Floozies
September 26: It's Raining Books
September 27: Long and Short Reviews


Author Bio and Links:
Jessica Freely can't resist a wounded hero. As a reader and a writer, her favorite stories are of soul mates finding redemption in each other's arms. Married to the love of her life in a beautiful relationship based on mutual goofiness, Jessica also warps minds as an instructor in Seton Hill University's Writing Popular Fiction MFA program. Her dog, Ruthie, doesn't seem to care that Jessica's an award-winning and best-selling author in multiple genres. She just wants to play tug of war with Jessica's pages.


Jessica Freely Online:

Buy Link

Bites Review


Do you like the traditional, blood-sucking, dangerous type of vampire? Then this story collection is for you.


Ten authors have created creepy, chilling, funny, thought-provoking and scary stories about dark suckers.


Are vampires to be pitied for their vulnerabilities, or envied for their powers? How do we know who is a vampire? How do we know what vampires want from us? What if they are expressions of our own forbidden desires?


What if the victims give their blood willingly, in return for a boon? What if they drain from their victims not blood, but something more precious - their courage, their faith, their ability to love?


Is what they offer a fair exchange for what they take? Do you yearn for thrills, for immortality, for everlasting youth? Would you be willing to pay for this with your blood, your life, your soul?


Ten authors probe these questions in their tales. Each story in this book explores a different concept of vampires, a different question, a different danger. To reflect the authors' individual voices, you will find both American and British words and spellings in this book.


See which story resonates most with you. Enjoy the tales - but be warned: these vampires are dangerous.


1. TANGLED DREAMS by Liv Rancourt
Sometimes it's safer to leave history's secrets alone.
2. REALITY BITES! by Jim Bernheimer
Vampires have problems just like the rest of us.
3. NIGHT TRAIN by Rayne Hall
The train is about to enter a tunnel - and vampires are on board.
4. WINTER FLOWER by Jonathan Broughton
Dark desires unfurl where shadows thrive.
5. IT'S IN YOUR BLOOD by Pamela Turner
Be careful when accepting an invitation.
6. THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN by Debbie Christiana
When you help someone, it may come back to bite you.
7. THE FLEDGLING DOUBT by Lana Bange
What if you're one moment too late to protect a victim?
8. THE DHAMPIR'S KISS by Carole Ann Moleti
Can any vow survive immortal life?
9. EXILE by April Grey
Death could be just the beginning.
10. WHY I WON'T READ SONG OF SOLOMON by Douglas Kolacki
A vampire may feed off a victim without leaving bite marks on the neck.


Some of these stories have been previously published in magazines and e-zines.


This story collection is part of the 'Ten Tales' series of anthologies, edited by Rayne Hall.



My Review:

Coming soon!



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Special Offers/Special Rewards Excerpt Tour

Special Offers Blurb:  
Meet Hailey - possessed by an otherworldly being who was trapped in her Kindle.

Hailey Parrish was quick-witted, irreverent, and hadn’t had a date in three years. She only wanted an eBook reader because her collection of paperbacks threatened to take over her small living space. Little did she know that the "special offers" that prompted the purchase included much more than a reduced price in exchange for a few ads. The device came pre-loaded with the essence of Sebastian Kess, an erudite womanizer with magical abilities from a parallel dimension. When she inadvertently releases him and he inhabits her body, she finally has a man inside her, just not in the way she imagined. And soon her predicament introduces her to yet another supernatural, the handsome could-be-the-man-of-her-dreams Alex Sunderland. Can Alex and Hailey find a way to return Sebastian to his own body, stay one step ahead of the criminals who want to keep him where he is, and not lose their sense of humor?

Special Offers, the first book of the Coursodon Dimension Series, combines paranormal romance, urban fantasy, a bit of science fiction and a healthy dose of quirky humor.



Exclusive Excerpt:
While I waited for my turn in the bathroom, the song “She Drives Me Crazy” by the Fine Young Cannibals rang out from my cell phone.  I had programmed that ring tone to identify only one caller and I thought long and hard about ignoring it before I finally sucked it up and answered with as cheerful a tone as I could muster.

“Hi Mom.”

“Hailey?  Is that you?”

I rolled my eyes.  But instead of asking her who else she thought would be answering my phone, I curbed the sarcasm and simply confirmed my identity.

“Oh, hello dear.  I hadn’t spoken to you in a while and I just wanted to check in to make sure you’re alright.”

It had been about two weeks since our last call, but contrary to my mother’s assessment, that seemed like not nearly enough elapsed time between calls to me.

“I’m good. What’s new with you?”

“You would not believe what I’ve been through this week,” she began. “I’ve had plumbers here three times and they still haven’t been able to fix the water pressure problems.  And of course, they want to charge me whether they make the repairs or not. I’m sure they’re godless heathens, a true believer would never try to swindle someone.”

“I thought you only employ repairmen off of www.whowouldjesushire.net,” I muttered idly.

“I do, but if I was a faithless huckster who wanted to cheat the righteous, that’s just where I would place an advertisement.”

There she goes, I thought with resignation.  Thirty seconds into the conversation, and she’s already spouting anti-Christian conspiracy theories.

“Mom, I seriously doubt they are colluding against you. They are probably just bad plumbers.”  It was never a good idea for me to engage in this kind of repartee with my mother, so I decided to try and change the subject. “How’s Dad?”

“Oh, same as usual.  He squanders most of the day tinkering with his projects in the garage.”



M.L. will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. So the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

9/16 SECOND STOP Books and Other Spells
9/26 SECOND STOP Becky Flade Author



Author Information:
M.L. Ryan is a professional woman – not that she gave up her amateur status, but rather that she is over-educated with a job in which she spends a lot of time writing dry, science non-Fiction. In an effort to strengthen the less logical side of her brain, she decided to write some of the many stories rolling around in her head.  She lives in Tucson, AZ with her husband, son, four cats, two dogs and an adopted Desert
Tortoise.

Twitter: @MLRyan1



Buy Links:
eBook Formats:  SPECIAL OFFERS  
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Trade Paperback: SPECIAL OFFERS
Amazon     |      Create Space

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