Book Review - Shadows of Jane

Happy Tuesday! EEEEP! Today, I'm bringing you another book review :D I read through this one last weekend, and it kept my attention the whole time. I didn't want to put it down! So, grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!

First, a little about the book up for review today:

Title: Shadows of Jane (The Shadows Trilogy - Book One)
Author: Amy Hale
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Length: 151 printed pages
Buy Link: Amazon Paperback

Blurb:
Colt Henderson is a man who lives for the moment. His past has taught him that life is unpredictable and often disappointing. A confirmed bachelor, he believes that love only exists in fairy tales.

She’s lost, scared, and can’t remember a thing about her past or her identity. She senses all is not as it should be, but without her memory, how does she know what to fear and what to trust? Because of her status as a Jane Doe, she names herself Jane and works to put her life back together. In the process she learns that she possesses unique abilities that certain people will kill for.

Fate throws Colt and Jane together, but they both have a lot to learn about forgiveness and acceptance. Colt’s determination and Jane’s remarkable gifts will send them on a journey they never expected. To survive they will need each other, but sometimes facts are scarier than fiction, and the truth is better left unknown.

~~~~~

Now, let's get to the good stuff!

I picked this paperback up at an event where I got to meet the author, and I'm now kicking myself for not buying the whole series at once. I wanted the next one as soon as I finished the first (reader problems). Yeah, it was that good. What really gripped me about the story is the way Ms. Hale built her characters from the first page to the last. There was great development. But enough high-level, let's get into the details.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I loved the main characters, Jane and Colt. They were always at odds with one another, but you could tell they wanted to be together from the first time they met. Their reactions were typical for people going through what they were, and I was genuinely invested in the outcome because I liked them both so much. I wanted Colt to get over himself at the same time I wanted Jane to realize what she had in him. It was a nice juxtaposition of personalities. Story flowed well from beginning to end, and there was never a time I felt lost or jarred by the action happening. Details were spot on. Just enough to allow me to build the scenes in my own mind rather than being told that the curtains were just so or the couch had a small tear in the arm. I read this in one day.

Only one thing was a bit jarring: The sudden jolt from one POV to another. It was clear the author tried to scene/POV break, but then the prose would leap to the POV of another person in the room. That threw me out of the story a couple times, and it forced me to read back to make sure I didn't miss something.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Overall, the editing was good. There weren't a ton of errors, and nothing that took away from the story itself. I'm leaving the POV leaps to the reader part of the review, because I believe that's reading preference rather than a true editing error.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me characters I could root for
1 Star for not bogging me down with unnecessary description
1 Star for flow/pacing
1 Star for editing
-1 Star for the POV jumps

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars! A highly recommended read that will go quickly and keep you engaged.

What do you think? Will you pick it up?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Dark Bishop

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I'm gonna regale you all with another book review today! I know how freaking excited you must be. You guys. This book! Okay, I'm not gonna ramble today. Let's just get on with it, shall we?

As always, let's start with information about the book up for review!

Title: Dark Bishop
Authors: Rachael Brownell and Casey L. Bond
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Length (print): 246 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Blurb:
A dangerous game has begun.

Sydney. Her skin felt as soft as it looked. I shouldn’t have touched her, but I couldn’t help myself. I’ve been to New Orleans dozens upon dozens of times. It’s a unique city, filled with tourists and superstition. And until tonight, I’d never been superstitious.

An old fortuneteller freak stopped me on the way to the diner and said I would make a decision that would change my path. She didn’t know that I’d walked the path to this very restaurant before. It had been a few years.

Who knew that the decision to return would be blessed with a beauty—five foot six with curves in all the right mouth-watering places. Clothed in cheap polyester, stained with God only knew what, Sydney was a vision. Blonde hair to her waist. Big brown doe eyes. I could almost taste her.

In his game, everyone’s a pawn…

I didn’t miss the rumble of her stomach when I asked her to dine with us. She was hungry. Something that flashed in those eyes told me it wasn’t because she just skipped lunch today. Maybe I could meet some of her needs. Forget that. I could definitely meet her needs, but it was up to her to let me. So, I left her my business card, my number.

Girls like Sydney, they’re afraid. They never make the first move. Most never even make the second. I doubt she’d call. I’d tipped her well, not because she was the best waitress I’d ever had, not even because she was within my sites. I tipped her so that when I came back to the diner, she would remember me. She would want to serve me.

And, oh, would she ever serve me. I just have to play my cards right.

…and he’s never lost a game.

Dark Bishop is unsuitable for those under the age of eighteen due to adult language and situations.

****

I picked up this book because I heard it was a dark thriller, and I was in the mood for a dark thriller. Never did I expect what I found on the pages. I've read Casey L. Bond's work several times, but this was my first foray into Rachael Brownell. I wasn't disappointed. Far from it. But I bet you want to know why, huh? Okay, let's talk about why I loved Dark Bishop.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I knew what to expect from this book: dark, twisted, and a total player in the MC. What took me by surprise was the colorful, yet fast paced, writing. You could clearly see the peeling linoleum in Syd's apartment, feel the superiority in Jake's mind, and smell the scents described on the page. But those things were just the perks in a delightfully diabolical scheme being played out by dear Jake Bishop.

Ladies, this isn't the bad boy you love to hate. Oh, no. He's the one you run from, the one that turns your fantasies into living nightmares. Truly cringe-worthy, I give Jake Bishop the highest evil ranking you can conceive.

Then, there's Sydney. Oh, how many times I wanted to smack that girl! But she got played by a master of the game. I could sympathize with her easily, and wanted more of what she was thinking and feeling in that last chapter.

There was no other way this book could've ended. It was a stunning collision of perfect meets chaos. This is a wild ride you won't soon forget.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Very well done. I didn't find but one or two comma errors in the whole thing. Kudos must be given!

Rating:
1 Star for making me cringe often
1 Star for descriptions that brought the story alive
1 Star for giving me an awesome bad guy I could actually hate
1 Star for making Syd's actions and persona believable and making me care about her
1 Star for editing

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended if you love dark thrillers.

What do you think? Plan to check it out?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Honey Queen

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I bring you another book review. This one wasn't on my TBR for the year, but I won a paperback at Utopia and took it on a trip with me. I devoured it. This title will go into the 2015 Time for Books Review Team pool. As of today, there are 373 book reviews posted there. You must check them out. Amazing authors on that list! Anyway, enough of my gabbing! Here's the book up for review today:

Title: Honey Queen
Author: Christina Mercer
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Mythological Romance
Length (print): 284 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Paperback $11.99

Blurb:
A Regional SCBWI "Best in Show"

Love is honey sweet, but it comes with a fatal sting . . .
Melaina Maris needs wings to fly the gap between loving Sam and her family's ancient curse that forces carnal love and then kills the male lovers. She won't let the same fate that killed her father befall another. She refuses to allow her goddess-created bloodline to continue. But there's no easy way out, specially after the curse turns her into the Honey Queen--savior to honey bees--intensifying her charms.

To help her fulfill the curse's demands in the least harmful way, her grandmother takes her to mate with terminally ill Boyd. But Boyd's gay. And an expert in mythology. Instead of having sex, Melaina learns how she might summon the goddess who created the first ancestor bee-charmer and cursed her bloodline. Melaina's magic--tears to save honey bees from endangerment--could be enough to persuade the goddess to end the curse. But an unexpected discovery soon changes that hope, spinning Melaina into a swarm of love, friendship and death.

***Will not appear in review elsewhere. Let me tell you, the cover and interior of this book blow me away! What a wonderful job by the designer. Love the branding with the bees. So amazing! I'd like to see the author's name a bit more prominently, but that's just a nitpick of mine :)***

Let's get to the review!

I won a copy of this book in a drawing at Utopia, a conference for women writers. I can't begin to tell you how excited I was, because I'd had my eye on this novel for a long time, but hadn't had an opportunity to add it to my TBR. Well, having a paperback turned out to be the thing that got me reading it (on an airplane, no less). I dove in and devoured this book in a little over twenty four hours. Now that you know how I came about a copy, let's get to my thoughts on what's inside.

From a Reader's Perspective:
What an interesting premise for a novel! I have to say, I've never read anything quite like it. Mythology, sure, but honey bees? I fell in love with the main character right away. Watching her struggle through the curse made me smile because she's funny when she's frustrated. Melaina's grandmother was awesome. I adored the interactions with her and the guys chasing her granddaughter. Quite a spry old lady. Tears of the Honey Queen being the savior of the bees was a great twisty idea.

Romance in this novel was a slow burn that had been building over the years. Take two characters that have known one another since childhood (and seem destined by the gods to be together), and you have a recipe for perfection. However, the romance didn't play front and center, even though it was the reason Melaina wanted to be free of the curse. It was beautifully complex.

Another thing I got into was the description of the cars. You can tell the author likes American classic muscle by the way she describes Melaina's vehicle. Roaring, even. I loved it!

Pacing was awesome, and didn't let up on the action from page one. Like I said above, I read all 200+ pages in just over twenty-four hours. There was never a time I felt like things were dragging.

One detail threw me off, and I mention it because it was questioned, clarified, then stated again several times. Melaina talks about how she's the last in the line of descendants from the goddess Aera. But the last daughter has always been the last in line--the only one left--until she procreates. There's one place where the characters mention how Iliana had two daughters, but then it's clarified when we find out one of those daughters died. So there's always been just one. Gran was the last when she was a teen, Melaina's mother, then Melaina. I just didn't quite understand why this girl was the most important "last" one.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Plot, grammar, and punctuation were all on the up and up. Nicely done!

Rating:
1 Star for making me love the main character and her Grandmother
1 Star for the fresh idea
1 Star for pacing and wonderful humor
.5 Star for the slow romance
-.5 Star for the confusion
1 Star for editing
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars! I round up, so this book gets a 5. Recommended for those who like a good dose of gods and goddesses and a fresh story idea.

What do you think? Have you read it? Plan to?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Never Forgotten

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I have a book review for you today. *grin* This title will go into the 2014 Time for Books Review Team pool (I'm finally up to 14 reviews this year). If you haven't been over there to check out the reviews these awesome ladies and gents have read, you gotta check it out. With today's book, it'll make 340. I'm blown away by their commitment. Here are the bloggers involved:

Me (obviously)
Kelly Risser
Ashley Simpson
Maria Pease
Elizabeth Newton
K. J. Farnham
David Rose
Tia Bach
Ren Reidy
Beth and Tiffany
Samantha
Ashley Bodette
Rachel Barnard
Karen Metcalf
Autumn Nauling

Be sure and check them out. Great reviewers up there!

Let's get on to the book on the table for review today.

Title: Never Forgotten (Never Forgotten Book 1)
Author: Kelly Risser
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Length (print): 314 pages
Buy link: Amazon Kindle FREE

Blurb:
How can one day go so very wrong? One minute Meara Quinn is making plans for how she will spend the Summer before her senior year and the next she's finding out that her mother's cancer has returned and they are moving away from the only home she's ever known.

Now every day is a struggle as Meara is trying to cope with her mother's illness, being forced to move to another country to live with grandparents—whom she thought disowned her mother—and having weird visions of a father who was absent her entire life. Top it all off with one whopping secret that everyone seems bent on keeping from her, and Meara has the perfect ingredients for a major melt down.

The only things keeping her from coming unglued are some new friends and Evan—the son of her mother's childhood friend—who seems to know Meara almost better than she knows herself.

Together with Evan and her friends, Meara embarks on a new journey to unlock the secrets that will not only tell Meara who she is, but what she is.

***Will not appear in review elsewhere. You all know what a book cover lover I am. This one speaks so much to what's inside. That lighthouse provides a turning point for the main character, and the softness screams inner turmoil. I love the font, love the boldness of the text, and appreciate the author's name being a definitive part of the overall design. Nicely done.***

Moving on to the review!

I grabbed this book a couple of weeks ago on Amazon and dove right in. I've never read a book that dealt with sea creatures, and I was super intrigued. I liked that the author based the tale on well-known myths, and I learned about some new things I'd never heard of. Anyway, let's get to the juicy stuff.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Character wise, I liked Meara. I thought she and her mother had a beautiful bond going on, and every time something horrid would happen, I held my breath as I waited to see if it would be "the" moment. I found myself torn between relief and exasperation several times because I wanted the story to move forward at the same time I wanted the mother to survive just a little longer. Pacing was steady, but slow. It's like a simmer that never reaches the boil it's threatening. When the big moments were happening, I wanted more emotion from Meara. I'm intrigued by her father, her aunts, and the guys at the club. All the members of the family seem to have a lot of mystery surrounding them.

There's one place where Meara is getting a pedicure, but I knew she was self-conscious of her feet, and I wondered if that was something she'd do. Seemed out of character.

Plot wise, it was most excellent. I could clearly see the main character experience change from page one to the end. She started out as a shy girl who didn't take risks ever. By the end, she was still scared, but willing to take a leap of faith to discover herself.

If you're looking for answers to any of the mysteries of the family, you won't find them in this series starter. It's more of the day to day life of Meara as her future hangs in the balance. Like I said before, the pace is slow, but it seems more about discovery and raising the questions to be answered in later books.

Yes, there's a cliffhanger, and I want to read book two so I can have some answers. Luckily, all three books in the series are already out.

From an Editor's Perspective:
It needs a proofreader with a really good eye. There are a number of misused words, and some repetitive scenes that would be cleaned up with one more run through. Example: She caught herself, and her checks grew red. Other than those, it was clean on the pronouns, punctuation, and structure.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me a mother/daughter relationship I loved
1 Star for plot and a growing MC
1 Star for introducing me to new myths and making me want more
-1 Star for pacing and never quite hitting full boil
.5 Star for editing
-.5 Star for editing
Overall, 3.5 out of 5 stars. I round up when clicking stars, so this book will get a 4. Recommended if you enjoy a book that takes its time and leaves you wanting more.

What do you think? Have you read it? Plan to?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Lex Talionis

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today, I'm back with a book review. I also read Cinder over the last month, and I'll be writing a review for that one next week. This one and the other will go in the 2015 Review Team pool. Wow, those ladies and gentlemen are doing a ton of reading 292 reviews? Wow. Check out the reviews here. As always, I'll start with information about the book and go from there. Ready? Let's gooooo!

Title: Lex Talionis
Author: S. A. Huchton
Genre: New Adult Thriller/Suspense
Length (print): 308 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99  ~  Paperback $11.99

Blurb:
Alexandria Ross was only sure about one thing: her best friend Miranda. So when the seemingly random act of violence that steals Randi's life is revealed as cold-blooded murder, Andria doesn't get mad...

She gets even.

Driven with purpose, she changes the course of her life to set the scales of justice back in balance. Psychological warfare is her specialty, and the secrets of her enemies are her weapons.

The players take their positions on the board…

But little do they know that the game is rigged.

Alexandria controls every move.

Lex Talionis: let the punishment fit the crime.

Now that you know all about it, let's move on to the review.

***Will not appear in review elsewhere. What really got me interested in this book from day one was the cover. Then, when I read the tag line, I was hooked. I didn't even need a blurb at that point. I was totally sold. Props to the author.***

Now, I snagged a copy of Lex Talionis on Amazon, but I also picked up a copy of the paperback when I happened to be at the same book conference as Ms. Huchton. It was the bound and glued version I consumed in a day. That's right, it captivated me so hard I just couldn't put it down. But you're probably reading this review to learn what was good, bad, and ugly. Let's get to that.

From a Reader's Perspective:

I'd love to have a totally amazing friend like Lexi. She's fierce but loyal, and believes a woman deserves more and can do anything she puts her mind to if she uses the resources bestowed by nature. I loved her resolve to right wrongs. There were no holds barred. Yes. This is the thing all women should embrace. I eagerly consumed words as I waited for her to exact the revenge due.

I found the first round a bit lacking in emotional punch. When the time came, she didn't feel quite as much as I thought she might. While she was a private, reserved person who didn't show her emotions outwardly to everyone, I did feel the first situation could've had a bit more electrical charge.

However, I moved past it and put it to the emotional control factor of Lexi.

Who had done whatever had been done kept me guessing, and at the reveal I was stunned. I totally punched the air. Yeah, lame or whatever, but I was happy at the ending, and my fistpump shows how invested in the outcome I was. There was also never a time when I felt the pace dragged on.

From an Editor's Perspective:

There were little things here and there, but nothing to write home about. As in most books, a nominal number of errors slip through the cracks.

 

Rating:

1 star for making me care about the outcome

.5 star for a smart, self-controlled MC

-.5 star for the lack of punch in that pivotal scene

1 star for pacing and plot awesomeness

1 star for the overall theme and keeping me guessing

1 star for editing

Overall: 4.5/5 stars. I round up when clicking stars, so you'll see a 5. Recommended if you love books with a sassy female MC.

 

What do you think? Did you read it? Plan to?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Moonlight

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I have another book review for you from my 12 Days of Review Requests event. Lots of great books were pitched, around twenty were chosen for review. If you haven't joined the 2015 Review Team, do that here. Just grab the image from the page, create a blog post on your blog saying you're joining us, come on back and add your link to the linky thing at the bottom of the page. If you wanna check out the reviews, you can do that here. So far, the team has reviewed twenty-three books! Not bad for only being twenty-two days into January. Indies are totally winning! So, before I get to the book for today, I'm gonna share my TBR from the event (as usual). Grab a cup of coffee, get comfy, and let's go!

The Release Club 1 - Misty Provencher - REVIEW HERE
Dry Stories - Kate Baggot - REVIEW HERE
Moonlight - David Rose - REVIEW BELOW

Bound by Duty - Stormy Smith - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Shadows on Snow (A Flipped Fairy Tale) - Starla Hutchon - Amazon Kindle $2.99
From the Wreckage - Michelle G. Miller - Amazon Kindle FREE
8 Weeks - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $3.99
The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge - Christine Nolfi - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Facade: A Vampire Love Story - R. M. Webb - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Siren - Jennifer Melzer - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Queen of Someday - Sherry Ficklin - Amazon Kindle $5.99
Fragile Creatures - Kristina Circelli - Amazon Kindle $2.99
At One's Beast - Rachel Barnard - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Unseen - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Heart Thief - S. Lee Benedict - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Refuge - Violet Haze - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Kindling Flames-Gathering Tinder - Julie Wetzel - Amazon Kindle FREE
Kinetic: Book One of the Kinetic Trilogy - C. M. Zimmer - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Destiny Finds Her - Miranda Lynn - Amazon Kindle $2.99
To Get Me to You - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Lady of Souls - Jenn Gott - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Sticks and Stones - Shawn McGuire - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Good Luck With That Thing You're Doing: One Woman's Adventures in Dating, Plumbing and Other Full Contact Sports - Karen Yankosky - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Desprite Measures-The Caledonian Sprite - Deborah Jay - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Last Guardian Rises - Rebecca Trogner - Amazon Kindle $0.99 

Now, some information on the book up for review:

Title: Moonlight
Author: David Rose
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Romance
Length (print): About 57 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $1.69

Synopsis:
Moonlight is a fantasy romance set in modern Japan. Two young teenagers, Tadao and Yuzuki, pledge their love in the face of imminent separation. Can they honour their promise to meet again as adults? Can they overcome an impossible challenge to achieve happiness together? The story includes elements of tragedy and magic, and Yuzuki's little cat, Miss Moonbeam, holds the key.


***Will not appear in review elsewhere. I think the cover of this book is a perfect target for the audience it's intended for and the genre in which it's written. It feels very anime-ish (great for the setting of Japan), and the content is right in line. I'd like to see the author's name a little larger, but that's a minor nitpick.***

I grabbed a sample of this book when the author pitched it to me for review and was totally frustrated when I got to the last page and there was no more story. That's always the way I get hooked on a read, and Rose did a great job of setting the stage for a heart-wrenching story to unfold. I had to have the rest of the tale! Off to Amazon I went to one-click. But let's get to what matters.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Because I'm not familiar with Japanese nomenclature, it was a bit difficult to follow the story in the beginning with the changing of names (it coincided with the changing of relationships in the children's heads). Once I got used to that, it was a much easier story to get into the groove with. And did I ever get into the groove. There were tissue needing moments, moments that make you move to the edge of your chair and cross your fingers, and moments where I hoped it wouldn't end the way I thought it might. To tell you any more would be to ruin the story. Character development was well done for such a short read, and I became completely invested in the outcome. There wasn't much in the way of scene/world building, but I appreciated that Rose left so much of it to my imagination and focused on what was important (the relationship building). This left me adoring the cat as much as I did the children. Plot and pacing were excellent, and I read the book in a couple of hours.

From an Editor's Perspective:
It needs a proofreader's touch to clean up punctuation here and there (dialogue tags vs action tags were the worst of it), but otherwise I didn't highlight much.

Rating:
1 Star for making me cry
1 Star for character building
1 Star for letting me identify and bond with the characters (even the dang cat)
1 Star for plot and pacing
.75 Star for editing
-.25 Star for punctuation usage
Overall, 4.75 out of 5 stars! I round up, so this book gets 5 starry stars. Recommended if you enjoy a romance built over time where the characters go through more than just doe-eyed love star strikes.

What do you think? Do you like short stories? What's the best one you've read?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Dry Stories

Happy Hump-day, everyone! It's the middle of the week and just two more days to go until the weekend. I've been writing my little fingers off on a WIP I think you'll all be super excited for. More on that later. Today is book review day! I've written a review for this author before, and I adored Love From Planet Wine Cooler. You can see that review here. If you haven't joined the 2015 Review Team, come on over and get involved! Just grab the badge, put a post on your blog with the badge and a little note about you joining, and come add the post to the linky thing on this page. No rules! Just books. All the books! Anyway, grab a cup of coffee and let's get going.

All about the book up for review today:

Title: Dry Stories
Author: Kate Baggott
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length (print): About 82 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $3.56

Synopsis:

When I called you each morning, while it was late night to you, my body thought it was night too. Our energy levels and rhythms were the same. I could feel it over the phone, across time zones and oceans. I felt like I was still at home combing nits out of your hair and helping your brother and your cousin edge you toward a new life, a better way of life without booze. Then, one more day passed and I got enough sunshine and enough fresh air for my body to adjust. I was back in this place, I had a new rhythm of family life and work and the ways of this adopted country.

“How can I do this?” I thought. “How can I fit this responsibility in too?”

Disguised as letters to a friend in need, “Dry Stories” delves into the psyche of the main character, revealing her passions, her fears, her needs, and her desires. Separated from her home country while living abroad with her husband and children, she struggles to conform to foreign traditions, accept local customs, and maintain her identity.

This literary compilation of short stories can be read as stand-alone pieces, or sequentially in a compelling novella. Each story is a letter written to a friend recovering from alcoholism and resonates with the truth of what it is to be human in a naturally disconnected world.

On to the review!

I snagged a sample of this book during the 12 Days of Review Requests event on my blog when the author pitched her story to me. I've read Kate's work before and loved it; I knew this book would be on par as far as quality of writing. I was happy to find it was, and went on to buy the book. I was so invested in the story, I read it in one sitting. But, let's get to the good stuff.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I found the story (or collection of stories) to be touching and soul-searching on a whole new level. I've never dealt directly with an alcoholic, but I've seen enough movies and met enough recovering ones to be a little familiar with the process of drying out. What the author brings to the table in this book feels personal and raw. She drags you down into the quagmire with the main character, showing you what it's like to feel responsibility toward someone you know who's struggling. Even if it isn't your place to be the rock in that person's life, your heart tells you not to give up. I was pulled by the compassion and humanity on the pages, even as I felt for the main character and her struggles with her own demons. Everything flowed well, though I would like to have seen a bit more of the story. It felt as though it ended rather abruptly. Though I wouldn't discourage you from reading it based on that alone. What you get is a heart-wrenching tale of two people who struggled in similar ways, but dealt with it very differently. You realize they're bonded on a much deeper level, and for one to fall would be the demise of both.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Very nicely done.

Rating:
1 Star for excellent flow
1 Star for showing me the true horrors of dealing with an alcoholic
1 Star for making me feel the connection between the main character and her friend
.5 Star for keeping me interested enough to keep reading
-.5 Star for the abrupt ending that left me a little hungry for more
1 Star for stellar editing
Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars. But, I round up! So, this book gets 5. Recommended for those who like writing on a deeper level. A story with heart instead of fluff.

What do you think? Have you read Baggott's work? Gonna pick this one up?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - The Release Club

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Per my updated blog schedule, you're getting a book review today! In case you haven't checked it out yet, pop on over and take a gander at the 2015 Review Team. There are a good number of folks signed up, and it's where all these reviews will be appearing once I get them written. Feel free to join in the fun. Grab a cup of coffee and get warm because it's hella cold outside!

First, a quick recap of my review books for 2015:
The Release Club 1 - Misty Provencher - REVIEW BELOW

Bound by Duty - Stormy Smith - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Shadows on Snow (A Flipped Fairy Tale) - Starla Hutchon - Amazon Kindle $2.99
From the Wreckage - Michelle G. Miller - Amazon Kindle FREE
8 Weeks - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $3.99
The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge - Christine Nolfi - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Moonlight - David Rose - Amazon Kindle $1.69
Facade: A Vampire Love Story - R. M. Webb - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Siren - Jennifer Melzer - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Queen of Someday - Sherry Ficklin - Amazon Kindle $5.99
Fragile Creatures - Kristina Circelli - Amazon Kindle $2.99
At One's Beast - Rachel Barnard - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Unseen - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Heart Thief - S. Lee Benedict - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Refuge - Violet Haze - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Kindling Flames-Gathering Tinder - Julie Wetzel - Amazon Kindle FREE
Dry Stories - Kate Baggot - Amazon Kindle $3.56
Kinetic: Book One of the Kinetic Trilogy - C. M. Zimmer - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Destiny Finds Her - Miranda Lynn - Amazon Kindle $2.99
To Get Me to You - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Lady of Souls - Jenn Gott - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Sticks and Stones - Shawn McGuire - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Good Luck With That Thing You're Doing: One Woman's Adventures in Dating, Plumbing and Other Full Contact Sports - Karen Yankosky - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Desprite Measures-The Caledonian Sprite - Deborah Jay - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Last Guardian Rises - Rebecca Trogner - Amazon Kindle $0.99 

Now, a little about the book up for review today:

Title: The Release Club 1
Author: Misty Provencher
Genre: Adult Romance
Length (print): About 70 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $0.99

Synopsis:
Accused of being too vanilla by her ex, Jes throws his crap to the curb and decides to let her curiosity take her back to her wild roots. With a membership to The Release Club, an opulent Swinger's club hidden away in the dangerous heart of the city, Jes becomes Jezebel, and pledges to uncover the truths about her sexual desires the moment she meets the fantastically handsome and mysterious man named Daire.

Bring your curiosity and come join Jezebel and Daire for the hottest hook up caught between pages!


New episode every two weeks.

**MATURE READERS AGE 18+ ONLY**

Now that we have that out of the way, let's move on to what you really came for: THE REVIEW!

***WILL NOT APPEAR IN REVIEW ELSEWHERE. I love the cover of this serial. It captures the story hiding behind the image perfectly. Misty seems to have a wonderful knack for choosing her cover art. If you recall, I reviewed The Fly House a couple months ago, so I was familiar with Misty's witty writing style. Feel free to check out that review here. Even that book had an amazing cover.***

Onward!

I picked up episode one of this serial when the author pitched it to me during an event on my blog. I grabbed the sample, dove in, and laughed until I thought my sides were going to split open. Once I got to the last page of the sample, I was horrified there was nothing left and zipped out to snag the whole banana.

Before I get into why you'll love this serial starter, let me say, if you aren't familiar with a serial, you need to read this: Serials aren't series of books. They're smaller chunks of a whole novel released as they're completed. So, if you have a serial with 5 episodes and ten chapters each, that's about 50 chapters of a longer work. No, you won't get a whole story in one episode. Think of it like a mini-series on television; when you see one episode, you're left wanting to see the next one until the series comes to a conclusion, then you can watch them all and get the seamless story. That's a serial. Now, on to the why.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Provencher has such a way with words. Not only was this story something many women could relate to, she was brutally honest about the thoughts of a woman when she's with a man who leaves something to be desired. It brings forth laughter, because you can identify with the plight/thought process of the MC, and a touch of empathy, because you know exactly where this woman is in her life's journey. There wasn't a lot of super steamy stuff in this book, but I think the author is warming up to slap you with it in the upcoming episodes of the serial. She certainly laid the groundwork well. Every character had depth that allowed me to really get a feel for them. This isn't an easy feat for the first in a serial, but it was done well. Besides all that, I dearly love to laugh, and I got plenty of wit, brutal honesty, and sarcasm from Jes that had me in stitches. You'll be dying for the second episode by the end of the first. I think the author chose the perfect scene to end with. No spoilers! You'll have to read it to find out.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Commas. Homophones. Dropped spaces between words and dropped words. Sadly, I can only give half a star for editing. I'm giving that half because there were no inconsistencies in the storyline.

Rating:
1 Star for making me laugh so hard I got strange looks from people nearby
1 Star for character development = awesome
1 Star for a perfect ending
1 Star for the bond I felt with the MC, Jes
.5 Star for flow
-.5 Star for grammar
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars! I round up when clicking stars, so you'll see a 5 here. Highly recommended if you're in the mood for a serial that'll make you laugh out loud and want the next episode.

What do you think? Gonna check it out?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

12 Days of Review Requests - Final List of Winners

Can't believe it's over! Happy Saturday, good people of the blogosphere! It's been an awesome ride so far, huh? I can't believe the turnout this year. It far exceeded my expectations. Thank you all for upholding the polite, fun, friendly atmosphere, and thanks for attending the party. Today, the final list of winners for reviews, the donated prizes, and the big giveaway are happening. Without talking your ears off, let's get going!

Bound by Duty - Stormy Smith - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Shadows on Snow (A Flipped Fairy Tale) - Starla Hutchon - Amazon Kindle $2.99
From the Wreckage - Michelle G. Miller - Amazon Kindle FREE
8 Weeks - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $3.99
The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge - Christine Nolfi - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Moonlight - David Rose - Amazon Kindle $1.69
Facade: A Vampire Love Story - R. M. Webb - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Siren - Jennifer Melzer - Amazon Kindle (Pre-order) $3.99 Grab a sample on Drive!
Queen of Someday - Sherry Ficklin - Amazon Kindle $5.99
Fragile Creatures - Kristina Circelli - Amazon Kindle $2.99
At One's Beast - Rachel Barnard - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Unseen - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Heart Thief - S. Lee Benedict - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Refuge - Violet Haze - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Kindling Flames-Gathering Tinder - Julie Wetzel - Amazon Kindle FREE
        Dry Stories - Kate Baggot - Amazon Kindle $3.56
    Kinetic: Book One of the Kinetic Trilogy - C. M. Zimmer - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Release Club 1 - Misty Provencher - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Destiny Finds Her - Miranda Lynn - Amazon Kindle $2.99
To Get Me to You - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Lady of Souls - Jenn Gott - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Sticks and Stones - Shawn McGuire - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Good Luck With That Thing You're Doing: One Woman's Adventures in Dating, Plumbing and Other Full Contact Sports - Karen Yankosky - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Desprite Measures-The Caledonian Sprite - Deborah Jay - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Last Guardian Rises - Rebecca Trogner - Amazon Kindle $0.99 

They've all been tweeted and shared on FB. I'll be adding them to Goodreads and Pinterest once I return home. :)

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS!

I appreciate the time each and every one of you took to pitch me your book(s). I had a lot of fun digging into your samples, reading your pitches, and buying your novels. Here's hoping you all had a good time, too.

Time to announce the winners of the last giveaways!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And, the winner of the Kindle is:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Merry Christmas to the winners! Congratulations to all the authors chosen for review! Watch my social media for your book to pop up. I'll be in touch to find out where this awesome prize should be shipped!

What books were your favorites?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

12 Days of Review Requests - Day Twelve

Happy Friday, everyone! It's the last day of the event. So sad! Tomorrow we'll tell everyone who won the Kindle, and announce my final twelve picks for review in 2015. If you didn't enter to win the Kindle HD7, this is your last shot. Visit the post here. I'm sad (yet oddly relieved) it's over. I've scored some great books, and I'm looking forward to getting to know the authors better. I hope you all had fun, made some new friends, and snagged a book or two to read and review. Ready? Let's get going!

Books marked with an astrisks and in BOLD are winners.
(That doesn't mean your book wasn't chosen, only that it wasn't chosen today)

***Bound by Duty - Stormy Smith - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***Shadows on Snow (A Flipped Fairy Tale) - Starla Hutchon - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***Dry Stories - Kate Baggot - Amazon Kindle $3.56
***From the Wreckage - Michelle G. Miller - Amazon Kindle FREE
An Unlikely Goddess - Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The House at Zaronza - Vanessa Couchman - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***8 Weeks - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Click. Date. Repeat. - K. J. Farnham - Amazon Kindle $3.99
***Kinetic: Book One of the Kinetic Trilogy - C. M. Zimmer - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Six Months to Get a Life - Ben Adams - Grab a sample on Drive here!
Family Planning (Choices Book 3) - Beth Carpenter - Amazon Kindle $0.99
***The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge - Christine Nolfi - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The Release Club 1 - Misty Provencher - Amazon Kindle $0.99
***Moonlight - David Rose - Amazon Kindle $1.69
View from the Sixth Floor: An Oswald Tale - Elizabeth Horton-Newton - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***Facade: A Vampire Love Story - R. M. Webb - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The ABCs of Dinkology: Life - A. E. Stueve - Amazon Paperback $8.91
Of Mice and Money - Winifred Morris - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The Cure - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.51
***Siren - Jennifer Melzer - Amazon Kindle (Pre-order) $3.99 Grab a sample on Drive!
Ataxia and the Ravine of Lost Dreams - Rachel Barnard - Amazon Kindle $0.99
***Queen of Someday - Sherry Ficklin - Amazon Kindle $5.99
***Fragile Creatures - Kristina Circelli - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Pariah - Casey L. Bond - Amazon Kindle $3.99
***Destiny Finds Her - Miranda Lynn - Amazon Kindle $2.99
In Dreams - Heather Mullins - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Indelible - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $3.99
They Called It Moosicide: A Denali Hawthorne Alaska Mystery - Lisa Hall Deckert - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***At One's Beast - Rachel Barnard - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***To Get Me to You - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Rabbit Ate My Homework - Rachel Elizabeth Cole - Amazon Kindle $3.99
***Unseen - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Sticks and Stones - Shawn McGuire - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Sir Lyle's Dig - Sheldon Lefkowitz - Amazon Kindle $6.99
Warrior Lore: Scandinavian Ballads - Ian Cumpstey - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Good Luck With That Thing You're Doing: One Woman's Adventures in Dating, Plumbing and Other Full Contact Sports - Karen Yankosky - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***The Heart Thief - S. Lee Benedict - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Damsel Not - Kristina Circelli - Amazon Kindle $2.95
Tempted - Brenda Tetreault - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Christmas Come Early - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The Crime of Seduction - Nadine LaForet - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Be Careful, It's My Heart - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Roots Entwine - Victoria Bastedo - Amazon Kindle $5.99
The Sextape: A Dedication to the Ladies - Peprah Boasiako - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Living on the Knife's Edge - David Rose - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Nissa: a contemporary fairy tale - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Unknown Sun - Cheryl Mackey - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***Refuge - Violet Haze - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Angels Dawn - Komali DaSilva - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Recalculating Route - Beth Carpenter - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Desprite Measures-The Caledonian Sprite - Deborah Jay - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Watcher's Keep - Timothy Bond - Amazon Kindle $7.99
Fearsome Creatures - David B. Ross - Amazon Kindle $1.99
Aftermath - Sandy Goldsworthy - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***Kindling Flames-Gathering Tinder - Julie Wetzel - Amazon Kindle FREE
When Love Comes - J. H. Croix - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Sugar Baby Lies - C. S. Janey - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Dawn of Steam: First Light - Jeffrey Cook - Amazon Kindle $2.99

Shadow Slayer - Laura Elliott - Amazon Kindle $0.99

Elle Burton and the Reflective Portals - Peggy McAloon - Amazon Kindle $2.99

This Changes My Family and My Life Forever - Sally Ember - Amazon Kindle $3.99

Fatal Fire - Marla Bradeen - Amazon Kindle $3.99

The King's Gift - Kate Martyn - Amazon Kindle $5.99

The Place of Voices - Lauren Kerstetter Lynch - Amazon Kindle $2.99

Dream Stealer - H. L. Carpenter - Amazon Kindle $1.99

Chocolate Couture - Zelda Benjamin - Amazon Kindle $2.99

Hikertrash: Life on the Pacific Crest Trail - Erin Miller - Amazon Kindle $5.99

 The Artist's Inheritance - Juli D. Revezzo - Amazon Kindle $0.99

Seeking a Scribe: Enchanted Bookstore Legend One  - Marsha A. Moore - Amazon Kindle $2.99

Hopebreaker - Dean Wilson - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***The Lady of Souls - Jenn Gott - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Dragonfire - David Rose - Amazon Kindle FREE 
The Last Guardian Rises - Rebecca Trogner - Amazon Kindle $0.99

Congratulations to Miranda! Your book has been tweeted, shared on Pinterest, added to my Goodreads TBR for the event, and shared on Facebook.

Congratulations to Kait! Your book has been tweeted, shared on Pinterest, added to my Goodreads TBR for the event, and shared on Facebook.

Congratulations to Jenn! Your book has been tweeted, shared on Pinterest, added to my Goodreads TBR for the event, and shared on Facebook.

I have to share some of the responses from the question I asked yesterday: What do you like most about the event? Here are the answers:

Finding new authors and the interaction between all of us.
Feeling connected to other authors.
Checking out the pitches! I like the exposure to new authors.
Is it wrong to say that I saw the graphic of the woman with the hair and the gifts and just had to go see what was going on?
That it is something new every day.
The giveaways.
Reading all the great pitches and adding books from the event to my TBR list.
Adding new books to my TBR list that I might not have known about otherwise!
The variety of authors and books.
Finding new authors & new books to read! Thank you very much, Jo!
Winning! LOL

There will be no pitches today. Sadly, I'm down to the last few samples and have to announce the final list tomorrow (won't have time to read anything new). But! I announce the final list tomorrow morning AND we get to find out who won the Kindle HD7! Be sure you come on back to see if it was you.

Folks who bought books to review: Please, leave us the titles and your blog's name in the comments today so we can find the reviews once they go up! If you don't have a blog, all good! Just tell us what books you plan to review from this event over 2015.

If you haven't joined my 2015 Review Team, do that here.

**Kindly remember, there's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You will get a purchase if your sample interests me, and I'll try my best to read it. But if I find I can't give it more than 2 stars, I won't write the review. I've had a few I couldn't finish and it led to me not giving a review.**

Now it's time to announce the winners from yesterday's giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For the last day, your sponsors are: author J. L. Wilson and me!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you aren't listed as a review winner, you still have time! Don't despair! Good luck, everyone!

Be SURE and return tomorrow when I'll announce the final list of review books and the winner of the Kindle HD 7!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

12 Days of Review Requests - Day Eleven

It's Thursday again! Just today and tomorrow left, then we'll find out who won that Kindle, and we'll have the final list of review books from me. Welcome back to the 12 Days of Review Requests event! If you missed the opening post, be SURE and check it out here. It has the Rafflecopter entry form for the Kindle HD6. Each day, I'll post links to all the books pitched the previous days and a short recap of what I'm looking for you to put in the comments. Then, I'll have the Rafflecopter winner from the previous day, and the entry form for the current one along with the prizes. Let's get going!

Books marked with an astrisks and in BOLD are winners.
(That doesn't mean your book wasn't chosen, only that it wasn't chosen today)

***Bound by Duty - Stormy Smith - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***Shadows on Snow (A Flipped Fairy Tale) - Starla Hutchon - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***Dry Stories - Kate Baggot - Amazon Kindle $3.56
***From the Wreckage - Michelle G. Miller - Amazon Kindle FREE
An Unlikely Goddess - Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The House at Zaronza - Vanessa Couchman - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***8 Weeks - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Click. Date. Repeat. - K. J. Farnham - Amazon Kindle $3.99
***Kinetic: Book One of the Kinetic Trilogy - C. M. Zimmer - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Six Months to Get a Life - Ben Adams - Grab a sample on Drive here!
Family Planning (Choices Book 3) - Beth Carpenter - Amazon Kindle $0.99
***The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge - Christine Nolfi - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The Release Club 1 - Misty Provencher - Amazon Kindle $0.99
***Moonlight - David Rose - Amazon Kindle $1.69
View from the Sixth Floor: An Oswald Tale - Elizabeth Horton-Newton - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***Facade: A Vampire Love Story - R. M. Webb - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The ABCs of Dinkology: Life - A. E. Stueve - Amazon Paperback $8.91
Of Mice and Money - Winifred Morris - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The Cure - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.51
***Siren - Jennifer Melzer - Amazon Kindle (Pre-order) $3.99 Grab a sample on Drive!
Ataxia and the Ravine of Lost Dreams - Rachel Barnard - Amazon Kindle $0.99
***Queen of Someday - Sherry Ficklin - Amazon Kindle $5.99
***Fragile Creatures - Kristina Circelli - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Pariah - Casey L. Bond - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Destiny Finds Her - Miranda Lynn - Amazon Kindle $2.99
In Dreams - Heather Mullins - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Indelible - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $3.99
They Called It Moosicide: A Denali Hawthorne Alaska Mystery - Lisa Hall Deckert - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***At One's Beast - Rachel Barnard - Amazon Kindle $2.99
To Get Me to You - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Rabbit Ate My Homework - Rachel Elizabeth Cole - Amazon Kindle $3.99
***Unseen - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Sticks and Stones - Shawn McGuire - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Sir Lyle's Dig - Sheldon Lefkowitz - Amazon Kindle $6.99
Warrior Lore: Scandinavian Ballads - Ian Cumpstey - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Good Luck With That Thing You're Doing: One Woman's Adventures in Dating, Plumbing and Other Full Contact Sports - Karen Yankosky - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***The Heart Thief - S. Lee Benedict - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Damsel Not - Kristina Circelli - Amazon Kindle $2.95
Tempted - Brenda Tetreault - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Christmas Come Early - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The Crime of Seduction - Nadine LaForet - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Be Careful, It's My Heart - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Roots Entwine - Victoria Bastedo - Amazon Kindle $5.99
The Sextape: A Dedication to the Ladies - Peprah Boasiako - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Living on the Knife's Edge - David Rose - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Nissa: a contemporary fairy tale - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Unknown Sun - Cheryl Mackey - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***Refuge - Violet Haze - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Angels Dawn - Komali DaSilva - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Recalculating Route - Beth Carpenter - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Desprite Measures-The Caledonian Sprite - Deborah Jay - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Watcher's Keep - Timothy Bond - Amazon Kindle $7.99
Fearsome Creatures - David B. Ross - Amazon Kindle $1.99
Aftermath - Sandy Goldsworthy - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***Kindling Flames-Gathering Tinder - Julie Wetzel - Amazon Kindle FREE
When Love Comes - J. H. Croix - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Sugar Baby Lies - C. S. Janey - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Dawn of Steam: First Light - Jeffrey Cook - Amazon Kindle $2.99

Shadow Slayer - Laura Elliott - Amazon Kindle $0.99

Elle Burton and the Reflective Portals - Peggy McAloon - Amazon Kindle $2.99

This Changes My Family and My Life Forever - Sally Ember - Amazon Kindle $3.99

Fatal Fire - Marla Bradeen - Amazon Kindle $3.99

The King's Gift - Kate Martyn - Amazon Kindle $5.99

The Place of Voices - Lauren Kerstetter Lynch - Amazon Kindle $2.99

Dream Stealer - H. L. Carpenter - Amazon Kindle $1.99

Chocolate Couture - Zelda Benjamin - Amazon Kindle $2.99

Hikertrash: Life on the Pacific Crest Trail - Erin Miller - Amazon Kindle $5.99

 The Artist's Inheritance - Juli D. Revezzo - Amazon Kindle $0.99

Seeking a Scribe: Enchanted Bookstore Legend One  - Marsha A. Moore - Amazon Kindle $2.99

Hopebreaker - Dean Wilson - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Lady of Souls - Jenn Gott - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Dragonfire - David Rose - Amazon Kindle FREE

Congratulations to Kate! Your book has been tweeted, shared on Pinterest, added to my Goodreads TBR for the event, and shared on Facebook.

Congratulations to C. M.! Your book has been tweeted, shared on Pinterest, added to my Goodreads TBR for the event, and shared on Facebook. 

PITCH your book in the comments. Put the LINK to your book in the Rafflecopter form. Tell me why you think I'll like it, why I should check it out, and a little about the story. DO NOT give me a synopsis. I can get that from Amazon. Make it personal or make it funny. I care not. I'll be grabbing a sample of every book pitched and go from there.

AUTHOR ONLY entries will be removed from Rafflecopter before a winner is chosen. If you want a shot at winning the prizes, put BOTH in the box asking how you're entering.

I strongly encourage you to check out the works of your fellow Indie authors. Chat in the comments, talk each other up, make friends!

Book reviewers! You're welcome to play along, too! Meet and greet authors. Get new books to read and review. It only works if we all work together.
If you haven't joined my 2015 Review Team, do that here. 

**Kindly remember, there's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You will get a purchase if your sample interests me, and I'll try my best to read it. But if I find I can't give it more than 2 stars, I won't write the review. I've had a few I couldn't finish and it led to me not giving a review.**

Now it's time to announce the winners from yesterday's giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Our donators today are: Casey L. Bond and Jo Michaels (that's me).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hope you're all enjoying the book buffet! Happy pitching and reading!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

12 Days of Review Requests - Day Ten

It's WEDNESDAY and day ten. Just two more days of pitching until we get to the final list of winners. Welcome back to the 12 Days of Review Requests event! If you missed the opening post, be SURE and check it out here. It has the Rafflecopter entry form for the Kindle HD6. Each day, I'll post links to all the books pitched the previous days and a short recap of what I'm looking for you to put in the comments. Then, I'll have the Rafflecopter winner from the previous day, and the entry form for the current one along with the prizes. Let's get going!

Books marked with an astrisks and in BOLD are winners.
(That doesn't mean your book wasn't chosen, only that it wasn't chosen today)

***Bound by Duty - Stormy Smith - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***Shadows on Snow (A Flipped Fairy Tale) - Starla Hutchon - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Dry Stories - Kate Baggot - Amazon Kindle $3.56
***From the Wreckage - Michelle G. Miller - Amazon Kindle FREE
An Unlikely Goddess - Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The House at Zaronza - Vanessa Couchman - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***8 Weeks - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Click. Date. Repeat. - K. J. Farnham - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Kinetic: Book One of the Kinetic Trilogy - C. M. Zimmer - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Six Months to Get a Life - Ben Adams - Grab a sample on Drive here!
Family Planning (Choices Book 3) - Beth Carpenter - Amazon Kindle $0.99
***The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge - Christine Nolfi - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The Release Club 1 - Misty Provencher - Amazon Kindle $0.99
***Moonlight - David Rose - Amazon Kindle $1.69
View from the Sixth Floor: An Oswald Tale - Elizabeth Horton-Newton - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***Facade: A Vampire Love Story - R. M. Webb - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The ABCs of Dinkology: Life - A. E. Stueve - Amazon Paperback $8.91
Of Mice and Money - Winifred Morris - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The Cure - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.51
***Siren - Jennifer Melzer - Amazon Kindle (Pre-order) $3.99 Grab a sample on Drive!
Ataxia and the Ravine of Lost Dreams - Rachel Barnard - Amazon Kindle $0.99
***Queen of Someday - Sherry Ficklin - Amazon Kindle $5.99
***Fragile Creatures - Kristina Circelli - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Pariah - Casey L. Bond - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Destiny Finds Her - Miranda Lynn - Amazon Kindle $2.99
In Dreams - Heather Mullins - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Indelible - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $3.99
They Called It Moosicide: A Denali Hawthorne Alaska Mystery - Lisa Hall Deckert - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***At One's Beast - Rachel Barnard - Amazon Kindle $2.99
To Get Me to You - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Rabbit Ate My Homework - Rachel Elizabeth Cole - Amazon Kindle $3.99
***Unseen - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Sticks and Stones - Shawn McGuire - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Sir Lyle's Dig - Sheldon Lefkowitz - Amazon Kindle $6.99
Warrior Lore: Scandinavian Ballads - Ian Cumpstey - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Good Luck With That Thing You're Doing: One Woman's Adventures in Dating, Plumbing and Other Full Contact Sports - Karen Yankosky - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***The Heart Thief - S. Lee Benedict - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Damsel Not - Kristina Circelli - Amazon Kindle $2.95
Tempted - Brenda Tetreault - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Christmas Come Early - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $0.99
The Crime of Seduction - Nadine LaForet - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Be Careful, It's My Heart - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Roots Entwine - Victoria Bastedo - Amazon Kindle $5.99
The Sextape: A Dedication to the Ladies - Peprah Boasiako - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Living on the Knife's Edge - David Rose - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Nissa: a contemporary fairy tale - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Unknown Sun - Cheryl Mackey - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***Refuge - Violet Haze - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Angels Dawn - Komali DaSilva - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Recalculating Route - Beth Carpenter - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Desprite Measures-The Caledonian Sprite - Deborah Jay - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Watcher's Keep - Timothy Bond - Amazon Kindle $7.99
Fearsome Creatures - David B. Ross - Amazon Kindle $1.99
Aftermath - Sandy Goldsworthy - Amazon Kindle $2.99
***Kindling Flames-Gathering Tinder - Julie Wetzel - Amazon Kindle FREE
When Love Comes - J. H. Croix - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Sugar Baby Lies - C. S. Janey - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Dawn of Steam: First Light - Jeffrey Cook - Amazon Kindle $2.99

Shadow Slayer - Laura Elliott - Amazon Kindle $0.99

Elle Burton and the Reflective Portals - Peggy McAloon - Amazon Kindle $2.99

This Changes My Family and My Life Forever - Sally Ember - Amazon Kindle $3.99

Fatal Fire - Marla Bradeen - Amazon Kindle $3.99

The King's Gift - Kate Martyn - Amazon Kindle $5.99

The Place of Voices - Lauren Kerstetter Lynch - Amazon Kindle $2.99

Dream Stealer - H. L. Carpenter - Amazon Kindle $1.99

Chocolate Couture - Zelda Benjamin - Amazon Kindle $2.99

Hikertrash: Life on the Pacific Crest Trail - Erin Miller - Amazon Kindle $5.99

 The Artist's Inheritance - Juli D. Revezzo - Amazon Kindle $0.99

Seeking a Scribe: Enchanted Bookstore Legend One  - Marsha A. Moore - Amazon Kindle $2.99

Hopebreaker - Dean Wilson - Amazon Kindle $2.99

Congratulations to Starla! Your book has been tweeted, shared on Pinterest, added to my Goodreads TBR for the event, and shared on Facebook.

Congratulations to David! Your book has been tweeted, shared on Pinterest, added to my Goodreads TBR for the event, and shared on Facebook. 

PITCH your book in the comments. Put the LINK to your book in the Rafflecopter form. Tell me why you think I'll like it, why I should check it out, and a little about the story. DO NOT give me a synopsis. I can get that from Amazon. Make it personal or make it funny. I care not. I'll be grabbing a sample of every book pitched and go from there.

AUTHOR ONLY entries will be removed from Rafflecopter before a winner is chosen. If you want a shot at winning the prizes, put BOTH in the box asking how you're entering.

I strongly encourage you to check out the works of your fellow Indie authors. Chat in the comments, talk each other up, make friends!

Book reviewers! You're welcome to play along, too! Meet and greet authors. Get new books to read and review. It only works if we all work together.

If you haven't joined my 2015 Review Team, do that here. 

**Kindly remember, there's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You will get a purchase if your sample interests me, and I'll try my best to read it. But if I find I can't give it more than 2 stars, I won't write the review. I've had a few I couldn't finish and it led to me not giving a review.**

Now it's time to announce the winners from yesterday's giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For today, your prizes are from Julie Wetzel and Charlotte Abel.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hope you all have an awesome day and your pitches flow like bubbling water over rocks!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo