Sunday, May 31, 2020

✱✱Book Review✱✱ Blog Tour: PARIS NEVER LEAVES YOU by Ellen Feldman

Paris Never Leaves You
by Ellen Feldman


"Masterful. Magnificent. A passionate story of survival and a real page turner. This story will stay with me for a long time." —Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey

Living through World War II working in a Paris bookstore with her young daughter, Vivi, and fighting for her life, Charlotte is no victim, she is a survivor. But can she survive the next chapter of her life?

Alternating between wartime Paris and 1950s New York publishing, Ellen Feldman's Paris Never Leaves You is an extraordinary story of resilience, love, and impossible choices, exploring how survival never comes without a cost.

The war is over, but the past is never past.


Momma Says: 3 stars⭐⭐⭐
Paris Never Leaves You is as much historical romance as historical fiction or women's fiction, which works for this story. The storyline is emotional, and it's impossible to read about Charlotte's determination to survive and protect her daughter without feeling the emotion of the story. Ellen Feldman did a great job of showing Charlotte's survivor's guilt as well as her relationship with her daughter. The story moves between two timelines, and while the switch was sometimes a bit abrupt, both timelines were interesting. The story is easy to follow, and the characters are well-drawn and made me want to see how things would come out for them. All in all, Paris Never Leaves You is an engaging historical romance from Ellen Feldman. It's well written, and I would check out other books by this author.



Ellen Feldman, a 2009 Guggenheim fellow, is the author of Terrible Virtue, The Unwitting, Next to Love, Scottsboro (shortlisted for the Orange Prize), The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank (translated into nine languages), and Lucy. Her last novel, Terrible Virtue, was optioned by Black Bicycle for a feature film.


✱✱AudioBook Review✱✱ Fated Hearts and The Edge of the World by Garrett Leigh


Fated Hearts
by Garrett Leigh
Narrated by Dan Calley

"He’s not a wolf." 

Devastated by the death of his best friend, Zio is a soldier with one thing on his mind: revenge. Consumed by a conflict that’s raged as long as he’s been alive, he’s had little time or inclination to learn the legends of the shifter world he was raised in. And he certainly doesn’t have time to deal with a shifter of a different kind, even if it’s for the good of the war effort. For the good of his pack. The fact that he’s already crossed paths with the new face in his unit is almost irrelevant. 

Almost. 

Do no harm. Give life not death: it’s the oath Devan was reborn to live by, so when he’s sent abroad to embed with a wolf pack as their resident healer, he doesn’t hesitate. In the supernatural world, some bonds are instant - soldiers become brothers, pack become family. But others run deeper and before long, Devan’s at the mercy of instincts he can’t control. 

Zio’s inner wolf is desperate to be with Devan, while Devan struggles to keep the pack safe. But as the war escalates, and new love is tainted by anguish and pain, the battles within might prove the toughest of them all. 

"I won’t let him die."

https://www.audible.com/pd/Fated-Hearts-Audiobook/B087CC3PL4


Momma Says: 3 stars⭐⭐⭐

Fated Hearts piqued my interest in the beginning, and then it slowed down to the point that it kind of lost me. That and a significant lack of connection. 
When it comes to this type of story, world-building can be a make it or break it thing, and I think this one broke it, at least for me. There is quite a lot of world-building, but unless I missed something, it came up short on cohesiveness. It's all there, but it doesn't come together like I would expect. It felt rather choppy to me. The story does pick up and it gets pretty exciting in the last quarter or so of the book, but I still had questions. Questions about why there was so much animosity as to cause a war, questions about why there was so much issue with Zio and Devan mating. I mean, even from the blurb we know that Devan was sent there to help, so I would think it's safe to assume that the two packs are friendly, so why all the rules and restrictions? I don't know, maybe I got distracted and missed that part or maybe it wasn't there at all, either way, it bothered me. 
Then we come to the characters. Don't get me wrong, Zio and Devan are likable and interesting enough to make me want to more about them. The problem is we don't really get much about them, at least not in a paint a picture for the reader description. That surprised me, especially with the slow burn romance taking place. I would've expected at least some physical description, and I really missed that here. It made it quite difficult to picture these characters in my mind while listening. It was the same with all of the characters, so they all felt kind of like talking heads to me. 
As this is audio, I have to give props to the narrator, Dan Calley. This guy has a voice like butter, and he's quite good with the accents. He also did a great job at making the exciting parts stand out, and I loved the way he did the different accents in conversations. I didn't notice a single slip up, and there was quite a bit of dialogue here.
In the end, there were things I liked and things I didn't, but I'm glad I gave it a listen. I'll certainly remember Dan Calley's name, and while this one wasn't quite my cup of tea, I enjoyed enough to check out other books from Garrett Leigh. 


The Edge of the World
by Garrett Leigh
Narrated by Dan Calley

Shay Maloney is living his dream - on tour with his pirate/folk-rock band. But you can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’re from, and that’s where moody filmmaker and researcher Ollie Pietruska comes in.

The band’s management persuades Shay to let a television company film a documentary about his roots beyond his adoptive Irish family, and Ollie comes into his life knowing more about Shay than Shay’s ever known about himself.

But while Ollie holds the key to Shay’s past, he’s also hiding deep scars. Even as the hardships of the tour bring them closer, Ollie’s demons threaten the blossoming romance. They might both reach the breaking point before Ollie realizes he’s been standing on the edge of the world for too long, and it’s Shay who holds the key to his future.

A friends-to-lovers, rock star, road-tripping romance, with a guaranteed happily ever after.

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Edge-of-the-World-Audiobook/B0874DMNFL


Momma Says: 4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you enjoy slow-burn romance, The Edge of the World certainly falls into that category. I personally prefer something a bit faster paced, not instalove, but not quite this slow either. Nevertheless, these characters pulled me in. Shay and Ollie are both adorable characters and I couldn't help but love them. I'll admit that I know next to nothing about Shay's type of music, and it was an important part of the story, but not so much that I felt overwhelmed by it. I really enjoyed the genealogy aspect as Ollie introduces Shay to his family history. So, even though the romance felt a little drawn out, there was still enough going on with these guys to keep my interest and their chemistry is good. Garrett Leigh tells the story in a way that made me want to see these two become a couple. 
The only real drawback for me is that I kind of felt like the secondary characters were just disposable characters, there for nothing more than to propel the story forward. I would've liked a little bit of development, a few details to give me a sense of who these people are. Nevertheless, Ollie and Shay are great characters, and I enjoyed their journey.
This is my second listen with narrator Dan Calley, and he did a terrific job with Shay and Ollie. The way he read these guys is exactly how I'd hear them in my head. He brings the feelings in this one to life for me, and had me hooked from the beginning. 
All in all, The Edge of World is a great mix of sweet and sexy with all the feels and then some, and Calley's performance just adds to the experience. 



Cast in Stone Tour and Giveaway



Cast in Stone 
Treasures of the Heart Book 2 
by Lawna Mackie 
Genre: Romantic Adventure, Suspense 


Emma Taggart is a headstrong determined woman who knows exactly what she wants. That would be Finn Avery—not because he’s a multimillionaire with a mountain of gold—literally, but because all her life she’s had a crush on him. He also happens to be her best friend’s brother. 

When Emma finds herself in the small town of Dawson City, Yukon, for a second time, she realizes the beauty of the wilderness has grown on her. Granted the place is a far cry from the glamorous city of Chicago. Her job was to film and produce a special story for a prominent Chicago fashion magazine. It seemed a perfect way for her to spend time with Finn. 

Trouble begins when Finn’s best friend and partner passes away. Finn blames himself for the death and turns away from those who care. Emma knows he cares for her, the heated moments spent together spoke the truth, but now she can’t seem to break through to him. 

When a pompous billionaire, Marco Bishop, comes parading into town offering to buy the Charlie Avery Gold Mine, Finn is furious. The man has little respect for the town and its heritage, even worse he has come to fancy Emma and is determined to have her as his next conquest. Not only does Marco want the gold mine, but he’s certain he knows where to find diamonds. Marco persuades Emma to take a day trip with him up into the mountains, but by the time she realizes there is more to his plans, she knows she’s in terrible trouble. 

Finn suspects Emma has been taken against her will. He is determined to find her and bring her home. It’s another adventure into the brutal wilderness, where the rivers are as wild as the animals they encounter. 

Along the way Emma, Finn and Groot…the baby wolverine…yes, a baby wolverine, discover some interesting clues cast in the stones. Finn refuses to let anything happen to Emma but wonders if it might be too late. His great-great uncle once wrote—true treasures come from the heart. 


“I’m not jumping,” Emma declared.

Finn couldn’t help but laugh. “I can’t believe you’re scared.”

Not one cloud danced in the bright blue sky, and the golden sun reflected the magnificent jade colored water below.

“I’m not scared.” She placed her hands on her hips. “I just don’t want to get my hair wet,” she stuttered through the lie.

Finn’s eyes danced over her five foot six toned, tanned body. Perfect from head to toe. Her shoulder-length blonde hair bobbed at her shoulders with every move she made.

“Face it, you’re terrified.” Finn continued mocking her.

From way below in the water came a voice. “Come on Em. Jump.”

It was Finn’s sister Samantha, beckoning from the swirling pool.

“I’m going to kill her for this,” Emma seethed. “Just wait till I get my hands on her.” She stomped closer to the edge.

Finn followed. “You know you want to.” He smirked at her angry glare.

She turned and stared at him. “All right,” she responded. “I’ll go if you go.”

He lost his smile. “I don’t have my trunks on.”

“You don’t need trunks. Just wear your briefs,” she said with a conniving smile.

“I’ve done this a hundred times. I live here, remember?”

“Maybe you’re the one who’s scared,” she countered.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not scared,” Finn ground out.

“Prove it. Drop ’em and jump.”

“You really are a vixen, you know that?” He unbuttoned his jeans, kicked off his shoes and approached the edge. “I’m too old for this.”

“You’re not too old. I’ll follow if you go first.” 

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Finn stood looking over the edge down at the mighty Yukon River. “You better keep your end of this bargain, Emma Taggart.”

“I will.” She nodded while Finn watched her eyes travel over his body.

Finn turned and jumped from the ledge. His body hit the water and plummeted into the cool depths of the river, never hitting bottom. Slowly, he began the ascent toward the surface, happy for air he gulped into his lungs.

His sister Sam squealed with excitement while she treaded water. “I can’t believe you jumped.” She smiled at him.

“She goaded me into it.” He pointed up at Emma.

He spied her up above chewing on her finger. “Come on scaredy cat,” he shouted, knowing she’d be angry.

From over on the shore just a bit downstream stood another man watching them. “How’d he get out of this?” Finn glared at Sam. 

“If Hunter jumped off the ledge Savage would follow.” She shook her head.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. He’s a tough wolf, but he’s still recovering from his injuries.”

“Thank heavens for Savage.” Finn smiled at her.

On the ledge Finn watched Emma turn and walk away. “I’m going to kill her if she doesn’t get that body of hers in this water.”

“I don’t know if she will.” Sam shook her head.

To their surprise Emma returned to the ledge holding something in her hands.

“What? She wouldn’t.” Finn stared up at her in disbelief as she dropped what was in her hands over the edge, then plugged her nose and jumped.

“That little…” Finn watched his pants and shirt fall to the water. “Damn her!”

Emma screamed the whole way down until her body plunged under the surface.

Samantha laughed while Finn managed to rescue his pants and shirt before they sank.

Emma broke the surface sputtering and coughing. “Ouch!” she yelled. “You didn’t tell me to hold my arms in,” she ground out. “It feels like a belly flop but worse.”

Finn swam toward her with his wet clothes in hand. “If you think that hurts wait until I get my hands on you. Your butt will have my finger imprints all over it,” he shouted back.

“Oh shit!” Emma glanced at Sam. “See you by the fire.”

Finn watched her gracefully break into a front crawl and pull away from them. “Get back here you little brat.”

“Fun times.” Sam laughed, making her way toward the shore.

***

Emma waded out of the cold water greeted by the large black wolf named Savage. Since the accident, the animal had to be kept under the watchful eyes of Hunter Gray and Samantha. The animal had gained huge respect from all of them, considering he’d taken a bullet that saved Hunter’s life and most likely Sam’s as well. Hunter had told her the story about how he’d come across Savage as a pup after the mother had died. Savage seemed to adopt Hunter as a parental figure from that time on. Now, only weeks after the incident, Hunter and Sam needed to ensure the furry critter didn’t get overexcited.

The tall large man handed her a towel. “By the shouting I heard I’d say Finn’s a bit unhappy with you.”

“He’ll get over it,” Emma said nonchalantly and made her way over the rocks toward the fire.

Hunter laughed. “He doesn’t look so happy.”

The sun warmed her back as she held out her hands over the fire. “Thanks for this.” She nodded at the flames.

“I’m starving and we couldn’t very well eat cold hot dogs,” he responded.

“I love hot dogs, hot or cold.” She squeezed the water from her hair.

Finn and Samantha started their way out of the river with Savage jumping like a puppy up and down waiting for Sam.

“I think he loves you more than I do,” Hunter said to Sam, wrapping the towel around her and picking her up off her feet.

“Put me down.” She swatted at him playfully.

“No, because then he’ll have you and I won’t.” Hunter glared at the jealous wolf.

“Don’t be silly.”

Finn emerged on the shore, and from a distance Emma threw a towel at him. She could see the glint of anger boiling in his dark brown eyes as he dropped his wet clothing, caught the towel and wrapped it around his waist.

“Payback’s gonna be a bitch Ms. Taggart.” He strode toward the fire.

“I look forward to it Mr. Avery.” She reached over and popped a marshmallow in her mouth.

At the early age of sixteen and wearing braces and pigtails, Emma had set her sights on Finn Avery. Eight years apart didn’t mean anything. Of course Finn hadn’t noticed a thing about her back then, but now at the age of twenty-four, she could see from his stare that he noticed a lot about her, and Emma intended to take full advantage of that. Let the games begin, she thought and smiled.




Gold Fever 
Treasures of the Heart Book 1 
by Lawna Mackie 
Genre: Romantic Adventure, Suspense 


Could it be true? The gold existed. A treasure map alluded to such a find, but for over a century it was rumored a fable, one told by an old crazy man—Samantha (Sam) Avery’s great-great-uncle. 

One huge problem existed. Her brother Finn sent her the map and told her to run. Sam knew her big brother was in trouble and she had to help him. 

In Dawson City, Yukon, Hunter Gray, outfitter and guide had been hired to do a job. At the airport, pick up a Sam Avery and take him to the old Charlie Avery cabin up the mighty river. 

What Hunter Gray hadn’t expected was for Sam to be a Samantha, who wore fashion designer shoes, had a sharp tongue and a goddess-like appearance—the vast wilderness of the Yukon was no place for somebody like her. 

Sam had to learn quickly. How hard could it be to ride a horse and live without running water and restaurants for a week? It didn’t matter, her brother needed her and Sam had to convince the ruggedly handsome man and his wolf… yes…wolf, that she was up to the adventure. 

Spending night and day together, Samantha knows the attraction between them is growing quickly. Not only is Samantha determined to rescue her brother, but she must now save her heart from a man who doesn’t believe in love. 





I'm a small town girl with big world dreams. I was born in Jasper, Alberta, and my parents were outdoor enthusiasts. My dad was an avid fisherman and I'm certain my mother was Mother Nature.

The love of my life is my husband. He, along with my animals are my inspiration for everything I write.

I live for romance, and truly believe true love conquers all. From an early age you could always find me with my nose buried in a romance novel--that hasn't changed. I write various forms of romance from contemporary, paranormal and fantasy to erotica. 





$30 Amazon 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! 




OUT NOW, DESTINY BY JIM PROCTOR

OUT NOW! DESTINY by Author Jim Proctor

 

DESTINY HOSTING BANNER

 

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DESTINY out now!

 

Nineteen-year-old Jazeen Florence wants to become a witch, but finding a willing teacher is nearly impossible. Angus, her fiancee and a powerful wizard, refuses to teach her. His one and only student tried to kill him and Jazeen a year ago. That’s his excuse, anyway.

Jazeen’s frustration grows as her efforts to learn on her own prove fruitless. Then, while visiting an old bookstore, the shop owner gives her a special book he says will teach her witchcraft, and her world is forever changed. As her magical power grows, her relationship with Angus becomes strained as he watches Fate pull her toward a dark and dangerous destiny where life and death are the stakes.

 

DESTINY DARK & LIGHT TEASER

 

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Available in Paperback

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Jim Proctor has worked as a research engineer and scientist for more than 36 years. An avid reader of science-fiction and fantasy since high school, he began writing his first novel around 2009. He also enjoys writing short stories, and loves a good plot twist.

 

Connect with Jim 

 

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Saturday, May 30, 2020

Book Tour: Portrait of a Snow Queen by Micah S Harris





An epic fantasy of forbidden romance that chronicles the coming of age of a princess who is possessed by the Snow Queen and fated to rule her kingdom with a strong hand and icy heart.

As a child, Princess Freyja looked into the Snow Queen’s cursed mirror - and was changed.

Now an aloof and difficult young woman with a wit as sharp as her tongue, the future monarch is in need of a tutor. And Ambrose, a failed poet, is in need of a teaching position. He just never suspected how dangerous the extracurricular activities would be!

Soon, Ambrose finds himself on a grand adventure fighting to save the vexing but alluring princess from the court occult conspiracies that have targeted her. He is opposed not only by sorcerers and the evil Snow Queen, but also the icy royal damsel who holds his heart.

Will Ambrose’s love cause Freyja to thaw…or will she put him in the deep freeze instead?

Sensuous, suspenseful, supernatural and filled with witty banter, this romantic fantasy will both turn up the heat and leave you thoroughly frost smitten!

A 2019 Critters Readers Poll top ten finalist in the category of Science-Fiction and Fantasy.

~ Universal Amazon Link ~ 
The price of this book as been steeply discounted on Amazon for this event! Check it out!   




Micah S. Harris is the Author of the epic fantasy romance Portrait of a Snow Queen, which took third place in the category of science fiction and fantasy in the Critters Readers Poll.  Strong female protagonists and banter are trademarks of his work. Portrait of a Snow Queen is no exception and is recommended for older fans of Frozen and lovers of the witty verbal sparring in The Princess Bride.

He won the 2016 Pulp Ark Award for best novel for Ravenwood, The stepson of Mystery: Return of the Dugpa. He is also the Author - Along with artist Michael Gaydos (Marvel’s Jessica Jones) - of the graphic novel Heaven’s War, a historical fantasy pitting the Oxford Inklings against Aleister Crowley.

His lifelong love of movies also influences his fiction, whether a fairy tale retelling, horror story or paranormal mystery. He taught film on a collegiate level and has chronicled, both in print and via podcast, fascination lost genre gems.



Top Ten List

TOP TEN ESOTERIC FUN FACTS ABOUT MICAH S. HARRIS

  1. My teddy bear Boo Boo ran away from home because I wouldn’t stop sucking my thumb. After this intervention caused me to declare my sobriety, we found him hanging out in a nearby tree.

  2. My childhood pets include a Venus fly trap, a pink chicken, and a wolf spider…at least, it might have been a wolf spider. 

  3. As a kid, I read the book The Gingerbread Rabbit, so I had to have my mom bake me a gingerbread rabbit. He was delicious.

  4. I attended the graveside memorial service for Schlitze, a sideshow “pinhead” (he suffered from microcephaly) who was the inspiration for the character of “Pepper” in American Horror Story. He can be seen in the 1932 cult classic movie Freaks. I wrote a book about him. 

  5. I was friends with the late Verne Langdon, make-up man on the original Planet of the Apes and the old TV game show Match Game among his many other projects. His company used to cast the foam rubber for the old stop motion animation Pillsbury Doughboy. 

  6. I have always loved cats. My last one was named “Emmy” after Emma Peele from the old British Avengers spy show. 

  7. I am a life-long Tar Heel who grew up nearby the real Mayberry: Mount Airy, N.C.

  8. My favorite movie is the 1933 King Kong.

  9. My favorite book is a tie:  Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin and unexpurgated, uncut Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

  10. I have the heart of a little boy…I use it for a paperweight.







To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 


The Heart Knows What The Mind Cannot See Blitz

  Self Help, Spiritual Inspiration Date Published: 06-02-2021   This is a thought-provoking and enlightening exploration of sp...