What Readers Are Saying About Justice

When you build an entire life on a foundation of lies, it only takes one truth for the whole thing to come crashing down. I never invited the truth in. I never went searching for it. I never had any reason to suspect that the two people I loved most were dishonest with me every second of every day. I made one bad decision, and in a single day my entire world changed.

Recommended to all YA book lovers!

I seriously couldn't put it down once I started reading it. All the characters were nice and the story as a whole was amazing!

I'm so, so glad I got a chance to read such a wonderful story! There were many surprise elements neatly tucked into the story and just the right amount of romance in it.

I could easily just relax and lose myself in the story without any problem. I really, really liked Ms. Varden's writing style. It was simply superb!

- Josheka, Amazon

 

 Oh wow! I LOVED this book!

Justice was well written, had a good pace, and had so many twists to the plot it was really hard to work out what might happen next….You definitely should go and download a copy after reading this review, I don't think you'll regret it.

 - Kelly,  havebookwillread

 

Gripping…the book kept a good pace throughout and included lots of twists to keep me engrossed and in suspense of what was going to happen in Rain's life.

- Sienna @ Lost to Books

 

I was keen to find out how the story develops from the beginning - such is the quality of the writing - but soon the reading became compulsive…the plot thickens quickly and the protagonists faces several dilemmas that challenge her sense of belonging, loyalty and class.

- diebus, Amazon

 

This book is a rollercoaster of emotion, full of so many twists and turns that it's hard to remember what's real. Everyone has secrets but these secrets are unlike anything Rain has ever come across.

 A book that's shrouded in mystery, tainted with sadness and full of intrigue. Varden does not disappoint. I can't wait to read the next in the series.

- SMoakes, Amazon

 

I LOVED every minute of it!! Nearly every passage had some sort of twists and turns and it kept wanting me to read page after page (seriously I sometimes stayed up until 5 in the morning just so I could finish the book). Let's just say it left me thirsty to read the second book and try to find (if that can be possible) all the delicious secrets that has been plunged into poor old Rain's new and highly complex life.

 - Nourin, Amazon

 

I bought this for my 14 year old daughter and have read it myself. My daughter thought that it was 'awesome' hence the title of this review. This is a very well written novel. The characters are good and the story is well thought out, told well and flows nicely. Also, the grammar and format is of a high standard…I would recommend this to any teenager but will be reading the second instalment myself as I enjoyed it so much.

- jfholmes, Amazon

 

 

What happens when everything you know is a lie? When your life is turned upside down? How can a single choice change EVERYTHING?

Rain is one of the girls you most can feel relate to, a bit shy, a little awkward at times , true to herself, and in the search of her identity and is in the battle between who she wants to be and what other want her to be that she finds herself.

About the other characters: River, Owen and Tom, are the trio of boys we get to know in the book and I think they made the perfect team with Rain when it was needed. Each one has his moment in the story and brings something new to her life. And Carsyn is the perfect villain in the story, every good story has one, and she is plays her part perfectly.

…This is an EXCELLENT book -it doesn't matter if you label it as YA, suspense, thriller, drama, what truly is important is that these is a great book. Well written, with characters very developed, with great backgrounds and with the perfect amount of romance, action and secrets to resolve.

-Ruty, Amazon

 

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Selkies and Mermaids Swim Through the Pages of Song of the Sea

 I always knew who my mother was. I always knew where I belonged. And I always knew I wanted to be on the water, like my dad.

...Until I was forced to go out into the water, anyway. Out there, you feel really lonely. But you’re never alone. There is more life and emotion under the waves than most humans will ever see, more than I could have ever imagined. Down there, it’s an entire world of rage and hate, love and hope. It’s a world of fear.

What Reviewers Say...

"If readers don't know much about under the sea adventures, I highly recommend this book. It's a fun read!"
-Lily Benitez


"This was an original tale of the enchanting world of mermaids and selkies. I loved the way the author brought her characters to life and the way she describes the ocean giving it a unique and magical feel. You will not be disappointed in this captivating heart warming novel."
-Nirri, Readers Club

Find Song of the Sea online at Amazon!

5 Star Reviews for Hope's Rebellion

Here's what reviews had to say about Hope's Rebellion:

"I don’t think I have ever seen a plot or foreshadowing that was so thought out and so perfect in every possible way."
-Book Butterfly

"There were so many surprises, good twists and what I’d call an “Oscar winner” finale."
-Ruty@ReadingDreaming

"It tackles notions of power, discrimination, femininity, and so forth in a highly engaging way."
-Christina Escamilla

"I just couldn't wait to read what it had in store for me."
-Turhan

Hope's Rebellion is available at Amazon, Smashwords and everywhere books are sold!

Movie Review: Petals on the Wind

In case you haven't noticed, I've been making a big deal about the Petals on the Wind adaptation for a few days now. Last night it finally aired. So how does this long-awaited movie match up to its book?

Not very well. In case you weren't enjoying my live Twitter session last night while the movie was on, I ought to warn you: I'm pretty angry about the adaptation. 

Faded Buttercups 

The movie begins 10 years after the events of Flowers in the Attic, which is already wrong. The book actually begins right where Flowers left off. Seriously, the reader misses a few hours (at best) of Cathy's life. Cathy is 15 when she leaves the attic.

This means that in the advanced timeline, Cathy is already 25. And in the movie, Paul Sheffield is dead. This is an insult to the fans, because Paul figures prominently in Cathy's adult life. She marries him, after all. As a girl just meeting Paul, Cathy sets out to seduce him almost immediately. She's already all messed up, and desperate to explore her femininity with someone who isn't related to her. So her relationship with Paul is very complex, and affects many other relationships. To cut him out is an injustice.

Review: Empire Zero Act I: Tinder and Tear

I didn't know what Empire Zero (Act I: Tinder and Tear) was about when I began reading it, and after the first few paragraphs didn't care. It was written so well, I was ready to just go along for the ride.

But it wasn't always a smooth journey. At the beginning the story threw me into the life of a young man on a quest, going through a strange world. Dangers abound here, in a land where humans, dwarves and ogres dwell...but do not really coexist. The races are at odds, and the journey is fraught with peril.

I'd have happily stayed with that tale, but the author began to introduce different, concurrent storylines. Three main stories create Act I of Empire Zero, and it gets pretty confusing pretty quickly. The author makes it easier by naming chapters after each main story, dividing them into Brother, Monster and Thief.

The Brother story revolves around Castor, who must travel across the dangerous world to procure medicine. Monster tells us the story of two ogre brothers, and Thief introduces us to Maeve.

The chapter names made it easier to keep the divergent stories sorted, but didn't improve the disjointed feeling of the narrative. I wanted to stay with Castor and the somewhat motley crew he assembled around himself. I wanted to know if he would complete his mission. I did get some answers, but lots of extra stuff also.

And as for Castor...there's not much resolution. It's clear that his adventure will continue in the next book, and I'm anxious to see what else will happen to him. Others stories do find more of an ending, though not necessarily satisfaction.

The writing itself is descriptive but not overly so. It flows well and has a perfect pace. I was hoping something less tragic would develop between Castor and Raine, but perhaps there's still time for that. Left without much of an ending, there's not much else to do but wait for more of the story and see what else will develop. The narrative was a little disorganized and hard to follow, but the quality of the writing makes Empire Zero's first act a totally worthwhile read. I'll definitely stick it out for the next book.

"He decided he would write not of the future, but of the present, and how lost he felt in this world—but he was relegated to committing everything to memory..."

Get the book free at Smashwords with the coupon code UM57K.

Review: Dance With a Gunfighter

Author Joann Pence gave me a list of books to potentially review, and I selected Dance With a Gunfighter right away. The title immediately brings to mind an incongruous image of a hardened bad guy...dancing to the sound of fiddles. I figured this couldn't possibly be what takes place -- the "dance" referred to has got to mean some sort of exciting Western shoot-out occurs. I was wrong about that, but this book didn't disappoint. 

There are a lot of dances in this book. There is the very real, literal dance referenced by the title. It's a romantic little scene: young girl, sweet sixteen, at her first dance. She's a wallflower, and doesn't expect to get asked to dance. Something about her touches the hardest man in the room, a gunfighter by the name of Jess. 

This is where the book gets confusing right away. The girl's name is Gabriella, but she's a tomboy so she goes by Gabe. The guy's name is Jess. It's two neutral names, and I have the focus of a squirrel so I spent the first 50 pages trying to figure out who was saying what to whom. My inner monologue is playing along the entire time, asking "did the girl or the guy just say that?" after every fourth sentence. But once you get that part of it down, there's still a whole lot of plot to get through. 

Maybe too much. In some spots, this book tens to drag. The constant push-pull between the characters is true to the genre, and I get that, but it's way, way too much and way too drawn out. The inference is there that their love is passionate, but it takes months and years for the couple to get together in any sort of tangible way. He walks out on her, more than once, which is a bit self-defeating on the story's part. In romances, as a woman I'm supposed to fall a little bit in love with the hero of the story. I was never close to falling in love with Jess -- whose main physical attribute seemed to be a ragged blonde mustache -- and never really identified with Gabe. 

This isn't a traditional romance story, though some of the basic formula is there. In this case, the couple faces way too many obstacles and challenges. Remember what I said about a lot of plot? Most of it is strictly designed to keep the main couple apart, sometimes in totally unbelievable ways that are just too contrived. At one point, the couple flees from a gang of bandits straight into the blistering desert. One of them is grievously wounded, and this is clearly just bad planning. Well of course they run straight into a mean band of Apaches, because that's likely, and instead of being murdered right away they're held captive for several months. This is all done on the promise than an exciting action/fight scene will soon occur, but this of course never manifests because this of course wasn't the point of that extremely long scene. The author really had to stretch to come up with new and bigger obstacles to throw between the couple. 

Other types of dances do occur, and the promised gun scenes do manifest. There is a lot of action in the book, which you'd expect in an Old West setting, but there are mystery elements as well. The author shows her writing roots in the form of a few head-turning twists. 

There's a lot the author got right. She researched her desert cuisine very well, and I was only able to find one tense error and a handful of run-on sentences -- and you know how I look for that sort of thing. Many of the scenes between the couple are sweet and touching. It's a story mainly about emotional pain, and how that affects us, and how it defeats and changes us. Weaving a love story into all that is no easy writing feat, so if some things don't feel so smooth I guess that's to be expected. 

This is a good romance with plenty of heart and sweetness, some mystery and action sprinkled in along the way. If you're into that sort of thing, you'll definitely appreciate this finely-edited, well-written tale of revenge and romance.

Find Dance with a Gunfighter on Amazon!

Review: Angel Dance

I don't even remember how Angel Dance ended up on my review list; I was reading the previous book for so long that it's rendered my entire list unrecognizable. However it ended up on my Kindle, I'm so happy it did. Angel Dance was a fantastic book, a quick read, and everything I wanted it to be from the very first page. 

This novel introduces us to Danny Logan, a likable soldier-turned-private investigator who's heading up his own fledgling firm. His newest job may also be the most important: find an heiress who has gone missing. Gina Fiore's brother Rob is a friend of Danny's, and Danny has a history with the now-missing Gina. The two dated for three glorious weeks...it all ended when Danny went into military service.

Mostly, Gina likes to be in control. It's because of this that Danny has trouble picturing her as a victim, and things start to look off-course right away. I was completely caught up in the missing person investigation, which unfolded while the rest of the cast was revealed. I didn't connect very well with Toni, Danny's brash partner who wields her sex appeal (inappropriately) like some sort of weapon. I'm not sure the author understands women very well, but he is a mere man. 

So is main character Danny Logan, who was enjoyable throughout. I was quickly absorbed in his hunt for Gina and anxious to get his interpretation of each new detail as it was revealed. I was so into the story, I was totally unprepared when this engaging procedural mystery suddenly morphed into an exciting suspense story. Twists and turns began to muddy the waters and heighten the drama, and I couldn't get the book read fast enough. 

Will he find her? What happened to her? What's going to happen if he does find her and she's alive? It was completely wonderful. Twist after twist after twist rocked me near the end of the book, and I was floored by the final shocking turn. Throughout, I found myself wondering which intriguing lady was Danny's real love interest: the mysterious and captivating Gina, or the wild and sexy Toni? The author kept me guessing until the very last page.

If you're looking for a mystery and suspense story with interesting characters, terrifying meetings involving mobsters, and a dark underworld of crime, dirty deals and unexpected twists, look no more. Angel Dance is well-written, fast-paced and absolutely error-free. I was thrilled to discover that this is only the first chapter in a series of books revolving around investigator Danny Logan, and I'm eager to find out where his next investigation will take him.

Angel Dance on Amazon

Angel Dance at B&N

Angel Dance on Goodreads

Review: The Gaze

I was wasting time on Goodreads one day when, somehow or other, I ended up reading the blurb for The Gaze. It was amazing! I was so drawn to the story upon reading it, I sent the author a message right then and there and actually asked him if he would let me review the book. That was at the beginning of the summer. I started the book in June and finished it last night...just a few days before autumn will officially begin. 

The Gaze is beautifully written. Javier Robayo definitely knows how to turn a phrase, so to speak. The dialogue is smooth and true; I can actually hear the characters talking when I'm reading it. The narrative is powerful and strong. Robayo knows which words to choose.

But, he does choose too many. It took me a long time to read The Gaze because The Gaze is just too long. There are a lot of scenes that flash back to the past and a lot of scenes of the main character doing nothing much at all. For a rather hefty chunk of the story, I felt like I had two options: I could read about a woman in agonizing detail as she screws around on Facebook, wanders around her bedroom and wastes time -- or, I could just go back to being that woman. Time was getting sucked out of my life, needlessly, either way. 

There are a lot of scenes of Sam, the main character, on Facebook. There is a lot of detail about the various conversations she's having there. I think a lot of us know what it is to waste time on Facebook, so I felt like some of these scenes were needlessly added.

Mostly,  I just wanted to get back to the main story because it was fairly gripping. Sam is young, troubled and hopelessly entangled in her own past. I really identified with that. At the start of the story, she meets a young man in the restaurant where she works as a waitress. He's also young, and troubled, and he writes a beauiful, heart-wrenching love poem on a paper placemat. It's pathetic, and it speaks to Samantha right away. It leads to an encounter between the two. She takes him home, and seduces him, even though it's clear his heart will never be hers. 

It leads to a downward spiral. Years later, Sam is college educated, and gorgeous, and living in the big city. She works as a book editor, because she's been drawn to fiction ever since that chance encounter. And she's a miserable wreck. Still pining for Tony, she's come out of a very toxic relationship on the wrong end of a vodka bottle and her only family in the world is gone. She has one close friend, an Englishman named Lewis who loves being the life of the party. Despite the career and the looks she's got, Sam is 100 percent screwed up. Frankly, I didn't care for her or for her friend Lewis, either. She's clearly an alcoholic, extremely low-functioning, and during their early interactions he's well aware of her problem and still taking her to raves and clubs. He's an enabler and it's despicable, but Sam has a true problem that stems from deep emotional pain. I didn't hate her because she was an alcoholic. I hated her because she was on Facebook. 

In a move that I'm sure many other women (especially those who have had their cups refilled too many times one night) can relate to, Sam goes searching for Tony on Facebook. And she finds him. She finds the mysterious woman from the placemat, too, Tony's love that he wrote about so beautifully. Her name is Gwen, and she's gorgeous. She's got blonde hair and a perfect smile...and Tony. They're married. They have two beautiful daughters. 

Most self-respecting women at this point would go ahead and drink a little more, call Gwen some names and maybe imagine that she has webbed toes or forty extra pounds in her rear or a back covered with legions (one can only hope). Samantha isn't a self-respecting woman. She ends up befriending Gwen instead, enticing her with hints that she had some connection to Tony in the past, and sets about to destroy the relationship in a hazily subconcious/concious fashion. 

They become best friends, Sam and Gwen (betcha didn't see that coming), and you'll spend the next 25 percent of the book learning what it's like to spend a whole lot of time on Facebook. Eventually things start to happen. A great deal of the past is revealed, perhaps too much, and Sam ends up seeing Tony again. Does she meet Gwen? Does she steal the guy from the blonde wife? Can we find a reason to hate the blonde wife? You'll have to read it yourself. 

Just don't say I didn't warn you about the length, because I did (don't stop following me on Facebook because of this book!). The grammar is good, so you know I love that, and Robayo has mastered the mechanics of writing itself. He doesn't use the wrong words or screw up his punctuation, but there are some proofreading errors and weird formatting issues you'll have to watch out for. 

But if you want a story with a strong narrative about chance meetings and how they shape us, being mired in the past and how that can stop us, and how not letting go can wreck us, you'll probably adore The Gaze, flaws and all. I know I set the bar pretty high, but there's a chance you can beat my three-month reading record and complete the book quicker than I did.

The Gaze on Amazon

The Gaze at Goodreads

Review: Subterfuge in Heart

I probably wouldn't have found this book, or decided to read it, if the author hadn't contacted me through Twitter. Since Subterfuge in Heart met all my review requirements, I decided to go ahead and agree to review it. I'm pleased to say the decision paid off; this is a wonderfully well-written book. When I review it on Amazon, I'll give it five stars -- but it really deserves six.

   

From the first page, it became clear to me that this book was a cut above the rest. To be perfectly honest, as a writer it made me feel like a bit of a hack. So I decided, quite early, to leave my own literary leanings at the door and look at this book like a reader instead of a writer.

It was impossible not to get swept away in the narrative, anyway. Like Charles Dickens, Tobias Troy begins the story with the birth of the protagonist, immediately introducing the reader to a fascinatingly complicated mind. Our hero is a genius, and his storyteller (Troy) is brilliant. I felt deeply emotional during the first part of the book, reading about the hero and his best friend, David. Their relationship grew more complex, as most relationships do, as they grew up together, and Troy presents the tale beautifully. Throughout part 1 of the story, there is a hint of the fantastical elements that will come in part 2. 

That's when the story takes an amazing turn, and becomes something else entirely. I'm never going to be accused of being a fantasy book lover, but I didn't consider putting the book down for one moment even when everything changed. Part 2 introduces action, deep pathos and vivid scenes that do justice to the majesty of human emotion.

Troy is truly a gifted writer, and his particular use of language creates an enthralling voice. I will read anything he writes.

Review: The Fossegrimen Folly

I was drawn at once to the cover and the blurb for The Fossegrimen Folly, and I actually contacted the author Michael Almich to ask for a review copy (generally it goes the other way around). He was kind enough to send me one, and the time I spent reading it definitely wasn't wasted. I'm very much looking forward to the second book in the series.

I wanted to read a YA novel with a male lead, and I'm pleased to say I picked a good one. Shy is a completely believable kid who's been sent, against his will, to summer camp. He fits his name well; before camp, Shy spends most of his time with his dog or dodging bullies at school. He's upset about his parents splitting up, and not at all looking forward to two months of forced separation from the world he knows. 

At first. Soon, Almich takes Shy (and me!) into a world of magic and mystery. Camp Lac Igam is introduced in spectacular fashion, along with supporting characters like the staunchly loyal Daniel and the laid-back camp counselor Tad. Gust, the oldest and wisest camp employee, is gruff and mysterious, but there are a few moments when true warmth pokes through his crusty exterior. Almich is superb at showing the byplay between characters, and the dialogue flows naturally through every page. Every one of the campers and counselors are unique, with their own distinct personalities, and I loved getting to know them.

Of course, they're just the human characters. Camp Lac Igam is also populated with fey creatures, faeries who remain mostly unseen to most of the people wandering around the camp. Shy stumbles, rather clumsily, into an adventure involving many of the intriguing creatures of the camp. Through the summer, he learns new stories and finds new evidence of the fey, almost always to fantastic results. Almich borrows from Scandinavian lore to create a truly unique fantasy world that's superimposed on the real world, and he blends the two together beautifully through Shy. 

He's already got enough to worry about even without the magical creatures. Shy's nemesis and the resident bully at his school is also at the camp, and much of his adventure is internal. Almich brilliantly leads Shy along on his quest toward self-confidence, and honestly I was just as excited about the end-of-camp games as I was about the faerie treasure (yes, there's treasure!). The good news is that Shy finds true friendship, and not all of the fey variety, during his all-too-short summer at camp. The bad news is that school bullies aren't the only forces of evil he'll have to face. 

A few formatting errors are the only thing that keep this book from being absolutely perfect. It's satisfying, it's exciting, and it's sure to please even non-fantasy fans (and I ought to know, since I'm one of them). At times, the reader does have to suspend belief -- the camp's adults are nothing if not negligent. But I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did. The fey creatures that live around Camp Lac Igam aren't cute or cuddly, they're like nothing I've ever seen in any other book, and I'm pleased I got to know them. 

It's an ideal world, and while it may be a little hard to swallow at times it is a fantastic place to visit. Since such a camp could never possibly exist in the real world, it's nice that at least it does exist in this book.

Almich is a strong writer with a very outside-the-box story to tell. It's certainly a fantasy book, but it's not at all a cookie-cutter tale. Shy is an unlikely hero that everyone's going to root for, and I'll be happy to wave a banner for him while he competes in camp games, refuses to back down to bullies and tries to find a way to live in his two worlds successfully.

Review: The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer

 Lisa Orchard contacted me about writing a review for The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer, and I'm glad she did. It's a fun mystery read for kids, but even though it's peppered with pop culture references and lots of humor that will definitely appeal to the age group, Orchard knows how to be dark. Fear, suspense, thrills, jokes -- it's all here. I'm definitely not in Orchard's target audience, but I absolutely enjoyed this book.

The formatting and justification are perfect, always an important point, and I had to search hard to find a single mistake in the entire book. At no point does the story feel slow, and I wasn't even tempted to stop reading before the final page.

I very much enjoyed the main character Sarah, who is brave to a fault when she's seeking justice; Jackie, the fiercely loyal fashionista; and Lacey, the loveable klutz with a big heart...and two left feet. Together, they form the Super Spies, a group which soon includes a potential love interest for one of the girls. But they're not just playing detective -- they're playing a dangerous game that involves kidnappers, killers and secrets that go back three decades.

The plot is easy to follow, and overall the story is quite well-written. Early in the book, the Super Spies find themselves knee-deep in murder and in very real danger. There's more than one edge-of-your-seat scene, and thanks to Orchard's vivid writing I was frightened several times. Who will stop them first: the police...or the killers? 

The story unfolds beautifully, and I truly enjoyed the relationships and interactions in Sarah's life. The quick, close friendship she develops with Jackie feels very natural, particularly the quips they trade back and forth. The relationship she has with kid sister Lacey is equally poignant. I look forward to seeing how the characters develop in the next Super Spies mystery.

The term mystery is stretched just a little in the story, though in the main it does qualify for the genre. The killer is revealed very early, so there isn't much of a mystery about that, and the big twist for the second crime was easy to figure out even midway through the book. Some of the references are a little hokey and borderline unbelievable. The reporter named Scoop, for example, is just a little too precious. The fact that everyone in town seems highly supportive of these teenagers, who are clearly playing a dangerous game, goes beyond being farfetched. A scene near the end where the Super Spies get some recognition for their efforts is, in a word, preposterous.

But at the end of the day, the book is written for kids -- and kids will surely delight in the pulse-pounding action, the terror-inducing danger and the fact that together, four teenagers just might be smarter than an entire police department. Sarah is a heroine that's easy to believe in and look up to, and the warmth of friendship that permeates each page is sure to inspire good feelings. The book gives children the idea that they can do anything, figure anything out, so long as they stay true to themselves and to each other, and that is truly exceptional writing. Next time I find myself in a quiet little New England town, I'm sure I'll be looking around at the shaded houses and peaceful streets, wondering about all the many secrets that lurk beneath the surface...and peeking in library windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Super Spies.  

Review: The Cold Pools

I was invited to read The Cold Pools during a free promotion by the author. I like free stuff, so I went ahead and downloaded this short story to my Kindle. I had no idea what I was getting into. The story starts out with a happy couple, very much in love, on their way to a luxurious vacation retreat. In a few short pages, it ends in a very different place.

I'd hate to give away any of the surprising twists or shocking turns this story takes, so I won't. Suffice it to say this is no ordinary vacation for the couple, and they don't live in a world that any of us have experienced firsthand. What's interesting about Cold Pools is the future it describes -- and the horrific possibilities therein. It's a sad story, and it's a fiction story, but it could very easily become real. Maybe that's why this short story is so chilling, and why it's still lingering in my mind despite the fact that I've already started reading something new.

I downloaded it for free, but I would happily pay to read it again. Chris Ward is a very promising writer, and for anyone who's interested he's included the first chapter of his novel at the end of Cold Pools. If his full-length story is anything like this short, terribly beautiful tale, I'm sure I'll enjoy it very much.

Review: No Mercy

I'm not sure when or where I stumbled across Wendy Cartmell's No Mercy, a collection of short stories, but I'm thrilled I did. From the first word to the last, this collection is engaging, interesting and extremely well written.

For starters, the formatting in No Mercy is perfect. I couldn't find a mistake, and you know how hard I look. But I didn't read the entire collection of stories in one sitting, when I promised myself I'd stop after one, just because it looked pretty. After the first thrilling tale, which introduced Cartmell's gruff detective Sergeant Major Crane, I wasn't about to put No Mercy down.

Each story was unique, but they all fit together well to showcase Cartmell's singular style. She writes descriptively, easily drawing the reader deeply into each tale before neatly ending the story with something altogether shocking -- and sometimes triumphant, or chilling, or sorrowful. The title of the collection sums it up perfectly, because Cartmell pulls no punches with her clear, sharp voice that shines in every page. Every little mystery was fascinating, and I'm looking forward to reading much more from Wendy Cartmell in the future.

Review: The Teacher's Billionaire

I"m still a little confused by how much I liked The Teacher's Billionaire. The idea isn't exactly a new one -- your basic doomed couple who each come from completely different worlds. Their worlds collide, lust ensues, trouble looms...will they or won't they? Sure it sounds formulaic, but somehow it doesn't read that way. Christina Tetreault doesn't break any of the rules, but I completely fell for her enchanting tale anyway.

I'm not one for romances, particularly those in a contemporary setting. I can only tolerate love stories if they're steeped in history, something I actually find interesting. But somehow, this sweet romance kept me captivated and still followed the familiar genre formula.

 Tetreault's writing is so vivid, the characters so alive, that everything seems completely believable. A working-class teacher in Boston who works hard, gossips with her friends and doesn't feel so secure in her looks meets, and completely charms, a well-known Fortune 500 bigwig who just happens to be utterly gorgeous and all too eligible? Yeah, it could totally happen. I know it could, because it did in the pages of this book -- and I was so swept up in the story I never doubted it once.

The heroine's situation is pretty average, at least at first, but when a dark family secret comes to the fore she gets dragged into a new world that seems light years away from her run-of-the-mill Boston life. I would have liked to spend a little more time in Callie's world before the plot kicks in -- everything happens rather suddenly in the very beginning of the book -- but I liked her right away. She's not unbelievably gorgeous, or saintlike in her perfection. She's just a normal girl in a totally unusual situation, reacting to it as sensibly as she possibly can.

The unusual situation has an amazing smile. His name is Dylan, and he's your typical one percenter born in England and now engaged in American politics. Okay, so maybe typical isn't exactly the right word, but even he is totally believable. Tetreault beautifully gets inside his head and makes him seem like a pretty normal guy with normal guy hang-ups, despite the Adonis-like body, made-for-magazines face and highfalutin family connections. The reader sees him working out in the gym (that explains the rock-hard abs), and knows why he has a bit of a playboy reputation. It's easy to fall in love with Dylan, with Callie, with everything about the Sherbrookes -- and honestly, I was ridiculously happy when I learned that this is only the first in a continued series about the fascinating family.

 But it's not perfect. The paragraph indenting and justification are inconsistent and poor throughout, and you could go crazy trying to count all the missing commas. Aesthetically, this ebook isn't at all pleasing (I haven't seen the paperback version, so I won't speak for that), but it is beautifully written so that helps to balance the scales. I'll take an ugly book over a badly written one any day. I can't wait for the next installment in the series, for whatever Christina Tetreault writes next, and I'll definitely re-visit this book again and again. This one isn't going to be deleted from the Kindle anytime soon.

Review: Anywhere But Here

When I got an early review copy of Sherri Fulmer Moorer's Anywhere But Here, all I knew about the book was that it's a YA story. This is not accurate by any means, but I'm happy to say I wasn't too disappointed to find myself caught up in a contemporary tale about the cutthroat corporate world -- and a fantasy novel filled with dream castles and dragons. Surprisingly, the two halves of the story come together well to create a cohesive whole, blending elements of female-centric fiction, romance and fantasy. But if you don't know what to expect, you may find this ride pretty confusing indeed -- even off-putting, at times.

Anywhere But Here introduces readers to a heroine on the brink of a new life, and on the brink of breakdown. Graduating from college and embarking on a new path should be an exciting time, but Jana finds her entire world crumbling to dust instead. The reader will truly feel Jana's confusion as the fabric of her life turns to tatters all around her, and sink slowly into the depression that colors the rest of the book.

Who can be trusted? Who cannot be trusted? I found myself quickly turning pages trying to discover the answers, moving in and out of different realities without knowing which was real. This book has a very strong and compelling plot, but I cannot say the same for the general tone and structure of Anywhere But Here. The formatting and editing are far from perfect, which can be extremely jarring at times, and some of the workplace scenes are even more unbelievable than those within the fantasy world that's populated by a seemingly telepathic dragon. This should not be the case. At times I found myself getting frustrated and mired in my own confusion, but perhaps this is a master stroke by Moorer -- the author's way of truly putting the reader inside the mind of the book's heroine. Are you strong enough to battle with Jana's demons? Is she? If you can stick with this one all the way through to the end, you'll find the conclusion answers most of the questions created in preceding chapters and most things start to make sense again. Despite all the errors and what I think is a real misconception of what it's like to work in an office environment, Anywhere But Here has a fascinating and unique take on something that a huge number of people must face every day: depression.

Review: Dragon Fire

I expected Pedro Alvarez's Dragon Fire to be chock-full of fantasy cliches, but the story took several turns I never saw coming. At its heart, Dragon Fire is a love story about the bonds between a kingdom and her people.

Adventure, romance, mysticism, prophecies, magic, swordplay -- it's all here. The story has healthy doses of all the elements that make for a thrilling fantasy tale, but it still manages to be completely original. The characters jump off the page (or the eReader), rich and real, each growing and changing in their own ways throughout the book.

The book is perfectly formatted and beautifully written, but that's not why it's so easy to read. The story builds and flows, and it pulled me along with it. From the dramatic beginning to the epic conclusion, Dragon Fire is a fantastic read. I look forward to reading many more books from this talented author.

Review: The Trio: A Collection of Completely Unrelated Short Stories

I wasn't planning to read all of The Trio: A Collection of Completely Unrelated Short Stories in one sitting, but I just couldn't put the Kindle down until I'd read every word. The first story grabbed me right away, and instantly I became a depressed alcoholic with a lifetime of sadness to endure.That's just the beginning of the emotional ride Alyse Bingham creates with her Trio.

 

Each one of the three stories in the collection is completely different. Each provides insight into the main characters, just briefly enough to leave me wishing for much more. Bingham's Trio is well-written, well formatted and well edited. Technically it's beautiful, but the book is easy and enjoyable to read not simply because the writer knows where to put her commas. The stories are truly heartfelt and filled with emotion, forcing me into having a strong response every time. I can't wait to read more of Bingham's works in the future. One trio of stories just isn't enough.

Review: Hansel and Gretel 2

I admit it: I don't usually read fairy tales, children's books or any of the above. But David L. Dawson's Hansel and Gretel 2: The Reckoning is a quick read, and I've started to become obsessed with fairy tales again thanks to Once Upon a Time. I'm glad I decided to download the Kindle version of this short story, because it turns out you're never too old for a good fairy tale sequel.

The sequel to the age-old, well-known story reveals a different side to those sweet-faced, breadcrumb-leaving youths of my youth. If you've ever suspected that there's something weird about a gingerbread house in the woods, or wondered how two little kids managed to overpower a woman fortified on fresh child meat, you'll probably enjoy this short story, too.

Dawson's story is refreshing, and somehow it feels both modern and classic at the same time. It's time someone started to reveal the real story behind all those wonderful old tales -- because really, you should never trust kids who throw bread around in the woods.

Review: Seven Moments in Time

Todd Tystad's Seven Moments in Time is a sweet short story collection that I finished in a single reading. Each little vignette is exactly what the title promises it will be: a single moment. Every one of the 7 stories briefly illuminate the lives of a lovable cast of characters, each of whom is poignantly revealed and introduced before our moment with them is over.

Each tale left me wanting more, and at the end I ached for some solid conclusion. But my anger at Todd Tystad lasted only a moment when I realized that author's true brilliance: engaging me in each story. I found myself imagining the end of each tale, thinking about each character, wondering about each event that was described. That made Seven Moments feel personal, and even more real.

The formatting is beautiful and each story flows well, compelling me to read more and more and more. I was sad when I got to the end, and look forward to re-visiting this book in the future. I'll definitely read any more of Tystad's Moments if he chooses to release a second volume.

Review: Confessions of an Average Half-Vampire

Lisa Shafer's Confessions of an Average Half-Vampire is a wholly wonderful story. You never quite know what you're going to get with an indie book, but I confess that I was drawn into the tale right away. Confessions is technically perfect and mistake-free, which makes it even easier to be completely mesmerized by the plot -- and I was.

Eric, the titular half-vampire, is a perfectly non-heroic hero. He's got all the problems that come with being in middle school (like trying to figure out what a girl really means with those confusing text messages and finding ways to hide stuff from his too-clever mom), but he's also got a pesky little genetic problem: he's a half-vampire. In Lisa's world, vampires don't live in creepy castles and hunt for victims by night -- they wait for cloudy evenings and matter-of-factly drink blood to stay healthy. Eric goes to school, does his homework and plays piano -- mostly ragtime and other peppy pieces.

Lisa Shafer's vampires aren't created but born. All the garlic-waving and cross-holding in the world won't protect you from Eric...not that you'd really need it, anyway. This is definitely not just another vampire story. Confessions takes readers from a little town in Utah all the way to Scotland, where even the Old World vampires are bright, colorful characters who are perfectly normal...except for the blood thing, of course.

Confessions is a quick read and entertaining throughout. Eric makes mistakes, but he's got a good heart -- and completely shatters most of the wild myths that have turned vampires into horrible Halloween fantasies. I can't wait to re-visit Lisa's unique world in the upcoming sequel!