TODAY WE ARE HONORED TO PRESENT

FREQUENT TRAVELLER

BY

PANDORA POIKILOS

about the book:

(from Goodreads)

Catherine Dixon is everyone's dreamgirl. Girls want to be her. Men want to be with her. From her charming smile to her gentle voice, one always turns to take a second look at Cathy. Wherever she goes there isn't an ill-word spoken about her. Her job as Vice President of Communications at MoonStar, one of the world's top hotel chains is to make sure guests are happy to the point of perfection.

From the blue oceans of Antigua to the bustling streets of Vietnam, the racing adrenaline at the Green Hell, the devastating natural disaster in Japan and the stunning architecture in Germany, Cathy finds herself in a whirlwind of fine dining, plush clothes and sheer extravagance. But is perfection only a mask for untold disaster? In a job that deals so much with people, Cathy goes home to an empty bed. There are no pictures on her wall, no doting phone calls from a tongue tied lover and no family holidays to boast about.

What is Cathy's secret and how will her world change when the world knows? What is the significance of the blue pendant round her neck? Who is the mysterious man she is seen with every three months? What are the contents of the brown envelope delivered to her on the fifteenth of every month? Will her secrets ever catch up with her or will Cathy continue to sail alongside perfection in the world she has created for herself as a Frequent Traveller?

MY REVIEW

Pandora always writes amazing stories.  This book is no exception.  I couldn't put it down, in fact,I've read it twice.

An adventurous travel book, featuring a hotel exec who doubles as a spy.  Cathy Dixon.  Adventure and intrigue at the same time.

Pandora is a fantastic writer.  She has the ability to create a novel that reads quickly and easily.  A group of short stories linked by a central character.  I loved the travel aspect of this book.  I briefly lived vicariously through Cathy Dixon.  Pandora was able to convey Cathy's fear while maintaining excitement.  I felt somewhat sorry for Cathy.  She doesn't want to return to the dungeon but will if she backs out of her new life.  

You can find out more about Pandora 

Connect with Pandora Poikilos on Twitter & Facebook

Blog http://peacefrompieces.blogspot.com/

Website http://pandorapoikilos.com/

Check out where this author will be talking about her latest release!

http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/2012/03/pandora-poikilos.html

International best-selling author, Pandora Poikilos has been writing for more than 10 years for various media which include newspapers, radio, television and various websites.

A social media enthusiast who is passionate about blogging and finding her way around the virtual world, she wills away time in the real world by reading, writing and people watching.

LIKE CYBERPUNK?   


Welcome to Jess C. Scott.  author of 
THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE
Jess is visiting today with a guest post.



Characters in The Other Side of Life, by Jess C Scott / jessINK


Thanks for hosting me today, Donna!




SUMMARY (The Other Side of Life / Book #1, Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy):


A thieving duo’s world turns upside down when an Elven rogue uncovers the heinous dealings of a megacorporation.


* * *

The main characters in The Other Side of Life fall into two groups: 
the band of elven thieves, and the humans they come into contact with (with regards to the story/plot).




The elves include:

Nin (“Prince Ithilnin,” as he was known in Helli’sandur, the elven kingdom he’s originally from)

Tavia (his warrior-princess type cousin)

Dresan (the techno-geek; cyberpunk elves are pretty advanced as far as technology goes)




The humans include:


Anya (a ‘rebel’ and the human counterpart to Nin, in terms of thieving skill/ability)

Leticia (Anya’s BFF)

Julius (Leticia's on-off boyfriend)


The Other Side of Life combines quite a few elements (action, adventure, environmental themes), though I’ll probably be taking a slightly different direction with the second book in the trilogy (titled The Darker Side of Life).


While most of the main characters also feature in the second book, a new significant character enters the scene in the second book:

Laer (the first dark elf Anya encounters)


There are a lot of darker themes in the second book which explore some of the “darker” sides to human nature (which I didn’t really want to do in the first book—that one was more on the spirit of adventure, and the burgeoning romantic relationship between Nin and Anya).


I like to explore a deep type of love that has a serious/realistic tone to it (versus something fluffy). I didn’t feel that a fluffy type of romance would go along well with a dystopian type of setting (a definitive element of the “cyberpunk” genre, which is set in the near future).

The characters have been quite tricky/delicate to balance at times. The elven thieves are wise and free-spirited, but also compassionate; the human girls are tough on the outside, but also dreamers and romantics on the inside. 

I’ve been “taking my time” getting all the elements together in the second installment (I don’t want to rush and end up with a story that ends up being half-told). 

I guess I like to take things slow, and put in some time and effort into making relationships work (my preference is always for real love over insta-love). This is my approach to relationships in both life and literature, which I enjoy sharing with the rest of the world ;)

=====



Jess is a professional non-conformist with a fresh, youthful world view. She is an author of relationship-based erotic fiction (and other unique projects, including a series that features “cyberpunk elves”). She’s cool, supportive, and writes with both intellect and a lot of emotion.

She has most recently co-authored Teen Guide to Sex and Relationships with Matt Posner (Spring 2012). For more info, please visit http://jessink.com/teenguide.htm


Jess can also be found on jessINK, Facebook, and Twitter.




the book:

Anya and Leticia are partners-in-crime who steal for a living. Their world turns upside down after a chance encounter with fellow rogue, Ithilnin--the enigmatic leader of an Elven band of thieves.

A scuffle to prove who's "the better thief" transforms into more than Anya and Ithilnin ever bargained for. They retrieve the missing piece of an ancient poem, before getting caught in the secret dealings of a megacorporation. What they uncover threatens to alter the very essence of not just human life, but the other side as well.

Elven intrigue, cyberpunk action, and a deadly dose of danger come together in The Other Side of Life [Book #1 in the (Cyberpunk) Elven Trilogy].

Buy Now @ Amazon 

Genre - Cyberpunk / Urban Fantasy

Rating - PG13

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

please allow me to introduce to you

a fabulous new novel 

by 

DAVID MORGAN

the book is called

THE BOO HAG

BOOK ONE OF THE LENNY CHRONICLES.

what is a boo hag?

according to wikipedia:

According to the legend, Boo Hags are similar to vampires. Unlike vampires, they gain sustenance from a person's breath, as opposed to their blood, by riding their victims.^[1][2][3]

They have no skin, and thus are red. In order to be less conspicuous, they will steal a victim's skin and use it for as long as it holds out, wearing it as one might wear clothing. They will remove and hide this skin before going riding.

When a hag determines a victim is suitable for riding, the hag will generally gain access to the home through a small crack, crevice, or hole. The hag will then position themselves over the sleeping victim, sucking their breath. This act renders the victim helpless, and induces a deep dream-filled sleep. The hag tends to leave the victim alive, so as to use them again for their energy. However, if the victim struggles, the hag may take their skin, leaving the victim to suffer. After taking the victim's energy, the hag flies off, as they must be in their skin by dawn or be forever trapped without skin. When the victim awakes, they may feel short of breath, but generally the victim only feels tired.

An expression sometimes used in South Carolina is "don't let de hag ride ya." This expression may come from the Boo Hag legend.^[4]

It was also said that if a person placed a broom beside their bed before going to sleep it would prevent the Hag from riding them. Hags supposedly would be distracted by counting the straws of the broom and would not get to ride the person sleeping before the sun rose the next morning

for more information go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boo_Hag


About the book: (from Amazon)


Product Description
Lenny Petrakas is worried about her skin. Not the way you're thinking. Not like that at all. While most people spend time concerned about dirt and elasticity, temperature and moisture, Lenny has a more pressing problem. Something is after her. Something evil that won't stop until it has peeled every last inch of skin from the teen's body. And then, it may end her misery quickly, or it may dump her body in the woods. Let infection and dehydration run its course.

Lenny is just your normal sixteen-year-old girl. Was. Was just your normal sixteen-year-old girl. Quiet and polite. Petite. Introspective, but not to the point of isolation. Loyal? Fiercely so. Outstanding? Noteworthy? Different? No, no, and no. Or so she thought. What started as an eerie feeling, a certainty that someone had been in her room while she slept, has spiraled into something far worse. Something was in her room. Something that finds her highly different, extremely noteworthy, and intensely outstanding.

Game over? Wrong. Lenny's a fighter, and she isn't about to lie down and take what's coming to her. Enlisting the help of her best friend, a not-so-secret admirer, the hottest guy in school, one odious cheerleader, and a paranormalist teacher, Lenny is facing her fears head on, in a battle she knows can only end in death.

The idea sounded interesting.  When David emailed and asked me to read his book, I immediately liked the idea of something different.  

Let me tell you, this is a fabulous story.  David has incorporated an old myth into a great modern day tale.

For those of you who love crazy creatures but are tired of the run of the mill vampires, werewolves and zombies, you have to read this book!  

The main character Lenny is a great character.  She is independent in a way that only a 16 year old can be.  She has a quiet demeanor and is somewhat naive but she turns into a fighter when necessary.   She is the kind of character you find yourself rooting for throughout the story.    

I read this book in one sitting, it's that good.  I highly recommend it and hope the next book is quick to be released. (I hate waiting a year for the second installment of a series!)

 5 stars

I give this book 

NOW ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

David Morgan is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. But that isn’t really saying much. I mean, monkeys may be fun in the wild or in the zoo, but in a barrel? They wouldn’t even have enough room to move around. And how many monkeys are we talking about? Two? Three? Twenty-six? This is getting to be a safety issue for the poor little primates. And I can guarantee you that David is more fun than a safety issue.

David has been a writer in his own head for years, but only just recently entered the published world. The Boo Hag is his debut work.

David lives in Utah with his harem of one wife and four daughters. You may think that he is in charge. He is not.

The Boo Hag is available at :

SMASHWORDS.COM

AMAZON.COM

Barnes & Noble

WELCOME TO TERRI MORGAN,

author of

PLAYING THE GENETIC LOTTERY

brought to you by:

first, the book:

Caitlin Kane knows more about  the impact of schizophrenia than most people could imagine.  Both her parents were afflicted with the devastating mental illness, a disease that tends to run in families, and Caitlin and her brother grew up trying to navigate the chaos of living with two schizophrenics.  Her tumultuous childhood left Caitlin determined to forge a peaceful and serene life for herself.  Now 32, she is living her dream.  Married to her best friend, she and her husband are raising two bright young children in the suburbs of Seattle.  While her unusual upbringing has left Caitlin with emotional scars, she enjoys the love and support of her extended family and her challenging career as a pediatric nurse.  But no matter how hard she tries, she can't shake the obsessive fear that the family illness will strike again, robbing her of her mind or stealing away the sanity of one or both of her children.

About the author:

Terri Morgan is a freelance journalist who's work has appeared in dozens of different magazines and newspapers.  Terri is the author of four sports biographies for young adults, and the co-author of two others.  Two books on photography: Photography, Take your Best Shot and Capturing Childhood Memories, The Complete Photography Guide for Parents.  Playing the Genetic Lottery is Terri's first novel.

For more information:

Terri can be found on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Playing-the-Genetic-Lottery-a-novel-by-Terri-Morgan/192095997524663

or for excerpts from the book:

http://www.terrimorgan.net/

email soquelterri@yahoo.com

THE IMMORTAL RULES

BOOK ONE

THE BLOOD OF EDEN SERIES

by

JULIE KAGAWA

received from NETGALLEY for review

book available April 24th

published by HarlequinTEEN

synopsis (goodreads)

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

MY REVIEW

I've heard so many fabulous things about Julie Kagawa that I requested this book from NetGalley.  I'm glad I did.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

The book focuses on a dystopian America about 60 yrs after a virus kills just about everyone.  I found the book to be somewhat slow at the beginning, but I understand Ms.Kagawa is setting the groundwork for this new series. 

Once we get through all the beginning introductions, the book flies! 

The world created is amazing. It's both frightening and exciting.  Humans live under the rule of vampires.

The main character is a young woman named Allie.  You will fall in love with her.  She is a strong willed individual.

This story is full of action, adventure and intrigue. There is a new spin on vampires.  They are the rulers and not the hunted..I liked that! 

TYLER'S MOUNTAIN MAGIC

by

Malcolm Ater

published by BlueRidge Mountain Books

available now

Tyler Matthew Moore

November 14,1984 - November 4,2007

Tyler Moore, 22, of Harpers Ferry died Nov 4th 2007 at the University of Virginaia Hospital in Charlottesville, Va.

He was born on Nov 14th, 1984, in Petersburg, and was the son of William Moore and Debra Lambert of Harpers Ferry.

Mr. Moore was a junior at Hocking University in Nelsonville, Ohio.  He was a graduate of Jefferson High School in 2003.  He was active in may sports and placed sixth in the National Wrestling Competition.

For the complete obituary of Tyler Moore please go to:

http://www.mydeathspace.com/article/2007/12/19/Tyler_Moore_(22)_passed_away_from_complications_of_cystic_fibrosis_after_receiving_a_double_lung_transplant

Inspirational.  That is the only word that comes to mind while searching for a description of this back.

Tyler Moore was a young man with cystic fibrosis.  Cystic Fibrosis is defined as "a chronic lung disease that causes sticky mucus to build up in the lungs making it difficult to breathe.  There is no cure."

Tyler was an amazing person.  He wished to overcome this beast of a disease and join the school's wrestling team.  He did just that. 

By reading this book, you will learn about wrestling, you will learn about cystic fibrosis, but most importantly, you will learn about courage, determination, values and friendship.

This is a well written book. It flows easily.  The book is even more inspirational when you realize Tyler is a real person, not just a character in a novel.  It is a beautiful story.  This book is a testament to Tyler's life and his determination.

A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THIS BOOK IS DONATED TO THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION.