Review : Cedardale Court by Nathan Lee Christensen

Title : Cedardale Court

Author : Nathan Lee Christensen

Published : October 7th 2011

Cedardale Court is a neo-gothic murder mystery with enough fools and old flames to keep you happily mixed up for most of a long weekend. When Canner Connelly and his daughter, Chloe, move in with their Uncle Henry, and a simple drainage problem turns a normal Sunday morning into a slightly darker affair, it's not easy to tell where everyone might end up, or if they'll even make it at all.

*e-book courtesy of the author.

Canner and his ten-year-old daughter move in with his Uncle Henry in a small neighborhood.  Their bags are not even unpacked yet but it doesn't stop the drama from unfolding right in front of their eyes. It all starts with a drainage problem and a severed hand. For a small community the people sure have a lot of secrets! A murderer (or murderers) is (are) on the loose.  Whether they want it or not, Canner and his daughter are involved in the investigation and it's up to Canner to keep him and his daughter safe. No one can be trusted, not even a friendly neighbor...

I had no idea what to expect of this book.  I had never heard of a neo-gothic murder mystery before but I had to give this book a try. Oh boy, am I glad I did!  The plot is fast-paced and full of mystery.  From chapter to chapter, you never know what to expect.

You think you know the characters really well but then you're left truly shocked.   The storyline is so engrossing. I think it has to do with the fact that the characters are depicted so realistically. Canner is raising his daughter alone after his wife died ten years ago. He's the overprotective dad and will do anything to keep his daughter safe.  He's still mourning his wife's death and seems to see her ghost. Chloe the daughter is very mature for her age. She's the one keeping everything together. Uncle Henry has a few skeletons in his closet and a mysterious scarecrow on his porch...Cedardale Court has a fun and diverse group of characters.

The author has done a fantastic job writing this book. I can't wait to see what he has next in store for us.  I really recommend you read this book. It might exceed your expectations like it did for me.

4 out of 5 stars!

*For only $2.99 this book can be yours. You can purchase a copy on Amazon here.

Review : Rapid Dawn by TK Steiner

Title : Rapid Dawn
Author : TK Steiner
Published October 29th 2011


Blurb:

A young heiress has her idyllic life turned upside down when her father’s kingdom is overthrown by a sudden revolution. Only after a narrow escape does she realize that she and her telepathic abilities will play a critical part in an audacious plan to save her people. To succeed she’ll have to enlist the help of two young men from the past. John is a mason’s son living in the eighteenth century, while Clay is a young man from the twenty first century.

Together, the unlikely trio races to reverse the sands of time and save a peaceful civilization from extinction. Along the way, they face a sinister foe whose mysterious abilities and dark vision for the future threaten all of humanity.

* E-book courtesy of the author.


Tess, Clay and John are three different people from three different time period. They must work together to find and decipher a book that will help save a kingdom from a group of evil who call themselves Erudites. These people can control minds and are a serious danger for the civilization.


Rapid Dawn exceeded my expectations. I absolutely loved this book. The author did an amazing job writing it in three point of views. I love how each character is unique : a princess, a mason's son from the 18th century and a teen from the 21st century. Tess has telepathic abilities while John and Clay travel through time during their sleep. During the day they each try to decipher the clues on their own and in their dreams at night they put it all together. The future of the world depends on those three.

While the trio was racing through time, I was racing through my book to find out what would happen next. The plot is unlike anything I've ever read and fast-paced. The author has created a fantastic world. It is hinted that there might be a sequel to Rapid Dawn and I sure hope so. Fantasy lovers, be sure to add this book on your wishlist!

5 out of 5 stars!!

Review : Bloodstone by Barbra Annino

Title : Bloodstone

Author : Barbra Annino

Published October 7th 2011 by Dane House

Blurb:

Book Two of the Stacy Justice Series has more magic, more mystery and more twists and turns than your average amusement park. A long-lost sister. A missing mother.And murder.Stacy Justice finds herself caught in a web of deceit, betrayal and family secrets that run deeper than the Mississippi in this follow up to Annino's debut novel, OPAL FIRE.Not only must the reluctant witch determine if the teenager on her doorstep is her sister--she's forced to confront her mother's disappearance--again. Add to that a dead guy in the kitchen and Stacy's at her witch's end. She's pretty sure the Blessed Book of her family's ancestry holds the key. Except she can't find it. And if the killer does--it may be over Stacy's dead body.Is Ivy really her sister? Where is Stacy's mother? And what does the dead guy have to do with it all? Find out in Bloodstone.

Author's Note: It is highly recommended that you read the first book in the series, OPAL FIRE before reading BLOODSTONE.

Bloodstone, the second book in the Stacy Justice series starts where Opal Fire left off. A mysterious teenager is on Stacy's doorstep claiming to be her sister.With dealing with her mother's disappearance and keeping a watchful eye on her "sister", Stacy never expected to find  a corpse in the kitchen. A family ancestry book holds the key to help Stacy but there's only one problem : the book is missing! She must find that book before it gets in the wrong hands!

Bloodstone is a fun and bewitching adventure. Stacy's not all that happy with being a witch unlike Ivy, her supposedly sister. Stacy just wants a normal and quiet life but it seems she attracts danger wherever she goes. She has to keep Ivy a secret from her grandmother Birdie whom I absolutely love. Some of the funniest moments are with her and the Geraghty clan. Love those ladies!


Bloodstone is a roller coaster ride of adventure, mystery and secrets. Before you know it, you've read the whole book and you're eagerly anticipating the next one.  Barbra Annino has proven again she's the queen of cliffhangers! I'm dying to read the next book in the series, Tiger's Eye which will be out in 2012.

4.5 out of 5 stars!

Pre-Anniversary of 12.21.12 Giveaway!

Hey there everyone!

Do you know what today is? Not only is there only 4 days left before Christmas (Yikes!) but in exactly a year from now the world will "apparently" end. Scary thought, huh? So in honour of the pre-anniversary of the end of the Mayan calendar, T. Anderson has decided to throw a giveaway for her awesome book Monad 12.21.12 : The Awakening of Stella Steinar.

 

Stella Steinar isn't concerned with the rumored menacing date of December 21, 2012 looming just around the corner. The adopted but privileged daughter of two renowned scientists is embarking on a new chapter in her life. Ignoring her steadily increasing headaches and visions, Stella is anxious to leave everything in Minnesota behind and anonymously begin again. Headed for Berkeley, fate has other plans for her. What's about to happen in California will change everything she knows about herself and the world--forever.

MONAD, the largest scientific research firm in the world, seems to be hiding a top-secret project. And who is in charge? Stella's adoptive father and Berkeley alumni , Dr. Erling Steinar. On her quest for the truth, Stella finds herself deeply entwined in the project--but is it too late? Will she have time to change the future and escape her inevitable destiny? From meeting the family she's always wished for, to exploring her spiritual beliefs surrounding life and death--follow Stella's story as it takes mysterious loops through time and reality.

Sounds familiar? It should. I had the opportunity to read and review her book a few weeks ago and I also had the chance to ask her a few questions during our interview. In case you haven't read my review and interview with the author, click here and here.



So now here's what you've been all waiting for :


By leaving a comment on this post, you can win one of the following :


* One (1) signed paperback copy of Monad 12.21.12 : The Awakening of Stella Steinar + a matching bookmark

* One (1) signed paperback copy of the book to review on your blog or anywhere else + a matching bookmark.  (PLEASE STATE IN THE COMMENT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN REVIEWING THE BOOK. IF YOU DON'T INDICATE IT WE WON'T COUNT YOU IN.)

* 1of 3 matching bookmarks.


There will be FIVE winners!


The giveaway is open to US and Canada and will end just in time for the New Year on January 1st. The winners will randomly be chosen by random.org. Don't forget to include your email in the comment.



Good luck to all! :)



Review : Klondike Winter by Jackie M. Smith

Title : Klondike Winter

Author : Jackie M. Smith

Published November 14th 2011 by Secret Cravings Publishing

Blurb:

Her family left in financial ruin, Sarah Callaghan travels to the Yukon with her brother in search of gold. The biggest adventure of her life begins when she meets Nicholas Ashbury. Handsome and adventurous, he makes her tremble with a desire she has never experienced before. But she doesn’t want to risk losing her heart or her fiancé for a man she barely knows.Nick seeks adventure instead of a life in London’s high society. In order to receive his rightful title and inheritance, he must marry before his twenty-fifth birthday. When he meets his best friend’s sister, her beauty and innocence capture his heart. He accepts to help her restore her family’s fortune but he cannot make her his.  Can the cold and harsh wilderness bring them the happiness they both seek?

 
 
Amazon


*E-book courtesy of the author.
 
 
Sarah and Andrew's father passed away in the north while digging for gold. In order to pay off the financial debt he left them with, Sarah and Andrew prepare themselves for the cold and wintry Yukon.  Sarah will have to leave her fiance behind but a new guy, Nicholas, quickly has only eyes for her.  When an incident leaves Sarah and Nicholas alone to make fortune things get hot and heavy between the two.  Nicholas doesn't know about Sarah's fiance waiting for her in Boston and Sarah doesn't know about the secret Nicholas' been keeping about her father's death. Between the search for gold and trying to resist one another, will Sarah and Nicholas be able to survive the cold wilderness?
 
From the beginning I loved Sarah. She's not your typical heroine in historical fiction. She's strong and independent. The great white north doesn't scare her (I wouldn't be scared either if I had a handsome and adventurous guy like Nicholas by my side to protect me). They try really hard to ignore their feelings for one another but when the two get together things get pretty steamy!
 
Klondike Winter is filled with romance and adventure from the beginning to the end. When I thought things were going to work out between the two something unexpected came up. Right until the end the book has a few twists and turns that kept me guessing. It has to be one of the best historical romance I've read this year. No one writes romance like Jackie M. Smith does! Klondike Winter is a must-read. I can guarantee this sizzling historical romance won't disappoint.

5 out of 5 stars!!

For more information, visit the author's website.

Follow her on Twitter. 

"Like" her page on Facebook.

Follow her on Goodreads.

REVIEW : Flirting in Spanish by Susan McKinney de Ortega

Title : Flirting in Spanish : What Mexico taught me about love, living and forgiveness

Author : Susan McKinney de Ortega

Published : July 1st 2011 by Antaeus Books, Inc.

Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Blurb :

"Running from paralyzing memories of an attempted rape and the decade of silence and shame that followed, Ortega lands in Mexico at 33, trying not to fall for a much younger local. In 1992 the author, the daughter of champion NBA coach Jack McKinney, was teaching English to Mexican teenagers when she met 19-year-old Carlos, who ardently pursues her despite the age and huge cultural differences. She resists at first, due to their divergent backgrounds--Ortega's childhood was one of summer vacation rentals and white gloves at Mass, while Carlos was a high school dropout who didn't have running water until age 10. But when she realizes that she is surprised a man could be kind to her like her father, "I didn't feel like a nervous wreck of a person anymore." It's not an instant happy ending as Ortega contends with the extreme poverty Carlos and his family live in, the machismo culture, and her own lingering doubts, with one foot in Mexico and the other wavering. When she finally achieves hard-won contentment, it's a joyous moment.." --Publishers Weekly

*E-book courtesy of the author.




In her thirties, Susan McKinney de Ortega moves to Mexico where she teaches  English to high school students. One student catches her attention : Carlos.  Never did she expect to fall in love with her nineteen year old student.  She resists at first but then realizes they both have feelings for each other and more important, Carlos helps her get through dark times.  She moves in with Carlos and his family but suffers from cultural shock.  The daughter of a champion NBA coach now has to deal with poverty.  In the house there's no water, no telephone and everyone shares the same room.  But love can conquer all and through this, Susan learns more about herself.


The author has wonderfully penned her memoir. The reader gets to "travel" to Mexico and discover their culture and how difficult it can be for someone to adjust to theirs. The author has written about real lives, perfect or not.  Serious issues are dealt with in this book : poverty and attempted rape.  The author doesn't sugarcoat anything.  The writing is so good that you actually feel like you're part of the family in Mexico that sticks together through good times and bad.  It's as if we witness her journey right there with her.  Flirting in Spanish is a touching read that will make you laugh, smile and even shed a tear. 

A recommended read for both fiction and non fiction lovers.

4 out 5 stars!



**Stay tuned for an interview with the author!