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Friday, September 21, 2012

Giveaway and Book Review of Dream Lover, book 3 in Pam of Babylon Series

Giveaway and Book Review of Dream Lover, book 3 in Pam of Babylon Series


Blurb : 



The third book in the Pam of Babylon series, Dream Lover is a compilation of character studies of the women and one man who Jack Smith left behind. Slowly, they make their way to the Long Island village of Babylon for an audience with his widow. No longer in denial and stronger than she thought possible, Pam Smith is able to confront the horror of her marriage in its totality as she draws a new picture of the man she was married to. The new discovery she makes empowers her and she is able to maintain her strength and the grace and compassion she’s known for. Truly a formidable woman, Pam conquers her worst demons in Dream Lover.




About the Author:

Suzanne Jenkins lives at the west Michigan lakeshore with her husband, two dogs and two sheep.  Her latest books are Pam of Babylon, Don’t You Forget About Me and Dream Lover.

Contacts:

To get your copy of DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME by Suzanne Jenkins at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Forget-About-Book-Babylon/dp/1466219009/ref=pd_sim_b_2
To get your copy of DREAM LOVER by Suzanne Jenkins at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Lover-Book-Three-Babylon/dp/1468126237/ref=pd_sim_b_1
Pick up your copy of PAM OF BABYLON by Suzanne Jenkins at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pam-of-babylon-suzanne-jenkins/1104205831?ean=2940013633056
Pick up your copy of DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME by Suzanne Jenkins at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont-you-forget-about-me-suzanne-jenkins/1108113721?ean=2940014047722
To learn more about Suzanne Jenkins, visit her website: http://suzannejenkins.net/
Drop in at Suzanne Jenkins’ blog: http://2sheepinthecity.com
Visit Suzanne Jenkins on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/suzannejenkins3
Like Suzanne Jenkins on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzannejenkinswriter

Book Review:

            This story pissed me off.  I wanted Pam to get mad, to stand up for herself, to tell these people to go to hell.  Her husband dies and she finds out he cheated on her, brought the women to her home for weekend visits as friends and co-workers of her husband, had children with her husband, and even a man comes forward.

            The book draws you in and keeps you interested, except that I wanted to slap Pam at times.  She was too poised, too forgiving, and accepting.  Personally I would have dug him up and castrated him, then had him cremated and his ashes scattered somewhere very far away.  But then again, I would be a little vengeful too.  Pam is lost without her husband, and confused by all these new revelations.  She’s a little too controlled for me.

I knew a lady who found out her husband cheated on her after his death and burial.  I don’t know that this story is true, but it is in character for her and I rather hope it’s true.  When she found out he had cheated on her, she had him exhumed from the family plot and buried elsewhere.  That’s the spirit I want to see from Pam, not this banal acceptance.
           
            Stay tuned for more on this series.  For this book alone I give 3.5 out of 5 clouds.  I was sweet and an easy read, but I was truly too angry to enjoy the story.  She was just too calm, especially when she finds out he gave her AIDS.

This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review of Latitudes: A Story of Coming Home



Book Review of Latitudes: A Story of Coming Home
Sponsored by Bewitching Book Tour


 Welcome to Books, Books, and More Books.  I am pleased to share my review of this book with you.  Thank you for visiting and please come again.

File Size: 384 KB
Print Length: 223 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0981516637
Publisher: Hope Mountain Press (June 27, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B008FQG7IK

Blurb : 

A story of one boy overcoming dysfunction, dislocation and distance…
When Father and Mother, a highflying young American lawyer and his party-hard bride, fall prey to the self-destructive lure of alcohol and sexual liberation, Will and his sisters pay the price in divorce and kidnappings that take them back and forth between the rain forest hideaways of coastal Latin America and the placid suburbs of Long Island. Will identifies with the oppressed workers laboring in his father’s fast food restaurant and longs for American freedom. Father remarries the daughter of a local aristocrat, and Will is sent off to the hothouse world of a New England boarding school.
Swimming in a sea of Fair Isle sweaters and LL Bean boots, Will discovers a core of resilience in himself that allows him to survive, thrive, and ultimately embrace the flawed and varied worlds he inhabits. Will reconnects with his Mother, sinking into a New York City world of Irish bars and one night stands he cannot save her from. With a little help from friends, and a high school Shakespeare class taught by the school’s closeted gay athletic trainer, Will begins to see the possibility of finding his true path. Latitudes chart the birth pangs of a quest for self and soul — from a tropical childhood to a coming of age on the road.

About the Author:

Anthony Caplan is an independent writer, teacher and homesteader in northern New England. He has worked at various times as a shrimp fisherman, environmental activist, journalist, taxi-driver, builder, window-washer, and telemarketer. Currently, Caplan is working on restoring a 150 year old farmstead where he and his family tend sheep and chickens, grow most of their own vegetables, and have started a small apple orchard from scratch.

Contacts:

You can purchase the book in kindle or book format at Amazon.
Follow along on the Latitudes Virtual Book Tour at Pump Up Your Book
Read the blog at The New Remembrance
https://twitter.com/anthonycaplan1
http://www.anthonycaplanwrites.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anthony-Caplan/348326781857597

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Excerpt:

This time of uncertainty came to an end before it could gel into something, a pattern, a new beginning or different stamp to the days. It was one day in late August, an ordinary moment that would not have remained in his memory, much as the days that preceded it. In Will’s mind he and his sisters, their new neighborhood friends, seemed born full-blown in the backyard in the midst of some forgotten game. He was immersed again, as in the swimming pool on Margarita Island, in his inner thoughts even with the swirl of kids and dogs and the sun passing through the bright blue sky, as two cars pulled up on the street, low-slung, long and dark, their red brake lights warning to stop and look. Out stepped four or five men in pale trench coats. As they walked up the driveway, Alexa gasped.
"Father," she said. Will had recognized him at almost the same moment.
"Father," he repeated and broke into a run as Father smiled and held out his arms. The other men stopped in their tracks. Father hugged the four children. It was unusual, but exciting that he’d come all this way to rejoin them. The other men from the two cars must have been his friends.
"How about an ice cream?" he asked. This seemed unusual and exciting also. They had never known him to offer treats, but maybe this was his way of breaking the ice, start in on a new footing.
"Sure," Will said, and Alexa agreed, eager as he was, speaking for all three girls. They all four sat in the backseat of the back car. Father sat in the front while another man drove. As the cars sped away, the babysitter emerged from the house and saw a knot of neighborhood children walking down the sidewalk, but not Will or his sisters. Breathing hard, panic struck. She ran back inside and grabbed the telephone.

Book Review:

            This was a hard book to read, but one that I think every person should read before bringing children into a marriage.  Divorce can be appropriate for adults, and sometimes children are better off… such as when there is physical, emotional, or verbal abuse.  However often divorce, especially when the parents use the children as battle tools, can be devastating psychologically.

            I have worked as a custody mediator and I know that parents who keep the children out of divorce issues and work together for the best of their children have children who survive the best.

            While this book is emotionally hard to read, it is well written and deeply moving.  I highly recommend it.  I give this book 4.5 out of 5 clouds.

This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.

Book Review of Fairyproof



Book Review of Fairyproof  
Sponsored by Bewitching Book Tours



Welcome to Books, Books, and More Books.  I am pleased to share my review of this book with you.  Thank you for visiting and please come again.

Fairyproof
By Constance Phillips

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
Date of Publication:  September 4, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-937254-75-9
Number of pages: 262
Word Count: 85,000
Cover Artist: Taria Reed

Blurb : 

When Monique finds out her brother, Kieran, is planning her future with the one fairy she wants nothing to do with, she seeks refuge in the human world. Now Kieran fears she will be the next victim in a string of murdered fairies and is determined to bring her home.

Hiding should be a breeze. She can control any human with a flirtatious smile and an attraction spell. Until she meets Daniel Elliot, the only human who's immune to both.

A year ago, Daniel's fiancée disappeared with the engagement ring, an Elliot family heirloom. He's ready to move forward with his life, but his mother's obsession with retrieving the ring makes that impossible. Then Monique walks into his office to apply for a job.

Daniel and Monique can't deny their attraction, but will the reason he's Fairyproof be too much to overcome?

About the Author:

Constance Phillips lives in Ohio with her husband, two ready-to-leave-the-nest children, and four canine kids. Her perfect fantasy vacation would involve hunting Dracula across Europe with her daughter, who also digs that kind of stuff. When she's not writing about fairies, shifters, vamps, and guardian angels, she's working side-by-side with her husband in their hardwood flooring business.
Constance is actively involved in her local Romance Writers of America chapter (MVRWA) and the Southeast Michigan chapter of the United States Pony Club. When not writing or enjoying the outdoors, she loves reality television or can be found at a Rick Springfield concert (just look for the pink Converse high tops).
Constance blogs regularly at www.constancephillips.com. You can also follow her on Twitter or friend her on Facebook.

Contacts:





Excerpt:

(This is the scene in which the hero and heroine meet. Monique is interviewing for a job, and has given a false name – Naomi – because she is in hiding.)

Two large windows overlooked the park across the street, a tell-tale sign of his success in the business world. The park looming ten stories below, a bit of nature captured between the high-rise office buildings, reminded Monique of the world she ran from. It was a slice of serenity amidst a chaotic city, and a dynamic illustration of the two worlds she was caught between.
A large, cherry desk with no clutter sat near one window. Other than a tray full of files in the left corner, only a computer monitor sat on the polished surface. In front of it were three reddish-brown leather chairs with cherry end tables separating them.
Both her father and brother used to say “focus on your strengths and downplay your weaknesses,” and that’s what needed to be done. Her best assets were physical: long legs, a small waist, and breasts that would always turn a man’s head, especially when she unbuttoned the top two buttons and wore a push up bra. Five-nine before slipping on the three-inch black heels, she towered over most women. The shoes matched a very short skirt and sleek-fitting jacket.
She shifted her weight, started across the room and focused on Daniel. Sitting behind the desk, his head was buried in a file. All she could see was his jet-black hair. Bone straight, it framed his face and brushed his shoulders with just enough gray at the temples to raise her pulse.
Then he looked up.
Gray eyes met hers from behind black-rimmed glasses. Her heart lurched in her chest. Charming him would be a pleasure.
Holding his gaze, she set her shoulders back enough that his eyes would drop lower, and closed the distance between them. She offered her hand across the desk and tipped her head, letting her hair fall across her right shoulder. When his large hand enveloped hers, she smiled and cast an enchantment spell. “Mr. Elliot, I’m Naomi Sanders.”
She waited for the familiar haze to cloud his eyes, a sure sign he was under her control.
He accepted her hand, cradled it in his for a brief moment before turning his attention to his assistant who handed him her paperwork.
No haze. He didn’t move toward her with an infatuated grin, just went about his business. A sharp pain seized her heart, radiating through her chest. What could have gone wrong? Casting an enchantment spell was second nature. She’d been using them to get what she wanted since seeking refuge among the humans.
As she lowered herself into one of the chairs, her mind grappled with what had gone wrong, and her body slipped into the familiar: teasing the man in front of her. She crossed her long legs, and let her skirt slide up her thigh.
Unaffected, Daniel read her file as he walked around his desk and leaned back against it. After a moment, he looked up and asked, “Why did you leave your last job?”
She shifted her weight in the chair, uncrossing her long legs and crossing them again in the opposite direction. He didn’t appear moved at all by her physical appearance, but even with her worries Monique couldn’t ignore him or the way his dark, tailored suit accented his long, lean body.
A smile crossed his thin lips, but not for the reason she wanted. He hadn’t even noticed her legs. Contact hadn’t been broken by his crisp, clear eyes. The grin turned to a light chuckle. “If that question is too hard, Miss Sanders, maybe we’re both wasting our time.”
Her cheeks flushed and she knew they were reddening with embarrassment. Worried they clashed with her hair; she tried to swallow the blush. If winning this job the old-fashioned way wasn’t going to work, then she wasn’t going to get it. Still, she had to say something. Fear knotted her stomach as she stammered, “It’s not too hard, Mr. Elliot. I needed a new start, so I moved.”
“From the locations of your last three jobs — Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Boston — it seems like you’ve needed a few new starts. Now, it’s Elgin, Illinois. Some would say moving across country when you don’t have a job lined up is a very stupid thing to do.”
A glint in his eyes that told her he didn’t agree with that statement. She followed that instinct and moved forward, hoping to salvage things. “I’m not worried. If I don’t get this job, I’ll find another.”
If he was immune to her spells, was she also transparent to him? Did he know she was lying? Could he see just how desperate she was? Her fears raced through her head, breaking her concentration.
“I would say you’re brave and a go-getter.”
Wait. Those were positive attributes. Right?
He tapped the pen on the edge of his desk, studying her file. “On the other hand, I’m worried wanderlust might strike again. The reason there is an opening at all is because Renee’s new husband’s job is taking them both out of state. I don’t want to have to go through a search like this again in six months when you decide you need another change.”
She’d be lucky if she was still here in six weeks, but she couldn’t tell Daniel that. The fact she had to tell him anything at all annoyed her. Her prowess and powers should have had this job cinched by now. He should be sending the other girls home and inviting her to lunch.
But she couldn’t let her frustration derail her. This job was too important to her survival to let it slip away. She dug deep, reached out and touched his knee so she could cast the spell again. Smiling in his direction, she said, “If you give me the chance, I won’t disappoint you.”
He shifted to his right and let her hand slip away as his eyes returned to the file. His lower lip curled between his teeth as he studied her application, not dissuaded from the task at hand. He didn’t even seem to recognize the subtle inflection in her voice.
Instead, he was going on and on with legitimate questions about her employment history and her knowledge of the business world. Could she work weekends if asked? Was she familiar with the software their computers used? Did she have experience with multi-line phones? Did she consider herself a people person?
Some she answered honestly. Others she flubbed her way through, making up the best answers she could. Unfortunately, thinking on her feet was not what she considered a strong suit and she was having a hard time deciphering how Daniel was reacting to her. It just wasn’t happening the way she’d hoped.
Her toe tapped against the floor, but deep inside her heart quivered. His cool, detached attitude challenged her, but if she didn’t impress with this interview, she’d never get the chance to know if she’d overcome his immunity to her.
 “Well, thank you for coming in, Naomi. I have a few other women to interview, but I need to make a decision soon. You’ll be hearing from me either way.”
It was over. For the first time since leaving her own world and stepping into the humans’, she’d failed. She hadn’t charmed Daniel and she wouldn’t be getting this desperately-needed job.
 Stepping into the small elevator, she watched the metal doors close and asked her mirrored reflection what’d gone wrong. Humans weren’t immune to her power — their power — it just didn’t happen.  Did it?
Keiran considered all humans the enemy and he knew his enemy well. He would know what was going on here, but, since they weren’t even on speaking terms, she couldn’t ask. He’d be more concerned with getting her far away from them and back home than teaching her more about their ways. She wasn’t willing to surrender to him. And she wasn’t going home.
Not yet.
Of all times for her powers to fail! And it wasn’t just about how much she needed the job. As important as it was, her desire to see Daniel again burned inside her and it went so much deeper than his grey eyes and lean frame. Deeper than his delightful smile.
For some reason, his immunity to her spells and wiles intrigued her. She hungered for what lingered just out for reach like some forbidden fruit.
Without the job, she’d never see him again and the fact he appeared to be spell-proof would no longer be significant.
But what if it was a failing with her instead of a resistance in him?
In some ways, the thought made sense. It also terrified her. She’d always survived here by keeping humans, especially the men, on puppet strings that she controlled. If she had to deal with them on a level playing field, she was doomed.
Without this job, she was more vulnerable to her brother and Eero. Would Daniel Elliot, with his charm and good looks, be the one to end her earthly romp and cause her to go home?
Damn it! Didn’t he know he was supposed to find her irresistible? After all, she was a fairy.

Book Review:

            I found this a darling story.  I laughed, I cried, I sighed in pleasure (and get your mind out of the gutter… I know it when there but this book is not like that).  I wanted to root for Daniel and Monique.  I wanted to reach into the story and throttle Keiran.  And then I wanted to cry again.

            This is a wonderful love story even without the paranormal component.  The Faire aspect just adds dimension to the story.  I found the story to be more than just a typical love story.  The story had dimension and was multi-faceted.
           
            I would wholly recommend this book to everyone.  I give this book 5 out of 5 clouds.

This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.