Shadow of Witte Wieven Review. A good solid YA romance

Book Review of Title by Author

 

Book Title:  Shadow of the Witte Wieven

Author: Debbie Peterson

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Publisher: InkSpell Publishing

Publication Date: April 21^st 2012

Format: eBook, Kindle, Paperback

Book Synopsis:

Despite a contract on her head, lone Drug Enforcement Agent, Aliyana Montijo must ferret out a mole and stop the assassination of top DEA officials, as so ordered by the Colombian drug lord she seeks to take down. The task is a daunting one, for there is no one she can trust. No one that is, until she encounters a most unlikely ally.

Former seventeenth century captain of the Dutch West Indies Company, Wolfaert Dircksen Van Ness, now from a parallel dimension, encounters the beautiful agent during an unearthly storm in the Bermuda triangle. Drawn to the Spanish beauty he rescues, he pledges his assistance, despite her reluctance to accept either his help or his heart.

Can Wolf bridge both space and time to claim the woman he loves?

Book Excerpt

Aliyana nodded as she released a breath and said, “Yes, as a matter of fact they did. Hank has demanded a tour of Mercado’s empire. He said that he wants to see the way they produce cocaine from start to finish. By so doing, he could point out their faults and help them improve production. According to Ortiz, Hank had the audacity to boast about his knowledge of the latest in drug manufacturing technology as if they were a bunch of ignorant ‘campesinos.’ As you can imagine, this rankled them a bit.”

“I’m surprised they aren’t going to use this outing as an excuse to kill him,” Cornelius remarked.

Aliyana shrugged as she cast a brief glance downward. “They actually mentioned that. However, as much as Mercado would like to permanently get rid of the man, he’s going to show a bit of restraint and allow the ‘pig’ to live—for now.”

“Did they mention whether or not Mercado planned to comply with this requested tour?” asked Cornelius.

“He is going to comply, but not in the way Hank intends,” she replied. “Mercado is going to take him much farther south, to a factory and lab he no longer uses. He is sending some of his employees ahead to clean the place up and make ready for their visit. Emil wants everything to look as if the lab is in full swing.”

“So Mercado is conducting the tour personally then?” asked Wolf.

“Yes, he is. He doesn’t trust Hank. Therefore, he wants to observe his every movement, personally.”

“How long will it take them to get to this lab?”

“If it’s the one I think it is, about three, maybe four hours. Why do you ask?”

Wolf brushed a hand against his beard as he contemplated this unexpected opportunity. “How many such places could he possibly take Morris?”

“I only know of two,” she said.

“How long would it take to get to other one?”

Aliyana shook her head as she lifted a shoulder. “Oh, I don’t know—perhaps an additional half an hour or so. That’s why I think he’ll opt for the closest one.”

“Did they say when they intend to conduct this tour?”

“Day after tomorrow. Hank is supposed to arrive at dawn. If you still want to follow the man, you will get your chance then.”

“So travel time, to and from is at least six hours, maybe more,” Wolf mused aloud. “The tour itself will take some time. What would you think, another hour maybe two for him to thoroughly inspect the facilities?”

“Every bit of that and then some,” Aliyana said as she knit her brows in consternation. “Wolf, why are you asking all of these questions?”

“With Mercado out of the way, I’m thinking this might be the perfect opportunity to escort you inside the man’s office so you can raid those files on his computer.”

“But we don’t have all of the numbers to his pass code yet,” Aliyana replied. “I can’t get inside without them.”

In response to the reminder, he allowed a slight smile to emerge and for several long moments, he held her gaze without saying a word. Her confusion finally gave way to understanding. He could see it. She drew in a sharp breath as a burst of anger exploded onto her cheeks.

“You have the ability to get me inside that office anytime you want to, don’t you Captain Wolfaert Dircksen Van Ness,” she spat.

Wolf folded his arms against his chest, flashed a full-fledged grin, and bounced his brows.

“I can’t believe you would withhold that information from me,” she seethed as her eyes shot lethal daggers into his person. “And you just let me keep watching that screen for hours on end when such a need didn’t exist—”

“Oh come on, Aliyana,” Wolf laughingly protested. “You surely didn’t think I’d allow you to go in there until the safest possible moment, did you?”

His humor did nothing to improve her anger. If anything, it only served to fuel it. She shook her head then and let him have it--with both barrels blazing--in Spanish, of course. And he enjoyed every minute of the delightful display.

Author Information:

Debbie Peterson, author of “Spirit of the Rebellion,” is about to release her second novel, “Shadow of the Witte Wieven,” through InkSpell Publishing. This paranormal romance combines a seventeenth century sea captain, a modern DEA agent, and the Bermuda Triangle to send you on an incredible adventure, filled with intrigue and romance.

Debbie has always had a soft spot for fairy tales, the joy of falling in love, and happily ever after endings. She incorporates these aspects into all of the paranormal stories she writes. When she is not busy conjuring her latest novel, she spends time with the beloved members of her very large family. She also pursues her interests in family history and all things ancient and historic.

You can connect with her:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebbiePeterson1

Website: http://dk-peterson.com/

Important Links

Author Website:

http://dk-peterson.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/DebbiePeterson1

Publisher Website:

http://inkspellpublishing.com

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13415938-shadow-of-the-witte-wieven

B&N Pre-Order:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-of-the-witte-wieven-debbie-peterson/1037946827?ean=9780985011536&itm=1&usri=shadow+of+witte+wieven

Purchase the book:

From the Publisher: http://www.inkspellpublishing.com/4/post/2012/01/shadow-of-the-witte-wieven.html

From B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-of-the-witte-wieven-debbie-peterson/1037946827?ean=9780985011536

Book Review:

One of my family’s favorite television shows is Dr. Who.  We love the idea of time travel and all the fun of the story.  Now I find a book that includes time travel, but not in the stereo-typical manner.  In the book, “Shadow of the Witte Wieven,” Debbie Peterson brings to life a world of time travel, romance, intrigue, and a hint of mysticism with the tales of the Bermuda Triangle.  The characters are well fleshed out, including the supporting cast.

I love that the lead character is a strong female character.  She is a take charge woman who can take care of herself, yet she also has a tender side that enjoys the care she receives from the handsome and caring Wolf pack leader.

I did feel that she accepted the whole time travel, other world ideas a little too easily, and some of the plot lines were a little contrived; but otherwise the story was well thought out and satisfactorily concluded.

I would give this story 4 out of 5 clouds.

Review of Crimson Shadow by Nathan Squiers

Book Review of Crimson Shadow By Nathan Squiers

Book Synopsis:

Crimson Shadow

By Nathan Squiers

Xander Stryker wants to die.

Ever since witnessing his mother's murder at the hands of his abusive stepfather when he was a boy, he has spent every day trying to reach that goal. But every night he's denied the death he craves.

When his eighteenth birthday approaches, an unforeseen chance for change is offered when his life is plunged into chaos and he's dragged into a supernatural world of vampires and other creatures of darkness. Caught in the depths of this new reality, mysteries of his supernatural lineage begin to unravel and Xander is given the ultimate choice:

Continue on with his wretched life or begin a new one as the vampire he was always meant to be.

Unfortunately, the supernatural world can be just as unforgiving and brutal as any other and Xander's choice is met with disastrous consequences. Now, with the chaos of the new world pressing down on him, his past reemerges and once again threatens to crush him. Will Xander be able to use his new strength to conquer his fears, or will he succumb to his own bloody darkness...

... and allow it to finally destroy him.

Book Trailer http://youtu.be/AUc8IpwcPCM

Book Excerpt:

"I'M NOT YOUR GOD DAMN SON!" Xander shrieked, bracing himself for the familiar agony of Kyle's belt. His eyes flew open as he shot upright. Sweeping some strands of hair from his sweat-soaked brow, his panicked heart finally settled in his chest as he saw that he was not at the mercy of his stepfather.

Instead, his entire first period class stared at him.

Somebody up front snickered as others turned to whisper to their neighbors. Feeling his face redden, Xander did his best to ignore his peers and took a deep breath.

                "Stryker!"

                Xander cringed and watched as Mister Nimbe navigated his way from the chalkboard towards him. In a lot of ways seeing the portly teacher calmed him. Letting out a slow breath, he reassured himself of the truth:

Kyle was dead.

". . . enough, Stryker!"

Hearing his name, Xander snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Mister Nimbe.

"Huh?"

                The teacher's jaw shifted before he slapped a heavy palm down on the desktop. Xander stared at him, continuing to ignore his peers as they gossiped and laughed.

He didn’t want this kind of attention.

"Don't play games with me, you little punk!" Mister Nimbe's voice was hard though he spoke softly, "The next time you decide to act up in my class, it's your funeral!"

A girl sitting nearby cackled, "That’ll be the day!"

There was another bout of laughter.

Xander forced himself not to look away from Mister Nimbe, who seemed to bask in the approval of his class. Unable to handle another moment of the humiliation, he snatched his backpack by the strap and pulled it with him as he stood from his desk and hurried for the door. Behind him he heard Mister Nimbe yell after him, but he was already too far out the door to hear it or care.

"Fucking assholes!" Xander spat. The burning in his cheeks had spread and now his entire body felt hot with his growing rage.

You need to calm down. Trepis said.

Xander shook his head at the advice. He let out a growl and threw a balled fist into a nearby locker; a jolt of magical energy following through. Withdrawing his hand he saw that he had nearly torn the metal off its hinges. He smirked at the results and started walking again.

Trepis sighed, Was that really necessary?

"Is any of this really necessary?" He retorted.

Trepis, after an airy sigh, went silent.

Xander nodded to himself, satisfied that the voice in his head was finally done criticizing him and continued down the hall. Gripping the pack of cigarettes in his pocket, he turned onto the East Wing, dragging the fingers of his left hand across the rows of lockers as he walked.

Going to see Stan?

"You know it." Xander said as he turned another corner and stopped just before the cafeteria, pushing open the door labeled "TEACHERS LOUNGE" without hesitation.

An old coffee machine to his right gurgled and belched its greeting as a fresh batch of sludge dripped into a carbon-stained pot. Nearby, a wild-haired woman who Xander recognized as one of the English teachers sat with a crossword puzzle while an over-caffeinated math teacher grunted something about a failing sports team. Reaching blindly for his cup of coffee, he knocked it onto his crotch and swore as steam rose from his pants.

As expected, neither noticed Xander as he walked in.

Unable to wait any longer, he retrieved a cigarette and began working to light it. The worn-out lighter sparked uselessly.

"Damn it!" Xander said, scowling at the lighter before tossing it into the trash.

"Need a light?" Stan's voice emerged from the corner of the lounge.

Xander smiled, "Would you?"

"Hey!" the coffee-stained teacher frowned at Xander, "You're not supposed to be in--"

The man's eyes went dull, followed soon after by the woman's, before both stood and walked out the door, closing it behind them as they did.

Once they were alone, Xander turned towards his friend and smirked, "You're going to have to teach me how to do that."

Stan's dirty-blonde hair shifted as he shook his head. "Xander, Xander, Xander... it's not even second period." he scolded as he held out his hand.

Xander watched as the cigarette sparked and magically ignited and he was rewarded with a rush of flavor. He smiled and took a long drag before taking it between his fingers and sitting beside his friend.

"Had the dream again."

Stan nodded, his blue-green eyes going solemn, and leaned his head back.

Xander thought for a moment that he might offer Stan a cigarette as a joke, but thought better of it. Stan always said that the things were a poison and putting those substances in your system was like allowing your own personal Trojan horse into your body time and time again.

Scowling, Stan turned his head towards him, "What are you going to do with your life, Xander? I see the potential, but..." he sighed then, shaking his head.

Xander didn't take his eyes from the floor, "Maybe Yin will take me tonight. Then I won't have to worry about where I'm going, right?"

Stan rolled his eyes, "I doubt you're going to find your escape in the barrel of that old revolver tonight. Or tomorrow... or even the day after that." He chuckled, "I mean, if I seriously thought you were in any danger I'd have had you put away long ago."

"So why haven't you?" Xander allowed his eyes to shift in Stan's direction.

Stan shrugged, "It's that whole potential thing I was talking about. You're not worth much to the world in a padded cell."

Xander scoffed, "Wouldn't say I'm worth much to the world at all!"

"Or maybe you just don't see that potential yet." Stan curled his lip.

Xander frowned, "Then can you tell me what's going to happen?"

Stan shook his head, "I’ve told you before: the future can't be seen. It hasn't been written yet."

"But you must know something!" Xander did what he could to hide his aggravation, but his lingering rage and growing confusion became too much and the wall groaned against the magical energy and cracked under the pressure.

Stan sighed, "I know that I'm tired of mending this damn wall!"

Xander nodded, "Sorry."

He had lost count of all the times his friend had used his magic to fix what he had broken with his own. This time wasn't any different:

Stan focused on the wall; his eyes narrowing with the same intensity they'd shown when lighting Xander's cigarette. After a silent moment, the pieces of cracked plywood shifted and cracked as they bonded together and the drywall reformed, leaving the wall looking good as new. When it was done, he went back to staring at the ceiling. "How's Trepis?"

"He's... still Trepis."

Stan tilted his head and gave him a skeptical look, "Trep?"

Doing fine. Trepis answered in Xander's head, Kid's just being a brat.

Both Stan and Trepis laughed.

Xander frowned.

"Oh, stop being so sensitive!" Stan gave him a few hard pats on the back; his energy stinging like lightning under his skin before it spread like a sweet drug through his system. "You can't take everything so seriously!"

Xander smiled against the bizarre sensation and leaned into the couch, "Yea, right." He tried to mask the sarcasm in his voice.

Stan, ignoring Xander's attitude, stared back up at the ceiling, "So what do you want for your birthday?"

Xander sighed and took another long drag, not stopping until he'd burned up the cig to the filter and blowing the smoke out slow. "I want freedom, Stan."

Author Information:

Nathan Squiers (The Literary Dark Prince) is a resident of upstate New York where he lives with his loving fiancé and two demonic beings that have, for the time being, chosen to disguise themselves as cats (incredibly demanding and out-of-control cats).

Living day-by-day on a steady diet of body modification and potentially lethal doses of caffeine, he often escapes reality through novels, comics & manga, movies, and (of course) his own writing. When he's not immersed in the realm of fiction (be it his own or someone else's), he can be found in the chair of a piercing studio/tattoo parlor or reacquainting himself with the real world.

Visit Nathan and find out more about him and his work at www.nathansquiers.com

http://www.facebook.com/visceralvices

http://www.facebook.com/Nathan.Squiers

Book Review:

A new take for me on the vampire legend.  Different types of vampires and a different manner of creating new vampires.  Nathan Squiers has created a unique culture of mythological creatures who live in the “real” world and yet are not quite part of it.

I am not typically a fan of vampire novels because of either the horror factor or the cheesiness factor, however Crimson Shadow manages to walk the fine line of being suspenseful without being a horror book and a fun read without being cheesy.  I enjoyed the unique aspects and appreciated the thread of sameness that helped me connect to the characters based on the past myths I have read.

Easy to read, engaging, and different enough to peak my curiosity and hold my interest, I give this book 4 out of 5 clouds

Familiar Ties Excerpt

 Familiar Ties by Naya Nikki

Book Title:  Familiar Ties

Author: Naya Nikki

Genre: Romance

Publisher: InkSpell Publishing

Publication Date: May 21^st 2012

Format: eBook, Kindle, Paperback

Book Synopsis:

Max West is a widower raising Phoebe, his four-year-old daughter. Phoebe has to live with the fact that the day she was born is also the day of her mother’s death. As her fifth year without her mother approaches, Phoebe finds solace in her godmother, Amy Riley, and her daughter, Grace Crawford, another single parent family.

Amy Riley is a successful fashion designer who spends most of her days raising her four-year-old daughter, Grace, while her wayward boyfriend is travelling the world making the next best film. As the fifth year without her best friend looms she finds comfort in her ex-boyfriend, Max, and his daughter, Phoebe.These two “broken” families have a tough week to face as the dreaded day approaches.

However through their past, present and debatable future will their choices affect the outcome both parents clearly want and are simply denying? Or will Phoebe and Grace lose the only “whole” family they have ever known?

Book Excerpt

“Amy,” Max warned, “You’re not going to just take pictures.”

He chuckled as he stood behind Amy, who was trying to figure out the new camera. Grace and Phoebe were posed perfectly on the sofa like little angels, big smiles showing rows of shiny white teeth, with the odd one or two missing. “You see,” he showed her. “There's this new, fancy thing called a timer. This means that all of us can be in the picture, including you.”

She playfully swatted him, as he jumped back, “Oh zip it.” She laughed, “I look a mess. Anyway I want a picture of you three for my desk, not me.”

Grace sat up as she swung her little legs off the edge of the sofa, her feet not even scraping the floor. “Come on, Mommy! Pwease?” She was missing her two front teeth and therefore she couldn’t pronounce her L’s properly. Amy thought it sounded so cute and secretly hoped that they’d never grow back.

How could she possibly say no to her little darling? She watched as Grace began to pout and bat her big, grey eyes at her. It was her infamous look that could make anyone fall for her, including her mother and her Uncle Max.

“No, not the pout,” she joked. “Anything but that, Gracie you know I can’t resist that cute little pout of yours.”

Once Max finished setting the timer, he curled his fingers around Amy's pale bangle covered wrist and pulled her towards the girls and the sofa. As they both sat down, on either side of the girls, he leaned over the girls’ heads to whisper, “I taught her that pout.”

“Yes, I know,” she replied. “Because that’s how you got Anna to fall for you.” She was about to laugh when she realized what she’d said. There was a moment of silence as both contemplated the loss of Anna. “Sorry,” she whispered to him. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s fine,” he whispered back, before he could say anymore Phoebe crawled onto his lap. He smiled and saw the splitting image of his deceased wife staring back at him. He didn’t mind that Anna was gone, because she’d left him the most precious of gift. Amy smiled as she lifted Grace onto her lap. Both parents shuffled closer together as a unit.

“How long do we have, Daddy?” Phoebe asked, as she snuggled into her father’s chest.

“Thirty seconds,” he answered. “Can you smile big for me?” he asked.

Phoebe nodded as she smiled her massive toothy smile and reached for Grace's hand. “You too, Grace!” Phoebe instructed her friend. “Smile really, really big!”

For a moment, Amy remembered Anna again. They’d both been only eight years old when they’d sat and posed for a different camera. Amy still had that picture on her bedside drawer, next to one of Phoebe and Grace as babies. 'Smile real big,' Anna had said as she’d tilted her head against Amy’s to become one.

The smile on Amy's face wasn’t a sad one anymore. She was fortunate that she could feel Anna’s presence, through her charming daughter.

As she looked at the camera, she hadn’t realized that Max had put his free arm around her waist, pulling them closer. The camera started to blink, indicating to be ready. “Ready?” she asked them. “On the count of three, okay? One…Two…”

“Three,” they all said together, smiling big for the camera, to produce the perfect family photo, to anyone who didn’t know them.

Links:

Author website: http://nayanikki.weebly.com

Twitter: @NikkiNaya

Pre-Order The Book: http://www.inkspellpublishing.com/4/post/2012/01/familiar-ties.html

Return on April 29, 2012 for full review

 

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