Book Review of Rae of Hope

Book Review of Rae of Hope by W. J. May

Rae of Hope

ISBN: 9780983129790

Author: W. J. May

Publisher: Mitchell Morris Publishing, Inc

Trade paperback 6x9

Pages 248

Price $17.99

Genre: YA Fantasy

Book Synopsis:

How hard do you have to shake a family tree to find out the truth about the past?

Fifteen-year-old Rae Kerrigan never questioned her family’s history. That is until she accepted a scholarship to Guilder Boarding School in England. Guilder is an exclusive, gifted school. Rae has no idea what she is getting herself into or that her family’s past is going to come back and taunt her.

She learns she is part of an unparalleled group of individuals who become inked with a unique tattoo (tatu) on their sixteenth birthday. The tatu enables them to have supernatural powers particular to the shape of their ink-art. Both of her parents where inked, though Rae never knew, as they passed away when she was young. Learning about her family's past, her evil father and sacrificial mother, Rae needs to decide if there is a ray of hope in her own life.

Book trailer:  http://youtu.be/iauHkcm6UQo

Amazon Print    Amazon Kindle     Barnes and Noble

Author Information:

Wanita May grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario - St.Catharines.  Crazy-happy childhood, she always has had a vivid imagination and loads of energy.

The youngest of six -- four older brothers, and sister -- they taught her at a young age to be competitive in all aspects of life.

At sixteen, she began competing in athletics (track and field) and before she turned seventeen, she was representing Canada in high jump.  She continued to compete, breaking Canada's JR High Jump record (1.92m - 6' 3 1/2" for those metric-ly challenged).  She attented University of Toronto, and Kansas State University - graduating with a BS degree in Kinesiology and beginning her Masters in Business.

She is currently married, and the mother of three adorable kids.

After her father passed away in 2009, from a six-year battle with cancer (which she still believes he won the fight against), she began to write again.  A passion she'd loved for years, but realized life was too short to keep putting it off.

Her first book, Rae of Hope - from the Chronicles of Kerrigan - is available Nov 15, 2001 by Mitchell Morris Publishing.  It is contracted as a four book series and available in print and ebook through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords and other online sites.

She is currently represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Wanita is a writer of Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction and where ever else her little muses take her.

Blog:  http://wanitajump.wordpress.com/

Author website: http://www.wanitamay.yolasite.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wanitajump

Book Review:

I admit that when I first started reading this book, my first thought was that it was a “Harry Potter” wannabe with a female lead.  However, the further I read the more I realized that Rae of Hope is a unique view on “magic” and people who can do extraordinary things.  The more Rae learned about her birthright world, the more we did.  It brought to mind Savvy where at a certain age you gain powers of some sort.  In this world the powers are tied to a tatu that forms when you reach 16 years of age.

Her parents were rebels with two tatu people marrying, a frowned upon notion.  To bring even more drama to the situation, she finds herself the center of attention for the first time in her life.  This confuses Rae as much as the whole tatu issue.

Intriguing read:  making you care about what happens to Rae.  Suspenseful: in that you don’t know if will be like her father… or her mother… or both.  After all they both had valid points.  And her “friends”, are they trying to help her or lead her down a dangerous path. 

Great read.  Surprising twists and unexpected turns.  Can’t wait to read more about Rae and her friends.  I give this 4 of 5 clouds.

Prayers Poems Songs Guest Post

Cesar:

Cesar has a very experienced background in the spiritual world. He was brought up in a Christian family, but branched out from that base as he got older, seeking answers about the world around him, and the spiritual world around him. In his mid-twenties dramatic events occurred in his life which challenged his very existence, but he learned from these experienced and most of learned that how that life is not just in our own hands. Now Cesar is a firm believer that everyone has their own path to walk in life, and part of that walk is all about the choices that you make. Some people choose a good life and some a wicked life, but most of us live the life in the middle, influenced by the world around us and our own upbringing, Cesar understands that life is simply not black and white.

Title: Prayers Poems Songs

Format: Print

Genre: Inspirational

Publisher: Self-Published

Released: April 13, 2012

Website
http://ppsbycesar.blogspot.com/p/home.html  

Purchase Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Prayers-Peoms-Songs-Cesar/dp/1466454571/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333753221&sr=8-1

Link to Tour on Main Site - http://www.virtualbooktourcafe.com/3/category/cesar%20prayers%20poems%20songs/1.html

Giveaway Link(Ends May 13th): http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/21128-prayers-poems-songs

This collection of 250 poems was written by Cesar during his late teens, and each piece of writing was originally intended to remain as a personal record of his journey with God. Yet the collection at some point became much more than mere thoughts about the world and God; they developed into poems, lyrics and poetry on a full range of subjects.

Then the writing stopped and the pages of thought and devotion were lost to time, gaining nothing but dust in an attic. That is where Cesar found them thirteen years later, and he chose to publish them as a testament to the influences which once surrounded his life, and as a dedication to God for his faithfulness.

The book is also dotted with hand drawn sketches which adds an additional level to the book.

Excerpt:

Haunted shame, distant pain

Hidden deep, am I sane

Can I make them hands stop

Fade away into the shade

Softest of songs drift above

Peace inside, peace within

Mumblings made to story tell

Drive this home, hope you’re well

Flying away you look down

Turn those hands and see the dirt

Nothing washes, nothing cleans

Burying deep my drifted dreams

Build me a wall and make it strong

So I can fall, trip, trip and fall

Swimming no limbs, flying no wings

Drift here to see my drunken words

House washed away by my broken tears

Soul taken by the rising flood

To carry me home, twisted fate

Exciting giveaway

Mom to Bed by 8 is excited to present the Housewarming Dyson Event from June 1 to June 15. This is a free blogger event and accepting signups now.

Join the Housewarming Dyson Giveaway event today, grow your readership and offer one fantastic cleaning tool giveaway!

Dyson Giveaway 
The Housewarming Dyson Event is a free blogger event. You will receive one link at no cost as a thank you for participating in this event.
Link options are: GFC, Email, RSS, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Vote (as long as it is a no signup or like required, example picket fence). G+ is not allowed as it is against google rules.
Prize: Dyson DC23 TurbineHead Vacuum (retail value $399)
Open to: Worldwide (note – if the winner is outside of the US are responsible for any duties, taxes,etc that is not covered by basic shipping cost).
The event dates: June 1 at 12:01 am to June 15 11:59am
What is required to join? 

• Post about the event with the button above linking back to this post. Feel free to copy paste this (below) along with the button.

Mom to Bed by 8 is excited to present the Housewarming Dyson Event from June 1 to June 15. This is a free blogger event and accepting signups now.

Join the Housewarming Dyson Giveaway event today, grow your readership and offer one fantastic cleaning tool giveaway!

• If you do not wish to post the announcement, send the $5 via paypal to goodnightmommyboutique@gmail.com with your email address and Housewarming Dyson Event in subject line or notes portion of the form.
• Once you have posted your announcement or sent the paypal payment, fill out this form.
• You will receive an email from me with 72 hours, confirming your participation. If you do not, please email me at teri@momtobedby8.com and I will check into it for you.
• Then around May 30^th you will receive another email from me with the html code for publishing the giveaway.  Note it is required that you publish the giveaway html in full to be included in this event. I will verify links on June 1^st around 8am central and if you have not done so, your link on the rafflecopter will be removed. This keeps this event fair for all who joins.

Referral prize: The two bloggers who refer the most people will receive a $10 Amazon e-code for your effort. Just make sure to add on your announcement that they should add your blog name or url in the referred by section on the signup form. This bonus will be paid the on June 2^nd after your referral links have been verified.

Cover Reveal for Frozen Heart

Featuring the cover reveal of the first Sci-fi Romance from Inkspell Publishing, Frozen Heart! The moment we saw it, we fell in love and often come back to stare at it during a day. It keeps us chilled!
Without further delay, presenting you the debut novel by Annabelle Blume, Frozen Heart!

    A decade surviving on her own. 
       Three days with the enemy. 
            Can love conquer all?

Cressenda knows how to survive. With her sled dogs as her only companions, she’s spent the past ten years hiding in the snow covered wilderness from the oppressive regime of the Affinity. When a routine trip to civilization takes a turn for the worst, Cressenda is forced to take refuge with the enemy or lose her life to the frozen countryside.

But Beckett, a Guard of the Affinity, is more than a man in uniform. His desperate need to help Cressenda escape both- the blizzard and the Affinity- makes her feelings for him all the more troubling. Will Beckett be true to his word and set Cressenda free? Will her heart let her leave after all they’ve shared?

Release Date: August 7th, 2012
Format: eBook and Paperback
Length: NovellaISBN: eBook: 978-0-9851483-6-2
Paperback: 978-0-9851483-5-5
Price: $6.00 (Paperback)
          $2.99 (eBook)

The Solstice Heat Review

Book Synopsis:

Kasey is a woman that exudes energy and brightness; she is as equally passionate when angry as she is when she’s happy. The energy she carries from life comes through in all her magical workings with spells and stones, giving them great magical strength. She is a dreamer and often wishes she could re-write her own story so that she was charming and sophisticated enough to be with a certain wealthy male lawyer she wants more than anything else.

Chris is a force of strength and experience that is carefully hidden behind the easy mannerism he has adapted so carefully.  There is nothing he cannot do where magic is concerned and he has tried all manner of things, whether right or wrong.  His fortune has left him wanting for nothing else in life, except the one thing money can’t buy him, the woman he feels too unclean to approach.

Separated by two different life styles yet their passion and magic ignite sparks hotter than the Solstice heat.

Can they work out a way to be together as they try to stop a killer from striking again?

Jacqueline Paige (2012-04-14T07:07:56+00:00). The Solstice Heat. Whiskey Creek Press

About the Author:

Jacqueline Paige

I am a world class multi-tasker, a mother to five adventurous and unpredictable children, a cafe manager and I have a colossal imagination that allows me to step outside of reality into a world of paranormal romance with just a touch of suspense. Writer of all things paranormal, mythical and magical. Reader of anything!! http://jacqpaige.webs.com/

Book Review:

I have come to love all books by Jacqueline Paige.  She is definitely a new favorite author.  Her books are charming, intriguing, spicy (in all the right ways), and good reads.  When I started reading “The Solstice Heat” I hadn’t really paid attention to the fact that it was the second book in a series.  I’m due to review the first book on April 21, 2012, but probably should have reversed the order.  (It should be noted that these books were received from the publisher for review at no cost to the author… however, I would pay to read books by Jacqueline and I don’t say that about many writers… love free kindle books, but I digress).

This book stands alone, but will probably be even better if read within the series.  I was immediately drawn into the story.  How can you not want to read more when the first paragraph is:

Kasey checked her bag for the fourth time. What time were they supposed to be picking her up? She was tired from staying up all night working a spell. Nervous and scared about going to Solstice, where a killer was going to be, she glanced at the clock again and tried to exhale slowly.

I was hooked.  The book really drew me into the lives of these 8 friends who love and take care of each other.  The writing used such skill that it was easy to picture myself there in the story living beside these friends.  I continue to be impressed with Ms. Paige’s skill and weaving the characters and story together to paint such a wonderful picture. Come back next Saturday to hear about book 1 in this series.

I definitely give this story 5 out of 5 clouds.

Book Review of TWICE CURSED

Book Review of TWICE CURSED by Jacqueline Paige

Book Synopsis:

Maddy is the oldest witchling to ever attend the Hidden Cove Academy, having been cursed as a teen; she’s forced to have a solitary life outside of her own magical community.  With her magic so dangerously unpredictable, she rarely takes the chance on mixing with the general public.

From one harmless trip to a museum she finds herself spellbound yet again by an invisible boundary, caused by a three hundred year old curse, dictating that Maddy must stay close to the stunningly sexy Colin.

 Being stuck with a tall, dark, incredibly lick-able stranger can’t be all that bad, right? Until they discover if they get too close the spirits bound with the curse will take over their bodies ... at the same time if they’re too far from one another the curse will kill them both.

Will the curse's secrets be unraveled in time or does certain death await them both? 

Author Information:

Jacqueline Paige is a world class multi-tasker. She is a mother to five adventurous children, a cafe manager, and has a colossal imagination that allows her to step outside of reality into an unpredictable world of paranormal romance. The first story in her Magic Seasons series—Beltane Magic was pub-lished in August 2009 and since then she has published the second, Solstice Heat, a Halloween romance—Behind the Mask and a two part Christmas/Valentines‟ Day story—In Our Dream and From A Dream. Jacqueline has more books coming out in 2010 and 2011.

Step into a world of Magic and passions....

You are invited to visit her website at: www.jacqpaige.webs.com

Book Review:

Jacqueline has created a unique world of witches that has aspects that are unlike most stories about witches.  This is a rare talent in a book universe populated by witches that generally fall into one of several categories.  I could easily picture this world and the people in it.  Her descriptions were vivid and glorious in detail.  More details were added as the story went along which helped further the connection between the character, plot, and setting.

I loved the main characters.  Maddy is the odd man out.  First she never gets to move on to a “normal” witch life because she is cursed as a child.  They she meets a gorgeous man, who thinks she is hot, and he comes with a curse.  Actually their meeting triggers a curse set by one of his ancestors.

Colin has his whole world turned topsy turvey just because he decided to go to a museum in a vain attempt to learn to relax, doctor’s orders.  The best thing he sees is this gorgeous redhead that he tries in vain to meet until they meet by accident by an ancient artifact.  Turns out he’s related to the owner of the artifact.  Colin is not a witch; in fact, he doesn’t even know witches exist until he is drawn into Maddy’s world.  He comes to quickly accept it as he is given very painful evidence that it exists.

I liked Maddy.  She was tall (like me), insecure (like me), has a temper and speaks her mind (like me), and learns that she is more than woman (and witch) enough to overcome any obstacle in her path.  Colin is a driven work-a-holic (like my husband), strong and protective (like my husband), and total confused most of the time.  They clicked and they were likeable.  You didn’t know if you wanted to rout for the curse to be lifted or not.  There were some good side effects to the curse.

Well written with crisp clever dialogue and descriptions, I give this book 5 clouds out of 5.

Book Excerpt:

         Sighing, she pulled her long hair from what was left of her ponytail.  Everyone knew she was way beyond the age of a witchling.  Maybe that was the real reason Maddy avoided large magical functions.  To be labeled a witchling at her age was beyond embarrassing.

            She sighed again and flipped the red hair behind her.  Red hair.  When someone says the colour red you think red car, red apple – but red hair doesn’t mean red.  It usually means something between carrot and rust.  So why is it called red hair?

            Never mind Maddy.  I suppose red is better than any alternative description.  Her hair wasn’t straight or wavy or naturally curly or even full body or any of those – it was straight with odd kinky sections, like it wanted to be wavy but didn’t have the energy.  The end result, it always looked messy.

            Oh, you’re feeling quite down on yourself today aren’t you Ramada Darcy?  Glancing up she noticed the sunlight was no longer raining through the leaves. 

            “Fine.  I can’t hide in my backyard forever.”  She stood up and brushed off her jeans.  Turning to face the aged bark on the tree she grimaced at it. 

“I’m ready tree.”  She placed her palm against the bark and felt the familiar movement under it.  “To Hidden Cove please.”  Without hesitation Maddy stepped towards the tree and by the next step was in the hallway near the side entrance at Hidden Cove Academy.  She glanced at her watch and hissed. “I’m late again.”  Knowing she had to reach the other end of the large building, she spun around the corner and jogged in the direction of the classrooms.  Going a little too fast around the last corner she slid to a stop and bounced right into the one person she’d hoped to avoid this visit.