Elora of Stone by Jaime Lee Mann

Elora of Stone by Jaime Lee Mann
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Just as the prophecy foretold a pure heart and a wizard get married and have twins a boy and a girl. The boy is taken and the family is broken, but the girl knows he is still alive. Meanwhile, their ancestor needs both children to free her from her rocky prison and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
This story has all of the elements of a great fantasy, fairies, an ogre, an evil witch, children with powers who first mess up then save everyone at the last minute, a bad being which is good, and a good being which is bad. Since this, the novel has all of these things why only three stars? It is because it was not executed properly. The  major complaints I have about this book are the author switches from third to first person loosening the overall flow making the middle drag. Next there are two characters with similar names Lochlan and Larque I had a hard time determining the difference between them epically during their initial conversation before the formal introductions were made. Finally, The important backstory is given at the end leaving the reader wondering where the story was supposed to be going. This leaves a lot of holes and loose ends which were not addressed in the second half despite promising such. This novel was not all bad the end is well written and almost carries the weight of the rest of the story. The emotional connection between reader and the characters is more present in this novel than the in second book in this series, mainly because there are fewer characters introduced at once so there is more time to get to know them individually. The children in this story are fantastic they hold this whole series together. Would I recommend this series? Yes to younger audiences who do not care about individual characters or underlying deep plot points and are only interested in the above-mentioned list of good fantasy elements. I still believe this series has great potential and have not given up on it yet. I did notice a marked improvement between the writing style between the first and second book and have a feeling the third one is going to really shine.

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Cade and Anna Blog Tour!!! V. A Dold

CADE & ANNA: Le Beau Brothers Follow-up novella to Cade: New Orleans Billionaire Wolf Shifters with plus sized BBW for mates by V.A. Dold
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Most new fathers are super nervous, but Cabe Le Beau has them all beat buzzing around his wife and causing so much havoc even the most passionate woman would be frustrated with him. So after a scare from Anne's ex-husband the couple go to the families islands cabin for a little rest but An unexpected storm strands them there. What happens next is a well-written series of events that will make you smile. I wish more husbands could feel the pain of child birth then maybe they would be more understanding of our emotional stress. This romance novel is a great companion to it's big brother and is a must read if you like this series.

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BLURB: 

When Dr. Marjorie schedules an ultrasound for Anna, Cade begins to go into paranoid meltdown. Something must be wrong! He’s sure of it.

Seeing his Daughter on the computer screen larger than life sets Cade onto a path of foolish, well-meaning choices. In a state of panic, he instigates a series of disastrous projects with the Help of Simon, Stefan, and Thomas. 

The final disaster lands Cade and Anna stranded on the family’s island with Anna in labor and no help in sight.

 BIO:

V.A. Dold Amazon best selling author of the Award-winning Le Beau Series.

Prior to becoming a full-time writer, she was publicist to the authors, owning ARC Author & Reader Conventions. Still is.

Her idea of absolute heaven is a day in the French Quarter with her computer, her coffee mug, and the Brothers, of course.

A Midwest native with her heart lost to Louisiana; she has a penchant for titillating tales featuring sexy men and strong women. When she's not writing, she's probably taking in a movie, reading, or traveling.

Connect with V.A. Dold:

 

·         Website  http://www.vadold.com/

·         Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/VADoldauthor?ref=hl

·         Twitter  https://twitter.com/VADOLD

BUY NOW LINK:

·         Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/V.A.-Dold/e/B00J25KTO6/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

·         B&N  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/v.-a.-dold

·         Ibook  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/v.a.-dold/id847557808?mt=11

 

Giveaway:  http://www.vadold.com/giveaway.html

Blaze of Glory by Sheryl Nantus

Blaze of Glory by Sheryl Nantus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jo is a super her power is gathering energy from objects and transforming it into electricity which she can shoot from her hands or user to fly. She and others like her waged mock battles as eye-candy for the media. The battles were all for entertainment purposes until one day a race of aliens came to earth and the fight suddenly became real. Jo became the self-appointed leader in an unplanned war to become real heroes and save the world. This book started out slow but picked up the pace quickly it was well crafted and a good read. If you like comic books, superheroes, and science fiction then this book is for you. I would highly recommend checking this one out.

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Sabaska's Tale by J.A. Campbell

Sabaska's Tale by J.A. Campbell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When her grandmother tragically dies Anna takes on the responsibility of selling her horses. This should have been an easy summer task, but Anna soon finds out her Grandmother was involved in more than she let on and the bad characters who murdered her are now after Anna. In a crazy magical whirlwind of activity, she ends up running for her life with the help of her Grandmother's horse a traveler who can move between worlds. Will Anna give up and keep running or will she finish her Grandmother's quest to save an invaded world? This novel is filled with magic, betrayal love, believable characters, horses, villains and all of the other classic things which make a fantasy story wonderful. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes, fantasy, mystery, or an all around good read which leaves you satisfied while at the same time keeps you wanting more.

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Our Little Secrets by Merry Farmer

Our Little Secrets by Merry Farmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charlotte got off the train in Cold Springs ready to start a new life. The first thing she does mistakenly think Michael West the owner of the General store is a porter and asks him to fetch her bag. Intrigued by this beautiful woman who despite getting off the train with the flock of women on the hunt for husbands Michael decides he needs to know more about her. During lunch, they strike up a crazy deal to get married. The only stipulation is they do not ask about each others' past. The only problem is more you try to run away from a checkered past it always has a way of catching up to you. Charlotte and Michael soon find out their pasts are linked and it becomes a battle of who will forgive the other first if at all. This is a wonderful book about loss, forgiveness, greed, and secrets which should not have been kept between husband and wife. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes romance, westerns and a quick read which will leave you satisfied.

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About Our Little Secrets

Michael West swore he would never fall in love again. So when the beautiful and wily Charlotte steps off the train looking for a new life he jumps at the business opportunity she presents. Engaged forty-five minutes after meeting, married the next day, Michael thinks he’s found everything a respectable man should have. Except that Michael is as far from respectable as they come. They agreed not to ask questions about each other’s pasts, but when the past seeps into their present Michael suspects his passionate new wife is not who she says she is. Too bad he’s already fallen in love with her. Charlotte Baldwin has a secret. She fled Philadelphia to escape the sins of her past but someone is following her. What better way to hide than by marrying Michael West, Cold Springs, Montana’s enigmatic shopkeeper? A new name, a new life, and a passionate husband is exactly what she needs to leave her sins behind. But when it comes to keeping secrets Charlotte may have met her match in Michael. When a connection neither of them expects catches up with them, the shocking revelation means Charlotte may have run right into the arms of her enemy. No sin stays a secret forever…. Genre classification: Western Historical Romance Get Our Little Secrets on Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks. Add Our Little Secrets to your Goodreads to-read shelf!

About the author

Merry Farmer is an award-winning author of Historical Romance and what she likes to call “Sci-Fi for Women.” She lives in suburban Philadelphia with her two cats and enough story ideas to keep her writing until she’s 132. Her second novel, The Faithful Heart, was a 2102 RONE Award finalist and her unpublished futuristic novel A Man’s World won first place in the Novel: Character category at the 2013 Philadelphia Writer’s Conference. She is out to prove that you can make a living as a self-published author and to help others to do the same. Find Merry Farmer on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon Author Page.

Keeping Mum: Long Weekend by Perrin Briar

Keeping Mum: Long Weekend by Perrin Briar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Only eight more days until Peter and Kate's trust fund matures the only problem is their mother has checked out early. On Kate's weekly visit, she finds her mother has passed on and in desperation she convinces her brother to impersonate their mother for the remainder of the time so that they can get the money promised to them. This book was very rewarding I love the dynamics between the characters and the flow is wonderful. My only regret is I do not have the funds to get the rest of the story. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries, suspense, and humanitarian stories where characters do the wrong or foolish thing for the right reasons.

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It Wasn't a Dark and Stormy Night: Titanic Time by John Chapman

It Wasn't a Dark and Stormy Night: Titanic Time by John Chapman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time travel is a sticky thing even one mistake can cause a ripple effect which unravels everything into the future. The Titanic sinking was a horrible tragedy but if it never happened other events such as the construction of safer boats would never have occurred. In this Time Travel short story, two agents of time go back to make sure the Titanic sinks. This story is as confusing and long winded as the title. The Titanic has a special mystery to it and just about any story about it atomically acquires this power. With this story that is where the intrigue ends. There is a bunch of build up then the story just ends when the characters have finally gotten on the boat. To make matters worse even though this is a short story the overall narration is long and technical, leaving the reader scratching their heads in wonder about paradoxes and plot points. If you like mysteries, understand time travel paradoxes, or want a quick read then this book is for you. If not I would avoid this one.

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Into Coraira review with meet and greet with author Jaime Lee Mann

Into Coraira by Jaime Lee Mann
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The simple events laid out in the plot of this book are; a bad villain escapes, the twins learn of their magical powers, there was a betrayal of trust for revenge, and a good versus evil battle. Unfortunately, they are presented with as much emotion as the above description of the book. This novel has all the elements to make it a wonderful fantasy story but it is very impersonal and the only character which shows any real emotion is the villain. The characters are described at the beginning of paragraphs instead of intertwined within the story making them into harsh facts instead of smooth introductions. The end battle itself was too quick and the important facts regarding the reasons for the fight in the first place were lost in the shuffle. Despite these negatives this was not a bad novel the characters were good especially the fairies, and the underlying plot was well thought up and even though it starts out very vague the story does pick up steam as it moves along. The execution overall was just not emotional enough for my liking. I would recommend this book only to young adults who like fantasy. Everyone else should skip this one as there is not enough emotional meat on the bones to leave you satisfied. The excerpt at the end of this book from the next book did peek my interest and if I get the chance I would like to check it out.

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I would like to welcome Jaime Lee Mann to my blog today please introduce yourself, who are you and what do you do?

My name is Jaime Lee Mann. I'm a freelance copywriter/ghostwriter by day, and children's author by night!


1) What genre do you like to write?
Fairy tales for the middle graders of the world! What could be better?

2) If you were to branch out from your current genre which one(s) would you like to explore?
I'm pretty comfortable in this space right now, but I think that one day there may be a book of poetry in me.


3) How long have you been writing? What prompted you to start writing?
I've been writing professionally since 2008. I have been making up stories since I was about five years old. I was prompted to start writing by the voice inside that refuses to be still.


4) What inspires you to write?
Life. I am inspired constantly, by nature, by my children, by books.


5) When a story idea pops into your head, how long does it typically take to write it (from start to finish)?
It depends on the type of story. My first two children's novels took about nine months from start to finish, but my forthcoming children's picture book took a day or two.


6) What did you find to be the most difficult part of the writing process?  Easiest? 
Most difficult part is the last revision! The easiest part is the first draft.


7) Of all your characters whom do you most relate to?
I'm not sure I can answer that without a spoiler!


8) Is there one of your characters that you did not like when you started writing about them, but found yourself liking by the end of the story?
So far, I've loved all of my characters. Even the nasty goblin. They all have a part to play in the story!


9) What is your least favorite part about writing? The Most?
I think this goes back to question six. My favorite thing about writing is coming up with the story and throwing in the twists. My least favorite thing is the third or fourth revision where I know the story has to be perfect, but I don't want to do any more work on it. I just want to move on to the next one, already. :)


10) When you are not writing or editing what do you do for relaxation?
I like playing board games with my family, and I love running and going to my exercise classes.


11) What genre of books do you like to read?
I don't have much time to read anymore, but when I do, I love chick lit that will make me laugh and forget about the troubles of the world.


12) What author(s) do you enjoy reading?  Why?
I love Marian Keyes because she's hilarious, and I love John Irving because that guy sure knows how to write a story.


13) Tell us about your books; where can people find them?
Elora of Stone is the first installment in the "Legend of Rhyme" series of middle grade fiction novels and Into Coraira is the second. They are available online at Indigo, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.