Saturday, March 19, 2016

Release Day and Review: The Visitor by Amanda Stevens


Title: The Visitor
Author: Amanda Stevens
Series: The Graveyard Queen #4
My Rating: 5 Stars


About the book:

My name is Amelia Gray. I'm the Graveyard Queen.

Restoring lost and abandoned cemeteries is my profession, but I'm starting to believe that my true calling is deciphering the riddles of the dead. Legend has it that Kroll Cemetery is a puzzle no one has ever been able to solve. For over half a century, the answer has remained hidden within the strange headstone inscriptions and intricate engravings. Because uncovering the mystery of that tiny, remote graveyard may come at a terrible price.

Years after their mass death, Ezra Kroll's disciples lie unquiet, their tormented souls trapped within the walls of Kroll Cemetery, waiting to be released by someone strong and clever enough to solve the puzzle. For whatever reason, I'm being summoned to that graveyard by both the living and the dead. Every lead I follow, every clue I unravel brings me closer to an unlikely killer and to a destiny that will threaten my sanity and a future with my love, John Devlin.


My Review:

I have been a HUGE fan of the Graveyard Queen series, so I could not wait for The Visitor to be released! I’m so excited that I got an ARC and dove right in and let me tell you, it was well worth the wait!  In this book we learn that there is more to Amelia than just being able to see and sense ghosts. She is still seeing the sexy John Devlin, but their relationship has even more holes than a block of Swiss cheese thanks to his reluctancy to share the details of his life with her. It all puts Amelia on edge and that does not help when her home in broken in to and she ends up in the hospital with a head injury. The injury leads to even more paranormal activity and more questions than answers for Amelia.

There is so much creepiness and suspense in this story that kept me on the edge of my seat! Things in the wall, a doppelganger visiting her from beyond, and learning more about her powers creates such an intriguing and mysterious story. I LOVE IT! Of course, she has a new graveyard to work in and that, also, opens up new channels for Amelia to explore and learn about her past, her present, and her future. She and Devlin need to overcome their tension and work together to fight the darkness that lingers around the grave digger.


If you haven’t read the rest of the series, I highly suggest you do. Not because you will be lost, because you won’t. But, it is such a wonderfully, chilling, suspenseful, creepy, fantasy riddled set of stories that any fan of the genre is sure to love! This book did not disappoint me and I cannot wait for the next installment of this amazing series! 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Monday, March 14, 2016

Featured Today: Cassandra by JM Anton



Today I am featuring Cassandra by JM Anton. Make sure to read through to the bottom for the giveaway. Also, visit Goddess Fish Productions for a list of all of the other blogs participating in today's hop for even more chances to win! 

 ~ Kim ~ 



Title: Cassandra
Author: JM Anton
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense


Blurb: 

Cassandra Hoffman orphaned at the age of five was raised by her maternal grandmother. Two decades pass when she is confronted with a letter from her father’s Denver based attorney. She's shocked to learn that her dad lived through the car crash that took her mother and brothers in 1985. 



Casey’s haunted nights begin with the death of her father. Who is the shadow man in her dreams? Could it be her dad whom she had believed dead? She discovers he had another family, and some dark secrets Casey sets out to solve the mysteries of her abandonment, and find the answers to the nightshades that threaten her sanity.

Our heroine runs afoul of a previously unknown nemesis as she searches for answers, but she also finds the love of her life. He too abandons her, as he struggles with physical and mental wounds from multiple tours in the Middle East. Can Casey forgive him as they confront a mutual enemy?

Excerpt:

Rush hour in Denver was every bit as aggravating as rush hour in Cleveland. It was a frustrating fact of life everywhere that people needed to commute to a central work place. Traffic was at a standstill.

She overheard Ken call ahead to apprise Mr. Jackson, “We’re tied up in traffic, and will arrive later than anticipated.”

It sounded as if he were talking to someone other than Bob. Casey hoped the message would be relayed to him. As the thought flitted through her mind she gazed out at the passing cars and trucks also crawling along. Except for occasional glimpses of the majestic mountains, they could be stuck in traffic anywhere. The interstates were all the same and fairly uninteresting, especially within city limits. Casey found her mind wandering back to dinner the previous evening and her very brief encounter with Captain JD Gannon. She wondered where he was this morning. He’d been on his way to the airport when he left them, but that was all she knew. Well… not quite all—she knew that she could reach him through Bob Jackson, but she wasn’t sure she liked the feeling that he knew more of what was going on than she did. She couldn’t shake the idea that she should somehow remember him.

Finally, they reached their destination. Her nerves were already raw when she entered the elevator. As the doors began to close, a teenage boy thrust his arm through the gap, and they sprang back open. Casey watched him with a good deal of suspicion when he leaned against the frame of the elevator opening to keep the doors from closing. He grinned at her as he crossed his arms over his chest and turned his attention toward the lobby. Three stunning women entered the elevator.

Great, she thought, I’m trapped in an alien transport on my way to an alternate universe where all the women are tall, blonde, and have baby blues.  Or maybe, I’ve been cast in one of those films marketed to little girls that star the Barbie icon and her friends. The three were at least five foot ten, and—with the exception of the variation in age—they could have been cast from the same mold. The trio was regal, sophisticated, and aloof. Casey was sure the perfume they were wearing was every bit as expensive as their outfits, but she was fighting nausea from the scent within the close confines. The senior Barbie’s designer skirt hit about mid-knee; her navy-colored suit and pale blue silk blouse looked high end. The outfit probably cost more than Casey made in two weeks.

Aesthetically, she found the elevator hijacker a relief and a welcome contrast to the blondes with the heart-shaped faces and aristocratic airs. Nearly as tall as the women, he appeared to be in his early teens, that awkward, gangly, time of life. An engaging smile set off a mischievous twinkle in his hazel eyes. Outrageously long lashes and eyebrows of a slightly darker brown than his wavy hair enhanced those appealing eyes. His high cheekbones, square jaw, and a patrician nose with a sprinkling of freckles already commanded a second look. The freckles kept him from being a complete heartbreaker. She felt sorry for the teenage girls in his path; they wouldn’t stand a chance.

About the author: 

Author Jackie Anton lives in rural Ohio with her husband, two horses, two dogs, and abundant wildlife. Years of experience with horses and youth riders lend a unique perspective to her Backyard Horse Tales, and crop up in unexpected scenes in her adult works written with the pen name J.M.

Ms. Anton is the author of the award winning children’s series Backyard Horse Tales. In her 2015 award winning adult novel  "Wind River Refuge" she turns her attention to the difficulties in overcoming childhood abuse. Set in the turbulent sixties and early seventies. This romance / who done it comes from a time before child advocacy, cell phones, and PCs.

Cassandra Hoffman begins her search for justice in the early decade of the twenty first century in Anton's latest adult novel Cassandra: Night Shades.
           

Other Books by J.M.

2015 saw the release of the first two books in the Troubles in Love-Land Series. Book One: "Fateful Waters" was released as an e-book and paperback May of 2015. Book Two: "Panhandle Mayhem" was be released November of 2015. There is more to come in the series for 2016.
           
Author Links:

Writing Blog: http://jackieanton.com/
Author Website: http://talesbyjackie.com/

Book Buy Links:
Janton's Square Market: http://mkt.com/jackie-anton/

The author will be awarding a "Wind River Refuge" autographed paperback to a randomly drawn winner (US ONLY), or a Smashwords coupon for a "Wind River Refuge" E-book for an international winner, via rafflecopter during the tour.




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Thursday, March 3, 2016

Not a Gentleman's Christmas by Candice Gilmer


Title: Not a Gentleman's Christmas
Author: Candice Gilmer
My Rating: 4 Stars

About the book:

Saving her from her curse is a gentleman's job. He, however, is no gentleman.

Ruthie, cursed by a djinn, has been trapped in a recipe box for seventy-five years, and this Christmas is her last chance to break the curse. She assumes when Lee Reynolds opens the box, he will help her escape the djinn’s magic.

Because that's what a gentleman does.

She learns very quickly, though, that Lee is no gentleman.

Unlike the Drigan werewolves, Lee is tormented by his wolf-side. Nightmares plague him, leaving him barely civilized most days. It takes all his control to work as a sous chef, but cooking is really the only thing that has ever soothed him.

Then Ruthie pops out of his grandmother’s recipe box.

And his wolf side becomes positively beastly.

This story originally appeared in the USA Today Bestselling anthology A Very Alpha Christmas
 

My Review:

Lee has been plagued with nightmares since he lost his mate at a young age. Cooking soothes his soul, and as a sous chef he also does all of the family cooking for the Holidays. When he finds out that his sister has their grandmother’s recipe box, he asks for it to help prepare a traditional Christmas dinner. But, when he opens the box, a beautiful woman appears and needs his help preparing a perfect dinner in order to be released from the curse of a djinn. 

Ruthie is upset to learn that her friend, Lee’s grandmother, passed away a few years ago. She won’t have her help preparing dinner and thinks that her hopes of being free are over. But, Lee helps her and even suggests that she change a few things in order to improve them. While they cook, Lee shows how much of a gentleman he is not and feeds his attraction to the beauty. There is a twist within this story that I won’t give away. But, I found the way it went to be sweet and touching. Even though Lee is not a gentleman, he is everything Ruthie needs and she is everything he has ever wanted. This is such a sweet, touching, fun story read during the holidays or not. 


*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Featured Today: No Place Like Home by Jennifer Kacey




No Place Like Home
by Jennifer Kacey

Today I am featuring No Place Like Home by Jennifer Kacey. Make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom for her giveaway. 

~Kim~


BLURB: 

Coming Home, Book 1

In high school, Bianca Charleston was a nobody. An overweight wallflower, so invisible that Cole, the boy she had a crush on, never even knew she existed.

Things have changed, and she’s finally ready to show off her new bombshell look. Sort of. Maybe. After a one-sided pep talk with her cat, she takes a deep breath and flies home to help out with the annual hospital carnival. Cole is there, too—and he still has no idea who she is.


FBI field officer Cole Johnson doesn’t have an easy job, and his nights are usually booked solid. Then in walks Charlie, a blonde with killer…everything. Suddenly he’s mentally clearing his schedule for a rare night out. While Charlie doesn’t do one-night stands, somehow after-dinner dessert is served up against the wall of her hotel room. But happiness will have to navigate an emotional minefield of preconceived notions—and a couple of not-so-secret stumbling blocks.

EXCERPT: 

“You look beautiful. I’m glad you didn’t take my advice on casual. It’s…beautiful.” He shook his head after he stared at her for a few more seconds and then took a drink of what looked like water. They each had a glass in front of them.

“Kia made me buy it.” She blurted it out and then reached for her wrapped silverware to have something to do with her hands. She unwrapped it, setting the silverware on the table and the napkin across her lap.

“I’ll have to remember to thank her. I’ve never been that big a fan of the little black dress hoopla, but on you? Big fan.”

His smile. It melted her. “Thanks,” she managed with a hesitant smile. Attention from a man with his sex appeal threw her off. What she really wanted to do was put her chin on her hand so she could stare at him for the rest of the evening.

But she wouldn’t.

Not at all.

“So, how did the rest of the packet delivering go?”

She took a drink of water since her mouth had gone dry with him this close. “Good actually. It’s been a while since I was here to help with any of this. Since high school really. It surprised me how many people are still around. How many people never left. Or left and came back. Can’t believe it’s almost been ten years. Seems a lifetime ago.”

“And you’re sure we met in high school? You’re sure of it?”

Wanting to giggle and groan at the same time was a new one for her. “Only a few hundred times.”

“It just doesn’t seem possible. Surely I’d remember you.” He gave her a once over from head to waist. Everything he could see above the table probably.

Shaking her head seemed like the thing to do. “I was very different in high school. Popularity was the name of a very distant planet when I was a teenager.”

“Can’t imagine you being that different. Truly. Care to give me your name and I can look you up? High school yearbooks and all should be good for something other than killing spiders.”

“Nope.”

He chuckled and picked up his menu. “You do know what I do for a living, right? I could run your plates and figure it out within five minutes. I could show you my ID if that would help.”

“You wouldn’t.”


“Ha. If you could see your face right now.” He chuckled and she tried to wipe the panic off her face and probably didn’t do a very good job. “I won’t. I’d much rather figure it out on my own. I love solving puzzles.”


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her miniman in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. She’s the Amazon top seller/evil mastermind of the Elite Warriors Series and award winning author of the Members Only Series and the Surrender Series along with several standalone novels and novellas. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less. Connect with her on twitter @JenniferKacey and Facebook. And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter so you can hear about all of her new releases and giveaways!!




Giveaway Information:

Jennifer will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.






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