Adorned by Georgeann Swiger

Posted in Genre: Young Adult by Raindrops and Pages

Title: Adorned (Book I in the Trinity of Souls series)
Author: Georgeann Swiger
Publisher: Entranced Publishing, Rush Imprint
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Length: 80,000 words
Release Date: November 4, 2013

Blurb:
When seventeen-year-old Anya finds out she’s actually an angel being trained to protect humanity, she discovers that becoming an angel has nothing to do with wings and haloes. For Anya, becoming an angel has to do with death—her death.
Micah, the angelic soldier ordered to protect her until she transitions from human to angel, promises her death will be a glorious experience as long as she follows his rules. But getting Anya through this life and to the next isn’t as simple as Micah expects. His job becomes even more difficult after he unwittingly performs a miracle that exposes Anya’s hidden angelic light.
With her secret out, Hell’s legions begin targeting her. Unfortunately, Hell’s minions are the least of Micah’s worries. He’s more concerned about the forbidden human emotions he’s developed toward Anya. Even more troubling, is she seems to love him too. And giving in to those feelings, could mean dire consequences for them both.

Add it on Goodreads: Adorned

Excerpt:
Micah sits in the chair at the head of the table. He lowers his head and mouths something under his breath before snatching the fork from the table.

“What happened to you?” I ask. “Did you change your mind about running away?”

“I didn’t run away.”

When he lifts meatloaf to his mouth, I pull his plate toward me. “I’m tired of waiting for you to tell me what’s going on.”

He swallows. “I’m from the Triad.”

“Is that a foster home?”

“What’s a foster home?” He tastes his mashed potatoes.. “Aren’t you going to eat anything?”

“I’m not hungry. Just tell me what’s going on.”

After he chugs his iced tea, he gets up and squats in front of me, balancing on his toes. No emotion crosses his face. The odd vibration in the room sends a tremor over my skin. Something’s off.

When Micah finally speaks, his voice is flat and emotionless. “I am an angel of the Lord, and your new guardian, here to escort you into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

I stare at him until the truth dawns on me. Micah’s crazy. How did I not see it to begin with? No sane person would be running around naked in a thunderstorm. That old Simon guy was probably with some mental asylum. He should have put Micah in a straightjacket when he had the chance. Now I’m locked in the dining room with a big strong psycho.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” The scar in his Micah’s eyebrow deepens when he tilts his head to the side to study me. “When you enter the Kingdom you’ll become an angel.” He seems at ease, like a serial killer waiting to strike. “I intend to make your human death the most wonderful experience of your life.”

“My…human death?” Even though my voice cracks, I manage to force myself to smile. I glance at the locked doors and slowly scoot my chair away from the table.

He touches my knee. “I’m happy to tell you, you won’t be stuck here much longer.”

When I think enough distance is between us, I use all my strength to shove him down and run for the door.

When I look over my shoulder, Micah gets to his feet, glaring at me.

“Stay away from me!” My trembling hand can’t get the key to cooperate. I keep trying to get the key in the lock, but it slips out of my sweaty fingers and drops to the floor. I pound on the door.

“Aunt Celeste!” I scream.

When I look back, Micah sits at the table, flicking his finger on the butter knife, making it spin it like an airplane propeller. His lips form a tight line. He slams his hand on the table, causing the butter knife to fall to the floor. “Sit. Down. Anya.”

“Aunt Celeste, help me!”

About the author

Georgeann Swiger earned her degree in journalism from West Virginia University, and then spent five years as an anchor/reporter at WBOY-TV in Clarksburg, WV. After having children, she left television news to be a stay at home mom. During that time, she discovered creative writing was more fun than writing about real life tragedy. Imagining interesting characters and having them come to life on the page is now her passion. When she’s not writing, she works as a substitute teacher. She lives in Reedsville, West Virginia with her husband, two kids, a beagle dog and a temperamental cat who tries to rule the house.

Connect with Georgeann
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow and check out my review of Adorned and the link to a giveaway, and another excerpt from this great new release.

26Aug2013

Review: The Last Policeman by Ben Winters

Posted in Five Umbrellas, Genre: Apocalyptic, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

The Last Policeman by Ben Winters.
Release Date:June 10, 2012
Publisher: Quirk Books
Rating:

The Summary: What’s the point in solving murders if we’re all going to die soon, anyway?

Detective Hank Palace has faced this question ever since asteroid 2011GV1 hovered into view. There’s no chance left. No hope. Just six precious months until impact.

The Last Policeman presents a fascinating portrait of a pre-apocalyptic United States. The economy spirals downward while crops rot in the fields. Churches and synagogues are packed. People all over the world are walking off the job—but not Hank Palace. He’s investigating a death by hanging in a city that sees a dozen suicides every week—except this one feels suspicious, and Palace is the only cop who cares.

The Review: The cover initially drew me in, but it wasn’t until my mom tossed this book at me and told me to read the back, in her words “It’s a Shelly book”. From the first sentence of the premise I was hooked. I’ve been on such a big post-apocalyptic/pre-apocalyptic kick right now that I read this in a matter of hours. It’s a great mystery story, walking the line between obsession and the pull of duty, Palace is determined to find the person who got away with murder. Palace is a wonderful character, one who sticks to his guns and doesn’t waiver despite the world literally crawling closer to destruction. His narrative drives the book, and it’s a voice I really like. A bit dry, very sarcastic and just something that one day I hope to write.

It’s an interesting read. I love how characters respond to the news of the asteroid coming closer, and the frenzy fueled paranoia to complete a bucket list, or to just up and leave all responsibility. Societies paranoia and reaction to the asteroid become characters as much as Palace and the other members of the police force. This book is gritty and raw, and stark. It feels so incredibly real and it’s something that is still bouncing around in my head. I’m searching for the second book. I really should have picked them up together, because it really is a “Shelly Book”.

This is a book that left me stunned, even at the end when a few new plot points were introduced. Winters has created a story and a world that I’m jealous of, and it makes me wish I had thought of it first. This is a book that motivates me to write, and I’m really glad I picked it up.

Purchase The Last Policeman:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

19Aug2013

Review: Escaped by J.C. Mells

Posted in Genre: Urban Fantasy, Rating: Four Umbrellas, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

Escaped by J.C. Mells.
Release Date: May 20, 2013
Publisher: Self through Amazon.
Rating:

The Summary: Oscar Alvarez de Sevilla was living the American dream. Attending a prestigious law school in New York City and madly in love with the girl downstairs, who he was pretty much going to marry as soon as he graduated. Everything was going as planned and life was good.

Twelve years later he is the centerpiece in a daring plan to help two young girls escape from the ruthless psychopath who has had them locked up for most of their lives. The same man for whom Oscar has been working for several years now.

His actions will guarantee he will be dead in less than a year, regardless of whether or not he and the girls are recaptured.

How did things go so wrong?

The Review:
I picked this up a few days after I finished Pierced. This novella lends a bit more back story to the events that lead up to what happens in Pierced. Escaped is a dual story, with the narrator, Oscar, telling how he aided Pierce and Mia’s escape and the story of his love, Sarah. I liked this story a lot. The duality between the two plot lines was interesting to me. Oscar would recall something between him, Reyes and Sarah and it would be reflected in the present time actions of Pierce’s and Mia’s escape. It was really great to see how Oscar builds trust and friendship with Reyes, and how heavily both Oscar and the girls depend on him.

Escaped is well written, fast paced and rich in details. It gives more history, and more insight into what’s going on, and why Pierce and Mia are so determined to escape from Dorian. Oscar is a great narrator, and a good protagonist who only wants to have the people around him safe. Be it two people younger than him, one who he’s madly in love with–two people that Oscar is willing to protect from their own father, or two younger girls, one who is so much more than she seems. He’s a strong character, and one that I enjoyed reading about. His final actions and request and the end of this novella made me tear up. Despite the length of this, I really felt a connection with Oscar. I would like to know more about Reyes especially since he’s so much of a ghost character in Pierced.

Though the events in Pierced take place after Escaped, read Pierced first. Escaped will spoil one of the massive plot points in Pierced. The novella doesn’t rehash the events that Pierce mentions when she’s talking about her and Mia’s escape. Escaped is a story in and of itself and one worth reading. Pierced for me has a larger pull, but Escaped is still a wild ride, and something that lingers in my head.

Purchase Escaped on Kindle

16Aug2013

Review: Pierced by J.C. Mells

Posted in Five Umbrellas, Format: Kindle, Genre: Urban Fantasy, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

Pierced by J.C. Mells.
Release Date: April 9, 2013
Publisher: Self through Amazon.
Rating:

The Summary: Imagine the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets Betty Crocker.

That’s Pierce in a nutshell.

Pierce has been on the run for two years from the man who held her captive in a vampire compound for almost a decade. Life on the run would be a lot simpler if she didn’t suffer from several social disorders and ‘quirks’, have a ten-year-old brat in tow, as well as have two characters from a 1945 classic film living in her head and guiding her at every turn.

Disclosure:I was sent a copy of this book as part of a read and review group. I am not compensated for this review, nor am I influenced in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Review: I finished this book two days ago, and I cannot get it out of my head. It is mind blowing and simply one of the best things I’ve read this year. The characters are amazing. Pierce is a character that I haven’t encountered in all of the books I’ve read. Her compulsions and her delusions are as much characters as the rest of the cast of this story. The book itself is labeled Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, and it is indeed urban fantasy. There’s not a lot of romance (thus far) and I’m glad there isn’t. Pierce’s background and her current character– to force a love interest at her would cheapen the story. There are hints, subtle ones and with time I can see something developing with the character Pierce is starting to show a glimmer of interest in. But for now? I’m really liking the way this story is in terms of ‘romance.’

The story is fast paced, without being rushed. Pierce’s paranoia and constant vigilance adds to this aspect of the story. It’s extremely well written, with a complex plot, full of twists and turns and a couple of massive bombshells that I didn’t see coming until the end. This book is fantastic. I cannot express this enough. It’s also really hard to talk about without spoiling anything, and I’m trying really hard not to just type over and over “go buy and read this book”.

On that subject while I want everyone to read this book, it’s not for everyone. There’s violence, explicit drug use, offensive language, child abuse– and while they’re there and out for the reader to see and the other characters to interpret and experience they don’t take away from the story. Pierce is heavily flawed, and has many issues, none of which she uses as a crutch. She’s a strong, well written character and one that will stick with me for a very long time.

There’s a novella to this series, and there’s a second book listed on amazon, which I’m incredibly grateful for because the book ended in a cliffhanger, and I am craving the second part of this series. I loved this book and I know a couple of people that need to read it right now.

Purchase Pierced on Amazon On sale for .99 until August 21, 2013!! Snatch this up while you can.

16Aug2013

Review: The Abbey at World’s End by LL Watkin

Posted in Format: Kindle, Genre: Alternate Worlds, Genre: Young Adult, Rating: Three Umbrellas, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

The Abbey at World’s End by LL Watkin.
Release Date:June 5, 2012
Publisher: Self Published.
Rating

The Summary: Keldaren just wanted an easy life. A job where the boss wouldn’t scream if she was five minutes late. A nice boyfriend. An apartment where the auto-programs actually worked. Treasure worth a not so small fortune. To go a week without a bomb going off in her near vicinity. Was that so much to ask?
Unfortunately, when your best friend is a three thousand year old ghost with a chip on her insubstantial shoulders, nothing is as easy as you’d imagine.

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book as part of a read and review group. I am not compensated for this review, nor am I influenced in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Review:This is an interesting read. It took me a little while to get into it, because the reader is immediately thrown into the world. No set up, no explanation of what’s going on, and the story just takes off from there. The world is a futuristic world where apartments decorate themselves, ids are needed for pretty much everything, and the law follows the leading/teachings of the Goddess. Keldaren is a woman who works in an office for her day job, but in actuality is a thief and she and a couple of associates are planning on pulling off a massive heist.

She plans on stealing the Goddess’ belongings.

The reason behind this is partially monetary gain, the other is to keep her best friend Missra, a ghost, from disappearing from existence completely. Keldaren and her associates accomplish this, and that’s when the story really takes off. Keldaren is thrust into a world of power plays, changes, power gain and to top it all off someone’s trying to kill her. The city around her is racked with bombings, packed with people due to the annual festival and she’s caught in the middle of everything.

Once you get past the first couple of chapters the book unfolds in a way and becomes easier to read. It’s a really fast paced, action packed story and it sets the groundwork nicely for the rest of the series. (Did I mention that this was the first in a series?). The mystery elements to the plot I didn’t figure out until the very end, and I really fell in love with a couple of the characters. I only wish that the beginning had been rounded out a bit more so I could get into it a bit easier–but it might be just me. It’s a good book, a wild ride, but it did take me a while to get into it.

Purchase The Abbey at World’s End: on Kindle

13Aug2013

Book Review: Wunder .5 by A.R. Von.

Posted in Five Umbrellas, Format: Kindle, Genre: Dystopian Universe, Genre: Erotica, Genre: Zombie lit, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

Wunder .5 by A.R. Von
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Publisher: Self Published through Amazon.
Total Length: not given
Rating:

The SummaryWunder may have a normal life now…well, as normal as a freak of nature could have. Half zombie while her job is to hunt bloodthirsty creatures to protect the innocent. It’s the dreams that haunt her and they aren’t nightmares. Wunder dreams of a man, a man made just for her. Is he real, can he be the one she‘s yearned for?

Pete’s world is a lonely one as he wrestles with the reality of being part zombie. His hatred for the creatures that killed his parents drives him to patrol the streets and wipe them all out. His life would be stark, but for the dreams he’s been having; of a woman, so sensuous, so sexy. These alluring visions have become erotic and consuming. He feels as if he made her up to keep from going crazy. Is this life of hunting the walking dead, all there is? Or is she out there, waiting…just for him?

The Review: Plagued (haha see what I did there? Sorry, it won’t happen again) by dreams featuring a smokin’ hot mystery man, Wunder has to balance her day to day zombie hunting life and deal with her own demons of being half zombie–all the while thinking about her nightly escapades with tall dark and handsome.

This is a prequel of sorts to Wunder, which I’ve also reviewed and will link further down, and it goes deeper into Wunder’s history and her daily life. I liked getting to read more about Wunder’s team and more about her day to day life. We’re also given more of an introduction to Pete, who is Wunder’s love interest. Their chemistry is scorching hot, and well written. I can’t get enough of Wunder and the world that Ms. Von has built. I’m really looking forward to book two, or really anything that I can sink my teeth into. (Sorry.)

Review for Wunder Wunder

Purchase Wunder .5: On Kindle

13Aug2013

Review: Wunder by A.R. Von

Posted in Five Umbrellas, Format: Kindle, Genre: Dystopian Universe, Genre: Erotica, Genre: Zombie lit, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

Wunder A.R.Von
Release Date: February 14, 2013
Publisher: Self Published through Amazon.
Length: 18 pages
Rating:

The Summary: Wunder isn’t your average girl, in fact, she isn’t even an average human. In a world once ravaged by Zombies, she was born amidst the chaos.

Where can a girl like her find the man of her delicious dreams? She has an idea and it leads her to the hottest new club in town, where she finds what’s been missing in her life.

Pete has his own secrets to tell, and when they come together, another story unfolds while the sparks fly.

The Review: First off this is a short story–extremely short. However, despite the length, there’s a lot going on. Wunder is a human/zombie hybrid, and in this post-zombie world it’s something that she keeps hidden. A tough as nails zombie hunter, who has an incredibly sensual side. Pete is tall dark and handsome and hiding something from Wunder and the world. When the two come together sparks fly and the chemistry is off the charts.

I really enjoyed this short, and was pleasantly surprised by it. I went way out of my comfort zone, both with zombies, and erotica and the blending of the two. Don’t think that this is a mash up of Romero’s zombies getting together. It’s not. There’s a lot to this story and it packs a punch. I’m really looking forward to seeing where Wunder goes next, and more of her interactions with Pete.

Purchase Wunder here:
Kindle

13Aug2013

Review: Strong Blood by Dale Ibitz

Posted in Genre: Alternate Worlds, Genre: Young Adult, Rating: Four Umbrellas, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

Strong Blood by Dale Ibitz
Release Date: October 1, 2012
Publisher: Self Published through Createspace.
Length: 260 pages
Rating:
The Summary:The war between nature’s gods continues to rage on Eyidora and Haley, descendant of the Air Eyid, struggles with her own battles.

She’s mired in a battle with Ian, the Fire Eyid descendant, over the lost Eyid stones. She needs the stones to stop the war, and he needs the stones to destroy Eyidora. She knows where the Land Eyid stone is hidden, and she races to Tamoor to find it before Ian does.

Haley still doesn’t trust Tuggin, the stone-faced Eyidoran assigned to protect her. As a Menta witch, he’s adept at lying, mind-control, and killing. Even though Haley is starting to believe that Tuggin may be serving more than one master, she continues to battle her feelings for him, never sure which duty he feels most inclined to serve.

But Haley’s biggest battle of all comes when she meets Luke and Telsa, twins with undeniable strength. Haley invites them to join her on her mission to find the Land Eyid stone. Has she put her trust in someone who may be just as dark and dangerous as Ian, the descendant of Fire himself?
The Review: In the second instillation of the Last Moon Rising Series, we find Hadley, Elana, and Tuggin still tangled up together in a twisted “should they be or shouldn’t they be trusted” plot string. I like that no one really seems to be who they say they are in this series. Here we’re also introduced to a second set of twins, Luke and Telsa who also apparently have secondary motives.

There’s a lot more story in this book. We get history about the war and some of the things that are driving the story along. We get more character definition and learn more about a couple character’s motivations. I really love the interaction between Tuggin and Hadley and the relationship that is building between them. Hadley gets more development, not only on a personal level, but grows with abilities. She and Ian are well matched as antagonist/protagonists go, and I’m really liking where this story is heading.

The major encounter between Hadley and Ian is very interesting. A few secrets are revealed, a couple of characters come clean about their actions, and betrayal rocks the rag-tag group of teens. Personally I feel that this book is a bit stronger than the first book, but I still want more. I’m one of those people who like longer books and in a way I almost feel that Book one and two could have been combined. I’m looking forward to book three.

I was gifted book two by the author herself. It was sent along with book one, and I am not compensated for this review in any way.

Review for Book 1 Fire in the Blood

Purchase Strong Blood:
On Kindle
Paperback through Createspace

13Aug2013

Review: Fire in the Blood by Dale Ibitz

Posted in Format: Kindle, Genre: Alternate Worlds, Genre: Young Adult, Rating: Four Umbrellas, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

Fire in the Blood by Dale Ibitz.
Release Date: July 11, 2011
Publisher: Self Published through Createspace.
Length: 238 pages
Rating:

The Summary:Global warming is playing havoc on Earth, and when 17 year-old Haley tumbles to a parallel world, she discovers that Earth’s issues stem from a war between the Eyids, the gods of nature. Because her necklace is a stone that holds the power of the Air Eyid, Haley is called upon to stop the war

But Haley has a problem. Actually, two problems. One named Tuggin, and one named Ian.

Both lie to her. Both have secrets. And neither are who they say they are. With her stone of power, Haley’s forced to make a choice that will decide the fate of all the worlds. But who should she trust, who should she fight, and who is the one with fire in his blood bent on betraying them all?

The Review:Alternate world/universe books are something that I eat up like candy. This book was no exception to that. Fire in the Blood is a the first book in a promising young adult series. The main character Haley is a modern, typical seventeen year old girl, who wants nothing more than a “Hall-God” boyfriend, and to get through the day without some sort of muck up.

Instead, she’s thrust into a parallel world called Eyidora by her adoptive mother when she’s hunted by the same entity that killed her birth parents. There she’s introduced to Tuggin, a tight lipped, abrasive, gorgeous eighteen year old who seems to want nothing to do with her–except to keep her on a tight leash. The problems don’t stop there, in fact they intensify when she learns that she’s a crucial piece to ending a war that would not only destroy Eyidora, but Earth as well. To further complicate things, THE Hall-God Ian enters the picture, joining her in this parallel world. He knows more than he should, and nothing is what it seems.

I really enjoyed this book. There are a couple hitches to it though. I think there should have been just a little more exposition in the beginning as things start quickly and the reader is expected to keep up, even as this new world, new languages and history are thrown at us in a rapid fire fashion. I like that Hadley grows through the story, and learns quickly rather than depending on Tuggin and a few other characters. It’s also extremely fast paced and the story moves so quickly that I read through the book and wanted more to this piece.

I was given this book as a prize through a facebook contest. I am not being compensated for this review.

Purchase Fire in the Blood:
on Kindle
Paperback through Createspace

13Aug2013

Review: Perifdy by Dori Klaproth

Posted in Format: Kindle, Genre: Dystopian Universe, Genre: Young Adult, Rating: Two Umbrella, Review: 2013 by Raindrops and Pages

Perdify by Dori Klaproth
Release Date:July 23, 2013
Publisher: Self published through Amazon.
Pages: 90 pages.
Rating:

The Summary: Quick witted teen Trina must find a way to fight for her life the government has unleashed a genetically altered millennia old virus on an unsuspecting populace. To top it off she must keep her 4 year old half-sister as well as a couple of spoiled rich boys. Then finds Love right in the middle of it all.

The Review: This book was a serious let down. I really wanted to like it, I’ve read a short by this author and enjoyed it. However, Perfidy is just something that didn’t live up to it’s potential. Trina is a teenage girl who falls ill in the first few pages of the book. She’s taken to a mobile hospital (think like a M*A*S*H or field hospital) where she learns that she’s going to be executed–even after surviving a round with this mysterious illness.

Sounds interesting?

It has the chance to be. But that chance goes away, and everything is handed to Trina on a platter of convenience. She escapes into the woods, and works her way back to the family home. Once there she finds that her escape has been noticed, and now people are hunting her down. Trina’s mother sends the four year old sister out to join Trina in the wilderness to hopefully live in secrecy. Trina’s father spent lots of time teaching her how to survive off the land, and she has a few supplies. But once again, the opportunity to show some conflict and struggle is overshadowed. The supplies that they need are always within reach, they find a cave system which they turn into a home–and they don’t want for anything. Two boys join the girls, and again, things just seem to fall into place.

I would have really loved to see more struggle, more drama with this book. The whole man vs nature, man vs government is something that appeals to me in books. There were times where I could see where this was going, but then it turned sharply into the world of easily accessible. I think that rather than the young adult/teen age group this book would be more suited for a younger crowd. I wanted to like this, and I did finish because there were a few good points and the potential is there–but I can’t recommend it really. It is a series, and I’m strongly considering the second book but I probably won’t get it.

I bought this when it was .99, and the price has been raised to 4.99 which I think is incredibly high. If you wish to purchase it, go for it, but wait and watch if the price goes down.

Purchase: Perfidy