Reviewing Your Universe

Title:  My Soul Immortal

By:  Jen Printy

Publisher Ecopy Provided

Rating:  3 Stars

Star-crossed lovers with an immortal twist!

Jack’s immortal and hides this fact from the world. When his secret’s exposed, he relocates to another city and continues his off-the-grid lifestyle. His new start hits a brick wall when he meets Leah, a woman that so resembles his lost love Lydia, and he fears for his sanity. A stranger named Artagan arrives in town, knows Jack’s secret, and warns Jack Leah’s in danger. Jack must discover what Artagan isn’t telling him and hope it’s enough to save the woman he loves.

The first few paragraphs sucked me into the story. I wanted to know who Jack really was, why he was immortal and how Leah’s existence related to Lydia, if at all. Ms. Printy’s voice and imagination kept me turning pages, eagerly anticipating the answers I sought.

My interest waned about a third of the way into the book. For me, Jack’s immortal angst weighed on the plot and slowed the pacing. Several scenes were presented with circumstances that were conveniently resolved and gave away what could have been great foreshadowing for a couple of big reveals.

Jack and Leah’s relationship proceeded at more of a normal pace versus the inst-love/lust/like some romances present. I enjoyed the stronger connection that grew over time, although I will say Jack’s feelings for Leah were better shown and developed than Leah’s for Jack. That, however, could definitely relate to Jack being immortal and the narrator of the story.

Artagan came back onto the page farther into the story, and the pace picked up. He definitely added mystery, intrigue and balance to the plot. I look forward to the next book in this series. Each of the characters left me with a positive curiosity, and that’s a great hook to recommend for a series.

Reviewing Your Universe

Empty Altars

by Judith Post

Rating:  4 Stars

The stars have shined since the dawn of time, their existence spawning stories of gods and goddesses. Who better to protect humanity than beings with knowledge and power far beyond our own?

When the universal balance is threatened, Diana (goddess of the hunt and goddess of all magic) is sent by her runes to help the Norse gods protect the world from a burgeoning evil strong enough to destroy everything the gods created.

Mythology is not a strong interest of mine, but Empty Altars’ synopsis poked my curiosity. The beginning started a bit slow and was somewhat confusing (I’m sure due to my lack of mythological knowledge), but once the action started and the pace picked up, Ms. Post’s voice had my full attention.

Strong characterization, layered personalities and a solid plot kept me turning pages. For those who enjoy fantasy worlds ruled by gods, goddesses and magic, Empty Altars will not disappoint. I am thrilled at finding a new author to follow and look forward to reading more of Ms. Post’s work.

*author ecopy provided for honest review

Reviewing Your Universe

They Who Fell

by Kevin Kneupper

fantasy/urban fantasy

5 Stars

The world isn’t always as it seems…sometimes it’s scarier.

Jana understands just how precarious the world inside the Perch is. As a slave, doing the wrong thing, speaking out of turn or just looking her angel keepers in the eye could all result in a harsh punishment or ultimately death. Living in fear is second nature, but being frightened all the time serves as motivation. She wants to survive.

William Holt lives outside the Perch, fighting daily with others in his cell to destroy the angels and reclaim what’s left of the world for the dwindling human population. Nothing will stop him: not the Vichies, humans that have pledged themselves to the angels but prey on weaker humans, not the unexpected creatures now roaming the Earth, and especially not the debauched angels themselves.

Holy awesome surprise! Mr. Kneupper hooked me with the first chapter and kept me turning pages until I finished the book in one sitting. Excellent writing, great characterization and a phenomenal plot landed They Who Fell at a solid 5 star rating. I wanted to read the next installment immediately. Since I couldn’t (hasn’t been released yet) I spent the next couple of days thinking about the story.

By turning the traditionally ingrained idea of benevolent angles on its head and creating a plausible set of circumstances, I seriously questioned what would happen if a second heavenly fall occurred. Would the angels I’ve viewed as guardians become my worst nightmare? Would God turn his back on all of His creations and let the outcome be determined by the players themselves?

No matter a person’s religious belief, Mr. Kneupper’s world is well-developed and scarier than hell. I would never want to experience that kind of existence firsthand, but I’ll gladly immerse myself in the next story of this trilogy!

*author ecopy provided for honest review 

Reviewing Your Universe

Normal is the Watchword (The Watchword series)

By Jasmine Tru

Free ecopy provided by author for honest review

Rating:  3.0 Stars

The world is filled with unknown wonders. Some of us are lucky to see some of them. Others are fated to be part of them.

Juniper’s a senior in high school, and her life is as ordinary as it gets. She spends her school hours battling senioritis with her best friend, Carrie. Then she meets Darius, a guy she’s never really noticed before, and things get interesting. They have a connection she can’t explain…at least she thinks they do. She’s just not ready to trust her instincts.

With her senior photography project due in two weeks, one she hasn’t even started, Juni focuses on her schoolwork and stops procrastinating. Inspiration strikes, and she thinks of the perfect subject for her project. She has no way of knowing her choice will change her life forever, and nothing can prepare her for what follows.

I loved the premise of Normal is the Watchword. The story line moved forward without giving away an important part of the plot. The characters were driven by an instinctual need to discern right from wrong, find justice and make amends. These are all laudable character traits and give plenty of room for conflict.

For me personally, the opening page rocked, but the story started slow. A huge bit of back story front-loaded the novel, the first active dialogue came on page 10, and heavy narration marked the book’s tone. Decisions made by both Juni and Darius were inconsistent with emotions, dangerous and implausible. Yes, they are teenagers, but both are intelligent characters and more should have been expected from them, not less.

While I would have enjoyed more character depth, enough was given for me to like the characters. I am interested in seeing how things progress in Loyalty (Watchword #2) between the good and bad guys, and especially between Juni and Darius.

Reviewing Your Universe

Ignited by Desni Dantone

Published by Laine D Publishing

Ecopy obtained from Amazon free promotion

Rating:  4 Stars

A rockin’ new urban fantasy series!

Being a teenager is, well, brutal—and 17-year old Kristina Young has more reasons than most to understand how truly harsh life can be.

Her family was murdered when she was a toddler, throwing her into the foster system. When she was eleven, her foster father became a threat instead of a caregiver. At 17, she was in an accident and survived, while her two best friends didn’t.

While each of these incidents reveal tragedies in her life, they’re also responsible for her deepest secret. A blue-eyed guardian angel that always protected her and kept her safe. Right up to the night he reappears in her life and saves her again. Except this time, she’s not a little girl and she wants answers. Like who he is and why he continues to save her.

When the answers come, so does the ever-increasing danger to her life. Her savior, Nathan, is from a race of hybrid demigods called Kala. They battle an evil race of demigods called Skotadi. Since he has no idea why the Skotadi are after Kris, they go on the run, hiding from those that want to kill her.

Kris finds herself in the middle of a war she never knew existed, never asked to be a part of. When they learn why she’s so important, everything changes. Time becomes her worst enemy. She needs information to change her destiny, and Nathan’s willing to do anything to get it.

This is a great beginning to a new young adult urban fantasy series. There are romantic elements. There are some paranormal elements. While there is no true romance and a conclusive happily ever after, I love the groundwork that’s been laid. Love doesn’t happen instantaneously, and I, for one, am thrilled to see a heroine that thinks about her emotions and considers actions and consequences.

While there is a love-triangle conflict, it doesn’t detract from the story. There’s a purpose behind the characters and their respective positions, and I can’t wait to see how it changes and develops in the next book.

With all of the positive, why not a solid 5 rating?

I didn’t have a good enough handle on what the overall factions were really after. What they were and where they came from was explained, but not enough detail was given to help me understand their real purpose and drive. How they functioned.

I also felt the best friend Callie’s inclusion in the dark moment and rest of the story felt gratuitous. She is human, with nothing to offer the maturing demigods with powers. Callie has no real reaction to the demigods’ existence, the danger, or Kris’s impending change. Other than Kris needing a female friend, she didn’t add anything to the story. I hope in the next book she does.

My last issue was the title. It’s a great title, but it gave an expectation that wasn’t realized. With demigods involved and otherworldly powers, the title suggested a fire-related element that never appeared. Maybe it’s my own issue and I read too much into it.

Overall, I enjoyed Ignited. Ms. Dantone has captured my attention, and I eagerly await the release of Sacrificed!

Reviewing Your Universe

Magic Academy by Jillian Keep

Published by Pathforgers Publishing

Rating: 3 Stars

 Are you willing to do whatever it takes to get what you want?

Firia is. She’s a human serving in a society run by magic-wielding elves. She can do some magic on her own, and her goal is to win a competition at the yearly magic contest from which academies recruit their students. But she knows she’ll never win without help. So she summons a demon and binds him to her in order to boost her magic.

The results are everything she hoped for. She wins at the competition, gets into the top magic academy and begins her training as a sorceress. Then things get interesting and complicated. Firia is attracted to her demon Varuj, as well as Mae’lin, a very sweet elf attending the same school.

She must study hard and practice hard in order to pass her exams and stay in school. Varuj and Mae’lin both help Firia succeed in different ways, but she is confused and torn between her feelings for both men. Firia doesn’t want to hurt anyone but knows she must make a choice between the life she wants and the life she could have, and between the men that can give her either.

Magic Academy is a high fantasy concept at its best. However, I would NOT classify this as YA ever, nor would I call it New Adult. This book has a new adult plotline defined by erotic elements. Let me be the first to say the sex scenes were smokin’ hot. Unlike other reviewers, I didn’t get the heebie jeebies by the tone, verbiage or pairing.

Varuj is a demon with a demon nature. His description and actions followed the world’s rules and fit his character development. Firia’s burgeoning social and sexual enlightenment also fit her character development. All of this worked for me.

My biggest issue with the book is the large amount of “telling” versus showing. Another stumbling block for me was the ending. I got to the end and went, “Huh?” I kept trying to turn a page on my Kindle, thinking it was digitally stuck. Instead, the story had concluded with a rushed climax (no pun intended) and a cliff-hanger ending. If this is a standalone book and not the first book in the series, wow. There needed to be more resolution with the storyline for readers to get a conclusion without a HEA.

Would I recommend Magic Academy? To certain types of readers, absolutely. Will I read the next book in the series? You bet. I like Ms. Keep’s voice. I think her writing will improve, and I really want to read more of Firia and Varuj’s story.

*Netgalley arc provided for honest review

Milestones and Celebrations

Hobbies, personal interests and even exercise time go by the wayside when one goes about the business of living life.This last year's been crazy hectic...in both good ways and bad. Renovating our new home has been a huge project. Getting our old home ready go to on the market, at the same time as the new home renovation, has been insane. Hubs being incapacitated from not one but two foot surgeries, while trying to accomplish everything, has been a nightmare.

Somehow, we've managed to survive.

Thankfully, hubs is doing great. He's on the mend and back at work. The old house goes on the market October 1st. Renovations on the new house aren't completely finished but everything looks great and every day offers us another reason to love our home.

On a personal front, our third daughter graduated high school in June and our second daughter finished her first year of college the same month. Today, ironically, both of those girls started on a new path. Daughter number two was accepted into the medical assistant program. She is working toward a nursing degree. Daughter number three started her first day of college. She is following her big sister's footsteps toward the nursing program as well. Daughter number one works two jobs, always moving toward her personal goals. And daughter number four, though still in high school, already has her eyes on a music scholarship for singing, piano, violin...maybe all three.

So this last year is marked with milestones and celebrations in our family's journey through life.

And even if I'm the only one that reads this blog, this is my private clifftop for shouting, cheering and pom pom waving in celebration. I am so proud of my girls. Every day I look at what the four of them have accomplished or are working toward accomplishing, and I realize how blessed I am to have such strong, driven, nurturing daughters. The world is a big, harsh, beautiful place. I can't wait to see each one of them find their niche...and make a difference.

World, meet my daughters.

Girls, the world is yours.

2013 Lunar Love Giveaway Hop

2nd Annual
Lunar Love Giveaway Hop

March 8th to 13th

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Bookworm Lisa

Thank you soooo much for the invite, ladies. Last year was a blast, and I'm excited to be on the list again for 2013!

So, if you've landed on my blog, it's because you love to read. No, I'm not psychic (it's a blog hop so I had a heads up) but several characters in my Tueri Fated Souls series are. In fact, the entire Tueri race are psychics. Tueri is Latin for protect, and that's just what the Tueri do...they protect mankind from supernaturals, preternaturals or just plain bad guys that threaten harm.

Now, not everyone reads the paranormal genre - although again, you're here, so you most likely do. I love the genre. I cut my teeth on fantasy and sci-fi, graduated to supernatural horrors and finally immersed myself in paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

Why do I read these genres? Pure escapism. I love my life, but -like everyone else's- it gets hectic. I work in court everyday, surrounded by real life. Turning a page and falling into a completely different world always soothes my overloaded senses.

How about you? Why do you read the genre you do?

Thanks for stopping by. To show my appreciation (and because I love contests) I'm giving away your choice for one of three prizes:

1. $10.00 Amazon gift card or 
2. A print copy of Moonlight Blue or 
3. A print copy of Crimson Sunrise.

Just fill out the rafflecopter below, and then click here for the full list to continue hopping! I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What's Love Got To Do With It

Welcome to the What's Love Got To Do With It? Blog Hop. Many thanks go out to Lynn Rush for inviting me to join the fun!

February, the month of love...or the possibility of finding the ever elusive one. For some lucky people, finding your soul mate happens when you're young, without much heartache involved. The rest of us spend a good chunk of our lives nursing a bruised heart while looking for our other half. (Hope you're all one of the lucky few!)

For Saari, a true immortal, love's been more intangible. Cursed in 1499 has given her more time than most, so you'd think she has the whole love angle worked out by now. Not so much.

But then the universe decided to shake things up a bit and send her a soul mate...or two. Sure, that sounds cliched. But what's a girl to do when she finally has a chance at answers she's been looking for her whole life?

Ask the right questions, and wonder what's love got to do with it. 

You can read about Saari's journey in the Tueri Fated Souls series in Moonlight Bleu and Crimson Sunrise. 

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to enter the rafflecopter below for the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Year of the Snake

Hello, and welcome to The Year of the Snake Blog Hop. Many thanks to Wendy Russo for inviting me to play.

Today we say goodbye to the year of the dragon and hello to the year of the snake. So this hop is dedicated to excerpts of deception, delusion, opportunism, and perhaps simply snakes.

Here's my excerpt.  Enjoy!

(Josie is the antagonist in Crimson Sunrise, and she has a plan that will launch herself in a new seat of power. She's not above using anyone to get what she wants, including her convenient for-now husband.)

Caleb crossed his arms over his chest. “You knew Dhelis’s mate

would drown. Why did you bother telling her you loved Dhelis?”

A thrill of power shot through Josie. She’d been right about his

being jealous. Men were so easy. A pull here. A tug there. I’m a

freaking puppeteer.

“Because,” she answered with exaggerated patience, “some Tueri

couples are telepathically linked. I don’t know if their match has

achieved that connection, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I didn’t

want her warning Dhelis—or Brogan for that matter. I wanted to

keep her off balance. Break her concentration through anger.”

There was no way Dhelis, Brogan, and Saari had already

achieved that kind of shared power, but Caleb didn’t know that.

“Dhelis’s blood type is a perfect match for me. If Saari hadn’t

come along when she did, I’d be bound to Dhelis and already

pregnant,” she answered, pouring sweet innocence into her words.

He all but growled with frustration. “I’m a perfect match for

your blood type, too. What do we need him for?”

“For starters,” she reminded him, “You’re only a half-breed—and

the Tueri half isn’t from a Stone Rider. For the abilities to be passed

on, I have to get pregnant by a Stone Rider.”

He glared at her.

She tightened her invisible hold. “This is only business, baby.

You know that. I’ve already explained this. Chimeras carry multiple

strands of DNA within their own, so we always reproduce Tueri

abilities. His mother was a chimera, like me, and his father was a

Stone Rider, like mine. That means a successful breeding between

our genetics will produce the highest Stone Riding abilities

possible. Dhelis is the best choice.”

“So?” he drawled.

“That’s the price for our immortality.”

Caleb’s expression changed as understanding dawned. “He

agreed to turn us? What were your terms?”

“Of course he did.” She ignored the second question and looked

up at him from under her lashes. “Do you think I’d be able to go

through this without you?”

“How do you know he won’t double cross us?”

Josie smiled. “Because he needs me. I’m his breeding queen. My

gift is passing on Tueri abilities through my progeny—and I heal

within hours of childbirth. So I can get pregnant again immediately

after giving birth. Once we combine the gene pool, vampires will

have an immunity, or affinity depending on the perspective, to

Tueri crystal. And the vampires will be able to give birth. They can

reproduce the same immunity.”

“Then he only needs you for the first child, not the rest,” he

argued.

“Not true. Genetics are a crapshoot. We’ve established the best

odds by using Dhelis’s genetics mixed with my own: that’s Chimera

and Stone Riding abilities on both sides back eons of generations.

But that’s not a guarantee. So, he’ll need us both.”

His mouth turned up in a feral smile.

She’d finally convinced him to play the game. Her nerve endings

hummed.

Poor sod. He doesn’t realize I meant Dhelis when I said we’d

both be needed.

I'm giving away a free copy of Crimson Sunrise to one lucky winner. (U.S. winner gets choice of print or ecopy. International winner ecopy only.)

Just follow my blog, leave a comment below with an email address, (sorry, couldn't get the rafflecopter to work) and click the links below. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Wendy S. Russo

Katie O'Sullivan

Raven Bower

Cindy Young-Turner

Rebecca Trogner

Lindsey Loucks

Sue Ann Bowling

S.M. Boyce

Constance Phillips

Stephan E. Train

Stevie Carroll

Kelly Seguin

Wynne Channing

Sherry Soule

FREE Kindle download!

My critique partner and awesome BFF is offering her mystery novella Honor Code FREE on Amazon today and tomorrow. The great cover, interesting blurb, links and my review are listed below.

What are you waiting for? Grab your copy now!!!!!!!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Honor-Code-Mystery-Novella-ebook/dp/B009STQQIE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357756418&sr=8-2&keywords=Honor+Code

Reviewing Your Universe:

Honor Code by Cathy Perkins
5 stars

As a rule, I generally stick to my favorite genres...but I'll read any novel (or novella) that catches my attention. Honor Code's book description did just that.

In a small, southern town an elderly widower disappears under questionable circumstances. Detective Larry Robbins knows in his gut George Beason needs help...and he intends to find him before it's too late.

The opening scene is powerful in its imagery and emotion. I connected immediately with both the victim and the hero. George Beason had to be found, and Robbins had to find him.

Though this police procedural is fast paced, the book never lost my interest. I also enjoyed the secondary characters. They added layers to the story that made me forget I was reading a novella. That doesn't happen often.

Honor Code is a great read that I would recommend to anyone that loves mysteries...and the fact it features characters from Ms Perkins' debut novel The Professor makes it even better!

Discovering My Universe #ReneeRearden #NewHome

Hubs and I purchased our dream home, and we're elated.

We also had a plan in place for things to accomplish  before we move in. First on the list: New carpeting throughout. Final papers were signed October 2nd. Two hours later hubs and I were in the house and started ripping up carpet in the formal dining room.

Imagine our surprise when we discovered pristine oak tongue and groove hardwood floors...that extended through the formal living room and down one hallway. That's the kind of thing you hear about happening to other people but never happens to you, right?

The next day we pulled up the carpet in each hallway on two sides of the atrium, hoping to find more hardwood. Unfortunately, we found an awful, orange-colored linoleum...which didn't make sense because it looked terrible next to the beautiful hardwood.

But, you can't have everything, right?

And then we discovered a chipped corner of the linoleum and found a light colored stone underneath. I held my breath as hubs stripped a large piece of linoleum away to reveal travertine tiles. All I could think was WOW!

Hubs shook his head and smiled at me. "How did we get so blessed?"

Righting My Universe

Okay, I admit I've been off my game lately.

My blog is languishing and writing anything new is on hold. Having limited time to do things I want to do has been driving me crazy...but I'm a firm believer in the bigger picture. You know, everything happens for a reason. There's a cosmic plan in place and I have a part in it.

So I sat down and meditated yesterday. Cleared my head of all the stuff and just was. I opened my eyes an hour later and nearly floated to my office. Everything made sense.

My transcript load has been insane for the last 18 months. I've struggled, trying to keep up with appellate court deadlines and still write. Work feeds my family. Writing feeds my soul. Since work hasn't gotten any less busy, these last few months I've questioned whether I should keep trying to write.

Then we discovered our dream home was for sale--below market value.

It was fluke. I tapped a real estate map on my iPad and randomly landed on the listing. I called the real estate agent. Never got a call back. Two weeks later we stopped by the house to look at it from the outside. The owner was there mowing the lawn. He showed us the house. Told us three other people were interested and working on closing a deal.

Two months later, we still hadn't heard any word on the other deals. So, we decided to purchase a different house. Three hours after talking to the builder, the first home owner called us and offered to sell us our dream home. We signed papers and started the process. Crazy things had to happen for us to have a shot at buying this home (including the extra funds my unusual transcript load provided), but things kept falling our way.

We're supposed to close on the house this afternoon or some time Tuesday.

My point with all this?

I believe there truly is a larger plan than the small pieces I see or try to understand. No matter how difficult or stressful, each circumstance I've encountered has happened for a reason. This last 18-months has led my family to the next milestone in our lives...the last home we ever plan to buy.

This home is where our growing family will gather, celebrate holidays together, where our grandchildren will run and play. It's the home my husband and I will live in together when the last of our four daughters move out on their own. The home where we'll sit on the porch, years from now, reliving all the memories we're going to make.

Reviewing Your World

Cleanse Fire: The Kinir Elite Chronicles, #1

By Anastasia Pergakis 

Ecopy provided by author

Rating:  3 Stars

Captain Derac Vidor takes pride in leading his team of Elite Kinir warrior elves. Serving his country by protecting the weak and rescuing those in need fill his life—until an act of betrayal threatens not only himself but every member of his team. He will stop at nothing to discover who is trying to kill them and why.

Let me start by saying I enjoyed Cleanse Fire. As a debut author, Ms Pergakis is off to a great start. The main male protagonist, Derac Vidor, is an interesting character with internal conflict that is driven by his sense of integrity and honor. The right balance was struck between moral fiber and not overly stiff and prudish.

Several other members on the team are worth noting as well. Kie is a strong female with issues of her own. They are revealed through the course of the book and not all at once, and I liked learning about her in active scenes as the plot unfolded.

Tyn, as Derac’s best friend, is a very likeable character. He had his friend’s back no matter the situation and always looked for the positive from each team member. Rakan, Jardel and Aeli are all secondary characters with distinct personalities that added to the story as well.

With all the positive story aspects noted up front, it’s time to talk about what didn’t work for me. The book needed a final edit before going to print. Word misuse and grammatical issues pulled me out of the story. That’s a common issue for new authors, but I think the easiest to correct in the future.

One issue I had with the story was the somewhat two-dimensional writing. By this I mean senses. In many of the scenes, I had no real idea what the characters looked like or how things smelled or felt.

My biggest problem with Cleanse Fire is there was no real description of the world. I had no idea why there were elves, faeries and dwarves and why they were allies or enemies. Humans existed in this world, but the mention was so tenuous, for the most part I forgot they were part they existed in Kinir.

Some world description would have been helpful as well. I know Kinir is a fantasy world, but modern phrases occasionally crept into the writing. When comparing that with the dragon’s verbiage and some of the other vernacular, the world did not seem modern in the contemporary sense.

Did all of these issues detract from the book? They did a bit for me. Will they keep me from reading the next book in the Kinir Elite Chronicles? Not a chance. I have a feeling Ms Pergakis’ stories will get better with each telling, and I intend to enjoy the resulting novels!

Reviewing Your Universe

Edge of Passion by Tina Folsom

(Cloak Warriors #1)

ARC provided by NetGalley

Rating:  3 Stars

Tina Folsom came highly recommended as an author. So when I received Edge of Passion from NetGalley, I turned on my Kindle and dove into the story.  Who wouldn’t—the blurb screams interesting: 

Cloak Warriors have been protecting humans from demons for centuries. So when demons discover a way of seducing humans to their side, they jump on the opportunity. Aiden and his fellow Cloak Warriors learn of this new threat to humanity. In order to save mankind, they must protect the one scientist that could unknowingly hand the demons the weapon they’ve been searching for.

Aiden is a strong alpha male, emotionally hampered by a traumatic incident early in his life. His strong, sometimes testosterone laden character is offset by his loyalty and determination to do the right thing.

Leila is a scientist that’s discovered a way to cure Alzheimer’s. Talk about smarts! Once she realizes Demons are real and they’re after her research, she understands how dangerous her discovery would be in their evil hands. Leila is faced with a horrific moral decision. (Don’t worry, she has the moral character to make the right decision.)

Despite the interesting plot and mostly likeable characters, for me, this book could have been better. The characters’ emotions whipsawed often and without much explanation. Also, I understood Aiden’s baggage, but it didn’t make me like him any better when he was being a disrespectful jerk.

Overall, the premise for Edge of Passion was great. I just didn’t connect with the characters as much as I’d have liked. Will I read more of Ms Folsom’s work? Absolutely. Her next book might knock my socks off!

Sharing Your Universe

Welcome to Sharing Your Universe. Today, Marissa Carmel has graciously agreed to share a little about herself and her latest release with us.

Marissa Carmel has been writing since a young age and although it has always been for personal enjoyment, she finally decided to breakout and share her imagination with the world. She hopes that her universe is as fun and intriguing to her readers as it is to her. Marissa Carmel is originally from NJ but moved to Maryland several years ago, she enjoys reading, writing, and catching up on her DVR library. She is currently working on the sequel to iFeel, Gravitational Pull, which she hopes to release sometime in 2012.

Contact Info-

MarissaCarmel@aol.com

Twitter- @MarissaCarmel

Facebook- Marissa Carmel

Goodreads.com

www.Marissacarmel.moonfruit.com   

Her latest release: (and TOTAL cover love here!)

Book Blurb-

Lust. Anger. Hate. Desire. Love. Happiness. Joy. iFeel.

Liv Christianni is isolated, alone, tortured and withdrawn, saddled with the torrential downpour of the world’s emotions. Accepting of her providence Liv has lost all hope, until one day fate steps in and spins the course of her life like a spiraling top. Hunted by a Spirit Stalker, Liv is forced to gain control of herself and her surroundings, threatened by the touch of her immortal love; she must find a way to survive both physically and emotionally as her reality is shaken up like dice on a Craps table. Can she find the courage to accept her true self? Can she love unconditionally cognizant of the condemning consequences? Can she rise from the ashes to become the person she was always meant to be?

Funny, witty, real, and poignant, iFeel rips into your soul, and sets your emotions on fire.

If you are a fan of Charmed or Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries or The Secret Circle this series is for you!

Excerpt-

I direct my anger towards the mocking bottles of crazy pills settled in the cabinet. I attack them; clearing all the glass shelves in one angered fit. Tiny orange bottles fly all around my white tiled bathroom, exploding an array of colored pills against the walls and floor. It feels like I am bombing my past; liberating my future and releasing myself from whatever binds me. I want to be free, and if that means destroying my whole apartment in the process to get there, I am willing to do that.

I can feel the rage course through my veins; my head throbs and my throat burns as I thrash at my tiny bathroom. All I can hear are the voices of people who mean the most to me, those who encourage me, those who support me. To my surprise, the loudest voice is the one who is farthest away. Justice’s words echo against the tiled surface, telling me to let go, to accept my fate, to be magical and not mental. It makes me miss him all the more, but what he said finally makes sense.

My breaths pulse quickly in my lungs, as if the air is thinning. I have worked myself up into a crazed frenzy to expel my true self. My enraged fit has resulted in a bathroom bloodbath, me versus myself.
And I won.

Changing Your Universe

I'd like to welcome Marissa Carmel to Changing Your Universe. 

We're all the sum total of our life experiences, but there are moments when someone or something affects us, possibly even influences the direction our lives will take. Here is one of those stories.

You plan, God laughs.  This is the story of my life.

There are ideals and expectations I assume everyone has; whom you will marry, what your career will be like, where you will raise your kids. And yes, I had all those ideologies in my head, except mine were more like, have a career, don't get married and absolutely no kids.  Boy was I wrong. Today I am married with two kids, and living in a state I only passed through on occasion. And my career? Well let’s just say, I have more than one, and I never saw that coming.  Who needs more than one career? Apparently me. To make a long story short, I started my first career as a logistician, yawn, I won’t bore you with the details. The second career came shortly after.

I've always loved to write. Always. My imagination constantly runs away with itself, and I am without doubt following it. My best subject was creative writing. So when I would write, it was primarily for me (or a good grade). As time went on though, I found myself imagining more and more and wanting to create, but my life was so busy, and what would it get me anyway? Until one day my mother- in- law dropped a bomb that would change my life. She was talking to one of my husband’s cousins who was complaining about getting her college degree (she was already married with 4 kids. Yikes. I’d be complaining too.) And my MIL, the wise woman that she is simply said, honey, time is going to go by anyway, so you might as well do it. Well, it felt like the sky fell on me. The advice wasn’t even directed at me, but it resonated. I started writing that night. And never stopped.

My husband once asked where my creativity comes from, and in return I asked him if he ever heard voices in his head.  His reply, I needed to see a shrink. I told him a keyboard and a curser is the best therapy. I have always loved the supernatural, thanks in part to my mom; Charmed was one of our favorite shows to watch together and still is.  So when I started writing, it only felt natural that it took on a paranormal feel. But I didn't want to write about vampires or werewolves or really anything that had been done. I'm like that; I always tend to steer towards the opposite of popular and then proceed to make fun of it. So I started researching, and brainstorming, and concocting my mix of love, humor and emotion. Liv was already an entity in my head, festering. I'd often imagine a dark haired girl with amethyst eyes, suffering and alone. When I finally established who she really was, and what kind of supernatural elements she would possess, (an Empath-someone who can feel the emotions of others- with active abilities) I asked myself, what would it be like for someone like that to carry the world's emotions? Torrential I thought. What would it be like for her to fall in love? Even worse than torrential.  The story evolved rather quickly after that, but I didn't rush it.  It took me a little over a year to write, over two years to edit. I learned a lot about my writing style during that time, developed my voice and really tried to give it a life-like feel.

So here I am almost four years later, a husband, 2 kids, and a home in what feels like a foreign country; a daytime career and a nighttime career, all jumbling together, fighting for a piece of my time. Go hard or go home, my husband and I always joke, if we have a story, it needs a theme and that is it.  I wouldn't change it though, not for anything. Life is nothing, if not a venture - (I have no idea who said that).

Contact Info-

MarissaCarmel@aol.com

Twitter- @MarissaCarmel

Facebook- Marissa Carmel

Goodreads.com

www.Marissacarmel.moonfruit.com  

Gifting Your Universe

Welcome to Friday's Gifting Your Universe!

Aaron Ritchey's been with us all week, sharing his personal story and giving us a peek at The Never Prayer's cover and great excerpt.







AND he's graciously offered to host an ebook giveaway for The Never Prayer.

So, leave a comment below  with your email addy. 


You can also visit Aaron at:
http://www.aaronmritchey.com
http://www.facebook.com/TheNeverPrayer
http://www.twitter.com/aaronmritchey

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As always, thanks for stopping by. Please join the blog through Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs. I enjoy making new friends and sharing my love of everything bookish!