My Highland Love Tour: Review and Giveaway

Title: My Highland Love

Series: Highland Lords, #1

Author: Tarah Scott

Genre: Historical Romance/Fantasy,

Publisher: Silver Publisher

Ebook

Pages: 262

Purchase:

Amazon | B&N | ARe | 

Book Description:

Elise Kingston is a wanted woman. But that won't stop her from returning home to America and exposing the man responsible for her daughter's death. Not even clan chief Marcus MacGregor, who moves her heart, body, and soul will stand in her way.

Until she must choose between his life and her revenge.

About the Author:

An award winning author, Tarah Scott writes historical romance and romantic and paranormal suspense. She is published with Total E-Bound, Loose Id, The Wild Rose Press, and Etopia Press.

 Born in New Mexico, Tarah grew up in the Southwest. Ten years ago, she relocated to Westchester County, New York, where she and her daughter reside in a lakeside community. Don’t be fooled by what sounds like a quiet life. The city that never sleeps is only an hour away, and this Texas girl and her New York bred daughter wouldn’t have it any other way.

Website | Facebook | We Follow | Blog | Email tscott@tarahscott.com |

Review:

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. 

An enjoyable Highlander romance that had me wanted to smack the characters in one moment and cheer for them the next. 

I must admit to not enjoying this book that much at the beginning. It felt like it was trying too hard to be a Highlander romance. It felt terribly cookie cutter like it was trying to hit a number of romance conventions. Marcus had an overdone instant attraction to her. Initially, I really disliked the romance aka creepy pursuit of Marcus towards Elise. I know what time period the book was set in, but the body's response is not consent. Despite his initial overwhelming desire, Marcus did show that he was coming to care for Elise although he still had boundary issues.

I liked Elise. She was strong, competent, and managed to escape a number of bad situations. One thing that I found was odd that she seemed to be quite strong for a woman, but seemed very weak other times. I did like how much she fought against Marcus' advances. 

The background for this story did add an element of danger although sometimes it felt too overblown, especially with such a bad baddie. I did like how everything turned out though. Elise's response to what happened to her was a realistic one and I really liked how Marcus knew he had to work hard to help her. 

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to fans of Highlander romance and romance with strong heroines. 

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

More History Please

1215: The Year of Magna Carta by Danny Danziger, John Gillingham

Summary: Surveying a broad landscape through a narrow lens, 1215 sweeps readers back eight centuries in an absorbing portrait of life during a time of global upheaval, the ripples of which can still be felt today.

At the center of this fascinating period is the document that has become the root of modern freedom: the Magna Carta. Never before had royal authority been challenged so fundamentally. The Great Charter would become the foundation of the U.S. government and legal system, and nearly eight hundred years later, two of Magna Carta's sixty-three clauses are still a ringing expression of freedom for mankind. But it was also a time of political revolution and domestic change that saw the Crusades, Richard the Lionheart, King John, and -- in legend -- Robin Hood all make their marks on history.

The events leading up to King John's setting his seal to the famous document at Runnymede in June 1215 form this rich and riveting narrative that vividly describes everyday life from castle to countryside, from school to church, and from hunting in the forest to trial by ordeal. For instance, women wore no underwear (though men did), the average temperatures were actually higher than they are now, the austere kitchen at Westminster Abbey allowed each monk two pounds of meat and a gallon of ale per day, and it was possible to travel from Windsor to the Hampshire coast without once leaving the forest.

Broad in scope and rich in detail, 1215 ingeniously illuminates what may have been the most important year of our history.

Review: An informative overview of late 12th, early 13th century life in Europe, especially England, but is quite light on the history leading up to the Magna Carta.

I was eager to read this book because I am trying to learn more about medieval history and the Magna Carta is an important document. I was disappointed in this book. Perhaps it's another case of I should read the summaries more closely, but with a book titled 1215: The Year of the Magna Carta, I thought it would focus a lot more on the actual Magna Carta. The actual chapter that dealt with the Magna Carta did focus a little on the history of the rebellion, how the Magna Carta came to be, and how it was dealt with after John's death, but that was only about twenty pages or so. I'll have to read a more academic work to learn more about the history King John and the Magna Carta.

This book did provide some interesting information on how people lived in that time period and what the world was like then. It's a good primer for someone seeking brief, basic information, but for somehow who wishes to study medieval literature and history, it's much too light on information. It's fluff. 

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those looking for a brief overview of medieval life in 12th and 13th England and Europe.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Book Journey. This meme lets you show fellow readers what you have read, what you are reading, and what you will be reading.

Recently Read:

Currently Reading:

To Read:

You're a Daughter of What Now?

Boyfriend from Hell by Jamie Quaid

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.

Summary: Justine (Tina) Clancy is just an ordinary law student with a faulty arrest record, a part-time job in Baltimore’s radioactive Zone, and a family secret so bizarre even she doesn’t believe it. That is, until in a fit of fury she damns her boyfriend to hell—and it’s exactly where he ends up.

Much to her own surprise, Tina is apparently one of Saturn’s daughters, with the power to wield vigilante justice. But poor Max didn’t deserve to go up in flames, even if he did almost run her over with her own car. Tina’s convinced someone cut the brakes—and now a relentless nemesis is stalking her through the Zone’s back alleys, where buildings glow, statues move, and chemical waste exposure comes with interesting consequences. Tina’s usually a loner, but now she needs a posse like no other: a shape-shifting kitten, an invisible thief, a biker gang, a snake-charming private detective, a well-meaning cop, and her sleazy, sexy boss. But in between freeing Max from hell, saving her own neck, and solving a mystery that threatens the Zone and her newfound friends, how is she ever going to study for finals?

Review: An interesting although quite confusing supernatural story with some weird relationships thrown in for a good measure. 

I was happy to have a main female character who had a physical defect instead of either extremely beautiful or views herself as plain or unattractive, but everyone finds her attractive (but sadly that changes in the book). Tina says she has no issues with self esteem yet says she knows that Max is probably the best she can do for a girl like her. I wanted to smack her then and a number of times in the book. Not everyone is incredibly beautiful or has a killer body. Plenty of people are average. 

The relationships in this book were a bit odd. I couldn't really get a good feel for how she felt about Max and even less for how she felt about Andre, who was sleazy at times yet nice at other times. Even less certain for me was what exactly the Zone was, what exactly Tina was, and what exactly the Zone did to people. If Tina is one of Saturn's daughters, how exactly did that come about? What is because of her heritage or did the Zone help bring it out? And what about everyone else who lives in the Zone and gets unusual powers? More explanation please. 

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to fans of supernatural fiction or fantasy stories with main characters with physical defects (at least at first). 

The City of the Mirage by Jerome Brooke

The City of the Mirage by Jerome Brooke is now on Amazon. The Divine Astarte is one of the last of her race. Her kind seeded many worlds with life. One of these realms was the planet of the Warrior.

The City of the Mirage in a dark fantasy.

Astarte is feared, not loved by her people - she is the Destroyer of Worlds. She is served by a legion of shield maidens. These cruel warriors are feared by all. They commit all manner of atrocities, such as impalement.

The people of her empire are also terrorized by the Beast Men. They are the offspring of members of an alien race and the daughters of men. They feed on human flesh. They use captive women to breed more of their kind.

Jerome Brooke was born in Indiana. He now lives in the Kingdom of Siam. He is married to Jira, a princess of the lost Kingdom of Nan.

Brooke seeks to write texts that are suitable as eBooks. Readers may desire to print out chapters or short stories. Texts that can be read in a single evening are often best.

Series of stories and books are a good option. The Conan stories are a good example. They can be read as solo stories. Read in a series, they have some of the qualities of a novel or narrative.

Jerome lives in Chonburi, near Pattaya. He has written a number of other books and stores in the Divine Astarte series - and a number of related series and cycles. Many short stores in the series have appeared in Welcome to Wherever and other magazines.

The Astarte and related series share the same setting. The stories take place far into the future. The stars have been seeded with life by the race of Astarte. She and her kind are worshiped as gods by the people of their realm. Many of the books and stories share the same characters. Read in sequence, they often form a narrative. I think of the series as a hybrid. The chapters were published as short stories in magazines, and can be read alone. Read in sequence, they form a novella or cohesive book. The same was true of the Conan series of Robert E. Howard or the Sherlock home stories.

cityofthemirage.wordpress.com

jeromevbrooke@yahoo.com

Excerpt:

The muse stood at the side of the blind bard.  She whispered in his ear, telling him the history of the demigod, of the Conqueror. 

Myth of the Lady of the Myst, II, vii.           

The mirage appeared very close.  I could see the white towers of the city, as they shimmered on the horizon.  I wiped the sweat from my brow with my sleeve, and took a sip of water from my canteen.

I looked over my shoulder.  I could no longer see the enemy chase cars. They had been in pursuit since last night, when my plane went down.  I had parachuted from my wounded craft, and landed in the desert. After I landed, I fled into the empty waste, hoping that my beacon would be heard by our rescue.

I resumed walking.  Perhaps I had come all this way only to die of thirst in this wasteland.  I checked my canteen.  Almost empty.

I tried my radio once more.  Nothing – not even static.

I continued walking in the light breeze.  I soon came to a boulder field.  I walked among the rocks for a few minutes, until I came to the edge of a ravine.  I glanced over the edge, and saw a fast moving stream below.

I climbed down the steep slope to the floor of the ravine.  I filled my canteen, and pulled off my flight suit.  I plunged into the water, and rinsed off the dust.

I sat upon a rock near the edge of the stream, to rest for a time.  I soon pulled on my flightsuit, and began to follow the stream.  As I walked, a strange blue mist began to form, near the ground.  The mist persisted, even tho a breeze began to stir the air.

I came to a large bolder jutting out into the stream.  I walked around it, and saw movement out of the corner of my eye.  I turned, and saw a woman of middle years stepping out of the stream.

“Hello,”   she said with a smile.  She spoke with a heavy accent.

“Hello,” I replied, and smiled.  She had black hair, and dark, olive skin.  She did not seem to mind that she had nothing on, in the strong breeze.  This was all passing strange.

“I am the Lady of the Myst.  Are you lost, Warrior?”

“Well, yes.  I am heading west,”  I managed to collect myself and say.

She pointed down the ravine. “Follow the stream.  It leads to the plain.  If you see anyone else, they may help you.”

I nodded.

“I must leave you now.  But you will see me soon, when you are ready.”  She came up to me, and wrapped her arms around me.  She kissed, and gently bit my neck.  I felt a little dizzy, and also felt a strong attraction to her.

“Am I Enthralled by the Lady, the beautiful Lady Without Mercy?”  I asked myself.

--

November 2012

Chasing the Trickster Tour

Title: Chasing the Trickster

Series: The Cernunnos Series #1

Author: April Grey

Genre: Dark, Fantasy, Paranormal

Publisher: Eternal Press

Ebook/Paperback

Pages: 236

Purchase:

Amazon | Eternal Press | Barnes and Noble |

Book Description:

One Man, Two Women, Two Gods...who will survive the Trickster's snare?

Ghostly images materialize in Nina Weaver's photos. Goons try to kidnap her. When her photographs are stolen and her best friend is shot, she realizes that she has no one to turn to but her ex-lover, Pascal ""Goofy"" Guzman. Together they go on a desperate road trip in search of answers. The truth is darker and more terrifying than Nina could ever have imagined. After their love re-ignites, they fall into the Trickster God's trap.

Excerpt:

She stared at the photo on the gallery wall and silently swore. All semester ghostly images had marred her work. And now not only a strange inclusion ruined her photo, but the pin light needed to be repositioned as well. She found a ladder in the hallway supply closet. Balancing precariously on the top step, she noticed that the imperfection had changed into the image of a vehicle, and it was on fire. She could see the superheated air wavering up off of the flames. The crackling and sudden heat of a blaze forced her to lift a hand to guard her face. It was going to explode. She was quite sure of it. And then she was falling backwards, falling down…

About the Author:

April Grey's urban fantasy novel, Chasing The Trickster, is published by Eternal Press. Her short stories have been published in such print anthologies as Demonmind's Halloween 2010, The Best of Everyday Fiction 2, Northern Haunts, Ephemera and Terrible Beauty, Fearful Symmetry. Many of these stories can be found in her collection, The Fairy Cake Bake Shoppe available through Amazon and Smashwords.

She and her family live in Hell's Kitchen, NYC in a building next to a bedeviled garden. Gremlins, sprites or pixies, something mischievous, lurks therein. Someday she'll find out.

Blog |Facebook | Twitter | Smashwords | Website |

_________________________

The author would love also if you could post the below on your post, it is to promote a writing class she is teaching. You do not have to; again this is completely voluntary on your part.

Writing Class - Jan 28 - Feb 10

Writing for e-zines 13 SPOTS LEFT
April Grey. The best piece of advice I ever had as a budding novelist was to also write short pieces. The benefits of publishing short stories and/or non-fiction articles with e-zines (and other publications) are huge. You can make a name for yourself as a writer, create a platform, improve your craft and get paid by selling to e-zines. This course will teach the beginning writer how to research markets, evaluate their own work, write a cover letter/follow up query and track their stories. Students will sub... {more info}
Duration: 13 days. $20/$30 (Craft, Plotting, Characterization, Industry, Genre, Intermediate) http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/workshoplist.php

Interview and Guest Post by David Brown, Author of A World Apart

Today I will be featuring an interview and guest post by David Brown, author of A World Apart.

Interview:

What are your favorite book(s)? 

I’ve always loved the fantasy genre and when I read J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings it quickly became my favourite book. However, Tolkien was surpassed a few years ago when my brother handed me two small books – one red and one green – and told me they made up a novel entitled Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. Since reading those little books I have my own copy of Murakami’s masterpiece and despite an average film adaptation in recent years, this remains the finest book I have ever read.

Who is your favorite author?

There are so many I love but I’ve read more books by Terry Pratchett than any other author. His Discworld novels are imaginative, quirky and very funny. He is an inspirational writer though I could never write anything as funny as him.

Where do you get your inspiration from? 

I’ve always loved history and this was integral when it came to my world building. Not only did my passion for history help me shape the fictitious world where my books are set but it gave me ideas for stories as well. There are so many fascinating characters in history, be the conquerors or philosophers, you are never short of ideas. I have also found inspiration in films, RPGs and especially with music such as The Decemberists.

Where is your favorite place to do your writing?

I tend to write at my best when I am not at home. My wife and I will often head into town a couple of times a week and seek out a coffee shop where we’ll squirrel ourselves away for a few hours. No matter how busy it is I find the words flow easily. I write my novels on a Netbook for two reasons. 1) It’s smaller and more portable, 2) My laptop is pretty old and the battery lasts less than five minutes! I should really think about getting a new one.

What made you decide to become a writer? 

I was in college in 1998 when I discovered the RPG series, Final Fantasy. I bought Final Fantasy VII on a whim and quickly fell in love with the game. It used gods such as Shiva and Quetzalcoatl to aid your characters in battle and I began reading up on these deities. Through Final Fantasy VII I discovered Odin and Norse mythology which I immediately preferred to the Greek myths I had known at school. From there, I took in the Icelandic Sagas and Beowulf. These influences collectively led to me creating the fictitious world of Elenchera in 1999 and I have been writing ever since.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? 

The editing process I find both enjoyable and difficult. When you are writing your first draft and just getting ideas down there is no pressure. When the next drafts are taking shape the real challenge begins. I think the hard thing is not necessarily the editing as such but knowing when you have reached that point where the book is as good as you’re ever going to make it. Coming to that stage where you can say the book is done is never easy but it’s a wonderful feeling when you get there.

Tell us about your newest book.
A World Apart is the second in the Elencheran Chronicles series. Rather than a continuous narrative these are self-contained novels about different characters and places within Elenchera and its timeline of 47,000 years. A World Apart tells the story of three friends – Demetrius, Eleyna and Halycon – who grow up together in Dove’s Meadow and find themselves in an awkward love triangle in their teens. When Eleyna marries Halcyon, Demetrius leaves the town and starts a new life in the army. A decade later the friends are reunited with Demetrius charged with hunting down and killing a notorious pirate – the Ivory Rose. When Demetrius discovers the Ivory Rose is Eleyna he must choose between loyalty to the republic of Himordia or to the only woman he has ever loved. 

About the Author
David Brown could be considered a fantasy fanatic, especially since he has spent the last 10 years developing a 47,000-year history for his fictional world of Elenchera. When converting his obsession into literary form, David commits himself to a rigorous writing and editing process before his work can meet his approval. Combined with the critical eye of his wife and a BA Hons in History and English, David's dedication leads him to his goal of inspiring readers through heartfelt stories and characters.

Although David is inspired primarily by fantasy fiction, he also finds his muse in the form of anime, world cinema, history, and biographies. His own books, Fezariu's Epiphany and A World Apart, and the in-progress Ansel's Remorse and The Stars Beneath the Parapets combine aspects from worlds both old and new into compelling tales of a world not soon forgotten. David himself certainly does not lack a spirit of adventure; in fact, he left his job in 2007 in order to spend a month travelling. Second only to meeting and marrying his wife, David counts this as one of the most amazing experiences of his life.

Book Blurb

Demetrius makes his first mistake when he lets his best friend Halcyon marry Eleyna, the love of his life, without saying a word. On the day of the wedding, he walks away from the Elencheran town of Dove's Meadow and joins the army.

He makes his second mistake when the pirate Black Iris tricks him into letting dozens of men, women and children die in a fire. Demetrius is imprisoned in grief and disgrace.

But he can atone. The Black Iris is dead. The Ivory Rose has risen to the top of the pirates and is leading brutal raids on the coast. If Demetrius can capture and kill her, he'll win his pardon.

And then Demetrius discovers the Ivory Rose is Eleyna. He must decide which will be his third mistake: losing his last chance at a pardon or destroying the one woman he's ever loved.

Website: http://elenchera.com

A World Apart on Amazon US: http://amzn.to/Srahzn

A World Apart on Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/QpppBB

Guest Post about Bloggers:

With a Little Help From My Book Blogging Friends 

Being an indie author is a lonely business. Not only must you take the plunge in being a writer but you choose to go it alone in your writing journey. However, you will need some help along the way and the good news is that there are many people to turn to. When it comes to promoting your work and building your platform, your friends in high places are the fabulous book bloggers.

The worth of book bloggers is beyond the justification of words. These amazing individuals work tirelessly for no financial reward, other than their love of books. They don’t just read and review books, some offer interview and guest post opportunities, they might provide giveaways and after all that they will promote their posts, featuring you, across social media. How much does this cost the author? Nothing. It might seem too good to be true to have such individuals willing to bend over backwards to help you with your writing but, believe me, there are many of them out there.

There are sadly some authors that do not recognise the worth of book bloggers, some that can’t look beyond their magnum opus which they believe any blogger should be honoured to read. The truth is that many book bloggers receive dozens of requests to review books each day. It’s unlikely that they will have time to read every book and that’s fine. The majority of book bloggers do not earn their livings through their blogs. Many go out to work and still find the time to blog, others are raising families yet somehow snatch some reading and blogging time before the end of the day. How they do it perplexes me.

Whenever I hear tales of book bloggers being treated disrespectfully it both angers and saddens me. One of the best pieces of advice I can offer to indie authors is to not only write books but to read and review them as well. The best writers are readers and by being a book blogger you can not only give something back to the indie community but you can see both sides – an author’s viewpoint and a book blogger’s viewpoint. Personally, I have received the emails that are cut and paste jobs sent to multiple contacts, no attempts to even find a blogger’s name and even worse the writers that do not read a blogger’s review policy. These policies are crucial and will prevent you not only wasting a book blogger’s time but your own. Always read them carefully. Bloggers will be grateful that you did.

I have benefitted greatly from being an author and book blogger. I run a blog with my wife and we have reviews, interviews, guest posts and giveaways which we both find rewarding. You can take note of authors that approach you in a polite manner and who found an opportunity to appear on your blog. Follow the examples of those who were pleasant to you and not those that have shown a complete disregard for a blogger and the chances are you will be warmly received. If for whatever reason a blogger cannot accommodate you, don’t take it personally. Always be gracious regardless of the outcome. The truth is that book bloggers are very busy people and cannot possibly review every book or host every author.

There are many links on how to approach book bloggers in the correct manner but what I will say is always remember that you need the blogger more than they need you. Book bloggers provide a fantastic service to indie authors and deserve our respect. At the end of the day they can make the difference for you when it comes to promoting yourself and your work. Every appearance you make on a book blog involves a sacrifice of the blogger’s time and space. Treat them as well as they have treated you and I’m sure they’ll be happy to have you back in future.