Jack Canon's American Destiny

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Orangeberry Spring Fling - Dark Lady of Doona by Christine Frost

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Known as “Granía of the Gamblers,” Granía O’Malley makes a high-stakes bet to buy her freedom and the ability to continue her livelihood as pirate queen on Ireland’s west coast. She enters into a dangerous agreement with Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, and soon finds herself caught up in a web of intrigue that is plunging her country, as well as her family, into chaos. 

At war with a cruel governor while serving as one of Walsingham’s many spies, Granía struggles to maintain stability within her family and fleet and provide an enduring legacy for her heir to the seas. A story full of adventure and passion, Dark Lady of Doona portrays the life of a formidable woman who defied traditions by commanding her own fleet of ships and leading her loyal followers into rebellion.

Buy at Amazon
Genre – Historical Fiction (R)
Connect with Christine Frost on Facebook & Twitter

Friday, March 29, 2013

Orangeberry Book of the Day - The Gauguin Connection by Estelle Ryan

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Murdered artists. Masterful forgeries.
Art crime at its worst.

A straightforward murder investigation quickly turns into a quagmire of stolen Eurocorps weapons, a money-laundering charity, forged art and high-ranking EU officials abusing their power.

As an insurance investigator and world renowned expert in nonverbal communication, Dr Genevieve Lenard faces the daily challenge of living a successful, independent life. Particularly because she has to deal with her high functioning Autism. Nothing - not her studies, her high IQ or her astounding analytical skills - prepared her for the changes about to take place in her life.

It started as a favour to help her boss' acerbic friend look into the murder of a young artist, but soon it proves to be far more complex. Forced out of her predictable routines, safe environment and limited social interaction, Genevieve is thrown into exploring the meaning of friendship, expanding her social definitions, and for the first time in her life be part of a team in a race to stop more artists from being murdered.

Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre - Mystery
Rating – PG13
More details about the author
Connect with Estelle Ryan on Facebook

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Orangeberry Spring Fling - Playing the Genetic Lottery by Terri Morgan

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"Caitlin’s story touched me deep in my soul" ~ Marina

"Terri Morgan's depictions of the disorder are realistic as well as haunting." ~ Allizabeth Collins

At fifteen, Ava ran away from home and changed her name to Caitlin to escape the chaotic childhood of having two schizophrenic parents. However, she lives with the constant fear of what lies in her DNA. Will she succumb to the disease that robbed her of a normal childhood? Will her children be the next victims of the family curse?

"its a roller-coaster ride of emotions" ~ Sandra

Looking for an emotional and touching story of human strength and overcoming obstacles? Read Terri Morgan's fictional memoir PLAYING THE GENETIC LOTTERY.

Buy at Amazon
Genre – Fictional Memoir (PG13)
Connect with Terri Morgan on Facebook

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Orangeberry Book of the Day - Only A Glow (The White Warrior) by Nichelle Rae

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What if the world was ending? What if only you had the power to save it? And what if your power wasn't in your control? Welcome to Azrel's dilemma. "Only A Glow" is the first book in an epic new fantasy series, The White Warrior. Join Azrel, her brother Rabryn, and her best friend Ortheldo as they journey across their land to try to save the world from another age of the Shadow Gods rule. Along the way they try to find out what's wrong with Azrel's magic, because her magic is the only power that will cause the Shadow Gods to stumble and fail.

Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre - Epic Fantasy 
Rating – PG13
More details about the author & the book
Connect with Nichelle Rae on Facebook & Twitter

Orangeberry Spring Fling - Tongues of Angels by Julia Park Tracey

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Author Julia Park was married to a Roman Catholic priest for several years and heard many stories of wonder and woe. From those tales comes a novel, Tongues of Angels, an insider's view of the Catholic Church and the priesthood as it stands today.Tongues of Angels:Meet Rob Souza as he faces the challenges of the priesthood-gossip, innuendo, church politics, public scandals-and Jessica, a young woman with a secret past. Meet Lawrence, Rob's best friend, a gay priest who somehow becomes the third in this odd love triangle. While Jessica finds hope and healing, Rob and Lawrence discover that, despite their best intentions, a promise of celibacy is hard to keep. Tongues of Angels offers a peek behind the curtain of the priesthood, offering a funny, poignant look at Catholic angst and ambiguity. Based on a true story, Tongues of Angels is a canny, warm and surprisingly spiritual novel for our time.

Buy at Amazon
Genre – Romantic Suspense (PG13)
Connect with Julia Park Tracey on Facebook and Twitter

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Orangeberry Book Of The Day – Playing Nice by Rebekah Crane

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Martina “Marty” Hart is really nice. At least, that’s what people think.

It’s Marty’s junior year at Minster High. Minster’s a small town where making great grades, smiling pretty, helping old people, running the new-student Welcoming Committee, and putting up decorations for all the dances–including the totally awful Hot Shot fall hunting celebration–gets you … what? Marty’s not sure.

Instead of dreaming about a sororities-and-frats future at nearby University of Michigan, she’s restless, searching for a way out of the box her controlling mother and best frenemy Sarah have locked her in. When Lil–don’t call her Lily!–Hatfield transfers to Minster, Marty gets her chance. Lil’s different. She smokes, wears black, listens to angry punk records, and lives in a weird trailer with her mother. Lil has secrets–secrets that make her a target for all the gossiping and online bullying Minster can muster. But so does Marty. And Marty sees something different in Lil. Something honest. Something real.

Playing Nice is the achingly real story of a girl who’s been following the rules for so long she’s forgotten who she was when she started. It’s about falling in love with the wrong people and not seeing the right ones, about the moments in life when you step out of line, take a chance … and begin to break free.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Young Adult / Bullying

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with Rebekah Crane on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://rebekahcrane.tumblr.com/

Orangeberry Spring Fling – I Have People by Taylor Dean

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Holly Sinclair is happily married to the love of her life, Gabriel. Young and in love, Holly hopes to have their first child soon. Of course, Gabriel wants to wait till Holly’s health is restored, much to Holly’s dismay. She feels perfectly fine. So what if she just woke up from an eight-month coma? So what if some of her memories are missing? She remembers Gabe and that’s all that matters, right?

That is, until HE enters her life again . . . she forgot about HIM.

Buy at Amazon

Genre – Contemporary Romance (PG13)

Connect with Taylor Dean on Facebook

Website - http://www.taylordeanbooks.com/

 

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Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas

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Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas


Retta Heikkinen knows the unspoken rule of society: love between androids and humans is forbidden. A simple enough edict until Hemingway Koskinen spends an evening charming her with his intense gaze, bewitching smile, and sparkling conversation that hints at so much more than the usual obsessions of high school boys. Rules were meant to be cast aside, especially when love beckons.

If only it were as simple as being in love.

Trouble is brewing, not just for Hemingway--for all androids. Secrets have been kept, lies propagated, and Retta soon discovers that a frightening future awaits thousands of androids if she doesn’t do something to stop it. Worse yet, she will lose the one love she’s ever endangered herself for: Hemingway.



Praise

"Nothing like I've read before. A true original story! Everything is so well described. Now if they could make a follow up book and movie, that would be great!" ~Mrs. Z (Amazon)

"I was addicted to this book from the beginning. Life on Mars was very real and not at all a sci fi world I didn't understand . . . I found myself rooting for Retta and Hemingway from the very beginning. Easy reading, couldn't put it down and had it read in a weekend. Waiting for a sequel!" ~TNielsen (Amazon)

"The ending of this book is exceptional. While it was different from what I imagined, the way the author brought in a shocking revelation was amazing. I probably reread the last chapter 3 times letting it sink in and the meaning behind it. It was truly beautiful . . . I would love to see more of Retta and Hemingway!" ~Kat Meyer, (Goodreads)

"I love how the author populated Mars . . . so descriptive and comprehensive . . . I could clearly picture everything as if I was seeing the movie &/or was along for the ride. . . . Retta, the main character, is strong, opinionated, and a great champion for her cause." ~Megan (Amazon)

"I had been in the worst reading slump ever and came across this on Goodreads and thought I'd give it a try. Well, I was pleasantly surprised on how funny and exciting and mysterious it was . . . Mei, Retta's bff, had me laughing out loud quite a bit as well as Retta herself. I'd definitely hang out with those two." ~Deanneluvbooks (Goodreads)



Blue Hearts of Mars has made it to the quarterfinals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

Readers are invited to download the excerpts (here) and rate and comment on the entries. So please, if you want to contribute, download and rate Blue Hearts! Your support is incredibly appreciated!


Or purchase the full version of the book here: Amazon




Author Nicole Grotepas

Nicole wrote her first fantasy novel in 7th grade on her mother's old Brother typewriter. It was never finished but it strongly resembled a Dragonlance plot and she's forever wondered what happened to the manuscript and Tonathan--the handsome elven protagonist. After living in Nashville where she worked as an editor, she returned to the Utah desert where she was raised. Nicole now lives near the Wasatch mountains with her husband. She writes and raises her son and three cats full time.
 


 

Tour Schedule





Book Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 4/14/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Orangeberry Blast Off - Away From The Spotlight - Tamara Carlisle

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away from the spotlight

In the closing weeks of law school, Shannon Sutherland meets handsome and charming Englishman Will MacKenzie. Initially swept off her feet, Shannon finds that Will has a secret that, once discovered and the consequences realized, could destroy their fledgling relationship. Will and Shannon take great pains to have a normal relationship but, ultimately, find it impossible to do so. Will the pressures of their careers and the temptations of others drive Will and Shannon apart? Can Will and Shannon live a happy life away from the spotlight?
Tamara Carlisle takes you on a romantic ride that explores the consequences of fame and a love that endures all.

Buy at Amazon

Genre – Contemporary Romance (PG13)

Connect with Tamara Carlisle on Facebook

Website - https://tamaracarlisle.com/

Check out this author’s book feature, guest post, Top 10 & interview

OB-SPRING-FLING

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Avery Snow Book Blast and Giveaway

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Are you an Avery Snow fan?
The highly anticipated sequel to The Many of Lives of Avery Snow is here!
 
The Unraveling of Avery Snow 
by Christy Sloat
 
Enter below for your chance to win the ultimate fan prize pack
 
 
Chat LIVE with Christy Sloat
Twitter Party, March 26, 10 am EST
#AverySnow

And get your own copy of The Unraveling of Avery Snow
As Avery Snow settles into her life and relationships with those around her, she fights to forget her past lives. All of which she spent with Landon, who still has no recollection of who she really is. It seems better that way. Even though she still feels a draw to his soul, she chooses to ignore it.

For now everything is fine. Her boyfriend, Dallas, has opened a new restaurant. Her friends, Ianni and Kerri, are settling into their lives as well. But when news of a new Dark Guide is revealed, Avery is forced to start thinking about the life she truly leads. One that is very abnormal. One she is desperate to forget. This Dark Guide is determined to make Avery pay for the death of someone she held dear.

Now Avery’s life has gone from seemingly perfect to falling apart. What will be at stake next? Her life? Her love? And who will be there in the end to help her up off the ground?

Even the strongest love can unravel.

Will Avery be able to hold it all together, or will she just let go?
 
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A GWR Publicity promotional event paid for by Anchor Group Publishing. Giveaway is sponsored by the author.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Author Interview – Karin Cox

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Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? Now that I have a toddler, I don’t travel very much. But I spent three years travelling throughout Europe several years ago, so I base a lot of my location research on that. Nowadays, there are great online virtual tours you can take and a stack of information online that can really help writers get a feel for a location, but, of course, nothing beats actually going there—and hey, it’s a tax write-off!

What books have most influenced your life? I think poetry has had the biggest influence on my life. I love the wisdom it imparts and the beauty of the words soothes me. If I am feeling a little down, poetry is my go-to pick me up (well, wine and poetry, usually).

Have you ever considered anyone as a mentor? I have. Many years ago I was lucky enough to meet and work with a lovely author named Patsy Rowe. We became firm friends as I worked on editing her books, and she has been instrumental in encouraging me and mentoring me over my career. She’s a great friend as well as a mentor. More recently, I stumbled blindly into a fantastic group of indies, all of whom I’ve only ever met online. They have all been incredible sources of knowledge, support, and humour. They’re my crew, and I don’t know how I could have gotten through the tougher days without them.

Who is your favorite author and why? Mary Renault is my favourite author. I love the rich lyricism of her books and the attention to detail and to historical research.

Can we expect any more books from you in the future? Yes, you sure can. As long as I have Write or Die, you can expect a lot more books from me, probably in numerous genres.

Have you started another book yet? Yes, I have started Creche. A lot of my early readers and reviewers have said they cannot wait to read the sequel, so I better get to it. It reveals a lot more about Amedeo’s past and also some surprising information that even Amedeo was unaware of.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Making enough to write fulltime in a beautiful little cabin in the mountains, or in my Greek Island holiday home, or my villa in Tuscany, or my house on Sunshine Coast acreage while my partner quits his job to play daddy daycare to our brood of happy little kids. J

What are your current writing projects now? Right now, I’m working on several different things, but Creche is my priority. My other works in progress include:

Float, a YA Dystopian novel set in Australia.

Day of the Danae Shee, a YA fantasy trilogy.

From Memory, a half-finished romance novel.

The Phoenix Feather, another YA fantasy.

A book about self-editing (as yet untitled).

A free ebook about using indiereviewtracker.com and getting reviews or free or paid marketing (also not yet titled).

Are you reading any interesting books at the moment? Much as I have busy days, I always set aside half an hour before bed to read. That usually means sometime between 12 and 1 am, I am reading. At present, I am really enjoying Tony Slater’s new comedy Don’t Need the Whole Dog; Heather Adkin’s spooky The House; and GR Yeates soon-to-be-released young adult fantasy The Sword of Sighs. All are great examples of just how much indie talent is out there in different genres.

Are there any new authors that have sparked your interest and why? I’m a sucker for a success story, especially an indie one. I’ve grabbed a copy of Colleen Hoover’s latest book, Hopeless, and I was also really impressed with Carol Davis Luce’s latest Awakening: Story of a Brown-eyed Girl, and Charles Sheehan-Miles’s Just Remember to Breathe. And Wool, of course. There are loads of excellent authors out there.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Paranormal Romance

Rating – PG15+ (some violence & swearing. No sex)

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Karin Cox on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://karincox.wordpress.com/

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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Orangeberry Book Of The Day– The Symbolon (The Sibylline Trilogy) by Delia Colvin

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The Symbolon is the passionate second novel of the addictive Sibylline Trilogy!

For 3000 years, Alex has dreamt of a life with his mortal beloved, Valeria. And it appears that they will at last have a chance for a life together!

But when they approach the ancient council of immortals, for approval of the marriage,
they discover that sinister forces object to their union. Soon they find themselves faced with terrifying threats including a devastating separation that neither may survive!

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Paranormal

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Delia Colvin on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.deliacolvin.com/

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Orangeberry Book Of The Day – Gallows Ascending (Stone Quest) by Leigh Podgorski

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Gallows Ascending continues the saga of tracker and pyschic visionary Luke Stone in Book Two of the Stone Quest Series.

It has been thirteen years since Luke’s confrontation in the desert with his nemesis, black magician Armand Jacobi. Luke’s wife Consuelo, whom he met at Eppie Falco’s Desert Inn and Café has died, and Luke has placed himself once again in exile. This time, his wanderings have brought him to the seaside village of New Camen, New Hampshire.

Into his self-imposed solitude drops Dr. Bethany Rutledge. Accused of the murder of her eight year old daughter, stripped of her license to practice medicine, her marriage to politician Adrian Mountzaire in tatters, Beth Rutledge is haunted nightly by the chilling vision of a young woman’s brutal death by hanging.

Adding to this mix is the disappearance of an adolescent boy that appears to be centered in the tiny hamlet of New Camen. Then, Adrian Mountzaire turns up dead with his estranged wife Beth Rutledge lying in the sand beside him.

Despite his best efforts to resist the temptation, Luke is falling in love with Beth Rutledge, and she with him. Beth has unlocked the frozen reaches of his heart–the heart that was frozen when his beloved Consuelo was taken by breast cancer several years before and he could do nothing to save her.

Now, Luke must not only find the lost boy, but find the real killer of Adrian Mountzaire in order to save his beloved from the same fate that haunts her restless dreams.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Metaphysical / Mystery

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Leigh Podgorski on Facebook & Twitter

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Saturday, March 23, 2013

Richard Stephenson – “Independent Author” – An Oxymoron

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“Independent Author” – An Oxymoron

by Richard Stephenson

That phrase for me is the textbook definition of an oxymoron, like “Act Naturally” or “Jumbo Shrimp”.  I understand that the term was coined to mean independent of the Big Six publishing houses.  The meaning of the term should stop right there and should never be used in any other sense.

I started writing “Collapse” back in March.  I wasn’t even sure I was going to write a novel when I sat down in front of my iMac.  I just wanted to see if I could do it.  I spit out a few chapters and eventually made an outline.  I let my wife and best friend read it and they were impressed.  They encouraged me to keep writing and told me I had talent.  After the first seven chapters I was excited to get the word out and decided to release a sneak peek.  I dumped each chapter into an online grammar check website and made a lot of corrections thinking it was polished and ready for distribution.

Holy cow was I wrong!

I got a lot of feedback from friends and family about how much they enjoyed the story, a few told me that it had some typos and grammar issues.  They also added that it didn’t take away from the story, but the mistakes were there.  About a week later I did a Google search of my novel to see if any interest was growing and found my way into a forum on a book lover’s website.  They tore me to pieces.  After highlighting a few glaring mistakes on the first page, I took the time to slow down and investigate.  Sure enough, the first page had two pretty big grammar mistakes.  I slowly and carefully read the first chapter to find more and more mistakes.  Just hold on a second, I proclaimed, what about the online grammar checks I did?  Surely they caught everything, right?  Nope.  Not even close.  It was clear that I needed help, lots and lots of help.  It was time to find an editor.

I took down the sneak peek and received a gift from God.  It turned out that I knew a retired high school English teacher and didn’t even know it.  My sister-in-law’s mother-in-law had been very excited about the news that I was writing a novel.  I simply thought that she was a supportive fan.  She always replied to my Facebook posts and shared the news on her’s.  She kindly offered to edit out the mistakes from my sneak peek and she did a fantastic job.  She informed me that in her spare time, she edits for friends and family (books, magazine articles, etc.)  Within a few days, the sneak peek was back up   I asked Susan if she would be willing to look at the chapters as I finished them and she enthusiastically said yes.  She stuck with me to the end and polished my manuscript into what it is today.

With an editor on board, I realized I still needed help.  I needed proof readers to give me input on the story. The story made perfect sense to me seeing as how I was the one writing it.  I had to make sure that it would make sense to the average reader.  My proof readers were there to point out when the story starting getting confusing.  They also pointed out contradictions and factual errors that I didn’t catch.  The most memorable one was during Chief Harris’s introductory chapter.  I wrote that one of the hurricanes he weathered, Hurricane Ike (one that I weathered myself) was a Category 5 storm.  Well, it was pointed out to me that Ike was not a 5, he was a 3.  You would think that the memorable event of a raging hurricane passing over me at 4am would ensure I would get that detail right.  That mistake was one of many I made during the creation of “Collapse”.  If I didn’t have proof readers to help me out, the book would have a lot of embarrassing errors.

Once I decided on a release date for my novel, I knew that the book needed a cover.  While I like to think I have a talent for writing, I know without a doubt that I have absolutely no artistic skills whatsoever.  While I am quite the computer nerd, I have no talent with graphic design programs.  Play “Draw Something” with me on your iPhone and see for yourself, I’m a horrible artist.  I was fortunate enough to have interacted with a wonderful artist on Twitter.  Laura Wright LaRoche at www.llpix.com did a fantastic job.  After exchanging a few emails detailing exactly what I wanted, she sent me the design in just a couple of days.  I only wanted a a few minor changes and got this masterpiece.

My advice to any aspiring independent author, get help.  You’re going to need it.

Buy now @ Amazon

Genre – Dystopian

Rating – R

More details about the book

Connect with Richard Stephenson on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://rastephensonauthor.blogspot.com/

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Orangeberry Book Of The Day – Wildflowers by Schledia Benefield

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Have you ever feared what may be hiding deep within you?

Darkness often skulks in the blood of unsuspecting victims, but Aster McGrath is acutely aware of the violence coursing through his veins. After all, he is the son of a murderer, and everyone in the town of Bayville, Mississippi says he will end up just like his father.

When Susan Blackman moves into town, Aster has already embraced his brutal nature, but her gentle spirit draws him in and slowly melts the icy exterior of his heart. Taming his savagery, she professes her love, but will the good within him be able to overcome the evil lurking deep inside? Or will the fiend break free of its fetters and seek blood?

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – YA Contemporary Romance

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with Schledia Benefield on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://schlediabenefield.blogspot.com/

Collapse by Richard Stephenson

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Collapse (New America, #1)Collapse by Richard Stephenson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Did the book description relate to the story?
Thought the script was very edgy. It was right on point, put many events and questions in your head.


What were the main relationships explored in this book?
Beck with his his genius, but inability to connect with people. Richard with his vast knowledge about war and survival. Then him trying to protect his family. Chester trying to do a good job and get a head in the world. He tried to do what he thought was right. He tried to protect his employees & his Company. Ben was an ordinary that took charge and tried to help others survive their grim circumstances. Chief Maxwell was a cop faced with major disasters in TX. He and Elizabeth left to try to find answers and figure out a way to stay alive.

3 things I liked about the book …
All the description of facts, how in depth he was in detail and how he brought Howard Beck full circle, in the character

Favourite character(s) …
Beck & Richard


View all my reviews

Friday, March 22, 2013

Orangeberry Book Of The Day – Books by Eleanor T Beaty

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On the Caribbean island of Maurray, spoiled-rotten, fifteen-year-old Hanna wakes up to a nightmare. She is not the daughter of an aristocrat but the orphan of a Gypsy. She is the descendant to a mystical Gypsy tribe. Their magic is strong and has lasted six hundred years. Ornella, the tribe’s guardian, arrives at the island with her mutt, Count Dracula, to guide Hanna. Hanna is told she must embrace her heritage or die at the ripe age of seventeen. But Hanna does the unthinkable, she chooses death. She hates Gypsies and would rather die. What she doesn’t know is that her death will destroy the entire tribe. What she also doesn’t know is how persuasive Ornella can be. The nightmare begins.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – YA / Paranormal

Rating – PG13

For sixteen years, Lya, has lived as a normal human, until her father, Walter, gets involved with the wrong people and puts Lya’s life at risk. During a visit to Miami, Lya’s older sister is kidnapped, and Lya and her father are subsequently taken hostage by Walter’s associates and forced to board a plane to India. When the plane lands in Delhi, Lya is rescued by three monks and taken to a Monastery. There her reality is shattered, when she learns the true identity of her rescuers and, even more surprisingly, herself. Lya is now faced with the toughest decision of her life. Can she live up to her ethereal destiny and save her family?

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – YA / Paranormal

Rating – PG13

Alex’s life is turned upside down after his father’s sudden death. An old pamphlet found in his father’s belongings leads Alex and his mother, Charlotte, to a remote Polynesian island. His mother longs for a place untouched by past memories, and Alex hopes the trip will help her to heal.

Their arrival on the island elicits an eerie episode of déjà vu for Alex, and he begins to wonder about the pamphlet and his father’s past. Why did he have it? Had he been there before?

Alex senses something is off with the island. Progress is unwelcome by the inhabitants. A local girl reveals the history of the island and its dark spirits. She warns him to never be caught outside after dark, but Alex finds it all hard to believe… Until inexplicable and terrifying events begin to unfold. While digging for information, Alex finds his presence on the haunted island is not by chance. Rangur, the most evil of souls, aims to use him to acquire great power. There’s only one way Alex can stop him and for that he must uncover his father’s past connection to the island.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – YA / Paranormal

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Orangeberry Book Of The Day – The Book by Jessica Bell

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This book is not The Book. The Book is in this book. And The Book in this book is both the goodie and the baddie.

Bonnie is five. She wants to bury The Book because it is a demon that should go to hell. Penny, Bonnie’s mother, does bury The Book, but every day she digs it up and writes in it. John, Bonnie’s father, doesn’t live with them anymore. But he still likes to write in it from time to time. Ted, Bonnie’s stepfather, would like to write in The Book, but Penny won’t allow it.

To Bonnie, The Book is sadness.
To Penny, The Book is liberation.
To John, The Book is forgiveness.
To Ted, The Book is envy.
But The Book in this book isn’t what it seems at all.

If there was one thing in this world you wished you could hold in your hand, what would it be? The world bets it would be The Book.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Contemporary Fiction

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with Jessica Bell on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.jessicabellauthor.com/

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Orangeberry Book Tours – Death in Bagheria by Susan Russo Anderson

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A gripping tale of murder and deceit. A baroness poisoned . . . A family masking dark secrets . . . and one woman determined to uncover the truth.

Sicily, March 1870. When a headstrong aristocrat commissions Serafina to find her mother’s poisoner, the midwife turned sleuth travels to a windswept villa on Sicily’s gold coast where she begins her investigation of the baroness’s death. There, she meets with the irascible baron and his huge staff of servants. Adding to her peril are the ruthless attempts to foil her success by her arch enemy, Don Tigro, the local mafia capo.

Yet Serafina is unflagging in her determination to unmask the killer, despite mortal danger, the pleas of her children for her speedy return, and a longing to resume her broiling new romance with Loffredo, the lusty count of Oltramari. With the help of her friend, Rosa, two daring servants, and an unexpected visitor, she uncovers ugly entanglements that portend dire misfortune for the baroness’s heirs. Will Serafina catch the killer before his henchman throws her to her death?

This is the third book in the Serafina Florio mystery series.

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Genre – Historical Mystery

Rating – PG13

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Susan Russo Anderson – Fleshy Breathers

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Fleshy Breathers

by Susan Russo Anderson

I call them fleshy breathers—characters we remember long after we’ve read the book. They are flesh-and-blood real, larger than life, perhaps ahead of their time. We meet them at a point of no return in their lives and we watch, fascinated, as they pivot or sit there, all broody. We may have forgotten their names, but they and the events that entice them to change are a big reason why we keep reading books.

Fleshy breathers are born in imagination, strut their stuff in books, pop out every once in a while in our memory. We can see them waiting for the bus or walking down the block a few steps ahead of us, or remember them in the agony of their central conflict. I swear I’ve seen the white rabbit shooting down a manhole. They are amazing creations and have spellbinding stories to tell, and they go on and on.

We love them or love to hate them, but we’re not indifferent to them. They hold us in thrall. Full of longing, they carp, mope, dream, love or lament, have quirky habits, sleep too much or not at all. They change or sort of change or vow to change next week. They slip and fall. They make us fearful or frightfully angry, and sometimes they even disgust us. But because of the unique way they stumble about the page, they surprise, they shock, they stick to us like glue.

These are some of my favorites—at least for today—but mind you, as soon as I post this, I’ll think of others: Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment (mostly I want to ring his neck), Humboldt, Molly Bloom, Hamlet, Hercule Poirot, Andy Dalziel (the only character I know who breaks wind on a regular basis), Anne Eliot, Emma, Ahab, Jude Fawley, the Thomas Cromwell of Wolf Hall, and I mustn’t forget his wife, Liz, who, although she has a small part, is powerful; Sarah Berg in Richard Russo’s Bridge of Sighs, Dilsey in The Sound and the Fury, Jack Burden in All The King’s Men.

Who are some of your favorite characters?

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Genre – Historical Mystery

Rating – PG13

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Website http://susanrussoanderson.com/

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Review: Death In Bagheria (A Serafina Florio Mystery, #3) by Susan Russo Anderson

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Death In Bagheria (A Serafina Florio Mystery, #3)Death In Bagheria by Susan Russo Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you could only save one character from the book, which one would it be and why? The baron's little daughter. She has lost her mom and her dad. She needs happiness and stability.

In your own words, what was the beginning of the book. The book starts out with the nun telling Serafina that she thinks her mother was murdered. She asks Serafina to find out what happened to her.

Top 3 things I liked about the main character. Her ability to find answers, no afraid of anything, her intelligence

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Orangeberry Book Of The Day – Dark Mountain by Robert Michael

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While hiking on a lonely mountain in Arkansas, Jacob Barclay finds a cabin with a terrible secret.

Sheriff Billy Joe Shoemaker discovers that his small, backwoods town may hold more danger than he ever imagined.

Molly Carothers, lost in a sea of woods, starving and scared, believes she has found a guardian angel to free her.

Brian Carothers, haunted by his family’s heritage, struggles with his sanity.

Victor Carothers influences his family through fear and blood. Along with his wife, Patsy, they find victims among transients and strangers as they seek to sate their appetite for the occult.

The lives of the town of Bexton, Arkansas depend upon Jacob, the strange Yankee seeking adventure and solace. Jacob finds he is faced with a struggling faith, and the realization that sometimes evil runs in the family.

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Genre – Horror / Suspense

Rating – PG

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Blog http://www.robertamichael.blogspot.com/

Blog http://www.infinitewordpress.com/

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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Orangeberry Book Of The Day - Beyond Escape - Deborah Jensen

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After separating from her husband of twenty years, Kim is in desperate need of an escape. Retreating to her parents’ home in Texas for a month, Kim encounters ample distractions, the best being Camilo, an alluring Latino man seventeen years her junior. However, when returning to Texas unearths memories of a long-ago lover, Kim discovers her unintentional involvement in a series of dangerous escapades, bringing her deeper into her past than she ever cared to venture. Beyond Escape follows Kim as she pursues a trail of drugs, murder, and secret love affairs that were meant to stay buried.

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Genre – Women’s Contemporary Fiction / Romance

Rating – PG13

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Website http://www.deborahkjensen.com/

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Orangeberry Book Of The Day - Sex and Death in the America Novel - Sarah Martinez

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Free March 19th - 21st.

Vivianna Post is the family anomaly. Daughter of a Pulitzer Prize winner and an academic, she has never quite fit her parents’ expectations as a free-spirited erotica writer. When Vivianna encounters the award-winning author Jasper Caldwell at a nightclub, all she wants is to blame him for blowing off her brother at a writers’ conference the year before and possibly causing his suicide. But as the night—and then the weeks—wear on, Vivianna finds herself drawn to Jasper in ways she cannot understand. When their differences—literary and sexual—threaten to pull Vivianna and Jasper apart, Jasper rediscovers Alejandro, an old friend who just might have the power to complete them both in every way. Using quotes and references to classic erotic and literary icons, Sex and Death in the American Novel is on one level an unconventional romance and on another a discussion of the merits of erotic literature.

Using quotes and references to classic erotic and literary icons, Sex and Death in the American Novel is on one level an unconventional romance and on another a discussion of the merits of erotic literature.

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Genre – Literary Erotica

Rating – X

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Website http://www.mywildskies.com/

Author Interviews http://site.mywildskies.com/Appearances.html

 

Excerpt (First pages):

We all know the first line is the most important: it sets the tone, tells you what this story will be about. Call me Vivianna. Would Melville approve? How about copying straight from Heller: It was love at first sight. We all remember Lolita; how would Nabokov do it?

What if I just come out and say it. This book is the answer to the notion that women ought to fear asking for what they want the most. Whether it’s time alone to write, demanding for and getting respect, or a patient hand under which to soften up and eventually get off. You know what’s even worse: we know we won’t get it anyway. Fuck Virtue. This document serves as my rejection of the notion that I am doomed—by virtue of my gender—to a life of boredom, inanity, and servitude.

An old man in Arizona has over seventy wives. If a woman ever said that one man wasn’t enough for her, you know what they would say about her? I could spend at least ten minutes on the list. Making up lists is a great writing exercise by the way. I learned that from my father. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for his novel Taking Ivy Down. Dear old Dad.

Let’s start with two men—just for argument’s sake. What would that look like? Feel like? Smell like? Taste like?

            Two men…two sets of lips, two pairs of eyes moving over my face, my breasts, my hips, resting further down. Two sets of hands, warm and strong, only me, naked and trembling with anticipation between them. Two rustling, soft heads of hair, two minds, two hearts...spirits, two of everything. The energy between them flows through me. Associations come freely when I am in this state; rain, dark swirling skies, and rich red blood flowing from both their hammered faces, they fought…for me. Now we are all together, and they’ve forgiven each other, their bruised lips crush against mine, against my face, against every part of me until finally they come together. As I tip my head back, taking in the scents of their bodies, metallic and musky, sweaty and raw, they reach for each other. The one who lost the battle—the blonde with red rimmed blue eyes—faces me, his arms around mine, his hands reaching further to the one behind me who, underneath the scents of exertion, smells like leather and tangy soap. Their faces come together over my shoulder, first testing, pulling back, then together again. They kiss, more roughly than they would kiss me, with hands moving up to run through each other’s hair, pulling on it, and both pairs of hands move over my arms and shoulders. Sounds of stubble across skin, scraping, hands over tingling flesh, mine, a wince, low voices, soft wispy sounds echo in the silence of this old warehouse...no wait, make that a boxing ring, we’re on the dirty white mat in the center of the ring.

The one behind me—the winner—leans forward, grazing the skin behind my ear with his teeth, the sticky wet skin of his torso connecting all the way along my back. He pushes me down, working himself deeper in me, opening me wide, his hands wrap around both sides of my hips. He groans and the sound sends a thrill though me. The one in front works his way in from below. I am sandwiched between the two of them, and take the loser’s face in my hands, stroking the area near his swollen eye, running the tip of my nose over his lips, his cheek; I gently kiss his forehead, pulling back and tasting coppery blood.

My mother’s words intruded, “Vivianna, are you paying attention?”

 

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Orangeberry Book Of The Day - Alice in Deadland Trilogy - Mainak Dhar

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Genre – Horror / SciFi

Rating – PG

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Alice in Deadland
Civilization as we know it ended more than fifteen years ago, leaving as it's legacy barren wastelands called the Deadland and a new terror for the humans who survived- hordes of undead Biters.
Fifteen year-old Alice has spent her entire life in the Deadland, her education consisting of how best to use guns and knives in the ongoing war for survival against the Biters. One day, Alice spots a Biter disappearing into a hole in the ground and follows it, in search of fabled underground Biter bases.
What Alice discovers there propels her into an action-packed adventure that changes her life and that of all humans in the Deadland forever. An adventure where she learns the terrible conspiracy behind the ruin of humanity, the truth behind the origin of the Biters, and the prophecy the mysterious Biter Queen believes Alice is destined to fulfill.
A prophecy based on the charred remains of the last book in the Deadland- a book called Alice in Wonderland.
Through The Looking Glass: Alice in Deadland Book II
More than two years have passed since Alice followed a Biter with bunny ears down a hole, triggering events that forever changed her life and that of everyone in the Deadland. The Red Guards have been fought to a standstill; Alice has restored some measure of peace between humans and Biters; and under Alice, humans have laid the foundations of the first large, organized community since The Rising- a city called Wonderland.
That peace is shattered in a series of vicious Biter attacks and Alice finds herself shunned by the very people she helped liberate. Now she must re-enter the Deadland to unravel this new conspiracy that threatens Wonderland. Doing so will mean coming face to face with her most deadly adversary ever- the Red Queen.
Off With Their Heads: The Prequel to Alice in Deadland
A few months before Alice was born and fifteen years before the dramatic events depicted in Alice in Deadland, there was The Rising. A few days that destroyed human civilization as we know it, reducing much of the world to a radioactive wasteland teeming with hordes of undead Biters and controlled by a shadowy Central Committee.
Off With Their Heads brings to life the final harrowing days of The Rising through four shorts, each depicting events through the eyes of one pivotal character in the Alice in Deadland series. See how Dr. Protima became the Queen of the Biters; feel the pain of a young man's sacrifice as he becomes the bunny-eared Biter whom Alice later follows down a hole; follow the rise of Chen from a conflicted young Chinese Army officer to a General in the Red Guards; and finally share in the dramatic escape of Alice's parents from a city overrun by Biters.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Orangeberry Book of the Day - Crosswalk - Cara St. Louis

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"I grew up a girl, and I thought an unwanted one, at that, in the 40s and 50s in a forgotten farming and ranching town right at the Four Corners. We were surrounded by reservations, more of the unwanted, just like me. My ticket out was music and so on the old Baldwin my Mom bought me, I practiced until my fingers bled and I got a college scholarship and I was out. That was part one. The part with the family, which I didn’t even think was so great. My Dad took off and my mom had to work as a nurse forty-five minutes’ drive east. In 1945, that might as well have been the moon. So my grandmother kept me like an extra broom, kind of useless and in the way. Or so I thought. Part two was working for the government. That really took me places. All over the world, working for scientists, seeing their secrets, even when I didn’t understand what they were on about. When I did, the whole thing scared the hell out of me. Then , it all came true. Suddenly. Then, I died. I’ve left my daughter behind to tell the story. Maybe it’ll help."
It would be a tragedy, in anyone’s book, if on a beautiful summer Sunday morning a little old lady set out on foot for church and just as she had almost reached the other side of Main Street in a little seaside village, she was brutally run down and killed. What if this seemingly random and incoherent event …the slightest blip on anyone’s radar…had, in fact, happened to a woman who had been granted so long ago a very high military security clearance; a woman who is never named in the novel nor is the town in which she died?
Crosswalk is a thriller, a story whose dramatic arc runs razor-close to current events. The woman’s daughter, Christina, falls down a truly black and greasy rabbit hole in the wake of her mother’s death that leads through bio-engineering, weather manipulation, Naval Research, Naval Weapons, Atmospheric research connected to DARPA and through London, Virginia and Hawaii. The birthplace of her mother’s murder, when she finds it, lies within the circle of Operation Paperclip scientists still working in London in the 80s and 90s. Christina and those she joins with along the way struggle on to find answers despite being chased by Blackhawks, run off roads, betrayed by allies...her comrades include a Canadian civil rights activist who styles himself ‘Amistad,’ an old Brazilian psychic emigrated to Australia, and a chemist-turned-activist also on the trail of these psychotics; half a dozen ancient men who form a sinister cabal. The Gatekeepers are scientists, liaisons with the Joint Chiefs, a global industrialist of unmatched power and wealth, a US Secretary of Agriculture.
While Christina is on her own mission to flush out those who murdered her mother, Tim Verzet, firebomber and ex-military pilot infiltrates the very nerve-center of the global poisoning operation trying to make it implode from the inside. One very well-placed traitor just about brings the whole effort down but in the end, the Achilles heel of the entire campaign, a campaign which has actually been in place for decades, is a very small group, led by one pilot on the inside.

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Genre – Thriller

Rating – PG

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