Saturday, January 30, 2016

Review: Jungle Eyes (Jungle Eyes Trilogy, Vol 1) by Lindsay Marie Miller

Title: Jungle Eyes
Author: Lindsay Marie Miller
Genres: Romance, Historical, Action/Adventure
Release Date: November 20, 2015
Jungle Eyes Trilogy: Book 1
Available in Paperback & eBook

Synopsis
In the spring of 1899, Henry Rochester boards a ship on the docks of New York Harbor and sets sail across the Atlantic. Desperately seeking freedom and adventure, Henry fails to anticipate the violent ocean storm that will destroy the ship, murder his fellow comrades, and leave him stranded on a deserted island. However, Henry is not alone in paradise, as a beautiful young woman, named Elaine, acquaints him with the enchanting, yet evil nature of the jungle. As the two quarrel, reconcile, and bond, love blossoms between them like an exotic wildflower. But when the tide turns, bringing an unescapable wave of danger with it, Henry and Elaine must face the callous brutality of the uninvited.



One of the things I love about reviewing is that I often times read a book that I would never have found without reviewing or most likely wouldn’t have picked up had I seen it; and this is one of those times I’m so happy I got to.

Jungle Eyes by Lindsay Marie Miller is a Historical Romance Adventure. Set in 1899, the book starts out in New York, where we meet Henry Rochester. He’s good looking, privileged and bored. When he sets out on an ocean journey with his best friend Charles, that’s when the story gets going.  There is action, adventure, trials, and love. I’m not normally a big historical romance reader, but I thought this was beautifully done. The dialogue was accurate, the locations were beautifully described. A definite Roller Coaster of a book!

Henry and Elaine are true to their age (both chronological and the era in which they live).  They are real people, with real flaws. Sometimes they are frustrating, and infuriating, but then you fall in love with them again, as they fall for one another. I read this book in about five hours. I didn’t want to put it down without knowing how it ended. I laughed, I was moved, I even cried.

The dangers they encounter are exciting and nail biting. Miller has an easy style of writing, with a perfect amount of description. I could see everything. She pulls us in and holds us there to the end.  
Miller has done a wonderful job pulling the reader into this delightful fictitious piece of the past. I look forward to reading the next two installments in this trilogy.






Buy Links

Excerpt
One day, when the sun was preparing to center itself in the sky, Henry felt still, peaceful somehow, as if the water had stopped moving him. Henry slowly opened his eyes to find himself lying on his stomach, his hands pressed into the sandy shore beneath him. He moved his fingers, and as they dug into the damp ground, his face lifted. Holding that small clump of wet sand in the air caused Henry to look forward, where he discovered a tropical island in the midst of the sea.
In astonishment, Henry staggered to his feet, not minding the waves that still flowed against the back of his knees. Pushing the hair from his face, Henry crawled towards the lush paradise, finding it hard to move on such weak muscles. His mouth hung open, so full of hunger and thirst that he yelped in delight once he discovered a table of food, covered with exotic fruits, leafy vegetables, and fine grains.
There was a small wooden shack, just bordering the area where Henry ate like a mad man, shoving as much sustenance as he could into his mouth at once. He closed his eyes, taking a thankful breath, as he had never felt so grateful for food in his entire life.
Except for the small shack and table where Henry had found the food, the rest of the land remained a tropical beach. From what Henry had noticed so far, a forest began where the sand ended, and if he were to walk deeper, he might find running water.
Taking one last piece of fruit, Henry stepped towards the shack, whose door frame was covered only by a transparent sheet of white fabric. He moved closer, for behind the cloth he saw a young woman sleeping, her body outstretched on a small rectangular section of bedding against the wall.
He took another step, only to make out the image of her face, framed in a glossy mane of raven black hair. However, with that step, a deep, haunting growl sounded from the border of the jungle. Just as quickly as Henry had shifted his eyes to observe the noise, a black panther, long and sleek, emerged from the woods. Fearless, the creature soared through the air and pounced on top of Henry. Before he could understand what was happening, the snarling black cat held an enormous paw over him, and then swiped its claws across his chest.
Henry wailed in panic and terror, using his arms to push the cat off him, as it pinned him to the ground by the flat of his back. The creature clawed at Henry’s stomach in protest, while the young man did the best he could to protect his face.
During the struggle, Henry had never felt so near the bottom of the food chain in all his life. He was paralyzed with fear as the great cat hovered over his body, with such a close distance that no human ever lived to talk about. But what terrified Henry the most, above the shiny, slimy white fangs, were the panther’s piercing green eyes, so alive with the greenery of the forest, that they could have been cut from the leaves of a vine for all he knew. They were so perfectly round and rigid, that they nearly looked like stones, though not the exact color of emerald. And yet it was these cat’s eyes, those jungle eyes, which made his heart stop.
“Jade,” a soft, transcendent voice called from above. The cat retreated immediately, slowly walking away from Henry.
Sunlight shone on Henry’s face as he lay flat, still on the ground. He lowered his eyes, horrified by the blood stains on his white ocean-soaked shirt. But then, the face of a lovely woman stood before the sun, blocking out its light. Henry looked up at her, taking in the long, silky black hair; golden, sun-kissed skin; and green eyes – so much like the jungle he had just discovered.
She narrowed her eyes, looking over Henry’s body as he felt her pulling him into a trance, mesmerizing him with her beauty. Then, for he had not seen it coming, Henry felt a tremendous pain enter the side of his head. All of a sudden, he noticed an object in her hand that she had just bludgeoned him with. But before the blue sky faded to black, the last thing Henry remembered was the natural hue of her glistening green jungle eyes.

***
About the Author

LINDSAY MARIE MILLER was born and raised in Tallahassee, FL, where she graduated from high school as Valedictorian. Afterwards, Lindsay attended Florida State University and graduated Summa Cum Laude with an English Literature major, Psychology minor, and Specialized Studies in Markets and Institutions. Lindsay is the author of the romance novels: Jungle Eyes, Me & Mr. Jones, and Emerald Green. Jungle Eyes is the beginning of a new romantic action/adventure trilogy. Emerald Green is the first installment in a four-part series of Young Adult romantic thrillers. And the New Adult romantic thriller, Me & Mr. Jones, will be accompanied by a sequel. In her free time, Lindsay enjoys singing, playing the piano and guitar, and writing songs. The author resides in her hometown of Tallahassee, FL, where she is currently working on her next novel.

Connect with Lindsay Marie Miller







Friday, January 29, 2016

Blog Tour: Four Feasts Till Darkness Series by Christian A. Brown













Feast of Dreams
Four Feasts Till Darkness
Book Two
Christian A. Brown
 
Genre: Fantasy Romance

Book Description:
 
As King Brutus licks his wounds and gathers new strength, two rival queens vow to destroy each other’s nations.
 
Lila of Eod, sliding into madness, risks everything in the search for a powerful relic, while Queen Gloriatrix threatens Eod with military might—including three monstrous technomagikal warships.
 
Far from this clash of queens, Morigan and the Wolf scour Alabion, hunting for the mad king’s hidden weakness. Their quest brings them face to face with their own pasts, their dark futures…and the Sisters Three themselves.
 
Unbeknownst to all, a third thread in Geadhain’s tapestry begins to move in the wastes of Mor’Khul. There, a father and son scavenge to survive as they travel south toward a new chapter in Geadhain history.
 
Available at Amazon Kindle and Paperback
 
Feast of Fates
Four Feasts Till Darkness
Book One
Christian A. Brown
 
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Date of Publication: September 9, 2014
 
ISBN: 978-1495907586
Number of pages: 540
 
Word Count: 212K
 



Book Description:
 
"Love is what binds us in brotherhood, blinds us from hate, and makes us soar with desire.”
 
Morigan lives a quiet life as the handmaiden to a fatherly old sorcerer named Thackery. But when she crosses paths with Caenith, a not wholly mortal man, her world changes forever. Their meeting sparks long buried magical powers deep within Morigan. As she attempts to understand her newfound abilities, unbidden visions begin to plague her--visions that show a devastating madness descending on one of the Immortal Kings who rules the land.
 
With Morigan growing more powerful each day, the leaders of the realm soon realize that this young woman could hold the key to their destruction. Suddenly, Morigan finds herself beset by enemies, and she must master her mysterious gifts if she is to survive.
 
Available at Amazon and Createspace
 

About the Author:
 
Bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Feast of Fates, Christian A. Brown received a Kirkus star in 2014 for the first novel in his genre-changing Four Feasts Till Darkness series. He has appeared on Newstalk 1010, AM640, Daytime Rogers, and Get Bold Today with LeGrande Green. He actively writes a blog about his mother’s journey with cancer and on gender issues in the media. A lover of the weird and wonderful, Brown considers himself an eccentric with a talent for cat-whispering.
 
 
 
 
 
 



 

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Blog Tour: Spiral by D.U. Okonkwo



About the Book
Title: Spiral (The Salzburg Saga Book One)
Author: D.U. Okonkwo
Genre: Literary / Adventure
Left to raise her three younger siblings at the tender age of seventeen, Nina Bishop is accustomed to solving problems. Now that she and two friends run their own law firm, she gets paid for solving other people’s problems. And as a businesswoman, she can always smell a great opportunity. So when her biggest client, Parker Drayton, organizes a networking ski trip to Salzburg, Austria, she is the first to board the plane. There's only one drawback: Parker is bringing along his two notoriously difficult, grown-up sons, Justin and Hugh.

Even before take-off the tension between Parker and his sons is palpable. But when Hugh causes their small jet to crash, plunging them all into unforgiving back country, the networking trip goes from tension-filled journey to living nightmare. 

                              
Author Bio
D. U. (Davina Uchenna) Okonkwo is the author of the novel, RISE, and the Salzburg Saga. She was born and raised in London, United Kingdom. An avid reader from a young age, she cites her favourite childhood books as Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume, Hacker by Marjorie Blackman, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, and The Twits by Roald Dahl.
Davina began to write her own stories at age ten and would give them to her schoolteachers to read. Not limiting herself to any one genre, she wrote stories about children’s fiction, romances, and mysteries. She fondly remembers enjoying her mock GCSE English exam at age 15 because she was required to write a story:  “I wrote about a teenage girl who finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her,” she recalls. “I remember my teacher giving me an A grade and writing at the end of the paper, 'What a creep!'
She didn’t think about writing again for several years and instead pursued higher education and graduated with honours in European Business with Spanish from the University of Salford. The course had included an ERASMUS placement in La Universidad de Salamanca, Spain.
It was when, upon graduating and working full time, that the idea of writing once again occurred to her. While in a bookstore she suddenly had the thought, ‘I wonder what it would be like to write a book one day.” She says that as soon as she had the thought, a powerful jolt seemed to go through her, actually pushing her back a step. Dismissing the strange sensation she left the bookstore but it was later that very same day that the idea for RISE surfaced.
She wrote and revised RISE around her full time day job. While she did so, digital changes began shaking up the publishing industry. It was seeing how these digital changes were empowering authors that made Davina decide to publish RISE independently. In the summer of 2014 she launched her own publishing company, A Few Words Press Limited. RISE was the first book published under AFWP in January 2015.
 In her spare time she enjoys salsa dancing, spa breaks, swimming and watching tennis.

Links
Author Website: http://www.duokonkwo.com

Get the book for FREE on:








Book Excerpt

Nina slipped her passport into her tan leather cross-body bag and zipped up her roller bag. The sharp slide of the bag’s zip punctuated the tense silence of the living room. After a moment’s hesitation, she flicked a glance at the man sprawled on the long cream sofa three feet from her.
In ripped blue jeans and a too-tight white polo shirt, his gray-socked feet hanging over the arm of the sofa, Alex Riley raised his light brown eyes from his latest issue of Classic Cars, his eyes clashing with her blue ones.
They eyed each other for several seconds. Alex eventually broke the stare, his eyes dropping resentfully to her luggage. “All ready then?”   
           Though her lips thinned at his tone, Nina nodded and buttoned her sky blue ski jacket over her red wool jumper. “Yes, but, Alex–” She broke off. No, she would not succumb to another argument about this trip.
          “It doesn't bother you at all, does it?”
          She tightened her dark brown ponytail. “I can't let it bother me, Alex. Like I’ve said, this is a business networking trip. How could I ask to bring my boyfriend along?” 
            “You could have asked Neil." Bitterness laced his words.
            Her teeth ground together. “This isn’t Neil’s trip; it’s Parker Drayton’s. You know he’s our biggest client. Besides, you don't even like him or his two sons that he’s bringing along.” In all honesty, she wasn't crazy about Justin and Hugh Drayton either, but Parker himself was fine. At ages twenty-nine and twenty-seven respectively, Justin and Hugh Drayton held senior positions within their father’s chain of hotels. As a solicitor and partner with the law practice she had set up with her two friends Angela Akura and Neil Vaska, Nina was proud that their firm gave legal expertise to well-known clients in the leisure industry such as Drayton Hotels. They had a good working relationship with Parker Drayton himself, but his sons Justin ad Hugh? Not so much. For some reason both Justin and Hugh communicated poorly with their father. Whether there was a power struggle going on or a private family conflict she didn’t know, but Justin ad Hugh often failed to return her messages, failed to get contracts and affidavits signed by Parker on time, and Hugh, whose struggle with alcohol was well known, was the worst. It often made for uncomfortable conversations with their father.
            “Why must I like them?” Alex asked as he flipped a magazine page with a flick of his wrist. “While you network, I could be on the slopes. You said Parker’s rented a ten-bedroom chalet. Good enough for me. I don’t have to talk to him or his idiot sons.”    



Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Blog Tour: The Last Kraken by Skyler Patterson





About the Book
Title: The Last Kraken
Author: Skyler Patterson
Genre: Fantasy


This is a fantasy fiction tale. Get ready to UNLEASH THE KRAKEN! Its the 1800's in London England. .A leviathan hunter Slaymore Seaborne is retired. The man longs for one last sea adventure! The man has slain every type of sea creature but one. The KRAKEN! All say the creature is myth until the king's merchant ships turn up destroyed. The crown hires Slaymore to end the monster. This book was written by SKYLER PATTERSON, Author of :THE BOOK OF SWORDS series!








About the Author
How did i become a writer? My story could be a book of itself. My journey is as daunting as it is impossible. Yet it is all truth! I have been working in health care for many years. It was when i decided to read books on my way to work that i stumbled upon the possibility of writing. How did it happen? I take the train to get to my job in N.Y.. I had become bored with reading the daily newspapers .It was then that i decided to read a book instead. Mind you, i had not read a book in years! I proceeded to read books by J.R. Tolkien, Anne Rice, Bram Stoker, and George R.R. Martin. I found those books sooo cool! I love fantasy fiction. It was when i became addicted to a certain series; that it happened. I read every book from that series and when i asked the book store clerk when there would  be more the man gave me terrible news. “Ha, that guy puts out a book every five, six years. “WHAT?! LIFE IS TOO SHORT”! I could not believe that. It was then that i began to wonder what if i (yes me) could write a book myself. This was a joke to me until i came up in minutes with a plot for a fantasy fiction tale. HOW did i do that!? The plot was way TOO COOL to just do nothing with.  And i will not lie. I made every type of mistake one could make in learning how to write. I have had no formal training and i successfully dropped out of college, years ago! (Please do not do this! It did not go well!)That first idea became THE BOOK OF SWORDS, a medieval styled swords and sorcery epic. (Draft2Digital) That book gave me many headaches, before i figured out how to write it!(great e book that it is) So i took a break and wrote: THE LAST KRAKEN,(The complete version on Draft2Digital/Smashwords/I Tunes,Only) a tale of a giant, leviathan squid running amok, in the 1800’s England. It was when i was writing that book that i began to realize that i had somehow in only  a little more than a year (2013)became an author. I finished that first book. I then proceeded to test a chapter of it on my extra –smart-school teacher sister Carol. My sister invited me over to hear my tale. My sister did not disappoint me. She gave me many words of encouragement: “Let’s all have a good laugh”! were her words! I read her a chapter. After i read that chapter my sister began to stutter and jaws were dropping everywhere! “HOW IN THE HELL”?! were her words! And then i began to write another book called REVENGE OF THE WOLF.  When my friends heard i was attempting this task they said: “You are crazy! All of your books (so far) are about action! What do you know about romance books”?! Who would do what i did?! It was crazy! I decided to become a writer not knowing if i could even do it! I who had never wrote any type of romance before did write that book! And what happened?! Four star reviews! And accolades and something i never had before: FANS!  AND SALES! (Enchanted helped!)I can still remember when i was writing REVENGE OF THE WOLF (Draft2Digital/Smashwords/ Apple I-tunes) when  i passed my laptop to a girl i was dating and asked her to read an emotional turning point of this Paranormal/romance/action/horror story. As she was reading it; i was in awe as the woman slowly began to cry! I then spent the rest of that year writing many books. And here i am! I am in this for the long haul. I am now an author and somehow a poet/songwriter.  I will now do my best to write many stories that all occur in different settings, worlds and time periods. All will contain my signature of fantasy fiction, Epic action and romance! “My impossible journey just goes to show that one can never truly know what they are capable of; until they give it that one good try!  Never let ANYONE tell you what you cannot do! I can be found on Goodreads Author page/Smashwords author page/Facebook Author page. I love to hear from my fans! What’s next?! Romance/Action :REVENGE OF THE WOLF2 (New Series) YA:THE WARPATH OF LOVE, THE BOOK OF SWORDS 2,THE BRAVE CRAB, “211” And many more! I can truly say I LOVE WRITING.---SKYLER PATTERSON

Links



Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Blog Tour: The Real Estate of Things by Nitin Deckha





About the Book
Title: The Real Estate of Things
Author: Nitin Deckha
Genre: Literary Fiction
The Real Estate of Things is a comedic story about real estate, spirituality and politics in the sprawling, multicultural suburb of West York.

Fifty-­‐something Shaku Sehgal is looking for a new lease of life. With two grown kids and a supportive accountant husband who gardens, she’s followed her best friend, Neelam, into the exciting world of real estate. While she dreams of becoming the premier realtor of West York City, a position currently held by the much envied, Ruth Leslie, Shaku’s languishing at her current brokerage, SuperStar Realty. 

To jumpstart her career, Shaku sneaks into a real estate conference and learns about a new redevelopment contest for a local derelict site. Part of the prize is to be an exclusive broker for the chosen new development. Shaku successfully pitches it to her brokerage, teams up with the young up-­‐and-­‐coming realtor, Jason Sevende, and they throw their hat into the contest. 

Soon, Shaku and Jason find themselves competing against teams across the city, including Shaku’s friend, Neelam and the doyenne of luxury realty, Ruth Leslie. Not only that, the contest draws the attention of global spiritual guru, Chakra Sahib, and the ire of a seemingly anonymous movement protesting and threatening to derail the whole redevelopment.

Join Shaku, Jason and the band of realtors as they confront obstacles and reflect on the meanings of success, love and friendship in this epic race amongst realtors, The Real Estate of Things.


Author Bio

Nitin Deckha is the author of a collection of short stories, Shopping for Sabzi (2008). His fiction has been published in magazines, edited collections, and chapbooks and he has read his work across Canada, the US and India. In 2010, he was featured as part of the Canadian Writers in Person lecture series at York University, Toronto. 

Nitin holds a PhD in Anthropology and has taught social sciences for over a decade. More recently, he completed certification in Adult Training and Development (MCATD, CTDP) and crafts and leads learning and organizational change. He lives in Toronto. Contact him at @RealEstateofThi




Links




Monday, January 25, 2016

Blog Tour: Realm Walker Series by Kathleen Collins


Realm Walker
Realm Walker Series
Book One
Kathleen Collins

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Carina Press

Date of Publication:  October 28, 2013

ISBN: 9781426896545
ASIN: B00E1V5S3S

Word Count: 76,000

 
Book Description:

An estranged mate, a mangled body and a powerful demon who calls her by name…

As a Realm Walker for the Agency, Juliana Norris tracks deadly paranormal quarry using her unique ability to see magical signatures. She excels at her job, but her friends worry about her mysterious habit of dying in the line of duty without staying dead. That's only the first of her secrets.

Most people don't know Juliana became the mate of master vampire Thomas Kendrick before he abandoned her seven years ago. Most people don't know the horrors she endured at the hands of the vampire he left in command. Most people don't know her true parentage, or why a demon on a world-threatening rampage has taken a personal interest in her…

Even as Juliana pursues the demon, it goes after all she holds dear—including Thomas, who is back to claim her for his own. But if she can't reconcile her past and learn to trust herself again, she will lose him forever.

Available at  Amazon   BN  Harlequin Print

Death’s Daughter         
Realm Walker Series
Book 2
Kathleen Collins


Genre: urban fantasy, paranormal romance
Publisher: Carina press

ISBN: 9781426898112
ASIN: B00GKBIR80

Word Count:  68,000




Book Description:

Juliana Norris, Realm Walker with the Agency, is an Altered. A fact that she runs up against every time she’s forced to work with human police officers, and their species-ist commissioner, on cases they can’t solve themselves. Which happens more than they would like to admit.

Her gift—the quality that makes her the best Realm Walker in the business, without boast—is the ability to read magical signatures. Whether the gift came from her father, the dark fae god of death, or the mage mother she can’t remember, is anyone’s guess. And when Altered children start going missing with only wild magical signatures as clues, her heritage is the last thing on her mind.

She can’t afford such distractions, and she definitely can’t afford to worry about the fact that her mate, master vampire Thomas Kendrick, hasn’t spoken to her since she saved him from a demon—maybe it’s because she had to stab him to do so. Because whoever is kidnapping these children must be very powerful to wield wild magic. Very powerful, and very dangerous indeed.


Available at Amazon  BN  Harlequin Print

 

The Making of Michael Bishop
A Realm Walker Short Story
Kathleen Collins

Genre: urban fantasy, dark fantasy
Date of Publication: August 30, 2014

ASIN: B00N5YWPCE
Number of pages: 20







Book Description: 

Keep your distance. Don't look him in the eye. Feed him and leave.

Michael D'Augustino is a priest in the time of the Inquisition. Marked as weak for his refusal to torture those charged with sorcery, heresy, devil worship or worse, he's given another task. Feed the prisoner in the cell in the darkest corner of the dungeon. With the edict comes a set of instructions.

Ever obedient, Michael does exactly as he is told. Until the night his charge doesn't eat and Michael has to enter the cell to find out why. Instead of the beast he believes to be imprisoned there, he finds a man. A broken, tormented man who asks for help.

But all is not as it seems and, before the night is through, Michael will be changed forever.

Available at Amazon and BN


Blood Slave
Realm Walker Series
Book 3
Kathleen Collins

 










Book Description:

Can she find a killer in a town where the basest desires are allowed to run free?

There are zombies in the Dead Zone and Juliana Norris is sent to take care of the problem. And for there to be zombies, there had to be bodies. When vampires are found to be the culprits, Juliana is sent undercover in the red light district of Kansas City. Lying to her mate, Thomas Kendrick, isn’t something she wants to do, but she’s in another vampire’s territory and Thomas would not be pleased. Besides, she’s more than capable of doing the job and she needs to prove it to everyone. Most of all herself.

Charles Morgan is in control of the Kansas City area, making a rich living off his various enterprises. Juliana goes undercover at the strip club Lust and gets sucked into his dark, decadent world. More victims turn up and the Agency is positive they’ve got their man, but Juliana is not so sure. When the Agency refuses to listen, she reluctantly turns to Thomas for help. He intervenes but finds Juliana unaware of the danger she is in and discovers she may just be too deep for him to save.

Available at
Amazon    BN    iTunes

 

About the Author:

Kathleen Collins lives and works in Missouri. By day, she labors in the local prosecutor's office. At night she writes while surrounded by her husband, two boys and two loveable mutts. She is constantly thinking of her next project and loves to connect with her readers. You can find her most often on Facebook or on her website.

 

@kathy_collins