Thursday, June 30, 2011

Look Me In The Eye




I really found this book to be so helpful in understanding my grandchild on the spectrum. I got a lot of information and developed some ideas for helping my grandson by reading the author's story. Do I expect my grandson to be a genius or to travel around the world with a rock band or to be a highly successful businessman? Yes and no. I expect him to follow his dreams. I expect him to live as normally as he can. This book provides me with some insight and hope for that. Not a diagnosis, an absolute nor a guarantee. Do not expect that.
The author's story is well written. It is humorous, painful, hopeful, sometimes confusing, insightful and honest. It may make you cry and probably will make you laugh. It does contain foul language, illegal activity and may offend your morals. But guess what? So does life. And that is what this book is, the story of the author's life.

More information on this author, his books and his blog may be found at http://www.johnrobison.com/

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Featured Series Wednesday

On Wednesdays I will be highlighting a series. For the first one I will choose a series I am currently enjoying..Darkness Within Series by Jennifer Turner.

 I won the these two books of this series from the author. The giveaway was sponsored by the blog goodchoicereading.com . Ms Turner generously also included surprise swag. I had not read either of these books before winning them.

Book 1 Eternal Seduction was an awesome read. I loved this book! It is my favorite new series. The story line was really well written. It is the story of Logan and Kerestyan . Not your usual heroine...she starts out a homeless drug addict and he is a hero that does not sparkle but has a beast inside. There is plenty of action and the heat index shoots way up there. Along with vampires and werewolves, Ms Turner has added Paladins , Harbingers and Servios.  It is fast paced, gritty and funny. I recommend this book to all the Sookie Stackhouse fans who wonder what happened to Eric. 


Book 2 Eternal Hearts was as good as the first. This book is the story of Toni and Drake. Toni is a young vampire who received a video of her mother, brother and sister being killed. Unable to help them she seeks revenge. In going after who she believes is responsible she gets banned from Chicago. The book opens with her seeking to return to Chicago. Drake is a vampire who works for an organization that fulfills contracts, usually taken out on other vampires. This time he is contracted to keep Toni safe until she meets with the Lord of Chicago, without telling her. Unbeknownst to either of them the murder of Toni's family was a contract. One that Drake's best friend fulfilled. 


There is Book 3  Eternal Embrace coming soon. It will be the story of Drake's best friend Oktober. I am so wishing this were out now. Ms Turner is also hard at work on Book 4 Eternal Desires and Book 5 Eternal Embers. 


As Jennifer Turner says: Some vampires don't drink human blood. Some vampires never hurt a soul. Some vampires even sparkle. Real vampires take trophies. Welcome to the Darkness.


You may visit Jennifer Turner at her website where the first 3 chapters from her first 2 books are free. Her website is http://darknesswithinnovels.com/

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

News on Scott Nicholson

Hi all!
Just thought I would put word out on one of my new favorite authors, Scott Nicholson. Scott is a diverse fiction writer. His work includes horror, mystery,suspense, fantasy, paranormal romance, (October Girls series), and children's books. Scott has also put out 2 comics, Grave Conditions and DIRT. He has about six screenplays, I believe. He is in everything - haha. I have reviewed his book, These Things Happened. I will be reviewing more of his work soon.  Please check him and his books out at www.hauntedcomputer.com. You will regret this only if you do not go and read his work.

Ashes  is currently free. I do not know how long this will last so grab it while you can. The link is http://www.amazon.com/Ashes-ebook/dp/B0037263Y0

He also has a couple of manuals, (writing, self-publishing sort), on Smashwords. Also free. Links are http://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/58806/1/the-indie-journey-secrets-to-writing-success and
http://www.smashwords.com/b/13037

Liquid Fear is priced at $0.99 but I hear it is scheduled to go up. Grab this one while you can. It is awesome. A sequel,( CHRONIC FEAR), is expected around Christmas.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004U2AW8O/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=morebople-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004U2AW8O
Here is what his website says...
When Roland Doyle wakes up with a dead woman in his motel room, the only clue is a mysterious vial of pills bearing the label “Take one every 4 hrs or else.”
Ten years before, six people were involved in a secret pharmaceutical trial that left one of them dead and five unable to remember what happened. Now the experiment is continuing, as Dr. Sebastian Briggs concludes his research into fear response and post-traumatic stress disorder. He’s backed by a major drug company and an ambitious U.S. Senator, but he also has a personal stake in the outcome.
Only by taking the mysterious pills can the survivors stave off the creeping phobias, sexual impulses, and inflicted madness that threaten to consume them. But the pills have an unexpected side effect—the survivors start remembering the terrible acts they perpetrated a decade ago. They are lured back to the Monkey House, the remote facility where the original trials took place, and Briggs has prepared it for their return.
Now they are trapped, they each have only one pill left, and cracks are forming in their civilized veneer.
After the pills are gone, there’s only one option. “Or else.”



Other books of his not to be missed are:


Speed Dating with the Dead current price $1.99. A great haunting story.
http://www.amazon.com/Speed-Dating-Dead-ebook/dp/B003TZLWTG/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2


Disintegration current price $1.99. Awesome psychological thriller.
http://www.amazon.com/Disintegration-ebook/dp/B0048EL5M6/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

 Hurry and get them for these prices while you can! I loved them.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Blood. Just Blood. Nothing True About It.

Is it just me or does Hollywood ruin every book it gets hold of? Book four of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series had the potential to make season four of True Blood awesome. Instead I was left thinking, what the hell did I just watch? I realized in Season 1 that things were not going to go by the book. I expected some changes. Hollywood always does that. But come on. If it is based on the books shouldn't it resemble them in some way other than having the same characters in both? I mean how loose is loosely translated? I have tried to keep in mind they are 2 different entities. But I was still lost during this episode. Sookie was lost in faerie land for a year. Jason is a cop, he sold Sookie's house and looks like he is in some trouble out in Hotshot. Looks like Andy is a V addict.  Hoyt and Jessica are living together and it seems shaky. She is looking like she may be interesting this season. Maybe some action with Pam as her mentor? I love Pam. Tara is a lesbian mma fighter telling her girlfriend her family is in Atlanta and ignoring a text that Sookie is alive. Jesse is trying to hook Lafayette up with witches. Arlene's baby, Mikey, seems to be possessed by Rene or some demon. Tommy, Sam's brother is being "mothered" by Hoyt's momma. And the biggie....Bill is King and Eric is under him. WHAT?  Right now the best part of this episode was the last 10 minutes when Sookie pulled off her clothes and Eric was in the room behind her. It was so good to hear him say,"... You. Are. Mine." Seems like a lot of different story lines with a lot of "others" being brought in. I hope this doesn't confuse things on the show or result in some of the bigger story lines getting much smaller. Hopefully the season will improve. I really enjoyed Book Four and would like to see some of it this season.


Most of what follows is true, even the fiction. It contains cigarette smoking, drinking, occasional suicidal thoughts, and, yes, sex, because I know you like that sort of thing. It's been a strange life. It's been my life.

Features stories, poems, and essays on relationships, romance, writing, and taking oneself far too seriously. Plus some humor. You may laugh, you may cry, you may decide you want to be a writer, too.

You may hate me after if it's over. That's okay. You wouldn't be the first.

I really enjoyed Scott Nicholson's These Things Happened. This is a collection of essays, short stories and poems about life. I loved the humor of Postcards From A Book Tour. I could imagine writing these home to my mom. Others may make you feel sadness or anger. And doesn't a good book do that...make you feel? A good book to have handy for coffee shop or lunchtime reading.

Scott Nicholson has written over 20 books. most in the horror genre. He is also the author of a few children's book, ( our favorite being Too Many Witches), and six screenplays. His books can be found at on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. 

You may visit the author at www.hauntedcomputer.com. Or join his yahoo group at scottsinnercircle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Alone In The Mist by Bret Jordan


Waking one morning to discover his family missing, Jeff Taylor finds himself a prisoner in his own home. A thick fog has converged on the house, preventing any escape. Inside the walls, Jeff is unable to call for help, and the laws of time and space seem to no longer apply. Now Jeff must take stock of his life as he investigates the emptiness closing in on all sides. The ghostly whispers of his missing family are the only indication that he may not be…alone in the mist.

Alone in the Mist

Alone In The Mist is an enjoyable short story.

Imagine waking up from a nightmare only to find you are in a nightmare. You can't get anything electrical to work, you can't find your family, and there is a strange mist out side your house. This is what happened to Jeff. Except maybe there was no nightmare. Maybe the nightmare was reality. Maybe reality IS the nightmare. Where has everyone gone? You can't call anyone, computer doesn't work, you can't even get coffee and the mist won't go away.

The perfect story to read on a foggy morning while enjoying a cup of coffee...in a coffee shop.  Because you don't want to be alone in your house with the mist outside.




You may purchase this book at http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/alone-in-the-mist/16071796

Review: Inheriting Murder: A Bobwhite Mountain Cozy Mystery

Inheriting Murder: A Bobwhite Mountain Cozy Mystery by Jamie Rutland Gillespie My rating: 5 of 5 stars ...