Books I read in December

5 STARS (1)





4 STARS (1)



3 STARS (2)





2 STARS (0)

1 STAR (0)

Dreamwalkers (Part One) by D.M. Andrews

3 STARS

I liked this book pretty well, though to call it a book is a stretch. It's only about 50 pages, so it's more of an open ended, incomplete short story, sort of come on to buy the next book. Which, it's free, so you can't complain too much. And really the length is the only complaint I have. I liked the characters, even though I didn't have a lot of time to really get attached to them, and I thought the premise of the story was interesting. Obviously, the goal was to get me to pick up the next book and it worked. I want to find out what's going on.

Cendrilla: A Fairytale (Perrault Chronicles Book 1)

Rilla Perrault is not elegant or charming like her step-sisters. She cannot dance, is incapable of serving an elegant tea, and, according to Mother, curtseys like a constipated boar. When Rilla is betrothed, by force to Lord Bluebeard, a man suspected of murdering his previous wives, she escapes to the capital with Bluebeard's slave, Jack.

Having paid a hefty bride-price, Lord Bluebeard sets his mercenaries on the chase for the runaway pair. Now, Rilla must reach the capital, a place where ogres like Bluebeard are forbidden to enter, before her murderous betrothed and his blood-thirsty servants exact their vengeance.

State of Grace (Urban Fantasy) ONLY .99 CENTS

Bris is a half mage living in a small town in the mountains. Darkness lies within the surrounding countryside. And tied with that darkness is a secret from her past. When the truth is discovered, an unsteady truce comes crashing down. Can Bris trust her guardian angel, or is he somehow involved in the plot to destroy everything she holds dear?

Chanmyr Chronicles by TJ Muir

Orphan. Homeless. Half-breed. For fourteen years Jedda’s home has been in the shadows and alleys of Tatak Rhe- city of the wealthy, powerful, and corrupt. He scrounges for survival in dirty clothes that don’t keep him warm; and he relies in his nimble fingers to keep himself fed. But, buried in his blood lies the gift of magic: an invisible hand guiding his life.

Cold and hungry, Jedda gets caught with his hand on Karrahk's coin purse -one of the city’s powerful rulers. In that moment, Jedda knows a fear far greater than hunger. But the man sees Jedda's hidden heritage and makes a decision that will change a hungry boy’s life forever.

Secrets have power.

Karrahk makes use of Jedda's talent for sneaking around. Jedda works his way into the most powerful circles, making friends and gaining their trust to access their secrets. Then he begins to care about them, bringing guilt as his loyalties become conflicted. When his magic awakens Jedda sees the ruthless game Karrahk is playing: with power and lives. Has he been helping the wrong side? Is it too late for Jedda to protect his friends and stay alive?

.99 cents

Jedda served a prophecy-driven ruler, gathering information and betraying his friends for years. Forced into an impossible choice, he betrays his patron. In a panic, he turns to the two friends he trusts, Kirrin and Cham. Together they flee corrupt Tatak Rhe-- with assassins on their heels.

Once he gets used to the unnerving sounds of the owls and coyotes, he almost feels safe. His newly awakened magic becomes unstable and unpredictable, with giant fireballs exploding in the middle of the night- a bigger threat than those chasing them.


Cham guides them across the magical barrier into the Faenyr lands, where Jedda is welcomed, learns to ride a horse and even to dance. More importantly, he finds someone to help him control his magic. Jedda has the friends and home he dreamed of, until his past catches up with them.

Will his desperate attempt to keep everyone safe be their greatest threat?

.99 cents

Shadow Born by Kyra Dune

Daemon uth Friesard was never meant to be king. As the youngest of three royal sons, he should have been free to live the life of his choosing. It was tragedy that drove him into the role. A role he is ill prepared to handle.

With all the pressures of a kingdom standing at the brink of war weighing down on him, Daemon follows the advice of his closest friend and arranges a marriage with an enemy princess in the hopes of attaining peace.

Clayden Kiel took on the role of High Priest at an early age. As the kingdom's sole connection to their patron god, it's a role he takes very seriously. So seriously that a few words written by his former mentor in a journal were enough to push him into distancing himself from the only friend he's ever had.

His hopes are that Daemon's marriage will not only bring peace to the kingdom, but give the king someone else to turn to in times of need. A greater threat than war with their neighbor is hanging over Phalindros and Clayden would do anything to keep that threat at bay. Even turning his back on the most important person in his life.

But the path to the future is never clear, and the gods play at a game mortals cannot hope to understand. 

Godstone by Kyra Dune .99 CENT SALE

When a wicked, power hungry Emperor seeks out the Godstone, a mythical stone said to grant its bearer godhood, it puts the entire world at risk. It'll be up to a handful of pirates, a seer, and two skilled warriors to stop him. Can they end the Emperor's tyranny, or will the world be lost?

NEW RELEASE

After lying dormant in a cave for hundreds of years, the Godstone has returned to the world to seek its avatar. One mortal soul destined to rise into godhood and combat the demonic forces stirring from within the pit. A day the stone has long been anticipating, for its sight is far reaching and many paths are clear before it.

But even such a power as the stone can't see and know all. For the hearts of men are shadowed, and things worse than demons dwell in the darkness. 

Heart Of The Storm by Kyra Dune ONLY .99 cents

Marisa and Gellen, separated by two continents and yet bound to one another by a shared fate. Their first meeting wrapped in chaos and blood. Both will be forced to confront the ghosts of their past in this third installment of the Stormwatch Saga.

Keystone by Danika Dark ONLY .99 CENTS

Raven Black hunts evildoers for fun, but her vigilante justice isn’t the only reason she’s hiding from the law. Half Vampire, half Mage, she’s spent years living as a rogue to stay alive. When a Russian Shifter offers her a job in his covert organization hunting outlaws, dignity and a respectable career are finally within her grasp. The catch? Her new partner is Christian Poe - a smug, handsome Vampire whom she’d rather stake than go on a stakeout with.

They're hot on the trail of a human killer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. One misstep during her probationary period could jeopardize Raven’s chance at redemption, and her partner would love nothing more than to see her fail. Will Raven find the courage to succeed, or will she give in to her dark nature?

Heart Of The Storm by Kyra Dune

Heart Of The Storm (Stormwatch Saga 3)

Marisa and Gellen, separated by two continents and yet bound to one another by a shared fate. Their first meeting wrapped in chaos and blood. Both will be forced to confront the ghosts of their past in this third installment of the Stormwatch Saga.

Dark Destinies Box Set - 99 cents

DARK DESTINIES

YA Urban Fantasy/Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic

Kyra Dune, Stella Fitzsimmons, RJ Crayton, J.L. Weil, Tony Bertauski, J.L. Hendricks, Rachel McClellan, HJ Lawson, Rose Garcia, SE Babin

Journey into a world of darkness and danger with these twelve tales of worlds in darkness.

Love Is In The Air Blog Tour

The Whispering House

Science Fiction Romance/Horror/Paranormal

Blurb:

After her mother’s death, Eleanor Radcliffe retires from her job in San Jose and escapes to a small place outside of Fresno to heal.

But her new home hides a secret. A secret that could claim her life. When strange, frightening things start to happen, she turns to her mysterious neighbor Michael Stevens and the handsome sheriff Rodney Tyler for help.

As the incidents grow more bizarre and violent, she is forced to flee. Her world is turned upside down. Long-suppressed supernatural powers resurface, and she struggles to deal with everything that is happening.

With her world spinning out of control, Eleanor will have to face her deepest fears and learn to use her powers if she’s going to survive...

The whispering house.

Excerpt:

The house was quiet when she returned. Nothing out of place. No windows or doors stood open. She could almost believe last night had never happened.

The doorbell rang, sending her pulse racing faster than a greyhound. Could it be Michael? She drew in a deep breath and walked briskly to the door, almost throwing it open. Disappointment filled her at the sight of a chest clad in tan and sporting a sheriff’s badge instead of soft flannel and leather.

She had to tip her head back to see his face. The somber expression on the handsome face gave nothing away.

“Miss Radcliffe? I’m Officer Rodney Tyler.” Intense brown eyes studied her.

Eleanor shook his hand. Memories of her fear from the day before came rushing back.

“May I come in?”

“Uh, sure.” She stepped back to give him room to enter. Cold air wrapped its arms around her. A shiver shimmied down her back, and she quickly shut the door. The fog’s embrace had lost its allure.

He scanned the sparsely furnished living room, stopping on her dinosaur of a television. He didn’t even raise an eyebrow. “You reported a break in? Was anything taken?”

“No. I…” Embarrassment heated her cheeks. How could she explain what had happened without sounding psycho? She licked her lips, looked down at her feet, and grimaced. Mud covered her sturdy hiking boots. She’d obviously just been out walking. Would he question her story more because of it?

A warm hand rested briefly on her shoulder. She jumped, startled. Their gazes met. For the second time that day, she read interest in a man’s eyes. She, who barely made a ripple when she walked through a room, had two very good-looking men interested. The sensation was heady. Blushing, she moved to the couch and sat down. When she faced him again, she felt more in control.

“I don’t know how to explain this without sounding like a crackpot, but yesterday I was sitting at my kitchen table when I saw a figure standing out in the fog…” She told him what happened.

He remained silent through the whole recitation, making her nerves jump. Did he believe her or was he merely humoring her?

“Does anyone else have a key?” Officer Tyler asked.

“Not that I’m aware of. I bought this house over a month ago, but only moved in last week. When I moved in, it was vacant.”

“Are you certain you didn’t open the window?”

“In the middle of winter?”

“I have to ask to rule out all of the possibilities,” he replied. He once again scanned the living room. “Do you mind if I take a look around? Maybe you missed something.” He closed his notebook and strode toward the front door.

“Do you want to see the bedroom window?” Heat flooded her cheeks. That hadn’t come out the way she meant it. Would he think it was an invitation? His lack of response told her it was only in her mind. She sighed in relief and continued. “I didn’t see anything that would suggest someone had forced it, but I don’t have much experience with this kind of thing.”

He shook his head. “Let me look around outside first. I’ll check inside later.”

She followed him to the door and watched him through her window. He pulled his radio out and started to talk to someone the second he stepped out of earshot. She sensed that he didn’t believe her. Heck! She had a hard time believing it and she’d lived through it.

“He’s a fool,” a voice whispered.

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Her heart pounding an uneven tattoo, she turned to look behind her, afraid of what she may, or may not, see. The room was empty, but she heard the kitchen door slam. Pulling open the front door, she ran outside to the officer.

“It happened again.” Her breath came in short gasps. “Someone was in my house. They went out the back.”

“Stay here,” he ordered and rushed into the house.

She looked around and scuttled after him. Nothing could induce her to stand outside in the cold, with the fog hanging in the distance, alone. He moved quickly through the house with Eleanor on his heels. He stopped so abruptly in the kitchen that she bumped into his back. The look he gave her made her insides churn, but fear of the unknown kept her glued to his side.

Peeking around his shoulder, she saw two small muddy footprints on the floor about the size of an eight- or nine-year-old child. He crossed to the backdoor and looked out the window. She knew he wouldn’t see anything.

“I called the station,” he began, but stopped. Concern filled his eyes.

“I know. I saw you on your radio. I figured you were calling in about the crazy lady.”

He shook his head and appeared hesitant to continue. “What do you know about this house?”

“Only that I love it. Why?” A very bad feeling stole over her, similar to how she felt right before her mother told her she had cancer.

“Apparently, your house is a favorite place for neighborhood kids to pull pranks. At least, that is the best we can figure.” He took in the cozy kitchen before he turned back to her. “You’ve been here a week?”

She nodded, wondering how the sheriff’s department could call this a neighborhood kid’s prank, especially after seeing the small bare footprints. What child would run around in the middle of winter without shoes? What mother would let them? And how could there be neighborhood kids without a neighborhood? “Yesterday was exactly a week.”

“It fits the pattern. That’s when the pranks begin. Most of the pranks are harmless.”

“Most?” she interrupted.

“Yes. On occasion, things are destroyed. In any case, we’ve been unable to catch them. The best I can do is write down another report and advise you to get to know your neighbors.”

“That’s it?” she asked. This was all he was going to do?

“Miss Radcliffe, I wish I could do more for you. Unfortunately, beyond setting up camp, which I am not allowed to do, it’s the best I can do. However,” he pulled out a card, quickly jotted something down on the back, and handed it to her, “when…uh, if this happens again, call me directly. Or just call me if you feel the need…for anything.” His radio squawked. “Officer Tyler here,” he answered. “I’m sorry. I have to go.” He strode across the yard to his parked patrol car, climbed in, and started the engine.

Stunned by his abrupt exit, she stared after him. She finally found her voice as she watched his car pull out of the driveway. “What about my bedroom?” she asked to the air. With his card in her hand, she wanted to cry then throw something and cry some more. Useless. Absolutely useless. She had expected to feel safer after talking to a sheriff. Instead, she felt even more vulnerable. She looked at the back of the card. 555-0892 – home. Officer Rodney Tyler.

Where was Michael when she needed him? And how did she know he could help her?

Buy links:

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Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Kobo

Print

Social Media links:

Facebook

Twitter

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Other authors participating in the tour:

Cassandra Ulrich - http://cassandraulrich.blogspot.com/

Karen Kelly Boyce - http://donegalarizona.wixsite.com/karenkellyboyce/blog

Kyra Dune - https://theshadowportal.blogspot.com/

Lisa Middleton - http://literalleeme.weebly.com/blog

Marci Baun - http://www.marcibaun.com/blog

Patricia Middleton - http://www.patriciamiddleton.com/blog

Sherrie Wilkins - http://sherrieyvette.com/sherriesjournal/

Love Is In The Air Blog Tour

Cover    (Attached)

Title       Poetic Praise: For Seasons of Singleness

Genre   Inspirational Poetry

Blurb     During the intermediate years of my singleness journey I discovered the humanity of the Psalms. One study states that over 40% of the recorded Psalms are laments (songs expressing sorrow or regret). David, King of Israel, wrote 73 of the 150 Psalms. One of my favorite is the 13^th Psalm. It sums up my seasons of singleness in six little verses.

In the first two verses, David asks God “How long?” four times. He follows with a request in verse three and a worry in verse four.  What surprised me was how honest he was with God about his fears and his impatience. But more than that, I was encouraged by how he ended the Psalm. The last two verses, like many of the lamenting Psalms, ended with praise. In spite of David’s inner turmoil, he sealed his Psalm with praise.  

Poetic Praise is a collection of 35 poems I wrote in various seasons of my singleness. Some poems will make you laugh. A few will make you shed a tear. Several will give you a selah moment - a moment of quiet introspection. But like the Psalms of David, most of these poems the will lead you into praise.

Excerpt 

               

LOVE LIFTED ME

Love had done many things to me,

Some too terrible to tell,

Love almost made me take my life,

Love almost put me in hell.

Love would send me to the highest heights,

Only to bring me crashing to the ground,

Love would be there every day,

Then suddenly love was nowhere to be found.

Love told me I would be beautiful,

If only I would change,

If only I would stop or start,

If only I would rearrange.

I’d finally take two steps forward,

Then love would cause me to fall,

But I didn’t know that what I thought was love,

Wasn’t really love at all.

One day LOVE gently touched me,

With a little nudge here and there,

Before I knew what was happening,

The sadness began to clear.

LOVE lifted my eyes heavenward,

Until I was finally able to see,

Beyond the pain and heartache,

LOVE was shining back at me.

LOVE lifted the burdens from my shoulders,

LOVE softly tilted my chin,

LOVE gave me the strength I needed,

To stand back up again.

God is LOVE. 1 John 4:8

VICTORY

Yes, I may be hurting,

But the victory is mine.

I've learned to be obedient,

And I've learned to sacrifice.

Sure, I'm disappointed,

But I still have the victory.

I've traded in what I want,

For what God wants for me.

Yes, I may be crying,

But the victory is won.

Mingled with tears of what could have been

Are tears of joy for what's to come.

I GIVE YOU PRAISE

My heart is full of fears

But my words are full of thanks

I’m fighting back my tears

And I’m offering up my praise

Thank You Lord for it could have been

Much worse than it is now

Though I’m hurting I will make it

Even though I don’t know how

Thank You Lord for a heart to heal

Though it seems that I can’t cope

I know as sure as there’s a God

For me that means there’s hope

So yes, my heart is full of fears

But my words are full of thanks

And yes, I’m fighting back these tears

But still I offer up my praise

Because praise will lead me closer to You

And away from all this pain

Praise will bring me closer to You

And to all You have ordained

So I’ll thank You and I’ll praise You

For the rest of all my days

I’ll thank You and I’ll praise You

For the blessings and the pain

Thank You for Your forgiveness

When from Your will I strayed

And thank You for Your faithfulness

When broken to You I came

And for everything in my future

That You have already ordained

I give you praise

I give you praise

I give you praise

KEEP MY LOVE 

Living deep inside of me,
Is a love so pure and true,
Waiting until the day that I,
Will finally say I do.

Sometimes this love bubbles over,
When I think I’ve met the one,
That I have been fashioned for,
By Jesus Christ God’s Son.

Only to realize it’s another case,
Of mistaken identity,
I thought he was one for me,
But instead I was deceived.

The last time as I walked away,
And checked my love supply,
I silently said this prayer,
And as I began to cry:

“Lord I need a favor,
Would You please do this for me?
Keep my love safe and sure,
Under heaven’s lock and key.

“And don’t allow me access,
Until the one ordained by You,
Comes into my life and declares,
’My heart’s desire is You’.

“But until then, Lord, keep my love,
Believe me I have tried,

But one thing I am sure of:
You’re much better at it than I”.

Buy links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

CreateSpace

Social Media links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Other authors participating in the tour:

Cassandra Ulrich - http://cassandraulrich.blogspot.com/

Karen Kelly Boyce - http://donegalarizona.wixsite.com/karenkellyboyce/blog

Kyra Dune - https://theshadowportal.blogspot.com/

Lisa Middleton - http://literalleeme.weebly.com/blog

Marci Baun - http://www.marcibaun.com/blog

Patricia Middleton - http://www.patriciamiddleton.com/blog

Sherrie Wilkins - http://sherrieyvette.com/sherriesjournal/