Showing posts with label Book Review 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Review 2013. Show all posts

Monday, April 22, 2013

Blog Tour, Catalyst by Jennifer Snyder





Catalyst 



Jennifer Snyder



Pub May 1st 2013
Author Self Published
ARC for review

Gr’s Summary

Sometimes who we really are lies buried just beneath the surface… 



After learning she’s inherited a house in the beachside town of Soul Harbor, Georgia, Addison Harmon and her best friend decided to take a much needed vacation before the pressures of life after high school suffocate them too heavily. 



But what Addison finds isn’t a chance to recoup from a bad break up and hang out with her best friend while she decides what she wants to do with her future. What she finds is Kace Sullivan—a sexy guy she can’t seem to get enough of—someone who with one touch reveals a seductive world full of magick and secrets Addison isn’t sure she’s ready to be a part of.





The Way I See It 

Wow...Ms. Snyder is an amazing story teller!!  This Novel is short of Brilliant!!  Okay, I take that back!  Catalyst is Brilliant!!  From the very beginning I was hooked, line and sinker!  The only thing I wish was different, is for the story to be longer.  I devoured Catalyst in a heart beat, and I am certain you will do the same.  Set in a quaint town with lovely people, there are plenty of secrets that are yet to be revealed, and I am quite anxious to discover the truths!

C-uriosity, an inheritance, a history, she is pulled to discover more about herself.
A-bandon, why would a mother leave her daughter? These are answers everyone wants.
T-arget, her presence effects everyone, there are those that wish her gone.
A-llure, a touch, a scorching sensation that draws her to the arms of someone she knows nothing of.
L-ove, is this what she’s feeling?  Could her judgment be clouded by raw emotion?
Y-earning, without his touch she feels bare, and seeks the comfort it brings to her soul.
S-acrifice, a mother will lose everything to ensure the safety and happiness of her offspring.
T-ranscend through time, through space, a protection will tether two unlikely souls together.

I am cheering for Addison.  I want her to find happiness, and sort out all of the things that have been kept from her since birth.  I enjoyed all of the characters, and their pasts.  I am looking forward to finding out more!!  Pick up this book asap, so we can get to talking about all of the wonderful possibilities that lay in Addison’s future!!



My Fav’s 


Addison

Even though she has led a seemly great childhood, she is still drawn to her roots, her origins as it were.  I love her personality.  She is fun, and full of life!   She strikes me as someone I would like to be friends with. She isn’t crazy and she isn’t super pure.  She's a curious risk-taker, and I simply can't wait to get to know her better.

Kace

Talk about sexy!!  Wow!!  We don’t know much, but we like what we do know!  From the moment he meets Addison, we know he is linked to her.  He is the one who teaches her who she is, and the power that lies within her.  Is it love?  I’m not sure, but I really want it to be.  Kace tells Addison they are meant for one and other, and I really want to believe it.  HEA’s for everyone, lol, that's my theory!! ;)


My Rating

4.5 Amazing, Ocean front, Bonfire, Fisherman fling, Spellbinding, Missing mother, Balanced Elemental, Tethered Soul filled Stars!!  If you like to have fun while reading a book, and getting dragged into its world, I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this book!!  Seriously, I had a blast with this one, so I know you will too!!










Casting 






Purchase At 

Amazon | B&N 




About the Author 


Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina were she spends

most of her time writing young adult fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is an instant coffee lover with an obsession for spiral bound notebooks and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook 







Q. How old were you when you first started writing, and what or who inspired you to begin your writing journey? 

A. I was 22 when I first decided to write a novel. I can’t pin point an event that inspired me or a specific person.  There are so many authors I’ve read in my life and so many supportive people, that to pick just a few to name here seems unfair.

Q. Where is your favorite place to write? How often do you write? 


A.  I write every day. Whether it is 100 words or 2,000, I try to get something down.  I actually write at my desk, which is in the corner of my living room.  I have a laptop, but for whatever reason it never gets moved from my desk. ;)

Q. Are any of your characters based on someone you currently know or have met?


A. Yes, some are.  My characters are mash-ups of people I’ve met throughout my life, and people I’d love to meet.  I pick out little things here and there from different people and twist them together to form my characters. None of them are replicas of any one person I’ve known or do know, but they might have some characteristics or personality quirks similar to them.

Q. What is most important to you in your life? 


A. Happiness. All I really want for myself and those around me is true happiness. With that in your soul, life is pretty good.

Q. What are your top 5 goals for 2013? 


A.

1- To enjoy my children and really be in the moment more with them, because they are growing way too fast.
2- To stay on top of receipts and deductables for the 2013 tax year, because 2012 was a hot mess.
3- To exercise at least three times a week. (I’ve started this all ready and am surprisingly doing awesome at it!)
4- To get the entire Tethered series (Catalyst + 2 other books) out before the end of the year.
5- To get outside and enjoy nature more.

Q. What are some of your interests/ hobbies?


A. Reading, of course!

Q. How did you come up with the idea for Hereafter (Reaper Series)?


A. It was the product of many talks with my mother about what happens after we die and a dream I had.  I had an uncle pass away at that time and another who flat-lined for two minutes, twice.  This was where the morbid topic of discussion with my mother came from. About the same time, I also had a dream—or nightmare rather—about being trapped in a house that held different scenarios in each room.  Every time I left one room and entered another I was someplace else. I took that nightmare and the conversation with my mother, plus the notes I’d been jotting down regarding what readers had said about Touch and Choice, and created the world of Purgatory for Hereafter.

Q. Of all genres you've ever written which is your least Fav and is there any genre you would refuse to write in? 


A. I can’t say that I have a least favorite, because I wouldn’t write something I didn’t enjoy.  My mind doesn’t work that way.  I will say, however, that I find writing Contemporary easier than Paranormal Romance.  I guess this is because I don’t have to create a whole ‘world’ to go along with the story and make it seem believable.  With Contemporary I can focus strictly on emotions and the world we live in. 


Q. Who are some of your favorite authors, and favorite books written by them? 


A. I recently fell in love with Jennifer Echols novels. Forget you is my favorite by her.  I am a Stephanie Meyer fan.  I cried while reading the ending to The Host.  I’d probably pick up anything she writes in the future.  I love Abbi Glines books. Because of Low is a really good one by her. Anything by Steph Campbell is a must read for me as well.

Q. Do you have any information or teasers you'd like to share with your fans?


A. Information…Catalyst is the first of three novels in the Tethered series. Like I’ve said, my goal is to have all three out before the end of the year. I’m also toying around with an idea for a New Adult Contemporary novel I’m hoping to get out before the end of the year as well. Also, I’ll be attending the New Adult Sleepover Weekend event in December, which is taking place in Savannah, Georgia!  If any readers are in the area, I’d love to meet you!






WHICH DO YOU PREFER?




Coffee or Tea?     Tea

 


Sweet, Sour or Salty?     Sweet




Mountains or Beach?     Beach



Bookstore or Library?     Both!



Mac or PC?      PC

eBook or Printed copy?     I still read both, but for the majority it’s eBooks.






SHORT ANSWER:




Q. Where is the coolest place you've ever been to?  Why?


A. Well, I went to Germany when I was one, does this count? If not, then I’ll have to go with the concert (Carnival of Madness Tour) my husband took me to two summers ago. It was my first ever and there were five bands playing! Also, the beach. I love the beach. Especially when you gaze out and try to pinpoint where the water ends and the sky begins. Beautiful.

Q. If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go?  Why?

A. I would love to take a trip to Ireland and tour a real life castle.  I’ve wanted to do this since I was a little girl.  My mother’s side of my family is Irish and I’ve always had a fascination with it.  It would be neat to check out my ancestor’s homeland and maybe meet a leprechaun or some fairies? (I’m allowed to hope and dream still even though I’m no longer eight, right?)



Q. Best gift you've ever received?  Why?


A. My Kindle!  Hands Down!  It’s like my own personal library that doesn’t take up space in my house.



Q. Best gift you've ever given?  Why? 


A tattoo.  I gave my husband a gift certificate for a tattoo last year for his birthday.  He already had two, but wanted another.  It was the best surprise ever!  He had no clue what I was planning on getting him and was ecstatic!


Thanks so much for having me on your blog today ladies! I enjoyed answering your questions!























   

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Just Remember to Breathe By: Charles Sheehan-Miles



To Add Just Remember To Breathe on Goodreads Click HERE

Just Remember to Breathe
(Thompson Sisters #1)
By:  Charles Sheehan-Miles
Pub:  November 12, 2012
Cincinnatus Press 
EARC, 199 pages
Source:  Author/AToMR



GR's Summary:


Alex Thompson’s life is following the script. A pre-law student at Columbia University, she’s focused on her grades, her life and her future. The last thing she needs is to reconnect with the boy who broke her heart.

Dylan Paris comes home from Afghanistan severely injured and knows that the one thing he cannot do is drag Alex into the mess he’s made of his life.

When Dylan and Alex are assigned to the same work study program and are forced to work side by side, they have to make new ground rules to keep from killing each other.

Only problem is, they keep breaking the rules.

The first rule is to never, ever talk about how they fell in love.





My Take on this Journey:


This is the story about college students, at Columbia University.  The main characters are Alexandra (Alex) Thompson from a well to do family in San Francisco, and Dylan Paris, from a poor, broken family, in Atlanta.  They met on a school trip to Tel Aviv, in their junior year of high school, and fall in love.  However, distance and circumstance separate them from one another.  As the years pass, fate throws them into each others paths once again.  The magnetism between these two characters is undeniable.

This novel is told through dual narration.  The reader gets both perspectives, and is able to see into the broken hearts of these two wonderful characters.  The author brings so many elements into the story, that are real aspects, that our men and women in the service deal with, when they return from war.  Death, guilt, post-traumatic stress disorder, nightmares, pain, agony, loss, self-victimization, depression, disabilities, and drug addiction, are all issues Dylan needed to overcome.  


There is a lot of overwhelming sadness throughout this novel.  The reader will want to reach out, and tell Dylan, "You're going to be okay."  The heartache that Alex has had to endure at Dylan's hands, is also heart-wrenching, though not intentional.  Dylan's family life was dysfunctional.  Consequently, he had low self-esteem, and he felt unworthy of love.  He carried guilt for everything that ever went wrong in his life, always carrying the heavy burden of responsibility on his own shoulders.  Alex couldn't stand up for herself, because of her overbearing parents, always trying to control every aspect of her life.  She had to gain the strength to stand up for herself.

These two characters had a lot of obstacles to overcome.  They had wonderful friends that helped them find themselves, and encouraged them to build strength, while facing their deeply routed problems.  This is a multi-faceted novel, with an array of characters that are essential to the dynamic of the story.  Just Remember to Breathe, is a fully rounded story, with so many life lessons, with twists, peaks, and valleys.  

I really feel that readers will be able to relate to this book on so many levels, and some levels they'll never want to have to face.
I give Just Remember to Breathe, by Charles Sheehan-Miles, 4 soul-searching, heart breaking, madly in love, long distance Stars.     








Purchase At:  Amazon/Barnes and Noble




About the Author:  Charles Sheehan-Miles


Charles has been a soldier, nonprofit executive, short order cook, IT manager and run a restaurant. He doesn't believe in specialization. He currently works as a communications and outreach specialist for a law firm representing disabled veterans.



Charles lives in Bethesda, Maryland with his wife Veronica and their two children.