Tag Archives: ebooks

Hetaera–Suspense in Ancient Athens (Agathon’s Daughter) by Susan Tyrpak- Book Review

Posted on January 21, 2012 | 1 Comment

I just finished another book and it was so good I had to review it immediately~  Hetaera–Suspense in Ancient Athens (Agathon’s Daughter), by Suzanne Tyrpak.

I received a copy of the ebook after entering a giveaway on LibraryThing (I think)-my memory isn’t what it used to be. Some of you may remember that I reviewed Susan’s other novel, Vestal Virgin, some time ago, and after seeing that this novel was historical in nature too (and because Susan writes that sooo well) I just had to read it.

Unlike Vestal Virgin, Hetaera is a bit tamer, and the steamy moments mostly happen off-camera. But this second novel of Tyrpak’s is just as full of suspense, intrique and carefully constructed (i.e. real and flawed) characters as her debut novel. Like any good suspense novel, there are bad guys and good guys, guys that are good but do dumb things, meddlers and other unfortunate obstacles, and of course a heroine down on her luck.

But Tyrpak does more than just craft a page-turning read– she brings ancient Athens to life through her prose. So much so, that I could practically see it in my head. (Ok, so occasionally Spartacus tried to worm his way into my mind-movie too. What can I say, I’m a Blood and Sand fan :-) ) My only gripe is that I have to wait for the next book in the series to be released. Hope it comes out soon!

Five Daggers,uh, I mean Stars!

FROM AMAZON —-> “Agathon’s Daughter is a tale told by a writer who deserves your attention, a writer who certainly captured mine.” New York Times bestselling author, Tess Gerritsen–Foreword, Hetaera

Product Description
Hetaera–suspense in ancient Athens, is Book One of the Agathon’s Daughter Trilogy.

Born a bastard and a slave, Hestia has a gift: the power to read people’s hearts. And yet, the secrets of her own heart remain a mystery. Hestia’s keen intellect makes her a match for any man. But even a literate slave has little control over destiny. Sold to a prominent statesman with sadistic tendencies, Hestia becomes his hetaera (consort). As her wealth and fame increase so does her despair. She dreams of freedom, but she faces enemies at every turn. When Hestia is accused of murder, the mystery of her past unravels and fate takes another turn.

Hetaera: Agathon’s Daughter was awarded third place in the Maui Writers Rupert Hughes writing competition.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in books, Indie authors, Reading and writing

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

More Freebies! Two from Author Gabriel Beyers

Posted on January 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

In addition to the limited-time FREE promo for my short fiction collection, SKIN over on Amazon, I’ve just discovered that an author I featured here several months back also has FREE books on Amazon today, so I want to help spread the word for him.

Some of you may remember my feature of Gabriel Beyers a few months ago. If not, you can read his post here. Both of his books are Free today over on Amazon!

First up is Guarding the Healer:

Product Description
When Silas Walker is endowed with the power to heal, he soon discovers that no gift comes without a price.

A man possessed by an ancient evil is taunting the healer with photos of victims brutally murdered and marked with the crude image of an angel, and for Silas the slain are growing more familiar.

After he is given an ominous warning and an unbearable ultimatum, Silas sets out to draw his enemy away from those he loves, and discover the true purpose of his gift, which leads him inexplicably to a troubled young drifter named Tommy.

The Stalker is close on the healer’s trail, bringing with him an army of demons. Silas’s only hope rests in the hands of a guardian angel he doesn’t even know exists.

The Guardian is doing all within his power to save the healer, but he is certain Silas is heading into a trap. Time is running out. War is at hand.

But there is no turning back. For even an angel can’t alter a man’s destiny.

And then there is Contemplations of Dinner also FREE today as well!

Product Description
A secret hidden in a freezer. A lonely woman takes solace in an ancient cat. A boy is trapped in a barn with a gang of killers. An open grave awaits an occupant. A man is encouraged to kill by a long lost love. And more.

Here lies ten eerie tales from the mind of author Gabriel Beyers.

********************************************

So what are you waiting for? Go get yourself some Free Books why don’tcha!

(Don’t forget to snag a FREE copy of SKIN while you’re over on Amazon too!)

→ Leave a comment

Posted in authors, Indie authors, Reading and writing

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

IWU Holiday Hop Blog Tour 2011

Posted on December 20, 2011 | Leave a comment

Since I’ve been busy moving (right before Christmas! Ack!) and trying to get BLOOD CHORD ready for publication, I didn’t have time to participate in this years Holiday Hop with many other Fabulous Indie Authors. I do want to take a second to share the information with you guys though.

The hop runs from December 15th to December 25th. Winners will be chosen after the contest has ended, and the results will be posted on their websites/blogs between December 26th-December 31st. The grand prize winner of the KINDLE FIRE will be chosen on December 31st and announced on January 1, 2012 on this site.

To begin, go to the HOLIDAY HOP page. You can blog hop in any order you choose. Start with an author and then work your way through everyone. Click on the NAME of the author to be directed to their blog site. Once there, check out their contest and enter to win. Yes…it’s that easy! And that fun.

This year’s hop has some great authors and terrific prizes. I’ll give you a little taste of some of my favorite authors here:

On Guerilla Wordfare with Lizzy Ford, she’s giving away an autographed, limited edition War of Gods trilogy paperback.

Christine DeMaio-Rice (author of Dead Is The New Black) is hosting a Fab fashioned-themed contest on her blog Fashion Is Murder and it’s so yummy I might have to participate in that one!

Danielle Blanchard is running a contest to promote her new book Death Wish over on her blog.

Kate Danley is giving away book copies and some cool swag too! I want The Woodcutter!

So what are you waiting for? Hop to it!

→ Leave a comment

Posted in authors, books, Indie authors, Reading and writing, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Indie Authors and Novels: Updates 11/7

Posted on November 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

Thought I’d take a few minutes to share with you some interesting, and movin-on-up Indie Author/ Novel news. First, the winners of last months Indie Author Rockstar have been announced and it was a tie! Getting some well deserved recognition for the month of November is KATE AVERY ELLISION with The Curse Girl and DAN HOLLOWAY with The Company of Fellows. Both of these winners were voted on by a panel of peers and were selected because they are both exceptional books that should def. be checked out. So what are you waiting on—-> go check!

Also, our very own short story collection SKIN has been chosen for the current collection over on Indie Author Rockstar, so while you’re over there looking around, why not check out the current nominees as well?

The book I reviewed just a few days ago, The Temple, is featured over on Pixel of Ink today. Go Temple, Go!

One of my favorite Indie Authors is Michelle Muto (you may remember I reviewed her Book of Lost Souls a while back) and I just realized I missed her latest release, Don’t Fear The Reaper. Looks like a very interesting novel, and I’ve already added it to my TBR stack on my Kindle app.

One of my favorite Indie Authors regularly updates her blog, and every time I get a notification I have to read it right then and there. I’m addicted. Really. I simply adore her posts and I’m positive you will to. Head over to Shea’s site and subscribe to her updates. I dare you not to love them! (On a side note, Shea also has a new long novella/ short novel out- Dragon Warrior -  and the cover alone is very, uh, exciting.)

That’s all for today! If anyone knows of any killer new releases, Indie Authors making a name for themselves etc, please do let me know :-)

→ Leave a comment

Posted in books, Indie authors, Reading and writing, Writing

Tagged , , , , , ,

Book Review – The Temple by Heather Marie Adkins

Posted on November 4, 2011 | 2 Comments

I was looking for a good, witchy, paranormal read over the Halloween Holiday, and boy did I find it. Admittedly, life sidetracked me a little and I didn’t get around to reading The Temple until after Samhain, but that hardly matters.

The story kept me sucked into it until the very end, leaving me tired and with a stiff neck this morning. Not only is the plotting in The Temple original and well-paced, but the writing is tight and clever, with just the right amount of snarky wit. The witch/ Wiccan details throughout the book never feel homogenized or stereotypical, and that is very hard to accomplish these days.In addition, I was particularly enamored with the sections pertaining to The Goddess and the descriptive way the author handles things.

Author Heather Marie Adkins is a practicing Wiccan and Independent author (Indies Rock!) so I’m not surprised at how polished and authentic the novel is. And the life she breathes into each and every character… very impressive! Equal parts mythology and mystery, with a dash of romance– The Temple is a stellar fist novel and I’m excited to read more from Adkins!

Product Description From Amazon:

Vale Avari has a mysterious past and a laundry list of super-powers, but that’s nothing compared to what she finds upon moving from small town U.S.A to jolly-good England.

A chance dart throw lands her in Quicksilver, an off-the-map place with a big problem – people are dying, and word is, it’s supernatural.

At her new place of employment, a temple dedicated to the ancient Mother Goddess, Vale learns something even more shocking – women guards are disappearing at an alarmingly patterned rate; women who possess special gifts like her own.

Supernatural powers aside, Vale isn’t ready to believe in the Wild Hunt as the culprit, and she’s determined to prove the deaths are acts of human violence.

Plagued by a brute with a history of domestic violence and lusting after a dark-eyed man with a secret, Vale has a limited amount of time to discover the killer before he strikes again. In the process, she’ll learn things aren’t always what they seem and the supernatural might not be so extraordinary after all.

The Hunt could ride for her.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in authors, books, Indie authors, Reading and writing, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Book Review – Diary of The Displaced by Glynn James

Posted on October 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I downloaded this book, but whatever my preconceived notions were, Mr. James blew them out of the water.

Reading this novel felt a bit like falling down Alice’s portal. Given the nature of the plot, it couldn’t have been written any other way. As the main character, James Halldon, wakes up in a strange foreign place, the story begins. We learn more about his predicament as he does. Of course I had to keep reading to figure out where he was and if he’d ever escape.

Diary of The Displaced is a well-written, uniquely crafted, one-of-a-kind book. Part horror, part sci-fi; totally entertaining. On a side note, I’m already reading book two of the series, Chasing Spirits now!

→ Leave a comment

Posted in books, Indie authors, Reading and writing, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Book Review – Cage Life by Karin Cox

Posted on October 12, 2011 | 2 Comments

I snagged this book while it was offered for free over on Amazon, mainly because I’ve seen the author around on a few boards and I was curious about her work. After reading Cage Life, I felt a little girl-crush coming on. Cox writes with such beauty and insight that I found myself jealous. She writes like I aspire to. She writes like people think, even when they don’t realize it.

Evocative. Haunting. Powerful. – I could be describing the story collection or the author’s gift for the written word. In fact, I am describing both.

You should scoot on over to Amazon now, check out Cage Life and Karin Cox’s other works. Maybe you can still snag it for free!

Product Description From Amazon:

What happens when life doesn’t turn out as planned? This collection of two evocative stories (each with a surprising twist) explores the choices and compromises we make in life and in love, and how they can trap or liberate us, depending on our mindset. Each story comes with an unexpected twist that makes reading all the way to the end imperative.

In “Cage Life,” first published by [untitled] in 2010 as “Still Life”, a young mum feels like a prisoner in her own home. Her decision to escape the bonds of marriage and motherhood, just for a few hours, has unexpected consequences that force her to a re-evaluate what it really means to be loved, to be married, and to be free.

In “The Usurper,” unconditional love is explored within the boundaries of age and longing. Basil is in his eighties, with an illustrious career in law enforcement behind him, when he meets Carla — a beautiful, energetic and much younger mistress. But when Simon appears on the scene, can Basil keep her or does she, in fact, keep him?

→ 2 Comments

Posted in authors, books, Reading and writing, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Book Review – Craved by Stephanie Nelson

Posted on October 11, 2011 | Leave a comment

I won this book through a LibraryThing giveaway and read it promptly. The cover is beyond gorgeous and the blurb compelling, so I thought, “Why not sign up for the drawing?” I’m glad I did. Craved by Stephanie Nelson is a perfectly tasty morsel of paranormal goodness, and I do hope the book manages to garner the attention it deserves.

As far a paranormal books go it’s withing the genre norms so as not to be off-putting to die hard fans. This book does have several nuggets of originality and quirkiness and we all know I like things with the big “Q”. Imagine, a town solely inhabited by Supernaturals. What fun! I can’t wait to see where the author takes the town and the characters within its invisible boundaries in further books of the series.

The writing is tight througout, though the first page or so felt a little overly descriptive. Once the author found her sea legs the book clipped along nicely. So nicely, in fact, I gave myself a stiff neck from hunching over my ipad to finish it :-) There’s a host of compelling characters and hunky love interests and the main character Gwen has some unusual abilities that end up making her a hot commodity. Fabulous first start to a series, and I’m sure the series will become one that I have to read in entirity. Sigh –> That list is getting long! But I guess a girl could have much worse problems on hand…

→ Leave a comment

Posted in books, Indie authors, Reading and writing, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Book Review – Whispers In The Sand by Barbara Erskine

Posted on October 6, 2011 | 1 Comment

My daughter calls me a “word nerd” often, and unlike other choice things she has to say about me, with this I am not offended. I freely admit I’m addicted to books. It’s an addiction, like many others that can lead to financial ruin if left unchecked. Which is why I adore signing up to win free books on sites like LibraryThing and GoodReads. I’ve kept food on the table by feeding my addiction with many won books. This book, Whispers In The Sand is one of them.

As an American, I had a little trouble getting into the book, since it’s written from the viewpoint of an English woman. But looking at that gorgeous cover I just couldn’t give up. And I’m glad I hung in there, for the book totally sucked me in. I completely missed my kids bedtime, so oblivious was I. Thank goodness my husband was on the ball. But I digress.

Cloaked within a modern mystery is an ancient one, and the two story lines are melded expertly and with finesse. Erskine ramped up the tension steadily until I just had to know what happened next – with both the present line and the historical one. Ancient Egypt, cursed relics, rampant madness and evil-afoot. How could I not have loved it?

Now on to my few, minor nitpicks… Several times a few of the characters irritated me and I found myself wondering if someone would really respond to such obnoxious behavior with meek and proper manners. But then I remembered I’m American and social graces are not the same here as they are “across the pond” in many ways.

Also, I’m a little chaffed at the ending. I can still feel myself dangling just a little and I hate that. Perhaps there will be a sequel? One can hope.

Overall, Whispers In The Sand is potent, mystical, in some ways tragic and has a healthy dose of suspense and mystery. Erskine is a lyrical writer who is able to imbue genre fiction with literary flavor. I’d recommend the book whole-heartedly despite my minor complaints.

If you’ve read this book I’d love to hear your comments!

→ 1 Comment

Posted in books, Reading and writing

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Earn a Free Copy of SKIN by Alex Owens

Posted on October 1, 2011 | 1 Comment

As a special thank you for everyone who joins our mailing list to receive infrequent updates, we are giving away copies of the short story collection SKIN, by Alex Owens!

<

For the entire month of October, to honor the spooky, strange and downright creepy, all you have to do is sign up through our mailing list. Once the month has ended, expect an email with the download code for a FREE copy of SKIN! See, easy-peasy!

To Sign up: http://eepurl.com/eaOhH

Or, you can capture the QR code and sign up that way!

What Readers are Saying About Skin:

“SKIN features three short stories, all well-written. The author has a definite talent … I predict great success for Alex Owens, a genuine storyteller in the best traditions of the art form.” from Karen Wodke on LibraryThing.com

“…definitely interesting and unusual-not found in any other book that this reader knows of. This book is recommend to adults who enjoy the odd side of genres…“ from Krystal on GoodReads About SKIN: Short Fiction

“Well written book with dark twisty tales. I recommend this book.” from KarenW on GoodReads.com

→ 1 Comment

Posted in books, publishing, Reading and writing, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Book Review- Witches on Parole: Unlocked by Debora Geary

Posted on September 24, 2011 | 1 Comment

Some of you may remember my book reviews of A Modern Witch and A Hidden Witch, so I was please to be given the chance to read and review the author’s newest book Witches on Parole: Unlocked (A Modern Witch trilogy, book 1)

Those who have read Geary’s other books will be please to find some of the same characters in this fisrt book of the new spin-off series. The modern witchy themes are present, as is Geary’s flair for crafting page-turning, first-rate books.

In Witches on Parole we meet two new witched in need of some guidance. Enter the Witchlight program. Part community service for the magically inclined and part service organization, Witchight and it’s members offer more than witchly guidance and a fresh start. They offer the chance to become part of the family, so to speak. I don’t want to give to many details away, but I’ll just say that Geary is a Fab writer with a “gift” of her own. She pens creative, engaging books that drawn a reader in while giving us characters that start to feel like family. And now I’m hooked on this series as well as the original Modern Witch series.

Gee, my reading list seems to be growing by leaps and bounds lately!

→ 1 Comment

Posted in authors, books, Reading and writing, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Book Review – Happier Than a Billionaire by Nadine Hays Pisani

Posted on September 21, 2011 | 2 Comments

After seeing this author and book on various sites for writers and indie authors, I went on a mission to track it down over on Amazon. My journey was not in vain.

Happier Than A Billionaire is one womans story of chucking it all and moving to Costa Rica. I mean, come on, who hasn’t considering doing something equally zany? I certainly have, though lately it’s become something more of an obsession than a crazy notion.

Let me just say, I adore this author, who writes with moments of clarity and wit, bracketed by comedic timing. She spins an entertaining tale, while calling out others to reconsider the way they are living. If something makes you miserable, why on earth would you continue to do it? Exactly.

Even if you’re not considering a move to a tropical locale, I’d still reccomend Happier Than A Billionaire to just about anybody. It’s quirky, fun, and well worth the tiny price tag!

→ 2 Comments

Posted in authors, books, Indie authors, living, nature, Reading and writing, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , ,

Book Review – Wayward Son by Tom Pollack

Posted on September 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

I received a copy of Wayward Son through Librarything’s Early Reviewer giveaway and I’m glad the initial blurb caught my attention enough to make me enter to win a copy. It was a complex, inventive novel and will certainly fall into the narrow category of books that I remember well after I finished reading it.

Wayward Son is, at it’s core, and epic journey through time and ancient history, seen through the eyes of one of the Bible’s most notorious characters- Cain. Interestingly, the Bible never tells of Cain’s fate after being exiled, but this author did a brilliant job of building on the fable and turning it into something highly improbable, yet wholly believable at the same time. At the end of reading the novel, I felt as if I too had live through some of the most important events in human history.

At present day, the story begins with an archeological discovery and an ambitious employee of the Getty Museum’s, Amanda James. Through her the reader is taken on an unforgettable journey into the long, tumultuous life of Cain. Mostly, the present-day story line is used as a device for the historical backstory, and I did fine the modern line a little thin and not nearly as compelling as the rest of the book.

But make no mistake, this tale is a must read, and not just for people who gravitate towards epic, historical fiction. Wayward Son can’t be pigeon-holed that easy. It has mystery, murder, mayhem, religion, mysticism, love found and lost, interesting characters and and is superbly written. Check it out, you won’t be sorry!

→ Leave a comment

Posted in books, history, Reading and writing, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,