Book Review: The Elephant Vanishes

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Title: The Elephant Vanishes

Author: Haruki Murakami

Source: Purchased by me

Pub Date: September 201

Publisher: Vintage International

Page Cout: 327

With the same deadpan mania and genius for dislocation that he brought to his internationally acclaimed novels A Wild Sheep Chase and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Haruki Murakami makes this collection of stories a determined assault on the normal. A man sees his favorite elephant vanish into thin air; a newlywed couple suffers attacks of hunger that drive them to hold up a McDonald's in the middle of the night; and a young woman discovers that she has become irresistible to a little green monster who burrows up through her backyard.

By turns haunting and hilarious, The Elephant Vanishes is further proof of Murakami's ability to cross the border between separate realities -- and to come back bearing treasure.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

Collection Combined Rating: 3.5

  My Star Rating for each individual story:

The wind-up bird and Tuesday's women: (4 stars)

The second bakery attack: (5 stars) 

The kangaroo communique: (2 stars) 

On seeing the 100% perfect girl one April morning: (5 stars) 

Sleep: (5 stars) 

The fall of the Roman empire, the 1881 Indian Uprising, Hitler's invasion of Poland, and the realm of raging winds: (2 stars)

Lederhosen: (3 stars) 

Barn burning: (4 stars)

The little green monster: (4 stars)

Family affair: (3 stars) 

A window: (3 stars) 

TV people: (4 stars)

A slow boat to China: (4 stars)

The dancing dwarf: (2 stars)

The last lawn of the afternoon: (3 stars)

Silence: (3 stars) 

The elephant vanishes: (4 stars)

My Thoughts On The Whole Book: 

“I realize now that the reality of things is not something you convey to people but something you make.”

The Elephant Vanishes is my first Haruki Murakami book I have ever read. I don’t recommend starting his works with this collection of short stories. I enjoyed the magical realism more than I thought I would. I was just left unimpressed by some of these stories. With that being said no of them are actually bad. They just weren't my favorites like The second bakery attack and On seeing the 100% perfect girl one April morning were. 

The main themes of this book were how different people deal with situations. Things like marriage, peoples place in it, dysfunctional relationships, hunger, lust, and compassion were all explored through symbolism that I had to sometimes look out for.  

Even though this wasn’t my favorite I do look forward to reading more by him and seeing what I think of some of his novels. I am glad I picked this one up. 

Book Review: Clutch

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Title: Clutch

Author:  Lisa Becker 

Publisher:  Becker Press

Source: NetGalley

Publisher Date: October 10th 2015 

Rating: 3 out of 5

clutch: a novel is the laugh-out-loud, chick lit romance chronicling the dating misadventures of Caroline Johnson, a single purse designer who compares her unsuccessful romantic relationships to styles of handbags – the “Hobo” starving artist, the “Diaper Bag” single dad, the “Briefcase” intense businessman, etc. With her best friend, bar owner Mike by her side, the overly-accommodating Caroline drinks a lot of Chardonnay, puts her heart on the line, endures her share of unworthy suitors and finds the courage to discover the “Clutch” or someone she wants to hold onto.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

Clutch was such a light, sweet, funny read. I loved the characters and the way the book was written. The thing adored the most was the chapter names correlated with the various dates the man character Caroline went on. Which I thought was a cute and sweet touch.

"...you find something you love and you just hold onto.”

Our main character Caroline is a purse addict and handbag designer. She is on the lookout for Mr. Right. Unfortunately, like most people, she is only finding losers and people that she doesn't connect with. The other character Mike is on the journey with her. He owns a bar and keeps her stocked with lots of wine for her miss adventures.

He was a character that I absolutely adored in this story. He was a fantastic friend. He was a great person all around and I really enjoyed his dialog in the book.

“Lord, give me coffee to change the things I can,” she lifted her glass, “and a tall glass of Chardonnay to accept the things I can’t. That’s about the only gospel I can get behind.”

The book had some faults though. I found it a tad bit predictable at times. Also, it was often repetitive in parts. Also quotes like the one below made me roll my eyes at times.

“It was a revelation. How had she not seen it before?”

Overall this was a cute chick lit story. It's your average love story full of hilarious anecdotes.

Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Review: Caught Up In Us ( Caught Up In Love #1)

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Title: Caught Up In Us ( Caught Up In Love #1) 
Author: Lauren Blakely
Publisher: Lauren Blakely Books 
Source: Bought off of Amazon
Publisher Date: January 19th, 2013 
Pages: 254 pages

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

A second chance at first love...

Five years ago, Kat Harper fell into a dizzying summer romance with her brother's best friend Bryan. It was a mad, crazy love full of kisses all through the night—but he broke her heart and she had to move on. Five years later, Kat is finishing her graduate degree and building her business as a jewelry designer, when Bryan, head of his own successful company, walks back into her life. Bryan has been assigned to Kat as her new business mentor and the rules are clear. No hanky panky permitted. Kat can handle that because she's totally over him... right? Except, he still makes her laugh, and he remembers all the things she likes. Not to mention that he's even more handsome now than he was then. Then there's the spark between them—the simply undeniable chemistry, and the tender ways he shows he still cares for her. Can they resist each other the second time around or will first love trump all?

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

“My first love. He was my first favorite mistake.” 

Kat met Brian when she was really young, seventeen, to be exact. He was her brothers best friend. They hit it off at first sight and were pretty much inseparable for one summer. They had the typical teenage romance where they would just make out a lot. It was a cute charming part of the story. But fate would bring them back together. 

"Brian was butterflies-in-the-belly, my soft-and-hungry-and-never ending kisses. He was all the kisses I’d ever want. Because he was kind, and he was witty, and he always wanted to know more about me, and maybe that’s why he kissed like a dream – he was my dream guy."

I have to be honest this book took me forever and a day to finish. I kept putting it down because I needed to think about things that were happening, I needed to fully absorb it. I didn't want to finish this book.

This was a too-good-to-be-true love story. Everything happened a little too perfectly for it to be realistic but I loved it. I loved that things fell into place neatly and didn't have realistic real-life stress. I read this book at a time in my life where I was struggling emotionally and had some major life problems and I have to say it really was exactly what I needed. 

“If I were a rock star, I’d have Taylor Swifted him and written one of those anthemic I don’t love you anymore songs.”

Lauren Blakely's writing style is so smooth and beautiful. I loved the way she brought the main characters together. The characters had a natural chemistry and I enjoyed the way they interacted and bantered with each other. You could feel their feelings coming off the pages. The secondary characters where just as wonderful and they weren't just apart of the story or in the background. 

I am such a sucker for romance that is sweet and cute. Caught Up in Us definitely met the mark. It had some plot issues and writing problems but they didn't ruin the story for me. Overall I thought that Caught Up in Us was a light and enjoyable book to read. It is one that will make you happy and lift your spirits. There is no crazy cliffhanger's, no heart break, just is a good enjoyable book. The characters that felt genuine and real. It is a sweet read. I definitely recommend this book. 

LALA FEELS BLAH-LA

LALA FEELS BLAH-LA by Tela Kayne, Children, 28 pp., $8.89 (paperback) $3.99 (Kindle)

Title: LALA FEELS BLAH-LA Author: Tela Kayne Publisher: The Virtue Agency Pages: 30 Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Welcome to LaLa’s World: Where kids learn how to be the change!

In this newly released children’s book, “LaLa Feels Blah-La,” a young girl and her stuffed bear wake up feeling blah for no apparent reason. LaLa’s mom teaches her to be mindful of her feelings and turn her mood around with the flip of a coin. Perfect for young readers, LaLa Feels Blah-La , teaches children to be more mindful of their feelings and manage their mood swings.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Lala wakes up and feels rotten, but she's not sure why. She's not sick, and the sun is shining. Lala is blah-la.

She stomps downstairs for breakfast. 

Stomp, stomp, stomp.

MY REVIEW:

Somedays are just bad, you just don't have the energy for the day. I have felt like Lala several days a week as she drags herself out of bed, and stomps downstairs. You can just feel the bad mood she is in from the pages. The mother is perky and upbeat. The colors are bright and fun. The illustrations have a beautiful hue to them. I loved that it was such a great moral. This is a wonderful book about emotions and taking control of feelings.

.

This is such a beautiful and sweet book to read to younger children. It would be a great way to encourage them to work on talking about their emotions. 

As the daughter of a librarian, Tela Kayne grew up reading countless literary works of all genres in quiet corners of the local library. She developed the love of writing at an early age, penning theatrical productions that were performed in the family living room for an audience of loved ones. She officially began her creative career as a young actress in Atlanta, having appeared on stage in a variety of roles including Puck of Midsummer Night’s Dream and Alice in Alice in Wonderland.
After graduating college Summa Cum Laude from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and working a short stint in the “real world,” she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film. After securing her Screen Actor’s Guild membership through appearances on television shows like G vs E, The Parkers and Get Real as well as films like Down to You, Almost Famous, and Disney’s The Kid, she decided to garner more behind-the-camera experience. She secured internships at Scott Rudin Productions, one of Hollywood’s most prolific and demanding producers and Mostow Lieberman Productions (U-571) at Universal Studios. She soon accepted a paid position with executive producer Chris Sievernich and discovered her love of screenplay development, running the coverage department for Kinowelt USA and assisting in the development of projects like Nurse Betty, The Wedding Planner and Welcome to Collinwood. After several years of working in Hollywood, she returned home to Atlanta in 2001 to focus on a career in strategic marketing.

As president and founder of The Virtue Agency, an integrated content development and marketing agency, Tela has spent the last fifteen years writing content and maximizing brand exposure and engagement for clients. She has authored articles that appear on MarketWatch (WSJ), Yahoo! Finance, MNN.com, EWG.org, and HealthyChild.org. She is also entering into the literary world with the release of LaLa Feels Blah-La, Book 1 of her debut children’s series, LaLa’s World.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Visit us at Pump Up Your Book!

Book Review: City Lullaby

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Title: City Lullaby
Author: Marilyn Singer, Carll Cneut (Illustrator)
Publisher: Library
Source: Clarion Books
Publisher Date: October 15th 2007
Pages: 32 pages
Rating: 3 out of 4 Stars

Ice cream truck jing-a-linging Nine phones ringing, ten horns beeping In the stroller Baby's sleeping.

Will anything wake up that snoozing baby? Follow the red stroller through the cacophony of the city and find out! Rhythm, rhyme, and lots of noisy onomatopoeia from premier children's poet Marilyn Singer, coupled with chaotic, colorful art from an acclaimed European illustrator, make this a rowdy read-aloud, with plenty of things to find and count on every spread.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

City Lullaby by Marilyn Singer and Illustrated by Carll Cneut is a great counting book for little ones. It is set in a busy and noisy city scene. The book centers around a mother pushing her sleeping baby through the bustle and hustle of this little city. The concept is that the traffic and the city is supposed to wake up the baby. 

The busy noise is made up of ringing cell phones, dogs parking, traffic jams, trash cans being thrown around, car alarms, a basketball game, loud motorcycles, and some buses. Crazily enough none of this can wake the sleeping baby. Who is shown in various places across the pages. My nanny kid didn't love this book but thought it was fun trying to find the baby in all the chaos. She also enjoyed trying to mimic the sounds that were being made. It was also a great way to explain or introduce city life to her. 

The colors in this book are very bold, and at times I think the book was overwhelming for a little one. The bright packed pages left little to the imagination and created quite a chaotic vibe. While a cute book it wasn't the most memorable children's picture book I have read. It was slightly disappointing. Also don't let the "lullaby" part of the title fool you, this wasn't a bedtime read. It was far too upbeat and colorful. 

Searching Blitz

Searching
Cindy Cipriano
(The Fading Series, #2)
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: July 20th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

A fast-paced fantasy romance with rich characters and immersive storytelling,Searching is the second book in theFading series by award-winning author Cindy Cipriano.
To say Leath is traveling light is an understatement. She’s only bringing three things on her trip. One is a silver heart locket—a gift from her longtime best-friend-turned-boyfriend Victor Santana. Next is a wedding token in the shape of a J, from James Turner. And of course, she’s packing her pistol. That’s it. She knows that when she leaves Woodvine, even her own mother may not remember her in the shifted reality that will be left behind. Bringing anything else would be pointless. But she’s driven now, by something that eclipses everything else, something she just got back: her memories. And now that she remembers James—she won’t stop searching until she finds him.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

LEARN MORE ABOUT SEARCHING!

One-liner for Searching?
How far would you search for The One?

More details?
Leath is packing light: just her two lockets (one from Victor, one from James) – and of course, her pistol.  She knows that when she leaves Woodvine, even her own mother may not remember her in the shifted reality that will be left behind.  But she’s driven by something that eclipses everything else: her recovered memories.  Now that she remembers James—she won’t stop searching until she finds him.

Where did the idea come from for Searching?
Searching is the second book in The Fading Series. Searching takes up immediately where Fading left off, just as Leath puts her foot down inside Judaculla.

What genre is Searching?
Young adult.
But – the entire series crosses genres. It’s a paranormal, dystopian, young adult romance mash-up. Searching is also a crossover, appealing to young adults and up.

Who would enjoy reading Searching?
Fans of Fading who are waiting to find out if it’s Victor or James.

And, anyone who has ever been in love with two people at the same time. J

Favorite lines from Searching:

1. I wanted to touch him. So I did. (pg. 1)
2. The first time I held hands with Victor Santana, it wasn’t romantic. Not at all. (pg. 3)
3. Victor’s strong hand cradled mine, and he became my tether to reality. (pg. 3)
4. His warm lips brushed against my ear as he whispered three little words. “I can wait.” (pg. 6)
5. Name James Turner. Age 17. Parents Emancipated Minor. (pgs. 10-11)
6. “I don’t usually get this close to a girl, unless I’m going to kiss her,” said the boy, giving me a playful grin. (pg. 23)
7. When we were apart, it seemed as if all of eternity passed before I saw him again. (pg. 110)
8. To one boy, I’d gladly give my heart. To the other, my life. (pg. 130)
9. I wondered how long a person could live like this, so completely torn in half. (pg. 130)
10. She could have any boy in the restaurant. Why was she falling all over mine? (pg. 147)
11. But right now I had him. The boy of my dreams. (pg. 174)
12. “I will never stop loving you,” he said. “Not even in death.” (pg. 268)

James is sort of a two-sides-to-one-coin kind of guy. Was it difficult writing his character?
Definitely, but so worth it!
*sighs*
He’s drop-dead gorgeous and funny, but he hovers over dark territory. It was a challenge writing him because I wanted my readers to see what Leath sees in James. In Searching, fans will see just how deep James’s feelings for Leath go. 

And Leath’s other love interest, Victor, was it hard to write him?
Not a bit.
*sighs again*
Victor is the definition of the perfect guy. He’s good-looking, funny, confident and charismatic. Not to mention he has an exceptionally beautiful heart.

Who is your favorite character in Searching?
Ever continues to be my favorite character. She’s the girl you love to hate. I think we’re all hoping that in the end, she’ll do the right thing. The problem is we lose a faith in her each time she opens her mouth. As I continue writing the series, I’m currently working on book three and James is fast becoming a close second to Ever as my favorite character. I think readers will enjoy watching James’s growth from Fading to Searching to where I am now in writing the series.

Who designed the cover of Searching?
The talented Marya Heidel. Isn’t it stunning?!

How many books are in the Searching series? There will be at least 4 books in the series.

How can readers keep up with you and the Fading series?
Anything and everything about The Fading Series can be found at Clean Teen Publishing or CindyCipriano.com.

Author Bio:
Cindy Cipriano lives in North Carolina with her husband, son and their 27 pets.
Not really.
Just three dogs who think they are children and three cats who think they are raccoons. It only seems as if they make 27. When Cindy isn't writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and the avoidance of cooking.
Cindy's first novel, The Circle, Book One of The Sidhe won the 2014 Moonbeam Children's Book Silver Award for Pre-Teen Fiction - Fantasy. Other titles in the series include The Choice, Book Two of The Sidhe (2015) and The Lost, Book Three of The Sidhe (2017). This seven-book series is published by Odyssey Books.
Miller's Island Mysteries #1 The Case of the Toxic River (2017) is the first in her eleven-book science mystery series (Vulpine Press). #2 The Case of the Catalyst will release in 2018.
Look for Fading, the first in her young adult series, in April 2018. (Clean Teen Publishing). Fading is the tale of first loves and the consequence of dreaming up Mr. Right.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Book Review: Illumination

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

The adventures continue for Frances Olar Kavanagh and her Buena Vista Cafe Irish coffee club. Frances with her new found strengths lives life to the fullest. All appears to be headed in the right direction for Frances as her art career launches and her friends help her navigate through the wonders of that are Frances. When life hits her with unexpected and sometimes unjust twists and turns, Frances must dig deeper than she ever has to move forward. 

The roller coaster of life is back in Book 2. Will Frances find love? Does she finally get her art work hung in a gallery? Will her family in St. Louis understand her new directions? All those questions and more are answered in book 2.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

Oh,​ how I loved this book.

This is just as exciting and lovely as the first book in the F.O.K. SERIES by Sheila M Sullivan. I loved how heartwarming this story is. Once again the author weaves a story of the life of Frances Olar Kavanagh, and her friends and family. The questions in the first book are answered in this one. However, more questions are raised as we learn more about her journey. We learn what really matters to Frances at this point.

There are so many captivating characters. The storyline was exciting and heart-wrenching. It was beautifully woven and exciting. The book is an absolute must-read. 

Book Blitz: The Sexpert

The Sexpert
JA Huss & Johnathan McClain
Publication date: July 24th 2018
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

A new standalone romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author, JA Huss, and Actor/Screenwriter, Johnathan McClain.
EDEN
I’m just a simple girl who likes dessert. And sexy men. And social media. So starting an anonymous video channel called The Sexpert as a side hustle to make up for my low-paying marketing job at Le Man Magazine seemed like a perfectly sensible career decision. Until we went viral, my boss accused my anonymous personality of stealing his idea, and now my super sexy new boyfriend, Andrew, is out to get me.
Her. Me. Whatever.
ANDREW
I don’t want it to be her. I do not want this… sweet, delicious, shy social media nerd working at my best friend’s magazine to be the face behind those perky cupcakes on the Sexpert channel. I don’t want it to be her… because I like her. A lot. She’s funny, and quirky, and smart, and creative… and… I really, really like her. It just can’t be her.
But it is.
And now I have to choose.
My best friend?
Or… The Sexpert?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Me: bitch we got problems pierce is sexpert
I didn’t mean it to come out like that but I can’t be bothered with punctuation right now. And anyway, two seconds later my phone buzzes an incoming call from Zoey. I tab accept and whisper, “I’m gonna get fired today.”
“What the hell are you talking about? What’s that mean? Pierce is Sexpert?”
“I stole his idea and then he found out and I didn’t mean to do it and now the cute freeway guy is on the case and he’s gonna out me and get me fired! I’m fucked!” I whisper-scream that last part into the phone while I hold it at arm’s length.
“Eden!” Zoey snaps. “Calm the fuck down and explain! I didn’t understand any of that.”
But then the stairwell door opens on fifty and two girls—Sara from accounting and Leslie from data entry—start walking up to fifty-one towards me.
“Hey, girls!” I wave and smile at them, trying to act normal.
“Hey, Eden!” they chime back together. “Happy Monday!” they say.
“Happy Monday,” I say back.
Now I get it. I totally get why people hate it when I say that.
When they disappear onto fifty-one I go back to the phone. “How… when… Zoey! I think I might’ve stolen this idea from Pierce!”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I was there when you came up with it. Remember? It was Valentine’s Day two years ago and I was pregnant, and sad, and poor because business was bad and you said, ‘We should be strippers.’ And then I said, ‘I can’t be a stripper because I’m fat.’ And you said, ‘You’re not fat, you’re beautiful.’ And then I said, ‘We need a stupid YouTube series like that dumbass seventeen-year-old who got famous on Ellen! after she made stop-motion movies of Barbie and Ken having sex.’ And you said, ‘We should totally make a ridiculous sex advice channel and we should call ourselves the Sexperts!’ Remember all that?”
That was how it went down. “I was drunk though, remember? That asshole Matthew dumped me after I put out and I was pissed off. So maybe I accidentally heard Pierce say something about the Sexpert and then I only thought it was my idea?”
“That’s stupid. Don’t be stupid, Eden. You’re not stupid. You came up with the name! I was there!”
“Yeah, but we’ve been using Voice Lift to disguise my voice and the goddamned Voice Lift inventor is the cute freeway guy and now Myrtle says he’s on the case and he’s gonna figure out who I am!”
“Ridiculous!” Zoey yells. “No one is gonna find out who you are, Eden. We don’t even show your face.”
True.
I take a deep breath. Maybe I’m just overreacting?

Author Bio:
Two accomplished writers come together to create unforgettable sexy romance. JA Huss is the New York Times bestselling author of 321 and has been on the USA Today bestsellers list eighteen times. Johnathan McClain is a veteran actor and writer whose work, either performed or written, is probably airing on at least one of the channels on your television right now. You can contact them on their website www.hussmcclain.com or find them at their social links below.

STALK JULIE
FACEBOOK / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM

STALK JOHNATHAN
FACEBOOK / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM

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Book Blitz: Veiled Waters

Veiled Waters
H.G. Lynch
(Unfortunate Blood, #5)
Publication date: July 24th 2018
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult

They’ve faced ghosts, fought witches, and escaped the clutches of a lunatic cult…but this may be their most difficult enemy yet.
The new girl. One girl with the power to take Reid’s eye away from Ember, the power to break friendships, the power to destroy relationships.
And to top it off? Something is drowning students in the local lake.

Goodreads / Amazon

Previous books in the series:
   

—

EXCERPT:

“REID!”
A sudden, familiar voice yelling his name from some great distance jerked him awake and he gasped. All he saw at first was endless, impenetrable blackness, but only for a second before his eyes adjusted and he was staring at the ceiling past Ricky’s concerned face. The younger boy’s eyes glowed blue-green in the darkness.
Slowly, Reid realized his heart was pounding on his ribs, he was gasping, and his hand was clenched tightly around Ricky’s wrist, so tightly he could feel it as a tiny bone snapped under his fingers. Ricky hissed in pain, but didn’t try to pull away, his mouth tight but his eyes gentle. With a shudder, Reid pulled his hand back to himself, and stared at Ricky with ghosts behind his eyes.
“Sorry,” he muttered apologetically, his voice hoarse. Had he been screaming in his sleep again? Most likely. No wonder Ricky had woken him. This was getting beyond ridiculous.
Ricky just nodded, rubbing his wrist as it healed swiftly and neatly. He was examining Reid carefully, kneeling on the floor by his bed. There was deep, serious worry in his face that Reid could read effortlessly in the dark. Not wanting to see it, Reid turned and glared at the useless dream-catcher on his wall. It hung there innocuously, the glass beads shining and the feathers still and pale against the dark wall.
“I guess I was right the first time; Feathers and beads do jack all to help nightmares,” he said shakily.
With a sigh, Ricky retreated back to his own bed and sat there, gazing evenly at Reid, who shifted uncomfortably. He noticed then that he was drenched in sweat and it was sending chills down his spine. His light hair clung to his forehead and ears, and his hands trembled on the mattress. He clutched the bed sheets to hide the shaking.
“They’re getting worse, aren’t they?” Ricky asked plainly, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.
Not meeting his gaze, Reid nodded, running a hand through his messy, damp hair.
“There has to be something that would help. We could get you drugs, or Ember could make a potion I’m sure. We must have a recipe in one of the grimoires.Ember would have the power—”
“No,” Reid protested bluntly. The thought of Ricky going to Ember and asking her to make a sleeping potion or elixir to banish nightmares…her surprise and confusion, her hurt when Ricky explained what it was for…No.
Ricky started, frowning. “But why? It’s not like it’d put her out to do it. I’m sure she’d do anything to help you.” he insisted.
Reid just turned away, looked out the window as he got to his feet. He put his back to Ricky as he yanked his damp t-shirt over his head and tossed it onto his bed.
“Unless…” Ricky said slowly, and Reid could practically hear the gears turning in the boy’s head. “Unless she doesn’t know about this yet…”

Author Bio:
H.G. Lynch is a Paranormal Romance author from Scotland. She is an avid reader, and cat-lover. She spends most of her days writing, while wrestling her cat off her laptop. She loves horse-riding, Star Trek, and snow.
Her books are dark paranormal romances.

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Book Blitz: Dirty Little Desires

Dirty Little Desires
Cassie Cross
(Dirty Little Series, #3)
Publication date: July 25th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Oliver Warren is a man who seems to have everything. He’s rich, he’s handsome, and he owns of some of the hottest properties in the country. The only thing missing in his otherwise perfect life is the woman he’s been in love with for as long as he can remember, Felicity Williams. She just so happens to also be his best friend’s sister.
Felicity co-runs a successful lifestyle website with her sister-in-law, and she has a line of accessories in the works. Most of her dreams are well within her reach, except for one that she’s been keeping a secret, and she needs Oliver’s help to make it come true.
Felicity hatches a plan to attend a benefit that’s being held at one of Oliver’s properties, and brings Oliver as her date. After a long weekend of ups and downs, Felicity starts wondering if the feelings she has for Oliver aren’t as unrequited as she always thought they were.
When they get home, will love be enough to get them through the fallout of giving in to their dirty little desires?
Dirty Little Desires is a standalone story, no cliffhangers, and is the third and final book in the Dirty Little Series.

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EXCERPT:

I push myself out of the water, contemplating another jump before dinner’s ready.
“Thinking of going again?” Oliver asks, handing me a towel. “I know you were scared.”
I shrug it off. “I just wanted to see what it was like.”
He grins. “I know. I admire that about you.”
“Which part? My recklessness where my own safety is concerned, or my swanlike grace while flying through the air?”
He laughs. “That you aren’t scared of doing things. That when there’s something you want, you go out and get it.”
He gives me a long, intense look that makes a ribbon of heat curl around my belly.
Oliver’s a gazillionaire who’s never met a person he couldn’t finesse, never come across a deal he couldn’t close. If there’s someone who has issues getting what they want, it certainly isn’t him.
“Oliver, what—”
“Want to go for a walk with me later? There’s something I want to show you,” he says, cutting me off before I can ask him what he meant just a second ago.
My stupid heart skips a beat when he asks. “Yeah,” I reply a little too quickly, like a lovesick moron.
He perks up. “Yeah?”
I smile. “Definitely.”

Author Bio:
Cassie Cross is a Maryland native and a romantic at heart, who lives outside of Baltimore with her two dogs and a closet full of shoes. Cassie’s fondness for swoon-worthy men and strong women are the inspiration for most of her stories, and when she’s not busy writing a book, you’ll probably find her eating takeout and indulging in her love of 80′s sitcoms.

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Book Review: Audacity

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Title: Audacity
Author: Melanie Crowder
Source: Library
Pub Date: January 8th 2015
Publisher: Philomel Books
Page Cout: 400 pages

The inspiring story of Clara Lemlich, whose fight for equal rights led to the largest strike by women in American history

A gorgeously told novel in verse written with intimacy and power, Audacity is inspired by the real-life story of Clara Lemlich, a spirited young woman who emigrated from Russia to New York at the turn of the twentieth century and fought tenaciously for equal rights. Bucking the norms of both her traditional Jewish family and societal conventions, Clara refuses to accept substandard working conditions in the factories on Manhattan's Lower East Side. 

For years, Clara devotes herself to the labor fight, speaking up for those who suffer in silence. In time, Clara convinces the women in the factories to strike, organize, and unionize, culminating in the famous Uprising of the 20,000.

Powerful, breathtaking, and inspiring, Audacity is the story of a remarkable young woman, whose passion and selfless devotion to her cause changed the world.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

”Have we not been told all our lives that a good girl is obedient biddable meek? I have never been obedient or biddable or meek.” 

Right now I am on a kick of reading books in verse. Audacity was by far one of my absolute favorites that I have read thus far. It was a riveting story of courage, persistence, and fighting for what matters. It was also about being selfless and thinking about others. This is a book in verse that honestly was heartbreaking to read at times. It was extremely compelling to flip the page and find out what beautiful words were going to be told next. I was surprised that a story this powerful could be written in verse. I believe the verse gives this story which is quite depressing some lightness. 

 Due to the verse format this book is an extremely fast read but I decided to savor the story. Reading it in chunks and forming conclusions about it. I found that this is a story packed with emotion, feelings and extreme meaning. 

This is a story that will stick with me for some time. This book enlightened me to a variety of things. It taught me about the horrific working conditions of immigrants at the beginning of the 19th century. It opened my eyes up to a world of such injustice and pain. 

 This book is based on the early life of feminist activist Clara Lemlich. My favorite character was Clara. She made me cry my eyes out. I have never cried through a book in verse but this one really got to me. I felt so sad for her through the story. I was frustrated by the ignorance and cruelty of people she faced. I was completely enraged at her father and brothers, that they excused their actions in the name of tradition and religion. The men in this story just were aggravating. I admired Clara's unbreakable will and strength. She was a truly incredible person. Also she truly deserves to be remembered. 

 Overall, Melanie Crowder wrote an incredible story full of culture and history. It was a beautiful verse novel. The things written in these pages with stick with me for life. I found this novel to be an incredible source of inspiration.