A WORD ABOUT REVIEWS AND GOOD NEWS!

As you all know, I’ve done a lot of thinking as far as the direction I want to take this blog. I’ve done more book reviews lately, and will continue to do so. I get many requests from authors to read and review their work in exchange for an honest review. I try to do that.

If you notice, I post mostly positive reviews of books I like in an effort not to hurt anyones feelings. I don’t think that’s fair to other authors who’ve approached me, though. If I’ve accepted a book to read for a review, it’s only fair that I give my honest opinion. I’m not disrespectful in my reviews, because I know how hard most authors work on their books. From now on, I’m going to include all-star (1-5) reviews on my blog. It’s only fair. The lower my heart rating though, the more I would explain WHY I decided to give it.

I see a lot of people, particularly on Amazon that love to bash reviewers with comments about having the nerve to offer spelling, grammar, or formatting advice to the authors they reviewed. I scratch my head thinking about that. Isn’t that what an author would WANT from their readers? That way they could make necessary corrections and edits, thereby putting out a better product in an update. **Shrugging my shoulders** I’ve seen reviews thumbed down because of it, mine included.

Anyway, my rating system goes by hearts. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Since most sites don’t have half star ratings, I round either up or down depending on how close the rating is to the star (or heart) the book is. Savvy? 

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Now that I’ve got that covered, I’ve got some great news for both AUTHORS and READERS/REVIEWERS!

If you’re an author and need to get some unbiased reviews, click on the image to get a hold of Jessica Therrien to add one of your books to the Challenge Library. If you’re a reader and want to find some amazing books to review, click on the image above to find out how to participate!

 

 

Alex J. Cavanaugh – CassaSeries TRILOGY

Hey everyone! As I’m sure you’re aware from my earlier reviews of Alex J. Cavanaugh‘s space opera books CassaStar, CassaFire, and CassaStorm, I’ve become a fan of his work.

 I just want to let you all know that the entire Cassa Series Trilogy is now available! If you click on the individual titles above, you can read each of my reviews.  🙂

CassaSeries
By Alex J. Cavanaugh
ISBN 9781939844118
Price – $5.99 eBook boxed set
Science fiction/adventure (FIC028010)
Science fiction/space opera (FIC028030)

The Amazon Best-Selling Series!

CassaStar – Few options remain for Byron. Slated to train as a Cosbolt pilot, Byron is determined to prove his worth to his instructor, Bassa. As war brews on the edge of space, Bassa must make a decision that could decide the fate of both men. Will their skills be enough as they embark on a mission destined to stretch their abilities to the limit?

CassaFire – Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters behind him, the detection of alien ruins sends him to the planet of Tgren. Forced to train a Tgren named Athee and deal with an eager young scientist, he feels invaded. Tensions mount as the ruins reveal a potential weapon, plunging him further into the chaos. All Byron wanted was his privacy…

CassaStorm – Commanding the base on Tgren, Byron watches as a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the planet. When the war hits Tgren, it triggers nightmares in his son. The ancient alien ship begins transmitting a deadly code and the probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago returns. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

Find it at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Goodreads

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. He is the author of the Amazon bestsellers, CassaStar, CassaFire, and CassaStorm.

 

Insecure Writer’s Support Group – New Year Goals

Hello writers and HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015! It’s the first Wednesday of January and what better time for us to share our goals for the next 365 days than at the first IWSG meeting of the year. I’ll be coming up on my 2nd year as a member of the #IWSG in another two months or so.

For all the new members, allow me to introduce myself. 🙂 My given name is Eva Solar, though I use one of my two  pen names for writing – Lilica Blake/Lily Eva Blake. It all depends on what I’m writing.  My other blog My Miracle Life, uses my real name because it relates to my life post brain hemorrhage/stroke. I also use it for non-fiction, content and article based writing.

Click the Image to Join!

Now that the introductions are out of the way, I’m sure you’re all aware that the amazing Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh founded this spectacular group and it has become THE PLACE to go if you are an insecure writer.

Click the image if you would like to be a part of this phenomenal group. You won’t regret it.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak.

 The  co-hosts for the January 7 posting of the IWSG are Elizabeth Seckman, Lisa Buie-Collard, Chrys Fey, and Michelle Wallace!

Please make sure you stop by and thank them for all their hard work. My doctor has ordered more physical therapy for me; you’ll be able to read more about it on my IWSG post on my other blog.

That means my number one goal has to be ORGANIZATION when it comes to my writing life. I’ve already started listing. I’m going to try keeping it short, so I’ll just bullet list it below.

• Publish posts at least 6 times a month
• Post at least 1 book review monthly (since I’m always reading!)
• Focus on editing what I’ve already written before starting anything new. Jotting down ideas doesn’t count! 🙂
  
• If the work I edit is actually any good, I’ll increase my submissions from last year. (Yeah, I have that much stuff.)

Don’t forget to pick up your FREE copy of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Guide to Publishing and Beyond.

Available now!

 

 

Tapping into the expertise of over a hundred talented authors from around the globe, The IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond contains something for every writer. Whether you are starting out and need tips on the craft of writing, looking for encouragement as an already established author, taking the plunge into self-publishing, or seeking innovative ways to market and promote your work, this guide is a useful tool. Compiled into three key areas of writing, publishing, and marketing, this valuable resource offers inspirational articles, helpful anecdotes, and excellent advice on dos and don’ts that we all wish we knew when we first started out on this writing journey.

ISBN 9781939844088
235 pages, FREE
Find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, Goodreads.

 

What are your writing and/or life goals for 2015? Let me know in the comments. I’m curious to know. Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Book Review – The Thirteenth Floor Collection -Christine Rains

Hey bloggers! I know, I know. It’s been a while since I’ve come out and done a book review. I’ve read so many since my last one, I haven’t been able to write out them out yet. I need to get cracking; it’s a long list. So I’m going to start today.

(*Note: I initially read The Marquis as a free purchase on Amazon, but it was so good, I purchased the collection.) I based my review on the collection.

This review is for: The 13th Floor Complete Collection

Wonderfully written series.  Five Stars from me. *****

Six supernatural tenants
Living in a haunted apartment building
On a floor that doesn’t exist.

Six novellas telling their tales.

A retired demon acquires a price on his head.
A werewolf is hunted by her pack.
A modern day dragonslayer misses his target.
A harpy challenges Zeus for the soul of the man she loves.
A vampire is obsessed with a young woman he can’t find.
And a banshee falls in love with someone who’s death she has seen in a vision.

All the stories take place at the same time
Intertwining their lives together
on the 13th Floor.

It’s a Collection I Keep Reading Over and Over. Each novella is written about a tenant who lives on the ‘non-existent’ 13th Floor of a ‘haunted’ apartment building. Although each novella could be read as a stand alone, because of the skill Ms. Rains has in connecting these stories into one phenomenal read, I HIGHLY recommend treating yourself to the collection. Each story is woven into every other story in some small way creating a bigger picture. At the end, all I could say to myself was, ‘That was amazing; I want to write like that. How did she do it?’

If you’re into stories of the supernatural, then you will love this; vampire demons seeking redemption, mix in some werewolves, dragon slayers, banshees, and ghosts, oh my!!

The characters in each story were well-developed and fleshed out. I became invested in their lives, turning the pages and needing to know what finally happens. The stories all flow well and readers stay engaged. Ms. Rains makes it a point not to use superfluous words in her work that could draw readers out. Kudos to her editors; I was hard pressed to find any grammatical or spelling errors in this work.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve become addicted to her stories…particularly The Marquis (sigh) I hope Ms. Rains releases another collection soon. I’ll be waiting.

Again, The 13th Floor Complete Collection Series – Five Stars *****

Have a great day all! I’ll post more reviews shortly.

Another New Life Blog Tour and Review!

Title: Another New Life
Author: Sydney Aaliyah Michelle
Publication Date: June 2, 2014
New Adult Contemporary Romance
**This book contains adult subject matter. Not intended for young readers.**

Miranda Preston is a walking contradiction. Beautiful on the outside, but, insecure, haunted and damaged on the inside. Despite these contradictions, she’s ready to start Another New Life.
When her talent wins her a piano scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin, Miranda arrives on campus determined to experience everything college has to offer and to keep her secrets in the past where they belong.
An easy task, until the first guy who catches her eye happens to be someone, she’s known all her life.
Eight years have passed since the last time Miranda and Troy saw each other. He reminds her of the best and worst times of her life, but she can’t think about one without dwelling on the other. As they grow closer, every day their attraction reminds them they are no longer kids.
The epic romantic love story that is Miranda and Troy seems to be destined for a happy ending, but Miranda knows it’s only a matter of time before her secret is discovered. A secret that will not only destroy their relationship, it will destroy Troy, too.

Can Miranda focus on her future with Troy while preventing her past from tearing them apart all over again?

Good morning bloggers! I’m part of a wonderful blog tour helping to promote the lovely Sydney Aaliyah Michelle’s new book, Another New Life, which is set to be released on June 2nd.  As you all know, I love to read. 🙂 In addition to taking part in the cover reveal a couple of weeks ago, I’m also taking part in the blog tour by posting a review of Another New Life right here on my blog. Please be advised that I received an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. I try hard not to do spoilers in any of my reviews.

I gave ANL Four out of Five Stars ****/*****

I enjoyed this book from the beginning; the tension was obvious to me when Miranda took that first phone call from her parents that she needed to be away. Her starting school at UT was supposed to be a new beginning for her. She was leaving behind a past that was haunting her and had damaged her throughout her teenage years. She befriends her Southern belle roommate Darcy and a couple of other girls, and they have their own little circle.

It’s during her first day of Calculus that Miranda notices the ‘perfect guy’ walk into class. He was the star quarterback, but he looked familiar. It turned out that he was her best friend from when they were very young, Troy. After the initial shock of recognition, they meet-up after class for coffee and reminiscing.

They talk about how Miranda’s parents  moved away eight years earlier and how upset they’d been. Now that they were both ‘grown’, there was an immediate attraction, and they began to date. Miranda stressed their new relationship constantly because she wasn’t ready to tell Troy some of the secrets of her past because she knew they would crush him. There were times when Miranda would zone out and Troy would sense that something was off and was completely understanding and didn’t push her at all.

I loved the fact that Miranda’s story comes out little by little throughout the book. There’s no info dump at the beginning that leaves me wondering, “What just happened?” I loved that Troy’s character remained, for the most part (no spoilers) a good guy who was looking out for the best interests of his once best friend and now ‘girlfriend’.

Aside from some minor grammatical errors (don’t go by me, I could have had an uncorrected proof, I’d have to check), overall I definitely recommend this as a to be read.

 

 

 

 

 

Add To Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/l49wz2c

About The Author
Website : http://sydneyaaliyah.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SydneyAaliyahMichelle
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sydliyah
Pinterest : http://www.pinterest.com/sydliyah/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8048897.Sydney_Aaliyah_Michelle
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Sydney Aaliyah Michelle is a New Adult Contemporary Romance writer, a voracious reader and movie fanatic who
Sydney has been blogging at sydneyaaliyah.com for three years, where she interviews people about their tattoos, discusses her favorite movie quotes, reviews books (New Adult & only the ones she loves) and journals about her writing and editing process. Hails from Texas. After surviving 5 1/2 years living in China, she had the courage to finally pursue her passion and become a writer.
Sydney’s self-published début New Adult novel, Another New Life will be available June 2014. An active tweeter, she is also a JuNoWriMo (2x) and NaNoWriMo (2x) winners who notes the sci-fi action flick “The Matrix” as the best representation of her life in the past. She is blessed to be awake now and doing what she loves.