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Spotlight: The Boy with the Hawk-Like Eyes

8/26/2016

5 Comments

 
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THE SPRITE SISTERS: THE BOY WITH HAWK-LIKE EYES (Vol 6)
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Middle Grade
By Sheridan Winn
 
THE SPRITE SISTERS
FOUR SISTERS
FOUR ELEMENTS
FOUR POWERS
FIRE WATER EARTH AIR
 
The Boy With Hawk-like Eyes marks a transition in the Sprite Sister series. The sixth title, it introduces Zak – a boy with dark magic and a new pupil at Drysdale’s School – who brings an invasion of vile, insect-like creatures to Sprite Towers.
‘Have you ever thought about flying?’ said Zak.
Ariel blinked. ‘In an aeroplane?’
‘No. Lifting your arms and soaring into the air.’
Ariel stared at Zak. She could feel his eyes boring into her and the colour rising in her cheeks. She had been flying over Sprite Towers last night!
What should she say? ‘No,’ she said, with a shake of her head. ‘Why, have you?’
Zak grinned. ‘Yes – flying is cool. You should try it.’
It is a year and a half since the Sprite Sisters last used their magic powers. Amidst much bickering, Flame and Marina are busy with their teenage social lives and even Ash seems to have forgotten about magic.
As Ariel harnesses her power of Air to learn to fly, a strange boy comes to Sprite Towers and the family is threatened by the invasion of terrifying, insect-like creatures. With dark magic unleashed in the old house and the air turning poisonous, the Sprite Sisters must quickly find a way to remember their powers.
 

About the Author

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The idea for a series of books about four sisters with magical powers aligned to the four elements popped out at 1.30am on 22nd January 2007, as Sheridan was writing her diary. She noted down the one-sentence idea, and when she woke next morning had the certain feeling that this was the idea she had been waiting for.
 
She approached Piccadilly Press, which commissioned the first Sprite Sister novel, The Circle of Power. She has since published eight Sprite Sister titles, with another five to come (two main and three prequel stories). In Germany, Fischer Verlag’s sales of Sprite titles have surpassed 500,000.
 
Sheridan was born in Norfolk, England, and grew up in a big, rambling house in the country that became the inspiration for Sprite Towers.
The eldest of four sisters, she drew on many childhood experiences as inspiration for the stories.
 
After boarding school she gained a degree in graphic design, followed by a postgraduate teaching certificate. For 25 years she worked with her illustrator husband as his business and creative manager. Together they produced a number of children’s picture books, along with the ‘Mad Gadget’ cartoon, which was the most popular strip in Daily Telegraph’s ‘Young Telegraph’ newspaper for over seven years.
 
In 2001, Sheridan changed career and became a freelance journalist specialising in lifestyle features and profiles of international business leaders. Today she spends the greater part of her time writing fiction.
 
In 2014, Sheridan wrote Boudica’s Daughters, a YA novel about two pairs of sisters living two thousand years apart. Essentially, a modern-day tale about coming to terms with a terrible violation, the story of the daughters of Queen Boudica of the Iceni tribe echoes that of today.
 
A lively and engaging speaker, Sheridan enjoys the chance to interact with her readers and other writers. She lives in Norwich and has two grown-up children and a granddaughter. She has a keen interest in the Arts and finds walking a good way to think up ideas. She always carries a notebook.
 
http://www.sheridanwinn.com
 
On Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2aJBqNH
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheridanwinn/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/SheridanWinn
 
The Sprite Sisters: The Boy with Hawk-Like Eyes (Vol 6) on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2b8dsMX
{FREE ON AMAZON FROM AUGUST 24th-28th}
The Sprite Sisters: Magic at Drysdale's School (Vol 7) on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2aOj041
{ON SALE FOR 99 CENTS ON AUGUST 29th}
The Sprite Sisters: The Mystery of the Locked Room (Vol 8) on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2aOj9Ew 
{FREE ON AMAZON FROM SEPTEMBER 2nd-6th}
 

5 Comments

Review: The Boyfriend Bet

8/26/2016

0 Comments

 
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The Boyfriend Bet
by Chris Cannon

Synopsis

Zoe Cain knows that Grant Evertide is way out of her league. So naturally, she kisses him. Out of spite. Not only is Grant her brother’s number-one nemesis, but he has zero interest in being tied down to one girl. She’s shocked—and secretly thrilled—when they start spending more time together. 
​

Zoe’s brother claims Grant is trying to make her his “Ringer,” an oh-so-charming tradition where a popular guy dates a non-popular girl until he hooks up with her, then dumps her. Zoe threatens to neuter Grant with hedge clippers if he's lying but Grant swears he isn’t trying to trick her. Still, that doesn’t mean Grant is the commitment type—even if winning a bet is on the line.

Review

So - I have a penchant for cute contemporary romances and this fit the bill. It had an awesome heroine in Zoe because she is funny and strong and just..different. But in a really great way. She likes to play pranks, and bake, and she has an awesome friend in Delia. The two of them together was quite a love story in itself. They were a great fictionalization of an awesome friendship. At the same time, even though Zoe is this wonderful girl, she shows that she's not full of confidence and lets some self-doubt show through. This keeps her character real for me and even more endearing. 

​I wish I could say that I enjoyed the male characters of this book as much as I did the female characters. I didn't like Grant and I felt that his character stayed relatively the same throughout the book. Not everyone gains insight in contemporaries, I get it, but why wouldn't you want your character to gain some insight and grow from their experiences? 

I'm glad I read it because of Zoe and Delia and I am a sucker for fantabulous  female friendships. I wish I could have liked every aspect of this - still give it a shot and tell me what you think!
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Review: Daring the Bad Boy

8/23/2016

0 Comments

 
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Daring the Bad Boy
Endless Summer novel
by Monica Murphy

Synopsis

Annie McFarland is sick of being a shy nobody. A session at summer camp seems like the perfect opportunity to reinvent herself—gain some confidence, kiss a boy, be whoever she wants to be. A few days in, she’s already set her sights on über-hottie Kyle. Too bad her fear of water keeps her away from the lake, where Kyle is always hanging out. 

Jacob Fazio is at Camp Pine Ridge after one too many screw-ups. Junior counseling seems like punishment enough, but the rigid no-fraternizing-with-campers rules harsh his chill. When a night of Truth or Dare gets him roped into teaching Annie how to swim, she begs him to also teach her how to snag Kyle. 
​

Late-night swim sessions turn into late-night kissing sessions…but there’s more on the line than just their hearts. If they get caught, Jake’s headed straight to juvie, but Annie’s more than ready to dare him to reveal the truth.

Review

If you, like me, are a fan of easy, fun, and cute reads - look no further. This book is Young Adult, so there are some steamy parts, but way different than the romance books I usually review on here. It's been awhile since I've read YA actually, so I was a bit worried about getting back on that wagon. I shouldn't have feared it, however, Daring the Bad Boy was truly an engrossing read. 

Annie is the shy, somewhat nerdy girl who is off at camp and tired of being who she is...the good girl. She's trying to get the camp jock to notice her, but to no avail. Jake is a boy going through some hard times since losing his mother. Those hard times cause him to be shipped to camp to be a counselor as community service. Once Jake is there, it's Annie who grabs his attention - but getting involved with a camper is totally against the rules. Miscommunication and misunderstandings ensue. 

I'm not going to say what happens because that is part of the fun! It was such a great read and it's also my first Monica Murphy and I can truly say that I'm looking forward to reading more from her!
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Review: The Billionaire's Deal: Complete

8/13/2016

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The Billionaire's Deal: Complete
by Crystal Kaswell

Synopsis

She's broke and out of options. He's willing to dig her out of debt... if she submits to his terms.


Kat Wilder is totally screwed. At only twenty-one, she's resigned to one seriously bleak future. Waiting tables barely supports her only family, her sister, and she's got no luck finding a better job. With no money or time for school, she has no chance at a better life.

Then she meets Blake. The billionaire tech CEO is a lifeline. An arrogant, controlling, impossible to read lifeline. He wants something from Kat and he'll do whatever it takes to get it.

He offers Kat a deal-- a few months of her life for a few hundred thousand dollars. All she has to do is play his girlfriend and convince everyone that she's madly in love with him.

It's Blake's way, Blake's terms, Blake utterly in control.

She tells herself it's only business. But the part between them that matters-- the two of them alone, her giving in to everything he wants-- that part is strictly personal.


The Billionaire's Deal is a new adult romance featuring an inexperienced yet feisty heroine and a protective alpha billionaire hero. The Billionaire's Deal is a full-length, standalone novel. It was previously published as a four part serial.


Review

Okay - I'm gonna gush because I really loved reading this. I read it in a day. I feel that I need to prepare you for when I do that because I tend to go on tangents. Also - spoilers.

If you're a frequent visitor to this blog, you may have caught my previous review for Crystal Kaswell's other book, The Billionaire's Intern. Now, if you read that review, you would know that I did not like it, and could not bother to finish it. Well, I am happy to say that this book was a whole different experience for me. 

Kat is a hard working 21 year old woman who lost her parents in a car accident when she was a teenager. She has been taking care of her younger sister Lizzy since that horrific day. That day was also the end of Kat's dreams of going on to college and living her life. Now, her goals are to pay the mortgage, and send her sister to the university she wants. Unfortunately, without a college education, she's stuck finding quick waitressing jobs to make ends meet.

Until the day she, literally, bumps into Blake - self made billionaire. A spark between strangers turns into something more when Blake makes Kat a deal she finds hard to pass up: pretend to be Blake's girlfriend for at least 6 months in exchange for Blake paying her full mortgage and Lizzy's tuition. 

Okay - so there was quite a bit that I loved about this story. Before I get started with the gushing, I do want to say that I think billionaire love stories get a bad rep. I'm not saying they're ALL good because they aren't. I, personally, enjoy the billionaire story when told the "right way" (i.e. the way I like it). 

I truly enjoyed Blake's character in this story. Yes, he's a billionaire, but I hesitate calling him a bad boy. His previous partners aren't really spoken about, and if anything what's talked about is that he often ignored women in college in order to focus on programming (he's a tech mogul). He cares a lot about his mother (be still, my heart), and he doesn't push Kat to agree with anything. All she needs to say is their safe word and he will stop. This goes for anything - during sex or not. He takes his time taking care of Kat, and constantly stops her deprecating herself and her achievements. 

Then there's Kat. I liked Kat. She never forgets how insane the deal with the billionaire is, but after years of struggling and doing it alone for her sister have her bend her thoughts for some help. Kat holds onto who she is throughout the story - and even has the freedom to remember the bits of her that were long forgotten after her parent's accident. I admire that. She also doesn't shy away from what she wants - Blake. 

I don't want to give away so much information, but know that this story had a strong plot and characters to see it through. There were times where I was afraid we were going into 50 Shades territory, but then I'd be welcomed with a sensible Kat comeback. There is some very VERY light S&M in this story - but it's consensual and not too heavy for the relationship at all. I didn't like that  Kat was a virgin, what I'm used to the woman being a virgin in some of these stories. I also saw that some phrases were repeated quite a bit. Now, this story was originally published in parts, so maybe that's why it wasn't noticed. Also, some sentences could have used some editing. The plot and characters though - I cared about all of them. It was quite detailed. The only thing that would have made it even better for me would have been if we were given some POV chapters from Blake. I wanted to know what that guy was thinking! I knew Kat was making him happy, and there were little telltale behaviors in what Kat saw, but as you probably know by now, I am a sucker for a hero's POV. 

All in all - this story has me looking forward to Kaswell's work in the future. It is also up there in top favorite billionaire stories. 

​Do you like billionaire love stories? Why or why not? Leave me your recommendations if you do!
0 Comments

Review: Paper Castles

8/12/2016

1 Comment

 
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Paper Castles
b
y Terri Lee
Synopsis

IN SAVANNAH GEORGIA, THE GARDENS AREN'T THE ONLY THINGS KEEPING SECRETS.

"I want to know what goes on in your head," Adam said. "What do you think about? What are your dreams?"
​
"My dreams," Savannah said, picking up her spoon and stirring her coffee again. She stared into the swirling depths as if she could conjure up the specter of the girl who once had dreams to spare. "Funny thing is—I got everything I wanted." 

Where do you go when you find out everything you wanted isn't what you need?

Savannah Palmerton picks up a brush and heads to an art class, desperate to find a piece of the girl she used to be, before the country club dances and the boring dinner party conversations. In 1963 the country is still playing in her innocence, but there are rumblings beneath the surface. The fabric of America is just beginning to fray around the edges. So it is in Savannah Palmerton's life. 


Love, betrayal and family secrets create a lethal cocktail that has Savannah's world unraveling at her feet. Set against a southern backdrop of garden parties and civil rights marches, Paper Castles is a sultry mix of sweet-tea and murder. Sex and secrets.

Paper Castles is the best kind of love story. Where a woman must first learn to love herself.



Review

This was a beautiful story told in such an exquisite way. It took a time so tumultuous, the 1960s, and, without sugar-coating the time, made it into something gorgeous. I read plenty of romance stories, and I am guilty of loving the fluffy kind (but it has to be juuussst right - I am picky in some ways), but it was so great being able to get engrossed in this story. It had the elements of romance, but weaved it in such a detailed way. It had the kind of sentences that made you want to sit back and soak them in.  I cared about the characters, especially Savannah. What I loved most, however, is the fact that, yes romance is a key ingredient here - but it did not overwhelm the background and what is going on in the world. The author included details about what is important and I believe well-rounded writing is so scares nowadays. 

It's not fluffy - its substance will make you think. Who wouldn't want to read something like that?

About the Author

ROMANCE MAY BE PRETTY BUT LOVE STORIES ARE REAL.

Down every road is a story. The telling of my story has a distinct before and after quality to it. My life before, was a love story. A Hallmark movie. With a couple of I Love Lucy episodes thrown in for good measure. Boy meets girl in High School. Sweeps her off her feet and marries her. But after 41 years of love and laughter the bottom fell out with the uttering of one little word. Cancer. A love I thought I'd grow old in, slipped away in the middle of the night. Leaving me to ask, what now?


Thankfully the writing that sustained me through my entire life was there to catch me when I fell. At first I poured it all out onto the pages of my journal. A mix of words, ink, and tears tucked safely between the leather covers. 


Here I am in the after part of my story. But the after is also the NOW. Eventually the purging of emotion led me back to another story that had been pushed to the back burner during trying times. Characters who had been waiting patiently began to nudge and push. It was time to sit down at the computer and let the story be told. Let the healing begin. 
When I ask the question, who am I now?...I realize though the road may have changed, I'm still a storyteller.


If it's one thing I know about, it's love. But I'm not interested in simply writing about; boy meets girl. My tag line is: Romance may be pretty but love stories are real. And that's where I want to be when I'm writing...down deep where the real story lives. Because love is messy. And glorious. I want to roll around in a story and fall in love. Want to come with me?



On Facebook: http://bit.ly/1t64wzz
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/terrileeauthor

Website: http://www.terrileeauthor.com/

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