Friday 14 March 2014

Book Review (315): The Unseemly Education Of Anne Merchant (The V Trilogy #1) - Joanna Wiebe


The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant (The V Trilogy #1)

Publication: 14th January 2014
Publisher: BenBella Books
Pages: 272
Genre: Mystery/Paranormal
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
So many secrets for such a small island. From the moment Anne Merchant arrives at Cania Christy, a boarding school for the world’s wealthiest teens, the hushed truths of this strange, unfamiliar land begin calling to her—sometimes as lulling drumbeats in the night, sometimes as piercing shrieks.

One by one, unanswered questions rise. No one will tell her why a line is painted across the island or why she is forbidden to cross it. Her every move—even her performance at the school dance—is graded as part of a competition to become valedictorian, a title that brings rewards no one will talk about. And Anne discovers that the parents of her peers surrender million-dollar possessions to enroll their kids in Cania Christy, leaving her to wonder what her lowly funeral director father could have paid to get her in… and why.

As a beautiful senior struggles to help Anne make sense of this cloak-and-dagger world without breaking the rules that bind him, she must summon the courage to face the impossible truth—and change it—before she and everyone she loves is destroyed by it.
My Thoughts.
The Unseemly Education Of Anne Merchant is the first novel in The V Trilogy by debut author Joanna Wiebe.

You know how you have those books where you are so sure that you have the storyline figured out, and you get to thinking that you've read this story before, well that was my opinion of this book, and then it twisted into something I would never have guessed, and then it twisted again just when you think you have the last twist figured out.

It's going to be hard to review this book without wrecking both twists but I'll try, so the gist of the story is about a girl called Anne who is starting her first day at new school Cania Christy, on an island far away from most places, being a very exclusive school parents are willing to pay anything to get their children enrolled, but what has Anne confused is the fact that her Father is poor, as a Mortician he doesn't earn much and she can't understand how he could afford to send her to Cania Christy with all these rich kids.

First day and she's given a Guardian named Teddy who's job it is to observe and record every little thing she does, all this goes toward winning The Big V, being the Valedictorian of the year, and at this school it's a very big deal.

But Anne soon realises that there is something very strange about this island, for one the red line that no student from their side can cross over into the village on the other side and vice versa, without being given a reason why, and that is the same for most things at Cania Christy, which leaves Anne with a load of questions that no one is willing to answer.

Then there are the two boys: Pilot who is the only friend she has at school who seems to like her way more than she likes him, the reason why Ben Zin, her next door neighbor and the guy she has a crush on although he won't give her the time of day.

There is a big secret on this island and when it's revealed get set for a huge shock that will knock your socks off.

This book was fantastic, from the concept, the very well-written storyline and the often mysterious island and it's inhabitants, this was a very enjoyable read that had me guessing a lot of the way through.

I eagerly await the next book so I can discover what happens next after the finale we were left in this one, I want to know what's in store for Anne next.

Highly recommended.

I give this 4/5 stars.


I WAS ALWAYS A READER, and I imagined how wonderful it must be for an author to know that someone – anyone – even someone like me – was waking up, rolling over and opening their book first thing in the morning. Or, as I grew older and lost the luxury of idle mornings, I watched people reading on airplanes, and in waiting rooms, and in parks, and in coffee shops, and on buses, and with their feet up on the sofa (TV off!). And I wondered what it would feel like to see my book in their hands.
It gives me goosebumps even now.
As I write this, I’m just over 2 months from seeing my debut novel hit bookshelves. It’s starting to feel real, although I do wonder if it ever will feel fully real. But those musings are for the blog:)
For now, here’s a short list about how I got here – because that’s probably why you’re reading the page titled, “About Joanna”:

  • My first writing ‘accolades’ were for a Remembrance Day poem I wrote in Grade 4, which earned me honorable mention; seven years later, another Remembrance Day poem earned me first place in northern Alberta… and some much-needed vindication!
  • My Nana and sister Sarah were the first to remark on something I’d written – a description of someone holding something – and I was quickly hooked on the high of hearing I’m “a good writer”
  • I graduated with first-class honors from the University of Alberta with a BA in English, which was really just a cover for me to take Creative Writing classes
  • I won the James Patrick Folinsbee Prize for my short stories two years in a row
  • I have an MA in Communications & Technology, which has been a big part of my life for the past decade
  • I lived in Japan for a year
  • I can’t swim
  • I’m the fourth of five children – or the middle of seven, if you include my stepbros
  • I adore the tech startup world, which will hopefully make it into a book or two of mine one day
  • I’m a total foodie
  • Chocolate, espresso, cheese and wine – the four food groups
  • I had 3 literary agents reading my manuscript at the same time, but one very motivated fellow named Jason Anthony zoomed through the whole thing over the weekend and ‘scooped me up’ first thing Monday morning :)
  • “The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant” is my first novel… and hopefully not my last!
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Thursday 13 March 2014

Sale Promo: Just The Sexiest Man Alive - Julie James


Bestselling author Julie James’ JUST THE SEXIEST MAN ALIVE contemporary romance novel is currently on sale for just $1.99 at all of the major retailers.  The price discount lasts through Tuesday, March 18th.  Any readers who love contemporaries filled with fun, sexy banter will not want to miss this one!


 No woman could resist him—except the one he wanted most...

Cool, Calm, Collected...

Nothing fazes Taylor Donovan. In the courtroom she never lets the opposition see her sweat. In her personal life, she never lets any man rattle her—not even her cheating ex-fiancĂ©. So when she's assigned to coach People's "Sexiest Man Alive" for his role in his next big legal thriller, she refuses to fall for the Hollywood heartthrob's charms. Even if he is the Jason Andrews.

Confident, Famous, Irresistible...

Jason Andrews is used to having women fall at his feet. When Taylor Donovan gives him the cold shoulder, he's thrown for a loop. She's unlike any other woman he's ever met: uninterested in the limelight, seemingly immune to his advances, and shockingly capable of saying no to him. She's the perfect challenge. And the more she rejects him, the more he begins to realize she may just be his perfect match.


Book Highlight & Giveaway: Saving Us (Paradise Taken #2) - CM Hutton



Title: Saving Us
Author: CM Hutton
Series: Paradise Taken #2
Genre: Adult Romance
Publication: January 2014

Our love affair wasn't what everyone wanted it to be. It was raw and full of absolute joy and unbelievable pain. My love for her had consumed me for years and now that Kaye was mine, I was never letting her go. I knew the consequences of our affair would be devastating and hated to see the hurt in Claire's eyes. I thought it would be so easy to just walk away...start a new life. I didn't expect to feel so conflicted about leaving. I needed her. She was my lifeline and we were determined to get our happily ever after....until one day, one event, one conversation threatened it all. "I had to know what went wrong. My stomach was sick with grief and I didn't know what to do next or even how to help Kaye. I needed to get to her. It didn't matter what Rob or Claire thought. No one could stop me from going. I knew she needed me. I could feel it deep in my soul.







Paradise Taken, book #1



Rob was sitting near Jake and Claire and motioned for me to join him on the lounger.  I put my finger up indicating I needed a minute as I still had to see the caterers out.  Rob winked at me and smiled, reminding me of Jakes odd response earlier in the evening.  I smiled back as I tried to ignore my thoughts.
Eventually, I made my way over to my husband and crawled into the chair with him.  Jakes eyes never left me, but Rob didnt notice.   It should have been unnerving, but it wasnt.  I snuggled deep beside my man, laid my head on his muscular chest, and wrapped my arms around his waist.  He was my home. 
I felt Rob stirring and realized Id fallen asleep in his arms in the lounger.  He was still chatting with Jake about work stuff, and I started to get up, but he pulled me back down and held me in place.
Dont leave. We were thinking of going for a night swim. Rob grinned.  I knew what that meant.  He loved to swim naked with me, but I certainly wasnt going to do that with Jake and Claire here.  He chuckled at my raised eyebrows because he knew I was about to protest, so he whispered, With suits this time.





I’m a wife, a mom of three, a friend, an aunt, a sister, a daughter and a teacher.  Now, I can add writer to my list!  I’ve always wanted to write and finally found inspiration and support to do it.

I live near Austin, Texas with my family and love to read and travel.  Put me on a beach with a good book and the world just disappears around me.

Paradise Taken was my first novel and is a highly emotional book based on true events.  Its sequel (Saving Us) is due out February 2014.

Loving Her was the second book I wrote after needing a little time off from Paradise Tak-en.  It is a story close to my heart.

I love that you are willing to take a chance on a new writer and promise to keep striving to put out great books!

If you don't like my books, that's okay. Just please be gentle on my fragile ego. ;)

I'd love to chat with you, so look me up on any of my social pages.

Happy Reading.  :)





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Book Review (314): Notes From Ghost Town - Kate Ellison


Notes from Ghost Town

Publication: 12th February 2013
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 336
Genre: Contemporary/Mystery/Paranormal
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
They say first love never dies...

From critically acclaimed author Kate Ellison comes a heartbreaking mystery of mental illness, unspoken love, and murder. When sixteen-year-old artist Olivia Tithe is visited by the ghost of her first love, Lucas Stern, it’s only through scattered images and notes left behind that she can unravel the mystery of his death. 

There’s a catch: Olivia has gone colorblind, and there’s a good chance she’s losing her mind completely—just like her mother did. How else to explain seeing (and falling in love all over again with) someone who isn’t really there?

With the murder trial looming just nine days away, Olivia must follow her heart to the truth, no matter how painful. It’s the only way she can save herself.
My Thoughts.
Notes From Ghost Town is a mix of different genres, a contemporary featuring a mystery with a paranormal aspect, mixed all together with an intriguing concept to make one fantastic story.

Olivia has a Mother who is schizophrenic, ten months ago she was arrested for the murder of Olivia's best-friend Stern, with only nine days to go until her trial, the ghost of Stern appears to tell Olivia that her Mom is not his killer, of that he's sure, although he can't remember who it was exactly.

So after believing all this time that her Mom was guilty she sets out to investigate and find the truth about who set her Mom up to take the fall, but when she starts to look into it she'll find that the killer will do anything to make sure that their identity is never revealed, even if it means killing Olivia in the process.

While I did guess the killer and most of the motive, there was still a bit that I hadn't figured out myself, but still it made for a very gripping reveal once we do discover the perpetrator and their reasons why.

I do like the fact that we had a heroine with a bit of a disability in the fact that at the start of the book she goes color-blind which she never tells anyone about for nearly eleven months, the fact that she's an artist who was a student at an art school having to cope with that kind of an affliction was a nice touch, especially as she lost her sense of color during the one and only time Olivia and Stern kissed before his untimely death.

So many factors made this such an exciting book to read, amazing plot and storyline and add to that intriguing characters to help the story along.

I hope in the future to discover more of Kate's books, I really enjoyed what I read here and I'd love to read more.

Loved this book, I recommend it to everyone who likes a bit of mystery with ghostly apparitions making an appearance.

I give this 4/5 stars.


Kate Ellison spent a lot of time as a child, in Baltimore, pretending to be things she wasn't: a twin, a telekinetic, a benevolent witch with a box full of magical stones, a spy, a soccer player. She trained as an actor in Chicago and has walked across the entire country of Spain. She is a painter and jewelry-maker, and has at least one artist friend who really does keep his true name a secret from the world. He told her, but don't ask her to tell you—she's not gonna do it. Kate lives in Brooklyn, New York. The Butterfly Clues is her first novel.

Links: Facebook | Blog | Goodreads | Art | Etsy


Tuesday 11 March 2014

St Patrick's Day Giveaway Blast.


Join your favorite YA and NA authors as we celebrate being Irish for a day and play on Pinterest. There will be over 45 e-book giveaways! You can join the Facebook party HERE!

You won't want to miss it!


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Highlight hosted by Good Choice Reading Blog Tours

Release Day Promo: Afterburn/Aftershock - Sylvia Day, Now Available Together In Paperback.

Aftershock
On Sale 11th March
E-Book #2

From America's Premier author of provocative fiction #1 New York Times bestselling author Sylvia Day comes the gripping romantic conclusion to the miniseries that launched Cosmo Red Hot Reads from Harlequin. It started with Afterburn (available August 15, 2013) and ends with an Aftershock (available March 11, 2014).


Afterburn & Aftershock
Trade Paperback
On Sale 11th March
 Never mix business with pleasure. Never bring politics into the bedroom. In a way I did both when I took Jackson Rutledge as a lover. I can't say I wasn't warned.

Two years later, he was back. Walking into a deal I'd worked hard to close. Under the tutelage of Lei Yeung, one of the sharpest businesswomen in New York, I had picked up a thing or two since Jax walked away. I wasn't the girl he once knew, but he hadn't changed. Unlike the last time we'd drifted into each other's lives, I knew exactly what I was dealing with... and how addictive his touch could be.

The inner circle of glamour, sex, and privilege was Jax's playground--but this time, I knew the rules of the game. In the cutthroat business world, one adage rules all: keep your enemies close and your ex-lovers closer...

Saturday 8 March 2014

Book Review (313): What A Woman Wants (Manley Maids #1) - Judi Fennell


What a Woman Wants (Manley Maids #1)

Publication: 4th March 2014
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 336
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Appropriate: Adult
What happens when three irresistibly sexy brothers lose a poker bet to their enterprising sister? They get hired out for her housecleaning venture. Now, the Manley Maids are at your service. Satisfaction guaranteed. It’s what a woman wants... 

Resort entrepreneur Sean Manley was all set to buy an historic mansion at a great price, making a name for himself while making millions, when the seller and a poker bet change the game. Now he’s in the place as a hunky male maid and there’s one more complication: Livvy Carolla.

The house is Livvy’s inheritance. Her plan? Unload it to the highest bidder and use the cash to start her own bakery business. One look at the help” and she’s hot to take him with her. Until she finds out he’s got a secret agenda.

But when Sean falls for the free-spirited, strong-willed Livvy, he has new ideas for the estate—and Livvy’s part in it. If all goes well, they’ll both be getting what they want. And then some.
My Thoughts.
What A Woman Wants is the first book in the brand new Manly Maids series by Judi Fennell.

I adored this book, such a humorously, entertaining read that kept a smile on my face the whole read through.

There is so much to love in this book, it's such a feel good story guaranteed to cheer you up and give you a laugh.

Sean Manley has lost, lost at a game of poker to his sister Mac, he and his two brothers Liam and Bryan must pay the price, four weeks each as a maid at her Manley Maids business, Sean is at least happy at where he landed at, the Martinson estate, his corporation buys historic buildings and turns them into B & B's, after coming to an agreement with the recently deceased owner he stands to make quite a bit of money by buying the mansion with the plans all in place, until Livvy the the woman's granddaughter makes an appearance to claim the house and her inheritance.

Ignored by her grandmother her whole life, Livvy just wants her inheritance to start up her business, and to be able to afford a house that doesn't have a leaky roof and enough room for her menagerie of pets, but then she discovers that the only way that she will inherit anything is to follow her grandmother's instructions and take part in the scavenger hunt which she set up before she died in hopes that Livvy will discover the history of her ancestors.

Fighting their attraction to one another, Sean knows to be able to buy the mansion that he needs to thwart Livvy's attempts at discovering all the clues she needs in the two weeks she's been given to solve it all and claim what's rightfully hers, but when their relationship takes the next step and he realises that he's falling in love with her, will he be able to go through with his plans or lose the one thing that has come to mean the most to him in Livvy.

If you're looking for a laugh out loud, feel good romance with characters that have sizzling chemistry then check this book out, I can't wait to read both Bryan and Liam's stories and find out just how their month of being a Manly Maid works out for them, and with the sneak peek we've gotten throughout this book of them and their employers they look to be as entertaining as this book was.

A great story with loveable characters sure to brighten your day.

I give this 5/5 stars.





 I have been writing for as long as I can remember, winning my first writing award in a second grade Caldecott Medal contest. Readers' Digest gave me my very first publishing credit in April, 1994, and I was hooked. I seemed to have followed writing contests around, being a finalist in such online contests as American Title III, sponsored by Romantic Times BOOKreview Magazine and Dorchester Publishing, and two First Chapters contests, sponsored by Gather.com and Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books.
My imaginary friend was Casper the Friendly Ghost. The little ghoul even had a special place set for him at our dinner table and got blamed for many of my childhood mishaps. I grew up watching Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie and The Addams Family--my mom looked like Elizabeth Montgomery and I had a special Barbie outfit that looked like Morticia Addams' dress. My favorite books are Bewitching by Jill Barnett and A Knight In Shining Armor, by Jude Devereaux, so it should come as no surprise that I like to write tongue-in-cheek lighthearted paranormals. 
I love pop culture and manipulating language, so you'll find lots of puns, double entrendre, plays-on-words, alliteration, clichĂ©s, and twisting of phrases, as well as several one-liners in my stories that give me a few chuckles. I studied Spanish at Penn State (Go Lions!), lived in Spain and traveled throughout that beautiful country. 
I've always written and still have my journal from fourth grade where, even then, my stories were full of fantastical creatures, whimsy and magic. I wrote my first romance in 9th grade and still have that story in my memory chest. Even back then I dreamed of being a writer.
Now with kids, a husband, a house, a social life (Go Survivor Girls!), and two cocker spaniels named Vixen and Raven, I get to live my dream of being a writer!

I've also published, under the name J.A. Fenn, a horror anthology. Yes, a bit different from light-hearted romance, but just as much fun to write. Hope you check out Off The Beaten Path, A Terrifying Tales Anthology.