Time Turner Tuesday ~ To Ride Pegasus

Title ~ To Ride Pegasus
Series ~ The Talents, #1
Author ~ Anne McCaffrey
Publisher ~ Ballantine Books; Del Rey Books
Published ~ 1973 (hardcover); 12 January 1986 (paperback)
Genre ~ Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Anthology

My Rating ~ 5 bites out of 5

Henry Darrow is a surprisingly accurate astrologer. He predicted the car accident that would give him a serious head injury and would put him in the one hospital with an ultra-sensitive electroencephalograph, otherwise known as a Goosegg. After his surgery he woke to a nurse watching him. He had a precognitive episode predicting they would get married and since he was being monitored by the Goosegg the chart showed the unusual activity in his brain at the exact moment of his episode. Scientific proof that parapsychic talent exists. From that point Henry Darrow begins the hard work needed to form the Parapsychic Center and bring all those with Talent under its protection.

This book contains four short stories chronicling Henry Darrow’s hard work to get the Center started then a place for the Talented to stay where their quarters weren’t crammed in with others and could be shielded to protect their minds. Land for the center, finding Talents to bring into the fold and getting laws passed to protect them all started with Darrow, but continued well after his death.

While this book was first published in 1973, I didn’t read it until after came out in paperback in 1986. Did I read it in 1986? No. I read it in 1990 after reading The Rowan, the first book in The Tower and Hive series. After reading McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series, I was hunting for other works by her to read and when I picked up The Rowan I didn’t realized there were three books prior to it in a series called The Talent. Once I realized that fact it was just a matter of hunting down the books.

I was enthralled with the idea that people had extrasensory abilities and I remain enthralled to this day. A fan of Anne McCaffrey since my brother gave me Dragonflight when I was a kid (in the 70s), I love her writing. She brings a world and people to life with a minimum of description that is a perfect balance between describing what she sees and allowing the reader to paint their own version of the same picture, letting imagination fly. Her plots are tight and the characters are well-developed. The endings always make you want to have the next book on deck, so you can dive right back in.

To Ride Pegasus is the beginning of the The Talent series and it morphs into The Tower and the Hive series with The Rowan. If you like books that feature people with a wide range of parapsychic abilities then this story and all those that follow should appeal to you.

*Book source ~ My home library.

Red Adept Blog Tour ~ Rebel Elements

Title ~ Rebel Elements
Series ~ Seals of the Duelists, #1
Author ~ Jasmine Giacomo
Publisher ~ Red Adept Publishing
Published ~ 26 February 2013
Genre ~ YA/Fantasy

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5

Bayan lives in a remote part of the world, his country of Balanganam having been only recently added to the ever growing Empire. When a surveyor comes to the Bayan’s city of Pangusay, all Bayan wants is for the surveyor to move on before he discovers that Bayan is hiding his emerging magic. Bayan has his life planned out and it doesn’t include being a Skycaller. Unfortunately, when he meets the surveyor, a eunuch named Philo, his magic runs wild creating a huge crater. Oops. However, Philo says that Bayan is not a Skycaller and that under the laws of the Empire he will be required to go to the Duelist Academy where he will be indentured to the Empire for the rest of his life. Need I say that Bayan is not pleased with this plan? But to the Duelist Academy he goes where he is poles apart in so many ways to the other duelists and his magic appears different than anyone else’s. Life just isn’t going as planned for Bayan. Will he ever fit in?

This is an excellent epic fantasy with several storylines coming together in a richly woven tapestry. The writing is smooth, the plot interesting and fast-flowing, the world varied and fascinating and the characters have depth and are well-developed.  I was compelled to keep turning the pages to see what would happen next. I look forward to the next book in the series. In the meantime, I’m going to let my twelve-year-old read this and tell me what he thinks. He loves books with characters that use magic and he reads so much that I’m running out of recommendations for him.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Red Adept for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

A Friend Like Annabel

Title ~ A Friend Like Annabel
Author ~ Alan Davidson
Publisher ~ Straw Hat
Published ~ 7 November 2011
Genre ~ Children's/Anthology

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5

An anthology containing five short stories about Annabel Bunce and her best friend Kate Stocks.

1. Annabel and the Duckling

2. Who Dunnit?

3. Annabel and the Third Year Fiasco

4. Annabel Peacemaker

5. The Bunce Saga

All of the stories are well-written and humorous with plots that flow smoothly. Annabel is quite the character and Kate is the steady best friend. All are delightful reads. I especially liked the last story and the way it ended. lol

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Straw Hat for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page on my blog.

Red Adept Blog Tour ~ Oracle of Philadelphia

Title ~ Oracle of Philadelphia
Series ~ Earthbound Angels, #1
Author ~ Elizabeth Corrigan
Publisher ~ Red Adept Publishing
Published ~ 20 March 2013
Genre ~ Fantasy/Paranormal

My Rating ~ 5 bites out of 5

The Oracle owns and runs a diner in South Philadelphia. At this point in time she is calling herself Carrie, but she’s had many names over the thousands of years she has lived. She was born with a special gift, the ability to see inside a person, hear their innermost thoughts and experience their feelings. Her village Elders struck a deal with Lucifer and through no fault or desire of her own, at age 16 was made immortal in exchange for 10 souls from her village. Along the road of her immortality she has made two friends, a demon named Bedlam and an angel named Gabriel.

When a man named Sebastian walks into her diner seeking the Oracle there is something about him that is different than all the souls she’s encountered and she’s compelled to help him get out of his deal with the demon Azrael. In order to do that she has to venture into Hell and find Azrael. Will going through the other demons’ domains and paying their price be worth saving one human’s soul? Carrie’s willing to risk it.

This book drew me in right from the beginning. The story is well-written and flows smoothly and the characters are well-developed. I especially love Bedlam, though if he were my friend he would drive me batty. I also loved the flashes of Carrie’s past and how well they were integrated into the story. The depths of Hell were very interesting as well and I enjoyed Carrie’s journeys there. I’m wondering if she could travel to Heaven also? Hmmmm…probably not, but that would be something to see. I’m really looking forward to the next story in this series.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Red Adept Publishing for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Blessed by a Demon's Mark

Title ~ Blessed by a Demon's Mark
Series ~ Kat Redding, #3
Author ~ E.S. Moore
Publisher ~ Kensington
Published ~ 31 December 2012
Genre ~ UF/Paranormal

My Rating ~ 3 bites & a nibble out of 5

Kat Redding killed her brother and now she’s run off to pretend it never happened in a weird town called Delai. A town that she never realized was there before, run by a man who seems off somehow. Yet she stays anyway. Leaving her life and friends, especially Ethan, behind as if they never existed. When her demon mark flares to life she knows she has to return and honor her deal with him, but she has every intention of returning to Delai. However, when she finally shows up after being gone three months she finds out a vampire Countess has been searching for her. That’s never a good thing.

Ok, can you tell by my synopsis that I think Kat was a real self-pitying bitch for leaving Ethan for 3 freakin’ months?! I was really liking this series until she up and did that. Sorry, but Ethan is dependent on her and she just left? With no word? For three months?! Oh, boy, did I hate her guts. Then when she does come back she’s all bitchy and mad at the world, taking it out on everyone around her and letting her anger rule her actions. Gah!

Having said that, the story is well-written and the characters are well-developed even if I didn’t agree with Kat’s actions. And I have to say that the ending made up for all of it. Man, oh, man…Kat’s life just got super complicated and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Color me intrigued!

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Kensington for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Rake's Ransom

Title ~ Rake's Ransom
Author ~ Barbara Metzger
Publisher ~ Untreed Reads
Published ~ 25 April 2012
Genre ~ Historical/Romance/Humor

My Rating ~ 5 bites out of 5

Considering fox hunting to be inhumane Jacelyn Trevaine managed to interfere at every hunt and Squire George Bottwick couldn’t take it anymore. When Jacey wasn’t repentant enough after her latest effort the Squire jailed her dog, Penelope, for being a public nuisance. Jacey was outraged and with the squire throwing the gauntlet Jacey planned to get the upper hand. She knew the Squire’s nephew, Lord Arthur Ponsonby, was arriving at the estate that evening, so she planned to take him hostage and demand her dog be released as the ransom. Wearing a groom’s outgrown clothes, she waylaid a man and horse on the road and her plan was on track. Then everything went wrong. Or was it right?

Once again Ms. Metzger had me excitedly turning the pages. With well-developed characters and a delicious plot filled with humor I didn’t want to put the story down until it had reached its conclusion. Barbara Metzger’s books are a guilty pleasure I so look forward to reading.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Untreed Reads for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Hunter

Title ~ Hunter
Author ~ Jacquelyn Frank/Jax
Publisher ~ Kensington
Published ~ 30 April 2013
Genre ~ Paranormal/Fantasy/Romance

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5

Tatyana Petrova is dropping in unexpectedly on her brother Dimitre when her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. With the mountains blocking her cell signal she decides to hoof it to the next house she sees. When she finally spots the lights of the big mansion fitting the description her brother gave her she’s nearly frozen from the cold. Pausing at the front door to get a twig from her shoe she falls into the arms of Hunter Finn when he opens the door in preparation to go out for dinner with his family.

Hunter is surprised to have a beautiful woman fall into his arms.  Because the house is warded she shouldn’t have been able to find them, yet here she is.  In his arms. Shivering and teeth chattering. After getting her warmed up and introduced around they decide to eat in. That’s when things get interesting because she didn’t just fall into the arms of a hot yummy man. She fell into the middle of a coven of witches.

Well-written with excellent characters this story flows smoothly. There is humor, suspense and smoking hot sex. My only complaint is at the beginning. It’s my understanding that this is the first book in a new series. However, starting out I felt as if I was missing a piece of the story. There were a lot of people introduced all at once and when I found out Dimitre and Annali were in a relationship and the coven had been attacked with Dimitre instrumental in the win, I realized their story should have been told first. I want to know how and when they met and experience their story. All-in-all though I loved this story. I look forward to what comes next.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

I'm George, mwm, 52

Title ~ I'm George, mwm, 52
Author ~ George Everyman
Publisher ~ George Everyman
Published ~ 29 November 2010
Genre ~ Non-Fiction

My Rating ~ 2 bites out of 5

George is man who discovers his wife of 24 years had an affair.  He uses this event as the catalyst to making this book/journal.

What can I say about this book? It rambles on with really no pattern, jumping from one point to the next and back again. George is clearly unhappy in his marriage though he swears he’s not. He makes it seem as if his wife is a cold bitch, but then he says she’s not and swears he loves her. I don’t know how these two have stayed married. The constant rambling irritated me. I’m not the most linear creature, but this book has made me realize I need some sort of order in my reading. I found myself skipping large portions of it just to make progress. I was desperate to watch the percentage on my Fire go from painstakingly slow (at some points I actually thought it was going backward) to high speed. The subject of open marriage is interesting to me, so I thought this book would be interesting. However, I was wrong. Hey, it happens.

*Book source ~ I picked this up on Amazon for free.

Under the Gun

Title ~ Under the Gun
Series ~ Underworld Detection Agency
Author ~ Hannah Jayne
Publisher ~ Kensington
Published ~ 5 February 2013
Genre ~ UF/Paranormal/Romance/Mystery

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5

Magically immune Sophie Lawson is the only human working for the Underworld Detective Agency. Her official title is Head of the Fallen Angel Division, but that doesn’t really keep her very busy. Good thing because Sophie has been having an interesting time lately. And by interesting I mean she’s been investigating some serious crimes that seemed to involve demons. And by investigating, I mean she’s been running around half-cocked, throwing about wild theories that end up being wrong before she finally figures things out and generally getting herself injured multiple times in some way or another.

This time Sophie’s former boss, werewolf Pete Sampson, shows up at her door. This is the Pete Sampson we thought was dead. Just as he shows up in town murders start happening. Murders that look like a wild animal attacked. Or was it a werewolf? Sophie needs to clear Sampson’s name and figure out who is murdering the humans, but she’s starting to wonder if it’s another werewolf or if it’s actually Sampson.

I think I’m starting to actually like Sophie now. She’s not as annoying as she was in the first three books. In fact, she appears to have some kind of natural ability when it comes to wielding a sword. I want to see more of that! We meet Mort who is an interesting, if not deranged, character. I’d love to know his story. Still not liking Alex. If he’s going to be Sophie’s love interest then I’m never really going to love this series. Nina and Vlad’s dilemma cracked me up. All-in-all the series is getting better and I look forward to the next book Under a Spell due out August 6^th.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Kensington for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Announcing Time Turner Tuesdays!

Starting Tuesday April 30th I will be posting a regular feature called:

Time Turner Tuesday

On that day I will post a review on a book I've read in the past and have recently revisited or a book that was published years ago, but has been languishing on my TBR shelf. I look forward to visiting with old favorites and finally making time to delve into those that have been waiting for a long time. I hope you will enjoy coming along with me on my journey into the past. However, you must remember: We must not be seen.

Three River Ranch

Title ~ Three River Ranch
Series ~ Three River Ranch, #1
Author ~ Roxanne Snopek
Publisher ~ Entangled Publishing
Published ~ 25 August 2012
Genre ~ Contemporary/Romance

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5

Aurora ‘Rory’ McAllister just wants to get away from her jerk ex-fiancé and start over. She rents a guesthouse on Three River Ranch sight unseen only when she and her dog Mistral arrive there seems to be a misunderstanding as to who is staying where.

Carson Granger has come home to take over the family ranch and finds out his father has screwed him from the grave. Carson (and his brother Mitchell) will not inherit the ranch or family fortune unless they marry. Carson is trying to set up the property as a wild mustang sanctuary, but if he doesn’t get the grant he needs to buy the property outright he may have to find a convenient wife. That’s when Rory shows up with a signed rental agreement. Things get interesting from there.

This is a lovely romance with well-developed characters (including the animals) and a smooth-flowing plot. Carson and Rory come with baggage and despite a steamy attraction they need to build a foundation before they can possibly build a future. They overcome obstacles, but Carson is his own worst enemy. Many times I wanted to hit him over the head with a shovel. Well, ok, maybe only a broom. Wouldn’t want to cause permanent damage to him.

Roxanne Snopek is a new-to-me author and I look forward to reading more by her.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Under Suspicion

Title ~ Under Suspicion
Series ~ Underworld Detection Agency Chronicles, #3
Author ~ Hannah Jayne
Publisher ~ Kensington
Published ~ 1 May 2012
Genre ~ Paranormal/Urban Fantasy

My Rating ~ 3 bites out of 5

Sophie Lawson has gotten a promotion at the Underworld Detection Agency. She’s the new Head of the Fallen Angel Division. Since that job doesn't really take up a lot of her time she's also taking care of other clients. Until some of her clients start turning up dead and many of her still alive clients decide it would be wiser and safer to see someone else. Now, Sophie has even more time to investigate why demons are being attacked or outright murdered.

During all of this her vampire roommate Nina has fallen in love with an author. An author who researches and writes about how vampires and other paranormal creatures aren’t real. How ironic that he’s dating a vampire and he’s clueless. Alex Grace, the Fallen Angel and police detective, has taken off to parts unknown for some stake out and only her Guardian Will is sticking close to her while Sophie goes from one close call to another.

Well-written with a bit of a faster plot than the last two books, I’m still not feeling the love of the characters that I would like this far into a series. After everything that has happened to Sophie the last two books you would think her friends and colleagues would show a little less disbelief when she insists something bad is happening to demons. Instead they pooh pooh her and tell her the incidents are just coincidence. Then there’s Sophie herself. She still cries too much and now she’s always talking about peeing her pants. Again, after everything that has happened to her, why hasn’t she grown a set of balls or something? Still not liking Alex, so I’m very glad he’s not in this book much. The one character I really like is Will. I hope we continue to see a lot of him. The ending was a bit of a shocker. I’m actually looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Kensington for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page. 

Spider's Lullaby

Title ~ Spider's Lullaby
Series ~ Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty Hunter, #1.5
Author ~ James R. Tuck
Publisher ~ Kensington
Published ~ 26 June 2012
Genre ~ UF/Paranormal/Short

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5

Deacon Chalk is an Occult Bounty Hunter. He’s the guy you call when monsters need killing. Not all monsters are bad though and when Deacon, his apprentice/friend Tiffany and a Were-spider named Charlotte get back to Charlotte’s place after a night on the town they find all of the Were-spiders in her cluster dead, her egg sac gone and Ronnie, the egg sac babysitter for the night, missing, too. With Charlotte predicting the egg sac of spiders will hatch around dawn they have only a few hours to find who took it and where it is. Because if the spiders hatch with no one to bind to they will kill until they can be killed. However, if the person who took them binds them to him and he has evil intent then he has gained a shitload of little killing machines. The clock is ticking…

This short story takes place after Blood and Bullets, but it can read as a standalone. It’s nicely written with a plot that quickly proceeds from Point A to Point B to Point C and has characters that are well-developed. The copious amount of detail tends to bog the story down just a touch though it is nice to be well-informed. I’m still enjoying this series very much and look forward to more of Deacon Chalk.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Steps to Heaven

Title ~ Steps to Heaven
Series ~ Sgt Major Crane, #1
Author ~ Wendy Cartmell
Publisher ~ Wendy Cartmell
Published ~ 9 October 2011
Genre ~ Mystery/Suspense/Military

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5

Sergeant Major Tom Crane is in the British Army working as a detective in the Special Investigations Branch and stationed, for the moment, at Aldershot Garrison. When he has to investigate a case of a soldier murdering his wife and small son then committing suicide with the same knife he doesn’t think it’s a clear-cut open-and-shut case. Something doesn’t seem right, but with his Commanding Officer telling him to wind it up he does so reluctantly. Until six weeks later when another very similar case turns up on another Garrison. Crane goes to investigate and as the pieces slowly start to fall into place and yet another murder-suicide occurs he races to find the reason before more people die.

I think this is the first time I’ve ever read a story in 3^rd person present tense. It was strange and a bit awkward at first, but as the story pulled me in it became easier to read. The plot moved at a good clip and I liked the characters. The mystery remained a mystery until the end. I look forward to riding along in future stories as Sgt Major Crane solves more crimes.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Breakfast in Bed

Title ~ Breakfast in Bed
Author ~ Robert Zimmerman
Publisher ~ Robert Zimmerman
Published ~ 26 February 2013
Genre ~ Erotica/Short

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5

Nick likes breakfast in bed. Julie enjoys being breakfast in bed.

Well-written, sweet yet steamy this short will make you smile wickedly and say, 'Please, Sir, may I have another?'

*Book source: Picked up for free on Smashwords.

Volksie

Title ~ Volksie: A Tale of Sex, Americana, and Cars
Author ~ P.M. White
Publisher ~ 1001 Nights Press
Published ~ 1 February 2013
Genre ~ Erotica/Adventure/Short

My Rating ~ 5 bites out of 5

Samantha and Alston Bennington grew up with only their mom who was a waitress that struggled to keep them fed and clothed with a roof over their head. The one thing they always had though was a VW Bug.

Even though Alston is the older sibling he’s been a screw up all his life. A car thief traveling a step ahead of the law he migrates from place to place, but always sending his sister a letter to let her know what’s happening in his life.

Samantha is the one who sticks around to take care of their mother going through chemo. The good news is she’s met a man that revels in her more kinky side. Is it a match made in heaven?

Volksie is a VW Bug lover who just wants to get away from her over protective brother. When she runs into Alston in St. Louis and then loses him, he follows her to Arizona hoping she traveled there as she had mentioned. Hooking up again with her feels so right yet everything starts going wrong. And when things look the darkest, it’s her brother who makes the right decision.

This short tale is well-written with well-developed characters and an interesting plot that has a bit of a twist. Sexy, steamy, erotic and, at times suspenseful, it has a variety of creative scenes that make this a delightfully spicy read!

*Book source~ Picked up for free on Amazon.

The Road to Rejas

Title ~ The Road to Rejas
Author ~ Jeff Brackett
Publisher ~ Jeff Brackett
Published ~ 9 October 2012
Genre ~ Post-Apocalyptic/Short

My Rating ~ 5 bites out of 5

Criminal trial lawyer Mark Roesch is a big guy who uses body building as a way to relieve stress. After a weekend hunting trip he heads to the airport to pick up his wife and daughter and dwells on the arguments that have been typical lately, trying to figure out a way to get his marriage back on track. As he’s waiting for their flight to come in though, disaster strikes. Some faceless enemy has detonated an EMP and the planes that were in the air are now powerless, falling to Earth. All electrical devices are worthless and one of the planes that crashes sets off a series of explosions wiping out the airport in a massive fireball. With the help of a female Marine he gets out of the airport and while trying to deal with their unbearable grief they piece together what happened and set in motion a plan that puts Mark on the road to Rejas.

If you haven’t read Half Past Midnight then don’t worry. This short well-written gut wrenching tale is a standalone detailing what happened after D-Day to one of my favorite characters from HPM. I hope there will be future reads set in the HPM world.

My only complaint is the use of the lower case ‘m’ when talking about Marines. After a chat with the author and being told that he wanted the capitalization, but was overridden by the editor I have decided not to deduct for it. As the wife and mother of Marines it is always an extreme irritant when reading to see references to Marines in the lower case. It makes me very grumpy!

Editors and authors take note: A Marine is a Marine, not a marine. And most definitely never referred to as a soldier or an ex-Marine! *not something that happened in this book, just a side rant*

*Book source ~ Many thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Under Attack

Title ~ Under Attack
Series ~ Underworld Detection Agency, #2
Author ~ Hannah Jayne
Publisher ~ Kensington
Published ~ 1 November 2011
Genre ~ UF/Paranormal/Mystery

3 bites out of 5

Sophie Lawson is a human, a ‘breather’, with no extraordinary powers working in the world of demons. Unless you count being human and being immune to magic as extraordinary. But in the world of dragons, vampires, trolls, banshees and various other demons those superpowers aren’t very impressive. But that doesn’t stop Sophie from trying to solve a mystery that is causing death and destruction in her town of San Francisco. However, in her attempt to solve this case she finds out a few things about her past that shake the very foundation from which she’s lived. Not to mention a psychotic Fallen Angel is trying to kill her. Will Sophie find the Vessel of Souls before the Fallen? Will she unravel the mystery of her father? Will she figure out a way to keep her grandmother from appearing in shiny surfaces when it’s not convenient? And, most importantly, will she get her job back at UDA?

Nicely written with a plot that proceeds at a moderate pace, I still am trying to like the characters in this series. Sophie isn’t quite as annoying as in the first book, but her habit of crying at everything really got on my nerves. That girl is a veritable watering pot. I still don’t like Alex at all and Nina is too self-centered to be anybody’s best friend. Yet there is something here that will keep me reading the series. I’m just not sure what it is though it might be the occasional humor. I love humor in my stories.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Kensington for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.