The Russian Tattoos: Prisoner by Kat Shehata; Blog Tour hosted by Xpresso Reads

Hi, yall!  I am here today to review the book Russian Tattoos: Prisoner by Kat Shehata, and I am also a part of the blog tour for this book.  Huge shout out to Xpresso Reads for putting this all together and allowing me to be a part of it.  Just click here if you would like to follow the tour stops.

Don't forget to check at the end of the review for an international giveaway and good luck!!!

                                                           

Russian Tattoos: Prisoner
by Kat Shehata
Published by Limitless Publishing
Date of Publication: Aug 2 2016
Genre: Dark romance, suspense, New Adult, 18+

American tennis player Carter Cook is being held prisoner by the Russian mafia…
Carter is the obsession of mob boss Vladimir Ivanov, a man she once loved. Now a mafia war has erupted on his home turf, and Vladimir’s enemies have put a bounty on her head to force him to surrender. If she is captured, his rivals will deliver a deadly ultimatum—his life in exchange for hers. The price for Carter’s freedom is Vladimir’s blood.
Vladimir holds ultimate power as godfather of the Ivanov Bratva…
He spent five years in a Siberian prison camp and has earned every tattoo inked into his skin. He is a powerful man who rules his crew with an iron fist.
But his enemies have discovered his only weakness—Carter. Vladimir knows if she stays in his world, he is handing her a death sentence, so he vows to get her home and never interfere in her life again. Giving up the woman he loves is the only way to protect her from the bad guys—including himself.
Vladimir’s rivals have a different plan for the ill-fated couple…
Some punishments are worse than death, and the head of the Ovechkin Bratva will go to any length to seek vengeance and inflict maximum suffering on Vladimir.
Carter may be Vladimir’s weakness, but she is also his only hope for survival. When the boss of the Ovechkin family threatens the man she loves, she must fight for Vladimir’s freedom before their rivals can deliver the fatal blow.
Love is blind—but it could also be deadly.

My Review:

I didn't really know what to expect when it came to Prisoner.  I thought maybe I could read book 2, even though I hadn't picked up book 1, Obsession.  That is a no no! You must read book 1 before you read book 2!!!  

Which is probably a big fat "duh" for most people but I am weird.  

So I did read book 1 and it pushed my emotions to the wall.  There are some things in it that just screamed at me "NOOOOO!" But there were other parts of it that I really liked.  

Of course, you have to understand that Russian Tattoos isn't your typical romance.  I think the author was intending it to be more of a dark romance/BDSM type deal.  Without the leather whips and playtoys.  

It is also not marketed towards Young Adult (hell no) and has some definite erotic scenes in the storyline.  

So when you look at those factors, then it is a little bit easier to get past the rough treatment of Carter.  But not completely. 

Honestly, I didn't know if I was going to love it or hate it until I realized that is what really great writing is.  The ability to push me to such extremes and wreck my emotions so harshly.  I was crying with both books.  I may not agree with everything that happens to Carter because of Vladimir and his goons but I don't think the author does either.  Or at least, everything isn't going to be sunshine and roses when you are dealing with the Russian Mafia. 

I believe that is what the author is trying to convey to us, as well as the fact that love is blind.  Love doesn't see the dangers, just what the heart wants.  And for Carter, she wants Vladimir even when she knows he may not be the knight in shining armor she expected.  

The plot was amazing and  I loved the details Shehata went to to make it feel like we were a part of the Russian mafia scene.  It is gritty and she doesn't romanticize it as much as you would expect in a romance book.  She shows us the dirty behind the scenes side of it, and through this,  we also get to see the lesser of the two evils.  

The characters are a mixed blessing to me.  I like Carter's spunk but couldn't stand her immaturity when it came to her life.  I kept having to go back and check to make sure she was in college, instead of high school the way she acted most of the time. 

Besides her immaturity, I did see some similarities of myself in her.  Especially, the low self-esteem.  That was a major point with me as I was hoping she would stand up for herself more while  I knew I have some of the same issues she deals with too.   

Vladimir is the "sexy Russian" we all dream about at night.  Actually, when I pictured Vladimir, Illya from the movie, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. would pop into my head.  Of course, that isn't a bad thing at all.  I love that character! 

 Vladimir has a very pronounced dark side to him being the pakhan of his family in the Russian mafia.  I liked the bad boy type he played but he became very scary when he drank.  And vodka is a major object in his Russia.  There is definitely issues there besides the fact he is the leader of his bratva in major crime.  

Then there is Boris.  Ah, Boris.  I have this love/hate relationship with Boris.  As I read through with Boris, I kept reminding myself that he was raised in a completely different environment than what anyone in America was used to.  Am I condoning him for some of his treatment of Carter? No way.  But I am trying to understand from his viewpoint.  

He is loyal to a T. Family is everything to him. His family, though.  I think he admires Carter but thinks she is too naive and immature for her own good.  No argument there.  And Boris believes in the using the belt.  Very much.  But again, we need to remember that Russia is a completely different environment than where Carter grew up.  

Later, we understand how this "iron fist" attitude comes to help everyone in the family and how Boris isn't the only one who relies on it.  

In Prisoner, we get meet other characters that are important to the story, but I feel these three characters are the ones you will interact with the most.  Although, I do love me some Dimitri, the sisters, and Pasha.  

There really isn't a good vs bad guy here.  There are just different degrees of bad guys.  And the really  really bad guy is the "douche bag" who we all want to sucker punch.  

I also really appreciate the research that was done into the Russian mafia, the Russian culture, and the language to give us a well-rounded book that seemed to be very in the know of its characters and backgrounds.  In fact, I would love to read more about Russia from a historical standpoint because it does have a beautiful side to it too.  And I loved the language so much!  Da!

All in all, I was torn between loving this book and despising the treatment of Carter.  I loved the plot, some of the characters, and the descriptions of the Russian dealings.  I enjoyed the banter Carter put out but at the same time, I still think she needs to learn when to let it go.  

There is also a lot of dark moments in the both books.  It makes for some major suspense but at the same time, some may have gone a little too far.  It's all in the reader's point of view.  

I give Russian Tattoos : Prisoner four hearts.  I loved it more than the first book and I feel like we really get a more in-depth look into Vladimir and Boris.  And Carter finally gets some growing up out of the way.  

Oh and there is a huge cliffhanger at the end of both books.  I am talking "holding on by one finger" type cliffhanger.  So if you're not a cliffhanger type person you may want to think hard about reading it.

Get your own copy at :

Amazon

Connect with the Author:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Author Bio:

Kat Shehata’s first career involved caring for exotic, dangerous, and adorable animals as a zookeeper. As an author, Kat weaves her love of animals into her work. She is the co-author of the New York Times bestselling children’s book Animals on the Other Side wrote with Sylvia Browne.
She is an avid tennis player and spends her free time playing matches in a recreational league in Cincinnati, Ohio. She holds a bachelor’s degree in theatre from Wilmington College, a professional writing certificate from the University of Cincinnati, and a master’s degree in creative writing from Spalding University.

Giveaway Time!!!

Click here to be taken to the Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway.  My html is just not wanting to cooperate.  

Book Review: Moldylocks and the Bear by Bertram Boo {Plainfield Chronicles Book 2}

Title: Moldylocks and The Bear
Author: Bertram Boo, Plainfield Press
Series Order: The Plainfield Chronicles # 2
Publisher: Plainfield Press
Date of Publication: Sept. 23/ 2014
Age Ranges: Middle Grade (my 8 yr old loved it though)
Genre: Kids fiction, Fairytale retelling, mystery, kids comedy


Synopsis:

The zombies of Plainfield are back in this fast-paced, limb-flinging follow-up to the bestselling "Scar and the Wolf." Meet a whole new batch of characters, discover new places around town, and find out what happens to lost little body parts trying to find their way home.

Moldylocks LaMort has always felt like she's the biggest loser in Plainfield. But now she finally has a chance to get some respect -- and get out of town -- by winning the lead role in "Grizzlylocks," Plainfield's annual town musical.

Moldylocks should be a cinch to win. After all, she's the biggest bear expert in Plainfield. But her arch-enemy, Jeminy Stinkpit, wants the role, too, and she and her mom will do anything, legal or not, to get it. To make things even more complicated, a family of *real* bears has just moved into town, and Moldylocks finds out she really didn't know anything about bears at all.

See what happens as Moldlocks's life goes from bad to worse to disastrous until she's finally forced to answer some hard questions:

What would you do if you found out everything you knew about someone was wrong?
Will she betray a friend to get what she wants?
Will she be able to drink bee barf?

Find out in "Moldylocks and the Bear" -- a story about losers, winners, the new kid in class, musical theater, bearrorism, and mismatched feet.

And, of course, zombies.

Basically, it's the story you know, just brainier.

 My Thoughts:

I have to say I absolutely love this series!  The first book, Scar and the Wolf, just totally won me over.  It has drama, mystery, and comedy.  Oh and the best part? There is zombies.  But zombies more for kids that can still be entertaining to grown ups too.  
So, yeah, I love a series that is basically geared toward the middle grade crowd (although my 8 year old still enjoyed it).  In a way, that is a huge compliment to the author because it is that interesting that it can keep a 30-something woman hooked to the last page.  Bravvos!
So each book takes a different fairy tale, like Goldilocks and the three bears, and completely turns it on its head.  There is zombies in it, a deeper storyline and morals that can still teach us today.  And there is lots of comedy.  
Our main character, Moldylocks, is this little zombie girl who is a huge fan of Bears.  Of course, she is a fan of the misconception of bears.  Besides bears, she is also a talented actor in the local plays.  Moldylocks puts up with bullying from the popular girl at school and the other classmates and seems to be lonely a lot.  
The local theater where her mom directs is putting on a huge play about Bears and is having a contest for the main part.  This is Moldy's chance to get out of Plainfield through the acting scholarship up for grabs.  
But she isn't the only one who wants that part and Moldylocks ends up learning more about Bears than she ever thought possible, especially when a family of bears moves into the area.

These bears are pretty awesome!  They have a great sense of style, have wonderful taste in music, and have the most wonderful attitude when it comes to less than appealing neighbors. 
In fact, the way this trio of bears deals with the judgmental and rude zombies is something we could all learn from, myself included.  Skip, Muffy, and Brockster open up their home to the zombies trying to show them bears aren't the vicious killers everyone believes them to be.  
Unfortunately, the town is too caught up in the rumors to actually give this family the benefit of the doubt.  There are only two zombies that will open their minds and hearts to this family to learn the real truth about bears.  

The set of characters in this book are truly well written.  We see Moldylocks grow as she learns throughout the story that not everything is as it seems.  I think one of my favorite characters was Phileas.  He was just a darling! 

The characters were amazing and the morals in the story were enough to make me fall in love with the story but then the creativity shown throughout will knock your socks off!
Simply put, Moldylocks and the Bear is a fun book to read!
The different names will give you a chuckle:

"Stinkpit Manor, Ebnerzer Rotbody, Calvin Gutbucket..."

And then there is the descriptions of the different zombies that will make you snort out loud:

"Emily Shank was just a leg, Tom Head was just a head with no body, and Arnold was the hired help with just a body and no head..."

And finally, the alliteration is astounding too!

" back-up's back-up was backpacking; A finger flinger finder's fee..."

However, there is a few grammatical errors that I found through the book.  It wasn't enough to take away from the story, but you may want to remember this if you will not be reading out loud to your kids.  My kids and I actually made a little game of it and if they were reading by themselves they would bring to me any errors they found and we could correct them accordingly.  

But again, it was just a few and nothing that would take away from the overall story. 

Overall, Moldylocks and the Bear is a wonderful story that is filled with heart, fun, and lessons that all of us could learn from.  

And of course there is zombies! What's not to love?

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Everything expressed here is my personal feelings and opinions.  

Pick up your own at:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | 

Connect with the author at:
Goodreads || Website |

Blog Tour: Here They Lie by D'Ann Burrow

Hi everyone!!  I was so honored to get to participate in this blog tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours! 

This is a really great book and I cannot wait to share my review with ya'll.  Also, don't forget to check out the giveaway going on too!  Thanks again!

Title: Here They Lie by D’Ann Burrow 
 Series: (The Bloodstone Legacy #1) 
Publication date: October 5th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Southern Gothic

Add to Goodreads 

Book Synopsis:

Reese Everett’s aunt picked a bad time to die. Just weeks after a car accident left Reese’s mother unable to travel, her aunt’s house needs to be emptied and sold, leaving Reese as the only member of the family who can do the job. She typically wouldn’t balk at the opportunity to sift through her aunt’s collection of antiques, but when she arrives in Devil’s Vale, Georgia, she discovers the family house in a state of disrepair she won’t be able to handle alone.
Colton Waters is back in Devil’s Vale – whether he likes it or not. After he loses his acceptance to medical school with no explanation, he’s left with a single job offer…one that will return him to the hometown he’d hoped to escape.When an errand to help his sister ends in a meeting with Reese neither will easily forget, Colton takes a job as her temporary handyman.
The longer Reese stays in town, the more she realizes the condition of her aunt’s house isn’t the only thing she hadn’t expected when she made the trip to Devil’s Vale. Reese isn’t the only gifted member of the family – her aunt Kate has been practicing the family business…the business Reese has been sworn never to discuss.
After a ghostly visitor arrives one night, Reese and Colton learn Kate wasn’t the only one practicing the darker arts. They begin to uncover secrets that refuse to stay buried.

Here They Lie won the Young Adult Romance Writer’s 2014 award for New Adult fiction.

My Review:

I really love a book that gives so much ado to Southern history.  Actually, I really love any history; but I can't help but be partial to Georgia history because I am from GA!
It's also really cool when you're reading a book and you see the town you live in mentioned as being only 30 minutes away from the fictional setting.  That is almost as good as seeing your state on TV!   That is a great way for me to share a intimate familiarity with the book, Here They Lie.  

As I was saying, I love history and it is amazingly cool that the main character, Reese, is an anthropologist, or at least one in the making.   Reading the beautiful descriptions of the old houses and the town of Devil's Vale; you can definitely tell the author is a huge Southern history fan.   She does such a wonderful job of world building that you really feel as if you are taking a stroll through town. 

Besides the wonderful world building, the characters are also interesting too.  Each person in Devil's Vale seems to have some sort of magical power that again makes the story that much better.  Devil's Vale is this tourist town based on pretend magic (according to the tourists) which in reality is real magic!  It is very creative!

The area of the town is what adds to this intense ghostly feel of the story.  The dark swamps, with the silent forests, and the very bumpy and old dirt roads just makes it feel like someone is always watching.  And yes, there is this creepy fog.  Even, as I write this right now, living on a bumpy dirt road, there is fog everywhere surrounding my house.  Its is freaking awesome!

The plot was also a pretty creative one too!  You get pulled into the story  and swept up with the characters as the past and future seem to collide together.  Even as you get to know some of the more prominent characters, there is this nagging sensation that nothing is as it seems. 

However, the pace did seem to move a little slow at times.  But instead of the tempo, we get more in depth with the history of Devil's Vale and its inhabitants.  It seems to be a fair trade.

There was also a couple other areas that I didn't enjoy- like the alternating point of views.  It was confusing without a sub title telling who was talking at the time.  There was one time, it was talking about driving the jeep through the woods to the house and I literally didn't know who it was: Reese or Colton, especially since they both have a jeep.  
Another irritation was the amount of sex going on in this book.  Now let me explain myself first.  I am not a prude; I love erotica and try to experience all types of genres.  However, it just seemed like our two main characters would have sexual relations at the drop of a hat.  And that's cool ; but we are talking about major plot events that were pretty sad and devastating and they seemed to getting ready to do the dirty jig.  
It just seemed to stretched; instead of letting it just happen.  

Other than these mishaps, I still enjoyed Here They Lie very much.  It has lots of twists and turns, with such a cool understanding of ghosts it was hard not to love this book.  It is full of rich history and it has my home state in it.  I am really loving the Southern Gothic genre and I think Here They Lie is a great asset to the genre.

Buy Links Here:

Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01638N2I4
iBooks:   https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/here-they-lie/id1046047369?ls=1&mt=11
Kobo:     https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/here-they-lie
BN:         http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/here-they-lie-d-k-burrow/1122740209?ean=2940150953215
Google Play:   https://play.google.com/store/books/details/D_K_Burrow_Here_They_Lie?id=74ulCgAAQBAJ&hl=en



Connect with the Author:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter |

D’Ann Burrow once told her preschool teacher she wanted to be a witch when she grew up. That simple comment signaled the start of a life-long fondness of things that go bump in the night. As she grew older, she could most often be found with her nose buried in a book, and she was especially fond of the Nancy Drew series as well as anything by Christopher Pike or Stephen King. Occasionally she’d take a trip to the world of the classics where The Scarlet Pimpernel and A Little Princess reigned among her favorites. She’s lost count of the times she’s read Little Women.
Today, D’Ann enjoys the world of Supernatural, stories about guys with fangs, and she’s seldom met a disaster film she hasn’t liked. When she grows up, she’d like to work at the Haunted Mansion. Until then, watching Ghost Hunters will have to count as research.
D’Ann writes about secrets people keep. Even the bravest heroine or a guy with a heart of gold has a few skeletons in the closet they’d rather not share with the world. When those secrets get out, things get interesting.
A Texas native, she knows making great guacamole is an art form. As a theater mom, she’ll happily chat about Broadway musicals by the hour. Molly and Lizzie, the family furry ones, are frequent stars of her Instagram account.

Giveaway Time

Tour wide giveaway:

2 x $15 Amazon gift cards (International)

2 x Signed copies of Here They Lie (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Book Review & Giveaway: The Redeemers by Kate Morgan

Hi everybody!  I am so happy to be a part of the blog tour for the book, The Redeemers by Kate Morgan.  I want to send a huge thank you to the author as well as Me, Myself and i for putting this together and allowing me to take part in it!  Ya'll Rock! 

ABOUT THE BOOK

THE REDEEMERS
Author: Kate Morgan
Publisher:  Dark Recesses Press

SYNOPSIS:

Long after the Great War life flourished again, in no small part due to The Redeemers' help and guidance. It was a simple life, but a good one. Annie's world made sense...until one fateful day when everything of value is ripped from her.
With nothing left to lose, Annie embarks upon a quest for the dark, disturbing truth of why - never imagining how deep the trail leads.Find it :

Kindle | Goodreads |


My Thoughts:

The Redeemers was a very exciting read.  I love books that can take different interpretations of a religion and turn it into a mystery and thriller.  It also helps to throw in some cult like tendencies in there to keep things turned up a notch.  Kate Morgan does this and more with The Redeemers and keeps us on the edge of our seat the entire time.  
The setting in the story had me imagining the medieval times but it is actually set in the future.  I don't think this is a mistake on the author's part; actually I feel this is a creative way to show us how much civilization has lost through the Great War.  Every thing has returned to this simpler time in life and technology is nonexistent.  It is almost like an alternate universe, perhaps?  
The main character, Annie, has to deal with such physical and emotional turmoil, it is hard for us, as the reader, not to feel her pain intensely.  The graphic writing of the torture she endures just in the first few chapters is very vivid and intense.  It appeals to all of our five senses, making sure we grasp the situation just as Annie tries to understand it.  
Even after the physical torture is over, the mental torture continues throughout the book.  A lot of it is by Annie herself because she has such a hard time of trusting people.  Can you blame her?  Absolutely not.   But not being able to relax and trust anyone can do a lot of harm to someone already hurt.  
The world building was excellent.  I felt like I was transported to each village Annie goes into and felt like I could just reach out and interact with the scenery.  And when Annie sees all the old books, my heart jumps for joy.  It was hard to contain my excitement for her as she was able to ponder over each one.  The descriptions are right on target and I loved to watch as Annie learned more about what each Page meant to others.  

The plot was so original!  It takes an interesting concept and adds this cult like thriller to it as well as mystery and a feeling of "Who can I trust" ideas to it.  I really did love The Redeemers!  It was creepy, eerie, and just left you with this huge cliffhanger at the end that had me screaming for the next book asap!  

I think if you enjoy any of the things I described above, you should definitely give The Redeemers a try.  It was overpowering to my emotions to be in the dark through the book alongside Annie.  We learn as she learns and it becomes that much more sinister to us too.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate Morgan is a darn good cook. She grows her own veggies, knits stuffed monsters, and watches lots of Hammer Horror.

Connect with her at:

Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter |

GIVEAWAY

3 Winners will each get a handmade Redeemer amigurumi!
Ships In US Only. By Entering you are agreeing to the terms and conditions in the Raffecopter Form. 

You may be asking yourself, "What is an amigurumi?"  Well here is a pic of the adorableness!

Isn't that so cute?  I love it and it takes a lot of craftiness to make, so a huge shout out to our author, Kate Morgan, for that!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Blog Tour Book Review: Logos by John Neeleman

Title:  Logos
Author: John Neeleman
Publisher: Homebound Publications
Date of Publication: March 2015
Source: from author; Novel Publicity blog tour

Book Synopsis:

 While novels and cinema have repeatedly sought after the historical Jesus, until now none have explored what may be a more tantalizing mystery—the Christian story’s anonymous creator. Logos is a literary bildungsroman about the man who will become the anonymous author of the original Gospel, set amid the kaleidoscopic mingling of ancient cultures. Logos is a gripping tale of adventure, a moving love story, and a novel of ideas. None of this should be regarded as out of place or incompatible in a novel about Christianity’s origin. Dissent, anarchism, and revolution—and incipient Christianity was no less these things than the Bolshevik, the French or the American revolutions—inevitably have involved ideas, adventure, and romance.
In A.D. 66, Jacob is an educated and privileged Greco-Roman Jew, a Temple priest in Jerusalem, and a leader of Israel’s rebellion against Rome. When Roman soldiers murder his parents and his beloved sister disappears in a pogrom led by the Roman procurator, personal tragedy impels Jacob to seek blood and vengeance. The rebellion he helps to foment leads to more tragedy, personal and ultimately cosmic: his wife and son perish in the Romans’ siege of Jerusalem, and the Roman army destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, and finally extinguishes Israel at Masada. Jacob is expelled from his homeland, and he wanders by land and sea, bereft of all, until he arrives in Rome. He is still rebellious, and in Rome he joins other dissidents, but now plotting ironic vengeance, not by arms, but by the power of an idea.
Paul of Tarsus, Josephus, the keepers of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and even Yeshua, the historical Jesus himself, play a role in Jacob’s tumultuous and mysterious fortunes. But it is the women who have loved him who help him to appreciate violence’s dire cycle

.My Thoughts:


I am so happy to be a part of this blog tour for the book Logos.  Don't forget there is a lots of prizes available as well; so make sure to check out the rules and deadlines for those prizes at the end of this post.  Huge thanks goes to Novel Publicity and John Neeleman for providing this opportunity!

I was pretty stoked when I seen the description for this book on the Novel Publicity's website for upcoming blog tours.  That description blew me away and I knew; just knew I had to take part in this tour.  Logos is really one of kind and I don't think there will ever be a book that can come to close to the it in this magnitude.
First off, we need to make sure you know this is a fiction story.  It is a theory on who could have been the creator of the Bible and therefore, the Christianity movement.  So, when you come in to the story, you definitely need to have  an open mind.  I think the story appealed to me because I consider myself more spiritual than religious, per say.  I love historical fictions and this creative mystery was one of the best!
I love that the author, Mr. Neeleman, gave us an inside view into the religious concepts we learned from the Bible, but with a twist to it.  This twist is what really makes Logos become an epic journey for one man and in many ways, for ourselves as well.    Logos makes us expand our mind as we give in to the "what if" situation that has presented itself.
I was just amazed at the amount of research and hard work that went into making Logos.  As you read through the story, you see this huge amount of diversity of the different peoples known to inhabit that area in that time period. The descriptions are so well laid out it turns Logos into a 3 D artistic design instead of just a book.

Logos also introduces us to some well known and beloved characters but changes them up to make them seem new to us all over again.  Many familiar names pop up in Logos, including Paul, Josephus,and Yeshua (Jesus) too; but we are also introduced to some new characters as well.

Our main protagonist, Jacob, is a complex character that goes through some serious hardships to become a very important person.  I love that we see Jacob as a human with flaws and misgivings, and he learns through his mistakes as he goes through many battles, to become wise in his years.

As much as I did love the creativity put in the pages of the book; Logos was also terribly long.  It seemed to pay attention to detail a little too much, insofar as describing every little thing intensely.  I love detailed world building, but at the same time you have to know when to pull back.

All in all, Logos was a spectacular journey into the fictional beginnings of Christianity through the eyes of a man that goes through many spiritual and physical changes to find himself.  Logos has massive twists and turns that surprised me over and over.  It has a mixture of emotions running through it, including love as well as heartbreak.  I found myself crying at the horrors Jacob witnessed and experienced in his life.    Mr. Neeleman created a interesting story that combines politics, historical accounts, religion, mystery, and even romance to make a well rounded novel for someone with an open mind to enjoy.

About the author: John Neeleman spends his days working as a trial lawyer in tall buildings in downtown Seattle. He lives in Seattle with his wife and children. He also represents death row inmates pro bono in Louisiana and Texas. As a novelist, his editorial model is historical fiction in a largely realistic mode, though there are hallucinatory passages that reflect Neeleman’s concern with philosophical and spiritual matters, in part a residue of his religious upbringing. He was raised as a seventh generation Mormon, and rebelled, but never outgrew his interest in metaphysical concerns.

Connect with John on his publisher’s website | Facebook | Twitter | or GoodReads..

.Get LOGOS at  Amazon |  Barnes & Noble.

About the prizes: Who doesn't love prizes? You could win one of two $50 Amazon gift cards or an autographed copy of LOGOS! Here's what you need to do...

    

Enter the Rafflecopter contest

    

Leave a comment on my blog

That's it! One random commenter during this tour will win the first gift card. Visit more blogs for more chances to win--the full list of participating bloggers can be found  http://www.novelpublicity.com/

. The other two prizes will be given out via Rafflecopter. You can find the contest entry form linked below or on  http://www.novelpublicity.com/logos/

 Good luck!

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eArc Book Review: Damaged by Avelyn Paige

Title: Damaged
Author: Avelyn Paige
Publisher: Self
Date of Publication: May 3 2015
Source: received from author for honest opinion
Level: Mature 18+
Pick up a copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

Book Synopsis:

Evie Carter has faced trials and tribulations her entire life. Her teenage years have been ripped away from her as she battles cancer. Just when things can’t get any worse, her doctor delivers the news that it’s finally time to make a life or death decision. Her options are limited and come with deadly consequences. The miracle drug that is meant to save her life changes her on a cellular level. She might not be damaged anymore, but she might just be damned in her new life.

My Thoughts: 

First off, look at that cover!  It is a pretty badass representation of Evie, our protagonist in the story.  Just from that cover, we can tell this is going to be a very gritty and dark story.

Damaged makes us question how we would be willing to go in order to live our lives, no matter the circumstances.  It puts us in touch with our morality and makes us look deep into our hearts to see how we could cope with the price.  

Our protagonist, Evie Carter, has a type of cancer that is incurable.  The doctors have tried everything and yet it keeps coming back.  Then they pose the question to her : can we try something controversial and new?  Left with no other options besides giving up, Evie decides to try this unexpected drug.  

This is when her life gets even more turned upside down.  

I can totally understand why Evie went for the drug trials; I probably would have done the exact same thing.  No one wants to look death in the eye at such a young age.  It is not in us to just give up.  So right then, we see that Evie is a fighter.  

This is when we see the development of Evie's character more when she has to literally try to cope with her morality and new abilities, while trying to learn who she can trust and not trust.  
I did feel like Evie was a little too forgiving for my tastes; but at the same time, I guess I can understand how alone she must have felt without anyone.  

I did enjoy watching Evie learn her body's powers and limitations and really just learning to live again.  She is only in her twenties; yet she really hasn't experienced life as a young adult.  

The world builiding was decent.  As I was reading this book, I felt that the pacing was a little slow and I was seeing this as a three star book.....
But then we got close to the end and OHMYGOODNESS!!!!  The last few chapters were freaking amazing!  There was so much action and drama; I was pretty much speechless!
And it gives us this to die for cliffhanger!  

Basically, Damaged is a pretty good book.  It has this science fiction kinda feel to it with some definite drama scenes mixed in with it.  One of my favorite parts is that we get to see Evie grow as a character and person.  She gets to experience life; albeit not the life she would have chose, but still life.  And the ending is wonderful!  

Of course, this is a gritty book with lots of cursing in it and it does have some sexual scenes in it as well.  But I would urge any adults to give Damaged a try.  It will make you think about how far you would go to beat death.  

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Book Review: A Heart's Deceit by Cege Smith {Bloodtruth 4}

A Heart's Deceit
Cege Smith
Bloodtruth book 4
Published March 4, 2014
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Connect with author:
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Source: I did receive this ebook in exchange for my honest opinion of it.

In the stunning conclusion of the Bloodtruth series, rules have been broken. Queen Angeline Robart must face the consequences of her actions if she ever hopes to keep the Alteran throne.
As Angeline’s abilities grow stronger, it quickly becomes apparent that uncovering the lineage of her wraith is the key to everything. To secure her throne and banish her enemies forever, Angeline must become a master manipulator to find the answers she needs to save herself and her people. But her past doesn’t intend to let her go that easily.
In order to escape a death sentence, Connor Radwin gave into his basest instincts. Now that the time has arrived to return to his former self, he finds it more of a struggle than he ever anticipated. But he is unwilling to leave Angeline’s side; despite the fact that he knows she has to marry someone else.
With old foes emerging at every turn, Angeline’s time is running out. She is about to find out how far she will go to save her people. In this high-stakes game of deceit, the loser pays in blood.
The complete Bloodtruth Series:Heiress of Lies (Bloodtruth #1)The Queen's Betrayal (Bloodtruth #2)Trials of Truth (Bloodtruth #3)A Heart's Deceit (Bloodtruth #4)

My Thoughts:

Is this really the last book?  We have been on such a tremendous journey with Connor and Angeline that I find myself not really wanting it to end.  But alas...all good things do come to end.  Right?

I know I enjoyed watching both of these characters to grow and emerge as stronger, more complex characters than they started out as before.  Angeline has been through hell and yet she still did everything as regal and lady like as she could; even when she had to kick ass and take names!   She is definitely what it means to be a Queen as she puts the people she loves before her desires and truly learns the meaning of sacrifice.  
I love that she learns to embrace her supernatural self and also learn to hold her own against those older and more "wiser".  
And then there is Connor.  I love that name so much (probably because one of my twins is named that too)!  Connor was the complement to Angeline's powerful self.  I enjoyed it immensely when these two worked together because they were that good together.  Their interactions were written superbly and made you love these characters even more.  
The plot of  the series has always been an interesting one involving vampires and magic and I love that we get many secrets revealed in the last book, A Heart's Deceit.  I may have suspected some of these secrets; but it was still nice to see them come alive in the book.  
We also have a lot of characters that seem to lose their heads....literally.  In some cases, I was sad because I would have liked to see them in a more positive way.  But it was a good way to tie up some loose ends.  But again, I would have liked to see more story lines with some of these characters.  
Overall though, I think this was an exceptional ending to a amazing series that kept me reading into the wee morning hours.  I know that if you like fantasy with vampires and magic mixed in , then you would really like the Bloodtruth Series.  You should definitely give it a try!

Book Review: Never Fade {Book 2 in The Darkest Minds Series} by Alexandra Bracken

Title: Never Fade

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Series: The Darkest Minds
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Date of Publication: Oct. 15 2013
Source: bought, paperback, Apocalypse, YA

Synopsis:

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster.

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

My Thoughts:
So Never Fade is one of those books that really reaches down deep and clenches your heartstrings with all the strength it has; and you are left wondering if you will survive reading it.  

Well,  you do survive.  But you have definitely lost some tears on it. 

Of course, this is an apocalyptic book and it does seem to follow the certain ideals that are associated with stories from this genre: the crushing despair the characters have, and the terrible situations kids are put into to survive.  
But with Never Fade it seems to take it up even a notch or two.  The crap that these characters have to go through is just awful.  And yet there is always that one character that seems to be able to hold out hope that something will change.  God bless that character!     Because without him/her, this story would be depressing.  

Now I am not saying that Never Fade was bad; on the contrary, it was a deep read that left me questioning society as a whole even now.  Seeing the bad things that are happening in the country today, it made me wonder if this is what our country is heading for in the future, sans the supernatural powers the kids have.   Never Fade has a gritty storyline that makes the reader take a closer look at the lies the government tells in this story.  

And I, personally, really liked our main protagonist, Ruby.  She is a fighter and a lover.  She tries to be distant and hard but she can't help but connect with the other kids on her team.  And when she does, I believe Ruby becomes stronger for it.  It is a big change from what she was in the first book, Darkest Minds.  In Never Fade, Ruby is more in charge of her powers and more confident of herself.  She is still in pain and still scared but she doesn't let the fear control her.  Ruby also learns more about her "power" and finds out more secrets that help her throughout the book.  
However, I had already figured out some of these secrets much earlier than Ruby did and thought she was a little slow to catch on to some things.  
We see old characters and are introduced to some new characters in the second installment so there is really never a dull moment in the plot lines.  

If you enjoyed Hunger Games or even Divergent, then you should give The Darkest Minds series a try.  It has elements of both of those two books mentioned above but also sprinkles in some "X-Men-esque" ideas into the intense emotional threads that go along in the story.   

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Book Review: Bigfoot's Small Feet by Jason Bohne

Title: BigFoot's Small Feet
Author: Jason Bohne
Illustrator: Jordan Race
Publisher: Self
Date of Publication: Dec. 23 2014
Source: Kindle, Pdf, received from author,















My Thoughts:

I received Bigfoot's Small Feet from the author for my honest opinion of it.  

At first glance, you can see that the illustrations are done very well.  I like that Bigfoot doesn't look intimidating; not to mention he has small feet.  This would be a fine story to read to your younger kids as well as the older ones (9+).  At least my older boys enjoyed it.  
It is a great message for kids to accept themselves just the way they are instead of being sad and ashamed of how they look.  
There was one part in the story where Bigfoot hits a little blue monster for making fun of him.  It didn't bother my kids that much, but you might just want to explain to kids that its best to try to find a way to handle this without throwing punches.  But it is Bigfoot after all; he is a tough guy! 
Other than that, I found this short story enjoyable and my kids and I laughed at all the funny pictures and especially the *SBD at the end.  I think my favorite part was the troll with the red wig.  "Real Talk."  I still am laughing at just that little comment.  
It's a pretty good story for little kids and upper elementary too.  But don't take my word for it....:


Here's the boys to let you know what they thought:

Jace (6): I liked the pictures a lot.  They were really funny and had lots of color in them too.  I thought Big foot had a cute and cuddly face too.


Conner (11): This is a pretty good story for little kids.  Okay, I enjoyed too.  I thought the pictures matched the story very well.

Anthony (11):  Well, I pick on one of my younger brothers and now I feel kinda bad because of how the blue glob picked on Bigfoot for being clumsy.  I think I am going to try to catch myself from picking on my brothers the next time; but nobody is perfect.  Still, this book was pretty funny and I liked it too!

Michael (9): Yeah, I am the brother Anthony likes to pick on.  I am glad that this book could show him how it really feels.  Although, I have been telling him enough already.  I can really relate to Big Foot, except my feet aren't small.
  I don't think Anthony does this out of meanness, but its nice for him to see first hand how it feels.  
I loved this book!  I liked the pictures and I liked all the different creatures in it.  Big foot seemed like a really great guy.  I hope to see something else with him in it in the future.  

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