Book Review, Unity, Laura Maisano

 

Unity

Illirin Book Two

By Laura Maisano

Unity continues were Shism left off. War has torn Illirin apart and it’s up to Gabe and Lea to combine the resistance on Illirin and magic to fight for what they’ve lost. Maisano blends Earth and Illirin, humans and the combined species of Illirin who share more than they differ in a kaleidoscope of emotions, anger, justice and revenge. With Lea’s stubborn will and strong moral compass and Gabes drive to right wrongs, they battle a human wizard and a power hungry politician.

            More than one life is at stake, but two planets which are linked together. Will Gabe and Lea prevail? Or will Illirin forever loose its freedom and earth follow into a global dictatorship? Unity is a marvelous fantasy read.

To order from Amazon go here.

Schism, by Laura Maisano a book review

Schism, by Laura Maisano, is a fantasy that explores the dual connection between two worlds, Earth and Illirin. A debut novel for Ms. Maisano, her characters Gabe and Lea are partners in the discovery of an alternate world behind the schism. As their adventure progresses we learn that Gabe is actually from this other world and has lost his memory. As they explore the two worlds looking for answers, Lea frees her parents and Gabe’s memory is recovered. That alone would make for a page turning story but there’s more.

Gabe is really Makai and his parents are murdered by an evil Councilman who utilizes a wizard from earth. While Gabe plots to ensure his home is safe, Lea joins forces to fight the wizard. Maisano weaves twists and turns around two very different characters who begin to fall in love, all while trying to save two worlds. The first book in a series, Schism is a must read for fantasy lovers. 

Here are the links to buy Schism:

Amazon

Barnes and Nobles

Kobo

AudioBooks

MuseItUp Bookstore

Thanks for coming by.

Nancy

Book Review; Love Walked In, by Francine Howarth

Click here to get a copy.

Fabulous

Loved Walked In by Francine Howarth is a contemporary Romance novel. I've learned that most romance novels are almost always concerned with the romance aspect and generally, there is very little that involves the characters lives. Not so with Ms. Howarth. She is not afraid to delve into the life of her characters bringing rich detail, suspense, hope and wonderful description to the page. I have read several of her stories to date. From her regency novels where one or more characters are involved in the difficulties of the times, to this more contemporary tale of spy's.

When opening this book you will be treated to in-depth characterization, intrigues, and hope that the heroine somehow survives and finds new love. With each page you'll find yourself transported to Cassie's world, and at times you'll wish you could shake some sense into her. Ms. Howarth weaves her characters fear and hope together expertly while charming you with her unique voice. I highly recommend, Love Walked In.

Nancy

Review, Ripple's Effect

Hi Everyone:
I've been asked to review Ripple's Effect, a new children's book from Little Pickle Press by Shawn Achor and Amy Blankson. Illustrated by Cecelia Rebora.

Every parent, grandparent and teacher knows that in today's world educating children about bullies is a difficult task. Not only do we need to protect our little ones from bullies, but we need to teach them not to be a bully. Ripple's Effect does this beautifully. What child doesn't love dolphins and which one isn't fascinated by sharks? You don't have to live near the ocean in today's world for children to appreciate the magnificent of either one. Dolphins bring us joy just watching them frolic in the water while sharks elicit fear.

In Ripple's Effect we have the story of a happy and determined dolphin to take back the fish tank so everyone, even the bully shark, can have fun. Achor and Blankson weave this story into a stream of enjoyment your child will love first and relate to second. Teachers can use this story to help teach children about bullies and how to accept who they are despite what a bully may say and how to deal with a bully. 

As a grandmother of two, five year olds, I've learned the importance of listening to them, teaching them in a manner that doesn't preach down to them, and encouraging them to be who they are without fear. I highly recommend you add Ripple's Effect to your home and school library so that your special little one can learn the lessons of Ripple's Effect.

Join the online blog book tour for Ripple's Effect available now through Little Pickle Press and learn how you can obtain your very own copy.

Little Pickle Press:

http://blog.littlepicklepress.com/p/our-blog-book-tour-schedule.html

This November, use code LPPRipple12 at checkout to save 30% on your entire order. http://bit.ly/LPPRipple

Looking for additional ways to bring the message of Ripple’s Effect in to your home or classroom? Download the free lesson plan here. http://bit.ly/RipplesEffectLP

 

Nancy

Book Review: Wolf Fever by Terry Spear

Greetings everyone. Today I'm kicking off my first book review post. I did a lot of reading in the past five months. Some authors are new to me and some are best sellers and some are long time favorites. If you would like me to review your book, contact me via email and put in the sub-heading 'please do a book review.' You will have to arrange for me to get a copy of your book.

'Wolf Fever' by Terry Spear is a Paranormal Romance. This is my first introduction to Terry's writing and my first ever werewolf book. 'Wolf Fever' is not the first in this series, or the first dealing with these characters. That said, I had no problems getting to know the characters and their struggles. As a series writer myself, I know the challenge of taking a reader who may not be familiar with previous novels and bringing them into my series without a hitch. (I'm 1/3 finished with my second epic fantasy). Hopefully, you will create a desire in them to read more of your work. Terry certainly did, I'm hooked. 

 The werewolf society that Terry created is well developed. They mate for life and so don't take relationships lightly unless you are a mere human. As a wolf clan, there is an Alpha Male. He's the big man, the big cheese, the boss of that particular wolfie group. The Alpha male in Terry's story is not the main m.c., and doesn't really have an Alpha part in the story. Nevertheless, he is there to give generous support and concern to the main characters.

The only real snag for me personally is the longevity  of the characters in relation to finding that special wolfie someone. I had trouble believing that a man-wolf could live for 300 years unmarried.

Keep in mind, this is a romance with all the lustful scenes in great detail. I generally don't read romance because of this, however, if you want a well developed plot with in-depth  characters who happen to be sexually active this is a story you will enjoy.

Sorry, no excerpt on this one. 

Rating: 4 Stars.

Wolf Fever at Amazon



Nancy

Review...at least some observations

I have discovered Dean Koontz. You are all probably saying, "What?" and scratching your head. The painful truth is, I never read his books because they were labeled under Horror. I don't read Horror because I get scared and I don't like spooky psycopaths even though I have one in my book. Now that I have read Koontz, thanks to my daughter, I would label him under suspense not horror.

I've read three books so far. Taken, Watchers and another earlier book that I have temporaily forgotten the title to. Yeah, my cone headedness is back. I have suffered this ailment all my life.

If you want to learn to write well, read Koontz. I am not kidding here. He handles back story with great skill, he isn't prone to over using cliches, and he doesn't switch POV often. When he does it is usually after a page break or in a new chapter.

I've recently read a New York Times best selling author who did switch POV's in the middle of a paragraph and did depend too much on cliche's and had way to many look, looking, and other similiar words. I'm not naming names. I will make a suggestion. You can buy a computer program that will hightlight in color all similar words in your manuscript. Let's face it, we writer's are human and rely on simple words when talking with people outside our writerly universe.

So, that's my two cents.

Any thughts?.

Nancy