Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 80
April 23, 2024
Blog Tour: THE DARKEST LIGHT by Vicki-Ann Bush
THE DARKEST LIGHT
Vicki-Ann Bush
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GENRE: Young Adult Paranormal
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BLURB:
Asthe star quarterback for his high school football team and local celebrity inthe quaint town of Boulder City, Luke Jacob enjoys a charmed life. Everything'sgoing according to plan, that is until the night he spots a mysterious andalluring girl in the crowd. Despite his father's cryptic warning to keep awayfrom her, he's instantly drawn to Mary.
Theteam plans a gathering to celebrate their homecoming win, and Luke decides toinvite her. The evening turns dark when the demon Abezethibou appears andthreatens them. When Mary steps in to save her peers, Luke sees her for whatshe truly is, forever changing their future and creating a bond between them.
Therevelation shatters what Luke believes about himself and forces him to face hisdestiny.
WillMary stand by Luke in the face of the coming storm, or will she be swayed bythe allure of darkness?
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Excerpt One:
Luke cleavedhis chest, his heart dry of blood, he began to shake. A brilliant hue of goldemanated from within, illuminating every inch of his body as it began to risefrom the
ground. Helooked up at his friends, smears of butterscotch glittered across theatmosphere. He shouted out to Jason as their bodies flopped backward like therag doll Becca carried with her
as a toddler.Floating closer to the heavens, their will was no longer their own.
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GUEST POST
What are your main character’s attributes, strengths, and weaknesses?
Luke Jacobs is a typical high school football jock. He likesbeing the star quarterback and shines in the eyes of the small town of BoulderCity, Nevada. I think this is his weakness. It gives Luke a weight ofresponsibility that he extends to things around him. He feels the need to bethe protector, which is a difficult burden when you’re just beginning tomature.
Shakespeare is quoted as saying, “your greatest strengthbegets your greatest weakness.” I believe for some, this is true. Especiallyfor Luke. His sense of responsibility can make him vulnerable but it alsodrives him. It gives him the motivation and courage to perform the difficulttasks that are bestowed on him. It gets him through the dark times with Mary,and the battle to defeat Lucifer. So his need to protect is also his greateststrength.
In one scene from the book, Luke befriends a young angel,Josiah. The boy looks up to Luke and wants to be by his side. He finds a way tokeep Josiah safe but presents it so that the boy feels important in hisposition with the other angels. I think this shows compassion. He could havechosen to leave Josiah behind but he didn’t. He understood the young angelsadmiration and he didn’t let him down. I think Luke also shows humility andloyalty throughout the long journey away from his family and friends. He standsup for what he thinks is right, even if it’s against the archangel Michael. Inthe end, Luke is a teen who possess qualities that are both admirable anddesirable. But that’s not to say he doesn’t make questionable decisions liketeens sometimes do. He has his moments.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
BornVicki-Ann Guidice, on January 14th, 1962, her journey into the realm of thespiritual and supernatural was initiated at birth. Her early years were spentin Queens, New York known for having more people passed on than alive, as wellas having several Gothic cemeteries within walking distance of its communities.At the age of 15, she moved to Los Angeles California taking her fertileimagination with her. After meeting her future husband, Ronald Bush, her newhomeland became Las Vegas, Nevada.
Asa mother of two, her first published book in 2008, Winslow Willow the WoodlandFairy, took her love of fantasy and spun it into a heartwarming children’sbook. The progression to the young adult literary market took root in hernovels that captured the haunting qualities of the Las Vegas desert surroundingher, but it was New York that called her home. Alex McKenna, the main characterin the book series first published in 2019, is the embodiment of herItalian-American roots, memories of adolescent outsider status, and thestrength it takes to live an authentic life.
Ms.Bush is a co-founder of Coffee House Tours, an events-based collaborationbetween local bookstores and coffee shops allowing authors to representthemselves and their works. Additionally, she is a frequent podcast literaryguest and has a special relationship with The Center LGBTQIA+ Las Vegas whereAlex McKenna has been an inspirational focus as a transgender Paranormal teen.Now starring in the short film Alex and Margret’s Beginning, inspired by thebook series, Ms. Bush is an award winning short screenplay writer and Producer.Bringing her moving and unique storyline and character to a broader audience.
Website:https://www.vickiannbush.com
Twitter:https://twitter.com/vickiannbush
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@authorvickiannbush
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/VickiAnn.Bush.Author/
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Darkest-Light-Vicki-Ann-Bush/dp/1956183442
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GIVEAWAY
.Vicki-Ann Bush willaward a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
April 22, 2024
Blog Tour: SEA GLASS AND FIREFLIES by Kate Ellington
Sea Glass And Fireflies
by Kate Ellington
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GENRE: Romance
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BLURB:
ElsieHayward moves into her uncle's seaside estate on what should have been herwedding day. All she wants is peace and quiet, and to escape the guilt that'shaunted her since her betrothed was lost at sea. Any hope of tranquility isdashed, however, when Charles Rockingham arrives in town. A lifetime ago they'dbeen best friends and almost more. If there's one person she can't hide herfeelings from, it's him. Charles hasn't received a letter from Elsie in over ayear. He returns home hoping to recapture the deep bond they once shared, butshadows of the past stand between them. One last secret must be revealed beforethey can find their way back to each other.
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Excerpt One:
As they got up to leave, Charles took her hand to helpsteady her over the slippery rocks, and a warm glow rippled through her.Instead of letting go when they reached the grassy bank, she laced her fingersthrough his, her heart racing as fast as the stream. He looked at her and hiseyes held something like tenderness. She almost tripped over her dress.
The sky was softening to the faintest hint of dusk. Shewished it was morning so they could begin their day together all over again.They continued down the trail and turned onto a narrow path that came outbehind Max’s stables, then walked up the lawn to the front of the house. Anunfamiliar motorcar was parked in the drive.
“Who’s here, Mr. Anderson?” Elsie asked when he opened thefront door.
“An associate of Mr. Lambert’s.”
Charles's fingers slipped out of hers as they steppedinside. Elsie removed her hat and dropped it on the table.
“Let’s go see who it is,” she said to Charles, tugging onhis jacket sleeve.
From the dining room came the sound of laughter: twogravelly chortles and one tinkling, delicate giggle.
Charles stopped in his tracks. Elsie looked up at him. Thecolor had drained from his face. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong,but Max called out: “Don’t hang about in the doorway, you two. Come see whatthe cat dragged in.”
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Review: To forget the wedding she shouldhave had and mend her broken heart, Elsie goes off to stay with her uncle.Soon, she unexpectedly runs into an old childhood friend with whom she shared aromantic moment that slipped away.
The scenes were depicted in lovelyand lush tones. The narrative was nice and well-written for the most part, butit was very languid and a bit daunting at times. The read was a bit too longfor my liking, too. It just seemed like the story was busier describing thescenery than actually telling the story of these two characters. The literaryprose was certainly sweet and sentimental, but it was much too long andtime-consuming for my taste. Secrets do come to light as you read on, but itdoes take a while to get to them. This could be pretty good if you invest thetime in it. A fairly nice read overall.
Rating:3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
KateEllington grew up in a woodsy New England town where summer days at the lakeseemed to last forever. She read her first historical romance at age elevenwhen a teacher challenged her to find a book in the library written by anauthor she’d never heard of. Thus began a life-long love of love stories.
Aftergraduating from college with an art degree she settled in the PacificNorthwest, where she currently resides with her family.
Katewrote her first romance when she was sixteen, then set her pen down for yearsuntil another story floated into her head out of the clear blue sky. She jottedit down, just for fun, but soon it took on a life of its own.
https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Glass-Fireflies-Kate-Ellington/dp/1509248803/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sea-glass-and-fireflies-kate-ellington/1143071596
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29720924.Kate_Ellington
https://www.kateellington.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kateellingtonauthor
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GIVEAWAY :
KateEllington will award a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveawayApril 20, 2024
Review: A CRY IN THE NIGHT by Mary Higgins Clark
**2ND TIME REVIEW **
A rich, handsome man wanting tomarry you and take care of your kids. Sounds like a dream come true, right?
Erich Krueger was too good to betrue. Too good. Too perfect. There had to be something wrong with him, right?Well, for one thing, he was a tidy and strict perfectionist and would freak outat the slightest disarray. And another thing was that he married a woman thatlooked like his dead mother. How morbid!
It’s definitely slow at first withthe girls settling to their new life with Erich Krueger. Eventually, we startto see a dark, scary side to Erich. Who just shoots a puppy? I wouldn’t besurprised if he killed his own mother.
Things pick up more when the bodyof Jenny’s ex is discovered and Jenny becomes a person of interest. What wasreally interesting was that Jenny didn’t seem to remember that night.
The story spans over months at atime so it takes a while in a roundabout way, but there is a mystery lurkingdeep down in the depths of these pages. Of course, we knew that Erich was crazyright from the start and that’s how it ended up playing out. I definitelycalled it. But now he took the kids.
A good read and worth a 2ndreview!
Rating:4 stars
Review: A STRANGER IS WATCHING by Mary Higgins Clark
The slow and descriptive start atthe beginning adds a little suspense.
Sharon Martin was a columnist whobelieved in outlawing corporal punishment, especially with the upcomingexecution of a young prisoner named Ronald Thompson. Of course, there were otherswho believed the guy should fry for killing a man’s wife, like the husband.Steve and Sharon had opposite views on this matter, but they were also in love.
“Was this the time to get involvedin marriage—marriage to a man whose child resented her?”
That night, Sharon decided tobreak things off with Steve, but then she and the boy were kidnapped by anintruder.
The stranger that took Sharon andNeil was the same man that killed the young mother—the one Ronald Thomson wasbeing executed for. But who was the stranger?
Can they get to the boy and Sharonbefore it all comes to an explosive end?
A compelling mystery full ofsuspense!
Rating:5 stars
Review: THE FACELESS KILLER by Katy Pierce
Wow, for some reason, I had a hardtime with this one. Much too slow and menial. It definitely didn’t match thestamina and excitement of the first book, which was really why I had continuedwith this series. Truthfully, the rest of these books have been toodisappointing. Dare I try to read the next book in this series?
Rating:1 star
Review: THE TWO-FACED KILLER by Katy Pierce
Another serial killer known as theTwo-Faced Killer back after 30 years? This case leads Carlee deep into thecosmetic world and narcotic universe. They were looking for the “queenpin ofthe drug trade in Chicago’s fashion and beauty industry.”
This one takes a little while toget into, but it was still interesting nonetheless. Still haunted by the 8thGrade Killer, Carlee muddles through to try to catch another killer. I like theway she thinks—so crafty and methodical. Still, this one wasn’t really the bestand certainly took longer than it should have. It certainly gets better towardthe end with the mysterious string of murders, but, yeah, this wasn’t thatgreat. Truth be told: none of these books compare to that first one.
An okay read.
Rating:3 stars
April 19, 2024
Excerpt: FIRST PASSAGE by Morgan Fitzgerald-Lorah
“I can’texactly stay in one place very long right now.”
“Do you knowyour blood type?” Bailey changed the topic.
“No, Idon’t. Why?”
“Let me testit. I know you don’t like the idea, but you’ll probably be back over that hand.If something were to happen, such as hemorrhaging during surgery, it would bebetter for me to have that info already.”
Nathan’sstomach turned with nausea, but the more logical part of him knew he shouldkeep his options open. Though he would try to make the Red Magician keep hisword, he doubted he could trust the psycho to fix his hand.
“Go aheadand test it,” Nathan said.
Baileypricked Nathan’s hand with a short needle. He then stuck the drop of blood intoa small machine. “Well, shit,” Bailey said after several minutes.
“What’swrong?” Nathan straightened his posture in concern.
“You’re amagic user. And I’ve not seen your blood type before.”
“Thatdoesn’t make sense. There’re only so many types.” Nathan never heard of such athing, not even from Grant.
Bailey metNathan’s frightened gaze. “Among the scientific community, but not publicly,there’s been reports of magic users having different proteins in both theirblood and nervous systems. It can vary between individuals but is suspected todo with the kind of magic they use. Perhaps to protect the body from suchpotent energies running through it. There may be other less known differencesin their biology, too,” Bailey said.
Nathan fellsilent so he could fully absorb this information.
After amoment, he spoke again. “So, how do you know this?”
The corner of Bailey’s mouthtwitched as he stepped away from Nathan. “You’re better off keeping out ofothers’ business. Deal with your own problems first.”
April 17, 2024
Blog Tour: PURSUIT OF INNOCENCE by Bethany Rosa
PURSUIT OF INNOCENCE
Bethany Rosa
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GENRE: Romance
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BLURB:
“I’mdone waiting around. You’re mine. No more games or pining over someone elsewhen it’s me you want. You won’t remember his name after I get through withyou.”
Lilyknows exactly what she wants in life. To graduate, land a high-paying job, andforge her own way. Nothing will distract her. Until the ultimate playboy,billionaire Sebastian Dubree, barges in. Not to be overlooked, Lily’s longtime crush,Jackson, decides she’s worth the fight.
Reluctantto succumb to either, she quickly becomes a challenge to conquer.
Lilymust decide between the familiarity of her childhood longing or the newlydiscovered passion ignited by thedominant CEO. But can she surrender without losing herself in the process, orwill someone take matters into his own hands?
Boundariesblur between desire and resistance in this gripping coming-of-age romance,leaving readers yearning for more.
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Excerpt One:
I hit a wall. Asolid, warm wall that smells dreadfully sinful. Before I have time to process,two firm hands are on my shoulders to steady me. “Hey, watch where you’regoing” comes the deepest, sexiest voice imaginable, which would be incrediblyhot if the words spoken were anything other than rude and demanding. Lookingup, which is crazy, considering I’m one step higher, I freeze as my eyes landon a dark, handsome god of a man who looks like he wants to commit murder. Whatis it with me and jerks tonight?
His eyes getbigger, and his brows furrow as soon as my shocked gaze meets his. He has shortblack hair that’s longer on the top and styled perfectly. His menacing eyebrowsare folded downward from scowling at me. The dark scruff that shadows his faceis so sexy, trimmed razor straight, accentuating his perfectly chiseled jaw.Mentally slapping myself, I apologize.
“Crap, I’m sosorry. I didn’t see you there.” He doesn’t release his hold.
“That’s becauseyour head was down. Your eyes should be looking forward.” His voice is hard anddemanding.
Flustered and—Ireluctantly admit—slightly turned on by his strong, firm grip and penetratingstare, I stand there frozen in place. After what seems like minutes but I’msure is only seconds, I snap out of it and apologize again. “Sorry, I’ll watchwhere I’m going from now on.” The words rush out as I pull away to leave, thistime keeping my head up. I think I hear him say something else behind me, but Idon’t stop. Running into one of the hottest guys I’ve seen in a while should’vebeen the highlight of my night. Instead, I’m more irritated. Do allgood-looking men have a license to be an ass?
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
BethanyRosa raised four amazing daughters before fulfilling her dream to become awriter. Her goal is to ignite passion in readers through her erotically chargedstories. When not immersed in writing, Bethany finds joy in life traveling theworld alongside her husband of 25 years. Home is divided between the mountainsof Montana and the Arizona sunshine.
Website:http://www.bethanyrosa.com/
Instagram:http://www.instagram.com/Bethanyrosa.author
TikTok:http://www.tiktok.com/@authorbethanyrosa
AmazonBuy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVHM9VG7
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GIVEAWAY
Arandomly drawn winner will receive a $25 Amazon/BN gift card.
April 15, 2024
Blog Tour: THE SERENDIPITY OF CATASTROPHE by Lisa Fellinger
THE SERENDIPITY OF CATASTROPHE
Lisa Fellinger
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GENRE: Women's Fiction
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BLURB:
Amother defeated by anxiety. A daughter determined not to become her mother. Canone month in Europe reunite them?
AnitaLorello is paralyzed by grief. When her husband dies in an accident the nightbefore a long-awaited retirement trip, she’s devastated by the loss of herpartner and once again shelves her dream to finally visit Europe. But when herestranged daughter agrees to accompany her nearly a year later, Anita is eagerfor the opportunity to repair their relationship.
CarrieLorello’s life is crumbling. After a night of clouded judgment ends in herbeing fired, her mother’s offer of a one-month paid vacation seems like herbest option. But she refuses to get caught up in her mother’s irrationalworries and critical comments, and under no circumstances is she to learn whata failure Carrie’s proven to be.
Desperatenot to lose her daughter again, Anita fights to conquer her anxiety and becomethe mother Carrie always wanted. But as Carrie’s life grows more and morecomplicated, her mother is the last person she wants to confide in.
Withoutanyone else to hold them together, can Anita and Carrie overcome theirdifferences, or will the secrets between them derail their trip and destroytheir relationship for good?
TheSerendipity of Catastrophe is an emotionally compelling work of women’sfiction. If you enjoy travel stories, complex mother-daughter relationships,and lovably flawed characters, you’ll love this hopeful story of resilience andsecond chances.
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ExcerptTwo:
“Welcome to London,” the officer said.
Anita smiled, then pushed her way through the turnstilewhere she was reunited with Carrie.
“Ready?” Carrie asked, tucking her passport back into herpurse.
She straightened as she fell into step beside her, full ofresolve. She was through the flight, and immigration was less intimidating thanshe’d expected. Maybe this wouldn’t be so challenging after all.
Carrie led the way outside to the taxi stand, the crisp airand sunshine welcome after the stuffiness of the plane and airports. They slidinto a waiting cab, Carrie gave the driver the hotel address, and they settledin for the half-hour cab ride.
Out her window, Anita took in her first glimpses of Europeas the sun began to fade into evening. She was in a country hundreds of yearsolder than the United States, yet it didn’t feel old. There were old buildings,but more modern ones filled the spaces between them. Pedestrians passed by oneanother on the sidewalks, dressed much like people back home, checking theirphones as they walked. Public buses exhaled to a stop in front of designatedsigns. New moms walked along with their strollers, couples passed by with dogs,and life continued on much the same as in Buffalo.
Anita smiled to herself, unable to believe she’d expectedthis to be terrifying. It was different, of course, but she was overcome withexcitement, not fear. But wasn’t this precisely what she always did—builtthings up in her mind to the point she had no choice but to be terrified?
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What are the main themes explored in your book?
The most prominent theme explored in The Serendipity ofCatastrophe is that of the mother-daughter relationship. The initial ideafor this story was based around the question of what would happen if a womanwas left a widow the night before she and her husband were about to take along-anticipated trip? In then thinking about who she might go on the trip withinstead, the idea of having her go with a daughter who she shared a strainedrelationship with seemed most intriguing. How might the differences betweenthem make the trip more difficult, and how might the trip help them resolvethose differences?
Mother-daughter relationships have always fascinated me. Weoften hear of mother-daughter relationships that are complicated and complex,and what intrigued me about using this kind of relationship as the basis for thisstory was digging in and exploring the reasons why this particular relationshipmight be strained. What might cause a woman who so desperately wanted to becomea mother and loves her daughter more than anything to end up learning about herdaughter’s life secondhand through her husband? And what happens, then, whenthe husband is no longer there? These are the kinds of character-drivenquestions I love exploring as I write.
Along with therelationship between Anita and Carrie, the other prominent theme is grief andhow it affects us. Of course, there’s the fact that Anita loses her husband andsoulmate before the story even begins, and Carrie has lost her father. But thetheme of grief is also present in how Anita views her relationship with Carrie.She grieves for the fact that their relationship isn’t what she’d hoped itwould be, and that relationship is shaped by Anita’s unresolved grief over thethree miscarriages she suffered before finally giving birth to Carrie, even ifCarrie isn’t aware of them. For Carrie, she’s also affected by grief over theloss of her career and the life she’d been working to build for herself in LosAngeles.
My passion is writing stories about characters who areflawed in ways that make them real and relatable. Digging into the relationshipbetween these two women and exploring the misunderstandings and hurt betweenthem helped me create a story with characters readers may recognize themselvesin and root for, and that’s always my biggest goal with my stories.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
LisaFellinger writes contemporary women's fiction with lovably flawed, relatablecharacters. When she's not writing her own stories, she's helping othersachieve their writing dreams as a book coach and developmental editor. Shelives in Buffalo, New York with her husband, son, and fur babies.
Website:www.lisafellingerauthor.com
BuyLink: https://books2read.com/u/ml6kpq
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/lisafellingerauthor
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/lisafellinger_author/
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GIVEAWAY
LisaFellinger will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveawayApril 14, 2024
Review: RINGS OF LOVE (erotic manga)
A young man is leaving for thearmy but is in love with his best friend. As soon as they confess theirfeelings, they spend the night together and start a relationship. It was hotand sweet. They just seemed perfect for each other even after he went to thearmy. Then it wasn’t so perfect anymore when she dumped him. Why?
Fortunately, he meets someoneelse…and lives with her in his ex’s apartment. Then we find out that his ex wasrunning away from a bad situation and wasn’t the cruel person he hated allthese years. Then a ring sends him back in time…back with her. Was this timetravel or a vivid dream? Regardless, he had to save Mina.
A riveting and sexy story! Lovedthe action scene in the end. I hope I get to download the next one in thisseries.
Rating:5 stars
