Christine Rains's Blog, page 64

Steele Your Soul review

Blurb: 
Stolen souls, an evil drow elf, a dark eyed beauty named Pepper, and a king who doesn't take kindly to the loss of his goods...Captain Joren Steele has his hands full.

When Pepper set out for the day, the last thing she expected was to come face to face with a pirate. But when she locks eyes with the Captain, she's ready to let him pillage or plunder whatever he wants. At least until his drow shipmate decided to steal her for himself.

Captain Joren Steele has a love for his ship, money, and females, usually in that order. When Pepper steps into his life, he's certain his love 'em and leave 'em status will remain intact. But when he discovers she's a victim of the drow, he has to make a choice: his ship or the elfess.

My review:
Captain Joren Steele loves his life. A magnificent ship, money in his pocket, and a pretty elfess in every port. Usually a couple of them! When he spies the lovely Pepper on the dock one day, he doesn't expect this fiery gal might challenge his way of life. A drow shipmate sets his eyes on Pepper as well and steals her for himself. Will Joren be able to save her or will they both be lost to the darkness of the drows' realm?

This is my favorite in Decadent Kane's The Trouble With Elves series, and it's largely due to Joren Steele. Cocky, lusty, and sexy, there's more to him than just what's on the surface. There is honor amongst some pirates even if he can be easily distracted by a woman. Pepper is sweet and brave, a character easy to sympathize with. The heat between Joren and Pepper is explosive! I also like how the villains in Kane's books are absolutely despicable. The drow had my stomach turning.

I love the world Kane has created. Modern, yet medieval and magical. The little details paint a vivid picture. I can't wait to read more stories in this world.

I'd really like to see more of Captain Joren Steele. A LOT more!

Buy the book here:Amazon * Breathless Press
About the author: If I had to describe myself, it would be in a word that has infinite meanings with a complexity which falls off the tongue.A word made up of many elements, is deceptive in appearance, and creates an illusion from the imagination.My word would be Phantasmagoric. You can find Decadent Kane here:Facebook * Twitter * Blog * Goodreads * Newsletter

Broken Branch Falls cover reveal!

Welcome to the Forest!
It's time for the highly anticipated, most spectacular cover reveal of the day!

BROKEN BRANCH FALLS (MG Fantasy)
by Tara Tyler
Release Date: June 24, 2014
Publisher: Curiosity Quills

Gabe is an average fifteen-year-old goblin. He’s in the marching band, breezes through calculus, and gets picked on daily by the other kids at school, especially the ogres. Gabe’s closest friends are goblins like him, but Gabe is tired of being a goblin – he’d like to try other things. And he has his eye on the new ogress at school. It’s against all beastly rules, but there’s just something about her.

When a prank goes wrong, Gabe is forced to join the football team as punishment – but finds a way to make it work. Soon the whole school is getting in on the fad of mingling with other species. Too bad the adults have to step in and ruin things by threatening to destroy the school and split up Broken Branch Falls. And Gabe is their scapegoat. With help from friends, old and new, Gabe sets out on a quest for the Book of Ages, which holds the laws of all beastkind and hopefully the key to saving Broken Branch Falls. After all that trouble, it better work.

Add it to your GOODREADS list!
Twitter ~~~ Facebook ~~~ Blog
Also by Tara Tyler, techno-thriller detective series,
The Cooper Chronicles, Book One: POP TRAVEL


Tara Tyler started out as a math teacher. After having a hand in everything from waitressing to rocket engineering and living up and down the Eastern US, she now writes and teaches in Ohio with her three active boys and Coach Husband. Currently, she has two series, The Cooper Chronicles (techno-thriller detective capers) and Beast World (MG fantasy) She's an adventure writer who believes every good story should have action, a moral, and a few laughs!


AND you can get up to five entries in this fun raffle just for commenting on five of the many cover reveal posts (see below) - This week only!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal Participants! Thanks you guys!! You the Beast! A K Morgan Book Bliss Alex J Cavanaugh Livia Peterson Amanda Northrup M J Fifield Angela Brown M eli Landry Elizabeth Seckman Michael Di Gesu E lsie Elmore Michelle Wallace Fida Islaih Peggy Eddleman Heather M Gardner Rae Quigley Jen Estes Sharon Bayliss Julie Flanders Sheena-kay Graham Katie Teller Trisha F

Friday Five for May 2, 2014

1. Not a terribly productive week writing-wise. I've started on my synopsis for WIP #1. I'm doing my best not to spend as much time on it as I did writing the novel. My goal for this month is to get WIP #1 query ready.

2. The A to Z Challenge is over. I know many of you are still catching up on your sleep! I thoroughly enjoyed participating as a part of a group. Last year, I barely had enough time to respond to comments on my own blog. This year, I visited several new blogs. I would be happy to do the group thing again next year, but I'll wait until my son's in school full-time before I do it myself.

3. I'm going to settle back into a 3 day a week posting schedule. Lots of new releases and reveals coming from many of my writing friends this month. It's going to be an exciting month!

4. Speaking of reveals, have you seen Elizabeth Seckman's cover for Bella's Point? Absolutely gorgeous.


5. And here's some fun reading for the weekend. River Fairchild has released her awesome collection of Death & Chronos flash fiction, Living the Afterlife. Grab your copy for FREE on Smashwords.
Thirty stories filled with laughter and mishaps as a Harley-riding Death and anachronistic Chronos create havoc in Purgatory and on Earth. A host of Immortals join in the misadventures.

Find out what happens when Death teaches War how to bowl. Can Chronos fix his blunder when he loses a year? What is Gaia going to do when she discovers the invisible sheep? Can you win playing poker with Evil?  Step into their world. The Afterlife will never be the same.

Sign up for My Book Boyfriend Blog Hop

Harper A. Brooks and TF Walsh are hosting an awesome bloghop next month. There'll be giveaways with great prizes, and the opportunity to meet your next book boyfriend.
My Book Boyfriend Blog Hop
Because boys in books are just better.
They can be hot-headed, dominant, reckless, or damaged—oh, and let’s not forget SEXY. They know all your deepest desires and fantasies. Vampires, shifters, rock stars, ultimate fighters, young billionaires, military men, or business tycoons—they even have the best occupations! You never have to worry about them leaving dirty clothes on the floor or skipping out on date-night to hang out with the guys. A perfect match! Now if only they were real… My Book Boyfriend Blog Hop celebrates the relationships we create while reading! We all have our favorite fictional boyfriends. Introduce us to yours and meet your next obsession!Sign up here!

You vote for the creature with the most X Factor!

  Today is the X post of the 2014 A to Z Challenge!Lots of people usually have trouble with X, but I've read so many clever ones over the past couple of years. I can't wait to see what your posts are about this year!
  Today at Untethered Realms, we're inviting you to vote for the creature with the most X Factor. We have some fearsome beasts and a certain snarky stuffed hippo. Come on over and have some fun with this UR group post!
The UR blog is also nearing 100 followers. Woo-hoo!When we hit 100, we'll be having a massive giveaway. This is one you don't want to miss out on.

Friday Five for April 25, 2014

1. After today, only 4 posts left for the A to Z Challenge! Wow. Where has the month gone? It's been so much fun. I've really enjoyed doing the Challenge as part of a group. Untethered Realms has a huge X group post coming up on Monday. You get to vote which creature has the most X Factor. Don't miss it! (Psssst, there may be a certain stuffed hippo visiting that day!)
2. My son had a fantastic birthday. He's already talking about what he wants to do for his next birthday! I still need to recover from this one. About a third of our guests were out sick, so we had a lot of pizza and cake leftover. This is the first time in my life where I cannot eat any more leftover pizza and cake. Yeah, I never thought it'd happen either.
3. I've been moving right along with my revisions for WIP #1 this week. These are the most difficult revisions I've ever done in my writing career. But, oh, how the manuscript is shining!
4. For the third time this year, I met a book I couldn't finish reading. I stopped at 9% on my Kindle. It was awful. Last year, I had amazing luck with books. I read so many great ones outside my genre. This year, not so much. At least I'm cleaning out my Kindle library!
5. We have no plans for the weekend except to fix the lawnmower (and then mow) and enjoy the wonderful weather before the rain hits us. Have a great weekend!

A to Z and UR

One full week left of the A to Z Challenge!How are you holding up?There are only 9 posts left to go. Don't give up!You can do it!
For fun with fantastical creatures,head on over to Untethered Realms.Discover a new creature to gaze at in wonderor flee from in terror!

Friday Five for April 18, 2014

1. How are you A-to-Zers doing? Having a lot of fun? I've been loving visiting your blogs, and I'm having a blast with fantastical creatures at Untethered Realms. Today I'll be there with the letter P. Come find out what strange being I've been working on with my latest WIP.
2. I had a great visit with my mom this week. She spoiled us all. Am I old because I'm excited she bought me a shoe rack so I could have shoes organized and out of the way by the front door?
3. No writing or revising was done this past week. I still haven't heard from the editors about the majority of my short story submissions nor about my geeky novella. At least I'm not checking my email every fifteen minutes anymore!
4 & 5. Big weekend coming up. There's Easter, of course, but also my little guy is turning four! I can hardly believe it. He's so smart and his feet are nearing my size! We'll be having a party at the park for him. He invited all his friends from his class at school. We'll have about seven kids with their families there. Lots of fun! And sugar. Wish me luck!
Happy 4th birthday, to my favorite guy!

Dragonfly Warrior review

Blurb:The Mechanica Wars: Savage Machines Are Afoot...

At the age of twenty, Kanze Zenjiro's bloody footprints mark the bodies of those who stood in his way to protect the throne of Nihon. Now, the tyrannical Iberian Empire is bent on destroying his kingdom, and they send their steam-powered giants and iron spiders against him.

Zen embarks on a quest that takes him on the most dangerous journey of his life. To succeed, Zen must live up to his nickname, the Dragonfly Warrior, and kill all his enemies with only a sword and a pair of six-guns and somehow survive a test of faith and loyalty in a world so cruel and merciless, it borders on madness. My review:The Iberian Empire is slowly making its way across the land, mercilessly defeating one country after another, and Zen's beloved home is in their path. Kanze Zenjiro is the Dragonfly Warrior, his people's best Samurai and prince to the throne. To help win his kingdom allies, Zen goes on a quest to find the mystical Sky Blade. His journey takes him to a wild land that could destroy this young and honorable warrior. Zen believes Fate will direct him to the right path, but does he have enough faith to follow it?

This is the incredible debut novel by Jay Noel. It's a mix of steampunk, western, and adventure with the addition of Samurais. The world building is fantastic. A place of great diversity, history, and mystery. I love how the old traditions are so seamlessly woven in with new technology. Even the machines seem a bit magical.

Zen is an admirable character, a paladin of compassion and honor. He was amazing to watch on this adventure, but I know a harder time is ahead of him. I'm eager to see how he handles what Fate has in store for him. The whole cast of characters is amazing. Enapay and Neva are two of my favorites. And the Machine Boy is fascinating.

Not only is it an amazing story, but the writing is clean and well edited. It was wonderfully formatted too. I can't wait for the next book in Noel's series! Buy the book here:Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords 

Another New Life cover reveal

Title: Another New LifeAuthor: Sydney Aaliyah MichellePublication Date: June 2, 2014New Adult Contemporary Romance**This book contains adult subject matter. Not intended for young readers.**Cover Design by: (C) Arijana Karčić, Cover It! DesignsMiranda Preston is a walking contradiction. Beautiful on the outside, but, insecure, haunted and damaged on the inside. Despite these contradictions, she’s ready to start Another New Life.When her talent wins her a piano scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin, Miranda arrives on campus determined to experience everything college has to offer and to keep her secrets in the past where they belong.An easy task, until the first guy who catches her eye happens to be someone, she’s known all her life.Eight years have passed since the last time Miranda and Troy saw each other. He reminds her of the best and worst times of her life, but she can’t think about one without dwelling on the other. As they grow closer, every day their attraction reminds them they are no longer kids.The epic romantic love story that is Miranda and Troy seems to be destined for a happy ending, but Miranda knows it's only a matter of time before her secret is discovered. A secret that will not only destroy their relationship, it will destroy Troy, too.Can Miranda focus on her future with Troy while preventing her past from tearing them apart all over again? Giveawaya Rafflecopter giveawayAbout The AuthorWebsite   Facebook   TwitterPinterest   Goodreads Google+   LinkedIn Sydney Aaliyah Michelle is a New Adult Contemporary Romance writer, a voracious reader and movie fanatic who Sydney has been blogging at sydneyaaliyah.com for three years, where she interviews people about their tattoos, discusses her favorite movie quotes, reviews books (New Adult & only the ones she loves) and journals about her writing and editing process.hailsfrom Texas. After surviving 5 1/2 years living in China, she had the courage to finally pursue her passion and become a writer.Sydney’s self-published debut New Adult Novel Another New Life will be available June 2014. An active tweeter, she is also a JuNoWriMo (2x) and NaNoWriMo (2x) winners who notes the sci-fi action flick “The Matrix” as the best representation of her life in the past. She is blessed to be awake now and doing what she loves.