Tara Chevrestt's Blog, page 134

Rescued Love by Angelina Rain

This was a tough book for me to read. I'm one of those folks who treats my dogs like children and reading about them being viciously murdered/used in dog fighting was hard. But I appreciate the unique story the author came up with, especially in a time when there are billions of books released every day it seems, and all of them the same blasted story line.

There are three stories here. Jordan and Nate are one. Jordan did him wrong sorta (she didn't mean to) long ago, and now Jordan, upon running into her in his new hometown, is doing her wrong...but he doesn't want to. There's a story here I don't wish to reveal as it would spoil things.


Petra and Dan are another story, and I thought Petra sorta stole the show. I found myself more fascinated with her than I should be with a secondary character. Her situation in her marriage, her inner turmoil...


The dogs are the heart though. Someone is abducting them and returning them mangled and battered...sometimes dead.


It's entertaining, unique, and I'm hoping that book two is not only about Petra, but about the dogs who made it through. I see a fantastic opportunity here for the author to now show us how a fight dog is rehabilitated and show the serious repercussions of the crime. I see great opportunities here.


Quibbles: I actually wanted more of Nate's POV. I was fascinated by his situation and felt it and what he felt warranted more ink. I also was slightly dissatisfied with the villain's motives. It wasn't enough for me, but then again, I had a hard time fathoming that kind of cruelty to pets to begin with, but it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It does. Will we ever understand their motives?


Four stars. I recommend it. This was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.



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The Shadow Queen by Rebecca Dean

I first heard of Wallis Simpson when I watched The King's Speech, a move about Edward's younger brother and his stuttering problem. I said, "Wow. That woman made a KING abdicate his throne!!! What in the world did she do?" And I was fascinated.


So when this book popped up, I could not wait to get my hands on it. And first, I'd like to say it was extremely well-written. I was riveted in the beginning even though I was a touch put off by Wallis's obsession with society, class, finding a husband.


At the halfway point, I started to get irritated. Wallis just expects everything handed to her. She's absolutely worthless, can't work, won't work, just has to get married asap. And though I realize this was the norm, it didn't make me like her. She thinks she entitled to everything from the wedding of the season to an allowance she doesn't earn. Did I mention she also tries to seduce her own cousin?


By the end of the book, I did not like Wallis Simpson. She was a worthless socialite who did nothing for anybody except a Navy mission in China. She was in a huge rush to marry, got the guy, and when he began hog tying her to the bed, I actually clapped my hands. This whole "trap a man by withholding my virginity" thing...Sorry, no respect for it. Her attitude...seduce this man, seduce that man...I'll be an ambassador's wife! Her whole stepping out on her husband but getting mad at her beau for stepping out on her... I found it eye-rolling. I didn't care for Pamela either. Come to think of it, every woman in the book was all, "Oh, I'll get him to sleep with me. It's a challenge! No, I'll seduce him to upstart myself... No, I'll make this one marry me."


Meanwhile, around them, there's a war going on and women actually being USEFUL.


I found the narrative extremely engaging. I just didn't like Wallis. What I did like, however, were the parts about Pensacola's Navy base: the carriers, the planes, the records... That was just...awesome and really made great reading. Also, as perverted as this sounds, I found myself intrigued by the whole "impenetrable hymen."


One last quibble: She doesn't mean Edward till the end.


Something I did like: the motto that it's not necessarily physical beauty that makes one stand out but confidence.


Three stars. There were some things that had me riveted and some things that had me rolling my eyes.

Flash Fiction from Peggy Browning

This week for the MK Virtual Blog Tour, I'm pleased to welcome Peggy Browning. Our group did a flash fiction thing. Ms. Browning writes fiction for women over 50, and this is what she came up with from this picture. Ms. Browning, thumbs up to you for writing what you do.


"First, let me express my sincere thanks to Tara Chevrestt for hosting me on her blog this week for the Tasha Turner Coaching Virtual Blog Tour. Thank you, Tara! I appreciate your hard work and your generosity in sharing your blog!


 Our assignment was to write a Flash Fiction piece inspired by a picture. When I saw this picture, I knew I had to write about it. I write for women over age 50.  This is a picture of all my character desires: peace, love, joy. And isn’t that what we all desire, no matter what our age?"
So here goes:

I hesitated before opening the door and asked myself if I really wanted to do this.
Oh, for Pete’s sake, I answered myself. Don’t be silly.
You’re a grown woman. Go inside. It’s your birthday present to yourself, after all.No one else knows you well enough to buy it for you.
No one. Not one person knew me that well, especially not Dave, my husband of 30 years.
The brass prayer bells jangled when I opened the door. It had been over 30 years since I’d last been in the local head shop. Of course, now the High Flyer had added the words “specialty store” to its sign on the wall outside to convince the police that it offered more than rolling papers and bongs.
Other than the name, not much had changed in the tidy little shop since the last time I’d visited. Funny…the last time I’d been in here I was shopping for a birthday present. I bought Dave a Pink Floyd poster for his 21st birthday.
Mellow incense wafted through the air. Hookahs were displayed on the walls behind gleaming glass counters filled with artsy looking glass pipes. Decorative swords and martial arts equipment hung neatly on the opposite wall behind the racks of tie-dyed tee shirts. Tarot cards and crystals occupied a long display case next to shelves filled with incense sticks and cones. Good marketing technique demanded that the teakwood burners were close by. Teas, cigars, and herbal remedies all had their place on the spotless shelves.
 A balding man sporting a long gray ponytail approached me when I stopped at the display of DVDs.  Embarrassed when I realized they were all rated XXX, I looked up and saw the bigger than life size dildos stored above the porn behind locked glass doors.
Well damn, I thought. Maybe some things had changed. I sure didn’t remember those from my last visit!
“Can I help you find something?” the old hippie asked.
I blushed.
“Uh…yes,” I said. “I want to buy a poster.”
“Anything special in mind?” he smiled.
“The one in the window,” I said. “I noticed it yesterday when I drove past here on my way to work.”
“It’s just the right thing to put over my desk,” I added.
“Hendrix? Yeah…that’s a great one,” he said.
“Um, no. The circle colored blue and purple and green,” I answered.
“Oh, that one!” he said. “It’s not a poster. It’s one of my originals…on canvas. Yeah. I like that one too.”
He walked over to the window, lifted the fabric backdrop and pulled the painted canvas out. He handed it to me.
My hand shook a little when I took it. Yes. This was just what I wanted. I didn’t know it until I saw it yesterday, but I had wanted this exact thing for a very long time. The circle was painted in swirly greens and blues and purples, yellows and browns on a background of pale gray. Encircling the design were the words peace, joy, intuition, love, gratitude, compassion.
These were all the things, the feelings, I wanted. I had them all once. And I wanted them back.
“It’s beautiful,” I said. “I’ll take it.”
The graying shopkeeper led me to the back counter where the cash register was located. While he wrapped the painting I listened to his partner, a man with a shaved, tattooed head and nose ring give instructions to another customer.
“So, you take this 48 hours before your physical. You can’t eat any fats or dairy products and you gotta drink at least two gallons of water after you take it…over that 48 hours,” the tattooed man explained. “Then you should be rid of all your “toxins” before you have to take your piss test.”
The customer nodded solemnly.
“That’s $81.19,” my helper said.
Oh, shoot. I hadn’t even asked the price.
“How much was the painting?” I asked.
“Seventy-five. With tax,” he said.
 I winced. I only had a twenty on me. Then I took Dave’s MasterCard from my purse and handed it to him. It seemed a small price to pay for everything I wanted.
“Thanks,” I said.
“It’s my birthday present to me,” I said. “I’m 50 today.”
“Well, happy birthday to you!” the shopkeeper smiled. “You don’t look a day over 49!”
I blushed again.

Back at home, I pulled the framed photograph of Dave and me from the wall above my desk and hung the painting in its place.
It was just a painting to remind me of all that I desired. I wanted to have it all again.
 It was just a painting, but it was a pretty good start.  [image error] More about Peggy:Peggy Browning is a writer who views her life after age 50 through rose-colored bifocals. She writes about issues facing the boomer crowd with humor and wit. She has reinvented herself many times through life’s exciting adventures, varied jobs and diverse careers. She’s been a special education teacher, social worker, waitress, newspaper carrier,  newspaper correspondent, fruit stand owner, nurse’s aide, janitor and  writer/entrepreneur. And that’s just a few of the jobs she’s been paid to do during her first 5 decades…Catch her musings about life after 50 on her blog at her website, http://fiftyodd.com, her opinion column and feature news stories at http://pioneer-sentinel.com, and blogs at http://galtime.com and http://zestnow.com. Visit her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fifty-Odd/327132190645107.

The Virgin Huntress by Victoria Vane

Regency romances are just simpering, weak heroines, right? NOT so! Victoria Vane introduces Lady Vesta...a young woman determined to prove she is a young woman and a young woman who will not take no for an answer. And she wants Hew, Devil DeVere's brother.

When he seems immune to her charms, Vest takes over DeVere's boat as well as Hew...against his will. 

I won't say much about this, only that it was FUN, delightful, and humorous. And the most touching thing of all: they're both virgins.


Available from Breathless Press: HERE

The House of Serenades by Lina Simoni

This is a historical mystery/romance that takes place in Genoa, Italy. It's about class, greed, and most of all: how pride can be one's downfall.

The mystery involves the patriarch of a family and his dirty secrets. Most of the entire family is guilty of something. He casts aside his daughter...to "save" the family name. His wife turns the other cheek to save her own reputation. His son does the unspeakable. His daughter falls in love with a man of low class...a baker! And the aunt is ridiculously crushed when the you know what hits the fan. The family's name is now in the gutter! The world is over! There's a doctor involved as well...and what starts as a good deed becomes a question into greedy madness and he's soon embroiled with this crazy family too.


There is such a thing as too much pride.


The love story is Caterina and the poor baker. Both handle their love in different ways. Can persistence conquer all? Can love?


Very intriguing and I appreciated the moral. But...there was a lot of telling and the narrative at times went on and on and on without a break for a few pages.


I also grew a bit irritated at times, found the love story slightly comical, overblown. The mystery, secrets, and moral about pride is what kept me glued.


Three stars.


I received this from  the author via a PR company.

Cool Off With a Holiday Read!

It's that time again...it's HOT. You sit by the pool, slurp a tropical drink, fan yourself, and still, you sweat like crazy. 

Cool off with Christmas story! Though, I confess the tale takes place in Iraq, it has a strong holiday theme, and holidays always make one think of snow and family...so if you get tired of the hot summer, go to Amazon and nab my Christmas story. Some of you have waited a year for it.


USAF fighter pilot Janet Kerrigan is not having a good Christmas. It's bad enough she is stationed in Balad Air Base, Iraq and away from her three-year-old son, but to make matters worse, she has to spend her Christmas day on Combat Air Patrol. 

A friend and fellow pilot tells her to make new Christmas memories, and much to Janet's surprise, she does, though not the kind of memories she expects. While flying her F-16 Fighting Falcon in the Iraqi skies, Janet is faced with a difficult choice: follow orders and have the glory or ruin her Air Force career to save Christmas for boys and girls everywhere. 

Excerpt:“Medusa, Pancho, this is Base Command. We’ve got an unknown object showing up on radar, 116 nautical miles to the northeast. Be prepared to engage.”Janet frowned. An unknown object, a bogey? Most of the Iraqi Air Force was destroyed at this point. She quickly glanced at her heads-up display and scanned her information. Altitude: 20,438 feet, air speed: 424 mph, compass: east, bogey: check. Janet’s breath caught at the sight of the tiny dot on her HUD. What the hell? Where did he come from? She watched the moving dot and felt her heartbeat spike. “Base, this is Medusa. Unknown object alert acknowledged and verified. Preparing to approach and engage target upon visual ID.” Switching frequencies, she attempted to reach her wingman. “Pancho, this is Medusa. You got the bogey?”There was only static in reply. Janet frowned again before pressing her communication button. “Medusa calling Pancho. What’s your location?”A few seconds passed before she heard a crackling response. “Medusa, this is Pancho. I’m eighteen nautical miles to the west of you. Having some difficulties.” Was that fear in her wingman’s voice?“What kind of difficulties?” Janet kept one eye on the dot, and remembering her orders, prepared to approach the bogey. Nothing bogey-like was visible outside of her 360 degree cockpit yet. According to the HUD, the bogey was still 100 nautical miles away. She placed her right hand on her side-stick controller and pressed against it slightly. Janet applied pressure to the left rudder with her foot, commanding her flight control system, FLCS, to make the necessary manipulations to the aircraft. With her left hand, she controlled the engine throttle. The vibration of her Falcon increased with the speed. She felt a trickle of sweat near her eye under her visor. She was going after the bogey.

Where Does the Nook Take Scott Seldon?

Scott SeldonThis week on the MK Virtual Blog Tour, I have Scott Seldon here to talk about what book he is currently reading and what he thinks of it.

Scott's Book"I’ve read a lot of books through the years, but these days, with a full time job, a family, and a writing career on the side, I have very little time. That means I am somewhat picky about what I read. I am currently working on two novels. The first one is a classic, Les Miserables, which I have loaded on my phone. I’ve read it before and it probably is going to take me a long time at the rate I’m going, but at least I can’t get lost since I know the story very well. It gives me something to read on the go.

I received a Nook last Christmas as to innagurate it, I loaded some books some of my fellow independent writers have released. The first one in the queue, which I hope to finish soon, is Viridis by Calista Taylor. It is a steampunk novel set in a Victorian England complete with airships.

I’m rather enjoying reading a book by someone I know, it’s a different experience. In this day and age, saying you know someone needs some explaination. I know Calista from her online presence and we have discussed quite a number of topics. I wasn’t one of her beta readers, but I did give her some input on the cover. Viridis is her first book and is part of a series. The second book, Devil on a Sparrow's Wing, is currently available as are a couple other books. 
I’m really enjoying her writing style and her ability to tell a story. She has an excellent knack of weaving her world building into the story and not dumping too much information at once. And not only is the setting steampunk, the book has several steamy love scenes. Steamy enough that it rates an adult content warning, but not gratuitous. They further the story and are necessary to understand the characters. I am looking forward to having some time this summer to sit down and finish this book and get to the others on my list."
What's on Scott's  Nook

Scott Seldon lives with his family in Colorado and works as an IT administrator. Visit his website (sites.google.com/site/scottrseldon/) for the latest updates and to find where his books are sold.
Find out more about Calista Taylor, Viridis, and her other books athttp://www.calistataylor.com/

Fairy Tail by Andrew P. Weston

This one shocked me, but I'm also tickled pink someone else wrote something that could be classified erotic noir.

You've got a detective investigating a crime and he's oh so full of himself, and this being a first person narrative, you would think that would be irritating, but it wasn't. The guy made me chuckle a few times with his blatant honesty and sarcasm.


"If you get on the wrong side of me, the only thing you'll hear going bump in the night is my fist repeatedly hitting your face."


The case: Once year, before Halloween,  like clockwork, someone commits a series of gruesome murders. They tear the bodies apart, pin the flesh to the wall with the ribs, and dance in the blood...and somehow disappear without a trace or a footprint.


Can he figure out whodunnit and how in time? And oh, how a man's dick can get him into trouble... That is all I'm gonna say. It's a short story and I risk revealing too much. But I will say it's incredibly daring and the sex is hot. Thumbs up, Mr. Weston.


This was free on Amazon Kindle.

Out of the Ashes by Lori Dillon

This is by far one of the most entertaining and romantic stories I've read in a long time. It also has humor.

You have four main players: An old couple that has been together centuries, Marsha and  Hershel. They're dead. They're guardian angels who apparently aren't doing a good job. They missed the natural disaster memo about the volcano eruption that covered Pompeii. And this time, they ask for a "teenie, weenie miracle," but are told they have to fix it and this time, Sera and David must get together!


Their parts were hilarious. Loved those two. David and Sera was the romance. Their love first starts in Pompeii before the eruption. David is a gladiator/slave. Sera is a well-cared for daughter of the upper-class. Just when they get together, they're covered in ashes.


Many, many years later, they have another chance to be together, but WWII, an evil archaeologist and ex-fiance, Nazi and Italian soldiers, and secrets threaten to keep David and Sera apart once again.


There's adventure, suspense, love, duty, differing of opinion, and tremendous attention to historical detail. The makings of the casts of holes where bodies were found is absolutely fascinating. David and Sera's love, doubts, and turmoil, just radiate off the page. And all along, Marsha and Hershel, on earth to see things through, provide the humor and lighten up the feeling of war and impending doom.


I thought it was a tad long and repetitive at times, but overall, I loved it. Highly recommended. Five stars.


I was given a copy of this by the author in exchange for an honest review.


P.S. The author notes are just as fascinating. This story was inspired by a real plaster cast of a couple holding each other as Pompeii fell around them. 

T-shirt Giveaway!!!!!

Hey everyone! I've got a T-shirt to giveaway, white, a men's/unisex Large, with my website and author logo on it. If you haven't checked out my author website, you can do so here: Every Book Has A Chick. It tells you about every single one of my titles, their genre and length, and where you can find it. There's also some free stuff such as songs you can find in my books, a short story, and a page of reviews and blog post links.

And that awesome logo was made by Marissa Dobson of Sizzling PR.

The awesome logo in question has been put on this awesome T-shirt. This giveaway will run for an entire week. Here's the catch:

1. You must be a follower of Book Babe.
2. You must like or be a liker of my FB page: Tara Chevrestt/Sonia Hightower
3. You must leave a comment on this blog post WITH an email addy, or make sure that if I click on your blogger profile, it will allow me to access your email addy that way.
4. Keep in mind the T-shirt will come with a few dog hairs attached. *sigh* It's flying around my house right now courtesy of Pudgy. The girls send their love. :)


Good luck, all! Winner be chosen from a random name drawing a week from today.

*Please, due to high shipping costs, this is limited to mainland, U.S. residents only.*