Heidi Angell's Blog, page 21

Seven Lamps Were Burning Launch Party

Hello Lovelies!What is the best way to start bookish goodness in 2017? By attending a ten day launch party, that's what!There is going to be tons of fun, bookish goodness, prizes, goodies and (of course) giveaways! We are celebrating the debut release of Linda N. Merryman's Seven Lamps were Burning.Linda was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She's lived in South Carolina since 1987.According to her mother, when Linda was five, she was found engrossed in a huge bound copy of Bullfinch’s Mythology. Fantasy as a genre became a lifelong love, both in reading and writing.Linda lives in a small town south of Columbia, SC where her series is set. She has five children, two precious grandchildren and, while she is surrounded by a menagerie, only one of them is hers. That would be her rescue kitty, Mister Ree.True story, Linda lives in the same small town I lived in for years, in SC. But I didn't have the privilege of meeting her until after I moved out West. So glad we connected and I am having so much fun at her book launch already!I am so delighted to introduce ya'll to her today. I'm even more excited to check out her debut novel, Seven Lamps Were Burning. What's this fantasy about?​​When Darkness Falls, there's only one thing you need.“Let there be light” he said, but light creates shadows and that is where creatures of darkness dwell.Or do they?Might they walk among us, using more subtle means to usurp the world and enslave the humans they despise?Seven Lamps Were Burning brings reluctant Sasha Riversong face-to-face with the questions of morality and mortality when she learns she has been designated as the keeper of Pandora's jar. She is tasked with bringing Hope back into a dying world, but there are those whose survival depends upon her failure.Cloudwalkers, an ancient fallen race, are faced with a ticking clock and Sasha is also the key to stopping the countdown to their destruction. Only she can control the gateway into the realm where Hope resides. Their plan to foil her is devious – and very attractive.Tragedy sees our heroine flying back to the Lakota reservation where she grew up on tales of the spirit world. There, the contest between her guardian angel and his former partner becomes more than a struggle for her soul.With the help of her otherworldly accomplices, seven Earthbound spirits bent on redemption, Sasha travels to Delphi, Greece, where she must call forth the extraordinary inside the ordinary woman and believe in the power she has to control her own destiny.I kind of got goosebumps, just reading that back cover blurb! Did you?Want to join us at the party? FriendLindaon Facebook and ask for an invite (It's a pretty exclusive party ;) )You can also follow Linda on Twitter@Dreamweaving3Grab the pre-order forSeven Lamps Were Burningfor only $3.99Until next time,Keep Reading!

Happy 2017, Let's Make it Bookishly Awesome!

Hello Lovelies,It's the day after New Years day, and we are all excited for an awesome year! Not like last year, right?I think the number one thing that we can do to make this year better than last is to not get sucked into reacting to everything, but to instead lead with action.My first action of 2017 (Well, at least on the blog!) is to share a list of books I am excited to read this year! After all, with a goal of 52 books this year, I need to get motivated. I bought 12 books by indie authors as part of my 12 days of Indie on Facebook, so those are definitely getting added to the list! I hope this list will expand as the year goes along.This list is in no particular order:1. The Fell by Lyndsey Goehrig (This is actually an ARC and the review will be up later this week, probably. Join theFacebook launch partyWednesday January 18th)2.Under A Hunters Moon, Shadow's over Seattle- Prequel by Timothy Bateson3.Tales from the Universe, Ten Amazing Stories from tomorrow(An Anthology)4.Scarlette Dark Fae Series: Book 1by Ella Price5.Crown of Stones: Magic Priceby C.L Schneider6.Amstel Girlby Macro Marek7.Illusional Realityby Karina Kantas8.Salt in the Waterby J. Ray and S. Cushaway9The Dead Gameby Susanne Leist10.Twisted poems of a Warped Mindby Melanie Tomlin11.Betrayalby Sharon Brownlie12A House at the Edge of The Worldby M.M. Jay13The Shadow of Narwynby Tom Falwell14.Aenerfellby Joshua Robertson15.A Noodle of Hopeby Michelle Eshbaugh-Soha16.Horror Haiku and Other Poemsby A.F. Stewart17.Lament of the Fallenby Andy Peloquin18.Memoriesby Jin Okubo19.The Ascendents: Genesisby Christian Green20.Experiment (Hybrid 2) by Emma Jaye21The Last Queenby Wendy Wang22.Amongst the Killingby Joe Compton23.Apocalypse Wowby Ben Mariner24.Maladaptionby Aiden Raime25.Must Rememberby Colleen S. Myers26.Prophesyby Coreena McBurnie27.Queen of Diamondsby Patricia Loofbourrow28Tullyby Paulina Simons29.Immortal Slumber by SL PerreneI have no doubt this list will continue to grow and I can't wait to get to 52 books this year (at least!)Any book that catches your fancy? Want to do a read along? Let me know in the comments below and I will let you know when I start reading it!Until Next Time,Keep Reading!

Thanks to Goodreads, Here is my 2016 in Review

Hello Lovelies,I have been debating what to write on the last post of 2016. It has been a really rotten year for SO MANY reasons. We've lost some amazing people. Here is a depressingly comprehensive list fromNY Daily News(RIP Richard Adams, Alan Rickman, Alan Thicke, Harper Lee,  Carrie Fisher, Muhammad Ali, Leonard Cohen, John Glenn, David Bowie, Prince, Anton Yelchin, George Michaels, and Gene Wilder. Each contributed a significant piece to my life, despite my only meeting Muhammad Ali. These people shaped my childhood and my world views through their books, movie portrayals, real world actions. My heart has been heavy many, many times this year!)It has been a mess politically as well, from BLM controversies, to police shootings, rallys and riots, to Standing Rock, Terrorist bombings, and local attacks, to the election, and the continued acts of violence posted almost daily, I just can't even address all this sadness.Not to mention personally, 2016 has been a really rough year for me and many near me.As I reflect on all the bad of 2016, I got notifications of my Goodreads Reads of the year.At first, I was saddened because I fell way short of my goal. (But, you know, even when I made the goal, I realized it wasn't very realistic, it was a pie in the sky, what I wish I could accomplish goal!) Then I reflected on why I set such an absurdly impossible goal, and  I remembered that it was because the previous year I hadn't read nearly as many books as I wanted and I wanted to make reading a priority again. And to go from "not very many" in all of 2015 to over 2 books a month, was pretty darn good! Yay me! I am definitely setting the same high bar for 2017.Why? Because despite all the sad events that have happened in 2016, I read 28 books, and loved more than half. That is awesome!I was thinking of doing a top five books that I read in 2016, but really I struggled with even doing that because so many of them were SO DARN GOOD! I went for a top ten I would recommend, in no particular order, and here is what you get!1. Man of Cloud 9 by Adam Dreece- I am still on the book high from this deliciously deep Hard-tech sci-fi drama.2.The Secret Billionaireby Teymour Shahabi- I just got a paperback copy of this complex YA mystery for my boys for Christmas. It was that good!3.The Song and the Pendantby Magnus Von Black- This one still comes to mind throughout the year and introduced me to a new genre that I thoroughly enjoyed, Space Opera.4.The Jacq of Spadesby Patricia Loofbourrow- Another introduction to a new reading genre, Steampunk! I am eager to read book 2 and have the review up for next year!5.Blade of the Destroyer- Wow, an amazing Dark Fantasy world! I have added myself to Andy's email list and he sends monthly emails with fantastic shorts in this same world! He is releasing three books this year and I am eager for all of them!6.Realms Unreeledby Audrey Auden- I never considered myself a "tech head" but I guess my husband has had more influence on me than I realized, considering the top ten list contains to sci-fis that are super tech heavy and I LOVED them both!7.Discoveryby Emma Jaye- Though there was a lot about this book that I normally wouldn't read (IE-sex) the story has really stuck with me. The author created an intense story that the sexdidn'tdetract from. This opened my eyes to a whole other realm of writing that I can't ignore as just "word porn".8.Miyran Heir- Good Old fashioned Science Fiction blended beautifully with a Fantasy element, I am still eager to read the next book in this series!9.Dark Oneby Sydnie Beaupre- a fascinating YA book about Angels and being Chosen (or unchosen, as the case may be.) I am eager to read the next book.10. Agh, Only one more! So. Hard... But it's gotta go toWinter Smith: London's Burningby J.S. Strange. Every time I sit down to work on my own apocalyptic book, his intense scenes pop into my mind!I really wish I could make it a top 15... But then I am just getting silly ;)Well, there you go. My haphasard, and hard-to-choose list. Which ones have you read? What was your top picks for 2016? Let us know in the comments below.Until next time,Keep Reading!

Book Unboxing From Red Dog Press

Hello Lovelies,I got a great book unboxing that involved 2 books! How awesome is that! I already read the e-book version of the first book,Jacq of Spadesand the author sent me the paperback of both because she is just that awesome! Here is the unboxing video. Hope you enjoy!Until next time,Keep Reading!

Book Review: Man of Cloud 9 by Adam Dreece

Genre:High Tech Science FictionSynopsis:Genius. Conscience. Consequence.When Niko Rafaelo was 17 years old, his parents and brother were killed, and he committed himself to two ideas that would shape his future that year. The first would lead him to create a technology that would revolutionize the world. The second would lead to the unravelling of his world.Set 70 years in the future, where the world has been ravaged by the climate and political unrest, the story centres on Niko and those closest to him. Like an addict, Niko’s unable to stop himself from seeing his vision through, despite the sacrifices and consequences."a truly unique voice…will keep readers obsessively turning the pages from the very beginning all the way through to the very end” - Tracy A. Fischer, Readers' Favorite“It’s rare to find a hard science fiction novel that is so personal, so intimate. “ - Erin Sneath, GoodReads.com“Adam Dreece continues to surprise, enthrall, and sweep us, his avid readers, along - with his elegant prose and insightful story telling. If you, like I, enjoy the scifi/fantasy genre - you can't do better than The Man of Cloud 9." - Rene Auberjonois, Avid Reader, Actor (ST:DS9 Odo)My Take:Wow, I absolutely loved this book! Rene Auberjonois was right, this is a unique and insightful story with a fantastic take on the future world grounded in modern technology and very realistic! I absolutely loved following Niko in his visionary ventures dealing with a world that had become afraid of technology and had banned certain lines of development because of their fear.Adam Dreece creates a very realistic future dystopia where technology has been halted in many aspects because we grew faster than we were ready, got burned, and were afraid to take further risk. Being the wife and mother of tech heads, I really appreciated Niko's frustration with "regular people" and his desire to keep his worlds separate. The crazy risks he took because he believed so inexplicably in what he was doing, his single-minded focus, and even in the way that his behaviors alienated him from those around him and put everything at risk, all rang true.One of my frustrations with a lot of stories is that the plot is often based on lack of communication (and yeah, it's realistic, but at the same time the characters don't demonstratewhythey are inefficient) and I find myself yelling at these characters because the problem is so obvious that even they must know that it is their own darn fault and should stop doing that stupid thing. (For example: If Gibbs would just take 2 seconds to explain, instead of expecting everyone to just trust him, we would lose half of NCIS!)But in Man of Cloud 9 we understand Niko so well and even though he knows he is creating a lot of his own problems, we actually "get" why he does it. (And no, it isn't just because he is a techno geek and lacks social skills. It is so much more deliciously complex!)This story was so delightful in its depth and focus that I could not wait to give it to my eldest son (the tech head) for Christmas. Dreece expertly weaves a story with multiple layers. The technical struggle is enough to excite any Sci-fi enthusiast, the moral dilemma is a teasing thriller throughout to draw us forward, and the complex relationship struggles are enough for any fan of drama to stay hooked.On a side note, I got a glorious tickle when he mentioned "The Yellow Hoods" a couple of times in passing, as this is actually another series that Adam Dreece wrote that falls in the Fantasy realm. I also got a laugh when he mentioned a fellow author friend, Angela B. Chrysler. It was fun seeing how he pulled from his real world and added it into The Man of Cloud 9!I must mention that the editing did suffer a bit towards the end, but not to the point that the story lost understanding, and not really enough to pull me out of the story.Are you intrigued? Grab your copy ofMan of Cloud 9today.Until next time,Keep Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Should I Write a Romance?

Hello Lovelies,So I have this story kind of beating around in my head. It (once again) goes outside my normal genre. Part of me keeps shushing the characters, because I am working on the Infection story, and the launch for The Hunted, and I have a lot on my plate."But Heidi," Isabella whispers gently. "I promise I won't take up much of your time. Just a short novelette, PLEASE!!!!"I know she is kind of lying to me, because I keep getting glimpses of about five different novelletes."Well, sure, but you don't have to write them all right now. Just the one. Just the first story.""But I don't write romance!" I demand."But maybe you should!" she insists coyly. "Nice, clean, modern romance. There's an audience in your community that would be interested. I'm sure of it."What can I say, Isabelle is very... determined.  And she could be right. If she is, then I want to provide that for you. Here is the intro to her story:Isabelle was raised by a single mother out East (she still hasn't told me where) in the big city. She fought her way through school and has a successful marketing job, and thinks her long-term boyfriend (who's father owns the firm) is going to propose.In one week, her world falls apart. She gets dropped from her top account, her boyfriend is caughtcheating, and she gets a mysterious letter that she is the sole beneficiary of Dancing River Ranch, which she learns was owned by her father, whom she had never met.  Thinking to take a quick break, settle the Will, and put the property up for sale, she figures the break will give her time to reassess her relationship.But when she sees Dancing River, and meets the ranch manager Kyle, her plans to return "home" get delayed.What do you think? Would you read this?Let me know in the comments below!Until next time,Keep Reading!

The Hunters Re-release is Ready for You!

Hello Lovelies!Hope you had an awesome Christmas! I have a slightly delayed Christmas goodies just for you!So much excitement over here! The Hunters re-release is almost ready. I have the e-book and the new cover ready just for you!What do you think of the cover? Let me know in the comments below!If you would like a free e-copy, please message me and I will happily get that over to you. We are giving out 20 free copies.I would appreciate it if you could read and post a review on Goodreads, Amazon, and/or Smashwords for the re-release tour going January 13th to January 28th. Do you have a blog too? If you would like to post a review on your blog (or an interview, or some other fun-ness!) please message me and let me know and I will add you to the Master tour list which will be going up on my site on January 13th.The advanced reader copy and the cover for The Hunted will be ready soon and I can't wait to share it with you!But until then, here is the back cover blurb:The highly-anticipated sequel to The Hunters Saga. Follow Fury, Havoc and Screvin as they track down the Werewolf who turned Screvin and try to help her come to terms with what she is. Things are going better than expected with Avie, then the Counsel comes after them. Now the hunters have become the hunted.What do you think of that back cover blurb? Are you excited? Let me know in the comments below!Until Next Time,Keep Reading!

Poetry Corner: Life Without You

You fulfill my every dream,you're my dreamcome true.Things aren't always what they seem.My dear, I honestly need you.I sit and think of you all day,and wish that you were here.My mind is filled with all you say.Hurry back to me,my dear.As lonely times drag slowly past,fades the beauty you once made me feel.I think of times that never last,the first kiss that only you could steal.You've left me now, and I cant see.I loved you so, you were my laughter.Without you, I don't think I can be.You hold my soul, now and ever after.Until next time,Keep Reading!

Book Unboxing: Man of Cloud 9 by Adam Dreece

Hello Lovelies,I got another awesome book in the mail! No, really, this one is super awesome because it is a HARDBACK! I can't even remember the last time I bought a hardback. The feel SOOOOO nice!I am devouring Adam's beautiful book, but here is the fun unboxing to whet your appetite while you wait!Oh, one thing I forgot to mention in the unboxing (because I wasn't entirely sure, and didn't want to sound like an idiot if I was wrong!) Adam Dreece has a celebrity quote on the back of the book from René Auberjonois, who is none other than Odo from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, how cool is that!?Anywho, loving the book so far, so keep an eye out for the review coming soon!Until next time,Keep Reading!

Book Review: Warzone: Nemesis by Morris E. Graham

Genre:Military sci-FiSynopsis:WARZONE: NEMESIS" 8TH EDITION RELEASED 10/27/16. The sequel to this book, "Warzone: Operation Wolf Hunt" will be available November 20, 2016.This book is a an action and adventure, a military, and military science fiction book.Warzone: Nemesis opens the files of the top-secret war for space, hidden behind the facade of a decades-long cold war between super-powers. The wrecks of two alien spaceships, and the larger disaster behind the wrecks, gives both the USSR and the USA the rudiments of space travel, and access to the element known only as alloy-x, the key to the interplanetary engines. Elite fighters recruited anonymously from Special Forces units join the battle between the two countries for supremacy in space, waged on the Moon, on Mars, and on the moons of the outer planets. To their planet, these men are dead, their histories erased from the record. Identified only by call signs, they engage in a life-and-death struggle far beyond the view of the public. Warzone: Nemesis is an action-packed opening novel to the Warzone series, a richly-detailed read for lovers of science-fiction and military fiction alike. Contrasting ideologies bring the underlying similarities between the commanders on both sides into sharp focus, adding depth to the story, and the levels of research that have gone into the book are clearly visible in the meticulous description of locales and technologies. Morris E. Graham creates comprehensive battle strategies and interesting psychological twists to keep the battles, and the story, moving along, while touching on some of the many ethical dilemmas that any war brings into the open.My Take:I was really excited to read this book when I first got it! And when I dove in, it did not disappoint! Aliens crash landing on a Navajo reservation, the government sweeping in and spiriting it away, a super-secret program... so exciting!And then it kind of.. faltered. It switched gears and went from an awesome sci-fi to a more military-focused story. And just as I was getting settled into the military third person, it went to military first person. Another huge shift, and we don't meet the main character until we are 1/3 of the way through the book!And then there were more shifts after that. Every single one took me out of the story and threw me off kilter. Which is a shame because once I was able to get back into it, I really liked each section. It was just difficult to see it as a cohesive story.I loved so much about this book. The incorporation of the Navajo culture, not only at the beginning, but also later in the story. The very real portrayal of Vietnam which led into the seemingly realistic method of recruitment. I loved how the conflict of the Cold War on Earth, fed into the Space Age expansion, and conflicts in space, which beautifully mirrored the real-world events of the time period.I loved Cowboy and Maj Seal. In some ways, their story went too fast! I loved the personal conflict between Kahless and Tkachenko. I absolutely loved the connection between Kahless and Blaze. I loved the amount of research that the author did into chess, boxing, karate, and the science behind terraforming.I didn't like how character's names kept changing, the fast pace of characters coming and going, the inconsistent flow. I felt like there were some characters who I could really have gotten attached to, but wasn't really given the opportunity. I didn't care for the contrived relationship between Kahless and Pastukhova. I hated how the story ended. If it had ended after the boxing match, it would have left enough curiosity to want to pick up the next book, without losing too much.Last note: This book had a lot of errors in it, and that was incredibly distracting. I was really surprised as this was the 8th edition of the book. Wow. This is one of those books that I think would have seriously benefited from a publisher. There is a great concept here, but it lacks focus. The editing was slipshod.I doubt that I will be reading the sequel.Would you like to check out Warzone: Nemesis for yourself? You can get it onAmazonthrough Kindle Unlimited, or in paperback.Until next time,Keep Reading!