M.A Grace's Blog, page 20

BLOG Hosting for: Trying To Score By Toni Aleo

Before we get into the book lets take some time to learn about the Author Toni Aleo! 

Author BioI am a wife, mother, and hopeless romantic.I have been told I have anger issues, but I think it’s cause of my intense love for hockey!I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughters dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, and reading the latest romance novel.I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, and did I mention I love hockey?

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~~~ Author Interview ~~~
What is your favorite part of a book?I love the interaction between the couples. I always hate when they are apart. I really do like sex too, so those are also a favorite. 
When naming your characters, do you give any thought to the actual meaning?Maybe not their meaning, but what they mean to me, yes. Like, I named one of my heroines Elli because of Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles. And my hero, Shea, cause he is my hockey crush.   Do you use real-life facts based on true stories?Yes. All the time. People that know me and read my stuff are always like, ‘OMG Toni! That happened last week!”

Did you ever think you would ever become an author?No. I dibble dabbled in it a little when I was younger but never thought I would be where I am today. One day, Shea and Elli popped in my head and they needed to be written. Here I am , three stories in and three more that need to be written.

How long did it take you to publish your first book, after you started trying?About 2 months.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?Second guessing myself. I am horrible about it. I’ll write a whole chapter, read it and think its crap. But then I leave it be for an hour or so, and come back and love it. I am probably bi polar, and don’t know it. 
What is the best thing about being an author?The fans. I LOVE THEM! They are so much fun to interact with and I enjoy our emails, and messages. Plus, I love writing these amazing stories about love. I love giving my characters life.

What advice would you give aspiring writers? Just write. Don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t. 





Contemporary RomanceTitle: Trying to ScoreAuthor: Toni Aleo
Date Published: 4/11/2012
Synopsis: Fallon Parker’s dream was to have her family’s wine company at the top of all wine magazines and to have a cellar of her own. After graduating from college, she has worked hard to make that dream a reality, even if that meant having a nonexistent love life. She had her chance at love and that was a bust, so she put everything into the wine company. After becoming the official sponsor of the Nashville Assassins, Fallon finally feels like everything is falling in place, that is until Lucas Brooks comes back into her life.

Lucas Brooks hates his life. He is lonely, he is sober, and he is angry. On the ice, when he’s not in the sin bin, he the leading scorer in the NHL but off the ice, he is a mess. He threw away the most important person in his life, and has regretted it ever since but when Lucas sees Fallon again after being traded to the Assassins; he is bound and determined to get her back. Even if she wants nothing to do with him.

The sexual tension between Fallon and Lucas is electrifying as Lucas tries to convince Fallon that he is a changed man. Fallon tries to resist Lucas, but it is so hard when all her body wants is his. But when Lucas finds out that Fallon has been keeping a huge secret from him, the game he is playing stops and penalties are called.

With new rules and new players on the ice, will Fallon and Lucas be able to work out their differences and work as a team or will they be left trying to score alone.

Before my low star grade let me tell you that Toni Aleo is a lovely author with a strong writing ability and some lovely story ideas. However, like some other books I've read the whole thing was set off and really makes me dislike the book for ONE REASON.... Fallon. I know it can be a great idea to have the main person or one of them be to the point of annoying that helps draw drama and people into the book because people love to have someone to hate. But Fallon's personality, character, and just all around being made me dislike the whole book.  On the plus side... Lucas and Aiden really warm your heart. I love the father son relationship. I believe it is what kept me going on in my reading. I look forward to book 3 of the Assassins series and hope to see more of Lucas and Aiden's bond grow. 




Your Chance To Win!


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~~~ Disclosure ~~~

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

Book Review: Shadow on the Wall

Controversial and daring, Shadow on the Wall details the transformation of Recai Osman from complicated man to Superhero. Forced to witness the cruelty of the Morality Police in his home city of Elih, Turkey, Recai is called upon by the power of the desert to be the vehicle of change. Does he have the strength to answer Allah's call or will his dark past and self doubt stand in his way?

Pulling on his faith in Allah, the friendship of a Jewish father-figure and a deeply held belief that his people deserve better, Recai Osman must become The SandStorm.

In the tradition of books by Margaret Atwood and Salman Rushdie, Shadow on the Wall tackles issues of religion, gender, corruption and the basic human condition. Beautiful and challenging, this is not a book to miss.


Pavarti K Tyler is an artist, wife, mother and number cruncher. She graduated Smith College in 1999 with a degree in Theatre. After graduation, she moved to New York, where she worked as a Dramaturge, Assistant Director and Production Manager on productions both on and off Broadway.

Later, Pavarti went to work in the finance industry as a freelance accountant for several international law firms. She now operates her own accounting firm in the Washington DC area, where she lives with her husband, two daughters and two terrible dogs. When not preparing taxes, she is busy penning her next novel. 
Author of many short stories, Pavarti spans genres from Horror and Erotica all the way to Fantasy. Currently Pavarti is hard at work preparing for the release of her upcoming novel Shadow on the Wall, a Muslim Superhero Literary Fiction.




Sneak Peek A man. A voice. Darkness tangled her thoughts with fear and childhood warnings.Sabiha, you shouldn’t be walking alone, she’d heard it say.Stupidity had made her rash; selfish concerns about her brother caused her to make the worst possible mistake—the kind of mistake that would make her wish she had died, if by any chance she managed to survive.The low voice knew her name, knew her family name—it had come specifically for her.She ignored its call, quickening her pace. A laugh broke out in the night, mocking her fear. Suddenly the owner of the voice grabbed her, turning her around to face him.Refusing to meet the voice’s gaze, Sabiha fixed her eyes forward. Her gaze came to rest on his arm where she saw the outline of a tattoo, dark and menacing. A snake’s tail circled his bicep and disappeared behind his back, only to reveal itself on the other side of his neck with two onyx eyes staring at her, unblinking.   MY RATING
4 Out of 5 Stars!!

Strength is not always how much you dead weight you can pick up, how many presses you can do, or how hard you can hit. Strength is also something inside of you that pushes you to do what is right and stand your ground when others want to force you to change your mind. This book is full of strength. The women are in a world that has them restricted to certain laws and hidden behind mask and veils. But the women of this book stand against them in their own ways. Not afraid to speak their mind and stand up for the truth while still holding respect. Not willing to get a man the satisfaction of being superior and giving them pain. They are able to pull their strength together inside of them and be brave and strong.

Faith is challenged and second guessed as the soldiers who claim to be doing the work of Allah but are in no way doing such. As they use their power to get what they want, take what they desire, and destroy what they wish it is Recai's faith that he must channel and stick true to help those around him. A drive to provide his people with better and the help of his jewish friend and fatherly figure he must come to terms with himself, his past, his faith and become the promise of hope...he must become the sandstorm.

This book is a wonderful read. A book that can combine so many aspects together and so many emotions and deep meanings. This may not have the happy ever after fairy tale stories that many believe all stories should have. But it has more. It has reality and realization. It touches your heart, your mind and your soul.



Grab your copy today!Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Wall-The-SandStorm-Chronicles/dp/0983876908/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338664849&sr=1-1
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Wall-SandStorm-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B007V98F4Q/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1338664849&sr=1-1
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-on-the-wall-pavarti-tyler/1104926257?ean=9780983876908

Review: Joining the Club

Joining the Club by Susan McGeown

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Overall Rating: 3 of 5 stars. I personally could not relate to the author. I haven’t been in her shoes and felt the pains she has. This however also tended to put up a semi wall that was keeping me from fully connecting with the main lady. HOWEVER, Susan does a wonderful job conveying the author’s feelings and the way each situation and interaction she has makes her who she is. Hiding secretes and mixed emotions.



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Book Review: Joining The Club

Book Review by Toni G. Sinns
Book Title: Joining the Club
Author: Susan McGeown
About the Author: Susan McGeown is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, aunt, uncle (don't ask), teacher, author, but, most importantly, a "woman after God's own heart". Living in Bridgewater, New Jersey, with her husband of over fifteen years and their three children, writing stories is just about the best way she can imagine to spend her free time. Each and every one of Sue's stories champions those emotions nearest and dearest to her: faith, joy, hope and love.

Sue is now represented by Paige Wheeler of Folio Literary Management in NYC! YEAH!!!
Book Description: My name is Elaine. Talk to my daughter Olivia and she'll mention my lousy maternal instincts, blatant favoritism towards her sister, one-sided loyalties, and convenient memories regarding my personal disasters. My friend Callie will tell you I have a wonderful relationship with my daughter Erin and a spectacular relationship with my grandson. She's quick to point out that I'm "strong, capable, and resilient." Then there's Alec. He says I'm the toughest woman he's ever dealt with. He says that I'm smart and sharp and not at all shy or hesitant about speaking my mind. And he's also quite certain that I've eviscerated lesser men. Actually, I'm a moderately capable, semi-competent, usually reliable, vaguely lonely and uniquely insecure. Best served up in small, carefully managed dosages for the most successful result. Like strong cough syrup. Or Milk of Magnesia. Not intended for small children, not to be taken regularly, and never to be mixed with alcohol.



My ReviewOverall Rating: 3 of 5 stars. I personally could not relate to the author. I haven’t been in her shoes and felt the pains she has. This however also tended to put up a semi wall that was keeping me from fully connecting with the main lady. HOWEVER, Susan does a wonderful job conveying the author’s feelings and the way each situation and interaction she has makes her who she is. Hiding secretes and mixed emotions.

Grab your copy today!Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/joining-the-club-susan-mcgeown/1015625879?ean=9780615174310Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Joining-The-Club-Susan-McGeown/dp/0615174310/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1338504378&sr=8-2Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/JOINING-THE-CLUB-ebook/dp/B004K1EZO2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1338504378&sr=8-2

Review: Under the Thelián Sky: Beyond the Great Unknown

Under the Thelián Sky: Beyond the Great Unknown by Frank 'The Christian Noob' Olvera

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I will admit when I was first approached with the idea of this book it offset me. I am not religious. However, this book combines religion, science, and human nature and thought into a very lovely collection of stories and tales. I found that I enjoyed hearing about how human kind still holds principals so close to their heart. And it gave me hope for the future.



View all my reviews

Book Review: Under The Thelian Sky

Book Review by Toni G. Sinns
Book Title: Under the Thelián Sky: Beyond the Great UnknownAuthor: Frank "The Christian Noob" OlveraAbout the Author:  After struggling for decades with faith and manic depression, Frank Olvera (b. 1971) finally decided to work on stories that remained dormant in various notebooks and disks.

He holds a degree in audio engineering and another in computer science. He has also been involved in other fields such as education and journalism. He has published several websites with information ranging from music to technologies to wrestling to religion, for which he received several awards and recognition from several entities in each of the different fields. He has also received several awards for poetry.

As a science fiction writer, he has been heavily influenced by Doctor Who (BBC, 1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present), James Bond (MGM, 1962-present), Star Wars Episode IV (20th Century Fox, 1977) and V (1980) and Star Trek (CBS Studios, 1966-1969) and TNG (1987-1994).
Growing up Catholic, he found many aspects that he did not understand or care for in Catholicism. Hence he strayed for about thirteen years.

He finally returned to the Church in the fall of 2008 choosing a Presbyterian church. Nowadays he neither considers myself Catholic anymore nor Presbyterian for that matter - just Christian.Book Description: As everyone knows, God created mankind to his image (Genesis 01:27). What
mankind does not know is that God did not create man on Earth, but rather on MARS! When Mars could not sustain life anymore, mankind had to escape the planet and colonized Earth. Many years later, a study was written about the survival of mankind in Sol Four (Mars) and its struggle in Sol Three (Earth). We proved to be a species that has survived wars, slavery and other forms of abuse -- always holding on to our faith in God.



My ReviewOverall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I will admit when I was first approached with the idea of this book it offset me. I am not religious. However, this book combines religion, science, and human nature and thought into a very lovely collection of stories and tales. I found that I enjoyed hearing about how human kind still holds principals so close to their heart. And it gave me hope for the future.

Grab your copy today!Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-the-theli-n-sky-frank-the-christian-noob-olvera/1109517627?ean=9781449735920Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Under-Theli%C3%A1n-Sky-Survival-ebook/dp/B007M4VL5U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338502192&sr=8-1 

Book Review: Change By Design

Book Review by Toni G. Sinns
Book Title: Change By DesignAuthor: Catrina TaylorAbout the Author: A single mom to a special needs child and his creative sister, Catrina Taylor's greatest passion is her family. Writing is a close second. Between the energy devoted to running her home and creating her world, she works to make time to read, support other writers, spend time with her sisters and extended family.

This science fiction writer is a fan of the genre, and the endless possibilities it brings.
Book Description: Kei Salin has been watching young lives fall to faulty bureaucratic nonsense for decades and she's tired of it. She forces the hand of her superiors to remove her from the project. Before obtaining her reassignment,she takes a trip.
One stop on her vacation forces her to reveal something she's denied for decades.



My ReviewStory Line: You follow Kei through her troubles with how her director is treating a special type of race/people. How she struggles with developing products that are sent out before they are fully tested to be safe and in result ends up killing many that don’t have to die. Her director ignores these concerns and even brushes them off as if the lives of others don’t matter. Kei is given a chance to help but can she come to terms with herself in order to take on this roll?
Characters: Kei, Dak
My Favorite Part: When Dak and Kei meet up for lunch and his gives her a big talk about how she is the only one that can really make a difference for the people she is trying to protect.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I connect much more to this short story. I think the struggle of Kei is an intense self battle that she keeps under hush. You watch her struggle with her choices she makes and her stance on the issues at hand. You watch as dak a complete stranger to her helps her overcome what she has yet to face openly.

Grab your copy today!All copies are free. Just pick the device you want to read it on and sink in!Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/155321

Book Review: Below The Surface

Book Review by Toni G. Sinns
Book Title: Below The Surface
Author: Catrina Taylor
About the Author: A single mom to a special needs child and his creative sister, Catrina Taylor's greatest passion is her family. Writing is a close second. Between the energy devoted to running her home and creating her world, she works to make time to read, support other writers, spend time with her sisters and extended family.

This science fiction writer is a fan of the genre, and the endless possibilities it brings.
Book Description: Merx Tol, a resistance fighter, strives to balance life, his empathic sense, and the protection of his people under his mother's leadership. Everything he desires changes the day Henessa Sar, a young woman presumed dead, appears among the debris of a supply truck.



My ReviewStory Line: Merx helps his mother as a resistance fighter. Finding the body of Henessa and connecting with her as they share some common qualities turns into a short story of connection between two strangers that are thrown together in the strangest of ways.
Characters: Merx, Jaylin, Henessa, Renee, Larah, Dak
My Favorite Part: There is a section where Merx is torn between his mother and Henessa. Wanting to be there for both and both wanting him to be there for the other. I like this part most because it really connects you with Merx you can feel his confusion and his frustration as he deals with his emotions and ideas or thoughts of what he should be doing.
Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. THIS IS MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION ON WHAT I LIKE. THIS MAY NOT BE YOUR OPINION THUS I ADVISE YOU TO READ THE BOOK AND MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND. Now on to my opinion, this is a short story so there is very little room to go into huge amounts of information and still get the story in. I think Catrina did a wonderful job on her story. However, I am the type that likes to know more behind my characters. Again personal opinion. You do get small bits of information randomly here and there. The story unfolds the connection between Merx and Henessa. Ending with Merx making the ultimate choice and growing into the man he was raised to be.

Grab your copy today!All copies are free. Just pick the device you want to read it on and sink in!
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Below-Surface-Xenonian-Origins-ebook/dp/B00838TX18/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1338496529&sr=8-3
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/below-the-surface-catrina-taylor/1109799781?ean=2940033136810
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/146086

Turning The Pages Books Newsletter

Here is a preview of what you would see from Turing The Pages Books Newsletter. Be sure to subscribe to get the newsletter sent to your email. It is a must for book lovers!
Turning The Pages Book Newsletter

Right now it is 4 pages long. Page one list Books on blog tour currently, A random Author review or interview, and a list of the #1 books by category. Page 2 and 3 are about release dates of short stories and novels, A poetry corner, a list of contest to enter, and previous contest winners. The final page 4 has a section for upcoming authors and ads for blog tour sites.

Review: When Red Is Blue

When Red Is Blue by Sabrynne McLain

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Story Line: You follow Kate through multiple memories and moments in her life. You watch her deal with issues with her father, issues with her mother, and issues with herself.

Characters: Sofia, Kate, Kate’s father, and the whole town of Cooper

Full Concept: I believe this book does a masterful job showing how a family can be torn apart by mental issues and yet still trying to make everything work. How secretes are kept from friends for the hope of being normal and not having them look down at the mentally sick. It shows how one struggles to deal with the sick person and themselves.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed this book. Following the struggles that a mentally ill family member can cause for themselves, their family, and those around them is hard. Nobody can truly make you feel and understand these struggles however this book does give you a really close attempt at that. Mental illness is hard to go through, hard to understand and hard to explain. This book has a strong base of knowledge on the issues and conveys it to the reader in an insightful story. Very enjoyable read.



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