Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 219

Before Terror Turns to Murder | Closer to the Chest by Mercedes Lackey #BookReview

Title: Closer to the ChestBy: Mercedes LackeyGenre: FantasyPages: 381Release Date: October 4th, 2016Publisher: DAW
Summary from Goodreads: Herald Mags, the King of Valdemar’s Herald Spy, has been developing a clandestine network of young informants who operate not only on the streets of the capital city of Haven, but also in the Great Halls and kitchens of the wealthy and highborn. In his own established alternate personas, Mags observes the Court and the alleys alike, quietly gathering information to keep Haven and the Kingdom safe.His wife Amily is growing into her position as the King’s Own Herald, though she is irritated to encounter many who still consider her father, Herald Nikolas, to be the real King’s Own. Nonetheless, she finds it increasingly useful to be underestimated, for there are dark things stirring in the shadows of Haven and up on the Hill. Someone has discovered many secrets of the women of the Court and the Collegia— and is using those secrets to terrorize and bully them. Someone is targeting the religious houses of women, too, leaving behind destruction and obscene letters.
But who? Someone at the Court? A disgruntled Palace servant? One of the members of the Collegia? Someone in the patriarchal sect of the god Sethor? Could the villain be a woman? And what is this person hoping to achieve? It isn’t blackmail, for the letters demand nothing; the aim seems to be the victims’ panic and despair. But why?
Mags and Amily take steps to minimize the damage while using both magic and wits to find the evildoer. But just as they appear to be on the verge of success, the letter writer tires of terror and is now out for blood.
Mags and Amily will have to track down someone who leaves few clues behind. They must thwart whatever plans have been set in motion, and quickly—before terror turns to murder. 

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Review: This book started off a little slow for my taste. I'm used to a lot of world building and intricate story lines, but for some reason, I just couldn't get into this one. It was that the writing was bad, because it was really great. I felt like the story was just a little lack luster for me. Fans of Mercedes Lacky will probably enjoy this book. 
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

When the music stops, the dance begins | The Midnight Dance by Nikki Katz #BookReview

Title: The Midnight DanceBy: Nikki KatzGenre: FantasyPages: 320Release Date: October 17th, 2017Publisher: Swoon Reads
Summary from Goodreads: When the music stops, the dance begins.
Seventeen-year-old Penny is a lead dancer at the Grande Teatro, a finishing school where she and eleven other young women are training to become the finest ballerinas in Italy. Tucked deep into the woods, the school is overseen by the mysterious and handsome young Master who keeps the girls ensconced in the estate – and in the only life Penny has never known.

But when flashes of memories, memories of a life very different from the one she thinks she’s been leading, start to appear, Penny begins to question the Grand Teatro and the motivations of the Master. With a kind and attractive kitchen boy, Cricket, at her side, Penny vows to escape the confines of her school and the strict rules that dictate every step she takes. But at every turn, the Master finds a way to stop her, and Penny must find a way to escape the school and uncover the secrets of her past before it’s too late.
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Review: You all know that I have a special place in my heart for anything dance related. I was really hoping this book would take me back to my ballet years... in a strange way. Although the story was enticing, it lacked the dance element that I was hoping for. The story moved fast, a little too fast at times. There wasn't much world building to challenge the mind, but when I really got into the story, it was enthralling. The characters were ok and the writing was well done. I was just hoping for more.  
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Premonition by Leigh Walker #BlogTour @joinTheDivision

Premonition
Leigh Walker
(The Division #1)
Publication date: July 19th 2017
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult

When Riley heads off to boarding school for a summer work-study program, she knows it’ll be demanding. What she doesn’t expect? To be thrust into an intense physical training program described as special, exclusive and worst of all–top-secret. She signed up for tuition assistance, not to be held in a secret government facility for boot camp…
Welcome to The Division, the government agency that’s so classified, most United States senators have never heard of it.
The Division wants Riley bad, but she can’t figure out why. Skeptical of what she’s being told, Riley’s determined to uncover the truth. Boot camp is intense, physically and mentally draining. The upside? One of her new teammates is the cutest boy ever. Watching Finn hit the gym wearing a tank top doesn’t suck–although sometimes his brooding attitude does. But when training forces Riley to confront her tragic past, even Finn’s big biceps aren’t enough to make her want to stay…
Beware: The Division isn’t something you just walk away from. You better run.
Riley realizes her capabilities and strengths are greater than she’d ever imagined. But she also learns she wasn’t just chosen for this special program…
She was made for it.

Goodreads / Amazon—INTERVIEW WITH LEIGH WALKERQ: Wow, you’re interviewing yourself…how pompous!
Right? It’s to tell people more about the series, lol. Although I should admit that I normally talk to myself a lot, so this isn’t much of a departure.
Q: Tell us about “The Division” – it’s a bunch of teenagers with psychic powers, right? How did you get inspired?
Everyone on the team has psychic powers, yes. I was watching “Stranger Things” on Netflix and I WAS SO PSYCHED they were testing poor Eleven for psychic powers. But I was also like, YEEHAW! Because I LOVE psychic powers, and I can’t remember the last time I saw or read something that included them. I’ve always been obsessed by the concept, and there’s so many variations of powers, so many incarnations it can take… Anyway, after watching that show and having that reaction, I thought, other people must love this stuff, too, I can’t be the only one. So I wanted to give us all more!
Q: Tell us about the main character, Riley Payne.
Riley is a ‘normal’ girl dealing with a lot. Her father and sister died in a car accident and her mother started drinking heavily after it happened. She just wants to get out of her house and go to boarding school, but she gets more than she bargained for when she abruptly gets recruited into a secret agency…
Q: The ‘secret agency’ is The Division, correct?
Yes. It’s a secret cell of teenagers who were genetically engineered with psychic gifts. They work for the American government to combat domestic terrorism.
Riley thinks they’re nuts, of course. Until she unlocks her powers, then she’s blown away by what she can do.
Q: As the series goes on, you get into genetic engineering, fated love, eco-terrorism, loyalty, isolation, human nature, climate change…some pretty heavy themes. But would you describe the series as a difficult read?
I don’t think so, but certainly some parts were hard to write – like about Riley missing her dad and her sister. I still cry when I read those parts. And in the second book, an eco-terrorist is introduced, and some terrible things happen in the book. So yeah, there’s definitely a heaviness to some of what the characters are dealing with. But they’re teenagers, and their youth is sort of a tonic against everything they’re dealing with. They still care about their friends. They still want to hang out, tell stories, joke around. They are still very interested in falling in love. I think my writing style is naturally light and breezy, so it’s sort of a counterpoint to the storyline. If that makes sense, lol.
Q: What’s your favorite part of this series?
Riley and Finn’s relationship. They have so much on their plates, and they’re so young, but they genuinely care for each other in a way that makes me ache.
Q: What do you do when you’re not writing?
I have three large, unruly boys who like to play every sport and eat as much food as possible. When I’m not at my computer, I’m busy carting them around and grocery shopping. But I also love to relax with a great book or television show – I am currently completely obsessed with Riverdale, OMG!!!
Thanks for having me! Happy reading!!!

Author Bio:
Leigh Walker lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. She has a degree in Journalism and a law degree. She's never been to the Naval Shipyard prison in Kittery, ME, but she's driven by it...and boy, is it creepy!

Leigh has lots of books planned for The Division Series. Sign up for her mailing list at www.leighwalkerbooks.com to be notified of the next release in the series! You can also find her on The Division's FB page: https://www.facebook.com/divisionbook...
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A Game of Deception | Forgotten by Kristin Smith #BookReview

Title: ForgottenBy: Kristin SmithGenre: FantasyPages: 321Release Date: January 23rd, 2017Publisher: Clean Teen
Summary from Goodreads: The epic tale of Sienna Preston continues in this second installment of the exhilarating Deception Game series.
Seventeen-year-old Sienna is no stranger to heartache and loss. But this time, it's different; someone―or something―has tampered with a loved one's memories, and she's determined to get answers.

The trail leads her to the glittering skyscrapers and modern luxuries of Rubex, the Capital of Pacifica, where she infiltrates the government's Agency for Intelligence and Genetics. But answers are not always easy to come by, especially when her own memories may have been altered. Luckily, Zane Ryder is there to help her put the pieces back together, his devotion and concern muddying the waters between friendship and something more.

When Sienna gets too close to uncovering dark Agency secrets, she's framed for the murder of a prominent government official, sending her on the run. Sienna's heart may be torn about who she loves, but none of that really matters anymore―because the only thing that awaits her now is a death sentence.
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Review: I was excited to dive back into the world of Sienna and the game of lies she's been thrown into. In this second installment from Kristin Smith, we learn that no one is safe from the reach of the Capitol. People are having their memories altered. I was kept guessing through the whole book and nearly bit all my finger nails off wondering who was going to regain their memories. 
I loved this book and am excited to read what happens next.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#WeeklyMenu Week #215 | #EBookLove with Read an E-Book Day

Good morning and happy Monday! Did you miss my confessions yesterday? Make sure you check it out to read what's happened this last week. 

I was kind of upset with Outlander last night. I wan't Claire and Jamie to get back together, but they are really taking their time pushing the story 20 years into the future. I kept screaming, "No, don't sleep with Randall," But they didn't hear me.

Anyway, today is national read an e-book day. You know I will be reading an e-book, that's all I really read these days. What will you be reading today?

Enjoy this weeks menu!


Monday- Beef and Broccoli 
Tuesday- Taco Tuesday
Wednesday- Lemon Asparagus Chicken
Thursday- Pork Egg Roll Bowl
Friday- Chicken Fajitas 
Saturday- Roasted Cauliflower salad 
Sunday- Tuna Sandwiches

Weekly Confessions #7 | A Plague, a Drum and Cactus Socks

First off, lets start off with a... Hello there!

The drums of Autumn are right around the corner and with it the plague has arrived. It happens every year. I use all my vacation time at work staying home with sick kids. At least I had a good book to read and some quiet time with the boys sleeping. Now, on to this weeks confessions.

I think I read too many books this week... If that's even a thing... On Mondays, while I'm working around the house, I like to pick off some of the shorter books on my TBR pile. So, this week I devoured The Spiderwick Field Guide, The Tales of Beedle the Bard and I Give you my Body, which taught me many words for my private parts and got me thinking about the real meaning of "Fanny Pack." I don't think it means what we think it means. It was a strange Monday...

Anyway, checked some books off my TBR list. A Murder in Time, which was just strange and not my kind of book. I didn't even finish Black City because it was so bad. Drums of Autumn... Sigh, Jamie, and Fracture which I totally read by accident. I had another book with the same name that I was supposed to review and I grabbed the wrong e-book from the list. I was wondering why the story didn't match up with the rest of the series. Surprisingly, the one that I read was excellent.

Reviews this week blew my mind. Sometimes, I dig through my review books and most of them are just king of blah, but I have to read them anyway and give my opinion even though I choked on the words trying to get them down. This week was nothing like that. One of the awesome authors I've been blessed to review in the past sent me an advanced copy of her new book Forgotten. I was glad to
reconnect with Sienna and her crazy world.

Another book that I've been dying to read and was lucky enough to get a chance to review was a book by Carrie Fisher called The Princess Diarist. Oh boy, was this one fun. Ms. Fisher has a great sense of humor and dives into her affair with Harrison Ford during the shooting of Star Wars. You have to heck this one out.

Last but not least is... FRACTURE! The one that I actually meant to read. I'm
still in the middle of reading it, but its by another author that I've been blessed to connect with. Just a heads up. So far... It's awesome.

Enough with books, whats next.


I have to confess, it's been a long week. The boys came down with the plague, and in their usual fashion, they couldn't all get sick all at once. It started with the oldest, two days later, the medium boy was out for the count and then the next day, baby boy is practically in a fever coma. He made me hold him for four hours straight while he slept. When he finally woke up I was sweaty and my back hurt. Poor boys. I think we are finally on our way to getting well.

Maybe if we were all well again I could work out some more and lose more weight. I'm already proud with the 11 pounds that I've dropped in the last 10 weeks, but I'm still not down to my goal weight. 9 more pounds to go.


Well, I'd like to say that my writing has taken great leaps toward becoming a book, but sadly, there just wasn't time this week.

I am working on creating a character cafe where I post short stories from my characters perspective and invite other authors to join in, but that's still in the concept stage. I'm also looking for illustrations of my characters to use in promotions. So if you are an artist or know one that is willing to trade and e-book for a picture, let me know.


I know this is your favorite part of the post. A recap of what I shared this last week. Here we go...

A look beyond Star Wars, my Princess Diarist ReviewWe talked about mermaids with AtlantisI showed you how Sci-Fi is the greatest in ArtemisHosted Brenda Drake on the blog with ThunderstruckAnd of course your favorite, my weekly menu
I want these cactus socks!I'm totally thinking about shaving my head again
Ok, that's all that I have to confess this week. Until next time, I will leave you with this gif...

A Look Beyond Star Wars | The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher #BookReview

Title: The Princess DiaristBy: Carrie FisherGenre: Non-FictionPages: 257Release Date: October 18th, 2016Publisher: Blue Rider Press
Summary from Goodreads: The Princess Diarist is Carrie Fisher’s intimate, hilarious and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film sets of all time, the first Star Warsmovie. 
When Carrie Fisher recently discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved—plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Today, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon is indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a (sort-of) regular teenager. 

With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher’s intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time—and what developed behind the scenes. And today, as she reprises her most iconic role for the latest Star Wars trilogy, Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candor and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into the type of stardom that few will ever experience.
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Review: I've always heard that Carrie Fisher is an excellent author. This book didn't disappoint. It was hilarious and well written. Most of the story centers around Star Wars and her affair with Harrison Ford. Fisher goes into enough detail to give you a good picture, but not make things awkward and uncomfortable. I loved it and can't wait to read another book by Carrie Fisher. 

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#BookReview | Atlantis: The King's Return by D.K. Combs

Title: Atlantis: The King's ReturnBy: D.K. CombsGenre: FantasyPages: 372Release Date: August 7th, 2017Publisher: 
Summary from Goodreads: Ambrose. The name is not only feared, but shunned and reviled. He’s a monster sentenced to a life of desolation and loneliness, and no one but his tormentor knows his whereabouts — at the bottom of the ocean. A creature of the sea cursed because of one simple mistake…Mari. Her life was a small happy bubble until it’s popped by the finding out that her boyfriend has been cheating on her — just as the cruise ship she’s on starts to sink! She’s sure that death is near until she drowns upon an underwater cave…and a hulking man with swirling eyes.
Seeing a chance to escape, Ambrose forces the terrified Mari to help them both, but not before ultimately changing her life…and her legs. Their worlds turning upside in the matter of minutes, Ambrose is on a mission to clear his name and Mari’s on a mission to return to land. But how can she do that when she slowly starts to fall for the dangerous, damaged man who only wants to be free…and heal her own heart in the process?

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Review: I'm a huge fan of anything Atlantis, but unfortunately, this book fell short for me. It had great writing and a unique story that I was interested in, but the world building was lacking. Everything moved way to fast. There wasn't enough time to fall in love with the characters and get to know who they were. Plus, the main Character Mari was an airhead. Not the story for me.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#BookReview | Artemis by Andy Weir

Title: ArtemisBy: Andy WeirGenre: Sci-fiPages: 384Release Date: November 14th, 2017Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
Summary from Goodreads: Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.
Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she's stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first.
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Review: An interact thriller of epic proportions. I'm usually reluctant to read a sci-fi book, just because there is always a lot of sci-fi jargon that is so thick and unknown to me that I have a hard time chewing through the words. This book was not like that. The sci-fi elements were easy to understand and it made me enjoy the story even more. This was a great thrilling story that anyone will love.  

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Thunderstruck by Brenda Drake #BlogTour @brendadrake

Thunderstruck
Brenda Drake
Published by: Entangled Crave
Publication date: September 11th 2017
Genres: Mystery, Mythology, Romance

Stevie Moon is famous…at least to the subscribers on her comic review vlog. At school, she’s as plain as the gray painted walls in the cafeteria. So when Blake, the hot new guy at school, shows an interest in her, she knows trouble when she sees it. Been there. And never doing it again.
As the son of the god Thor, Blake Foster’s been given an important mission—to recover the Norse god Heimdall’s sacred and powerful horn before someone uses it to herald in the destruction of the entire universe. But while Blake is great in a fight, the battlefield that is a high school’s social scene is another matter.
Blake knows his only choice is to team up with the adorable Stevie, but she’s not willing to give him even the time of day. He’ll need to woo the girl and find the horn if he hopes to win this war. Who better to tackle Stevie’s defenses than the demi-god of thunder?
“Every page brims with captivating Norse mythology and deliciously creative worldbuilding.” Pintip Dunn, New York Times bestselling author.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo—EXCERPT:After disposing of the troll, Blake rushed to May’s house and showered. His thoughts kept going to Stevie. After hearing what Jörd said to him, he wanted to see her. The pull to go to her was too strong. He had no choice but to give in to it.
He climbed the tree outside Stevie’s room and sat on the branch. A blue light blinked on and off inside the room. He lightly tapped on the window. Muffled voices from within the room hummed against the glassed pane.
The curtain pushed aside. Amira was close to Stevie’s back when the curtain slid to the side. Stevie said something to Amira that Blake couldn’t hear through the thick glass. Amira turned away and dropped onto the bed. Stevie flipped the locks and opened the window.
“You scared the shit out of us,” Stevie snapped.
Amira crossed her arms. “Yeah, we’re watching scary movies here.”
Blake tried not to laugh, but he couldn’t hold it in. “My apologies. Can I have a moment alone with you, Stevie?”
“With me?” She glanced back.
“No.” Amira heaved a sigh. “With the other Stevie in the room.”
“Where do you want to go?”
He reached his hand out to her. “Out here is fine.”
She narrowed her gaze on him. “I don’t think so.”
“Come on,” he said. “It’s perfectly safe. This branch is thick. Trust me.”
“Stop being a chicken and go already. I have to pee.” Amira shuffled off.
Stevie hesitated before grabbing his hand and letting him guide her out the window and onto the branch. “This is crazy, you know that?”
“If you never throw caution to the wind, you’ll never be rewarded.” He sat on the branch and held her hand as she came down beside him. Her hand was warm and soft in his, and he wanted to hold it forever.
The loose pajama bottoms she wore had cats on them. Her pink tank top rode up a little and exposed a bit of her midriff. Her light-brown hair, the color of the acorns he’d gathered with his grandmother when he was a boy, rose in the wind behind her. Wide, dark eyes met his, her full lips parted in a smile.
“What did you want?” She glanced at the ground. “Wow, this is pretty high.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall.” He slid his hand across her lower back and held her waist. She shivered. “Are you cold?”
“A little,” she said.
“Hold on.” He let her go, shrugged off his hoodie, and draped it around her shoulders.
“Thank you.”
She held it closed at the zipper. He returned his arm around her, grasping her waist. She shuddered, and he smiled at her response to his touch.
“You didn’t answer me,” she said. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
“Actually, I’m not here to talk,” he said. “Have you ever had an urge to do something, and once it’s in your head, you can’t sleep or think until you do the thing?”
“I guess.” When she looked over at him, they locked eyes and an intensity passed between them like the energy he felt in the handle of his hammer after catching lightning with it. He noticed a faint scar just above her cupid’s bow.
“How did you get the scar?” he asked.
“Scar?” She glanced down at her chest.
“Not there,” he whispered, lifting her chin to look into her eyes. “On your lip.”
She touched it. “Oh this? It’s an embarrassing story. Let’s just say, I learned to watch where I’m walking, especially when poles are around.”
He chuckled. “I can imagine what happened.”
She lowered her head again, her feet kicking back and forth.
He decided to take his chance and cupped her face in his hands, bringing her face to his and kissing her. It was a gentle, wanting kiss. Her lips were soft and warm against his. She tasted like May’s brownies. When Stevie hadn’t responded to his kiss, he was about to release her, but then her lips began moving with his. He cradled her in his arms and they balanced together on the branch.

Author Bio:
Brenda Drake is a New York Times bestselling author of young adult fiction. She grew up the youngest of three children, an Air Force brat, and the continual new kid at school. Her fondest memories growing up is of her eccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So it was only fitting that she would choose to write stories with a bend toward the fantastical. When she’s not writing or hanging out with her family, she haunts libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops, or reads someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).
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